The Billionaire's Prize: Taken & Tempted: (Book 3 Billionaire Bodyguard Series) by Kristi Avalon Page B

lifted her glass and clinked it against his. “I wasn’t sure which one to choose. Is this okay?”
    Inspecting the rich color, he twirled his stem. “At two hundred dollars a glass, it better be more than okay.”
    Her eyes went wide and her throat clenched. She forced herself to swallow the sip she’d taken. “Are you serious?”
    “I like the best,” he said with a shrug.
    “I had no idea. I’m so sorry.” She went to set it down but his hand molded to hers around the glass.
    Their thumbs crossed and he gave her a brief caress. “It’s okay. Just enjoy. That’s what it’s for, moments like this.”
    What kind of moment was this? And how could it be worth two hundred dollars?
    He guided the rim back to her lips, and then released her hand. As she sipped, she noticed a faint tingling sensation where his fingers had enveloped hers. Long fingers with smooth nails and a gentle yet firm touch.
    For a second she imagined them gliding between her breasts, coasting across her stomach, then down between her thighs. Okay, she needed to change the direction of her thoughts. Immediately.
    “How did your spontaneous interview go?”
    He frowned and ran a hand through his hair. “Fine.”
    The dark gold and blonde streaked layers fell back into place alongside his temples. Of course he had perfect hair, too.
    “I pulled it off, but I’m worried they might’ve caught you on camera. If Ramos sees you with me, we’re screwed.” He arched an eyebrow. “Not in a good way.”
    “I doubt Bruno is sitting around watching the eleven o’clock Denver news. If they even air it tonight.”
    “True.” He sipped his wine. “There’s still a chance, though. I already ordered an extra crew of bodyguards to monitor the building tomorrow—this one, as well as my place of business. There’s too much at stake.”
    “I never meant to cause you all this trouble,” she said, staring at the bubbles frothing around them.
    “Ramos is the problem, not you.” He curved a knuckle under her chin until her eyes met his. “Are we clear on that?”
    She blinked and nodded. “I hope your cousins can find out more about the mystery woman.”
    “So do I.”
    Cade couldn’t brush off the shadows of concern that had crossed his mind when Kylie brought up the woman meeting his father at the motel. Or the remorse that slammed into his chest every time he thought about his dad going out that afternoon alone. Dad had to have known he was walking into a dangerous situation, even facing down death.
    Maybe that’s why Dad had told him to stay with Mom. So when the dreaded call came, he was there to hold her when she collapsed against him sobbing. To contain the fallout, to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives. Cade had always been closer to their mom, Trey closer to Dad. The whole thing reeked of betrayal. On so many levels. And could’ve been avoided if Dad had let him in, let him help.
    “You okay?” Kylie’s voice drifted to him like a whisper of silk, beckoning him back to the present.
    He nodded. “Reopening his case just brings up some old baggage.”
    “Do you remember something new from that time? Or that day?”
    A heavy sigh filled his chest. “I knew something was up. I should’ve talked to Dad. I mean, I tried, but he shut me out.” He curled his hands into fists against the pulsing currents of water jets. “Like usual, but this was worse. He knew that I knew about the money. Huge chunks of cash went missing from the books once a month. Trey dealt with some of the major purchases, like the new lease on a bigger warehouse, but I took over the accounting after I finished my MBA and came back to the family business. I asked him if the company was in trouble. If he was in trouble.”
    “Did he ever explain why?” she asked.
    “No. The third time I approached him about the issue, he looked like he was going to deck me. He warned me to never ask about it again. Things were fine. He’d handle it. When the time was