The Prince and the Pawn

by Reid, B. B.

  “I hope this will be to your liking, gentlemen.”

  As soon as we nodded, she walked away, and we took our seats. Drinks appeared a moment later despite Ever, Jamie, and me being underage. I didn’t question it and lifted the glass of bourbon. “So tell me,” I shouted to Jamie over the music. “What is the point of being here if none of you can get lap dances?”

  Before he could answer, a girl strutted through the blue curtains. She wasn’t wearing much—a gold G-string and the matching top. I forced myself to watch the leggy stripper in a strawberry blonde wig as she seductively danced her way down the short catwalk. She had her top off before she even reached the round stage where she swayed and climbed and flipped to four songs—it was the longest twenty minutes of my life.

  And then came another blonde.

  The second dancer’s hair was darker, and her legs weren’t as long, but she reminded me of someone with her brown eyes. Noticing the provocative motorcycle uniform and Ever’s tight expression, I realized what Jamie was up to. He’d obviously called ahead and set this up. When the two girls started to dance with their bodies pressed close, and the taller dancer began to undress the chick in the biker getup, I choked on my drink. Ever looked two seconds from punching Jamie, who couldn’t be more amused by his own antics.

  I wasn’t even surprised when the girls finally disappeared, and out came a brunette in a long, white veil, matching lingerie and a garter around her ankle. She descended the short steps of the stage to give Wren a lap dance per Jamie’s request, but the look Wren gave her had the dancer scurrying back up to the stage. Her movements were jerky during the first song thanks to Wren scaring the shit out of her, but by the second song, she’d seemingly forgotten all about it.

  Lou would probably carve Wren’s eyes out just for looking, so a lap dance was definitely out of the question. The dancer disappeared after three songs, and I realized we hadn’t tipped any of them.

  “Don’t worry. It’s covered,” Jamie announced, reading my mind.

  I ignored him as I eyed the curtain. After ten minutes passed without a Tyra look-alike appearing, I exhaled. I felt my friends watching me, but I didn’t even give a shit if they knew how relieved I was. I probably would punch Jamie. Getting tossed out on my ass wasn’t even close to being a concern.

  Dan appeared along with some girls carrying a two-tiered cake with sparklers and Congratulations, Wren! written on the frosting as if it were his birthday. “Since you won’t take a lap dance, how about several?” Jamie said before waggling his brows.

  Suddenly, more girls appeared, surrounding Wren’s chair before he knew what was happening. He’d been too busy scowling at the cake. None of the girls got too close, but there was nothing Wren could do as they waved their tits and stripped their clothing in front of him. I just hoped Jamie wasn’t dumb enough to still be around when it was over.

  The song ended, and the girls disappeared. Wren sat perfectly still, watching Jamie and Dan as they whispered back and forth. I wouldn’t be surprised if Wren were planning just how slowly he wanted to kill Jamie. Dan began nodding enthusiastically before pulling his radio and speaking into it. I almost groaned when the music started up again. I wasn’t sure what the hell I was thinking coming here. No way I could get over Tyra.

  As if I conjured her up—or at least someone who looked a hell of a lot like her—a tiny thing with brown skin, wild curls, and dressed in nothing but a football jersey and thigh-high patent-leather boots, crawled from behind the curtains. My heart felt like it was in my throat. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She reached the pole in the center of the catwalk and used it to seductively regain her feet. Her head was still down as she kept going, making her way to the center stage. I didn’t even recognize the song playing, but I was convinced it had been made for her rhythm alone.

  By the time she reached the stage, I was enthralled though I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t stop watching the way her hips moved. My hands flexed, wanting to grab them. I subtly shifted when my pants tightened, but it was no use. I was good and hard.

  And that was when she finally lifted her head.

  The first thing I noticed was the fullness of her red lips and the two black streaks painted underneath her eyes. I would have snorted if not for the dim light somewhere high up, revealing those whiskey eyes. The section was dark, but I might as well have had night vision. I was caught between rage and disbelief as I realized who the girl was slowly undoing the strings keeping the jersey around her. Tyra was staring at the curtains behind us as if the thought of making eye contact was too much to bear. She had yet to recognize the men she was dancing for. The jersey covering her fell to the stage, and then she was left in nothing but a thong and her boots.

