Chapter 22 #2
"There's no audio in here, but there are cameras. We can't just sit down and have a chat. I'm going to dance. You're going to put the money in her purse so I can take it when we're done."
Evers nodded. Jade began to sway to the music, and I busied myself emptying my personal things out of my little pink clutch. There wasn't much. My driver's license, credit card, a few business cards. I left Jade the loose change since my dress didn't have any pockets.
Handing Evers the clutch, I looked up at Jade. My mouth went dry. Jade’s hips swayed, her body rubbing the pole behind her, bra already gone. Her very full, very natural breasts swayed with every turn of her hips.
I blinked. I hadn't expected to see that. Kind of dumb, considering I was sitting in a private room in a strip club and she'd just said she was going to dance.
Still, I hadn't expected breasts. Not up close and personal. On the stage, sure. Not in arms’ reach.
I could kind of see where Evers was coming from. I was too sheltered to hang out in a strip club if I was surprised by naked breasts.
The sway of Jade's body mesmerized me—the twist of her hips, the dip of her shoulders, the smile on her lips as her back arched.
My cheeks flushed with heat, and I cleared my throat. Evers slid closer to me on the couch and murmured in my ear," If you keep looking at her like that I am not going to be responsible for what happens."
I swallowed hard and met his eyes. They burned with icy-blue fire. Stark need. Not for Jade. For me.
He reached up and ran his thumb over my flushed cheekbone.
"I'm definitely taking you out on the town in Vegas. Watching you watch her? That's fucking hot."
My cheeks burned. I pressed my knees together, fighting the sudden warmth between my legs. Evers' hot eyes, his thumb stroking my cheek, the sound of his voice, the gin muddling my brain, and Jade, dancing only feet away—all of it had my head swirling.
I looked back to see Jade place her hands high on the pole and effortlessly lift her body until she was upside down, legs wrapped around the dull gold surface.
Changing her grip, she parted her legs in a wide V, bracing her feet on the pole, and spun, her red hair flying.
Before I could figure out how she did it, she hooked a leg around the pole, bending her other behind her in an arabesque, and spun again, her back arched, full breasts front and center.
My jaw might have dropped just a little. Under his breath, Evers said, "Fuck me."
He wrapped an arm around me, pulling me closer until I was almost plastered to his side, then turned his attention to the middle of the room, fastening his eyes on the ceiling, just above Jade.
Through the mess of thoughts in my head, it struck me as incredibly sweet that Evers wasn't staring at the gorgeous naked woman only a few feet away. And she was naked now. Somewhere, somehow, while she'd been on the pole, the thong had hit the floor.
I squeezed my eyes shut for a second then blinked again. Jade was seriously athletic. I'd underestimated the dancing skills required for stripping. Jade had said she did pretty well. Watching her work that pole, I was not surprised.
Once I got past the fact that she was naked, I saw the strength in her legs, the flex of her arms. Dropping from the pole, she landed on the ball of one foot and spun in two quick pirouettes before reaching for the pole again and lifting herself into the air.
I'd taken just enough ballet as a girl to recognize a trained dancer.
"You can look," I whispered to Evers, wondering what had gotten into me.
He swallowed hard and shook his head, less in denial than exasperation. "Smokey Winters," he said to Jade. "What do you know?"
"He really your dad?" she asked me, flipping upside down against the pole, eyes on mine, her breasts practically at her chin.
Distracted, my voice frozen in my throat, I nodded.
"I could see that," she said conversationally as if we were having tea and she wasn't stark naked and hanging from a stripper pole. "You look like him. Same eyes. Though yours aren't bloodshot."
Yep, she knew my dad.
"When was he here last?" Evers asked.
"A few days ago. With his friend Warren. You know Warren?"
"I know Warren," I said.
I racked my brain for what I could remember about my dad's friend Warren. I didn't know him well, but I knew Dad and Warren had been tight since long before I was born. I had the vague idea Warren lived somewhere in Alabama, but maybe I had that wrong.
"Is Warren local? I didn't think he lived around here," I said.
"Oh, yeah." Jade flipped right side up and landed on her feet, grinding her ass against the pole and shaking her breasts. "Well, kind of local. He lives south of town a ways. I think almost in Sawyers Bend. I've never been to his place, but I've heard him bitch about the drive."
"You have a last name on Warren?" Evers asked.
"I don't know," Jade said vaguely. She turned around, sending a teasing look over her shoulder at me, then bent over, legs spread, swaying her hips.
My eyes shot to my knees. Jade was completely comfortable putting all of her goodies on full display to strangers sitting five feet away. Her dancing had been mesmerizing. This was too much.
I cleared my throat and snuck a sidelong look at Evers. He smirked at me in amusement. I would have bet my face was the color of a cherry tomato.
Evers leaned in and brushed his lips across my cheek. "You are fucking adorable. If we don't wrap this up so I can get you out of here—"
I cleared my throat. "It would really help if you could give us a last name for Warren. I can't remember. I haven't seen him in a few years."
Jade hummed to herself and finally, blessedly, stood up and turned back around to give us the front view.
I could handle the front view without dying of embarrassment. She really did have very pretty breasts. Pretty breasts and a spectacular body.
A friend of mine took a pole dancing class for exercise. She’d said it was fun but hard as hell. Watching it in real life, I could imagine. I wondered what Evers would think if I took a pole class and danced for him at home. Somehow, I thought he wouldn't mind that at all.
Jade twisted her hips, running her hands over her breasts and humming to herself as she thought.
"Warren, Warren, Warren—" she said to herself, over and over.
Finally, "Warren Smithfield. I kept thinking Warren Freshfield but that's not it.
Warren Smithfield. Freshfields is a grocery store. Warren Smithfield. That's it."
"You're sure," Evers said.
"Oh, yeah, I'm sure. I remember looking at his card and thinking it was an awfully dignified name for a guy like Warren." She looked at me, "You know what I mean."
Sadly, I did. I hadn't seen Warren in a few years, but he was the last guy you'd describe with the word dignified.
Evers stood, set my pink clutch on the arm of the sofa, and pulled me to my feet, wrapping his arm around my waist, keeping me glued to his side.
"Thanks for your help, Jade. We can see ourselves out."
"No, thank you. And thanks for the purse. It's going to look awesome with my shirt. I hope you find your dad."
"I put my card in there," Evers said, nodding toward the arm of the couch. "If you see Smokey in the next few days, and you give me a call, tell me where he is, I'll make it worth your time."
Jade winked at us. "Gotcha. I'll keep an eye out."
I gave her a friendly wave as Evers pulled me away. We strode through The King’s Club and out the door, the humid summer air delicious after the musty, sweaty smell of the club.