felt
unnerved under the force of his gaze. Get it together, girl.
She nodded. “Okay.”
He offered her a
lazy smile. “Good. Now go in there, and be the ball-breaking doll I know and
like.”
Melina arched a
brow. “And here I thought soft and sweet was your type.”
“Hardly. I like a
woman who can give it as good as she gets it. Keep that in mind.”
Winking at Melina,
he grabbed her hand and walked her through the empty floor and to the right
wall of the club. When he stopped, she waited to see what he would do next. She
could barely believe it when Mac swung the panel open, exposing a staircase
that led up to a hallway shrouded in darkness.
“What in the
hell?”
Mac laughed. “You
aren’t scared, are you?”
“Yes, but I can’t
let that stop me.”
Without a second
thought, Melina took the stairs two at a time up to the hallway. Behind her,
she could barely hear Mac’s footsteps. When his hand slid around her waist, she
tried not to be startled.
“Told you. I’m
right here with you.”
His lips were
pressed to the shell of her ear. She could smell his cologne, and for a minute,
she forgot that she was about to be interrogated by a Cosa Nostra Capo. All she
could think about was their close proximity, and the way it made her body feel.
“Doll, if you
don’t get moving, I’m not going to be responsible for what people might see if
they decide to come out into this hallway.”
Melina shook her
head, offering him a half smile. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“It’s part of my
charm.”
“Charm? Yeah,
right. How much further?”
“Just up and
around the corner. Let me make the introductions and just go with the flow.
Remember, we’re together.”
The hand holding
her waist suddenly felt too warm. Too intimate. Especially with his lips still
brushing her ear.
“I got it.”
His hand slid from
her waist to grip her hand again. Melina allowed him to lead her down the dark
hallway until they reached another door with light filtering out underneath it.
She could hear men’s voices raised in boisterous laughter. She didn’t say a
word as Mac opened the door and ushered her into the room. For a moment, she
was blindsided by the light as they stepped out from the darkness.
When her eyes
finally focused, she surveyed the men in the room. Sitting behind a desk was a
heavyset man with dark eyes. His black hair was thinning on the top. He wore a
bright gold chain that nestled into the wiry hair that was bared beneath the
two buttons left open at the top of his shirt. The dark suit he wore definitely
hadn’t come off the rack. She could spot the expert tailoring a mile away.
Yes, this man was
important. She’d bet her life that he was Mac’s boss.
“Skip, this is
Melina Morgan, my girlfriend.”
“Ah. Mac, you’ve
done well for yourself. She’s a real looker.”
A looker? Who in
the hell still talked like that? Melina bit the inside of her cheek
to keep from saying anything. Now was not the time for her to let her mouth
write a check she had no way of cashing.
“Thank you, Guido.
Sometimes you luck up and land a good one.”
Mac turned his
eyes on Melina and she saw the softness in them before it was quickly replaced.
“If landing a
prostitute is good, that is.”
Melina’s eyes
focused on the hulking man that stood next to Guido. Visibly corded veins stood
out on his gigantic neck and forearms. So, Mr. Steroid King wants to talk
shit. Melina smiled and ignored Mac visibly tensing beside her. When he
made a step to move forward, she placed her hand lightly on his arm, meeting
his gaze briefly, before turning back to the asshole standing in front of her.
“Trust me, a guy
like Mac doesn’t have to pay for it. You, on the other hand … I’m not sure
there’s enough money that makes taking you to bed worth it.”
Guido laughed,
slapping his hand on the desk in front of him. “Damn, Tip. I think this girl
just cut your balls off with that one.”
Tip glowered
unnerved under the force of his gaze. Get it together, girl.
She nodded. “Okay.”
He offered her a
lazy smile. “Good. Now go in there, and be the ball-breaking doll I know and
like.”
Melina arched a
brow. “And here I thought soft and sweet was your type.”
“Hardly. I like a
woman who can give it as good as she gets it. Keep that in mind.”
Winking at Melina,
he grabbed her hand and walked her through the empty floor and to the right
wall of the club. When he stopped, she waited to see what he would do next. She
could barely believe it when Mac swung the panel open, exposing a staircase
that led up to a hallway shrouded in darkness.
“What in the
hell?”
Mac laughed. “You
aren’t scared, are you?”
“Yes, but I can’t
let that stop me.”
Without a second
thought, Melina took the stairs two at a time up to the hallway. Behind her,
she could barely hear Mac’s footsteps. When his hand slid around her waist, she
tried not to be startled.
“Told you. I’m
right here with you.”
His lips were
pressed to the shell of her ear. She could smell his cologne, and for a minute,
she forgot that she was about to be interrogated by a Cosa Nostra Capo. All she
could think about was their close proximity, and the way it made her body feel.
“Doll, if you
don’t get moving, I’m not going to be responsible for what people might see if
they decide to come out into this hallway.”
Melina shook her
head, offering him a half smile. “You don’t know when to quit, do you?”
“It’s part of my
charm.”
“Charm? Yeah,
right. How much further?”
“Just up and
around the corner. Let me make the introductions and just go with the flow.
Remember, we’re together.”
The hand holding
her waist suddenly felt too warm. Too intimate. Especially with his lips still
brushing her ear.
“I got it.”
His hand slid from
her waist to grip her hand again. Melina allowed him to lead her down the dark
hallway until they reached another door with light filtering out underneath it.
She could hear men’s voices raised in boisterous laughter. She didn’t say a
word as Mac opened the door and ushered her into the room. For a moment, she
was blindsided by the light as they stepped out from the darkness.
When her eyes
finally focused, she surveyed the men in the room. Sitting behind a desk was a
heavyset man with dark eyes. His black hair was thinning on the top. He wore a
bright gold chain that nestled into the wiry hair that was bared beneath the
two buttons left open at the top of his shirt. The dark suit he wore definitely
hadn’t come off the rack. She could spot the expert tailoring a mile away.
Yes, this man was
important. She’d bet her life that he was Mac’s boss.
“Skip, this is
Melina Morgan, my girlfriend.”
“Ah. Mac, you’ve
done well for yourself. She’s a real looker.”
A looker? Who in
the hell still talked like that? Melina bit the inside of her cheek
to keep from saying anything. Now was not the time for her to let her mouth
write a check she had no way of cashing.
“Thank you, Guido.
Sometimes you luck up and land a good one.”
Mac turned his
eyes on Melina and she saw the softness in them before it was quickly replaced.
“If landing a
prostitute is good, that is.”
Melina’s eyes
focused on the hulking man that stood next to Guido. Visibly corded veins stood
out on his gigantic neck and forearms. So, Mr. Steroid King wants to talk
shit. Melina smiled and ignored Mac visibly tensing beside her. When he
made a step to move forward, she placed her hand lightly on his arm, meeting
his gaze briefly, before turning back to the asshole standing in front of her.
“Trust me, a guy
like Mac doesn’t have to pay for it. You, on the other hand … I’m not sure
there’s enough money that makes taking you to bed worth it.”
Guido laughed,
slapping his hand on the desk in front of him. “Damn, Tip. I think this girl
just cut your balls off with that one.”
Tip glowered
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