Page 24

They went off after that, looking for someone else, I guessed. Still blushing like crazy, I caught Thelma’s eye and huffed out a breath of relief when she shot me an amused wink. The last thing I wanted was to hurt or offend anyone.
My phone vibrated in my little silver clutch, startling me. I pulled it out and smiled instantly. Stef. “Can I answer this?” I asked Thelma. It was a video call, which meant Stef would get an eye full of the action happening on the couch right behind me.
“Come this way.” She led me to a little office behind the bar, pulling the sliding door closed behind her.
Drawing a deep breath, I hit answer. This was going to be so much fun.
“Haaaaappy birthday my little— Holy Jesus, what the fuck? Why do you look so gorgeous?”
“Rude!”
Stef was peering so hard through the phone I’m surprised she didn’t break the lens. “No, seriously. Your hair looks amazing, you’re wearing makeup and…are you naked?”
“What? No!” I lowered the camera so she could see the neckline of the dress.
“Okay, well, that just makes it more confusing. Miriam!Miiiriam!Get your ass over here! Something is goingonwith my little cream puff and I need help!”
Seconds later, Miriam’s face joined Stef’s on the screen. “Hey! Happy—”
“No time for that!” Stef interrupted. “Where are you?”
“I’m at a sex club.”
Dead silence while they both just stared at me.
Then Stef narrowed her eyes. “You fucking are not! That’s a blank wall behind you.”
“I’m in an office behind the bar. I can’t take a video call out there because there are naked people rubbing their bits against each other on pretty much every surface.” Stepping closer to the door, I held my phone out. “But can you hear the music?” I almost jumped out of my skin when I heard Wolfe, just on the other side of the door.
“Where’s Esme?”
His deep voice rolled over me, making me shiver.
“Who. The. Fuck. Is. That? And why does he sound so hot?”
“That’s Wolfe.”
“The more you speak, the more confused I am.”
Miriam nodded in wordless agreement.
Wolfe slid the door open, his broad shoulders filling the frame, his eyes giving me the once over, making sure I was alright.
“Gotta go. Talk to you tomorrow. Bye!”
“Don’t you—”
Too late. End call. I’d get a ribbing for it tomorrow, but it was worth it. I never,evergot the chance to be shocking. Or audacious. “Hey.”
“Hi. All good?”
“Yep. Just my friends, calling me for my birthday. How about you?”
“I’m good.”
“Great.” Was this weird? It felt weird. I slipped my phone in my purse, clipped it shut and went to move by Wolfe, back out to my seat at the bar. But he just stood there, blocking the doorway. Sucking all the air from the room with his presence. Making me inhale sharply at the…whatever that was…swirling in his eyes. His gaze dropped to my lips. Unable to help myself, I licked them. There was that flaring heat that did all sorts of things to my insides. God, I wanted him to kiss me. So bad.
And again, like before, his expression became unreadable, and he stepped back, letting me pass. “I’ll get you another drink.”