Page 10 of Shattering Nash

“It. Works,” Caine snapped through clenched teeth.

Shoot!Clearly, she’d upset him.

“Again, I’m sorry.” She inhaled, mustered up a smile, and waved awkwardly. “Hi.”

The man stared back at her, arching his brow. Words were unnecessary. She shrunk slightly.

“I’m Charley Hudson. I work for Elle at The Boutique.”

An introduction was unnecessary.

His gaze dropped down her body, making her shudder slightly. His perusal lacked any interest. If anything, he seemed to be inspecting her. And clearly suspicious. They’d never formally met, but she’d seen Caine at the shop a few times. He,Ridge, and Cyrus had been stationed in the lot behind the store. They rarely came inside, and the few instances they did, they never spoke to her.

Kind of like now.

Charley cleared her throat and hooked her hair over her ear. “Um, I’m supposed to meet her here to go over the inventory.”

There was a long stretch of silence. Charley nibbled on her bottom lip, considering her next course of action. She could call Elodie. It was probably best, at this point. She swung her bag in front of her stomach and started to reach inside but halted when he stepped outside. He widened the door just enough to allow her to pass. She inched closer to the doorway.

“Thank you.”

The metal door slammed shut, and she flinched, stepping away from the man. He started down the hall, and she hurried to follow. Man of few words.Noted.Charley peered around the hallway, adjusting her scarf, pulling it higher up her neck. It was her first time at the X-Lounge. If Keely could see her now.She’d kill me.

Charley wasn’t experienced in the ways of dance clubs and bars, but it was much nicer than she’d expected. The wide hall had minimal yet tasteful décor and was painted a muted gray. The floor was dark, and as she came to a stop, she noticed it was slick. Her heel slipped, and she stumbled slightly, catching herself from falling on her ass.

Caine looked back at her, scowling. She wasn’t sure if it was intentional or if that was his everyday expression. Charley never judged people on appearances alone. Usually. But he was giving dangerous and unwelcoming vibes. She released a breathy, nervous chuckle.

“I’m a klutz, especially when I’m distracted. I try to stay focused but…”

“Try. Harder.” His growl expressed his wavering patience.

Oh wow, okay.

The elevator doors opened, and he jerked his chin. She immediately rushed inside and stayed tucked in the back corner as she watched him get in. She’d seen an experiment years ago about people’s awkwardness riding in elevators with strangers. This was a tenfold moment. She shifted on her feet, glancing around the tight quarters.

He was about three feet away looking up at the screen. The ever so slight movement in his jaw had her scrunching her nose.Is he chewing gum?People did it every day. It wasn’t outside the norm. However, he didn’t come across as the gum chewing type.Hmmm…interesting.

The doors opened, he walked out first, and she followed. Charley only made it five feet when he swiftly turned, sending her back a step.

“Wait here.”

“Okay,” she blurted, tightening her hand over the strap of her pocketbook.

He walked down the hallway, and when he disappeared around the corner, she exhaled a breath.

Finally, she could relax for a moment. She took in her surroundings. About ten feet from the elevators was a wide opening. She angled her head but couldn’t see past the wall. Not even realizing she was disobeying his order, Charley walked to the balcony.This is nice.It was decorated similarly to the downstairs with a few added special touches. The wooden bar in the corner wasn’t very large, but there were three rows of bottles lining the mirrored wall. The balcony was completely open with a few tables and chairs. Very orderly. She peered over the railing. It was dark with soft light lining the floors. It was bigger than she’d expected. There were several bars at the corners of the club and tables lining the walls. In the middle of the room, there was a sunken dance floor. There was a raised DJ booth and a stagebelow. The décor was dark and rich in ambiance. If sexy and alluring was the vibe they were going for…they nailed it.

She couldn’t imagine herself in the club. She’d stand out and not in a good way. The always quiet, painfully shy at times woman would never survive a few hours in a crowd of partygoers. The music would be loud with throngs of people. Dancing was probably a prerequisite. For some people, this was a dream. For her? A nightmare.

She shook her head and muttered. “I don’t see the appeal.”

“No?”

Charley froze. The deep, masculine tone was all too familiar. She’d only spoken to him a handful of times, and it had always been brief. But she’d memorized his voice. It was ingrained into her mind. Elodie’s husband’s colleague. He had a name, but she rarely said it out loud. SayingNashbrought on an immediate reaction. Her heart beat a little faster, her blood rushed through her veins, and a nervous energy burst in her belly. Not to mention the heat spreading across her body, ultimately landing on her face. It was impossible to hide. The few times she’d spoken his name, it was in her bedroom, alone with only a device. A subpar substitute for the real thing.Him.Dirty talk and naughty fantasies of wild, rough sex were center stage when she was getting off to thoughts of Nash.

And now she’d have to come face to face with him.

Heat flooded her face as Charley slowly turned, knocking her hip into the metal railing. As if it wasn’t bad enough already, she had an entire audience made up of several security members. She tightened her grip on the railing and glanced over the line of men. They were all dressed in suits similar to Nash. Somehow, he just stood out. Front and center, much like her dreams.

---