My Addiction (Club Desire #2)(77)

Chapter 23


Dex smiled at the tenderness that curled inside his chest as he looked into Kate’s beautiful green gaze. What they had just shared had been amazing, and he wished he could carry her off to his suite of rooms down the hall and convince her to never leave.

But there was still the case, and he still had to find the evidence to clear her.

He had no doubt he would, but before he could tell Kate how much he had come to feel for her, that was a necessary first step.

Once that was out of the way, he would make her his, no matter what it took.

He pulled her against him, cuddling her close and trying to bring himself to regret being too caught up in Kate to stop to put on a condom.

He didn’t even know if she was on the pill, but he didn’t care. The thought of Kate pregnant with their child filled him with happiness, not dread.

“My suite of rooms is just down the hall. Would you like to stay with me tonight?”

Or forever…

Genuine regret marred her expression. “As much as I want to, I need to get home. I need to take care of Rusty, and I also have projects to get out before tomorrow morning.” A sad-sounding sigh broke from her, and her bottom lip quivered. “I hadn’t planned on seeing you here tonight, or even staying very long. My plan was to see if I could get a tour and find out about membership, then come back later for anything else.”

She dropped her gaze, as if she couldn’t look at him, since the implication of coming back later was that she would have found someone besides him to play a scene with.

Just another reason Dex wanted to make her his. He never wanted to think about Kate playing with anyone else again, in any capacity. She was his, and only his.

Slowly, he nodded. “Can I drive you home?”

She slowly shook her head, and disappointment sat heavily on his chest.

“I wish I could say yes. But I know myself, and how easily I could get sidetracked by you.” Her expression was strained, as if she were deciding whether she really cared if they got sidetracked. “If you drive me home, I won’t want you to leave. We’ll get lost in each other for the rest of the night, and I won’t get my projects done.” She sighed.

He nodded, conceding that she was probably right. “Fair enough. Why don’t you come by tomorrow and I can show you any parts of Club Desire you’ve missed, and we can talk about membership.”

He couldn’t help the smile that curved his lips as he thought about her here. Especially once the case no longer stood between them.

“I’d like that.” She brushed another soft kiss over his lips. “I really need to get cleaned up and head home before I lose the will.”

He debated the merits of tempting her to stay, and finally decided to let her go.

For now.





Chapter 24


Dex sat in the leather office chair and wheeled it forward a few inches so he could boot up Club Desire’s on-site computer network and security monitors.

He had commandeered one of the guest rooms on the fourth floor of Club Desire, just next door to his own suite of rooms, and turned it into his dedicated office, since he spent so much time here.

No one used this room when he was gone, and it could be secured separately from his living quarters. Even the cleaning crew could only enter if they were accompanied by Dex, Jake, or Brent.

He missed Kate, and hadn’t heard from her yet, but his analyst team had sent him some documents he wanted to study, so he hoped they would take his mind off her.

Just as he laid his iPhone next to the keyboard, it started to ring, and Jason Tanner’s name flashed across the screen.

Dex pressed the green button on the screen to answer the call. “Alexander.”

“Dex, I’m here with the analyst team. We may have come up with something, and we wanted to touch base right away. Have you spoken to Caldwell yet?”

Surprise slapped at Dex. He hadn’t spoken to Merrick since they touched base early yesterday morning. “I haven’t heard from him. Was I supposed to?”

“He was headed to Phoenix and should have contacted you as soon as he got there.”

Sounds of a glass or cup being set on a hard surface carried over the line, and Dex could picture the analysts and his boss sitting around a conference-room table with a speakerphone between them.

A knock sounded, and Dex glanced over his shoulder toward the small foyer. “Hold on, Jason. Someone’s at the door.”

Dex made it to the door just as the knock sounded again. He pulled it open to reveal Brent, accompanied by Merrick Caldwell.

Brent stepped forward. “Sorry to disturb you, Dex. Mr. Caldwell said it was urgent he speak with you.”

Dex nodded and motioned them inside as he headed back toward his desk.

“Merrick, good timing. I just got on a call with Tanner and the analysts. Come on in.” He led Merrick forward and glanced back over his shoulder at Brent. “Thanks, Brent. I appreciate you bringing him up.”

Brent gave a mock salute. “No problem. I have to go soothe a client. I’ll talk to you later.” Brent left, and Dex laid his phone on the desk and touched the button to switch it to speakerphone as Merrick pulled up another chair.

“Jason, I found Caldwell. He just showed up at my door.”

“Good.” The sound of a squeaking desk chair came across the phone line.