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But he’d find her. Oh, hell yes, he was going to find that young woman and see if she was at last ready to make her secret fantasies come true.
ALLIE WASN’T SURE when she began to suspect she was being talked about, but by the time she saw a third woman pull her husband away to avoid her, she knew it was true.
“Why is everyone staring at me?” she whispered to Tessa as the two of them slowly walked along the carnival midway.
Tessa didn’t reply, apparently still focused on her own performance. “What did I say about my boss?”
“I have no idea, but I think we both need to find out.”
Unfortunately, since a lot of out-of-towners had poured into Trouble for the last night of the carnival, Allie recognized a few people but didn’t personally know any of them. So why on Earth did they all seem so fascinated by her? “I’m definitely being stared at.”
“You don’t think he made us take off our clothes or anything, do you?” The hint of a grin on Tessa’s face didn’t quite match her concerned tone. “I mean, I know he’d like to get you to take off your clothes, but I doubt he’d have included that other couple, or me. Unless he’s into kinky stuff. Threesomes. Exhibitionism. Orgies.”
Oh, wonderful. Tessa spoke at high school gym teacher volume, so if they hadn’t been stared at before, they certainly were now. One scruffy, rough-looking carny worker was positively leering at them from a game booth a few yards away, and a trio of teenage boys appeared to be egging each other on to come talk to them.
“Would you shut up?” Allie said from between clenched teeth. “We’re already getting enough attention—and I want to find out why.” Just not from any scruffy-looking men or cocky teens.
“There’s one person you could ask. I bet he’s waiting for you in the back of his tent right now.”
Her friend was probably right. Allie didn’t have to hear the words to know Damon hadn’t given up on the idea of something happening between them. The heated stare he’d laid on her as she’d left the stage had said a lot.
Come to me. Give yourself over to it. I know what you want.
And, oh, boy, did she suspect he was right.
“Actually, I know better than to wait for her,” a silky voice said from behind them. “She has a habit of disappearing.”
Allie jumped, instantly realizing who had overheard. “You.”
“Me.” Never taking his eyes off her—as if afraid she would leave—he addressed her friend. “Tessa, you talked about winning the lottery and made one crack about your boss.”
“Kind of a take-this-job-and-shove-it thing?”
Damon’s lips curved up the tiniest bit with a hint of amusement. “Something like that.”
“Whew,” Tessa said. “I mean, who doesn’t fantasize about winning the lottery and quitting their job?”
Judging by that enigmatic sort-of smile, Damon hadn’t revealed everything Tessa had said, and probably for a reason.
“Okay. What about me?”
His smile immediately faded. In the colorful glimmer of light provided by the carousel lazily turning nearby, his expression suddenly appeared intense. Dangerous, even.
“You…talked quite a lot.”
“About what?”
“I think we should go someplace private to discuss it. Will you excuse us, Tessa?”
The traitor waved them away. “Oh hell yes, get her somewhere private, away from this crowd!”
“Thank you.” Taking her elbow in his hand, he steered her away from Tessa, away from the midway. Toward the perimeter of the fairgrounds and the long line of trucks and campers beyond.
“I’m not going to march to your trailer with you right in front of all these people.” She tugged her arm away, frantically looking around to see if they were being watched.
They were. By what looked like every person who’d attended the show.
He followed her stare. “Damn.” Letting her go, he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned a shoulder against the side of a game booth, as if it had been his destination all along.
