“Because maybe they aren’t as shallow as you think they are. And maybe they’re more than just muscle-covered flesh.”
“Aren’t you cute?” She gets up from her seat, sauntering over to the triplets, putting her over done nails into the pawing crowd over the brothers.
The alcohol Ben handed me before he left to go backstage burns as I toss it down. There’s a nasty feeling swimming around deep inside me. It’s not dulled by the drink. I try to find a waiter to order another one.
“Are you looking for Ben?” Axel asks, catching me as I search the crowd.
“No, I was hoping to see a waiter.” I wiggle the empty glass showing him my predicament.
“I can get you another one.” Axel moves, but I grab his hand and stop him from leaving me.
I stand up next to him so I can talk without yelling over the rowdy crowd as the next performer dances on stage. “How can you handle all of this?” I sweep my hand around at the women still drooling over him, even as we speak.
“I hate it.” The emotion in his voice surprises me.
I step closer so we can speak without anyone hearing. “Then why do you do it?”
“Because it’s a means to an end. The three of us work hard to get where we need to be. Those women don’t listen to us. They don’t care about our thoughts. All they want is our bodies. Now we’re going to have this place remodeled, and it’s going to be ours. We don’t have to strip anymore. And we can help the other entertainers get on their feet too.”
Damien comes over and hands me another drink. “Ben asked me to deliver this to you, because he’ll be awhile.”
My skin puckers as I watch Ben dance over two women who pour drinks over his bare chest. I jerk my head back to Damien, not wanting to see anymore. “What about you? Do you hate being pawed at and seen as an object as much as your brother?”
Damien’s eyes squint, and I can tell he’s rummaging through his thoughts to decide how he should answer. He cracks his neck and his actions are so much like Ben’s my heart sputters. “I don’t mind it as much as Axel. It has its perks.”
I frown and he makes eye contact with Axel, and they have one of their silent triplet conversations.
“I will say I enjoyed the perks more than Axel, but it got old quick. My mind is more on opening this club to our standards than getting a woman in bed. And this club is why I wanted you to come over here tonight. I want you to meet Willie, maybe get some insider information we wouldn’t think to ask. Come on let me introduce you to Willie.”
“What about Ben?” I say, taking a generous drink from my full glass.
Axel and Damien’s jaws clench tight and I know I struck a nerve. I kind of wish I didn’t ask about Ben, but I need to know the answer.
“Well.” Axel clears his throat and Damien nudges him with his shoulder. “Ben has always been more outgoing than the three of us.”
I take another drink, rolling my eyes at the cop-out Axel is attempting. I cock an eyebrow as I continue to sip my drink.
“Ben is the most outgoing of us,” Damien says and Axel turns around and walks off, charming a group of elderly ladies.
“This must be something really bad if Axel’s willingly leaving to give someone a lap dance.”
Damien rubs the back of his neck and leads me to the seat I’d abandoned. Damien gyrates his hips over my lap and I push at him.
“What are you doing?”
Damien leans over and whispers in my ear. “I can’t be seen standing around talking to you. I need to at least pretend I’m working.”
“Oh,” I whisper as Damien takes my hand and puts it on his shoulder.
“Ben has always been the most outgoing of us.”
“So you’ve said three times already.”
Damien chuckles as he puts my other arm on his shoulder as he grinds into me, and I’m aware I’m not turned on like I was when Ben gave me a lap dance.
“Ben enjoys the attention that being the Trifecta gets us.”
The drink I’d been sipping on churns in my stomach, I hate this feeling. Jealousy is not my thing. Jealousy is more of a Maureen trait and I refuse to be anything like my stepsister. “I think I should go.” I push at Damien, wanting him off me so I can escape.
Damien moves off easily as I try to stand.
“I’ve got it,” a voice growls as Damien moves aside.
Ben’s body replaces Damien’s and the moan he pulls from me can’t be stopped. Just having Ben’s body over me does more than Damien’s hip grinding movements did.