Thoughts that I had been very careful to push away ever since he brought me home the other evening. Thoughts that I would only think alone in my bed.
"Hey, Jake," I replied trying to be as cool and collected as I could possibly be in spite of the resounding boom of my increased heart beat.
Damn, I should've said, 'Jake, right?' or, even better, 'Do I know you?' Yeah, I know. Shoulda, woulda, coulda.
"You okay, Darlin'?" he asked.
Weird, that was two people today asking me if I was okay. Since my parents had died I could count on one-hand how often that had happened.
I nodded and then asked my own question, "Why are you here?" as I tried to subtly, covertly take the whole wonderfulness of him in through my eyes.
Attired his leather jacket, boots and well-worn jeans I was guessing that he dressed for comfort instead of trying to make an impression. In the bowels of his club, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, Jake had only appeared to be a bad boy, the kind that your mother warned you about. Straddling a bike and clad in a leather jacket, he was the dangerous bad-ass your father demanded you stay away from but that you snuck off to be with at every opportunity.
"Just visiting an old friend," he replied playing with the straps of his helmet.
"Sorry I couldn't have offered you a job, Darlin'," Jake spoke softly, so softly I found myself stepping towards him to make sure I heard every word. His eyes came to mine and I could see the sincerity in their golden depths.
"No worries. Technically, I declined the job , remember?" I replied equally softly, surprised that my words spoke the truth. I didn't blame Jake for not hiring me when I was the one that couldn't wait to perform for him and then couldn't stick around to be told I wasn't quite what the club needed. I was close enough to him and calm enough now to see how thick his dark eyelashes were that both shadowed and framed his beautiful eyes.
God, he was gorgeous.
"We good?"
"Mm-hmm," I mumbled still staring at him, forcing myself to look directly in to his gaze. It was the same bravado I had used during my interview but now my stomach warmed as I watched him. There was a glimmer, a moving beneath his golden stare that was approving and yet guarded.
Seeming to make a decision, Jake glanced away and then, dragging his eyes back to mine he stood up from his motorcycle seat while he snagged the back of my neck and pulled me into his chest. And, just like before, I was caught off balance, stumbling before clinging to the soft leather of his jacket.
"That's good," he whispered as his lips gently brushed my forehead. I felt the warmth of his fingers through my thin jacket when he let go of my neck and slid his hand down my back.
I tilted my gaze soft up to his full lips realizing that I wanted, had craved, the feel of his mouth on mine since my dance, since he'd taken on Mahmood and Jamison, since I'd been held in his arms. I raised my eyes further to meet his and saw the awareness of my wants reflected there. Jake released me with a grin and pushed me back a bit before slipping his helmet on, sitting back on the seat and turning the key in the ignition. I shakily took another step back and realized that again, in his presence, my knees had gone to water.
"Be good, gorgeous, yeah?" he said over the roar of the engine.
All I could do was nod in reply as I watched him release the kick-stand and, glancing over his shoulder, pulled out into the street. My eyes continued to follow him well after he was gone from my sight.
What the heck was that?, I thought furiously as I shook off whatever it was that had me frozen yet painfully aware of my own heartbeat in all sorts of different places. I turned and made my way up the path to see if my professor was feeling generous.
Chapter Five
"Hey, Mrs. Baxter," she called opening the door of the room while balancing a covered tray in one hand. "Dinner time."
Jake glanced toward the nurse's assistant as she made her way into Ms. Lily's room at the Shady Acres Nursing home. His eyes went back to his most cherished person now that his brother was gone. She was older and her body was breaking down by degrees daily, but she was just as beautiful today as she was the day she first hugged him when he was only six years old.
"Hello, Caitlin," he heard Ms. Lilly's melodic voice say. "Come meet my Jacob."
At her name, Jake's head whipped to the nurse's assistant. Hers was slow to follow, but when it finally made its way to his, he saw her eyes widen and her mouth open in a perfect circle of 'oh'.
Both their eyes went back to Mrs. Lillian Baxter as she continued to speak, unaware of their shock at seeing one another here, in this place.
"Jacob, this is the girl I've been telling you about. Caitlin, this is my beloved Jacob."
"Nice to meet you, Caitlin," Jake rumbled softly with a cheeky grin, his eyes roaming up and down her light green scrubs.
"Jacob," he heard her say breathily and he caught the blush she was trying to hide as she bent to the rolling table, bringing it over her patient's lap.
"Caitlin, what are you doing here on a Saturday?" Ms. Lily asked.
"Uhm, traded with Carmen when she took my Thursday shift," Caitlin responded. Jake could see she was careful to avoid looking at him, holding an oh-so-casual stance with one hand on her hip and the other balanced on the bed table, but turned as far as possible away from him.
