Stripped Bare

by Heidi McLaughlin

  “You’re welcome. Shall we take another spin before the night is over?”

  “I look forward to it.”

  He places his hand on my back and I tense, trying to disguise my uneasiness with a laugh. With Mr. Cordova motioning for me to walk with him, I’m left with two choices: do as he’s pushing because he’s definitely not asking or remove his hand and potentially hurt Finn’s chances.

  I don’t know when my decisions became about Finn, but I choose to walk with Mr. Cordova.

  “How long have you known Finn?”

  “For about ten years,” I tell him, even though it’s stretching the truth. I knew him once, a long time ago and now for about twenty-four hours.

  “It’s a shame he’s never mentioned you. Surely he wouldn’t keep someone like you hidden away.”

  I swallow hard and pull up short in my steps. “I’m visiting him from back home.”

  He eyes me warily as I run through the many faces I’ve seen this past week. His doesn’t ring a bell, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t someone inside of that ballroom who hasn’t been serviced by me.

  “This is me,” I tell him, pointing to the door. “Be sure to save me that dance, Mr. Cordova.”

  I retreat behind the wooden door, thankful that the restroom is empty. After I take care of business I exit the stall and start to wash my hands when Brandy steps beside me. I smile at her through the mirror, but focus on the task at hand.

  “Does Finn know you’re fucking his prime investor?”

  “Excuse me?”

  She fluffs her hair and fixes her lipstick, never making eye contact with me. I don’t know where she’d come up with something so absurd.

  “What? Oh, I’m sorry, was that supposed to be a secret?” She covers her mouth as if to play it off.

  “There’s no secret because there isn’t anything going on. I only met the man this evening.”

  “Really? That isn’t what Finn was saying to Brady a few minutes ago. In fact, he was rather pissed that you were in the hallway with Mr. Cordova. I mean, you could’ve at least waited until the night was over.”

  My eyes narrow and she smiles back at me as my temper rises. If we were any other place I’d smack the shit out of her, but I can’t do that to Finn. Not here. And not now, because all I’m worried about is what Finn must think. I can’t afford for him to cut our deal short. Finn has made it very clear that I’m his and he will not share.

  “Let me help you out a little, because I can see that you clearly like him. Finn doesn’t do commitment,” she says, pausing beside me. She knows I’m upset, but doesn’t understand the magnitude of why. “And when he does finally decide to settle down, the line waiting for the ring is long and distinguished, with me at the front. Finn will marry into money and power, not waste his time with someone from his hometown.”

  “It’s a good thing I’m not looking for one,” I mumble, but it’s too late, she’s out the door before I can even think of something to fire back with.

  I rush out the door and run smack into Brady. He catches me before I fall flat on my face and it doesn’t escape my notice that when I have my balance back, his hands are still holding my arms.

  “Whoa, where are you off to in such a hurry?”

  “Finn is waiting for me.”

  He looks over his shoulder, still holding on to my arms and shakes his head. “Finn’s tied up at the moment, why don’t we go and grab a cup of coffee.”

  “I should really get back.” I pull out of his grasp and step back. Brady puts his hands up in the air.

  “I’m sorry, Macey, I’m not trying to scare you.”

  “You’re not, it’s just…”

  “What?”

  I think twice about what I’m going to say and realize that it could come back to bite me in the ass, but at this point I don’t give a shit. His friends are fucking creeping me the hell out and I don’t have time for these stupid games.

  “You’re his friend; you shouldn’t be asking me out.”

  Brady laughs and nods. He turns and looks down the hall before facing me. “He’s my best friend, but I know how he is. Unfortunately, you’ll learn the hard way. When he breaks your heart, give me a call. You’re a beautiful woman, Macey, and a beauty like yours doesn’t come around here often enough.”

  He leaves me standing in the middle of the hall, completely dumbfounded. I rush back to the ballroom and find Finn sitting at the table. I search the room for Brandy and see that she’s dancing with Mr. Cordova. What a fucking snake.

