Unraveled (The Untangled Series Book 1)

by Ivy Layne

  "My purse?" I looked down at the pink linen clutch in my hand. It matched my dress and shoes perfectly, but I could find another purse.

  "Yeah, your purse. I have a top it would look awesome with." An expectant look in her eyes, she waited.

  "Deal," Evers said. "His name is Smokey. Smokey Winters."

  Her eyes lit up and she laughed, the bubbles of sound too bright for the dim, grungy room. Quietly enough that she wouldn't be overheard she said, "Oh, I know Smokey."

  "Then spill," Evers said coolly. His eyes narrowed as Jade slid her chair closer to mine, draping an arm around my shoulder and leaning in, pressing her breasts against my side.

  She caught his look. "I don't want the boss to think we're just having a chat. As far as he knows, I'm trying to talk your girl here into a champagne room. You pay him for the champagne room and once we're there, you're going to give me the three hundred and the purse and I'm gonna tell you everything I know about Smokey. Sound good?"

  Her voice was light and friendly but beneath it was steel. If Evers said no she'd get up and walk away, telling us nothing. To me, almost apologetically, she said, "I want to help you, really, but I can't lose my job over it. I've got bills to pay."

  Evers nodded. "Be right back," he said in my ear, "don't move from this seat without me."

  I just smiled. He had nothing to worry about. There was no chance I was wandering around The King’s Club on my own.

  Evers got up and stalked to the bar. I took a sip of my gin and tonic, my eyes watering at the strength of the drink. Jade saw and giggled again. "He likes a heavy pour for the first drink," she said in a low voice, "gets the customers to open their wallets faster."

  That made sense. I took another sip of the gin and tonic. "Do you guys get busier than this?" I asked, feeling stupid when Jade giggled again.

  "Oh, yeah. Not so much on weeknights, but tonight we'll be hopping. We're the only club in town. You want something bigger, better, you have to go all the way to Greenville. This place may look like a dump, but the girls who know how to dance don't do too bad."

  I remembered the way Jade had moved in her high, high platform heels and said, the gin loosening my tongue, "I bet you're a good dancer."

  Another giggle. "You sure you don't want me to show you? I love dancing for girls. Not as grabby, and you smell better."

  "I was just thinking the same thing about you," I said and flushed red, draining the rest of my drink so I couldn't say anything else. I couldn't embarrass myself if I couldn't talk. Jade gave me a squeeze as she laughed again.

  "Green Apple glitter lotion," she said. "Looks great under the lights and smells so yummy."

  It really did. I didn't think glitter lotion fit into my life, but I'd love something with that green apple scent. I made a mental note to check my favorite lotion store and see if they had anything similar.

  Evers appeared beside my chair. Reaching to take my hand, he pulled me from my seat. Jade moved to his other side and looped an arm through his, guiding us to the back of the club, past the long length of the stage to a dark hallway with numbered doors the same purple as the exterior of the club, the numbers in the same flaking gold paint as the sign.

  Jade pushed open the door marked 1 and led us inside. I don't know what I'd expected in a champagne room, but it definitely wasn't this.

  The word champagne conjured a certain image.

  The cracked faux leather sofa, stripper pole bolted in the middle of the room, and worn, stained carpet were not it.

  I heard myself say, "Where's the champagne?"

  Evers huffed out a laugh.

  "The champagne is extra in the champagne room," he explained under Jade's giggle. "This little venture is costing enough as it is, and I have no idea what they call champagne here—"

  The door closed firmly behind us as Jade said, "You don't want it. Trust me."

  "I figured," Evers agreed.

  Jade strode to the side of the room, turned on a small stereo and music filled the air. She gestured to the couch.

  "There's no audio in here, but there are cameras. We can't just sit down and have a chat. I'm going to dance. You're going to put the money in her purse so I can take it when we're done."

  Evers nodded. Jade began to sway to the music, and I busied myself emptying my personal things out of my little pink clutch. There wasn't much. My driver's license, credit card, a few business cards. I left Jade the loose change since my dress didn't have any pockets.

