“Some of the male workers earn money that way?”
Grace nodded. “A couple of them do. Some of the bartenders are very good-looking, not that I noticed.”
“I have.” Penni picked up her cell phone. She noticed Grace watching her as she asked the voice on the other end of the line to speak to Henry. Penni almost started giggling again as Grace listened to her requests.
When she hung up the call, she turned to her computer.
“Did you just rent Henry’s room tonight?”
“Yes.” Penni read a new email that came in during lunch.
“But … It’s Monday. Jackal’s working there tonight.”
“I know.”
“You sure you’re not here to start trouble?” Henry’s skeptical gaze took in her appearance in her brand new red dress that was so tight and short she had to resist the urge to tug it down.
“I promise.”
Henry held out his hand.
“What?” Penni asked in confusion.
“Your card was denied.”
Damn. She reached into her purse, taking out the card she used for emergencies. She would pay Shade back. It’s kind of an emergency, she consoled herself as Henry went into his office, coming back a minute later and handing the card back.
“It’s the room on the right, off the bar.” Henry’s big body blocked her view as he keyed in a series of numbers for the gold door at the stairs of the strip club. “Enjoy.”
She almost snapped back at the amusement he made no effort to hide.
“You didn’t tell, did you?” Penni asked.
“No. I keep my promises.” Henry gave her another warning look.
Geez, what does he think I’m going to do?
Penni almost tripped over the plush carpet as she scoped out the room. Damn, she had been missing out. The bar room downstairs looked like a dive compared to the expensive furniture in this part of the club. The black booths were padded, and a small candle gave their occupants privacy. She was going to hit Kaden up for a higher salary if this was one of the things money could buy.
Penni saw the door off the bar, going to it and keying in the numbers Henry had given her.
She turned the knob, entering the dim room. Then she walked toward the bed, dropping her purse onto it before turning to face the mirror that she knew was a two-way looking glass.
She cleared her voice. She could almost sense him from the other room.
“Please don’t come out. I need to say something to you.” She took a deep breath, trying to begin the speech she had rehearsed in her head on the way to the bar.
“I told you I would know my soul mate after I slept with him, but I don’t have to know that now. I’m not scared of seeing the real you. You think I don’t remember that you’ve been an ass in the past? Did you seriously believe that, when you suddenly turned over a new leaf and became normal, I wouldn’t notice?” Penni shook her head. “Really?” she scoffed. “Some of the women even know what day of the week you’ll take them to the Predators’ clubhouse to fuck.
“Despite what you told me last night, I don’t believe you’re capable of walking away from the Predators. You’re a dangerous, lethal, hot-tempered, risky asshole who will never change, but that doesn’t frighten me, either. I think, after you get tired of me, I will become just another day of the week to you. However, if I can jump off a limb, nearly set my house on fire, and almost electrocute myself, I think I can handle you.”
Penni walked across the room, placing her hand on the mirror where she imagined his face was. “I wish so badly that I felt the same way about you that I did before Hennessy kidnapped me, but I don’t. I love you, Jackal. I’m dropping out of the race. I’m going to stop and smell the roses and find out what it feels like to be loved by you.” Her hand dropped to the top button of her dress. She slowly unfastened it.
“I’m not going to spend the rest of my life missing you, so before you open that door, make sure that you want me, too, because I’m not going to give you your soul back. I’m going to keep it, even if you try to take it back.” She undid the last of the buttons, laying the dress on the chair next to the bed and giving him a view of her ass with the thong riding up it. Facing the mirror again, she slipped her arms behind her back to unhook the red lacy bra then placed that on the chair.
When Jackal hadn’t come through the door after several minutes, her heart broke. He had made his choice.
She had started toward her clothes when she heard her cell phone ringing in her purse. Dammit, it was not the time to answer the freaking phone. But feeling embarrassed that Jackal had decided not to take her up on her invitation, she searched for her phone.
