Chapter 4 Very Skilled #3
He held up a hand while understanding filled his eyes. “You want me to get you on Saturday or Friday for better tips, right?”
I nodded.
He shook his head. “Sorry, Ava. No can do. At least not right now. We brought on quite a few new dancers. Some of them from a competing club in town. I’ve gotta see how they work out in the mix before I can start messing with the schedule.
But you’re doin’ great from everything I’ve heard and what little I’ve seen.
If you keep it up, you might be right up there with Amethyst - or you probably know her as Lucy. ”
I tucked my phone into my wristlet. “Right. Thanks for hearing me out. Have a great evening.”
“Not so fast,” Turk said, his tone suddenly stern.
I glanced over my shoulder.
“Who’s walking you out?”
“Oh, yeah. Um, I’ll see if I can—”
Turk shook his head. “I’ll get Punc to do it. He had to fill in for a few hours, but he’s off the clock now. Head downstairs, I’m texting him now.”
My heart fluttered at that idea.
I needed my heart to not flutter at that idea.
My heart insisted it knew what I needed better than I did.
Me and my crazy heart.
I heard Punc’s keys jangle as he walked me to my ride. As we neared my car, I bleeped the locks.
Out of nowhere, Punc grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the front of the car, then farther so we stood in a grassy area a few feet away from the lot.
I opened my mouth to speak, but he turned toward me, grabbed my other hand and yanked me to him.
Directly to him, so my breasts were pressed up against his firm chest.
I tipped my head back to look into his blue eyes. “What are you doing?”
“What are you doing, Savannah?” he asked, squeezing my hands.
“I just got done dancing, that’s all.”
He stared down at me. It gave me time to take in the stubble dotting his chin and cheeks. I wanted to rub my cheek against his, but that thought fled when I noticed a muscle ticked in his angular jaw.
“Why did you pull me all the way up here, past the hood of my car into the grass? This is crazy.”
He lowered his chin. “It is crazy. Hell, seems like I’m crazy. We’re up here because it’s out of the line of the cameras.”
My eyes widened. “Cameras?”
“Do you have any fucking idea what you do to me?”
“I haven’t done anything to you.”
“Were you dancing?”
I nodded once.
“Yeah. So do you know what you do to me?”
My breasts began to tingle at his tone, and the inkling of what I might do to him.
“I’m sorry—,” I began, only for him to cut me off.
“Don’t be sorry. Fuck.”
His head tipped back. I had the strongest desire to run my tongue up the column of his long throat. He shifted his head down again to look me in the eye. At the same time, he moved our hands behind me, then he let go of my hands to grab hold of my ass.
At his touch, I felt a curl of desire low in my belly chased by fear of someone seeing us. I had to keep this job.
“Punc,” I whispered.
His face came closer, and he grazed the side of my nose with his. “Do you have any fucking idea how badly I want to kiss you?”
Not nearly as bad as I want to kiss you.
I managed to keep that thought to myself.
As fast as it started, he let me go and stepped back. “I’m following you home.”
The firmness of his tone underscored his words with a promise of what following me home would entail. A promise I’d love to see come to fruition, but it wouldn’t help me keep my job.
I took a deep breath. “Punc. I appreciate your offer, but I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
He brought his face closer, our lips so close, if I pouted, they’d touch. “I follow you, or I’ll kiss you right fuckin’ now. Rules be damned.”
Well, shit.
I needed the money, which meant I needed this job. He might be willing to break the rules, but I couldn’t afford it.
I stepped back. “Fine, but you can’t kiss me at home either.”
The most devious smirk I’d ever seen crested his lips. “I’ll be right behind you on my bike. Don’t run any red lights.”
My gaze alternated between the road and the sight of Punc on his motorcycle in my rearview mirror.
He rode very close to my bumper. For some reason, he wasn’t wearing a helmet leaving his hair windswept.
Add in his dark sunglasses, the leather he wore, and a powerful bike between his thighs, and he oozed kickass biker.
While sitting at the traffic light at Old Middleburg Road, I took a quick count of the cash in my wallet.
