Page 16 of Play With Me

“But this is an ocean view property.”

“It is. Oh, wait. You’re surprised because of the neighborhood?”

“Well, yeah.”

Even with her kind of job, what I assumed was a very well-paid position at Cross Enterprises, few could afford this.

“Did you rob a bank?” I chuckled.

“Nope, this is all legal. Brook, I do have a job.”

Yet I knew that something like this didn’t come on a private investigator’s salary.

“How long have you lived here?”

“A while. Come on, Brook. Are we going to stand here and chat about inconsequential things like money, or are you going to take me past that threshold and play with me? My panties are drying up.”

Fuck me.

She tugged my hand, and I followed her like a pup. Lola was right. If she was leaving in the morning, then we didn’t have much time. Tonight, my only goal was to satisfy her. I should have expected that Lola would make my night as unforgettable.

Chapter 4

Lola

Iled Brook up the staircase straight to the oversized bathroom and pointed to the chair at my hairdressing station. The at-home salon was one of my requirements when I had this house built. It was part of my past I could never let go of because hairdressing had given me a new start in life. This home held memories, love, and heartache that were part of me.

Brook’s head swiveled from left to right to left again. He was looking around as if he’d never seen a big house.

“You live here alone?” he asked.

“Yes. I like the quiet. This home lets me breathe.”

Despite its ginormous size, it felt cozy and perfect. I couldn’t even begin to describe how different this home was from the childhood home I’d left at the age of eight. I wouldn’t even call that a home, but more like a dwelling. But this was more than a home. It was my oasis, and it was the only part ofhimI had left. Life was definitely a bitch.

I pointed to the chair by the sink. “Sit there.”

“What?”

“You need a haircut, so you’re getting one.”

His lip lifted. I removed my t-shirt and shimmied out of my pants while he just kept staring. “I like to feel free when I cut hair,” I explained.

Brook sat down and adjusted his bulging crotch. “I may end up taking you up on your services more often.”

I chuckled.

“Just promise me you don’t prance around half-naked at the salon in Pace.”

“This is only for special clients.”

“And how many special clients do you have?”

“Just one.”

His grin widened, and I turned him in the chair to face the mirror.

There used to be another one, though. His hair was as dark as Brook’s. I met Sebastian at Eddie’s salon. It had been a while since I’d gone back there. It was still too difficult to think about the time I’d spent at Eddie’s. He’d taken me off the streets and given me my first job. I stuck with him until Sebastian swept me off my feet and gave me the life I’d always dreamed of. He was the first and last man I’d ever cut while shaving. That’s how I knew that he was my man, because no sane man would ever ask out a woman who’d nearly killed him with a blade.

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