Secret Love (Love Stings Series Book 2) (3 page)

Chapter Four

Damien

It’s been two weeks since the day I ran into Carrington on Main Street. I’ll never admit to anyone that when I first saw her with her dad, I thought he might be her boyfriend, and it caused something to knot in my belly, which I could only describe as pure jealousy. The way she smiled at her dad was a smile I’d love to have directed at me, but fuck, it can’t happen. Corrine meeting me for lunch was just what I needed to push Carrington away.

Corrine is everything that Carrington doesn’t seem to be: big breasted—fake, of course—bleached hair, too skinny, and dumb as fuck. Corrine served a purpose. She was an easy lay and wasn’t clingy, so when she came to me on the sidewalk I grabbed onto her, laying it on thick, because I knew Carrington was watching.

It worked, because since that day she won’t even look at me, and picking on her just gets me an eye roll. I’m never too far from her, and I always find ways to learn about her. I know it’s bordering on stalkerish, but I’m just drawn to her. It’s like a sickness. Taylor has been the perfect person to find out stuff. From Taylor, I learned that Carrington has a younger brother and went to nursing school but failed her boards. That’s why she’s working here, to make money to retake them and to keep being able to pay her bills. She lives with her cousin, who is also her best friend. See, she’s turning me into a fucking stalker.

Now I’m at the bar with Rafe and Tucker. “Hang out tonight after we close up. We want to run some stuff by you.” This comes from Rafe. Finally, I’m getting brought in to their inner circle. I’ll finally start figuring out what the fuck they’re doing.

That right there is the reason I’d never get involved with any of the girls that work here. I don’t know who’s doing what. Of course, my eyes immediately seek
her
out. I find her on the other side of the club with her arm slung around Taylor’s shoulders, laughing at something Taylor is saying to her. I have to force myself to stay where I am even though the sound of her laughter is trying to entrance me, but I won’t let it—I can’t.

Bridgette rushes over to us. “Stephanie didn’t show up tonight. We’re short a dancer. I want to ask Carrington. Can I?”

I want to tell her hell no, but I remain silent. “Do it,” Rafe says. “She’s got one shot. If she fucks it up, she’s back to serving drinks.” He turns to me. “We’ll talk later.”

Bridgette moves across the room and whispers to Carrington. I’m hoping she tells the other woman no, but instead she nods at her. She runs outside and returns minutes later. She goes to the DJ booth, hands him a CD, and then runs to the dressing room. This is either going to go really well or really bad.

***

The club is packed, and the crowd is on the rowdy side. I’ve already had to kick out one group after I repeatedly told them not to grab the waitresses and pull them into their laps. Taylor, who is one of the happiest people I’ve ever met, was starting to get pissy about it. Things have been a little better since they left.

Dancer after dancer gets up on the stage and does their thing. It’s sad when you become desensitized to beautiful women dancing almost completely naked, but when you see it all the time, it loses its allure really quick.

“Gentleman, we have a special treat for you tonight!” the DJ calls out over the speakers. “Our girl Pepper is making her dancing debut. Show her some love.”

Pepper?
I think to myself. What kind of stage name is that? I don’t get to think too much about it because the music starts and there she is. Fuuuck me, I don’t know what the song is, but it’s got a slower beat. Her hips sway as she struts her way toward the front of the stage. She’s wearing her hair in big loose curls that hang down her back. Her outfit is the little black skirt that’s part of her uniform and barely covers her ass, and the top is a thin white tank top that is tied right under her breasts.

She certainly knows what she’s doing as she shakes her hips. I watch her move toward the pole and grab it and then start twirling around it like she’s done it a thousand times. The guys in the crowd go crazy. I signal my other security guys, making sure they stay close just in case.

After twirling around the pole, she turns her back to the crowd and slowly works her hips. The skirt she’s wearing slides down her legs until she steps out of it to reveal a tiny black G-string and a gorgeous ass. My dick immediately gets hard. She rubs her hands seductively over her body. As the next song plays, she does some more spins around the poles and crawls across the stage, where the men are all but throwing money at her.

On her knees at the end of the stage, Carrington grabs her shirt with both hands and pulls. It rips right down the middle. The guys all start clapping and whistling, and I make my move toward the stage. When the music ends she moves around the stage, collecting the money. Me and one of my guys, Tim, move toward the stairs to keep anyone from trying to grab at her as she steps off the stage. She doesn’t even look at me when she steps down.

It’s not until she disappears down the hallway toward the dressing room that I realize she never opened her shirt after she ripped it open. What a tease.

