by Lacey Wolfe
THE NAKED TRUTH
Copyright © 2013, Lacey Wolfe
Publisher: Southern Girl Press, First Edition
Edited by Tara Chevrestt
Cover by Stanzalone Designs
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.
www.laceywolfe.com
Back Cover Blurb
It’s amazing what one can find in strip clubs…
Josh Carter gets the shock of a lifetime when he shows up at a place of ill repute for a business meeting and sees the one that got away gyrating on the stage. Abigail Reese—the girl with so much potential, the girl that took his heart along with his body one night long ago—what brought her to this level?
Though stripping is not what Abigail set out to do, it’s putting food on the table and a roof over her daughter’s head. But just how much can she reveal to Josh without risking it all?
When Josh causes Abigail to lose her job, she has two choices: come clean about her past and her situation or push him out of her life as quick as he came into it. It’s up to her…only she has to think of her little girl too.
Acknowledgements
Thank you so much to my editor, Tara Chevrestt, for helping me polish this story up. To a wonderful critique partner, Ella Jade, who helped me find the plot holes. My other critique partner, Tamaria Soana, for always being available on gchat when I need a shoulder.
And most of all, to my readers, who make this all worth it. I love to hear from each of you.
The Naked Truth
Lacey Wolfe
Chapter One
Abigail cringed as her hands met the cool metal. She did her best not to look out at the crowd of men, holding dollars in their hands, waiting for that moment they got a shot at the parts she’d been raised to hide.
With her fingers wrapped lightly on the pole, Abigail walked a full circle around it before bending over, her legs straight, giving the greedy gazes a sight of her bottom clad in a dark green g-string. The men hollered and groaned in pleasure, but she knew what she had to do next—wrap her legs around the object of her income and spin. Not many of the women here could do it as well as her, so whenever she came out here, the boss wanted her to perform on it. Though, she supposed it was better than the women who grinded their bodies on the floor.
As her legs wrapped around the object the men so desired to see her on, she closed her eyes and did what she always did while she performed: imagined she was on a tropical island, with a martini in hand, and life was perfect.
By the time her performance was over, she walked topless toward the stage curtain, her tiny g-string filled with dollars. She entered the dressing room and stood in the corner, pulling each of the grubby bills from her body, flattening them in her palm. She laid the pile on her dressing table.
“Great performance,” Jenna, one of the other dancers said as she put on the finishing touches of her make-up.
“Thanks.” It wasn’t hard to have a great performance with horny men who simply wanted to see boobs.
“Don’t be so down. You’re a natural out there.”
Abigail laughed. She couldn’t help it. Oh, the joys of knowing she was a natural stripper. Just what every girl wanted to be raised to do. “The crowd’s really wanting a show tonight. The men I just danced for booed when it took me too long to get my bra off. They’re greedy this evening. But whoever they are, they’re big spenders.”
“Good. I’m up next.” Jenna shook her big round ass, which she was known for, and walked toward the stage door.
Abigail finished counting her money and placed it in her wallet. She pulled out her hand sanitizer. Once she felt somewhat sterile, she went to the bathroom to put on clothes that covered her from head to toe. She always slipped into a pair of sweatpants and hoodie. The soft cotton made her feel safe and hid much of her curves.
Once her station was cleaned up, she grabbed her purse and decided to get the hell out of this place. The exit door was within sight, but then her boss called her name.
“Abby, there’s a man out front requesting you.”
“But, sir, I’m off, remember? My babysitter can’t stay late.”
Mr. Regan smirked. “As much as it shames me to say this, I don’t think he’s looking for a lap dance or any other special treat. He says he knows you and wants to talk to you.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Did he give his name?”
“Just get out there. He’s in room one. He paid for the time, thankfully, so just in case, go in your stage outfit.” He turned and left.
Abigail groaned and then went back to her dressing table. She locked her bag up in her drawer after she stripped out of the comfortable sweats she’d had on. The dancers were never allowed to go out front in regular clothes.
After she gazed at herself in the mirror for a few moments and fluffed her blond curls, she knew she couldn’t put off her visitor any longer. As she walked through the club to the private rooms, she saw Jenna on stage, shaking her ass, the men practically drooling over her. She noted Mr. Regan in a corner talking to a few of the regulars.
She stood in front of room one, took a deep breath, and lightly knocked before opening the door. Her nerves were on edge as she wondered who waited inside. The room was dimly lit with yet another pole in the middle for those customers who wanted private shows. The man’s head was slightly turned to where she couldn’t see who it was. But something in her gut told her she knew him. While she didn’t recognize him from this angle, she had a feeling things were about to change. Abigail wasn’t really sure what to say, so she leaned against the pole and asked in a sultry tone, “What can I do for you?”
