Confidence is usually something I have in spades, but when it comes to guys, all bets are off. I become as insecure and unsure as every other girl out there and I hate it. If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t give a fuck. I’d be out there, being Becca and having fun. But I like this guy and that’s a scary position to be in.
Just go out there and be you. If he’s not into that, then he’s not worth it.
Pumped, I march out there and over to the guys. I throw my arms around Jake and kiss him on the cheek. He laughs and raises his eyebrows at me. I glance at Liam, my heart racing when I see his eyes are on the hem of my dress as it rides up my thighs.
“Wondered where you’d got to.”
“Having fun?” I ask him.
“Strangely, I am. Thanks for this, Becs. It means a lot to me that you’d do all of this for me.” I’m about to answer when I look up and see a professionally dressed woman marching toward us, carrying a briefcase.
“Don’t thank me just yet. I think the showcase just arrived.” I grin.
Jake turns around and groans. “You didn’t.”
“What’s going on?” Liam asks.
“I think Jake thought I was joking when I told him the fist was for hitting the ping-pong balls away.” I giggle. “You need to hit fifty percent of what she fires at you, or you’ll suffer the consequences. Come on, Jake. You can do this,” I cheer, letting off a wolf whistle.
Liam chuckles. “If you think that, then you clearly haven’t seen Jake try and hit a ball.”
“What do I get if I win?” Jake asks, narrowing his eyes at me.
I shrug. “I’ll buy you a drink?”
“A drink?” he scoffs. “No, I want something else,” he muses. I frown as his lips part into a wicked grin. “If I win, then you’ll be giving your own little performance.”
What?
I shake my head adamantly. “No fucking way am I putting ping-pong balls anywhere near my—”
“Oh God, no. Trust me, I’d never want to see that,” Jake grimaces. “No. I mean if I win, then you get a lap dance off Ms. Venezuela over there. No!” His eyes light up. “Even better. If I win, you’re giving her a lap dance.”
I start to protest—until I see the spark in Liam’s eyes that makes me want to do it. Amy’s words ring in my head. Maybe this is my best chance…
I shrug and narrow my eyes at him.
“I hope you’re ready to fist some balls.”
Apparently, Jake’s ball handling skills have improved somewhat, because we’re halfway through the show and he’s nearly won our bet already. With every ball he smashes across the room, a cheer erupts and twenty sets of eyes flick to me in anticipation. I don’t doubt that every single one of his friends is hoping to see him win, just so they can witness me make an idiot out of myself—or possibly so they can see my boobs.
I wave down a passing waitress and order another shot. My head is already woozy, but if I’m going to do this, then I’ll need to block everything out.
“I guess that means I win,” Jake says, after he smashes the last ball past my head.
I shake my head, wanting nothing more than to take that fist and shove it down his piehole.
“Where the hell did you learn to hit like that?” I grumble.
“I’ve been playing baseball for the last six months,” he says, shrugging like it’s no big deal.
How did I not know that?
“Come on, Becs. Stop procrastinating and get dancing,” he says. I protest as he drags me over to a large, leather armchair facing away from the stage. It’s the chair that will give the guys the best view of my little show. Garry calls over the stripper and tells her she’s getting a lap dance. She frowns at me and shakes her head.
“Sorry guys, it’s against the rules. I could lose my job.”
I breathe out. Thank Christ for that.
“That’s okay, I’ll do it. I don’t work here, so the rules don’t apply to me.”
I look up and see ping-pong girl smiling at me. She bites her lip, her eyes trailing down over my body. I shiver. What have I gotten myself into? She pushes me back down onto the chair and climbs on top of me.
“No, no,” Jake says, shaking his head. “She’s going to give you the lap dance. That was the deal.”
Ping-pong girl shrugs and gets up. “I’m down with that. Let’s see what you’ve got.”
