Page 40 of Undercover Desires

“Xavier’s running late. I’ll give you a hand until she gets here,” Kobe offers, sounding way too chirpy about it. He takes a place behind the bar, too close to me for my liking.

“It’s not too busy. I can manage. I’m sure you have more important things to attend to,” I reply, subtly avoiding his offer for help and his proximity.

The tension between us is hitting an all-time high. Last night I caught him staring at me, and I fantasized about him kissing me. No, scrap that. I imagined him throwing me over one of the tables and having his dirty way with me. The heat in his eyes set me off, it’s getting that bad. Why does he have to be so infuriating, but so hot at the same time? I know for sure I need to keep a safe distance before I do something stupid. The girls around here all have my head messed up with the nice things they say about him.

“Actually, I don’t,” he says, distracted sorting out the till.

“Alright, suit yourself,” I mutter, unimpressed, returning to wiping down the countertops, starting at the far end of the bar so I can get some space. With some luck, Xavier will be here soon, and he can fuck off back to his office where he belongs. Or even better, The Joker so he’s as far away from me as possible.

“Bella, can I have another?” Mr. Big inquires, sliding his empty tumbler across the bar.

I pour him another scotch, setting it before him with a warm smile. “Here you go,” I say, trying to maintain my composure. I’m a little uneasy around him since he offered me a stupid amount of cash last week to spend a couple of hours with him. That was bad enough, but then finding out what the other girls said about him, I can hardly look him in the eye without blushing. He’s a good-looking man, he’s just not my type. And I’m not up for accepting money for sex, even if I have thecontract with Kobe hanging over my head. That wasn’t about sex, though, he said so himself.

“Thank you.” He takes a leisurely sip, his heated gaze remaining fixed on me. It makes my belly flip-flop, and not in a good way. I wish Shelby would hurry and get out here with me. “So, Bella, how did you find yourself here in America?” he asks.

“Oh, well, my dad grew up here, so I have dual citizenship and a passport. Thought this place was as good as any for a change of scenery,” I explain, not really wanting to get into my life story with this guy, especially with Kobe in earshot.

“You’re not here for long, then?” Mr. Big asks, a hint of disappointment in his tone. What is it with this guy?

“Honestly, I don’t know. If I find something worth staying for, maybe I’ll hang around for a while,” I reply, leaning on the counter as I engage with him. I'm not sure if it's the best decision to stop and chat with him, but I already set the bar up, and there's no one else around. I really don't want to go back down to the other end where Kobe is, so I think it's safer to stay and make polite conversation. “What about you? Are you a local?”

“From LA,” he answers, and I can tell he’s not keen to divulge the intimate details of his life either. It’s probably why he likes this place, the anonymity.

“And you’ve come all this way just to visit us?” I quip, surprised he would bother. He comes across as a high-flying entrepreneur of sorts, too busy to travel a couple of hours to frequent a bar.

His lips turn up at the sides. “This place is worth the trip. I have some business in the area and can do both,” he explains.

As we chat, I feel Kobe brush past me, his hand running along my upper thigh as he comes to stand by my side. I instinctively straighten up. What the hell is he doing getting so close?

“Mr. Lucas knows he will get his needs met at our club. You can’t get that kind of service just anywhere,” Kobe joins our conversation.

I can’t help but wonder what Mr. Lucas’s needs actually entail. Or what kind of job does he have to afford the extravagant spending he does here? I glance down, noticing no wedding band on his finger. Maybe he takes it off to go out. He probably has some poor wife waiting at home for him. The thought makes me sad.

“We appreciate you coming to visit. You're keeping me busy tonight.” I offer a friendly smile. Glancing around the room, I wonder where the hell are all the customers and other staff? It’s been ages since Shelby walked past me, heading for the staffroom.

“I could keep you tied up all night. My offer from last week still stands,” he says, his voice low, his eyes imploring me to consider his proposition. And I get the impression he’s not just talking about keeping me busy. He would literally tie me up.

I blink back at him, not sure how to handle this. I can feel Kobe stiffen next to me. He doesn’t like the idea of me going off into a room with Mr. Big either. “I’m sure I could find you someone to occupy your time,” Kobe suggests, a silent message passing between the two of them. I wonder what their conversation was last week after I turned down Mr. Big’s offer. Did Kobe swoop in and warn him away from me?

“I’m quite enjoying getting to know Bella here. She’s very interesting. I was most disappointed when you accepted an early offer at the auction.” His heated eyes travel down my body, and all three of us know he’s not intrigued by my mind. Please, earth, swallow me up so I don’t have to endure this awkward situation.

I look over my shoulder at Kobe. He wasn’t the one who nominated me. It was Mr. Lucas. He raises a brow, as if to say I told you so. He really was saving my ass the other night. Why didhe have to be such a dick about it? Can’t he just do something nice and not play games?

“Can I get you another drink?” I ask, not sure what else to say. The tension just hitched up a notch, and it’s becoming uncomfortable.

“Sure, why not?”

I show him the empty bottle of Glenlivet, then hurry down to the other end of the bar and pour him another drink from a fresh bottle. As I’m pouring his drink, I watch the two of them. Mr. Lucas says something to Kobe, and he laughs. I can tell it’s not his genuine chuckle, he’s not happy about whatever they are talking about.

Kobe leaves him, coming back to my side and dropping his mouth to my ear. “He’s about to offer you twenty-five for you to spend the night with him. Turn him down,” he growls, and his voice holds a certain hint of possessiveness about it. Kobe’s jealous of this guy! He sent him off with that blonde last week to stop him from coming after me.

I glance up at him. “What if I want to take him up on his offer? That kind of money could really help a girl out,” I say innocently. I know I’m playing with fire, but I want to push him and see what he does about it. He likes to play games with me. Why can’t I make a few of my own?

“We have a contract, sweetheart.” His words hold a warning edge that tells me not to mess with him on this. He’s really worked up over this guy. It would be funny if he didn’t look so dangerous right now.

Mr. Big moves to where the two of us are standing and takes a seat closer. He’s very keen. I hold his drink out to him, and his hand covers mine, lingering. “Twenty-five for the night, beautiful Bella. It will be a night you will never forget,” he says, his voice deep and low. He’s desperate to have little old me.

I lean over the bar just as I did earlier, mostly to piss off Kobe and make him think I’ll take him up on his offer. I get that we have this contract hanging over our heads, but if he really thinks he can dictate my life, he has another thing coming. “Unfortunately, our manager is running late, and I’m the only one here who can take care of the bar tonight.” I pout, like I’m disappointed. Who the fuck even am I when I’m trying to get a rise out of Kobe?

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