7. Ghost

7

Ghost

Working with Luna used to be simpler.

When she first moved to Vegas with us, we managed to keep our interactions about work. She’d help with small tasks that kept her busy and away from me, and in return, the club gave her a place to stay.

I’d maintain a distance, and she’d leave me be.

Lately, the carefully crafted gap of space between us has been closing.

When I’m working, she finds a reason to need something from my office. When I’m at a party, she orbits. I can’t figure out if she’s closing in or if I am. But her purple hair is a beacon I can’t keep away from.

I’ve considered assigning her a more complicated task than archiving surveillance footage. She’s capable of a lot more than I ask of her, and eventually, she’s bound to get bored. But doing so would give her access to information that puts her in even more danger.

Our rivals use our allies against us, and the feds are no better. At least if Luna’s in the dark about what she’s working on, then she’s safe from the club’s agenda. I owe her that much after bringing her here and sticking a target on her back.

My office door cracks, and Luna walks back in. She’s been messing with camera angles all morning, but she left for a few minutes to replace one that was damaged on the back patio of the clubhouse after Bea and Austin knocked it with a frisbee.

She ignores me as she walks over to the wall of screens on the opposite end of the room, but the ripple of her presence swims through the air. Her haunting honeysuckle scent seeps into my senses.

I watch her back as she starts adjusting the feeds on each screen. Some show angles of the clubhouse, while others are sprinkled around Vegas at our businesses and club-owned properties.

The halo of light from the screens surrounds her as she focuses the new camera and sends it online.

At least that task got her out of the office for ten minutes. Maybe I’ll upgrade the entire grid just to send her somewhere I can’t look at her or smell her.

Can’t touch her.

Can’t hear her shuffle around.

Can’t see her sway her hips to whatever song she’s playing in her head.

One of the screens at the top of the wall blinks, and she lifts onto the balls of her feet to adjust the settings on the monitor. Her baggy T-shirt pulls up with her reach, revealing a hint of the curve of her perfectly round ass, which is on full display in her skintight leggings.

“Need help with that?”

Usually, I’d pretend not to notice what she’s doing because the less she knows I’m watching her, the easier it is to keep her at arm’s length. But then she bends down, and I strike enter on my keyboard so hard I might break it, and figure the sooner she’s done, the sooner she’ll leave.

Still bent over, Luna glances back at me. “I’ve got it.”

Her voice is pitched, but it’s not nerves. She’s just that fucking sweet to everyone—even an asshole like me.

A smile lifts in the corner of her mouth as she gets back to work. It edges the line between sweet and devious, and I’m pretty sure she caught me staring at her ass.

Do I care?

It’s not like I’ll do anything about it, and she knows that. No matter how much I want to circle the desk and walk up behind her—to sink my fingers into her lush hips and drag my palms up the inside of her thighs until I’m lost in her scalding sunshine—I won’t.

No matter how hot my blood runs when she once more starts to sway her hips or how badly I want to break this tension, I can’t.

“Done.” She snaps to standing, spinning around.

I was a dick to her last night, and I’ve been a jerk to her all morning, but still, she fucking smiles at me.

I glance at the screen behind her. “Sapphire Rise is still out of focus. I can’t read a single license plate in the parking lot.”

Luna’s smile falls, and her eyes narrow. “I was talking about the club perimeter. I haven’t gotten to the Strip yet.”

“Hmm.” I turn back to my screen, starting another download while Luna’s eyes burn into me from across the room.

“Do you even need my help, Ghost?”

“With what?”

“With anything?” She waves her arms out. “Because you sure don’t act like it. You know I can do more than adjust cameras and watch surveillance. It’s a waste of my skills.”

“I know.” I avoid her eyes.

“So give me something more challenging.”

“I don’t need help with anything else.” And even if I did, I wouldn’t risk her life involving her in it.

“Of course you don’t.” She huffs, adjusting her ponytail. “You never need me for anything, apparently.”

The last part is mumbled, and when I look up, her gaze has fallen, and she’s biting her lower lip.

“You help the club , Luna, and that’s all that matters.”

Her jaw tightens. “If you offered me this job out of guilt for not telling me what was going on in Albuquerque, I can just ask Steel for something different.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because lately, all I do is bother you.”

“Who said you’re bothering me?”

“No one needs to say it. It’s obvious.” She crosses her arms over her chest, and she might be waiting for me to say something, but I don’t. “I’ll just ask Steel— ”

“No,” I cut her off.

She hitches an eyebrow. “No.”

“No.”

“But why—”

“I’ve got to go.” Anywhere but here.

I stand up so fast that I almost knock my chair over.

Luna is too smart, and the more I say, the easier it’ll be for her to see straight through all my bullshit. I’ve been hiding behind the facade that she’s just like any other employee of the club, but now she knows the truth. I risked it all for her, and if I’m not careful, she’ll think this can be something it can’t.

“Ghost—”

“Lock up when you’re done.” I storm out the door, slamming it behind me.

I can’t have her, but I can’t let her go.

I can’t be around her, but I refuse to let her work with anyone else.

She’s mine, even if it’s only in my head.