Before I lose my shit, I try again. “I know you wear heels during sex, but I don’t know your name.” I’m positive my smile looks cocky, but I’m pretty sure I saw her lips twitch. “That just doesn’t seem right, does it, beautiful?” When she caves into the smile she’d been fighting, I know I just won the game.
“I don’t think you need to know my name because you’ll never see those shoes either.”
And there went that win. Yup, there it went—straight down the drain. Most women don’t know they hold all the cards; this one does. Which, as you probably guessed, turns me on like fucking crazy. I want her. I want her body, I want her sassy ass mouth that’s kept me hopping all night wrapped around the rebar in my pants at this very moment. Before I can say another word, she walks away—just walks away.
It’s nearing closing time, and the patrons are beginning to clear out. I talk to Cal about coming back in a few days to see about getting my old job back, at least part time. Now that I know Sunny is working here, I’m looking forward to working with her. She seems to be watching me closely for someone who has been playing so coy. When Candy comes to my table after recognizing me, I can feel her eyes on me. Candy is nothing to me—never was. Good dancer but dumber than a box of bleached blonde hair.
When she walks past my table for the twentieth time, I snag her wrist. A familiar feeling hits me when she turns and looks at me; yeah, she had her eyes on me earlier, I feel it.
“Name and number, beautiful,” I say as I hand her my phone. This could go one of two ways: either she puts her name and number in my phone or she chucks it across the room. Please don’t be the latter. When I see her sigh and start typing, I feel like strutting like the cock of the walk.
“Night, Rhett.”
Taking my phone back, I slip it into my back pocket and follow her to the bar. She hands the bartender her tray and rag as he hands her what I take is her purse and her keys. Can’t say I like the kiss she gave him on the cheek or the one he returned on hers. The asshole winks at me over her shoulder. Naw, I really don’t care for that.
When she walks away, I know she feels my eyes stroking her skin, my mouth on her flesh—even if it’s only in my head. She stops and turns as if I’d called her name. Yes, the name I still don’t have the privilege of knowing. Her eyes meet mine, and her small, hesitant smile hurts—actually physically hurts me. My throat burns, my chest is tight, my eyes sting from my unwillingness to even blink, afraid I’ll miss something from her, a cue, a sign. Goddamn, I need something from her.
Chapter Six
**Skye**
Finally, it’s moving day, and I’m so nervous I could puke. Why? I don’t know. I signed the papers on my new place last week—this is merely moving in. Although, I was nervous closing day, this is off the charts kinda nerves. I really wish I’d had my dad there when I signed. Cal looked over all the paperwork and came with me to the closing, but he’s just not my father, ya know?
Eden, Jazzmine, and Stella are already here as is David, another one of the bouncers at the club. Pinkies staff has become my family over recent years. We’ve loaded up the four cars they have between them. Waving, I watch as they leave from in front of my apartment and head toward my new home. I’m staying behind and waiting on Nate to arrive. After all, he’s bringing the friend with a truck to help haul my big stuff. Pretty much my couch, love seat, coffee table, and my bedroom furniture. That’s about all I have. Hey, years of apartment living show, okay?
I pack up my car with the cushions and such while I wait. Cranking up my iPod on the dock on the kitchen counter, I scroll until I hit my saving grace…Pink. If a girl needs a boost to her confidence and a reminder that not only men rock a set of balls…she is your girl.
Soon enough, I’m lost in the music, and I hardly notice I’ve worked up a good sweat while I toss throw pillows and cushions into my trunk and backseat. I start to sand off the excess mud that I used to fill in the nail holes that were sprinkled among my walls. I like artwork and pictures and unfortunately, my walls reflect that. Landlords however aren’t fans of the pockmarks. Independent woman and all? I got them handled.
Swinging my hips with far too much enthusiasm, I belt out the words to So What way louder than I really should. Screw it! I’m moving out—who cares if I piss off the neighbors now. Okay, okay, I’m not that much of a bitch, but I happen to know that the apartment to my left is empty, and the one to my right is home to a stoner who I’m sure is sound asleep after partying all night. He never shuts off his television and it’s loud enough that I can hear old Brady Bunch reruns half the night. Never would’ve guessed he’d be a Brady fan but whatever.
I almost fall off the couch I’m standing on as I sand away on the wall when I hear the muffled sound of an obvious male voice. Turning around, I see Nate. “Hey, there you are. What didja say?” Hopping off the couch, I walk toward him when I stop dead in my tracks. It’s him. Behind Nate, a familiar face with a smile from ear to ear looks back at me.
“I said yes, you are.”
Now, I’m even more confused. “What?”
He points to my iPod as Nate turns it down a notch or thirty. “I agree with Pink and what you were singing.” He laughs. “You’re still a rock star.”
Nate points at the man in question. “This is my bud, Rhett.”
Holy fucking shit! Ahh yeah, that’s Rhett all right. The same Rhett I met the other day.
Rhett smiles. “Mornin’, beautiful.”
Yup, same Rhett. Shit. “Rhett.” I nod as I walk to my iPod and unhook it, more for something to do than necessity.
“So, it’s Skye, huh?” he asks.
Nate’s face shows his confusion, and I can feel my own heating. Ugh, I hate when I blush. Great, now I wasn’t only busted singing with my incredibly sucky voice, but now I’m all splotchy like a twelve-year-old girl. Oh, and let’s not forget the sweat dripping down my forehead. Attractive, huh? Beautiful, my ass.
When I don’t say anything, Rhett explains to Nate. “Sunny—rather Skye and I met the other night at the club.”
“Ahh…that explains it. You didn’t tell me you knew her.”
Rhett looks me over just like he had at Pinkies before he answers, and I feel my body warm in every spot his eyes pass.
“Well, that’d be because I didn’t know Skye…I only knew Sunny. She refused to give me her real name.” The man winked at me—winked at me. “Isn’t that right, beautiful?”
Even though my body is reacting to him like firecrackers, I don’t feel the urge to cave into his smile quite so easily. “We met, yes.” Call me a bitch, I guess.
“That’s classic. Rhett here is good people, Skye.” Clapping his hands together, Nate heads for one end of my couch and directs Rhett to the other end. “Let’s roll, baby, let’s roll.”
And just like that, my furniture is loaded one piece after another. The two guys have it done in no time, and I’m thankful that Nate brought Rhett along. Talk about awkward, huh? The other day I wouldn’t give him my real name, and bam, he’s loading my mattress into the back of his Dodge Ram. Oh, sweet karma at work. Fate? No, I’ll stick with karma on this one.
“Do you mind?” Rhett says to me, and once again I’m lost. I just stare and he motions to turn around, and like a fool, I do. “Miss Bob the Builder, you’ve got some dust here.” Annnnnnnnnnd, now his hands are on my ass. On. My. Ass. Looking over my shoulder, I see the chalky white spot on my dark blue jeans. Yup, I must’ve wiped my hands after sanding the filler in the nail holes.
“And here I was worried you two wouldn’t get along.” Nate says as he walks by carrying a box out of my bedroom, laughing the entire way out the door.