“I wanted to see you, baby,” he responded. He thought he communicated that with the kiss, but evidently he missed the mark.
“At the strip club?” She seemed puzzled and he was feeling the same.
“Anywhere,” he told her, reaching out and tugging her close with the waistband of her jeans.
Laughing, she swatted his hands away. “I meant why are you here at Slinky’s?”
“Because this is where you are,” he said, leaning down to drop a soft kiss on her lips.
There was a knock at the door and it opened part way, bumping into his back. A man’s voice came through the narrow crack speaking loudly over the background noise. “DeeDee, we need you out here, hon.”
“Okay. On my way, Gunny,” she responded, stepping back and reaching out to pull Jase away from the door. “Jase, it sounds like I need to take care of whatever this is. Can you wait around for a bit?”
“Okay. Just…is it okay if I sit at the bar? If I wait for you there? Or should I stay in here?” He wasn’t sure what protocol was in a situation like this. His erection was going away slowly, but it would probably come back if he thought about her too much. Is it okay for me to look at the strippers, with her as their boss? Will she be pissed if I look? Normally, I’d be a big-time lookie-loo in a titty bar, but if it makes her mad—
She interrupted his internal dialog with a quick response. “Yeah. It’s fine if you sit at the bar. The girls are pretty good, but right now, I gotta take care of whatever this is, so give me a few.”
He nodded and said, “Okay.” That seemed like permission to look. Unless it was a test. Maybe I shouldn’t watch. No, it was permission. Clearly permission, she’s not the kind of woman to say one thing and mean another.
He let her precede him from the office and they saw the problem at the same time. One of the customers at a table near the stage had evidently gotten handsy with a dancer. It looked like her response was to trap him underneath a chair, the rungs across his neck and chest. The scarcely clad woman was kneeling on the chair and had one stiletto-heeled foot balanced on the man’s crotch, threatening without words to impale his junk. Jase winced.
“DeeDee, it’s him again. I’m not putting up with this asshole one more time.” The woman’s shrill voice cut through the background music like a blade. “It isn’t enough he talks about what he’s thinking the whole time he jerks off in his pants, but then he tries to touch my ass with his goddamned spunky fingers.”
Her voice smooth and even, DeeDee walked over, looking down at the man on the floor as she spoke. “Brent. You’re banned.” He looked like he was going to answer her, but she cut him off. “Nuh-uh, nope. No talking. No mouth. You’re a level of sleaze we got no need for.” She looked up and glanced around at the attentive faces in the bar, then back down at him. “Do I need to recruit help to deal with you, or can I have Mercy let you up nice-like?”
“I’m sorry,” the man ground out, wincing and yelling as the dancer applied more pressure with her heel. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”
“Well…yeah, we’re in agreement that you’re a sorry asshole. But that doesn’t matter, because you’re still banned. You’ll have to talk to Slate to get back in, so keep that in mind.” She made a gesture to Mercy, who somewhat reluctantly moved off the chair, picking it up and placing it beside a nearby table. Sauntering back to the main stage, she turned, hiking her ass up onto the platform, performing a fluid twist and roll move that put her into position against the pole.
Jase watched as DeeDee escorted the man to the door, closing it behind him with a firm thud. None of the other men in the room had moved to help her, not even the big bouncer standing near the door, and he realized with a start he hadn’t either. She was so confident in herself that everyone seemed to assume she knew what she was doing and could manage just fine.
He walked to the bar, seeing his drink still sitting where he left it, ice melting and watering the liquor down. The music rose in volume and he looked up to see Mercy gyrating around the pole, evidently picking up her routine from where she had been interrupted. DeeDee was coming towards him and he smiled at her. He said, “You’re busy. I can see that. I know I dropped in out of the blue. Baby, I’m going to go line up a place to stay for a few days. Give me your number so I can call you. I’d like to take you to dinner tonight. Please?”
She dug into her front pocket, pulling out a small leather wallet. Retrieving a card from inside, she asked the bartender for a pen and wrote on the back. “Here,” she said quietly, handing it to him. “Jase, dinner would be nice.” The logo for the club was on the front, with her name listed as manager. He flipped it over, seeing she had written her first name and a ten-digit number.
