From New York With Love: Rumours on the Red Carpet / Rapunzel in New York / Sizzle in the City

The fact that Cyn was with him now would probably be enough for Miller to realise she must have been with Lucien in his apartment when Dex telephoned a short time ago. Add that to the fact that she was so obviously wearing a man’s oversized T-shirt and Miller was sure to add two and two together and come up with the correct answer of four!

Which was precisely the reason Lucien hadn’t wanted Cyn with him during this confrontation. Well, okay, it wasn’t the whole reason. He really would have preferred it that Cyn stayed in his apartment, made coffee, like the good little woman, and waited for the Mighty Hunter to return. He wanted to protect her from herself, if necessary. As it was, he somehow doubted that Cyn would be returning to his apartment tonight at all...

‘Could we get a move on, do you think?’ Lucien snapped tersely, giving a pointed glance at his wristwatch. ‘I told Dex I’d be there in five minutes and it’s been over ten.’

Cyn blinked at his vehemence. ‘Of course. Sorry.’

She grimaced as she once again fell into step beside him, leaving Lucien feeling as if he had just delivered a kick to an already abused and defenceless animal.

Not that he thought of Cyn as defenceless—she was too independent, too determined ever to be completely that. But he had no doubt that Miller’s real reason for inviting her to come to New York was going to upset her.

It was hard to believe, considering the tension between them now, that the two of them had been making love just minutes ago—that he now knew Cyn’s body intimately, and exactly how to give her pleasure.

On the plus side, his erection had got the message that the night of pleasure was over and had deflated back to normal proportions. Not that it would take much to revive his desire...just a sultry look from cobalt blue eyes, the merest touch of Cyn’s hand anywhere on his body. Which Lucien already knew wasn’t going to happen in the immediate future. If ever again.

Another reason for Lucien to be displeased at Miller’s increasingly erratic behaviour. If he needed another reason. Which he didn’t. Forget the drugs and the affair with Simone Carew; the man was an out-and-out bastard for attempting to use Cyn as a shield for that affair. Not that the ruse had worked, but that didn’t excuse Miller’s callous behaviour towards a woman who had thought he was her friend. Or the fact that the other man had held Cyn so roughly the evening before he had succeeded in badly bruising her.

And Cyn was annoyed with him, because he had fired Miller for blatant and continuous breach of contract!

‘Dex.’ He greeted the other man grimly as they turned a corner and he saw his bodyguard standing outside a door to the right of the hallway. ‘He’s in there?’ He nodded to the closed door.

Dex scowled. ‘Yes.’

‘And has he quietened down?’

‘Some.’ Dex nodded grimly before shooting Cyn a frowning glance. ‘I don’t think it’s a good idea for Miss Hammond to go in with you. Miller is violent, and he’s also throwing out all sorts of accusations,’ he warned with a pointed glance at Lucien.

‘I’m going in,’ Cyn informed them both stubbornly.

Lucien’s mouth tightened. ‘As you can see, Dex, Miss Hammond insists on accompanying me.’

‘It’s really not a good idea, Miss Hammond,’ Dex warned her gently.

It was a gentleness Lucien hadn’t even known the other man was capable of. No doubt Dex found Cyn’s beauty and her air of fragility appealing—but the fragility was deceptive. There was a toughness beneath that fragile exterior that made Lucien think Cyn would be capable of stopping a Humber in its tracks if she chose to do so! Hopefully Dex was concerned in a fatherly sort of way, because Lucien knew he wouldn’t be at all happy with his bodyguard having a crush on the woman he—

The woman he what...? Was falling in love with? Was already in love with?

Now was hardly the time for Lucien to think about what he might or might not be feeling for Cyn. Damn it, they had met precisely three times now, and shared one evening together. Admittedly it had been the most enjoyable—and arousing!—evening Lucien had ever spent with a woman...

The depth of his desire for Cyn was unprecedented—to the point that Lucien really had thought he was going to come just at the taste of her on his tongue.

And for the early part of the evening she had believed him to have deliberately hidden her away in his apartment because he didn’t want to be seen in public with her. She may still believe that, for all he had denied it.

Damn it, he should have tanned her backside earlier rather than making love to her!

‘I appreciate your concern, Dex.’ Thia answered the older man softly. ‘But Jonathan is my friend—’