Shiver

by Brandy Schmitt

  “What can I get for you?”

  Ice looked up to see that he had picked the new girl’s section of the bar floor. “Miller.” He tried his hardest to cover his Irish accent with an American one. Nicole’s eyes snapped to his. Damn his voice. He could hide his face all he wanted, but his voice couldn’t be changed that well, no matter how hard he tried.

  Instead of calling him out, Nicole turned on her heel and left without saying another word. Maybe she hadn’t recognized him after all. Or he wasn’t of any importance to her. After all, he’d only come to her rescue twice in the same number of days. Big John was a hard man all around, and Ice had seen the way he treated the women who rolled with him. Saying he could be an asshole was putting his temper mildly.

  Big John was his opponent, Avery’s coach. Big John coached and trained his fighters completely differently than how he trained with Maverick. He thought all the fame and glory his fighters received belonged to him. His favorite words to his fighters were, “I made you. I got you where you are today.” Bullshit, is what Ice thought. A fighter was only as good as he wanted to be and no one, not even his trainer, could make a good fighter great.

  Big John also felt he had the right to sample all the goods and perks his fighters got. From liquor to women, John’s hands were in everything.

  A cold bottle of Miller dropped suddenly on the table in front of him bringing him out of his thoughts.

  “I want to thank you again for what you did earlier today and for the other night. But do me a favor? Could you tell your friend back there that if he even so much as thinks about touching me, I’ll have him arrested.” She turned away and walked back to the bar.

  What the hell? That asshole sure as hell wasn’t a friend of his. Picking up his beer, he followed her. “He’s not a friend,” he said, taking a seat on a plush stool next to the waitress station where she stopped to reload her tray of drinks.

  “That’s good to know. A man like that is a jerk.”

  He took a long pull from his beer and eyed her. No matter how beautiful she was, he needed to keep his distance from this one. Right off, he could see her sweet and innocent side, one she tried to cover with a macho attitude. Not to mention his own rule of never, ever, sleep with anyone he worked with. Since he worked here behind the bar weekdays, she was off limits to him. Besides, Nicole looked like a relationship kind of girl, and he was anything but a relationship kind of man. The only relationship he wanted was one with the UFC.

  “How’s the job going so far?”

  She turned toward him, giving him a once-over with her eyes. For a moment, she looked as if she were deciding whether or not to answer him. He must have won her over because she softened as she answered. “First night. Still learning all the ropes.”

  Her eyes held his for a long moment before glancing up behind him and then returning to him.

  “So, you’re the Ice Man. The famous in-house fighter I keep hearing about.”

  He turned his head and looked at the sign hanging above the doorway to the cage room. He laughed and shook his head remembering the sign Lou raved about profiting from. “I’m not sure about the famous part, and it’s just Ice.”

  “Nice to meet you, Ice. It’s nice to know there’s still a few good guys left in this world.” She took her loaded tray and headed back toward the busy room.

  She was sadly mistaken if she confused him with a nice guy. Hell, three years ago he would have been called a lot of things but nice wasn’t one of them. Everyone had a past. No one here had a past more fucked up than his. So fucked up in fact, it still surprised even him he hadn’t lost his damn mind or life. Maybe Nicole would have run scared if she had met him four years ago. Maybe not. The girl definitely had some balls in order to stand up for herself. And she seemed to be immune to his charm…shit, he was beginning to like her already.

  Chapter Four

  The whistles and cat calls were taking a toll on her. Nicole had been on stage only twice as a dancer at Big Dog’s, but it had been two times too many. She didn’t think she could continue to go through with it, even though Lou seemed happy with her dancing and he allowed her to keep a G-string on and pasties over her nipples.

  The part that kept her returning to the stage was the money. She made enough in tips alone to help support herself without needing to call her father and ask for help. The money was worth the embarrassment of taking her clothes off. Allowing the freedom she desired away from her father.

  Finishing with her last number of the night, she exited the stage through the back by pushing the heavy, velvet curtain to the side as more whistles and hollers drifted toward her. She stepped down off the stage stairs as Angel stepped onto them. The raven-haired beauty turned her head to look behind her. “Hey, girl, don’t let those assholes get to you. You’re doing great. Remember to smile, dance, and take their money,” she said, with a wide grin as she pushed the curtains off to the side as her music cued her start.

  Nicole found her way to the dressing room and within twenty minutes she was changed, freshened up, and ready to finish out her shift waiting tables. With her hair pulled back and her jean and Big Dogs T-shirt on, she made her way over to the bar to check in. Since today was a weekday, Ice had his turn being the bartender in charge.

  She had been working at the bar a total of four days, and every time Ice turned those deep blue eyes on her, her panties melted under his stare.

  “Hey! Those guys giving you shit again?” He nodded his head toward the two regulars who were always sitting center stage. They had been hollering pretty loudly at her tonight.

  Nicole looked over her shoulder toward the two older men. “Nah. They’re just being assholes. Where do you need me tonight?”

  He shook his head as he dried off a drink glass in his hand. “I don’t. It’s slow tonight, and I’m about to do last call. Why don’t you head out early?”

