by E. L. Todd
I danced for an hour, just in my panties and heels. That was how long my show normally lasted, but I wasn’t sure if Ward expected more.
Ward snapped his fingers then beckoned me to him.
“Lap dance, sir?” I asked as I sauntered forward.
“Yes, Fantasia.”
I straddled his hips and grinded against him, being more affectionate than I would normally be with an average client. My lips brushed his, and I purposely grinded against his shaft, touching him the way he liked.
He didn’t touch me, keeping his hands by his sides.
“While I hated the fact you stripped, I appreciated the fact you didn’t give lap dances to anyone.”
“I may be a stripper, but I have some class.” The scruff from his face brushed against my skin and I liked the way it felt. My arms wrapped around his neck and I pressed my forehead to his.
“You probably don’t sleep with clients, huh?” he asked.
“I wouldn’t say never…”
His hands moved to my hips and he finally touched me. “Would you make an exception for me?”
“You’re cute…so I think so.”
He undid his slacks underneath me then pulled over my underwear. Then he slid inside me. I gasped when I felt him stretch me, and we both paused as we felt each other.
Then we began to move together.
***
I stripped for Ward a few days a week just like I normally would for the club. It wasn’t any different, other than the fact my dances always led to sensual and lasting sex. And I got paid the same. But at least I was dancing and spinning for a man I actually cared about instead of a sleazebag who enjoyed cheating on his wife. This was much better.
During the times I wasn’t stripping, he was normal. However, he was in a much better mood. Now that I wasn’t working for anyone else but him, he was immensely pleased. The usual argument we had was gone. Now we just enjoyed our time together, getting along and not having to ignore any white elephants in the room.
It was nice.
Ward and I were having lunch together at a pizza parlor. He kept watching me from across the table, his eyes taking me in.
“What?” I asked.
“I’ve been thinking…”
“About taking me on the table?”
He grinned. “Not exactly. Actually, I was thinking we should tell your family we’re dating.” He stared me down and waited for me to object.
I knew this would happen eventually. I still didn’t know how Ward and I were going to make this relationship last with his unusual circumstances for his job, but now that I had quit my job, I couldn’t deny how serious this was. If I was willing to sacrifice so much for him, then I had to see it through. “Okay.”
His face relaxed and he gave me a genuine smile. “I was hoping that would be your answer.”
Now I had to deal with my family. I’m sure they all loved Ward and they would be happy by the arrangement, but they would also assume it was extremely serious and he was the guy I wanted to marry.
And that was true.
A lifetime with Ward was exactly what I wanted.
But could we make it happen?
“Is there any specific way you want to go about this?” he asked.
“No. We’ve been dating for six months now. There’s really no good way to go about it.”
“Well, we could lie and say we just started dating,” he said. “However, I don’t want to go that route.”
I shrugged. “Let’s just say we’ve been seeing each other. We don’t have to say when it started.”
“And if they ask?”
“I guess we’ll tell them the truth.”
He nodded. “I think it will go well. Your father likes me, and I know Skye really wants us to be together.”
“Yeah…”
“Whom do you want to tell first?” he asked. “I can talk to your father today privately. Or we can go together.”
“Let’s just do it with all of them at one time.”
“Cayson and your parents?” he asked.
“And Skye.”
“Whatever you want, darling.”
“I’ll ask them to dinner.”
“Excellent idea,” he said.
I knew this was going to happen eventually so I decided not to stress about it.
He caught unease on my face. “What are you worried about?”
“Nothing.”
“You seem stressed.”
“It’s just…it’s a big deal for my family.”
“Meeting a boyfriend?” he asked.
“Yeah. To them, it means this is really serious and you’re the man I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
He was quiet for a long time, just staring at me. “The gesture means the same thing in my family.”
My eyes found his and I searched his face. “But they met me when we were together for a short time…”
“I know,” he said. “I knew a long time ago, darling.”
Were we really having his serious conversation in a restaurant? Was this really happening? He felt the same way I did? This whole time I feared we would never get to this point, but here we were. I couldn’t breathe. I felt weak.
“I just never said it because I wasn’t sure how you felt…”
“Well, I…I feel the same way.”
His eyes showed his emotion and a grin broke out on his face. He came around the table and kneeled before me. Then he cupped my cheeks and gave me a long and gentle kiss.
People in the restaurant started to clap, assuming he proposed to me. It was just background noise, and all I cared about was him. Ward broke away then gave me a look full of passion. “Why do you think I hated it when you stripped so much?”
“Why do you think I quit?”
He held my hand within his. “Then I really should meet your parents as your boyfriend.”
“Yeah,” I said with a chuckle. “Probably.”
He gave me another kiss then moved back to his chair. He stared at me and ignored his food, no longer hungry.
“When did you know?” I asked.
‘The first time we had sex,” he said bluntly.
I thought back to that night. “That was, like, our second date.”
“I’ve never had such good sex with someone. The chemistry was there and so was the passion. I had a strong feeling you were the one before I actually confirmed it while getting to know you.”
My eyes watered and I didn’t say anything.
“And when did you know?”
