“Sometimes pretty little ladies should know when to just shut up and look pretty,” he says with an evil smile.
En garde.
“Sometimes old blowhards should know when they’re outmatched,” I reply back with a steely voice. I can tell that Austin is looking at the two of us. But my eyes don’t move from Walker.
Before Walter can reply, though, Austin grabs me by the arm.
But I shrug him off.
“Old blowhards might know more than they let on,” Walker replies back coolly. “Enough to wipe the fake smile makeup off pretty little ladies. Never underestimate what an old man can get up to.”
No it’s not just Austin. There are literally a circle of people watching me.
And his reply is baiting me. Merde.
“Oh, I know for a fact what old men can and can’t get up,” I say, eyeing him and pointedly looking at his crotch. “And I’m not worried about what they can try to get up. Because I know it won’t last more than an hour when the Viagra wears off.”
Touche.
Walker doesn’t know what to say. And before he can do anything, I leave him sputtering, turning around and walking the other way.
“Enjoy yourself, Walker,” Austin says in a hurrying after me.
“What?” I whisper as he pulls me across the ballroom, leading me toward a quiet place.
“He’s a dangerous guy,” he says in a hushed tone. “You don’t want to become his target.”
“It’s a bit too late for that, isn’t it? Besides, I don’t like men like them, always prancing around as if they own the world.”
“I’m serious, Ash. I worry about you.” He turns to me and looks me in the eyes, an expression of concern deepening the soft lines around his eyes.
“Don’t worry about me,” I tell him, running my fingers down the length of his tie. “Men like him don’t scare me.”
“You know, Ash, I like it when you get tough,” Austin replies, lowering his voice until it becomes a barely audible whisper.
“You do?” I ask him, taking one step toward him and almost pressing my breasts against his chest. “Why don’t you show me exactly how much you like it?” This time I’m the one lowering my voice, anticipation filling my words.
“Just wait till we get home and --”
“Why wait?” I cut him short, the gears inside my mind already turning fast. “I know where all the security cameras are; which means that I also know where the blinds spot are.
He doesn’t even try to argue against me. He simply matches up the desire dancing inside my head with his words.
“Lead the way, Ashley.”
25
Ashley
Holding his hand in mine, I lead him through the crowd with a kind of coiled patience. I’m trying to act normally, as not to raise any suspicions, but it’s hard to act normally with your fluids dripping down your legs. That’s one of the drawbacks of not wearing any underwear. Yeah, you didn’t think I was just teasing him, did you? I wasn’t joking when I told him I wasn’t wearing anything under my gown. There’s something outrageous and obscene about wearing a gown so expensive it’s almost outrageous, and having nothing between it and your skin.
I love it.
“Where are we going?” Austin asks me with a whisper, and I can tell that he’s as impatient as I am.
“Broom closet,” I whisper back at him, a grin dawning on my lips as I say it. You see, this isn’t the first time I’m at the Ritz. I once had a mission that involved a high-ranking lobbyist, and he was staying here at the time. I studied the blueprints of the whole place back then, and I remember a small broom closet that could offer some privacy if needed be. I never got the chance to use it, but I guess that having that information in the back of my mind turned out to be a useful thing.
“Just going to get some air,” Austin his security detail as two Secret Services agent try to follow us out of the ballroom. Reluctantly, they stay behind us. I lead Austin down a corridor and, looking over my shoulder to try and make sure that no one can see us, I head straight toward a discrete door.