Page 112 of Diamonds

She drops her jaw when I walk out of my bedroom.

“Maddox!”

I run my hand up the lapel of my jacket.“You’ve seen me in a tux before.Just last night.”

“I know, but…” She walks toward me.“You just look so…suavein this one.Like James Bond.”

“I’m afraid I do a terrible Sean Connery impression.”

She runs her fingers over my stubble.“I preferred Pierce Brosnan anyway.”

“Alissa…”

I crush my lips to hers.

Kissing this woman is almost better than fucking her.

Almost.

She breaks the kiss.“I’d really like to keep going, but we should probably head out.”

I nod, adjusting myself under my slacks.“You’re right.”I rake my gaze over her, narrowing my eyes.“After.”

“Of course.”She gives me one more kiss.

I cross over to the front door to open it for her.

She grabs a jacket—an ivory wool overcoat that contrasts with her dark dress—and buttons it.She beams at me as she walks past me out the door to my apartment.“Always the gentleman.”

“If I everdon’thold a door open for you, the Maddox Hathaway you know and love is dead and gone.”

“Perish the thought.”

I close the door to my apartment and walk down the exterior stairs that lead to the parking lot behind my shop.We approach my car, and again I open the door for Alissa.

We make our way to Aces.

For what may be the final time.

* * *

Chet looksup from his pink desk as we walk into the Aces foyer.“Mr.Hathaway.Miss Wonder.We were wondering where you ended up last night.”

Alissa wrinkles her forehead.“What do you mean?”

Chet tents his fingers.“You left rather early in the evening.You said you’d be right back, that you were just getting a breath of fresh air.”He raises an eyebrow—already back to his normal shade of snow white.“You never returned.”

“Plans change.”I hand him my driver’s license.“Alissa will be my guest tonight.”

“Of course.Wouldn’t expect anything to the contrary.”He leers at Alissa.“It would appear you’ve truly captured Mr.Hathaway’s attention, Miss Wonder.”

She swallows.“I suppose I have.”

Chet, as always, is walking the narrow valley between weird and creepy.

I never understood why Rouge hired him to be the bouncer of her club.

Surely there was a better candidate for the job than Chester Tabbit.