“That’s not what this is.”
“Uh-huh.”
She folds her arms and watches me like she’s piecing something together.
“So what you’re saying,” she continues slowly, “is you think I’m sexy and can’t stop thinking about my rocking bod.”
I blink at her. “That’s the conclusion you jumped to.”
She shrugs. “Just checking.”
I drag a hand over the back of my neck. “You do realize you’re making this conversation weird on purpose.”
She smiles a little wider. “Maybe a little.” She pushes away from the wall and slides her phone back into her pocket. “You know I’m going to be bugging the fuck out of you now, right?” she adds casually.
“That’s why I asked for your number,” I tell her.
Her brows lift slightly. “You want me to bug you?”
“I want to know where you are,” I say. “Preferably before you do something reckless.”
She studies me for a second. Then she smiles again, that same troublemaker smile. “Well,” she says, “good luck with that.”
She pushes off the wall and heads back toward the bar without another word, like the conversation is finished and she’s already moved on to the next thing. I stay where I am for a second, watching her go.
She knows I’m looking.
I can tell by the way she walks.
Her stride slows just enough to be noticeable, hips swaying with a little more intention than necessary. Not exaggerated, just enough that it’s impossible to miss.
She throws a quick glance over her shoulder halfway down the hall, catches me still standing there, and the corner of her mouth lifts like she just proved a point.
I shake my head once and push away from the wall, following her back toward the bar before she decides to start another argument with the rest of the guys.
By the time I step back into the room, Rae has already rejoined the group like nothing happened, leaning against the counter while Mason and Dagger talk with Wayne about the damage.
But now every few seconds her eyes flick toward me. And every time they do, that same smug little smile shows up again. She knows exactly what she’s doing.
Mason’s voice cuts through the room while I’m still watching Rae lean against the bar like nothing happened.
“Alright,” he says, clapping a hand once. “We’ve seen enough.”
The movement pulls my attention back to the room.
Tank straightens away from the window boards. Blade pushes off the wall, toothpick shifting to the other side of his mouth. Riot pockets his phone after one last look at the busted doorframe.
Mason looks at Wayne. “Get the place fixed up. Doors, windows, whatever you need.”
Wayne nods. “Already got a guy coming this afternoon.”
“Good.”
Mason glances around the bar one more time, his jaw set tight like he’s memorizing every piece of damage. “We’ll deal with Voss.”
The room goes quiet for a second. Wayne exhales slowly. “Appreciate it.”
Rae leans back against the counter beside him, arms folded again. “Yeah,” she says. “Please feel free to ruin that guy’s day.”
