Page 9 of Fanged Desire
“A Bloody Mary, and a gin and tonic – no…” Her eyes slid to mine and my wrinkled nose and returned to the bartender. “Gin and lemonade.”
Spot on.
The guy brought us our drinks and Hunter slid mine over to me with the lanky grace of a supermodel. Somehow, she made even the most mundane of actions an art, something I was determined to mimic during my next performance.
“So,” she said after a few minutes, gesturing toward where Ethan disappeared. “You and Ethan – been working together long?”
I took a long, slow sip of my drink before answering. “A while now. He’s one of the good ones. Always has my back.”
She nodded, her gaze lingering on me as though weighing her next words. “He seems protective of you. And very suspicious of charming strangers. You’ve got yourself a good friend.”
“He’s usually a little more polite,” I grumbled into my drink, but snatched my eyes up at Hunter’s short laugh.
She set her drink down, leaning an elbow on the bar and propping her head up. “No, he’s right to be suspicious. A stranger in the corner isn’t often a good omen.”
I paused mid-sip and eyed her past the glass. “Are you saying you’re dangerous? Because I’ve heard that one before.”
She laughed again and seemed to relax a little, though her expression remained guarded. “All I’m saying is it’s good to be cautious. You’ve got all manner of patrons passing through these doors.”
Her words were a warning, but to what end I had no idea. It occurred to me then that aside from a brief meeting and some fluttering lashes on my part, I had no idea who this woman was, or what she really wanted. And in a place like Micere, where a woman could disappear without a trace, trust was not something you doled out generously.
I also felt a slight pang of guilt for enjoying her company as much as I did. I wasn’t supposed to be here for this, wasn’t supposed to be getting caught up in someone else’sworld. Penelope was still missing, and every moment I spent fraternizing with a stranger was a moment spent away from my mission.
But then, as if the universe thought to offer a reprieve, one of the club’s managers approached with a pointed look in my direction.
“You’re on in five.”
I was already stepping away from the bar, setting down my drink as I glanced back at Hunter. The woman was watching me with mild curiosity, like she could read my mind and see the guilt there. I hesitated. She could be innocent, and she could be dangerous. She could also have the answers I needed.
“Stick around,” I said eventually, backing away as I did so. “I’m assuming you’re up for that private session tonight?”
Hunter’s eyes flickered with interest, her smirk returning. “Wouldn’t miss it.”
When I stepped back onto the stage my focus should have been on the crowd, on the performance. But all I could think about was her eyes on me, tracing every slope of my body, burrowing under my skin.
I danced like I had something to prove, every movement deliberate, like I was performing just for her. And maybe I was.
When the set was over and I slipped off stage, I found Hunter waiting at the bar, exactly where I’d left her.
“You stand out,” she said as I approached. “It’s easy to see why this place scooped you up.”
I smiled, leaning against the bar and brushing body glitter from my arms. “Worked my way up. It wasn’t easy, but I tend to over commit once I’ve decided to do something.”
I felt lighter than before, riding the adrenaline rush that came with every stage performance. It gave me the cocky confidence I needed to tilt my head toward the stairway and the private rooms beyond. “Anyway, shall we?”
She seemed to know Micere and its more unsavory clientele. I was curious to probe her, draw out any useful information she might have. And if I enjoyed myself a little more than usual, or added a little more flair to my performance, what was the harm in that?
“Gladly.” Hunter got to her feet and leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a near-whisper at my ear. “After that performance on stage, I’m curious; just how flexible are you?”
Needless to say, the subsequent heart palpitations had nothing to do with the athleticism I’d displayed on stage.
The private room was just as intimate as before, and I wasted no time in giving Hunter exactly what she asked for – a sultry, sensual display of flexibility that left little to the imagination.
Hunter took her place on the sofa with no prompting this time while I picked out the music, settling for something a little slower. With a graceful sweep, I dropped into a deep split, thighs stretching to their limits, and held the pose for a heartbeat. I glanced up at Hunter, watching her reaction. Those dark eyes widened slightly, but her expression remained unreadable, though I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her jaw tightened. I had her full attention.
I leaned back on my hands, arching my spine and letting my legs slide together in a slow, deliberate motion. The stretch was sensual, and I took some gratification in the way my body moved like liquid, each muscle working in perfect harmony.
Hunter watched with that same cold intensity, her body completely still, and I could feel the tension thick in the air between us. It was like standing on the edge of something dangerous, something that could tip over at any moment.
