Seeking Vengeance: Callaghan Brothers, Book 4 by Abbie Zanders

There is a big difference between a fractured hand and a room full of dead bodies.  It would be bad for business and mean a whole lot of paperwork that I would just as soon avoid.”
    “What the hell does Sean Callaghan have to do with anything?”
    “Why don’t you tell me, Nicki?” he countered.  He pushed another button and brought up her lap dance.  Another tap and the image froze.  Nicki gasped.  Is that what everyone saw?  Her fingers were tangled in Sean’s short, silky hair, the other hand digging into his shoulder.  Her eyes were closed, lips parted, her head thrown back in ecstasy.  Sean’s eyes were on her, his focus absolute, his expression... fierce .
    A potent combination of heat and shame rushed through her.  She tossed back the remaining brandy in her glass, stalling for a moment until she could get herself back under control. 
    “Nothing.  He’s just another guy trying to get his rocks off, that’s all.”
    Jason snorted.  “Yeah, right.” 
    Nicki glared at him.  Inside, her mind was working on damage control.  Instinct told her that beneath those puppy dog eyes and all-American smile was a clever, intelligent man.  And intuition told her that he was trying just as hard to figure her out as she was him.  He wasn’t the run of the mill adult entertainment pimp; there was far too much intelligence and cunning in those soft brown eyes. 
    Once again, she had the distinct feeling there was a lot more to Pine Ridge than appeared on the surface.  And again, she reminded herself that it was irrelevant beyond the fact that there was another male around whom she would have to be especially careful.
    “So what you’re telling me is – hypothetically speaking, of course - is that it’s alright to tease men into a frenzy, but not to take any pleasure in it?” 
    Not that she would ever admit to such a thing.  Stripping was a lot like acting, really.  None of it was real; it was all smoke and mirrors to create the desired effect.  The lights, the music, the costumes, the stage, the props – they were all part of the scene.  The men paid for a good show, and she gave them what they wanted.  And if, on rare occasions, she wasn’t faking the whole I-get-off-on-being-bad thing, what of it?  No one was the wiser.
    Never admit to anything .  Yep, that was a plan.
    He smirked.  “There’s nothing hypothetical about it.  And I think you’re smarter than that, Nicki.”
    Unless... maybe he was talking about something else?  Had someone come to him about the questions she was asking?  She was very careful with whom she spoke, but nothing was foolproof.  There was a fine line between appearing garden-variety curious and ferreting out intel.
    No, she reasoned, this had to have something to do with tonight.  Nicki didn’t believe in coincidences.  She wondered what, if anything, had happened after she’d gone backstage.  Had Sean done something?  The look in his eyes had been intense; his warning echoed through her once again.  Maybe some asshole had made a snide remark, or commented on her performance and Sean had reacted. 
    She suppressed a shiver.  Somehow she knew that Sean’s warnings were not to be taken lightly.  He had this dark aura around him, this sense of intensity, of danger, that threatened to draw her in like a moth to a flame.  All the more reason she had to stay the hell away from him.
    Dare she ask?  No, she decided, she’d only be asking for trouble, and it might suggest an interest she did not have.  She had enough problems without making any more for herself.  She was overreacting, that was all.  Too much excitement, not enough sleep, post-climax lethargy and a reduction of brain function – it all amounted to the same thing. 
    Jason had to be referring to her behavior specifically.  If there had been trouble on the floor, she wouldn’t be sitting here now in his office with a brandy in her hand.  Nobody called you to their office and gave