Beck would hold her tight. His kisses would be all-encompassing, claiming gestures intended to show her that he knew what she needed. Patrick would lick her, and touch her, and love her until the flames of passion consumed all three of them. They’d draw her into the center, between them, and stroke her and tease her until she was soaked and begging for them both. She’d probably come before Patrick even slid all the way into her pussy while Beck impaled her ass with that big cock she’d gotten a glimpse of. Even when not aroused, he had been very impressive, and she’d nearly known the joy of Patrick sliding his rock-hard shaft deep inside her—
“Oh, yes!” she cried out as the orgasm slammed into her and she could almost feel them inside her. She ground against her hand and rolled to her side as the waves of orgasm barreled through her until she lay there panting with her head spinning. Her pussy tingled as she turned out the light and clutched the pillow Beck had rested his head on, inhaling deeply, hoping for a trace of his scent, but none was there.
Chapter Four
Mid-March
Sitting in her car outside the Twisted Bull in Morehead, Lucy looked at her cell phone and growled softly. No calls. No texts. The same as every time she’d checked since Beck had gotten sick the month before.
“Fine. He can’t do me the decency of calling to let me know he’s still alive. I’m not worrying anymore.”
In the last few weeks, the absence of information from Beck had allowed her imagination to work overtime.
Patrick had said that Beck had walked to her house for a reason. It had occurred to her that if he he’d been holding out for this woman—this Chloe-person—he’d turned to Lucy as a backup. The thought that he’d been holding out for one woman while spending time with her, and then had turned to her after he’d finally been rejected, had pissed the ever-living shit out of her. She was no man’s “backup plan.” Those days were over.
Patrick had been checking in on Beck regularly so she knew he was alive. He just wasn’t talking to anyone—or at least not to her. Luckily, she’d had the prospect of opening her own massage therapy clinic, which she was calling A Divine Retreat, to keep her busy.
Patrick had suggested that Beck could do the necessary carpentry work, but she’d needed to get started as soon as Marvin had moved out and Beck had still been sick. So she’d contacted Abbott & Sons and they’d done the work, building a room enclosure and a small office for her. Mr. Abbott’s sons were easy to look at so it hadn’t exactly been a hardship.
The space had a larger windowed office at the rear which they were converting into an intimate, inviting massage room complete with a connecting bathroom. Mr. Abbott and his sons were currently working on upgrading the bathroom fixtures and doing the light cosmetic work that was overdue. Marvin hadn’t cared about such things. She glanced at her watch, looked at the entry to the Twisted Bull, and sighed.
You’re here. Might as well go inside.
She grabbed her yoga mat and bag containing a water bottle, pair of high heels, and a set of sexy lingerie and trudged to the front door of the nightclub. She didn’t know if she’d need all of that stuff that night but had wanted to be prepared.
The mouthwatering scent of cooking food from Chantilly’s Steakhouse next door filled the still air and she wondered if it would be very crowded inside. Chantilly’s shared the building with the Twisted Bull and there was a secondary entrance into the restaurant from the club. Lucy wondered self-consciously if restaurant patrons might see them if they used that entrance or the rear entrance.
She almost turned around but somehow kept her feet moving forward. She’d been putting off starting the striptease classes that Camilla Parks was giving in the early afternoons before the nightclub opened. But she’d decided earlier that day that this was something she could do just for herself. It didn’t have to be just about stripping for a man—or men. It could be a means of self-expression, too.
Yeah, and that’s why you’ll be fantasizing about Patrick and Beck watching you the whole time you’re doing it?
Her inner voice really needed an off switch sometimes.
She was reaching for the door handle when it was opened from the inside for her. At first, all she saw was the big hand sliding along the door handle and she looked up into the darkest eyes she’d ever seen. At five feet nine inches, she was tall for a woman, but this man towered over her. Then her eyes adjusted to the dim lighting inside the club and she recognized him.
