Sky forced a half smile before giving a quick nod. She turned and booked it across the floor, desperately wanting to head straight to the ladies room to splash some cold water on her face after that interaction. She couldn’t decide why, but deep down, she could admit there was a part of her that was intrigued.
Either way, she didn't have time to take a moment to stop. A couple of patrons at other tables flagged her down on the way to the bar, looking like they were ready to pay and leave. She nodded at them and then went to print out their checks. By the time she cashed the party out and said goodnight to them, the man in the charcoal gray suit was gone. Like a phantom, he slipped off into the night just as quickly as he had shown up. Sky sighed with a mixture of relief and admittedly, a bit of disappointment.
She went over to his table to collect the barely used glass of whiskey and the cash he left to pay for it.
“What the—” She froze at the sight of a hundred dollar bill tucked underneath the glass. Not quite willing to believe it, she picked up the money—only to discover there were four more hundred dollar bills underneath the first one.
Holy fuck!
So he had been a good tipper. As in, a half a thousand dollars tipper.
In addition to the money, the man left a business card beside the glass. It was simple, with the man's name and number on the front.
Rhys Dillon.
Wow.
Now she knew his name. There was a message on the back of the card, written in sleek black ink.
Sky,
Contact me anytime. Like your name, I would worship you. You deserve the best. See you soon.
Rhys
Sky quickly tucked the money into her apron, along with the business card. Standing there in the middle of a restaurant holding five hundred dollars made her feel awkward as hell. What had the man been thinking leaving her that kind of tip? Probably nothing good. He had to be expecting she would call him up that very night and just fall into his bed.
She was not going to do that, no matter how suave, sexy and compelling he came across. Even if he was the best tipper to have ever graced the greater Reno-Sparks area.
I still have some self-control. I definitely won’t phone him.
At least not tonight.
5
Brock and the others made sure the coast was clear before shifting to animal forms and back to their human selves again. They had been drinking, and couldn’t risk being even the slightest bit inebriated, hence the transformation. They stepped into their boots and fire gear, grabbing helmets and jackets on their way to the fire truck.
As Toby drove off, Brock gave Nash a quick, firm glance. “You’re at Toby’s side today. Not a step ahead and not a foot away. At his side. Got it?” He couldn’t risk Nash’s way of acting first and thinking later, which had gotten worse over the past few weeks.
Nash shook his head. “I had my reasons for checking that extra room at the house fire, you know.”
“And it almost got you burnt to a crisp.”
“It saved a life. That kid hiding under the bed wouldn’t call out. I could smell him. That’s why I kept going.”
“Saving that kid is the only reason the Chief hasn’t suspended you, or worse. When he gives the call for us to get out, you don’t stay in there an extra minute, not an extra twenty seconds, not even one extra second, understand?”
Nash gave a serious nod. “Say no more. I got it.”
They arrived at the scene shortly afterward. The fire roared at the edge of the suburban homes, in a trailer tucked away behind a subdivision of unsuspecting residents. Part of the trailer was peeled back like a sardine can from the explosion. The blaze had also spread to a small storage shed next to it, and could jump to what looked like a craftsman’s workshop next to it. Brock made out only half of the regular B-shift firefighters fighting the blaze. From the radio chatter, they learned the other men were in the back of ambulance trucks, being transported to the nearby hospital for treatment or emergency surgery. Several police cars were parked along the street at a safe distance from the exploded trailer, keeping the area secure.