The emcee returned to the stage as the applause died down. The pianist played softly as he spoke. “Beautiful, Julianna,” he said. To the audience, he asked, “Have you enjoyed tonight’s entertainment?” The audience applauded enthusiastically.
“Our final performer is the mastermind of the show you’ve just enjoyed. She graced the Vanz stage just a few weeks ago, and everything changed.”
A rustle of whispering went through the audience. Van had to smile at the emcee’s observation. He’d no idea what changes this woman would bring to the club or to his life.
“It took some persuading to get her to perform tonight. In fact, I just got word while Julianna was dancing that she would. So give a warm Vanz welcome and hearty thank you—to Lady D!”
The audience gasped when they heard Di’s stage name. The stage went dark, and the pianist played a bluesy introduction with a flirty beat. Di stood at the corner of the stage when the spotlight hit her and a singer sang the first line of, “I’ve Got a Crush on You.”
Di scanned the room, looking beneath long lashes, as if searching for her crush. She wore a strapless, red sequined dress with matching high pumps, long, black satin gloves, and thick jewelry at her wrists and neck that sparkled when she moved. As she stepped towards the piano at the corner of the stage, a black fur stole slipped off her shoulder and her dress’s high slit—up to her hip—revealed a shapely leg.
The next line of the song confirmed she had a crush on someone that caused her to sigh day and night.
She smiled sweetly at the audience and leaned on the piano, offering a nice view of her cleavage as she listened to the words of the song with a love-struck look that fell on Van.
He slammed back the rest of his drink. Dear Lord, he was completely under this woman’s spell. He glanced around the room and quickly realized he wasn’t the only one.
She sashayed back to center stage to where a red velvet chair sat, pulling the fur behind her as the singer crooned about falling with so much emotion.
She dropped the fur and unclasped first one bracelet, then the next, and tossed them into the audience, much to the delight of the gentlemen sitting near the stage. And then she slowly peeled off one of her gloves—with her teeth.
“Shit,” Van mumbled.
She grasped the fingers of the glove, pulling it the rest of the way off, and she trailed it across the tops of her breasts before dropping it to the floor. Then she repeated the process with the other glove.
Van started to sweat. “Dear God,” he whispered and stood, because he couldn’t sit calmly while Di drove every man in the room crazy.
She caught his gaze just as the second glove hit the stage and the singer asked her crush if he cared. She turned and slowly swung her hips to the beat of the music, her arms above her head. She reached for the zipper at the side of the dress. Van held his breath as she opened the dress and slowly lowered it revealing what she wore beneath. A black satin corset that laced up the back and an ornate medallion that sat low on her back. She looked over her shoulder and winked at the audience as she tossed the dress aside revealing that she wore a cheek-baring thong. She did a shimmy and turned. The upper curves of her gorgeous breasts plumped over the top of the corset.
The singer continued, apologizing for the tendency to gush over this secret crush, and then a piano solo began. Di stepped out of her shoes and walked over to the velvet chair at center stage, and she rested one foot on the seat. She bent, caressing her leg from ankle to thigh where she touched the lacy ruffle at the top of her black stocking then eased it down her leg. After what seemed like an eternity, she extended her leg and pulled it off in an arc over her head, dropping it behind her. She circled the chair and started working on the other leg.
Van eased a finger inside his suddenly too tight collar to let out some of the heat. This time, she reached behind her and, extending her arms over her head, pulled the stocking off, and dropped it on the chair in front of her.
The singer crooned, repeating the words she’d sung earlier. Di sat on the edge of the chair and executed several kicks. She rested her legs on the arm of the chair and turning, arched her back. Van held his breath as her breasts nearly came out of the corset.
