Temptation

by Brie Paisley

  “Vik, please don’t stop.” I beg.

  “Oh fuck, Ava. I love when you beg.”

  He starts his pace again, but this time he reaches around and starts to play with my clit. He’s rubbing it fast and hard just like he’s fucking my pussy. He takes my small nub in between his fingers and squeezes it hard. Almost as if a dam has broken, I come hard. Wave after wave washes over me leaving me feeling numb and completely spent. Viktor thrusts into me a few more times before I feel him still, and then I feel him coming inside of me.

  I hear him gasp and he says, “Fuck.”

  “Viktor?”

  I wince as he pulls out of me and I can feel his cum run down my legs. What the fuck? I quickly turn around as see him pulling up his pants. I sit down and cover myself with my arms. Viktor looks at me and runs his hands through his hair. He walks over close by the door and shuts the music off. The sudden quietness of the room is almost unbearable. I hold onto myself tightly as I watch him walk back over to me.

  “I’m so sorry, Ava.” He bends down and picks up his shirt. “I cannot believe I forgot the fucking condom.”

  I put my hands over my face as I feel the tears start to pool in my eyes. I feel Viktor touch my leg and I look up at him. “Baby, don’t cry.” He turns around picking up my white dress from the floor and he takes my hands. He pulls me up and covers me with it. I wrap my hands around my waist and I drop my head. I can’t even look at him. We’ve always been careful, using condoms every time. For him to forget the condom, makes me feel sick to my stomach. I cannot get pregnant again.

  “Ava, look at me.”

  I shake my head as I feel the tears falling down my face. I’m shocked and embarrassed. How could he forget the fucking condom? I feel his fingers under my chin and he raises my head and I try to turn away from him.

  “Look at me.” The tone and the seriousness in his voice stops me cold. I sigh and I do as he says. I gaze into his green eyes and I can see the regret and the remorse for forgetting the one thing that we needed. A fucking condom!

  “I’m sorry.” He huffs out a breath. “It’ll be fine. You’re on the shot.”

  “Yes,” I clear my throat a few times. “Yes. I don’t go for another one for a few more weeks.”

  “See, no need to worry. It’s going to be fine. It was one slip, and for that I am sorry. Please, don’t cry, baby.”

  I don’t stop the tears from falling as he pulls me to his chest. I wrap my hands around his waist, burying my face into his half open shirt. The tears come and I don’t even care. Viktor holds me tightly, rubbing my hair and my back as I continue to cry. I feel as though I’m crying over nothing. We had one slip. One tiny slip. I shouldn’t be crying over nothing.

  Everything will be fine, and it won’t happen again. I keep telling myself this over and over trying to make myself believe that this tiny fuck up won’t change my life again.

  “Scarlet, you have to tell me what happened with you and boss man last night.”

  I roll my eyes at Trixie. I’m trying to finish getting ready for another night of dancing and all she wants to do is hound me about what happened with Viktor and I last night. Not that I would tell her. I’m still a little embarrassed at how I acted about the whole situation. I need to start trusting Viktor more.

  “Trix, please. Not now. I have to be on stage in an hour and I’m not even half way finished getting ready.”

  “Come on! Here, I’ll do your hair while you finish your makeup. I have to know!”

  I sigh but I can’t help but let a smile come across my face. I can’t deny how good it feels to be able to actually talk about Viktor with someone. Maybe I overreacted about telling people before. It doesn’t seem anyone has a problem with him and I being together. Granted it’s only been one night, but I think if anyone had anything to say, they would’ve already said it.

  “Okay, you win.”

  “Yes!” Trixie hugs me really fast and runs over to her vanity table to get her curling iron. I’d rather she do my hair anyways. Trixie does so much better than I ever could.

  I watch her in my mirror as she gets her stuff set up on my vanity. After she gets her curling iron plugged up, she moves her chair right beside mine. I have one eye closed putting on my eye shadow as she says, “Spill it.”

  I finish putting on my eye shadow, at least for one eye, and say, “It was nothing really. I just danced for him.”

