“I wouldn’t dare let you join that club. Lauren would kill me.”
He scowled. “Shut the fuck up.”
With those words floating in the air between us, I decided that he was right. We both needed to shut the fuck up and enjoy ourselves.
We spent a few hours at the first bar and when we were both good and fucked up, I walked us to the next bar and what had been decidedly not a good time slowly started to get better. Mercer loosened up, slightly, and even smiled once or twice. I was feeling good, too.
By the time midnight rolled around, I knew it would be smart to call a ride for us and go home. I wasn’t done having fun, though. Instead, I led us both down the street a little ways and into a place called The View. I’d been there once before with Tucker, but experiencing the place late at night and drunk was something different.
As soon as Mercer saw we were in a strip club, he looked over at me and narrowed his eyes. Even drunk, he scowled more than anyone I’d ever known. Then a smoking-hot blonde walked by and ran her hand over his chest. His eyes looked like they crossed for a second and then he shrugged and followed her. If I’d felt like him kicking my ass, I would’ve told him how much the woman looked like Lauren.
I followed Mercer to a seat at the side of the stage and ordered a double whiskey from the pretty blonde. Mercer watched her leave and looked over at me. I just held up my hands and looked at the woman on stage. A strong rock song vibrated through the stool I was on and the woman on stage was in just a thong. Life was good.
I watched the woman dance for a bit, but found myself looking around. I was starting to wonder why I’d chosen to come into a strip club when the curtains parted on one of the side rooms and I got a glimpse of a woman dancing.
Long, red hair fell into the lap of some lucky son of a bitch as the woman sat on his lap, facing away from him, and rolled her hips. Curves caught my eyes and I immediately wanted to drag the tiny bra and underwear she had on off with my teeth. What did me in, though, was, somehow, she looked up at me at the exact moment those curtains parted and her gaze held mine as a slow smile lifted her lips.
Then, she was gone. The curtains closed and all I had was a drunken, hazy image of her body in my head playing over and over again. Whatever it was about her, she’d gotten my drunk dick hard in a second with that smile. It was like I’d never heard of whiskey dick.
“I’m going to the bathroom. I’ll be back.” Mercer stood up and swayed slightly before following the blonde towards a back room. The last thing I saw was her grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him through a doorway.
When I sobered up, I’d feel bad for Lauren, but in that moment, all I wanted to do was find the redhead and see if I couldn’t get her to drag me somewhere.
I watched the curtain like I could wish it open and drank my whiskey as I did. The girl on stage moved closer to me and I looked up at her to be nice, but I was focused on that curtain. When it parted again a little bit later, I was watching and waiting.
She’d lost her top. With her arm held across her chest, hiding more than I wanted her to, she slid to her knees on the floor and arched her back. She dropped her head forward and let her hair fall over her chest before moving her arms up over her head in an entrancing dance. The curtain started closing again and I found myself on my feet. She looked at me again and her tongue stroked out over her lower lip.
I was losing my shit. I was too drunk and something about the redhead called to me. It felt like an itch that I had to scratch or I’d go insane. She was a fucking snake charmer with those arms, calling me over and promising shit that she had no business promising with an arm wave. My pulse throbbed in my ears, louder than the music.
I knocked into a group of people along the way and hastily apologized before drawing nearer to the curtain.
“Whoa, there. You can’t go in there. You want your turn, you pay for it just like everyone else.” A big man who smelled like weed and beer held his arm out to stop me.
“How much?”
“Three hundred for a private dance.”
I was out of my fucking mind. Even as I yanked out my wallet and pulled out the bills, I knew I was out of my fucking mind. I’d never paid for a chance with a woman before, but there was something about the redhead that got my blood flowing. I could never turn down the chance for that kind of adrenaline high.
“Last room, the black room. Wait for someone to tell you to go in and then she’ll join you.”
“The redhead—right?”
