by Ella Brooke
She grinned at me as she sang, that siren before me, and then she slid off her wings. Next, slowly and sensuously, she toed off her high heels and then, reaching down, slid off one stocking and then the other. The singer dangled the second fishnet stocking above my head and then let the soft fabric graze over my face. I was hard as wood, like a damn redwood forest by then. She dropped the stocking and then straddled me. Her hands found my arms and helped coax my hands to her shoulders, and I set them there. It was almost impossible not to let my hands wander, and I only just kept myself from doing it because I wasn’t sure of all the rules, and the last thing I wanted was to get shoved out by a bouncer. Some things even my money and name couldn’t always make go away, and no need to give tabloids a cheap shot.
But God, was it hard.
And so was I.
The velvet of her corset dipped low over her breasts, such firm and rounded mounds and so juicy and pale beneath the emerald fabric. Licking my lips, I looked up into her eyes as she danced for me, ground against me. Those brown eyes were so deep that I thought I could be lost in them forever, like endless chocolate depths. For a few precious moments, the music seemed to fade out, and the crowd disappeared from me. All that mattered were my ragged gasps, her sultry voice, and the sweet hint of lilac perfume she was wearing. Jesus, by tomorrow I’d have a dozen bouquets of lilacs in my own office if they smelled like her, could bring me back to this moment.
She leaned low as she finished the song, and her lips—bedazzled in emerald lipstick and gloss—were now less than an inch from mine. I was so close to kissing her, to tasting her, and fuck everything else, when the nasal whine of the emcee snapped us both back to reality.
“And that, ladies and gentlemen, was our very own Green Fairy, Savannah Riley. Please come back and enjoy the show tomorrow!”
Savannah seemed to snap back to her senses as the curtain closed around us and jumped to her feet, quickly hopping around and shoving her shoes and everything else on. Although, she did leave the stockings scattered around me still. Shaking my head, I tried to scurry after her, but one of the bouncers, a guy a good six inches taller than me, and I was six-three, placed a hand on the flat of my back.
“Sir, the private after party will start with VIP guests in thirty minutes. Until then, please go back to your seat and give the performers time to prepare to mingle.”
Mutely, I nodded and walked back to my seat beside Davis. Of course, my brother had bought the whole package, including the VIP after party invite. I had the small, studded pin on my lapel to denote that. Jesus, I wanted to follow the siren, that singer who was so hypnotic right then, but I’d have my chance to speak with her again.
At least I hoped so.
***
Davis was smirking at me as we milled around the cocktail area of the theater. I’d checked my Rolex about six times so far, anxious to see the Green Fairy out and among the public. So far, she hadn’t shown, and I was beginning to feel like an overexcited teenage geek with his crush on the homecoming queen. Fuck. I was Ryker Eden, and even though I hadn’t felt the same since Penelope’s death, I was still a billionaire tech genius, a playboy legendary across the globe, and a merciless titan of industry. I didn’t get invested in women, not anymore, and not since I’d lost my wife.
Yet, there was something in those soulful brown eyes I couldn’t shake.
Something that had awakened at least a little of the dead soul inside of me.
“What?” I snapped, putting my wrist down. It had been close to an hour, and some of the acrobats had come out, but the Green Fairy was nowhere to be seen. “You have that gloating look.”
“I don’t gloat. I celebrate.” He tipped his glass to me. “There’s a difference, dear brother.”
“And right now you look like you just won the high school state championships all over again.”
“Or like that time I pulled a hat trick with three of Victoria Secret’s hottest angels,” he reminded me. With his free hand, he poked at my chest. “I knew this would work. I’d been told this was the best show in Vegas, and with the way you’re still on the lookout for the burlesque dancer…for that Green Fairy, then I was obviously right.”
Shaking my head, I glared at my brother. “You’re just confused. Or overconfident. Or both.”
He straightened his lapels. “Ryker, if it’s true, then it isn’t being overconfident. You’re ready for that tight piece of ass, I can tell.”
