“A hot shower sounds great. I’ll call back in about fifteen minutes,” Regan said while finally getting up on two wobbly legs.
The hot water felt wonderful on her sensitive skin. She couldn’t believe the wild events that were occurring lately but was so happy they were. Bree was correct. She had been unhappy. It wasn’t her business causing it. It was pure loneliness. Unsure of where this relationship with Damon was heading, she decided to just enjoy it for as long as it lasted. She was just happy to be finally living without regret, filling each day with new adventures that she had denied herself for years.
She hurried to finish up showering. She couldn’t wait to call Damon back and hear his voice again. Of course she wondered what was next. Currently, she was completely sated and relaxed. No extra phone sex was required, tonight anyway.
Regan dressed quickly and climbed into bed. She felt the same as Damon. She wished they could cuddle and fall asleep in each other’s arms also. Oh well, this would have to do. She sighed and reached for her phone.
“Hi, gorgeous,” Damon answered.
Regan’s heart soared. He was off about gorgeous, she thought, but it sounded so good to hear anyway. “Mmm, hello lover!”
“Ooh, lover, I like it!” Damon said, growling.
They spent the next two hours enjoying each other’s company. It was time they used to find out more about each other, tell silly stories about growing up, and laugh. Damon told Regan about what it was like to grow up on a ranch and goofy stories about his brother Drew and shenanigans they pulled.
Regan shared stories about being the daughter of two school teachers. How tough it was because she was expected to be at the top of the class, given her parents’ occupation and their ability to help her along. She told him about her dream to travel the world on one of those forty-five day trips and how it had been hard to keep that dream alive because she didn’t have anyone to share it with.
The chatting turned to the club and their plan. They shared ideas and decided upon an ultimate goal by the end of the week. Both knew that the chances were slim given the short timeline, but Regan felt compelled to try her hardest, knowing how important it was for Damon to know for sure.
When Regan yawned, Damon chuckled. “You better get some sleep, sweetheart.”
“I know.” She yawned again.
“I’m holding you in my arms, and my hand is caressing your face. You can feel the warmth of my body against yours. I whisper in your ear, ‘Good night beautiful. I will see you in the morning.’”
Regan’s eyes fluttered, and a smile beamed across her face. “Good night, Damon, my sexy cowboy.”
Chapter Six
Regan awoke stretching, her mind and body relaxed. She thought about the night before and grinned. It had been the most wonderful night she had ever spent on the phone or even with a man, for that matter. She pulled the blankets around her neck and snuggled into her pillow. This was the first time in years she hadn’t bolted out of bed with the sun and her mind racing through a schedule of events.
With the shop covered for the week, she had time to put all her energy into the club, a dance routine, and finding out if Shay was a good girl or bad girl. Maybe Damon was a little overprotective of his brother, Drew. She had considered that aspect. After all, if his dad was gone a lot, Damon may have stepped up to look after him.
Really, it didn’t matter. What mattered was Damon wanted to know, and Regan was happy and excited to help. She considered the money but really didn’t want it. The last few days had more than covered the bill.
She had a quick breakfast and began to practice her routine. Six o’clock would come fast given she was on a deadline. The most important thing she had to accomplish was a believable routine and one that seemed as if she had some experience.
“Save a Horse (Ride a Cowboy),” played on her stereo while she danced. She thought it was very appropriate given the circumstances. Yes, she’d like to ride a cowboy all right. Her body swayed in time to the music. She thought about their phone sex and closed her eyes, allowing her desire to propel her movements. Her hips rocked as her hands slid down her chest to her stomach.
Picturing Damon and recalling his voice helped her find her inner stripper. The steps came easily when she gave herself to the music and let it guide her. Her legs parted then slid down into the splits. She rolled forward onto her belly and pulled herself up off the floor onto her knees. She crawled forward and immediately snapped up to her knees in tune to the music. This was the part where she would take off her top, but since she was still wearing her pajamas she just pretended at this point and laughed through it.