“Yeah, Cookie.” He chuckled. “Everyone wants Cookie.”
I didn’t give a fuck about everyone. I wanted… Cookie. That couldn’t be her real name. I shook my head. It didn’t matter. I moved down to the black room and sat at a table outside of it. I bounced my leg like a fucking boy scout about to see his first pair of tits.
The black room, from what I could see, was dark and private. There were a few candles burning, but the darkness in the room seemed to be trying to consume them. I liked the privacy, but I wanted more light to be able to drink in the curves of the sexy redhead.
“Go on in, man. Cookie will be in in a minute,” the big man called to me as he nodded his head to the side. “Prepare for a crazy ride, my man. No one leaves the same after a Cookie lap dance.”
I pulled the curtain back but felt a grip on my arm that sent me spinning around. My reflexes were slower from the whiskey, as were my senses, obviously. I hadn’t noticed anyone coming up to me.
It was only Mercer, though. “I’ve got to get out of here.”
“You good?” I wasn’t leaving until I took a shot at bringing the redhead home.
“I called Lauren to pick me up. She’ll take me home.”
My mind broke away from its singular focus for a moment. “You called Lauren to pick you up from a strip club? After whatever just happened in the back with that Lauren lookalike?”
His glare was darker than usual. “Nothing happened.”
I stared back at him for a few seconds. “You shouldn’t have called her.”
“Mind your own fucking business, Vince.”
“She might as well be my little sister. It is my fucking business if you’re running her heart through the mud.”
“I’m not doing anything. She’s like my little sister, too.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Keep telling yourself that.”
He moved closer to me. “I’m serious, Vince. Mind your fucking business.”
I wanted to say more, but I caught sight of Lauren stepping into the club. Her eyes moved to us and narrowed dangerously. I stepped away from Mercer and held up my hands. “Fine. Do what you want.”
He turned around and stopped short when he saw Lauren watching him. His shoulders sank and his back turned to steel as he walked to her. I couldn’t watch it. I wanted to punch him for being such a jackass.
A hand trailed over my shoulder and a husky voice sounded low in my ear. “Changing your mind?”
Mercer and Lauren were instantly forgotten and all the blood flowing through my body attempted to get to my dick as fast as humanly possible. My head actually buzzed with the force of it.
I turned around and found myself chest to chest with the redhead, Cookie. I dragged in a slow breath, trying to get control of myself, and found my heart racing like I was jumping off a cliff.
She was stunning up close. Even better than I’d thought. That long red hair was deep and silky-looking. I thought of it dragging over my lap and bit my lip. Her deep-set eyes were a golden honey color and surrounded by dark lashes and makeup. Lips that were made for pleasing me, I was sure, were painted dark red and looked shiny, like she’d poured oil on them. I wanted to taste those lips.
She was tall, and in the heels she was wearing, she was just a couple of inches shorter than me. There was a challenging tilt to her head and a smirk that lifted one side of that sexy mouth. It messed with me. I had a feeling I would’ve given her my whole wallet.
Her lips parted just enough for m
e to see her tongue pressed against her front teeth and then she ran her eyes down my body and stopped at the bulge in my pants. When her eyes met mine again, there was even more of a challenge in them. “You coming?”
I swore and grabbed at the curtain. Moving it to the side, I let her walk in first. I ground my teeth together and watched as her hips swayed. She’d put some kind of flimsy dress over her bra and panties, but it barely covered her ass. Her long legs were bare and begging to be touched.
The room was dark, with the exception of the candles, and the low-burning flames danced across the floor and low couch. I took everything in in a second and saw that we were alone. No cameras, no guard, no nothing. Just a few candles, a couch, and the two of us.
My nature kicked in and I wanted to ask her how she stayed safe in a situation like that, but then she turned to me with her lower lip caught between two rows of perfect teeth and I forgot what I’d been thinking.
“Have you had a private dance before?” She leaned against the wall by the candles and watched me.
