See Jayne Play by Lynch Marti, Jami Denise Read Free Book Online Page B

Come on. I want to talk to someone,” Tony grumbled.
    He dragged me along, making his way toward a group of men smoking cigars in the corner. That was another thing about him. He may have dressed like a gentleman, but he handled me like a brute. There was nothing considerate about the way he treated me at all. No doors held open, no introductions, and no conversation. He drove his point home crystal clear. I was a toy, and I was to understand my place.
    Lots of men brought me along as their date to poker games. I could count on my fingers and toes ten times how often I’d been told I was a lucky charm. They were deluded, but I always played along. Sometimes, I’d be the lucky one and my date would hit it, but other times, I’d end up with a loser with something to prove once they’d lost their asses.
    Many of the faces in the room were familiar. Some passed me apologetic nods—a sign of respect toward my father, their comrade—and others gave me the appreciative once-over, knowing they too could have a spin with Jayne if the price is right.
    Girls and gamblers went hand in hand in Vegas. There was never a shortage of broads wandering around those parties, and then there were girls like me. There was a difference, and the men could smell it on me. They could pay me, but I could never be bought.
    Tony was busy blowing smoke up the ass of an older man with fat pockets, so I decided to grab a drink from the bar to settle my nerves. I was frustrated, and it was starting to show. There was no room for feelings in my line of work, and for several weeks, all I’d had were feelings.
    Confusion was at the very top. Worry was a close second. The assholes holding my father had become more and more difficult, and I was beginning to feel like I was being used as a pawn in someone’s sick game of chess.
    Thinking about Flynn was like a daily ritual for me. Everything reminded me of him, and it made everything else in my life more difficult. There was no room for it. None. It wasn’t like me to fall under the spell of a man, any man, and certainly not a man like Flynn Maguire.
    “ Grab me one, would ya, babe?”
    I sneered, but masked myself before turning around to face Tony.
    “ Beer?” I asked sweetly.
    He merely nodded and turned back around to continue his conversation.
    “ Dumb bastard.”
    I strolled toward the bar, smiling and greeting friendly faces, and then ordered a beer for my date and a white wine for myself. I needed a little something, and since I had no intention of being out of sorts while in the company of that man, I decided on something light.
    I thanked the bartender kindly, winking at him when I caught him glancing down the neckline of my dress, and made my way back to my date.
    That’s when I saw him, standing across the room with a gorgeous young blonde hanging on his arm. A rush of foolish jealousy ran through me like ice. I was livid, unreasonably and regrettably, but jealous nonetheless.
    His eyes caught mine, and I quickly looked away, gathering my bearings and wiping away any evidence of distress on my face.
    When I reached Tony, he was standing with a handsome gentleman in a smart grey suit. I smiled kindly, lowering my eyelashes and softening my eyes. With the older men, it was the innocence that got them. With the Tonys of the world, it was my tits.
    “ She’s a beauty, Anthony. You’re a lucky man.”
    “ Thank you. That’s kind of you to say.”
    “ If you want her number, Hank, I’ll be happy to share.”
    The pit in my stomach filled with bile, and I wanted nothing more than for the floor to open up and swallow me whole. He was such a bastard—a dirty, rotten, stupid son of a bitch. There was nothing I hated more than a smug jackass.
    If Hank was shocked by his comment, he didn’t show it. Honestly, he’d probably pegged me from the get-go. It wasn’t unusual for these men to bring rent-a-dates, and his warm smile told me he didn’t care one way or another.
    “ If you’ll