Her grin widened. “Girls talk. I think if you went in there, she’d be real grateful.”
Now he was turned on and confused. “Huh. I don’t want to break up a women-only party.”
“No, she’d love to see you. Seriously. Go talk to her.”
He shifted his weight. Maybe he should. After all, Gen wouldn’t send him in there if Arilyn didn’t want to see him. He’d just spend a few minutes. “Sure. Let me tell my partner and I’ll be right back.”
Stone poked his head out the door. His partner had both bozos in the backseat and a satisfied expression on his face. “What the hell happened?”
“They took swings at each other! Tumbled on the ground like two girls rolling around and punching. It was awesome. I’m gonna book ’em and take them in.”
Fuck. He’d missed it. “Listen, I gotta talk to someone. We’re off shift anyway, so get ’em to the station and I’ll get a ride home.”
“Sure? Gonna leave all the fun to me, huh?”
“Yeah, I’ll grab a cab. I may stay for a drink.”
“Got it. See you tomorrow.”
Stone headed to the back of the restaurant. Genevieve grabbed him and nudged him inside. “Go ahead. She’s going to be so excited to see you!”
Feeling a bit better on seeing Gen’s enthusiasm, Stone stepped into the room. The door slammed behind him. He looked around, expecting to find Arilyn, pull her aside, and have a private conversation.
Instead, he found himself in the snake pit.
Women surrounded him. Lots of women, all staring at him with a scary hunger that made him shudder. The group began to scream and stamp their heels on the floor as if he were the main attraction they’d been waiting for. What the hell was going on?
“He’s here!” a tall blonde yelled. “Get ready for an arrest, ladies!”
Huh?
A lone chair stood in the center of the circle. Suddenly, his ears hurt from the music blaring through the speakers. Was that “You Can Leave Your Hat On”? Wasn’t that a stripper song?
“Take it off, baby!”
“I’m breaking the law, sweetheart, come on over here!”
A brunette giggled and crooked her finger. “I’ve been real bad, Officer,” she yelled. “And I’m concealing a deadly weapon. Come frisk me!” Holy shit, she began jiggling her breasts at him.
It finally hit him. He was in a room full of very drunk women who thought he was their cop stripper. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Stone opened his mouth and tried to tell them, but a pretty woman with caramel-colored hair shook her head as if annoyed by his silence, walked to the center of the room, and grabbed his hand.
Her smile reminded him of a shark’s. “I paid good money for you, dude,” she whispered. “Don’t just stand there. Give us a show; we won’t bite.”
“I got money, Officer!” a brunette screamed. “Come and get it!”
No way. This wasn’t really happening, was it?
“I think there’s been a mistake, ma’am,” he said firmly. “I’m not a stripper. I’m a cop.”
The blonde rolled her eyes. “Sure, sure, you’re a cop. Take your shirt off, dance a bit, and arrest someone. I promise I’ll tip you extra. Oh, Kate is the bride, she’s hiding over there.” She pointed a finger at a woman dressed in black with silvery blond hair, squashed behind two of her friends with a scared look on her face.
“She doesn’t look real interested,” he said. “Maybe getting her a stripper wasn’t such a great idea.”
The woman glared at him with whiskey eyes. “Everyone needs a stripper. Now, I’m sorry if you’re suddenly shy and want to choke, but I promise we’ll respect you. Just take some clothes off, shimmy your hips, and make us happy. Deal?” He opened his mouth to tell her no way in hell, he was no damn stripper, but she clapped her hands. “Okay, ladies, our hot policeman is ready! Kate, get your ass in the chair.”
The group screamed and whistled and stamped their feet. Dollar bills waved madly in the air. Women swayed to the beat, waiting for him to take his clothes off.
“Arilyn, help me!” Kate screamed.
Then he saw her.
She walked toward him, weaving her way through the screaming women, and positioned herself right in front of the chair.
Holy. Shit.
Miles of long legs. Feet clad in fuck-me knee-high boots. He groaned as the sudden image of those legs wrapping tight around his hips while he drove inside of her swarmed his vision. Her mouth opened in a little shocked O, and her gorgeous meadow-green eyes were slightly blurred and unfocused. Definitely tipsy. On the way to drunk. She held a green fruity drink—probably an apple martini like Genevieve’s—and wore the tiniest, hottest outfit he’d ever seen.
His gaze pinned her tight, allowing her no escape. Her top was mostly unbuttoned, showing off a huge amount of smooth cleavage, and a bad-girl leather jacket topped the whole thing off. Even her hair was different, the long strands curled in big waves that tumbled over one eye, spilled over her shoulders, and hit her hips.
With no makeup and casual clothes, the woman was gorgeous. Dressed tonight? She was Eve, Helen of Troy, and Kim Kardashian all rolled up into the hottest bundle he’d ever seen.
Her appearance screamed sex, from her pouty red lips, to her come-hither eyes, to her fuck-me boots. There wasn’t a shred of organic cotton in sight, and in that moment, all the blood rushed to his other head and he was toast.
Ignoring the noise and urging of the crowd, he stared helplessly at her, hard as a rock and completely intoxicated.
Her teeth pulled at her lower lip. Her breath made a catchy little moan, and when she finally spoke, her voice came out husky, like she’d spent the night in his bed screaming his name and had nothing left. “What are you doing here?”
“Gen said you wanted to talk to me.”
She blinked. “No. I didn’t even know you were here.”
“I think I was set up. They think I’m a stripper.”
A giggle escaped her lips. Fascinated, he wanted to hear the sound again. She hiccupped. “Kennedy hired a cop stripper. Kate freaked and begged me to take her place.” Her head tipped up to look at him. “I’m her wing woman,” she said proudly.
Damn, she was adorable. “So you’re gonna take the stripper on for the sake of your friend?”
Her eyes heated, roving over him like a hungry she-lion. “Yeah. I am.”
Stone ached all over. He’d give over a damn appendage just to touch her right now. “You’re a good friend. I kinda wish I was the stripper right now.”
Her tongue snaked out and wet her bottom lip. Those eyes heated and took in his uniform with more than a hint of lust. His dick wept. “You look like a stripper,” she whispered.
He moved closer. “You think?”
“Yeah.”
The women roared their frustration, begging him to do something. The blonde looked like she was about to start ripping off his clothes herself for giving her a bad deal. Nothing mattered except the woman in front of him who tortured his body and mind on a daily basis.
“What should I do?”
She reached over, placed her hands on his face, and dragged his head forward. Her breath rushed in his ear.
“Take it off.”
He growled low, ready to grab her, toss her on his shoulder, and take her to bed. Oh, she was brave with the alcohol and her friends and wanted to play now, huh? Did she have any idea he was a master?
“Be careful what you wish for,” he warned. “Payback is a bitch, little one.”
She had the nerve to nip at his earlobe and touch her tongue to the inner shell of his ear. He hissed in agony, and she pulled back a few inches. Smiled. “So you’ve said before. Unless you’re all talk and no action?”
He wasted no more time. She squealed as he tossed her over his shoulder, his hand on the gorgeous curve of her behind, and dumped her right into the chair.