Offensive Behavior

“Private.”

She sighed. “You ever stop hanging around here you’ve got a career as a lawman, I reckon. Bossy enough.”

“That cash self-destructs in fifteen minutes.”

“All right, all right. I’m going.”

Vi backed away, using his envelope to fan her face. He watched her go to the bar, take out another tray of drinks and then disappear off the floor. A dancer Reid had never seen before was on stage, so nervous she’d stumbled twice and looked like she was ready to burst into tears.

He watched for Vi to come back, figured she’d bring a message, because Lux never came down from the stage. None of the girls did. He pulled his cell out and sat it on the table, because once Lux read his note she might call instead. He wanted this to be painless, for her to choose how they interacted again instead of having the hassle of him foisted on her.

What he got was Vi with another Coke. “I told her. I gave her the note.”

“And.”

Vi shrugged. “And nothing.”

“She did not say nothing.”

“Nothing for your ears.”

There was a burst of raucous laughter from the stage area, the new girl had taken a tumble.

He went for his wallet. Vi put her hand out and grinned. “You know I’m splitting this with her.”

He grunted. “I don’t care what you do with it, take another message. Ask her, yes or no?”

Vi sauntered off before he could suggest his money might burn a hole in her bra if she held onto it too long before finding Lux.

He watched the new girl humiliate herself. She was pretty in a blonde, fake tan, big teeth kind of way. Lux was a brunette. He much preferred her less brash style and when Vi came back, he raised his brows at her expectantly.

“Told her.”

“Is this how flirting works? I pay you to do something and you do it so incompetently I’m forced into paying up again?”

“I liked you better when you sat there and oozed a miasma of gloom.”

“Miasma of gloom?” That was a new one.

She shrugged. “I read a lot.”

He locked onto Vi’s eyes with the kind of contact that made people squirm, got him called too intense. “What did she say?”

Violet blinked twice and curled her cherry red lip. “I could tell you but then I’d have to kill you.”

Good God, this woman had armor-plating under her tiny skirt. He’d obviously underestimated her, showed his hand too soon. He went for his wallet again. He could do this all night if it’s what it took.

He wasn’t ready for a warm hand to fold over his and lower it to the tabletop. There was no way to be ready for the vision of Lux in silver snakeskin. Hell, what was that she was wearing? Bare legs, most of her torso naked. What there was of the outfit wrapped around her tight little body, cupping her breasts, skimming her ribs and hips, leaving everything to his imagination.

All he got out was a strangled. “Wow,” and she let go his hand.

Vi laughed. “I see you’ve got this covered, Lux, girl. Don’t let Lou catch you out here.”

He pulled it together to say, “Please don’t break the rules on my account. I don’t want to cause you trouble.”

“Don’t you think that horse bolted?” Lux said. She had his envelope. She had a husky voice, like she’d been shouting all night. It curled around his face and made him want to breathe deep. “What’s this about?”

All that creamy skin up close, the big bright eyes he couldn’t see from the stage, the perfect bow of her pink lips. She was like adrenaline injected into his brain stem. She crackled through his spine