Page 50 of Smoke and Shadows
He made a move to leave when McCord called his attention.
But Jack remained silent until Maia nudged him to speak. “We’re having a small gathering at the apartment, sort of a welcome back for Maia.”
“And you,” Maia whispered to Jack.
Jack clenched his jaw, obviously having a hard time getting the words out. “We want you to be there, Viktor. Without you, I don’t think Maia and I would be together right now. You’re invited too, Ms. Cole.”
“As long as we’re not getting all sappy and doing the kumbaya, I’ll be there,” Viktor said. “What time?”
“Seven-thirty?”
“Make that 8:00 p.m.,” Maia said. “Sophie and I need a shower.”
The dinner partywas in full swing. Grace, Jack’s housekeeper, was busy in the kitchen doing final touches on two rib-eye roasts while Frances McCord was busy whipping up the mashed potatoes. Jack tended the bar, mixing up some fruity cocktails for the women and breaking out the thirty-year-old Macallan from his liquor cabinet.
Maia leaned over and gave him a light kiss on the lips as she swirled the straw on her caipirinha, which was one of her favorite drinks. His wife loved the beach, and even in the dead of winter, her craving for tropical drinks never wavered. He usually teased her about her strange propensities, but tonight he didn’t say a word. It haunted him that he’d nearly lost her. Truly. Nearly. Lost her. And short of snatching her away and disappearing with her forever, the alternative was to face this shit down. And he was fucking ready to go to war.
“Love you, babe,” he whispered against her lips. Maia backed away and looked at him slyly.Oh, my little temptress, Jack thought. He’d been content just to hold her at night, but with her being more active and playful around him, he couldn’t wait to be deep inside her again. Dr. Henderson had given the clearance for “light activity” today. The doctor did not clarify, but Jack’s imagination wandered to the same place he wassure his wife’s did. He watched Maia plop down between Sophie and Marissa. Derek was on the other side of Sophie. Jack smirked. The little blonde scientist had his friend wrapped around her little finger. And speaking of men who were pussy-whipped—him included—Jack cut a glance to Viktor, who was talking to his dad. He never thought he’d see the great Viktor Baran fall. The AGS top man didn’t know it yet, but judging from the way his eyes followed Ms. Cole wherever she went, he displayed all the signs of a man deeply obsessed with a woman. Viktor’s eyes flickered to his and narrowed. He excused himself from Jack’s dad and walked to the bar.
Viktor poured himself two fingers of scotch and said, “Your father seems interested in the security business.”
Jack groaned.
“He doesn’t know we do more than security and bodyguard detail, does he?”
“I knew inviting you was a bad idea,” Jack grumbled.
Viktor smiled derisively. “What exactly did you tell your old man?”
“That we do mostly security for dignitaries and high-profile clients.”
“Robert is not stupid, Jack. AGS doesn’t make the revenue it does by merely taking bullets for pansy-assed politicians.”
Viktor always knew the best way to irritate him. Jack cast Viktor a warning glance when Maia broke from her conversation and frowned at them. He always got a tongue-lashing from his wife after he and Viktor had one of their verbal confrontations. He knew that sometimes it was deliberate on Viktor’s part. Damn prick.
“Can we just enjoy this night, Baran, without you ruining it?” Jack said.
“Everything all right here?” Derek asked casually behind Viktor.
“Always playing the peacemaker, Lockwood?” Viktor said with dry amusement.
“It’s either me or Maia. Take your pick,” Derek shot back.
Jack chuckled. “Look at us, scared of our women.”
Viktor shrugged as he slid a furtive glance at Marissa who was also frowning at them.
“Fuck me,” Derek said softly. “Am I really witnessing this?”
“Shut up, Lockwood,” Viktor snapped.
Jack cleared his throat. “So you and Ms. Cole—”
“When I said I don’t do sappy, it included gossiping.”
“Okay, okay,” Jack laughed. “No need to bite my head off.”
If looks could kill, Jack would be a dead man. Viktor leveled him with a piercing stare.