"What was that special thing you had going? Oh, yes, an interview." Ms. Lily pointed her face towards him, but Jake knew that, with her failing eyesight, she couldn't actually see him but just his blurred shadow. She turned her head back in Cait's direction. "How did that go, dear?"
He watched Caitlin again go red as she shot her narrowed eyes to him before answering. "I didn't get the job."
"I'm so sorry. Maybe my Jacob has something for you. He's a very successful business man, aren't you, Jacob?"
It was Jake's turn to squirm as he was put on the spot by the only woman that he ever loved.
"Might be able to find her something," Jake growled as Caitlin's eyes met his. She shook her head in the negative.
"Jacob was just telling me about the most wonderful girl he met recently. She sounds lovely. So why didn't you ask her out?" Mrs. B pointed her face again to where Jake was squirming in his chair.
"Don't start, Ms. Lilly," Jake rumbled.
"Jacob--"
"Gotta go, Mrs. B. Lots of dinners to deliver," Caitlin said her eyes still glued to his. He watched, his heart melting, as the girl he wanted as his own sweetly and reverently bent to kiss his surrogate mother.
"Just a minute, ah, Caitlin, was it?" He watched her eyebrows raise at his question. "Would you mind taking a picture of me with my gal?"
Jake thought he'd never seen anything more beautiful than Cait's face as it softened at his request.
"Love to," Caitlin replied and reached for the cell phone he was holding out to her. "Ooh, Mrs. B. A picture with your Jacob! How cool is that?"
Caitlin was just making her way back to collect the dinner trays when Jake caught up to her.
"Hey, pretty girl."
"Hey, Jake." She had stopped her movements but still wasn't looking at him. In fact, he found it interesting that she found her shoes so intriguing.
"Eyes, Cait, yeah?"
He watched as she slowly brought her eyes to his.
"Been hearing about you, Darlin', for quite a while. Always wanted to meet the girl that Ms. Lilly raves about, that's been so good to her."
"I heard about you, too, Jake," she admitted softly. Christ, but he loved it when she said his name like that. "She's something special, isn't she?"
"Yeah, she is," Jake answered on a heartfelt rumble. "Only mother I've ever known. Took me and Frank under her wing when I was little. Gave me a home when Frank went into the Army."
"Who's Frank?" Jake heard her ask, her voice so soft it was almost a whisper.
"My brother."
"I heard her talk of him. Army ranger? Died in Afghanistan?"
It was Jake's turn to nod. It was still very hard to speak of Frank o
ut loud although he seemed to be able to think of him now without pain.
"I'm so sorry for your loss," and Jake saw that she really was sympathetic. So many people had said those exact same words to him upon hearing about Frank's death but he knew Caitlin really understood and empathized.
"Thanks. What time do you get off?"
He watched as she reached into her back pocket and tagged her cell.
"About an hour, but I have to get to my other job after, sorry," she said.
"Another time, pretty girl?"
"I'd love that, Jake," he heard her soft voice say as her beautiful face tipped up to his and she touched his arm.
God, she was gorgeous.
It took everything he had not to tilt his mouth down to touch hers but he gave her a grin and a nod instead before turning and walking away from her yet fuckin' again.
*.*.*.*.*
"Situation upstairs," Jake heard Max, Head of Security, on the office speakerphone. "Fiona and Jamison in Chair Three."
"You tapin'?" Jake asked his voice tight.
"Like always," came the reply.
"They still in the booth?" Jake asked through clenched teeth.
"Looks like she is just finishing up. Aw shit, that's twice now," Max's voice was carefully controlled.
"You and your men grab Jamison. I'll get Fiona when she gets to the Dressing Room."
"Okay, boss. You gonna be all right facing Fiona by yourself?"
Jake thought for a minute. Fiona could be hell on wheels and had lost her temper often over real or imagined slights with the other dancers. Both Jake and Dale had numerous conversations with her regarding her treatment of other staff, but it didn't make a dent until they began to send her home, without pay for the shift. It seemed to work but she still would mouth off occasionally although not with as much venom and she didn't get physical anymore.
Jake took a slow steady breath."After you make sure Jamison is gone, join me in the Dressing Room. If I'm not there, try the office. Also, ask Sky to call Dale and get him down here."
"Done and done, boss. See you in a few," Max concluded before he disconnected the phone.
Jake hang up the phone and slammed his fist on the desk. This time she'd gone too far, had put the club in jeopardy with her showing gash in one of the lap dance booths. He moved quickly to the door and down the hall to the Dressing Room. Reaching it, he did a double knock before going in.
His eyes did a quick scan left over the lockers, then right seeing Kristen at the farthest dressing table, touching up her make-up. Fiona was seated at the closest table messing with her hair.
"Fiona, a word in my office, please," Jake rumbled, never leaving the doorway.
She turned slowly, her breasts still exposed from her time upstairs, and he watched as she gave him one of her slow, sexy smiles.
