by Lauren Dane
'I'm not sitting on that one's lap,' Kate said, indicating the very young, veiy thin one on the end who looked like he was about to cry. I'll break him.'
'He might need that,' Leah joked. 'Let me handle this.' They were motioned on the stage where the dancers were arranged and Leah did what Leah did best. Bossed the fuck out of those men and they snapped to it like they always did. Leah was very handy as well as pretty awe inspiring at times.
'Kate, you back there next to the pirate and the big blond one. I'll sit right here.'
Kate followed directions and found herself sandwiched between two slices of hot dude and Leah sat down on the lap of the one sitting in the front row opposite the scared one. As one, the two friends threw up the devil horns and grinned when the photographer said beefcake.
Good times.
Chapter 11
Dix leant back, puffing his very fine cigar as he watched two women on the stage just beyond and raised above the main floor dance to pretty typical strip-club music. Nice tits on the blonde, but the brunette's were too hard. He liked breasts, but not if they looked like they could give you a concussion.
Kate's breasts were perfect. He grinned around his cigar. Not many women would have told their men to go off to a strip club. Not that he'd ever do anything with anyone else, much less a stripper. But Kate's confidence in herself and in him was damned sexy.
She'd given him a lap dance at a strip club she'd taken him to in Philly. Had lifted her skirt and ground over his cock until he'd nearly lost it. The lights and music had buffeted them while her heat seared him through his pants. Women had been on the stage, crawling on all fours, nearly naked, but as he'd flicked a glance here and there, his real attention focused on her exposed ass as she rode him.
Yes, Katherine was a thousand times sexier than any of the women they'd watched that night. Because she knew herself and him too.
Bingo was mopey, but still watching the parade of hot, gyrating sex bombs up on that stage. Dix had considered getting them a VIP table in one of the rooms, but that might go too far and he didn't want Brandon to feel like he was betraying Leah any more than Dix wanted to be alone in the dark in a tiny room with a woman who didn't give a fuck about him as she slid her cunt over his cock. Goo indeed.
It was time to forge ahead in his plan to sleep next to his woman in a luxury hotel suite rather than that roach trap of a motel. 'So talk. Mindy is up next and according to the guy at the table next to us, she can do that up side-down-pole thing. That takes super thigh muscles. Usually makes for a very nice ass.'
Talk about what?' Bingo's mouth went all sullen, frowning, and he slouched even more.
Dix opted for a sip of Scotch before returning to the cigar. 'Bingo, let's get this straight. You love Leah. And from what I can see and what I've heard from Katherine, Leah loves you. The question is . . . for fuck's sake, just smoke the cigar. It's good.'
Brandon sent him a narrow-eyed glare, but allowed Dix to light the cigar. He took a few puffs. You don't call me that unless you're my mother. And this is a very good cigar.'
'Fair enough, Brandon. OK, so the question is, why the hell are you even considering another night in that roach-infested piss-hole when you could be in a bed with thousand-thread-count sheets next to a naked woman? A naked woman who loves you.'
Brandon sighed and took a swig of his beer. 'Sometimes you have to do what's right for the long run even if it sucks hardcore short term.'
Dix understood that. Some things were worth risking everything for. Because without them, nothing else mattered. Like this living-together thing. Damn it.
'Christ, kid. Sony! Habit.' Dix held a hand up as Brandon grunted his way. They'd sort of bonded over the last two days. He liked Brandon and Dix believed without a doubt that the guy was a good thing for Leah. 'I understand and I agree that sometimes you need to make a stand. Wow, the splits upside down. Impressive.'
'Her breasts don't move. I like her hair though. I bet those shoes hurt.'
'Those aren't walking shoes.' He loved toweringly high heels on a woman. Kate wore them out to dinner a lot. Again because she knew he dug it. She told him, her body pressed to his, her mouth against his ear, 'I didn't buy them to walk, Charles. I bought them to make my ass look nice and to make you hard. Money well spent, I'd say, given the cock bruising my belly through your pants right now.'
She was so sexy, his perfect match in every way.
Why the fuck was he in this place, in the semi-dark with a hundred other men watching women they'd never actually touch without paying when he had a woman back at a luxury hotel who was more than willing to let him touch her wherever he wanted? 'Why did Kate leave?'