***

Carrington

Dancing was a lot easier than I thought it would be. Last Saturday, after the first dance, it got easier, and when the moment came that I had to take my top off I just imagined I was at home, alone dancing in my room. Wearing pasties kind of helped. They made me feel a little less naked up top. By the time the night was over, I had made three hundred dollars in tips.

Taylor sat with me for a little while after the club closed. The adrenaline had still been pumping though my veins. When I asked Taylor why she never danced, she told me that she had two left feet. While I was up on stage I felt the dickhead’s eyes on me, and in a way I felt like I was dancing for him.

This morning I was surprised when Bridgette called me and asked me to come in. She said she wanted to talk to me about Saturday night. I wonder if I did something wrong, or maybe they didn’t like it.

Since I’m off today, I hope Bridgette won’t be bothered that I’m in bumming around clothes: cotton shorts, tank top, and flip-flops. I didn’t even bother with makeup today. I pull into the parking lot and see that there are two cars and one motorcycle. When I get out and reach the door, Tucker, who I talked to a little bit on Saturday, opens the door for me.

“Hey, beautiful.” I smile and shake my head as I walk past him.

“Hi, handsome,” I say with a wink.

I walk down the hall to the double doors. He opens it for me, and I step inside to find Bridgette waiting for me. My pulse picks up speed as I walk toward her. Did I dance that terribly? I thought it went well. Doubts plague me as I stop in front of her.

“Hi,” I say, keeping my voice steady.

“Let’s go talk in my office.” I follow her through the club and down the hall to her office. “Sit,” she tells me.

My knee bounces up and down as I wait for her to sit. I really don’t want to have to beg for my job back at the hospital. “So, I wanted to bring you in to talk about your future here. Saturday night you put on one hell of a show. It was very sexy, and the men all went crazy for you. I’ve been talking to Rafe and Tucker, and we want to make you the main attraction.”

I’m speechless. “Um, are you serious? I thought you were going to tell me it was terrible. What do you mean by main attraction?”

Bridgette leans back in her chair and crosses one leg over the other. “You could make us a lot of money. You’re sexy with a hint of girl next door. We want you dancing three times a night, Friday and Saturday’s only. You’ve had dance training, yes?”

“Um, yeah. I’ve been dancing for a while, and I’ve been trained in many styles. I even took a burlesque workshop and an exotic dance workshop too.”

“We’re thinking costumes and possibly props. We’ve been looking into changing things up a bit for a while now, so this is the perfect opportunity. We’ll be bringing the others in over the next couple of days to tell them about the change.”

There’s a knock on the door, and we both turn toward it. Damien steps inside, looking hot as hell.

I turn away from him and look at Bridgette. He’s been nothing but an asshole to me.

“Rafe needs you quick.” His voice is slightly hoarse. It almost sounds like he has just woken up.

“I’ll be right back.”

I watch Bridgette get up and leave the office. I expect Damien to follow her, but instead he closes and locks the door behind him. I pop up out of my chair as he stalks toward me. I move around the desk and back up until my back meets the wall. He doesn’t stop until his chest brushes mine and his arms cage me in.

“I don’t want you dancing,” he growls.

I’m stunned at first. He’s never had a problem showing his distaste for me, but this is the first time he’s been…ugh, I don’t even know how to describe it, but enough is enough. I stand as tall as I can, showing him he doesn’t intimidate me. I poke him in the chest with my finger.

“You know what? I don’t give a shit what you want. I don’t know what I did to you, but you’ve done nothing but treat me like shit since I started working here. I’m a good person, I’m nice, I don’t treat people bad, but right now I want to kick you in the fucking balls.”

I try to shove him away from me, but he’s an unmovable mountain of a man. He pulls me to him, wraps an arm around me, and grabs a handful of my hair, using it to tip my head back.

I’d never admit it to him, but it makes me a little wet. In seconds, his mouth is on mine. I’m shocked at first, but then I can’t help it and begin kissing him back. His lips are full and soft as they devour mine. He lets go of my hair, and then I’m up in the air with my legs wrapped around his waist. He licks at the seam of my lips until I open to him and let my tongue brush against his.

His dick is hard and rubs against the apex of my thighs, and I moan against his mouth. I’m so wet that the simplest touch to my clit and I’ll explode, but just as quickly as the kiss started, it ends, and the door slams shut behind him. I lean against the wall to stop myself from falling because my legs feel like jelly.

Once the horny haze wears off, I take a deep breath and sit back down in my seat so I can wait for Bridgette.

