Kept

Just minutes later, the doors opened, and the girls gracefully walked down the stairs into the club. It wasn't as full tonight; the girls quickly made the

ir matches, and were sitting down in laps, and getting men drinks. I stood near the back wall, unsure of what to do with myself. I had such purpose last week; I picked my mate, and had made the match before I even left the dressing room. But, tonight, I couldn't seem to hone in on anyone. I decided maybe a little liquid courage would help me, and I walked over to the bar, tapping on a couple men’s shoulders as I made my way past. But no one offered me a drink, or even raised a glass to me. By the time I got to the bar, I was feeling completely defeated.

“A glass of wine, please,” I said to the bartender.

“You’re back.” I heard the whisper in my ear as he placed his hand on my lower back.

I turned around and was met with Hudson James's beautiful dark eyes. “I am. Are you surprised?”

He smiled at me, still not releasing his hand from my body. “A little. I thought after your run-in with the police, you might take a few weeks off.”

“Then you don't know the rules as well as you think you do. There are no weeks off.” That was probably a lie, because hell I didn’t even know the rule yet. I paused and took the drink from his hand. It smelled like scotch. I downed the whole glass in just one gulp. “Good choice of drink. I notice you don't have your group of miscreants with you tonight. Flying solo?”

He took the glass back from me, and put it on the bar behind me. “Easier to get your attention when I'm on my own. He took my hand with both of his, and kissed it lightly. “What's it going to take to get you to spend the night with me?”

I smiled. “I don't know that you have that kind of leverage.”

“You haven't even given me the chance to show you what I have in my bag of tricks. Request anything, and I'll make it happen.”

I chewed on my lower lip. I had the distinct feeling that I really could ask for anything, and Hudson could bring it to me in an instant. “I want to go to dinner.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

I nodded. “Dinner with no strings.”

“That’s ballsy. Most girls here would love some strings attached to me.”

“Well, lucky for you, I'm not like most girls.”

He smiled smugly. “No, you're not.” He got close enough to me that I could feel the moisture from his lips on my ear lobe. “Tell me something you've never told anyone else. Then, we go to dinner.”

He was playing a game. One that made my knees weak. I could feel the heat spreading from between my legs. What was it about Hudson?

“I don't have secrets.”

“Everyone has secrets. It's what makes them valuable.”

“Fine. I have a tattoo on the inside of my upper thigh. It's a star.” I tried not to laugh, but the look on his face made it impossible. “I got it when I was sixteen. I thought I was a total badass until I realized that you have a lot of nerve endings at the top of your thigh, especially on the inside. I screamed the entire time it was being done. It's not even colored in, as a result, and I cried every time I did squats for a month. And no one else knows that about me. Your turn.”

“I don’t remember agreeing to tell you something in exchange.”

“And I don't remember accepting your invitation to dinner.”

He put his finger below my chin, and lifted my lips up to just below his, but they didn't touch. I couldn't deny the heat that was rising through my body like I was on fire. He was so devilish, yet bothersome at the same time.

“Fine. I don't have any tattoos. But I also probably didn't go to high school like you did. So, there was no peer pressure to get one. And private tutors frowned upon you leaving class to get something put on your body. Besides, nothing in my world is permanent, and I like it that way.”

“Nothing?”

He shook his head, his hand still under my chin. “Nothing.” We stayed like that for another moment before he released his hand, and tilted his head at me. “Dinner?”

I nodded, mostly because I was intrigued. Something about Hudson James left me reeling every time he walked away. Something about his cocky nature made my skin feel like lava, but as much as I wanted to fight with him and prove him wrong every second of the day, I also wanted him to kiss me, to press his lips against mine, and make me feel something so strong that it would shake me to my core. He was the type of man who could do that. “Dinner. One night.”

He pulled his card out of his breast pocket, and handed it to me. “Go discuss this with the Madame. I'll arrange everything.” He paused. “And don’t make any plans for the rest of the weekend.” He winked, and then abruptly turned and walked away. I stood, awestruck, watching his back. Hudson had not only given me his card, but he was taking me to dinner, and possibly away for the weekend, possibly forever. I could just feel the anxious sweat on my brow.

“What about one night?”

“You’ll want to be with me longer than that. I promise you that,” he called over his shoulder. Men and girls alike at the bar stared at me. I felt exposed, standing alone with his card in my shaky hands.