Chapter 4
Colson
“Cashmere, you’re up in five.”
“I know.” I finish glossing my lips and check my reflection one last time. Knowing Specter is out there waiting sends a little thrill through me. It’s more fun performing for him, teasing him, torturing him. I grin at my reflection. Messing with Specter is one of the little joys in my life.
I make my way to the stage and linger behind the curtains, waiting for the MC to announce my name and for the music to start. I’ve been working on this new routine for a few weeks now and the time is right to unveil it. It’s true burlesque, so I hope the crowd enjoys it.
The curtains part and the spotlight centers on me as the audience claps and whistles.
I can’t quite see Specter from here, but I know where he is, and I know I have his full attention.
I slink onto the stage, gyrating my hips to Michael Buble’s version of “Feeling Good.” I’m dressed in elaborate lace and silk, with sky-high heels, elbow-length gloves, and a garter with stockings. It’s old school to match the music.
I dance around the stage, seductively removing articles of clothing until I sink to the floor and writhe around. As I arch my back, they start the shower effect backstage, and warm water trickles down over me, making my skin slick and glistening under the club lights.
Next up are my splits, where I end up with my ass facing the audience. I manage a little twerk before swinging around and getting back to my feet for another obscene backbend. I can feel the dozens of eyes on me, but one pair in particular burns through me like a roaring fire.
I fall to my knees, gyrating up and down to the music as I finally unhook my garters, but I don’t remove my stockings.
As I make eye contact with Specter, I lick my lips, allowing my gaze to take in every sexy, imposing inch of him.
From this distance I can make out the impressive bulge between his legs, and my cock actually twitches in response.
His gaze is heated, heady, and so damn tempting.
I can only dream about what a man like him could do to me in the bedroom.
I’m distracting myself, so I squeeze my eyes closed for a moment to focus on the end of my routine, which is me grabbing the aerial hoop and swinging across the stage, then falling backward and twisting around, dangling by my knees.
As the song’s last note fades, the lights dim and the crowd goes absolutely batshit. Mission fucking accomplished.
I flip off the hoop and stand up, waving to the audience as I drag my hand through my drenched hair.
Specter is sitting completely still, but his eyes are laser focused on me, his lips parted, a hand resting between his legs.
Fuck, he’s unbelievably gorgeous. I need to get backstage before I break my own rule and climb all over that.
Suddenly, there’s a commotion, and as I tear my eyes off of Specter, I see the man from last night barreling toward me. He’s too fast for the bouncers to get here, but instead of running, I stay put, ready to charm him into submission.
He reaches me in mere seconds, extending his arms. I step back enough to keep that from happening, and watch as he trips on the edge of the stage and falls to his knees. I kneel in front of him.
“Now you know you’re not supposed to do this.”
“I just want—”
He gasps and coughs as a hand wraps around his throat from behind and he’s yanked away from me by Specter.
I watch in stunned awe as Specter lifts the heavy-set man off his feet by the collar of his shirt and growls, “Show your face here again and I’ll cut your balls off and choke you with them. Got it?”
Gus and Eric arrive, but they simply hang back and let Specter do his thing.
“Do you fucking got it?” Specter demands, getting in the man’s face.
“I-I just want to talk to him,” the man sputters, his gaze shifting wildly between me and Specter.
“You fucking can’t.” Specter drags the man towards the door, followed by the bouncers and watched by the intrigued crowd.
Rudy hurries out and hands me my robe, and I tug it on while watching the scene.
“Holy shit,” Rudy murmurs. “That was too close for comfort.”
I nod, clutching my robe around my near nudity.
Specter enters the club again, but my flight or fight response hasn’t died down and I rush backstage to the dressing room.
I guess I’m not surprised when he follows me, closing in fast. His hand lands gently on my elbow, but I swing around, ready to throw a punch if I have to. He puts his hands up in surrender.
“Hey. Settle.”
My shoulders slump and I pull myself together. “Is he gone?”
“Staff have him outside, but if he doesn’t leave, they’ll call the cops.”
An uneasy shiver moves down my spine. “The cops? Is it that bad?”
Specter shrugs. “I don’t know the rules around here. I offered to handle it my way, but they said they’ve got it.”
“And what’s your way?”
“You sure you want to know?” He puts his hand on my shoulder. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Fine. You’re not supposed to be back here.”
“We both know I don’t give a fuck.” He reaches out and flutters his fingers across my chin, and I allow it, mostly to ground myself and shake off the confrontation. “I had to make sure you’re okay.”
“I am. Thank you.”
He nods, pulling his hand back. “Why didn’t you run?”
“Because then he would chase. He’s not the first asshole I’ve had to put in his place, you know.”
Specter searches my eyes for a moment. “What you did on the stage was incredible. You’re a true artist.”
“I’m glad you enjoyed it.” Inhaling deeply, I stretch my neck back and forth before exhaling slowly. I need to find myself again, and fast. “I need to change.”