Chapter Five

Damien

It’s been a month since I kissed Cari, and I can’t stop fucking thinking about her. The way her lips molded perfectly to mine, the way her pupils dilated when I grabbed her hair by the base of her skull, and the way it felt grinding against her when I had her against the wall. I’ve tried fucking other women, but that quit working, so I’ve conjured some grade-A fantasies and use my hand, jerking off almost every night like I’m a goddamn teenager again.

On a positive note, I’ve finally situated myself right where I wanted to be, in Rafe and Tucker’s circle of “friends.” My mission is to get in close with them and gather useful information to begin the process of bringing them down. So far, they’ve had me deliver thick envelopes to a couple of different guys, and I’ve memorized their information so I can give it to my handler. Unfortunately they’re just low level dealers, but they’ll be watched to see if they come in contact with Rafe and Tucker’s main supplier. It’s become quite clear that they’re working for someone with a lot more power, but who? That’s the question I need answered.

The cellphone that my parents have the number to rings, and I grab it off my nightstand. “Hey, Mom.”

“Happy birthday, my baby boy!” she sings, and I can’t help but smile. My mom and baby sister, Victoria, have always made a big deal out of birthdays in our house when I was growing up. It certainly never slowed down after I moved out.

“Thanks, Mom. How’re you doing?”

“We’re good, baby. Your sister sends her love and so does your father. Do you think you might be able to come over tomorrow for dinner? I know you’re working, but I just had to ask.”

I know my mom hates that I work undercover, but she respects that this is what I want to do. Bringing down scum like Rafe and Tucker and the scumbags they work for is my mission.

“I should be able to swing that.” If I go see my parents, I have to take precautions to make sure I’m not being followed.

“That’s great! Come around six and let me know if anything comes up and you can’t come.”

I tell her I’ll be there, but yes, I’ll call if things change.

I jump in the shower and then get ready for work. I throw on a black t-shirt, jeans, and my black motorcycle boots. I throw a little gel in my hair and run my fingers through it until it’s styled how I want it. I put my wallet into my back pocket and grab my helmet since I’m riding my bike to the club.

Fall is right around the corner. It’s starting to get cooler at night. I’m looking forward to finally being done with this case, sooner rather than later so I can hop on my bike and ride up the coast. I pull into the parking lot and back my bike into my parking spot.

Taylor is behind the bar when I step inside. She takes my helmet for me and sticks it under the bar.

“Thanks,” I tell her, and she hands me a bottle of water.

“Sure thing! Happy birthday, by the way.”

I’m not sure how she knew it was my birthday, but I just give her a chin lift and then make my way back to Rafe and Tucker’s office. I knock and wait for one of them to answer, but it’s Bridgette that opens the door.

“Come on in.” She shuts the door behind me. Rafe and Tucker stand up, and we exchange the obligatory half handshake, back slap hug. I sit on the sofa on one end while Rafe sits on the other end.

“What’s going on?” I ask.

“We’re on our way to becoming the top gentleman’s club in South Carolina, and we have Carrington to thank for that. Our numbers are up one hundred percent. We have a line to get in every night. Liquor sales are through the roof. The general consensus is that guys like coming here because it’s not like any other club.” I don’t like the look on his face. “We want to step it up a notch. The private rooms in back could become a huge moneymaker for us. We’re thinking about starting to throw private parties in those rooms.”

My facial expression stays impassive as I listen to them tell me about their plan to start renting out those rooms nightly to big spenders. We’ll provide everything for them—drugs, booze, and pussy. The girls will get a cut of the profits, and Rafe and Tucker will either take volunteers to work the rooms or bring in girls.

I knew they were gearing up for something, but I had no clue what. They’ve been so tight-lipped about stuff, but now they’re letting me in.

“Do you want me to start asking the girls?” I ask.

“No. Thanks, but Bridgette’s going to handle that,” Tucker says. “We’ve already asked Taylor, but she turned us down.”

I silently pray that they don’t ask Cari. She doesn’t seem like the type to sleep with men for money, but I guess you can never tell.

“Happy birthday, by the way,” Rafe says, and they hand me an envelope.

“What’s this?” I take it from him and look inside to find a nice stack of one hundred dollar bills. “Thanks, but I don’t understand.”

“The past seven or so months you’ve been here, you’ve become an important part of our business, and we just wanted to thank you for everything that you’ve done for us.”

I’ll take the money, but I won’t be spending any of it. It’s probably dirty, so I’ll turn this in to my handler. He can see if it can be traced.

“Thanks again for this. I appreciate it. I better get out there and see what’s going on.”

