Strip Tease

by Karen Erickson

  With a sigh, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a slim black leather wallet, flipping it open to reveal the unmistakable badge of the Los Angeles Police Department. Accompanying it, an identification card stating he was Detective Nathan Banks.

  Crap. He really was a cop after her sister. But why?

  “Name?” He snapped the wallet shut and shoved it into his pocket.

  “Janelle Pearson.”

  He cocked his head. “Right, Peters is her stage name. Where’s Ginger?”

  Well, he didn’t waste any time. “I don’t know.” She lifted her chin, her mouth tightening. It was the truth. She only knew Ginger had called a few hours ago begging Janelle to cover for her at this stupid, stupid party.

  “So you took her place tonight? Is this something the two of you do often? Switch places, play tricks on people?”

  “No, not often. And we’re not trying to trick people.” Janelle looked away from his too intense gaze, taking in the bright city lights that lay out before them like a sparkling, never-ending quilt. It was a beautiful view, but she couldn’t enjoy it, not while being interrogated.

  She’d only wanted to help Ginger, despite her wariness over always bailing her out. Now she wanted to throttle her twin for getting her involved in this mess. She also wanted to smack the pushy-sexy cop and tell him to screw off.

  Secretly, she wanted to grab the pushy-sexy cop by his T-shirt and haul him in close, press against his hard chest and revel in the sensation of his mouth on hers, his hands wandering all over body.

  Stupid. Figured the first time she had the hots for a guy in what felt like forever, they’d be for a cop who wanted to use her to get to Ginger. That had been her problem her entire life, so why think it would change?

  “Why did you take Ginger’s place tonight?” Nate’s questions knocked her from her thoughts and her shoulders drooped, exhaustion overwhelming her.

  “I’ve always taken care of my sister. I know she has problems, but she means well, she really does try to clean up and get straight.” Janelle sighed and shook her head. She didn’t mean to reveal that much personal information. “I covered for her tonight because she asked me to. She mentioned her boss would be angry if she didn’t show up.”

  “Why couldn’t she show up? Did she give you a reason?”

  “No.” Her gaze met his, her stomach twisting into knots. Something was going on. She didn’t know what, but she could see it in the detective’s eyes. Ginger was in something deep and she’d dragged Janelle right into it.

  “I want you to call her. Now. Don’t tell her you’re with me. I want you to ask her where she is and if you can meet with her. Tell her you have the money from tonight’s gig and you want to give it to her. That ought to get her to come out of hiding.”

  “My phone is inside.” Janelle gazed up at the sky, the full, white moon shining down upon her and for a moment, it felt like any other night. Yet it wasn’t. Her entire world had just tipped on its side.

  She remembered how odd Ginger had sounded on the phone, how she’d offered all the money to Janelle for working tonight, when usually they split it. Giving up the money had been so out of character for her greedy sister…

  “Something was wrong. I could hear it in her voice but she wouldn’t tell me anything. Just begged me to do this, thanked me when I finally said yes and hung up.”

  “Shit.” Nate ran a hand through his hair, mussing it up in the sexiest way imaginable. “Let’s go and get your phone. Hopefully she’ll answer your call.”

  She tried to protest, but he merely took her arm and escorted her back into the suite, a grim look of determination on his handsome face. Goosebumps scattered up her arm at his touch, and she bit her lower lip as he led her inside.

  The place was practically empty, though a couple of revelers still hung around, accompanied by a few mostly naked females draped across their bodies, the unmistakable erotic sound of lips connecting filling the room.

  Her skin tingled, her distended nipples brushing against the soft fabric of her shirt and she jerked away from Nate, dropping behind the couch. She grabbed her coat and pulled her cell phone out of the pocket.

  Nate waited expectantly, clenched fists resting on his slim hips. She hit the speed dial, listening to the phone ring and ring until her sister’s voicemail finally picked up.

  “Ginger, it’s me. Listen, I really need to talk to you. Can you call me as soon as you get this message? It doesn’t matter what time it is, just call me, okay? Love you.” Janelle ended the call and shrugged. “She didn’t answer.”

