Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter
Forty-Two
“I think I’ve aged ten years this week,” I said to Bodie as I slouched on a barstool.
I’d stopped by his place of employment after leaving the pawnshop, driven by a powerful need to see him again. Maybe I should have ignored that desire, but I was getting tired of denying my feelings.
“Turn around.” He gestured for me to spin on the stool.
I shot him a suspicious glance but did as instructed.
From across the bar, he touched each lock of my hair, one by one.
I craned my neck, trying to see what he was up to. “What are you doing?”
“Still no gray hairs.” He dropped my hair and patted my shoulder. “You’re good.”
“Well, that’s something, at least,” I said, turning to face him again.
That gave me a perfect view of his grin.
My stomach flipped at the sight.
“You sure know how to keep life interesting, Emersyn,” he said.
I’d already told him about the pawnshop escapade. He’d laughed so hard that he’d drawn the attention of a few nearby patrons. Thankfully, they’d since gone back to minding their own business.
“But,” he continued, “when I asked you to take someone with you to Vinny’s place, I wasn’t talking about senior citizens.”
I sighed. “Sometimes you’ve just got to work with what you’ve got.”
“And you do,” he said, his magnetic gaze locking on mine. “Work it, I mean.”
The room temperature spiked as electricity sizzled in the air between us.
Without breaking eye contact, Bodie tipped his head to the side, indicating a door marked Staff Only. “Come on. There’s something I want to show you.”
Intrigued, I slid off the stool.
“Hey, Gina,” Bodie called to the lone server working the floor. “I’m taking five.”
He came out from behind the bar and took my hand, leading the way through the door.
My skin buzzed, especially where his hand held mine.
As the door swung shut behind us, Bodie stopped. I did a quick visual sweep of our surroundings before focusing my attention on him.
“This is what you wanted to show me?” I asked. “A dimly lit corridor with unsightly stains on the floor?”
“Not the ideal atmosphere, I admit. And it’s not what I wanted to show you.”
“Then what?”
He took both of my hands in his. “I want to show you how I feel about you, Emersyn.”
The hum of electricity running along my skin intensified as he held my gaze.
He let go of one of my hands so he could cup my cheek. He searched my eyes, as if looking for permission.
I drew in a sharp breath, my lips parting.
His eyes darkened with desire.
Then his mouth was on mine, gentle at first, then hungry, more insistent.
I rose up onto my toes, leaning into the kiss, seeking the tipping point that would send me over the brink.
A nearby thud snapped me back to our surroundings.
We broke apart a split second before the door to the alley opened. A guy dressed in jeans and a black T-shirt wheeled in a keg on a dolly.
“Hey, Benny,” Bodie said, barely able to take his eyes off me.
I inched toward the other door. “I’ll see you later, Bodie.”
He looked like he wanted to say something to me, like he wanted to reach for my hand, but Benny started chatting with him, so I slipped out into the bar.
Gina blocked my path before I could turn for the front door. She sized me up as she leaned an elbow on the bar, chomping on a wad of gum. “So, are you, like, dating Bodie?” she asked, her hazel eyes lacking any warmth.
“We’re just friends,” I said, her hostile gaze setting me on edge. The memory of Bodie’s tongue sliding over mine prompted me to elaborate. “And neighbors.”
Okay, so maybe that didn’t sum up our relationship either.
Gina scrutinized me in silence for another three seconds before she seemed to dismiss me as potential competition. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
“You live in the building where that guy was killed?” she asked.
“You’ve heard about the murder?”
She shrugged one shoulder. “Sure, a detective came by. Super hot. Wanted to know if Bodie was here when the victim was killed.”
“They’ve been checking the whereabouts of pretty much everyone in the building,” I said, feeling the need to defend Bodie in some small way.
She blew a bubble with her gum and popped it. “Makes sense.”
“Someone confirmed his alibi, right?” He’d told me as much, but I figured a prudent detective would double-check.
“The assistant manager, Alex. They were here together that morning. Then I came in at eleven. Bodie was here all day.”
“That’s good. I mean, that the police were able to confirm that.” I tried to rein myself in from the edge of babbling as I inched my way around Gina. “Anyway, I’d better run. Nice talking to you.”
I caught a glimpse of disinterest in her eyes before I scurried out the door.
Once on the street, I dashed off to the nearest subway station.
I was in desperate need of a chat with my bestie.