She tucked her knees under herself and faced away from the audience, her fingers pulling at the laces of the corset. When she’d loosened the garment, she did something in front while turning that flirty gaze back on him. While he got lost in the contact, she pulled the corset apart, holding the edges out to her sides before tossing it aside. She stood on the chair and bent to reach behind it where she got two large black feathery fans. She used both fans to cover her from neck to knee, thank God, before turning. She gave a saucy kick, stepped off the chair, and moved behind it. Concealed there, she removed her thong and teased the audience with it dangling from one finger. The audience went wild. When she dropped it, she put her fingertips over her red lips which were pursed into an “O” as if she’d said, “Oops.”
She walked from behind the chair, one fan in front and one in the back. She turned sideways doing a few hip thrusts while opening the fans in time to the music, revealing just enough to tantalize the audience with the bare curve of her breast and ass. And bare everything else. She turned away from the audience with one fan upside down, just covering her hips as she swayed. She lifted the other above her head and lowered it to her hips as well. Then she bent backwards from the waist, letting the audience see her breasts, and shimmied her shoulders.
Van caught a glimpse of black tassels twirling before she stood, looked over her shoulder with a naughty smile just before the song ended, and she disappeared through the curtains at the back of the stage.
The audience went dead silent for several moments, and then everyone came to their feet, applauding and cheering, the sound deafening. When everyone had finally settled back into their seats, “All that Jazz” began playing through the speakers and all the performers returned to the stage to dance the final number. All but Di. As the ladies danced the finale, the club manager joined Van.
Without preamble, Van asked, “How many requests did Lady D get this time?”
Sam laughed. “She crashed the system again.”
“Still $10,000 a dance?”
“Yeah,” Sam said. “Twenty-eight requests came in before the system went down. I’m rebooting now, but I’m guessing you’ll be buying her dances again?”
“Damn straight,” Van confirmed calmly. “What about the other dancers. How did they do?”
“It’s a record night. We’ve never seen anything like this. The All New Revue at Vanz is a success.” Sam’s fingers flowed across his device. “Shall I escort Ms. Jenson to the executive suite after the show ends?”
“No,” Van said. “Escort her to her car. Her driver will be waiting.”
Sam nodded and walked away. As the number on stage ended, Van texted Di’s driver with instructions. Gerome returned to the stage as the women took their bows. “Let’s hear it for The All New Revue at Vanz. And once more for the show’s creative director, Lady D!”
Van watched as Di returned to the stage wearing her red sequined dress. Holding Gerome’s hand, she took a bow. When she stood, she gestured to the dancers and applauded, then left the stage.
When Di entered her dressing room, she found Sam waiting for her. “Congratulations on a successful show, Ms. Jenson.”
“Thank you, Sam.”
“If you’ll come with me,” he held up her coat. “There’s a car waiting outside for you.”
Surprised, Di said, “I’m not expected in the private suite?”
“No, ma’am. But you’ll be pleased to know you crashed the system for the second time in club history.”
Di smiled. “Are you going to have some disappointed customers to deal with when I leave?” She allowed Sam to help her into her coat then picked up her purse.
“Not at all,” he said. “We’re always very apologetic and accommodating to our clients. Our creative director doesn’
t do private dances, after all.”
“Of course,” she said, more than a bit disappointed she wouldn’t be seeing Van in the suite. She followed Sam to the stage’s rear entrance that connected to the alley. “Where am I going?”
Richards stood next to the car, steam from the exhaust billowed around the car into the cold evening air. “I’m not sure,” Sam said in answer to her question. “Have a nice evening.” He bowed and ducked back into the club.
Richards opened the rear door of the town car. “Good evening, Ms. Jenson,” he said.
“Richards,” Di said, acknowledging the driver. Before she got into the car, she said, “I don’t suppose you’re at liberty to tell me where I’m going?”
“Home, miss.”
Confused, Di said, “Are you sure? Van didn’t—”
“Mr. Vanzant’s instructions were clear. I’m to take you home.”
Disappointment pulled at Di. After the high of a successful opening, the last thing Di wanted to do was go home. She wanted Van, not an empty apartment. Her dance must have angered him. Looking up at Richards, she forced a smile and got into the car.
