Mitch spoke slowly and deliberately. “Not with Jenny.”

“Hey, Jenny,” Jeffrey sang out as they approached. He did a few mock dance steps, making her smile. “Got time for one more spin around the floor?”

Jenny turned and stumbled ever so slightly on her high-heeled boots, bracing herself against the bar. Her green eyes were bright, her smile more dazzling than usual. Mitch had seen her with only the two, but how many drinks had she had?

“We have to head out,” Mitch interrupted before she could answer. If there was any chance her judgment was clouded, Jeffrey was the last guy she needed to be around.

“It’s barely midnight,” Jeffrey protested.

“We’ve planned an early flight in the morning,” Mitch lied again. They could take the jet back to Royal anytime they wanted. But he stepped up beside Jenny, threading her arm through his.

“Cole around?” he asked Emily.

The woman sniffed her delicate nose. “How would I know?”

“You were dancing with him.”

“Only till I could get rid of him.”

Jenny pointed. “Over there. Behind the pillar.” She started to move, but Mitch held on, causing her to trip again.

“How many martinis did you drink?” he asked.

She looked up at him, blinking her long lashes as if to bring him into focus. “I ordered two. But I barely sipped either of them. Why?”

“Because you’re a lightweight,” he murmured.

“Thank you.” She nodded sarcastically. “I just lost three pounds.”

He couldn’t stop a grin at her joke as he ushered her forward to where they could meet up with Cole. “Time for bed, princess.”

As they passed Jeffrey, the man shook his head, chuckling darkly at Mitch. “Assistant. Right.”

Mitch threw a surreptitious elbow into Jeffrey’s rib cage.

“I’m starving,” said Jenny from the third-row seat in the chauffeur-driven Escalade as they sped along the shore of Galveston Bay.

Mitch twisted his head to look at her. “That’s probably a good idea. A little food in your stomach along with the liquor.”