Page 7 of Stripped Bare

Griff had arrived, and Shep caught the tantalizing aroma of pizza.His stomach rumbled, and he hoped Griff had brought enough.He stepped into the kitchen as Griff put paper plates out on the table.Stace sat on the counter with a beer in her hand, sipping as she watched Griff.She’d ditched her socks and shoes at some point, and he loved the way she swung her bare feet.They both glanced his way as he entered.He moved toward Stace.

“Smells good,” he said.He was going to stop beside where she sat on the counter, but when she spread her thighs, he couldn’t resist the invitation and moved to stand right between them.

“Beer?”she asked casually, as if they stood this way all the time.

“Yeah,” he answered, and she reached over and popped the top off one of the bottles sitting next to her before handing it to him.

“Pizza and beer,” she murmured, smiling.“Doesn’t get much better than this.”

Ah, hell.She was perfect.Shep might just fall in love.

“Woman after my own heart,” Griff said with a grin as he opened one of the pizza boxes and grabbed a couple of slices to put on a plate.“We’ve got everything, all meat, and one that has like twenty different kinds of cheese or something like that.”

“What do you want?”Shep asked as he set his beer by her thigh and moved toward the table, grabbing a plate for each of them.

“Give me one of each,” Stace said, and Shep loaded two plates with one of each.He handed her a plate then moved back between her thighs, turning to face Griff while they ate.

No one spoke for a bit as they were too busy eating.After they each had another plateful, they finally began to wind down.Shep loved the fact that Stace ate.She didn’t pick, didn’t eat one and set her plate aside.She kept up with him and Griff, and that was a big turn-on.A woman who could eat like that would have the energy to play hard later, and he knew just what they could play.

“So did you find anything?”Shep asked Griff.

“That Tark’s is indeed wall-to-wall people,” Griff said.“If they said they remembered her but not who she was with or where, then chances are they aren’t lying.That place is crazy.I have no idea where all those people come from.”

“Tark’s has always been the place to go,” Stace offered.

“I spoke with several of the staff, and they honestly either didn’t see Chloe or did but don’t recall anything other than they saw her there,” Griff said.“I believe them.After looking around tonight, the flow of people in and out is heavy.Hell, I could remember faces I saw tonight but not what they did while they were there.And this isn’t even a Friday.”

“Did your sister go there often?”Shep asked.

“I don’t think so,” Stace said.“She just turned twenty-one this year.I’m sure Nicole would know more.I spoke with her earlier, and she’s agreed to stop by tomorrow after her morning classes.”

“Great,” Shep said.“It will help if we can find out if Chloe went there often or if this was an impromptu stop.”

“I don’t know.God!There’s too much I don’t know about my own sister,” Stace admitted, sipping her second beer.There was no missing the pain in her eyes.Shep had no doubt Stace would always blame herself for what happened to her sister.She hadn’t been here when Chloe needed her.He’d feel the same.

“We’ll see what we can find out from Nicole in the morning,” he said.“Did you find anything of importance in your sister’s purse?”

“Nothing out of place,” Stace said.“Her wallet didn’t hold any secret numbers or notes or receipts.Compact and gloss in the side pocket with a couple condoms.Some pens, peppermints, and a pack of gum.”

“Condoms?”Griff asked.“Was your sister dating someone?”

“Once again, not that I know of,” Stace replied, holding up her hand before either guy could say anything.“But she’s heard enough from me to know to practice safe sex.It’s her body, so she can’t depend on a guy to have protection.”

“Smart woman,” Shep said.

“The condoms came from a box I keep in the bathroom,” Stace said letting her gaze lock with Shep’s.“The only two missing are the ones in her purse.”

So Stace had them covered when it came to protection.Good to know.Of course, he had a box in his bag, as well.So, there was no limit to the amount of fun they could have.

“What time are Nicole’s classes over?”Griff asked.“At this point, it seems like everything depends on what we can find out from her.”

“Her class finishes at eleven forty-five,” Stace said.“She said she’d try to be here around one.”

“All right,” Griff said.“Been a long day guys, so I’m hitting the hay.”

“You remember the way to the bedroom?”Stace asked.

“Down the hall, last door on the left,” Griff said.

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