Chapter 2
I can’t move.
I am anchored and my eyes are pinned to my dad’s best friend.
The guy I have been staying with the past few months.
Shit.
His eyes burn into mine; his jaw is tight and I want the ground to swallow me up. Whole.
He steps towards me, and I feel myself shrink. My heart is racing in my chest and I know he is going to rat me out to my dad; no doubt he’ll throw me out on the sidewalk with all my stuff.
“Ahem,” Sasha clears her throat, her foot tapping on the floor, her eyes moving between me and Keaton. “If you want to have some time with Arizona, you need to book a private room. I have room four available for the next thirty minutes. Would you like that?” She asks, tapping her long nails on the bar as she waits.
“No thank you, he was just leaving,” I try and swallow down the bile and ignore the thickness in my throat.
“Like fuck I was,” he grits, his teeth baring for a moment, and he finally lifts his eyes from mine and I choke on my intake of air. “Give me the room,” he pushes his hand through the side of his dark hair, and I know he is frustrated.
“No, honestly, we don’t need it.” I shake my head from side to side as I move closer to Sasha, but her ice blue eyes flick up to mine and she pouts as she reaches for the keys. It’s too late. She drops the keys in Keaton’s hand, and he grabs the top of my arm and pulls me towards him.
“Hey, don’t touch her like that!” Lucy shouts out, following us.
“I’m not a fucking client, she shouldn’t be here,” Keaton snaps. “Now back the fuck down and stop following me.” He growls, tightening his grip and continuing to drag me down the narrow hallway towards the private rooms.
“Keaton,” I hiss, trying to drag my arm from his grasp but he just tightens it. “I can’t walk that fast in these heels,” I stammer out.
“But I bet you can dance just fine in them can’t you,” his tone is sharp, and I ignore the sting at the back of my eyes. He drops me from his grip, unlocking the door and pushing me through before he slams it behind him which makes me jump.
I stand, fingers interlocked, head dropped, standing there like a naughty fucking schoolgirl who is waiting to be told off.
Keaton just paces up and down the room, one hand in his suit pant pocket, the other covering his mouth.
After what feels like hours, he stops pacing and looks at me. I can see the disappointment that is laced all over his face. Sharp jaw line, pouty lips and stunning green eyes. The devil dressed in Tom Ford.
“What the fuck Ari!?” his temper is valid.
I slowly lift my head up, my wide blue eyes on his.
“Please don’t tell my dad,” I whisper, because if I speak out loud, he will hear the crack in my voice, and I’ll break.
His mouth drops open as if the request I have just asked is out of this world. Is it? I watch his large hand push through his shiny, dark hair, the odd strand of caramel shimmering through. He always looks so hot when he does that. Weak at the knees hot.
“Ari…” he pauses as he looks around the room I’m in. I mean, we pretty them up but they’re basically sex rooms.
“Have you used all of this?” My cheeks flame scarlet red and I am mortified. My silence tells him all.
“Shit,” he hisses, and now he is back to pacing.
The tension grows but he finally stands in front of me, clasping my face in his large hands and my heart stutters in my chest.
“I won’t tell your dad… but in return, I want you to introduce me to Lucy.” He licks his lips and they twitch into a soft smirk and my eyes flutter shut as I let out a shaky breath.
I nod.
“Good girl,” and my stomach flips as his low, growly voice rasps over me.
He lets me go and I walk towards the door, not looking back as I go to find Lucy. My head spins quickly as thoughts whizz through.
All my dad’s friends are hot.
I wasn’t blind.
But there was always something about Keaton that I gravitated towards. It’s a no-go zone for both of us.
He was my dad’s best friend.
It was always the five of us. Me, Dad, Nate, Keaton and Kaleb. The men that helped bring me up.
But Keaton would never help with diaper changes or anything like that. His help was solely on occasional school drop offs and he was my dance recital cheerleader, but that was only if my dad couldn’t make it and it was rare that my dad wasn’t there.
