Page 15 of Mac
“Jackie …”
That warning tone again. She chose to once more ignore it. She hadn’t been with a man in a long time. Not sexually, at least. She’d dated some before she moved to Georgia, but there hadn’t been anyone she was seriously interested in. Mac was the first in that department.
He didn’t know what he was asking when he asked her to give them a chance. He didn’t know what it would take for her to say yes.
She wasn’t afraid of his rejection. She was afraid of his love and not being worthy enough for it. Mac was a good man. And she was a good woman. But she was also someone who had a past that wasn’t pretty and one who’d sold her body because green was her favorite color.
She’d poured everything into Katz and she didn’t want to give any part of her freedom up to anyone. She never wanted to give up her freedom to anyone again.
The thing no one understood about her, was that she liked being a stripper and she didn’t have a problem being a prostitute. It wasn’t for everyone, she knew that. And not every girl could command the amount of money she did.
It was part of what funded Katz. And part of it sat in a savings account in the bank.
She was happy being single and on her own. She was happy doing her own thing.
Until Mac. He showed up. Expressed interest. That was several years ago. He was still there, still interested.
“Mac …”
“You know how much I want you, but not here. Not like this.”
“Yes, here. Yes, like this.”
He hadn’t moved, but the look in his eyes agreed with her. “Let me meet you later. After the club closes. We can go to my place or yours or even do it on the stage. Hell, the bar would work just as nice. But not here in a cell. You’re better than a jail cell, Princess.”
“But not better than a bar? Or the stage in the club?”
“You know what I meant and it wasn’t anything of the sort.”
Jackie nodded. “I do know.”
“Then come out of there.”
“No. I want you in here. There’s a reason. A demon to put to rest for me.”
“A demon?” He did move then, stalking toward her in measured steps. His boots scuffed across the floor and her heartbeat picked up, the blood thumping in her ears. “What sort of demon?”
“From times I was arrested before.”
“Did something happen to you one of those times?”
“No. Nothing. I was perfectly safe.”
“Safe isn’t what you’re looking for right now, is it?”
“No.”
“You wanted to get caught. You wanted to be seen.” He halted at the cell door, then crossed one foot inside. The cell suddenly became smaller, the confines tighter. He took up space and oxygen.
“I’m a bit of an exhibitionist.” she managed to say around the lump in her throat. She could almost touch him and she could definitely feel the heat coming off him.
“A bit? You sure about that?” He stepped closer and teased the exposed skin of her collarbone with his fingers. “You wouldn’t lie to the police, would you?”
“No,” she whispered. Were they role playing? Was it role playing if he really was a cop but not in any official capacity with her? Did it fucking matter? He was touching her. She’d baited the lion in his own den and he took it.
He gripped a handful of her hair and wrapped it around his hand. He inched forward until he was pressed against her front and her back was pressed against the cold, concrete wall.
“You don’t know what you’re playing at, Princess.”
