Total pages in book: 110
Estimated words: 107557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107557 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 538(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 359(@300wpm)
“His loss. And to be clear, I don’t think that. I find you a smart, capable woman who relies on no one but herself. But that doesn’t mean you have to do it alone, Sapphire.”
“What do you mean?” This was beginning to feel like she was in tenth grade and he was about to ask her to go steady.
“I mean, we all need someone in our corner. To bounce off ideas, to support us in those decisions… shit like that. I want to be that person for you.”
Her eyebrows knitted together. “That sounds… serious.”
After pulling an audible breath in through his nostrils, he pushed it out in what sounded like frustration. “Sapphire, look…”
Please don’t let him start giving ultimatums… That would ruin the easy relationship they already had. One he seemed interested in growing.
Movement by the red velvet rope caught the corner of her eye and she whispered, “Shit.” She immediately slid away from him and stood. “Taint has arrived. Can we finish this discussion later? I need to go get ready for my set on stage, anyway.”
“You never said if you’ll be over later.”
“I would need to run home first.”
“You should keep a bag in your car.”
“Rez…”
A muscle in his jaw popped. “Sapphire…”
“We’ll discuss it when I come over later.”
He shot her a victorious smirk.
With a shake of her head and a roll of her eyes, she headed toward the dressing room so she could change for her turn on the stage.
He might have won that battle, but he didn’t win the war. And she was not going down without a fight.
But she’d have to don armor for that fight since she had a feeling if she didn’t, she was going to surrender way too easily.
Because yes, she liked Rez.
And it scared her just how much.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Even from across the room, Sapphire could feel Rez’s eyes burning a hole right through her as she sashayed across the stage to the pole.
She decided to start her routine by wearing her studded white chaps over white platform heels. The chaps exposed the matching studded white leatherette panties and she topped it with the studded bikini top from the same set. She also wore a white collar—with studs, of course—around her neck. On top of her head, she finished off the ensemble with a white cowboy hat adorned with sequins in the shape of a S on the front.
She called it her “Yee Haw” outfit.
While it might be made from fake leather, it was still hot to dance in, especially with her hair down. But luckily, she wouldn’t be wearing most of it for very long.
The second her intro music switched over to the first song in this particular routine, she grabbed the pole and lost herself in both the music and her dancing.
She loved every damn minute of being on stage and entertaining a crowd. For the most part she forgot about the audience and got lost in her head.
However, on nights Rez was in the club, she found that tougher to do.
It shouldn’t be like that, since he was simply a man like the rest of her regulars, but for some reason she was more aware of what she was doing when he was watching her every move.
Tonight, she might as well be performing for him. And him alone.
To her, no one else in the club existed.
She had no doubt it wasn’t the same for him. He was acutely aware of every other man sitting in those seats watching her dance and strip.
He made it obvious…
He didn’t like to share.
By her dancing for other men, and even other women, he had no choice but to do so.
Whether he liked it or not, this was her job. One that paid her bills. Just like his job had him traveling to Ohio for a couple days to hunt down a junkie.
Did she hold it against him? Of course not.
Was she mad he’d been out of touch for a couple of days? She had no right to be.
But still, despite others being in the room, she performed her dance solely for him. Every touch, every fling of her hair, every spin…
When the song changed again, so did the tempo, slowing down enough to give her time to remove the chaps before launching herself at the pole again and shimmying her way to the top where she did stunts near the ceiling.
When done, she spiraled her way back down while inverted until she could plant her hands on the stage. With her legs hooked around the pole, she arched her back and drew a hand from her crotch up her torso and over her breasts, ending with snagging one finger between her teeth in a tease.
A litany of obnoxious shouts nearby pulled her from her cocoon. She opened her eyes to see a man on his feet and standing by the stage, but weaving back and forth like he was drunk.