I clenched my fist at my side. Granted, I wasn’t thinking much different about the Green Fairy dancer. Not in such awful terms, but I definitely wanted to have a date with her, to taste her lips…and let it lead wherever it might. But someone as up his own ass as my brother didn’t have a right to say shit like that about her.
I didn’t even know the woman, but I wanted to protect her. Crazy, I knew, but then again, she had looked at me with those big eyes, sung it felt just for me. She didn’t deserve to be called a tight piece of anything.
“I’d watch what I’m saying.”
“Look, I get it.” He held up his hand, palm flat, while clinging to his beer with the other. “She’s totally all yours, but if she has a few dancer friends, bro, just do me a solid and send them my way. If she has more than one?” he asked, smirking at me. “Then it’s even better.”
I shuddered but tried to keep a neutral expression planted on my face. Six months after my wife had died, I’d given in to Davis’s strategy and approach to life with gusto. At first, I’d been that douchebag dude too. Maybe I still was deep down, but right now as much as I craved knowing more—feeling more from—the dancer who had captured my attention, I wasn’t just out to fuck her. Yes, I would have loved to do so much more than have a lap dance. But hearing Davis talk like that…God, give me the strength not to punch my idiot brother.
At least this time.
“I’ll see if I can talk to her. She probably does this every night with a guy.”
“She did bring your hands out, and I saw her encouraging you to touch more than her shoulders. You could have had so much more going for you, man.”
“My unbroken kneecaps and no bouncer wrath inflicted on them say I had the right idea.”
“Sure, but that ass—”
“Ahem!” the tall emcee called out. The guy was pretentious enough to still have his violet contacts in. I had to roll my eyes at the theatrics, but then again, this was Vegas, and there were tons of show people here. Between the big shows and the literal high stakes, drama ran high in this town. Normally, I tried to stay out of it. “May I introduce again your star of the show, the Green Fairy—Savannah Riley!”
The crowd burst into applause, and my dick jumped to attention as she sidled around from behind the master of ceremonies. This time, she’d changed into a slinky green sequined cocktail dress. It plunged down on her low curves and had a slit to her left hip. It was all very Jessica Rabbit, and every inch of her ample curves filled it out nicely.
Davis chuckled and whispered in my ear, “Sure, you’re not that affected by her, and I’m a priest.”
The woman snaked her way through the crowd with her head held high, but there was something in her eyes, a nervous way they darted about and, frankly, avoided me, that made me think she wasn’t as confident or in control as she wanted the crowd to think. I talked with Davis a bit longer and then made my own tour of the room, talking with the big gamblers I knew and getting a feel for how they though the next big poker match in town would go. We were working in some promotional tie-ins with our app and gaming experience packages. It was always good to keep an ear to the ground.
When Miss Riley snuck out to the veranda, I followed her.
Hopefully it wouldn’t come off as too much, but she’d been the one to pick me out of the crowd anyway. She’d started this, this attraction between us. After all, there were dozens of other high rollers with VIP pins. Miss Riley could have chosen any of us. Or at least that was what I kept telling myself.
“So,” I coughed then t
o let her know I’d stepped out to see her. From the long deck and railing of the theater, you could see everything—the beauty of the neon lights of Vegas, the traffic, and even the patches of desert off in the distance beckoning for more. “You are quite the dancer.”
Even in the dim light, I could see the touch of pink coloring her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Interesting. “I don’t know if I’d always call a few burlesque numbers dancing. I’m glad you liked the show.”
I slid next to her at the railing and leaned against it. “It’s beautiful out here. My company’s in Palo Alto.”
“Ah, tech baron. I know that type.”
I sighed, figuring she’d had every type hit on her by now and more than her fair share of men like my unscrupulous brother. “I spend most of my time here now. Sort of fallen in love with the city.”
She hunched her shoulders at that but then looked up at me, her brown eyes as enchanting as ever. “I feel stuck here sometimes, but I’m glad you liked the show.”
