She realized she had said it aloud and pressed her lips together.
“Who?” Robin asked. “The stripper? Do you know him?”
“No. I don’t know him at all.” She had shared intimate moments with this man. Loved him with her body and soul. Once she had bared it all to him, but it had been a mistake. It turned out she wasn’t enough for Cole. And now she saw the truth with her own eyes as he stood on stage, performing for a group of panting women. “I thought he looked like someone I used to date.”
Robin gave a bark of laughter. “Yeah, right. You dating a stripper.”
“Stranger things have been known to happen,” Angie murmured. Like Cole becoming a stripper. It didn’t make sense. When she dated him, Cole had been a detective on the police force. And a good one at that.
Angie watched, stunned and openmouthed, as Cole ripped off his necktie and wrapped it around Brittany’s waist, pulling the bride-to-be closer as the group of women screamed louder and reached for him.
Angie crossed her arms and sat stiffly in her chair. She wanted to disappear into the shadows. Leave before Cole saw her. She felt confused. Stupid. Territorial.
She felt betrayed and that didn’t make any sense. At one time, this guy had made her feel special. Now it looked as if he knew how to make every woman feel that way. She wasn’t dating Cole anymore and it didn’t matter what he did. So why did she feel angry?
Cole turned his head and his gaze snagged hers. Angie’s breath hitched in her throat as she stared into his blue eyes. He didn’t look surprised to see her. It was as if he had known she was here all along.
She saw the determination flash across his face. Uh-oh. She knew that look. Angie wanted to leap from her seat but instead she braced herself. Her eyes widened with horror when she watched Cole jump from the stage. The women grabbed at him but he didn’t pay them any attention as he strode straight for her.
* * *
THESE WOMEN WERE animals. Cole Foster tugged his leg away from a woman’s fierce grip and ignored the fistful of dollars that another waved in his face. He’d never felt like a piece of meat until tonight. The crowd was rabid and ready to rip off his clothes.
He was having a difficult time focusing on his case and that wasn’t like him. He was committed to this job—his real job—and prided himself on his professionalism. Yet all he could think about was Angie sitting in the back row.
She hasn’t changed a bit, Cole realized. Angie Lawson was strong, athletic and a natural beauty. Her wavy black hair was pulled back in a casual ponytail and she wore no makeup. She didn’t need to. She had a healthy glow and vibrant energy that a person couldn’t get in a bottle.
He noticed she wore a black tank top and jeans. He saw the strappy heels and knew that had to be her mother’s interference. Angie dressed to hide or blend into the crowd. But she couldn’t hide from him. He was always aware of her and nothing would ever change that.
It wasn’t his plan to blatantly approach her. It could risk his assignment but he saw her rigid stance and crossed arms. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was tight with anger. Cole knew she was trying to hold it all in but she was about to blow his cover.
Maybe he should have given her an early warning. He knew she would be here, he had been tracking the bridal party for the past week. But he hadn’t been able to determine how close Angie was with the other bridesmaids.
He stood before her, his heart beating fast, his skin slick with sweat. The leather pants clung to his legs and rode low on his waist. Angie was doing her best to keep her gaze somewhere around his ear.
She didn’t say anything. There were a lot of things he wanted to say to her. Things like “Sorry,” or “You’re better off without me.” Instead he said, “You’re next.”
Her eyes glittered with anger and she held out her hand to stop him. “No, thanks.”
“Angie, what are you saying?” The woman he knew as Robin tapped her on the shoulder. “You just told me he looked like your ex. Go for it.”
He got here in the nick of time. What else did she say about him? “I insist,” he said with a hint of warning. “Bridesmaids are next in line.”
She jutted out her chin. “How did you know that I’m a bridesmaid?”
“I was told ahead of time,” he replied. He loved the sound of her voice. It was low, rough and sexy. He remembered it at the most inconvenient times.
Angie glared at him with suspicion. She crossed her legs and held her arms tighter around her. “Sorry, I don’t have any dollar bills.”
“Didn’t you know you were coming to a strip club?”
“Don’t mind her,” Robin said. “She’s new at this.”
He leaned forward and rested his hands on the top of her chair. He caged her in and she pressed her spine against the back. Cole inhaled her scent and the memories bombarded him. “No money at all?” he asked.
“Not unless you want coins.”
Cole’s smile grew wide. He looked at Robin. “Tiger told the rest of us that he wants to be the one to give you the lap dance.”
“See ya!” Robin blurted and raced to the stage, leaving them alone.
“There was no reason to send her away,” Angie said and her words vanished as he straddled her legs. She immediately tensed up. “What are you doing?”
“This is the only way I can talk to you here,” he said, but his mind was elsewhere. He was painfully aroused being this close to Angie. How was he going to put two words together while he was touching her? “Don’t worry, I’ll be gentle.”
For some reason his assurance was met with a frosty stare. He watched with fascination as Angie’s skin flushed red. “Don’t worry about me,” she said in a clipped tone. “Give me all that you’ve got.”
“Angie, I know you’re uncomfortable with all this.” He saw the flash of injured pride in her eyes and he fell silent. Everything he said was being taken the wrong way.
“No, no, Cole. I’m curious. I’ve already seen some of your new moves. I didn’t realize that you had been holding back with me.”
“Holding back?” He never held anything back with Angie. Well, not physically.
“Go ahead, Cole.” Angie leaned back in her chair. “Drive me wild.”
2
COLE DIPPED HIS head and Angie closed her eyes. It was a defensive move but it didn’t help. She could still feel the heat from his body. She licked her lips, remembering how his skin tasted. Warm and masculine.
“I need to talk to you,” he said against her ear.
She felt his breath against her skin and shivered. “Apparently so. You’ve gone through a few life changes since I’ve seen you.” Cole’s bare chest grazed against her breasts and she jumped. She opened her eyes wide. “Or have you?”
