A Real Man: Volume Two

by Snow, Jenika

  I was surrounded by superficial beauty daily. I had tits and asses all up in my face. But this was a business, and I looked at it as such. I didn’t fuck my employees, no matter how much they came on to me.

  But for Jana I’d bend the rules until they fucking broke in two.

  I had no doubt she'd make me a lot of money stripping, grinding her glorious body along that silver pole. But in the five minutes I’d been in her presence, she was all I wanted.

  I knew, without a doubt, that I would make her mine.

  I held on to that possessiveness, that domineering nature that had gotten me through life. If Jana wanted to work here, I'd hire her. But what she'd soon come to realize was the only person she'd be stripping for was me.

  2

  Jana

  I must've listened to the voice mail three times already. Mr. Savage wanted me to come in, to dance for him … privately.

  Although I wasn't surprised since most strip clubs had an audition before they even considered hiring a dancer, this particular instance made me very nervous.

  This was a job, a way for me to make money and pay my debts. Besides, if my hopefully soon-to-be boss knew that I was actually a virgin, he'd probably laugh me out the door.

  How could he take me seriously for this job when I had no sexual experience? Didn’t a dancer have to have that eroticism, that knowledge of how to turn a person on in order to seduce them without even touching them?

  But I knew how to dance, and I did it damn well. I didn’t have to know what a cock felt like inside of me to know how to move.

  I just had to prove to him that I was good enough.

  I grabbed my duffel that sat by the front door, picked up my car keys, and stared at myself in a little mirror above the foyer table.

  Foyer … I could've laughed at the term I’d just used. The apartment I lived in was a dirty, run-down place that had one bedroom with a perpetual musty smell, peeling linoleum in the kitchen, and carpet in the living room that looked like it was from the seventies.

  But this was home, at least until I could afford something better.

  I climbed into my crappy, beat-up Honda. I haphazardly pulled up my hair and twisted it in a bun. I bobby pinned the hell out of it, smoothed my fingers under the slightly dark circles under my eyes, and tried to calm my breathing.

  I didn't sit there for very long, because I knew making a good impression, even if it was for a strip club, was in my best interest.

  I cranked the engine and headed down the road, not knowing how the day would go but feeling this excitement rush through me.

  There was something about Cole Savage that had my blood coursing through my veins, had my palms sweating, and had my heart racing. I knew feeling this kind of arousal, this reaction to a man I didn't even know and had only met for a total of five minutes, was ridiculous.

  But I also couldn't help the effect he had on my body. Ever since leaving his office, he was all I thought about. The images that flashed in my mind were filthy. The things I wanted him to do to me made me blush even though I was alone.

  Stupid or not, I clung to my emotions, my arousal. I didn't want them to end, didn't want it to vanish as easily as everything else seemed to do in my life.

  Although I was not broken and hadn't had a horrible childhood, I had missed out on life, on the things that I loved. Ballet was the thing I regretted the most. When your family showed their disappointment over the fact you won't be a coveted dancer, it was hard not to absorb that dark weakness that consumed you like nothing else.

  But I'd done well to stay above the water, to not let it drag me down. Instead I embraced the things I did have, the things I was good at.

  And right now that was to impress, and show Cole Savage what I had to offer.

  * * *

  Cole

  I’d specifically closed the club for this moment. I wanted to watch Jana dance without any interference or distractions.

  I wanted her to dance for me alone.

  I led her to the back room, because even if there was nobody else at the club, I still wanted privacy. I didn't want anybody looking at her, didn't want anybody to see as she took her clothes off. That was all for me. She was mine.

  Mine.

  That one word had never meant so much.

  She was nervous; that was clear by the way she kept twisting her fingers together, by the rapid beat of her pulse right beneath her ear. I knew she wanted to ask me why nobody else was at the club, because I could see her looking around, the confusion on her face.

  I pushed open the back door, held it for her, and let her walk by me. When she passed me, I inhaled deeply, the sweet scent of floral and sugar filling my head.

  I instantly got hard.

  Although I knew when she was on that stage, twisting her body for me, even if she was still fully clothed, my dick would be rock-hard.

  I've never felt such an intense need to claim a woman. It had been years since I took a woman into my bed. And even before then I rarely did that. Years of being celibate, of not having any desire for the opposite sex fueled my need to make my business rise.

  But it had only taken a second for me to look at Jana to know I wanted her irrevocably. I'd own every inch of her before the week was out.

  Insta-love, insta-lust, whatever it was called … she would be mine.

  Once we were both in the VIP only room, I shut the door, the soft click sounding deafening as the silence stretched on.

  She stood there, looking at the stage, her hand tightly wrapped around the strap of her duffel bag. I walked over to one of the tables, grabbed one of the overturned chairs that was on top of it, and placed it on the floor. I sat, not speaking because I knew she was smart enough to know that I wanted this to start.

  Because truth was I was so fucking ready to have her get on that stage and show me what she could do.

  It only took her a few seconds before she moved toward the slightly raised stage.

