by Anthology
It wasn’t easy standing up smoothly and moving away once he’d seen her. He gave a sly smile to another excited woman, thinking, Of all the strip joints in the state, she had to walk into mine. How appropriately clichéd. He was torn between dancing for her to make her uncomfortable or ignoring her to make himself more comfortable. Most nights he did this on autopilot, keeping his mind on the five-hundred-plus dollars that would be his at the end of the evening. He knew how to charm the ladies while he was onstage and a few extra private dances afterward earned him the money he needed to be able to focus on his art for the rest of the week.
With Mia here, it was suddenly different. He felt more visible, more exposed—which was ridiculous considering that his job for almost the entire last year had been to take off his clothes down to the tiniest of skin-colored g-strings. It was even more ridiculous considering that she had seen him completely naked many times. As he had seen her.
While his body moved to the beat of the music, he let memories of fucking her flow through him. Tonight, instead of the crowd’s screams, he heard her moans. Instead of their lust, he saw the hunger and delight that shone in her eyes when she climaxed. For the first time since he was dancing, he let himself fully think about sex and, judging from the dollars he was collecting, it was having an influence on his new fans.
He ended his routine sitting on the box he had brought out with him, legs spread, the outline of his hard cock obviously straining the thin material of his thong. The women cheered and waved more money, which he took as he walked around. He was pleased when he saw Mia watching him as he gave them kisses on the cheek while trying to keep their hands out of reach of his body.
“Mr. Overnight will be back in a little while to offer you ladies some private dances so, if you liked what you saw, make sure you call him over to you when he returns.”
Putting his clothes and the money he’d collected into the box, Xander tucked it under his arm. He came off the stage, using the side stairs, not the ones behind the screen that led to the dressing area but the ones that led into the crowd. Nearly naked, he walked directly toward Mia. His eyes locked with hers and didn’t waver or notice anyone else until he was directly in front of her. He held out his hand and spoke loud enough for the group she was with to hear him.
“I need you to come with me and sign for this delivery.”
From the moment Mia had recognized him, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off him. The tingles the alcohol and sex-charged atmosphere had given her were pitched into overdrive. She experienced every single of his sexy movements onstage as if he was making them against her. Suddenly warm, she was grateful she’d chosen a sleeveless shirt. In addition, she was having trouble sitting still. Squirming in the short skirt Helen had encouraged her to wear was also not a good idea since the fabric kept riding up her thighs. Part of her wanted to drag Xander offstage, away from the leering eyes of the hungry audience. Another part of her wanted to run into the night and get as far away as possible from the feelings and memories that were swamping her.
She did neither.
When he made that outrageous request and told her to come with him, she just stood up without thinking, put her hand in his and followed him. She barely registered the catcalls from the other bachelorette party guests but she did hear Helen say, “Go for it, Mia!”
She walked with Xander, winding through the tables toward the backstage area. Once they’d entered it, he stopped at a locker and put his box of tips in it. Then he pulled her into what she assumed was a dressing room since it had a star and the name Candy Stixx on the door. He flipped on the lights and she saw that the room wasn’t more than an oversized closet with costumes hanging everywhere and a vanity table with lights around three sides of the mirror. The club music faded to a dull beat as he closed the door with a slam and locked it.
Xander turned her to face him. “I wish you weren’t here,” was all he said before he pulled her against his sweating body, cupped her head and kissed her hard. His heat brought her already warm body to boil. She threaded her hands into his hair and deepened the touch. She had never been kissed by anyone the way he used to kiss her and she had never dreamed she would again. But, oh, how often she’d thought about it in the past couple of years…
Mia moved her hands down his back, loving that he was almost naked already and that she could feel his skin. Hunger and desire coursed through her body. His hands moved down and under her shirt. She had skipped wearing a bra tonight and was grateful he had easy access. Xander played with her breasts, pinching the tips, making her gasp against his lips. When he removed her top, she allowed him to break their connection, but only for an instant. Then she returned to touching him, raking her nails over his back, giving him reason to gasp. Xander bent to suck on her nipples and she arched her back to press herself against him.
“Damn it, I want you,” he said against her breasts, anger and passion evident in the words.
“I want you too,” Mia answered. She was willing to let him know that bit of information but not how much she had been wondering about him, fantasizing about being in his arms again as well as apologizing for the way she had left him. That information she would keep hidden beneath the need she felt at the moment.
His hands traveled lower and found the edge of her skirt. He hiked it up and moved directly to her crotch. The thong she wore had a little more material than his, but not much. His fingers teased the skin at the edge of the triangle that covered her pussy. The slow movements were such a contrast to the fiery kisses she felt a flood of wetness drip from her.
“I need… I need…” She was unable to say anything else.
“I know,” he muttered and swiftly slid his fingers under the fabric and into her pussy. Mia moaned and her head fell back involuntarily. His mouth found the exposed skin of her neck and he kissed what she offered to him. She breathed deeply, taking in the smell of his body, sweat and heat. It made her even wetter.
