Chapter 13 Marietta
MARIETTA
Knowing Merrick is watching me is hot.
So hot.
Every time I glance his way, his eyes are fixed on my body.
The work is hard, and I’m breathless by the time we take a break. But it’s not just the dance.
It’s his intensity.
When I sit on the floor with the others so our instructor Terra can show us a new move, he’s as focused on me as he was when I was on the pole.
One of the other girls elbows me. “You’ve got him in a twist, that’s for sure.”
“You think so?”
Another one leans in. “I could strip naked, and he wouldn’t even notice. It’s like his eyeballs are glued to you.”
I flash another glance at him. He notices me, unmoving, his hard stare making my nipples contract.
I press my hand to my chest. How did he do that just by looking at me?
Terra returns the lights to regular mode and grips the pole closest to us. “Today we’re going to take the back hook we learned last time and use it in a spin.” She holds the pole and lifts both feet off the ground. “Face away from the pole, hook your knee, then begin the backspin.”
I subtly shift my head so I can check the mirrored wall to look behind me and see if Merrick is watching Terra. She’s way more beautiful than me, muscled but with plenty of boobs, unlike my flatlands.
But his eyes are on my butt, perched over my bare feet as I sit on my knees.
My heart speeds up. Is he really looking at me sitting still rather than someone like Terra on the pole?
“Everyone got it?” Terra asks. “Let’s give it a whirl. Sasha, since you are more advanced, I’ll help you with a different move.”
We all stand up. I tug on the back of my pole dance bottoms to snap them into place and peer at the mirror to see Merrick visibly swallowing.
He’s definitely into it.
With this extra shot of confidence, I grasp the pole and lift my feet into the back hook position.
It’s an easy move for me, and I circle the pole.
I wonder what it would feel like to have my hair loose, so I let go with one hand, move my scrunchie from my hair to my wrist, and do the back hook turn again.
When I arch my back and lift my chin, my hair falls into an arc, tickling the bottom of my feet. It’s so freeing to languidly circle the pole, my hair down.
As I make my way around, I see Merrick watching without even a blink. His gaze meets mine, and even though I’m upside down compared to him, the way our eyes clash sends a flash of heat through me.
The lights are all on since we’re in instruction mode rather than moving freely.
But it’s still sexy and hot, dancing for him. I glide up and down the pole, looking at him every time I turn in that direction.
His eyes take me in, hooded and intense. I split into a V and straddle the pole, circling the cool metal as I climb to the top.
He’s rapt as he watches my body undulate as I move.
If we were alone, this could be it. I’d call him over, dancing around him and the pole, gliding my body up and down his. His hands would reach for me, encircling my waist, turning me to face him so our mouths could—
“And that’s it for today,” Terra calls. “Great work, everyone.”
I hold on to the pole a moment longer, looking at him. No one else exists, just me near the ceiling and him, eyes raised.
I watch him touch every part of me with his gaze, face, shoulders, belly, thighs, feet.
And after this, I get to ride behind him on the bike.
I slide down the pole to the floor and walk to my sweats.
“He can’t take his eyes off you,” Terra says. “He’s a hot one.”
“He owns a bar,” I say, then wonder why I brought up that detail.
“You going to dance at it?” she asks. “You can probably put together a routine with the moves you already know.”
“I wouldn’t have any idea how to go about it.” I stick my feet into my sweats.
“Come early next week. I’ll show you some transitions.”
I pause. “Really?”
“Sure. I love it when my girls get dancing gigs. He your boyfriend?”
“Not yet.”
Terra glances back at him. “Won’t be long.”
Is that true? I practically propositioned him before.
But something feels different.
I hurriedly finish dressing and shove on my shoes. The other girls are gone. Terra cleans the poles.
When I push through the glass door, Merrick stands up.
Everything I think of to say seems wrong for the heated way he’s looking at me, so I simply fall in beside him as we walk down the empty hall.
The morning sunshine bears down on us, even though the autumn air is cool. “Thanks for bringing me,” I say.
“You do this every Saturday?” he asks.
“Yeah, and actually …” I hesitate. “Terra offered to show me some transitions before class next week. If it’s not a bother to add a little more time to the outing.”
He passes me my helmet. “I could watch you pole dance all fucking day.” His voice is low and gravelly, and I can feel the vibration of it all the way to my toes.
“Terra says I know enough to put together a routine. I just have to find a place to practice.”
He nods. “I’ll get you a pole.”
I push the helmet onto my head. “At the clubhouse?”
His voice is almost a growl. “Hell, no. At my bar.”
“Really?”
His gaze holds mine. “I want you to dance for me.”
Key parts of my body flush hot. “I’d like that.”
He nods and sits on the bike. “We have to get back.”
I sit behind him and wrap my arms around his middle. He’s strong and sturdy, and the muscles of his belly shift and flex as we back out of position and turn toward the street.
I press hard against his back, imagining he is mine, and we are entwined on his bed with nothing between us. The fire in me stokes hotter, and my fingers spread across his belly as we take off down the street.
I want so badly to feel more of him, his skin, the indentions that cut across his torso. I try to picture him naked, erect, my hands gripping him.
I’m dying. It feels so close, but I can’t do anything about it. He might hold back, even now, after the dancing and him telling me he’d put up a pole. The club is watching me, after all.
And I can’t do anything yet. I have to figure things out. What happens when a mouse moves to bunny? Where would I live? Do they kick me right out? How strict is the house mouse rule?
I have to handle this carefully.
Because things have changed. After what happened in that class, I can’t look at Hoss or Fancy or any other member of the Wild Hair. They are not an option anymore.
Only Merrick will do.