My dad always said Keaton wasn’t a kid kind of guy. Plus, he was married to a witch, and he was with her most of the time so I very rarely saw Keaton until I was in my teens. He had sacked his wife off, or so he says, and he was around a lot more.
He was the definition of tall, dark, handsome.
Beautiful green eyes that looked blue in some lights. Dark, long hair that had a light curl when it grew too long, his skin was lightly tanned and he had a killer jaw. Angled and defined. Sharp and chiselled. Moulded perfectly. He always had girls falling at his feet. He was confident and that oozed out of him.
Lucy runs towards me, a glint of a smile on her face.
“What the fuck, who was that hunk?” she looks past me.
“My dad’s best friend…” I trail off.
“The dad’s best friend…” she wiggles her brows in a knowing manner.
I nod.
“Well… shit,” she rolls her lips.
“He said he won’t tell my dad,” I shrug, “so I suppose that’s something.”
“It is.”
“But…”
“But what?” her eyes are bouncing back and forth between mine.
“He wants me to introduce you to him; for him to keep my secret, that’s what he wants.”
“Little fucker,” she laughs softly, “and you’re okay with that?”
“Yeah of course,” my voice jumps a little higher, “go for it. Come, I’ll take you to him.”
I ignore the burn in my throat, the way my stomach coils and tightens as I get closer to where Keaton is waiting.
Knocking softly, I push the door open. He stands with his back to us, Lucy slips past me and Keaton turns to face her.
“Here we go,” I hold my hand out and move it up and down showing Lucy’s presence.
“Thank you, Arizona,” my name rolls off his tongue easily. He steps closer to us, but his eyes are not on me, they’re on her.
“So, I couldn’t help but hear your little conversation, I am assuming you’re bisexual?” Keaton goes straight for her throat, asking her a personal question but Lucy laughs it off.
“Wow, forward much?” she looks at me, her eyes widening before she focuses on Keaton again.
“Well, thought I may as well just ask the question that has been sitting on the tip of my tongue.”
“Fair enough. I don’t like to put a label on it,” Lucy shrugs. “Just if I like someone, regardless of their gender, I’ll go for it.” I scoff as Keaton stares at her. “But hey, you wanted an introduction. I’m Lucy and I love pussy and dick,” she holds her arm out, her small hand right in front of Keaton. I watch for a moment and after a second or so, Keaton shakes her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Lucy.” Keaton’s lips twitch and I take that as my cue to leave.
My fingers curl round the door handle as I tug it down but as soon as my foot oversteps the threshold, I hear Keaton call out, “Go home Arizona, you don’t work here anymore.”
I raise my brows. The fucking nerve.
I turn round and plaster a wide smile across my lips.
“Fuck you Keaton,” I flip him off then storm down the hallway.
Fucking asshole.
I am seething. Anger consumes me whole as I march back onto the floor.
“All okay?” Sasha asks and I hold my hand up at her.
“Put me on the stage with Sage.”
“Sorry?” She gawks at me.
“You heard me, put me on the god damn stage.”
I surge forward, my legs weighted as I continue. I seek out Sage, sitting at the bar and taking a mouthful of her drink, Dex sitting next to her, his large hand resting on the small of her back.
“Dance with me?” I am fully aware that I sound crazy. But I need out of my head. I can’t think of Keaton fucking Lucy.
“Now?” Sage beams at me before looking over her shoulder to Dex.
“Yup, Sasha is getting the stage ready. I need out of my head, please…” my voice cracks on my plea.
She sees the vulnerability all over my face.
“Okay baby face, let’s do this.” She jumps off the stool but spins and kisses her beautiful beau before she links her fingers through mine and drags me out back to the changing rooms.
Sage has borrowed a pair of black platform stilettos, and she looks every bit amazing in her high waisted wet look leggings and black cropped top. I’m still wearing my silver bra and thong. My chest heaving, my breasts spilling over the flimsy material.
“You okay?” Sage asks, sensing my mood.
“I will be,” I smile.
