He chuckles, but nods his head in understanding. “Of course. A seat?” He gestures to one of the tables behind him sitting up against the window.
I take a deep breath as I walk over to the table that he’s now standing by. I eye him skeptically when he pulls the chair back for me to sit in. “Trying to be a gentleman?” I ask when he comes around to sit in the chair across from me. I take a quick look around to see how many people are in here. He can’t kill me if there are witnesses, can he? Would he just kill them too?
“I have my days.” His deep voice is full of amusement.
I place my forearms on the table and lean over. I hate that the smell of him has me taking a deep breath. He smells delicious and all man with a hint of spice. It’s good enough to eat.
I feel like I’m a fly stuck in a flytrap. Or a kid who has been brought to a candy store. What kid wouldn’t want a taste of something so sweet? “What do you think you’re doing here?” I try to keep my voice down and take shallow breaths so I don’t inhale him. “How did you even know I work here? Spying on me?” Get answers! That is my main goal.
He lets out a chuckle to indicate that my question and accusations don’t alarm him. “Your brother told me where you work. And no, I’m not spying on you. I just came to check on you.”
I roll my eyes. “And why would I need checking up on?”
“He also informed me about the break-in.” His dark blue eyes search my face and his lips turn down into a pout. I hate that it makes my heart speed up. He doesn’t care about you, Taylor. Don’t buy the act.
“Of course, he did,” I hiss, getting mad at myself. “But you already knew about it, didn’t you?” Turn the table on him. Make him confess.
I hate to admit that the smile he gives me is very charming. It’s one of those slow and sexy ones, showing off his perfectly white teeth. If I didn’t know he was a drug dealer and had been arrested, it would melt my panties. But since I do know all of that, I ignore the way my legs tighten. “No, I didn’t know about it until he told me that I am your number one suspect.”
I lean back in my chair and cross my arms over my chest. Play it cool. “And you have come to try and convince me otherwise?”
“Something like that.” He shrugs carelessly.
Now, my heart is racing for a different reason. Alarm. “What is thesomething?” I ask slowly.
He waves me off. “I’m not here to convince you I didn’t do it when you already know …”
I’m sure he can hear my heart pounding from across the table. “Are you admitting to it?” He knows I think he did it. So why would he say that? He’s starting to confuse me.
“No,” he replies calmly. “I don’t want you to go to the police. Therefore, I would have no reason to act unless you acted first. Which you haven’t done.” He gives me a cruel smile. One that makes him threatening and handsome at the same time. His dark blue eyes light up as they look me up and down, and I swallow nervously.This man is dangerous!Why do women find danger so attractive? Because of men like him. The ones covered in tats and have those smiles that make you weak in the knees. Every person wants a walk on the wild side. To know what sin tastes like. I bet he tastes like the sweetest piece of candy going down; it’s that bitter aftertaste that will get you.
I say nothing but shake my head. Another warning. And he knows I’m not going to go to the cops now. I would have already done so. He probably has them in his pocket anyway. “I haven’t broken my word,” I say, but I’m sure Blane already told him that I tried.
He doesn’t say anything but leans over into his chair as he digs into his back pocket and produces a black wallet. He opens it up and places a card on the table. He then pushes it across the table till it stops in front of me.
I look down at it and seeSeven Deadly Sinswritten across the top of the black card in shades of bright blue. I can’t help but notice it’s in the same colors as the tattoos that cover his arms. “You came to my work to give me a business card?” I ask looking back up at him. His dark blue eyes stare so intensely into mine that I swallow nervously. What does he want from me?
“I want to offer you a job.”
I let out a laugh so loud people turn to stare at us. I was not expecting that! “In the club? The club where you deal drugs?” I say a little softer. I may not agree with how this guy runs his life, but he sure as hell isn’t the kind of guy you wanna piss off. He’s proved that.
He leans over, and I find myself pulling back a little as his smell grows stronger. I’m glad I’m already sitting because it would make me weak in the knees. He whispers, “Just because you don’t see it, doesn’t mean that it’s not going on.” Then his eyes slide over to Shanna, who stands behind the counter. She is staring right at Case, and the moment he looks at her, she looks away and pretends to be cleaning the counter.
“She …?”
He cuts me off. “… is no different than anyone else. Everyone has a drug of choice.” He shrugs casually as he leans back in his seat. His already tight black shirt pulls against his chest, and I can make out the hard muscles.I can see why she was staring.That tightness returns between my legs.
I lift my eyes to his dark blue ones. “I’ve never done a drug a day in my life,” I grind out between clenched teeth, angry with myself. You’re letting him get to you.
“Noted,” he says with amusement, a smile tugging at his lips. He reaches up and runs his hand slowly down the side of his face and chin, the sound of his facial hair scratching his hand has me grinding my teeth together. He is so sexy. And I am so stupid! “Anyway, that works in your favor,” he says, and I blink a few times to clear my mind. “My employees are tested. If you can’t pass a drug test, you can’t work for me.”
“I find that hard to believe.” Also ironic. He can sell drugs in his club, but no one can actually do them?
“Well, you don’t have an addiction, so it won’t be a problem for you anyway.” He smiles brightly, showing off his beautiful white teeth again. He looks like a wolf in sheep’s clothing. The devil disguised as an angel. He may look beautiful, but he isn’t going to fool me. He has something up his sleeve. Maybe he wants to keep me close so he can keep an eye on me? Knowing I might be trouble for hisbusiness?
“Did my brother put you up to this?” He had spoken to Blane; maybe this was all his idea.
He tilts his head to the side in thought. “No.” His deep voice speaks the word roughly, and it makes my arms break out in goosebumps. I’ve never known a man to have so much authority in such a simple word.