He turned and looked at her. Abigail froze. Her mouth dropped open. She knew exactly who it was. She hadn’t seen him in years and he was slightly older now. But it was a face she’d recognize anywhere. In fact, she looked at a replica of it almost every day.
“Josh.” It came out an almost whisper.
He nodded. His expression was cold, not like the last time she’d seen him over four years ago. His hair was a light brown with a few streaks of gray and his dark green eyes bore into her.
“What are you doing here? Did you come looking for me?” she asked, needing to know if his being here was a mere coincidence.
“I’m here on business and when you came on stage, I recognized you. Years ago you were getting your degree to be a lawyer. You were doing so well and I have to say I was quite surprised to see you. So when I came in here, I certainly wasn’t looking for you. What happened? Anything I can do to help?” He patted the seat next to him. “Please sit. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
Abigail did as he requested, but she didn’t answer his questions. Just him being there scared her. She wasn’t sure how much he knew about her and decided it was best to keep quiet. He was a rich man and held a lot of power.
“Did you finish your degree?” he asked.
“No.”
“How come?”
Because I got pregnant and school doesn’t work with a crying newborn. “Life.”
“You’ve got to give me more than that. I’d like to help you. Obviously if you’re working here, you’ve hit a rough patch.” His gaze locked on hers. “I’ve thought about you many times the last few years. I never intended for our evening together to be a one-time thing.” Josh reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. A shiver shot down her spine.
Abigail thought back to that evening. It had been hot and perfect. He’d pleasured her more than anyone else ever had and they connected on so many levels. She’d known he’d wanted more than that one night—he’d been honest about the direction his thoughts were taking—but it had scared her and the next day, she’d left a fake phone number when they’d parted ways. By the time she realized the mistake she’d made, it had been too late, or so, she thought.
“I got scared.”
Josh removed his suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders. “As much as I enjoy the view, I’m not here for that.”
She suppressed the grin she wanted to give him and asked, “Why are you here if you didn’t come to see me?”
Josh was older than her by at least ten years. His life was already established when she’d met him and hers had just begun. She’d kept up with him throughout the years from different news reports and tabloids. It was almost hard not to. Josh Carter was a billionaire. It was one of the reasons why she’d never sought him out. Abigail wasn’t a gold digger and didn’t want to be accused of being one.
“Business, of course. I think that’s my life. The guys I was meeting with are younger and this was the place they wanted to come and for one particular act. The amazing girl on the pole.” He leaned in closer to her ear. “I must say, I was impressed by your act.”
Her heart raced, the result of him being so close. Even after all these years, he still had an effect on her. Biting her bottom lip, she pushed those feelings away and remembered that if he knew her secret, he could take everything from her.
“How about you get dressed and we’ll get out of here? I’d like to catch up,” he suggested.
Hailey crossed her mind and the babysitter who was waiting with her. “I can’t. I have to get home.”
“I understand.” Josh reached into his pocket and took out a card, handing it to her. “Call me. I’ll be in town for the next week and I’d like to chat. Maybe we can meet up for dinner and if you’ll let me, I’d like to help you get back on your feet.”
“Okay, I will.” She stood and began to remove his jacket.
“Keep it. It’s the only way I can ensure I’ll see you while I’m in town.”
“Thank you.” She gazed down at him. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’m doing well and happy, even though this wasn’t the life I initially set out to have.” Abigail didn’t say another word, but left room one and high-tailed it back to the dressing room to change and get home. Josh Carter being in town was either going to be a good thing or a bad. Or maybe it was time she faced the truth and did what was right by Hailey. After all, her daughter deserved better then she had it now.
Chapter Two
Josh sat in his hotel room, staring mindlessly at the television. He had no idea what show played in the background. His mind was on Abigail. He ached to know her story. How was a girl who had her whole life ahead of her now working in a strip joint? And a known act, so she’d been there for awhile. He just couldn’t wrap his brain around it. One thing he did know: he was going to find out and do whatever he had to do to get her away from it.
Picking up his cell phone from the nightstand, he dialed his P.I. He knew it was late, very late actually, but didn’t care.
“Nate speaking.” He answered after the third ring.
“Nate, it’s Josh. Sorry to bother you as this hour, but I need to you to find out information on someone for me.”
“Okay, what did they do?”
“Nothing that I know of. It’s personal. A lost love, I suppose you could say. I want to know why her life took a turn for the worse.”
“Name?”
“Abigail Reese.” Josh didn’t think she was married. Nah, she couldn’t be. She was smart enough not to marry a deadbeat—he hoped. “She’s currently living in a small town in North Carolina.”
