4. Returned
4
RETURNED
GIOVANNA
Before heading to Luxe, I knew I had to find Jade. I’d missed her and Maddie a ton and would have to make a point to take Maddie a little present and see her soon. As I entered the showroom, a familiar sense of comfort washed over me. Euphoria felt like home in a way I never could’ve imagined.
I took a moment to admire the ambiance, as if I were seeing it for the first time. In one corner of the club, a second VIP section had been added, complete with six booths facing the main stage. While they lacked the high-backed chairs and individual poles of the other VIP area, they were still luxurious; with squared off sitting areas and glowing blue glass coffee tables. Sexy was an understatement.
Strip clubs were often deemed dirty and uninviting, but not Euphoria. It was like stepping into another world—one that didn’t feel grimy or sleazy. Instead, it exuded an aura of adult allure like no other club I’d ever entered.
“Hey, you!” Aurora’s voice interrupted my thoughts from behind the main bar.
“Hey, chick!” I strode over, leaning an elbow on the back of one of the barstools.
“Luke said you’d be coming back.”
“Yeppp,” I chuckled. “Couldn’t resist this place any longer.”
She laughed as well. “I get it.”
“I really want to catch up with everyone, but have you seen Jade by chance?”
“She and Amber just went into a meeting with some new girls. Hopefully they won’t cause any trouble.”
My mind flashed back to all the drama that had unfolded before, and my grip tightened on the edge of the bar. The drama started long before I even arrived at Euphoria for the first time, but now it was my problem too. New girls always brought complications to any establishment, and it angered me that anyone would disrupt the peace for those who now meant so much to me.
“You okay?” Aurora’s concerned voice broke through my thoughts.
I realized I’d been staring off into the distance and quickly refocused. “Yeah, just lost in thought. Sorry.” I strummed my neon pink fingernails on the bar’s surface.
She buffed glasses and logged all the alcohol while she caught me up on the things I missed. Apparently, three gorgeous billionaires from Seattle, Dallas, and New York had been frequenting the club almost every weekend when they were in town for business. They seemed to be more interested in flirting with her than the actual dancers. She brushed off any rumors of hooking up with them, but I could sense a hint of curiosity in her voice.
In my years of doing what I did, I could tell when people were lying. Men and women used to spend hours telling me their life stories. It got to the point where I was able to decipher if they were playing me for pity and a possible discount or if they were dealing with actual trauma.
Aurora and Kirsten were a lot alike and loved having multiple men, though I was unsure if Kirsten and Declan had been involved in an actual threesome. Glancing at my watch, I realized how quickly time had passed since I sat down. But before I could excuse myself, I asked one last question.
“Is Ty here by any chance?”
A mischievous smile pulled at the corner of her full lips. “Tyler?”
I nodded once.
Leaning closer, she whispered, “The women here are going crazy over that man.” She shook her head in disbelief. “He’s like Euphoria’s most wanted, and I can’t wait to hear all about it after he finally gives in to one of them.”
Biting my bottom lip anxiously, I couldn’t help feeling a twinge of annoyance at her words. Part of me still felt protective over him, knowing what he had been through and our history together. That night we had spent talking, had gotten deep.
He was undeniably attractive, and the attention from all the dancers was expected. But I couldn’t shake off the feeling that none of them truly cared about his well-being. Then again, what did I know? I’d been gone for so long.
“But,” she continued, “I haven’t seen him, yet.”
“Cool,” I folded my arms, “thanks!” I offered a wave over my shoulder as I ambled toward the door.
“Welcome!” she shouted back as several technicians entered the showroom to do their nightly duties.
Several people were scattered throughout the lobby, but I didn’t see a familiar face, so I veered right, keeping my focus on the tinted black door leading to Luxe. I scanned my keycard and pulled it open. The music was already playing throughout, and I paused.
