“Who are you looking a—? Oh.” Susan’s voice lowered to an earthy purr. “Your brother-in-law. Damn if he isn’t the finest-looking man in Napa. Problem is...no one can catch him.”
“That isn’t Napa specific,” Alex murmured dryly, her stomach tightening as Gabe strode toward them. “He has unrealistic expectations of perfection.”
“What a nice surprise.” Gabe stopped in front of them and kissed Susan on both cheeks, making her pale skin glow bright pink. Then he turned his attention to Alex. “I had no idea you were going to be here tonight.”
No doubt. He likely would have beelined it in the opposite direction, given their lack of interaction this past week. “Surprise,” she announced brightly. “What fun.”
His mouth twisted. “How are you, Susan?”
Her friend chattered on, babbling in her attempt to charm Gabe. Alex finally had enough. “You should have brought your friend over,” she interjected. “Or were you too far down the flattering-outrageously route to bother?”
A warning gleam flashed in his eyes. “Please come over if you’d like to meet her.”
Alex tossed her hair back and waved her hand at him. “We’ll pass. I’m having a boss-free night tonight, thank you.”
The grooves on either side of his mouth deepened. “Bene. Everyone needs one.”
Like he needed a night out with a hot woman. Alex inclined her head toward the brunette in the booth, green jealousy driving her.. “She’s lovely. Should we make sure she’s on the list for the party?”
“Samantha’s already been invited, but she’s out of town next weekend.”
Of course she had been. The urge to take the Black Forest cake arriving at Gabe’s table and shove it in his face was appallingly strong. What was wrong with her? This thing between her and Gabe was nothing but a stupid fascination that was going nowhere. “Oh, look,” she said desperately, “your dessert has arrived. You should go share.”
“I should.” He gave her a hard look. “I think you need some food to go with that martini.”
“No doubt. My boss has been working me like a madman...my tolerance seems to have disappeared.”
His mouth opened, then slammed shut. “Feed her,” he instructed Susan. “Buonasera, ladies. Enjoy yourselves.”
Susan waited until he was out of earshot to shoot her a sideways look. “What the hell was that?”
Alex shrugged. “Gabe and I tend to rub each other the wrong way.”
“I don’t think he could ever rub me the wrong way,” Susan murmured dreamily. “In fact, I’d be all in for a full-on rubdown.”
“Try big doses of him,” Alex suggested. “You’d change your mind in a heartbeat.”
Her friend didn’t look convinced. “The Italian’s so sexy.”
She conceded that point. “Who is she, by the way?” She nodded her head in the direction of the brunette presently spooning a piece of cake into Gabe’s mouth. “I have three Samanthas on my list.”
“That’s Samantha Parker, daughter of the former mayor of San Francisco and celebrated opera singer. She,” Susan murmured, her eyes glittering wickedly, “might be able to satisfy the unrealistic-perfection thing. She’s supertalented and, apparently, quite nice—no ego. With the added bonus of being able to open up a hell of a lot of doors for Gabe.”
Alex picked up her drink and downed the rest of it. Gabe didn’t even like her. He’d kissed her because there was this thing between them, but she knew she wasn’t his type. Had always known that. So why did it bother her she wasn’t an opera singer? That she didn’t have the type of pedigree that would open doors? Slam them shut, more likely, with all her skeletons...
She was willing to bet Samantha Parker had never felt the cold slap of handcuffs around her wrists. Seen what the inside of a jail cell looked like.
“Alex?” Susan was looking at her with a raised brow. “You want something to eat?”
They ordered appetizers. One drink blended into two and more flirtatious chatter with the bartender. Alex laid it on thick, as it made her feel better to know that he thought she was beautiful. And if Gabe was noticing—even better. She had other options, too.
But as the night went on, it became her fervent desire that Gabe would spirit his companion out of there and do the dirty deed already. She just couldn’t stomach it. She couldn’t. But apparently her plea to the martini fairies had not been heard. By ten she was so exhausted she was in serious danger of doing a face-plant into her glass. And the two beautiful ones were still enjoying their bottle of wine, Samantha Parker, gifted vocalist, staring dreamily into Gabe’s eyes.
