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imagination. Then again, the dark intensity in his eyes did remind her of a jungle cat on the prowl...for peacock.
    Swallowing, she waited for him to draw to a halt in front of them.
    “Olivia, I believe you’re making Gabbi uncomfortable with your poor attempt at feeling her up.”
    It took a moment for Jax’s words to register, much less the fact that he’d called her by name. She gaped at him. “You recognized me?”
    “I’m not that much of a blind idiot.” He gestured to the blonde wig. “Although that’s a nice touch to try to fool me.”
    “I wasn’t attempting to hide my identity from you.” Well, maybe just a little. At first.
    Olivia straightened, and after squinting hard at Gabbi, she nodded. “I would never have guessed it was you, Gabbi. Fab costume, by the way.”
    Gabbi smiled at the other woman. “Yours too.”
    Preening, Olivia twirled, causing the wispy hem of her zebra-striped ball gown to float gracefully around her ankles. “We needed one Noble here who isn’t a complete party pooper who refuses to dress up.” She cocked an eyebrow at Jax.
    He ignored his cousin and instead drilled Gabbi with his penetrating gaze. “I looked for you earlier. Guess this is why you weren’t in the kitchen.”
    His mood proved impossible to read. She couldn’t tell if he was amused, mystified, or mad. Perhaps a combination of all three. “I didn’t realize I was supposed to be shackled to the stove the entire night.”
    “You know damn well I don’t expect that. I just wanted to show my appreciation for all of your hard work.”
    His pronouncement softened the edges of her grumpiness. She relaxed her shoulders. “I hope you’re happy with the results.”
    “I am. I could never have pulled this off last minute without you.”
    Damn straight he couldn’t.
    Jax finally veered his attention onto his cousin. “Weren’t you in the process of taking that water to whatshisname?”
    Olivia sighed. “Cal.” She sent Gabbi an apologetic smile. “I’ll catch up with you later.”
    She could feel the intense sizzle of Jax’s scrutiny on her while she watched Olivia rush off. Now that she was alone with him the air became super charged with an overwhelming awareness that zinged between them. Unable to resist, she peered up at him and caught him staring at her mouth. Her lips automatically tingled at the phantom memory of their kiss. Pulse revving, she smoothed a hand over her tummy to steady her nerves. His pupils nearly overtaking his irises, Jax tracked the motion of her fingers. Certain she was about to jump out of her skin, she cleared her throat. “What do you think of my costume?”
    “You have every man in this room dying to take it off you.”
    His response was so unexpected it took her a moment to find her tongue. Here he’d provided the perfect opening to her seduction and she’d almost let it slip between her fingers. Channeling her nonexistent inner vixen, she batted her eyelashes. “Including you?” It didn’t come out as sexy as she’d hoped, and she winced.
    His mouth quirked at one corner. “No, I’m completely immune to your charms.”
    He was joking, right? Fairly positive that he was, she tried for a bolder approach and tiptoed her fingers up along the buttons of his starched shirt. “How about now?”
    A chuckle rumbled from him. “Gabbi, what are you doing?”
    Good question. God, did she really suck at flirting? Granted, her skills were pathetically rusty. Assuming they existed in the first place. Frustration welling inside her, she settled her palm against his chest. That’s when she felt the rapid pace of his heartbeat. She lifted her gaze to his, and sucked in a breath at the smoldering heat in his eyes. Coyness abandoning her, she blurted the primary thought tumbling around in her brain. “I want you to kiss me again. Desperately.”
    His gaze darkened. Sliding his hand to her elbow, he steered her toward the hallway. Her body buzzing with heady anticipation, she