by N. Alleman
The drink slides across the bar in my direction, and I shove my hand into my pocket, desperately trying to find some change to pay for this drink. In all of the chaos, I forgot how broke I was.
“This one’s on the house.” The brunette smiles again as she watches me.
“Thanks,” I mutter, finally forcing a weak smile at her.
“So…” She leans on the bar, pursing her red lips toward me, forcing my attention on her. She squeezes her arms together, trying desperately to make her cleavage more bountiful and attractive to me. “What’s a handsome guy like you doing in a place like this so early in the morning?”
Now that she’s closer she uses a more intimate voice, one that clearly works on other guys. I don’t even feel a stirring in my pants, though.
I’m much too worried, too distracted, too focused on another girl.
Daisy.
It’s fucking weird. I’ve never been this way about anyone before. I still don’t even know what to do about it.
“I’m just…” I’m about to quickly shoot the brunette down when it hits me that I might be able to use this girl to get some information. I know Daisy is off speaking to someone else, but having multiple sources of information can’t hurt. In a world like this, you never know who you can and can’t trust.
I lean in, almost close enough that I could press my lips against hers in a second.
“I’m just wondering where Crystal is,” I say, arching one eyebrow.
My plan is to go with jealousy. The bigger the reaction I can get out of her, the more she’s likely to spill.
“Crystal?” She pulls back, indignant. “God, it’s always about Crystal!”
I can’t believe how quickly it’s worked. I was expecting a much bigger fight. I thought she’d at least attempt to play it cool at first.
“She has a boyfriend, you know,” the girl continues.
“Yeah?” I take a slow sip of my drink, trying to remember the name of the guy that Daisy mentioned when she told me about Karen. “Same guy as before? Brian?”
She looks confused for a second before realization crosses her face. “Oh, you mean Manny? Ugh! No.” She picks up a rag and wipes it over the dirty bar.
Clearly, I’ve gone a step too far and showed too much interest in another girl. Luckily, my end game has nothing to do with getting this girl into bed, so I’m not worried about her reaction. “No, she’s with Lucas now. One of the bouncers who works here.”
I hear her answer, but I barely take it in because Daisy is making her way over to me.
The look on her pale face says that she’s well aware her sister could have turned up dead. Thank fuck she hasn’t, but that doesn’t mean all is well in the world.
Immediately, I’m by her side, touching her arm. Her gait is unsteady, so I lower her into the nearest seat.
“She… Manny… I don’t…”
“I know,” I say before she puts herself out trying to explain this to me.
She stares at me, confused for a second, then chooses not to question me further. I’m a guy who always gets what he wants. At least she can see that now.
She sucks in a couple of deep breaths before snatching the tumbler of whiskey from my hand and gulping down a mouthful. She makes a face as the warm liquid slides down her throat, but she manages to keep it down, which is impressive for someone who’s not legally allowed to drink yet.
“Manny doesn’t bother her anymore.” Her voice is monotonous as she says this, and I can tell that she’s forcing her emotions to remain inside, all bottled up. “But to find out everything, I need to speak to the club owner.”
“Okay.” I roll this word off of my tongue. Strip club owners are notoriously hard to get ahold of.
I need to think of a plan. How can I solve this?
“I know what we have to do,” Daisy says, her expression stern. “I need to audition.”
“Audition?” Clearly, I’m still a little shaken up from the cops this morning, because it takes me a while to catch on to what she means.
“Yes.” She stares straight into my eyes, determination all over her face. “As a dancer.”
Holy fuck.
11
Jake
I tap my foot repeatedly against the floor as I watch Daisy work her magic on the shift manager. She’s turning on charm I haven’t seen from her yet, and even though I can’t hear anything that’s being said, I can see it’s working.
The thin metrosexual man casts a lingering look up and down her body, which instantly sends a fiery rage through me. Doesn’t he know that I claimed her last night when I put my hands on her like she begged for?
How dare that motherfucker.
I squeeze my fists tightly together, holding them close to my sides as I suck in some deep breaths and try to count to ten. Now is not the time for me to lose my shit. If I’ve ever needed to keep it together, this is it.
This deal isn’t about me, it’s about Daisy and her sister.
“Fuck,” I whisper to myself, trying to avert my eyes. If I can look away, I might be able to control myself.
The brunette bartender who was flirting with me earlier approaches me. “Another drink?” she asks. She still sounds a little pissed, but I really don’t give a shit.
“Whiskey,” I snap at her. Even though I know she wants me to look at her, I can’t drag my eyes away from the scene that’s unfolding in front of me. I should at least make eye contact if I want another free drink, but it’s like my eyeballs are glued in one place—on Daisy—and that’s the end of it.
“Yeah okay, coming right up.” Gone are all of the niceties, which certainly doesn’t bode well for my freebie.
The next second, I hear the glass slam down on the table. But as I turn, all I see is the brunette’s ass shaking away from me.
I spin back to see Daisy throwing her bag on the nearest chair and shaking off her jacket. My heartbeat kicks up a notch. Something is happening, and being out of control is fucking killing me. I’m usually the center of all plans, the one who lays down the groundwork. I don’t like relying on anyone else.