  “I figured.” He pointed at her. “Give me Ginger’s number.”

  “Why?” She gulped, clutched the phone tighter. “Tell me what’s going on. Is my sister involved in something illegal? Are you going to arrest her?”

  “I have no reason to arrest her—yet. I need information. We’re pretty sure she knows things about Billy Diaz that are important to our ongoing investigation.”

  “Billy Diaz? You mean her boss? He’s shady?” She’d always thought the nightclub was on the up and up. Every time she’d been there, which hadn’t been often, the place looked clean. Respectable, as respectable as a gentleman’s nightclub could be.

  “Most definitely.”

  “Great.” She’d suspected her sister had something on the side with her enigmatic boss. Hence, the fear he’d be mad when Ginger didn’t show up for work.

  Had Ginger figured out Nate was a cop? Maybe she’d known Nate would be at the party, so she’d set up Janelle to handle the heat instead.

  Typical Ginger.

  “Hey, buddy, you done with that one?”

  A deep voice made her turn to find a man standing before her, a leer curling his thick lips. He watched her with unabashed interest.

  “No.” Nate’s voice was harsh, final and he took a step forward, his arm curling around her shoulders and hauling her against him possessively. “She’s not for rent to the highest bidder. Give the lady some respect.”

  “I just thought I’d ask. No harm, man.” The creepy guy shrugged and walked away.

  Nate still had his arm around her and she breathed deep, inhaling his scent, his touch, his warmth. If circumstances were different…

  But circumstances weren’t different. He was a detective looking for Ginger and Janelle was a link to her sister and nothing else.

  “We need to get out of here.” Nate’s chest rumbled with his every word and she reluctantly disentangled herself, bereft at not having him near.

  It was absurd and foolish since she’d just met him. She’d never reacted so strongly toward a man, as if there was some sort of sexual magnetism between them, pulling them together. She wanted to deny it.

  Really she did.

  He bent, picked something up from the floor and handed it to her. Dangling from his fingers was her black satin bra. Snatching it from his grip, her cheeks heated with humiliation.

  “I don’t think I can help you, detective. Though trust me, I want nothing more than to find my sister. When she wants to be found, she’ll let me know.” She didn’t want to tell him anything else, she’d revealed too much already.

  “I’m not letting you go that easy.” Long fingers slid down her back to rest at the base of her spine as he started to escort her out of the hotel suite. “I need to ask you a few more questions.”

  “I already told you. I don’t know anything,” she protested

  “Let me be the judge of that.”

  * * * *

  Nate should let the woman go. Clearly, she wasn’t lying. She had no clue what her sister was up to. Hell, she didn’t know where Ginger was, which in theory meant she was of no use to him.

  The potential was there, however. Ginger could eventually contact her sister and Nate would love to be close by when that happened. If he could get the sister on his side, tell her everything and stress what kind of risk Ginger was putting herself in, maybe Janelle would help him.

  She’d been hostile since th
e moment he realized she wasn’t Ginger. Reluctant to talk, reluctant to look him in the eye, she’d been uncooperative at best. Even a little snippy.

  The worst of it? He couldn’t get over how beautiful she was. She resembled her sister somewhat. Whereas Ginger had ashen skin and her eyes were dull, Janelle sparkled. Beautiful, intelligent blue-green eyes, glowing golden skin and a body that wouldn’t quit, she’d tempted him those few moments in his lap.

  Who was he kidding, she was still tempting. He watched as she shrugged her coat on, stuffing the discarded bra in her pocket. She cinched the belt around her slim waist, her lush lips in a straight line, eyes narrowed and he knew she was pissed that he wouldn’t let her go.

  “Are you taking me to the police station?” she asked, her voice tight.

  “Why don’t we grab a cup of coffee and I’ll let you in on what’s going on?” The station on a Saturday night would be a madhouse. He didn’t want to try and talk to her amidst the chaos.

