She hadn’t met me; she hadn’t even looked in my direction. She just sat on

that stool, as if at a garden party, and whispered to Roxie. Every now and then, she’d reach out and touch Roxie’s arm. So, they were friends outside of this place, I knew. Where had Roxie met her? What would a woman like Roxie be doing at any kind of function this woman might go to? Or had they met in some bar somewhere?

It was all quite a mystery, and I wanted to find out what it all meant. If Roxie would stop playing games and just bring the woman over to me, we could get started. Roxie, however, was enjoying her little game of tease. I gathered as much when she cast a wink in my direction with a slight wave of her fingertips.

“Bitch,” I whispered softly, but didn’t mean it.

I knew Roxie was heavily invested in the place; otherwise, she wouldn’t do

so much of the work around here, and this was all part of an elaborate dance.

From that little show on the stage, to the poised woman on that stool, it was all part of a plan Roxie had devised.

I’d strangle her if the tease of it all wasn’t so fun.

A grim smile stretched over my face, and I sat back to wait a little while longer. Good things come to those who wait. I knew that well from my time here. The other hotels would be fine without me, for now, and I could spend a little more time out here. Most of the work I needed to do could be done from my computer in the small penthouse I’d rented today, and the rest could be done with phone calls.

In the past, my father had spent a lot of time on the road, going back and forth between hotels. I hadn’t seen him a lot, and that was part of the reason he’d retired. He wanted to spend more time with his wife and play golf, so he’d handed over control of the hotels on the west coast of the country to me. I’d expanded the range when I bought hotels in New Orleans, Louisiana and one in Biloxi, Mississippi.

Taking our business to the east coast was proving almost impossible. There

were other places to look, some down the coast and others up, but I really wanted to have one here in Myrtle Beach. I was patient, and I’d wait. Something would come along. Just like the princess on the stool over there.

There were rooms here, rooms we could claim permanently, for a price, or we could use them as our whims took us. The rooms that were claimed permanently could be decorated and kitted out however we liked. I’d take one of those rooms tonight, I decided as I looked her over. Give her a little taste of what was to come.

Roxie shifted off of her stool and took her friend’s hand once again. I straightened in my chair as they came in my direction. I sat up straight and waited, my face impassive. Roxie’s face was a mask of triumph as she finally brought the woman to me. They walked up to my table, in a darker corner of the bar, and stood there.

The woman looked at me, her eyes taking in the shape of my face, the bulge

of my shoulders in the suit I wore, and the length of my fingers on the table. An arched brow told me she liked what she saw.

“Hello, Roxie. Who’s this delicious little morsel you’ve brought to me?” I was much taller than the woman, and now that she was close, I could see that her body was perfection, even if her hips weren’t very full. I would love every moment my hands were on her.

“This, my friend, is Stephanie. She’s just joined us here at Elmo’s, and I thought you’d like to meet her.” Her voice was cool, but I could hear the amusement in it. She’d seen how I’d stared at Stephanie then.

If that was her real name. She didn’t look like a Stephanie to me, not with those beautiful gray eyes, but I wouldn’t judge.

“Hello, Stephanie.” I turned my gaze to the woman and looked her over and

over again.

“Hello, Mr. Dark.” Her voice was barely above a husky whisper, and I felt a throb of desire.

“Mr. Dark?” I asked, confused, but willing to play along.

“Yes, you’re tall, dark, and handsome. I think it suits you.” The words came out on a flirtatious note.

I knew she’d be more than lovely at my feet, on her knees, with her head bent in submission. The image was so vivid in my head I faked a cough and pushed my hips under the table a little more.

“I can tell you my real name, if you’d prefer?” I offered, but she shook her head.

“No, Mr. Dark works, for now.”

“For now. Indeed. Would you like to sit?” I held a chair out but didn’t rise.

“I’ll leave you two to get acquainted then. Freddy’s just arrived, and I want to say hello.” Roxie left us with a wink in my direction, and I turned to the delightful company I’d just been left with.

“Can I get you something?” I asked, and she nodded. She seemed to be a little nervous now that Roxie was gone, but she didn’t panic.

“Rum and Coke, please.” She twitched the material that was wrapped around

her body and got settled in.

It only took a moment to get her a drink, and I came back with a confident

smile. “Here you go, as requested.”

“Thanks.” She took a drink of it before she put the glass down. “Look, I’m

new to this, and really nervous, so if I say something stupid…”

“It’s fine,” I interrupted I didn’t want her to get upset and possibly run off.

“You aren’t the only girl to walk through those doors for the first time. Just relax. We all know why we’re here, but there’s no need to rush into anything.”

I put my hand over hers and felt her warmth. I wanted her even more now that I’d heard her voice and seen those incredible eyes up close. She smiled, a little bashful now, but she leaned into me. She moved her bottom lip, and I knew she wanted to bite it; I wanted her to bite it, but she didn’t. Instead, she looked away.

“It’s nicer than I thought it would be,” she said and turned back to me. “I expected something like you’d see in a movie.”

“No, this isn’t one of those places, and it’s not a drug den. Drugs aren’t allowed.” I took a deep breath before I spoke again. “It kind of reminds me of the old gentlemen’s clubs you can read about in novels set in the Victorian era.

I’ve actually seen men reading newspapers and talking quietly here. It’s, well,

genteel, almost.”

“Except for the stage,” she pointed out, and I laughed.

“Except for the stage,” I repeated with a low chuckle. “But it’s not a bad place. Well, except for the dance club part on this floor. That can get pretty wild, but that’s only open for special events.”

“I see. And how does all of this work then?” She leaned forward, her elbows on the table as she picked up her glass to finish her drink.

“Roxie didn’t tell you?” I was a little surprised at that. Roxie normally took care of all of the new girls and told them the lay of the land.

“I know how it’s supposed to happen, but real life is always different from what you expect, isn’t it? I’m not sure how to proceed, exactly.” Her eyes had been on mine as she spoke but had fallen down to her hands now that she was finished.

“Well, it’s all up to you, Stephanie. If you should just so happen to find a man you like, you sit down, have a drink,” I paused to tilt my scotch at her, “and talk about it.”

“And what if the man doesn’t want me?” she asked, a question in her eyes.