Offensive Behavior (Sidelined #1) by Ainslie Paton Read Free Book Online

weight hip to hip. “I just told you, you don’t.”
    He
pulled a hundred from his wallet and held it in front of her. “How do I get a
message to Lux?”
    She
shook her head. “I’ll bring you kid’s drinks, but I won’t sell out one of our
girls.”
    “So if
I held up another two hundred bucks and all I wanted was for you to deliver a
message to Lux, you wouldn’t take it?”
    “Make
that three hundred and you’ve got a deal.”
    He
whistled. “You drive a hard bargain, Vi.” He’d have paid twice that. Just for
the game of it. “Tell Lux, Reid would like to speak to her in person.”
    “I’ll
tell her, but I’m not guaranteeing she’ll agree and I get to keep the money
whatever happens.”
    He
nodded and handed her the cash and an envelope. “And give her that.”
    Violet
took the cash and tucked it into her waistband. She tapped the envelope against
her lip. “This better not be drugs. She does drugs, Lou will can her.”
    “It’s
not drugs.”
    “What
is it then?”
    “Private.”
    She
sighed. “You ever stop hanging around here you’ve got a career as a lawman, I
reckon. Bossy enough.”
    “That
cash self-destructs in fifteen minutes.”
    “All
right, all right. I’m going.”
    Vi
backed away, using his envelope to fan her face. He watched her go to the bar,
take out another tray of drinks and then disappear off the floor. A dancer Reid
had never seen before was on stage, so nervous she’d stumbled twice and looked
like she was ready to burst into tears.
    He
watched for Vi to come back, figured she’d bring a message, because Lux never
came down from the stage. None of the girls did. He pulled his cell out and sat
it on the table, because once Lux read his note she might call instead. He wanted
this to be painless, for her to choose how they interacted again instead of
having the hassle of him foisted on her.
    What he
got was Vi with another Coke. “I told her. I gave her the note.”
    “And.”
    Vi shrugged.
“And nothing.”
    “She
did not say nothing.”
    “Nothing
for your ears.”
    There
was a burst of raucous laughter from the stage area, the new girl had taken a
tumble.
    He went
for his wallet. Vi put her hand out and grinned. “You know I’m splitting this
with her.”
    He
grunted. “I don’t care what you do with it, take another message. Ask her, yes
or no?”
    Vi
sauntered off before he could suggest his money might burn a hole in her bra if
she held onto it too long before finding Lux.
    He
watched the new girl humiliate herself. She was pretty in a blonde, fake tan,
big teeth kind of way. Lux was a brunette. He much preferred her less brash
style and when Vi came back, he raised his brows at her expectantly.
    “Told
her.”
    “Is
this how flirting works? I pay you to do something and you do it so
incompetently I’m forced into paying up again?”
    “I
liked you better when you sat there and oozed a miasma of gloom.”
    “Miasma
of gloom?” That was a new one.
    She
shrugged. “I read a lot.”
    He
locked onto Vi’s eyes with the kind of contact that made people squirm, got him
called too intense. “What did she say?”
    Violet
blinked twice and curled her cherry red lip. “I could tell you but then I’d
have to kill you.”
    Good
God, this woman had armor-plating under her tiny skirt. He’d obviously
underestimated her, showed his hand too soon. He went for his wallet again. He
could do this all night if it’s what it took.
    He
wasn’t ready for a warm hand to fold over his and lower it to the tabletop. There
was no way to be ready for the vision of Lux in silver snakeskin. Hell, what
was that she was wearing? Bare legs, most of her torso naked. What there was of
the outfit wrapped around her tight little body, cupping her breasts, skimming
her ribs and hips, leaving everything to his imagination.
    All he
got out was a strangled. “Wow,” and she let go his hand.
    Vi
laughed. “I see you’ve got this covered, Lux, girl. Don’t let Lou catch you