A slow sensual smile crossed the big man’s face as he welcomed her into the club. His shoulder-length, wavy hair was black and his eyes were so brown they might as well be black, and she definitely recalled that sexy smile. “Cody, right?”
His smile widened and he nodded. “Not sure if you’d remember me.”
“You’d be hard to forget. I enjoyed dancing with you at the Pony. So this is where you work? I knew you were friends with Camilla but didn’t realize…”
Stop talking, ninny!
Gesturing to the other two giants standing at the entrance to the club, he said, “We provide security for Camilla, Ben, and Quinten. If you’re looking for the girls, they’re on the dance floor.” He pointed to the lit dance floor where a few of her friends were congregating and waving her over.
“You’re providing security even when the club is technically closed?”
“Word got out about the classes. We weed out the rubber-neckers and assholes,” the other blond-headed, green-eyed giant said as he leaned against the reception desk. He winked flirtatiously at her and tilted his head toward her friends. “We’re here to keep you girls safe while you have fun.”
“You’ll be watching?” Holy crap on a cracker! Cold dread settled in the pit of her stomach. She imagined falling flat on her ass in her hooker heels and them laughing at her. The thought made her go cold.
Green eyes—Heath, as she recalled—smiled and asked, “Do you want us to watch? I’d gladly watch you.”
Cody put an arm around her and said, “Stop scaring her, Heath. No, we’re not here to watch the class…”
At his questioning look, she said, “Oh! Sorry. Lucy. Lucy Carter.”
Cody nodded. “Right. Seth Carter’s baby sister,” he enunciated to Heath.
The other dark-haired giant who had brown eyes so light in color they might have been amber or gold, had been quiet up until then. He chuckled and said, “Hey, don’t you have an appointment with Seth this week, Heath? Yeah, now he’s gonna tattoo Daffy Duck with a hard-on or some fucked-up shit on your ass for messing with his baby sister.”
Heath clasped his hands and begged good-naturedly. “Sorry, sweet Lucy. Teasing is a part of my charm. We’re here to watch out for you ladies, not to be entertained. Although I think you’d do an admirable job.” He paused for a second and then asked speculatively, “Do you belly dance?”
All conversation ceased at the feminine sound of a throat being cleared. “Are you three harassing my friend?”
Lucy turned to Camilla, who looked fantastic in her slinky black yoga pants and halter top. Her little baby bump barely showed above the low waist of the pants and Lucy was awed that she had the chutzpah to dress so sexily when she was three months pregnant. Lucy imagined that if she ever got pregnant with twins her big ol’ belly would pop out the day after she tested positive and just get bigger and bigger until they had to cut doors wider for her. She felt like a giant next to the petite temptress. Her self-esteem went into a full nosedive at that mental image.
“No, boss,” Heath replied, “We were just inquiring if she knew how to belly dance, that’s all.”
Camilla turned a sympathetic smile to all three men. “She hasn’t shown up yet, guys, but that could change. You never know. Come on, Lucy. Don’t you worry about the bears. They’ll behave.” Camilla hooked an arm through Lucy’s and drew her away as she blew an imaginary kiss, which Heath caught between his teeth, and she giggled at their antics.
“Ben and Quinten don’t get all possessive of you with those three h
ot hunks hanging around?”
Camilla shook her head. “Not too much anymore. They know that the bears will keep me safe. And Cody, Heath, and Spencer know that I love Ben and Quinten with all my heart. It works for us now. And you should see what mother hens they’ve become with me pregnant. They walk me to and from my car every day.”
“That’s sweet, and very safety-conscious of them.”
“No, Lucy. They literally walk me—like hold on to me—out to my car and help me in and out. You’d think I was carrying royalty or something. When they finally find their woman, I hope she’s attention-starved because they have a lot to give. If you weren’t already taken, I’d sic them on you, sweetie. I wondered if you’d ever make it to a class. You doing okay?”
Lucy shrugged as she walked, but Camilla put her hand on Lucy’s forearm and stopped their progress halfway across the room. “What’s up?” The concern in her eyes was genuine.
