Free Delta: Rescue: A MacKenzie Family Novella (The MacKenzie Family) by Cristin Harber Page B

thing, then try to relax.”
    Hale recognized everything that was Love and Mercier. They’d never been attracted to each other, nor had he given much advice on her plan to dismantle Mercier, but he was one of the only people who knew all about her virgin status, so where he might tell someone else to get laid, he would just tell her to relax.
    “Maybe.”
    He cleared his throat.
    “What?” she asked, feeling the intense gaze of a man determined to get answers.
    “Know about that boy at Mira House.”
    Her tight smile pinched downward. “Whatever you think you know, nothing came of it.” Her lips quirked. “Even if I wanted it.”
    “Interesting.” He sat on the edge of her desk. “You two are cut from different cloth.”
    “Not at much as you would think.”
    “Heard he was at the fights.”
    Maddy smoothed her palms on her desk. “You heard a lot, Hale.”
    “I did.” His handsome, scowling face tilted. “He drove the Lotus?”
    Her eyes sank shut, and she breathed in deeply, remembering the power in Luke’s command, the feel of the sports car under his control, and his body teasing hers at the penthouse. “Yes.”
    “Not sure he’s good for you.”
    “Not sure I want good for me,” she volleyed back.
    “An asshole like that could hurt you in several ways.”
    Maddy tossed her head back, in her designer dress, surrounded by her perfect office, everything sexy and vibrant. “I wanted to find out what it was like. I felt something with him.”
    “Not like that. He’s the authorities.” He shook his head. “Careful. Always be careful. You’ve worked so hard on one thing. Don’t suddenly find your mojo and mess it all up.”
    She didn’t want to be careful, though. She wanted Luke, and the high from him would be enough to live off of if she never felt this way again. But Luke Brenner was gone. She knew it. The fighter-protector who brandished a gun as quickly as he threw his fists had disappeared from Miami and wanted nothing to do with her.
     
    * * * *
     
    The pop music beat vibrated in the VIP section. Expensive champagne chilled in buckets, and an entourage of staff surrounded her, but Maddy remained on edge. Her eyes roamed the crowd. A few faces slowed her search as her people brought talent by to introduce. Those ladies stayed, drinking bubbly and trying to figure out how best to finagle a spot as a Love model. God forbid anyone earn a spot because they were worth it, not because of what they could provide.
    Maddy pinched her eyes shut and let the music’s energy run through her. Ignoring the world, she sipped the champagne and prayed for it to take the edge off. She could find slight relaxation with a drink and a party, but that would not happen tonight. Her eyes sliced across the room, and in the sea of slamming, dancing svelte Miami bodies stood the reason why.
    Luke. He was dressed to kill in a suit that confirmed the existence of a God who wanted women to swoon. Despite the atmosphere and the people surrounding her, she was unable to think clearly.
    The music shifted suddenly, and Maddy broke the eye lock, uneasy about his presence and nervous about what he could want. She turned toward the safe confines of her table. People wanted her attention, but Hale got what she communicated to him without even a word. He took off at her silent order to find Luke.
    Minutes ticked by until he lumbered back, shaking his head. “Can’t locate him.”
    “Good. Glad he’s gone.” But her insides twisted, and she wanted to know so much more about how he made her feel. “I’m headed out.”
    “Maddy.” Hale stepped closer.
    She brushed by him.
    “Maddy,” he growled.
    Taking a deep breath, she pivoted. “Take the night off, Hale. The girls are covered. Kylie’s got a bead on everyone I need names of from here. Forget I’m walking away.”
    “To him?”
    Maddy nodded, unable to register how a commando look-alike could make a suit look better than when he wore his save-the-world gear. The