Dakota handed her car key to the valet standing in front of Club Masquerade, the club Mason’s family owned. She gave her name to security who monitored the entrance and waited as he checked the VIP list. Friday night hadn’t come fast enough. She’d been thinking about Hamilton all week and couldn’t wait to see him again.
“Welcome, Ms. Sherrod. We’ve been expecting you,” he said and spoke into a mouthpiece attached to his black suit jacket. “Ham, your guest is here.”
The security guard gave a slight nod and smiled at Dakota as he held the door open for her.
It pays to know people, Dakota thought. The few times she had stopped by the club, she’d been one of those who had to stand in line outside hoping to be allowed in.
Entering the enormous space, she squinted until her eyes slowly adjusted to the dim lighting. “Excuse me. Sorry,” she said as she weaved around people hovering near the entrance. As she blended into the crowd, music blared through the speakers and right away Dakota’s head bobbed and her body rocked to Beyoncé’s latest hit.
This is what she needed tonight. After a busy work week, having a drink or two, letting loose and soaking up the energy surrounding her was in order. Seems that was the case for many others. The place was packed with people talking loudly, laughing with friends and having a good time.
All right, Hamilton. Where are you?
She lifted up on tip-toes and stretched her neck searching for him, wondering how he’d find her or how she’d see him in the large crowd. They hadn’t talked in a few days. Not since the first night after leaving the safe house. He had called then to check on her and to confirm their plans to have a drink. It had taken all her self-control not to call him during the week, especially at nighttime.
Dakota shifted to her left and a sweet thrill skittered up her spine when she spotted him in the distance. His tall powerful frame stood in the middle of the staircase that led to the VIP section and he glanced around, searching for her. Tonight, he wore a dark suit that molded over his muscular body, emphasizing his wide shoulders and thick biceps while highlighting his commanding presence. The man looked absolutely delicious.
“Dance with me,” a deep voice said from behind her.
Dakota turned, stunned to see a familiar face. “Lester?” Normally she only saw him when he parked his food truck outside of the movie set, but today he actually looked human. Gone was the greasy hair, and the nose and lip ring he sported proudly. He had even shaved, getting rid of the raggedy scruff on his face. “You clean up well,” she finally said.
“Thanks.” He grinned, apparently thinking her compliment gave him permission to touch her. He wrapped his arm around her waist and leaned in close. She was reminded of what Hamilton had said about Lester, claiming they were an item. She hadn’t stopped by the food truck in days and hadn’t had a chance to address that declaration.
“Funny running into you here. Dance with me.”
Dakota eased out of his hold. “I can’t, but I’m glad I ran into you,” she said loudly over the music. “You need to stop telling people we’re dating and getting married.”
He lowered his head within inches of hers, alcohol tainting his breath. “It’s only a matter of time, sweetheart.”
Dakota chuckled at his arrogance. “That’s never gonna happen. So you might as well move on. I’ll see you around.”
“Come on, Dakota,” he pleaded. “Just one dance. Give me a chance to get to know—”
“Find someone else, man.”
Dakota recognized Hamilton’s voice, and even if he hadn’t spoken, with the sudden heat that shot up her back she would’ve known he was close.
“Man, I saw her first,” Lester said, sounding like a three-year-old and then grabbed her arm with force, surprising the hell out of her.
“Lester, I suggest you—"
“Let her go or lose a hand.” The lethal rumble of Hamilton’s tone left no doubt about his intentions. That’s when Dakota saw a couple of monster-sized security guards coming from two different directions and heading toward them.
Dakota tried easing out of his hold, hoping to thwart the tension building between the two men, but Lester gripped her arm a little tighter.
“Let. Her. Go,” Hamilton said in a deadly calm voice.
“Or what?” Lester taunted. “You think y—”
With lightning speed, Hamilton snatched the guy up by the front of his shirt. “Let’s go.”
“Get off me!” Lester jerked, but Hamilton didn’t loosen his grip and started to drag the guy away. He hadn’t taken two steps before his men were by his side.
“Get him out of here. Make sure he never returns.”
“Let me go! You’re not getting away with this!” Lester yelled until he was out of earshot.
Hamilton turned back to Dakota and cupped her cheek with such gentleness, it was as if the last five minutes hadn’t happened. “You okay?”