  Head out now and not finish her shift? She couldn’t afford that. “I think I’ll stay and finish out my night. I need the money. I’ll start clearing tables.” She grabbed a tray before heading out across the floor. Tuesdays were one of the slowest nights for the club. They had sent everyone home except for Ally, who stayed behind to be the only waitress on the floor. Ice called out last call and turned the soft-lite house lights on, letting the customers know it was time to finish their drinks and pay their tabs.

  A half hour later, Nicole locked the front doors behind the last of their customers and headed back to the bar to finish the nightly cleaning.

  “Are you coming, hon?” Ally asked as she and the other girls walked out from the back dressing rooms.

  “I’m going to stay a little longer and help finish up before I head home. I need all the hours I can squeeze in.”

  Ally looked at her before sliding her eyes over to Ice, a sly smile spreading across her lips.

  “Okay, doll. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The small group headed out toward the back, fenced, parking lot where they all had to park. Lou didn’t like the idea of his workers walking out into the streets after hours. You never knew when a pissed-off or an over-friendly customer would be out there waiting for them.

  “You don’t need to stay, you know. I’m a big boy. I can clean up myself. Plus, it’s easier for me since I live so close,” he told her as he closed up bottles of booze before placing them back on the shelf.

  “You live around here?”

  He smirked as he pointed a finger up toward the ceiling.

  “You live here?”

  “Yep. Upstairs. Have the place to myself. Even though there’s another empty apartment. I’m trying to convince Lou that he needs to let me tear the walls down and make the whole place one unit. Selfish bastard won’t let me.” He laughed at his own words.

  “Really? There’s an open apartment? How much is the rent?”

  His brows dropped down forcing his eyes to squint a little at the sides. “Are you looking for a place?”

  “Yeah. I’ve been staying with
my friend Mandy the last few days, but I don’t want to be in her way forever. Of course, she’s been spending a lot of time with Hunter lately. I could really use a place of my own.”

  He watched her for a moment, and she wondered if he were considering telling her no. “I can show you up there once we finish here, but I’ll warn you, I’m not the kind of neighbor you can knock on the door and borrow a cup of sugar from.” His voice took on a hardness that dripped with warning. Trying to scare her off, was he?

  “Don’t worry about it,” she teased, leaning over the bar so she could get closer to him. “I’ll make sure my pantry is well stocked if I ever want to bake cookies.”

  “Grab your purse. I’ll show you.”

  She did as he told her and followed him out the front hallway and waited for him to lock the bar doors before he turned toward a wall panel that blended in perfectly with its surroundings. She would never have guessed there was a door camouflaged there. Once the door opened, she saw a staircase leading up to the second floor. An open landing at the top T-ed, with a door on either ends of the hallway. “Which one’s yours?” He pointed to the right. So she stepped to the left.

  “Why the secret staircase?” she asked stopping in front of the apartment door.

  “I got tired of coming home and finding customers using my stairs as a private getaway to get it on. I had Lou put the wall panel up since there’s only the two apartments up here. I figured there’s no reason for anyone else to be up here.”

  He fumbled with his keys before finding the right one to open the door. The apartment was clean, but boring with nothing outstanding about it, but it was a decent size for being a one bedroom. At this point, as long as it was clean, rat and bug free, and under what she could afford, she could get used to anything.

  “Does yours look like this?”

  His lips slid into a smirk. “Not really. Mine’s a two bedroom and it’s…the bigger of the two.” He shrugged his shoulders when she looked at him. “What? I was the first one here.”

  “Can I see the one I missed out on?” She flashed him a flirty little smile.

  His face suddenly grew serious. “No.”

  His seriousness took her back. “No?”

  “I don’t allow anyone in there.”

  She tried to hide her surprise at his quick denial, but she could live with it. Instead, she decided to forget about it, and headed over to the broad, living room window where she pushed the curtains aside to peer down at the street in front of the club. “Do you have this good a view?”

  She felt him move closer toward her back. He leaned in so he could look over her shoulder. “Better, actually. You can actually see the water in the distance from my living room.”

  A warm shiver ran up her spine. Good lord, this man had an effect on her. She turned her head to the side far enough to see him out of the corner of her eye under her lashes. “I’ll talk to Lou first thing in the morning. I think this place would be perfect for me. That is, if you would have me as your neighbor?” she asked turning her gaze back to the street below.

  Ice pressed in closer until she could feel his breath across her cheek. “That depends. I don’t know anything about you.”

  Was he flirting with her? “So? I don’t know anything about you either, besides the fact that you’re a fighter and a bartender. And you like to rescue women in need.” She turned around quickly to find herself a few inches from his face. Her eyes darted to his mouth, gazing at the perfectly shaped arch of his lush, top lip. They looked soft and completely kissable. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as her tongue darted out to wet her own parted lips.

  “What do you need to know?” His voice sounded breathless as he stared back at her.

  “Everything.” Her words come out hushed and a little too soft, but she couldn’t seem to get her voice to hurdle the lump that had wedged itself in the middle of her throat.

