Total pages in book: 118
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109178 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 546(@200wpm)___ 437(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Upside down. Right-side up. Left to right. She’d recognize those vibrant gray eyes from anywhere. Standing up. Front and center. She rotated until she was vertical. There the bold bastard stood—leaning slightly forward sporting a black wife beater, dark jeans, a gold chain with a dog head medallion, and a smug smirk. Lennox.
She continued to dance, a part of her fueled with anger, and another part with hot desire. She rocked her hips harder and harder until she had to be nothing short of a blur.
He pulled out his wallet as he stood like a beacon in front of the crowd, then placed a large wad of cash onto the stage. Facing away from him, she bent down and shook her butt in his face, showing off her nice, round ass, gyrating and shaking it faster and faster as she held her ankles and stared at him from between her legs.
After a while, she stood straight and walked right to the edge of the stage where he stood. Their eyes locked. She turned away and began twerking. He lunged forward, grabbed her roughly around the waist, and she shivered at the touch of his large, warm hand sliding down the crack of her ass. Her voice caught in her throat as her pussy pulsed.
The all-too-familiar feel of cold, hard cash against her flesh followed. Even through the pounding base of the music and the yells from the inebriated crowd, she heard his voice drift to her ear like ice against her soul. She kept dancing as he leaned in close, his breath minty with a trace of beer…
“I told you I’d be back, beautiful. Keep dancing. Dance all fuckin’ night if you want to, Velvet. Dance your heart out.”
When she snapped around, her mind whirling, he’d already stepped back and sat down. He picked up his bottle of beer, winked and smiled at her. A genuine smile. She wondered how he’d found out where she worked because she’d never told him the club name. And why had he decided to come tonight? So many questions churned in her head. More money was thrown at her by other customers, and when she was done with her show, the final song over, she collected her scattered earnings from the floor, waved to the crowd, and left the stage, a little weak at the knees.
Some of the other strippers smiled and tried to get her attention. She heard them talking about the big spender, the sexy stranger up front that had given her a wad of cash and extra on top, like whipped cream on mounds of ice-cream. She forced a smile in response, and finally made it back to her dressing room. When she sat down, her head was pounding. It felt like the whole damn place was closing in on her. The walls. Ceiling. Floors. Everything felt smaller. Tighter. The air thinner.
She freshened up in the restroom with a bar of soap and loofah, deodorant and powder. Hair in a ponytail. Dark brown Puma jogging suit on. Duffle bag packed. She moved fast out of there, as if her life depended on it.
Memories washed over her: flashes of rich, buttery eggs swallowed after a burst of salty tears. Lying against a hard, warm chest in a cold pantry. In his big arms. Being held. Being loved—and that man not wanting a damn thing in return but to be her peace.
She made her way out to her car, cutting out early and hoping she could just disappear, but it seemed this son of a gun understood her a little too well. She found Lennox waiting for her, leaning against her car, arms crossed and a smirk on his face.
“Security is lax tonight, I see.” She simpered as she pushed the button on her fob. “Excuse me. Move. You’re in my way.”
“You’re leaving so soon?” he sneered, his lips curling in a devilish grin, the words followed by a mischievous chuckle.
“I suppose you’re here to talk to me about how this isn’t a place for me, or how you think you can save me from myself?”
“Nope. You’ve never needed saving. Just a listening ear. I remember.” He tapped his temple. “You’ve been taking care of yourself for a long time, and I’m not your daddy.” She now stood right next to him, facing the driver’s side door as he leaned his back against her car. She took a deep breath and hung her head.
“Lennox, what do you want from me?” She boldly met his gaze then.
“I already answered that question. It sure as hell isn’t to talk to you about your car warranty.”
“You’re not going to leave me alone, are you?”
“If you really wanted me to leave you alone, you wouldn’t be still standing here talking to me.” The words were a stab at her heart. Out bled the truth.