“Well, let’s at least exchange numbers,” she suggested coyly. “Maybe we’ll cross paths again?”
The woman just won’t take no for an answer. Unbelievable.
“You know what?” He shook his head, then stared straight into her eyes. “It’s not going to work. I’m married to my job these days.” He picked up his drink and downed it, signaled to Victor for the bill, and gave Lucinda an apologetic half smile.
Lucinda stood up, her shoulders straight and rigid, but the quaver in her voice betrayed her. “I see. Well, it was nice to catch up with you, Carson. Safe travels.” She then swept past him regally, holding her head high as she walked quickly away.
Watching her leave, he mumbled under his breath, “Hope you find your happiness.”
Exhausted from their exchange, Carson ended up going to his room all by himself as he’d originally planned, then proceeded to toss and turn in his hotel room’s king-sized bed.
He couldn’t get settled over the fact he had turned down a woman who was ready, willing, and able, all because she seemed too direct, available, and loose. He hadn’t been one bit attracted to the woman throwing herself at him.
Which was somewhat ironic considering the fact that he was fixated on a stripper. Didn’t women who shed their clothes for a crowd say Please fuck me in not so many words?
Not Sienna. No, she was a different story altogether, and he was going to uncover it and take a big bite. Maybe even two or three bites, but that was it.
He wouldn’t bite off more than he could chew. Just enough to satiate his appetite.
On that note, it wasn’t until morning Carson felt himself begin to relax. Just before he thought he was about to drop off to sleep, he decided he would get in a long workout tomorrow—although technically it was already today—before he headed back to the Tunnel that night.
It was a good plan in theory. Unfortunately, Sienna insinuated herself in his thoughts once again, and sleep still eluded him.
Friday night, after Sienna’s first performance
BACK IN her dressing room after her performance, Sienna sat down at her vanity while sipping from a bottled water, thinking of him. She picked up a towel, and was running it over her damp body when she heard a commotion outside her dressing room. When she peeked outside her door, she found Big Mike arguing with their newest bouncer, Billy, a young guy who was working on his criminology degree at University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
“I’m sorry, man,” Billy was saying. “That guy only asked me to bring this message back to Sienna. I looked at it, and it wasn’t anything rude, so I agreed. I know, it was stupid.” The guy stood at the ready, obviously worried that Big Mike was going to pound him. And from the look on Mike’s face, he wasn’t far off in that estimation.
Mike’s huge fists were hooked on his hips, his eyes narrowed at Billy as he said sternly, “Dude, I get it, but nothing gets delivered to Sienna, just like no one gets back here either. This is private space, and Sienna is not in the habit of taking names and numbers.” He leaned into Billy’s face and dropped his voice lower in warning. “Do not let this happen again.”
Worried that the two of them were about to go to blows, Sienna stepped outside her dressing room door and interjected, “Uh, guys, I’m standing right here. What’s going on, Mike?”
Billy lowered his head in shame. “Sorry, Ms. Flower, but some guy gave me this slip of paper for you with his number on it. He only asked if you wanted to go for coffee and to give you his number. I thought it might be okay to bring it back, but I made a mistake. I won’t do it again.”
“Okay, Billy,” Sienna said carefully, not wanting for Billy to get into trouble on her account. “Yes, Mike is right. I don’t normally take messages or numbers, but no one got hurt or bothered, so no worries. Since you’re already back here, let me take that.” She brought her hand up to take the slip of paper, then crumbled it in a ball, but held it tight in her palm. “By the way, what did the man look like?”
Mike swung his surprised gaze on her as she accepted the piece of paper, which was about as unusual as her walking the floor on a Friday night. For the second time that evening, Sienna was breaking her own personal code, and he knew it.
Great. Not only were Asher’s hackles up, but now Mike’s were, too.
Billy didn’t answer, he just looked to Mike to see what he should do after the dressing-down he’d just received for bringing the note backstage.
Mike ignored him, and with curious eyes glaring down at her, answered for Billy. “I saw him. It was the man at the table you stopped by earlier.”