She sits down while I stand there like a tool, not sure what to do. I try to block out the sound of the guys cheering me on and focus on only her, but fuck, it’s hard. The doubts begin to creep in, until my gaze falls on Liam. The way he’s smirking at me, it’s like he’s expecting me to chicken out. That’s all the encouragement I need to do this. I take a deep breath and flex my fingers as the music starts to play. Ping-pong girl grabs my hand and pulls me onto her lap.
“Just relax,” she whispers in my ear. “It’s easy, just go with the music. You’re turning on guys. They’re not that hard to please. It’s easier than entertaining puppies.”
I smile, her words both relaxing me and giving me confidence.
I can do this. Piece of cake.
The music starts and I’m relieved that it’s a tune I know. I close my eyes and grind my body against hers, running my hands through my hair. I sway softly to the music, rotating my hips to the music. I turn around to face the guys, shivering when her hands roam up over my body, landing on my breasts.
“Hey, how come she gets to touch, but when I do it, I’m forcibly removed?” Garry mutters.
“Because your touching is unwanted?” Jake retorts. “Becca’s obviously loving it.”
I glance at Liam, the intensity he’s looking at me with almost too much for me to handle. I spin around, rubbing my body against hers.
“See, you’re a pro,” she says, smiling at me. “Now you just need to amp things up a little. Pick someone out who you’re attracted to and dance for them. Once you’re turned on, it will all come naturally,” she says.
I nod and stand up again, turning around. I strut from one side of the chair to the other and gently grind my ass into her lap. The guys whistle and cheer me on. Well, most of the guys. Liam seems to be frozen, his jaw clenched almost as tightly as his fists. The way he’s looking at me has my body reacting in ways that I’m not sure I want.
I take a deep breath and reach behind me to lower the zipper on my dress and let it fall to the floor. I kick it aside, thanking God I had the foresight to wear half decent panties. Hell, even my bra matches, which is a once in a lifetime occurrence. My intention wasn’t to actually strip when I started, but now I’m into it, I think what the hell. Just as I’m about to undo my bra, Jake stands up and waves his arm at me.
“Okay, you’re good. You can stop the show now.”
“What are you doing?” Garry hisses, his disappointment echoed by the other guys.
“What?” Jake mutters. “Give her a break, man. You’re in a strip club, for Christ’s sake. You’re surrounded by naked women.”
“Maybe, but none of them are a come close to being as hot as her,” Ben, I think his name is, grumbles. I hide a smile, secretly flattered that they’d rather watch my amateur ass over any of these other women.
“Honey, you’re a natural,” Ms. Venezuela gushes. She’s so tall, I barely reach her shoulders. “Come up here and try the pole,” she says. She tugs me over to the stage and pushes me in front of it. “If nothing else, it will give you a killer workout. Have you done any classes or anything?”
“No, nothing like that.” I giggle. “The most exercise I get is lifting the remote to the TV.”
“Really? You’re in incredible shape,” she marvels.
I glance at Liam again, only this time, she catches me.
“You keep looking at him,” she comments. “Is he your boyfriend?”
I shake my head vigorously. “No way. He’s my professor.”
Her eyes widen. “That’s even better. The way he’s looking at you, he’s obviously interested. He can’t take his e
yes off you,” she adds.
“He is definitely not into me,” I assure her.
“Let’s find out?”
She pulls me in for a kiss before I can respond, literally lifting me off the ground. I’m shocked, not only at the fact that a chick is kissing me, but also at how soft her lips are. She pulls away and grins at me, nodding in Liam’s direction, who, sure enough, looks like he’s about to explode—whether it be with rage or semen, I’m not sure yet.
“Come with me,” she whispers, her blue eyes sparkling. “This will really get him going.”
She grabs my hand and leads me out the back, into one of the private rooms. I bite down on my grin, enjoying making Professor Sullivan a little jealous. So long as I don’t take things too far, there’s nothing wrong with a little teasing.
What could possibly go wrong?