“I had to make myself come in tonight. I feel…”
“You feel what?”
“Uncoordinated. I brought my heels and the other stuff the girls suggested but honestly? I’m afraid I’m gonna kill myself in those things. I can hardly walk across the room without feeling out of balance and ungainly.”
“Out of tune with your body?” At Lucy’s nod, she continued. “Did you ever do what I suggested? Taking a weekend just for yourself and going bare, and maybe playing a little.”
“I tried. I kept checking and rechecking to make sure that the blinds and curtains were completely closed. I felt so self-conscious, I wound up putting on my robe without even thinking about it by noon the first day.”
Camilla smiled and nodded. “Maybe a whole weekend was too much. Try going a whole evening. Lay around and watch movies to distract yourself. Or clean house. You’re a massage therapist so you know how important it is to stay in balance. How often do you go for a massage?”
Lucy scoffed. “I think you can guess the answer to that question.”
Empathy showed in Camilla’s eyes. “Never?”
“It’s been a while. Since I was in school. I came to Divine, found work, and I like staying busy, I’m just needing a little something, I guess. I hope this class is it.”
“You enjoy making people feel better. Let me do the work for a little while. Don’t think of this class as a workout. Think of it as a stress reliever and relaxation aid. Just take it easy for tonight and try to get the feel for what we’re doing. Leave the heels in your bag for now and stay barefoot.”
I can do this. I can do this.
She listened as Camilla gave simple instructions and then moved them through the beginning stretches to loosen up their muscles. Two-stepping was one thing, but getting down on the floor demonstrated to her just how un-limber she’d gotten over the years. Listening to the music’s slow driving beat as they warmed up helped her to get into the groove of the class. She’d always hated working out in a gym and quickly found that this group was altogether different.
Camilla encouraged them to loosen up their hips and move in a circular motion as opposed to what she’d been accustomed to in school PE classes and aerobics, where the exercises had been more regimented and boxy, with butt tucked and body straight and rigid. The whole purpose of this class seemed to be to take the sensual rhythm of the music inside her and express it through hip grinding, seductive movements that laid some of her fears to rest.
I can do this. I don’t have to be a size two—or be able twist myself into a pretzel—to move with a little sexiness.
She giggled with the others when Camilla encouraged them to play with the hem of their top or toy with the waist of their pants in a teasing manner. Her dialogue with them as they moved conquered half the battle for Lucy.
“It’s okay to be seductive and to touch yourself. Embrace your sensual side. If someone ever convinced you that you weren’t sexy, they were wrong.”
Hear that, Chuck? You were wrong.
Instead of negative and distracting memories, Lucy tried to focus on her words and let the beat of the music take over as they went through the floor exercises and the routine. Most of the girls were barefooted just like her, but several, including Grace and Emma, performed the striptease routine in high heels, making an elegant show of removing the lingerie they’d put on over their clothes. The afternoon was enlightening to say the least.
* * * *
Patrick said good-bye to his client as they exited Chantilly’s Steakhouse and he headed toward his car in the parking lot. He’d come to a decision earlier and reached for his phone to call Lucy as he unlocked his car with the remote.
Despite what he’d told Lucy the month before, he did let how his family would react dictate his actions and he was done with that. He wanted her to come over that night and stay the whole night because he needed her. He wanted her to. He didn’t care if it got back to his mom and dad or his other relatives. He was a grown adult. He couldn’t give her what she ultimately wanted—that was up to Beck—but he could do this.
Lucy was intimidated by his big, influential, extended family and he knew she was treading even more carefully because soon she’d be a business owner in Divine as well. They could quite literally make or break her business.
He dialed her number as he placed his briefcase in the trunk, and then his eyes settled on her ruby red Ford Escape not twenty feet away in the parking lot. His eyes swung back to the building that housed the Twisted Bull and Chantilly’s and a big grin covered his face. Two of his favorite words came to mind.
Strip. Tease.