I searched my memory. “I really don’t know…it just happened so slowly that I hadn’t realized it until it’d been true for a long time. I know that doesn’t make any sense…”
“It makes perfect sense, darling.” He found my hand on the table then interlocked our fingers together. His thumb caressed my knuckles softly. He stared at me in a way he never had before. His eyes hinted at something deep and powerful.
And I had a feeling I was giving him the same look.
***
Now that Ward and I told each other how we felt, I wasn’t nervous about this meeting with my family. My parents adored Ward so they would be happy at the knowledge. Cayson was always protective of me, but when he realized my parents approved of Ward, he wouldn’t care.
Ward and I got to the restaurant first, and he rested his hand on my thigh. “Nervous?”
“No.”
“If your parents don’t like me, I’ll tell them I got you to stop stripping. Then they’ll adore me.”
“And now I strip for you privately?” I asked incredulously. “Yeah, I’m sure my father would love that.”
He shrugged. “At least you’re safe.”
“You screw me after every show.”
“Make love,” he said. “Totally different. And I’m paying for it anyway.”
I rolled my eyes and let the conversation drop.
Cayson and Skye arrived and walked inside. They found our table and headed over, but when
Cayson spotted Ward, he stilled. Confusion came into his eyes then suspicion.
Skye approached the table. “Ward, what are you doing here?”
He shrugged. “Clementine invited me.”
Cayson came to Skye’s side and stared at us. Then his eyes followed Ward’s hand to my thigh. He connected the dots.
So did Skye. “This is fantastic!” Her voice came out as a squeal. “I knew you guys would be perfect together.”
“We are pretty perfect together,” Ward agreed.
“This is so wonderful!” Skye said. “We can double date now.” She sat down in the seat across from me. “And Ward can be my brother-in-law.”
Cayson sat down in the chair across from Ward and gave him the darkest, meanest glare I’d ever seen him muster. “No.” His tone disrupted the atmosphere of the meeting, and the violence in his words made us all uneasy.
Ward met his gaze without reacting.
“Absolutely not,” Cayson barked. “No. Not my sister. This is fucking ridiculous.”
My blood went cold. Cayson had never been mean to anyone in his life. Even when he was upset, he hid it most of the time. He never cursed at someone in a restaurant. He never showed the ability to hate anyone.
“Cayson,” Skye said. “Knock it off.”
“I fucking hate this guy,” Cayson said. “No, I will not knock it off. This is my sister we’re talking about. Go screw around with someone else. Not. My. Sister.”
Ward didn’t act offended or surprised.
“I thought you put this behind you?” Skye asked. “You guys were getting along just fine.”
“Because he wasn’t rebounding on my sister,” Cayson snapped.
Rebound?
“Cayson, don’t be stupid,” Skye snapped.
“What’s going on?” I asked.
Cayson laughed but it was bitter. “She doesn’t even know.”
“Know what?” I asked.
Cayson turned to Ward. “I’m going to gut you like a fish.”
“Cayson!” Skye smacked his arm. “Don’t talk like that again.”
Cayson ignored her. “You’re a fucking liar. You didn’t even tell Clementine that you practically fucked Skye. You forgot to mention you were in love with her? You forgot to mention that you spent five months trying to get with her? Slipped your mind, did it?”
The air left my lungs. My blood pounded in my ears. I felt sick.
“That’s not even correct,” Skye said, looking at me. “We didn’t sleep together, and Ward was never in love with me.”
“But Clementine still doesn’t have a damn clue,” Cayson barked. “You didn’t think you should tell her? No, he purposely didn’t tell her because he knew Clementine wouldn’t like it. He lied just to get what he wanted.”
I couldn’t speak because I was so surprised. I had no idea Ward and Skye were romantically involved. He never mentioned it to me. He was in love with her? They dated? They were physical together? And she was dating my brother? He worked with her almost every day?
This was a nightmare.
“Can I talk now?” Ward asked calmly.
“Like I give a damn about anything you have to say,” Cayson snarled. “Get away from my sister or I’ll make you.”
Ward ignored him. “I was never in love with Skye, as I said several times. I was very fond of her, but that was the extent of my feelings.”
Cayson shook his head and clenched his jaw.
“She and I kissed one time, and we both agree it didn’t mean anything,” Ward said.
I stared at Ward, unable to believe this was real.
“Maybe you should talk to Clementine, not me,” Cayson said coldly.
Ward turned to me. “Do you recall me mentioning a woman I wanted but she went back to her ex?”
“Vaguely,” I whispered.
“That was Skye,” he explained.
“And you just forgot her name?” Cayson asked sarcastically.
“Give it a rest,” Skye said to him.
Ward continued to speak. “I was never in love with Skye. I asked her out a few times but it never went anywhere. The time we kissed, she came to my apartment because she was upset over Cayson. It didn’t go anywhere.”
“Except in your bedroom with Skye’s top off,” Cayson barked.
Ward sighed. “And that, but like I said, it didn’t mean anything.”
I didn’t know what to think. I was extremely uncomfortable by this revelation. I wasn’t ignorant to the fact Ward had been with dozens of women before I came along, but I didn’t appreciate the fact that the one woman he wanted was my friend, not to mention my future sister-in-law.
