BILLIONAIRE ANGEL (Point St. Claire, where true love finds a way) (6 page)

That evening, Jax walked into a popular Portland nightclub. Music was thumping, lights were spinning. His every P.I. sense was switched up to high.

Then he spotted her―and some of the tension fell away.

Standing with a group at a bar table, Billy wore a black, light-weight knitted top with dark tights that pulled his eyes right out of his head. Her hair was stylishly mussed with the occasional streak of bright pink. Another ‘out there’ look, which on someone else might be a fail.

On Billy Slade, it was a knock out.

Earlier, when she’d let Jax know she had other plans with friends, he was pleased that she’d asked him along. He would rather some place less noisy. Would rather no friends. He’d rather they be completely alone.

Later
.

Now Billy spotted him too. She headed off, weaving through the growing crowd. When they joined up and she took his hand, Jax fought the impulse to haul her close. Then she bounced up to dot a kiss on his cheek and he laughed.

“You look particularly hot tonight, Ms. Slade.”

Her grin was pure tease. “You look pretty edible yourself.”

As they made their way back to the table, he kept hold of her hand, and tighter than was strictly necessary. Besides liking the contact, the hairs on the back of his neck were up. These kinds of haunts had their seedy sides. Booze and adrenaline. Predators as well as likely victims, particularly on ‘Ladies Night’, like the LED sign outside said.

A sultry brunette in a long, dark dress sat at the table. Her lidded gaze reminded him of a pampered feline.

Jax was more a dog person.

Billy took care of introductions.

“Lacie Simons, meet Jax Angel.”

“The man with a Club all his own.” Lacie nodded at his shoulder. “You have some ink I need to see.”

“I do the books for Lacie’s tattoo palor,” Billy said, looking a little sheepish.

Because she’d told Lacie about seeing him naked the first time they’d met in that locker room? Guess it happened.

When a buff guy sauntered up, Lacie’s ‘too cool for school’ mask morphed into ‘girl in love’. But Jax was more interested in Lacie’s background than her current love life. How long had Lacie and Billy known each other? Did Lacie know about, or have anything to do with, the theft a decade ago?

Sometime during the night, he’d have a conversation with Ms. Simons. Sad fact, but most crimes were committed by a person the target both knew and trusted. Some crimes worse than others.

“Heyya. I’m Thain Deanders.” The muscle man joining them extended his hand. “You must be Jax.”

Jax took Thain’s hand, evaluated the contact. This guy rivalled Tatum Channing in the dimensions department. Steroids possibly. But Jax got a good vibe from this guy. Like Judd Everett and Dean McPherson had said―much can be judged by the eyes.

“Thain has an act here,” Billy told him. “Our version of Magic Mike.”

Jax nodded. Explained the physique.

Lacie spoke to Thain. “We were discussing ink.”

Thain held up his hands then explained to Jax. “I’m a virgin in that department. Not a fan of pain.”

Lacie rolled her eyes. “It’s about the
art
.”             

“Jax’s into drawing, too,” Billy said.

Jax interrupted. “I wouldn’t say
into
, exactly.” He’d drawn exactly one stencil. He was pretty proud of it though.

“You should see his tools,” Billy went on. “Weirdest pliers
ever
.” She headed off to the bar. “I’ll go grab us some beers.”

As the song changed into something grungier, Jax faced two people whose wary looks said,
Pliers?

Jax explained. “I’m renovating. The pliers are for a special project.”

Thain hitched a hip over a bar stool. “There’s a stack of money in restoring places and shifting them on.”

“I’m not getting rid of this one.”

“Home sweet home, huh?”

“That’s definitely the plan.”

Lacie asked, “And the stencil?”

“For a stained glass panel.”

She gave a cool but appreciative smile. “I have a few designs of my own. Not for glass. For skin.”

As Thain visibly shuddered, Billy arrived back. “When’s your first dance, Valentino?” she asked Thain as she handed over Jax’s beer.

Thain straightened an imaginary bowtie. “The crowd’s still building.”