Chapter Five
Liam
I walk back over to the bar, abandon my scotch and order a soda water instead. Drinking too much would not be a good idea, because, aside from the fact that I drove here tonight, I get the feeling that this is going to be much more entertaining if I can actually remember what happened. But then again, maybe remembering is overrated. Becca seems to be taking the opposite approach to me and drinking everything in sight.
I look up and see she’s returned from her private session where God knows what went on. I study her, trying to work out from her appearance alone whether anything happened. I’m not sure whether I’m jealous or turned on at the thought of her fooling around with another woman. Both maybe?
I can’t help but feel this is my fault. I was having so much fun, messing with her head, but maybe I’ve been riding her too hard. I cough and shift my stance, my cock twitching at the thought of riding her at all. I’d be lying if I said this was the first time I’d thought about her like that. Far from it. I rub my eyes and force myself to think about anything other than Becca, bent over my desk, but now it’s there, at the forefront of my brain, she’s all I can think about.
Lifting myself off the barstool, I slowly walk toward where she’s sitting in an oversized leather armchair. The guys sit nearby, cheering on a few dancers who are working the stage. But just as it’s been all night, it’s Becca I can’t take my eyes off.
As she sways her body softly to the music, all I can think about is how sexy it was watching her dance. The other chick might as well have been invisible, because all I saw was Becca. I don’t know what it is about her that has me so mesmerized, but she’s so much more than just a pretty face.
Her confidence and witty remarks are a huge turn on and I love how she doesn’t seem to care what anyone thinks. I mean, any other girl would show some level of embarrassment over meeting their professor in a strip club, but Becca just rolled with it. It’s like seeing me here hasn’t fazed her at all. She glances at me, still keeping up her sway, her eyes narrowing slightly as I sit down next to her.
“It hasn’t bothered you at all, running into me here, has it?” I ask her.
She looks up at me, her lips rolling into a smile.
“You almost sound disappointed by that.”
“I’m impressed, actually,” I say after a moment. “Though I do wonder if you’re really as calm and in control as you appear, or whether that’s just what you want me to think. Maybe underneath all that calm, there’s a fire waiting to erupt?”
“Wow. And I think I just realized how big a cock you really are,” she says.
“Are, or have?” I chuckle when her mouth twitches. “I like you, Becca.”
“Because I say what I think?”
I nod. “Among other things. You speak your mind, no matter what. That’s really hard to find.”
“Yeah, well, my mouth gets me into trouble more often than not,” she admits.
“I bet it does,” I say with a smirk.
I watch her react to my comment with amusement. She’s flustered, so I know I’m getting under her skin, but she has a comeback for everything. I like that she reacts to me. I’m not just saying things to get a rise out of her, either. I mean every word of it. She’s so different, so refreshing than anyone else I’ve met. I’m drawn to her and I want to get to know her more. Being her professor is a complication, but it’s not impossible.
Maybe I should take advantage of it while I can…
My heart pounds as her lips curve into a smile. This is as honest as I’ve been with her all night. Telling her how I feel might be the stupidest thing I ever do, but it feels right. Just as I open my mouth to confess how much I want to get to know her more, Jake’s strangled voice interrupts, killing my chance.
“Becs. Help me,”
I glance over to see Jake’s arms flailing above his head as he struggles to unsmother his face from between a set of very large breasts. Becca laughs as she stands up and saunters over there. She jumps up on the stage, wraps her arm around the dancer’s waist and spins her into her arms. A second stripper quickly joins in from behind.
This display isn’t doing much to cure the thoughts in my head, or the reaction in my pants, but I have to admire her dedication to helping Jake, who has managed to crawl off the stage and collapse into the seat next to me.
The sight of Becca being double grinded is putting me into a bit of a bind. She meets my gaze, a smirk spreading across her lips when she realizes what she’s doing to me, then she starts to really get into it. Is she trying to make me…I shake my head and groan, because that’s exactly what she’s trying to do. And if I keep watching this, it’s going to work.