I sat in the middle of the couch and rested my palms on my thighs. “Once. It was a gift from some friends.”
She shuddered and then straightened up from the wall. Moving closer, she lightly dragged a hand from her throat down to her stomach, caressing that valley between her breasts. “What’s your name?”
“Vince.” My voice was gruff and thick with desire. My mouth was watering, I wanted her so bad. “What’s yours?”
She moved to the curtain and pulled it aside. A second later a slow thump of bass filled the room. “Cookie.”
I tightened my grip on my thighs. “Your real name.”
She stood right in front of me and bent over so her face was inches from mine. That hair fell over her shoulder and brushed across my rock-hard erection. “Do you want to talk about my name or do you want me to start dancing?”
I growled low in my throat when she ran her hand through my hair and gripped the back of my head. Dancing. I wanted dancing.
Chapter 5
Cookie
Vince’s eyes were white-hot lasers on my body as he growled and balled his hands into fists at his sides. His voice was deep and devastating. “Dance.”
My body responded to his voice and demand, my breasts and core going achy. There was something so attractive about Vince that I’d spotted him from across the room. Tall, broad, and sexy in a dangerous way. From his boots to his faded black T-shirt, everything added to the package. If I had to guess, I would’ve said some kind of soldier. His weren’t muscles gained by spending all day in a gym. There was also the outline of the dog tags I could see under his shirt.
I tugged lightly at the short hair at the back of his head and watched as his eyes fluttered at the feeling of my nails on his scalp. “You’re not going to ask politely, soldier?”
His eyes popped open, instantly aware and focused. Gone was the hooded desire. His large hand took my wrist and pulled it away from his head. “Who are you?”
I easily knelt on the couch, one knee on each side of his strong thighs, and smiled. “I thought you wanted me to dance?”
He stared up at me, mistrust clear on his face. His bottle-green eyes took in everything with a severity that would’ve made me falter if it’d happened ten years earlier.
I ran my free hand over the chain around his neck and traced it through his shirt to the dog tags. “Trust issues, huh?”
His face relaxed and he shook his head. “Whiskey issues.”
I rested my ass on his thighs and arched my back so my breasts were on display. The tiny dress I’d thrown on rode up and I knew he could see the black lace on view between my thighs. “I’m going to dance for you now.”
His fingers twitched at his sides. “What are the rules?”
I stood up and slipped my finger under the strap of the dress. “You don’t touch me.”
“Hate it. Next.”
“That’s it.” I pushed the strap off my shoulder. “Do you think you can follow the rule, soldier?”
He shifted and ran his hand through his short hair. “Of course.”
I pushed the other strap down. “It’s too bad, really.”
Vince watched with such intensity as I slid the dress down my body, taking my time to move my hips with the music. When the dress hit the ground, he let out a little gust of air that sent chills down my spine.
The music got heavier and I felt the first flutter of nerves hit me since I’d first started dancing, all those years ago. Something about the man sitting in front of me was so hot that I felt almost shaken.
I bent over, trailed my hands up his thighs, and bit my lip as I stopped and let my hair trail over his lap. Feeling dangerous, I lightly brushed my cheek over his jean-clad thigh and then pushed away from him. I turned around and bent over, giving him a view of my ass and trailing my hands up the backs of my thighs before sitting back against him. With my back pressed against his front and his more than impressive bulge pressed against my ass, I braced my feet on either side of his legs and used the leverage to roll my hips over him. Reaching around, I wrapped my arms around his neck and worked our bodies together.
The dance had never felt sexier. I’d rarely ever reacted to a man like I was to Vince. Especially at work.
His breathing was heavier and his breath on the back of my neck was torture to my overactive senses. I turned around and straddled him from the front again, this time letting our bodies touch more intimately. I arched my back and felt him so close to my core that I lost the beat of the music for a second.