Daisy’s hands find their way to her hips, and she holds them there determinedly. She moves her neck from side to side, as if she’s gearing herself up for something, and that’s when it hits me. She’s about to dance. Here. On the stage. Right in front of all these people.
In front of me.
Oh, shit…
I shift in my seat, throwing the drink down my throat quickly. I wasn’t prepared for this. I didn’t think they did it this way. I glance around the room, noticing that there are only a couple of other guys here, so I guess it won’t even matter if Daisy performs terribly.
Not that I think she will.
She’s innocent and sweet, but the way that she reacted to me last night was hot as hell. She might be cute, but she has a sensual side of her, one that could really make this work.
She steps onto the stage, looking much more confident than I imagine she feels. I tap my fingers on the table in anticipation.
Then the beat starts.
A random R&B tune blasts from the speakers, and Daisy finds her focus. She begins by lightly shaking her hips from side to side, and I’m instantly mesmerized. Nothing else even matters—the other guys, the bartender, even Karen—it all vanishes from my mind as if the entire world has shrunk down to just me and her.
Daisy’s shyness melts away, and her hands slowly travel up her body in sensual glides before running through her hair. The innocent air that she usually carries around her slips away, and she morphs into a sexy temptress, a fucking goddess.
Honestly, she takes my goddamned breath away.
Her entire body moves in time with the music, and her tongue runs along the seam of her lips. I shift forward in my seat, clutching hard onto the whiskey glass. This is officially the hottest thing I’ve ever seen.
I’ve been to more than my fair share of strip clubs, but none of the girls have ever gotten me this fucking hard so quickly. I’m straining pai
nfully against my jeans, and all I can think about is grabbing her, throwing her to the floor, and pushing my length inside of her tight little pussy.
I don’t know if it’s better or worse for my imagination that I know exactly what she feels like. Exactly what she’ll feel like when I finally do fuck her.
I remember the orgasm rocking her body against my hand last night, and I recall the tremble that raced through her as she fell apart against me. It was such a powerful, earth-shattering moment that I almost wonder if that’s the first orgasm she’s ever had.
I’m not used to that. The girls I’m normally with have experienced their sexuality fully and know exactly what they want. That makes some of them too bossy for my taste, but then again, I’m always fully aware it’s never going to lead anywhere. Even if we do fuck more than once, that’s all it’ll ever be.
I’m not exactly the ‘settling down’ type, but fuck, Daisy is making me question that right about now.
Her fingers deftly play at the hem of her t-shirt. She’s going to tug it off at any second, but she’s just teasing everyone first. I take a second to glance around and quickly see that she has the attention of every damn person in the joint. It isn’t just me who is mesmerized by her. She’s fucking amazing, and now everyone knows it.
The brunette catches my eye and flashes me a knowing wink as if to say, ‘I get it now’. I gulp down the raging jealousy that’s pouring through me and turn back to watch Daisy.
Her top is now casually tossed to the side as she moves effortlessly, and her feet glide across the stage toward a pole.
Oh God, no…
I don’t know if I can handle this anymore. My body is screaming at me to get up and pull her down, to stop her from showing too much of herself to the world, because that body of hers is for my eyes only.
I want to take her in my arms and lay her on the floor before fucking her brains out. I want to stake my claim and make her mine.
But I can’t. Not yet.
I can’t.
I need to keep telling myself that.
She glides her leg around the pole and swings her body around it. Desire fills her expression as she catches my eye for a split-second, and that actually calms me down a bit. I don’t have to think like the arrogant prick I normally am to know that she’s thinking about me. I can just tell.
I slide back, swinging my arm casually over the back of my chair, and a smug smile plays on my lips. If she’s thinking about me, it means that she still wants me, despite everything. If she wants me, I’m gonna let her have me. I might even surprise her and be gentle.
Probably not, though. I doubt I’ll be able to control myself that much.
My buoyancy and stiff erection only last for a few moments, because the second I actually start to enjoy myself, the universe seems to have another plan. Just as Daisy shakes off her pants, the metrosexual man indicates for her to leave the stage.
Fuck!
I almost call him out. Why the fucking is he stopping her now? He sure as shit can’t say that she was bad. She was beyond amazing.
That’s when I see them walking off together. Daisy has only had enough time to pull her top back on, so her long, sexy legs are still bare. I quickly realize exactly what’s happening, and it damn near kills me.
They are going to the owner’s office.
My heart stops dead in my chest. I know this is what we wanted, and this is what the plan was all about, so why do I feel so fucking shitty about it all?
12
Daisy
Oh my God.
My heart is absolutely pounding, and my mouth has run dry. I’m trying to walk confidently—despite the fact that I’m still half naked—but I think it’s obvious that I’m shaking.
I don’t know what I’m more afraid of—meeting the club owner, or finding out more about Karen. From the brief bits that Karma told me, I’m not sure how much more I want to know.
Of course, I need to know. If I don’t find out the truth, then I risk losing my sister forever. I’m not sure how deep this all goes. The last time I got myself involved in Karen’s affairs, I nearly got raped.
