Chapter 12 Calum
Calum
I climb out of my limousine on a busy street, pulling my coat closer and blinking into the blinding streetlight. Night has fallen and the city is teeming with the late night crowd, especially this part of Hell’s Kitchen. There are a lot of bars, strip clubs, and massage parlors right around here.
I round the corner, heading into a dark alley.
Music throbs as I jog down a few steps that lead to the entrance of Club X.
A bouncer sits by the club’s heavy front door, his sharp gaze taking me in.
I’ve shifted to a black hoodie, black leather jacket, and black jeans, There is no trace to indicate my wealth or status.
Then again, I suspect he’s used to seeing that, working the door here.
“Password?” he asks.
I stare him down. “Apricot.”
He slides off his stool and rolls the door aside. Music pours out of the doorway. As I step through into the hallway, the floor glows faintly, leading me back into the depths of the club.
Rap music grows louder and louder until I’m awash in it. I turn the corner and see the main floor of the club: the black tables sprinkled here and there, the sleek black bar, the center stage and pole, a naked redhead grinding on it.
I look around, my gaze landing on one of the managers lounging at the bar. As I stalk over to him, he straightens up, his eyes widening just a bit. He sniffs several times. Between that and his pupils as dilated as dinner plates, something tells me that he’s on a shit ton of coke.
“Cerise,” I bark at him.
He starts. “What?”
I step closer to him, folding my arms across my chest. “Cerise. Where the fuck is she?”
His adam’s apple works convulsively in his throat. “In the back, man.” He looks at me, glassy eyed. “Are you going to cause me a problem tonight?”
Ignoring his question, I reach inside my leather jacket, pulling out a fat wad of hundred dollar bills. I roll a few off, slapping them down on the bar. “I want to see her in the Platinum Room in two minutes. Got it?”
He snatches up the cash, squinting around the room. “I’ll go get her for you.”
I’m already walking away, headed for the staircase. My heart is pumping overtime.
I didn’t actually think that it would be so easy to find her. I haven’t actually planned what I’m going to say to her.
Running up the last couple of stairs, I push the door open to the Platinum Room. The black leather booths and the shiny bronze stripper pole beckon. As I take my customary seat, I try to quell my excitement.
Everything that I want is within my grasp. All I have to do is play my cards just right.
I see the flash of ash blonde first. Then her hazel eyes and her pouty mouth. Her whole body comes into view, wearing a black string bikini and platform stripper heels.
Her expression is just short of open rebellion. That little bit of fire actually gets me going as much as her tits or her ass.
I like that she thinks she can actually fight back against me. That makes my cock hard.
She reaches out to flick a button at the door and then eases it shut. Her music starts playing a woman singing in sultry voice over hip hop music.
Cerise walks straight up to me, folding her arms across her chest. “What are you doing here, Calum?”
I look at her, almost radiating anger as she stands above me. A smirk plays on my lips. My fingers itch to touch her, but I resist.
“I came to see you. Apparently you haven’t signed the paperwork making me your patron yet.”
Her eyebrows fly up in surprise. “What? Why would I sign those? After you go to the board of the New York Ballet with what you know—“
I give my head a little shake. “I’m not going to do that.”
She stops, looking confused. “What? Why not?”
I reach out, brushing my fingers along the line of her outer thigh. She jumps at my touch, scowling at me.
Ah, I love her reaction.
“My goal is not to embarrass you at work, beauty,” I husk out. I trail my fingertips up, toying with the strings holding her bikini together.
She swallows nervously. I have to suppress a grin. It’s not quite time to let her see me in my full colors.
No, there’s an amount of wooing yet to be done.
“My goal has never been to tarnish your reputation. Rather, it has been about getting what I want.”
I smooth my hand around the side of her hip. Then I make eye contact with Cerise as I slowly move my hand around to cup her perfect ass. It’s firm and warm to the touch.
She swallows again, blushing and dropping her gaze. “And what is it that you want, Calum?”
I can’t help but grin at that. “I want you, beauty.”
She loses patience. “I don’t understand! You have me! You summoned me, here I am. You can use any girl here however you want! I think you know that better than I do…”
I shake my head slowly. “I don’t want to have you here. I want to have you wherever I want, whenever I want.” My smirk returns. “That’s why I wanted to be your patron in the first place. But now I can offer you something unique in exchange for… your time.”
I toy with the string on one side of her bikini, tugging on it gently. She bites her lip, frowning just a little.
“Come again?”
I begin to pull her down to straddle my lap. She doesn’t like it and resists a little.
I enjoy watching her squirm. I enjoy forcing her down roughly even more.
Once she is sitting astride me, I grab the back of her neck and pull her close.
“The New York Ballet,” I whisper in her ear.
Her entire body freezes up. She pulls back, scanning my face. “I don’t understand.”