Lacie grinned. “You mean the screaming hoards of females who shove big bills down your—”

“Let Jax get to know us a little better,” Thain cut in, “before you dazzle him with your extensive vocabulary.”

Lacie gave Jax a knowing glance. “Mr. Angel doesn’t look like the retiring type.”

Retiring as in
shy
or
to pack in a job
. He enjoyed working with Billy, but he could never go back to that life full time. He’d made a promise.

Billy’s case was special.

Billy tugged him off to one side. “So, did you track down Reed Alder?”

Right after the steak and chilli fries. “Alder is the kind of guy you cross the street to avoid just on instinct. But I can’t see him as a suspect. He did have some information, though. A week after the theft, he remembers seeing your sister and boyfriend out back of the house. Ann was blowing a gasket. It’s possible that he took the ring and your sister found him out.”

“Not a chance. If Ann knew Rick was involved, she would have left him in a heartbeat.”

“Even with that insurance money winging its way over to her account?”

Billy’s mouth tightened. “Ann wouldn’t lie to me like that. Besides, keeping quiet would make her an accessory to insurance fraud. If I was a good girl back then, Ann was a saint. Still is.”

“Then why the argument?”

“Rick was at Ann all the time. He wanted her to move in with him.” Billy crossed her arms. “But there was the younger sister to consider.”

Fact remained that Ann had been going for her boyfriend’s throat that day. Time he spoke with Rick himself. The saintly Ann, too.

Later, while Billy was catching up with other friends, Jax and Lacie got better acquainted. She was direct as well as funny, in an off-beat kind of way. She believed that the creative soul was infinitely more important than wealth and its trappings. She and Billy had known each other only three years.

Jax cleared her as a suspect.

By eleven, the club was pumping, overflowing with an audience ready for a show. All around, Thain’s name was whispered. Jax wasn’t into watching guys perform, dance—whatever. But after speaking with Thain over a beer, sharing views on sports and hearing about his commitment to law school―how ‘performing’ was a way to make ends meet―Jax was ready to cheer him on, too. Except...

The stage housed a pole similar to the one in Billy’s living room. Did Thain pole dance? Jax really didn’t need to see that.

Billy had just joined him again when the lights and music dramatically dipped. Pockets of the audience began to call Thain’s name. Finally, he appeared on stage wearing a rather ‘dapper’ suit, a bowler hat and umbrella. Billy wedged herself in front of Jax and wrapped his arm around her middle. Inhaling the clean scent of her hair, Jax pulled and kept her super close.

She tipped her head back to tell him over the hoots, “You will seriously want dance lessons after this.”

“Uh, no, I won’t.”

“How about private lessons? You can call me Miss Slade and bring an apple for the teacher every day.”

He grazed his grin over her temple. “Now
that
I’m interested in.”

When the music swelled, Thain strode down the catwalk, swinging the umbrella handle around a wrist before throwing his bowler hat up into the air and positioning himself so that it landed back on his head, no hands. The ladies went crazy.

And then the ‘rain’ set in—a sprinkling at first, which was, in fact, illusions created through lighting and a series of shimmering ribbons. Clever.

After Thain stomped around in the ‘puddles’, through mime he let the audience know that his suit was all wet. He ditched the jacket and signalled to ask the crowd’s opinion before ripping the costume’s pants clean off. He tossed them at a woman, who jumped up and down while draping the legs around her neck like a scarf.

When the ‘rain’ grew heavier, the shirt came off, too, leaving only a loosened black tie and boxer-briefs behind.

As Thain spun around, presenting his broad bare back to the crowd, the crowd exploded. Then the boxer briefs came off and he tossed them into the crowd. While the place erupted, Thain’s sidekick in the galley collected tips in another bowler hat.

Jax looked around. It was past twelve. Time to move onto the second, more intimate part of the evening.

“I hate to sound unappreciative,” he said above the din, “but I’m not sure how many male strips I can watch.”