  “Hey, I was about to come look for you,” he says, greeting me with a kiss on the cheek. I’m tempted to turn quickly so that he’s kissing me, but I don’t want to piss him off. “Your dessert is getting cold.”

  “I want to leave,” I tell him. He looks at me with concern.

  “Okay. Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” I say, reaching for my clutch and heading toward the door. I know I shouldn’t leave him in haste, but the sooner I get out of here, the better. He hustles to catch up, taking my hand in his instead of placing his hand on my back or offering me his arm. Hand-holding is more intimate in my book and he should probably stop before I get the wrong idea.

  In the limo, I stare out the window, counting down the seconds until we’re back at his hotel and I can get out of this dress. Finn continues to hold my hand, even when we arrive at Allure.

  “Tell me what’s wrong,” he says as the elevator doors close.

  “It’s nothing…”

  Before I know what’s happening, he has me pressed against the wall and his lips are dangerously close to mine. The voice inside my head is telling me to lean forward and make him submit to me, but I don’t. The risk isn’t worth it. He grinds his erection against my pelvis and growls.

  “Don’t lie to me, Macey. Something happened and it’s upset you.”

  “Brandy and Brady is what happened,” I snap as the lift comes to a stop.

  “Motherfucker,” he blurts out, grabbing my hand roughly and dragging me behind him. Inside the penthouse he sheds his jacket, throwing it across the room and proceeds down the hall to the bedroom. I follow, simply because I want out of my dress.

  When I enter the closet he’s down to his boxers, muttering something that I can’t make out. I manage to get my zipper down enough that I can wiggle out of my dress.

  “What did he say to you?”

  “You’re more worried about what he said and not her?” I ask, putting my hands on my hips. I stand in front of him clad in my bra, garters, stockings and thong.

  “Yes, I am, because he’s my friend and he should know his boundaries.”

  “And she’s in line for an engagement ring,” I retort. “And apparently the line is long.”

  “It probably is.”

  My mouth drops open, but I quickly close it. “And you apparently told Brady that I was fucking Mr. Cordova.”

  “Brandy said this?”

  “Yes, right before Brady asked me out.”

  He shakes his head and stalks toward me. I giggle at the sight of his penis peeking through the flap of his boxers.

  “Not fucking now,” he yells, looking down at his crotch.

  “Who are you yelling at?”

  “The angry unicorn,” he says, unable to keep a straight face. We both bust out laughing and I quickly find myself wrapped in his arms.

  “I can promise you that I didn’t say anything to Brady about you fucking Mr. Cordova. Even if you were, I’d never tell Brady because Mr. Cordova is business partners with his father.”

  “I’m not—”

  He places his finger over my lips. “I know you’re not. I also know how Brandy feels about me and I don’t care. The feelings are not mutual and she knows this.”

  “Mr. Cordova approached me in the hall. I think he made a pass at me, but I can’t be sure. Either that or he knows I’m a stripper. Brandy found me in the bathroom, saying shit, telling me that you’re pissed that I’m fucking Cordova and
Brady wants to take me out for coffee.”

  There’s a noticeable tick in Finn’s jaw as I finish telling him about my eventful night. Up until I went to the restroom, everything was fine, perfect actually. I have never been one to let others bother me, but everything about those siblings does.

  Bringing my hand to his face, I caress his jaw, hoping to calm him down. His stubble feels good against the tips of my fingers, igniting a stirring between my legs.

  “What do you want to do now? Do you want to go out? I promised you dessert,” he says, leaning into my touch.

  “I think I want to see what this angry unicorn is all about.” My hand travels down his torso and into his boxers, grasping his dick. I stroke him a few times until his low growl causes me to let go. I back away, only for him to stalk toward me.

  Finn drops his shorts and starts stroking his arousal. My mouth waters, remembering the taste of him, and my pussy starts to rejoice. I don’t know who wants that dick more between the two of them, but I do know I’m the winner regardless.

  “Where do you want to fuck?”

  “I don’t know. Shall I run and hide?”

