by S. Nelson
I couldn’t.
Standing and swiveling around so my back was to the crowd, I bent over and hooked my thumbs under the lace of my thong, slowly dragging my panties down my toned thighs. As soon as the scrap of material pooled around my ankles, I stepped free of them and kicked them toward the back of the stage.
The last few chords of the song drew near. I turned back around to face the crowd and caressed the pole as if it were a lover, running my hands up and down the metal, the coolness of it distracting me from the countless pairs of eyes staring at me. I trailed my hands down my body, shielding my pussy quickly before baring everything.
Thankfully the last note of the music sounded, signaling that my time was up. Bills were thrown toward me once they knew my show had ended. Gathering the money tightly in my hands, I continued to plaster a smile on my face, winking at a few of the men before finally disappearing off stage.
Each of us had a secure locker in the back of the club. Stuffing the wad of cash in mine, I pulled out my next outfit for the evening, complete with my favorite red wig. I sipped on my watered-down vodka on the rocks to help take the edge off.
If I’d known how my evening would turn out, I would’ve ordered a few more drinks.
Tripp
It’d been three days since I last visited the safe house. My next rotation was in a day or so, depending on when Marek decided to pull the trigger—either literally or figuratively—and fuckin’ snatch Psych’s life once and for all.
Striding through the back door of Indulge, I passed by a few of the staff, nodding in acknowledgment as I headed toward the front. I spotted Hawke near the bar, throwing back shots as I approached.
“Bout fuckin’ time, brother,” Hawke shouted over the music, slapping me on the back. “What took you so long?” His brows rose but his attention wavered once one of the strippers walked by, throwing him a smile before heading toward a table of men.
“Thought you were all done with that.” I signaled the bartender for a drink, turning back toward Hawke after ordering.
“I am,” he said, “but I can still look. As long as I don’t touch.” His smile faltered, and I knew he still struggled with what happened to Edana. She’d gone looking for Hawke and had been viciously attacked by a few Reapers right outside this place, only allowing her to live so she could deliver a message that they were comin’ for everyone we loved. Retribution for Marek stealing Sully away from her father.
I knew Hawke still harbored guilt for putting his woman in that situation, even though it hadn’t been his fault. Yes, he’d had a hard time keeping his dick in his pants, but all that changed after Edana’s attack. He confessed he hadn’t touched another chick since, and I believed him. I saw the look of pure terror and pain in his eyes when he held Edana, doing his best to comfort her and assure her that he would rain all hell down on the Reapers for daring to touch her. As volatile as Hawke and Edana’s relationship was, they loved each other, although at times it seemed only logical to question.
“How is she?” I didn’t have to say her name for him to know who I was talking about.
“She’s healing physically, more each day, but she’s still fucked-up in the head.” Hawke finished the rest of his beer, slamming down the bottle in frustration. “She’s been having fuckin’ nightmares, and when I try to hold her she lashes out and hits me. She doesn’t even know it’s me until she’s fully awake.” Running his hands through his hair, he dropped his head and groaned. I’d heard his anguish because I stood so close, but to everyone else, it just appeared as if he was drunk. “I don’t know what to do for her. I feel so goddamn helpless, man,” he confessed.
I had no idea what he was going through, but my heart bled for him just the same. Shit like this was one of the main reasons I chose not to get attached to a woman. Bad things happened all the time in our world, and the less people I brought into it, the better. Besides, the last chick I’d shacked up with betrayed me, and who the hell wants to deal with that fucked-up situation again?
“It’ll get better in time. Just be patient.”
“Easier said than done,” Hawke grumbled. As he was about to say something else, Arianna, one of the dancers, shimmied next to me and wrapped her arms around my neck, pushing her fake tits against my chest. Rising up on her toes, still significantly shorter than me even in heels, she pressed her mouth to mine.
“Hey, baby,” she cooed, licking her glossy lips before trying to kiss me again. But I was prepared that time. Unlocking her hands, I gently pushed her away. Yeah, I’d fucked her a few times when I was drunk and horny, but settling between Arianna’s legs again wasn’t something I was interested in any longer. To be honest, it shocked me that she’d been able to convince me to fuck her more than once. But like I said, I was drunk for all three occasions.
“Not tonight,” I warned, keeping my voice as casual as possible. She reeked of cheap cologne, no doubt from giving a few guys some up close and personal time. Disappointment shrouded her face, but the emotion quickly disappeared when Hawke leaned over me and gave her his winning smile.
“I can take you both on if that’s what you want. It doesn’t have to be just the two of us.” She batted her heavily coated eyelashes at me before turning her attention to my younger brother.
I’d been around the block and was no stranger to threesomes, but never with another guy. And sharing this chick with my brother was the last thing that was goin’ down tonight. No fucking way was I crossing swords with him.
“No,” I said more firmly, pushing her back another step to clear her from my personal space. “Not gonna happen, so stop tryin’.”
She gave me a fake pout before winking at Hawke. Fortunately, a few guys seated close to the stage caught her attention and she strutted toward them without glancing back at us.
Well, that was easy enough.
“You hittin’ that?”