I stared down at Vince, desire probably clearly written on my face. Everything felt too real. It didn’t feel like we were in the club. The candles and the darkness made it feel like we were back at his place, working up to sex. As I rolled my hips against his and the friction between us grew, I tipped my head back and ran my hands into my hair.
I knew the dance. I was supposed to reach back and take my bra off, but I felt like I was on the precipice of something dangerous. A line that I couldn’t come back from.
Vince gritted his teeth and caught my eyes. “Marry me.”
Caught off guard, I slipped and fell against his chest, laughing. His arms came up around me and caged me in, but it was so natural that I forgot about him not touching me. “You couldn’t handle me.”
His hands slipped to my waist and he licked his lips. “I think I could handle you just fine.”
I shook my head to clear it and rolled my hips against him. The motion outside of the dance was shocking, though, and I felt my heart rate jump. The tension in the room rose and I found myself reaching behind me to unsnap my bra.
As the straps slid down my shoulders and the cups fell away from my breasts, Vince swore hotly. “Fuck.”
I felt his hands move up my sides and gasped as his hips moved from below me. “Vince…”
“Tell me your name.”
I rolled my hips and squeezed my eyes shut as the sensations hit me. “Cookie.”
He growled and bucked his hips against me again. When I braced my hands on his shoulders and inadvertently thrust my breasts in his face, he leaned forward and buried his face in the valley between them. I felt his teeth nip the curve of my left breast and jerked back.
Without thinking, I slapped the side of his head. It wasn’t that I hadn’t liked it, but it’d shocked me. I’d lost control of the situation. Glaring down at him, I found him glaring up at me. I wanted to hit him again. I lifted my hand and he caught it. Lifting my other hand, he caught it, too. Feeling wild, I rocked my hips against him and bit down hard on my lip when the sensation coaxed a moan from the depths of my stomach.
Vince shifted, lowering himself on the couch just slightly and it lined our bodies up perfectly. His erection rubbed me in just the right spot and I found myself spiraling. I couldn’t think with all the blood rushing around my head.
He pulled me forward until I was pressed up against his chest and our faces were so close that I could feel every brea
th he exhaled. “What’s your name?”
“Carolina.” Brain officially shut down, obviously.
I looked down at his lips and then back up at his eyes. He was closer, somehow. I was closer. I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted to taste the whiskey on his lips.
He dropped my hand and slid his down the back of my underwear, cupping an ass cheek like he owned it. His moan said he was pleased.
“Cookie, you good? The music stopped,” Mickey, the guard, called out. He was just outside of the curtain and it wouldn’t take him a second to open it and look inside.
I shoved away from Vince and slipped my bra back on before yanking the dress over my head. “I’m good, Mickey.”
Vince stood up and the erection he was sporting was tenting his jeans in a majorly impressive way. “Come home with me.”
I looked back at him and shook my head. I’d nearly lost my damn mind. I didn’t do shit like that at work. I wasn’t one of those girls. I’d never fucked up like that and I wasn’t going to again. Vince was history. “Sorry, buddy. Your time is up.”
I strode out of there and towards the back as fast as I could go. I needed away from that room and the mistake I’d almost made. One slip-up and I would be labeled as a girl who’d put out for money, which was dangerous around the club scene. Or maybe—even worse—I’d be fired and out of a job. No more dream.
Without looking back, I let the door slam behind me and I rushed into the bathroom to hide out in one of the stalls for a few seconds. I had to catch my breath and shake off whatever the fuck had just happened.
“Cookie? You all right?” Lola knocked on the door as her seven-inch heels came into view. “You ran right past Frank Porter out there.”
I swore and pulled open the door. Lola had always been a friend, but I didn’t even trust her with what I’d just almost done. It’d always been a cardinal rule to not let shit like that happen. “I’m fine. I just got overheated out there. I don’t think the air con in the black room is working.”
“Or it could’ve been that stud I saw follow you out of there. He’d be enough to get anyone overheated.”
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