Feeling vulnerable, I try to tug my t-shirt down as far as it’ll go, as the surprisingly posh doors to the club owner’s office swings open. This entire room is completely contradictory to the rest of the place, which quite frankly looks like crap.
“I have another girl for you,” the shift manager announces in an overly-dramatic way.
I step out from behind him, wanting to seem much more confident than I really feel. I don’t want him to immediately see my weakness and pounce.
The man I presume is the owner sits in a big leather chair behind a solid mahogany desk. He shoots a wolfish grin my way. It’s terrifying. “Please, come and sit down.”
He indicates to a much smaller chair, located on the other side of the desk. It’s clearly designed in a way that makes him feel like a powerful player in every meeting he has.
My steely resolve deserts me as I scuttle over to the chair like a scared little mouse.
“So…” he continues in the syrupy voice that I imagine usually gets him what he wants. That, teamed with his caramel-colored skin and dark brooding eyes, which match his hair perfectly, make him quite attractive. “You want to work here?”
He stands, pacing the room slightly, and I’m sure this is only to show me his expensive tailored suit.
Obviously, he’s a man of authority. It wouldn’t surprise me to discover that he’s really powerful, like a mobster or something. I push down the fear swelling inside me.
Oh God, Karen. What the hell have you gotten yourself involved in?
I need to channel the sexy, confident stripper I just managed to portray on the stage. That girl would be able to take this guy down with a few scathing words, but she seems to have deserted me.
How the hell did I become her? I guess it was because I was thinking about Jake, his hands, his cock, and what he did to me last night.
I might not have managed to get fully acquainted with his penis, but I did see it throbbing in all its glory, and it was impressive. I imagined the orgasm he gave me with his fingers last night would be ten times greater if he used that on me.
The man pacing the floor stares at me, waiting for a response.
Crap. What has he just asked me? Oh yes—did I want to work here?
“Yes,” I manage, reminding myself I need to be focused on the business at hand and not Jake’s penis.
The club owner laughs, which isn’t the reaction I was hoping for. Is my attempt at being sexy really that funny?
That’s the last thing a girl ever wants to hear. I frown.
“Is that right?” he drawls, drawing closer to me. “I was under the impression that you were here for something completely different.”
He breathes those last words into my ear, making my heart flutter frantically.
What the hell does he mean by that? What could he think I’m here for, if not a stripping job? Oh God, he doesn’t mean…?
He couldn’t actually think that I’m here for sex, could he?
The look in his eyes says otherwise.
Crap. How the hell am I going to get out of this one?
Instinctively, I scoot back in my chair, and then, the owner lets out a loud, booming laugh once more. “Karen always said that you were funny,” he says.
“Br … Karen?” Relief floods through every inch of me. He knows why I’m really here. He was just playing a twisted game with me.
“Yes. That’s why you’re here, right?” He turns to face me directly. There’s a mischievous glint in his eye.
I nod, too stunned to speak.
“I’ve seen your picture before, so I know who you are. You know she’s here in town, don’t you? I know there was some drama in the past with that fuckwit she was dating.”
His tone turns more than a little sour at this, and I can tell he had no time for Manny either. I wonder if he ever told her to get the hell away from him. I
know I certainly did. The only problem with Karen is that she’s too stubborn to ever listen to anyone.
“Y-yeah, Karma told me. She said that she’s with a bouncer now?”
“Lucas is a good guy,” he says firmly. His expression is deadly serious.
“Okay…” I want to ask when I can see her, but something about that question feels oddly inappropriate.
The club owner sighs deeply, which suggests that he’s about to tell me something that I’m not going to like.
“Look … Daisy, is it?” He doesn’t wait for my reply. “Your sister is safe, I can guarantee you that. She would be happy for me to tell you that, but she wouldn’t want me to say anymore. I know for a fact that she doesn’t want you involved in any of this, okay?”
My body freezes, like I’m an ice cube stuck to the seat, and it takes a few moments for me to even begin to respond.
“No,” I reply firmly. “No.”
“No?” He smiles at me. “No isn’t an answer. I’m respecting your sister’s wishes.” He stands and indicates toward the door. “Now, if you’d like me to see you out—”
“No!” I say, bolting out of my seat as I cut him off. “I did not go through all of that to be turned away. You need to tell me everything you know, and you need to tell me now.”
I slam my hands down on his desk, no longer afraid of the fact that he’s clearly a dangerous man.
“Now, Daisy…”
“Don’t you now Daisy me. I want to know everything.” Hysteria rages inside of me. I’m so close, so goddamned close, yet somehow still miles away. “If it isn’t too dangerous for Karen, it isn’t too dangerous for me!”
I want to sound like a badass, but it comes out as desperate as I feel.
Frustration burns behind my eyes, and I almost totally give in to the emotion. But I just can’t lose. Not now. I came here with the knowledge that I wouldn’t leave without at least seeing my sister. Now I’m right in front of a man who could make it happen, and he’s being a pigheaded asshole.
“Look…”
“Just tell me her address, her phone number, what night she’s working next. I can’t go away with nothing. I won’t. The last time I saw her, things were so bad, I need to know. I need to be certain that she’s okay.”