But Billy was waving to someone she obviously knew in the crowd. As she headed off, she said over a shoulder, “I’ll be back in a tick, okay?”

Jax kept a smile pasted on. For Billy, he’d wait as long as it took.

A few minutes later, he was checking his cell phone when a spotlight hit the stage, focused on a woman frozen in a theatrical pose. Fishnet stockings. Little black jacket. A black Fedora sat low over her brow. The music kicked off and she flung the hat out to the crowd. When the dark shades flew off too, Jax’s heart shot to his throat and his jaw dropped to his knees.

That was no dancer.

That was his
date!

After her first ever public pole dance adventure, she and Jax left the nightclub in a hurry. Not because Jax was upset by the surprise. He was eager to get home.

So was Billy.

Now, the morning after, her cheeks heated and stomach swooped every time she remembered the way they’d made love. Being together
that
way had been even more powerful, more incredible, than the first time. Everything about giving themselves to each other seemed to fit. Seemed to fly.

Her body still burned thinking of how he’d felt pressed against her. How he seemed to read her mind and know just what to do, and where, and why. Yesterday at his place, she’d felt as if she’d been floating on clouds.

Last night, he’d flung her up into the stars.

As Billy gazed down, drinking in every angle of her sleeping lover’s face, every hair and line and promise, she fought down an urge to think beyond the now. To second guess and even doubt.

The audition was coming up. If she got that part...moved to L.A...

For so long, she’d wanted to be an actress. But at this particular moment, with Jax so close and perfect, she wanted him more.

Still, as much as she wanted to be selfish and wake him, she would let him sleep.

Billy eased out of bed and crossed into the bathroom. She was in the shower, faucet on, when she heard the glass door click open. Before she’d wiped the water from her eyes, she felt strong arms bring her close. And when his mouth dropped over hers, every one of her doubts vanished into that world of
way better than heaven
.

As big sure hands slid up and down her back and the kiss deepened, Billy unravelled. Jax was so determined. So skilled and giving. By the time her arms coiled around his neck, she was already floating...a slave to his touch, to his heat.

To his love.

When he broke the kiss, she looked into his purposeful lidded gaze and sighed.

“This bring back any memories?” he asked, and then grazed his lips over her brow while he kneaded the small of her back.

“Of the day we met?” The day she walked in on him taking a shower. Seemed like a lifetime ago.

His smile slid around her cheek. “Did I mention how much I enjoyed your performance last night?”

“You mean on the stage?”

He laughed. “Yeah, I mean on the stage.” His mouth slipped down one side of her throat. “You’re full of surprises. It worries me what you’ll come up with next.”

She hesitated. She was on the theatrical, ‘take a risk if you need to’ side, but she wasn’t stupid. He did trust her, didn’t he?

“Are you really worried, Jax?”

He stilled―his lips on her throat, his hands on her back. “Should I be?”

Billy shook herself. She didn’t need to test him. Didn’t want to bring the mood down. They were supposed to be having fun. So she sluiced her palms over his steamy hard chest and teased.

“Well, let me tell you about the time I was asked to help tame a killer whale.”

    He chuckled. “You did say
whale
, right?”
    “He was a sweetheart. And you should’ve seen my costume...”

But she’d lost her train of thought. Jax was nuzzling her shoulder, massaging the backs of her thighs, his thumbs tickling the underside of her rear. When he bent at the knees and angled her that crucial bit closer...

Billy’s head went back as she quivered and lost her breath.

Jax’s teeth nipped at the sensitive sweep of her neck. “Billy?”

“Mmm?”

“Don’t go to work today.”

When his thumbs brushed and tickled again, she groaned. “On one condition?”

“Name it.”

“Keep doing what you’re doing.”

He lifted her until her toes hovered above the tiles. As he lowered her an inch, Billy’s insides contracted with longing. Then he whispered at her ear, saying how he was going to keep her just this close all day. How he’d never met anyone quite like her. How he couldn’t wait to see her again.

Somewhere along the way, she imagined she heard the word love.