“Because he doesn’tdemandit like you do. You could stand to learn a few manners from Sam.”
“I said please!”
“You did not.” She stands up, setting her wineglass on the coffee table.
Rosie smirks, shaking her head. “The clippers are in my bathroom,” she says. “Holden might be in the shower, so I would knock first.”
I watch Dolly’s tan legs as she disappears into the hallway. Duke collapses onto the barstool next to me with a grunt. Rosie sits up, turning to look at us.
“Is this plan really all we can do to smoke this guy out? There has to be a better way.”
“I’m not a fan either.” I turn to Duke.
“It’s not like we have much of a choice. She’ll be perfectly safe if we’re all around.”
“What about her heart? What if things get wildly out of hand?” Rosie protests.
I’m glad she’s thinking clearly like me. Dolly walks back in, Holden on her heels. She’s holding a plastic box that she plops down on the island. Her hair is loosely splayed around her shoulders.
“Holden, can you please explain the plan to these two?” Duke says.
Holden goes to the fridge and grabs three beers, tossing one to me and one to his brother before popping his open. Dolly is busying herself wrapping the black cutting cape around my neck and plugging in the clippers.
“I talked to the manager at Sundance, so he knows what’s going on. I think if we all stake out the place a few hours before and get set up, Dolly can walk in and start drinking and mingling with people. Cash will give her a mic so we can hear what’s being said. Maybe he won’t show and nothing will happen. Playing itsafe hasn’t gotten us any leads.” Holden joins his wife on the sofa.
Duke walks into the living room. We’re close by in the open concept kitchen, but they’re all talking to each other and not paying us any attention as they discuss what could potentially go wrong with the plan.
Dolly starts by using the clippers to cut the sides of my hair up over my ears shorter. She’s cut my hair a couple of times before, and she must remember how I like it since she didn’t ask.
She steps in front of me right between my knees. My eyes flicker back to the living room, but no one is looking. I watch her lips part as she threads her fingers through the sides of my hair over my ears. It reminds me of when she grabbed my hair while my face was buried between her legs. Blood rushes to my groin.
My hand snakes out, hidden beneath the cape. My fingers slide up the inside of her thigh. She stills when I scrape over the seam of her panties underneath her pajama shorts. She inhales, gripping my hair tighter.
She doesn’t move, so I start exploring up under her T-shirt, finding that she isn’t wearing a bra.
“You want me to die an early death?” I whisper, pinching her nipple.
She gasps, jerking away from me. She resumes her place behind me, combing through my hair and spraying it with water before snipping away with the scissors. Now I’m half hard and I need to throw her over my shoulder and take her home.
“Sorry I got … distracted,” she whispers.
“My fault,” I mumble, adjusting my position on the barstool to try and make room in the front of my jeans.
Duke looks over briefly before resuming his conversation with Holden and Rosie.
“I just hate it. I’m worried,” Rosie says, glancing back at her best friend with round, damp eyes.
Dolly moves to my side. “I’ll be fine. I have quite the arsenal of protectors.” She attempts a smile, but it’s weak and doesn’t reach her eyes.
“Hey.” I grab her hand. “If you don’t want to do it, just say the word. We’ll find another way. You know that, right?”
Her bottom lip quivers. “Will you be there the whole time?” she whispers.
I nod. “Every step of the way.”
She exhales, nodding. “Then I can do it.”
30