When the song ended she flopped back on her couch and giggled. She kind of felt goofy stripping alone in her living room. Oh well, she thought, and wiped the sweat from her forehead. At this point, the dancing didn’t bother her. It was a club full of men and other dancers with lots of experience that did. She hoped they wouldn’t see through her. If she could just learn the ropes tonight she’d be okay, she figured, and headed to her kitchen for a glass of water.
* * * *
Damon checked out of the hotel and was thankful his stay was over, almost. He looked at his watch. He was expected to meet his brother and father for an early lunch to discuss some town hall events his father would be attending. Campaign time was coming up fast, and Damon wasn’t looking forward to it. It would require all of his time, constant travel, and basically doing things he didn’t like to do to begin with.
The ranch was where Damon’s heart wanted to be, among other places. After his fantastic phone call to Regan last night, all he could think of was getting back to Dallas. She was dancing tonight, and there was no way in hell he was going to miss that. And as soon as her shift was over, he’d be whisking her out of there.
He thought about the plan and hoped he could find out what he needed to know. His father was utterly clueless about Drew’s fiancée, and he wanted to keep it that way. It was really simple though. If Shay was indeed a good girl and was truly in love with Drew then he’d give his blessings. But if he found anything at all that would compromise his family’s name or harm his father’s campaign then it would be “Adios, Shay” one way or another. Truly, he wasn’t judging the girl for her particular career choice, but one could never be sure if that was where it ended.
The other thought that ran through his mind was how Regan would pull this off. He couldn’t believe she was actually going to do this. His heart swelled with pride. Regan was just remarkable. There wasn’t anything that woman couldn’t do if she set her mind to do so. Still, it would be a difficult task for anyone who had never experienced that world, and she definitely had not. He could tell when he had watched her eyes flicker as they absorbed the atmosphere. It was exciting and appealed to her inner naughty girl. In other words, it got her completely hot, and he so loved that it did.
He laughed and shook his head as he got into his truck. A florist playing stripper, I like it!
“Damon!” Drew yelled out across the parking lot.
Damon shut his door and turned to see his smiling younger brother walking his way. “Hey man, how goes it?”
“I’d be better if I was anywhere but here! Damn I’m tired of running for office.” Drew shook his head. His blue eyes gleamed under his Stetson hat.
Drew wasn’t as tall as Damon, but they resembled each other with their brown hair, wide shoulders, and boyish faces. Younger by three years, Drew was wilder than Damon and not as polished.
“Man, I know, but he needs us,” Damon said but felt the same.
“Hey, I’d like for you to meet Shay, I’m going to the club later.” Drew said, throwing out his invitation.
Damon frowned, he would rather not go to the club with Drew. He was on a couple of missions and neither included his brother. Plus, it would be damn hard to talk with Regan. This sucked. “I don’t know man, strip clubs are really not my thing,” he said. Maybe he could get a disguise, too.
“Dude, really, I�
��m going to marry her. I thought you’d be happy for me and want to meet her. After all, come November, she’ll be family,” Drew said, standing with his hackles up.
Damn, this sucked on many levels. Damon scrubbed his chin and looked at Drew. He was his brother and best friend. What could he do? “Fine, I’ll go, but-”
“You’ll have fun. The girls there are hot, and you’ll like Shay. I know it. She’s sweet and funny, real down-to-earth,” Drew interjected quickly.
“I know you think you love her, but don’t you think this is a little quick?” Damon couldn’t help his mouth. Open, insert foot.
“You’re an ass. I really thought you’d be happy for me…damn. I normally run and play and you lecture me, and now I want to settle down and you lecture me. What the fuck, man?” Drew began to get irate.
Damon rolled his eyes and walked past Drew toward the restaurant. Drew was right, and he really hated that. There was no sense in arguing about it, so when Drew caught up and walked alongside of him, he looked over. “Sorry, I’ll go and keep an open mind. I just want you to be happy, that’s all.”