  “I don’t want to grab a cup of coffee.” She glared at him, hostility written all over her face. The woman clearly couldn’t stand him.

  A damn shame, since he couldn’t say the same about her. That moment when he’d pulled her against him and told the jackass to buzz off, she’d felt damn good, her warm and curvy body nestled against his.

  Maybe it was lack of sex that was making him think with his dick. Something he never did with any female involved in a police investigation ever. He’d been hanging out at that so-called gentleman’s club for a couple of months, surrounded by beautiful and not so beautiful near-naked women on an almost nightly basis. Not a one of them made him react the way this one did.

  What made her so damn special?

  “I’ll tell you what’s going on with Ginger. You’ll want to hear this,” he promised. The elevator doors opened and they walked inside together, Nate hitting the button for the lobby.

  A weary sigh escaped her. “I can’t be her keeper forever. I love my sister, detective, but our relationship is...frustrating. She needs to take care of herself, rather than me always running behind her, sweeping up her messes.”

  She sounded bitter and irritated. He couldn’t blame her. After observing Ginger for a solid month, she was nothing but trouble. Completely irresponsible and barely able to function, she’d probably given her family a run for their money her entire life.

  “Your sister’s life could be at risk if you don’t at least get me into contact with her. I’m serious.” Nate watched her, wanting her to understand how important this was. “Billy Diaz is big time, and she’s deeply involved with some of his—business ventures.”

  “What, drugs? I know she has a drug problem. She’s been to rehab once already.” Another resigned sigh escaped her.

  “Not just drugs.”

  “What more could there be?”

  The elevator doors slid open and they exited side by side. “I’ll tell you if you have that cup of coffee with me.”

  She stopped, causing him to stop as well. “I feel like you’re threatening me.”

  “Not at all. You’re helping me, doing your part in a police investigation. And you’re getting a free cup of coffee out of the deal.” He smiled, trying to throw on a little charm. The look on her face said she wasn’t falling for it.

  “Fine, I’ll have one cup, that’s it.”

  This woman was definitely the take no bullshit type. Completely different from her sister, who, from what he observed, went with the flow and followed the orders of everyone around her. Janelle probably gave the orders.

  What drove her to dance in place of Ginger? She was gorgeous, of that there was no doubt. Her killer body and beautiful face would leave most men a drooling pile of lust after she’d finished stripping.

  Behavior-wise, she was nothing like her sister. Calm and composed, coherent. Perfectly capable of taking care of herself, she didn’t appear to have a drug problem. From the moment she’d walked into the suite, he’d noticed her, confused at the difference he saw. The way she’d glared at the men, shuddered when one had stuffed money down the front of her shirt.

  He’d at first believed Ginger was having an off night. Knowing it was a completely different woman put a new perspective on the situation.

  They headed toward the twenty-four hour cafe within the hotel, which was empty, and the waitress seated them quickly. As they each slid into the booth, Nate noticed the harsh lighting did nothing to detract from Janelle’s beauty. No, more like it enhanced it, allowing him the opportunity to study her closer. Yet again, he wondered how he could’ve mistaken this woman for Ginger.

  “So tell me what’s going on,” Janelle said the second the waitress left with their coffee order.

  “Nothing like getting right to it.” He watched her, enjoying the play of emotions that crossed her face. Confusion, frustration, a little bit of anger. Which meant, she would probably have a tough time lying. An advantage he needed to remember.

  “Listen detective, I’m tired. It’s been a long day and I’m emotionally as well as physically drained. Tell me what’s going on so I can go home and worry about her and not get any sleep tonight.”

  The thought of keeping her awake with other, more exciting things crossed his mind but his professional side shoved them firmly out. He hadn’t let a woman throw him off his game in a long ass time and wasn’t going to let it happen now.

  “We think she’s helping Diaz run his prostitution ring. She’s done so for the last few months and he’s paying her in drugs. Meth, to be precise, though he also gives her cash.”

  Her eyes widened, her lush lips parting in what had to be surprise.