“Do you know if she has ever been in trouble?”
Abigail had said her life was good and she was doing well. “Not that I know of. Just a basic check on her. I don’t need her followed twenty-four seven or anything like that. I just want to know her story and how she got to the life she has now.”
“You got it.” Nate yawned. “I’m going back to bed. I should have something to you tomorrow.”
“All right. Thanks. Call me as soon as you have something.” Josh pressed the end button on his phone and then set it back on the nightstand. Hopefully he could get some rest now that he knew he’d have his answers soon.
* * * *
The next day, late in the afternoon, Josh had the answers he’d asked for. Nate called to tell him he hadn’t found much, but was sending over what he had. The printer spit out several sheets of paper. Once it was finished, Josh removed them and took them over to his bed.
As he’d suspected, Abigail hadn’t been in trouble. She lived in a small apartment downtown and had been working at the strip joint for over a year. Before that she had done some bartending and retail work. As far as her schooling, she’d dropped out, according to records, two months after their one night together. How odd.
So far he wasn’t learning much, but that changed when he picked up the last sheet of paper. She had a child. A four-year-old girl to be exact. The child’s name was Hailey and she attended a private pre-school. He stared at the face of the little girl and then his mother came to mind, whose name also happened to be Hailey. What a strange coincidence—or was it? Was it at all possible this child was his? He thought back to their evening and the year. He did the math. He wasn’t sure exactly, but there was a chance, he supposed. But if he was the father, why would Abigail do this alone? He was rich and there was no reason for her to be struggling the way she was. Besides, after all these years she would have contacted him at some point and told him. It wasn’t like he was some sort of monster.
One thing he was sure about was that the child was the reason Abigail had quit school. She must have gotten pregnant around the same time they were together, but whoever the child’s father was, he must have abandoned her. That a man could be so cruel disgusted him.
He picked up his phone and called Nate. “Hey, Nate, it’s Josh again. Did you find out anything about this kid’s father?”
“Everything I found, you have. It wasn’t much.”
Josh gazed at the picture. “I see that. I didn’t expect much. Is there any way you can get into the child’s school records and get a name of the father?”
“That’s illegal.”
Josh laughed. “Has that ever stopped you before?”
Nate also chuckled. “You’ve got a point. I’ll get back in touch soon.”
After the call was disconnected, Josh looked back through the papers for anything he’d missed. But it was pretty cut-and-dry. The only thing missing was information about the little girl’s father. It made him sick though to know what Abigail was doing for a living and it had to be because she was a single mother. He’d never had kids. Always wanted them, but hadn’t found the right woman to settle down with. Years ago he thought that woman might have been Abigail, but she’d just vanished into thin air, until now.
He rubbed his chin and decided he wasn’t going to let her slip through his fingers again. The woman needed him and he wanted her. Abigail deserved to return to school and finish her degree so she could give her daughter the best life. He intended to be there to help. And the first thing he had to do was convince her to stop stripping.
Grabbing his keys, wallet, and phone from the nightstand, he prepared to head to the strip joint to take care of that right then.
* * * *
Abigail kissed her daughter goodbye and thanked the babysitter
as she did every night. This was the longest sitter that Hailey had had since she’d started this job. It was harder than she thought it would be to get someone to stay so late into the night—or early morning. But she paid the sitter well. There was no way she could afford the schooling her daughter was receiving or the babysitter if it wasn’t for stripping. She hated the job, but nowhere else could she make the money she did without a degree.
One day she would return to school. She’d become the lawyer she always dreamed of being and she would always help the little people. Now that she was what people considered a bottom-feeder, she knew how hard it was for them.
She didn’t live far from work. It only took her about ten minutes to get there. She parked in the back as she usually did and went in through the side door. When she entered the dressing room, her co-workers stopped talking and looked at her. She wiped her face and wondered if she had food smeared on it. At her station, she glanced in the mirror, but she looked fine.
Jenna approached her, crossing her arms. “What are you doing here?”
“What do you mean? I’m scheduled tonight, aren’t I?” Crap. Had she looked at the schedule wrong?
“You were, but you no longer work here.”
“What do you mean?” Had she been fired? This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t afford to not work here. And once you got fired from one strip joint, it was tough to get in with another.
“You better go find Mr. Regan.”
Abigail nodded and knew her friend was right. She needed answers. Worse, she was prepared to grovel for her job back if she had to. As she made her way through the front, she looked around for Mr. Regan. Typically if he wasn’t out chatting, then he was in his office. His door was cracked and she could hear him talking with someone. She tapped on the door lightly.
“Come in,” Mr. Regan called.
Pushing the door open, she entered. Across from Mr. Regan sat Josh. What was he doing here again?