Chapter 6 Blaine
Chapter six
Blaine
“You know…” I started, breaking the silence. Her head snapped up, eyes wide, shoulders finally loosening.
“If I knew you were going to use Sunshine as your stripper name, I would’ve given you a different one.” I smirked, trying to lighten the mood in the room as best I could.
She was on her feet in an instant, heels clicking across the floor before her arms wrapped around my neck. I held her waist as she buried her face against me, shoulders shaking.
“Sunshine, baby—don’t cry,” I whispered, shushing her softly.
“I’m so glad to see you,” she breathed, muffled into my shoulder, but every word carving into me.
I kissed her temple. “I couldn’t let you give a lap dance to the old geezers. Not when I haven’t had one yet.”
She hit my shoulder, and I smiled, softer this time. “Kidding, baby. Let’s sit, yeah?”
Hand in hand, I led her to the leather sofa. She curled beside me, but her gaze skittered away.
“Maia…” I started. “What happened?”
She sighed, voice trembling. “Mr. Vaughn found… a new use for me.”
I kept my face neutral, even as anger burned in my chest.
“For months I stayed clear of him. Bartending, serving… I-I could manage that. But customers kept asking for me specifically. And since he knows I work part-time at a dance studio, he decided it was the perfect fit.” Her fingers trembled as she wiped away more tears.
“The way he demeaned me… I knew he was terrible. I didn’t think he was that bad. But you never really know who people are.”
I pulled her close, tucking her head against my chest, her eyes filling with more tears.
“He said… he… I’m not some cheap whore,” she said hoarsely, and the words gutted me.
No… you could be my little whore—
Blaine, no. Clean thoughts. Helpful thoughts. Happy thoughts.
…But fuck, those are happy thoughts.
“Don’t let his bullshit words get to you.” I stroked her shoulder, my voice low and steady to ground her. “Is there any way you can leave? You can’t be treated like this.”
She shook her head. “I need this job, Blaine…” she whispered, and I groaned internally. Every instinct in me wanted her the fuck out of here, immediately.
Thinking fast, I bit my lip, then pulled back enough to look into her tearful eyes. My hand cupped her cheek.
“Go get your things,” I said.
Her mouth opened, but before she could argue, I cut her off. “Sunshine. Go get your things. All of them. The guard’s going to escort you to my car. Wait there for me.”
Her fingers twisted nervously in her lap. “I need the money, Blaine… and what about Mr. Vaughn? If I leave, he’ll never take me back—”
“You aren’t coming back, Sunshine. Don’t worry about the money. Don’t worry about your boss. No more questions, no more concerns. You are not working here anymore if I have anything to do with it. Understood?”
She faltered, then nodded. “Thank you, Blaine,” she whispered.
I stood, fighting not to drown in those damn doe eyes of hers. Taking off my suit jacket, I draped it over her shoulders, then bent to press a soft kiss to her lips.
A blush touched her cheeks when I pulled away, and fuck if it didn’t make me want to burn the entire world down just to keep that smile safe.
“I’ll be out soon,” I promised.
She nodded, heading toward the back hall. As the door clicked shut behind her, I motioned to the guard. “Vaughn’s office. Now.”
He led me to it, knocking then opening the door for me.
“Mr. Porter… what a surprise,” Vaughn said, masking shock with a thin smile.
“You’re done,” I stated flatly, stepping inside and closing the door behind me.
His brows furrowed. “I’m sorry?”
“Maybe I didn’t say it clearly enough. You are fucking done. Pack your shit and leave. I’m having a full investigation launched into what you’re doing here, into what you’re forcing these women into.”
“You’ve got to be joking,” he scoffed.
I shook my head. “I may be a jokester, but I’m no clown.”
Christ, Sunshine, that cannot be my catchphrase.
“You can’t do that,” he said, panic edging into his voice.
“Of course I can.” I stepped closer, voice dropping lethal.
“I can do whatever the fuck I want in this country. Do you want to know why? Because I am Blaine. Fucking. Porter. The only reason the lights are even on in this place is because of me. The only reason rich, pompous assholes line up to prey on women here is because I give clubs like this publicity.”
“She told you…” Vaughn muttered.
“Yeah, she did.” I rolled my eyes. “You were ready to have her dancing on some old dusty money bag without her consent. I don’t pay thousands of dollars here to exploit women against their choice.”
“You really care about her that much? All the dumb blonde is good for is her body… You’d be one to fucking know.”
I leaned my head back, breathing slow, forcing myself to hold composure. Channeling my inner Killian, I leveled him with a cold stare.
“Get out.”
He rolled his eyes but grabbed a few things and headed for the door. Before he could pass me, I caught him by the collar and yanked him forward. My grip crushed the fabric, and the smugness drained off his face in an instant.
“If you ever so much as talk about what’s mine again, I’ll fucking ruin you.”
“W-what? What do you mean?” he stuttered, fear creeping into his tone.
“You heard me. She’s mine. Disrespect her, you disrespect me.”
“What the hell are you even talking about?! You met the bitch once!” he screamed, desperate.
I sighed. “Yeah. And you just sealed your fate. Good luck doing business in this country. Now get the hell out of my sight.”
I shoved him back. He stumbled out of the room, the door slamming behind him.
My chest rose and fell, breath heavy. I hated it, but he wasn’t wrong. We’d only met once. This was our second encounter. And still—fuck—I was hooked. Maybe it was her smile. Maybe her laugh. Maybe the way she fucked me into oblivion. Whatever it was, I was a goner.
Eventually, I left the office and stepped out of the club.
And there she was.
By my car, waiting. The moonlight spotlighted her like it had been staged. She looked unreal in my suit jacket, biting those plump lips as if she’d been holding her breath for me, her bag waiting in the backseat.
My mouth went dry.
As I stepped over to her, she looked up at me. “Mr. Vaughn just stormed out of the club and left in his car. What happened?”
“Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head about, Sunshine.” I checked my watch. “It’s late. I should take you home.”
“Yes, you should…” she whispered.
I throbbed just from the sound of her voice, from the lavender-vanilla cloud wrapping around me. She was only inches away, eyes soft but heating—temptation in its purest form. God, you're not making this easy for me, big guy.
“You’ve had a long day,” I murmured.
“I have…”
My hand slid to her waist, tugging her closer.
“You’re probably exhausted.”
“You’re probably right…” she whispered back.
I leaned in, pressing my lips to the curve of her neck. She gasped, one hand bracing on my bicep while the other found my chest. My free hand dipped lower, squeezing the curve of her ass.
“You need to rest,” I muttered against her skin, letting my tongue taste her.
“I don’t…”
“If you come home with me, Sunshine, you won’t get a second of sleep. Not when I haven’t been inside you in weeks.”
Her laugh hitched. “Well, how else am I supposed to thank you for tonight?”
I pulled back just enough to meet her eyes, sighing as her hand slid lower, dangerously close to undoing me right there.
“You’re making this harder than it has to be…” I whispered.
“Then let me fix it, hmm?” she teased, eyes gleaming as she pressed against me.
My forehead dropped to hers, breathing ragged. The words I wanted to say—Only if you tell me you’re mine while I take you from behind—clawed at my throat. I swallowed them down. I was going insane. Too possessive. Too far gone.
I smacked her ass lightly, claiming her lips with a kiss. “Get in,” I ordered.
She smiled, radiant in the moonlight, and slipped into the car like she’d been waiting her whole life for the command.