Sinful Nights (Peaches #3)

Chapter 1

COLE

Empty.

The booth is never empty. Oak always occupies that seat, as though his ass is permanently glued to it. He’s consistently been here every night I’m on stage. Until lately, that is.

Until Alex.

Ugh, Alex. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve never hated any of Oak’s girlfriends before.

Strongly disliked, yes, but hate? No. Until Alex.

And she’s the one who started it. Oak and I have been inseparable since we were five years old, and our teacher sat us down next to each other.

Oak was a wild child, all over the place, not able to sit in his seat, and I was the quiet one.

The student who sat still and listened to every word the teacher had to say.

We complemented each other well, and it’s one reason we were so close.

We’re like yin and yang. Or puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly.

I can’t think of a time in my life when Oak hasn’t been right by my side.

All throughout middle and high school, we did everything together.

Hell, our birthdays are only three days apart, so every year we celebrate our birthdays jointly too.

We applied to the same colleges when we were high school seniors, since we wanted to stay together.

The four years passed by quickly, and we moved back home to San Diego, getting a small two-bedroom apartment of our own.

Oak works from home as a customer service representative, and I’m currently a dancer at Peaches until I can figure out my next move.

I got a general bachelor’s degree, but I have no idea what I should do next.

Luckily, I still have time to figure it out.

When Oak and I first saw the advertisement for a dancer position at Peaches, he wanted to apply first to help us earn a little bit of money.

But honestly? Oak is a horrible dancer, and there’s no way he could make any profit.

Well, that’s a lie. With him being so tall and having such bulky muscles, he could easily make some money.

Women trip over themselves to get close to him.

He has these gorgeous green eyes with short dark brown hair.

Plus, there’s the sleeve of tattoos on his arm, the roaring lion that draws them in.

Of course, he could make money off his looks.

Just not from dancing. Since I’m the better dancer, we figured I should be the one to get up and perform.

Besides, my looks aren’t bad either. I’m only about an inch shorter than Oak, with my long wavy hair that hits my shoulders.

My body isn’t as bulky as Oak’s, but I keep myself in decent shape.

Since my first night at Peaches, Oak has always been in the crowd.

Whether he’s sat and taken up a whole booth to himself, or if he’s watching from the bar, talking with Preston, the bartender.

Until along came Alex, fucking it all up.

“Get out of your head,” Bash tells me as we glide past one another on the stage.

Bash is another dancer at Peaches, and he’s the guy I do a duet dance with.

He’s dressed up in all bright red lingerie, a pair of devil horns on his head, while I’m dressed in a pale pink lingerie set.

I twirl a lollipop around in my mouth as though I’m sweet, which is ironic when Bash is known for always having something sugary in his mouth.

He’s never happy with me when I have to take a lollipop from his stash for our dances, since I’m always forgetting to buy a pack.

Bash is way shorter than me, with jet-black hair and brown eyes.

You’ll always find him wearing these cute-as-hell skirts with a matching crop top, something I could never pull off.

But I love doing the dance routine with him because he has such a bubbly personality, wanting to be friends with everyone.

It never seems like we’re competing against each other on the stage.

We complement one another well. He’s also the person I’m closest to at Peaches.

Having to spend so much time with one another to choreograph dances has brought us closer. He’s an actual friend to me.

“I know,” I reply softly, as I walk past him and head over to the pole on the left side of the stage.

Bash jumps on the rod on the other side of the stage, and we both climb up, then flip ourselves over as we wrap our ankles around the pole for leverage.

My mind drifts back to Oak and the fact that he’s not here tonight.

It’s been like this a lot lately, and usually I would sit his ass down and tell him what’s on my mind, but for some reason, I can’t.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been hanging out with the guys from Peaches more lately, so I’m feeling as though Oak and I are drifting away from each other.

Which is crazy as hell. Oak and I not on the same wavelength?

That has never happened before. But there’s something about Alex that makes me pause.

Ugh, I know I need to suck it up and talk to him about it. I just need to figure out when.

My mind is racing with thoughts of Oak and ideas are popping in and out of things I can do to have a day in with him when the lights flash and the next thing I know I’m flipped ass side up, my cheek on the cool laminate.

“What the fuck?” I mutter, closing my eyes, the breath leaving my lungs in a whoosh.

The click-clack of heels hits my ears as Bash runs up to my side, giggling loudly. “Oh shit, are you okay? It was like one second you were jumping onto the pole, then suddenly there’s a screech, and you’re on the ground.”

“I’m fine,” I chortle, belting out a roaring laugh, and letting the embarrassment slide off my back. “Let’s finish our set.”

I stand back up as gracefully as one can after falling flat on their face, then strike a pose, waiting for Bash to take the lead.

He reaches out his hand, and I twirl him, our music restarting right where we left off.

Once the song cuts off, we take off into the crowd, saying hi to all the customers and gathering our tips.

Based on how many bills I’m stuffing into my panties and bra; I’m guessing my stumbling didn’t faze them at all.

Hell, maybe they’re giving me even more because of it.