I had one thousand, two hundred dollars in cash.
Along with yesterday’s earnings of five-fifty, I needed to make at least another two hundred and fifty dollars so I could give Frank a full monthly payment of two thousand on Friday.
It sucked that he wouldn’t take a check because there was no way he’d be issuing me a receipt. And nobody wanted to waste two grand.
The light changed and traffic moved forward.
I couldn’t believe Punc wanted to kiss me. Then I wondered if that stemmed from seeing me strip or from watching me give two lap dances on the main floor.
I shook my head at myself. I couldn’t go there with him.
I couldn’t jeopardize this job, at least not yet.
I’d raked in almost two grand in two days.
Like Punc mentioned last night, it could be the new girl effect, but whether it was or not, I needed to make as much money as I possibly could from that vibe.
Yeah, I had to stick to my guns about no kissing in the driveway either.
Punc could see me home, and that would be that.
My wayward libido said I was wrong. My heart wanted me to be wrong, too, because deep down I longed for someone I could open up to about my problems. I wanted him to be that man. That would probably scare him off – or send him over the edge, my guess was it could go either way.
I parked my car, and by the time I had exited the vehicle, Punc had powered down his bike and swung a leg off.
“In the house, babe.”
Hmm…babe wasn’t as good as sweetheart.
I unlocked the front door. “Catalina! I’m home. Punc’s here, too.”
There was no response, and I realized the house was eerily quiet. I moved through the kitchen and saw Catalina’s handwritten note on a dry erase board attached to the fridge door.
I’m at Bella’s to study and have dinner. Be back by nine.
My heart clenched seeing her stick to the curfew Mom had insisted on for school nights. I couldn’t say I was a stickler for that kind of thing because Cat was already so responsible, part of me had thought it would do her good to break curfew, though not so much, now that it was just us.
Punc’s eyes scanned the note, and he grinned. “Got the house all to yourself.”
“I do. Listen, I’m sorry if my dances caused you to get the wrong—”
In two strides, Punc stood toe-to-toe with me. “You are one helluva a great dancer, Ava, but that isn’t what’s going on here.”
“Then what is going on here?”
He dragged a hand through his hair. “Fuck, if I understand it, either. But I can’t fight the pull you have on me, and that started before I laid eyes on you on Monday.”
I tipped my head to the side. “Something tells me, a man who’s as rough, rugged, and handsome as you can fight any pull you want.”
His arms wrapped around my waist. “Not true, sweetheart, but I like hearing you say I’m handsome. Not too many women tell a biker that.”
He held me close. Both of his hands traveled down to my ass again.
I had no choice but to put my hands on his broad chest. I liked touching him like this, but I couldn’t let myself revel in it.
No matter how much I wanted to slide my hands up and drape my arms around his wide shoulders, I beat that back.
“I shouldn’t do this, Savannah. I’m not the man for you. You’re so good…too good for me. You deserve much better than what I can give you, but even though I know that, I can’t stop myself. I’ve gotta have one little taste of you.”
“That doesn’t sound like a good idea either, honey.”
He chuckled darkly. “I know, because one taste won’t be enough.”
“No, it won’t,” I muttered, then realized I’d said the quiet part out loud.
“Say that again,” he demanded.
“Sorry, I wasn’t supposed to say that. Forget I said—”
“Not a fuckin’ chance,” he said, squeezing my ass, hard. “You want a taste of me, too.”
I wanted more, much more, than a taste of Punc.
He lowered his head. “Say it. You want to taste me, too.”
I stared into those captivating blue eyes and got lost while also losing my willpower and resolve. “I want a taste of you so bad it’s not funny.”
“Damn right it’s not.”
I said no more because his lips were on mine.
I inhaled hard, which led to me inadvertently sucking on his tongue. He growled. I smiled. His tongue swirled around mine before he slanted his head. I opened wider, and he kissed me harder.
Over the years, I’d wondered more than once what it would be like to kiss Ted. This exceeded every single fantasy I had ever conjured. One of his hands came up to my hip and beneath my shirt, then under my bra to touch my breast, skin-to-skin.