  He nods and starts counting. I leave the closet and bedroom, taking off down the hall until I come to the staircase that leads to his office. I slip off my thong and sit on the steps, spreading my legs wide for him and all of Vegas to see.

  When he appears in front of me, he’s naked and sliding a rubber onto his erection. He cups my pussy, immediately pushing two fingers into me and pumping vigorously. I hiss at the contact and lean back, taking the pain that comes with being on the stairs.

  “Stand up,” he says, pulling his hand out from between my legs. I do, only to have him sit down. “Ride me.” He holds his erection so I can sit on him, taking him deep between my folds.

  “Shit,” I mumble as I slowly start to move up and down. Finn takes my hands and places them on the railings, giving me the leverage I need to fuck him.

  “Everyone on the rooftop opposite us can see if they’re looking.”

  “I don’t care.” I throw my head back from the sensation of having him in me. He reaches around, placing a finger between my cheeks, adding a bit of pressure to my ass. My nerve endings are on fire and I like it. My body becomes frenzied as I rock back and forth against him. My heels scrap on the steps, but I don’t falter.

  “Fuck, Macey, I can feel you starting to come.”

  “Yes, oh fuck, yes.”

  An explosion of heat and a quiver washes over me as my orgasm courses through my body. Even as I slow down, Finn picks up the pace, moving my hips up and down until he finds his release.

  Spent, I collapse onto his body and stay there, knowing that my ass is in clear view.

  “Can they really see us?”

  He chuckles and kisses my neck. “Only if they have binoculars or if we were outside.” He pauses before adding, “Don’t worry, though, I plan to fuck you while you’re overlooking the balcony.”

  I sigh, somehow knowing that I’ll likely enjoy it.

  “Come on,” he says, picking me up. He carries me to the bathroom with his dick still inside of me, sitting down on the edge of the tub. “A bubble bath is in order. Change and I’ll be right back.”

  Finn marches out of the room after starting the bath. I slowly strip out of my garments and set them on the floor before climbing in. When he comes back, he’s carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

  “I hate to waste this by drinking it,” he says, pouring the liquid into the flutes.

  “Excuse me?”

  “No, don’t take that wrong. What I meant was I totally had planned to lick this off you later.”

  Finn hands me a glass and then pours his own.

  “Well, in that case, cheers.” We clink glasses and he slides in. The mountain of bubbles flies everywhere when he scoots in behind me, causing me to laugh. He pulls me back against his chest and I sigh, telling my heart to shut down because as nice as this feels, it’s over in a week and I’ll be back to being Macey Webster, single mom, waitress and stripper, instead of the Macey Webster I am now. The one who is falling for the one man who could single-handedly destroy my life.

  Chapter 12

  Finn

  “How was your weekend?”

  I look up to find Hannah walking into my office with a cup of coffee in her hand. This isn’t one of her job requirements, but it’s not unusual for her to do something like this either, although it’s usually after I’ve had a late night. Not on a Monday.

  “Thanks for the coffee,” I say, taking a sip. I’m not normally a coffee drinker, but in this case I need the energy. Yesterday, Macey and I didn’t do anything except lie around by the pool, sipping on cocktails and enjoying the sun. It’s rare that I ever do that and it happened only because I asked her what she wanted to do. I could’ve told her no, but I have figured out quickly that a happy Macey means nothing smartass is coming out of her mouth and she’s likely not plotting to maim me.

  Hannah clears her throat, causing me to look at her. She’s smiling, which in turn makes me smile as well.

  “My weekend was good. How was yours?”

  “Great. I ran into Brandy yesterday.”

  I groan and lean back in my chair. The whole fiasco with Brandy, Brady and Mr. Cordova hasn’t sat well with me since Macey told me everything. I spoke with Brady yesterday and laid it on the line for him. He’s my best friend, but that title can easily be revoked if he fucks around with Macey. I also asked him to rein in his sister because I don’t like how she went after Macey in the bathroom. He said he gets it, but we’ll see. As far as Brandy, she’s a lost cause in my book. Her stunt with Macey has solidified my stance on her—no more. From here on out, I’ll go stag to my events or find another sorority chick to take with me.

