by Alice Ward
Still, I sat back and enjoyed the show. Brandon and I threw money at the women while they entertained us. We watched while each woman made the rounds to the main stage. The music was lively and upbeat. In my drunken haze, I felt it in every single bone. My entire body vibrated with energy and excitement. Brandon had been right; this kind of night was exactly what I needed. After just a few hours away from my apartment, I already felt better about everything. I knew I could handle anything my father threw my way.
“You were right,” I said to Brandon. “This is exactly what I needed, man. Thanks for bringing me out.”
“It’s my job.” Brandon shrugged. “Besides, there is no problem that can’t be solved by a few drinks and hot women.”
“I’ll drink to that,” I said, holding up my glass. Brandon clinked his own against it, and I took a long sip. I finished the glass and tapped it on the table. Brandon patted my back and pointed to a new stripper on the main stage.
My gaze traveled over her body in appreciation. For the first time that night, I wondered if it ever bothered these women to be stared at. Horny men traipsed in and out of the club nonstop and spent entire nights just watching them. Lusting. Jacking off later to their memory. I couldn’t imagine stripping would be an enjoyable profession. I wondered if any of the strippers I watched on the stage wished I wouldn’t. If they looked at me while I gaped at their bare breasts and silently hated me for it.
Just thinking about the possibility made me turn my head away. I looked at Brandon and then at the other patrons, my eyes traveling over each person in the club, never landing on one person for too long.
Until her.
Sitting alone on a barstool, I could barely see her face from my seat, but I could make out most of her profile. Her long auburn hair hung loosely over her shoulders in soft, natural waves. I was instantly captivated by the sight of her. From what I could see, her face was delicate. She looked young, but not naïve. There was something about the set of her shoulders that told me she’d been through a lot. She looked hardened but also exceedingly kind.
I watched her for a few minutes, careful to look away when she glanced in my direction. I was certain she hadn’t seen me yet, but I wanted her to. As I watched, I became more intrigued by her. When she tucked her long hair behind her ears, I found myself wanting to do it for her. She leaned forward, smiling at the bartender, and my stomach did a flip. I could only see half of her face, but her smile was gorgeous. In that moment, I knew I had to talk to her. Whatever else happened that night, I couldn’t leave the club without discovering her name.
“Hey,” I said to Brandon. “I’ll be right back.”
Brandon waved me away without a word. He was too busy ogling the strippers to care about my whereabouts. I chuckled to myself and stood up slowly. I was drunk, too drunk, but I could still walk and think straight. I’d successfully picked up women when I was drunker than this, so I felt immensely confident as I walked her way. I stuffed my hands in my pockets as I approached. This was something I always did. It made me seem nonthreatening.
I walked up behind her and thought about lightly touching her shoulder, but as I reached out my hand, someone shoved between us. My arm was knocked away, and I stumbled slightly. I cursed under my breath, but when I looked back at my prize, her back was still to me. She didn’t seem to have noticed anything going on behind her. I took a deep breath and decided it would be better to sit down beside her. Silently, I slid onto the barstool to her left and put my arms on the bar. She glanced in my direction but didn’t speak.
I let the silence linger in the air between us for a few minutes. I ordered a drink and sipped on it slowly, not even looking in her direction. Her eyes were on me, though. I could feel them. I wanted her to become curious about me before I spoke. She was my goal for the evening, and I knew exactly how to succeed.
Finally, I turned to face her. My eyes locked on hers, and I was taken aback by how green they were. I blinked and smiled, genuinely pleased.
“Hi. I’m Talen.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Dani
Madison took me to the strip club where she worked. She often bounced between clubs, but this was her main place of employment. I didn’t approve of her job, but I knew better than to pass judgment. Madison’s life hadn’t been easy, and she did what she had to do to make ends meet. I admired her more than most people, and I knew she wouldn’t work as a stripper forever. As soon as she finished her degree, she would find a new job doing something more respectable. That night, I sat at the bar while she worked and avoided talking to anyone.
