Author: Lorelei James

What was Mistress Christmas hiding from her boss? Evidence she’d been ripping men off? Was the bouncer in on it?

Mr. Red and Green Spandex barked, “Remind him of the rules. If he breaks them, I break him. Understood?”

Mistress Christmas nodded and snagged Nick’s hand as she tugged him around the privacy screen that provided a silhouetted image of the clandestine couple to feed other bar patron’s voyeuristic tendencies. The shadowed tease of a feminine form in motion was far sexier than the strippers on the stage wearing nothing but skin, in Nick’s humble opinion.

The two main areas were empty. He supposed the prime time for lap dances was between a stripper’s sets. Mistress Christmas led him to the far corner, which was too far back to be part of the free peep show.

Essentially they were alone.

One low-slung, padded wooden bench was the only furniture in the space. A boom box with a long extension cord had been propped in the corner.

“Have a seat, cowboy.”

Nick sat, hooking his heels on the outside edges of the bench. “What rules was he talking about?”

She spun toward him. “You mean you don’t know?”

“No.” He laughed. “Will you believe me when I confess I’m not a regular patron of clubs like these?” Come on, baby, take the bait.

Her dazzling smile rivaled the glow of the light display strewn across the ceiling. “I believe you. But the truth is, I didn’t intend to go through with the lap dance thingy anyway.”

Thingy? Not the lingo he’d expected from a hardcore professional stripper. In fact, there were more than a few things about Mistress Christmas that just didn’t add up.

“—pawing me and I just needed to get out of there for a minute. I’m sure you understand, since you’re not used to these types of establishments.”

So she’d decided to play that angle? Nick could almost hear her canned speech: This is such an awful place. I hate working in a strip club, even when it’s temporary. I’m trying to get out of this life. I’m not like the other girls who work here. From the first time I saw you I sensed you were different and you knew I was different. Might sound crazy, but I like being with you because you make me feel safe.

Right. As if he’d buy that.

And then Nick knew he had to demand the lap dance. To see how far she’d take the role of the big-hearted, misunderstood stripper. He dug in the front pocket of his jeans and pulled out a wad of cash.

Her eyes widened before they met his.

“I like bein’ with you too. Which is why I’m gonna hafta insist on that dance, darlin’.”

“What?”

“See, that’s why I ventured into this strip club in the first place. A buddy of mine was here last week and he said you were the hottest woman he’d ever clapped eyes on. He told me you damn near melted his clothes to his body with the sexy way you danced.”

“But—”

“I wanna get me some of that dirty dancin’ as my own special Christmas treat. Or should I say Christmas wish?”

She didn’t respond.

“So how much?” Nick waved the money and waited for the greedy Mistress Christmas to appear.

Holly panicked. How was she supposed to get out of this? Nick actually believed she was a stripper.

Well, duh, Holls, you’re in a strip club dressed like a dominatrix. What’s he supposed to think? That you’re an accountant from Cherry Creek?

Maybe she could reason with him. Ignoring the rigid set to his jaw, she said, “Look, I think you might’ve gotten the wrong idea about me. Let’s talk to the manager. She’ll set you up with someone else.”

“I don’t want anyone else, Holly”—he paused, giving her a second to absorb the fact that he’d heard her real name—“I want you. Just you. No substitutions.”

She saw the challenge in his eyes. Nick expected her to argue. He probably didn’t even care about a damn lap dance; he just wanted her to refuse so he could cause problems.

Screw that.

The schnapps provided enough edge that his high-handed behavior pissed her off. Rather than back down and return to being Holly the wallflower, she threw her head back and became Holly the wallbanger.

Not-So-Saint Nick wanted her to dance? She’d dance. And he’d pay for it in more ways than one.

Holly smiled seductively. “A private lap dance will cost you one hundred bucks.”

“That’s pricey.”

“I’m worth it.”

“Prove it.” Nick peeled off five twenties and attempted to place the money in her palm.

“Ah ah ah. Roll the bills up together and hold them between your lips like you’re puffing on a cigar.”

“Do you know how dirty money is?”

“Do you know how dirty I can dance?” she countered with a husky purr.

His eyes flashed interest, fire, and she knew he’d totally forgotten about potential germs.

“While I’m picking a song, put your hands by your sides and wait for me to decide where I’ll allow you to place the payment.”

