Until April (Until Her/Him #10)(5)

A few hours later I shut down the engine of my Corvette, and don’t bother checking my reflection. I know my makeup is on point, from my smoky eye to my red lips, just like I know my silk camisole makes it seem like I’m more endowed than I actually am. My jeans accentuate my hips and long legs with tiny glimpses of skin through the ripped material.

I slip off my seatbelt and grab my purse from the passenger seat as I open the door. I set one high-heeled boot on the pavement, then turn in my seat and heft my booty out of my ride, using my hip to shut the door. I make my way across the dimly lit parking lot toward the back entrance of The Drop, where Tracy told me to enter from. When I hit the metal staircase, I carefully maneuver my way up using the railing so that my heels don’t get caught in any of the holes lining the steps. At the door, I pound hard twice, and Iggy pushes the door open and drops his eyes to mine.

“April? Damn, girl. How is it possible you look even more fuckable now?” He grins, taking his appearance from slightly scary to straight-up attractive, which is why he has never had an issue getting women into his bed. The tattoos and bad-boy look reels them in, then one smile seals the deal.

“Iggy, still so charming.” I roll my eyes, listening to him laugh, and he tugs me in for a tight hug.

“I missed you, girl.” He lets me go and allows me to step past him into the dim hallway.

“Me too,” I say, finding Tracy at the end of the hall with his plaid-covered arms crossed over his chest, his beard and hair longer than I remember. Where Iggy was always the bad boy, Tracy had that rugged guy-next-door look about him.

“Hey, you.” He smiles, uncrossing his arms and walking toward me. As soon as I’m close, he hugs me, then leans back with a look that makes me tense.

“What?”

“Well.” He clears his throat. “Cohen stopped by tonight.”

My stomach drops, but I keep my expression neutral. “Okay.”

“I might have mentioned that I spoke to you… and that you were planning on coming by.”

“Did you?”

“He said he’s been trying to get ahold of you,” Iggy chimes in, and I look between both men.

“Is he here now?” I wait, every muscle in my body feeling tight.

“No, but he left his number, asked if I could give it to you.”

“I don’t need his number, and I don’t want to come across like a bitch, but I’m here for work.”

“Right,” Tracy says softly, looking over my shoulder at his brother. I don’t know what the look he gives him means, but I can guess they are both thinking I’m full of shit and still hung up on Cohen, which I’m not. I just don’t want anything to do with him. My past with him is right where it needs to be—firmly in my rearview mirror.

I glance at my watch and see it’s two minutes after nine. “I need to get out there and meet my client. We’ll have a drink sometime and catch up.”

“Sure,” Iggy says, while Tracy lifts his chin.

“It’s been good seeing you both.” I move around Tracy and head toward a closed door, feeling the thump of music as I get closer, the noise almost deafening as I push into the bar on the other side. The smell of fried food and stale alcohol making me feel almost nostalgic.

I don’t glance at the bar, as I walk across the dance floor, even though I could totally use a shot of tequila right about now. Scanning the area, I spot Maxim right off, sitting at a table in the back, half hidden by the shadows, with a glass of amber liquid in front of him. His appearance has changed over the years. Now, instead of an attractive boy, he’s a man with an air of authority and arrogance that is seriously appealing even from a distance.

As I get closer, I slow my steps, wanting to take a moment to study him, but his head turns in my direction, and our eyes lock. I might have been prepared for this, but I’m not prepared for the zap of electric heat I feel against my skin as a flicker of something that makes me warm flashes through his dark eyes. He leans forward, causing the light-gray button-down shirt he has on to stretch across his broad chest and thick arms, and he raises a brow—in a challenge?

Reminding myself that I deal with men I find good-looking all the time, I pull myself together and walk across the room, closing the space between us and watching him stand.

“April,” his deep voice rumbles, and a tingle slides down my spine and right between my legs. “Still beautiful.”

Okay, so this might be an issue.

“Maxim.” I get close and grab his hard bicep as he leans down to place a kiss on my cheek, the scent of him and the coarse scruff on his jaw sending my hormones into overdrive.

“Sit,” he orders, holding out a chair. Once my ass is firmly in the seat, he towers over me. “What would you like to drink?”

“Water please.”

“Be right back.” His hand slides across the top of my shoulders as he walks away, his touch burning my skin. I take a deep breath, then another as I watch him saunter to the bar, every woman in the place turning to check him out as he passes. Needing something to do, I pull out the file for the bar from my bag and start to look over the information Frank sent me. Not surprising, the bar makes a killing most months, with the overhead pretty low, considering the amount of employees on staff.

“Your water.” Maxim places a glass down in front of me before he takes his seat.