  “She had a lot to say about Ms. Webster.”

  “All lies, I’m sure.”

  Hannah shrugs. “She’s concerned.”

  “About what? The last time I checked, Brandy is a friend who I take as my plus one because of her father’s money.”

  “I don’t know, Finn. This woman shows up out of nowhere and suddenly you’re buying her a new wardrobe, she’s staying in your place and you missed your golf game with the guys yesterday. Forgive me for thinking something is up here.”

  I swivel my chair and look out the window. The casino is bustling with activity for a Monday. Most often these are the slow days. People have checked out from their weekend getaways, the conferences are over and the parties have ended. By Wednesday, everything will be in full swing again.

  “She isn’t anyone that you have to worry about.”

  “Well, can you at least tell me how you know her so I’m not thinking that you’re being blackmailed?” Hannah sighs, clearly frustrated. I understand her worries, but I can’t tell her how I know Macey. It’s bad enough that Brady already knows Macey is from my hometown, a little fact that I hope he’s forgotten. I don’t want the information getting back to Brandy because if she starts digging, that may embarrass Macey and I made her a promise that I intend to keep.

  “I’m not being blackmailed, Hannah. Macey is someone I know, that’s all.”

  “Fine. You know I worry.”

  “I know and I appreciate it.” I turn back around to face her. “Can you get up a new phone on my account?”

  “For Macey?”

  I nod. Once again I find myself speaking before I realize what I’m doing. It’s been three days and I’m already finding ways to talk to her or make sure she can get in touch with me after our week is up. I’m breaking my own rules in my own fucking game and none of it makes sense.

  “Does she need an apartment as well?”

  I shake my head. From what I can gather, she doesn’t live in Vegas and I’m assuming she lives back in Spokane. I could be wrong. Part of me wants to ask, but the other part doesn’t want to know because I don’t want to care. Except I do want to give her a phone so I can selfishly keep tabs on her. How fucked
up can I be right now?

  “I don’t understand you, Finn,” Hannah says as she leaves my office. I don’t understand myself either.

  I stare at the contract on my desk. Each word is jumbled together and doesn’t make sense to me. Pushing it aside, I pick up my phone and dial Lamar’s extension and ask him to come to my office.

  “Morning,” he says, barreling into my office. I look up and motion for him to close my door.

  “You look fucking tired.”

  “I am.” I rake my hand over my face and through my hair, cringing at the spot where Macey pulled last night. I had my face buried between her thighs, feasting as if it was the last time I was going to eat and focused on giving her the best orgasm of her life. I’d push her to the brink and stop. I did this repeatedly until I went to pull away and she took matters into her own hands. The grip she had on my hair hurt, but having her come all over my face was worth it.

  This morning before I left to come down for work I gave her an all-inclusive pass to the hotel, giving her every privilege she could ever want. Everything is on the house, from food to spa services. If she wants to get drunk and get her hair done, she can.

  “Is she worth it?”

  “Worth what?” I ask, needing to know exactly what he means.

  “The money. That is some really expensive pussy. You’re paying her thirty, plus the wardrobe. So I’ll ask again, is she worth it?”

  “She’s familiar,” I say, sighing. “I sort of knew her in high school. She’d go to a few of the same parties. I was told that she had a crush on me and I’d see her stare at me every now and again from across the room. I thought she was pretty and the few times I spoke to her she seemed smart. She wanted to get out of town as soon as she graduated. I thought she would’ve been a fun summer chick, but she’s from the wrong side of the tracks and my parents would’ve killed me. By the time graduation rolled around, my mom was sick and I was heading off to college, so we hooked up.”

  “So you guys are reminiscing?”

  “Not exactly,” I say, frowning. “The sex wasn’t memorable.”

  “Ouch,” he says, blanching at my words.

  Shaking my head, I stand and go over to the window. “I was eighteen and inexperienced. I didn’t know what I was doing.” Unlike now, where I know damn well she’s enjoying herself.