He tucked it into his pocket and reached for her hand. Threading his fingers through hers, he lifted it to his mouth, softly kissing the backs of her knuckles. “I’ll see you in a bit. Decide where you’d like to go eat, okay?” She nodded and he turned to walk towards the outside door. He pretended to forget to let go of her hand and drew a laugh from her when he spun in an exaggerated fashion, whirling back to press a quick, soft kiss on her lips. “See ya,” he whispered, and left.
Three hours later, he was settled into a downtown hotel, showered and waiting anxiously. Before checking in, he first rode around the Coliseum arena where they played hockey, then past the Rebel clubhouse, making sure he would be able to find it again if needed. He texted her the room information, but hadn’t gotten a response. It didn’t worry him, because she was working. Yet. Didn’t worry him yet.
Pacing the perimeter of the hotel room, he was checking his watch every few minutes, trying hard to wait until at least five o’clock to call DeeDee. He knew most people worked from eight to five, so waiting until five seemed to be the courteous thing to do. He checked the time again. Another five minutes more, and I’ll be hearing her voice again.
There was a tentative knock at the door, a single light rap of knuckles on the wood, and he looked at it, an eager question in his mind. What if she decided to just show up instead of responding to my text? he thought.
A second knock had him moving, looking through the peephole to find one of the hotel’s housekeeping staff standing there. Disappointed, he opened the door and she looked him down, then up, wordlessly holding out a piece of paper. He accepted it and she turned, walking quickly away, casting a smile and an appreciative glance over her shoulder at him.
Shaking his head at the odd encounter, he backed into his room, unfolding the paper as he kicked the door closed. In about two seconds, he wished he had kicked the door a hell of a lot harder. Can’t make it, sorry. It was good to see you today. Be safe, ~DD
“Fucking hell,” he yelled, punching the door with a rattling force. He dug in his pocket for the card, pulled out his phone, and angrily punched in the numbers she willingly wrote down only a few hours ago. After only a single ring, the call went straight to what he assumed was DeeDee’s voicemail, but was just a robotic voice repeating the phone number he had dialed. “Goddamn, motherfucking, cocksucking, son of a bitch,” he hissed, punching the door again as he disconnected.
He grabbed his jacket and hit the door at a run. Unwilling to wait for the elevator, he headed for the stairs, going down them two and three at a time in his haste. In the adjacent parking garage, he straddled the bike, roughly shoving in the key, twisting it, and hitting the start button firmly. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to sit for a minute, bringing his anger under control. No way in fucking hell is she going to get out of seeing me tonight.
He had been through this before when she agreed to wait for him and then bailed; she had cut and run before he could get back to her. When it happened at the end of hockey season, it had hurt, but he let it go due to circumstances on both sides. He knew her dealings with the Rebels and his obligations with the team had both conspired against them. But not tonight, it wasn’t happening again. Not after how they connected today in her office. There was something between them, and he…ne
eded her. He wouldn’t let her run this time, not again...not ever again. No fucking way.
Pulling out of the garage, he headed north towards Slinky’s, but when he rode into the club’s lot, he wasn’t surprised her bike was no longer there. Running inside for a minute, he found out from Gunny that she left not long after he had this afternoon. Remembering what Hoss had said at the party about her getting cold feet, he knew taking off early had only given her that much more time to let her nerves get the better of her. Fuck me and my waiting until five o’clock; she was long gone by then. Sitting for a minute, he cast his mind around what little he knew of Fort Wayne, deciding to take a turn past the Rebel clubhouse so he could see if her bike was there.
He slowed to a crawl when he rode past the building, but her distinctive bike was nowhere to be seen. He did recognize Birdy walking into the clubhouse, which surprised him. Circling the block, he headed back east on Main Street, deciding to return to the hotel to find the housekeeper and make sure it was DeeDee who had given her the note. He was mentally making plans when he saw both the bike and woman, that frustrating woman, going the other way. Making a U-turn, he quickly caught up to her, seeing her startled reflection in the mirrors as she watched him fall into formation to the side and slightly behind her bike.
