“I certainly don’t want to ruin your fun.What about just your given name?”
She chewed on her bottom lip.What harm could it do to tell him her name?She would never see him again after this evening.She would have some supper and flirt, and perhaps he could help her find Mary Beth.She untied her mask and set it on the billiards table next to her.“Well, my father always called me Lizzie.”
“Hmmm, Lizzie.I like that.”He slowly pulled her towards him.“Lizzie, what shall we do while we wait for supper?”
Then his lips were on hers, hot and seductive as hell itself.His soft, silky mustache brushed across her upper lip.Throwing her usual caution to the wind, Elizabeth gripped his shoulders and sank into the kiss.Lord, it had been so long since she had been kissed.So long since the thrum of desire had pulsed low in her belly.
One of his hands cupped her cheek as he explored her lips, his fingers sweeping over her pulse.She parted her lips and let him inside to tease with his tongue, so hot and slick.He tasted like sin.His spicy scent seemed to pour from his skin.She melted against him, clutching tight to broad shoulders as he plundered her mouth, sucking on her tongue, nibbling at her bottom lip.Every nerve ending came alive where their bodies pressed together.Then his hand seared a path from her waist to cup one of her breasts, and she moaned against his mouth at the tantalizing brush of his fingers.
A thunderous knock rang out.Matthew tore his lips from hers but didn’t step back.He leaned his forehead against hers.“I’m not hungry anymore…for dinner.You?”
He was so irreverent, with his sly smile and his eyes swirling with desire for her—practical, cynical Elizabeth Harper.The craving to lean forward and dive back into his kiss was strong.But before she could say anything, more knocking came, followed by a deep voice.
“Boss, it’s an emergency.We need you.”
Mr.Reeves immediately straightened.His thumb brushed over her bottom lip.“This better be good,” he muttered.
Boss?Elizabeth blinked a couple of times as her lust-addled brain cleared.Had she been kissing the boss of the gaming hell?A regular, he’d said.Good Lord.Reality came crashing over her like a bucket of cold water had been thrown in her face.What was she doing?How could she be so reckless?She ran her hands down over her skirts, smoothing out the wrinkles from being crushed against him.
Mr.Reeves crossed and opened the door.“What?”he bit out.
The man on the other side of the door was the giant bartender who had served her wine earlier.His broad face was wreathed in anguish.“Boss, one of boys went out back to have a quiet smoke and found her.”He ran a hand down over his face.“She was laying in the alley, dead.”
“Who?”
“One of the dancing girls.Mary Beth.”
“No!”Elizabeth exclaimed.She shook her head as both men turned to her.“No, it can’t be.”
“Do you know Mary Beth?”Reeves assessed her with hard eyes.
“Yes, she is the friend I came to find tonight.”Elizabeth slumped back against the billiard table, with a shaky hand searching behind her for stability.Mary Beth couldn’t be dead.
Mr.Reeves came over and grabbed her arm.“Come with us.”Despite his gruff order, he pulled her along gently.“Where is she, Ben?”
“We brought her body into the kitchen.Boss, it looks like her neck’s been slit.”
Elizabeth followed the two men, her mind reeling.They all hurried down the corridor to the very end.Through an oak door, they emerged into a large kitchen.Across the room, several people were gathered around a body of a woman lying on the table in the center of the room.Elizabeth halted as they approached.Oh, dear Lord, it really was Mary Beth.
Mr.Reeves strode over to the table.“Who found her?”
A man stepped forward.“Was me, sir.”
“Tell me everything that happened.”
“I went outside to the alley to have my smoke in peace.Val said I could take a short break from the door.I rounded the corner, and she was there, lying on the ground.”
“Did you see anyone else?Anyone running from the scene?”
“No, sir.She was still warm when I picked her up.Couldn’t have been out there too long.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath in and moved closer to the table.What had happened?How could anyone want to hurt this sweet girl who’d had such big dreams?
The man with the crooked nose nodded.“The show is about to start.She shouldn’t have been outside at all.”
Elizabeth stared down at Mary Beth.Her pale skin was a stark contrast to her bright-red hair.She wore a sparkly costume in light blue tulle, splattered with brown mud.“Show?”
“Yes, there is a nightly show in our theater.Dancing and singing a medley of numbers,” Mr.Reeves replied.“Mary Beth was in the chorus line.She has worked here not too long…right, Ben?”