  The lights were already partially dimmed, the only glow shining down on the silver bar in the center of the stage. My heart was thundering, this excitement racing through me at the very thought of what I was about to see. It had only been one day since she came into my office, but since then she was all I thought about.

  I knew she wouldn't disappoint, simply because she was perfect.

  3

  Jana

  I stared at the stage, my nerves controlling me, my heart racing. I knew my hands would be shaking if I didn't have them closed into tight fists.

  I felt his gaze on me, this dark, penetrating focus that had me acutely aware of my surroundings. I took a deep breath, and I walked over to the stage, took the three steps that were required to get onto it, and set my bag down.

  “If you need to change, there's a small dressing room off to the left.” His voice was so deep, dark, and commanding.

  I glanced over my shoulder at him and stared right into his eyes. This wasn't my first stripping job, and certainly wasn't the first time I had auditioned, obviously, but for some reason I was scared shitless.

  “I don't need to change. I came prepared.”

  The thigh-high jacket I wore was cinched tightly around my waist with a tie. I undid it and slipped the jacket off my body and tossed it aside. I slipped off my ballet flats and bent down to open up the duffel bag. I pulled out my black patent leather stilettos and slipped them on.

  My heart was thundering, and I could feel it beating rapidly at the base of my throat. Once I had the bag moved out of the way, I turned around and faced Cole. He watched me with this unreadable expression, his face partially covered in shadows, his big body seeming imposing.

  He lifted his hand, and I saw he held a small remote. A second later music started playing from speakers overhead.

  “When you're ready, Jana.”

  The way he said my name had shivers racing up my spine. It sounded so intimate, like he knew me, had seen every part of my body previously. It was like he knew who I was and he’d
anticipated this moment.

  I closed my eyes, took in a deep breath, and focused on the task at hand. I was here to impress him, to show him that I'd be an asset to his business.

  I opened my eyes and walked over to the silver bar. I lifted my hand and wrapped my fingers around the gleaming pole, feeling the metal warm under my touch.

  The music continued to play overhead, a softer, seductive tone, but also having this bite to it. I started moving. The outfit I wore was a minuscule skirt with pink lace around the edge. The top stopped at my midriff with the plunging neckline and the same lace around the bodice, accentuating my cleavage.

  For stripper standards I was pretty much overdressed, but the clothing would come off the more I got into the song and dance.

  I only focused on what I was doing and not on the fact that Cole was just a few feet away, his intense gaze burning holes in the back of my head. I felt him watching me, like fingers skating over my bare flash. Goose bumps popped out along my arms, and this chill raced over me.

  I started moving then, pressing my body against the pole, swaying my hips, and making anyone who watched desire me. That was the goal, to make them want me even though they knew they couldn't have me. The more I got into it, the hotter the room became.

  My eyes were still closed, my focus still on the dancing. The moves were sensual, seductive. They were a mix of my ballet and the eroticism I felt knowing I was being watched … that I held the power.

  And then I moved away from the pole and started undoing my top, still swaying my hips, still being sexual. I let the material slide down my body until it fell to the floor. My breasts were freed, bared. Even though I felt hot, the air touching my nipples seemed chilled, making the tips pucker, elongate. I kept my bottoms on, though, because a little mystery always turned them on more.

  The music turned off suddenly, and I was pulled out of my haze, my trance. I faced Cole, staring directly into his eyes. He hadn't moved and seemed unaffected by my dance.

  He sat there with arrogance, this air about him that made me feel like I was naked for him, and not just in the obvious sense.

  Had I not enticed him, teased him? His unreadable expression made me even more nervous. But I wouldn't let that show, wouldn't let him know that I was on edge, wondering what he thought.

  Cole stood up then and walked toward me. He was only a foot from the stage now, his head slightly tipped back so he could look me in the face.

  “You're hired, but I have stipulations.”

  Stipulations?

  “Come back to the club tomorrow night to sign paperwork and discuss the legalities of it all.”

  The way he spoke was so formal, but I reminded myself this was a business transaction. Stripper or not, this was a way for me to make money, and him as well. The way I felt, the way he made me feel, was not relevant in this situation. For all I knew, I was just another girl that he’d hired.

  And damn it, I didn’t like how that realization made me feel.

  4

  Cole

  The next day

  If I could've closed the club down a second time, I would have. But it was Friday night, and the weekend brought in a lot of high-rolling clientele.

  I sat behind my desk, my focus on the stainless steel in front of me. Jana was due to be here any minute, and as much as I was good at hiding my emotions and keeping myself in check, I anticipated this like a motherfucker.

  I anticipated seeing her.

  There was a light knock on my door, and I sat up straighter. “Come in,” I called out. When the door was opened, disappointment slammed into me when I saw it was just Ruby, one of the dancers.

  She came in, closed the door behind her, and instantly got this seductive smile on her face. Ruby had been hinting pretty strongly that she wanted more from me than just the employee and employer relationship.