Turn about and all that. 'My ex-wife showed up at the lake house. Wedged herself between me and Kate. Manipulated our daughters to keep herself there. Kate got upset. Pissed off at Eve, frustrated at me.'
'Not to be totally obvious or anything, but it has to be bigger than that. Kate's levelheaded. She's talked about your ex before. I have no doubt Kate can hold her own. Unless you did something with your ex?' The look Brandon gave Dix was decidedly unfriendly and, even as he was offended, he liked that the other man felt protective of Kate.
'Please. You've seen Kate, why would I want anyone else? Anyway, I want to make the next step. I want us to move in together and she's using this situation to keep that from happening. Hell, I want to marry her, but I know she will want to wait at least another year for that. I know we can make moving in together work if she'd just let go of whatever Eve thinks. I'll handle my daughters.'
He hadn't meant to say all that, but it was nice to get it all out anyway.
Brandon took another long, appreciate puff of the cigar. 'I was going to ask Leah to marry me. She saw the ring in my suitcase and ran.'
'Not to be obvious or anything, but pot, meet kettle. Obviously she didn't run because you wanted to many her. You're already living together and she seems very happy when I see her. Which is several times a week at work. So you want what from her now?' Dix looked up to see the new stripper on stage start shaking her tasty ass to Fergie's 'London Bridge'. 'I think I'm going to start talking over all my relationship problems while watching strippers shake things. It's oddly relaxing.'
Brandon snorted but his gaze was locked on the woman on stage as he spoke again. 'I want an answer from her! She's not the only one of us who knows what the other one needs. I know what she needs and how to give it to her. She just won't ... let me.' The last was an aside but Dix got a clearer picture of Leah and Brandon's home life and he reminded himself to goad Kate about it. Clearly she'd been holding back.
'How did you ask her?'
Brandon and Dix cocked their heads sideways as the woman on the stage bent and undulated around the pole. Once they left the club Dix planned to get his ass over to Kate's and ravish her ten ways till daylight. He hoped like hell he and Kate could broker a peace deal between Brandon and Leah so he could sleep in that huge bed with a beautiful woman instead of that dump from the night before.
'Is that even possible?' Brandon murmured.
'Dunno, but I'm gonna think on a way to ask Kate to try it.'
Brandon looked at him and then laughed. 'She'll cut you if you suggest it tonight after being here. That might be entertaining to watch.'
Dix chuckled. 'She can be pretty vicious. But that's part of the allure.' He met Brandon's eyes. 'Isn't it? Tough and strong but soft underneath?'
Brandon nodded and puffed the cigar. But it's not evetything. Sometimes you have to take a stand.'
Dix agreed and he tended to think that's what he needed to do with the whole living-together situation. He'd been making some tentative plans, working schedules around to see what was realistic. He'd get Kate high on endorphins from climax, bring over chocolate and some expensive champagne and at her weakest, most relaxed, he'd press his advantage. Sure it was sneaky, but this was war and his opponent was wily.
What are you going to do about your ex?' Brandon asked, bringing Di
x out of his thoughts.
That's a good question. I've made it clear I'm not interested. Hell, I made it clear for years. I divorced her! We never had sex after I left. But now every time I'm near her she's all over me like a cheap suit and you can imagine what Katherine's reaction to that is.' Sounds like you need to not be around her.' Brandon shrugged like it was easy.
I wish it were that easy. Fuck. Maybe it is and I just need to be harsher and not worry if my daughters see. I just wanted them to understand that you could still be united with someone when it came to important things like raising children.' Haven't you done that already? You've been divorced for nine years.' Huh. So Bingo wasn't so naive after all. Maybe the kid had a point.
A lovely thing, young enough for him to have fathered, cruised past and positioned herself between them. Hello there. You two want a lap dance? Private room?'
Dix smiled slow and sexy. He had no plans to have any pussy but Kate's grinding on his cock but that didn't mean he couldn't flirt. He was in love, not dead, and God knew he loved to look at women of all shapes and sizes. This one was easy on the eyes in every way. 'Darlin', you're mighty tempting, but I'm going to have to pass on the lap dance and the private room. I'd be happy to buy you a drink for looking so good though.'
She smiled and he stood to pull a chair out for her.
