He swept his gaze over her, stopping at her cleavage. “I don’t have a redhead in my collection yet.”
She couldn’t say she was overly surprised by this turn of events. Xavier Franklin’s reputation for chasing much younger women by the baker’s dozen did precede him, after all. She was surprised he only had six mistresses.
“Look, Xavier, I’m flattered, of course, but I wouldn’t say I’m in the market for—”
He aimed a kiss toward her mouth, but she dodged out of the way just in time. He grinned wickedly at her. “I like a little spunk in my ladies. The chase only makes it more fun!”
This wasn’t happening to her. “I really need to leave.”
His pale eyes swept over her body. “You, me, hot tub. Now. You can leave the mask on but everything else comes off. I enjoy a bit of mystery.”
She grimaced. “No, thanks.”
“Your beautiful lips say no, but your sexy green eyes say yes.”
“My sexy green eyes are also saying no. Trust me on that.”
He grabbed her wrist and she had to jostle to keep a hold of the potion bottle so it wouldn’t spill. “I’ve desired you since the moment we met. I want to make love to you.”
She gritted her teeth. “That wasn’t part of the agreement with PARA.”
“I don’t care.” He waved a hand flippantly. “You know, Emma, I have a difficult time taking no for an answer.”
“I can see that.” She didn’t want to resort to kneeing the old man in his privates, but it was a distinct possibility she’d have to go there. He was rich and powerful. PARA considered him a VIP, so he could make her life very difficult, but she’d be damned if she was going to let him to fondle her like one of his shiny glass bowls.
“Excuse me,” a familiar voice said from behind them. “Emma, I was wondering where you’d gotten to. Is everything okay?”
She turned with shock to see Ryan standing by the open door to the library.
“Who are you?” Xavier demanded, without letting go of her wrist.
“I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced. I’m Ryan. Emma’s fiancé.” He smiled thinly. “Is there a problem here?”
Xavier let go of her so abruptly she nearly stumbled backward. She pressed her hand over the top of the bottle to keep the stopper in place.
“Emma, I wasn’t aware that you were engaged,” he said.
Her first inclination was to deny it, but she bit her tongue long enough to come to her senses. “Oh, yes. Very engaged. Ryan came along with me tonight. It was a long drive and I wanted the company.”
“Yes,” Ryan agreed. “I couldn’t let my angel come all this way by herself. The city can be very dangerous. Predators are everywhere. Present company excluded, of course.”
Xavier pursed his lips. “I thought you said you were taking the bus back tonight.”
“I…uh, yes, of course,” she said. “We both took the bus.”
The billionaire eyed each of them in turn and Emma was certain he didn’t believe a word they spoke.
“Yes, well,” he finally relented. “I really must get back to my party. Everyone will be wondering where I’ve gotten to.”
“Good idea,” Ryan said. “Bye now.”
“Lovely to meet you. Both of you.” Without another word, Xavier Franklin left the library and closed the heavy, ornately carved door behind him, leaving Emma and Ryan alone. She finally released the breath she’d been holding.
“You don’t have to thank me—” Ryan offered.
She looked at him, trying her best to repress the gratitude she felt. “I wasn’t going to.”
“—but you’re welcome.”
Emma put her hand on her hip. “I could have handled that, you know.”
“A dirty old man with big bucks trying to get you into his hot tub? Yeah, you probably could have. But I thought I’d intervene, just for old time’s sake. You do know these parties are simply a way for him to meet new women, right?” His gaze narrowed on the bottle she held. “So, what’s that?”
“A bottle.”
“I figured that part out all by myself. Was it a gift from the octogenarian Casanova?”
“Not a gift. I’m taking it back to PARA with me. Don’t try to steal it or I might be forced to stab you in the eyeball.”
He raised a dark brow. “With what?”
Emma frowned. “I have a very pointy pencil in my purse and I know how to use it.”
He studied her for a moment. “I see. So if you’re here on behalf of my old employer, where’s your new partner?”
“I don’t have a partner at the moment. I’m currently working independently.”
“For six long months?” His lips stretched over his straight white teeth. “So nobody lived up to me, did they?”
She shook her head. “I see you haven’t misplaced your inflated ego anywhere.”
“Thought I did for a while, but I found it in my sock drawer.”
Speaking with the gorgeous but disappointing man in front of her was wearying, especially when being close to him made it difficult to separate the anger she felt from the desire that pooled inside her. It was well past the time when Emma wanted to leave. “Well, it’s been great walking down memory lane with you, Ryan, but time is a-fleeting.” She grabbed her purse, slung it over her shoulder, and then eyed the tote bag. She’d have to catch a cab to the bus station. Any more walking was out of the question tonight with this load. All she knew was she had to escape. And soon.
His smile faded. “So you’re going to leave, just like that.”
She shrugged. “My work here is done. I have what I came for and now it’s time for me to go.”
He’d drawn close enough that she could feel his body heat. She forced herself not to back up a step or show any weakness toward him.
“Take off your mask, Em. I want to see your face,” he said.
“No.”
“Is that the only word you know?”
“Tonight it is.”
She wanted to stay professional, but it was difficult when Ryan Shephard was so close to her. She’d tried very hard to forget about him, to put everything that happened between them well behind her. Logically, she knew she wasn’t supposed to like him anymore, but it was as if her body had a mind of its own.
A whole year of wanting him when they worked together, side by side. Never having him. Fantasies of bare skin, his body pressed to hers, his lips and tongue moving over her naked body, lower, lower…
She had to get out of here.
“Can I tell you a secret, Em?” he asked after a moment.
“I’d prefer than you don’t. And stop calling me Em.” Her grip tightened on the bottle of potion. It was an abbreviation of her name that he’d used in the past, but now it felt much too intimate.
His jaw tightened. “Fine, Emma. Then let me ask you a question first.”
She reached up to adjust her mask. Flimsy though it was, it felt like it offered her a bit of protection against the man facing her. “Go ahead. But I can’t guarantee I’m going to answer it.”
“When