She strolled to the boom box and flipped through the CD selection. Lots of smoky blues tunes. Boring. If she planned to follow through with this and play the femme fatale to the hilt, she’d pick a song he’d never forget. A song that’d make him hard as an icicle every time he heard it. She paused when she reached a familiar cover.

Perfect.

Holly’s hands shook as she started the CD. Now she just had to remember the sinuous moves she’d seen other strippers perform. The ballet lessons she’d stopped taking twenty years ago weren’t ringing a bell, but she’d watched enough episodes of Dancing with the Stars to fake it, right?

Her nerves zipped from fear to fire when she heard the distinctive tick tick tick tick followed by the grinding guitar riff baum badabaum badabaum of AC/DC’s “Back in Black”.

Throwing her h*ps out side-to-side in a sexy manner as she sauntered forward was harder than it looked. She must’ve been successful. Nick couldn’t keep the rolled bills between his lips because his jaw had dropped.

Heh heh.

Nick hastily picked up the cash and put his money back where his mouth was.

Holly allowed a brash grin as she gyrated her h*ps to the escalating drumbeat. Placing her hands on his shoulders, she stepped between his knees and angled her chest beneath his jaw. “Put the money in the right side of my corset. With your teeth.”

A male sound of approval emerged as he bent his head. His silky hair brushed the tops of her breasts, soft as a lover’s whisper and she bit back a sigh.

His ragged exhalations drifted across the perspiration coating her skin as Nick oh-so-slowly pushed the slender cash roll down the center of her cleavage.

The second his whiskers scratched her mounded flesh, Holly saw a challenging glint in his eyes. “I can’t get it in all the way, darlin’, without using my hands.”

Ooh. What a cocky comment. She hitched her shoulders sideways, forcing his chin to graze both her breasts. “Maybe you oughta use your tongue, darlin’, since it’s the strongest muscle in the body.”

Nick placed the tip of his tongue alongside the money roll and pushed it beneath the cup of her bustier, licking the hidden swell, damn near touching her nipple.

A wave of desire washed over her and she forgot to breathe, and swayed a bit from the dizzy sensation.

“A little wetness always makes it glide in easier, doncha think? Especially since this is bigger than what you’re used to.” He jammed his tongue in again, withdrawing the wet warmth before sliding the money down and out of sight. His hair floated across her collarbones, releasing his dark and alluring male scent. After placing a gentle kiss on the top button of her bustier, he traced a path up the center of her cl**vage with openmouthed kisses, heated breath, and the rasp of his beard.

Lust slammed into her and she almost came right then.

Not good, remind him who’s in charge.

Holly nudged his face up with her sternum and swept her damp lips over his ear, whispering, “Now be a good boy and I’ll show you why Santa begs me to sit on his lap.” She spun around and began to shake her groove thang.

He groaned when she rubbed her leather-clad ass up the inside of his thigh, stopping at the junction of his legs.

While keeping her arms above her head for balance, she made little grinding circles on his crotch. Over and over. Swinging her loose hair across his handsome face so strands caught on his razor stubble and tickled his pouty lips. Holly slid her butt cheeks up the inside of his other leg, swishing her h*ps back and forth. Dropping her arms, she situated her hands on his knees. She peeped over her shoulder, rocking her pelvis until once again her ass was nestled against his groin.

Nick’s obvious erection sent a gush of moisture to her core, causing her to taunt, “Is that a jumbo candy cane in your pocket or are you happy to see me, Not-So-Saint Nick?”

A feral snarl rumbled from his mouth and his hands latched onto her hips. “Keep it up and you’ll get more than you bargained for.”

Holly refused to let his challenge go unmet. “Maybe you’re already getting more than you bargained for.” Once again her arms twisted above her head like a belly dancer’s. She rotated her shoulders, shimmying and scraping her backside against that rock-hard flesh pressing beneath his jeans. Her heart thudded. Her skin was hot and tingly. Her ni**les were hard as gumdrops.

Nick’s rough thumbs stroked the bared section of her skin peeking above the waistband of her pants. “Jesus, you’re killing me. Harder.” He pressed her bottom more firmly to his crotch.

A yelp escaped as her spine landed against the solid wall of his chest. He snaked her left arm around the back of his neck, and threaded the fingers of his left hand through her right hand. Not an inch of space existed between them.

Then Nick fisted his hand in her hair and pulled her head to the side so his mouth could attack her throat with demanding kisses.

“Oh God.” Nothing set her off like lips and teeth and tongue on that sensitive section of her neck. She automatically writhed against him, desperate for more.