“I hate returning shit.” That was only partially true. I wanted her to have it.
Her gaze cut away, and I could see her biting the inside of her cheek. Something was bothering her about the necklace, but I had no idea what. Who would be upset about a diamond?
“Talk to me. What’s wrong with the dresses and necklace?”
Her gaze stayed stubbornly averted even as she spoke. “I don’t want you… getting ideas.”
“Ideas? What kind of ideas?”
“About these gifts… buying anything.”
“Buying—” I started to repeat before her meaning slipped in.
Her head turned, chin lifting, gaze steady.
I tucked my chin slightly, leaning ever so slightly closer.
“Baby, you think I need to pay a woman to fuck me?”
Her blue eyes widened at that. And up so close, even in the darkness, I watched the way her pupils blew wide. Like maybe she was thinking about fucking me. And liking it.
“I didn’t… that’s…”
“I’m sure that slimy boss of yours has put all sorts of twisted thoughts in your head. But I don’t give women things with the expectation that they’re going to spread their legs for me. I’ve got plenty of other ways to reach that end goal. I don’t need my money to get there.”
She swallowed hard at that, her gaze slipping from my eyes to my lips, then back up.
“I didn’t mean to offend you. You’re right. Frank said… some things right before I got out of his office.”
“About ‘Eric’ and the necklace?”
“Sort of? But also, I think, more about me and him.”
“You and Frank?”
“Yeah. It all got a little twisted up in my head. I can, um, give you the name of the shop. For the dresses.”
“You have a shift tomorrow night?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay. Let tomorrow be a normal night. No snooping. No trying to get closer to Frank. I feel like, with using you, we have to have a cool-down period between everything. You seem to know how to work him. But let’s not push it.”
“Yeah, I think that’s a good idea. I mean… things have been… shady with Frank in the—”
“Shady how?” I cut her off.
“He once came into the room when I was changing.”
“Did he?” I asked, hearing the snarl in my voice and not particularly caring.
I wasn’t sure what Remo’s end plan was for Frank once he had possession of the casino. But I wouldn’t mind getting my hands dirty with some asshole who thought he could peep on his employees when they were vulnerable.
“Yeah, uh, the door doesn’t have a lock.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah. I try to put off changing until the last minute to make sure Frank isn’t going to do a drop-in. One of the many reasons I’ve been thinking about finding a new job.”
