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“Oh, Officer Becker?”

“Yeah.”

“Can you get a message to Cody for me? Just tell him I’m thinking about him, and I miss him.

And that I know he’s going to get through this and come out on the other side.

” She hadn’t expected an onset of emotion, but her heart tightened, and her eyes welled.

“And tell him I’ll be right there waiting for him. ”

It was probably a little too personal, but if this was the only chance she had, she’d make the most out it.

“I’ll pass it along, Charley. Bye.” Seconds later, the line went dead.

Charley tucked the phone back in her bag and sighed, feeling a bit of the tension release. She would’ve preferred to speak with Cody directly but this was the next best thing. At least she had confirmation he was safe, and by all accounts, doing well. It was enough.

She wiped the corners of her eyes and turned, coming face to face with Nash standing two feet away.

“Hello, Charley.”

Just her name on his lips sent an unnatural energy through her veins.

Maybe it was the deep undertone of his voice.

Rich and warm, yet masculine and authoritative.

That pretty much summed up Nash’s whole ambience.

Putting anyone on a pedestal seemed juvenile.

At the end of the day, they were all just people.

Some more special than others though. Like him.

She’d never been the type of person to believe in any type of love at first sight, but from the moment she’d set eyes on Nash, she’d been smitten and intrigued.

“Hi.” Charley felt the heat rise from her chest, and she swiped her hair from her neck.

The temperature seemed to spike the second she came across Nash. It had nothing to do with faulty air conditioning. No, this was all Charley. She did her best to block the memory of their last encounter.

“You look” —His gaze perused her body, down to her legs and back up to her face. She held her breath waiting on his next words. Nash’s face softened— “Lost.”

Well, that’s disappointing. She was hoping for a little more than directionally challenged.

Without even realizing it, her smile fell, and her shoulders sagged.

Her facade deflated like a popped balloon.

She tugged at the hem of her dress and glanced past Nash and down the hall. Still no sign of Keely.

“I got my separated from my friend.” She cleared her throat, waving her hand nervously. “There’s a lot of people out there.”

“Yes.” Nash stepped forward, crowding her space. “Are you enjoying yourself?”

“Yeah,” she blurted.

He cocked his head, and scanned her face while his lips softened. It wasn’t a fully committed smile, but she’d take what she could get. “Are you lying?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “No.”

His low hum was a whisper. He didn’t believe her. Why would he? I am lying. This scene was beyond her comfort zone. Starting up a conversation had never been a strong suit for her.

“I appreciate Elle’s gift.”

“There’s a difference between appreciating and enjoying. Wouldn’t you agree?”

She nodded. “Yes. I would. Agree.”

She was beyond the point of forming coherent sentences. This needed to end before she said anything more to further her embarrassment. It probably couldn’t get worse than their last encounter, but Charley wasn’t willing to risk it.

“Well, I should let you go.” She waved her hand toward the club. “I don’t want to keep you from your work.”

When she tried to pass him, he matched her steps, blocking her path. “You’re not.”

Charley flattened her lips, forcing a smile.

His gaze drifted over her face, focusing in on her lips.

Charley stilled with a painful thought. Did she have something on her mouth, and he was too nice to point it out?

Her last drink had had a flavored foam on top.

Am I walking around with a foam mustache?

She pressed her hand against her lips and mumbled.

“Do I have something on my face?”

Nash knitted his brows. “No.”

Then why was he staring at her mouth? A thought popped in her head, and she widened her eyes. Ohhhh.

Charley’s phone pinged, and she looked down at it, quickly reading the message. A wave of relief rolled over her. At least she knew where Keely was now. It didn’t get her out of her precarious position with Nash.

“It’s my friend. Um, can you point me to” —She glanced down at her phone— “The back room.”

When Nash remined silent, she looked up.

“The back room?” He’d lost all sense of easiness. He straightened to full height, putting him half a foot taller than her, and folded his arms.

“Keely wants me to meet her there.”

Nash jaw squared, and he looked down at the phone in her hand. “It’s exclusive entry. Your VIP pass doesn’t cover that, which means your guest snuck in.”

Nooooo! Jesus, Keely!

“I-I’m so sorry. She probably didn’t know.”