The bartender kept my glass full, and I pounded back drinks faster than I had in years. I ordered round after round, letting the alcohol drown my emotions. I still felt angry over my breakup with Perry and heartbroken about my mother, but I refused to let myself think about those things.
Instead, I made casual conversation with the bartender and spent the evening getting drunk. Every so often, I glanced around the club, taking in the scene. Men were littered around the stage, all staring wide-eyed at the strippers.
My eyes fell on Madison, and I waved at her. She blew me a kiss and continued dancing around the pole. I smiled and turned back to the bartender. He handed me another drink, and I nodded my thanks. As I sipped, I tried not to think about how crazy my weekend had become. For years, I avoided going out. I hadn’t spent a night in the city in almost three years. Now, I was getting plastered in the middle of a strip club. I laughed at myself and downed yet another drink. My head got fuzzier by the second.
I still couldn’t believe Perry. Part of me wondered about the other woman. Who was she? Where was she from? Was there ever really a business meeting out of town? Or was he just sneaking away to see her? How long had they been seeing each other? Why didn’t he just end things with me right after he met her? What made him stick around when he knew he didn’t want me anymore? These questions and more swirled around my already hazy mind. I shook my head and tried to force them away, but they kept coming at me with a vengeance.
As the night progressed, I knew I would be sick the following morning. I thought about slowing down, but I was having fun. Just sitting alone at a bar made me feel happy again. I felt independent and strong, like I didn’t need Perry or anyone else. For the first time in a while, I began to feel good about myself. I remembered Madison’s praise over my latest painting, and I smiled into my glass. She really loved that painting, and I thought I knew why. I hadn’t let any preconceived notions interfere with my art. I just painted. And it worked.
I was busy marveling over the memory of that painting when someone slid onto the barstool beside me. I glanced over to see a man about my age with thick black hair and the lightest blue eyes I’d ever seen. Frowning, I turned away from him. The bar was mostly empty. There were a ton of empty seats. Why did he have to sit down right beside me? I knew I should feel uncomfortable, but I didn’t. He was attractive, incredibly attractive. Still, tonight wasn’t about meeting guys. It was about me.
When I looked at him again, he turned to face me. His eyes locked on mine, and I blinked. They were so blue that I immediately lost my train of thought. Moments before, I was ready to tell him to buzz off, but I suddenly forgot my plan.
“Hi. I’m Talen.”
I pulled myself back to reality. I shook my head slowly, laughing softly. Looking away from him, I took a long sip of my drink. When I set it down, I turned back to face him.
“I’m not interested,” I said firmly.
He lifted a brow. “In what?”
“You.” I waved a hand between us. “This. Whatever this is.”
“This is a conversation,” he said, totally unfazed. “At least, I hoped it would be.”
“Why?” I spun around so that my body faced him directly. We were sitting close, far too close for two strangers. “What’s your goal?”
He laughed. “My goal? What do you mean?”
“I’m a girl sitting alone at a bar,” I said slowly. “Y
ou’re a guy who just happened to come sit down beside me. I’m not an idiot.”
He smiled, revealing a dimple that seemed to wink at my clit. “No. You certainly aren’t.”
I opened my mouth, ready to argue when I realized what he just said. Quickly, my lips fell back together, and I narrowed my eyes. I didn’t know what to say. I was ready to challenge him until he left me alone, but his words took me by surprise.
“I’m impressed,” he said, surprising me again.
“By what?” I asked with a frown.
“You.”
In spite of myself, I was curious. “What do you mean?”
He lifted a shoulder. “You challenged me. Most women don’t.”
I picked up my drink and took a sip. “It’s not that hard.” I tried hard not to smile, but there it was, spreading across my stupid face.
He laughed, and it was a deep, sexy sound. “No. It’s not, but so few actually try. Most women are just pleased that someone is talking to them.”
“Not me,” I said under my breath. “Not tonight.”
“Guy trouble?” I looked at him sharply, and he lifted his hands, palms out. “Hey, we don’t have to talk about it. I was just asking.”
