Page 17 of SEAL's Fake Girlfriend

“And you’re thinking of Lakeside Circle, the long road that curves around to the club.” Rhianne made a swirl with a finger, to show the shape of the road. “No, we’re Lakeridge Drive, to the right.” She pointed left, her smile ditzy. “We’re actually just applying to join the club now. We only moved in recently—had to have the place remodeled first. You know how it is.”

“Yeah, our bank accounts know how it is,” joked another of the men.

Eric’s heart swelled at this latest proof that Rhianne was clever and capable as well as stunning. She’d prepped for this undercover situation with relentless dedication, and her hard work was now paying off. If that had been a test, if there were plants among the guests, to flush out imposters—which he wouldn’t put past Arturo—Rhianne had surely just gotten them a passing grade.

“Let’s go listen to the band?” he suggested, mainly so he could press into her as he steered her away. God knew he didn’t want to listen to the bland music, the female singer with the two male guitarists performing one cover after another, even though a knot of people were tapping their toes, seemingly enjoying it.

The assistant who’d guided them from their cabana to this mixer popped up at Rhianne’s side. “You haven’t tried the luncheon buffet,” he announced, beckoning at least three of the waitstaff forward with their silver salvers held at chest height. “Señor Rodriquez wants his guests to enjoy his hospitality.”

“Oh, I…yes, of course.” Rhianne was flustered, but recovered quickly. “Lemme see now…” She looked from one tray to the other, accepting the plate their assistant offered to place her selection on. Eric didn’t catch what the guy asked next, something about where the teriyaki was, but guessed that server had been caught up by other guests.

“Hi again!”

It was Eric’s turn to spin to his side when he heard the loud, confident greeting clearly directed at him. The woman who’d addressed him fit the Texan drawl and mile-high hair she sported, even if her dress didn’t quite fither, seeing as it was so tight that it was clearly about to burst at the seams.

“I remember you from the ride in,” she announced. “I’m Leandra. Eli, isn’t it? Yeah, you can bet I wouldn’t forget a thing about you.”

Eric gave a polite huff of laughter, trying not to stare too obviously at where Rhianne had been led a few yards away to another one of the wait staff and her wares.

“We redheads always stand out.” Leandra patted her hair, its tint clearly owing more to her colorist than genetics. “Though you’d be hard to miss anywhere, so tall and handsome.”

“I’ll pass your thanks on to my mother.” Eric’s smile stretched his facial muscles.

Leandra gave a trill of laughter as fake-sounding as the rest of her and smacked Eric’s upper arm. Her eyes opened as wide as her eyelashes would let them. “Oh my.” She ran her hands up the outsides of his arms, lingering on the muscles that grew more bunched with tension by the second. Eric held his breath as her hands slid over his shoulders, stopping there to squeeze in evident appreciation.

“Mmm. I’d bet any money that you know how to handle a woman with shoulders like these,” she said, her tongue tip peeking out. “What do you bench press, stud? I’d guess that a man like you knows just how to make things dangerous in a fun way.”

She couldn’t have said anything more calculated to hit all the wrong buttons for Eric. He couldn’t stand women reacting to him as nothing more than a body, licking their lips over him, as if the physical strength and musculature he’d built to serve his country and protect his team were simply toys crafted for their pleasure. But it was worse when someone was attracted to him specifically because he was dangerous. It was why he was always reluctant to tell anyone that he was a sniper. Some women got scared off, which was bad enough. It was worse when the idea turned them on.

Disgusted, he groped blindly for Rhianne, who’d just reached his side again, and felt her snap to attention at the touch. She turned and shot Leandra a chilling look. “What’s happening here?” she demanded.

“Oh, I’m just testing out the merchandise,” Leandra answered, letting loose a flirty chuckle.

“Well, don’t,” Rhianne ordered. “We don’t play like that.”

Leandra tsked, gave a final squeeze to Eric’s shoulders, but thankfully walked away.

“I guess swinging is part of the package around here. Where did you get to?” Eric gritted out, more harshly than he’d intended. “Don’t wander off.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll bodyguard you,” Rhianne muttered back. “But you have to return the favor, yeah? Geez, these guys are pigs. My butt’s been pinched four times already.”

She stuck to his side even more closely after that. The mixer event seemed to last forever, and Eric was glad to see Arturo appear and signal to the staff. Thank God—it was coming to an end.

“Hello.” Arturo stepped in front of the now-silent singer and musicians and took the mic. “I hope you’re enjoying getting to know one another. Just a reminder that the auction is tomorrow evening.”

Applause rippled through the guests.

“And that tonight’s dinner party is a formal one.”

Excited chatter greeted this.

He held up a hand. “Do not worry if you do not have the correct wardrobe with you—we have stylists on hand to supply anyone who might not have packed for formal on their vacation.” Arturo smiled at the titter of laughter this was met with. With a wave, he stepped away.

The buzz of conversation this occasioned among the guests set Eric’s teeth on edge. In the same tones of selfish excitement, these people were discussing the expensive clothes they’d wear and the expensive people they’d buy as personal slaves. The whole thing turned his stomach. As soon as he could, he almost pulled Rianne back to their room, needing out of that space with those people—before he blew his top and with it, their cover.

9

Rhianne was glad she hadn’t eaten any of the hors d’oeuvres—not that she could have forced herself to eat anything these monsters provided—with the pace Eric set in marching her back to their cabana. She stumbled a couple of times, and it was testament to how wound-up Eric was that he didn’t notice.

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