When she turned into the clubhouse, he rode in behind her as if he had every right, ignoring the scrutiny from the man holding the gate open. She parked her bike and sat there for a minute, shaking her head as she took off her helmet. Glancing up at him, she offered a trembling smile, looking as if she was going to burst into tears any moment, her face ashen. He walked over, captured her chin in his palm, and tipped her head up so she faced him.
They stared at each other for a long time, and he sighed at the look on her face. Those dark blue eyes met his gaze, raw fear leaving her vulnerable and open. Her hair barely tamed into pigtails, there were loose tendrils trailing along her cheeks, dark red against the smooth, creamy skin. His memory painted the picture of her naked body beneath him, muscles shifting as she pulled at his shoulders, wanting to be even closer.
He broke the silence, quietly saying, “Don’t be afraid of me. Never be afraid. I’m not pissed. I just want to talk, DeeDee. If dinner seems like too much, then we just talk. But I need you to tell me what’s going on in your head, okay? We don’t even have to go to my hotel. We can go to your place. Whatever you want, wherever you’re comfortable, all right?” He shook his head. “You’re in charge. I know it’s been a long time since we were together in Chicago, but all I have to do is think of you and suddenly, it’s harder to breathe. There’s something between us I’ve never had, the potential for something here I’m not willing to walk away from.” His voice hoarsened. “You tell me to walk away right now, and I don’t even know if I can. But…if you want me to, I’ll…try. You’re in charge, baby, but I want to…need to talk this through.”
She laughed on a sob, covering her mouth with one hand and gestured behind her at the building. “This is my place.”
He looked around, shocked. “You live at the clubhouse?” He knew from listening to the men in Chicago how crazy things could be in the house on an average night; forget about parties and weekends. Is this what she didn’t want me finding out? Has she been forced into some weird arrangement?
Nodding, she said, “When Winger died, they gave me a suite. My daughter Melanie and I live here.”
He sighed, relieved his sudden fears were ungrounded. Now he felt stupid, because he knew from experience how protective the club members acted when she was around, and that alone should have told him the same thing. “Can we talk?”
Standing, she climbed off the bike, absently patting the fuel tank, and nodded at him. “Just talk.”
***
The next morning, Jase stretched lazily in bed, running his palm up and down DeeDee’s naked back, slowly stroking her skin. He tucked his body in alongside hers, rocking his hips to brush his erection against her thigh and ass, continuing to touch her softly with his hand. There was soft music playing from speakers on her dresser, and he pressed his lips against her shoulder with a smile. Humming, he found his place in the song and then softly sang a few lines of Hey Darlin’ Do You Gamble along with Ben Nichols from Lucero.
She rolled and pulled away from him slightly. “You’re good,” she said, smiling. “You have a good voice.” Leaning in to kiss the tip of his nose, she slid her hands over his arms, drawing herself closer again.
“Pfffftt.” He blew air through his teeth in a dismissive noise. “Receptive and affectionate audiences make concessions and excuses to cover a lack of talent.” He laughed, closing his eyes to better focus on the heat building inside him from her touch. “Or something like that. What the hell did I just say?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered, her lips against his neck. “I wasn’t listening anymore.”
He gasped when her fingers wrapped around his cock. She stroked slowly up and over the crown and gave her hand a twist before sliding back down to the base. Every time they came together, it seemed she knew more of what he liked…wanted. He shivered, feeling himself lengthen and thicken as every nerve ending in his body came alive under her attention. Eyes still closed, he groaned and jerked involuntarily when her other hand cupped his balls, lifting and rolling them gently in her fingers.
He murmured, “Tighter. God, please, tighter. I won’t break.” Feeling her grip firm, he arched into her hands, thrusting as muscles tensed over his entire body. “Baby,” he said softly, encouraging her. “Yeah, just like that, baby. God, that feels good.” He took a breath. “You’ve got three minutes to make me come, or I’m back inside you.”