That was another lie, and from Nash’s hardened expression, he knew it. She wiped her hair from her eyes and bit her lip. This would take more than an apology to smooth over. Keely was going to owe her for this.

“I’ll pay for the backroom fee.”

Nash raised his brows. “Elle must be paying you well. It’s thirty-five hundred dollars.”

What? Her mouth fell open, and her breath caught in her throat.

“Each,” Nash said.

She must’ve looked insane standing in front of him with her mouth hanging open. She cocked her head. “What do you get?”

“Exclusivity. Privacy.”

She knitted her brows. “Privacy for what?”

Nash stilled, staring at her. His lips twitched, and he cupped his mouth, turning his head.

“I’ll make an exception. Would you like to go to the exclusive VIP?” He arched his brow.

“I can’t afford that.” Without control, Charley scoffed. “I can’t even tell you the last time I had thirty-five hundred dollars in my bank account. If ever.”

“I’m not asking you to pay it.” He stepped forward, and she backed up into the wall. He was only a few inches away, hovering over her. “Consider this a gift” —He paused— “From me.”

What the…

“That’s way too generous. I can’t take it.”

“Yes, you can. And you will,” he growled, and she could almost feel the vibration from his chest.

“Okay.”

He lowered his chin and stepped to the side, gesturing toward the hallway. Holy shit! Did that really just happen?

****

This was a first. Nash never allowed entry unless the person was thoroughly vetted by security.

The Lounge was meant for exclusive VIPs, set in the rear of the club.

Without exclusive access, it was nearly impossible to find.

In order to enter, guests had to pass through two corridors and the heavily guarded double doors.

It had Nash on high alert, knowing her friend had so easily gotten in.

It was his top priority once he got her settled in The Lounge.

Nash took the lead with her following closely behind.

The only time she was rooted in front of him was when he opened the doors for her.

He was gifted each time with a small “thank you.” The lights were dim leading up to the double metal doors.

As soon as he opened them, two of his security stepped in front, blocking the view.

The second they saw Nash, they stepped aside.

Nash ushered her through the doors, and they stopped a few feet in the room.

The private space was two rooms. The first being a quieter setting meant for privacy.

Through the doorway, another room opened to a much larger bar, table seating, and a small dance floor with a DJ.

It was a mini-replica of the main club on a smaller scale.

“Wow.” Her hushed appreciation was followed by her eyes scanning the room with a serene smile.

Nash leaned closer, taking in her sweet scent. This was a little too close, and he was testing his control with her. “Now do you see the appeal?”

He was throwing her own words back at her. Teasing wasn’t usually something he did, but he liked her response. She let out a soft giggle.

“I still wouldn’t pay thirty-five hundred to get in.”

Nash dropped his chin to chest and laughed. Another first for him. He had a decent sense of humor but lived a very serious life. Laughing wasn’t common in the Underground. At least, not publicly. They had a certain persona to live up to.

“It’s just…” She turned her head, taking in the room, and all he could do was watch her. “Tranquil and chill. I love the vibe.”

Tranquil and chill. Neither description was used when planning out The Lounge.

But as he took his own look, through her eyes, he understood.

Between the lighting, décor, and overall ambience, Charley had captured it in two words.

He was reminded again… this woman doesn’t give herself enough credit .

“Do you see your friend?” Nash asked.

She moved deeper into the room. Charley wasn’t looking in front of her and neither was the waitstaff. They were seconds from collision and Nash grabbed Charley’s hips and pulled her against his chest. He heard a loud gasp, and she pressed her ass directly in line with his cock. Fuck!

“I’m so sorry,” Charley blurted, and the waitress rested the round tray against her chest. The woman he didn’t recognize laughed, waving her hand.

“No, I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking where I was going.

” Whether she believed it or not, it was the perfect answer.

Guests paid a lot of money for the experience, and combative staff wasn’t tolerated.

The woman tucked the tray under her arm and glanced above Charley’s head, locking her eyes on Nash. Her face paled.

Nash had that effect on people. She looked over at Charley and smiled. “Again, I’m sorry. Can I get you something from the bar?”

“No, thanks,” Charley said.

The woman hesitated but glanced up at him. “For you, sir?”

