by Hart, Sadie
Gabriel nodded. “You could say that. I’m actually looking for a job.”
Another grin. “I already said I’d hire you. How much?”
His breath caught in his chest as he fought back nerves and the instinct to run far away from this man… “Not like that.”
“Aww, you’re no fun. I promise you’d like it.” A thoughtful pause. The man stroked his tongue over the metal of his lip ring. “But I suppose I could help you out. How much you need?”
“You’re going to let me dance?”
“Babe, if it was up to me, you could dance all day long. But I’m not Butch and he’s not here ‘til seven. Still, he has no say about who I hire. How ‘bout I pay you for a private viewing? You, me, and a bottle of Calixthe.”
“I don’t drink.”
“I do.” He flashed a brilliantly white smile, then stuck out a hand. Gabriel looked at it for a moment before gripping it in a shake. His grip was firm and cool to the touch, but not cold, not anything like Jeremie. “Urban Winters, striptease extraordinaire. And you?”
“Just Gabriel.”
“Well then, Gabe-babe, whaddaya say we slip behind closed doors and get the party started?”
The bouncer rolled his eyes with a grunt. “At least you’re going behind closed doors this time,” he muttered, waving one of his many hands and ambling towards the bar.
“Love you too, babe!” Urban called after him with a whistle. Gabriel’s stomach did a nervous flop. He was so…out there. Outrageous. Exuberant and carefree, like a child who’d never been scolded before in his life.
He slid his gaze across Urban’s torso, tracing the glimmer of scales lying across his skin. Sure, he was aware of the Shifters—Jeremie had kept a few of them as slaves—but what was Urban? Snake? Wyvern? His gaze skimmed downwards, to the low cut of his too-tight pants, to the trail of pale hair disappearing beneath the hemline.
Urban’s pallid grey eyes met his, amused. “White viper, baby,” he said, one hand sliding down his hip and the other reaching out to Gabriel. “One hundred percent natural, no bio-genetic mutations involved.” His palm stretched toward him, slender fingers waiting. “Don’t you trust me?” His voice was nearly a whisper.
“I don’t trust anyone,” Gabriel said just as softly, his heart doing double-time as he watched the other man smirk. Anger boiled in his gut at Urban’s silent laughter and he all but slapped his hand into the man’s waiting palm. Giving the snake’s fingers a squeeze for good measure, he said, “Let’s get this over with.”
Thanks for reading!