I get up and make my way back out onto the floor. I find Carrington standing at the bar with Taylor. Her hair is piled up on top of her head. A pink hoody covers her top, and she’s wearing those damn cut-off jean shorts that show off her legs, which seem even leaner since she started dancing here.

She turns toward me when Taylor waves at me, but as soon as she sees me, she turns back around. It’s obvious she’s still upset about that day last month. She seems tense. I know something is going on with her family, and that’s only because, again, I’ve turned into a damn stalker when it comes to her.

I watch her hug Taylor and then take off down the hall, toward the dressing room.

“Oh my God! You totally like her!” I turn around and face Taylor, who’s bouncing up and down on her toes.

“No, I don’t. Taylor, you don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Just keep telling yourself that. I’ve seen you watch her. Anytime she’s on stage or even in the same room as you, you watch her like a hawk. Take her out.” She hugs me tight before turning to grab her tray off the bar.

She’s crazy.

***

The night’s been busy but manageable. There was only one guy that tried to grab for Cari, so I got the extreme pleasure of tossing his ass outside. Since they changed up the girls’ routines, it’s a lot more entertaining watching them dance. The guys in the crowd all love it. Therefore, the money has been rolling in.

We’re all benefiting from the new popularity of the club. Before I head to my parents’ place tomorrow, I need to meet with my handler and let him know that the brothers are looking to expand their business.

I turn back toward the stage and find Rafe standing on it with a microphone in his hand. What the fuck is he doing?

“Good evening, gentlemen. We’ll have our gorgeous dancers back out for you again in a bit, but first we want to recognize a certain head of security. You all know Damien. Well, today’s his birthday. Come up here for a minute.” With reluctant steps, I make my way up on the stage. “I’ve got a special treat for you, brother. Here, have a seat.” I sit down in the chair that’s on the stage. “Our very own Pepper is going to give you a birthday lap dance. Who wants to see Pepper do it?”

The crowd roars as she comes walking through the crowd and up onto the stage. She looks about as uncomfortable as I feel.

The music starts and she undoes her robe, letting it fall to the floor. I try to school my features, but it’s hard because she’s so fucking hot in her little royal blue bikini and heels. On her hands and knees, she slowly crawls toward me, and once she reaches my legs, she grabs my knees and pulls them apart. My cock immediately gets hard as she slides between my legs, grabs on to my shoulders, and lets her body slide up mine, never taking her eyes off of mine.

When she’s standing up to her full height, I want desperately to grab and touch every inch of her, but with quick movements she’s behind me. She runs her hands down my chest and drags her nails up my chest, and I swear to God she licks my ear. Cari moves around so she’s in front of me again and straddles my lap. She starts rolling her hips, and my cock is trying to punch a hole through my jeans.

She grabs my hands and wraps them around her until my hands are filled with her ass cheeks. Even in the dim lights, I see her pupils dilate as she grinds against me. With my hands still on her, she arches her back and then lifts herself back up so she’s looking at me. I swear for a minute her body tenses, but just as quickly she relaxes.

The song ends, and neither one of us moves as we stare at each other. God, I want to fuck her so bad right now. She’s biting her bottom lip, but I want to be the one biting it. Damn Rafe and this fucking dance.

I finally move my hands from her ass, and she slowly stands up and grabs her robe. She wraps it around herself and then takes off down the stairs. The crowd cheers as they watch her walk by with Matt, one of the men on my security team, following closely behind her.

I look down at my lap to see if it’s obvious that my dick’s hard, and that’s when I see it. She left a wet spot on the crotch of my jeans and I’m shocked. “Oh fuck,” I whisper to myself. Rafe joins me on the stage, claps me on the back, and asks the crowd to give me a round of applause one more time before I grab the chair and make my way off of the stage.

“You’re a lucky motherfucker!” some random asshole says to me as I walk by.

A couple of other guys stop me, and it takes all I have not to throttle them when they start talking about wanting to bang her.

It’s when I reach the bar and throw back a shot that I decide that Cari and I are going to talk after work.

“What did you do to Carrington?” Taylor is scowling at me.

“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about. She was the one that was giving me the lap dance. Where is she?” I ask.

“She left, and she was acting weird,” Taylor says. “Maybe I should go check on her.”

“No, stay here. I’ll go,” I tell her, and I make my way to Bridgette’s office.

Bridgette opens the door. She’s partially dressed, and there’s some douche bag sprawled out on the couch with no shirt on. I ask her for Carrington’s address, giving her a bullshit excuse that I need to take her something.

I hop on my bike and pull out of the parking lot.