“I’ve still got your rain check waiting.”
My instinct to run and hide, especially if cops rain down on this place, is strong, but I remind myself that it’s been a long time and there’s no way to connect me to what happened seven years ago. My job is to entertain the customers, so that’s what I’ll do.
“I’ll be out in a few minutes.”
Specter nods, and I feel him watching me walk away before he turns and heads back to his table. I sag into my chair, finally releasing the tension of that moment. Trixie is sitting next to me, and he slides a mirror over with a few lines of coke on it.
“You need some?”
He knows I don’t do drugs. “They might call the cops in, so I’d put that away if I were you.”
“Noted.” He takes the mirror and shoves it and its contents into a small baggy that he tucks into a drawer in the dressing room table. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. Thanks.” I blot my damp face with a tissue, then pull my hair back into a bun before managing to get into a fresh, dry lacy lingerie set. After peeling off my wet stockings, I put some lotion on my legs, spritz with perfume, reapply my lipstick, then get to my feet, ready to perform again.
I walk out to the club with my head up and my shoulders straight. Nothing is out of the ordinary. All the customers are back to their normal behavior and Specter is at his table, a hard scowl on his face that immediately softens when he sees me.
He waves for Darcy, who hurries over and confirms my drink of choice. “Bring me a shot with it too. Vodka,” I say.
“You got it,” Darcy says before hurrying back to the bar.
“Has that guy done that before?”
I shake my head. “He’s been lingering, watching me, but he’s never charged the stage. Last night he was waiting for me outside, but Gus handled it and he kept his distance. Guess he decided to go for it tonight.”
“You were pretty impressive.”
“Thanks. That happened to one of our dancers a while back, and when he ran, the creep just chased him. I decided then and there that standing my ground is the better option. I always wonder though, what do they think is gonna happen when they finally get us alone? I don’t plan to find out.”
“I can take care of it.” He leans across the table. “I want to. Guys like that don’t have boundaries. He’s clearly obsessed with you.”
“So are you.”
His lips curl into a sexy smirk. “You got me there. But I would never hurt you, or even scare you.”
I wish I could believe him. It would be nice, for once in my life, to look into a man’s eyes and find safety there, but even as protective as he is, I sense the danger in him. That danger needs an outlet, and it’s all too easy to become a target.
Switching topics, I lean back in my seat and cross my legs. “Thanks for the drink.”
He nods, his smirk fading as he takes me in. I am curious about him. How old is he, where did he grow up, what’s his real name? Because it sure as fuck isn’t Specter. Why is he even called that?
“Ask me,” he says.
“What?”
“You have questions. Ask me.”
How did he know that? I focus on his eyes for a moment, wondering if he can actually read minds. “I don’t have questions.”
“If you say so.”
Darcy returns with my drink and my shot, which I toss back right away to soothe my tattered nerves.
Specter scoots his chair around so that he’s right next to me, our legs almost touching. “Listen, Cashmere, I could protect you if you let me. I would love to.”
“I don’t need protection, handsome. I’m good.” I sip my cocktail, hoping he can’t detect the slight tremble in my voice. Not from fear. No. Far from that. His words nudge that little spot of hope in my heart that someday I could learn to trust a man again.
“Then you could let me do it just to appease me.”
“And what exactly does that look like? You’d follow me around like a puppy dog?”
“More like a rottweiler, gorgeous.” His hand subtly creeps across the table, barely brushing against mine. At least he’s following the rules. “I’d be happy to do it.”
“The knight in shining armor schtick is cute and all, but like I said, I don’t need protection. I can take care of myself.”
“Obviously, but you don’t have to.”
“Persistent fuck, aren’t you?”
He grins. “Yeah, I am.” He taps his pinky finger next to mine. “From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were special. I can’t walk away knowing you exist.”
Oh-kay, a little intense but weirdly flattering. “Tell you what, big boy, you’ll be the first person I call if I need help.”
“Promise?”
The one-word question is steeped in need and authority, and I find myself nodding as I gaze deeply into his light eyes.
“I promise.”
He lifts my hand and kisses the back of it before laying it on the table. “I’m just a phone call away.”
I watch Specter dig in the inside pocket of his trench, catching a glimpse of the black leather holster strapped to his chest.
He produces a card. It only has his name, a phone number, and an address on it. “Use this anytime. I mean it.”
I nod, taking the card and twirling it between my fingers. “Thanks.”
“I could stay until your shift ends. Walk you to your car.”
“The guys are here for that, and the creep will be long gone by then.”
Specter nods, but I can tell from the tick in his jaw that he doesn’t like my answer. He throws down a few twenties and winks at me before he strides for the door, his trench catching a breeze from his quick steps.
Once he’s gone, I exhale and get to my feet. I’ll probably get some sympathy tips tonight, so I better step it up, put on a pretty smile, and get my money.
Just another night in the life of a dancer.