Seeing it was Jackal calling, she put it to her ear, turning toward the mirror.
“Can I come in now?” His hoarse voice put her fears to rest.
“Yes.” She was still laughing when Jackal came through the door, already taking his T-shirt off and throwing it to the ground.
“The observation room is soundproof to avoid anyone knowing they’re being watched.” Jackal toed off his boots, unsnapping his jeans and kicking them away as he stepped out of them.
“Oh…” Penni backed toward the side of the bed. “Are you sure?” She began retreating, only to have Jackal push her on the bed.
“I’m sure.”
Her body reacted to the dominance that was stamped across his face.
“You took a piece of my soul the first time I saw you. It’s only fair I take a piece of yours.”
She melted into the coverlet on the bed. “I know this is insane to ask this now, but is this clean?”
Jackal laughed. “Yeah. Henry gets a discount from a factory then gives them to the homeless shelter after they’re washed.”
“No wonder he charged so much for the room.”
“If you had told me what you were planning, I would have talked Henry into giving you a discount.”
“I don’t think he would’ve. I don’t think he likes me.”
“I’ll give you back the money for the room,” Jackal offered, covering her with his body.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it back when Max pays Ice for the bet I got him to place for me.”
“Damn, I’m going to marry a smart woman.”
Penni would have jumped from the bed, but Jackal kept her pinned under him.
“I didn’t mean tonight. I can’t believe you weren’t afraid of me, the Predators, or Hennessy and his men, but I mention marriage, and you’re ready to run screaming from the room.”
“Marriage scares me,” Penni confessed. “I’ve had this weird fear since I was younger that I would end up being one of those women who have multiple marriages. I have an uncle who has been married five times and an aunt who’s been married six.”
“How many times have your parents been married?”
“My mother was married to Shade’s father and then my dad.”
“Have you met Shade’s father?”
“Yes, and I like him a lot. My mother was just tired of being alone. He served overseas and wasn’t ready to retire. He spent a couple of vacations with Shade when he remarried and retired.”
Grace nodded. “A couple of them do. Some of the bartenders are very good-looking, not that I noticed.”
“I have.” Penni picked up her cell phone. She noticed Grace watching her as she asked the voice on the other end of the line to speak to Henry. Penni almost started giggling again as Grace listened to her requests.
When she hung up the call, she turned to her computer.
“Did you just rent Henry’s room tonight?”
“Yes.” Penni read a new email that came in during lunch.
“But … It’s Monday. Jackal’s working there tonight.”
“I know.”
“You sure you’re not here to start trouble?” Henry’s skeptical gaze took in her appearance in her brand new red dress that was so tight and short she had to resist the urge to tug it down.
“I promise.”
Henry held out his hand.
“What?” Penni asked in confusion.
“Your card was denied.”
Damn. She reached into her purse, taking out the card she used for emergencies. She would pay Shade back. It’s kind of an emergency, she consoled herself as Henry went into his office, coming back a minute later and handing the card back.
“It’s the room on the right, off the bar.” Henry’s big body blocked her view as he keyed in a series of numbers for the gold door at the stairs of the strip club. “Enjoy.”
She almost snapped back at the amusement he made no effort to hide.
“You didn’t tell, did you?” Penni asked.
“No. I keep my promises.” Henry gave her another warning look.
Geez, what does he think I’m going to do?
Penni almost tripped over the plush carpet as she scoped out the room. Damn, she had been missing out. The bar room downstairs looked like a dive compared to the expensive furniture in this part of the club. The black booths were padded, and a small candle gave their occupants privacy. She was going to hit Kaden up for a higher salary if this was one of the things money could buy.
Penni saw the door off the bar, going to it and keying in the numbers Henry had given her.
She turned the knob, entering the dim room. Then she walked toward the bed, dropping her purse onto it before turning to face the mirror that she knew was a two-way looking glass.
She cleared her voice. She could almost sense him from the other room.
