The Billionaire's Allure (The Silver Cross Club Book 5) by Bec Linder

chance.

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER SEVEN
    Beth
     
    I could not believe I had let him kiss me.
    What a stupid thing to do. But it had felt so nice. Nobody had kissed me in years, or even touched me beyond a polite handshake. I didn’t date anymore. The one boyfriend I’d had after Max ended up cheating on me, and after that it just seemed like too much of a bother. I had forgotten how nice it was to have someone’s hands on me.
    That was no excuse. Max was bad news, and I wasn’t going down that road again. No more dinners. No more kissing on his couch. And absolutely no going on a wild goose chase with him to search for Renzo. It was sweet that he wanted to try, but I knew Renzo didn’t want to be found. He’d made that clear when he stopped returning my calls. I was finished with Max’s adventures.
    I was a fool, and Max was a terrible idea, but that didn’t stop me from bringing myself to orgasm in bed that night, both of my hands tucked between my thighs, lying there in the dark thinking about Max’s hand on my hip.
    The next day, I tried to write and couldn’t. I ended up staring out the window and thinking about Max and Renzo and the past and what I wanted from the future. Happiness. A family. I wanted kids at some point. Maybe a farm upstate and some chickens. And it was far too easy to insert Max into those daydreams. Max beside me in the car, our dog in the back seat with its head lolling out the window. Max helping me with breakfast in our light-filled kitchen.
    Oh, help me. I couldn’t have those things, and didn’t even necessarily want them. It was nothing more than a silly fantasy.
    I went to work. One of the waitresses had called in sick, and I debated calling someone to cover for her, but Amy convinced me that because it was Monday we didn’t really need the extra help. More tips for the rest of us. I usually ended up regretting listening to Amy, and I told her as much.
    She just grinned at me and said, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game.”
    “What does that even mean?” I asked. “What’s wrong with you? Go make yourself useful and fold some napkins.”
    “Beth’s in a bad mood,” she hollered as she headed for the back. The gathered dancers gave me speculative looks. Mike raised his eyebrows, then started whistling as he sliced lemons.
    Unbelievable.
    Scarlet approached me, still in her street clothes. She had come into the room just as Amy left, and based on the way she was looking at me, she had heard Amy’s warning.
    “Don’t show any fear,” Mike told her. “She can smell it on you.”
    “For God’s sake, Mike,” I snapped. “I’m not a tyrant.”
    “You think I’m afraid of her?” Scarlet asked. “Get real. Beth, Germaine says she wants to see you.”
    “Okay,” I said. I rubbed my face. What now? “Thanks.”
    The club wouldn’t open for another fifteen minutes, so I went directly to Germaine’s office. The door was closed for once. Odd. I knocked. There was no response—also odd—but a few moments later, the door swung open to reveal Germaine’s pale and unsmiling face.
    Something was wrong. The hair at the back of my neck prickled. “Germaine,” I said, an unspoken question in my voice.
    “Beth. Come in,” she said, and stood aside just far enough for me to slip through the door.
    Max was there in her office.
    “ Really ?” I said, before I could stop myself.
    Germaine closed the door behind me and leaned back against the solid wood, her arms folded against her chest. She didn’t look amused. “Beth, your gentleman caller seems to think that my club is a social venue.”
    “I’m sorry,” I said. “I haven’t told him to come here, you know. He just keeps showing up. Max, you are really causing problems for me.”
    He looked completely unconcerned, hands loosely tucked in his pockets, fair cheeks flushed. He was wearing a canvas jacket and a knit cap. He must have just been outside. “I’ll stop coming here if you stop