  “But, you do that every night you work. Come on, Scarlet. There’s way more to it than that. Viktor’s walking around like a king tonight.”

  “Well,” I sigh giving in because there’s no winning with her. “Alright. I might have gave him a private dance that lead to other things that I’d rather not say.” My face flushes and I turn away from her. Trixie’s eyes are about to pop out of her head if she smiles or opens them anymore.

  “How was it? And not the dance.”

  I laugh nervously and tell her, “I’m not talking about my sex life with you, Trix.”

  She lightly pushes on my shoulder causing me to miss my other eye while trying to make it match the other. “You’re really killing me over here. You do realize how lucky you are? I’ve been working here going on a three years now, and I’ve never seen Viktor act the way he does around you. A few have tried, but he fired them for it.”

  This is news to me. I had no idea that Viktor fired girls before just for trying to have sex with him. I sit back in my chair as I begin to wonder what makes me so different from all the other girls. I turn to Trixie and ask, “Why would Viktor breaks all the rules for me then? I don’t get it. I’m just an ordinary girl.”

  “I honestly don’t know, Scarlet. I mean you’re obviously gorgeous, but I’ve wondered the same thing myself. No offense.”

  “None taken.” I sort of hate Trixie for telling me. Now that’s all I can think about.

  “Listen, just ignore me okay? I mean you two are perfect together and that’s all that matters.”

  I nod my head at her and she starts curling my hair. I know Trixie didn’t mean anything by it when telling me about Viktor firing girls before. Maybe she’s right. It was in the past and maybe I should just let it go. But if I’m completely honest with myself, I want to know what makes me different from all the other girls.

  I decide the only way I’ll know is to go ask him myself.

  I walk off stage, trying not to let Viktor’s actions while watching me dance affect me. I grab the robe from Margo’s hand and I quickly cover myself. She pays me no mind as I walk past her and make my way back to the dressing room. As much as I try, I can’t shake that something’s going on with Viktor tonight. He seems distracted and stressed out. I’ve no idea what could have happened between last night, and now. It seems strange for him not to be in full control of his actions. He’s always so engrossed as he watches me, and I can always count on him being the only one that never takes his eyes off me. But tonight is different with him. More than once I watched him look away from me. It sort of hurts my self-esteem knowing something else held his attention.

  I don’t even notice the other girls in the dressing room as I walk in. I go straight to the rack of clothes and blindly choose a dress. My mind is consumed with nothing but Viktor. I go behind the red curtain to change, with my mind made up that I’m going to talk to him. I have a while before going back on stage, and I have to know what’s going on with him. I can’t shake this feeling there’s something more going on.

  I shove the curtain aside as I step out and make my way out of the dressing room. Tony pushes himself off the wall as he sees me walk out and I don’t even try to stop him from following me. I hear the bass of the loud music playing for whoever is on stage, but as I get closer and closer to Viktor’s office, the beating of my heart over shadows it. Then I spot Sebastian leaning against the wall right by the door. I stop for a second, seeing him there. I haven’t seen him for a few weeks and it’s almost as if he’s guarding Viktor’s office.

  I ignore him as I start to knock,
but he grabs me by my wrist, pulling me on the other side of him. I stumble almost losing my balance, but I catch myself as I put my hand on the wall. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snap at Sebastian as I jerk my wrist out of his hand. Tony moves closer to me, but backs away when Sebastian shakes his head at him.

  “I can’t let you go in there.”

  I roll my eyes at him. “Why not? And since when does Viktor have you watching his door like some sort of guard dog?”

  He smirks as he says, “Since always. Especially when he’s conducting business and in a very important meeting with a very important client.”

  Hearing the word client makes me frown. The first thing I learned when I started working in Viktor’s club was the meaning of the word client. A client here means something totally different than if it was a normal work place. But this is a fucking strip club, and the word client sends a wave of jealously through me. “Get the hell out of my way Sebastian. I’m going in there.”

  “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. There’s some things about Viktor you don’t want to know about.”

