His mother had sprung this dinner on him, and insisted he bring a date. And so he scrambled to find someone last minute. He had met Barbara Evans several times in the past, and though she was from the Los Angeles Lycan clan, she lived in New York after being transferred here for her job a few years ago. They’d met at the Fenrir Ball last spring and had been trying to get together for dinner, but their schedules didn’t match. It was a stroke of luck that she happened to be free this evening.
Barbara was everything he could want in a woman—tall, beautiful, curvy, and most of all, Lycan. And she was obviously interested in him. He bet if he invited himself back to her place, she wouldn’t object.
His wolf, however, did object. It scraped its claws at him, angry at him and hating Barbara’s scent. He knew what it wanted, but he wasn’t going to give in. Not to his wolf, not to his own desires.
Alesso must have said something really funny because everyone at the table laughed. Everyone except his sister. She seemed to have found her entree intriguing, her head bent down as she picked at her plate. No one else could tell, but he knew: she was miserable. Sure, her face was perfectly serene, and she nodded at the handsome Count next to her when he engaged her in conversation. But it was obvious she was just as happy to be here as he was.
The night seemed to go on forever, and all he wanted to do was go home. His cousin Dominic, the current head chef of Petite Louve, came to serve them dessert which meant that the meal was almost over. Finally, they left to let the staff clear the plates, and they all went outside to await their vehicles.
Lucas watched as Adrianna bid goodbye to the Count, her shoulders sagging in relief when he was gone.
“Lucas, darling,” Barbara cooed. “Would you mind if I went back in? I need to take a quick trip to the ladies’ room.”
“Go ahead.”
“Don’t leave without me!” she jested before she stepped back inside. Her hips swayed with a practiced sensuousness that would have brought almost any man to his knees. Almost.
“She seems nice,” Adrianna said, interrupting his thoughts. “Exactly your type.”
His sister’s words cut into him. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”
The loud hum of an engine announced the arrival of another vehicle. When he saw Darius Corvinus stepping out from the driver’s seat, he raised a brow at Adrianna. Not that she noticed him, because her eyes were glued to her bodyguard. Now that was interesting, because Darius was certainly not Adrianna’s type.
He had heard about what happened to Muccino’s in D.C., and more important, that Darius had been there to save her. So, it was that, and curiosity, that made him approach the other man as he exited the driver’s seat.
“Darius.”
“Yes?” He turned to meet his gaze.
“I heard you saved my sister’s life.” He offered his hand. “Thank you. If you ever need anything, just ask.”
“It was my duty.” Darius did take his hand, and much to his surprise, bent his head forward. “Your detective followed you here,” he said in a low voice.
His shoulders tensed, not really knowing what to do with that information, and nodded a thanks to Darius before turning back to Adrianna.
“I’m glad I came, if only to see you,” she said.
“I’m glad too.” He glanced back at the restaurant, then turned to her. “Are you all right, Adrianna?” He’d been wanting to talk to her alone for the entire evening. Call it twin intuition, but he knew something was bothering her. Was it Darius?
She hesitated. “I’m good. You should go in and check on Barbara.”
He hated that she was keeping something from him, but it wasn’t like he was any better. “I suppose I should,” he said with a long sigh. “Stay safe.”
“You too.” Lucas watched the car speed off, contemplating Darius’s words. So, Sofia had been here? Did she still think he was guilty of something? Of course, she wouldn’t stop digging. He would have admired her determination, but right now, it was infuriating. He wasn’t worried about his own reputation at this point—there was no way Kevin’s death could be definitely traced back to him. Everyone involved had been given the forgetting potion, and even official records and autopsies were doctored. But what if she were to uncover their bigger secret?
“There you go again.” Barbara appeared by his side. “You look like you’ve tied yourself up in knots.” She squeezed his bicep. “I can … take care of those knots for you, if you like. A lot of people say I’ve got magic fingers.”
His wolf growled and he pulled it back. “Let’s go.” He led her to the waiting car, where Reyes was already holding the door opened. He ushered Barbara in and then slid in beside her. Without a prompt, she rattled off her address to the driver and they were soon off to the Upper East Side.
Yes, by all accounts, Barbara was everything he could want in a woman. He should want her. But unfortunately, he didn’t. Not when all he could think about was orange blossoms and olives and slate gray eyes. Despite everything, and the fact that she could uncover his darkest secrets, God help him, he wanted Sofia Selinofoto.
“Lucas?” Barbara’s seductive voice broke into his thoughts. “Are you coming?”
He didn’t even realize they’d come to a stop in front of Barbara’s posh building. Reyes