  Handing Evers the clutch, I looked up at Jade. My mouth went dry. Jade’s hips swayed, her body rubbing the pole behind her, bra already gone. Her very full, very natural breasts swayed with every turn of her hips.

  I blinked. I hadn't expected to see that. Kind of dumb, considering I was sitting in a private room in a strip club and she'd just said she was going to dance.

  Still, I hadn't expected breasts. Not up close and personal. On the stage, sure. Not in arms’ reach.

  I could kind of see where Evers was coming from. I was too sheltered to hang out in a strip club if I was surprised by naked breasts.

  The sway of Jade's body mesmerized me—the twist of her hips, the dip of her shoulders, the smile on her lips as her back arched.

  My cheeks flushed with heat, and I cleared my throat. Evers slid closer to me on the couch and murmured in my ear," If you keep looking at her like that I am not going to be responsible for what happens."

  I swallowed hard and met his eyes. They burned with icy-blue fire. Stark need. Not for Jade. For me.

  He reached up and ran his thumb over my flushed cheekbone.

  "I'm definitely taking you out on the town in Vegas. Watching you watch her? That's fucking hot."

  My cheeks burned. I pressed my knees together, fighting the sudden warmth between my legs. Evers' hot eyes, his thumb stroking my cheek, the sound of his voice, the gin muddling my brain, and Jade, dancing only feet away—all of it had my head swirling.

  I looked back to see Jade place her hands high on the pole and effortlessly lift her body until she was upside down, legs wrapped around the dull gold surface. Changing her grip, she parted her legs in a wide V, bracing her feet on the pole, and spun, her red hair flying. Before I could figure out how she did it, she hooked a leg around the pole, bending her other behind her in an arabesque, and spun again, her back arched, full breasts front and center.

  My jaw might have dropped just a little. Under his breath, Evers said, "Fuck me."

  He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer until I was almost plastered to his side, then turned his attention to the middle of the room, fastening his eyes on the ceiling, just above Jade.

  Through the mess of thoughts in my head, it struck me as incredibly sweet that Evers wasn't staring at the gorgeous naked woman only a few feet away. And she was naked now. Somewhere, somehow, while she'd been on the pole, the thong had hit the floor.

  I squeezed my eyes shut for a second then blinked again. Jade was seriously athletic. I'd underestimated the dancing skills required for stripping. Jade had said she did pretty well. Watching her work that pole, I was not surprised.

  Once I got past the fact that she was naked, I saw the strength in her legs, the flex of her arms. Dropping from the pole, she landed on the ball of one foot and spun in two quick pirouettes before reaching for the pole again and lifting herself into the air. I'd taken just enough ballet as a girl to recognize a trained dancer.

  "You can look," I whispered to Evers, wondering what had gotten into me.

  He swallowed hard and shook his head, less in denial than exasperation. "Smokey Winters," he said to Jade. "What do you know?"

  "He really your dad?" she asked me, flipping upside down against the pole, eyes on mine, her breasts practically at her chin.

  Distracted, my voice frozen in my throat, I nodded.

  "I could see that," she said conversationally as if we were having tea and she wasn't stark naked and hanging from a stripper pole. "You look like him. Same eyes. Though yours
aren't bloodshot."

  Yep, she knew my dad.

  "When was he here last?" Evers asked.

  "A few days ago. With his friend Warren. You know Warren?"

  "I know Warren," I said.

  I racked my brain for what I could remember about my dad's friend Warren. I didn't know him well, but I knew Dad and Warren had been tight since long before I was born. I had the vague idea Warren lived somewhere in Alabama, but maybe I had that wrong.

  "Is Warren local? I didn't think he lived around here," I said.

  "Oh, yeah." Jade flipped right side up and landed on her feet, grinding her ass against the pole and shaking her breasts. "Well, kind of local. He lives south of town a ways. I think almost in Sawyers Bend. I've never been to his place, but I've heard him bitch about the drive."

  "You have a last name on Warren?" Evers asked.