  I glare at him. I try not to think about what he’s saying or his meaning behind it. I push the doubt away and try to use my brain, but I can’t help the urge to barge into Viktor’s office just to see what the fuck is going on in there. I know I’m not thinking with a clear head as I push Sebastian aside and I hear him chuckle as I open the door.

  I don’t even get the door all the way open before I stop in my tracks.

  The first thing I notice is a woman, a drop dead gorgeous woman, sitting on Viktor’s desk. The second thing I see is how short her white skirt is, and how her legs are crossed. I watch her as she leans down while she laughs at something Viktor says. I even wonder why in the hell someone would come to a business meeting wearing such a low cut shirt. If you could even call it a shirt. Neither one have noticed me yet since she all but has her tits in his face. I bet they aren’t even real. I clench my jaw trying not to walk over and yank her clear off Viktor’s desk by her gorgeous hair.

  I have never felt so much jealousy before. It’s overwhelming, intense as hell, and before I can even think of what to say, I loudly demand, “What the fuck is going on?”

  That definitely gets both of their attention. The woman jumps off the desk as Viktor moves out from behind it. “I think I’ll be going. Thank you Viktor, it’s always a pleasure.” The woman says as she touches him on the arm, grabs a suitcase off the desk, and walks out the door. I glare at her until she shuts the door behind her.

  “Ava, it’s not what you think.”

  Oh that’s rich. “Really? Why don’t you tell me what the fuck is going on then?” I can’t contain the sudden anger towards him. How dare he say it’s not what I think? He has no idea what I’m even thinking.

  Viktor starts to walk closer to me holding his hands up in surrender. “I can tell you’re not thinking clearly right now …”

  “Fuck you, Viktor!” I yell cutting him off before he even finishes.

  “Ava, dammit, listen to me.”

  “No, Viktor you listen to me.” I tell him as I point a finger at him. “I knew something was going on with you tonight. I came here to talk to you and figure out why you seemed so distracted and stressed.” I drop my hand and shake my head. “But yet, I find Sebastian guarding the door for you just so you could have a business meeting with some woman?” I glare at him then I start to laugh. I feel so stupid for thinking he was different. “No wonder you were so distracted. I get it now. You couldn’t wait for me to get off stage so you could come into your office and do whatever the hell you wanted with her!”

  “Ava, that’s not …”

  “Shove it up your ass, Viktor.” I don’t even want to hear what kind of explanation he could have for this. Clearly he doesn’t want me, seeing as he had whatever that woman’s name is, hanging all over him. I turn and walk out the door. I don’t stop when I hear Viktor yelling after me. I walk straight to my locker in the dressing room, grab my things, and walk right back out.

  I make my way through the crowd in the club, not caring that the men are trying to grab my attention. I ignore everyone as I walk out the front door, and get in the first cab I see. I tell the cabbie where to take me as I pull out my phone. I send a quick message to Margo, telling her I’d left. I add right before I send it that I’m sick and will let her know if I’ll even be working tomorrow or not. I turn off my phone and let my head fall back against the head rest. I look out the window and watch as the cab driver takes me closer to home. I can feel a lump in my throat and I fight like hell to keep the tears at bay. I can’t let myself fall apart yet. I let out a long sigh trying to push the images of seeing that woman hanging all over Viktor.

  It adds more fuel to my fire.

  Being pissed off is so much better than feeling sad and stupid. I thought Viktor was different from Malcolm, but I was wrong. Their circumstances are different yes, but they both are nothing but selfish assholes. How did I not see this coming? I should’ve known better and I should’ve kept my distance. I close my eyes when I feel the tears threatening to spill again.

  Finally, I see my house, and I quickly pay the cab driver when he pulls in my driveway. I grab my bag, and run to the front door. I drop my keys twice trying to open the stupid door. My hands won’t stop shaking from the rush of adrenaline. Maybe being so angry isn’t such a good thing. I feel out of control, and I realize I don’t like this feeling. I’m not the type of person to be angry or feel rage. It’s all Viktor’s fault. He’s messed with my emotions for so long.

