Yeah, right, Hannah thought, keeping her smile plastered to her lips. That’s why he spent his evenings here at the club. Because he was so busy.
“I’ll just have to find another escort, then.”
“Your time is coming, darlin’.” Gabe gave her a slow and sexy grin. “One of these days I’ll have time enough to give you everything you deserve.”
Why did that sound like a threat?
Telling herself she was being ridiculous, that Gabe had shown her a good time before without any roughhousing, Hannah widened her smile as she thought about how she would do him next time they got together. How she would make sure he would never seek out any dancer but her. She could probably manage it right now if she set her mind to it. She just didn’t feel like expending the energy.
Instead, she looked around for a replacement. Paul wasn’t around tonight, but Michael Wyndham was. The way Mr. Mysterious was looking at her would make a girl think
Undulating her way toward him, she licked her lips the way men liked. She stepped in front of him, raised her arms and fussed with her hair, watching through slitted eyes, expecting him to be mesmerized by her breasts.
His gaze locked with hers, and his lips curled into a smile. He simply seemed amused.
“What can I do for you, Miss Youngheart?”
“Maybe it’s what I can do for you.”
“I’m not interested in a lap dance.”
“What does interest you?”
“Whatever it is you have on your mind. Are you free later?”
Hannah’s heart pounded. He had an edge to him she couldn’t quite read. She sensed he could be dangerous. Lilith’s dire warnings messed with her mind for a minute. All the more reason to hook up with him.
“I’m not free,” she said, “but I am available.”
“What time?”
“How about midnight?”
“Midnight it is. Shall I meet you out front?”
“The stage door on the alley would be better.”
“Then it’s a date.”
A date. That was a laugh. He figured he could fuck her was all. Maybe she’d let him. If he spent enough money on her, she might even let him do anything he wanted.
And then maybe she would rub it in Lilith’s face.
She rushed back into the dressing room and stripped off her costume, then pulled on her clothes and began removing makeup.
Caresse came in and stared. “What’s your hurry, honey? Got a hot date?”
“Give the lady her prize.”
“With one of them jerks?”
“They’re not all jerks,” Hannah protested, thinking Caresse sounded as disapproving as Lilith. “This one isn’t, anyhow.”
“Then what is he?” Caresse threw herself before the mirror and started removing her own makeup.
“Call him a student of human nature.”
“Well, don’t let him study you too hard. It could be dangerous.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“Like Rosie Harriman could? And that working girl who was murdered a few weeks back?”
Shaking off the creepy feeling, Hannah muttered, “A coincidence is all.”
“Don’t you believe it. We gotta take care of ourselves, child, ‘cause no one else is gonna. So you be careful out there, hear?”
Already waltzing out the doorway, Hannah rolled her eyes. “Yeah, Dr. Caresse.”
“I’m tellin’ you!” the other dancer called after her.
There was nothing to worry about, Hannah thought as she flew out the stage door. She could take care of herself. Michael Wyndham was leaning against a light post on the other side of the alley, his gaze focused on her as she left the club.
“My car or yours?” she asked, cutting across the alley toward him.
“Let me lead you into temptation.” He held out his arm.
From the corner of her eye, Hannah thought she caught a movement in the shadows, but when she turned and stared, nothing was amiss.
Her imagination.
She took Michael’s arm and let him lead her off.
SHAKING WITH FURY, Paul Ensdorf stepped out of the shadows and watched the vehicle speed away.
How dare Anna cheat on him?
He’d arrived at the club at the last minute, hoping to catch Anna, to tell her the good news that they could have the house to themselves tonight. A friend of Grandmother’s had taken a turn for the worse, and she was holding a vigil at the nursing home. It wasn’t often that he had unimpeded run of the house.
He’d envisioned himself and Anna naked, playing sex games in every room of the house… maybe even taking their play downstairs where he would do her in a top-of-the-line coffin. This time he would finish it. This time he would be hard enough, long enough to enter her and satisfy her.
He was hard now.
Mewling with disappointment, he unzipped his trousers. How he ached for her. He began stroking himself. Imagining Anna sprawled on his bed, handcuffed, begging him to take her.
“Hey, sweetheart, need some help with that?” asked a husky voice from behind him.
“How much?”
He never even looked at her, didn’t want to see what the whore looked like. In his mind, he envisioned long dark hair, dark eyes and an angelic face.
“Well, you’re already started,” the husky voice said. “Cab fare would do. Make it a twenty and you’ve got a deal.”
He gave her the money, and they moved closer to the brick building on the other side of the alley. She knelt before him and took him in her mouth.
“Aah! Hot and wet, you’re so hot and wet for me, Anna.”
She gave good head, sucking and pulling at him, raking him with her teeth, stroking him with the tips of her nails. Eyes closed, he tangled his fingers in her hair and imagined she was Anna. He could see her eyes widen as he pushed her into the wall and shoved himself in as deep as he could. In his mind, Anna’s face gradually transformed, becoming Melinda’s. His sister appeared dazed and grateful that she finally saw him for who he was. Unable to hold on any longer, he let go.
Whimpering, he opened his eyes, saw the woman still attached to him and shoved her off. Wiping her mouth, she cowered against the wall as if she were afraid.
A fact that made him smile in satisfaction as he walked away.
Chapter 5
LILITH HAD INHERITED her green thumb and affinity to nature from Mama. Her favorite haunts weren’t shopping malls or dance clubs but conservatories and zoos. Luckily Elena shared her interest, so she set out for the Botanic Gardens with her on Sunday afternoon. Her way of distracting herself. Otherwise she would sit at home, waiting for Hannah to call and be disappointed yet again. She couldn’t force Hannah to take her back into her life.
They spent the morning having breakfast overlooking a waterfowl pond, followed by walks through the rose
