good opportunity to kill two birds with one stone, make a little cash.” He rubbed his nose. “Well, a lot of cash, really. That’s why the suitcases weren’t in the secret compartment. I have more in there. It was a bigger than normal shipment this time.”
Riel’s scalp prickled, but she shrugged. “It’s okay. I knew we were going to be doing that. But running drugs south seems weird…”
“Not all drugs come across the border from Mexico, you know,” he said, pinching her nose. “This came by boat. Mishmash has a pretty good system going.”
“I guess I never thought that much about how it works. I don’t really want to know.”
He brushed his lips across hers. “I know. You want to get out of this business. And we will.” He gazed at her. “I’m glad you came with me, even though it’s not really, you know, what you want to be doing. It was…it was hell yesterday, knowing you were working at that place.” He winced. “I wanted to go get you right away, but Robert told me it was too dangerous, that Isaias had his eye on you.”
“It’s okay,” Riel said. “It turned out okay in the end.” She snuggled closer into his arms, burning the skin of her hips slightly on the rough carpet.
His lips pressed tightly together. “It didn’t really turn out okay, though. That fucker hurt you.” His fingers came up to gently caress the lump on her head where Isaias’ fist had caught her.
“It barely hurts,” she said.
“And just the thought of you, all those perverted men groping you like you’re some sex doll.” His jaw clenched, and Riel’s heart beat faster. Was he jealous?
“I didn’t touch any men,” she said. “I told all the ones that wanted lap dances that I couldn’t yet, because I needed lap dance safety training.”
His jaw loosened slightly, and his lips twitched. “Are you serious?”
She grinned. “I can’t believe it worked.”
He laughed, his hands caressing her naked body. “Safety training. I can just see you practicing on one of those crash-test dummies.”
“With some government inspector making notes on a clipboard.”
Both of them convulsed in giggles. Soon, Evan’s face became still and serious. He pushed a lock of messy hair back from her cheek. “You really didn’t have to give any lap dances?”
She bit her lip, her eyes darting away from his. His caressing hands went suddenly still. “What? What’s wrong?”
She looked up at him. Part of her wished she was a better liar so she could just avoid this subject. But another part wanted to see how he’d react, if he’d get jealous or angry. “I did give one,” she said.
His lips drew tight again, and she watched him closely.
“To Laina,” she said.
He blinked. His brow furrowed slightly. “You gave Laina a lap dance?”
Riel nodded. “It was training. Isaias got super pissed that I was giving the safety training excuse, so Laina just wanted to help make me comfortable.”
His hands began to move again, distractedly feeling her curves. A lopsided smile flitted across his lips. “But wait…did you like…was it a real lap dance?”
Riel’s cheeks burned. She was barely able to meet his gaze, and his eyebrows shot up. “Whoa,” he said, squirming slightly. “No offense, Riel, but that’s…that’s sorta…neat. Did you, like, you know…” He trailed off, looking flustered, and Riel grinned cheekily.
“I got off,” she said, “and so did she.”
Evan stared at her, wide-eyed. “So you, do you, you know…like girls that way?”
She gazed up at him defiantly. “Yes. I had a girlfriend in prison, named Marissa.” Her heart squeezed, and she swallowed hard.
He frowned, his eyes distant. She waited tensely. She liked him, she liked him a lot, but she wouldn’t be judged by him. “Does that bug you?” she finally asked, not able to keep the anger out of her voice.
He blinked, seeming to come back to himself. “No. I mean…it’s a lot easier to think about you with other women than with other dudes, no offense. A lot easier.”
She relaxed slightly. “No offense taken.”
“But you do like men too, right?”
She grinned at him in disbelief, but it faded as she saw the sincerity of his insecurity. “I just fucked your brains out, and you ask me if I like men?”
“Well, you could be fantasizing about me being someone else,” he said.
She shook her head. “I like fucking you, Evan. I…I like you. I’ve never liked another man, but…” She couldn’t finish the sentence. She looked shyly up into his eyes.
“You’ve never liked another man? Seriously?”
“No.