Page 62 of His Puppet

“Tell you what. You show me yours, and I’ll show you mine.”

My eyebrow raises. “Hmm?”

“How many times have you been picked up by a rich guy, right after sitting in one of these?”

I lift my eyes and twist my lips while I try to count.

“Damn, that many huh?”

“At least ten.”

Blade laughs and it kills me just a little to not feel so much as a flicker of jealousy coming from him.

“How much did you end up making?” Blade asks before taking another drink. He props an ankle on his knee and leans back.

I don’t say anything for a few moments. “Are you implying that I’m a prostitute?”

“You? No.” His gaze moves to another couple sitting in a dark booth, and he nods to the beautiful blonde woman with breasts that are physically impossible to be real with her body type. “Her? Yes.”

He faces me. “You’re way too resourceful to need to fuck for money. I’m assuming you just took it.”

A strange sense of pride comes over me. I’m nothing but a petty thief, but the way Blade talks sometimes, you’d think it would be something to admire.

I waggle my brows. “Works every time.”

Blade chuckles, and his eyes land on my lips.

“To answer your question,” I go on, even as his eyes heat my skin. “The most I’ve ever swiped was a grand. I never take any cards, and I leave most of the cash so they think they just spent more than they remember. It was usually just a couple hundred bucks and a few free drinks.”

“Mmm smart.” He nods with approval, and I get the strange surge of pride again. “If you took it all, he might try to report you.”

“Exactly.” I flick my index finger at him. “You don’t wanna piss in your watering hole.”

Blade laughs. “What?”

“It’s my version of ‘don’t shit where you eat.’”

“Ah, I see.”

“The point is, it’s best to fly under the radar to leave room for more opportunity.” I gesture around the room. “I’ve been in this particular club four times, and no one will ever remember me as long as I space out my time coming here.”

Blade doesn’t say anything, just stares at me intently, with dark serious eyes I could drown in and an expression I can’t read. I brace myself for disapproval or even disgust and wonder what I said wrong.

I’ve been called every name you can think of: snake, bottom-feeder, skum, trash, etc. At times it’s stung, others it’s rolled off my back. With Blade, it would be crushing.

I look down at my lap. “I know it isn’t the most honorable way to make a living, but there aren't exactly a lot of options for someone with no drivers license or social security number.”

“Grocery store checkout clerk doesn’t exactly fit your personality anyway.”

I force a smile, and Blade cups my chin and forces me to look at him. “Can I tell you something?”

I lower my eyes to his lips and savor the tension forming between us. His intensity is still rolling off him in waves, but his gentle touch eases my worries, and I melt into it, my insecurities fading. I nod.

“You’re the most incredible woman I’ve ever met.”

My heart swells hearing him say it, and my inside warms, but I fight the feeling. This was the same man who days ago tossed me away. He’s the same one who wanted to throw me into a whore house not even a month ago.

And he’s also the one who vouched for me to his bosses. At the time, I thought maybe he was doing me a favor, saying all the positive things he did, but it’s starting to feel real. And too good to be true.

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