The Naked Truth

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Cover Blurb

It’s amazing what one can find in strip clubs…
Josh Carter gets the shock of a lifetime when he shows up at a place of ill
repute for a business meeting and sees the one that got away gyrating on the
stage. Abigail Reese—the girl with so much potential, the girl that took his
heart along with his body one night long ago—what brought her to this level?
Though stripping is not what Abigail set out to do, it’s putting food on the
table and a roof over her daughter’s head. But just how much can she reveal to
Josh without risking it all?
When Josh causes Abigail to lose her job, she has two choices: come clean about
her past and her situation or push him out of her life as quick as he came into
it. It’s up to her…only she has to think of her little girl too.

Acknowledgements

Thank you so much to my editor, Tara Chevrestt, for
helping me polish this story up. To a wonderful critique partner, Ella Jade,
who helped me find the plot holes. My other critique partner, Tamaria Soana,
for always being available on gchat when I need a shoulder.

And most of all, to my readers, who make this all
worth it. I love to hear from each of you.

The
Naked Truth

Lacey
Wolfe

Chapter
One

Abigail cringed as her hands met the cool metal. She
did her best not to look out at the crowd of men, holding dollars in their
hands, waiting for that moment they got a shot at the parts she’d been raised
to hide.

With her fingers wrapped lightly on the pole,
Abigail walked a full circle around it before bending over, her legs straight,
giving the greedy gazes a sight of her bottom clad in a dark green g-string.
The men hollered and groaned in pleasure, but she knew what she had to do
next—wrap her legs around the object of her income and spin. Not many of the
women here could do it as well as her, so whenever she came out here, the boss
wanted her to perform on it. Though, she supposed it was better than the women
who grinded their bodies on the floor.

As her legs wrapped around the object the men so
desired to see her on, she closed her eyes and did what she always did while
she performed: imagined she was on a tropical island, with a martini in hand,
and life was perfect.

By the time her performance was over, she walked
topless toward the stage curtain, her tiny g-string filled with dollars. She entered
the dressing room and stood in the corner, pulling each of the grubby bills
from her body, flattening them in her palm. She laid the pile on her dressing
table.

“Great performance,” Jenna, one of the other dancers
said as she put on the finishing touches of her make-up.

“Thanks.” It wasn’t hard to have a great performance
with horny men who simply wanted to see boobs.

“Don’t be so down. You’re a natural out there.”

Abigail laughed. She couldn’t help it. Oh, the joys
of knowing she was a natural stripper. Just what every girl wanted to be raised
to do. “The crowd’s really wanting a show tonight. The men I just danced for
booed when it took me too long to get my bra off. They’re greedy this evening.
But whoever they are, they’re big spenders.”

“Good. I’m up next.” Jenna shook her big round ass,
which she was known for, and walked toward the stage door.

Abigail finished counting her money and placed it in
her wallet. She pulled out her hand sanitizer. Once she felt somewhat sterile,
she went to the bathroom to put on clothes that covered her from head to toe. She
always slipped into a pair of sweatpants and hoodie. The soft cotton made her
feel safe and hid much of her curves.

Once her station was cleaned up, she grabbed her
purse and decided to get the hell out of this place. The exit door was within
sight, but then her boss called her name.

“Abby, there’s a man out front requesting you.”

“But, sir, I’m off, remember? My babysitter can’t
stay late.”

Mr. Regan smirked. “As much as it shames me to say
this, I don’t think he’s looking for a lap dance or any other special treat. He
says he knows you and wants to talk to you.”

She raised an eyebrow. “Did he give his name?”

“Just get out there. He’s in room one. He paid for
the time, thankfully, so just in case, go in your stage outfit.” He turned and
left.

Abigail groaned and then went back to her dressing
table. She locked her bag up in her drawer after she stripped out of the comfortable
sweats she’d had on. The dancers were never allowed to go out front in regular
clothes.

After she gazed at herself in the mirror for a few
moments and fluffed her blond curls, she knew she couldn’t put off her visitor
any longer. As she walked through the club to the private rooms, she saw Jenna
on stage, shaking her ass, the men practically drooling over her. She noted Mr.
Regan in a corner talking to a few of the regulars.

She stood in front of room one, took a deep breath,
and lightly knocked before opening the door. Her nerves were on edge as she
wondered who waited inside. The room was dimly lit with yet another pole in the
middle for those customers who wanted private shows. The man’s head was slightly
turned to where she couldn’t see who it was. But something in her gut told her
she knew him. While she didn’t recognize him from this angle, she had a feeling
things were about to change. Abigail wasn’t really sure what to say, so she
leaned against the pole and asked in a sultry tone, “What can I do for you?”

