Total pages in book: 29
Estimated words: 27423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 27423 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 137(@200wpm)___ 110(@250wpm)___ 91(@300wpm)
I smile and nod, not sure exactly how much I’m supposed to say. Cole looks at me, and I think he senses my discomfort because he keeps talking to his clients. I notice that he hasn’t mentioned their names. Given Rosie’s warnings about most people paying in cash, and the nature of the club, I’m sure that it was intentional. “Can I interest you gentlemen in something to drink?”
“Of course,” Julian says, smiling at me and picking up Cole’s cue. “I’ll take a whiskey neat please.”
“And I’ll have a…I’ll take a Guinness.” Hudson tells me. His voice is a deep bass that practically rumbles.
The other men look skeptical—I’m not sure why, but they give drink orders as well. I’m glad I still have the notepad from stocking the shelves. I don’t know that I would have been able to keep seven different drink orders straight. Hopefully I’ll be able to do it without the pad eventually. I head for the door and Cole keeps step with me. “I hope this is all right,” he says. “I thought you might like to be away from the frenzy your first night.”
A wave of surprise rolls over me, and then pleasure. He thought about me. The fact that he wanted to make me happy, even for a second…I smile at him. “That’s nice of you. I thought you might have wanted me just for eye candy.”
The look on his face deepens into a more-than-friendly smile. “Oh, you are that. But that wasn’t the reason I brought you up here. Certainly not the only reason.”
“There are other reasons?” Butterflies take up residence in my stomach at his words.
Cole leans a little closer, lowering his voice so no one can hear but me. “I can think of a lot of reasons. None of them should be said out loud while we have company.”
I raise an eyebrow at him. “And you have a plan for us to be without company?”
“Once your shift is over, I thought I might give you a tour of the club. So you could get to know it more…intimately.”
It feels like all the air in the room disappeared. The heat in his eyes is going to burn me from the inside out, and it takes everything I’ve got not to reach out and touch him. I remember what I felt when he caught me on the stairs, and I have no doubt he’s thinking the same thing. “Let me go get those drinks,” I say. “You don’t want to keep your clients waiting.”
“Hurry back.”
God, that smile could make a nun drop her panties. “I will.” I almost trip on my way out of the room. Ordering the drinks is easy. Once I say that they’re for the owners, the bartenders drop what they’re doing and have all seven ready to go in record time. Then I’m in the elevator again, my arm burning with the weight of the tray and praying to god that I don’t drop them all. It would be just my luck to trip on my way in the door and have everything crash.
Thankfully that doesn’t happen. I manage to swipe my hip across the sensor and the door slides away, and I make it to the bar in the room without tripping over myself. None of Cole’s clients give me a second glance as I hand them drinks, but the owners all give me a smile and a soft ‘thank you’ before turning back to their conversation. I save Cole’s drink for last, and he catches my hand as I pass it to him. “I’ve ordered some food from downstairs. Whenever it’s ready.” He smirks, not hiding the way he’s looking at my breasts. “I’m dying for a taste.”
He doesn’t remove his hand from mine, instead pulling me a little closer, and his thumb caressing the inside of my wrist. I think the temperature in here just rose ten degrees. It certainly feels that way. My mouth is dry, even though in other places I’m wet. “I’ll check if it’s ready.”
“Thank you.”
I lean against the wall in the hallway, catching my breath. Damn. I’ve never met anyone who could do that—turn me on with a single touch on my wrist. And I am turned on. I want him to come out here in the hallway and make good on the subtle promises he’s been making all night. His presence is powerful. I don’t see how anyone wouldn’t be drawn to it, and it’s even more potent since he’s focusing all this energy on me. I’m not someone who does one-night stands, but I know that if he says the word, I’ll be in his bed without a second thought.
Heading down in the elevator, I realize that I have no idea where the kitchen is. I didn’t even know that you could order food. I wonder if it’s only something the VIPs have access to? But first, I need to make a stop. Cole is undoing me with every glance, and if we’re going to play this game, then it’s going to be fair. I duck into the dressing room on my way across the club. I need a mirror.