Rex grabs Gia as she passes and pulls her down to his lap, his finger moving to play with the single diamond she has hanging from her neck. “Where are you girls going tonight?”
“Dinner, but I probably won’t be home until late. We always get to talking and lose track of time.”
“You having a girls’ night out?” Wade perks up in interest. “Is it with that dirty little blond waitress from The Blackout?”
“Dude, whatever happened to the girl you brought to Blake’s wedding? That was, like . . . a week ago.” I put my cards face down and take a long pull from my beer.
“She’s a sweet girl.” He grins.
The doorbell rings and Gia jumps. “Oh, that’s her.” She scurries off to the front door, and Lane lays down three of a kind.
“Nice, but . . .” I fan my royal flush and lay it down. “Bam!”
Rex and Lane groan, and before I pull all the chips to me, a voice tickles my ear. So familiar, I can almost taste the lips that it came from.
My entire body ignites, blood thunders through my veins, and my skin prickles with anticipation. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her since that kiss . . . fuck, that kiss.
“Son of a bitch.” I mumble the words, and before I can even turn to look, Gia is at the table.
“Guys, this is my friend Trix.”
No shit.
I turn to look up at her and my breath catches. Dammit, she’s pretty.
She’s in baggy jeans that hang off the flare of her hips, ripped and rolled up to her calves. Her top is fairly conservative, a loose-fitting charcoal gray tank that has the words “Life Starts at Midnight” scrolled across the front. She’s wearing her hair more natural, aside from the purple, than I’ve ever seen it: long and wavy like she’s been hanging out at the beach all day. And fuck me: the girl’s wearing flip-flops, her toes tipped in pink nail polish.
“These are two of the guys Rex fights with, Wade and Mason.” Gia saying my name pulls my attention back to Trix’s eyes.
Her expression registers shock for a second before she wipes the look clean. She shifts uncomfortably on her rubber sandals and stares between us. “Nice to meet you.”
That damn voice makes my skin hot, and everything below my waist come to life, including my legs’ urge to run the hell out of here.
I don’t know how to act around this woman. I mean, she’s a stripper for shit’s sake. She has seduction down to an art and uses it freely as a way to earn a living. That’s all this is. My feelings, her face invading my thoughts, it’s what she’s trained to do, what she gets paid for. And I’m just the shmuck to fall for it.
“And I know you know, Lane,” Gia says in a knowing way that makes my fists clench and my gut burn.
Lane grabs Trix’s arm and pulls her into his lap. “Mm, baby . . . I’ve missed you.” He buries his face in her neck, and I’m so stuck on the visual I can’t move.
Dammit to shit.
Trix’s eyes dart to mine a split second before she pushes Lane’s head back and moves to try and stand. “Fuck off, Lane.”
“Oh, come on, baby . . .” Lane pouts but releases her. “Don’t act like you don’t miss me.”
She straightens her shirt and shakes her head. “You’re a dick.”
I can’t see her face through the thick waves of her hair, so I can’t tell if she’s okay, and not knowing fills me with unease.
“No, I got a dick.” He pushes his chair back, legs open. “It’s ready if you’re willing, baby.”
“Lane.” The word rumbles through my clenched teeth, and it’s taking every ounce of my strength to keep my ass in my seat. “Enough.”
The room goes silent except for the sound of Alkaline Trio playing on the stereo. Lane’s eyebrows pinch together, in confusion more than aggression, and the air around me is charged with tension.
Rex clears his throat. “Where are you girls off to?”
Gia’s wide eyes swing between Lane and me, and then she blinks and focuses on Rex. “Oh, um . . . we’re going to check out I Love Burgers.”
Rex nods toward the door, a silent maybe you should get the hell out of here to his girl.
She gets the message and grabs Trix. “Bye, guys.”
“Yeah, nice meeting you, Wade,” Trix says from behind me.
A surge of jealousy rages inside me. “Yo, Trix.” I cock my head to see her, my muscles tense.
The room is still quiet, and all eyes move between the mauve-eyed beauty and me.
“Yeah?”
“How’s your ass after our last run in? Better?” I immediately regret being such an ass as muffled laughter sounds throughout the room. Fuck if the high of being a jerk isn’t short-lived.
A small grin tilts her lips, and she straightens her shoulders. “Yeah, Mason. Why wouldn’t it be?” Her eyes slide slowly down to my crotch and back to my eyes, defiance shining behind them. “I barely felt it.”