I took a longer drink this time and signaled the bartender for another. “Yeah. Guy trouble. Life trouble. Whatever.”
“What happened?”
I looked at him, trying to figure out his motives. If he was trying to sleep with me, he wasn’t going about it the right way. Asking me to talk about my relationship troubles wasn’t exactly the best way to get into my pants. I wondered if I should excuse myself, but something kept me cemented to my barstool.
“Just got dumped,” I said simply. “After five years together, he told me he met someone else.”
Talen winced. “Ouch. That’s rough.”
“Yeah.” I nodded. “It is.”
“What’s your name?”
I considered lying, but those blue eyes seemed to beg for the truth. “Dani.”
“Well, Dani,” Talen said. “I’m sorry about your boyfriend.”
“Shit happens, right? That’s why they invented alcohol.”
Talen laughed and raised his glass. He finished it in one gulp, and an idea occurred to me. If he liked to be challenged, then he would love what I had in store for him.
“Two shots of tequila,” I called out to the bartender.
“What?” Talen asked with wide eyes.
I shrugged. “Shots. What? Something wrong?”
“I don’t do tequila.” He shook his head firmly. “Anything else, but not tequila. Not anymore.”
The word did make him appear a little green. “Have a bad experience?”
“You could say that.”
The bartender set our shots down in front of me, and I slid one over to Talen. I picked up mine and held it close to my lips. I grinned at him flirtatiously and waited to see if he would join me. When he didn’t, I leaned closer to him. “Don’t be a pussy, Talen,” I said with a laugh. “It’s just tequila.”
I didn’t know what had gotten into me. The way I was acting was so unlike me, but I loved the confidence coursing through my veins. I loved the way it felt to flirt and challenge a new man. Talen’s blue eyes were enough to keep me interested, and the tattoos peeking out from beneath his shirt didn’t hurt either. I’d been annoyed with him at first, but now, I wanted to keep him around for a little while.
“Okay.” Talen’s eyes fell to my lips. “If you insist.”
He picked up the other shot glass and raised it. I followed suit, and we both took down our shots smoothly. I slammed my shot glass down on the bar and gestured for another.
Talen laughed and shook his head. “You’re insane.”
“I can be.” I grinned, and for the first time, I thought maybe I could. At least for one night. What would it hurt?
“Whoever that boyfriend is… he’s an idiot.”
“Why are you here?” I asked. I absolutely didn’t want to talk about Perry. “Drowning your sorrows too, or just enjoying the many pairs of breasts?”
“Both,” Talen admitted. “My buddy dragged me out tonight. It was his idea to come here.”
“Where is he?” I asked, glancing around. Talen pointed to a drunk guy hanging off the main stage. He was whooping and hollering at the strippers and throwing money in the air every few seconds. I laughed and shook my head. “He seems to be having fun.”
Talen laughed. “Brandon always has fun.”
“Sounds like my friend Madison. She works here.”
I pointed to the stage where Madison was spinning around the pole. Talen glanced at her but didn’t stare. Madison was gorgeous and currently topless, so I wouldn’t have blamed him if he lingered, but he didn’t. When he immediately turned his attention back to me, I moved closer to him.
“What are your sorrows, Talen?” I asked softly. His eyes flickered to my lips for a fraction of a second before he answered, causing my stomach to do a crazy little dance.
“Daddy issues,” he said. “My father is a royal jackass, and I needed to get away from him for a while.”
He looked so sad and angry, I reached out and touched his hand. “What did he do?”
“Nothing worth discussing,” Talen said, his eyes sliding away from mine. “Let’s just say, he sank to a new low.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I leaned even closer to him. It was like a hand was on my back, pushing me toward him. I didn’t know what I was doing, and all the alcohol in my system was making my judgment hazier than ever.
Talen looked sexy. While he spoke, that was all I could think about. His eyes were so intense, and his lips looked delicious. I thought about leaning over and kissing him, but I forced myself to relax. I was just drunk. It was the alcohol giving me these wild impulses, not my true desires. If I had been sober, I never would have considered kissing him.
