She studied him for a long moment. “You really didn’t notice, did you?”
“Not even a little bit,” he swore. Then pointed to her menu, “Now, can we order instead of talking about other women? I’mstarving. I don’t know if you noticed, but I worked up an appetite yesterday.”
Becks wasn’tsure how she felt about stopping by the Knoxville hotel on their way to Mount Grove to visit a prostitute. Not sure if that was politically correct, Becks wondered if she needed to switch to ‘sex worker’. But it wasn’t like she planned on saying anything to the woman’s face about her profession.
It was just weird that Ghost had spent the night with her, the sex worker. He claimed nothing happened, and she believed him. He wasn’t the sort to lie. Liam and Ghost might be on the outs—which was something Becks still needed to deal with because men were ridiculously stubborn creatures—but she knew her brother would never be friends with someone untrustworthy. Additionally, from what little she knew of the motorcycle club, they were honorable men, and they wouldn’t have voted someone in to lead them who wasn’t the most honorable of them all.
That thought made her snort, which had Ghost glancing down at her. Becks waved him off, because there was no way in hell she was telling her husband of two days that she’d just made a semi-Snow White reference about him in her head. Which also reminded her that she still needed to question her brother why he would keep his military moniker a secret from his club. She hadn’t thought he was embarrassed by it. He’d laughed when he’d told them about it while he was still at basic training.
The hotel wasn’t overly fancy, but wasn’t a run-down, pay-by-the-hour motel either. Becks didn’t think Ghost had come here specifically the other night, and the way he told the story of Sandy approaching him, he hadn’t sought her out.
Which he was doing now.
Becks still didn’t understandhowhe knew Sandy was still going to be at that hotel—unless he did know her more than he was leading on. She’d been meaning to ask, but couldn’t figure out the words without sounding either like a jealous bitch or a distrustful wife. And since Ghost was bringing her along on this excursion to visit said-sex worker, Becks also figured she would get a feel for the two of them in person rather than her mind making assumptions.
Hand-in-hand, Ghost led her through the lobby, and then off to the side where a bar and dining area were. There were only three tables occupied, plus two men sitting at the bar. It was after two in the afternoon, since she and Ghost had had a late start, so Becks wasn’t surprised the place wasn’t packed.
Ghost barely had to survey the room before he was pulling Becks through the tables towards one where a black-haired woman sat with a man in a business suit. She had her long legs crossed, allowing the toes of her heeled foot to graze his shin under the table. She wore a dark gray tube dress with a high slit up the side. The pointed sweetheart neckline revealed her perfect cleavage and long gold necklace.
After their talk at the restaurant yesterday, Becks had been feeling pretty good about the fact that her husband only had eyes for her. But after looking at this woman? Yeah, Becks was definitely making comparisons in her head. Had the woman ever eaten a carb in her life?
Wincing at her internal question, Becks scolded herself. Just as she wouldn’t want someone else body shaming her for her size, she should not be doing so to this woman. Even silently. It was rude, and Becks felt embarrassed she’d even had the thought.
The table was set for two. Both Sandy and the man she was dining with had half-drunk glasses of wine in front of them. Theman had a hand wrapped around the stem while Sandy had both elbows on the table and was sensually petting the man’s covered arm.
As soon as she spotted Ghost headed for her table, Sandy sat up straighter and smiled. “Well, well, well,” she practically purred. “Look who got the girl.”
The man did not look happy about the interruption. Ghost, though, never paused in his stride. He walked right up to the table, pulling Becks behind him. He pulled out one of the two empty chairs and gestured for Becks to sit. Not sure what else to do, she did so. Then Ghost pulled out the chair directly across from Sandy and sat himself down.
He turned to the man. “You can leave.”
“Hey! I was here first?—”
“And that wedding ring on your finger suggests you shouldn’t be here at all,” Ghost threw back at him. “Leave or I have my tech wizard of a brother find you via facial recognition and then send videos of your time at this hotel to your wife.”
The man blanched, and couldn’t run away fast enough.
Though Sandy didn’t seem pissed at losing a customer, she did say, “I don’t appreciate you running away business. People talk.”
“Did you really want to have sex with him anyway?”
Becks’ eyes widened at Ghost’s intrusively blunt question.
Sandy just shrugged. “Girl’s gotta eat. Sometimes the pickings are slim, and married men are awfully desperate.” She turned her attention to Becks. “I have to say, I’m impressed. I didn’t think he actually had it in him to be so selfish as to steal another man’s bride.”
Becks stiffened, feeling defensive. “I was already leaving before he arrived.”
That answer made Sandy smile. “Good for you.” She gestured towards Ghost. “He’s never going to introduce us, by the way.” Holding her hand out to Becks, she said, “I’m Sandy.”
Not wanting the other woman to think she was rude, Becks shook the offered hand. “Becks.”
“Nice to meet you. Though, surprised,” she added. “Wasn’t expecting to see him again, let alone meet the woman he was brooding over.”
“I wasn’t brooding,” Ghost argued.
“He was,” Sandy assured her, which made Becks smile. “So what brings you back to my neck of the woods?”
Damn it, Becks actually was starting to like Sandy. She had a strong backbone, and Becks liked that she was talking directly to her rather than Ghost. Like she was silently telling Becks that she wasn’t competition. It wasn’t what Becks expected.