  He stopped talking when their waitress appeared with a fresh pot of coffee. They were both silent, watching the older woman pour even amounts of steaming dark liquid in each cup. The woman smiled at them and then walked away.

  “A prostitution ring?” Janelle looked incredulous. “She wouldn’t do something like that.”

  Nate tore open three yellow packets of substitute sugar and poured them into his coffee, then dumped in two little cartons of creamer. He stirred it noisily with a spoon. “She is. They run a small fleet of girls out of the nightclub. I thought at first Ginger was working for him, and maybe she was, but certain clues point to her actually running it. She answered the phone when I called the number they give out.”

  “That doesn’t mean anything. I don’t believe it.” She shook her head, sipping from her cup and then grimacing. “Oh my God, that’s hot.”

  She pressed slender fingers to her pursed lips, blew out a shallow breath. Lush dark pink lips that were completely bare, didn’t have a smudge of lipstick on them, which he found incredibly sexy.

  He wondered what those lips would feel like wrapped tight around his cock, the hot wet warmth of her mouth engulfing him, bringing him to an intense orgasm...

  Nate shifted in his seat, adjusting the front of his jeans and feeling like a damn pervert. His reaction to her made him uneasy.

  “God, I burned my tongue.” Janelle pressed her lips together.

  “Why don’t you put some creamer in it? That’ll cool it down a bit.” He pushed the dish of stacked creamers toward her.

  “No thanks. I prefer my coffee black. Besides, that stuff isn’t good for you.”

  “What, non-dairy creamer and fake sugar?” He sipped from his cup, realizing he didn’t taste much coffee whatsoever.

  Just the way he liked it.

  She wrinkled her nose. “It’s all processed and man-made, you know? It’s not good for you. I believe in eating natural, whole foods as much as possible.”

  “You really are nothing like your sister, are you?” He knew Ginger loved to gorge herself on junk food when she wasn’t getting drunk or high, and she consumed an endless supply of soda. Not only did his one source at the club inform him of this seemingly useless tidbit, but he’d seen her do so himself numerous times.

  “We’re veering off track, when we should be talking about what Ginger’
s involved in.” Janelle rested her forearms on the table, hands clasped, looking every inch the cool, professional woman. “Do you have any proof she’s running her boss’ prostitution ring? My sister’s done a lot of terrible stuff, but running prostitutes? I find that hard to believe.”

  Nate leaned forward, mimicking her movements. “That’s why I need to talk to her. I’m not after her, I want Billy. If she’ll help us out, we’ll help her out.”

  “So you want to use me to get to Ginger.” Her voice grew sharper, those beautiful blue eyes narrowing as she watched him.

  She didn’t seem to like his suggestion but he didn’t care. He needed to get closer to the truth. He needed to find the easiest way to bust Billy Diaz and Ginger was the quickest, most direct link he could get.

  He shrugged, feigning nonchalance, though excitement bubbled inside him. “If that’s what it takes and you’re willing to help, then yes. I haven’t seen her in two days. No one seems to know where she’s at.”

  Janelle was quiet, her hands clutching the coffee cup, spinning it around slowly.

  He waited, didn’t say a word. Didn’t want to blow this potential break in the case.

  “I don’t want to be involved in this. If my employer found out what I’m doing...” Janelle paused, inhaling sharply. “I’d rather keep my nose out of it and help Ginger if she comes to me. That’s how it’s always been.”

  “You’re involved whether you want to be or not.” He glared at her. “How can you stand by and let your sister get into deeper trouble and not do anything?”

  With an indignant huff, Janelle released her hold on the coffee cup and slid out of the booth. She stood beside the table, her gaze icy as she studied him. “How dare you pass judgment? You have no idea what Ginger has put my family through. Put me through.”

  “Listen.” He tried to grab her hand but she jerked away, backing up a couple of steps.

  “I’m done listening to you. Please don’t bother me again.”

  Nate watched her walk out of the restaurant, admiring the view despite his frustration. Even angry, she had a sexy saunter to her step, her hips swaying. The woman aroused him and frustrated him beyond belief.