Still, as morning came closer, Talen and I stayed at the bar talking. We each downed a few more shots of tequila before everything became blurry. The room was spinning, and I knew I’d more than reached my limit. I couldn’t think or see straight, but I continued to stare at Talen, like he was the only thing in my entire world that was steady. We laughed and talked about anything we could think of. It felt amazing to just let loose and laugh uncontrollably. The next morning, I wouldn’t remember anything we talked about, but right now, it didn’t matter.
While we talked, we shifted closer together. Talen’s hand was resting on my thigh, and I kept rubbing his arm gently. He was muscular without being beefy. I was drunk and horny, so when I leaned over to press my lips against his, I let my body take over. Talen pulled me against him. I slid off my barstool and wrapped myself around him while our lips moved furiously against each other’s. Talen’s tongue tasted like tequila, and it mingled with mine deliciously. I moaned against his lips when he tightened his grip on me, sliding his hand down to squeeze my ass.
I tangled my fingers in Talen’s hair. He used styling gel, and it crunched in my hands, giving me something else to feel. I ran my fingers down his neck, giving myself over to my desires. I didn’t think. I didn’t analyze. I just reacted. Kissing Talen felt like coming up for fresh air. After five years with Perry, I needed a night with a man like Talen. He made me feel free in a way Perry never could.
We kissed and kissed, stroked and gasped. We held each other close even as I grew very sleepy. Very tired. So very very relaxed.
And as the world grayed out around me, then turned black, Talen’s lips were still on mine.
CHAPTER NINE
Talen
I wasn’t a stranger to hangovers. In all my years of drinking, I’d had my fair share of horrible mornings, but this was the worst hangover of my life. When I woke, my throat was on fire. My head felt like it had been split open, and my stomach churned miserably, like it had a pulse of its own. I immediately felt the urge to vomit but swallowed it down. I couldn’t move, and I could barely breathe. My heart raced as I tried to
piece together the events of the previous night.
The last thing I remembered was being in the strip club. I met some girl at the bar. Dana? Or Dena? I couldn’t remember. With my eyes closed, I could almost picture her face, but it was blurry. She had reddish brown hair and green eyes. Or maybe brown? I tried to focus more intently, but it was no use. I couldn’t remember anything. I groaned and put my hand on my forehead. My head felt sweaty, and I was instantly nauseated again. With a lot of effort, I pushed myself up and slowly opened my eyes.
Squinting against the sunlight, I blinked hard. Every cell in my body protested my change in position. The second I sat up, my stomach lurched, and my back began to ache. Opening my eyes had the same effect. My head hurt worse than ever. I leaned back against a pillow and tried again to open my sensitive eyes. When I did, I slowly began to look around the room.
I could tell I was in the penthouse suite, but I didn’t know which hotel. The bedroom was huge and ornate. Moving my head as gingerly as possible, I looked to my left and saw my clothes thrown across the room.
With a frown, I glanced down at my body. I wasn’t naked, but I only wore boxers and I needed to piss like a racehorse. Inch by inch, I slid from the bed, expecting to hurl at any moment. It wasn’t until I was fully upright that I noticed the lump of sheets on the other side of the bed was moving.
Shit.
As if I were a thousand years old, I walked around the bed so I could get a better look. And hell, it was the girl from the strip club. The side of her face was pressed into a pillow, and her mouth hung wide open. I stared at her, trying desperately to remember what happened. My mind was a blank. I couldn’t remember anything past laughing my ass off with her. Then kissing her. Then… what?
Dani. Just like that, her name sprang into my head.
“Oh, my god,” I groaned, pressing both fists to my temples and sitting down again. “What the fuck happened last night?”
I spoke softly, not wanting to wake her up yet. The bedroom door suddenly swung open, and Brandon stepped inside. He was frowning and looked to be hungover too. He looked from me to Dani and then back again, but I only shook my head. I didn’t know what to say. Brandon’s appearance surprised me more than anything else. He was dressed, head to toe, in an Elvis impersonator costume. He even had a wig plastered to his head.