The Club (2 page)

             
I read on
,
refusing to make eye contact again with any of them, especially ref
using t
o give the club owner
t
he satisfaction. I feel his gaze
on me. He loo
ks
only at my face
. My voice wavers
as my orgasm begi
n
s
to build.
I turn
myself around on the stool, with
my ass
again presented
to my audience. I part
my legs so they can
all
better
see my
quivering wetness as I press
against the vibrator,
the
book of
dirty
poetry
now
abandoned.

             
My energy is different now as I turn my face back to the men. Instead of languid and unrushed, I’m now breathless and whimpering. The men watch me chase my pleasure, pressing into my tool as pain crosses over my face.

             
“You need some help, sweetheart?”
one of the older men asks
.

             
“Let her finish,”
commands
Max in a low voice
. I whimper
,
hardly even hearing them,
my breathing coming quick and hot.
I want to lie down; it’s becoming difficult to stay upright as I get so close to unraveling.
My voice breaks through
my resistance
and I cry out
in an obscene, ragged
release
.
God damn,
one of the men growls.
M
y face
contorts into a raw smile
as the
waves
of orgasm wash
over me
and radiate out from my core
. My body is in ecstas
y as I shudder at the
pleasure
I’
d been denying myself for weeks in anticipation of this night
.

As I finish
, my eyes are locked on one man.
Max Gregory
smirks;
I hope I’ve shocked
him
a little
. I feel like laughing hysterically. I can’t believe I did it. I can’t believe I walked in here and did that.
I feel satisfied and proud of myself for taking the risk, for trying something so terrifying.

             
When it’s clear it’s over, the
older
men clap
and whistle
. Two mak
e a mo
tion to approach me, but Max
stops them.

             
“Leave us,” he says in a quiet voice. “Now.”

             
I am surprised
with the others do as he says.
When he turns back to me, I’ve put my dress back on and gathered myself. I don’t really want to chat with him
now
, to break the fourth wall
, but it appears
I don’t have much of a choice.

             
“
That was quite a show,” he says appreciatively.

             
“Thank you.”
My eyes meet his and skitter away. My desire for him scares me. I don’t trust myself to
carry on a normal conversation and I didn’t expect to have to chat about my performance.
I’m not here to make a new friend. My reasons are far more complicated than that.

             
“Not quite what I was expecting,” he adds.

             
“What were you expecting?”

             
“Not that.”

             
“I hope you weren’t disappointed.
I call it
‘
minimalist burlesque.
’
”

             
“
Ha.
On the contrary.
What is your name?
”

             
“
Leigh. My name is Leigh.
” I don’t ask him his,
there’s no need.
“
I should go. This w
as my first night;
I don’t want to overstep any boundaries.”

             
He laughs
. “How proper of you. I’m the owner of this club. I’ll
decide when you’ve overstepped.
Have you performed before?”

             
“
Just for my, um, neighbors.
”
I feel my face flush. It sounds
low cl
ass when I say
it out loud. Admitting m
y
kink to this powerful man seems
much more vulnerable than what I’d just done.

             
I
’ve
always been this way. From the moment I purchased my first vibrator, I’d fantasized about what it would be like to have strangers watch me get off. When
one of my contacts alerted me of this unique “opportunity,”
I’d jumped at the chance to audition
here
. I have no interest in working in a seedy strip club or in le
arning how to pole dance, but I do
want to open myself up in front of an audience and turn people on by being me.

             
“I see. I’m glad you enjoy yourself.”
He crosses his arms and touches his chin as if trying to decide what to do with me.

             
“D
o you think I’
d be a good
addition to the
club?”
I hate how uncertain I sound
. My particular brand of performance
only works if I’m completely
self-assured. I am ruining the
illusion and it mak
e
s me want to leave immediately.
I don’t know why I’m so tongue-tied. Maximilian Gregory isn’t the first gorgeous man I’ve ever dealt with.

             
But he is, no doubt, the richest and
most powerful. I put this nagging fact
out of my mind, determined to deal with him as an equal.
I’ve never been a wilting flower and I won’t be one now.

