by Sasha White
Her spine snapped straight. Huh? “What about my designing?”
He’d stopped in front of the sewing dummy and was fingering the stretch lace teddy she’d been pinning together. He gave her a look that said he knew where her mind had been before continuing. “Did you get any bites from when you were handing out cards at the club last week?”
“A couple.”
“Would you be interested in doing a show of your work at the club?”
“Like a fashion show?”
He planted his hands on his hips and gazed at her steadily. “Yeah.”
A fashion show at Risqué? What a freaking fabulous idea!
“I’d love to!” She jumped off the stool and rushed at him, talking a mile a minute. “I have some great ideas for more dancer’s outfits, and even some Goth style—”
“Not a clothing show,” he said quickly, cutting her off. “A lingerie one. In particular—fetish wear. Sort of like the PVC outfit you wore to my place the other day. You could have some of the softer stuff, but mainly, the kinkier the better.”
Something wasn’t right. It just seemed too easy to have the opportunity to showcase her brand new business at one of the hottest clubs in town. “Why are you doing this?”
“Your outfit inspired me the other day. You made it, right?” She nodded and he took off his jacket off before dropping onto the loveseat. Lounging back against the corner he looked up at her with an unreadable expression. “I think you’re good at what you do, and this could be a good thing for us both.”
“Exactly how is it good for you? There’s something you’re not telling me and I need you to be honest with me.”
“Sit.” He patted the cushion next to him.
She settled onto the loveseat and waited. When he leaned forward the scent of man and leather tickled her nose and she tried desperately to not think about having the bad boy biker tie her up and lick her all over.
* * *
Val’s gut clenched. He couldn’t do it. He couldn’t tell Samair what she wanted to hear. He’d opened up to a woman once before, and that was what had gotten him into this predicament in the first place.
He looked into her soft baby blues and steeled himself. “It’s a business proposition, that’s all. I’ll provide the place and the promotions, you provide the product and the models, and we both make some money.”
The wheels were turning in her head, he could almost see them. She was smart. She knew there was more to it than what he’s said, but she was also thinking about how good it would be for her. He liked that.
“When will the show be?”
“Next weekend. That’s ten days to get it all set up, plenty of time.”
“Ten days! I need longer than that to design a whole line of lingerie. Especially a specialized line like you mentioned.” Her cheeks pinkened. “I don’t know anything about fetish wear really.”
Blood rushed south and his cock swelled. Her blush made him want to do dirty things to her. “I have to work tonight, but if you meet me at Risqué around midnight, I can take you to one of the underground clubs for a bit. You can see what sort of outfits people in the lifestyle wear and what they like. As for knowing the stuff, I want your take on it, not anyone else’s. Like the bra and shorts you wore the other day. Very simple for fetish wear, but damn hot, and not like the stuff I’ve seen before. It has to be unique to sell for the prices we’re going to set.”
Her eyes brightened. “The stuff you’ve seen before?”
He chuckled. His little wild child was getting hot. “I’ve been to the club before. Although it’s really not my thing, I’m sure you’ll see some things that will…inspire you.”
A naughty smile lifted her lips as she crawled across the small space between them and straddled his lap. “I see something that inspires me right now.”
She lowered her head and slanted her mouth across his. Her little tongue probed and he parted his lips, letting her invade. The scent of pure woman tickled his nose and Samair’s unique flavor had him clutching her hips and pulling her closer.
One hand cupped her ass while the other slid up her rib cage and found soft plump breast topped with a cherry hard nipple.
He moaned, tearing his mouth away from hers to bury it in her neck. He nibbled and licked at the taut skin of her exposed neck and reached for the hem of her T-shirt.
“Can I join in?”
Samair tensed in his arms and his movements stalled.
“Hey, Joey,” Samair said huskily, looking over his shoulder with heavy lidded eyes before gazing at him closely.
He couldn’t see the newcomer, but he could feel her presence close behind him, and the look in Samair’s eyes wasn’t telling him anything. Was she into threesomes? Shit, was she into women? He’d seen the two girls dance together, but women teased and taunted on the dance floor all the time so he’d thought nothing of it.
There was a rustling noise behind him. Joey.
“Val?” Samair said softly.
He gave a small shake of his head and smacked her on the ass. “This was supposed to be a business stop only. If I’m going to take you to the Dungeon tonight I have to go do some work now. Maybe another time.”
She slid off his lap and he stood to leave. He’d had a couple of threesomes before, and they weren’t that great. Sure, it was hot to watch two women make out, but when naked, he preferred one woman, focused completely on him.
* * *
Samair watched Val say good-bye to Joey and saunter out the door. The minute the door closed Joey turned to her with a giggle. “Who’d have thought an offer for a threesome would scare that man away?”
Samair waved her hand. She didn’t think the idea of a threesome scared Val. She didn’t think the idea of anything scared Val. He’d come by with a business proposition, and that was what had happened.
“Oh, oh! Guess why he was here?”
Joey wiped the corner of her mouth with a fingertip. “Sorry, gotta wipe the drool off. You two were so fucking hot I’m on fire just watching you.”
