Page 50 of Fake Dating Daxton Hawk
That must be it because I am crushing hard on this guy.
“What does he say about me?”
Amabella swirls her straw in her almost empty cocktail. “He says he loves talking to you. That he struggles to connect with women because it’s all superficial conversations but not with you. Seriously, donotrepeat any of this. He also says you are absolutely beautiful, which you obviously are.”
I bite my bottom lip and smile. I don’t know how I found myself in this position, miserable over Steel not so long ago, to having a new man who has stolen all of my attention.
Amabella laughs again out of the blue. Snorts, more like it. “Sorry, but I can’t stop laughing over how you thought me and Dax were involved.”
“In my defense, Daxton told me he doesn’t speak with his family.”
She nods, her smile lowering into a solemn line and bringing a dampened tone to the conversation. “Yes, I barely talk to them either.”
“Daxton hasn’t spoken much about his family,” I say, unsure how else to respond to the sensitive topic. “He kind of shut down when I asked about them.”
“It’s complicated.” Amabella sighs. “I’m sure Daxton will share our family dynamics with you when he’s ready. But I will say this. Daxton saved me and my daughter’s life. After that, I owe him everything and I will have his back forever. I’m only telling you this because I want you to know how amazing he is.”
“Saved your life?”
“A domestic violence issue with my ex.” She waves her hand to dismiss the topic while sucking up the last of her drink with her straw. “Oh, shoot, I’m all out. I better tell Daxton to order me another one. Be right back.”
Amabella hops off the mattress and wanders over to the cocktail bar. As soon as she’s gone, someone else swoops in and occupies her spot—a familiar blond-headed man, one I don’t care to see again but knew this moment was coming ever since I arrived at this party and saw him eyeing me.
“Tom.”
“Delphine. What a pleasant surprise.” His deep voice is slow and laced with all kinds of sleazy undertones. “So, you’re here with Daxton Hawk.”
“Good spotting, Sherlock.”
Tom leans in and places a hand high on my thigh. “And if I wanted to hire you later?”
I push his hand away. “I’m not available.”
“Too bad. You know, I’ve been thinking about you a lot since I last hired you. You’re exquisite and deserve to be shown off. I’d like to offer you a job dancing at one of my clubs.”
I wouldn’t sleep with Tom when he hired me. I warned him upfront, but I guess he thought he could sway me. When that time of the night came and I maintained my ground, he asked me to dance for him instead. I did, performing one of my burlesque routines to earn a couple of hundred bucks. That was the extent of our night.
“You own strip clubs. I’m not a stripper.”
Instead of responding to me, Tom’s gaze shifts to the left and he smirks. I follow his line of sight, finding Daxton at the bar watching our interaction. From the sharp angle of Daxton’s jaw and Tom’s satisfaction, I’m guessing Tom has achieved whatever he wanted from this engagement with me.
“Tom, do you really want me to dance at one of your clubs, or are you only talking to me to piss off Daxton?”
Tom turns back to me and smiles. “Don’t be ridiculous. I want you. My clubs are very elite. Think about it. I pay all my girls well. I’ll pay extra if you ever decide you want a good fuck.”
“Watch your mouth, Sanders.” Daxton’s entrance into the conversation startles me, especially how fast he got to me from across the party. I look up from my seat on the daybed, finding two drinks in his hands and a murderous look in his eyes. “If you ever proposition my girlfriend for sex again, I will fuck you up.”
Tom glances back and forth between me and Daxton, surprised. “Girlfriend?”
I’m surprised too, but for other reasons, like this warm sense of pleasure blooming in my chest from Daxton calling me his girlfriend.
“Yes, you heard me,” Daxton says, the muscles in his arms straining. “Get the fuck away from my girlfriend. If I ever see you talking to her again, I’ll make sure no one ever finds your body.”
A sleazy grin creeps over Tom’s lips, as if he’s one-upped Daxton somehow, pleased that he’s getting under Daxton’s skin.
“Don’t test me, Sanders.”
Tom chuckles then sends me a wink and walks off, calling back, “Lovely seeing you again, Delphine.”