“I’m fine, but you know I could’ve handled him, right?”
“Right. I forgot you can take care of yourself,” he said, staring at her lips, but didn’t make a move to kiss her.
Dakota slipped her hands beneath his jacket, loving the way his muscles contracted beneath her touch. “That doesn’t mean I don’t want you coming to my rescue. And was that jealousy I sensed? Surely, you’re not the jealous type, Mr. Crosby,” she teased.
Without smiling, Hamilton leaned in close enough for them to kiss. “Actually, I am. So, remember that.” The huskiness of his voice washed over her like an intimate caress, and then he covered her mouth with his. The greediness of the kiss wiped away any more questions and everything and everybody around them faded away. It became abundantly clear he was staking his claim.
Knees weakening, Dakota fisted his shirt and held on to him until someone bumped into them, jarring them out of their lip-lock.
“Mmm, I like the way you say hello,” she said, dazed, her eyes slow to open and when they did, he was staring down at her.
He placed another quick kiss on her lips and tapped his ear. “Yeah, I have her. Thanks,” Hamilton said through a concealed mouthpiece, as he gave additional instructions to whoever he was speaking to.
“Sorry about that. Let’s head upstairs.” He wrapped his arm around her, his hand resting on her hip as he shouldered them through the crowd. Dakota liked this domineering side of him.
He guided her deeper into the throng of people. Seemed everyone knew him, greeting him like an old friend. He didn’t stop to talk. He and Dakota skirted around a few belly bar tables and past a spectacular circular glass bar. It was clearly the focal point of the first floor with the way it was illuminated, sparkling like something out of a futuristic movie.
They headed upstairs and along the way to a secluded corner of the large VIP section, Dakota stopped. “This is impressive,” she said to Hamilton as they peered over the railing that overlooked the lower level. That vantage point gave her an imposing view of the club.
“Yeah, a lot of work went into this place, and it turned out perfectly. Mason’s sister spearheaded the renovations and the designers captured the essence of what she, Mason, and his brother wanted.”
They started moving again and once they were settled on a long black velvet sofa, a server came to take their drink order.
“So, did you know the guy downstairs?” Hamilton asked, resting his arm on the back of the sofa, creating an intimacy between them.
“Actually, that was Lester. He owns the food truck that—”
“Wait, the guy with the picture of you?”
She nodded. “Yep, that would be the one. I made it clear, before you tossed him out, that there is and will never be anything between him and me.”
“Good.”
“Why is that good?”
“Because I don’t like the competition.”
Dakota laughed, giddiness swirling inside of her at what he was implying. “Trust me, you don’t have to worry about Lester,” she said just as the server returned with their drinks.
“Here’s to getting to know each other better,” Hamilton said and they tap their glasses before she sipped her martini and he took a long drag from his beer bottle. “It’s good seeing you again.”
Dakota set her drink on the glass table in front of them. “You too.” She almost said more about how much she had missed him, but didn’t, wanting to follow his lead tonight and not come on too strong.
Besides, the way he looked at her with those dark, soulful eyes roused the butterflies fluttering inside her stomach. She was determined to play it cool and not let on that being in his presence did wicked things to her body.
“How have you been? I mean since the shooting. Have you returned to the apartment?”
Dakota sighed. She hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since the night before the shooting. Even in the comforts of a five-star hotel, she hadn’t been able to close her eyes without seeing Sonny’s face when he got shot.
“Your silence speaks volumes,” Hamilton said. His hand caressed the back of her neck sending tingles through her body. Then he placed a lingering kiss on her lips and Dakota’s insides melted just a little bit more. “Tell me what’s going on.”
“I normally can compartmentalize everything in my mind.” She tapped her finger against her right temple. “But this, this shook me. You would think that with all the stunts I do, I could just treat the shooting as another stunt, but…”
“But it’s not. Your stunts are usually choreographed. What you went through the other night was very real. When I was a cop, facing danger was a daily occurrence. After each obscene situation, you think—it can’t get any weirder than this. And then you hit the streets again and bam, the day’s drama is as jacked up as the one before. You just pray that you can keep it together and not succumb to the craziness in the world.”
Dakota shook her head. “I can only imagine. What made you become a cop knowing how dangerous it can be?”
