His body reacted to Thorne’s tone. Thorne high on his own power was way too sexy. He glanced to the side and saw Lauren, Thorne’s assistant, watching them. Dash stepped back. “I think we’re being obvious.”

“I think I don’t care.”

“I think you’ve had a lot of champagne.”

Thorne waved dismissingly. “I’m going to buy a painting and take you home before anyone else makes me so mad I want to rip someone’s fucking head off.”

Dash laid a hand on Thorne’s arm. “I’m fine, really.”

“No one has the right to treat you like you’re property. You provide a service for money. So do I.”

Did Thorne have to make Dash fall even harder for him? “It’s different.”

“It shouldn’t be.”

“Thank you for being so enlightened.”

“Anytime, my dear.” Thorne sketched a bow.

“People are watching.”

Thorne shook his head. “Lauren is watching. If she hasn’t figured us out by now, she’s not the woman I think she is.”

Thorne was far too gorgeous when he smiled. “Go buy a painting.”

“This one?” Thorne gestured toward the seascape in front of them.

Dash shook his head. “No, the one with the sailboat on the lake.” Dash pointed across the room.

“Sold,” Thorne declared.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

After discarding jackets, vests, bowties, and shoes—the most comfortable dress shoes Dash had ever owned—Thorne and Dash reclined on Thorne’s couch with glasses of whiskey. Dash agreed to abandon his usual rule of not drinking while working as long as Thorne didn’t want anything kinky.

Thorne pouted. “I was hoping we could play pirate mutiny. But instead of walking the plank…”

Dash shook his head. “You’re really drunk.”

Thorne giggled, proving Dash’s point. “Peggy’s a very wise woman.”

Dash tried to follow Thorne’s line of thinking. “Peggy? The museum director?”

He nodded. “She buys good champagne, so everyone drinks. Drunk people buy paintings. They often regret it later, but returns aren’t accepted.” He laughed so hard he actually gripped his sides, but a few seconds later, he looked up at Dash, expression far more serious.

“Was Collins a former client?”

“The man you punched?” Dash had never known his name.

Thorne nodded.

“I only saw him once.”

“Did he hurt you?”

“Not seriously, but he…wasn’t kind.”

The fire that had been in Thorne’s eyes when he’d punched Collins returned. “I have connections. I could get him disbarred.”

As much as Thorne’s protectiveness turned him on, Dash didn’t want him to do that. “I’m not a princess in need of a knight.”

Thorne fingered one of his shirt buttons. “You sure as hell could pass for a prince all dressed up like this.”

It was a bad sign that Dash loved Thorne’s drunken flattery. “Kiss me.”