She’d finally taken the plunge. He chuckled and locked his car back up, and he strolled toward the entrance of the club, hands in the pockets of his suit pants. He felt a little lighter than he had all day. Business both in town and out of town had meant a tight schedule for him the last few weeks and Lucy had been working after hours on her new place downtown. He’d set aside time that weekend to spend with her and Patrick Junior. It was only Thursday afternoon but he decided to get the weekend started a little early—if she’d let him.
Cody Welsh met him at the door, greeting him with a handshake. “Are you picking Lucy up? They’re almost done.”
Taking the opportunity Cody gave him, Patrick nodded and entered the dark coolness of the club. As his eyes adjusted to the lighting, his attention was drawn to just one woman on the edge of the group on the dance floor.
Statuesque, with long, wavy black hair streaming down nearly to her waist. Lucy was barefoot and dressed in black yoga pants and a body-hugging black tank top, which accentuated the pale olive tone of her skin. Perspiration gleamed on her skin as she moved to the steady, heavy beat of the music.
He was vaguely aware of Camilla directing them as he watched Lucy move into a crouch, balancing on the balls of her feet. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, slowly lifted her ass, and then stood to her full height, moving like a seductive temptress.
Possessiveness made him glance at the three bouncers but he found that all three were occupied with other tasks. Cody perched on a barstool near the door, his attention on his smartphone, while Heath’s and Spencer’s attention was on a schedule of some sort on a laptop. He turned back to watch Lucy.
Her cheeks were flushed as she finished the slow hip rotation that Camilla directed them through, giving encouraging small talk as they moved. Lucy followed along, her attention fully on what Camilla was saying as she slid her fingers under the hem of her top and stroked her revealed abdomen in an elegant, lingering fashion. He gulped audibly.
She chuckled at something one of her classmates said and raised her arms slowly in the air as she mimicked her teacher’s movements. Doing so brought attention to her full breasts and Patrick’s cock stiffened a little at the sight. She was beautiful as she moved, and when she flexed her hips as directed, he suppressed a groan at the tingle that slid down his spine and centered in his balls. Need coursed in his veins as she gathered her hair from her cheeks to get it out of her way and she arched
her back.
The class sounded as if it was coming to a close as Camilla gave them instructions for cooling down. The group broke up and the ladies went to their bags and pulled out bottles of water. As Lucy removed the cap from hers, she looked up and made eye contact with him from across the room.
In that instant, the rest of the club, the conversations and movement in the room, faded away. The only thing he could see was her expression, at first vulnerable, but then a light grew in her piercing eyes as a small smile came to her lips.
She bid farewell to the others and slung her bag over her shoulder and made to hurry across the room, but her instructor stopped her. Camilla waved at him and softly spoke to Lucy. The others noticed he was there and several of them waved in acknowledgement before going back to their conversations. He managed to wave back as Lucy made her way across the room. His throat went dry as she held his gaze.
He breathed in deep as she made her way to him. There was something different about her demeanor and the way she carried herself as she came to him. His eyes were drawn to her curving hips as they swayed with each step. Her gaze was direct as it traveled up and down his body and he didn’t overlook the heat in her eyes. She was happy to see him there. The light sweat that had gathered between her breasts made him long to lick her cleavage, to bury his nose and lips against her skin and taste her essence.
Lucy was usually demonstrative with affection but she didn’t immediately reach for him to give him a hug, as was her custom. Instead, she drew close to him, so close that her breasts nearly brushed against his shirtfront but not quite. He could feel her body heat radiating from her warm skin, and when she flicked her long hair back over her shoulders, her womanly scent filled his head with…Lucy.
Her blue eyes glowed with happiness and heat as she slid just her fingertips up his chest to his shoulder. His nipples tightened at the teasing contact and his dick went granite hard as she licked her lips and pulled him down to her for a soft kiss. Heat sizzled through him at the contact, and he was dimly aware of appreciative female chuckles as her classmates walked past them.
Lucy's Revenge [Divine Creek Ranch 15] (Siren Publishing Ménage Everlasting) Page 6