  Once I get my front door open, I immediately drop by bag and kick off my heels. I go straight to the fridge and pull out a beer. I gulp it down, and toss it in the trash when I finish it off. I grab another, and as I shut the fridge, I hear a car door shut. I race over to the window and I see Viktor walking towards the porch. Fuck! I clench my jaw, pissed off that he came rushing after me. I can’t even lock his ass out of the house since I stupidly gave him a key. Why did I do that? Oh right, because I thought he cared about me. I move away from the window once he reaches the steps leading up to the front door. I move behind the island in the kitchen, taking another drink from my beer. I have a feeling I’m going to need another one.

  I grab tightly onto the counter by the sink as he walks in. I watch him feeling the anger swell up inside of me even more than before. How’s it possible to feel such intense emotions just by looking at him? Viktor sets his keys down on the small table by the door and slowly shuts the door. He finally looks up and he locks gazes with me. I take another drink. He never takes his eyes off me as he walks around the island. He reaches for me but I move away. I can’t have him using his sexy manly ways to smooth things over. It won’t be that easy for me to let this go. We end up in a staring match instead of talking. I give it right back and take another drink. My beer is almost empty again and I set it down on the counter. I roll my eyes finally breaking our gaze when I open the fridge to grab one more beer for the night. I can feel the alcohol taking affect, but I really don’t care. I can feel Viktor’s stare as I open the beer and take another drink.

  “Ava, we need to talk.”

  I swallow slowly and turn around. I smirk at him and sarcastically ask, “Oh really now? And what exactly should we talk about?”

  “Stop.” He runs his hands through his hair, clearly getting frustrated with me. “Look, I know what you think you saw, but it’s not how it looked.”

  “Then why don’t you tell me how it really was? From where I’m standing, it looked as though you and Tits Magee were having a grand old time.” I can tell the alcohol is really starting to have an effect on me. But I’m glad for it. I’m going to need all the courage to have this fight with him.

  “Dammit, Ava! I don’t give a shit about her. Michelle, means nothing to me and she’s nothing but a business associate.”

  “So, you really expect me to believe you, when she was all over you and you did nothing about
it!” My temper is starting to get the better of me. I slam the beer bottle on the counter and I walk away from him.

  “Don’t fucking walk away from me! We’re not done.”

  I whip around and I stick my finger in his face. I didn’t know he was so close, but I yell right back, “Fuck you, Viktor! Why don’t you do us both a favor and get the hell out of my house!” We stare at each other and I can’t stop my hands from shaking. I’m getting worked up, but at the same time the way Viktor’s looking at me, makes me hot. He walks even closer to me and leans down so his nose is almost touching mine. I want to move away, and I know I should move, but I can’t. I shouldn’t have drank so much so fast. This fight is quickly getting out of control and seeing him just as angry is making me want him more.

  “Listen to me, because I’m only going to say this once. You are the only one for me. I don’t know what else I need to do to prove this to you. Nothing fucking happened in my office earlier. You saw what you wanted to see and overreacted. I know you’re ex fiancé fucked with your head so now you think all guys are the same, but I’m not like him, Ava.” Viktor sighs deeply and closes his eyes. When he opens them he takes both hands and cups my face. “You’re it for me, moya lyubov'. Why are you pushing me away? I’ve never cheated on you and I’ll never do that to you.”

  I pull away from him, knowing if I don’t I’ll give in now. I’m still pissed and there’s still a lot I don’t know. “Then explain to me why she was there. Tell me why you were so distracted while I danced tonight. Don’t you dare say she’s nothing but a business associate again. I want the truth.” I wrap my arms around myself, trying to keep it together.

  “Ava, there are some things you don’t know about me and I don’t know if you want to know. Why can’t you just trust me? Why can’t you just drop it and let this go?”

  “How am I supposed to trust you when you say shit like that? Why can’t you just tell me? And I won’t drop anything until you tell me why she was there and why you couldn’t wait to go see her.” I know I’m not overreacting. There’s something he’s hiding from me.