Page 28 of Never Your Girl

I need to know what the hell she’s doing here.

At the very least, this is leverage.

Holland Tate isn’t as bulletproof as she thinks she is.

9

Holland

Applause rings through the club as I finish my last spin. Every time I step off that stage, there’s this high. A total rush. When I’m out there, I feel like someone else.

Someone powerful.

A version of myself that can command every eye in the room.

I see the way men look at me. The lingering stares. The propositions disguised as compliments. There’s no way I’d ever take them up on it, but there’s something about the power in it, in knowing I can make them look but they can never touch.

It’s heady in a way nothing else has ever been.

And then, of course, there’s the money.

A prickle of unease skates down my spine as I head backstage. It’s like I can feel someone’s heated gaze following me. The intensity of it is unsettling. I scan the room before I push through the curtain, but no one stands out.

My shift passes quickly with two more performances. After wiping off the heavy makeup, Lavender Smoke disappears, and Holland Tate is once again back in charge.

“See you this weekend,” Rocco says as I slip past him. “Don’t get into too much trouble.”

“I’ll try not to,” I say with a chuckle.

“Need an escort to your car?”

I shake my head. “Nah. It’s all good.”

As I push through the exit into the cool night air, another wave of unease washes over me, and I sweep my gaze over the dimly lit parking lot. Maybe I should have taken Rocco up on his offer. Another step and I sense his presence before I spot his familiar broad-shouldered frame half-hidden against the wall, lurking in the shadows.

I falter as my eyes widen.

He’s the last person I expected to find loitering outside the Envy Room.

“Bridger?” His name comes out on a gasp as he saunters closer. His gaze is sharp and intense. The smirk that tugs at his mouth is more dangerous than any offer I’ve received tonight. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Funny. I was just about to ask you the same question,” he says, glancing at the building. “Interesting choice of side job.”

I force my pulse to settle, and roll my eyes. “Don’t you dare judge me. Not when you’re lurking around here like some kind of creeper.”

“Oh, I’m not judging,” he says, stepping closer and lowering his voice. “Just wondering what else you might be hiding.”

“For fuck’s sake, are we back to that again? Do you really think I have the time or interest to waste on you?” I sneer. “Seriously. Get over yourself.”

“If you’re not the one behind it, why are you so defensive?” He closes the distance between us, and his scent surrounds me. Sandalwood and cedar, a combination so familiar it sends a pang straight through my chest.

“You’re unbelievable,” I shoot back.

“And you’re hiding something,” he snaps.

The heavy silence that stretches between us is thick with unspoken words. I can’t help but watch him warily as my heart pounds with an intensity I refuse to acknowledge.

He’s not just under my skin.

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