“Hey, girl. How’s it going?”
“Good. I was just wondering where I needed to go to get my uniform for today.”
“Oh, I can hook you up.”
I followed her down the hall to the staff workroom and watched as she opened one of the lockers. She glanced over me for a moment, then said, “You’re a size four, right?”
“An eight actually.”
“Okay.” She reached in and pulled out the tiniest uniform I’d ever seen. It was just a small halter top with a mini-skirt, barely big enough to cover the essentials, but I would have to find a way to make it work. I smiled as I took it from her hand. “Thanks, Marlowe.”
“No problem.” She started walking to the door as she said, “Just let me know if you need anything else.”
She closed the door and left me alone to get ready. I quickly undressed and put on my skimpy uniform, thinking there was no way the thing would fit me, but it did. And not only did it fit, it honestly looked okay on me. I studied myself in the mirror for a minute, and after a quick fix of my hair, I decided I was ready to face the music. I placed my other clothes in one of the empty lockers and headed out the door. I opened the door, and to my surprise, Menace was standing there talking to Jessie—one of the girls he’d hired from the other club. She was standing close to him, really close, and if the look on her face was any indication, she was putting the moves on him. A twinge of jealousy shot through me when she placed the palm of her hand on his chest and purred. “I just wanted to thank you again for giving us a chance here. If there’s anything I can do to show my appreciation just—”
“You can do the job you were hired to do.” His tone was firm and to the point as he added, “That’s all the thanks I need.”
“Oh, okay.” She took a step back and removed her hand. Not ready to give up, she smiled. “Just let me know if you change your mind.”
“I won’t.”
His face was cold, void of all expression as he watched her turn and walk away. I was still standing in the workroom doorway when Menace’s eyes met mine, and I felt like I’d been set on fire the second those gorgeous eyes started to slowly drift down my body. Unlike the way he looked at Jessie, his expression was intense, hungry, and possessive—like a predator about to claim his prey. I wasn’t sure what to make of it, and when he cleared his throat and then pried his eyes away from me, it was clear he was just as unsure. Menace’s voice was deep and strained as he asked, “You ready for your shift?”
“I am.” I stepped over to him. “I wanted to thank you for the apartment. It’s perfect.”
“Glad it worked out.”
As we both stood there staring at one another, the hungry look in his eyes didn’t fade, not in the least. In fact, the longer we lingered, the more intense it became. A fire started burning inside me and was growing by the second. I’d never felt such a strong attraction to a man before, which was a little concerning since he was not only my boss but a total stranger. Feeling the need to escape the magnitude of the moment, I feigned a smile and said, “I guess I better get to it.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Well, thanks again.”
“Mm-hmm.”
“Okay, then,” I muttered as I turned and started to the front area. “Have a good one.”
“You too.”
Before I reached the bar, I glanced over my shoulder and was surprised to find Menace still standing in the hallway watching me—which made my heart skip a beat. Damn, I needed to be careful, or this man would become a problem. No matter how much I wanted to get close to him, I couldn’t let that happen.
Not now.
Not when there was so much at stake.
Menace
“So, what’s the deal with the new girl?”
“No deal.” The music was blaring as I glanced over my shoulder at Aubrey. I hadn’t been able to take my eyes off her all night. She was at the bar collecting her drink order, and she looked fucking incredible. Wearing the club’s waitress uniform, it looked like it was made for her. The short skirt clung to her delicate curves, and the low-cut halter top showed off just enough cleavage to drive me fucking crazy.
She’d been working for the last couple of nights, and it had been hell. At least, it was for me. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She, on the other hand, seemed to be doing just fine. Apparently, she was entirely unfazed by my presence, but I intended to rectify that. “Just a girl who needed a job. We had a waitressing spot open, so I gave it to her.”