“I am, when I’m with her,” Drew said and walked past Damon into the restaurant.
* * * *
Four o’clock came, and Regan’s palms began to get clammy. She tried to believe this would be easy. Huh, wrong. When she heard a knock at the door she was grateful. It was Bree, and she needed her right now.
“Thank goodness you’re here,” Regan said as she opened the door for Bree.
Bree came through the door with her makeup kit. “Ah, I have a feeling I know. You’re not backing out are you, after all the work we have done?” she asked with a brow raised.
“No...I, no, I’m not,” Regan stuttered.
Bree’s eyes softened as she looked at Regan, and her lips curved into a smile. “You really don’t have to go through with this. I’ll love you anyway.” She set the cosmetics down and put her hands on her hips.
“I want to. I just need…maybe a little encouragement.” That was it. She needed Bree to tell her to break a leg.
“Honey, you’ll be great! I have seen you dance, when you still had hobbies and danced,” she nodded, thinking back. “Why did you ever give it up?”
Regan shrugged. She didn’t give it up. She just got really busy with her business. “I love to dance, don’t get me wrong, but I love my floral business. It’s my life, really.”
“You’re great at that, too,” Bree commented and began to unpack.
“Thanks.” Regan smiled. She needed the extra pat on the back. It was silly, but she thrived on it nonetheless.
They walked to the table, and Regan sat down for Bree to work her magic. “I really appreciate you helping me, Bree. You are a godsend.”
“No problem, but remind me again why you are doing this. I feel like I pressured you into it,” Bree admitted.
“Damon,” Regan said and beamed.
“Uh-huh,” Bree sighed. “Look who’s falling for the tall cowboy.”
Chapter Seven
Damon walked into the Dollhouse Gentleman’s Club and began scanning the interior for a glimpse of Regan. He had smoothed things over with Drew earlier, which was great because his brother was smiling from ear to ear.
“Isn’t this the greatest place you’ve ever seen?” Drew said, rubbing his hands together in anticipation.
Damon nodded as he looked for an open table that provided a good view. It was almost eight, and the club was pretty busy for a Tuesday night. Spying a spot with a nice open view of the stage, he headed toward it with Drew shouting “Hot damn!” behind him.
A waitress came over wearing little more than tiny bits of fabric and took their drink order while Damon continued his search. Drew drummed his hands on the table like a kid hyped up on caffeine. “I’m glad you came, man,” Drew admitted and punched Damon in the arm.
“Yeah, me too,” Damon said, feeling regret. He wasn’t here for his brother. He was here to see Regan, and that made him feel like an ass. He looked at Drew and his innocent nature and hoped that this Shay was everything he believed her to be and more.
The waitress set their drinks down with a smile. Drew flipped out a bill and told her to keep the change, which made her smile bigger. Damon started to wonder if the boy had any money left in the bank or any sense left upstairs. It was more than likely a combination of both.
* * * *
Backstage, Regan stood in front of a mirror adjusting her outfit. So far she had met a lot of the other dancers, and from what she could tell there were only two decently nice ones. Three were catty and that was being nice. One seemed to have a thing for cocaine, stupid girl. Another was existing in another plane altogether which showed when she talked about how stripping helped her spiritual growth.
Regan turned and bumped into a dancer in full-out gothic clothing, and she wondered if she had been at the wedding on Saturday.
“Watch it, bitch!” the goth said with a sneer across her crimson lips and pale face. Regan was shocked.
The one person she wanted to meet hadn’t been around backstage. She had seen Shay around the club and a couple of times talking to the owner. Regan figured she must have worked here for some time, or else she’d be getting ready and rehearsing like everyone else. She must not need to rehearse, Regan thought. It sure didn’t show when she danced on Saturday. Her moves were fluid, seductive, and without error. Maybe she was just that good.
“Hey girl, you’re third in rotation. Get on the stage immediately when your music starts and off when it ends. Don’t lollygag for extra tips. It really pisses the other girls off,” Ebony, a caramel-skinned dancer, said.