  She wanted to ride my cock, to get really fucking skanky with me, despite the fact I showed no interest and had told her plenty of fucking times nothing would ever happen between us.

  I wasn't down for that.

  If I needed release, I jerked off.

  I focused on the task at hand, on my business. But with Jana … that was something totally different.

  She was different and I craved that. I needed that.

  I didn't need to spend an extended period of time with her to know that she was mine, that she'd only be mine.

  I wanted her and I'd have her. And soon she’d realize that.

  “Your appointment is here, sir.”

  “See her in.” I didn't bother making eye contact with Ruby. Because Poppy was off for the day, Ruby handled the employee relations’ side of the business.

  As the seconds moved by she refused to leave my office. “Ruby, send her in now, please.” She continued to stare at me, this smirk on her face. She walked over to my desk, ran her fingers along the top, and batted her lashes at me.

  “I was wondering if I could speak with you later tonight about picking up more shifts?” She walked around my desk, closer to me.

  “You know you have to speak with Hillary about any schedule changes.” I looked her right in the eye, my irritation that she was still here growing.

  “I know, but I thought if I spoke with you directly, maybe you'd be more inclined to help me out.”

  She didn't need to elaborate for me to understand what she was saying. Her wanting to speak to me about the schedule had nothing to do with her picking up more shifts and everything to do with fucking me.

  I’d give Ruby the cold hard truth if that’s what she wanted.

  Moving around the desk, I stopped a few inches from her. She craned her neck back to look into my face. I could see by her expression she thought there was something more about to happen.

  “Ruby, you're a sweet girl, but there will never be anything between us.” I looked her directly in the eyes, hoping she was smart enough to just walk away.

  Her continuing to try and make something work with me was starting to reach a level of desperation. My mind was already consumed with Jana, and nothing and no one would make me deviate from getting what I wanted.

  She continued to give me that “fuck me” smile. I had all thoughts on Jana. I sure as fuck didn’t want the object of my desire to walk in on Ruby attempting to touch me. I sure as fuck didn’t want Jana thinking there was something between us. I’d already made my mind up that Jana was all I wanted.

  “Ruby, send Jana in or you’ll find yourself without a job.” Her smile faded, her eyes widening after I spoke.

  “What?” she said the word softly.

  “I’ve told you plenty of times there will never be anything between us, but fuck if you seem to get that through your head.” She looked nervous as hell. Good. “Now, bring Jana in or you can get the fuck out and collect your last paycheck at the end of the week.”

  I watched as she swallowed, then pursed her lips, maybe annoyance or embarrassment filling her, making her want to lash out.

  “Yes, sir.” After second she turned and left, and I leaned against my desk staring at the partially opened door, waiting for the woman of my obsession to walk through.

  My dick was hard, pressing against the fly of my slacks. The bastard wanted out, wanted to see how warm and wet Jana really was.

  The door to my office finally opened, and she walked inside. My cock jerked in response, and I knew if I didn't control myself, the front of my pants would have a wet spot from my need.

  “Please shut the door.” I liked how she did what I said instantly, that obedience having my arousal climbing higher.

  She was wearing these black leggings and this nearly sheer top. The shirt underneath was cut low, letting me to see her cleavage. She was small, tiny. Her breasts were probably just a handful, not like the girls who worked at the club with their silicone-filled chests.

  But in all honesty I preferred the way Jana looked to the way the others did. Jana was all natural, her curves subtle, feminine. She was a ballerina down to h
er marrow.

  I stood, my frame towering over hers, and gestured for her to take a seat. I moved around my desk and sat, watching as she came forward and finally did the same.

  For a long moment all I did was watch her, taking in her reaction to me, how she reacted to the way the silence stretched between us. She was nervous, and I had a feeling it had nothing to do with the job we would be discussing, but more that she was in my presence. I also couldn't lie and say that knowledge didn't turn me on more. It made me fiend for her, like she was my drug of choice.

  She is.

  “I'll get right to the point, Jana.” She licked her lips, her little pink tongue sliding along the bottom before moving to the top. I tried to discreetly reach down to adjust my dick, the fucker huge and jerking from my arousal.

  “Okay,” she said softly.

  “I want to hire you, but not to be a dancer in the club.”

  Her delicately shaped brows dipped low, her confusion clear on her face. “I'm not sure I understand, Mr. Savage.”

  Even though I loved hearing her be formal with me, I wanted her to say my given name.

  “It's Cole. Call me Cole from now on.” I may have said that a little harder than I needed to, but right now I felt more primal, more demanding than normal. Hell, if I could just go all caveman on her, throw her over my shoulder, and take her back to my place to show her how a real man took care of a woman, I'd do just that.

  She finally nodded and licked her lips again, her eyes wider, the air around her seeming tense.

  “I'm hiring you—or more so offering you the position—of being my personal assistant.” Truth was I didn't need a personal assistant. I had people who answered phones for me, who filed paperwork, who did the computer-work bullshit. I just didn't want her dancing in front of men, but I also wanted her close to me.