  “Jamie, are you kidding me? What the fuck?” Ever spat in a low tone.

  It didn’t matter, though.

  Tyra had heard him.

  Her gaze shot toward the sound of Ever’s voice, and her jaw dropped as mortification filled her eyes. She then looked at Jamie sitting next to him and then Wren and then me. My body tensed as she took a step back and then another. By the time she realized how close she was to the edge, it was too late. She’d fallen right off the stage.

  The sound of her body hitting the floor was enough to make everything and everyone in the section come to a screeching halt. I was the first one there as we all shot out of our seats. Tyra was grimacing and holding the back of her head as she struggled to sit up. I gripped her arms, helping her, and as soon as she was on her feet, Wren offered her his suit jacket. She gratefully took it just as Dan, a couple of bouncers, and what I could only assume was the manager rushed over. I let her go, only so she could put the jacket on.

  “My name is Neil. I’m the manager. What’s going on here?” he demanded. “What happened?”

  “She fell,” Ever informed him.

  Neil whirled on Tyra, anger in his gaze rather than concern. “I see. My apologies for the disturbance, gentlemen.” He then crooked a finger at Tyra as if she were a child or a dog. “Tyra, I’d like to see you in my office. Immediately.”

  I gripped Tyra’s arm, keeping her from taking a single step when she tried to follow after him. “What for?” I challenged. “It was an accident, and we’re to blame.”

  “Oh?”

  “We startled her on account of the fact that we know her. It’s not her fault.”

  “Regardless,” Neil shot back, clearly not giving a shit. “She is expected to remain professional at all times. Tyra, in my office, please.”

  I let her go when Tyra began to wrestle her arm free. She’d been hurt enough tonight. With her head down, she followed her boss through the club, and I watched them until they disappeared in his office. The moment the door cleared, I whirled on Jamie so I could knock his teeth down his throat.

  “You knew.”

  “Well, obviously, I didn’t know that was going to happen. And honestly, how the fuck didn’t you know that she worked here? That’s your girl—”

  “As you pointed out, not three hours ago, she’s not my girl and never will be.”

  It was his turn to dismiss me. “You need to nip this shit in the bud. You can’t let her work here.”

  “Tyra can do whatever she wants.” I turned and headed for the stairs before turning back out of curiosity. “How did you even find out?”

  “Dan sent me a photo of their new girl a week ago. He was trying to win my business back.”

  If he sent that to Jamie, then it was likely he’d sent it to others, too. Jamie’s claim that I needed to end Tyra’s employment here was starting to sound better and better. Still, I headed for the exit, anyway. I donned that cape once before and look where the hell it got me.

  NEIL FINED ME FOR THE tumble I’d taken off the stage, no matter how hard I begged him not to. I tried to think of a way my first stage dance could have gone worse but nothing, nothing topped stripping in front of my friends as well as the father of my child. Nothing.

  I shoved on
my hoodie, grabbed my duffel, and slammed my locker closed with a growl. Keeping my head down, I pretended not to hear the snickering of the other dancers. Surprise, surprise, I was surrounded by catty bitches. Their kind seemed to follow me wherever I went. Charlie was the only one of my new coworkers who’d proved bearable. I was on my way toward the exit, forcing myself to stop when she waved me down.

  “Don’t be too hard on yourself, kid. You did good, and you wouldn’t be the first girl to fall off the stage. At least it wasn’t because you were too drunk or high.” I nodded, and then she reached inside her Chanel pouch. She then handed over a thick wad of bills. “Take it.”

  As tempting as it was, I shook my head, declining. “I can’t do that. That’s yours.”

  “Actually, it’s yours,” she informed me. “This is your tip.” My eyes bulged because how the hell could I have made that much from one dance? There had to be at least a few hundred in her hand. “I convinced Neil not to fine you, but you’re going to have to work double hours tomorrow. It’s Saturday, our best night, so it will be worth the punishment.”