Not wanting to be underdressed for the evening’s work, I quickly ducked into the bathroom to change. I slipped out of my casual clothes and into a black, sequined V-neck, backless Cami dress. It hugged my figure perfectly and revealed just enough skin, with a black bra and matching thong underneath. Completing the look with a pair of sleek black stilettos, I checked myself in the mirror. My pink hair stood out against the dark outfit, making me feel confident and powerful. Chin held high, I slung my bag over my shoulder and left the bathroom, heading toward the office.
I was probably the last person Tyler wanted to see, but I had to rip the bandage off and speak to him. As I reached his office doorway, I could see his back turned while he sorted through papers on his desk. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, someone brushed past me, entering the office.
“Hey Tyler,” she purred in a sickly-sweet voice before turning to me. “Oh, hi,” she said, greeting me with false kindness.
“What, Victoria?” The annoyance was prevalent in Tyler’s tone as he responded without even turning around.
She ignored him and instead sneered at me. “You’re… here… and with pink hair?” she mocked.
That caused him to whirl around, his gaze fixated on me that instant. I couldn’t tear my eyes away from his toned, muscular form filling out the dark grey plaid slacks and black button-up shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, revealing strong forearms covered in veins and a light dusting of hair. “Gia,” he said, sliding his hands into his pockets, “good to see you again.” His words were polite enough, but I could sense an underlying tension. That told me I had said or done something to make him uncomfortable when he took me home.
“You too,” I replied, trying to act nonchalantly.
He turned his gaze to Victoria, who was fidgeting and shooting looks between us. She didn’t seem pleased by my presence. He straightened his shoulders, then took me in with hungry eyes again. It was a look I wasn’t used to from him but still one I recognized from that single encounter.
“I need you for a bit,” Victoria finally said, her attention still focused on him.
“What for?” he asked, with a hint of harshness in his tone.
“Cage room,” she stated, her voice dripping with seduction as she folded her hands together in front of her revealing sheer red attire. “And I know you want to watch.”
“Actually,” he dipped his head at me, “I need to go over some things with Gia before we get too busy.”
My heart skipped a beat at his eyes, the way he was now leaning on the front of the desk, and his artfully tousled hair, like he’d been running his fingers through it in frustration, before I walked in. I felt so drawn in to him. A flutter zipped through my belly, causing me to almost grab my stomach. What the hell?
“Fine.” All playfulness was wiped from her face. “But just know that tonight I’ll be fucking one of the new members if you get the urge to join or come watch.” She spun around, tripping over her white platform heels. Giving me a sarcastic, tight-lipped grin, she ungracefully marched out of the office, her ankles still wobbling.
I bit back a laugh. Tyler shook his head, then lifted his chin at the door. Taking that as my cue to close it, I did. Hands gripping the front of the desk, he remained perched on the edge of the polished wood.
“You hired her?” I pointed back over my shoulder, still amazed. “She moves like a baby deer on ice in those things.”
He tried his best to fight back a grin. “Not me, no.”
Silence between us filled the room. If it hadn’t been for the muffled music drifting through the walls, you could’ve heard a pin drop. He stared at me while I gathered my thoughts. Finally, I was able to speak.
“Listen, I have no idea what I said or did the other night, but I’m sorry.”
Nibbling the inside of his cheek, he crossed his arms high on his chest, tilting his head. “How can you be sorry for something you don’t remember?”
Shit. So, something happened . My eyes widened at the reality. “Tyler, I?—”
He raised a hand. “Relax, nothing happened.”
“But,” I braced myself, “did I say anything… weird?”
Wetting his bottom lip, he raked his gaze over me for the second time since I’d entered the office. “Weird? No.” Flickering his eyes, he pushed off the desk. “Anyway, since you’re back, I need to show you a few things I’ve been working on, a few small changes, and one thing I’ve kept hidden for now.”
“Kirsten mentioned it when she was at my house,” I replied. “The thing only Luke knows about?”
“Yes,” he paused for a moment, shifting topics. “Since we’re going to be working together again, I want to be clear about a few things.”
Dropping my bag in the chair in front of his desk, I rested my palms on my hips. “Okay?”
“I want us to keep things professional.”