Van sat at the far end of the rear seat, smiling at her and holding two flutes of champagne. “Hi.”
“Van,” she breathed as Richards shut the door. “I thought—”
“You thought I’d deserted you?” He clicked his tongue. “Never.” She took the glass he handed her. “I had to get you out of the club.” He touched his glass to hers. “I wanted you all to myself.” They both drank the champagne as Richards drove the car out into traffic. Di noticed Van had raised the privacy partition.
“Congratulations,” he said. “The show was a huge success.”
“Thank you.”
He took her champagne and set it aside. “No.” He brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Thank you.” His smile widened, “For making me respectable.”
Her own smile was rueful. “You were already respectable, you just hid the fact and played the bad boy.”
“Mmm . . .” He eased her coat off her shoulders, which were bared by the strapless dress she’d worn for her performance. “You thought that was an act?” Di shivered as he trailed a feather-soft touch from her neck to the spot where her cleavage disappeared into her dress. “I think I’m the one who’s been deceived. That was no good girl performing on stage tonight. Were those tassel pasties?”
Di bit her lower lip as he dipped his fingers into her bodice. She leaned forward to give him better access. “Maybe.”
Van inclined his chin. “Perhaps I should unzip your dress and see.” He traced the long line of the zipper with his index finger down her side to her hip, until he found the tab at the top of the slit. He grasped it and pulled up, watching as he bared her hip. He looked up and said, “Did you put your thong back on?”
In response, Di lifted her shoulder.
“Vixen,” he said against her neck. He opened his mouth, tasting her with his tongue as he pulled the zipper up to her waist. “You are a bad girl.”
“Yes,” she agreed, shifting to give his lips better access. “Very bad.” She pulled her arms out of her coat and rested an arm on his shoulder as she watched him unzip her dress. “What will you do with me?”
He had the zipper up to her breast when he looked down into her eyes, his gaze dark and heated. He spanned her waist with his free hand, his thumb brushing the underside of her breast. “First, I’m going to get you out of this dress,” he said and pulled the zipper up the rest of the way. Di inhaled sharply as he brushed the dress aside baring her body to his seeking gaze. Her body flushed as Van took his time admiring her. A grin slashed his face as he twirled a tassel around a finger and tugged, but the pasty held tight to her nipple, causing her to hitch in a breath. He traced the edges of it. “Very bad indeed. We should leave these for now.”
Di could only nod as she anticipated where he’d touch her next. She lifted a leg and draped it over his thigh. His gaze dipped, then slid back up her body. “No thong. Very naughty.”
In response, she opened her thighs wider. “You haven’t told me what you thought of my dance.”
“Possessive,” he admitted, his hand on her inner thigh. “But I have to admit, I liked knowing every man in that room wanted what’s mine.” He finally touched her, and Di gasped as he slid a finger along the line of her outer lips then spread them and speared a finger into her. “Mine,” he repeated.
“As I danced, I thought the same thing,” she said. He slid another finger into her and rolled her clit with his thumb. Di moaned. “Yours,” she said and lifted her hips to increase the pressure. She grabbed him by his waistband and pulled him in, fumbling with his belt and zipper. She freed him and straddled his hips.
“Condom,” he managed to get out.
She positioned him at her entrance then took him in one long slide. “I’m on the pill,” she said against his ear and rotated her hips. “And I want to feel you bare inside me.”
He framed her face. “I’ll never get enough of you.”
“Good to know,” she said as he grasped her hips and set a delicious, driving rhythm. “Because I’m never leaving you.”
“Lucky me,” his gaze dipped to her breasts. “Can you make them twirl?”
Di braced her hands behind her on his knees, arched her back, and shimmied her shoulders. Van smiled as she set the tassels into motion, but Di got lost in the feel of him hitting her G-spot over and over until she exploded, and Van came with her. He peeled off a pasty and sucked her nipple into his mouth, and her orgasm intensified.
