Page 24 of Tell Me Your Desires
“Nah, I’m going on a hunch here and don’t want to take it to him unless it pans out. Don’t need him gloating about me wasting my time, ya know? He’s insufferable enough.”
Baker laughed. “Yeah, okay. I’ll get to it as soon as I can.”
“Thanks, Baker.” Jaime ended the call and stared at the Lexus. She wanted to talk to Lady A again about the case. At least that was the lie Jaime kept telling herself. She couldn’t get that woman out of her head.There’s one way, Jaime thought miserably.
Jaime felt the apprehension growing in her tummy at the thought of being in Lady A’s chambers again, but for a completely different…conversation. The more she imagined what went on behind those doors, the more the anticipation grew. Even as she sat here now, Jaime’s palms became sweaty. She drummed her fingers on her steering wheel. If she chewed her lip any harder, she would surely draw blood.
“Fuck it.” Jaime placed her hand on the door, and it again fell away. They were trembling.Shewas trembling. Jaimenevertrembled. She took a steadying breath, and after another minute of contemplating what she was doing, Jaime unclipped her detective’s shield from her belt. Reaching over, she opened the glove box and tossed the badge in, doing the same with her gun and making sure to lock the compartment with a key.
This shouldn’t be this difficult. Lady A wasjustanother woman. She was nothing special. Only Jaime knew that wasn’t true. If Lady A wasn’t special, Jaime wouldn’t have spent night after night sitting across from a parking lot waiting for her to show up here. If Lady A wasjustanother woman, Jaime wouldn’t be considering paying for her time. Yet, that was what she was doing. She was about to walk into a brothel with no badge, no gun, and no warrant. Just…herself and a half-cocked plan of buying time with the woman invading her every thought.
Jaime had to consider if she knew who she was anymore. She sure as hell wasn’t the woman she’d been when she was in love with Taylor. So much of Jaime had changed since that night—being here tonight showed that alone—but she was going to give in to whatshewanted for a change. She could pretend she was going undercover all she wanted. But Jaime knew the truth deep down. She’d worked UC enough to know when she was in too deep. That’s how Jaime felt now, and she’d only met this Lady A once.Once!
Jaime hopped out of the car, locking it before stuffing her keys in the pocket of her jeans and lifting her blazer over her head to keep the rain from doing too much damage. She approached the main door and smiled at the security guard eyeing her. Instead of trying to read him, Jaime offered a single nod and stepped past him. And then came that familiar feeling she’d had when they first came to this club. Confliction.
Jaime felt that heaviness in her body as she put one foot in front of the other. That sinking feeling was present, along with the tightness in her chest. In her mind, she was weighing up the pros and cons of coming here. She desperately wanted to understand the repercussions of being at this club, but Lady A stuck firm in her thoughts. It was all she could focus on.
Jaime knew this could only be a one-time thing. After she’d gotten her ‘fix,’ she could move on. She felt guilty enough about her lack of concentration. Max was already giving Jaime leeway and space because of the sensitivity of this time of the year. But what would he say if he knew what she was doing with that space? Jaime had to believe that once Lady A was out of her system, she would be able to eat properly or maybe get a decent night’s sleep. Then she could focus on her job and catch the killer.
Jaime swallowed.Please don’t let it be her.
“Detective.”
She turned to find Frank standing behind her. Jaime kept her demeanor casual and unthreatening. “Frank.”
“Do you have a warrant?
Jaime frowned. What the fuck was this guy’s problem? “Do I need a warrant?”
“You know how this works, darlin’.” Frank lifted a shoulder, just about.
Jaime wouldn’t give in to Frank and his patronizing. She didn’t give a shit about this man or what he stood for. His time would come, and Jaime would revel in every last second of it. She opened her jacket. “No badge. I’m not here as a detective tonight.”
Frank’s mouth turned downward as he nodded slowly, that perverted look flashing in his eyes. “Well, well, well.”
“Well… what?” Jaime stood heavier on one leg, looking him up and down. “Are you going to let me go to the bar?”
“Sure, sweetheart. What is it you’re looking for tonight?” He placed a hand on the small of Jaime’s back, guiding her towards the long bar that ran along the club’s back wall. She barely managed to refrain from shivering. She didn’t appreciate being touched, and certainly not by the greasy fuck who owned this place. “You can have anything your heart desires.”
“I’m here to see Lady A,” Jaime said, catching the bartender’s attention. “I’ll take a beer.” She threw down some cash, turning back to Frank. “I’m sure you can help me out with that.”
Frank shook his head. “I just got her back. I ain’t going to let you run her off again. You want to talk to her, you do it on her personal time. And the next time you show up here, you better have a goddamn warrant with you, or I’m suing the police department for harassment.”
“Whoa, calm it down there, Frankie Boy. I told you I’m not here on business. I want to buy a session or whatever they’re called. Surely I don’t need a warrant to get naked with her, do I?”Jaime quirked a brow, watching the wheels turning in Frank’s head. He didn’t have much between the ears, she was sure of that. But seeing him struggle to form a sentence was surprisingly satisfying.
Frank let out a bark of laughter. “Fuck. She got to you, too, didn’t she? She has that… quality. No one is safe from her.”
Jaime snorted inwardly. Surely Frank didn’t have a fucking chance with Lady A. Jaime may not know the first thing about her or the kinds of people she had in her ‘chambers,’ but Frank? Nah, no way. Lady A had far better taste than that. “If you could just tell me where I need to pay, that would be great.”
“It ain’t that simple. She’s booked solid tonight.”
Jaime’s stomach dropped, and she fought to keep her unwarranted anger in check. She picked up the beer the bartender had deposited next to her and took a long, slow sip. “Now, I said I wasn’t here on official business. However, Icanbe. I have my badge and gun if needed. I will come back in here flashing that shield to every fucking customer you have in here, asking extremely uncomfortable questions. Unless you find an opening for me.”
She was abusing her power. She knew it, and she was pretty sure Frank knew it. But he had enough wariness in him that he didn’t call her bluff.
“There’s no need for that. We can work something out.” Frank motioned for Jaime to follow him. “Prices depend on what you want. Full-service is…” He glanced back at her. She was wearing jeans, a V-neck tee, and a blazer with worn boots that had seen better days. “Probably above your pay grade.”
“Just give me a fucking price list. I’ll determine what I can and can’t afford. And I don’t want my name used. Or for her to know it’s me.”
