Seduction in Session (The Perfect Gentlemen 2)

“He’s a great guy. My best friend.” Now that she was about to meet him, Connor was unaccountably nervous. What if she didn’t like his friends? They could be a lot to take, especially since Roman and Zack were on opposite sides of certain political issues from Lara.

“What has he been doing, Connor? Why is he in my apartment? I get why the president is in there. He’s here to completely ruin my life, so why is your bestie hanging out? Did you need a couple of witnesses to complete my humiliation?”

He kept his temper under a tight rein. He knew she wanted him to get violent or mean so she could walk away without a single regret. He wasn’t giving her that easy out. He wasn’t giving her any out at all. “There will be no humiliation. Roman and I will have a talk and the problem will go away. I’ll make him understand. You don’t have to be afraid of Zack. He’s a good man.”

“I don’t know about that. From where I’m sitting, he’s kind of a dick.” Her chin firmed and a stubborn look lit her eyes as she strode past him.

Shit. She was in protest mode. He’d seen that tilt to her chin whenever she believed something unfair was going on in the world and only she could fix it.

She marched right up to the Secret Service agents. “Am I no longer allowed in my own apartment? I am a tax-paying citizen of the United States of America and you are keeping me from my rightful property. I want you to know that I firmly intend to both sue and protest you.”

The agent on the right’s lips fluttered up, and there was no way Connor missed how his eyes traced over her. He touched his earpiece. “Sir, I believe she’s here. You said she was a cute pain in the ass. There is definitely a cute pain in the ass out here right now. Of course. You sure I shouldn’t check her for weapons?”

“That would be an illegal search,” Lara countered.

Connor stepped in behind her. “If you give her a pat down, it’s the last time your hands will function.”

“I can defend myself,” Lara shot back.

The agent winked at her, then he opened the door and let them in. Connor memorized his face because he might have to kill the man. It would likely make him feel a whole lot better.

Lara entered her apartment with a judgmental finger pointing, just looking for a target. She immediately found one. Roman stood in the doorway to the kitchen, a cup of coffee in his hand. His supercool, nothing-ever-fazed-him eyes widened as Lara stalked closer. She was a good foot shorter and Roman had a hundred pounds of muscle on her, but he took a step back.

“You unholy ass. Get out of my house. Now. And put down that coffee. That coffee is fair trade coffee and you shouldn’t be allowed to drink it. You should drink evil coffee. How dare you think you can break into my house and blackmail my father, then drink my coffee? I’ll call the police and they will throw you out, and how is that going to look on the evening news? And who the hell are you?” She turned as Dax was walking out of her bedroom, Lincoln in his arms. The little dog perked up.

“I’m Dax.”

“You’re trespassing.”

Dax set Lincoln down and came back up grinning. “It’s so nice to actually meet you. Congratulations on your engagement.”

Connor shook his head, trying to give Dax the “Stop, go no further” sign.

Lara turned back to him. “You told them?”

“I was happy about it.”

She stopped and stared at him. “How could you tell them?”

He nodded. “They’re my best friends. I wanted them to know.”

She stood there for a moment, her mouth slightly open, and it was obvious he’d surprised her. Had she thought his proposal was some ruse? Had she thought he would leave when the job was over and not see her again?

She turned back to Dax. “Why are you in my apartment? I know what the douche bag in the bad suit is doing. He’s the Grinch come to make sure all my Christmas ornaments are crushed.”

Roman frowned. “This is a three-thousand-dollar suit.”

Lara whirled on Roman. “Do you know how many hungry children that suit could feed?”

Roman put a hand on his suit as though protecting the precious material from Lara. “Um, none. They would likely get very sick if they ate this suit. Children aren’t supposed to eat wool.”

Connor stepped in behind her. The better to catch her if she decided to launch herself physically at one of them. “You have to forgive him. He’s very literal. Hello, Gabe, Everly. Zack.”

She gave a little gasp and turned toward her living room. He was pretty sure her eyes hadn’t widened because of Gabe and Everly. Her stare fell straight to Zack. He stood in back of the room, a little smile on his face as if the whole thing amused him.

Everly moved across the living room and enveloped Lara in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re all right. God, I got so scared when I realized those Russians were after you last night. Of course realizing Connor was there pretty much scared me, too. I still haven’t heard a reasonable explanation of how he knew to follow us.”

Connor watched as Lara froze, but Everly didn’t let up. She talked about how Gabe had screamed at her and how she hadn’t slept for worrying about Lara. And slowly, gradually, Lara’s arms wound around Everly.

“I was fine,” Lara said. “Just a little scared. I got what we needed. Well, what you need.”

Everly pulled back slightly. “I’m sorry for lying to you. I didn’t know you. All I knew was that you ran a tabloid and I hadn’t even read it. I’m afraid I walked into this prejudiced against you.”

Lara nodded. “I’m not that kind of tabloid.”

“I know that now. And I’m so sorry I only took out the one assassin.”

Lara gave her an encouraging smile and a pat on the arm. “Don’t be down on yourself. You were amazing. You totally shot one of them.”

Roman moved in next to him as Lara continued to praise her partner in crime. “I thought she was a pacifist.”

Just watching her gave him a warm feeling. “She is but she’s also a pathological cheerleader.”

Lara proved his point by holding Everly’s hand and continuing her praise. “Connor didn’t even manage to take one of them out and he’s supposedly some sort of superspy. Though he lies a lot. You’re way tougher than him.”

“I was busy protecting you,” he pointed out.

Lara ignored him. “Thanks for helping me, Everly. I really appreciate it. I wish you hadn’t lied, though.”

“The guys thought you wouldn’t cooperate if you knew who Connor was. I probably just would have bought you a drink and had a talk with you, but the guys are all about subterfuge. I think they missed something in their childhood. Too much prep school.”

“You’re a bad influence, Parker,” Connor scolded with a grin. Maybe Dax was right and letting the girls bond was a good thing. Lara was very loyal to her friends.

“She is not.” Lara took the bait, stepping in between them.

“Oh, she’s a terrible influence,” Gabe said with a grin. “But then I think you might be, too, Armstrong. I’m pretty sure this group doesn’t do calm, sweet women.”

“Lara’s sweet,” Connor corrected with a sly grin.

She blushed and shook her head, obviously flustered at the double entendre. He still had a chance with her if he could make her blush like that. He looked at her across the room and willed all the heat he felt into his eyes, hoping she could see his desire there.

Their gazes locked for a long, electric moment and then she broke away. Her arms crossed over her chest but it certainly wasn’t cold in the room. She never could hide her reaction

to him, and he’d curse the day she figured out how to.

“Ms. Armstrong, I was hoping you would do me a very great favor,” Zack said, stepping up to the group for the first time. He was dressed casually for Zack. Designer slacks, Prada loafers, a cashmere sweater over a snowy white dress shirt and tie. The only time Zack didn’t wear a tie was when he was jogging.