In the Bedroom with the Rope: Tied in Knots Read Free Page A

backside encased in faded denim until he was out of sight.
    “Scale of one to ten?” Sam asked, removing clean glasses from the dishwasher. Ever since college, Stella kept her post-coital scoreboard which she shared with her roommate turned business partner.
    “Six. Though the packaging is excellent and his stamina was pretty great, his technique leaves something to be desired.”
    “Maybe you’re just demanding,” Samantha teased.
    “Oh no doubt about that. My O’s are on- hundred-percent high-maintenance. Man’s gotta earn that brass ring.”
    The sound of a truck backing up alerted them. “Must be Ralph with the liquor delivery. I’ll get it.” Stella set aside her coffee mug.
    “Staff meeting at four!” Sam called out. Stella waved dismissively. Sam shook her head. Stella was the good cop to her bad cop, letting her sort out employee issues. Just another one of her stick-in-the-mud duties. Just once, she wished she could be irresponsible.
    Do you really? Look how well that turned out with Alan.
    Shaking off the stray thought, Samantha wiped down the plastic-covered menus. Stella returned and flipped the closed sign to open. “I’ll man the bar until Greg gets in at one.”
    “I’ll be in the office if you need me.” Sam retreated with her coffee.
    The rest of the morning and the early afternoon flew by. She did payroll and finished up her presentation for the staff meeting. Part of the reason Lucky 21 was so successful, it wasn’t some seedy dive bar, but a place that catered to people from all walks of life. Their drink prices were Vegas reasonable, much more so than any of the casino lounges. The last quarter had been profitable and Sam made a mental note to talk to Stella about hosting live entertainment to draw bigger crowds on the slower nights. After all, what was Las Vegas without live performances?
    A knock sounded on her office door, which she’d closed to shut out the noise from the bar. “Who is it?”
    “Trevor Harrison,” came the deep reply.
    Sam made a high-pitched squeaking sound, which she fervently hoped he couldn’t hear. What was he doing here? Yes, she told him she had a bar, but she intentionally didn’t mention the name of it.
    He’s a detective, dumbass. How hard would it be for him to find you?
    Sam wiped her sweaty palms on her jeans. Her heartbeat was erratic, thrilling that he’d taken time to track her down, that he wanted to see her. Did the overwhelming attraction run both ways?
    She moved to the door and pulled it open. His broad shoulders seemed to fill the doorway and she had a vision of him turning sideways to pass through it. The scruffy, golden tipped stubble was so masculine, so alluring, like a cowboy fresh from a hard day on the range. Their eyes met and held and she got lost once more in the intensity radiating from his dark blue irises. “What are you doing here?”
    “You ran off on me this morning.” His gaze seemed to scorch her skin where it landed, hotter and bolder than any caress she’d ever received. “Just dropped your little bomb and headed for the hills.”
    “I had to open the bar.” Even in her own ears, the excuse sounded lame.
    One dark blond eyebrow went up. “Before noon?”
    “There’s lots to do.” Like listen to her business partner shagging a six and recall exactly the way Trevor moved his hand on his thick cock. Something told her Stella would invent a whole new scale for Detective Harrison. Ire coursed through her at the thought of Stella rating this man, of touching his magnificent body.
    He shifted his weight, looking mildly uncomfortable. “I won’t keep you long. Just wanted to apologize. I didn’t realize my bedroom was so visible and I’ll be sure to shut the blinds at night. I didn’t mean to offend you.”
    Disappointment filled her. She’d never get to see that particular show again. The words tumbled out before she thought them through. “I wasn’t offended.”
    He stepped closer, the light in his eyes