Page 7 of Act of Passion

“Oh, look at those hotties,” said Edee, pointing to a group of men in designer suits. They were each tall and built and most of them had short hair that was styled with ample amounts of gel. They all seemed a bit too flashy for Brooke’s tastes. And all of them were staring at Brooke andEdee.

The men looked awayquickly.

Edee began talking about all the things she wanted to do after they got to their suite. Brooke didn’t pay attention; her focus was still on the men in the suits. One of them touched his ear, and it was then she noticed an earpiece like something a Secret Service agent wouldwear.

Were the men the resort’s securitydetail?

That would makesense.

The brochure said the place catered to the rich and famous. It stood to reason security would be important. That being said, she couldn’t seem to look away from them. Like the limo driver and the men who had grabbed their bags, the men in suits felt off to her. She couldn’t explain why, but kept her eye onthem.

Get a grip. You had a longflight.

Edee hooked her arm through Brooke’s and the two walked towards the resort’s entrance, their heels clicking as they went. Edee had insisted they dress up for travel when all Brooke had wanted to wear was a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt. Edee wouldn’t hear of it, citing the fact they were headed to a luxuryresort.

There was a giant fountain that had water shooting at least twenty feet in the air while colored lights shined on it. The colors changed from gold to white and back togold.

“Awesome!” Edee pulled away. “I’m going to get some pictures really quickly. Can you check in forus?”

“Sure thing,” saidBrooke.

Something caught her attention from her left, and she looked over to see a different large group of males walking in the direction of the resort. Unlike the men in suits, these men were in black from head to toe. Their hair wasn’t gelled in any way. In fact, most of them had long hair. Longer than she saw on most men. Then there was the fact that they somehow managed to make the men in suits seem short and ugly, when in truth, they were anythingbut.

One man in particular held Brooke’s interest. His long dark hair was pulled up in a messy way off his neck. He had short stubble on his face and down his neck, though it looked to be groomed to be that way, making her instantly think he was into fashion and his appearance, despite the fact the black long-sleeved shirt he had on looked as if someone had set the arm of it on fire. The skin showing under the scorched shirt was smooth and unblemished, but covered in a variety of black tattoos. His pants and belt reminded her of something men from military movies wore. He was as built as the men around him and walked in a way that screamed suave with an undertone ofbadass.

A taller redhead was near him, talking and using his hands in an animated fashion. The man who had caught Brooke’s eye rubbed his temple as if the other male was making himtired.

When Brooke realized she was standing in front of the resort staring at a stranger, she blinked and then hurried into the resort, happy the man hadn’t noticedher.

As she entered the lobby, her breath caught at just how ornate it was. No expense had been spared in its creation. Not to mention, the place was massive. She knew it had more than one nightclub, numerous bars and restaurants, not to mention a spa that had ravereviews.

Edee was right. It really was like a smallcity.

And it was where they’d be hanging their hats for the next two weeks. She had to resist putting her arms out wide and spinning as if she were in a scene fromThe Sound of Music. Since Edee would never let her live it down, she heldback.

It was harder than it should havebeen.

Brooke turned and bumped into a man dressed in an all-white suit that looked to be custom-made to fit him. He wore a black dress shirt under it. Instantly it felt as if spiders were crawling all over her skin. The man was handsome but there was something in his eyes that said he was ugly on the inside. He had expensive-looking rings on every finger and was surrounded by men who reminded her of the group out front—the ones withearpieces.

Mr. Rings said something to her but she didn’t catch any of it as she didn’t speak thelanguage.

“Excuse me,” said Brooke, pressing a smile to her face, attempting to walk aroundhim.

Mr. Rings invaded her personal space in a big way, setting off all her inner alarms. He leaned in, putting his face close to hers. “I see no point in this charade. You will come withme.”

“W-what?” she asked, barely able tothink.

“Come,” hesaid.

She shook her head and took the smallest of steps back. He grabbed her arm, squeezing to the point it hurt. Her jaw dropped as a gasp came fromher.

Chapter Three

Suddenly,the very guy Brooke had thought was hot in front of the resort was there, planting himself between Brooke and Mr. Rings. The sexy newcomer thrust Mr. Rings’s hand away, puffing out his chest as he did. He made Mr. Rings look small. He glared at Mr. Rings and said something she didn’tunderstand.

Words were exchanged, sounding heated. The guys who looked like hired muscle moved in, putting their hands inside their expensive sports jackets. She half thought they’d pull out weapons and the entire event would turn into ashootout.

Brooke wasn’t sure how everything had gotten so out of control soquickly.

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