Temptress Read Online Free Page B

security clearance than you do. Now go check the taxi stand and don’t bother Ms. Ray again.”
    The new guy nodded and hustled away.
    I snorted. “The taxi stand, Seth?”
    “What kind of pit boss would I be if I didn’t put the newbies in their place?” Seth winked. In his tailored gray Ralph Lauren, he could pass for a gangster until he smiled. Then his dimples made him look more like a rich kid headed for a charity fundraiser. He held the door open and escorted me down the hallway. “Bad night?”
    “The worst.” I hadn’t felt this ragged since I took down the supervillain training cell in Miami. And that was ten to one. The more powers I got, the more they grated on my body.
    “Sushi?” Seth asked. I nodded.
    “I’ll have them clear the chef’s table.” He strode ahead. “I have to check the floor, but mind if I join you afterward?”
    “The more the merrier.” Seth would help distract from the pain. He waved and hurried ahead.
    By the time I slipped through the service entrance, Seth was gone, and the chef’s table was set for one. I flopped into the booth, and the head chef came to pour my dish of sake. “What can I cook for you this evening, Ms. Ray?”
    Most of the kitchen workers had already gone home. Only a few stations were still cranking out food for the bar. My stomach rumbled from the smell of frying spring rolls. “Nothing special, Noriyuki-san. I don’t want to keep you late.”
    Chef Noriyuki narrowed his eyes. “You are too thin, Ms. Ray.”
    “I’m not—” I started to defend myself, but the chef had already moved off to bark instructions at the remaining brigade. He wouldn’t listen to me, and I didn’t have the energy to argue. Instead I sipped my sake and watched the chefs, growing more ravenous as new smells filled the kitchen.
      One of the waiters presented me with a tray of high-end sashimi and a mountain of spicy tuna rolls. My favorites. I’d barely started chomping into them when the hot courses arrived. Chef Noriyuki’s assistants heaped the table with everything I loved. Sweet potato tempura, teriyaki vegetables, spring rolls and a steaming cauldron of udon noodles with beautifully sliced veggies that made my mouth water.
    “Is there anything else you would like?” Chef Noriyuki approached the table.
    “This is amazing. I love you, Noriyuki-san. Seriously. Daisuki .”
    The chef was actually starting to blush when a commotion started at the server’s entrance. All I could glimpse through the doors was a tall man and the kitchen workers trying to shoo him away. “I’m supposed to meet Jenny Ray. She’s here, isn’t she?”
    My spirits sank. It hadn’t taken Tank long to find me. Or to figure out my last name. Here I’d been doing such a great job pretending he didn’t exist.
    “This is your friend?” Chef Noriyuki asked. “I can call security if he is bothering you.”
    “You can let him in. Sorry for the trouble.” Chef Noriyuki bowed slightly and called to the other workers. They parted, allowing Tank into the kitchen. He’d found a new shirt somewhere, and slid into the booth like he’d been invited. Why did I have to look like hell when he looked like he just stepped out of a comic book?
    “How’d you find me?” I popped a spicy tuna roll into my mouth.
    “All you have in your fridge is soy sauce and wasabi. I figured you’d go to the closest place to get Japanese. Lucky you live in a hotel.”
    “That’s not all I have.” I took a sip of sake.
    “No. You also have more liquor than a frat house. It doesn’t make sense.” Tank gestured at the kitchen. “How do you afford it? The penthouse. The chef’s table. You can’t be doing this on police payroll.”
    “Not that it’s your business, but I freelance for the police. I work for the casino.” I slurped into my udon, closing my eyes to savor the rich flavor.
    Tank wouldn’t quit. “What do you do?”
    “Security. And you ask a lot of questions.”
    “Isn’t that how