Author: Jaci Burton

“Are you Desi?” she asked in a very strong Southern accent.

“Yes, I am. You must be Ariele.” Shadoe went over and held out her hand.

“Oh, honey. Here in the South we hug.” Ariele wrapped her arms around Shadoe and gave her a tight squeeze. “And aren’t you just so pretty. Welcome to the Wild Rose.”

“Thanks. Brandon said you’d show me a locker I could use.”

“Oh, sure.” Ariele led her to the back of the room where a row of lockers stood, then opened one. “You’ll want to get a lock for yours. Most of us can be trusted not to get into your stuff, but there are a few who’ll dig into your things.”

“I brought a lock with me, thanks.” Shadoe started unpacking her bag.

“So what’s your theme, Desi?”

“Leather and bikes.”

“Oh, that’s hot. The guys here will go crazy.”

“I hope so. I’m nervous.”

“Don’t be. The crowd’s friendly and guys always have plenty of money to throw around. The bouncers take good care of us and make sure no one gets out of hand. If you know how to shake your stuff, you’ll rake it in. Besides, you’re a headliner. They always make the best money.”

Once Shadoe finished unpacking her costumes, she turned to Ariele. “Well, I’m a new headliner, so I’m still just a touch nervous about it, but yes, it’s very exciting. How long have you been here at the Wild Rose?”

“Three years. I started when I was eighteen, right out of high school. I hope to make headliner within the next year. I’ve been taking dance lessons and worked my way up from starting on days and afternoons to nights and weekends, where you make much better money.”

Shadoe smiled. “Sounds like you’ve been working hard and you’re doing all the right things. And you certainly have the looks and body for this line of work.”

Ariele’s face brightened. “Do you really think so? Thanks. That means a lot coming from someone like you.”

Shadoe had no idea if Ariele would make a great stripper or not, or even if she could dance well. But the girl was friendly and talkative, and if she’d been here for three years, she undoubtedly knew everyone, which meant she was the perfect person to get to know well.

“I’d love it if you’d take a look at my act and give me pointers.”

Shadoe swallowed. Oh, God. Like she could offer advice to a seasoned pro like Ariele? She’d have to fake her way through it. “Sure, I’d be happy to. Why don’t you go on first? I was going to rehearse my act before I go on tonight, but watching you will help me get a feel for the layout of the stage.”

“Great idea. I’ll see if Brandon’s finished with his auditions, then I’ll queue up my music. You can watch from out front and tell me what you think.”

Ariele bounded through the doors like a bubbly, excited teenager. Shadoe shook her head and wandered back through to the club and took a seat next to Brandon, who was scribbling notes on a pad of paper.

“Find anyone good?”

He looked over at her. “A few possibles. I thought you were going to rehearse.”

“Ariele conned me into taking a look at her act and offering pointers.”

He grinned. “She’s enthusiastic and motivated. One of my best dancers.”

“Is she?”

“Yeah. She’s reliable, has her head on straight, and doesn’t drink up my profits, and she has goals.”

“She said she wants to be a headliner.”

“She might just get there. Let me know what you think.”

Great. Another person who thought she knew what she was doing.

Ariele’s music started up. Something funky and modern. A current hip-hop musician, the lyrics were easy to catch and talked about a woman and lovemaking and getting a girl’s clothes off. Appropriate for stripping.

Ariele came out onto the stage and it didn’t take her long to grab the pole and do a few twirls. Shadoe was impressed. It took some good upper-arm strength to hold on to that thing and slide around. She even hung on it upside down before moving away and doing her striptease.

She took her clothes off too fast, but once she did she had an incredible body. It was no wonder she was moving up the ladder so quickly. She had a nice, tight, well-toned body, perfect breasts, and a great ass. Not an ounce of fat on her. And she smiled all the time like she really loved what she was doing, unlike some of the girls Shadoe had watched dance, who looked like they were bored while they did their routines. She was sure a lot of guys couldn’t care less about a girl’s expression, but Shadoe figured it couldn’t hurt to at least act like you enjoyed your job.

When Ariele was finished, Shadoe rose and went up on the stage to talk to her.

“Well, what do you think?”

“I think you’re gorgeous. You obviously take good care of your body.”

Ariele nodded. “I’m a vegetarian. I exercise all the time, take dance lessons and yoga. I don’t smoke or drink and I inhale water by the gallon.”

Shadoe grinned. “It shows. You have beautiful skin.”

“Thank you. How about my dancing?”

“I like your act a lot. You could slow down a bit, tease the guys. You take it off too quickly.”

“They teach us to do that. They want us to get naked as soon as possible.”

“I know. But even fifteen seconds longer drives the suspense up. You want to make them crave you. By the time you’re down to your G-string you want them drooling and laying their tongues on the stage for you to step on with your stilettos. You’ll get more money out of them that way. Always leave them wanting more. Trust me, you’re worth the wait.”

Ariele’s eyes twinkled. “That’s great advice. Thank you so much.”