  "I don't know," Jade said vaguely. She turned around, sending a teasing look over her shoulder at me, then bent over, legs spread, swaying her hips.

  My eyes shot to my knees. Jade was completely comfortable putting all of her goodies on full display to strangers sitting five feet away. Her dancing had been mesmerizing. This was too much.

  I cleared my throat and snuck a sidelong look at Evers. He smirked at me in amusement. I would have bet my face was the color of a cherry tomato.

  Evers leaned in and brushed his lips across my cheek. "You are fucking adorable. If we don't wrap this up so I can get you out of here—"

  I cleared my throat. "It would really help if you could give us a last name for Warren. I can't remember. I haven't seen him in a few years."

  Jade hummed to herself and finally, blessedly, stood up and turned back around to give us the front view.

  I could handle the front view without dying of embarrassment. She really did have very pretty breasts. Pretty breasts and a spectacular body.

  A friend of mine took a pole dancing class for exercise. She’d said it was fun but hard as hell. Watching it in real life, I could imagine. I wondered what Evers would think if I took a pole class and danced for him at home. Somehow, I thought he wouldn't mind that at all.

  Jade twisted her hips, running her hands over her breasts and humming to herself as she thought. "Warren, Warren, Warren—" she said to herself, over and over. Finally, "Warren Smithfield. I kept thinking Warren Freshfield but that's not it. Warren Smithfield. Freshfields is a grocery store. Warren Smithfield. That's it."

  "You're sure," Evers said.

  "Oh, yeah, I'm sure. I remember looking at his card and thinking it was an awfully dignified name for a guy like Warren." She looked at me, "You know what I mean."

  Sadly, I did. I hadn't seen Warren in a few years, but he was the last guy you'd describe with the word dignified.

  Evers stood, set my pink clutch on the arm of the sofa, and pulled me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist, keeping me glued to his side.

  "Thanks for your help, Jade. We can see ourselves out."

  "No, thank you. And thanks for the purse. It's going to look awesome with my shirt. I hope you find your dad."

  "I put my card in there," Evers said, nodding toward the arm of the couch. "If you see Smokey in the next few days, and you give me a call, tell me where he is, I'll make it worth your time."

  Jade winked at us. "Gotcha. I'll keep an eye out."

  I gave her a friendly wave as Evers pulled me away. We strode through The King’s Club and out the door, the humid summer air delicious after the musty, sweaty smell of the club.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Summer

  Evers opened the passenger door of the SUV, waiting until I was fastening my seatbelt before closing the door and rounding the hood to get in himself.

  As soon as the door was shut, he picked up his phone, tapped the screen, and a moment later said "It's Evers. Run a Warren Smithfield. I need an address. Western North Carolina. Text it to me."

  He put the phone in the center console and looked at me with burning eyes. The heat between my legs intensified. My head spun with the utter oddness of the situation.

  This whole night had been a big step outside my world. Sleazy bars and strip clubs were not in my universe.

  "I never in a million years pictured you in a strip club," Evers said, his voice a low rumble, "but watching you watch that girl dance was the fucking hottest thing I've ever seen."

  He'd said that before, in the club. Making sure I understood, I clarified, "Watching me watch her? Don't you mean watching her?"

  Slowly, Evers shook his head. "No, baby. I've seen plenty of strippers dance. That girl is nothing next to you. But the look on your face while you watched her dance, your wide eyes and the flush on your cheeks, the way it spread down your neck and across your chest until I wanted to unzip that dress and see how far that pretty pink color went… No, Summer. Watching you watch her. That's what was hot."

  Bright light flashed through the windows as a car pulled into the lot, then another. I glanced at the dashboard clock. It was after eight, and Jade had been right, The King's Club was starting to pick up.

  Evers noticed, too. "I wish we already had a hotel room. I want you in bed."

  He reached across the center console and slid his fingers across my cheek to bury themselves in my hair, curving around the back of my head and pulling me forward until his lips met mine, hungry and impatient.