“That won’t be hard,” I replied sarcastically.
Raising an eyebrow, he placed his hand under his chin as if in deep thought.
“What?” I asked with a shrug.
Exhaling, he continued, “And I know you’re close to my family, and that’s cool, but whatever happened between us was done the night I walked out of that room at Penthouse.”
What the fuck? My mind raced as I struggled to find the right words. “I know, yeah, of course,” I finally managed to say. “We’re coworkers. Nothing else. Got it.”
“I’m glad we agree,” he remarked with a nod.
But we didn’t agree. I wanted to be more than just coworkers with him, at least friends. But it was clear he was now with Victoria, and they were keeping their relationship a secret. I never wanted to be the other woman, and I had no intention of getting in between them.
I didn’t ask questions before when men came to my job. Their personal lives were never my business, but I didn’t know any of my client’s personal lives and didn’t care to. And since I knew Tyler, I’d respect him.
“Anyway,” he said, changing the subject as he guided me out of the room, closed and locked the door behind us. “Let me show you.”
His hand rested on my lower back, but he pulled away slightly before hovering over me again. As we walked down the hallway, people were moving back and forth from the bar area to the rooms, some holding hands and chatting while others were just meeting for the first time and feeling each other out with questions.
The corridor felt darker than I remember, although it still maintained an elegant but raunchy atmosphere. We stopped at the cage room where Victoria was dancing inside one. Her body swayed to the music as she ran her fingers through a man’s hair who stood in front of her. She caught sight of Tyler and grinned widely in his direction, pressing her hips toward the bars.
I leaned close to his ear. “At least Bambi dances better than she walks.”
He shook his head with a subtle smile. “Come on.” Placing a hand on my back again, he led me down the hallway, this time keeping it firmly in place against my skin.
“She seems good for you,” I commented sarcastically, unsure if he could hear me over the music. It wasn’t as loud as it was in Euphoria, but still enough to make conversation difficult.
He glanced down at me with a glint in his eye before opening a side door, letting me enter the viewing hallway first. At the end of the corridor, where it was wider than the rest, were new black leather couches that sat back-to-back with end tables at their sides. One faced the kinkiest member room while the other faced a private room, which had been locked since we opened.
Looking into the crowded one, he stood beside me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Like I told you before, she’s not my type.”
“When did you tell me that?” I asked in surprise.
He sighed.
I shifted my weight and bit my bottom lip, turning back to the lavish room. “Right, I was drunk,” I mumbled.
“We added a second St. Andrew’s cross and spread them out. We took out one of the beds.”
“I noticed.” I turned to him again. “Can I ask why?”
He chuckled. “Some assholes tried to scoot them together, and someone got hurt.”
“Already?” I giggled. “Good thing we have a damn fine lawyer.”
His gaze flickered down to my lips before meeting mine once more.
“I meant a… good one,” I clarified, feeling heat rise in my cheeks.
“I know what you meant.” Tyler turned his attention back to the room and opened his mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again.
We stood in silence, our eyes taking in a couple passionately kissing in front of the window. The man’s hand disappeared below our view, but the woman’s open mouth and jerks revealed that he was fingering her hard. He pulled her closer, kissing down her neck before yanking her top aside to expose her breast, which he eagerly took into his mouth.
“Okay, but why isn’t she your type?” I blurted, determined to divert the focus to anything except standing there with Tyler watching two people about to fuck in front of our eyes. I felt my pussy beginning to betray me.
He whirled back toward me, his expression stern. “You question me just after I told you I wanted to keep things between us professional.”
“Which is so stupid!” I barked back a little too loudly, though no one else could hear our conversation in the soundproof hallway.
He furrowed his brow.
“Dude,” I snickered, trying to lighten the tension. “We had sex. So what? You were just another client’s dick to me.”
“Gia.” His tone was warning.
“I gave you the night you deserved based on the big ass price tag it came with. The minute you left, I fucked three more guys.”
His eyes widened in surprise, and his jaw clenched in frustration.
