Page 5 of Fanged Desire
When the dance drew to a close, I felt the energy in the room shift. I had pushed as far as I could without stepping over the line, and the look in Hunter’s eyes told me that the tension had done its job. When she got to her feet her posture was relaxed,but she drew in her bottom lip as her eyes moved over me one last time, studying me from head to toe.
“When are you dancing next?” Her voice was rough, low and exhilarating, and I felt a flush of heat rise to my cheeks. That was a rarity in this line of work, but she had made me feel seen, not just watched.
“Monday night.” I gave her a smile, twirling with exaggerated flair as I moved to open the door. “But I’d be happy to dance for you again whenever you want.”
Above us, the thumping music gave way to a cacophony of voices, counting down to the dawn of the new year.
The corner of her mouth lifted into a smirk and she joined me in the doorway, a hair’s breadth of distance between us. I had always considered myself fairly tall, but I still had to tilt my chin up to meet her eyes. She didn’t so much as touch me, but she didn’t have to. That smoldering stare was enough.
“I look forward to it.”
And just like that she was slipping past me, disappearing up the stairway and taking the last of my breath with her. As the booming music began anew, all I could do was stare after her, heart beating a little faster than before.
I had danced for hundreds of people, entertained countless faces, but something about that woman lingered in my thoughts long after she was gone.
The trip back to my apartment was quiet, the sounds of the city muffled by the rumble of the cab and the garbled static of the radio. My home was nothing fancy, but it was mine. The place was a refuge from the new life I led on the outside.
I dropped my bag on the couch and headed straight for the bathroom, peeling off skimpy layers as I went. A bubble bath,one of my few indulgences, was certainly in order, especially after that particular shift. The silky water lifted the glitter from my skin and made the bubbles sparkle, and I sank down into the tub with a long exhale.
My muscles slowly remembered relaxation, but my mind was drifting back to the club. Back toher.
Hunter.
There was something about that woman. It was like she’d burrowed her way under my skin and refused to leave, despite never having touched me. I replayed the dance in my head, how those dark, intense eyes had tracked my every movement, never breaking that cool demeanor even as the tension thickened like smoke.
I bit my lip, squeezing my eyes shut, and goaded myself for being such a touch-starved dolt. She was just another spectator, even if she had been more respectful than most. There was no need to get worked up over nothing more than a well-paying client with a pretty face. And God, she was pretty.
Even so, my hand drifted to my stomach, trailing absently downwards before I caught myself. My body was practically screaming for it, but there was too much on my mind. Too much that mattered more.
As if on cue, my phone rang and my guilty conscience reared its head.
My eyes snapped open, heart clenching and bubbles sloshing as I scrambled to grab the phone from the floor. I lifted it with soapy fingers, gripping the edge of the tub like a vice.
“Ethan?!” It came out more desperate than I intended. “Do you have news? Anything?”
There was a prolonged pause on the other end, and my heart sank before he even said a word. Eventually, Ethan’s sigh came through the line, heavy and apologetic.
“I’m sorry, K,” he said, his voice achingly gentle. “Nothing yet. I’ve asked around, called in every favor I could, but no one’s seen her.”
I sank further into the water, body going limp as his words settled over me. No news. No sign of Penelope.
My voice barely rose above a whisper. “It’s all right. Thanks for trying.”
Ethan was doing everything he could, I knew that. But it didn’t make the ache in my chest any easier to bear.
“I’ll keep looking.” His voice crackled through the line. “We’ll find her. One way or another.”
After a brief goodbye I hung up, letting the phone slip from my hand. It landed with a dull thud on the bath mat and I lay back in the water, staring up at the ceiling in tumultuous silence.
My mind staggered back to Penelope, to the image of the woman I hadn’t seen in what felt like a lifetime. The memories came in bright flashes, like an interrogation under a single spotlight. Could I remember her laugh, her smile, the way she moved through life like it was some elaborate dream? Had I forgotten that Penelope was gone? Just… gone.
I balled my fists under the water, nails digging crescent moons into my palms. I had a mission. I couldn’t afford distractions, especially not the kind that came with a seductive smile and devious intent. Penelope was out there somewhere, and she needed me to find her.
No matter the cost.
Chapter 3
Hunter
