Into the Night by Janelle Denison

out of here.”
    Grasping her hand tight in his, he led her back through the gallery and toward the elevator. Before they could slip out undetected, Preston Sloane caught up to them.
    “Alex,” he called out, loud enough that Nathan couldn’t ignore the other man.
    Nathan brought them to a stop, and as he watched Preston head their way, he slipped his arm around Nicole’s waist and leaned close to whisper in her ear. “Follow my lead,” he ordered before facing Sloane again, hoping she’d preserve his cover.
    “Are the two of you leaving already?” Sloane sounded disappointed.
    “Yes.” Nathan grinned at the older man. “Nikki and I have reservations at The Palm for dinner.”
    “A very nice way to impress a girl, Keller,” Sloane said in approval, though his gaze lingered on Nicole with unmistakable interest before returning to Nathan. “Look, I’m having a private party at my nightclub, Bliss, this weekend and I’d like the two of you to come, if you don’t already have plans.” He withdrew a small card from the inside of his blazer and extended it toward Nathan. “Here’s a card with the club info, and it doubles as your invitation. You can’t get in without it.”
    Nathan accepted the information, but refused to commit to anything since Nicole had just turned his case upside down. “I’ll see what we can do.”
    “I’d love to see you two there.” Even as Sloane said the words, his eyes were all over Nicole, a darker desire glimmering in his gaze as he took her hand in his. “Good night, Nikki, and I hope to see you again sometime soon.”
    Nicole gently tugged her hand from Sloane’s and averted her gaze, keeping up the pretense of a shy sixteen-year-old girl. “Good night, Mr. Sloane.”
    The other man waved his hand in the air between them. “Call me Preston, please. Mr. Sloane sounds much too formal. And don’t forget about my invitation to show you my art collection.”
    A small smile curved the corner of Nicole’s mouth. “I promise I won’t.”
    Nathan deliberately gave Nicole a possessive squeeze around her waist. “We’ll talk about it, sweetheart.” Nicole didn’t know it yet, but no way was he going to let her spend any time alone with the other man.
    Forcing an amicable expression, Nathan shook Sloane’s hand. “I’ll see you around.”
    He guided Nicole into the elevator, his mind spinning in a dozen different directions as the doors closed in front of them and the lift descended to the parking garage.
    Sloane’s invitation to his private nightclub was the in he’d been waiting weeks for, and Nathan knew the overture came with the expectation of him bringing Nicole. He should have been ecstatic to have finally gained a small measure of Sloane’s trust, but Nicole’s unexpected meddling changed everything. He now had to rethink his strategy.
    Still, no matter Nicole’s reasons for tempting the much older man, he was going to make it very clear that she had no business getting involved with someone as dangerous as Preston Sloane.

Chapter Seven
     
    Nicole found herself tucked into the supple, tan leather passenger seat of a gorgeous black Ferrari that Nathan, aka Alex Keller, was currently navigating down the Las Vegas Strip with the expertise of a seasoned race car driver. Other than a terse “get in the car” when the parking attendant had delivered the vehicle, Nathan had been giving her the silent treatment ever since.
    More amused than irritated, she cast a sidelong glance at her driver as he shifted gears to pass a car going much too slow for his liking. The Ferrari swerved around the Honda Accord with smooth precision, and outside the tinted windows the colorful lights along Las Vegas Boulevard blurred by as the sports car picked up speed.
    The tension inside the Ferrari and between the two of them was palpable. Nathan was pissed, and there was no doubt in Nicole’s mind that she was the cause. Yet despite the negative energy radiating from his side of