Later, he soothed a hand down her back, and she rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m a lucky man,” he said, his lips on her forehead.
Di closed her eyes, happier than she had a right to be. “We’re both lucky,” she said. “You know, if I hadn’t accepted that bet to dance in your club, we might not have found our way to each other.”
She felt him smile. “What? You’re not going to say something romantic like true love always finds a way?” he asked.
She shook her head then looked at him, serious. “This was a near miss.”
“Thank you for giving me a chance,” he said, his face soft and relaxed as he looked at her.
“You’re the one who took a chance,” she corrected. “My opinion of you was pretty low,” she admitted, ashamed.
“That’s my fault.”
She framed Van’s face with her hands and smiled. “Finding love is always a miracle.”
“I can’t argue with that,” he said.
When Van kissed her, Di knew she’d found her happily ever after because she’d dared to make a scandalous move.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my amazing editorial staff, Becky Guyton and Eli Harlan. Another great big thank you goes out to my marketing director, and the best cheerleader an author ever had, Janene Cates Putnam. Thanks to my good friend Anne who patiently answered all my questions about being a professional dancer. (Yep, the best friend in Dared is named for you!) And last, but certainly not least, thanks to Fiona Jayde Media for the incredible Scandalous Moves covers.
Afterword
Also Available—PLAYED, The Next Scandalous Moves Novella
Jaye Baxter stared out at the darkened expanse of the ocean as she sipped another glass of chardonnay. The silvery reflection of the moon on the water mesmerized while the wine and soft piano music left a mellow feeling in their wake.
A cool breeze lifted her hair and the strands whispered against her bare shoulders as her sundress teased her knees. She glanced down at her new high-heeled sandals, also never before worn, and smiled. She always wore heels. They were her one concession to femininity. But these shoes were not the least bit business-like. The sales clerk had called them fuck-me heels.
Smiling, Jaye shook her head and sipped the last of the wine. She almost felt like a woman on vacation instead of a woman on track to become the first female general manager in major league baseball. Tomorrow, she’d ag
ain put on the masculine, drab clothes that by design helped her blend into a man’s world; but tonight she’d try to do what she’d promised her dad and sit outside on a gorgeous evening. And since she was here, she might as well have a look around.
The late hour had sent most of the resort’s diners to their rooms, where she should be as well. She poured the last of the wine into her glass and noticed the mostly deserted tables. A few couples slow-danced, some businessmen and women sat at the bar. A man near the end of the bar lifted his glass and smiled. Jaye quickly turned away, but his image stayed with her. Tall, lean, dark, classically handsome in that chiseled, long-nosed, generous mouth kind of way.
She glanced back at him. He smiled and looked away, rotating his glass on the bar. Real subtle, Jaye.
She downed more than a sip of her wine and looked again. Damn it. Three looks left no doubt, so what the hell. Maybe it was the wine, but she looked her fill. Why not? He wore leather loafers, ass-molding gray slacks. At his wrist there were a couple of black leather bracelets. He had wavy, black hair and a sexy scruff on his angular jaw. A diamond earring twinkled at his earlobe in the lights. Yeah. He would definitely do.
Jaye set her wine glass down and smiled to herself. Now, she wouldn’t have to lie to her dad. She’d left the room, sat outside, had dinner and a drink, and had checked out a hot Latin guy. Mission accomplished.
After signing the bill, she stood to go to her room, but found herself toe-to-toe with the hot guy from the bar. “I hope you’re not leaving,” he said, his voice deep and laced with an accent. “It’s early yet.”
Her four-inch heels put her at eye level with several inches of skin above the buttons of a black shirt stretched tight across sculpted pecs and wide shoulders. When she finally met his gaze, she found they were a startling pale green.
Dared: Scandalous Moves Series Page 10