The guys cheer as Becca twirls off the stage and parks herself in between Jake and me. He throws his arms around her, almost in tears, thanking her for risking her life to save his.
“Relax, Jake. Your life wasn’t in danger. At least, not like it was on your eighteenth.”
Becca giggles as Jake goes bright red. I smile, because now I have to know the story.
“Jake,” I say in my sternest voice. “Tell Cousin Liam what happened?”
He sighs and hangs his head in shame.
“We had this teacher. Her name was Miss Muffy—”
“Muffy?” I repeat with a laugh. “A high school teacher named Miss Muffy?”
“Everything you’re thinking about her is probably right on track,” Becca laughs. “She was this tiny little thing with huge boobs.” I swallow as she grabs hold of her own breasts to emphasize her point. “Who dressed like a playboy bunny. Anyway, the night Jake turned eighteen, we got into my dad’s scotch stash and we had a little too much to drink—”
“I thought scotch tasted like smelly assholes,” I cut in.
She glowers at me. “Just because I drank it didn’t mean I liked it.”
Fair enough.
“So anyway, Becca had the bright idea to play truth or dare,” Jake cuts in, wrapping his arm around Becca. “First question, she has me confessing my crush on Miss Muffy.”
“You and the rest of the male student population,” Becca adds.
“She thought it would be hilarious to use that information and dare me to ride over to Miss Muffy’s house and serenade her.”
“What did you expect when you chose dare?” She laughs. “Of course I was going to abuse it. What kind of friend would I be if I didn’t provide you with embarrassing stories to live down over the next fifty years?”
“You realize that makes no sense, right?” Jake growls. “Anyway, none of that matters now, because it’s payback time.”
“Oooh, should I be scared? You think you can out dare me, or something?” she teases.
“Of course I can. Hell let’s just fuck the truths off altogether.”
“Hey, wait a minute. What happened with Miss Muffy?” I protest.
Becca winks at me. “Let’s just say it wasn’t her ‘curds and whey’ she was eating.”
I cringe. I’ll never look at that nursery rhyme the same way again.
The last time I played truth or dare was back in high school. I try to point out why this is a bad id
ea, but my protests go ignored as Jake rallies his friends together. Most of them are so drunk by now that the only way that this can end is badly.
“You first,” Becca says to Jake, tapping him on the chest. She grabs his phone and sidesteps out of his reach. “I’m assuming dare?”
“What are you doing?” he asks.
Becca smiles sweetly at him. “Making your life hell.” She taps out a message, then tosses the phone to me, a smirk on her lips. “Five minutes, and then you can see what I just wrote to Brooke.”
“No, Becs, that’s playing dirty,” he protests, trying to grab the phone off my lap. I hold it above his head, laughing as I read it.
Jake: It’s me. Please don’t be mad at me, but there’s something you need to know.
“Tell me it’s nothing,” Jake pleads.
“Well, technically, what she wrote is harmless, but Brooke is definitely going to kill you.” I conclude.
“Why? Why are you trying to ruin my life?” Jake groans. He lunges for the phone again, but this time Garry wraps his giant arms around his friend, kissing him on the neck. “Get off me, Garry,” Jake growls.
“You want to see that bad?” I ask, laughing,
I hold the phone up, so he can read the message, and the five that follow it from Brooke, who is naturally freaking out.
“Five minutes,” Becca says with a grin. “Then you can reply. That’s your dare.”
“Seriously?” Jake groans. He covers his face with his hands. “Brooke is going to murder me.”
As if on cue, his phone starts ringing, and it doesn’t stop for the next five minutes. Finally, his time is up. He fumbles the phone, trying to answer it.
“Br. Yes, it was nothing. Just the guys playing a j—” He pauses and curses. “I know. No, calm down…No, of course not. Yes. She’s here.” He glares at Becca, then stalks outside, still trying to get more than a word into the conversation.
“That was mean.” I say. “You must really hate Brooke.”
Comfort Zone (Awkward Love Book 4) Page 4