But the kiss doesn’t come. And then I start to realize that it isn’t coming.
“I…I have things I have get to at the club,” Colt says quickly. I open my eyes to see him turning away from me and pacing quickly toward the door. “I’ll see you later.”
I call out to him as he leaves, “Bye!”
But Colt does not respond. He quickly closes the door behind him, leaving me standing in the living room with a tornado of emotions swirling through me.
Yeah, this isn’t going to be easy…for either of us.
4
Colt
I feellike I’m in a freefall.
This has never happened before. I’m a very grounded person, always have my feet on the ground and nothing ever throws me off my game. But now it’s like I’ve been completely upended, and all it took was one sweet, innocent, eighteen-year-old girl and those gorgeous eyes.
Well, notjustthose gorgeous eyes.
Also a body that deserves to be on my stage more than any body that’s ever walked into my club. She was absolutely built to drive men crazy, just like she’s done to me since I first set eyes on her. In fact, just thinking about her right now has me hard beneath my jeans. So hard, in fact, that I’ve had to take my erection and tuck it up into my waistband just to make room—more importantly to hide it from being obvious when I get to the club.
The whole drive there, all I’ve been able to think about are the terrible things I want to do to her, and the fact that she’s innocent just makes it even worse.
But right now, my number one priority is keeping her safe, providing for her. That’s why I didn’t give in to that kiss back at the house. Although all I wanted to do was feel her lips against mine, strip her out of her clothes and see get my hands all over her, I can’t just rush into that sort of behavior.
I can’t be like one of the men I’m saving her from. But how am I going to be able to resist such a goddess? I’m only a man, aren’t I?
I pull into the club parking lot, which is filled with the cars of girls who are here for auditions. Normally, I’d be at least mildly excited at the prospect of fresh talent here to earn for me, but today, I don’t even want to be here.
Still, it’s something I have to do, and I’m not willing to hand the job over to Damien—not just yet—so I park in my slot by the door, get out, and head inside.
Damien’s got another one of his ridiculous I-wish-I-was-in-the-mafia shirts on, this time orange with white stripes, and meets me as I come in.
“It’s all set,” he says. “The last ones are just getting changed now. Wanna get started?”
“Yeah, let’s get this thing moving,” I tell him. With Tilly on my mind, I doubt I’ll even be able to focus like I need to, but I’m ready to get this over and done with, so I can get back to her.
Christ, I’ve never been so distracted before in my life, but I go and take my normal seat at the end of the stage. Damien takes a seat beside me and signals the DJ to start the music. A few seconds later, the first girl comes out and starts to dance.
She’s a cute blonde with a good body wearing a pink bikini and pair of black heels. She’s clearly danced before and knows what she’s doing, but there’s something jaded about her. I get the feeling she’s a scammer, and I’m usually right about girls like this.
I shake my head to Damien.
“Thank you!” he calls out. She smiles, disappointed, and walks off stage.
I settle on three of the next 15 girls, but then something strange happens. One girl in a set of black lingerie with black heels comes out that I know could make me a fortune, but something about her gets my mind working, and questions fill my mind:
Who is this girl? Where is she from? Why is she here? Who are her parents?
I’ve never thought of things like this before about girls working for me, especially not during an audition, and the freefall accelerates. Panic sets in.
I check my phone and pretend to see something important.
“I have to go,” I tell Damien. “You finish up for me.”
“You sure, boss?”
I pat him on the back and quickly bail. Then I’m back out to my car and heading—well, I don’t know where I’m heading. All I know is that I’m shaken up. Never in my life has something like that happened to me. I barely feel like myself right now as I drive.