“In fact, I fucked two others before you, so technically you fucked them too.”
“Enough!” He charged at me, backing me against the glass where the woman was now pinned against it while the man fucked her from behind.
My chest rose and fell rapidly as he glared down at me, his palms pressing into the window on either side of me. His tongue rolled over his bottom lip, and anger could be seen in his intense gaze. We were both tense and there was a strong current of sexual desire between us… for me at least. For him, not so much.
“You’re lying,” he growled, his voice low and gravelly, like a predator stalking its prey.
My heart raced as I wet my bottom lip, unable to avert my gaze from his piercing eyes. But I couldn’t let him see my weakness, so I shook my head defiantly.
“Then you lied to me that night,” he accused, his sharp features contorted in anger.
I sighed, running my fingers through my hair. “Fine, you win. I lied just now. You were my first client that night, and we spent so much time together, I didn’t have time for anyone else after you left.”
“That’s what I thought.” A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, but it quickly vanished as he glared at me. “Why the fuck would you say all that to me just now?”
“To make you feel better that I thought nothing of our night.”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re such a brat.”
I pursed my lips, wiggling my brows. “You have no idea.”
He leaned in closer, our faces only inches apart, despite our attempts to keep it professional. His warm breath tickled my skin as he put his lips next to my ear. “Oh, I remember well.”
“Do you still regret our night together?” I asked in a barely audible whisper.
“I never regretted it,” he admitted, his gaze softening. “I just wanted to forget about it after you showed up here and I was married.”
“Consider everything I just said, my way of helping you forget our night then, but I want to know what happened after you took me home the other night.”
His eyes lowered to my lips for a split second before snapping back up to meet mine. “Did you wake up sore?”
I shook my head slowly. “Just hungover.”
A wicked sparkle appeared in his eyes as they flickered down to my lips again. “Then you should kn?—”
Before he could finish his sentence, my breath hitched, and his expression twisted into one of concern. In an instant, he had pulled out his phone from his pocket and was answering a call with one hand while keeping the other pressed against the wall next to my head.
Yeah?
She’s with me right now.
Yeah, I’ll send her right there.
He slid his phone back in his pocket and took a step back. “Luke said Jade wants you headlining tonight so Amber can train someone. But he wants to see you right now. I’ll show you my secret some other time.”
“Can we talk later?” I asked, trying to keep my composure despite the fluttering butterflies in my stomach.
He slipped his hands casually into his pockets, his eyes meeting mine. “I meant what I said about keeping it professional.”
“Your rules, sir .” Pressing my lips into a thin line, I fought back a smile at the name he made me call him the night we were together. I whirled around to leave but he grabbed my wrist, spinning me back around. I scowled at my arm, then him. “What the fuck is your pro?—”
“Ekaterina was up here this morning,” he said, ignoring what I called him.
I gasped, and he let go. Rubbing the remnants of his touch with my palm, I asked, “What, why?”
“No idea, but I thought you deserved to know. I can have someone follow you home without making a big deal about it if you want.”
“No.” I waved a hand lazily. “They’ll have to drive really slow.”
“Why?” He creased his brow.
“I took the T,” I replied. “Walking home.”
He let out an incredulous laugh. “Why are you determined to get killed?”
“Screw you,” I snickered. “I’ll be fine.” He opened his mouth to argue, but I gripped my hips. “Also, you want to keep things professional, right?”
“Of course.”
I pointed to my wrist. “Then keep your fucking hands off me.”
He didn’t respond as I spun around to leave as fast as my high heels would carry me. I had to snap myself back into the present. Maybe Kirsten was right. Maybe a part of me always liked him, even after all these years. But I refused to fall into the trap of wanting something that I could never have.
Deep down, a small voice whispered that maybe we didn’t actually hook up the other night. And if that were true, it meant that I hadn’t said anything too embarrassing or revealing. Or at least, that’s what I hoped for.
