“Is that Clara?” Axel asks when I open my locker to pull out my phone. I grin when I see the frantic text messages from Clara. Her panic is kind of adorable.
“Maureen’s attempting to prove Clara’s a liar by showing up here unannounced. Also, Maureen thinks we have chemistry.”
“She thinks you and Clara have chemistry?”
I give my brothers my full attention. “No, she thinks there’s some hidden spark between me and her… Maureen.”
“Isn’t she getting married?”
I shrug.
“But, doesn’t she see the real chemistry between you and Clara?” Axel asks.
I shrug again.
Wait.
“There’s no chemistry between Clara and me,” I say, thrusting my phone back into my locker and slamming the door. “It’s complicated.”
Damien and Axel laugh. Then they face each other, having their own private conversation. “He’s more fucked up than we originally thought.” They laugh, and laugh and laugh.
And everyone thinks it’s all so fucking funny.
Jokes at my expense.
Well, I know the truth. There’s nothing going on between Clara and I. In fact, the only reason I want to kiss, and a whole laundry list of things, to her is because...is because...well I don’t fucking know.
All I do know is she’s different.
“Look at Rick,” Axel says with a laugh. He’s talking more to Damien, but I push my way to the door to peek through the peephole.
Because I just have this feeling.
“What the hell is he doing?” My eyes narrow as I watch Clara and Maureen blink up at Rick as he flexes his arms, trying his best to put them in a trance. I knew he’d be going after them. “I’m going to rip his arms off his body and shove them up his ass.”
I rock my neck from side to side, cracking it in the process and breathe deeply. I’m ready for war.
My heart’s a battledrum, banging against my chest, leading me in the march across the floor.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Damien’s hand reaches out and grabs my wrist, stopping me before I leave.
“I was thinking about ripping his arms off first, maybe poking his eyes out. I don’t know, I was going to wing it.” I shrug out of Damien’s hold and continue to move toward Clara and the dead man.
“You can’t go after, Rick. He doesn’t know Clara’s yours.”
“She’s not mine.”
“Well, you’re acting like she is,” Axel says, stepping in front of me.
“Listen, the deal is almost done. Willie will be pissed if you start something on the showroom floor. Don’t do anything to ruin this chance. We’ve worked too hard,” Damien says, standing next to Axel blocking my way.
They’re right. And I hate when they’re right.
But, it’s the truth. We’ve worked way too hard.
“Ok, I’m not going to beat him up.”
My brothers relax and move out of the way. I take the opportunity to walk through the hole they made. “Where are you going, Ben?” Damien asks.
“Don’t worry I’m not going to hurt him.”
“What are you going to do?” Axel asks.
“I’m going to show Rick how it’s done.” I grin.
I cross the club, my destination, the VIP section. “I heard someone requested a lap dance.” I smile at Clara.
“Oh, I’ll give her the lap dance,” Rick says, grinning at Clara with lust written all over his face.
“No, I think you should let my brother do it. He was requested.” Damien and Axel pull Rick away, but before he leaves I stop them. “Why don’t you give her lovely friend a lap dance, Rick? It’s on me.” Rick’s smile falters but it's replaced with ease playing the part even though he wants Clara and not Maureen.
Pfft.
I straddle Clara’s legs and move her hair from her ear whispering into it, “Get ready.”
“You don’t have to do this,” she says back with a hitch in her voice.
I graze my fingers down her cheek, and my body heats up. “Fuck, yeah I do.”
The music starts. The women and men around us scream as one of the dancers takes the stage. I’m not paying attention to any of it as I grind against Clara, moving around her, giving her the best lap dance I’ve ever given.
Like a preview of what could come.
With my lips a hairbreadth away from her skin, I travel down her neck, over her collarbone until she trembles. My cock’s rock hard, something that never happens when I give a lap dance. But the way Clara’s innocent eyes watch me, turns me on. How can I not be hard with that look?
My pulse kicks up a notch, lighting my blood on fire, heating me up to inferno levels. The club fades away, and all I hear is our hearts beating in tandem.
She’s hot. And everyone fucking knows it. Rick knows it. My brothers know it. But I’m the lucky son-of-a-bitch who gets a front row seat to it.
She’s turned on. I can tell by the way her breathy moans barely leave her lips.