“My dad. He was a police officer for over twenty-five years. As a kid, I thought he looked cool in his uniform. Then he made detective and was a total badass.” Hamilton chuckled, love and respect radiating from his eyes. “He never glamorized the job, but in my head—he was the man. Of course, I wanted to be just like him. Now that he’s retired, he spends most of his time in his garden.”
Dakota wished she felt the same about her dad. Sure, she loved him, but she had lost respect for him years ago, hating the way he threw his weight around. It was admirable that he negotiated lucrative contracts for his clients, but he often used intimidation or other seedy ways to get what he wanted.
The other night she’d hoped they’d be able to start fresh and spend some quality time together. Granted, the evening was nice, but it hadn’t been what Dakota had planned since Tymico joined them. Her dad and her best friend carried on like old buddies while Dakota felt like an interloper, crashing their dinner. But still, it was a start.
Dakota and Hamilton talked and laughed like they had at the safe house, confirming they had a connection. The more time she spent with him, the more she wanted to get to know him.
Dakota lifted her martini glass to her lip just as a man and a woman, around her age, caught her attention. They were walking hand-in-hand toward the stairs, laughing at something the man said. What really stood out was how the woman smiled at the guy. The love radiating in her eyes could light up the darkest sky, and it wasn’t much different in the man’s gaze.
A wave of jealousy stabbed Dakota in the chest. That’s what she wanted. She wanted a man who looked at her as if she was his gift from God. She also wanted to be so much in love that others could feel the passion seeping through her pores like this couple. There was no doubt how much they loved each other.
When would it be her time, Dakota thought. When would she find a man of her own, get married and have a family? She was so ready for the next chapter in her life but feared she was destined to be alone.
And what about kids? She was thirty-five. If she didn’t get started soon, she’d have to have twins in order to have at least two before she turned forty.
A weird sensation fluttered in her stomach when she glanced at Hamilton and found him studying her. God, she hoped he couldn’t read minds. Then again, if he could, maybe he’d know she was interested in more than just a friendship. She had no doubt he’d be a wonderful husband and an amazing daddy.
* * *
Hamilton wondered what Dakota was thinking. One minute she was chatting and laughing it up with him, the next, she had zoned out. Maybe she was tired. She’d so much as said that she hadn’t been sleeping well.
“You feeling okay?” he asked, gently massaging her neck.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just thinking.”
“About that couple who just left?”
“Wow, clearly you don’t miss much. What did you notice about them?”
“That they were mid-thirties. The guy was approximately six feet tall, two hundred and ten pounds. The woman was about four inches shorter than him, wearing three-inch-heels, and couldn’t have been more than a hundred and twenty pounds soak and wet.”
Dakota laughed. “Man, I should try to catch up with them to see how close your estimations are. Did you notice how they gazed into each other’s eyes? That they were holding hands?”
“I did. I also noticed that they looked very much in love, and she didn’t slap him when he patted her on the ass.”
Dakota burst out laughing, the sound like a sweet melody to Hamilton’s ears.
“Okay, I missed that part. I guess you know how to spot loving couples.”
He should. Between his parents, brothers, and lately his friends, he was surrounded by happy couples. One day he’d be in that group.
Hamilton’s gaze followed Dakota’s moves when she crossed a long jean-clad leg over the other. She swung her foot, encased in a pair of sky-high red heels, back and forth.
Earlier, when she had removed her denim jacket, his tongue almost lodged in his throat. She wore a white fitted shirt and had the top two buttons undone, showing off smooth caramel skin and perky breasts. The garment molded over her curves in all the right places to tempt a man.
“So, Egypt told me that you need a good woman,” Dakota said, breaking the silence and surprising the heck out of Hamilton. She picked up her drink, a sly grin on her ruby-red lips.
“According to my mother and sister-in-law, I needed one years ago.”
“What are you waiting for? I’m sure there are plenty out there who would leap at the opportunity to be yours.”
“Maybe, but I’m waiting for the right one.”
“You’re a nice, great-looking guy. Are you telling me the right one hasn’t come along?”
“I guess I could ask you the same thing. What are you waiting for?”
She took a delicate sip of her drink and set the glass on the table. “I’m waiting for you.”
Hamilton laughed. Something he did more of whenever she was around. “In that case, we should probably get together again.”
Dakota leaned into him and brushed her lips over his. “I’d like that.”