“Please don’t come out. I need to say something to you.” She took a deep breath, trying to begin the speech she had rehearsed in her head on the way to the bar.
“I told you I would know my soul mate after I slept with him, but I don’t have to know that now. I’m not scared of seeing the real you. You think I don’t remember that you’ve been an ass in the past? Did you seriously believe that, when you suddenly turned over a new leaf and became normal, I wouldn’t notice?” Penni shook her head. “Really?” she scoffed. “Some of the women even know what day of the week you’ll take them to the Predators’ clubhouse to fuck.
“Despite what you told me last night, I don’t believe you’re capable of walking away from the Predators. You’re a dangerous, lethal, hot-tempered, risky asshole who will never change, but that doesn’t frighten me, either. I think, after you get tired of me, I will become just another day of the week to you. However, if I can jump off a limb, nearly set my house on fire, and almost electrocute myself, I think I can handle you.”
Penni walked across the room, placing her hand on the mirror where she imagined his face was. “I wish so badly that I felt the same way about you that I did before Hennessy kidnapped me, but I don’t. I love you, Jackal. I’m dropping out of the race. I’m going to stop and smell the roses and find out what it feels like to be loved by you.” Her hand dropped to the top button of her dress. She slowly unfastened it.
“I’m not going to spend the rest of my life missing you, so before you open that door, make sure that you want me, too, because I’m not going to give you your soul back. I’m going to keep it, even if you try to take it back.” She undid the last of the buttons, laying the dress on the chair next to the bed and giving him a view of her ass with the thong riding up it. Facing the mirror again, she slipped her arms behind her back to unhook the red lacy bra then placed that on the chair.
When Jackal hadn’t come through the door after several minutes, her heart broke. He had made his choice.
She had started toward her clothes when she heard her cell phone ringing in her purse. Dammit, it was not the time to answer the freaking phone. But feeling embarrassed that Jackal had decided not to take her up on her invitation, she searched for her phone.
Seeing it was Jackal calling, she put it to her ear, turning toward the mirror.
“Can I come in now?” His hoarse voice put her fears to rest.
“Yes.” She was still laughing when Jackal came through the door, already taking his T-shirt off and throwing it to the ground.
“The observation room is soundproof to avoid anyone knowing they’re being watched.” Jackal toed off his boots, unsnapping his jeans and kicking them away as he stepped out of them.
“Oh…” Penni backed toward the side of the bed. “Are you sure?” She began retreating, only to have Jackal push her on the bed.
“I’m sure.”
Her body reacted to the dominance that was stamped across his face.
“You took a piece of my soul the first time I saw you. It’s only fair I take a piece of yours.”
She melted into the coverlet on the bed. “I know this is insane to ask this now, but is this clean?”
Jackal laughed. “Yeah. Henry gets a discount from a factory then gives them to the homeless shelter after they’re washed.”
“No wonder he charged so much for the room.”
“If you had told me what you were planning, I would have talked Henry into giving you a discount.”
“I don’t think he would’ve. I don’t think he likes me.”
“I’ll give you back the money for the room,” Jackal offered, covering her with his body.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll get it back when Max pays Ice for the bet I got him to place for me.”
“Damn, I’m going to marry a smart woman.”
Penni would have jumped from the bed, but Jackal kept her pinned under him.
“I didn’t mean tonight. I can’t believe you weren’t afraid of me, the Predators, or Hennessy and his men, but I mention marriage, and you’re ready to run screaming from the room.”
“Marriage scares me,” Penni confessed. “I’ve had this weird fear since I was younger that I would end up being one of those women who have multiple marriages. I have an uncle who has been married five times and an aunt who’s been married six.”
“How many times have your parents been married?”
“My mother was married to Shade’s father and then my dad.”
“Have you met Shade’s father?”
“Yes, and I like him a lot. My mother was just tired of being alone. He served overseas and wasn’t ready to retire. He spent a couple of vacations with Shade when he remarried and retired.”