  I eagerly took the money, resisting the urge to count it right then and there. How much closer was I to Harvard? To leaving this all behind?

  “Thanks, Charlie, and I’m sorry again.”

  “Don’t sweat it.”

  Charlie wished me a good night before sending me off into the night. I still had a couple of hours left of my shift, but the club didn’t want the liability if I had a head injury. As I made my way to my car, I checked my head for lumps.

  “You should go to the emergency room. You might have a concussion.”

  I stopped in my tracks, my head shooting up and finding Vaughn leaning against the hood of my car. “What are you doing here?” I looked around for Jamie, Ever, and Wren but didn’t see them. Why had Vaughn stayed?

  “I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”

  “I suppose that means you also need a ride now.” To my surprise, he held out his hand. “What?” I asked when he said nothing. He only waited expectantly.

  “Give me the keys.”

  I held them tighter. “Why?”

  “Because we don’t know if you have a concussion, and I’m not leaving my son an orphan. Give me the keys.”

  I started to argue, but then I realized the last thing I felt like doing was driving, so I held them out. I hopped in on the passenger side and held my giggle back when he tried to get into the driver’s side but ended up bumping his knee on the wheel and cursing my short legs.

  Grumbling, he moved the seat back before trying again. “How the hell can you possibly drive with your chest on the steering wheel?”

  I shrugged. “I suppose the same way you can with your ass in the trunk.”

  He stared at me, lips turning to the side as he adjusted the seat. When that gaze became less cold and more heated, I looked away. He got in, and we were off. Every time I tried to doze off, he’d shake me awake. He did it enough times that I was ready to punch him in the throat when the car finally stopped.

  I realized too late that he had driven us to the hospital.

  “It’s Friday night. Do you realize how long this could take? I don’t have a concussion. Let’s just go home.” I quickly cleared my throat. “I meant back to your place.”

  Vaughn didn’t look happy about me changing direction, but he didn’t comment on it. “Come on.” He got out, but I didn’t follow him. Instead, I sat back with my arms crossed. I just wanted to see my little love butt and go to sleep.

  Unfazed, as if he expected me to be stubborn, Vaughn rounded the hood of the car. I tried to lock the door, but I was too late. He got the door open, so I started screaming instead.

  “Help! This crazy Neanderthal won’t take me back to his cave!” I slapped his hands when he tried to unbuckle my seat belt. When he finally succeeded, I quickly crawled into the back seat.

  “Goddamn it, pip-squeak!” He yanked the backdoor open before crawling inside and slamming it behind him. It took him a few seconds to notice that I wasn’t trying to escape. “Wha—”

  I didn’t let him finish that sentence before grabbing his face and kissing him. I felt his body tense before he realized what was happening and taking over as I knew he would. Call me crazy, but it worked for me. I craved his domination even when I cursed it.

  I had his suit jacket off and was tearing at his tie and the buttons on his shirt before he could even slip me the tongue. “Please fuck me, Vaughn. Right now.”

  “Is bipolar one of your new personality traits?” He’d whispered it against my lips as he continued kissing me. Despite his question, he was already ripping at my clothes.

  I wasn’t sure what had gotten into me. I just knew I needed to erase tonight, to erase the feel of all those men peering at me and caressing my skin when the bouncers weren’t looking. I knew the only one capable of that was Vaughn.

  And then there was the other reason.

  The fact that I simply needed him.

  It had been two weeks since I sealed the fate of our relationship. Parents to River—that was what I had reduced us to. Two weeks of establishing a routine, sharing a space, and passing each other in the hall, never looking too long at one another for fear of what might come tumbling out. But then tonight, when he saw me dancing for him and his friends, and I saw the promise in his eyes to punish me, I knew we weren’t through. Not by a long shot. A part of me wished he would make me pay. To offer me that solace, the knowledge that he’d never give up fighting for me.

  As if reading my mind, Vaughn sat back once I was naked. I wasn’t worried about being seen in the dark and the nearly empty parking garage. I felt him gripping my arm and yanking me forward until I tumbled over his lap. For a moment, I stared at the back door in shock before peering over my shoulder at him. Vaughn wasn’t looking at me, though. He was staring at my ass. “What are you doing?”

