“Lord,have mercy.” Celeste’s eyes widened at the massive bellystraining against the confines of a snow-white tuxedo vest. “We’rebeing attacked by a two hundred and fifty pound penguin.”
CHAPTER five
“Excuse me,” thepenguin mumbled.
Stunned, Celeste satparalyzed,while he pulled at his vest and smiled like an idiot. Was heactuallyflirting?
“I think the penguinis sweet on you,” Shane confirmed as two pairs of hands tugged,rather unsuccessfully at his massive shoulders.
“Sorry about this,”one of his companions grunted behind him. “Max is drunk off hisrocker.” The two men reached around again, and pulled backward,but the penguin didn’t budge.
“Ain’t shebeautiful boss,” Max wheezed, nodding at her.
As if he’d uttered themagic words, both of Max’s companions popped from behind him toinvestigate. Despite their tuxedos, Celeste smelled made men.
“Canyou believe this?” one of Max’s associates grumbled.“We’re breaking our necks and he’s wooing somedame.”
“Sheis beautiful,” his companion conceded, his Brooklyn accentthick and sugared, “and taken.”
The shortest of the threeglanced at Shane. His blue eyes narrowed and a smile that didn’tenhance his otherwise plain looks curled his thin lips. Cruel lips,Celeste noted.
“Well…wellwhat do we have here? If it isn’t Sugar Shane Brennan.”
“Gould,” Shanesaid, acknowledging the other man with only a cursory glance.
Despite the obvious brushoff, Gould grabbeda chair from the adjacent table and sat down between them.
Without his support, thepenguin teetered backward. A quick thinker, his companion used thepenguin’s weight, added some momentum and then pushed him intoan occupied booth. Afew choice words and thebooth’s occupants scurried out the other end.
“Now, Shaney boy, isthat any kind of way to greet a friend.”
Stillrefusing to make eye contact, Shane drew a few puffs from his cigar.“We’re not friends.Never havebeen, never will be.”
“Well pardon me.”Gould’s gaze met hers and then drifted back to Shane. He madeher uneasy, gangsters had never been her cup of tea.“Maybe we’re not friends, but we are business associatesand don’t you forget it.”
Expressionstill guarded, Shaneflicked an ash in the glass cigarette tray on their table.“Impossible. You’re not going to let me.”
Gould burst out laughing, amanic display that scared the shit out of Celeste. So much so, whenhe smacked his palm against the table, she jumped. Like a shark drawnto fear, her squirrelly reaction drew his regard. Celestestifled a shiver. His overtdisplayof amusement didn’t quitematch his ice-bluestare.
“Sorry, sister, I getcarried away sometimes.”
“No harm done,”Celeste lied.
“You know you reallyare a peach.”Gould leaned toward her. “Are you going to introduce me to thelovely lady?”
“She’s none ofyour business, Gould.” To Celeste’s surprise, Shane stoodup and pulled her with him. “Come on let’s dance.”
“I don’t want todance.” Celeste dug in her heels. Well not with him anyway. The way her body reacted around him, she didn’t trust herself.
“I thought you were ahoofer.”
“One of the best,”she said, but realizing too late he’d baited her.
“Then show me whatyou’ve got.” Shane didn’t wait around to hear herobjection. He turned on his heel with her in tow.
Shane circled around thedining area and the main bar. Thankfully, he kept his pace at aminimum or she would’ve been knee deep in the club’sroyal blue carpeting. Still, the courtesy he afforded her couldn’tmitigate her mounting anger, which rose to an alarming level as hebypassed the entrance to the dance floor.
Fed up and feeling duped,Celeste yanked her hand from his. “What are you trying topull?”
“I’m not pullinganything.”
He reached for her again,but Celeste sidestepped him. “I’m not going anywhere withyou.”
“Don’tyou realize I’mdoing you a favor?”
“A favor? You calldragging me all over this goddam placea favor?” Hisexpression hardened. Celestedidn’t care. She needed adrink badly and this was the only way she could releasesome steam.
Shanestuffed his hands in his pants pockets. “AbrahamGould’sa bad guy.”
“Gould’s a badguy? Gould’s a bad guy?” With each syllable, her voiceincreased in volume. Shedidn’t care. Her belly was screaming for bourbon.
“I don’t thinkyou should get mixed up with him.”
Celeste couldn’tbelieve it. He’d ignored her for a good part of the eveningand here he was acting all noble. Herinsecurities swept aside by anger, Celeste’sspunk returned. Shestepped closerand placed herhands on his coat lapels.
Up close and personal, ShaneBrennan appearedlarger than life! Taller, eyes greener, shoulders wider and lipsfuller, he was beyond handsome. Distracted, Celeste lost her trainof thought.
Well, not entirely. Hermind had drifted to other things like wrapping her arms around himand swapping oxygen.
Come on, sister, don’tbacktrack on me now! Whileshe pulled it together, she took comfort in the rapid rise and fallof his chest, which proved he wasn’t entirely indifferentto her. Good!It was his turn to take his own medicine.
“You’re inluck.” Celeste paused to pick a piece of imaginary lintfrom his lapel. Apparently unnerved by her antics, Shane rolled hisshoulders and his Adam’s apple jumped as if he was havingdifficulty breathing.
Emboldened,she went infor the kill.She leaned upon the tips of her Mary Jane’s,matching their noses up.
“I don’t want toget mixed up with either of you,”she said in a slightly lower octave, which many of her former loversdeemed wantonly sexy.“Now ifyou would excuse methereare things to see and people to do.”
Instead of going back totheir table, Celeste made a beeline for backstage.
* * *
“Whoa, ho, sweetmama! Soak up thegamson that one, boss! Bet you her snatch is a lollapalooza.”
“For sure, Saul. Sheprobably gets nice an’ wet.”
Dangerously close to jumpingup from his seat and pounding the shit out of Gould and his goons,Shane dug in his heels. If he split hairs with any of thosegreasers, Shane could kiss his shot at thelight heavyweighttitle goodbye. Well connected in the underworld, Gould’sassociates ran The Garden with an iron fist.
“Shaney, what yathink?” Gould yelled over the thundering noise of the crowd. “You think I have a chance with one of those gals?”
Hating himself and hisirrevocable link to Gould, Shane took his time turning around.Halfway shit faced, the Jewish gangster’s pale as milkcomplexion had
