Read Online Songbird by Victoria Escobar - Free Book Online Page A

inside of it.
    Arc and Max were in the chairs in the hall
playing checkers when I entered with Darys. They both frowned and I
held up a finger.
    “Give me a minute.” I told them as I
passed.
    “Wow. I didn’t think I’d see his band too,”
Darys whispered. “This is awesome.”
    I knocked twice on Nicholas’s door before
using my key card to open it. “Follow me.” I stepped inside with
Darys only a few steps behind me.
    The bed was still neatly made and Nicholas’s
hotel bag was still packed and gracing the desk. The man in
question sat in the wingback chair with a drink in hand. His brows
shot up when his eyes fell over my shoulder at Darys.
    “Mr. Walker, this is Darys. She has agreed to
spend the evening with you.” I stepped back.
    “Wow. It’s so great to meet you.” Darys
stumbled forward and nearly pitched into Nicholas’s lap. I was
forced to press my lips together to keep from laughing.
    “Mr. Walker if you need anything else, I’m
next door.” I pointed to the wall the bed sat on. “Have a good
evening.”
    “Good evening,” Nicholas murmured but his
eyes were raking over Darys and he looked ready to pounce.
    I let myself out without another word. The
anger rising was unfounded. I knew what was going to happen when I
delivered the girl. I knew there was no way Nicholas would ever
look at me with the hunger he’d scanned over Darys with. No man
ever did. So why was I angry?
    I had articulated clearly what I would and
wouldn’t do, I chided myself. I wasn’t a whore. I wouldn’t be the
one to scratch his itch.
    I walked down to where Max and Arc sat. “Why
are you in the hall?”
    Arc shrugged. “Who’s the blonde?”
    “Tonight’s entertainment.” I grumbled and
looked back up the hall.
    Max grinned. “You delivered a whore?”
    I shrugged. “Keeps him in his room and out of
trouble.”
    “And when she goes to the media?” Arc reset
the board but didn’t move a piece.
    “Non-disclosure. I’ve got the bases covered.
Don’t worry about it. So, what are you doing in the hall?”
    “Relax.” Max leaned back in his chair. “The
hotel manager came by and said for added security this wing of this
floor has been closed for just us.”
    “All right.” I rolled my shoulders. “I’m
going to go get some work done, and then I think soak in the tub.
You know where I am if you need me.”
    “How do you soak in the tub?” Arc tilted his
head and his eyes ran form my heels to the top of my head.
    I stiffened. “What?”
    He must have seen his mistake on my face
because he flushed. “No. No. Not like that. You’re not William
Howard Taft.”
    “Or that chick at the counter. Did you see
her? Mac truck tires have less roundness to them.” Max plumped out
his cheeks and held his hands out as if circling a giant gut.
    “What I meant.” Arc shot him a dirty look.
“Is that you’re so tall. Isn’t that awkward?”
    Duh. I had to take a moment to calm down. Arc
had flirted with every woman regardless of size every time we
stopped the bus. There was no reason to believe he even saw size as
part of the equation.
    “I manage.” Since it didn’t look like I was
getting back to my room within the next few minutes I lifted a
foot, removed a heel and did the same to the other. My feet wept in
pleasure.
    “Well, if you need someone to wash your
back…” he trailed off when I scanned him from head to foot and
lifted a brow.
    “We’ll pantsy you eventually.” Arc crossed
his arms and his lower lip puckered. The pout wasn’t bad but I was
immune.
    “It’s an eventuality I’d like to forgo as
long as possible.”
    “You’ve seen all our asses.” Max turned his
attention back to the checkers board.
    “Unfortunately true. You should have Arc help
you with hair management.” As last words went, it wasn’t bad.
    I sat under the window on the sofa with the
laptop, fully intending to get some emails sent and confirm part of
the schedule. A few minutes into my work I glanced at