“You’re a damn liar,” Cayson said. “You were in love with her.”
“Was not,” Ward argued.
“He wasn’t,” Skye agreed. She turned to me. “Clementine, ignore Cayson. Ward wasn’t in love with me. He overreacts to everything.”
“If Ward weren’t in love with you, he wouldn’t have gone to Sean and asked his permission to date you,” Cayson said.
Skye looked shocked by this knowledge. “What?”
“Sean came to my apartment and told me Ward asked his permission to date you. He offered to submit his resignation for the company if working together was going to be too unprofessional. Sorry, but no guy would offer to quit his high-salary job for a woman he wasn’t desperately in love with.” He turned back to Ward. “So, I’m not buying that.”
I couldn’t breathe. I tried to suck in the air but nothing happened. The news washed over me with the force of a tidal wave. The idea of Skye and Ward being romantically involved was extremely awkward and uncomfortable, and the idea he was in love with her was even worse. But the fact he voluntarily gave up everything just to date her was like a deep cut in the throat. Ward made me sacrifice my job so he would be happy. Yet, he never offered to do that for me. We discussed the inconvenient circumstances of our relationship several times. Ward said he couldn’t leave his family, and traveling back and forth was all he’d be able to do. He wanted me to quit my job and follow him everywhere to make our relationship work.
But he was willing to quit his job for Skye?
When they hadn’t even dated yet?
When he hardly knew her?
But I’d been with him for six months, sleeping with him and spending almost every waking moment with him, and I didn’t get that offer?
It was such a slap in the face.
I quit my job for him.
My hands were shaking I was so mad.
I suddenly jumped to my feet, knowing if I didn’t get out of that restaurant I was going to break down. I grabbed my purse and turned away.
“Clementine.” Ward stood up. “Let me explain.”
I ran out and didn’t look back.
“Clementine!” Ward followed me to the sidewalk then ran after me. Then he grabbed my arm and halted me in my tracks. “Let me explain. It wasn’t like that—”
I turned around and slapped him as hard as I could. My palm collided with his cheek so hard he staggered back. “Don’t. Touch. Me.” I watched him right himself and not react to the pain. He turned back to me, his cheek red.
I refused to let him see how much he hurt me. I refused to let him see me cry. I already felt like a damn idiot for sacrificing my job for him, and I felt worse telling him I saw myself spending the rest of my life with him. I couldn’t let him embarrass me again. “Don’t ever contact me again.”
“I knew Sean wouldn’t actually ask me to quit. It was just a gesture.”
Those words meant nothing to me. “You sound like a weasel.”
His eyes squinted in pain.
“I sacrificed so much for you and you played me like an idiot. I bent my back over to keep this relationship together, and you were willing to give Skye whatever she wanted and you didn’t even date her. I am a rebound. I’m a fucking rebound.”
“No, you aren’t!”
“I quit my job just to make you happy but you never offere
d the same to me. I’m clearly second best to Skye Preston. I’m sorry you didn’t get the woman of your dreams, but I’m not going to settle for your lesser choice.”
“You are the woman of my dreams.”
“Fuck you, Ward. Stay away from me. I mean it.” I turned away.
Ward grabbed my arm again. “I love you, Clementine.”
I slapped him again. “How dare you say that to me.”
He ignored the pain. “Because I mean it. Cayson has given you a skewed retelling of what happened.”
“However it happened, it still happened! Now leave me alone, Ward. I have a million things to do, and burning you from my memory is one of them.”
He reached for me again. “Just calm down and listen to me.”
“I’m going to kick you in the balls if you touch me again.”
He stilled. “I never loved her. I’m not lying.”
I raised my hand. “I don’t have time to listen to your excuses and lies. You never told me anything about this because you knew you should hide it. You jumped through hoops just to get Skye to be with you. You sacrificed things for her that you never sacrificed for me.” I felt the tears deep down inside but I didn’t let them come out, refusing to let him see me hurt. “I’ve never been so embarrassed in my life. I brought you to my family, and all I got to hear was the fact you preferred my sister-in-law over me. Ward, I want you to disappear. Don’t try to talk to me. Don’t try to see me. You can die for all I care.” I turned around and walked off. I waited for him to grab me again but he didn’t. I kept going, wishing I had somewhere to run to.
Chapter Three
Reid
Jasmine was on my mind constantly.
She was the best lay I ever had, and her confidence was sexy as hell. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to say it. Her moves in the bedroom told me she was very experienced, but that didn’t bother me. Now I got to reap the benefits.
But I thought about her for other reasons too. She was just cool. She wasn’t prissy and stuck up like most beautiful women I knew. She was down-to-earth and never took herself too seriously. She wasn’t afraid to be different, to put herself out there and be rejected.
I’d never known anyone like her.
When Slade asked to set me up, I wasn’t very interested. Blind dates were always awkward and weird. But I had nothing to lose so I went through with it. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to be with the hottest chick I’d ever seen. How on earth was she still single? Why did Cayson dump her for Skye? I mean, Skye is a beautiful woman but Jasmine…she’s something.