Page 14 of The Devil and the Dancer
“Thanks.” Arthur beamed. “I dyed it especially for Drew’s company party two weeks ago. The purple color is exactly the same shade as the CEO’s first wife’s hair, who’s also on the board and insists on coming to the parties even though she was replaced by wife number two twenty years ago.”
“And how does the second wife feel about the first wife showing up to company parties?”
“Oh, she’s long gone.” Arthur waved his hand. “She was replaced two times over. I think he’s on number four.”
Chloe shook her head. Anyone who thought vampire relationships were weird didn’t know enough rich humans. “Gavin has been busy tonight. I’ve barely had time to talk to him. Of course, it is Thursday.” Thursday nights were always insanely busy for them. Chloe had no idea why. Everyone was ready for the end of the week, but not quite as exhausted as on Friday, she guessed.
“Judging from the serious looks on both their gruff, manly faces, I’d say your man and his buddy Cormac have some serious business shit going on. I’ll bet you twenty that whatever is going on with him is related to work.”
Chloe took a long breath. “You’re probably right.”
“Of course I am. Now get me another martini, woman.”
Three nights later,Chloe still didn’t have any answers. Gavin had locked himself in his office most nights at the bar, he’d been affectionate but distant when they interacted, and Chloe had made excuses to stay at Ben and Tenzin’s loft every night since Wednesday.
Usually Gavin argued with her when she did that. He’d tell her his place was closer to work. He’d insist on taking a car late at night, then try to make her feel guilty about Abe driving all the way to SoHo. He’d offer to cook dinner for her—he was an excellent cook—then feed her so much she fell into a food coma at his house.
But in the four nights since he’d left her in the hot tub and come back a different man, he’d done none of those things. He was distracted. He was distant. And Chloe felt herself shrinking back.
This is how it starts.
This is where the end begins.
Her heart hurt, and Chloe was glad she’d held off having sex with him. That took a whole new level of trust for her since Tom, one she didn’t want to share with just anyone.
Gavin wasn’t just anyone.
Wrong. He might be an immortal, but he was also just another man. And Chloe had learned the hard way that most of them couldn’t be trusted.
On Thursday night, she’d brought a bag to work, thinking that Gavin might ask her to stay over. It had remained in her locker since then. On Sunday night, the bar closed at one in the morning. Chloe decided to take the bag back to SoHo. Ben and Tenzin were gone and the loft felt empty, but she’d left a new paperback in the bag and she really wanted to start it.
By the time she realized the book wasn’t in her bag, she was already on the train.
“Dammit.”
Did she need the book? She had others at the loft. She’d been really excited to start it though. The bar was closed on Monday, and she didn’t want to wait two days.
She let out a long breath and got off at the next stop. Maybe she could just hire a car to take her home. Maybe a ride share. She trudged back uptown and over to 9th Avenue, glad she at least had keys and didn’t have to call Gavin.
Since it was only one thirty, plenty of bars were still open on 9th, so she didn’t feel alone. A few of the bouncers waved at her and Chloe waved back. She opened the street door and walked up the stairs, instinctively listening for any movement in the pub. She heard nothing.
She flipped on the overhead lights but halted just inside the entrance.
Gavin was still there. But he wasn’t alone.
He was standing at the bar in his shirtsleeves, suit jacket draped over a barstool, sipping whiskey from his favorite glass.
Sitting across from him at the bar was a beautiful woman with a complexion so perfectly white Chloe knew she had to be a vampire. She was wearing a sleeveless black evening gown, and her hair fell in shiny auburn waves down her back.
The woman turned to look at her, a single eyebrow arched. “I thought we were going out for dinner,mon loup. Did you order delivery instead?”
“Chloe,” Gavin said, sounding indifferent, “can I help you?”
Her throat dried up. She could feel her pulse pounding through her body. Her voice sounded tiny when she spoke. “I left a book in my locker.”
No reaction. Nothing. He stared at her as if they barely knew each other. “Very well. The break room should be open.”
She shook her head. “Fine.” She started to back out of the room. “It’s fine. I don’t need it.”