“Okay,” Sage goes quiet for a moment as Sasha begins talking.
“You okay with just dancing? We can work on pole tomorrow?”
“Sounds perfect,” she beams just as Sasha calls us out on stage as Worth It – Fifth Harmony begins playing.
My skin prickles and my heart thumps but I swallow all of that down as I’m pulled onto the stage by Sage.
“Follow my lead,” she whispers, and I nod, “eyes on me.” A small smirk lifts at the corner of her mouth and she winks slowly. Her fingers lace through mine as her hips begin to sway and I hear the cat calling start.
Sage owns the stage. She knows what she is doing.
Spinning me off her arm, my hips begin rotating slowly as my fingers skim across the soft skin on my throat, trailing between my breasts as I tease the guys in the front row. Sage drops down on all fours, crawling to the edge of the stage where Dex is standing center. Swinging her legs round, they hang off the side and she reaches for his hair, pulling him between her legs as she lowers her mouth over his.
My heart thumps.
She swings around, standing quickly and pressing her body against mine. Her head dips into my neck, her lips brushing lightly across my skin. I let my head fall back, my arm snaked round her waist as I let her take the lead. Her hot mouth moves across my collarbone, down my chest and her hand presses against my sternum. I lean back, molding to her silent commands. Her mouth is off me, and I roll myself up and turn so my back is against her front. Sage’s hands grip onto my hips as my ass rolls against her and I lower myself down, hands pressed against the floor as I continue wiggling over her. Rubbing her hand over my bare ass, she slaps it gently which causes a little roar from the expensive suits and I smirk.
Rolling my body up in a slow, seductive way, Sage spins me round to look at her, her head pressed against my forehead as we pant. Stepping apart, legs part slightly as we roll our hips, lowering to the floor. Knees pressed against the cold surface, we widen our knees, dropping down so our chests are low, our asses in the air for just a moment. Sage stays in the downward dog position, but I lay flat, legs straight and roll onto my back. Perching myself on my elbows I smirk at her and I see her lips widen into a smile. She drags herself across the floor, moving to her knees as her head rolls round, her long, silky black hair cascading down her back before her eyes land back on me. Turning my head to look at the crowd, all eyes are on us. But then I see his.
Sparkling green eyes shining and standing out in a room full of people, and they’re all I can focus on.
Hard jawline. Tight and wound.
Eyes ablaze with something dark and hot and I feel myself quiver.
“Eyes on me,” Sage snaps me out of it and I nod softly and quickly so it’s only her that notices.
Her small, soft hands rest on my legs that are stretched out in front of me before she tightens her grip, pushes them up into my chest and spreads them wide. Her body is over me, her hips rolling as her hand pushes against my heaving chest so my back is flat against the floor. Turning once more, my eyes seek him out and my lips part, but her fingers grip my chin softly and she turns my face towards her.
“Stay with me, nearly finished,” she dips down, our lips brushing, and a giggle slips past my lips as her hair veils us from their greedy eyes. “It’s all an illusion baby girl, they have no idea what is going on between us,” she winks and seductively pulls her hair away from our faces, then drags it over the other side of her neck so now they can see everything. She lowers her finger on my bottom lip, trailing it slowly until her spare hand is curled around my neck as she leans across my body, her ass vibrating and twerking to the music. The last chorus of the song wraps around the club and her body rises and so does mine. I arch my back off the floor but leave my head so it’s hanging as Sage’s fingers grip onto the small bit of material between my bra, dangling me as she kneels between my spread legs. Her grip loosens and I push myself back, scissoring my legs in rotation as I roll onto my front, and Sage is there, behind me, gripping my hips and pulling my ass into her. One last roll of my ass against her and I slowly lift from the floor, both on our knees, my back against her heaving front as we turn to face the audience, my chin lifting off my shoulder a little more as she edges her lips closer to mine. Before our lips can even touch the curtain falls and the men cat call, a thunderous applause filling the room and I spin to face her, laughter consuming both of us.
“Shit, that was…” I stammer.
