Operation Burlesque BBW Romance by Michelle Fox Read Free Book Online

premises.”
    I cringed inwardly, realizing this meant I would be standing outside for everyone to see in my ‘just been fucked’ sheet. As I stepped out of the trailer, I thought, ‘ At least I’m not being arrested .’  Clutching the sheet tight around me, I passed the other detective and hunkered down at the back of the trailer. No way was I going to stand out on the main drag for everyone to gawk. And where the hell had Blake gone? I’d apparently slept too deeply to notice his departure and he hadn’t left a note. Had he known about the warrant out for his arrest?
    Trouble with the law wasn’t unheard of for show folk. At least half the crew had served time for some offense or other. I’d seen the police escort one of the cook staff away in hand cuffs at the first stop of our tour. Rumor said he’d violated parole by crossing state lines. But performers were of different stock. Many of them were third or fourth generation acts and much too proud of their heritage to sully it with crime. I couldn’t picture Blake as a criminal. Clark, yes, but Blake? No way. Something was off.
    The detective stormed around inside the RV. I heard the thud of his feet on the floor and the bang of cupboards being slammed shut. His partner, a squat portly man positioned himself in front of the door. He didn’t look at me directly, but darted little side glances at my chest. Like that made his ogling any less obvious.
    I rolled my eyes. “Do I need to be here? Can I go?”
    He cleared his throat and finally looked at me. Only instead of my face, his eyes fell to my breasts. “Not until we ask some questions.”
    I gestured at my improvised toga. “Can I at least go get some clothes?” Things were still pretty quiet, but the arrival of the police had not gone unnoticed. I saw more than a few heads poke out of trailer doors and windows, curious to know what the early morning disturbance was. The last thing I needed was a public walk of shame.
    He shook his head. “You can’t go in there, Miss.”
    “My stuff is in another RV.”  I pointed in the general direction of Lilli’s trailer. “I live in the light blue one down that way.”
    He thought for a moment and then nodded. “That should be okay, but be quick about it.”
    I scurried off, choosing to slink behind the trailers instead of taking the public walkway. The last thing I needed was to run into Clark and his buddies. I darted into Lilli’s trailer like a mouse fleeing from a cat and heaved a sigh of relief when the door shut behind me. I was safe.
    Passing through the little galley kitchen, a large canvas propped up on the dining table caught my eye. I stopped in my tracks with a gasp.
    It was Blake’s painting from the last show. The one that changed from a rose to a heart to a couple. He hadn’t sold it. Instead he’d fucked me senseless, snuck out of his trailer and then broken into Lilli’s to leave it for me to find. There was no doubt that he’d intended for me to have it. Instinctively, I knew it was his way of saying goodbye.
    I reached out and touched it, the rough canvas weave tickling my finger. Last night had been a dream. So much had happened that I almost didn’t believe any of it was true. Yet here I had undeniable proof.
    Too bad everything had gone poof so quickly. It would’ve been nice to have more time to savor it all.
    Sudden tears dripped down my cheeks. I couldn’t stop myself from getting emotional about Blake. I didn’t want him to be just a one night stand, but that option was, apparently, off the menu. Stupid me, I’d gone to sleep believing in happy endings and woken up to find that dreams don’t come true. Not for me.
    He did warn you, said a mean, tiny voice in my head.
    “He also said he might look me up.” I found a tissue and blew my nose.
    My tiny voice snorted. That’s the same as ‘I’ll call you.’ You’re a fool, Ruby.
    I brushed off my inner demons and headed to the back of the trailer where Lilli and I