  I shifted in my seat, turning, straining against the seatbelt, trying to get closer. I'd been dead set against that hotel room. Now I was right there with him. We needed a room. A bed.

  After almost two months apart, the couch in the library had not been enough.

  Evers' phone beeped with a text and he pulled back, breaking our kiss. I let out a short whimper at the loss of contact. At the loss of him.

  Checking the screen, he stared at the address for a moment before he said, "I guess you get your wish. We're headed to Griffen's hometown. Your father's friend has a place in the hills outside of Sawyers Bend."

  The sun was slowly setting over the mountains as we drove west out of Asheville. The city transitioned quickly to suburbs and then, in the blink of an eye, to nothing but green mountains.

  The drive wasn't much more than a half hour, and again, the transition from mountains to civilization was abrupt. No fast food restaurants or big box stores, just the four-lane road moving to two lanes and then Main Street.

  Sawyers Bend was a perfect slice of Americana. Main Street was busy, couples strolling hand-in-hand past shops, galleries, restaurants, and the occasional bar. Storefronts had neatly-painted windows, flowerpots by the doors, striped awnings and wrought iron benches.

  Evers slowed the SUV to a crawl, held up by tourist traffic and crowded crosswalks, giving me plenty of time to soak in the local flavor. Art galleries showcasing paintings, sculptures and dramatic woodcarvings. Two craft breweries. This area of North Carolina seemed to have as many craft breweries as churches, which is saying something in the Bible Belt.

  Not to mention all the restaurants. Based on the dining options, I guessed foodies flocked to Western North Carolina along with the beer and nature lovers.

  At the end of Main Street, just after the last of the shops and restaurants, a massive stone and timber building loomed over the street. Evers pulled into the curved drive beneath a dark red awning and parked. A uniformed valet came to his side of the SUV.

  "Checking in?" he asked when Evers lowered the window.

  "We'd like to, but we don't have a reservation. Do you know if you're full tonight?"

  "You'll have to ask inside, but I'm fairly sure we have rooms available. Would you like me to take care of your vehicle? I can pull it to the side and the desk will let me know if you need me to park it."

  "That would be great, thanks."

  I let myself out of the car, looking through the glass double doors into the lobby. A brass plaque beside the door read The Inn at Sawyers Bend.

  Evers and I were met at the front desk by a young woman in a dark
red jacket similar to the valet’s.

  "Can I help you?" she asked with a pleasant smile.

  "We don't have a reservation," Evers said. "Do you have any rooms available?"

  "We do, sir. What are you looking for?"

  "I'm open to ideas. What do you have?"

  "We have several of our standard rooms, all unique and custom-designed with king size beds, flat-screen televisions, broadband Internet, and luxury baths. Most have beautiful views of the mountains. We have two suites available and one of the cottages. I believe—" she clicked a few buttons on her keyboard. "Yes, the Honeymoon Cottage."

  Evers leaned across the desk and flashed his most charming grin. "Tell me about the Honeymoon Cottage," he said with a wink at me.

  I opened my mouth to tell him we didn't need anything fancy when he pulled me close, dropped his lips to my ear, and whispered almost inaudibly, "Don't argue and don't say my name."

  He kissed my cheek before he straightened, and I gave an internal shrug. If he wanted to pay for the Honeymoon Cottage, I wasn't going to get in his way. After what I owed for the info on my dad, I wasn't in any shape to offer to cover the room. As for the name thing, I'd figure that out later.

  Staring at us with polite speculation in her eyes, the clerk said, "Our Honeymoon Cottage is two rooms, a spacious master bedroom and open living room with dining area and kitchen. The bath is imported marble and features a soaking tub built for two. The cottage has a screened-in porch overlooking the river and a stone fireplace, with a fire already laid. The interior design and all furnishings were created specifically for the cottage. It's one of our most luxurious spaces, and its location offers both privacy and beautiful views of the river and the mountains."

  "We'll take it." Evers pulled a credit card from his wallet and slid it across the counter.

  She picked it up, read the front, and said, "Thank you, Mr. Wilcox. How long will you be staying with us?"