Read Online Chasing Terpsichore (Muses Across Time) by Maggie Mitchell - Free Book Online Page B

more than that?
    “Like that’s going to stop you.”
    Ignoring the ribbing he slipped his keys back in his pocket and picked up his mobile. “You’d better get moving on finding her. I’ll let you know if I hear anything, and I expect you to do the same.”
    “Bloody hell, James. You have to give me more to work with. You must have some idea where she might have gone.”
    “No, but I’ll let you know if I find anything. Thanks for calling, Davo. I owe you one.”
    “And I plan on collecting big time.”
    “You do that.” His brain worked overtime as he carelessly dropped the handset back into the cradle of the console.
    His mind replayed the last twenty-four hours. A mutilated effigy of Corey had been found hanging from her rafters. He’d humoured her by taking her out to dinner instead of doing what his first instinct had told him to do, and reporting it to the police. They’d had amazing sex, then he’d pulled back and left without even saying goodbye. Today someone had tried to run her down, and he’d turned up guns blazing, trying to tell her what to do.
    She must hate his guts. Jeezus, he hated himself.
    He didn’t understand that abrupt turnabout where he’d gone and left her unprotected. He searched his mind for a clue as to what had happened. He knew without a doubt that he’d gone there determined to whisk her off somewhere safe until the police had found whoever was doing this but something had happened to make him change his mind. There was no way he would have done that willingly. How did she do it? Come to think of it, what had made him go there the night before? Nothing made sense from the minute he’d met that woman, but by God, he’d never felt more alive, or, as of this moment, more scared shitless.
    * * * *
    The Cave was not exactly what he had expected. Plush, velvet seats lined booths situated against the walls, and chairs in the front of the stage barricaded by a wrought iron railing. The stage was set well back from the patrons, and although the dancers weren’t completely nude, a couple of them had strategically placed patches of sequins that left absolutely nothing to the imagination.
    James scanned the dimly lit room and zeroed in on a raised cage to one side. The height of the platform made it impossible for anyone to reach the dancer moving and sliding up against the shimmering pole at the centre. Cigar smoke irritated his nose as he strode across the room hoping it was Corey up in that cage. It was as she’d described to him, right down to the height of the cage above the audience. Seductive music pounded out of speakers that surrounded the room, adding to the deafening thump of a subwoofer. His pulse nervously thrummed in time to the rhythm. Edging closer, he stared at the blonde woman with the sexy, supple body moving to the music, circling her long, shapely legs around the pole above the crowd. There was no mistaking that body, she was magnificent. Sensuality oozed from every pore of her satiny skin. Somehow, she had managed to take a raw and basic dance and turn it into an artistic masterpiece. His dick hardened, proving that where Corey was concerned, he had little control. The chemistry between them was too strong, like an invisible thread reeling him in, little by little.
    Leaning against the wall, he contented himself by watching her until the dance was over. He might as well enjoy the view while he could. She’d be finished in a few minutes, and he intended to move her to a safe place. This time he wouldn’t let whatever mind games she used dissuade him from his purpose. Nothing short of a nuclear explosion would stop him from keeping her safe this time.
    The music faded before he could approach the platform and he watched Corey climb down the iron stairs at the rear of the cage and disappear behind the velvet curtains that separated the performers from the audience. Picking up speed, he jumped the iron railing, then threw open the curtains as he reached the