Squaring her shoulders, she gestured toward the guest chair. Once he walked in, she closed the door. Being alone with Dakota only turned up the heat.
While she could have sat beside him in the second guest chair, putting distance between them was smarter. So, she sat behind her desk and stared into his glowing eyes.Jesus, this one brings the heat all the mother-lovin’ time.
“Alright, cowboy, I don’t know about you, but my bed is calling my name.”
He dropped his mask on the guest chair next to him. “My bed is calling your name, too.”
Her chest warmed. “While thatlinemight sound original to you, I’m confident some man, somewhere, has uttered those inane words before.”
“You like to bust my balls, don’t you?”
She bit back the smile.If only you knew.“All right, Dakota, what can I help you with?”
“I know you’re new here, but I’m hoping,together, we can figure this out.”
She raised her eyebrows.
“I had a connection tonight in the Lust room with someone new.”
“Was there something wrong in the suite?”
“No, it was fine. The reason—” He stopped mid-sentence and stared at her damp hair. “You showered?”
I need a cigarette.She crossed her legs beneath her glass table and his gaze tracked her movement. “Stay on point, Dakota.”
He stared into her eyes. “Seriously, you showered.”
“You are a keenly observant man.”
His attention stayed glued to hers while the right side of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. Was he mocking her?
“Good grief,” she said, feeling like she was under a damn microscope. “I really don’t see how my hygiene habits are relevant to this conversation, so I’m giving you one more chance to tell me why you’re here or this scintillating conversation is o-v-e-r.”
Leaning back, he crossed his legs. “The woman I hooked up with tonight was supposed to be Rapture. There was a computer mix-up and I ended up with someone else.”
Intensity rolled off him like morning fog billowing over the San Francisco Bay. She held his searing gaze for an extra beat. “On behalf of The Dungeon, my apologies. I’m still finding my way around the system, but I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
“Here’s the kicker. Iwantit to happen again. Help me find that woman, Providence.”
Well, damn.He wants an encore.
* * *
“I’m available tonight,” Dakota said. “All night long.”
Providence hitched a brow. “The club closes in thirty.”
“I’ve got a key and I’ll lock up when we’re finished.” He flashed a smile. “Help a guy out.”
“You sound desperate.”
“Determined.Damndetermined.” Dakota collected his mask and stood while her eyes trailed up and down his body. This woman definitely wasn’t shy about checking him out. If she continued with her eye fuck, she’d be getting more than an eyeful in return. Her heated stare was driving him crazy.
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“My club name is Maximus. I’ll be waiting on L2.” He walked to the door and turned back. “Find her for me.” He tied on his mask and left, closing the door behind him.
As he trotted down the stairs, Stryker texted him back. “Ready for that drink now. I’m in a booth, L2.”
