Trashy (Take It Off #10)(44)
Author: Cambria Hebert

I reached around and shoved the door shut and pulled her into my arms. She melted against me like ice cream on a hot summer sidewalk. I knew by the way she curled her fingers into my back that something happened.

A sharp knock on the door broke the moment and Roxie jumped. I tightened my arms around her and held her close. “Yeah?” I called over her head.

“Delivery guy’s here. Needs a check and a signature,” Cam yelled.

“I’ll be right there! Hey, so good news,” I told her.

“What is it?” she asked, tilting her head back to peer up at me.

“Stock got delayed and the guys at the club finished their shit early, so I’m staying here tonight, with you.” The stock was delayed, but last I spoke to the foreman over at Hatter II, the crew was still there working.

Like I said; I’d lie if I thought it would protect her.

“You are?” she asked. The relief in her violet eyes tempted me to drag her out of this place and home with me that instant.

“Yep. Think you can handle an entire night of training?”

She smiled. It was a welcome sight. “Sure.”

“Sweet.” I kissed her quickly and then pulled away. “I gotta go out front.”

I decided not to mention the fact that someone was following me around today, any of the things Harlow said, or the fact that it was clear something was off.

We had work to do, and this wasn’t the place to get into it. I’d ask her later at my place.

But until then, I was sticking close.

It was just a normal night at the club. Drinks, men, music, and half-naked women. We were busy, but that wasn’t really anything out of the ordinary. Myrtle Beach did have a slow season, and I guess the club felt it a little, but it didn’t come until much later in the year. Usually business was steady even in the fall because the locals came and people drove in.

I made sure to go around and talk to everyone, a lot of the regulars and even some of the newer faces. I didn’t do it often, but I did it enough so people knew my face and that I owned the club. It wasn’t a secret Mad Hatter II was opening soon, and I was looking for another manager. I’d had a couple guys ask for the job.

Thing was I thought a woman would be better at running the place.

Not all men were like me; not all the club owners around here treated his dancers the way he should. At least if I hired a woman, I would know the girls in this club would be treated the way they should.

‘Course, not all women were cut out for the job either.

But Roxy was.

She was a natural.

I walked around, introducing her as the new manager of the place, and I made it clear she was the one who would be calling the shots. I’d known Roxie was popular. Hell, she was the best dancer I had. But I hadn’t realized just how liked she was.

She had a smile for everyone. A laugh. An inside joke.

It made me wish I were introducing her as my girlfriend and not my employee.

I thought about just slipping it into a conversation and waiting to see how she’d react, but I wasn’t going to manipulate her that way. When I introduced her as mine, I was going to make sure it was exactly what she wanted.

Some of the men were skeptical; they made some comments about taking orders from a woman. I went back to those tables once Roxie had moved on and let them know what I thought of their disrespect. I also made sure Ty, the head bouncer, knew their faces because these guys had one shot or they were out.

Once you got thrown out of my club, you didn’t get back in. Period.

After all the socializing was done, I retreated to my office to make some calls and check in with the foreman at Hatter II. I left Roxie to run the floor and take care of the place. After I cleared off all the paperwork I had waiting, I remembered a couple forms I wanted to go over with her, so I went to the corner of the office and crouched down to the bottom drawer of the file cabinet.

Seconds later, Roxie pulled open the door and strode in. The door shut definitively behind her and she leaned against it and took a deep breath.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, straightening up and stepping out of the corner.

She jerked in surprise and put a hand up to her chest. “Crap!” she said. “I didn’t see you there. You scared the shit out of me.”

“Why do you look like you came in here to hide?” I pressed.

“I guess I just need a break from the crowd.”

“Try again,” I told her.

She sighed. “There’s a guy out there who gives me the creeps.”

“Show me,” I said, moving toward the door, but she blocked me from opening it.

“It’s probably nothing.”

“If it was nothing, you wouldn’t be hiding.”

“I’m just jumpy lately,” she mumbled.

“Yeah. We’ll talk about that later,” I intoned. She eyed me out of the corner of her eye but didn’t say anything. “So what’s with the guy? He say something to you?”

She shook her head. “No. It’s just this… feeling I get. You know?”

I nodded.

“I’ve seen him in here before, in the past couple of weeks. I just… I don’t like the way he looks at me.”

I lifted her and moved her away. She made a frustrated sound as I pulled open the door. “Show me,” I said.

She edged herself in front of me to peak around the door and then popped back inside. “Against the wall. He has a hat on. Sitting alone with a beer and his cell in his hand.”

I picked him out in two seconds flat. Our eyes connected. I got a bad feeling.

I didn’t like him either.

“He’s been in here before?” I asked.

She nodded.

“And you never said anything?”

She shrugged.

“You know the way I do things,” I scolded her. Any of the girls that worked here could come to me at any time if there was a guy in here bothering her or making her uncomfortable. I didn’t tolerate it. And it wasn’t just because this was Roxie. It was all the girls in here.

If they got a bad feeling, it was usually because the dude was up to no good, and I had no problem telling them to leave. I’d done it on more than one occasion. I’d never had to do it on Roxie’s request, though.

And yeah, maybe since it was her, I felt a little more violent toward this guy, but it still didn’t change how I ran my business.

“I feel stupid,” Roxie said.

“Listening to your gut is never stupid,” I said and motioned for Ty with my chin. I left her in the doorway and stalked over to the guy’s table. Ty joined me, standing at my side.