"You wanna see me alone in your office," she murmured, drawing a hand across her unclad chest.
"Yes. Immediately."
"I'll be right there, honey," she said licking her lips slowly.
Jake left the room and went back to his office shaking his head. Fiona was a piece of work. They had a thing going for about a week when she was first hired years ago. Had taken a lot to convince her that he was done with her and their final scene was bad. First time Jake had ever wanted to hit a woman. Didn't do it, though he sincerely wanted to.
Jake settled himself behind the desk before he heard a knock then saw Fiona poke her head in.
"Wanted to see me?"
"Come in, Fiona," Jake indicated the chairs in front of the desk. The phone rang and Jake took the call while Fiona sank into one of the visitor's chairs and crossed her legs. She had covered herself with a sheer jacket that hid nothing.
"Good. Take him out back. Dale? Okay," Jake rumbled before hanging up the phone. Jake looked at Fiona as he tried to contain his temper. The bitch was sitting there half naked and smiling. "What's the number one rule here, Fiona?"
He watched Fiona's body flinch at both his tone and his words as the smile slid from her face.
"Excuse me?" she asked with a snort and a shake of her head. "You can't be serious."
"As a heart attack. Askin' you again, Fiona, what is the number one rule at Fuego's?" Jake's voice was as hard as steel and he held her eyes.
He watched as she sucked her cheeks in and her eyes darted around the room.
"Don't remember, Fiona? Come on, you have to sign the rules every year to show you agree to them."
She flipped her hair and re-crossed her legs before fixing him with a stare.
"Never. Fucking. Show. Pussy. Right, Fiona? Isn't that the rule you agreed to?"
She broke eye contact as she blew out a noisy breath and started to cross her arms over her chest.
"Doesn't apply to me," she sneered with a dismissive wave.
"You're shitting me." Jake couldn't believe she just said that.
"I'm the one that brings in the high rollers, Jake, and you know it. Without me, you have no real talent working the poles. So if I leave, those big spenders will leave with me."
"Have other dancers, Fiona--" Jake began.
"You have shit, Jake. Without me you have just a handful of sluts with no talent clomping around on stage," she said with an ugly twist to her mouth.
Jake did another slow shake of his head.
"I'm the star here, Jake. Without me this place is just another little strip club in a backwater town." Fiona's chin jutted out. "I'm the best thing you've got."
"Rules, Fiona," Jake's voice was firm. "You broke the number one rule."
Fiona glared at him as his voice continued.
"Givin' you thirty minutes to get your shit and get out."
"But, Jake--"
"Thirty minutes, Fiona. Ain't gonna say it again."
"You don't mean--"
"Get. The. Fuck. Out. Now!"
And Fiona finally began to move but she turned back at the door.
"Don't say it, Fiona," Jake murmured with a sigh.
The office door slamming gave evidence to Fiona's anger. It wasn't even three minutes later when the door opened again to admit Dale, dressed to perfection in a navy blue suit and blue striped shirt opened at the neck.
"Heard we got a situation," Dale said leaning back against the door, his hands deep in his pockets.
"Max caught Fiona flashing while giving a lap dance. Have it on tape. Just had her in here and told her she has thirty minutes to get out."
Dale nodded. "It go okay?"
"Yeah. 'Bout as well as can be expected." Jake snorted. "Why don't you go supervise her highness's leaving, yeah? I've got to check in to see if they got Jamison out of the club and on his way."
"What about Jamison?"
"That's who she was giving the flash dance. Jamison." Jake still couldn't believe it.
"Okay, I'll go see to Fiona. We got any body armor, a bulletproof vest, maybe?" Dale asked with a smile.
Jake grinned and shook his head.
"My last will and testament is with Sam," Dale called over his shoulder as he left the office.
Jake chuckled and was surprised at the sound of it. He was still angry but talking with Dale had helped. He made his way upstairs and used the front door as he didn't want to walk through the club to get to the back. To get to Jamison. Gave a finger flick as he passed by Hank who was working the door and continued around the building. He saw Max and Tony holding the arms of a very inebriated bank president standing under the light of the kitchen door.
"There he ish, the shmut peddler, himshelf," Jamison slurred when Jake joined the group.
Jake did a chin lift to his guys and gave the bank president the once over.
"He's trashed," he said, stating the obvious.
"Been here since noon, right Tony?" Max said.
"Yeah, slammin' 'em back. Sky tried to get him to leave earlier but lover boy here didn't want to go."
"Wash waitin' for my Fiona," Jamison interjected with a sway and a shuffle. "Shesh the best.
"
"Somebody called a taxi?" Jake asked Max.
"Yeah, just waiting for it to show, boss."
Jake saw Jamison suddenly bend at the waist and Max took a quick step back while still hanging on to Jamison's arm. Tony wasn't quite as quick and Jamison's vomit splashed on his shoes and pant legs.
Pole Dance Page 7