  “Nikki?” Her nickname slipped from his lips like a whisper, and she loved the sound of his rich Irish voice saying it.

  She moved her gaze back to his and couldn’t stop the shock inside her when she saw the lust glazing back at her. Balancing on her tiptoes, she leaned her chest into his until her erect nipples pressed against his hard, muscled chest. She moaned softly at the feeling. Her lips were a breath from his. All he had to do was close off that last inch between them.

  “Nikki, what are you doing?” His warm breath brushed over her parted lips.

  “Waiting for you to kiss me.” Holy shit. Did she say that out loud?

  His eyes darted from her mouth to her eyes. A battle raged behind his eyes. The struggle wiped some of the heat from his eyes before he took a step away from her.

  She watched him back away a little confused. Had she read him all wrong? “What’s the matter?” she asked watching as he backed away toward the door.

  “Nothing. I need to get some sleep. Call Lou in the morning, and he’ll give you all the details.” He walked out of the apartment.

  What the hell was the matter with him? Here she was throwing herself at him, and he backed away from her? The way she heard it at the club, there weren’t too many women Ice had said no to.

  “Sure, and thanks again for showing me the apartment,” she called out after him, but the sound of the door slamming closed across the hall was the only reply.

  ****

  One full week was how long Nicole had been in her apartment and her fifth time dancing. Her stomach twisted with queasiness at the thought of getting back up on the stage again, but she needed the money. It had cost all the money she had brought with her when she left her parents’ house, plus her first paycheck to get into her apartment. Lou had told her he would waive the deposit, but she didn’t want to be treated any differently than anyone else and insisted on paying him upfront.

  The idea of finally having a place of her own made it a little easier to handle the discomfort of being on stage. She peeked out over the crowd, taking in all the faces. She couldn’t stop herself from skimming her gaze toward the bar where Ice was fast at work mixing drinks and flirting with all the beautiful women who batted their lashes and curled their lips. She couldn’t understand why she should care about what he did or who he did it with. She had no claim to him. She hardly knew him, and yet, she found a sense of comfort in his presence.

  She pulled the velvet curtains closed behind Angel as she exited through the back of the stage. Her music ended and the roar of the crowd began.

  “Hey girl. They’re easy tonight.” She pulled out a handful of bills. “And generous too. Good luck, sugar,” Angel told her before she disappeared down the hall and into their shared dressing room.

  Nicole gave herself another once over in the mirror, checking her costume as she heard the DJ announce her. Lou continued to cash her in as the new girl. She ran her hands down the front of the short, plaid skirt of the naughty school-girl outfit and tugged her knee-high white stockings up once more. She readjusted the fake glasses on her face and fluffed the hair bows that held her pigtails high on her head.

  If she hadn’t had to wear these costumes in front of all these strangers, she might actually like the outfits for fun in her private life. That is, if she had someone to wear them for. Thoughts like that made her think about what Ice would think seeing her in this outfit. Would he like it? It probably didn’t faze him anymore. Not after seeing beautiful, naked women at work all day.

  Her music started, cueing her entrance to the stage. She kept her nerves away by pretending she was attending another audition instead of dancing for strangers. She sashayed across the stage and over to the edge where she made little eye contact with her spectators. Moving her body to the music, she ripped the fake glasses from her face and tossed them behind her. Grabbing onto the shining pole that stood center stage, she swung her body around it a few times before engaging both ends of the stage. The hair bows were the next to go, followed by the buttons at the front of her shirt. She moved to the right end of the stage looking out past
the crowd at the front of the stage, glancing toward the bar.

  Her gaze quickly locked with those deep-blue eyes staring back at her from across the room. His intense stare drilled hungrily into her, and it only fueled her fire all the more. Her fingers worked at the snaps at the front of her shirt, popping them open one after another, until she pushed the material out of the way, showing off the hot pink bra that barely covered her breasts. Pulling the shirt free from her body, she once again flicked her eyes up toward the bar, smiling to herself when she saw Ice wasn’t simply watching, he was liking what he saw. Now she had something to dance for. Someone to dance for. Blocking out everyone else in the room, in her mind, she danced for Ice alone.

  Nicole danced around the stage thrusting her hips and ass to the music. Her skirt was next to fall to the floor followed by her bra until she had nothing left on her body besides her hot pink G-string. Her mind kept wondering toward Ice and what he thought of her show, and her nipples hardened under the rough, round pasties that hid them away from the public.

  By the time her set ended, her labored breathing wasn’t just from her dancing. She had never felt this worked up while being on stage before. Fantasizing about dancing privately for Ice had her jittering.

  “Wow, ladies and gentlemen. Give it up one more time for our new girl, Nikki.” The DJ’s voice went over the speakers ending her set. She reached the end of the stage forcing herself to smile at the men who were more than willing to hand money out to her. Gathering the cash up, she blew kisses to the customers and headed backstage toward the dressing room.

  Luckily, she found the dressing room empty of the other girls. Angel had probably already left for her shift on the floor, and Bridgette was taking the stage for the last number of the night. She needed to have a few minutes alone to pull herself together.