Without warning, Xander stopped kissing her and let go of her. He brought his hands up to her face and forced her to meet his eyes. “I will give you a choice,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. “Turn around and face the mirror or leave now.”
Mia didn’t kid herself about what he meant. Either she could end things now. Or she could stay…and he would fuck her.
She turned around, bending slightly and bracing herself against the vanity table. The well-lit mirror revealed eyes that were glassy, lips that were swollen. She had never seen herself looking this passionate, needy, ready. The image made her feel too exposed so she looked at his reflection as he stared intently at her naked breasts then moved his eyes down her body. Mia was aware of every sensation as her skirt was lifted over her hips. She felt the tug as he ripped her underpants off. He did the same to the scrap of fabric he wore then pulled her back against him to play with her breasts. His erection rubbed against her ass, making her juices drip down her thighs. She let her head fall back against his shoulder but couldn’t take her eyes off the image of the two of them in front of the mirror. It was a fantasy come vividly to life.
She reached behind to run her hands over his tight bottom while he began to grind against her, mimicking the way he had danced only minutes earlier. His body was perfect, so right for her. Nothing and no one had gotten her this excited since the last time she had been with him.
“Lean forward so I can take you,” he whispered hoarsely into her ear. She did as she was told. He covered her body with his while reaching over to open what looked like a candy dish in the corner of the vanity table. When he lifted the lid, Mia saw an array of multicolored condom packages. He grabbed a black one and she heard the telltale ripping sound. A moment later he was nudging her legs apart with his. His erection pressed against the entrance to her pussy and she instinctively arched into him to give him complete access. With one forward movement he was filling and stretching her. This time her response was louder than a moan. She experienced a split second of clarity, thanking the crowd
and the music from the stage that would probably drown out any sound they made. Then they started to move together and her thoughts were only for Xander.
She didn’t realize she had closed her eyes until he said, “Look at us, Mia.” Again she did as he asked and fully took in their reflection. His hands were on her hips. Her hands were digging into the vanity so that she could push against him. She saw the passion in his eyes and it matched the look in hers. The intensity, the desire was all there, clear as if spoken of aloud. Please only let him see the need, not the regret, she prayed silently. It was hard enough being exposed to him physically. She couldn’t show him more tonight.
His cock felt so right inside her and they knew each other’s bodies well. She allowed herself to get carried away by the sensation of being truly fucked. When Xander got into a rhythm, Mia felt one of his hands leave her hip and move down toward her pussy, aiming for her clit. He found it immediately and she let out a small scream. “Oh God, yes.” Now she moved as if she were the one stripping onstage, grinding herself against his shaft, letting him finger her.
“Tell me,” he growled as her breathing sped up.
“I’m on the edge, Xander. I’m going to come.”
“Then watch,” he said and her eyes met his in the mirror. He started working his finger faster on her clit and his cock deeper into her pussy.
“Yes, yes, that’s it,” she said breathlessly, knowing that her climax was gloriously close. And then it was there, surrounding her. For the first time in her life, she could see her face as she came and saw the satisfaction in his eyes. Despite the lights, her pupils were dilated. Her mouth opened to release a series of loud moans, her skin shiny with sweat.
“My turn,” he whispered and she felt him move faster behind her, touching her deep inside. In this position it was easy to meet his thrusts and she did, aching to return the pleasure he had given her. His hands tightened on her waist before he moaned, “Oh yes.” She stared into the mirror so she could see the familiar look that told her he was coming. It was an expression she hadn’t seen in so long…too long.
As quickly as it had started, it was over. He pulled out of her smoothly and grabbed a tissue to dispose of the condom. Then he looked at her as if he wanted to say something but he decided not to since he remained silent. He moved to the door, ready to leave, not bothering to put any clothes on. When his hand reached the doorknob, Mia stopped him.
“Xander?”
He turned his face to her, keeping his body turned toward the door. “What?”
“I’m sorry.”
“Of course you are,” he said and left her there to get dressed.
Chapter Two
After years of trying to put him out of her mind, Mia couldn’t stop thinking about Xander. It was very helpful to have Internet search engines to locate people. Men’s last names didn’t change and Xander Alessio was an unusual enough name to find him easily. Mia stared at the headline. Artists Make a Home & Living in Lowell Lofts. The article discussed the different artists who had moved into a cooperative in Lowell, Massachusetts, where they could live and work in their own space, having open studio hours every week at posted times. Most of the artists who were interviewed had other part-time jobs to help pay the rent, an arrangement that let them focus on their art the rest of the time. Xander’s extra job wasn’t mentioned. She had spent the week trying to forget the hunger he had created in her but she couldn’t help picturing his naked body every time she closed her eyes.
She probably shouldn’t be searching for him, she told herself. But what had happened at Club Odeon wouldn’t leave her mind. The rest of that night had been a blur for Mia. She had left the dressing room and found her way back to the bachelorette party where there’d been some good-natured teasing from Helen’s friends who didn’t know her and questions she didn’t want to answer from Helen, who had recognized Xander once he’d taken off his cap. She’d been relieved that Helen didn’t press her for explanations. Making some excuses, she’d told Helen she’d call her and gone home. There, she had dropped her clothes on the floor and slipped into bed naked, her skin still sensitive from her encounter with Xander.