He slowly shook his head, and she rushed away.

It wasn’t lost on him that he still had his hands on her hips. She moved away slightly, but Charley was still close enough for him to feel her heat.

“Shall we?” He gestured for her to walk ahead and slid his hand from her hip onto her back.

Her dress had a large opening on the back, dipping low just over her ass.

Nash was respectful with his placement, but he wasn’t taking his hand off her.

Charley peeked over her shoulder, and her cheeks were a bright shade of red.

“Would you like me to remove my hand?”

She slowly shook her head in a jerky motion, as if a daze.

The corner of his mouth curled, and she quickly looked away and started though the room.

He motioned for her to walk through the doorway near the bar.

There were more people in this room, but nothing compared to the main club.

Her steps faltered, and he caressed her back with the pads of his fingers.

“Relax, Charley.”

“Am I dressed okay?”

Nash furrowed his brows. She looked incredible, but when he took in the designer labels worn by most of the other female guests, he understood her hesitation.

“Yes. You look beautiful.”

Charley turned in his arms. “I do?”

Ah fuck me. This woman had no idea. There wasn’t a doubt in his mind that she’d be getting a lot of male attention once he left. Or she would have. Nash would hand down the order before he left that no one was to approach Charley. If they did, security was to intervene.

“Yes.”

Charley seemed to be fighting against a smile.

“Charley!”

A younger woman no older than twenty-five weaved through the small groups formed in the center of the room. Nash knew her, but only as an employee of the Bowery and Charley’s friend. Keely appeared next to them, ignoring him and focusing solely on Charley.

“I’m so sorry. I was looking for you, and then I ran into Dahlia’s friend. I was only going to take a little peek in here, but she got me in. You’d think the security would be better in a place like this, right?”

Nash squared his jaw. Yes, one would think. He’d be taking that up with the bouncers who manned the door. But not now. She was his sole focus.

Charley let out a nervous, awkward laugh, darting her gaze between him and Keely. She waved her hand toward him then tucked it down to her side and blushed. “This is Nash.”

Keely smiled, then her brows dipped, her eyes became the size of saucers, and her mouth fell open. She pointed directly at him.

“Wait! You’re Nash?” Keely’s breath hitched, and she jerked her gaze to Charley.

Oh, this is interesting.

Nash shifted his gaze to Charley, who was seemingly throwing a visual warning to her friend. Charley gave a subtle shake of her head. She may have been trying to mask her annoyance, but Nash saw through it. Apparently, Keely had heard of him. If he had to guess, she’d heard it from Charley.

While he was enjoying the way Charley squirmed, he’d put her out of her misery. For now.

“I am.”

“Well.” Keely cleared her throat, sharing a look with Charley. “I’ve never heard of you, but it’s nice to meet you.”

Bullshit. Nash bit back his chuckle. He’d give Keely credit for her effort even though the recovery wasn’t convincing. He had no doubt that his name had been mentioned. And Nash was intrigued. Charley peeked up at him then quickly jerked her gaze away and fidgeted with the hem of her dress.

“Are you enjoying The Lounge?” Nash asked, and Keely seemed eager to share her thoughts.

“It’s amazing.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder. “We’ve got the corner of the bar, and I just had the most delicious purple drink.” Keely looped her arm through Charley’s. “You have to try it.”

Charley smiled then looked back at Nash.

“Enjoy yourself, Charley.”

“Thanks for” —She paused and swallowed— “Everything.”

Keely waved and dragged Charley across the room to the bar. From his view he could make out the brunette seated at the end near two open seats. I should’ve known. Nash shook his head and turned, walking toward the doorway. He looked over his shoulder at Charley before exiting the room.

She was shaking hands with the brunette. Then she took a seat on the stool. She’d be safe. He’d see to it. He walked through The Lounge and toward the exit.

Nash stopped by the two main members of security near the entrance. They had several men who guarded the room, but he wanted the main man on this detail.

“Charley Hudson. The woman I brought in? No one goes near her.”

“Yes, sir.”

Nash pushed the door open and walked out. They had surveillance cameras, and that’s where he’d spend the majority of his night. He’d promised Elodie he’d have eyes on her the entire time.

My eyes.