Samair fought a blush, which was silly because it wasn’t like Joey had never seen her have sex before. A threesome in college was what had started their own short-lived affair. She waved the thoughts of sex away. “He asked me to put on a lingerie show at Risqué!”
Joey’s jaw dropped.
Samair grabbed her by the arms and started jumping up and down. She couldn’t contain herself any longer.
“A show, Joey. In the club. He said it’ll be a private event, like an auction. He’ll do all the promotions and bring in the buyers, all I have to do is supply the lingerie and the models.” She stopped dead. “You’ll model for me right? You and Tara and Kelly? Will Jason and Rob be into it too? I might need a couple more, too, the five of you might not be enough. I have to get busy. I need more outfits.”
Her brain was zipping along a mile a minute. So much to think about, so much to do.
“Of course we’ll model for you. This is gonna be awesome. Trouble will rock the club!”
Samair spun around on her heel. “I need to raid your closet. Have you ever heard of the Dungeon? I’m supposed to go there tonight with Val.”
“The Dungeon?” Joey followed her into the bed area. “Sammie honey, that’s a sex club.”
Clothing thoughts fled and images of couples in all sorts of positions filled her head. Her tummy clenched and her sex throbbed. “Really?”
“Yeah. I never knew you were so into kink. Although that certainly explains the dangerous air around Valentine. And why there’s never any gossip about him and women around the club.” She tilted her head a little, her eyes wide with laughter and intrigue. “Why didn’t you tell me he was a fetish freak? What’s your fetish? Sammie, you have changed.”
Samair smacked her in the arm and laughed. “I don’t have any fetishes. Shit, I barely even know what fetishes are.” Panic hit. “Joey. Talk to me. I don’t want to look like a complete innocent tonight.”
“Honey, a compl
ete innocent doesn’t bend over and let a guy she barely knows fuck her in the back room of a nightclub.”
She wouldn’t blindfold him and search out all his erogenous zones, either. She’d been living by the seat of her pants for almost two weeks, and she’d never been so happy. Things were going good. She just needed to keep moving forward.
No fear.
19
After going through her closet with Sammie, and napping for a couple of hours, Joey was full of energy. She was also determined to get laid. She’d interrupted Val and Sammie twice now and the pheromones the couple exuded whenever they were close was enough to remind her just how long it’d been since she’d had any action.
“If I don’t come home tonight, don’t worry, okay?”
Sammie shut the cab door and turned to her. She gestured to her long black pencil skirt and short PVC coat that was belted to hide the boned leather corset she’d borrowed. Sammie’s boobs were a cup size bigger than hers, and she was feeling a bit shy about the way she spilled over the top, but trying to hide her nerves. “Looking like this, I’m thinking I might not make it home tonight myself.”
They high-fived and sashayed past the line up outside the club. When Joey saw the big blond hunk just inside the door her pulse jumped and something fluttered in her stomach.
“Hi, Mike.” Playing the part, Joey trailed her fingertip across the bouncer’s muscled chest. “Is it going to be a good night?”
Mike Davis was a fairly new addition to the security staff at the club, and had been her secret crush for the last six months. The first time she’d seen him, was the first time she’d ever been speechless in front of a man.
He was a constant flirt. His close-cropped blond hair and baby face gave him a boy next-door look, but the twinkle in his green eyes said he had a bit of the devil in him. The right kind of devil.
“It’s always a good night when you’re dancing, Joey,” he said with a wink.
“You gonna put that boy out of his misery tonight?” Sammie asked after they were inside the club.
They stopped at the rail overlooking the lower floor for a minute. Joey tried not to stare at Mike where he stood twenty feet away. The dark suit jacket he wore over his T-shirt fell smoothly from his broad shoulders and looked real nice, but it hid his butt. She wanted to see that butt, amongst other things. “Yeah, I think it’s time to go for it.”
“I don’t get why you haven’t gone for it before.”
She shrugged.
“Uh uh.” Sammie stepped in front of her and looked her in the eye. “You don’t get to just shrug it off with me. Spill it, Joey.”
“Spill what?”
But there was no fooling her. “You’re never shy with guys, so what’s so special about him?”
“He’s so… God, it sounds so stupid.” She realized she was twisting her ring around on her finger, a sure sign of nerves. “He’s just so nice.”
Sammie laughed. “Nice is a good thing, Joey.”
Heat crept up her neck and she cursed the gene that gave her red hair and fair skin. “I know nice is good, but I don’t have much experience with nice guys. And as much as he flirts with me, he’s never asked me out. Shit, I’ve never seen him take any girl home from work, either. Maybe he’s gay.”
Sammie turned and looked him over again. “Nope, he doesn’t look gay to me.”
She didn’t really believe he was gay, either. Nope, no way was that man gay. He had way too much testosterone. However, there was no denying he was a nice guy…and she’d always been a bad girl. He’d probably never be interested in a girl like her. A dancer. But, he was a man, and there were few men who would turn her down if she offered them a no-strings night of lovin’. She’d wanted him since she first saw him, and she was going to have him.
“I’ll go flirt with him later. I better get down on the floor first.”
“Joey.”
“What?” She met Sammie’s gaze and felt her blush return. She couldn’t hide anything! Damn it!
