by Vicki Green
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Vicki Green Copyright 2014©
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form with authorization of the Author Vicki Green©
Editor: Kathy Krick @K2 Editing:
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*Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
“Another truly fantastic read from Vicki. A gripping read that had me reading this in one sitting.”
—Philomena Callan
“This book grabbed me and there was no putting it down until the very last word was read.”
—Joy Whiteside
“This book completely blew me away!! Vicki has such an amazing talent that she continues to up her game EVERYTIME she writes! “
—Jessika Harper
“Just when I thought I had a favorite book by this author (Soul-Mates Forever) she ups the stakes and steals my heart all over again.”
—Quimataz Quimataz
“I felt the tenderness and love from each of them when helping each other through the nightmares. I was LIVING it! It took hold of me and didn’t let me go.
I cried for her, then I cried for him.”
—Sue Ward
“There is no way you will not be "Touched" with this book!”
—Jasmine Cardi
Touched
What your body desires
Your heart can’t have
By
Vicki Green
Jade Morley was not your average stripper. Her rules. Her way. No sex. Touching only. Her life revolves around being Sexy Lady, a DJ in the early morning hours, and Stripper Angel at night, when her life becomes one with no emotions, no heart and no soul until one night he walks into the club.
Knox Dunway has one thing. Money. Millions. Women throw themselves at him every day and he takes what he wants, when he wants, but there’s no feeling, no love and no commitment. He wants more. Growing tired of trying to find ‘the one’ he walks into a strip club one night and everything changes.
Will Jade ever give in to her heart or will her survivor instincts always win?
CHAPTER ONE
“No sex! I’m not going to tell you again or I’ll get Dirk. Now stop!” Night after night it’s the same thing. Men request me, come to my private room and basically attack me. The rules are clearly outlined before they can even enter my room, but obviously, they don’t pay attention. I suppose it doesn’t help that my rules are different than all the other girls here, but they’re simple really.
NO SEX!
ONLY TOUCHING!
NO BEATING OR ABUSE!
How hard can that be to absorb? Evidently pretty damn hard when you’re drunk or stoned out of your gourd. Oh, well. It’s good money, and I need it to survive. Two a.m. finally gets here, and I change my clothes quickly, lock up my room and head out of the club towards 18th street where my next job awaits. I open the door to the radio station, take the elevator to the tenth floor and walk into the booth. Jimmy winks, gives me the thumbs up, and I barely sit down, put my headphones on and I’m on the air.
“Good evening, my friends and how are we tonight?” I’ve always been told my deep, raspy voice is the sexiest people have ever heard, but I don’t hear it. I guess it’s true that we don’t sound the same to ourselves as what others hear. “What should we talk about tonight? What’s your pleasure?” Ok. Sometimes one job runs into the next, but hey, it works. All the lights on the phone board light up at once and I can bet they are all men callers. My index finger presses on the first lit button, my long red polished nail glistening, and I clear my throat. “Sexy Lady here. What’s your pleasure?”
“I, um… Well, I kind of like when the woman’s in charge. You know… Giving me what she wants,” a small voice answers.
Rolling my eyes and trying to stifle a laugh, I collect myself. “Well, now. That’s perfectly fine and there are quite a few women out there who like to take charge and that’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
“Ye… Ye… Yes, but my wife… Well, she doesn’t like to take charge so I have no idea what to do?” He answers quietly.
“Ah, well. I’m not a Psychiatrist but there is counseling available out there that maybe you and your wife can go to. I hope everything works out and you get what you want. Thank you for calling.”
I sigh and push the next button. “Sexy Lady here and what’s your pleasure?” Silence. Again? Looking up at the clock, I see only a half an hour has slowly crept by. This is going to be a long night. Yawning, I tap my long fingernails on the desktop and wait. The voice that emanates through the speaker causes me to sit up straight, my heart starts to pound and my legs cross, pressing against the ache that develops quickly. It is the sexiest voice I’ve ever heard in my life.
“I want you.” Silence.
Just hearing his voice is making me wet. Damn, and I just started my shift. The silence is thick, so I gather my thoughts, close my eyes and then reopen them. “Oh, that’s so sweet but I’m not available and I don’t get together with my callers. I’m sorry but I’m sure there’s someone out there just for you.” I’m about to push the next button when I hear his voice again.
“I want you.” Silence.
The biggest lump is in my throat. I think it’s my beating heart, but finally, I swallow and push the button to end the call. What the hell just happened? I’ve never reacted like that from just a voice. A voice that sent shivers down my spine and hot flames throughout my body. Oh, hell no! I am so not giving in to a voice. I’m startled out of my burning thoughts when the voice from a speaker shouts at me.
“You okay in there, Jade?” Jimmy’s voice booms in the booth. I wipe the sweat from over my upper lip, nod and flip the intercom switch.
“Uh… Yeah, I’m cool, Jimmy.” Shakily, I press down the next caller button, taking a deep, shuddering breath and pray the rest of my night goes by quickly.