Moving my hand, I rested it over hers on the railing. “I liked more than that.” Then, digging in my pocket with my free hand, I pulled out my card. “Maybe you dance like that for every VIP.”
Her ears were practically scarlet by then, and I knew I’d struck a nerve. “I…it’s not always that powerful, no.”
“Good.” I handed her my information. “That’s my private line. Miss Riley…Savannah,” I slowly enunciated each syllable as the precious sound it was. “I’d really appreciate if you called me. After a dance like that, I feel I at least owe you dinner.”
She frowned but still shoved the card away, tucking it into what I assumed was her strapless bra under her dress. God knew there were no pockets there. “I don’t know if I should. My boss…”
I gazed through the windows and to the emcee who was regaling a corner of the room with his stories; the man gestured wildly as he talked. Theatrical to the end. “I’ll worry about that man. If you want to do more, just some dinner at wherever you like, then call me. I know I’ll be waiting.”
Chapter Three
Savannah
I wasn’t sure what had come over me. The customers—even the VIPs—were just a regular night, nothing and no one I cared about. I did my dance, made small talk at the after party, and did whatever generally made Alan happy to keep the big investors also pleased and the audience coming to see us. But there was something about this man that struck me, something intense. Maybe it was his blue eyes that were as deep blue as sapphires. A strong jaw covered in a pleasing amount of scruff and the hint of a sleeve of tattoos on his knuckles and back of his hand. I wondered how far it stretched under his suit. Of course, gorgeous. He was well cut, and the suit hung off him like he owned it. It struck something in me, a fire deep down that I thought had died out a while ago in between the endless dances and the fake smiles of Las Vegas.
It just was something different.
Didn’t mean that I should seek him out. After the man strode off to meet back up with his friend, I looked discreetly down at the card. Ryker Eden. I swallowed hard. The name was vaguely familiar from the Vegas gossip sites my sister was obsessed with. Ryker had a reputation. Not a good one. One where a new model or showgirl was on his arm nightly, one with a presumed trail of broken hearts strung out behind him.
After Samson, I didn’t want that.
Couldn’t take it.
And yet? Those eyes, those blue eyes that shone like jewels were still haunting me even as the party wound down around me. Sighing, I shoved the card back in the corner of my corset. The damn costume, of course, didn’t have any pockets. It was as revealing as possible while still preserving the burlesque aesthetic. I was used to that too, to feeling like a piece of meat. Being the Green Fairy was a joke, not the type of esteem or respect as a performer I truly craved.
It never would be.
“Ahem,” the familiar voice grated on my nerves like always, but I shoved the biggest, fakest smile onto my face anyway.
“Alan.” My voice was kept low, respectful, but it still took everything I had not to roll my eyes at those stupid purple contact lenses he wore. The show was over, the party had ended, and Alan could go back to being a normal person. But he never wanted to drop the affectation. It was completely and utterly his style, and it never surprised me. Not anymore. “I was just about to head to the dressing room and get changed. I made sure not to get a single drop of anything on the costume, promise.”
“The dance tonight was a bit much.” He shrugged. “Then again, if you’re doing some things to keep the VIPs interested off hours, then I can use the buzz. Ticket sales have slowed just a bit, and we always have to be new and fresh.”
“I’m not for hire.” I spun away from him and stalked back into the theater. “Not like that.”
“I saw Ryker Eden pass you his card. After the dance you gave him, you can’t blame me for thinking you were offering quite a bit more. I also want you to know you have my encouragement. The billions he rakes in? The money he and his brother waste in casinos as whales? He would be a great, ahem, friend to have as an investor.”
I stilled my hand before it dug the card back out of my corset. I should have. There was no business between me and Ryker. I’d danced for him because that was the routine, but damn it, I couldn’t resist that flame he’d ignited in me. Couldn’t escape his sapphire eyes.
