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His dark gaze started at my heels, roamed ever so slowly over my deep green lingerie, and finally worked their way up to my eyes.

“An—”

“It’s Scarlett Jade here,” I quickly corrected him.

Wearing a top-of-the-line suit, he fit in perfectly. The Royale had a strict dress code, and Hunter looked damn good following the rules. He wore a custom charcoal suit that fit around each muscle of his body flawlessly, and his blond hair had that effortless messy look to it that still somehow made him appear put together.

“You know, there has been some chatter from the other girls about the owner of the Neon coming in here lately. Now, I’m finally seeing it for myself.”

“I never knew this place existed until a few months ago.”

“Interesting. I’m pretty sure I told you I worked at The Royale when we met a few months back.” I smirked with a devilish grin, calling his bluff.

There was something interesting about that little slip up. Could he really be here for me?

Swallowing thickly, Hunter’s gaze disconnected from mine. As he sipped his drink, his eyes roamed over the red velvet couches that lined the room. When I turned around to see what had caught his eye, a realization hit me.

Maybe he just liked to watch.

“What exactly brings you in tonight, Hunter?”

“I—Uh—Just winding down after work.” He lifted his nearly empty tumbler.

“I may not have seen you here before myself, but is this what you always do? Pay a shit ton of money to have a few drinks and watch the girls give lap dances?”

I wasn’t lying about the chatter amongst the girls. The word in the dressing room was that no one had been able to succeed in getting him in a room just yet. He just sipped his drink, watched a bit, then would leave after a while.

“Maybe you just never noticed me before.” His caramel eyes snapped back to me.

“Are you saying I’ve been here before while you’ve visited?” My eyebrows shot up.

“Once.” He shrugged. “Twice now, I guess.”

“Were you watching me work, Hunter?” I cocked my head to the side, offering an innocent smile.

He pulled on the back of his neck and paused for a beat before answering.

“You caught me red-handed.” He raised his hands in the air. “What can I say, while I go unnoticed, you shine in a room full of people.”

Such a humble man. He had no idea just how noticeable he was. Even in a room full of wealthy men with one-hundred-dollar bills seeping from their pores.

But I’d never fill him in on just how attractive I found him to be or how his compliment had me wanting to relive a little bit of what we started when we met in Denver.

Did it make me a pathetic that for months now, I found myself at The Royale Room, and this was only the second time I’d run into Andi?

This was a clear example of why I didn’t gamble. My odds were absolutely terrible.

I easily could have made my life a little less hectic by asking one of the other dancers or bartenders what days Andi worked—literally anyone in here. Instead, I chose to stay quiet, not make myself known, and because of that, I struck out almost every time. almost every time.

The first time I saw Andi at The Royale, I was mesmerized by her. Watching her as she worked was all I had been capable of that night. I’d spent too many days overthinking if I should confront her. But the voices in my head were loud enough to instill just a tiny bit of fear in me.

You met her once at a club out of town, she told you where she worked, and now, you’re here visiting her like a lost puppy? Creep.

Now, months later, she spotted me just moments after I’d walked up to the bar. It didn’t give me nearly enough time to work up the courage to figure out what to say to her when I finally talked to her again.

When I first met Andi in Denver, she was with my colleague’s girlfriend. Having mutual friends around made it easier to introduce myself. Everyone was already a little bit tipsy, and it was nothing like what I found myself doing now—hanging around her workplace in hopes of finding her because I couldn’t stop thinking about her after that night.

Nothing happened between us beyond some heavy flirting, dancing, and a body shot or two. But it was enough to have me intrigued for the first time in a very long time.