She chuckled and he peeled one eye open to look at her when she asked him, “Is that supposed to be a threat? Because if it is, I don’t think threats mean the same thing to you and me.”
“That’s a promise, baby. Not a threat. A pleasure promise.” He thrust in her hands again, feeling the climbing tingles up his spine. Reaching over, he pulled a condom from the bedside table and handed it to her. “I can’t wait. Nope, cannot wait. Now, God—I want to be inside you now. I need to feel you around me again.”
Eyes closed, he listened to the foil wrapper tear open, and then groaned when her hot mouth surrounded the head then began engulfing him. It nearly broke his control when she took him to the back of her throat, the flat of her tongue pressing and rubbing on the underside of his cock, teasing the frenulum. Pulling off him with an audible pop, with firm strokes of her hand, she slowly rolled the condom down over his length, the heat from her palm blazingly hot as she moved it along his shaft.
Rolling over, he settled himself between her thighs, cradled by her hips as he ground into her clit, drawing a quiet moan from her. “You’re always so quiet, baby.” He nuzzled his nose along her ear, kissing her cheek as his hips moved in slow circles, dropping the tip of his cock ever lower and closer to her entrance. “Is this good for you? You have to tell me; talk to me, baby.”
“Mmmm hmm,” she made a soft, agreeable noise, tilting her head backwards into the pillow. Her hips shifted and he was there, inch-by-inch, sliding inside her again, feeling her inner walls grip and pull at him. “Mmmm, Jase,” she crooned alongside his ear, cheek-to-cheek as he slipped his arms underneath her, holding her to him tightly.
“God,” he breathed. “I’ll never get tired of this, baby. You feel so good. So right. Tight.” He kissed her hard and demandingly, keeping his cock pushed deep inside her, holding still. “And hot.” Kissing her again, he stroked his tongue against hers, groaning into her mouth, beginning to thrust slow and deep into her pussy. “And drenched. God, you’re wet…so wet for me.”
Moving steadily, he pushed deeper inside her with each stroke, making small, slow circles with his hips. His groin gave a twinge for the first time in days and he ignored it, changing the angle a little to rock into her with an upward push, pulling countless breathless gasps from her.
“I’m close, baby,” he tol
d her, rolling his hips as he kept the pace painfully deliberate, even as she was tightening around him, gripping his cock hard.
“Mmmm hmm,” she made the same noise as before, and her hands slipped down his back, cupping his ass and tugging as she pressed up hard against him. She stiffened and tensed under him, muscles in her legs tightening around his hips. The movements of her hands became erratic and her breath came in quick pants as she moved closer to the edge of a climax. Undulating with a full-body shudder, she shattered, pulling him along with her. He buried himself inside her, calling out her name with a reverent tone while she hid her face in his neck, lips frantically pressing against his skin. They stayed like that for long minutes, with him occasionally pulling out partway to glide back inside, rocking against her slow and gentle, pleasing her…loving her.
“God, baby,” he said when he had caught his breath somewhat. “You are incredible. Just incredible.” He ground his pelvis into hers, laughing when his softening cock slipped out of her. “Aww. Look at it, baby; we made a mess. Let’s go clean you off so I can dirty you up again.”
“The bath is shared with the other suites on this floor. Give me a minute to grab a washcloth. I’ll be right back,” she said, slipping out of bed and pulling on a t-shirt. Back in a moment with a warm, wet cloth, she deftly removed the condom, cleaning his cock and groin before heading back into the half-bath. She busied herself in there for a minute; it was quiet for a time, and then he could hear water running and the distinct sound of brushing teeth.
Hopping out of bed, he found her standing in front of the small mirror, finishing what looked like her morning routine. Pressing up against her, he covered her back with his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly. Nuzzling his nose into her hair, he sniffed deeply and sighed loudly, making her laugh with a whispered, “I like that you smell like me.” That laugh cut off abruptly when he reached beneath her shirt, cupping one breast with his large palm, sliding his other hand down between her legs, covering her pussy possessively.
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