“See, that’s what I thought.” Alan watched me as my hand fell back to my side. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. You can pretend to have the dignity, but we both know how girls on the strip are. Shows like this all the way down to the strip teases off the main drag…there’s always that chance to have an extra shot, do a bit of extra ‘dancing’ on the side.” A smirk that made my stomach churn eased across his face. “You never have to tell.”
Stalking down the hall and turning the narrow stairway to my dressing room, I tried to ignore him, but he followed at my heels like a yapping chihuahua. “I’ve just got to get dressed.”
“Meeting him already?”
“No.” I spun around and faced him outside the door to my room. “I just need to get out of here. It’s almost two a.m., and a girl needs her beauty sleep.”
Alan’s stare changed from gloating to cold. “You were late on some of the choreography for the ‘Diamonds’ number. You need to practice more or maybe hope a VIP wants to be a sugar daddy. I tolerate a lot of things, but I won’t have performers who on stage aren’t top notch. Whatever you have to do to be tip-top, do it. Otherwise…there are new girls getting off the bus every day looking to be a star.”
My breath caught in my throat. Surely he couldn’t mean it. I’d made my way in Vegas over the last few years by being the Green Fairy. Much to my chagrin, I had rave reviews under my stage name. I was the damn headliner. There was no way Alan would fire me. Was there?
“What?”
“You heard me.” He reached out and pinched my bicep. “Also, you need to up your outside of practice and performance workouts. You’re looking a bit, well, fat on stage.”
I swallowed hard. I was a size six, but I’d struggled with my weight as a teen. It was a low blow, but I couldn’t even tell if Alan was digging into me to be a dick or if he really was serious. I’d had some stress lately with my sister and maybe snacking more than I should.
More bad news on the damn pile.
Pulling away from him, I wrenched open my door. “I’ve got it all handled, Alan.”
“See that you do. You know, I’ve heard sex is a great way to burn calories.”
I’d rarely had a more satisfying moment than when I slammed the door in his face.
***
“You look beat.”
I frowned and slid into a chair at our kitchen table. Guilt assailed me as I checked my phone. It was almost three by the time I’d gotten cleaned up and drove home from the show. Part of me knew, no matter what my sister Mary said, that she took the night shift—the most risky shift—at one of the biggest pawn shops in t
he city because I had late hours. It was a way for her to make sure we really were sisters and not just ships passing in the night, not just people who shared a domicile but didn’t share a schedule. But it was more than that. It was a way for her to take care of me, make sure I was still safe when I got home late.
My little sister shouldn’t have to do that. After all, I’d worked my whole life to make sure we were safe, had everything we needed no matter how hard I had to scrape for things. I was supposed to be taking care of her.
I smiled and dropped my backpack at the side of the kitchen table. As far as Mary knew, I was a dealer at one of the casinos. Not hard to believe since I’d been a card shark as a kid. There wasn’t much that was too gross about The Bacchanal. It wasn’t like I was a literal stripper, but there was the burlesque aspect to it and, yes, sometimes the male guests got a bit too friendly at the after party. Still, I’d had bigger aspirations once than being the Green Fairy.
I just didn’t want Mary to know.
She’d be so disappointed in me, and the last thing I wanted was to lose my sister’s trust and faith.
“I’m exhausted. My, uh, pit boss was a real dick today.” Not untrue. Alan was still my manager and emcee, and he’d been as big a pain in the ass as ever.
“I’m sorry.” She moved some plates around on the table and picked a large blue one up to offer me a stack of homemade pancakes. “Got off an hour early. Not a bad day. We got some weird Elvis memorabilia in the shop. I mean, the usual guitars and gold jewelry, but this had providence to prove it was some of his actual blue suede shoes. I swear, only in Vegas.”
“Maybe a fan came to get married by a fake Elvis and needed extra money.” I grabbed a pitcher of syrup and dripped it lovingly over my pancakes until they were soggy. Just the way God intended. “Better than the usual jerk antics I put up with.”