CHAPTER THREE
If Jake didn’t know better, he’d have thought Gabby actually was smitten with the last person he’d have expected she’d be smitten with—a goddamn vampire.
Not only a vampire but the second-in-line to the vampire clan leader herself, Lucinda Bennett. Raz wasn’t as reputedly vicious as the first-in-line, Vladimir, but still…he was a vampire. Despite the current alliance between shifters and vampires, that didn’t mean they went ahead and flirted with each other or so much as showed any kind of interest. It happened, but it was rare—and it was even rarer for shifter heirs and heiresses, considering they wanted to preserve their shifter lines for continuity.
So what was Gabrielle Montgomery playing at?
She really was a piece of work, this one. First, she avoided him like the plague, then she decided to be all uppity and tell him in her own words to stop doing his job. Now, she was treading dangerous ground with the vampire clan by talking about clothes and…underwear. Sure, she was in the fashion business, but she was also the representative at the moment for all business affairs involving the shifter clans. Representatives shouldn’t be getting too warm and cozy with vampires they were only acquainted with casually.
Unless she wanted to be acquainted more than casually.
It looked like it, actually. Jake could only watch incredulously as Gabby kept at it, chattering a mile a minute while taking a sip of champagne every now and then. Her body language indicated that she wanted to move even closer to the vampire, but society dictated otherwise, and she was just behaving herself. She did take the liberty of touching his arm once or twice, the movement light but noticeable.
Raz, for his part, was accepting all the gestures with a pleased expression, though he wasn’t exactly reciprocating it. Still, he did his best to charm her back by complimenting her as calmly as he could. The way Jake saw it, he looked like the type of creature who wouldn’t be fazed with whatever was thrown his way, whether it was a woman flirting or a bloodbath happening in front of his eyes.
And Jake didn’t trust that at all.
Actually, he really disliked the guy. He was just too…charming, like he oozed it on purpose. Charming men were usually good at hiding sinister personalities, which was why Jake preferred rough and rude ones who didn’t bother to hide their ugly nature.
As he was observing Gabby and Raz, Jake was also observing all the other interactions in the event—multitasking, so to speak. Upon entering the event earlier, he realized that not a single leader of any faction was found. Rather, their representatives were all in place, and said representatives were trying to make deals here and there at the pretense of “getting along.” He supposed that was just how politics worked, and he was glad that he wasn’t high-ranking in any way, whether it was family or through rank elevation.
He’d been bitter about it once, especially when he found out it wouldn’t get him any closer to his once potential mate, Lucy. Now, he was only grateful that he was away from that kind of headache.
The panther clan’s mate was really making a name for herself despite this being her first attendance. Jake observed the woman’s guard, who was eyeing his charge as closely as Jake was eyeing his—except the other guard looked like he was having fun doing it, too. Like they were friends, with the way they sometimes interacted. The guard looked in his direction once, and their eyes met. The panther guard tilted his head, almost like a silent nod. Jake did the same.
Raz also had a bodyguard—or an assistant, because she didn’t look like a bodyguard at all. In fact, she didn’t even look like a vampire with the way she moved. There was none of that effortless grace or cold, calculated gaze, and Jake found himself trying to figure out what kind of creature she was. Before he could conclude anything, the woman looked in his direction, too. Then she smiled and started approaching him.
“Hi,” she said softly. “I’m Raz’s assistant. I’m Olivia.”
She held out a hand, which Jake had no choice but to shake. He actually didn’t mind, because her touch was warm. Definitely not a vampire.
“I’m Gabrielle’s bodyguard. Jake.”
“I figured that,” she said. “It looks like our masters are getting along.”
Jake frowned, not really considering his charge as his master. But he supposed it was different for vampires, so he let it slide. “Is your master this friendly to women?”
Olivia’s eyes gleamed behind her silver spectacles. “Not so much, actually. He’s always polite, but I do think he’s particularly interested in your master. I can see why.”
He couldn’t see why. Jake gave Gabby a subtle once-over, noting her outrageous fashion statement—a lemon yellow wraparound dress and royal blue shoes. Her headband was also royal blue, and her outfit reminded Jake of those Upper Eastside heiresses who liked to be the center of attention and influence. They weren’t his type, really. Gabby’s hair was pulled back in a tight chignon, and she looked too put-together.
As if she sensed his observation, she glanced in his direction. Blue-green eyes flared in defense, and Jake realized it was because he was probably making his dislike known. He banked it down and pretended not to notice, then half-turned his attention back to Olivia to chat.
Gabby also turned her attention back to Raz and flirted some more. He wondered where this was going, then deduced that it was none of his business. As long as she didn’t do anything rash and run away with the guy, then everything was good.
All he needed to do was not let her get kidnapped and get her safely home after this.
Then he was taking his paycheck and charging it to experience, so to speak.
*****
A few hours later, Gabby surprised him by taking his elbow on their way out.
“Ride in the limousine with me. Pick your motorcycle up tomorrow. I might be in danger.”
He didn’t want to ride in the limousine with her, but her voice sounded so urgent that he couldn’t exactly ignore it, either. So he followed her, looking around and noting that there was no sinister presence he could sense before slipping in beside her in the vehicle.
Five minutes later, he realized that Gabby had drunk too much champagne and was probably not as sober as she should be.
“I have a business dinner with Raz tomorrow night, so we can’t leave yet. What do you think of him?” she asked, her words tumbling all over each other.
Crap. And here he thought they could finally leave. He then focused on her question and shrugged. “He’s a vampire.”
“That’s the most prejudiced answer I’ve ever heard,” she shot back. “I bet you also have the same conceited answer for heiresses, which is why you can’t even hide your dislike for me.”
He wanted to shoot back that she wasn’t giving herself a fighting chance in that matter, considering how weird she was acting at the moment. But Jake clamped his mouth shut instead.
Gabby sighed. Then she began removing her headband and untwisting her hair, pulling it down in swift movements. He watched, surprised, as a long trail of curly hair spilled down her back almost to her waist. She had blonde hair that looked almost golden in the limousine’s dim glow. She sighed again.
“It’s really hard to pretend to like people you’re not supposed to like,” she confessed in a mumble. Her glazed aquamarine eyes bored into his. “Don’t you think so, Jake? I think so. At least you can show me you dislike me. I can’t do the same to those I need to rub elbows with because it’s my responsibility to be poised and elegant and uphold the family name.”
She kept staring at him with those eyes, as if waiting for him to confirm what she said—and for the first time since he met her, Jake felt an unexpected jolt in his stomach.
“You must really hate me if you don’t even want to speak with me,” she said. There was a sad tinge to her tone, and she finally broke their gaze.
“I don’t hate you,” Jake found himself saying before he could stop it. Damn it. Vulnerable women were his weakness, and she was no exception. But she was tipsy, if not drunk, and they really shouldn’t be having this conversation.
She brightened considerably. Then she bit her lower lip, and his eyes strayed there.
“I’m lonely. I’m always lonely, and sometimes I just want to have a good time,” she admitted.
Jake was about to suggest that maybe she should try to loosen up every once in a while, and maybe say no to her family—take a vacation or something like that if she was really this stressed out. But before he could, Gabby was stretching her hands up in the air, making her chest pop out.
Then any suggestion he might have had became replaced with shock when she began straddling him.