Thank you.'
In short order the twenty-dollar drink showed up and Dix paid for it. I'm TifTani. Where are you two from?'
He bet it was with an 'i' she probably dotted with a heart. Most likely one of three Tiffanis who worked there. Her real name was probably Julie or something.
'Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I'm Brandon, this is Charles.'
Well, lookie there, Bingo knew how to handle himself with a stripper.
Brandon was used to staring down at the tops of girls' heads rather than having a face full of boobs. It was a little distracting, but he managed to look at the stripper's face and not just her tits and the pasties dangling from her nipples. Not that that he didn't look at all. She had a very nice pair of tits. But somehow, unlike the many times in his past when he'd gone out to clubs with the goal of getting his hands on a woman like the one in front of him, all he could think about was how bad her feet must hurt at the end of the night.
Hi, Brandon. Charles.' Tiffani drawled their names, drawing out the syllables and rolling them around on her tongue. She pouted. 'Sure I can't convince you to take a private dance? Hell, boys as handsome as you, I'll do a twofer.' Brandon looked at Dix with a raised eyebrow. 'That's quite an offer, Tiffani.' Dix grinned. 'Sweetheart, you're entirely too generous.'
Tiffani put her hands on her hips, determined, it seemed, to entice them. 'Two full songs. Both of you. Same price as one song, one guy.'
Dix snorted laughter and shook his head. Brandon tried hard to think about why she was so insistent when there was a club full of high rollers itching to stuff their cash into her pair of veiy tiny thong panties. Tiffani huffed her bangs out of her eyes and stared him down.
There's a fetish con in town,' she said finally, when neither Dix nor Brandon looked like they were going to take her up on the offer. 'Most of the people who'd be in here ready to spend their money getting sexed up are out there either doing it, or watching it, for free.'
Brandon looked at Dix, who shrugged. Great. 'Thanks, man. Make me be the bad guy.'
Dix sighed and dug for his wallet, pulling out another twenty. 'Listen, sweetheart. We're under strict orders not to get anything here that's waiting for us at home.'
Tiffani sighed and plopped down in the chair across from them, then plucked the twenty from Dix's grasp and gestured for the waitress. 'I won't tell your wives. Believe me, sugar, ninety-nine per cent of the guys who come in here are married, and most of them don't leave without at least a woody.'
'No doubt,' Brandon said, looking around.
Dix snorted again. 'Some of us, sweetheart, are a little beyond the Sears and Roebuck underwear catalogue level of hard-on.' Tiffani gave them both a hard grin. 'No kidding.' Brandon didn't have a clue what that meant. 'Huh?
Dix curled his fingers and pumped them around an imaginary dick. 'Back in the day it's what most guys first jerked off to. The Sears catalogue underwear section.'
Brandon, three beers settling in his stomach, guffawed. 'Get out of here.'
'It's true,' Tiffani said with a nod. if you do a survey.'
'I can't think of any reason to do that,' Brandon said. 'But seriously. Sears?'
Dix wadded up a cocktail napkin and threw it at him. 'What was it for you? Don't tell me you went straight to Playboy! Victoria's Secret,' Tiffani said. Both men turned to look at her.
'Not me. Mine was a poster of the New Kids on the Block.' She rolled her eyes and jerked her thumb at Brandon. Him. Victoria's Secret, am I right? Snuck it out of the mail before your mom got it? Went up to your room, got the trusty bottle of hand lotion, went to town, am I right?'
Brandon swallowed a gulp of beer. She had him pegged. He could still remember the smell of the perfume sample mixing with cocoa-butter tang of the hand lotion. His prick stirred a little at the memory. 'Um . . . yeah.'
Tiffani held up her hand to Dix for the high-five, which he gave her after a moment, i knew it!' 'It's almost the same thing,' Dix said.
The waitress brought them all another round of beers. Tiffani didn't leave. 'So, why are you two sitting here not getting hard-ons if you've got such hot stuff waiting for you at home?'
Dix jerked his thumb at Brandon. 'This one's taking a stand.'
Tiffani's eyes lit up and she leant forwards, creating a truly impressive wedge of cleavage. 'Oh, yeah? What's going on? Your woman trying to rein you in? Keep you on a short leash?'
