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her
“audition.”
     

CHAPTER NINE- Olivia
     
    The ring of my cell phone wakes me up. I open
one bleary eye and look at the bedside clock. It’s four minutes
past six. In the morning. Who in the world would be calling me at
such an ungodly hour?
    I look at the lighted screen of my phone. I
don’t recognize the number and I consider not answering. The fact
that it IS so early is what makes me reach for it. I always feel a
little tingle of alarm when my phone rings at an unusually early or
late hour.
    “Hello?” I say, my voice hoarse even to my
own ears.
    “Olivia?”
    A shiver runs down my spine. It’s Cash. His
voice conjures an image of his handsome face, cocky smile and sexy
chest. Instantly, I feel all melty.
    “Olivia?” he says again.
    No, it can’t be Cash. It must be Nash. It’s
too early for a club owner to be up. Sadly, I’m equally excited by
the mental image and prospect of Nash calling me, too.
    I am so much more twisted than what I ever
realized!
    “Yes.”
    A deep rumbly laugh.
    So effing sexy!
    “It’s Nash. I’m sorry to call so early, but
I’ll be out most of the day and I wanted to see how things went at
the club. Did you take the job?”
    “It’s no bother. Really. I appreciate you
checking up on it. Um, actually I have an ‘audition’ tonight.
Whatever that is.”
    “Ahhh,” he says knowingly. “Cash likes for
his people to be willing to entertain.”
    For the first time, I remember that Cash is
the one who supplied the stripper and true horror sets in.
    Sweet Lord, I can’t strip!
    I sit straight up in bed. “Holy hell! He
doesn’t expect me to strip, does he?”
    Another laugh.
    “No. Unless you want to strip.”
    “Good God no!”
    “I didn’t think so, especially after your
first experience at Dual.”
    There’s a smile in his voice.
    Cash told him! Dammit!
    I think a change of subject is in order. “So
what does that mean then, ‘entertain’?”
    “Let’s just say you can’t be shy in front of
a crowd. Are you okay with that?”
    Yes, I tend to be a little shy, but it’s in
no way debilitating. And frankly, I’m a little miffed that he might
be implying that it is.
    “Believe me, Nash, I can do what any of the
other girls can do, no problem.”
    Well, that might not be entirely true. But
I’ll be damned if I’ll ever admit it!
    “Then you won’t have any problems. With your
looks and personality, you’ll kill ‘em.”
    His comment pleases me. Even though he’s not
supposed to notice what I look like. But I’m so glad he does. It
means that he’s not immune to me, which is actually a bad thing,
but one that makes me feel not so alone in my attraction. Still,
nothing can ever happen. He’s taken.
    Dammit.
    I hear a muffled beep, like Nash is getting
another call.
    “Speak of the devil. That’s Cash calling
now,” Nash says. Then he mutters almost absently, “Wonder what he’s
doing up so early?” I think it’s funny that I wondered the same
thing. After a couple seconds, he clears his throat and continues.
“Well, anyway, good luck tonight. That’s all I really wanted to
say. Go back to bed. Get your beauty rest. Not that you’ll need
it.”
    I find myself smiling like a loon. I feel
like giggling, but I quell the urge. “Thanks, I will.”
    “Sleep well, Olivia.”
    Even after he hangs up, the skin of my arms
and chest is puckered with chills. I love the way he says my
name.
    How in the world did he get my number? I think randomly.
    I lie in my bed for a long time, staring at
the ceiling and thinking of Nash. Wondering what it would be like
to be staring at his ceiling instead, wherever he’s at, lying in
bed beside him. My eyes drift closed as I think of him rolling over
to cover my body with his, to feel his hips fit between my
thighs.
    Those are the thoughts that usher me back
into sleep.
     
    ********
     
    Dual looks very nearly the same as it did
yesterday, only tonight a few more lights are on and there are
voices. Two of them and