“Hot!?” Sage beams, standing and holding her hand out for me to take which I do, gladly.
“So hot,” I blush and nibble my bottom lip.
“Well gentleman… how about that for your Thursday night? What a treat for you all!” Sasha’s voice booms through the microphone.
“You did amazing, thank you for dancing with me.” Sage gushes as she pulls me in for a cuddle.
“Thank you for dancing with me,” I laugh, “I don’t think I have ever felt that confident on stage before so honestly, thank you.”
“You’re an amazing dancer,” she lets go of me and my cheeks pinch.
I step back and inhale deeply.
“So who got your attention in the crowd?” she asks and my mouth pops open before I close it again.
“Um, it’s complicated,” I laugh as I push my fingers through my hair and away from my face.
“When is it not?” she raises her brows, “Mine and Dex’s relationship was complicated, but look at us now,” she smiles and her eyes glass. Do you know when you just look at someone and can tell how in love they are? Well, that’s Sage and Dex.
The curtain pulls open and Sasha holds her arm out as we walk towards her.
“I think we need to make this a tradition. Frisky Thursday? Thirsty Thursday?” Excitement consumes Sasha, she can hardly control it. “Thirsty Thursday!” Sasha calls out again, “I think I like that, would you guys like to see some more of what Sage and Arizona put on stage tonight again?” and the guys clap. “Then it’s settled; Arizona… get me a song list and we will see if I can make Thursday evening yours,” she gives me a soft nod before she turns her mic off and the DJ puts low background music back on.
“Check you out, possibly your own spot,” Sage nudges into me, bumping my shoulder with hers.
“I know,” I whisper, and I finally let my eyes lift to where Keaton was standing. He hasn’t moved. “Not sure if I can do that again with someone else though,” I admit.
“Of course, you can, we can practice whilst I am here. I’m sure one of the girls would like to dance with you.”
I just nod. His eyes are still on me and I can feel the tension brewing thick and fast between me and Keaton.
Letting my eyes drop, I turn towards Sage when I see Dex whisk her up, Sage’s legs wrap round his waist as he carries her off stage and I smile.
Letting out a deep sigh, I move to the side stage and make my way to the locker room. I needed a moment to catch my breath.
Keeping my head down until I am away from the stage, I press my back against the wall and let the cool walls blanket my skin in a cold chill. My eyes flutter shut, my breaths shallow and my erratic heart finally begins to slow.
I don’t even need to open my eyes to know he is here. I can feel him. My breath stutters on my intake.
“What the fuck?” he rasps, and I don’t know if his tone is angry or shocked.
I turn my face to look at him, my eyes roaming up and down his stupid body.
“Why are you even here? I’ve been here a year and never seen you,” I hiss.
“Someone I know mentioned it, kept telling me about this pretty, curly haired beauty that has caught his attention and for some reason, I was curious.”
I roll my eyes.
“And you came to check her out, did you?”
He says nothing.
I scoff, shaking my head from side to side.
“I didn’t enjoy seeing you up on that stage,” he steps closer to me, but he is cautious.
“I don’t give a fuck,” I shrug my shoulders up and turn to face him, his eyes roaming over me and suddenly I am conscious that I am in nothing but fishnets and lingerie. Spinning, I unlock my locker and grab my stuff, dropping my bag to the floor and pulling out my sweats and oversized tee.
Silence gravitates around us whilst I dress. I need to get home. I need to get away from him.
“You’re not doing that again, I don’t care if Sasha gives you the slot. I’ll keep your little secret about you working here, but I will not have you up there doing that again,” his tone has bite to it.
My eyes widen.
Slamming my locker shut, the loud bang echoes around the small room as I step towards him.
“Sorry?” I raise my brows high in my head.
“You heard me, I don’t need to repeat it.”
“Fuck you Keaton,” I close the gap between us now, “you’re not my fucking daddy. Fuck off,” I barge past him, intentionally knocking into him as I walk down the hallway and out into the dark night.
Asshole.