             
He looks
me over as if for the first time. “You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen,
Leigh,
” he says. “Exquisite.
Jaw-dropping.
”

             
“Thank you.”
My flush deepens;
I am embarrassed by how much his words please me.
I stand a little straighter.

             
“But I’m not sure I want you performing here,” he finishes. My heart sinks.
I went too far, I was too lewd.
I won’t get another chance like this
.

             
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
I sigh, already planning to console myself with
sushi and
vodka
.

             
“Let me finish. I’m not sure I want you performing here becau
se I’d prefer you share your, er
,
gifts
elsewhere.”
Gregory
probably
owns a least a dozen clubs like this one.

             
“Where’s that
exactly
?”

             
“My bed.” He pulls me toward him and kisses me deeply.
My eyes widen in surprise,
and then
close in pure pleasure.
I love the taste of him, the feeling of his tongue against mine. We drink each ot
her in hungrily and
I’m
instantly
in a fog of lust.
I feel his erection pressing against me and
I want him so badly I can’t think clearly.

             
But then I wake up. A
quick fling with a billionaire
who probably keeps a whole roste
r of women on his schedule
isn’t
part of the plan here.

             
“Wait,” I gasp. “Stop.”

             
“Why?”
His breathing is ragged. He keeps kissing my collarbone and running his
thumb against my tau
t nipples. I know I should stop him even as I lean into his touch
, practically panting for more
.

             
“I don’t wan
t to perform in your bed,” I whisper
. “I need to be seen, and not just by you.”

             
“Even if I did allow you to
perform
here, I can’t ensure your safety,” Max explains
, finally pulling away from me and running his hands through his hair
as if to clear his head. “I think my members would adore
you, but I can’t protect you from them
and there are several rough customers around here
. They’re used to getting what they want, and they won’t leave you alone.
The last dancer we hired quit after one week, and she was nothing compared to you.
Are you prepared for that?”

             
“Yes,”
I say
uncertainly
, thinking of the pepper spray in my purse
. “I can deal with them.”

             
“No you can’t. I can’t have you
naked and dripping ten feet away from these guys and hope for the best.
You’ll be harassed constantly.
You’re too much.”

             
“I’m sorry.”

             
“Don’t apologize
. I need to think.”
He picks up a bottle and pours
a shot
each
into two glasses
, handing me one. We both sip
,
regarding one another. I breathe
in his intoxicating smell of afte
rshave and cigar smoke. I want
to wrap my legs around him and never let go, but that wasn’t the way to de
al with a man like this.
“How would you feel about performing behind glass?” He fi
nally asks
.

             
“Glass?”

             
“Yes, an interior window. You could pretend my members are your neighbors.”

             
“Are you making fun of me?”

             
“A little. Don’t take yourself so seriously.
You’re an exhibitionist. It’s a cute kink.
”

             
I
wince at the word “cute” and
think
about it. It could work. The experience would be less visceral for my
audience
without the sound of my voice or the
musky
smell of my pheromones, but the extra layer between us could free me up to try interesting things not possible on a small exposed stage. “I like the idea.”

             
“Good. It’s done.
I’ll have something installed here, and y
ou can start in a week. My only requirements ar
e that you perform
every night exc
ept for Sundays and Mondays,
that you take requests from me
, and that you never fraternize with my members
.
In fact, it would be best if they never even find out who you are.
”

             
“
I
’ll
agree
to that
.
” I noticed there were no rules against fraternizing with
him.
“
Um, what do you mean by
r
equests
?”

             
“I migh
t have some ideas for your act,” he said huskily
, a small grin playing at the edges of his mouth
.

             
“Like what?”

             
“
I don’t know yet, but you can bet they’ll be filthy
.”

             
“Fine.
” I grin.
“
It’s a deal.”

             
We shake hands and he pulls me in for another kiss. I give in, guarded at first, then bre
athless as his tongue invades my mouth
. He backs me up against the wall and presses his hardness against me. I instinctively raise one of my legs
and hook it over his hip
to pull him closer. He tears his mouth away from mine and begins kissing and nibbling on my neck.
He is inches away from tasting my breasts and
I can feel
my cunt start to ache again. I moan, straining against him to get closer, to feel him inside me.