He turned and looked at her. Abigail froze. Her
mouth dropped open. She knew exactly who it was. She hadn’t seen him in years
and he was slightly older now. But it was a face she’d recognize anywhere. In
fact, she looked at a replica of it almost every day.

“Josh.” It came out an almost whisper.

He nodded. His expression was cold, not like the
last time she’d seen him over four years ago. His hair was a light brown with a
few streaks of gray and his dark green eyes bore into her.

“What are you doing here? Did you come looking for
me?” she asked, needing to know if his being here was a mere coincidence.

“I’m here on business and when you came on stage, I
recognized you. Years ago you were getting your degree to be a lawyer. You were
doing so well and I have to say I was quite surprised to see you. So when I
came in here, I certainly wasn’t looking for you. What happened? Anything I can
do to help?” He patted the seat next to him. “Please sit. You’re making me
uncomfortable.”

Abigail did as he requested, but she didn’t answer
his questions. Just him being there scared her. She wasn’t sure how much he
knew about her and decided it was best to keep quiet. He was a rich man and
held a lot of power.

“Did you finish your degree?” he asked.

“No.”

“How come?”

Because I got pregnant and school doesn’t work with
a crying newborn.
“Life.”

“You’ve got to give me more than that. I’d like to
help you. Obviously if you’re working here, you’ve hit a rough patch.” His gaze
locked on hers. “I’ve thought about you many times the last few years. I never
intended for our evening together to be a one-time thing.” Josh reached out and
pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. A shiver shot down her spine.

Abigail thought back to that evening. It had been
hot and perfect. He’d pleasured her more than anyone else ever had and they
connected on so many levels. She’d known he’d wanted more than that one
night—he’d been honest about the direction his thoughts were taking—but it had
scared her and the next day, she’d left a fake phone number when they’d parted
ways. By the time she realized the mistake she’d made, it had been too late, or
so, she thought.

“I got scared.”

Josh removed his suit jacket and draped it around
her shoulders. “As much as I enjoy the view, I’m not here for that.”

She suppressed the grin she wanted to give him and
asked, “Why are you here if you didn’t come to see me?”

Josh was older than her by at least ten years. His
life was already established when she’d met him and hers had just begun. She’d
kept up with him throughout the years from different news reports and tabloids.
It was almost hard not to. Josh Carter was a billionaire. It was one of the
reasons why she’d never sought him out. Abigail wasn’t a gold digger and didn’t
want to be accused of being one.

“Business, of course. I think that’s my life. The
guys I was meeting with are younger and this was the place they wanted to come
and for one particular act. The amazing girl on the pole.” He leaned in closer
to her ear. “I must say, I was impressed by your act.”

Her heart raced, the result of him being so close. Even
after all these years, he still had an effect on her. Biting her bottom lip,
she pushed those feelings away and remembered that if he knew her secret, he
could take everything from her.

“How about you get dressed and we’ll get out of here?
I’d like to catch up,” he suggested.

Hailey crossed her mind and the babysitter who was
waiting with her. “I can’t. I have to get home.”

“I understand.” Josh reached into his pocket and
took out a card, handing it to her. “Call me. I’ll be in town for the next week
and I’d like to chat. Maybe we can meet up for dinner and if you’ll let me, I’d
like to help you get back on your feet.”

“Okay, I will.” She stood and began to remove his
jacket.

“Keep it. It’s the only way I can ensure I’ll see
you while I’m in town.”

“Thank you.” She gazed down at him. “I don’t want
you to feel sorry for me. I’m doing well and happy, even though this wasn’t the
life I initially set out to have.” Abigail didn’t say another word, but left
room one and high-tailed it back to the dressing room to change and get home.
Josh Carter being in town was either going to be a good thing or a bad. Or
maybe it was time she faced the truth and did what was right by Hailey. After
all, her daughter deserved better then she had it now.

Chapter Two

Josh sat in his hotel room, staring mindlessly at
the television. He had no idea what show played in the background. His mind was
on Abigail. He ached to know her story. How was a girl who had her whole life
ahead of her now working in a strip joint? And a known act, so she’d been there
for awhile. He just couldn’t wrap his brain around it. One thing he did know:
he was going to find out and do whatever he had to do to get her away from it.

Picking up his cell phone from the nightstand, he
dialed his P.I. He knew it was late, very late actually, but didn’t care.

“Nate speaking.” He answered after the third ring.

“Nate, it’s Josh. Sorry to bother you as this hour,
but I need to you to find out information on someone for me.”

“Okay, what did they do?”