It’s seven a.m., and I’m walking down the street heading home, but stop off at the corner market for a few items. I can’t live without my coffee, skim milk, fruit and yogurt. Hey, I’ve gotta keep this body up somehow and with working two jobs and very little sleep, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Thank God the market is just two doors down from my apartment and living on the third floor and walking up all the stairs adds to my exercise. Once I’ve gotten all my things from the store and get into my apartment building, I turn the key into the four locks, push open the door, and close it with my foot, relocking them all. I really lucked out getting this place when I first got on my feet financially. It takes up the entire third floor and is very posh. Of course, I helped by repainting the walls, buying very nice furniture and wall hangings. Yeah, it took me quite a while to do all that because buying this apartment took my life savings in the first place, but the tips at the club are substantial and the extra money at the radio station more than adds up quickly. Walking into the kitchen and unloading my goodies I begin to put them away when my phone rings. Bent over putting things away in the fridge, I look over and start to get up to answer it, but it stops ringing. Well, damn. As I begin to make my coffee the answering machine turns on.
“Jade, I know you’re there! I just saw you a few minutes ago walk into the building. Pick up, sexy!” My eyes can’t help but roll up into my hea
d at the sound of Amber’s voice. I walk over quickly, pick up the phone and hit the answer button.
“I’m here, girly. What’s up?” My voice sounds as tired as I feel. Cradling the phone between my shoulder and ear I head over as the coffee maker finishes, reach up to the cabinet next to it, grab a coffee cup and pour some heaven into it. My eyes close as I take the first sip and savor it.
“Nothing. I just think I know who your mystery voice is.” Well, that got my attention. “On my way up!” The dial tone is loud in my ear, so I hit the ‘end’ button, walk over and hang up the phone. I met Amber when I bought this place about a year ago, and we became fast friends, which is really saying something since I never let anyone really know me. Well, she knows as much as I want her to know, but let’s just say she knows more than anyone else. I’m a survivor, and she’s too sweet for her own good and younger, not quite twenty one yet, but we take care of each other. I’ve never really had a best friend. Hell, I’ve never really had a friend, but Amber, I love her like a sister. That’s saying a lot since I don’t love anyone. Most of the time not even myself.
Coffee cup almost to my lips, my head turns when I hear all the locks on the door moving. We’d exchanged keys to our apartments just in case of an emergency. It wouldn’t be because of me having anyone over and needing help because no one ever comes here, this is my refuge, my safe haven, but it’s good in case someone from the club were to follow me home. That thought gives me shivers. By the time I take one big sip of my coffee Amber comes in the door and then turns, locking them all securely. Even though we’re in a better part of town, we don’t trust our luck to anything. She walks straight to the kitchen, throwing her keys on the breakfast bar and plops down on a bar stool. “Girl, I thought you’d never get home. You look tired. As usual, I’m up for the day and it’s about your bedtime. Oh, well. Oh, cookies!” She reaches in the cookie jar, takes a cinnamon cookie out and takes a huge bite. “Hmmmm, damn that’s good.”
Chuckling, I reach in and take one myself, biting into the cinnamony goodness. “Ok, baby girl. What’s the scoop? I’m dying to hear. I’m in need of a bath and at least four hours of sleep.”
Jumping off the stool, she walks to the cabinet, grabs a glass and helps herself to the milk in the fridge. “Ugh! Skim milk, again? You could indulge ya know. It’s not like you have any chance of getting fat with that killer body.” She chugs half the glass and gets back on her perch, setting the glass down on the counter and takes another bite of her cookie. “Ok,” she starts with a mouthful. I lean my hip against the bar and wait while she chews, swallows and takes another drink. There’s one thing about my girl, she’s slow but sure. “Well, Ricky said he saw someone follow you from the club to the station like twice now. Don’t get alarmed. You know Ricky’s just keeping an eye on you but just so you know, he told me that your mystery man is the hottest, sexiest looking guy he’s ever had the pleasure of eyeing.” My spine stiffens at the word ‘follow’, but I relax a little at the mention of Ricky keeping an eye out for me. He lives in our building too, on the second floor, right below me, an ex-marine and ex-police officer, retired. No, he’s not gay. Lost his wife a few years ago and says he’s not interested anymore, but he likes a good looking man or woman, just to look at. Strange, I know. Now, because he gets bored too easily he keeps an eye on Amber and me, says it’s his pleasure and a home cooked meal every once in a while is payment enough. Who am I to argue?
My body shifts as I lean my elbows down on the bar, taking another cookie, and knowing I’ll be paying for these treats later at the gym. “Well, hottest and sexiest? Sounds intriguing. Not interested.” I bite into the goodie, closing my eyes and wishing I could eat like this all the time.
“Dammit, Jade. You’re the sweetest, most deserving person I know. I know you act tough and all that but you need someone in your life, someone who will cherish and love you.”
“Look. I don’t need that in my life. It’ll only turn out bad. That’s my life, it always does and there’s no stopping it. I won’t give my heart away for heartache. Not this girl. Now go. I need a bath in the worst way and my few hours of sleep so I can hit the gym before I have to work.” My hands start shooing her as she leaves her seat and heads for the door.