“Not anymore. I should’ve never started shit with her to begin with,” I confessed, taking a healthy swig from my beer.
“Why? She cray?” Hawke asked, grinning because he knew I hated when he talked like some teeny-bopper.
“Cray? Really?” He laughed before hitting my shoulder with his. “To answer your question, Arianna’s probably in the vicinity of crazy, yes, but I never paid much attention to say for a hundred percent.” Finishing off my drink, I gestured for another.
“Same thing, sweetheart?” Carla asked, wiping down the bar in front of us.
Before answering her question, I asked, “Why are you serving drinks tonight? I thought we just hired someone to do that.” Swiping the bottle she’d passed me, I gulped half of it down before she responded.
“She called off. Said her kid was sick or something.” Waving to someone at the far end of the bar, she smiled before leaving to tend to a customer.
I liked Carla. She was an ex-stripper turned manager. Anyone who spent five minutes with her knew she had a good head on her shoulders. Smart. Savvy. Compassionate. She kept the patrons in check with her stern, no-nonsense tone, all while helping the dancers, whether it be with costumes, dance routines, or talking them through a bout of stage fright.
Carla was a powerhouse of a woman. Not in stature, standing at just five foot five, but in personality. She was attractive, although not my type. If I had to guess her age, which I would never do out loud, I’d put her in her early to mid-forties. Her shoulder-length, honey blonde hair was styled into a flattering bob-type hairdo. Thin yet curvy, she definitely caught the attention of many of the men who frequented the club, a fact her husband, Brian, didn’t appreciate. He’d almost knocked out one of the men ogling Carla when the drunken patron decided to get a bit handsy. Luckily, our security stepped in and threw the guy out on his ass before Brian attacked him.
Flinging the bar rag over her shoulder, she slid a shot glass toward Hawke and gave him a wink. He responded with an appreciative nod before throwing back the amber liquid, slamming the glass on the bar when he finished. Carla had a nurturing
way about her, and when she’d found out what had happened to Edana, she tried to comfort Hawke in the only way she knew how—by giving him a drink right before he knew he even needed one.
“Hey, I meant to ask you this earlier. How’s the new dancer working out? Any issues?” Finally sitting on the barstool, I rested my right foot on the rung, my left on the ground. Strumming my fingers on the bar top, I patiently waited for her to respond, my eyes taking in the action around the club.
“She’s quite somethin’.” Carla chuckled, the teasing tone to her voice enough to draw my attention back to her. Smiling big, she jerked her chin toward the stage. “In fact, you can see for yourself. She’s up next.”
Tripp
The tone of Carla’s statement had me on edge for a reason I couldn’t explain, except that I knew something was about to change for me very soon.
Apprehension stole the air from my lungs.
Swiveling around, my eyes darted toward the area of the stage I knew the girls emerged from, my posture becoming more rigid with every breath I took. Before I could berate myself for being ridiculous, Craig’s voice, our announcer, crooned through the speakers.
“Call your wives and tell ’em you’ll be late tonight, fellas, because our next dancer is gonna grace us with one more performance. She’s sexy. She’s alluring. She’s temptation incarnate.”
A thunderous roar erupted before he’d even finished speaking, the spotlight hitting the stage and the music pumping from the sound system in time to the appearance of the next dancer.
It was a sensual song, one I never expected to hear in a place like this, but I guess that’s what made her performance unlike any other.
A thin blanket of smoke rolled across the stage, quickly dissipating when the mystery woman appeared. Seduction drifted off her in waves as she walked toward the pole. Every step she took was predatory, the sway of her hips and the confidence in her body language instantly grabbing my attention. Hell, she entranced every fucker in the club. I saw the evidence as I quickly scanned the room.
Hopping off my barstool, my heart pounded faster as I approached the stage. Hawke shouted something behind me, but I couldn’t hear him. My only focus was on her. I had to find out what the invisible pull was drawing me toward her. My breathing accelerated as I moved closer, and I realized right then that I was powerless to stop whatever was happening to me.
When I stopped a few feet from the stage, I finally saw what all the fuss was about. Everyone around me faded into nothingness, the once-deafening shouts from the men muffled. The thrum of the music lessened as my eyes latched onto the woman rocking my world.
She was the most beautiful creature I’d ever laid eyes on, and I’d seen plenty of gorgeous women in my thirty-two years. I had no idea what her name was, however, because Craig’s announcement had been shrouded by the shouts of excited men.
She wore a tiny, white sheer top tied just underneath her full breasts, accompanied by a skirt so short it barely covered her ass. But I guess that was the sole purpose.
Her long red hair fell to the middle of her back, the curls bouncing and moving with every step she took. Her stomach was flat and toned, her legs long and lean. When she turned away from me and bent over I thought I was gonna come in my pants. Her heart-shaped ass was a work of art, and the only thoughts I had were of me sinking my teeth into her soft, pliable flesh.
Before I knew it, I’d advanced closer, surely blocking the view for some of the other patrons. But ask me if I cared. Besides, even if they had a problem with me obstructing their view, they weren’t stupid. If they didn’t know me personally, they could easily see from the cut I wore that I belonged to the club who owned this place. And if that weren’t enough of a deterrent, my sheer size would have them thinking twice about opening their drunken mouths.
