He held her hand once again, and she noticed he did this a lot with her. She wondered why he felt the need to constantly hold her, but then she had to wonder if he was even aware of it. He ordered them drinks then pressed a kiss to her lips. “I’m just going to use the bathroom. You okay by yourself?”
“More than okay.”
Alexa watched her walk away. Would he come back? She’d seen him leave many women alone after performing like that.
Shut up, Alexa, deal with it as it comes.
She constantly felt the need to fight her feelings when it came to Corey. He wasn’t the kind of guy to settle down, and she wasn’t about to force him to. There was a yearning, though, a desire to be something more than just a fuck with him. Alexa had never been good at just random hookups. It was one of the reasons this place fascinated her. How could anyone find so much pleasure in strangers?
She thanked the barman for her drink as he placed both hers and Corey’s together. Grabbing her glass, she took a quick sip to find it burned. Corey had ordered them both strong brandy. Did he know she was nervous after what they’d experienced?
Deciding not to dwell too much on the information, she took another sip, trying not to cough as the liquid slid down her throat.
“That was quite a show.”
She turned to see a man, whom she didn’t know, take a seat beside her. “Thanks.”
“I’m Bernard.”
Nodding her head, Alexa wasn’t in the mood to give him her name. Just because she had put on a show with Corey, didn’t mean she was looking to find another man for the job.
“I would love the chance—”
“The woman clearly doesn’t want anything to do with you, Bernard. Get gone.” William took a seat beside her.
The man left, and she took another sip of her drink. “Does Corey want me to leave?” she asked.
“No. I’m not here for him, but for myself. I wanted to come and make sure you were all right.”
“I’m fine. Peachy, even.”
“I’m pleased you came back.” He took the drink the barman brought him, and Alexa wasn’t surprised to see that it was water. She’d never seen William drink.
“Corey blackmailed me.”
“Well, either way, I’m pleased. I don’t suppose you’ve noticed how he looks at you, have you?”
She shook her head.
“You’re the first woman I’ve seen him take an interest in.”
“I’m not going to pretend that anything is different between Corey and me. Whatever is going on will probably fizzle out in a couple of days.” She was surprised. Alexa had figured Corey would have gotten bored with her on the first night, which hadn’t been the case. It didn’t matter how much she tried not to care. It still hurt. She wanted to avoid being hurt by Corey. He wasn’t the kind of guy a woman fell in love with, or gave her heart to. Alexa wasn’t immune to Corey. She’d spent enough time watching him, and while doing so, she had hoped to create some kind of immunity to him. The way she was feeling at that very moment, she was failing.
Corey was the kind of guy who took what he wanted without looking back, or caring who he damaged in the process. He may never hurt anyone physically, but he hit them emotionally from the heart. Alexa didn’t want to get hurt, even though she knew without a doubt that she probably would.
“You really believe that,” he said. It didn’t sound like a question to her. “I guess I’ll have to see how this unfolds.”
“You’re not trying to poach my woman?” Corey asked.
“Not at all. I’m pleased she came back and is no longer mad at me.” William took his water, wishing them a good night.
****
Corey swallowed his drink down and took a seat. “What was he doing here?”
“He was just wishing me a good night, and he also got a man who came wanting to talk to me to go away.” Alexa sipped at her brandy.
Reaching out, he twirled a stray curl around his finger, giving it a little tug. “Then I’m more than happy that he was here.”
She chuckled, and he loved the sound.
“What do you think of us seeing each other outside of the club?” he asked. The words just spilled out of his mouth without any filter at all.
“Er, I don’t feel comfortable with that.”
Disappointment hit him directly in the chest. “Okay, it was just an idea to make you more comfortable with being around me. We’ll work up to those fantasies the hard way.” He stroked her cheek.
“It doesn’t mean we can’t talk to each other about stuff.”
“Okay, how about you tell me why you’re a librarian when you don’t need to work?” he asked.