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He chucked with a wry grin, displaying the crinkled laugh lines around his eyes and mouth that I found deeply sexy. In fact, there was nothing the man hadn’t done that I didn’t find appealing. Even when he was being a hard ass and made me what to strangle him, I liked him.
Once we were properly attired, I double-checked my makeup. I’d rather not walk out in front of my patrons looking rumpled and like I’d just had sex, regardless of whether it was true. I did a few touch-ups with the small makeup kit I carried in my purse. Once I was certain I looked appropriate enough to make good our escape, I shut my computer down for the night.
Ben waited patiently, standing at attention with his soldier’s bearing, as I shut it all down. I texted Venus that I was done for the night and to text me if there were any problems with closing. Then I noticed messages from my stalker.
“What is it?” he asked.
“See for yourself.” I held my phone out for him to take as I packed the rest of my stuff up.
“He’s here,” Ben swore with a furious scowl.
“Sounds like it from the tone. I say fuck him. We’re going to walk through the crowd together.” I shoved away my fear. It would still be there in the morning. But for tonight, I wanted to stay focused on the man at my side.
“Are you sure you don’t want to scout the club?”
“Like we’re going to be able to figure out who it is tonight. No, I say let’s go home and regroup. I’m ready to go.” I held out my hand. Ben grabbed it and pulled me out the door.
In the hallway, we ran into Aphrodite. “Hey, boss, great show tonight.” She was a slender blonde with some of the biggest boobs I’ve ever seen, and they were natural. She’d not had any work done. She was a crowd favorite because of her double Ds.
“Thanks. Aphrodite, this is my friend, Ben. I’m heading out for the night. Good luck with your show.”
“We’ll see.” She grimaced. She was one of my girls that always needed her hand held. I didn’t have the wherewithal in me tonight to heap mountains of praise on her.
“I know you’ll kill it out there. See you later.” I had to cut her off. She could keep us back there bemoaning her upcoming show until she took the stage.
And I was ready for act two with Ben.
We entered the club proper. Cherry was up on stage with a Warrant song playing. The redhead really played up the Cherry Pie angle, and the crowd always ate it up. From the looks of things, tonight would be another huge success in the books.
Ben escorted me through the club with his hand on my lower back. It spoke of ownership. It told everyone in the room something was going on between us. And if my stalker really was in the club tonight, watching the spectacle, they would know there was something going on with Ben and me. But this was a first for me, being with a guy in front of my patrons and employees. I wondered if he understood just how big a deal this was for me.
“Everything all right, boss?” Bruno asked me at the door as he sized Ben up.
“Yeah, Bruno, we’re good. Ben’s a friend.” Bruno shifted, taking in Ben’s measure. And Ben simply stared with that unwavering, solid presence.
Bruno finally nodded. “Have a good night.”
I wasn’t going to tell him it had already been a great night. That being with Ben felt fated. Like we had been on this path and trajectory for years, and tonight was the culmination of it all. When we reached my vehicle, I handed over the keys and let Ben drive without a fuss. Frankly, I was still punch-drunk on the endorphins from that world-altering climax and was more than happy to let him take charge.
Would the easy camaraderie continue? Or would we retreat into our private corners once we arrived at my place?
But then he took my hand as he drove and held it. The breath in my lungs shuddered out. This was something more than simply sex. There might really be something here. That unknown quotient sparking a lasting relationship.
But I didn’t want to jinx it. For all I knew, he could have a woman in every port, much like Evan, and this, him holding my hand, was nothing more than part of his bedside manner. I’d be an idiot to read deeper into it.
He pulled the SUV into the garage beside his Harley. Without all the others, it felt intimate having his motorcycle in the bay next to my vehicle.
He shut off the engine. “This can go one of two ways. Either we can call it a day and go our separate ways, chalking tonight up to simply being in the moment and getting carried away.”
“Or?” I asked quietly and sucked in a breath when he finally turned that enigmatic gaze my way.
“Or you can invite me up to your bedroom,” he offered, dropping his shields and letting me glimpse the full brunt of his desire.
Excited flutters erupted in my chest. Did he not realize I wanted everything he could dish out? I leaned across the center console and planted my mouth over his as my answer. I knew it was wrong, given he was Evan’s best friend. But I couldn’t deny my desire for Ben was a force of nature that couldn’t be tamed.
He framed my face between his hands and ended the kiss. “I’m going to need your words on this, babe.”
I gripped his shirt and stared, confronting my desire and him. “Come to my bed, Ben.”
