foot. More hotness. Hell.
Chapter Six
They walked into Kiss through a nearly invisible entrance at the end of a narrow alleyway just off Oak Street. A long staircase descended into a room lit with low red lighting from pot lights, antique light fixtures dripping with gilt and crystal, and candles everywhere, filling the air with a warm beeswax fragrance that mingled with expensive perfumes. People crowded the dance floor, moving to the drum beat of the DJ’s mix of bhangra and hip-hop.
“Looks like we’re the first ones here,” Chris said. “Let’s find a spot.” He led the way through the bar to several black leather and faux-leopard-skin sofas arranged in a small group around a low table.
Dag took in the eclectic surroundings, liking the cosmopolitan vibe of the place. Yeah, dammit, there were things about Chicago he missed. He sat on one of the black leather sofas, and Kassidy and Chris took a seat across from him.
“There’s Hailey,” Kassidy said. Dag shifted his gaze across the room to the artfully lit bar, with rows and rows of bottles stacked against the wall behind it glowing in the red lights. He searched for which bartender might be Kassidy’s sister, finally picking out a slender dark-haired woman in a constant whirl of movement, pouring, spinning, reaching for glasses. Her short dark hair was a spiky cap on her head, but even from here he could see the resemblance to Kassidy in her build, her graceful movements and the shape of her face.
A waitress clad in a short skintight black dress approached to take their drink order and Dag smiled up at her. She returned the smile with a wink as they ordered. Dag handed over a credit card so they could run a tab.
“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Chris said. “You left without paying your bar bill this afternoon. You owe me fifty bucks.”
Dag looked at Chris, saw the glint in his eye and laughed. “I figured you wouldn’t mind picking up the tab.”
“For you and my girlfriend sitting and drinking all afternoon without me? Not fucking likely, buddy.”
Then they both laughed and shook their heads.
“There’s Jeff and Sara,” Kassidy said, waving a hand. Their friends began to arrive. Dag stood to greet the people he hadn’t seen for so long, with handshakes and hugs and smiles and questions. Everyone was finding a seat and milling around the area when Kassidy’s sister approached them.
“Hey, Kass,” she said. Her gaze narrowed in on Dag and he arched a brow and returned her smile. Again, he could see a family resemblance in the shape of her mouth and eyes, but Hailey’s face was thinner, her chin a little sharper, her eyes harder. Her smile held a hint of tartness instead of Kassidy’s sweetness. A silver stud pierced her left eyebrow and a diamond glittered on the side of her nose. “You must be Dag.”
Kassidy moved to stand beside Hailey. “Yes, this is Dag. Dag Spencer, my sister Hailey Langdon.”
Hailey fastened her eyes on him and extended a hand, which he took. Interest heated her gaze. “Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “You’re not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“Mmm. Someone more like Chris, I guess.” Her smile deepened.
“What makes you think I’m not like Chris?”
She moved closer to him, into his personal space. “Just an impression I get.”
He laughed. “I’m guessing you’re not like Kassidy either.”
Her smile turned sly. “And what makes you think that?” She turned his words back to him.
“Just an impression I get.” He arched a brow.
Now she laughed with appreciation. “Yeah, Kassidy’s a good girl. Boring, but good.”
Boring? Whoa. That wasn’t a word he ever would have used to describe her, albeit he’d only known her a week. He flashed a glance Kassidy’s way and saw her mouth tighten. “And you’re not good?” he asked Hailey.
“I’m good at some things.” She set her hand on his forearm and leaned even closer into his personal space, so close he
Chapter Six
They walked into Kiss through a nearly invisible entrance at the end of a narrow alleyway just off Oak Street. A long staircase descended into a room lit with low red lighting from pot lights, antique light fixtures dripping with gilt and crystal, and candles everywhere, filling the air with a warm beeswax fragrance that mingled with expensive perfumes. People crowded the dance floor, moving to the drum beat of the DJ’s mix of bhangra and hip-hop.
“Looks like we’re the first ones here,” Chris said. “Let’s find a spot.” He led the way through the bar to several black leather and faux-leopard-skin sofas arranged in a small group around a low table.
Dag took in the eclectic surroundings, liking the cosmopolitan vibe of the place. Yeah, dammit, there were things about Chicago he missed. He sat on one of the black leather sofas, and Kassidy and Chris took a seat across from him.
“There’s Hailey,” Kassidy said. Dag shifted his gaze across the room to the artfully lit bar, with rows and rows of bottles stacked against the wall behind it glowing in the red lights. He searched for which bartender might be Kassidy’s sister, finally picking out a slender dark-haired woman in a constant whirl of movement, pouring, spinning, reaching for glasses. Her short dark hair was a spiky cap on her head, but even from here he could see the resemblance to Kassidy in her build, her graceful movements and the shape of her face.
A waitress clad in a short skintight black dress approached to take their drink order and Dag smiled up at her. She returned the smile with a wink as they ordered. Dag handed over a credit card so they could run a tab.
“Oh yeah, that reminds me,” Chris said. “You left without paying your bar bill this afternoon. You owe me fifty bucks.”
Dag looked at Chris, saw the glint in his eye and laughed. “I figured you wouldn’t mind picking up the tab.”
“For you and my girlfriend sitting and drinking all afternoon without me? Not fucking likely, buddy.”
Then they both laughed and shook their heads.
“There’s Jeff and Sara,” Kassidy said, waving a hand. Their friends began to arrive. Dag stood to greet the people he hadn’t seen for so long, with handshakes and hugs and smiles and questions. Everyone was finding a seat and milling around the area when Kassidy’s sister approached them.
“Hey, Kass,” she said. Her gaze narrowed in on Dag and he arched a brow and returned her smile. Again, he could see a family resemblance in the shape of her mouth and eyes, but Hailey’s face was thinner, her chin a little sharper, her eyes harder. Her smile held a hint of tartness instead of Kassidy’s sweetness. A silver stud pierced her left eyebrow and a diamond glittered on the side of her nose. “You must be Dag.”
Kassidy moved to stand beside Hailey. “Yes, this is Dag. Dag Spencer, my sister Hailey Langdon.”
Hailey fastened her eyes on him and extended a hand, which he took. Interest heated her gaze. “Pleasure to meet you,” she said. “You’re not what I expected.”
“What did you expect?”
“Mmm. Someone more like Chris, I guess.” Her smile deepened.
“What makes you think I’m not like Chris?”
She moved closer to him, into his personal space. “Just an impression I get.”
He laughed. “I’m guessing you’re not like Kassidy either.”
Her smile turned sly. “And what makes you think that?” She turned his words back to him.
“Just an impression I get.” He arched a brow.
Now she laughed with appreciation. “Yeah, Kassidy’s a good girl. Boring, but good.”
Boring? Whoa. That wasn’t a word he ever would have used to describe her, albeit he’d only known her a week. He flashed a glance Kassidy’s way and saw her mouth tighten. “And you’re not good?” he asked Hailey.
“I’m good at some things.” She set her hand on his forearm and leaned even closer into his personal space, so close he
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