“Find anyone who can ID that woman in the video—ah, fuck me.”
Up went his eyebrows. “I can definitely do that.”
Even when she screwed up, he made her smile. “I didn’t bring any cash. You know, to help jog their memory.”
“I’ve got you covered. Slide your hand into my front pants pocket and you’ll find a wad of cash.”
“And here I thought you were just over-excited to see me.”
“I passed ‘over-excited’ the second I walked into your apartment. You look so damn hot.”
“It’s the dress.”
“It’s not the dress. It’s the woman in it.”
Silence.
More silence.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
“You’re a gorgeous woman, Evangeline.”
“This isn’t appropriate business protocol.”
“What are you now, human resources?”
She cracked a smile. “I don’t accept compliments well.”
“Yeah, I got that.”
His adoring words had stripped her of her armor, leaving her bare and vulnerable.
The beach ride flew by. Time took on a different dimension when she was with Sin. Everything boring became exciting. Things that dragged on sped by at lightning speed. She would say what was happening between them was magical, but magic was just slight of hand. An illusion. And she didn’t want to confuse the two. She needed to stay grounded and not let her emotions trip her up, like her mother did.
When she was a teen, she’d promised herself she would not turn out like her mom. Over the decades, her mom would get caught up in love only to become woefully disappointed, time and time again. Evangeline was smarter than that. No way would she get snared in the love trap.
“Hey,” he said, after cutting the engine in the Kinky Times parking lot. She looked over at him. “We’re partners and we’ve got each other’s backs. I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I wanted you to know how beautiful I think you are.”
“I keep everyone at a comfortable distance. Think of me as a porcupine. Get too close and you’ll get stabbed by my quills.”
That made him chuckle. “That’s my new favorite animal.” He squeezed her shoulder. “C’mon. Let’s get to work.”
They tied on their black masks, laid their coats in the back seat, and hurried inside.
The club was a buzz of New Year’s Eve activity. The host escorted them into the VIP lounge and seated them. Evangeline was hopeful, yet guarded. There were no guarantees anyone would recognize the woman in the video.
Sin pulled out a bill and greased the host’s palm. “We need your help.”
“Interested in a threesome tonight?”
“We’re looking for this woman.” He played several seconds of the video.
“I see a lot of people,” he said, shrugging a shoulder. “Sorry, can’t help you. Let me get Eckert.” He waved over a waitress.
The young woman was definitely working for tips, but her cleavage and the swell of her ass peeking out from her dress didn’t grab Sin’s attention. Evangeline loved that he never gawked. The server took their drink orders and hurried off.
Sin slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. “You’re so far away.” And then, he kissed her ear. “You smell delicious. But I don’t want to say things that will make you uncomfortable.” He slid away, giving her space. When he did, her heart dropped.