Our newest dancer slowly moved around the middle of the stage. Her delicate fingers popped the buttons of her shirt, purposely taking her time for the much-needed buildup, working up every man in the place. Her actions fueled something inside me, an unfamiliar rage simmering deep within. I wanted her performance to be for me and me alone. But the thought was stupid.
She’s a fucking stripper.
Of course her little dance was directed at whoever would throw her money. Another fact which stirred my fury from a simmer to a slight boil.
What the hell is wrong with me?
The song picked up tempo and her lithe body contorted around that damn pole with expertise. Her shirt was wide open, exposing her full, natural breasts for everyone to see. She took a spin around the pole, jumping and hooking her legs above her head before slowly sinking down toward the floor.
She was magnificent.
I was knocked back from my fantasies when I saw her approach, her eyes locking with mine as she came closer.
I found it difficult to breathe, as if all the air had been sucked out of the room. I was stuck in place, entranced by the woman in front of me, and the gleam in her eyes proved she was aware of my new predicament.
A small smile tilted up her full, luscious lips as she watched my reaction. Reaching up, she grabbed her shirt and slowly let it slip off her shoulders, then off completely. Keeping her gaze pinned on me, she grabbed her breasts and pinched her nipples, twisting her hips to the beat of the music.
I couldn’t look away.
What I really wanted to do was jump onto the stage and whisk her away, but not before covering her up. I couldn’t stand that there were at least a hundred pairs of eyes raking all over her exposed flesh. It was driving me insane, but there wasn’t anything I could do about it.
Was there?
Before I could entertain my odd thought, she sank to her knees and crawled toward me, engulfing me further in her web. It wasn’t until she was a few feet away from me that I noticed something different about her. From afar, she appeared every bit the stereotypical stripper, playing her part to make her money, but up close, her bluish-gray eyes told a different story. They held an innocence, an inexperience which just didn’t seem plausible. It was the oddest contradiction.
They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. If that were true, then I could see that all of her hopes and dreams had been dashed, yet she forged ahead, seeking a light that might be just within her reach.
Hope and desperation battled for dominance behind her beautiful pupils, the dueling emotions rather intriguing. I tried, but I couldn’t look away. I thought I heard Hawke’s voice yell for her to take it off, but I ignored him, even though I wanted nothing more than to punch him in the face for watching my woman get naked.
My woman?
So entranced with my new feelings, I hadn’t realized she was so close. Her soft palm caressed the side of my face, her touch pushing all of my other thoughts to the side, and causing my lungs to seize up. I knew right then that if she continued her silent assault on my senses, I was gonna cause quite the scene. Picking up on my body language, the tick of my jaw and clench of my fists quite obvious and telling, she removed her hand and moved back, eventually lying on her back and spreading her legs wide in front of me. In front of everyone.
I’d never wanted to fuck a woman more than in that moment. I kept picturing burying my cock inside her, feeling her clench around me as I made her come over and over again. Absently, I reached down and palmed my dick, trying to calm my arousal so I didn’t embarrass myself in front of her and every other fucker present. Even though I tried to will my dick to soften, it only became harder, painfully straining against the fabric of my jeans.
I almost lost it when her fingers hitched inside the waistband of her tiny skirt, shimmying the material down her long, shapely legs until she was wearing nothing but a thong. After thirty seconds of pure torture, she rose to her feet and stepped back toward the center of the stage, her fingers dancing over her skin, continuing to tease and torment me.
She continuously honed in on me as if I were the only man in the room, something I quite liked, although I knew it wasn’t true. The
final beats of the song faded before she’d had the chance to remove her last piece of clothing. Indulge was a fully nude club, but right then I’d never been so happy to see one of our dancers break the rules.
She disappeared from the stage, taking with her our brief yet binding connection.
Reece
Catching my breath backstage had nothing to do with the exertion I’d endured during my performance. Instead, it had everything to do with the man who’d thrown me into another world. Dammit! I’d been so distracted with him that I’d never removed my thong. Rules of the club were to get completely naked, and I broke that rule. I sure as hell hoped I didn’t get fired because of it.
Pushing aside my building paranoia at the thought of losing my job, I reverted back to thinking about the man who’d distracted me. It was weird to acknowledge, even to myself, but the painfully handsome stranger made me feel things I hadn’t felt in years . . . if ever. He seemed different than every other man present, locking eyes with me like he wanted to expose his innermost secrets. A strange thread of connection quickly formed between us, still lingering in the air even without being in his presence.
Shaking my head, knowing my thoughts were utterly ridiculous, I tried like hell to forget about Mr. Tough and Sexy as I prepared for the rest of my evening, which thankfully was close to being over.
After quickly freshening up, I ventured back into the lounge area to search for someone who was receptive to a private dance. I’d become rather popular during my short employ at Indulge, so I never encountered any problems earning my keep. The entire time I searched for my next customer, my eyes flitted around the spacious room in search of the gorgeous stranger who’d made my heart leap in my chest just moments earlier. But I didn’t see him. Maybe he’d done both of us a favor and left.