  “Did you really think I’d find you in that club and not make you think twice about going back?” Before I could answer him, he finally met my gaze. “This might hurt a little.”

  I didn’t get the chance to ask him what he meant before I felt the sting of his palm hitting my backside. I turned my head as I cried out. My nails gripped the fabric of my seats, threatening to tear holes in them. I couldn’t think about that, though. All I could think about was what Vaughn was doing to me.

  His fingers gripped my hair, and then he turned my head around, forcing my gaze to meet his. “Eyes on me. Watch me punish you.”

  “Vaughn—”

  He spanked me again before I could finish my plea. This time, he soothed the ache with his palm as he stared into my eyes.

  “What kind of a man do you take me for, Tyra?”

  I slowly shook my head because I genuinely didn’t know. Somehow, I still loved him. I never thought I’d live to see the day where that wasn’t enough. I couldn’t trust him, my broken heart wouldn’t allow me to, but I could have this—with him.

  I felt his palm on my ass again and again until I was a crying, blubbering mess. Vaughn soothed the ache each time only to spank me harder. I could already feel his erection pressing into my stomach, so I moved my hips, hoping to divert his needs elsewhere.

  His hand paused in midair. He’d been admiring his handiwork when his gaze flew to mine. “That’s not going to work,” he whispered.

  “Isn’t it?” My sore throat had my voice sounding husky.

  I watched his jaw harden, and then he was lifting me and tossing me on the other side of the car as if his dick wasn’t making an obscene bulge in the front of his pants. Chest heaving, I licked my lips. “Vaughn—”

  He was already turning toward the door. “Put your clothes back on and get out of the car.”

  “Vaughn!” Hearing my plea in his name, he glanced over his shoulder. The moment our gazes connected, he swore.

  “Fucking spoiled brat.” Hand moving to his belt, he unbuckled it before shoving his pants down his thighs and freeing his cock. “Get
over here.”

  Eagerly, I climbed onto his lap. I didn’t even think about the fact that he wore no condom as I slowly lowered myself onto him. I paused midway, my lips parting as I panted. I’d forgotten how unforgiving he filled me in this position. I started moving up and down, only taking what I could handle and ignoring the fact that I needed more when I felt his hands close around my hips. I only had a moment to brace before he shoved inside of me with a growl, opening me all the way for him. Still needing to punish me, he didn’t give me time to get used to him.

  For a while, there was nothing but the wet sound of him plunging in and out me, the sound of our skin slapping, and my pained cries.

  My ass was on fucking fire.

  Every time he forced me down, my skin smarted.

  “It hurts,” I whined.

  “Mm-hmm, I know,” he purred. “You stop, I stop.”

  I shook my head at his warning because it was the last thing I wanted. So like a big girl, I endured. I ignored the feel of my abused ass hitting his thighs for the pleasure of his pierced cock filling me over and over. The moment I felt my nipples leaking, Vaughn was there, gorging himself on more than just my pussy. It was the best fucking feeling in the world, even when my nipples became sore. Everything hurt at this point, but it was a beautiful sort of pain. One I’d endure over and over just to feel Vaughn all over.

  “I’m going to come,” he announced, and it took me a moment to recognize the warning. He wasn’t protected, and neither was I. “Fuck, I’m close. Tyra…”

  This time, it was my turn to shut him up as I crushed my lips against his and continued to bounce on his cock. My little car was rocking, giving no doubt to what we were doing to anyone who passed. I didn’t care about that, either.

  “Come inside of me.” I squeezed my walls around him with the command. Maybe I did have a head injury after all. “Come right now. I want to feel you leaking on my thighs while we wait to see the doctor. Please, Vaughn, I need it.”

  His only response was a grunt, and then I felt the splash of his warm cum. Completely spent, Vaughn laid his head back on the seat while I gripped his shoulder with one hand, his knee with the other, and rode him like I was a jockey and he the prized stallion.