Shadoe received another tight hug from Ariele, and then it was time for her rehearsal. She steadfastly ignored Spence, who she felt staring at her. Tough. She’d had more than enough insult from him last night. She was doing her job and that job meant acting like a headliner stripper, not casting glances at her bodyguard every few seconds.

She gave her music to the deejay, informed Brandon she just wanted to work on her moves and would forgo the stripping until tonight. Brandon said he didn’t care what she did; the stage was hers. He had to go to his office to work on the liquor inventory so he could put in an order for the week.

After he left, she went up onto the stage and waited for her music to come on. This stage had less length than the one in Dallas, but was wider, so she adjusted her act to accommodate it. She also found that no one paid any attention to her while she practiced. Ariele watched her for a few minutes, but then her phone rang so she ran off to the back room. The only one seemingly with his eye on her was Spence, and he frowned the entire time. She doubted that had anything to do with her act.

Once again, he seemed to be in a bad mood, and that seemed to be directed at her. Or maybe he was always like that. She didn’t really know, nor, she decided, did she care. Last night she’d made a crucial mistake by having sex with her partner.

Sex meant involvement. It meant emotions, which clouded her judgment.

It wouldn’t happen again.

TEN

WHILE SHADOE DID HER THING AT THE CLUB, SPENCE HAD plenty of time to think and plot how they were going to handle things down at the riverfront. He’d already studied the shipyard—it was secure and they couldn’t just walk in there, but they could loiter nearby, get a feel for the area, how much freedom people had to come and go. In the meantime, Shadoe could start learning faces, see if any of them turned up as regulars at the Wild Rose.

She finished up her gig, said her good-byes, and came up to him. He pushed off the barstool and without a word they left the club.

She was as quiet as he was, the tension thick between them again. He’d thought maybe they’d worked through it, that they could put last night behind them.

Maybe they couldn’t, because something sure hung between them right now. They were going to have to push through that wall, though, because they had a job to do.

“Ready to do some sightseeing?”

She nodded and they climbed on the bike, pulled away from the club, and drove down to the riverfront. Spence found a place to park and they walked toward the river, trying to blend in like the hundreds of tourists strolling along the sidewalks there. He took it slow, deliberately trying to give Shadoe time to look at faces, though all they could see right now were tourists. It took them awhile to veer off toward the docks, where the shipyards were located, and when they did, he picked up her hand and entwined his fingers with hers.

Her gaze shot to his.

“We have to appear like we’re a couple just strolling along and having a good time, maybe even not paying attention to our surroundings, but each other. Try to act like you enjoy my company.”

Her brows dipped below her sunglasses. “I will if you will.” She squeezed his hand, and it wasn’t a gentle squeeze either. He smirked at her.

“Now honey, let’s not fight. We’re supposed to be lovers.”

“Keep it up and I’ll give you a love bite you won’t ever forget.”

He laughed as they walked down the street. “Will it be near my dick?”

Shadoe snorted and pushed her body into his but, like him, watched the activity going on at the shipyards. They hugged as they walked, appeared to be gazing at each other, but Spence kept his focus on the docks, and so did Shadoe. When he wasn’t watching, she was, and then it was his turn.

“See anyone who was at the club last night?” he asked when they stopped at the corner.

“Not yet. Let’s cross to the other side so I can get a closer look around.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him across the street.

He jerked her to a stop when she would have run over to the shops, pulling her against him. She tilted her head back.

“Not so fast, darlin’. Let’s plan this out before you go rushing in there.”

“Okay.” She moved her sunglasses up on top of her head so he could see her eyes.

Those eyes mesmerized him, like warm whiskey surrounded by dark lashes. She tilted her head to the side and blinked. The way she stared at him, so direct, like she could see inside him—like she wanted him—he felt the tug in his balls. Her tongue snaked out and licked across her bottom lip. Did she have any idea what that conjured up in his mind? Her mouth on his dick.

She was in his arms, her body soft and yet firm. He knew as an agent she was required to be physical, so she was in great shape, yet she had the lush curves of a woman. He liked feeling her, still would like to see her naked, all the way naked so he could explore her with his hands and his mouth. She wasn’t pulling away. And his dick continued to harden, his imagination gone haywire now.

“What are you doing?” She frowned as she obviously recognized his growing erection cocked against her hip.

“I’m getting hard thinking about you.”

“Well . . . stop that.”

“Then quit looking at me like you want to eat me.”

Her eyes widened. “I wasn’t looking at you like . . .” She stepped away. “Whatever. You’re full of shit, Spencer.”

He grabbed her around the hips and pulled her against him again. “Uh-uh. You’re not supposed to fight with me. We’re lovers, remember.”

She spoke through gritted teeth. “I was not looking at you like that.”

Teasing her was easier and way more fun than thinking about how hot she was. Less trouble that way, too. “You want me. Face it. I’m irresistible.”

“You’re full of yourself. Let’s go.”

“Kiss me first.”

She rolled her eyes. “How about I knee you in the groin instead?”

“Will you kiss it after?”