Bash and I head toward the dressing room, collapsing onto the couch as soon as we enter.

God, I love this room. Caleb has it decked out so nicely for the dancers.

There’s vanities with huge mirrors and lights and a stool for each dancer of the night.

On the other side of the room, he has a set of couches for us to relax on while we’re in between dances or waiting to go out on the stage.

It’s not too bright in here, the lights being dimly lit which helps to give it more of a relaxing feel.

“Are you okay?” Bash snickers, unwrapping the black thin string around his ankle and letting his heel drop to the floor.

I have no idea how he manages to wear those high heels so easily.

They’re stilettos, so not only are they high, but the heel is skinny as hell.

And he’s not just wearing them because he’s working; he has them on all the time.

Those, or some other cute as hell shoes.

I wear heels while I’m on the stage, but they’re always the ones with the thick heels that help me not to fall.

Shaking my head, I come out of my daydream. “I’m fine. I must have gotten distracted and wasn’t paying attention.”

Bash taps my shoulder, and I turn my attention to glance at him. “I’m here if you ever need to talk. I know you have Oakley,” he shrugs, smiling softly at me, “but you can still talk to me, too.

Reaching out, I squeeze his hand tightly, a lump in my throat forming. “Thank you.”

“How are the customers tonight?” Declan asks, turning around on his stool and clearing his throat. “I’m horny as fuck and in need of a good time. Think there’re any takers?”

Chuckling, I roll my eyes. “I wasn’t paying attention to that, but I have no doubt you’ll find someone to warm your bed tonight.”

“Here’s hoping.” He smiles, crossing his fingers.

Declan is always on the prowl for new men.

More often than not, he finds someone to go home with.

He’s very loud and proud about who he is, and I love that for him.

I wish I could be more like him; he’s not ashamed of who he is in any setting.

He has this striking blue hair that he styles back and these piercing cerulean eyes that draw the attention of anyone who walks by him.

He radiates sunshine energy, and I’m thankful he helped welcome me easily into this little Peaches family.

“Does anyone want to go eat when we close?” Tristan asks, stepping into the dressing room.

Tristan is another dancer at Peaches whom I love hanging out with.

He’s more on the secretive side, but he’s funny as hell and always makes me laugh.

He’s taller than Bash, with curly blond hair, and he loves wearing pearls.

Each of the guys at Peaches is amazing, and the fact that they opened their arms to me so readily has made this transition a lot easier.

At first, I struggled with taking my clothes off.

I grew up dancing, so that part was easy for me.

But stripping? That’s where I started getting anxious.

I knew I needed to do it because Oak and I needed the money, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t a challenge for me.

I wasn’t always self-conscious, but having a job based on your body can do that to you.

But with the support of the guys, it’s been a breeze.

Even if I do fall on my face sometimes… literally.

Max, another dancer, comes into the room, ripping off his construction vest. “Damn, it’s hot as hell in here.”

Everyone nods in agreement as Max passes each one of us, making his way over to his stool.

While some of us dress up in lingerie, or close to nothing at all, a lot of the guys dress up in construction wear, or as firefighters, and damn do they make a shit ton of tips as well. There is truly a show for everyone.

A loud sigh escapes Bash’s lips before he whispers, “Need sweets.” He throws himself back onto the couch, tossing his arm over his face dramatically as he sighs again.

“Oh god,” Declan mutters, walking over to his booth and snatching a lollipop out of the candy dish. He tosses it at Bash, barely missing his head.

Bash narrows his eyes, popping the candy into his mouth. “You could have taken an eye out, ya know?”

“Maybe that’s what I was hoping for.” Declan smiles sweetly, giving Bash a quick wink. “One day your teeth will fall out while you’re sucking a random guy’s dick and you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”

“Oh my god,” I utter, my eyes widening. You would think I wouldn’t be shocked by Declan’s words at this point, but then he says something like that, and I can’t help but laugh out loud.

“Can you imagine?” I wheeze, trying to catch my breath.

“Sucking so hard, cheeks hollowed, and your tongue is doing that swirly thing when all of a sudden ‘oops there go my teeth!’” I bend over, my arm wrapping around my stomach.

“I don’t think it’s that funny,” Bash murmurs, twirling the lollipop in his mouth. “I go to the dentist regularly; I doubt any of my teeth will fall out.”

“Yeah, but now every time you’re swallowing a cock, I’ll be like that little devil on your shoulder, taunting you with the fact that your teeth could fall out at any second.”

“Now I’m going to have nightmares for the rest of my life,” I say once I finally catch my breath.

Getting to my feet, I go over to my backpack, my body sinking when I notice there isn’t a message from Oak there for me.

Spinning around, I put on a broad grin. One that’s definitely fake, but they won’t be able to tell.

“So, are we all going out or what? I could use a huge chocolate chip pancake with a chocolate milkshake. Extra whipped cream.”

Everyone agrees to go out after our shift, and for a split second, I experience happiness before the crashing sensation of sadness floods me again as my mind drifts back to my empty phone.