I arched my back while shifting a hand around his neck and up so I could grip the short hair at the back of his head.
He kneaded my breast, then repeatedly ran his thumb over my nipple. So much heat and sensation built from that alone, I ground my hips against him. I felt his erection and let out a mewl.
Punc straightened his head, then slowly broke the kiss. “Damn it. You taste really fuckin’ good, sweet Ava.”
I opened my eyes. His were heated on me, and his hand was still at my breast. The riot of sensations had me in such a daze, there was only one response to that.
“So do you, now give me another taste,” I whispered, and used my hand in his hair to pull his lips to mine.
He resisted, but not by much once I kissed him.
This kiss was only slightly different in that he let me lead it for a second, then he took over again.
I pushed my body forward against his. The couch was right behind him.
He stopped when his legs hit it. With my free hand I pushed on his shoulder, and he sat down.
I climbed right on his lap and kept on kissing him.
Everything about this was right.
Everything about this was wrong.
We weren’t supposed to be doing this.
I didn’t know if that was what made it so damned delicious, or if it was the years of pent up attraction I had for him.
I didn’t care. I kept taking from him as much as he’d let me, and gave him everything I could in a single kiss.
His hand at my ass dipped a touch lower and I canted my hips to try and fill the ache I had even through my clothes.
He broke the kiss. “Savannah. We can’t—”
I stared into his eyes. “I know. We can’t do this. We shouldn’t do this, but honey, I really want to do this.”
Funny thing was, he hadn’t moved either of his hands. They were both right where I wanted them.
“Got a response to that, baby, but it’s not the right one.
We’re co-workers and you made it crystal clear you need the extra money.
I don’t want sex to be the reason you quit.
At the same time, selfish horny fucker that I am, hearing you moan for me, I’d love to tell you that if you quit, I’ll give you much more than just a taste of me. ”
He had one thing right - telling me to quit my job was not the right response. Still, I slid my hand along his rock-hard (and sizeable) erection between us. “Who has to know?” I asked.
“Savannah,” he said.
And damn it all, that made him take his hands away.
I scampered off his lap feeling a mixture of rejection, embarrassment, and disappointment with myself.
I’d resolved not to let him kiss me, but I let him anyway.
Then I let myself get carried away in the headiness of it all.
I knew even kissing him could cost me the job, but here I was practically throwing myself at him.
Where was my self-control?
I straightened my shirt and bra, then moved to the foyer. “Okay, you got your taste, and I’m home safe, so…” I trailed off not having much more of a comeback at the ready.
The sound of Punc’s heavy sigh rocked me for some reason. I didn’t want him to be disappointed with me - I had that covered enough for both of us. Yet, I had no idea why he would sigh like that.
Then I decided I didn’t need or want to know.
We had to keep this strictly professional.
Or as professional as one can be while working in a gentleman’s club.
No matter how right everything felt, between us being coworkers and the possibility he was doing illegal things with his MC, we were wrong for each other.
He came closer and I struggled to maintain a poker face. If I wasn’t mistaken, his eyes held pity for me.
The last thing I wanted from him, from anyone, was pity.
If I didn’t get him out of here soon, one of the worst things would happen. I’d start crying.
He lowered his head while sliding a hand alongside my cheek and farther until his thumb rested against my ear. “Savannah, I want everything you were offering to me just now. Believe that.”
My eyebrow arched reflexively.
He didn’t miss it from the way his lips twitched.
“You asked who has to know? That means hiding this, hiding us. If I’m ever lucky enough to get that from you, have you the way I want you, and do everything I want to do with you, I’m gonna want everyone to know you’re mine.
There’s no way I can hide it. Not for your job, my job, or any damned thing else. ”
Wow.
It sat on the tip of my tongue to say I’d quit tonight, but the reminder of Frank Darren came crashing though, and this gave me reason number one-hundred-eighty-seven to hate him.
Typical. In my life, when love finally comes to town, the timing couldn’t be any freaking worse.