by Maya Banks
She knew he watched her. She felt his eyes on her, burning, sizzling over her like a blowtorch. She undressed as he undressed her. Let the material slip from her body as if he were doing it himself.
Her hair fell as she unpinned it from the coil at the nape of her neck. The strands covered her breasts, and her nipples played an erotic game of hide and seek.
She closed her eyes and threw her head back in abandon. Her hands cupped her breasts, plumping them, pushing them upward. She opened her eyes drowsily then let her breasts fall. Her hands slid down her belly, dipping teasingly close to her pussy. She dipped two fingers underneath the silky scrap of material and let them linger as the noise from the crowd grew louder.
She chanced another look at Jack and shivered at the raw need in his eyes. Yeah, she’d put on a show entirely for his benefit. Given him a taste of what he’d thrown away. She hoped he had a hard-on from hell.
The heavy beat of the drums intensified. She twisted and gyrated, throwing her arms over her head and giving herself over to the final climax of the performance. She collapsed to the floor, bucking and writhing as she faked orgasm.
Twenties rained down around her. Men surged to the edge of the stage, waving money in both hands.
She slowly rose to her feet, collecting the bills on the floor and tucking them seductively in her G-string. She walked close to the crowd, waggling her hips as fingers brushed against her skin.
When she reached the bottom of the steps, Martin was waiting for her, a wrap over his arm. She flinched when he touched her. She yanked the wrap around her and walked ahead of him toward her dressing room.
Martin hurried after her, huffing as he heaved his considerable girth down the hallway.
“You were smoking tonight, Mia. Very well-done. My visitors were very happy with your performance, and they look forward to a more private setting. Get changed and meet me in the back room. Don’t dawdle. They’re waiting.”
Mia paused at her door and turned to look at him. “I really don’t feel well, Martin. Can’t we do this another time?”
His face grew red, and he shook a stubby finger in her face. “Don’t give me that bullshit. You’ll be there or else. You can’t tell me you’d prefer the inside of a jail cell.”
She shook her head. “No,” she whispered.
“I didn’t think so. Now hurry your ass up. I’m not in the mood for your stupid mind games tonight.”
Mia ducked into her dressing room and shut the door, making sure to bolt the lock. She leaned heavily against the door and slid down to the floor, her face in her hands.
If only she could go back to that awful night. She shook her head, warding off tears. She couldn’t change the past, and there was no sense acting like a freaking wimp. The best she could do was bide her time, pay back her debt to Martin then get the hell out of this life and this town.
She scrambled from the floor and quickly dressed. She knew what Martin expected. She didn’t have to go naked, but she might as well be for all the skimpy bathing suit covered. When she pulled on the stiletto heels, she wavered a bit and gripped the edge of her dressing table for balance.
She was tired, her feet already hurt and now she’d be expected to serve cocktails and hors d’oeuvres in three-inch heels. Lovely.
An impatient knock sounded at her door.
“I’m coming,” she grumbled.
She carefully walked to the door and opened it. Martin stood there looking up and down her body, an appreciative gleam in his eye.
“Very nice. Now come on. They’re waiting for you.”
“Just who is ‘they’?” she asked suspiciously as she followed him down the hall.
“It’s none of your concern,” he snapped. “They’ve paid handsomely for your time, and I expect you to be polite.”
“As long as that’s all I’m expected to do,” she reminded him.
“You’ll do what you’re told,” Martin said in a dangerously low voice.
He stopped at the end of the hall outside the large room he often hosted private affairs in or rented out for bachelor parties. It was the one nice room in the entire shoddy building.
He opened the door and shoved Mia forward. She blinked and looked around nervously at the group of men seated at various intervals. She could see the gleam of appreciation, the spark of lust that entered their eyes when they saw her.
She looked back at Martin, prepared to protest, but his glare stopped her.
Jail, he mouthed at her.
Mia looked back again at the men assembled and wondered if maybe jail would be a preferable alternative.
CHAPTER 6
Jack watched Fat Man hustle Mia down to the end of the hallway and all but shove her into the room. His hands flexed and curled into fists at his side. Something didn’t add up here.
His instincts had never steered him wrong, and they were screaming at him right now. He forced himself to be patient. He wanted to knock the damn door down and pull Mia out of the room, but he’d seen the fear in her eyes. She was in some kind of trouble. He didn’t want to get her hurt.
A few minutes later, Fat Man shuffled from the room, and Jack moved forward. They met halfway, and Jack inflected a note of casualness to his voice.
“We meet again,” he said.
Fat Man looked up in irritation then smiled when he saw Jack. “Are you here to see Mia?”
