Page 57 of Dangerous Attraction

As I near closer, she peers up, chin resting on her knees and droopy eyes focused on my car.

Turning in, I pull up beside her, then reach across the car and open the door. She pulls herself up, then heaves her bag onto her shoulder as she ambles toward the car, hands wiping her face as she slides inside.

Once she's buckled in, I reverse and turn back the way I came, eyes flicking toward her every now and then.

She's quiet this morning, and the droopy eyes, along with the darkened bags underneath them, have the frown on my face deepening.

"You okay, Red?" I ask as I shift gears and slow down, wanting to give myself more time with her.

She nods, tucks her hair behind her ear, then glances at me, offering me a weak smile.

"Yeah, just tired."

Running my gaze along the length of her body once she turns away from me again, I take in the black leggings stretched across her thighs, and the same denim jacket she was wearing Saturday night, along with the small heeled black boots that she also had on the other night.

Strange.

I'd have thought she'd be back to her Converse, considering she seems to favor them over any other pair of shoes.

"You could take the day off, you know?" I tell her, as I focus back on the road, although my eyes stray back toward her after a few moments.

She yawns and shrugs. "I'll be okay. I've got enough caffeine in my system to keep me running for the day."

My stomach stirs as I turn off the road toward the clubhouse.

Something's not right today.

As we pull up, she sighs, opens the door, and gets out before sluggishly making her way toward the bar, not even batting an eye at Milo as she walks past him.

He frowns, glancing at her back before turning to me. I shrug, then get out of the car myself.

"Have you pissed her off already?" he asks as he takes a drag of his cigarette.

Shaking my head, I make my way up the steps to stand beside him. Peering through the window, I watch as she rounds the bar, places her bag underneath it, and yawns.

"Hardly spoken to her," I tell him, watching her intently as she leans her elbows on the bar and rests her forehead in the heels of her hands. "She seems… off."

Milo turns, his eyes following my line of sight, and after a minute, he shrugs.

"She looks exhausted."

I nod in agreement, concern stirring inside my stomach again.

Maybe working here over the weekend was too much for her? With the added people, the loud music, and the late nights, but surely she had enough time to recuperate yesterday on her day off?

Milo finishes his smoke, flicks the butt onto the ground, then slaps me on the shoulder as he heads for the double doors, where I follow closely behind.

When we enter the room, Trix is no longer behind the bar, but instead is wiping down the tables in the booths, swaying her hips to the quiet music now rippling through the room.

At the sound of the door closing behind us, she glances over her shoulder and her lips spread wide.

"Morning," she calls out, quickly turning back to her task at hand.

She may sound and be trying to act cheery, but I can tell from the look in her eyes she's anything but.

I've spent the whole day watching her, observing the fake smiles she's flinging in every direction. Analyzing the way she keeps jumping every time someone gets too close, and now my body is coiled tight, anxious and infuriated.

Something's not right, but she's avoided me all day, so I haven't had the chance to pry, and therefore I have no idea what's going on.