Gray crosses his arms and bobs his head a little. “Millie’s been helping me get back on my feet.”
“No kidding! Millie’s a good girl. One of the best.” Trace throws a wink my way. Subtle.
“Averygood girl,” he agrees, but Trace seems to ignore the implication. She jumps right back into work, taking an order. Grateful for the chill from the ice, I sip at the water and chase away the horny thoughts playing out in my mind.
“Since you’re here, can we talk?” I ask him before he’s pulled back into the bar tricks.
Gray gives Trace a look, and she shoves him away with a playful grin. They look like they’ve been bonding this whole time. If it isn’t vampire charm, then it’s pure charisma.
“Lead the way.” Gray rounds the bar and puts a hand on the small of my back, stuck to my side as we wind our way over to the VIP set. I pass my room, knowing Allie is probably still inside by herself, and dip into an empty one. For all the tips she makes from Tyler and his guys, I hope it’s more than enough to make up for ditching early.
“Very private,” Gray comments as he strides in, taking in the furniture and the pole at the center. He points at it, and glances back. “Do I get the privilege of watching you work?”
“You wish.” I roll my eyes and scoff. “I don’t do anything for free around here. I’m on the clock.”
“Oh, well, in that case.” Gray produces a fat stack of cash from his pocket and waves it with a grin. “I do owe you for the clothes.”
I sputter, nearly dropping my water. “Holy shit! How long were you out there?”
“A couple of hours.” He shrugs.
“And Trace let you keep it?” I’m sure I sound wild, but I’m honestly shocked.
“All of it. Every tip I made out there is mine.” He extends his arm, offering me the money. With one hand, I stop him.
“Just… hang onto it for now. I don’t exactly have any pockets.” I gesture to my outfit, which was probably a bad move on my part. He rakes his eyes over me slowly. I don’t want to admit what that does to my stomach or my lower half, especially not when we’re alone in one of the lounges. I might be too tempted to test howunwillinghe is to get further involved with me.
“Why are you here?” I draw him back to the conversation with a sterner tone.
His eyes snap back up. “To keep an eye on you, of course.”
“Why? Because of last night?” I’m glad for the ambient darkness, otherwise he would see how red my face is.
“Precisely.” He nods.
“And you just so happen to know some fancy bar etiquette? That’s convenient.” I raise a brow questioningly.
“Please,” he drawls, tucking his hands, and the money, into his pockets. “I was around at the start of Prohibition. My nights were spent in shady speakeasies. You learn a thing or two when you really want a meal.”
I shiver at the thought of that. Being a bartender, you meet a lot of people. I’m sure it made it easy for him to find someone to drink after a long night of partying with illegal booze.
“I appreciate the consideration.” I really do. He was here after I’d been bitten, and he was here now. That means more to me than I can admit.
“Of course, I have to confess that I’m here for another reason.”
I perk. “What’s that?”
He shifts to the couch and sits cross-legged with arms sprawled out behind him. The shirt widens, exposing his chest even moreso. I see the curve of his pecs dip into the shadows, highlighted by the low green light of the room. My fingers are itching to trace those lines, to dip along the arcs of his abdomen and into the band of his pants so I can finally,finallyfeel the shape of him.
“We’re going to a party,” he says jovially. “Afteryou’re off the clock, of course.”
“And before that?” I ask, a little nervous knowing his next answer before he even breathes it.
“Well, you are working, and I do have money.” He tilts his head toward the pole. “Why not show me whatexactlyit is you do here?”
“Is that really a good idea?” Water from the glass is dripping down my fingers, falling to splash on my toes. The cold feels fine now that I’m suddenly so damn hot.
“We’ll just call this a teachable moment.” He flashes me his fangs and I feel my resolve thin to nothing. If he was out at the bar, he definitely saw the girls on stage, so I’m sure he has some understanding of what it is I actually do.
