Laws of Attraction Read Online Free Page B

hitting on me,” Mia attempted to explain to her unfortunate casualty. “I thought he and I were alone in the corridor, so when you grabbed me, I assumed it was him. I’m sorry I maced you, and I feel awful about kneeing you like that.”
    Jared’s amusement subsided. “You and Valerie wait outside and I’ll administer first-aid to the poor innocent assaultee. Let’s hope he doesn’t want to press charges.” He glanced at Valerie, and his gaze grew smoky. “You did great tonight, babe.” He tugged her into his embrace and whispered in her ear.
    Valerie’s face pinkened. She planted a quick kiss on his mouth, and then grinned. “I’ll hold you to that.”
    As she and Valerie hurried into the corridor, an abrupt pang of wistfulness struck, and Mia frowned. An intimate relationship wasn’t for her.
    Val turned to face Mia. “What the hell happened here?”
    She sighed. “A slime-ball got a case of grab-hands, I freaked and—”
    A voluptuous Hispanic woman wearing a copper silk cocktail dress hurried into the hallway. “Have you ladies seen anyone leaving the men’s restroom? I seem to be missing my date.”
    Mia groaned under her breath. “He wouldn’t happen to be a distinguished older gentleman with a really stubby…uh…haircut?”
    “No, he is tall, dark-haired, and dressed in black.”
    “Um … I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your date probably isn’t going to be too romantically inclined for the rest of the evening.”
    The woman hurried closer. “What has happened?”
    The raven-haired beauty looked familiar. Mia subtly studied the exquisite, aristocratic features.
    She’d only seen pictures, but there could be no mistake. She stared into the exotic brown eyes of Soledad Montoya, age thirty-three, and Esteban Montoya’s only child. The same Esteban Montoya whom she’d last spied in a tense, clandestine meeting with her ex-boss and his son … the men who’d ruined her life.
    To the best of Mia’s knowledge, Soledad had been out of the country for six weeks doing marketing research for her father’s business.
    Before she could gather her scattered thoughts, the door swished open and Jared stepped out, followed by her hapless victim, his reddened eyes still watering. At the sight of the man’s wry face, her jaw dropped.
    “Well, now, if it isn’t my Saintly Samaritan,” Dallas McQuade drawled. “The song is over, but the melody lingers on.”
    He cleaned up nice. Understatement of the millennium . McQuade’s long, lean frame dressed in expensive tailored black slacks and suit jacket, a pristine white shirt and pearl gray silk tie … wow . Her stomach rolled in a slow loop-de-loop. Heart-stopping masculine perfection.
    Striving to appear nonchalant, she sucked in a deep breath. “Hello, Dallas. Your sliced ribs seemed to have healed all right.”
    Valerie and Soledad both spoke at once.
    “Dallas, from the mountain?” Val asked.
    “Dallas! What has happened?” Soledad exclaimed.
    He held up a hand. “Sorry to interrupt, but I’m afraid we have to leave. I thought the little lady was in trouble and tried to ask if I could help. Clearly, I underestimated her. A mistake I won’t be making again.”
    He took a possessive hold on Soledad’s upper arm and steered the sputtering woman down the corridor.
    Mia watched them walk away, Soledad’s curvy hips swaying enticingly beneath the copper silk, Dallas with a limp in his careful stride. Both tall, dark and gorgeous. An ideal couple. Were they lovers? A tight fist squeezed Mia’s heart. She rubbed her chest. Probably too many Chocolatinis.
    One of her father’s favorite sermons had been, “If you lay down with dogs, you get up with fleas.” Though loath to side with the Colonel about anything, this time Mia had to agree. Dallas had just been found guilty by association. He was either bodyguarding Esteban Montoya and his family … or dating Esteban’s daughter.
    She’d never before seen McQuade in Pegasus . Now he