She was one of the nice ones. Full of good advice and pointers, she seemed genuinely friendly. “Thanks, I really appreciate you helping me,” Regan said, loving the comradery. “Not everyone here is as helpful or nice.”
Ebony waved her hand in dismissal. “Forget them. We’re all here for one thing, and that’s money! They had to learn the ropes, too. They just forget that part.”
Just then, Shay came strolling in the dressing room like she owned the place. Regan made a mental note to only use stage names inside the club and not real names, which was another thing that bothered the dancers. Regan watched and looked for an opportune time to talk to her. The dancers slowly cleared out except Regan and Ebony.
Cherry sprayed her brilliant auburn hair and checked her makeup then caught Regan staring. “What the hell, newbie?” She turned and stared in Regan’s direction.
Regan didn’t know what to say. She really hadn’t encountered so many people with bad dispositions in all her life. “I, uh, I just hadn’t met you yet. I saw you dance the other night. You’re really good.”
Cherry walked over to Regan and Ebony with her hand on her hip. The look on her face was aloof with confidence oozing out of every pore. She stopped in front of Regan and looked her up and down with a sneer. “Listen, new girl, you’ll do well if you remember one important rule.”
Regan blinked, not sure what to say but decided by the look on Cherry’s face that her rule wasn’t nice. She knew immediately, though, that she couldn’t back away from her and cower. “And what’s that?” she replied with a little attitude thrown in.
“Stay the hell out of my way. It’s that simple,” Cherry said and strutted away.
Regan’s heart thundered in her chest and not in a good way. She hated confrontation no matter what the circumstances were. Currently she was learning about the secret world behind the scenes at a strip club where hundreds or even thousands were on the line every night.
“Ignore her, understood?” Ebony ground out. “She’s the resident bitch.”
Regan giggled. She couldn’t help it. Ebony was funny in a unique way and seemed to lift her spirits without even trying. “Understood.”
* * * *
Drew catcalled at his woman and bride-to-be as she took to the stage. “Damn, she’s hot isn’t she?” he hollered at Damon.
Damon nod
ded but could have cared less about how she looked or any other dancer in the joint for that matter, except Regan. He was sure that she would be donning her blonde wig he bought. It looked great on her and really disguised her well, but he preferred her soft brunette locks.
He could tell that Drew was in pretty deep with Shay or just blissfully ignorant. Whatever it was had done a number on the guy, but if Damon were to compare his current mindset he wasn’t much further off. Drew watched each and every move Shay made onstage with his eyes wide, a look of possessiveness in them. Damon could relate. He was beginning to feel that way for Regan.
The song ended, and Luscious Cherry waved while strutting offstage. “Man, I love that woman!” Drew pounded the table with enthusiasm. “She’ll be on the floor once she changes clothes, and you can meet her,” Drew said and looked at Damon for any hint of interest.
Damon caught on quick. “Great!” He smiled like an idiot trying to play the game well.
* * * *
When Regan arrived at the club earlier, her nerves began to get the better of her. The manager asked another dancer to show her to the dressing rooms, and she followed, unsure she could see this through. “You can have this locker for your things. Did you bring your own lock?” the dancer asked with a hateful stare.
“Yeah, I brought a lock,” Regan replied, and noted how the woman studied her. She began to worry, thinking the dancer could tell she was a fraud.
“Great. You’re on your own,” the woman said and walked away in her barely there bikini.
Regan thought about the exchange as she stood and waited for her turn. She cracked her knuckles, having nothing better to do with her hands that trembled. She wished she could call Damon and hear his fantastic voice, which would help. But she couldn’t do that. Her phone was in her locker, and in less than three minutes she would be up.
She heard the music change and knew Shay, uh, Cherry, had finished her set. Any moment now, Ms. Friendly would make her presence known. Oh, speak of the devil.
Damon [The Texas Senator's Sons 1] (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 7
