Page 52 of The Heartbreaker
“Is that a yes?” He cocked his head.
I crossed my arms. “No.”
“Then, what will it take to get some of your time?” He reached into his pocket, took out his wallet, and gave me a fold of bills as large as the one in my bra. “That amount should do it.”
There were so many layers to this. His money was burning the skin of my palm. My brain couldn’t keep up with all the noes that were accumulating each second in my head.
I shouldn’t take his cash.
I shouldn’t go into a private room with him.
I shouldn’t even be talking to him here.
But what I found myself saying was, “You want me to finally dance for you?”
“You know that’s not what I want.”
I swallowed, the tightness, the quivers both making it so difficult. “I know nothing, Ridge.”
He shook his head as though he were the teacher. “That isn’t true. You know just what I want. And if you didn’t know that the night I took you home, which would shock me, then I’m positive you can feel it right now by the way I’m looking at you.” He nodded toward me. “What are my unspoken words saying to you, Addison?”
I glanced to my right and left, checking to see if anyone was close enough to hear him. Even though they weren’t, I still said, “Addy.”
“I respect that you don’t want that side of you to surface while you’re in here. But you need to know I’ve seen straight past Addy and I’m looking directly at Addison. It doesn’t matter what you have on or what stage you just walked off. What I see is the gorgeous woman beneath.”
Why was that one of the hottest things anyone had ever said to me?
Why were there goose bumps on every inch of my body?
Why was air coming out of my lungs in fast, breathless pants?
“What do you want from me, Ridge?”
“Tonight?” He smiled. “Your time.”
“That’s it?”
He stalled for seconds, but what was showing in his eyes was louder than anything he could ever possibly say. “We can start there.”
I laughed again. “And you think us spending time together is safe, given our situation?”
“Safe?” His stare lowered down my body, and he let out a deep, gritty chuckle. “The thoughts in my head aren’t safe at all.” He locked eyes with me again. “But you can trust me.”
“What does trust have anything to do with this?”
“It has everything to do with it.” He moved his finger in a circle. “If you took any of these men into the back, you’d be filled with worry and what-ifs over what they were going to do. You don’t have the same fear with me.” His teeth briefly grazed his lip. “But you do have a fear …”
“And that is?”
“How are you going to stop yourself from sleeping with me tonight?”
THIRTEEN
Ridge
“What are you thinking about?” I asked Addison as she sat in the chair next to mine.
The room was dark, except for two spotlights—one in the front, close to the door, and another in the back. The glow from both was just enough to light up her face and bare skin.