“I want to puke,” she muttered, pushing her empty glass away.
Susan gave her an amused look. “If you like him, Alex, why don’t you just tell him?”
“Like him?” She stood up with a dismissive movement. “That would be confusing antagonism with attraction.”
“O-kay.” Susan darted a look at the bartender. “What do you intend to do with him? He thinks you’re going home with him.”
“What?”
“You’ve been flirting outrageously with him, Alex.”
Alex stared at her friend. “So were you. We were flirting. That’s all. Are the rules that different in California?”
“Oh, boy.” Susan pointed to the washrooms. “If that’s where you’re headed, go. I’ll clean up your wreckage, settle the bill and get you home for some sleep.”
Alex waved her hand at the stool. “Money’s in my purse.”
She made her way to the ladies’ room without a glance at Gabe’s table. She’d only had an appetizer with the two martinis, not exactly evoking rational thought. Better to stay away.
“Alex.”
Gabe’s voice stopped her in her tracks in the corridor outside the bathroom. An instinct of self-preservation made her start moving again, her hand curving around the handle of the door, but Gabe was faster, setting his down on top of hers.
“Dio,” he muttered, spinning her around. “What is wrong with you?”
“Nothing.” She looked at the wall behind him. “We’re on our way out.”
“With the bartender?”
“No.” Anger mixed with the unusually high amount of alcohol in her system to form a lethally intoxicating combination. She lifted her gaze to his and glared at him. “Although it is astonishing to me how quickly men move on. You kiss me like you did in your office, then you appear on a date with Ms. Opera Singer, all cozy and canoodling.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “I think I may need a lesson on that, because it is truly impressive.”
He stared at her. “You’re jealous.”
“As if.”
“So why the bitchy behavior?”
She shrugged. “Maybe I can’t turn my feelings on and off like you can.”
“Oh, I’m feeling them all right,” he corrected grimly. “I was trying to have enough sense for the both of us.”
“About what?”
“Don’t play coy, Alex.”
A frission of excitement coursed through her, dangerous, forbidden. She closed her eyes and fought it. “Go back to your table, take your opera singer home and do the sensible, or not-so-sensible thing—whatever you want to call it—and take her to bed. I’m all for it.”
“How can I?” he rasped, “when all I can think of is having you in my bed?”
Her eyes flew open. “You were letting that woman drool all over you.”
His gaze heated. “Like the bartender was over you?”
“He was entertainment.”
“Cristo, Alex.” He raked a hand through his hair, that thing he did, she realized, when he was hot and bothered. “You are making me nuts. I’m on a date with someone else and I’m thinking about you.”
His confession mixed with her intense jealousy elicited a dangerously heady feeling. It wasn’t rational; it was the aching need to experience that sweet shot of adrenaline she knew he could give her, no matter how wrong it was. She rose on tiptoes and kissed him. Went after what she wanted. He hesitated, his mouth still beneath hers, and for a heart-stopping moment she thought he wouldn’t kiss her back. Then, with a muttered imprecation, he slanted his mouth roughly over hers and took control. His kiss was hungry and demanding and everything she’d been craving since that day in his office. Frustration had her moving closer, seeking more, wrapping her arms around his neck and reveling in the magical connection they shared.
“Lex,” he muttered against her mouth. “This isn’t—”
She pressed her fingers against his nape and brought his mouth back to hers. Hot, uncontrollable, she wanted the kiss to go on forever.
“Oh my God.” A muffled cry from behind them split them apart. Samantha Parker stood there, blue eyes huge, hand to her mouth. Her face whitened as she looked from Gabe to Alex and back before she turned and fled.
Gabe cursed under his breath. Alex’s fuzzy brain struggled to comprehend what had just happened.
“Go after her,” she bit out when she finally recovered the power of speech.