Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 160684 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 803(@200wpm)___ 643(@250wpm)___ 536(@300wpm)
She had to.
2
Thomas Grady watched from the shadows as she walked out onto the stage.
Interest filled him. This was . . . strange. He couldn’t remember ever feeling attracted to anyone else like this.
Well, other than Steele.
And nothing could ever come of that.
She’d clapped for her competition.
That said something about this girl . . . no, woman. Because she was all woman. Curves he would love to run his hands over. Piles of blonde hair that lay in soft waves down her back.
Lips that would look perfect wrapped around his cock.
Fuck. He was being a complete dick.
This was part of the job, although not a responsibility he particularly relished.
He was not supposed to get turned on.
None of the other women interested him. That didn’t mean they weren’t attractive. That they weren’t good dancers. That they wouldn’t be popular with Pinkies’ regulars.
It worried Grady because it was very rare for him to be aroused by any woman . . . unless he was sharing her with Steele. He’d long since given up trying to have sex without Steele. Not that he’d ever told his best friend that.
It was bad enough Grady knew it. He didn’t need Steele knowing how fucked in the head he was.
Except . . . now there was her. She stepped out slowly onto the catwalk, looking like she couldn’t decide whether she was about to vomit or not. Her heels were too low and her outfit covered her almost entirely from chest to ass. Sure, it was made with see-through lace, but all the other women interviewing for this job had started out in G-strings and tiny bras that barely covered their nipples.
The outfit was so pink that it made him wince. And it looked like it was made of several different pieces of material sown together.
“She’s so far out of her fucking depth. What a joke,” Lucy said snidely as she sat across from him in the booth.
Fuck. Why had he kept Lucy on?
Because other than being a total cow, she hadn’t given him a reason to fire her. And if he got rid of her, he’d need to find someone to replace her. Which meant taking on more responsibilities until he did.
Which was something he didn’t need.
So for the moment, he put up with her cattiness and the way she continually tried to stick her nose up Steele’s ass.
But as soon as she messed up, she was gone.
He didn’t reply. He knew she wasn’t expecting him to because he gave Lucy even less than he gave most people.
Which wasn’t much to begin with.
“And what is she wearing? It’s probably a good thing she’s covering herself up. Why would she think anyone would want to see her strip?”
“Go away, Lucy.”
“What?” She jolted and then gaped over at him. He tried not to swear at women. His father had always cussed at his mother. And Grady worked hard to never be like his father.
However, with Lucy, he was really close to breaking that rule. It was hard to get through her thick skull.
“Go. Away.”
The woman started dancing. What was her name? He glanced down at his list. Effie. Unusual, but it suited her.
To his shock, once she started moving, she lost her nerves. That sick look disappeared. And as she relaxed . . . she could move.
Fuck. His dick was so hard that it hurt.
“But Grady,” Lucy whined. “I’m supposed to help you. Damon said.”
Steele said nothing of the sort. Grady also knew that the other man would never have told Lucy she could use his first name.
“Lucy, go away. And don’t let Steele hear you calling him Damon.”
She swallowed and stood, stomping over to another chair. It wasn’t far enough away, but it would have to do.
It gave him a chance to watch Effie. His balls fucking ached. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten off. Lately, he hadn’t felt like joining in with Steele. It wasn’t that the other man had a parade of women through his bed. But he also wasn’t celibate. Yet, for the last few months, Grady had been.
But this woman . . . she was making him feel.
And he wasn’t sure that he liked that.
Because that made him vulnerable to being hurt.
Fuck.
She’s just a chick trying out for a stripper job. She’s not going to change your life.
But damn . . . watching her was . . . it was almost a gift. Which sounded ridiculous. But the way she moved, the look on her face, she loved to dance.
And then she moved to the pole. He tensed. Soon, she’d have to strip off that outfit she was wearing. And he didn’t want anyone else seeing her.
Stupid.
It was part of the job.
She grabbed the pole and spun. It was an okay move. Nothing amazing. She reached high and attempted a basic invert.