“You’ll disappear as much as you don’t eat and work out not to mention all the hours you work with hardly any sleep. You’re gonna collapse. You mark my words,” she grumbles as she exits the door. I laugh as I close it, click all the locks and head to the bathroom. What a day! As I lay in the tub full of lilac salts, my heart feels heavy and my mind full of things I can’t have. Sometimes what your body desires, your heart can’t have. That’s been my motto for longer than I can remember. I sigh and lean back, my head against the top of the tub and close my eyes.
§ § § §
I’ve lived alone all my life, and that’s the way I like it. My busy work life dictates that I have very little time for anything else, but I do allow the occasional sexual interaction. I am a man after all. A man with needs. But I never get attached, never let any woman spend the night, and I never, ever, hold them in my arms afterwards. Never. Why? Could it be because I’ve never found the right one? No, not really. Women throw themselves at me on a daily basis, but not just for my body, more for my millions. I trust no one. Ok, I did love a girl once, a little girl, a long time ago, but she disappeared one day and I’ve never seen her again. I took that as I sign that I would never have her, and my heart broke. I won’t let that happen again.
I own the most successful graphic design company in the United States. I started from the bottom up at the age of eighteen and after ten years and a lot of hard work, I bought it and made it what it is today. Not only am I the best at graphic design, but I have a savvy head for business. I work mainly from my penthouse apartment, but I do go into the office for board meetings and such, but they bore me to death.
Three weeks ago, I was tired of being in my apartment and took a walk, something I don’t do very often as my overall caretaker, Ralph, hates it when I leave on my own but the walls were shutting in on me. He takes care of my house, drives me everywhere and worries about me, all the time. Then there’s Emerson, who is actually my bodyguard. He doesn’t like it when I go out alone either.
I ended up a block over from my apartment building, and as I passed the neighborhood gym, my feet jolted to a stop when my eyes landed on the most perfect woman in the world through the front glass window. Her lips full, with her long, blonde hair and her bright blue eyes. Perfection and her body? My mind could immediately imagine her perfect body underneath mine, my hands full as they squeeze her more than adequate sized breasts and my rock hard cock moving in and out of her wet pussy so eager to come inside of her. I shake those ludicrous thoughts from my head when I watch her jump off a treadmill, dab her brow with a small towel and walk away. Turning towards the door, I walked in, headed straight for the front desk and paid for the elite membership. Ok, so I have my own private gym in my penthouse and at the age of twenty eight, I’m in tiptop shape. Women are always telling me how I could be a model, with my looks and great build, but getting out every now and then is a good thing. And I may have tipped the attendant something a little extra to find out when she works out, however, they said they couldn’t provide me with her name, but I have no doubt that I’ll find out.
Since then, I must say I’ve become a little obsessed with her. If at any time I don’t know where she is I send Ralph. I’ve learned she works at the radio station on 18th Street as a disc jockey from two thirty in the morning until seven. She doesn’t sleep more than three or four hours during the day. She likes coffee and yogurt, and works out daily from two in the afternoon until three or three thirty. She never leaves her apartment unless it’s to work, to grocery shop or to workout, and she works at a strip club on 21st Street, but I haven’t figured out what she does there yet. Yet. Ok, I’m more than obsessed. But this is the first time my heart has ever skipped a beat being near someone. The first time m
y arms have ever wanted to hold someone, truly to want someone to fill my loneliness and the first time I’ve ever cared enough to want to be a one woman man. I want it all. I want her. Tonight I believe I need to pay a visit to the club.
I arrive there around eleven o’clock and step inside to find the place is packed. I’ve known about this place for several years, but since I could have pretty much any woman any time I needed, I never thought to visit. After paying the cover charge, I walk to the bar and order a tall glass of iced water in which the bartender gives me a perplexed look to which I give one back telling him I won’t explain my reasons. Scanning the room my eyes land on two half naked women dancing on a small stage. The floor lights up with various colors as one of them writhers her body up and down a pole, the other woman touching her suggestively. The men and even a few women sitting at tables around the platform are all staring. One woman is licking her lips and a man is obviously adjusting himself.
I notice someone moving on the far left of the room. My eyes shift immediately and see her. My heart begins to race, the warmth enveloping my body and my cock twitches. Her beauty is mesmerizing, but I must stay alert, controlled. Her walk is graceful, sexy as she moves down the small aisle by the wall. My blood begins to boil when she stops in front of a man who’s leaning against the wall. A long red fingernail pushes against his shirt, sliding down his chest and the look of lust burning, glaring in his eyes. Grabbing my water from the bar I walk quickly across the room, down the aisle until I’m right beside them. Without a second thought, my hand grabs her upper arm. Her head snaps to me, her eyes wide, but then slowly changes into a glare. She looks back at the other man, shrugs her shoulders, then looks back at me. Her luscious, full lips turn into a crooked smile as she cocks her head towards the door at the end of the aisle, and I allow her to guide me there, her arm still in my hand.