Chapter 4
Nova
He’s back.
This is the fourth night in a row that Chris has been at Bella’s but hasn’t made an effort to talk to me. For some reason, I’m put out.
Apparently, I didn’t leave much of an impression. I think I’ll have to change that.
My eyes shift to the mirror in front of me.
The red satin demi bra and high-waisted briefs I’m wearing tonight are sure to get a reaction.
The attire leaves more to the imagination, but it’s sultry in its own way.
Shockingly enough, I usually make bank on tips in this particular get-up.
Proof that you don’t have to get completely naked to make it in this world.
Thank God.
Nothing against any of the other women, but I’m not exactly stick thin, so getting naked on stage doesn’t appeal to me. I’ve found creative ways with pasties and panties that still make me money and keep the bosses happy.
“Nova! You’re up!” Thing 2 yells over the music.
“Yeah, yeah, dickhead. I’m coming,” I mutter under my breath.
I heave in a deep breath and adjust the boobs to plump the cleavage a little more, before walking to the side of the stage. Thing 1 is standing by, not even trying to hide the way he’s staring directly at my chest.
I snap in front of his face, forcing him to jolt back in surprise.
His eyes quickly turn angry, but I’m already making my way onto the stage.
Fuck him. He and Thing 2 mess with the dancers all the time; I’m just one of the first to not put up with it.
Perks of not being forced to be here. I owe them nothing, and I make sure they feel it every single shift.
Could it get me in trouble? If it was Cano, sure, but these two?
Absolutely not. They have no power here, just muscles.
The other women can’t afford to test the waters, so I feel obligated to do it for them.
My eyes immediately go to where Chris is sitting in the back corner. The lights blind me, but once I’m used to them, I can see him leaning forward onto the table he sits at. His fingers steeple together in front of him as my hips roll to the beat.
One last six-minute shift, and all my focus is on Chris.
I hyper-focus on every little adjustment he makes, every sip of his drink.
It becomes a game. What moves can I make to break him?
Can I get his hand to shift to his pants?
Or can I maybe get him to wipe the sweat from his brow?
My smile grows as he shifts in his chair, his hips pushing up, to subtly adjust his jeans.
Got him.
The music starts to fade, bringing me back to the reason I’m here. I stumble, grabbing money thrown at me quickly before glancing once more at Chris and walking off the stage.
Time got away from me. I got distracted.
Both are dangerous. I can’t afford a distraction when I’m working.
The thought that runs through my head on repeat is I need to shore up my control.
If being around Chris is going to be detrimental to my overall goal here, then I need to find a different way to get close to Cano.
It hasn’t come to that yet, but I need to keep it in the back of my mind.
Tips were good tonight. I sort them before handing them off to Thing 2 so he can take Cano’s share. I used to get extremely angry by this, but now? Take the money, as long as I get Cano in the end.
The loose elastic pants and tight tank top I brought tonight to change into are on in a matter of minutes. I wipe the heavy makeup off of my face and brush my hair out. A deep breath closes out my process, and then I’m heading out the side door.
“Fancy meeting you here.” Chris’s voice scares the shit out of me.
My back slams against the brick building, knocking the air out of me, as my hand goes to my chest.
“Holy shit, that’s how you kill someone,” I scold.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to frighten you.”
“Well, what did you expect when a woman is walking out into a dark parking lot and you hide off to the side?” The glare I send his way is one Charlie used to panic over. It’s the one that means I’m not messing around.
“A fair point. I apologize.” He bows his head.
I slump against the wall and suck in air to regain my equilibrium. My reaction is more than just him scaring me. He scares me, as a person who could wreck all of my carefully laid plans. I could live or die by this man.
God, I sound dramatic as fuck. I barely refrain from rolling my eyes at myself.
“Did you need something?” I ask, straightening myself up.
Chris shoves his hands in his pockets and sways from foot to foot.
Is he nervous?
“I just wanted to see how you were, I suppose.”
“Is that so?” I tilt my head, not even trying to hide my smile.
He pauses for a minute, all movement stopped, before a glorious smile mirrors mine. “Are you busting my balls?”
“I don’t know. Is it working?”
“Go out with me,” he counters.
“That sounded like a demand.” I tsk.
“Nova, will you please put me out of my misery and go out with me?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. I’m quite busy.” I shrug like I’m completely unaffected, but truthfully, I’m excited as hell. He’s playing right into my hands. But I also find him hot as fuck, so double win for me.
“I can work around your schedule,” he says without skipping a beat.
“Wow. Eager. I can work with eager.” I straighten up and walk a leisurely circle around him. It’s double duty because I get to check out his ass in those slacks, and it is delectable.
“So, is that a yes?” His head whips around to follow me.
“There’s a coffee shop open twenty-four hours not far from here. Care to take a walk?”
“Tonight?”
“Yes, tonight.” I roll my eyes.
“Shit.” He curses under his breath. “I can’t do tonight. I have … business to take care of.”
“What a shame.” I sigh, exasperated.
“Tomorrow?”
“Seventh Street Coffee. Eleven sharp.” I stand on my tiptoes to reach his ear as he bends down to meet me. “It’s your one chance, Chris. Better make it count.” Then I stroll off down the parking lot, leaving him standing there and hopefully wanting more.
The fifteen-minute walk home did nothing to quell the heat that man brought out in my body.
Chris’s may have been hidden by a high-end suit, but it definitely didn’t hide what he’s working with—muscles that could lift me up with ease.
I’m already dreaming about it. Which is why I’m stripping out of my clothes, turning on my shower, and grabbing my vibrator before I get in.
Tonight calls for some self-care.
The little bullet vibe will do the job, although I have others that would simulate an actual dick better.
For some reason, I don’t want to use those while imagining Chris.
It feels … wrong. Like a poor substitute for what the real thing could be.
If I can get close enough to him, then maybe I’ll be lucky enough to witness what I assume is a glorious cock.
I mean, the man is gorgeous, so it stands to reason he’s gorgeous everywhere.
Hopefully.
With that picture in my head, I waste no time. The vibrations hit my clit, sending an intense jolt through my body. My head falls back on a moan.
God, I need this.
The constant stress I wear on my shoulders melts off under the heat of the water.
The pleasure that’s already building transports me to a different life.
One far away from the hands I’ve been delt.
In this life, Chris is mine. His large hands span the width of my back, shoving me face first onto the bed as he kneels behind me.
A giver. That’s what he would be like in this fantasy world.
He’d lick and suck and bite until I could barely breathe.
He’d take me to the edge and then pull back, repeating it until I screamed for mercy.
Fuck, I’m so close already.
My hand slams against the tile as my legs shake.
Chris would deliver the most powerful orgasms without even fucking me.
That’s when I come harder than I have in years, off of a simple bullet vibrator. My legs buckle, forcing me to sit in the shower and let the water wash over me.
What was that? My imagination ran a little wild with that one.
Usually I picture being manhandled, but I’m always in charge in my fantasies.
What’s it say that I subconsciously want Chris to be the one in control?
What I do know is that if we do ever hook up, it’s too dangerous to give up control to him.
I can’t forget who he is and what my end goal is.
No matter what my head dreams up, that’s all it’ll ever be: fantasy.
It takes me far longer than I’ll ever admit to get out of the shower. The water runs cold for a while before I stand up. I stare at my reflection in the mirror as I air dry and bargain with myself.
You will get close to Chris in order to gain access to Cano.
You will take advantage if he offers sex.
You will not allow him to lead any part of the … relationship.
You will get your shot at Cano.
And you will fucking take it, no matter the cost.