“Don’t be a chicken shit. Go talk to him now. Make a date for after work.”
“I have to teach tomorrow. Maybe tonight isn’t a good night after all.”
Samair frowned. “Joey.”
Jesus! What was wrong with her? She’d been hot for Mike for six months and she wanted to get laid. What was the big deal? “Fine. Whatever. I’ll go talk to him now.”
Her heart pounded in her ears and her palms started to sweat as she strolled back to the front door.
Mike saw her coming and turned to face her square on. His mouth shaped a smile and his eyes twinkled. “Hey, Joey. What’s up?”
For her, life was an all or nothing type of thing. If she was going to do something, she didn’t hold back. So, she sucked in her stomach, stuck out her chest and tossed her hair. “Nothing much. I was just standing over there watching you, and I couldn’t help but wonder what you were doing after work tonight?”
His smile widened. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
All or nothing. “I’m asking you to take me home with you.”
A bark of laughter jumped from his lips and Joey’s stomach dropped. “Never mind. Forget I said anything.” She waved a hand and turned away. Before she went two steps a large hand gripped her elbow and stopped her.
“Joey, wait!” He stepped in front of her, blocking her exit. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to laugh. You just surprised me.”
She held her head up. “It’s okay, sugar. It was just a passing thought.”
“Really? Because I don’t like to be a passing thought, but I do like you.” He crossed his arms over his massive chest and gazed at her steadily.
The next move was hers.
She cocked her hip and flashed him a flirty smile. “Then why don’t we hook up after work and talk about this some more?”
He smiled and her heart skipped a beat. “I’d like that.”
20
Samair was watching Joey work her wiles on the big doorman when she felt a solid presence behind her. Her nipples hardened and saliva pooled in her mouth. Val.
A hand touched her shoulder and his lips brushed against her ear when he spoke. “What’s so interesting over there?”
She turned and faced him. “Joey’s hitting on your bouncer.”
“Hmm, they’d make an interesting couple. Beauty and the beast.”
While Mike was no beast, she could see where the comparison came from. He pretty much dwarfed anyone who stood next him.
“Enough about them, you’re early.”
“I shared a cab with Joey, figured I’d have a drink first, take a good look around so I can start imagining the show. I want to be able to use the stairs and everything, not just the stage.” She looked at him. “Would that be okay?”
“Whatever you want,” he murmured, his eyes liquid as his hands reached for the sash on her coat. “What are you hiding under here tonight?”
She let him undo the sash and hold the coat open. His eye ran the length of her body, heating her insides to a melting point. Her insides clenched and her juices started to flow south. “Good enough?”
“Very, very bad,” he muttered. “But in a very good way.”
He pulled the sides of her coat closed. “Give me five minutes and we can go.” He planted a fast and hard kiss on her lips and strode back into his office.
Arms wrapped around her form behind and a soft kiss was pressed to Samair’s check. “Have fun tonight, okay. And stick close to Val. Don’t wander off in the Dungeon without him.”
Samair turned and smiled at Joey. “Yes, Mom. How’d it go with Mike?”
She blushed and her shoulders lifted in a delicate shrug. “We’re going to talk more after work.”
“Talk. Huh?” She waggled her eyebrows.
Joey giggled like a little schoolgirl and they said good-bye.
Val came out of his office then, still dressed in dark dress slacks and button-up silk shirt, but his suit jacket was replaced with a leather one. Not
his biker one from earlier that afternoon, but a different stylized one that reeked of expensive taste. They were stopped three times by staff members on the way out the door and Samair wondered who managed the club when Val wasn’t there.
“I don’t have a second in command,” he said, as if he read her mind as they moved through the club. “But each area has a supervisor. Head bartender, head waitress, head of security. They all do their part, and will close up together if I’m not back by the end of the night. And I’ve always got my cell phone if they need me.”
They exited the back door and he pulled her to a stop next to a gleaming black and chrome Harley. He lifted one of the helmets from the seat of the bike. “Ever been on one of these before?”
She looked at the helmet, the bike, her skirt, then finally into Val’s face. “Can’t we take a cab?”
“You’ll love it. I promise.”
He fitted the helmet on her head while she practiced deep breathing and tried to calm her racing heart. Motorcycles were sexy when someone else was on them, but they scared the living shit out of her. There was no protection from an accident on those things; they were called death traps for a reason.
“Put your foot here and climb on,” Val instructed.
“Don’t you need to get on first?”
“I’m good. Let’s get you settled first.” He held her hand and patted the seat of the huge bike.
Adrenaline pumped through her system and she started to tremble. “I-I can’t.”
Val scrutinized her. “You trust me to keep you safe, right?”
“You, yes. But what about everyone else on the road?”
“Don’t think about them. Just think about me.” He stroked a finger down her cheek and toyed with her bottom lip. “Do you have panties on under that skirt?”
“A thong.”
His eyes gleamed. “Take the skirt off.”
“Huh?”
He slid his hand into her still undone coat, kissed her softly and traced his hand over her hip. “Your coat is long enough, and the skirt will just be uncomfortable on the bike anyway. Take it off. Now, before someone comes back here.”
