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was shallow. He
licked his lips and then that sexy smile of his started to crook
the corners of his mouth.
    He opened his eyes, pulled me into his arms, and
hugged me tightly. "All I ever want is to be close to you," he
whispered in my ear.
    I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders and
started to kiss his neck. He reacted by running his fingers through
my hair and tilting my head so he could do the same. Feeling his
lips and tongue slide along my skin made me break out in goose
bumps. He leaned away, looking concerned. "Are you cold? Do you
want to go back inside?"
    I didn't...not really. I just wanted to stay out
here in the dark, where Christian and I were the most comfortable.
But I knew I needed to get back to Jillian, and Christian needed to
get back to work. After kissing him once more I said, "Yes, let's
go." I'm sure I sounded disappointed.
    After Christian double and triple checked that I
was okay, I convinced him to get back to work while I found
Jillian. She hadn't been in her seat when we returned and her drink
had already been cleared from the bar. After waiting my turn, I
flagged down Dominique, the older of the two sister bartenders.
"Did you happen to see where my friend went?" I had to yell to make
sure she could hear me over the loud music.
    She nodded her head "yes" and then gestured
towards the bathroom.
    "Thanks," I yelled back in appreciation. I
didn't know Dominique very well, but during the few run-ins we'd
had, she'd always been really nice.
    I headed towards the bathroom to make sure
Jillian was okay. Once inside, I called her name, but there was no
response. After checking under the stalls and verifying that they
were all empty, I headed back out to the dance floor.
    Looking around, all I saw were the patrons of
the club, lost to either the beat of the music or the throes of
passion. Finally, I glimpsed a speck of red out of the corner of my
eye. Jillian, in her red leather miniskirt, was currently making
her way up the curved staircase that lead to the club's second
floor. And she wasn't alone.
    Pushing through the crowd, I struggled to keep
my eyes on her and her mystery companion, but kept losing them as I
elbowed my way to the base of the staircase. When I finally broke
through the crowd, I glanced up just in time to see them dip behind
a curtained entrance. Just as I started up the stairs, Evangeline
appeared, placed a hand on my arm, and motioned for me to follow
her.
    I really wanted to head up those stairs to make
sure Jill was okay, but I didn't think it would be a good idea to
refuse Christian's boss. Feeling frustrated, I followed as she led
me to her office, held the door open, and motioned me inside.
    "Are you okay, Rose?"
    "Yes, I'm fine." I tried to sound as convincing
as possible.
    "I'm sorry that Christian's concern was
upsetting to you. He tends to wear his heart on his sleeve, and as
with most men, that can often translate into a fierce
protectiveness. It's obvious that he's very much in love with you."
She sounded more like his mother instead of his boss.
    "I love him, too." I replied softly. This wasn't
exactly a discussion I thought I would ever be having with
Evangeline, but suddenly it felt good to have someone to talk to
about this. "I'd do anything for him. That's why I thought he'd be
happy I was moving out. We'll be able to spend so much more time
together."
    "I'm sure that he'll come around. As a woman
who's lived alone for years, I know you'll be fine, but it's always
hard to convince the men who love us that we don't need them 24/7,"
she joked. "Why don't you go wait for him at the bar? I'll go let
him know that he can take his first break.”
    As we left Evie's office and headed towards the
bar, it took me a moment to muster up my courage. "Would it be
alright if Christian gave me a tour of the club? Since it's
officially my first time inside, I'd really love to see more of the
place."
    After hesitating briefly Evangline said, "Yes. I
think that'd be fine. I'll