Page 14 of The Favor

She licked her lips and forced a smile. “Please.”

He cocked his head to the side as if she spoke another language. He moved forward, and she stepped back, stumbling on the concrete step. He peered at her and then down the street. He was suspicious, and she couldn’t blame him. She might as well have been wearing a clown costume she was so ridiculously out of place.

“Who are you?”

“Cheyenne Wilcox.”

“And you wanna…” He left the question open and smirked.

“Speak to the person in charge?” Her confidence dwindled. She had the feeling he was about to burst out laughing at her. Instead, he lifted his chin and stepped away from the door, widening it for her entry. She slowly walked in and stopped just inside the door.

“C’mon.”

She followed him down a short dark hall. This was a bad idea. The hallway opened up into a large room, light rock music playing in the background, and three large men seated at the bar. The man behind the bar looked over at her, his eyebrows quirked, and then he grinned.

“Early entertainment? Nice job, prospect.”

One of the men seated at the bar turned in his stool, grinning while the other two glanced over their shoulders. She did a mental calculation. Three seated at the bar, one behind, and the guy next to her. Another tidbit she learned from the special on TV—know your surroundings and those in it.

One by one, her gaze traveled the faces of the men staring back at her. The blond man seated and the guy behind the bar shared the same smirk as they glanced down her body without a bit of shame. She jerked her gaze to the huge man next in line. Where the other two showed a glimpse of interest, this man glared at her. His features were harsh and sharp. His lips tightened. Look away.

She blinked and bit her lip, eyeing the last guy at the end of the bar. He stood, resting his hip and arm on the bar. Oh! Her face flushed. He was a welcomed contrast to the guy sitting next to him. His ball cap was tugged low over his forehead and shadowed his face but didn’t hide his dark eyes, which were currently aimed at her. His lips, surrounded by a thin, neatly trimmed beard, were full. They look so soft. Her cheeks heated, and she dropped her gaze down his chest, avoiding eye contact. Wrong move. If she thought his face was a distraction, his body wasn’t helping the blush on her cheeks. She perused the length of his stance, taking in his height and build. Sexy, rugged, and definitely strong if his bulging biceps were any indication. Her heart pounded. Both arms displayed an array of tattoos, but she was too far away to make them out. Where else does he have tattoos? Her gaze lingered over his black T-shirt, outlining his curved pecs. Definitely on his chest, I bet. Who cares! What the hell am I doing? This was hardly the time to be checking out men, but her gaze had a mind of its own. Of all the men in the room, he was by far the best looking. She lifted her gaze back up and caught the slight curl of his lip when he cocked a brow.

Her tense lips trembled, and heat rose over her breasts, causing a reaction. Her nipples tightened. She forced a smile while she racked her brain, trying to remember if she was wearing a padded bra. She watched as his smirk turned to an amused smile. She sucked in a breath and immediately averted her gaze to the man next to her.

“Nah, man, she’s here to…” He glanced down at her. “…speak to the person in charge.” His repeated words were laced with sarcasm as if he mocked her. She flickered her lashes, feeling the heat rise from her chest to her cheeks. She dared another glance up, specifically aimed at the dark-haired man at the end of the bar. He tilted his head and smirked. Her bottom lip quivered as her cheeks burned up. Why the hell am I blushing?

“Who the hell are you?” The growl came from the large man next to the current object of her fascination. Her entire body flinched, and she jerked her gaze a few inches to the left. He was big and obviously aggravated with her presence. His dark eyes pinned her in her spot, and she sucked in a hard breath.

She swallowed the knot in her throat and pointed to her chest. “Me?”

Of course you, jackass.

His facial expression tightened, and his scowl grew deeper. If not for the harsh glare he threw at her, he’d be handsome. Maybe. It was hard to tell from his contorted features. “Yeah, you. I know everybody else in this fucking place.”

She caught the faint chuckles from the opposite end of the bar but didn’t look.

She gulped. “I’m Cheyenne Wilcox.”

“Wilcox?” The blond-haired man seated next to him laughed. There was a humored tone on the second syllable. She refrained from rolling her eyes. It wasn’t the first time she’d been teased about her name, but it had been a while. It seemed this man channeled his inner middle-schooler.

She straightened her shoulders and knitted her brows. “And you are?”

The blond grinned, obviously amused. “I’m Gage.” He hooked his thumb over his shoulder toward the man behind the bar. “That’s Dobbs.” The man laughed and mockingly waved at her.

Cheyenne forced a smile, feeling as if she was the butt of an inside joke.

Gage chuckled and gestured his chin to the left. “The big guy is Rourke and,” he smiled and wiggled his brows, “Trax is the one you been eye fucking since you walked in.”

Her mouth fell open, and her heart actually stopped. He did not just say that? Uh, yeah…he did. Her face heated, and her eyes widened in complete shock, though Gage didn’t seem fazed. Her gaze darted to the man on the end. Trax. His lips pressed together with only one corner quirking up into a sexy half smile.

“All right, now that we got the introductions done, get naked and dance for us. If we like what we see, we’ll get the prez.”

What?

She gasped and stepped back again, landing her into the man who let her in. His hands came to her arms, but she tore away from him, glaring back at him. This was a new fear. She moved forward, away from him as a sinister roar of laughter rang through the room. Oh hell, this is worse than I thought. What had she gotten herself into?Panic rose in her chest, and her leg twitched as she moved closer to the wall. There was a chance she could dart past the guy who let her in and make it out the door. Right?

Gage stood, making his way toward her. He towered her by more than half a foot. He had to notice her fear, but if he did, he didn’t care. “Babe, don’t be shy.” He glanced down her body. “I like what I see already.”

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