Feeling a mixture of pride and defiance, I strutted out of Luxe without exchanging a word with the other staff. They could wait for my greetings later. My main priority was meeting up with Luke, who I knew was waiting for me in the lobby. As soon as I stepped into the grand space, his presence was impossible to miss; arms crossed over his chest, his tattooed sleeves accentuating the bulge of his muscles.
“Sorry,” I apologized. “Ty and I were having a conversation.”
He paused, studying me. “Is everything good between you two?”
“Good?” I scoffed. “I doubt things will ever be truly good, but they’re tolerable.”
“Sure.” He sneered. “Did he tell you that Jade wants you as the headliner?”
“He did. Were you planning on telling me about Ekaterina being here?” My lips pursed as I waited for an answer.
Instantly, his expression became guarded. “Did he tell you that?”
“I’m glad someone did,” I hissed. “Why was she here?”
He glanced over his shoulder before grabbing my wrist, just like Tyler had done earlier. Pulling me through the bustling lobby toward the hallway leading to champagne rooms and dressing areas, he remained silent. I thought he would let go once we were past the crowd, but he maintained his grip and pulled me all the way to Room One, Mr. Knight’s personal room.
Releasing my hand, he closed and locked the door behind us. Kirsten appeared moments later, completely naked and grinning when she saw me. Before she could speak, Luke waved her off.
“Not now, Kirsten.”
“Okay.” She glanced at me before exiting the room. “So happy you’re back!”
“Thanks,” I mustered a smile, though happiness was far from what I was feeling at that moment. As soon as she was out of sight, I became serious.
“What did Tyler say about it?” Luke asked.
I leaned against the platform edge situated in the middle of the room. “Nothing, just that she was here. But I want to know why, and I deserve an explanation.”
“It’s business.”
“Okay,” I exhaled, “and I understand that, but is everything alright?”
“Well, she’s not happy about you being here anymore. And for some God unknown reason, she’s definitely not happy about Declan’s interest in Kirsten, so there’s that.” He put his hands on his hips, taking a deep breath as he stared at the ceiling, then lowered his eyes back to me. “She met with Ian and me about other things too that you don’t need to worry about, but she tried to buy you back.”
“Buy me?!”
“Don’t worry, Ian made it clear that you’re not for sale.”
A sinking feeling settled in my stomach. This situation was bound to end badly. Ekaterina never took no for an answer, especially when money was involved. I shifted my gaze to the floor.
“I assure you that you have nothing to worry about.”
I lifted my eyes back to him. “Mr. Knight has no reason to fight for me. And even if he does, it’s only because he feels guilty about what happened with my dad. But he would never fight for me because he actually wants to.”
“I think you’ll soon find you’re wrong,” he defended. “Ian’s loyal as shit and besides leaving us for a while to sort out your own grief, you never fucked us over. More importantly, you stood by him when shit got weird with Britney and then pulling those fuckers out of the audience for us. You’ve more than earned his respect. He just doesn’t want you getting too cocky about shit, so he told you to earn his trust again.”
I remained quiet. He wasn’t wrong, but I still felt like Mr. Knight probably thought I was a burden. In the end, when she started a war over me, would he fight for me out of obligation or turn me over to her? I earned his trust, but I wasn’t sure he’d earned mine just yet. I’d still fight by his side and prove myself to him, however, I didn’t know if he’d return the favor. Either way, it didn’t matter. Ekaterina was a fucking bitch who always got her way.
Reaching inside his pocket, he pulled out his phone, staring at it for a minute before putting it away. “Tyler said he needs you back in Luxe.”
“Okay,” I replied, though I thought it was weird that he needed me again so soon. “Am I safe to wander around the club alone?” Not that I was worried about much, but Ekaterina was a different breed. She’d controlled me for so long because I allowed it due to my desperation to separate myself from my family.
He chuckled. “Yeah, things have really changed around here quite a bit. I’ll catch up with you later. I have a few things I need you to do, but since it’s your first night back and you’re dancing too, we can get together tomorrow and work out the personal assistant stuff instead of tonight.”
“Sounds good.” I beamed. “Thanks for taking me back.”