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Gretchen’s cell phone shattered the silence of her bedroom, yanking her from sleep. She reached blindly for it, knocking several things from the bedside table.
“Hello,” she managed.
“Hey, are you asleep?”
Finn.Despite herself, the familiar joy at hearing his voice swept through her. “I was.” She yawned.
“So, I guess you wouldn’t want to spend the night at my place?”
Was he kidding? “No, I’m asleep; call Ronnie.”
“It’s not like that,” he tried.
She didn’t even care. He’d fucked her and then left her to go home alone while he left with Ronnie. She let out a slow breath. “I’m exhausted, and I’m not interested in coming over.”
“What if I came to you?”
She listened for something to tell her he missed her and wanted to hold her and love her and not just use her body. Instead she only heard his steady breathing. “I’m not interested in her leftovers. Nor am I interested in satisfying whatever needs she left you with. I’m tired. Good night.”
She ended the call before she lost her nerve. Despite how much she wanted him to come to her, she wouldn’t admit it to him. He’d had the chance to ask her to wait up for him earlier, instead, he’d gotten off and walked away. He didn’t get to change his mind now. The indifferent pole dancer was a fine role to play in public, but she’d be damned if she’d play it in private.
Something rustled in the bush beneath her bedroom window, before she heard a low murmur. She closed her eyes before she slowly shook her head. Of course, Finn wouldn’t take a simple no. She hurried to the window and drew up the blinds.
“Finn, I—” The rest of the sentence jammed in her throat at the sight of a man’s fleeing back.
Rushing to her bedside table, she pulled out her gun, and sprinted into the night. By the time she reached the spot outside her window, whoever she’d heard had vanished.
Under her window a glimmering object caught the light from the streetlamp. She plodded over and her bare feet sank into the damp soil behind two perfect boot prints. A dozen or so cigarette butts littered the ground, whoever she’d heard had watched her for a while. She bent and picked up the gold lighter from the dirt. She turned it over, hoping her suspicions were wrong.
“Motherfucker,” she muttered when they weren’t.
Chapter 10
Gretchen entered the club like a tornado and scanned the room for Grant. She found him on the other side of the still-growing crowd and stomped her way to him.
“Did you enjoy yourself last night?” She shoved him hard enough that she stumbled, but he stood there like an immovable mountain.
He looked down at her with a shake of his head, a smile hid at the corners of his mouth. “I did, but unless my wife’s talked to you, I don’t know how you’d know. Why don’t you tell me what you mean?”
Gretchen glared back at him. He had to be lying. She held up the lighter she’d found outside her bedroom window and watched his eyes narrow.
“Where’d you find that?” His mood lightened, not what she’d expect from a man caught peeping.
“Outside my bedroom window.” She jerked her hand and the lighter away as he reached for them. “Did you enjoy the view last night? I’m sorry you had nothing to report back to your boss, you bastard.” She spun away.
Grant hurried in front of her, careful not to touch her. “I haven’t been anywhere near your place, Lilah.” He held his hands up in defense. “Jay only asked me to watch out for you here at the club.”
“Don’t lie to me,” she yelled before reining in her temper. “I found your lighter, you don’t go anywhere without it.”
“I know, I know.” He nodded and dug in the front pocket of his black slacks. “I lost my original a few months back, my wife got me another one.” He held up an identical lighter.
Gretchen took it from him and ran her thumb over the replicated engraving.
“You can ask her,” he offered. “Tell her what you found. I swear she’d have my balls if she thought I watched you. She wouldn’t cover for me.”
Gretchen nodded and handed him back the lighter. She had to fight against the nerves suddenly attacking her. “Okay.”