Jack nodded. “I’ve given consideration to your proposition.”
Fat Man jabbed his thumb over his shoulder. “She’s entertainingsome guests of mine, but you’re welcome to go in. For a price.”
Jack’s eyes narrowed. “Exactly what sort of entertainment are we talking about, because I have to tell you, I’m not into sharing pussy.”
Fat Man laughed. “You give me five hundred and she’s yours for the night. She’s not fucking any of the guests. I much prefer to tantalize them a bit. Dangle the carrot in front of their nose until they’re so fucking horny, they’ll pay out the nose for a chance to be with her. I have plans for Mia, and they don’t include being a common whore.”
“And yet, you’ll give her to me for the night,” Jack said.
Fat Man shrugged. “She could stand to loosen up. Besides, she didn’t much like you from what I could tell. Will serve the little bitch right if I give her to you. Maybe she’ll figure out she doesn’t call the shots around here.”
Jack wanted to wrap his hands around the son of a bitch’s neck and squeeze until his eyes popped out. He reached for his wallet, careful not to betray his anger by the shaking of his hands. He peeled five bills off and thrust them at Fat Man.
Fat Man collected the money and stuffed it into his pocket. “Just make sure she’s back before six tomorrow night. She has a show to do and an important appointment right afterward.” He laughed as he said the last.
Jack nodded, his jaw clenched too tight to speak.
Fat Man gestured toward the end room. “Have at it.”
Jack walked toward the door and paused just before opening it. “What are you into, Mia?” he murmured. “Why the fuck are you selling yourself on a nightly basis?”
He shoved the door open and took in the scene before him. A group of men dressed in business suits lounged in seats scattered over the room. Music filtered through cheap speakers, and all eyes were toward the front of the room. Jack followed the direction of their gazes to see Mia performing a sensual dance, using a chair as a prop.
She was dressed. Barely. Her nipples and pussy were covered, but that was about all he could say for her. She looked up and saw him. She stopped moving for a moment as she stared back at him. Shame crowded into her beautiful baby blues. Then she looked away and resumed her dance.
Soon the music ended, and Mia made her way through the seated men, smiling and flirting. She took drink orders then sashayed up to the minibar to pour the drinks.
Though she looked poised and confident, Jack could see her hands shake as she placed the drinks on a tray. He’d seen the fear and embarr
assment in her eyes. Whatever the situation might be, he knew one thing without a doubt. Mia didn’t want to be here.
He leaned back in his chair and tried to look no different from the other men in the room. When Mia had served the others, she walked up, her eyes hooded.
“What are you doing here?” she whispered.
He lifted one brow. “Making sure you don’t get into any trouble.”
“Martin won’t like it,” she hissed. “You need to go.”
“Oh, you mean Fat Man? He knows I’m here. Be a good girl and get me a drink,” he said with a pat on her ass.
She flinched and walked away. Jack winked at the other men who had been watching. He had no idea who they were or what danger they might pose, but he wasn’t about to drop his guard around them. Let them think he was just another guy out looking for pussy.
The hours bled on into the early morning. Mia looked exhausted, dead on her feet, and still the men wanted more. More drinks, more dancing. As they grew drunker, they got louder and more demanding.
At one point, one of them pulled Mia down to his lap and ground her ass into his crotch. He cupped her breast through the material of her top and squeezed.
Jack started out of his chair just as Mia dumped a drink over the guy’s head. The man shot out of his seat, knocking Mia to the floor.
“Bitch! You’re going to pay for that!”
The man wiped angrily at the liquid running off his expensive suit. Then he reached for his belt buckle, and Jack had had enough.
He pushed his way through the men who were all standing now, cheering Angry Man on. Jack bent down and picked up Mia, cradling her in his arms. She clung to him, her heart pounding against his chest. She was scared out of her wits.
“I’ll bid you gentlemen a good evening,” Jack drawled. “The lady and I have some business to attend to. Don’t we, sugar?”
She nodded and buried her head in his chest.
“Wait just a goddamn minute,” Angry Man protested. “We paid for the bitch’s time.”
“Take it up with Martin,” Jack called over his shoulder as he headed for the door. “Since he promised the girl to me tonight.”
Jack saw another guy put a hand on Angry Man’s shoulder. “Let it go. We’ll have our chance tomorrow night.”
Jack frowned but continued out the door.
He carried Mia through the now-empty club and outside to where his truck was. Her small hands curled trustingly around his neck, and her face stay buried in his chest. She shook slightly, and it made him angrier by the minute.
He opened the passenger side of his truck and gently deposited her inside. Then he walked around and slid into the driver’s seat.
