she answered and he took one look at her alluring, head-turning outfit, he knew he was in for a long night of fighting the urge to touch and caress all that creamy, bared flesh.
She was wearing a bright red, form-fitting cocktail dress with only two thin rhinestone straps holding up the sexy ensemble. While the slinky material clung to her curves, the hem of the dress ended in a flirty bit of ruffle that showcased her toned thighs and long, slender legs. He dared to look down at her feet and had to swallow back a groan when he saw the leopard print high-heeled shoes she'd worn that first night she'd seduced him.
He glanced back up, saw the sinful smile on her lips, and knew she'd deliberately worn those pumps to tempt and tease him and make him think about all the ways he'd taken her while she'd worn those provocative shoes.
Then there were her glossy red lips he ached to taste, the upper swell of her breasts pushed up by the tight bodice of her dress, and all that thick, blond hair of hers that she'd worn down tonight. The silky strands had been curled into soft waves and were tousled into a provocative disarray around her shoulders-once again making him recall how she looked after a night of sex, with her hair all disheveled from his hands and fingers. His groin throbbed at the erotic memories floating through his mind.
'So, what do you think?' She executed a little twirl on her high heels, presenting him with a front and back view of her sexy little dress. 'Do I look like the birthday girl?'
He thought she looked gorgeous, classy, and so incredibly sophisticated compared to the casual black jeans and button-down shirt he'd worn. He had no doubt that she would be the most beautiful, sensual woman at Envy tonight, and he had no idea how he was going to keep his hands off of her all evening long.
'I think that I'm going to have to keep a close eye on you tonight,' he replied with a grin, keeping things light between them. 'You forget that Kevin and Jon are going to be there, and looking as hot as you do, I have no doubt that they'll try to steal you away.'
'They can try, but it's not going to happen.' Eyes sparkling happily, she splayed her hand on his chest and leaned in to softly, warmly, kiss his lips. 'I'm all yours tonight, Ben. I wore this dress and these shoes for you, and you can just imagine what I'm wearing, or
Ben didn't allow his thoughts to travel down that path, because if he did he knew they'd never make it to Envy, and that went against the lecture he'd just given himself in his truck about keeping things platonic, and his hands to himself.
So, instead, he said, 'We need to get going so we don't arrive late.'
'Arriving late is fashionable. Didn't you know that?' Laughing, she stepped back into the foyer, grabbed a small purse and a sweater that matched her dress, then locked the front door behind her.
Minutes later, they were in his truck, headed toward the night club and the birthday bash Craig had planned for her.
During the drive, Christine kept up a steady stream of conversation. She gave him an update on how her father was doing a day after losing the election, and assured him that Nathan was holding up much better than her mother was. She told him about her day at the office and her lunch with a client. She was clearly happy and excited and ready to celebrate her birthday with him and her friends.
When they arrived, the two of them were ushered to the VIP section of the night club, where the large, private room had been decorated with festive balloons and streamers, fragrant floral arrangements, and a huge banner wishing Christine a happy birthday. Already, a huge crowd of people were milling around, nearly filling the place to capacity.
As they walked inside, Craig came up to them and greeted Christine with a hello and an intimate smile. Ben was lucky enough to get a curt nod of acknowledgment that made it clear that the other man was annoyed that he was still around. Then, without asking, Craig pulled Christine into the center of the room to make an announcement, putting the spotlight on the two of them and leaving Ben standing alone on the sidelines.
'The birthday girl has arrived,' Craig announced into a cordless microphone, then cued the band to start playing the happy birthday song.
Everyone sang along, and after the tune ended, a shower of colorful, sparkling confetti rained down on everyone from above, causing the guests to clap and cheer, and the festivities to begin.
Craig pulled Christine into a hug that lasted longer than necessary, and Ben watched from across the room as she stiffened, then put her hand on Craig's chest to push away from him as nicely as possible. It was clear that the other man's embrace made Christine uncomfortable, but she'd handled the situation on her own, and seemingly without offending Craig.
'Who the hell is he?' a deep male voice asked.
Ben had been so intent on keeping an eye on Craig and Christine that he hadn't seen Jon and Kevin walk up to him. It was nice to see a few familiar faces in a huge sea of people he didn't recognize. 'That's Craig Crosby. He's the one who's throwing the party for Christine.'
Kevin crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the other man. 'Yeah, well I don't like him.'
Ben chuckled at his friend's intuitive reply. 'Join the club.'
The three of them continued to watch Craig and Christine from afar. Every time she attempted to excuse herself and walk away from Craig, he grabbed her arm and pulled her back, trying to draw her into another round of conversation. As much as Ben wanted to go over to Craig and stake a claim on Christine, it just wasn't his place to do so anymore. As long as Craig wasn't hurting her in any way physically, he'd let her handle the situation on her own.
'Do you want us to take care of him for you?' Kevin asked, sounding like an overprotective brother just itching to pound some flesh. 'Rough him up a bit and make sure he understands that Christine is off-limits?'
Unfortunately, that was part of the problem. 'She's not off-limits,' Ben managed to say. As much as he hated to admit it. Christine was free to see and date whoever she wanted. Even if he didn't like her choice.
Jon slanted him an incredulous look. 'Oh, so you don't mind if that slimeball puts his hands all over her?' he asked, doing nothing to disguise the sarcasm in his voice.
Oh. Ben minded all right. More than was prudent or wise. Especially when it came to Craig. 'Christine is handling herself just fine.'
In fact, she'd finally managed to extricate herself from Craig's grasp and was heading back toward them, that provocative red dress and those leopard print high heels making his gut clench with desire. Her eyes lit up when she saw Jon and Kevin, and she greeted them with a warm, affectionate hug that his friends enjoyed way too much- mainly to provoke him, Ben knew.
'I'm so glad you guys came,' she said sincerely. 'Where's Zach?'
'He had something else he needed to do tonight,' Kevin said vaguely. 'But he did tell me to wish you a happy birthday.'
Christine smiled. 'That was sweet of him.'
Ben guessed that Zach had decided not to come to the party because he still wasn't ready to be around the temptation of alcohol that flowed so endlessly at a night club like this one. The man was still struggling with his addictions, and Ben understood and respected Zach's decision.
'Well, well, well,' a familiar female voice drawled mockingly. 'If it isn't the birthday girl holding court with her own little entourage of hunky males.'
Ben turned to see Leanne, who was wearing a pink strapless dress the color of Pepto-Bismol, and was carrying a frothy, froufrou cocktail in the same matching hue. By the glazed look in her eyes, she'd gotten an early start on her drinking and was more than a little buzzed.
'Hi, Ben,' she said, giving him a sultry smile before turning her attention to Jon and Kevin. 'I don't think we've ever met. Are you tonight's entertainment?'
A comical look passed over Jon's expression. 'Excuse me?'
'Strippers,' she said, the word slurring ever-so-slightly as she eyed them appreciatively. 'You two look like you could be strippers. You should know that I tip
Kevin laughed in amusement. 'Honey, I only strip when I really, really like a woman. Not when one pays me to.'
'Oh.' Not certain what to make of his comment, Leanne scrunched up her nose, took a drink of the pink stuff in her glass, then moved on to someone else she knew.
As soon as the other woman was out of hearing range, Ben looked at Christine. 'You invited her?'
