Pulled Within by Marni Mann Page A

myself. But that house wasn’t just a little messy. It was a health hazard.
    I added a second bottle of bleach to my mental list and reminded myself to shower at work as much as I could.
    Starting right then.
     

CHAPTER NINE
    I LOOKED AT the chip Hart placed on my tray after I’d set his beer down. “A twenty-five-dollar tip is a little much, don’t you think?” He was already on his third drink, and he’d given me just as much for the last two rounds.
    “You’re not just serving me beer.” He folded his hand by throwing his cards out for the dealer to grab.
    “I’m not?”
    He shifted a little in his chair, turning toward me. His shirt was deep gray, almost charcoal. It darkened his eyes by several shades. “You’re providing entertainment.”
    I glanced down at what I was wearing. The uniform hadn’t changed, but it looked like it had gotten tighter somehow. It couldn’t have been because I’d gained weight; I hadn’t eaten anything since the day before. “You mean, my outfit is providing entertainment.”
    “No…I mean, your smile is.” He crooked his finger to motion me closer. “Although that doesn’t mean I’m ignoring your outfit. That would be impossible.”
    The encounters we’d had as teenagers were as sweet as they were sensual, and they’d bonded me to him. It was why I’d been so twisted up when he’d left. Still, I couldn’t stop my mind from wondering how he looked underneath his clothes now. The thought made my skin break out in a sweat, even with the room as cold as it was. The freezing air made my nipples strain against Christy’s bra. I hoped he couldn’t see them through the padding.
    I didn’t trust what would come out of my mouth, so I kept it closed. But I widened my lips and smiled even more as I handed out the rest of the beers on my tray. Once it was empty, I returned to the back room to fill up again.
    “That’s the guy you were talking to last night, isn’t it?” Christy asked, joining me at the bar. “The one at table eight.”
    I knew she’d told Kevin I’d done a good job; when I had arrived for my shift, a copy of the rest of November’s schedule was in my newly-assigned mailbox, with a key for a locker. I’d be working five nights a week, all closing shifts in the poker room. They’d given me the best shift, and Christy’s favorite section to work. I was grateful for that, and for her friendly interest, even if I didn’t want to talk about him.
    “Same guy,” I said.
    “What’s his name?”
    “Hart,” I answered reluctantly. “His name is Hart. I’ve known him for a long time.”
    “So you guys are friends?”
    I shook my head. “Maybe a long time ago. Not anymore.”
    “Well, friends or not, if he was looking at me the way he’s looking at you, I’d wait until we were both walking out to the parking lot, push his fine ass against the side of his car and tell him how amazing I am when there isn’t a pair of panties separating us. But I’m not you…and cock really isn’t my thing.”
    My neck swooped to the side, meeting her wide hazel eyes. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. He’s definitely not looking at me that way.” I was more interested in her piece of advice than her being a lesbian. It didn’t bother me at all; I just hadn’t pegged her for someone who liked girls.
    “Oh yes, he is…and so are you. If you don’t go for him quickly some other chick will.”
    “Good, I hope — ”
    “Hear me out, Rae. You’re right: I don’t know a thing about you two. Hell, I hardly know anything about you . But I’ve watched you two lock eyes all night, and there’s obviously something going on.” She was a little pushier than I liked. “I’m not saying you should fuck him right away; just show him why his eyes should stay on you, why your eyes are only on him and make him work for the rest. Chase it, you know?” She paused, glancing from side to side. There was no one around us except the bartender. She