Dix laughed aloud, then shot Brandon a glance and toned it down. Brandon didn't care what Dix thought he knew about him and Leah. 'Nothing like that.'
'Well, which is it?'
I want to many her, and she's not sure.'
'Ouch,' Tiffani said with what sounded like genuine sympathy. She turned to Dix and nudged him with the incredibly high heel of her shoe. 'What about you, Trouble?' 'Why am / trouble?'
It was Brandon's turn to laugh. 'You've got the same problem, man. Sort of.'
Tiffani raised an eyebrow that looked drawn on. 'What the fuck is wrong with them? Are they mental? What? I mean, a girl like me can't find a nice guy, and here you two sit telling me your women won't marry you?' 'Crazy as hell, huh?' Dix said.
Tiffani polished off her beer and stood. 'Crazy as fuck, Trouble. Crazy as F.U.C.K. Well, unless you gentlemen have changed your minds, I've got to get back to work. Though I gotta tell you, maybe if you came home smelling like pussy you might get somewhere with your women.'
'Oh, I'd get somewhere. A wooden box and a hole in the ground,' Dix said.
Tiffani gave Brandon a sly glance. 'How about you?'
He almost said yes, wondering if he came home smelling like body spray and sex if Leah would change her mind or if she'd instead be so angry she wouldn't forgive him. And while the idea of getting a rub-off from a stranger was just filthy enough to make for a great one-handed fantasy, he was pretty sure it wouldn't be so great in reality.
'He's thinking about it. Be a good friend and convince him,' Tiffani said.
Dix shrugged. 'Far be it from me to stand between a man's lap and a stripper's ass.'
Brandon shook his head. 'The offer's really tempting, Tiffani, but no, thanks.'
'Fine. But if you want me, the offer stands until midnight. Then I gotta go one on one, house rules. And don't take Brandi over me, either. You will go home with something on your pants, and it won't be hand cream.'
Gross.
It's not like that with us, you know,' Brandon said when they left the club and waited outside for a group of leather-clad fetish-con folks to pass and leave room on the sidewalk.
'Like what?' Dix was giving them all an eyeful, particularly the woman in the full-coverage vinyl cat suit, her face covered by a mask
with a zippered mouth.
'Like what just passed us by.'
Dix looked like he meant to say something, thought better of it, then nodded. 'Look, kid. Whatever works for the two of you isn't my business. You know?'
'I know.' Brandon grinned. 'Just like it's not my business that you and Kate like to fuck almost in public' Dix choked a little. 'Damn it.'
Head swimming, Brandon thought the four beers had been fine, but the final shot of Jack had probably been sort of stupid. He was big enough to hold a lot of alcohol, but not on the almost-empty stomach he'd been sporting since this crap with Leah had stolen his appetite. Hell, he and Dix had only had a basket of bread, a fourteen-ounce steak, potatoes, salad and a helluva-good shrimp appetiser . . .
The belch lurched out of him long and hard, and he had to thump his chest when it was done.
'Don't woriy. Leah didn't tell me. You know about the exhibitionism thing. I overheard the two of them talking. Pretty hot, getting it on in public'
Yes, very hot.' Dix grinned, probably at the memory. You're slurring your words and weaving. Christ, kid, you're sloshed.' 'Not,' Brandon said. 'Let's go to that bar in New York New York. Something Irishmen. Or something.'
Dix looked around as another crowd of extravagantly clothed conventioneers passed by. 'Shit. It beats the fucking Penny Pincher. Which I am not going back to, by the way, you can have that vermin-ridden bed all to yourself if you're gonna be proud.'
They moved through the crowd, which parted pretty easily for them since they weren't dressed like everyone else. They got their share of stares, though. At the bar, they found a booth in the back, Dix checking his cell phone while Brandon ordered a round of shots.
'Slainte,' he said, raising his glass.
'May your life never be hard and your dick never soft.'
The liquor burnt Brandon's throat and belly. A couple, not wearing fetish gear but obviously in town for the convention, slid into the booth beside them. The woman, a tall brunette, wore a black fitted dress. The man with her wore a simple white long-sleeved T-shirt under a black one and a pair of jeans. But what caught Brandon's eye was not the way the couple looked so adoring at each other, or how their fingers linked across the table.