Page 54 of Player For Hire

I poured him another beer and slid it back in front of him.

Thankfully, the crowd was thinning as some people moved on to the club a few blocks down. The conversations cranked back to a low murmur instead of the headache-inducing shouts of laughter. Usually, I liked the Saturday night crowds.

I liked people and liked overhearing—and participating in—conversations even more.

Tonight, I had one thing on my mind.

The doors opened again, and my chest tightened as Naomi came in with Iona. Her hair was scraped back into a high ponytail, and she had big hoops in her ears. Her curves were on display in a misty gray dress with a killer pair of pink heels showing off her legs. Legs I was intimately acquainted with.

Had to be pink.

Fuck me, man. From an innocuous pink jacket to a mind-bending afternoon of orgasms.

Duncan glanced over, his beer stalling an inch from his lips. “Damn.”

“Yeah.” I frowned at him. “Don’t make me break something.”

Duncan grinned. “So which one? Never mind. It’s obviously the redhead. Who’s her friend?”

“She’ll chew you up and spit you out, son.”

“My kind of girl.”

Iona hopped up on a stool. She was dressed in all black with a dusting of some sort of glitter on her bare shoulders. “You know what I want.”

“Hello to you too, Iona.” I started building her Negroni as my gaze slid to Naomi. “Hey.”

She climbed onto the stool beside Iona, that secret smile in place. “Hey.” Damn those blue eyes killed me. “Sorry we’re late. We grabbed some dinner at the Rooftop Garden.”

“Swanky place.” I dug my lighter out to warm the orange rind, then I chased the rim of Iona’s glass before setting it in front of her.

“Thanks.” Iona brought it to her lips. “I’ve had these all over and you make them best.”

“What are you having, beautiful?”

Iona slid her glance toward Duncan and gave him a withering stare without replying.

Duncan shrugged and went back to his beer.

“Iona, meet Duncan. My best friend.”

Instead of looking chagrined, she seemed even less impressed. She simply nodded and gave him her back.

His eyebrows shot up and he glanced at me.

I shrugged.

“Duncan, meet Naomi.”

Naomi leaned forward and waved at him. “Nice to meet you.”

“So you’re the one who’s put a big stupid grin on his face?” He pointed his thumb at me.

Her cheeks turned rosy. “Did I?”

I leaned on the bar and trailed my finger over her wrist. “You know you did.”

She nibbled on her lower lip. “When do you get off tonight?”