He glanced over to see her curled away from him, her face toward her window. He bit back a curse and started the engine. He passed her apartment complex after a few minutes and kept driving toward a section of town a little less seedy.
Her head popped up. “Where are we going?”
“To a hotel. No way we’re going back to that shit hole you call an apartment.”
To his surprise, she didn’t argue. But then she looked too damn tired to say much of anything.
He whipped into the parking lot of a chain hotel and cut the engine. “Stay put,” he directed. “I’ll get us a room.”
Five minutes later, he returned, hotel key in hand. He pulled around to an empty parking spot and eased the truck into it. Shoving the truck keys into his pocket, he got out and walked around to Mia’s side. When he opened her door, he saw she was sound asleep.
Not wanting to disturb her, he eased his arms underneath her small body and lifted her out of the truck. He walked toward the hotel room and when he got to the door, he shifted her weight so he could reach the lock from underneath her legs.
Dawn was already creeping across the sky. Soon it would be completely light. He shouldered his way into the room, glad to see the windows had room-darkening curtains. Mia needed to rest.
He kicked the door shut behind him then carried Mia over to the bed. He put her down, and she opened her eyes. Fear, confusion and uncertainty glimmered within them.
He pulled the covers back, easing them out from underneath her. Then he climbed in beside her and pulled the sheets over them both.
He could sense her uneasiness. She was tense, waiting. What for he wasn’t sure.
“Go to sleep, Mia,” he murmured into her hair. “We’ll talk when you wake up.”
He pulled her up against him, holding her tightly. Her body tucked against his like it belonged. She molded to him so perfectly. He threaded his fingers into her silky hair.
Tomorrow. Tomorrow he was going to find out what the fuck was going on. Tomorrow he was putting an end to this bullshit. For now he was going to wrap himself around her as tightly as he could go, until she didn’t know where she ended and he began. And he hoped she got the message loud and clear. She was his, and he wasn’t letting her go. Never again.
CHAPTER 7
Mia woke from a deep sleep. Her eyes fluttered then widened as she registered a hard body pressed tightly to hers. Jack.
She lay there not moving, her cheek pressed against the hard muscle of Jack’s chest. Unable to contain the urge, she rubbed and nuzzled closer. She inhaled deeply. His scent filled her nostrils, warm and comforting.
His hand curled into her hair, rubbing over the back of her head. Soft spirals of pleasure radiated and hummed over her body. Her body loved his touch even if her mind screamed its protest.
“What time is it?” she whispered.
“Almost five.”
She stiffened. Almost time to go into the club. There was no way she’d be able to sneak out this time, and Jack would demand to know what was going on. She closed her eyes. She had to be there tonight. There was no way she could face jail and the sneering deputy who waited for her there.
She pulled away from Jack and sat up in the bed. She clutched a pillow to her stomach and hugged it with both arms. When she chanced a glance at Jack, she immediately regretted it.
He stared intently at her, his dark eyes peeling back every single layer of her skin. She looked away.
He put out a hand and rested it on her back, stroking her hair absently.
“We need to talk, Mia.”
She swallowed hard. Yeah, they needed to talk. But then she didn’t really want to know why he’d left her. She’d already come to some rather unpleasant conclusions on her own. That only left talking about why she was taking off her clothes in a shoddy-ass strip club. And she wasn’t in a hurry to discuss that.
She stood up beside the bed, refusing to look at Jack. “I need to get back to my apartment,” she said. “I have to go into w-work in an hour.”
Jack shot out of bed. He stood in front of her and gripped her upper arms in his hands.
“You’re not going back there, Mia.”
“I have to,” she said simply.
Jack let his hands slide down her arms. “I know you’re angry, Mia. I need to explain why I left.”
She shook her head. “It doesn’t really matter at this point, Jack.” She looked up at him sadly. “It’s too late anyway.”
He gripped her chin in his hand and stared hard at her. “What’s going on here? The Mia I knew would never take off her clothes for money. You were a virgin that first time for God’s sake. I remember the Mia who snuck into my bed, and I look at you now, and I can’t reconcile the two to save my life.”
Tears filled her eyes. His judgment hurt. It shouldn’t, but it did.
“You lost any right to judge me when you walked out on me two years ago,” she hissed.
She yanked away from him and turned her back, trying to quell the trembling in her body.
“Mia, I had to leave,” he said. “I had to leave, but it wasn’t because of you.”
She whirled back around. “Then why did you leave, Jack? I’m dying to know why you’d walk out and never even so much as call me. Why would your house go up for sale two days
later, and why when I