I give her a smirk. “I’m the new stage director. If you want a spot in the ballet, Cerise, you just have to ask me.”
Her eyes narrow. She starts to stand up, but I put my arms around her waist and grind into her body.
“It’s Kaia,” she says softly. “Not Cerise.”
I already knew that, of course. Kaia Walker. But still, I enjoy the concession when she offers it to me.
“I’m offering you a role, Kaia.” I brush my fingertips across her jaw, threading my fingertips into her hair. Then I grip her hair hard for just a moment, long enough to remind her of who is in control here.
She glances up at me, her hazel eyes wide. She’s flushed and breathing hard, seeming to take my every word at face value. There is something naked and almost touching in her na?veté.
I drop my voice to a whisper. “I saw you dance today. You were good. With practice, you could be great.” I tilt my head, studying her lovely face. “I can give you private lessons, beauty. In exchange for being on call for my needs.”
She blinks. “And what are your needs?”
I grind my hips into hers again, biting my lip. “Devilish and deranged, for starters. I would be able to fuck you any time, any place. But I think we would both enjoy it, Kaia.”
She sucks in a deep breath, her cheeks flushing scarlet. “I don’t… I don’t think I’m the one you want, Calum. I’m… not…”
She breaks off, shaking her head.
I renew my grip on her hair, making her gasp. “I think you’re exactly what I want, beauty.”
She shivers convulsively, her gaze clashing with mine. “You don’t understand. I’m... I haven’t been with anyone before.”
“I’m going to be your first patron?” I ask, smirking a little. “I think you’re going to be fine.”
She groans, frustrated. “I’m trying to tell you that I’m a fucking virgin, Calum! Okay? I haven’t fucked anyone before and you seem to want… something else.” Her nose wrinkles. “Someone else.”
My jaw drops for a second. I stare into her eyes, floored.
How…?
Why…?
What the fuck?
Did I hear her right?
The girl that made me come in my pants the very first time we met is a fucking virgin? The very same one that I have wet dreams about two or three times each night?
I let my gaze drop to her tight little body. Her perfectly kissable tits, her ass that I want to bury my face in, her undoubtedly magical untouched pussy…
“Holy fuck,” I say. Because what else can I say? “Are you serious right now?”
Kaia bites her lip, blushes, and looks me deep in the eyes. I know that she’s a stripper. I know that it’s to her benefit to lie about something like this.
I know that any man would literally kill to be in the position I am in right now.
I know all of that. But when she whispers yes in that breathy tone of voice…
I believe her.
I slide both of my hands to her hips, giving my head another shake.
“Oh, beauty,” I whisper. “Don’t sign the Club’s contract. We’ll work out a private deal, just between the two of us. I’ll teach you everything I know, in and out of the bedroom. We’ll do every decadent, dirty, hedonistic thing I’ve ever even dreamed of.”
She scans my face, as if trying to decide if I really mean what I say.
“I’ll still be able to dance as part of the New York Ballet, right?” She sucks in a breath after she says it, holding it in.
I tighten my grip on her hips. “Yes, Kaia.”
She bites her lip. “And you won’t… like, tell anyone? About our arrangement, I mean.”
I solemnly shake my head. “No. It’s honestly just as bad for an administrator to be seen sleeping with a dancer as it is for a dancer to have a side job. Either one spells trouble if they were found out.”
Kaia blows out a long breath, then looks at me. “Then… yes. I’ll do it.” Her cheeks blaze bright red. “Should I… do you want me to get undressed right now?”
I’m taken aback by her red-faced offer. I tilt my head, looking at her for a moment.
I don’t know her very well at all, but I’m starting to get two things about her.
She lacks self-confidence and she really has low expectations for how she should be treated. Whether I should read into that or not, I have yet to decide.
It honestly probably doesn’t bode very well for me. But she is so, so fucking hot.
Not to mention untouched…
My lips quirk. “No, beauty. Save it for the next time we’re alone.”
She gives me a small lopsided smile, but I can see the gears turning behind her eyes. She’s trying to figure me out, just as I am her.
I lean forward, kissing her collarbone. I like the way she shivers at my touch; I like the way her skin gets goosebumps everywhere I touch. I like the way her breathing becomes uneven as I suck on her collarbone hard enough to make a mark.
Kaia pushes away from me after a minute and slides off my lap. “I should go. I have to talk to management, I guess.”
My lips twitch. “Let me take care of it. You can just go home and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, you’ll get a call inviting you to the NYB.”
She blows out a breath. “I guess… thank you, Calum.”
That draws out my most wicked grin. “Don’t thank me yet. I promise that you’ll earn your keep, beauty.”
Her eyes widen. But instead of asking me more questions, she turns and rushes off, heading down into the club.