During the next days, she’d tried to forget about what had happened but in her dreams she remembered it all—every night they were fevered and vivid. Her mind conjured up the same images when she was awake. It had been hard to concentrate at work or at home. Seeing him again had brought back too many memories, both good and bad, and for the last week she hadn’t been able to focus. The only thing clearer to her than their encounter in the dressing room was recalling the way she had ended their relationship.
She’d been a second-year associate at Norris, Jensen and Lyons on the fast track to making partner when he’d walked into her office with a delivery of papers she had been waiting for. Normally she didn’t notice the bike messengers who were constantly coming and going from their firm but his eyes had made her do a double take. And the double take had made him smile. She’d flirted with him for a second while signing for and checking the contents of the package, after which she’d forgotten about him. A few days later she’d seen him again when he made another delivery. The next time he’d left her a coffee at the front desk. It had been a fun but sporadic flirtation until she’d found him waiting for her when she left work and he asked her to dinner. Mia wasn’t sure what had made her say yes, but she did.
What was supposed to be nothing but fun and sex had become the closest and most emotionally intimate nine months she had ever spent with someone. Maybe it was because she believed it could never be anything long-term that she’d opened herself up to him. He in turn had showed her a world of creativity and color, far away from the billable hours and deadlines that made up her days. It was also a world of sexual discovery for Mia. She finally understood why so many of her friends loved oral sex and she had been deliciously surprised at being introduced to the pleasures of anal sex. She would never forget the first time he teased her ass while he licked her. Her reaction had been so strong he’d made it a regular part of their sexual play until finally one night when she’d begged him to take her that way.
She’d fallen in love with his art, his passion and him. While they’d been together, everything had been wonderful but when they’d been apart, doubts had crept in, fed by friends and coworkers. The career-driven part of her had agreed with them when they said he was inappropriate and not successful enough for her. When she’d decided she couldn’t take him with her to her cousin’s wedding, she had also decided to end their relationship. It had been a horrible fight.
“Art isn’t a way to make a living, which makes you a delivery boy,” she had finally shouted.
“And what are you?” he had yelled back. “A robot in an expensive suit, following a path that has nothing to offer you but an ulcer and high blood pressure.”
“I want to be with someone who understands my decisions, my commitments.”
“Then you’re right. We don’t belong together, because I could never understand someone who actually wants a limited life.”
Mia had left and spent weeks crying, certain that moving on was the right thing to do, no matter how much it hurt. A year later, she had started to date again and then six months after that, her mentor and boss had almost died.
Ruth Ann Lyons was a legend in the Boston legal world and Mia had been thrilled to work for her. When Ruth had suffered a nearly fatal heart attack, both their lives had changed. Mia had visited her regularly in the hospital, turning her room into a mini office. One day Ruth had said to her, “Don’t make my mistakes, Mia.” Mia had stopped what she was doing and waited. “Two divorces, no children and a partnership to keep me company at night. A lopsided success, don’t you think?”
“It was harder for your generation to have both a career and a family,” Mia had answered.
“Don’t kid yourself. I stopped doing that a long time ago. I never let a man be more important to me than my job and both of my husbands knew it. They couldn’
t compete. The firm always came first. I hate to think I would have put the firm before children but it’s possible. I have loved many things about my life but some of the consequences have been tough.”
“I’ve never understood that marriage and kids are all that great,” Mia had said. “My mom had no career besides getting married and having kids.” She’d thought of her three stepfathers and two half brothers and half sister. Men who cheated with younger women or drank instead of having any connection with their family. What was so wonderful about that? To make Ruth happy she’d said, “I’m sure when the time is right I’ll find the right man.”
“That’s a crock. The time will never be right. You’ll keep finding excuses. You’ll focus on your work, because you know how to succeed there and you’ll avoid relationships, because there is risk and uncertainty.” Mia had looked down at her hands. Ruth knew her well. “Even your female friends will disappear over time as their lives change and yours doesn’t. If I had a daughter, I would want her to be like you. And I would tell her to find a way to have love and work and as few regrets as possible.”
Those words had rattled in Mia’s thoughts for weeks. Ruth had returned to the firm part-time and had agreed, after years of turning them down, to join the staff at Harvard. Teaching had brought her new joys and her students were the kids and grandkids she would never have. Ruth’s happiness had helped Mia make the decision to start her own business, something she had thought about for years but feared because of the risk. She continued to be part-time at the firm, which meant only forty hours a week, and then at night she worked to build her new company.
Her business Forget-Me-Not had grown out of the insane schedules she saw her friends and coworkers keep. She helped busy people remember important dates, including birthdays and anniversaries. Mia e-mailed clients a week before the date as a reminder and then offered several services to go along with the reminder, such as mailing cards and shopping for and sending gifts. It had proved to be a profitable and fun job that she was able to start with very limited capital.
