The lights around us dimmed and slow, sensual music started. Dancing for men came with the territory. I’d done it a thousand times. I had no idea why it felt like my knees might give out at any minute. I took two steps back and began to rock my hips to the slow tempo.
“I thought we were talking?” His arms gripped the couch next to his legs.
I lifted my arms into the air gathering my hair up along the way. It dropped slowly as I continued to sway, feeling the long waves fall softly on my shoulders. I closed my eyes to absorb the music and make for a better performance. I couldn’t see his reaction, or more so, his rejection. The song was “OT” by Niykee Heaton. I chose it for the naughty lyrics, the sexy tempo, and the sultry voice. Now I let it take over me. My hips moved, hands traveled, and to be honest, I felt it.
At the climax of the song, I opened my eyes again. His focus moved from my hair to my face to my hips, then shot to the ceiling when I caught him staring. He let out a slow breath. His mouth moved like he was counting down. So maybe not totally immune to me after all.
I sucked in my lips to keep from smiling.
“Suze—”
“It’s Suzie, actually.”
“Suzie,” he repeated then brought his gaze to study my face.
“Nice to meet you, Ford.”
“Ford?”
“Suits you.” I shrugged.
I smiled. He frowned.
Okay, so that’s what we did then? He was not going for this. Time to up my game. I snapped at the waist and bent forward to run my hands up my legs, starting at the straps of my heels, slowly moving up my calves, past my knees, rubbing my bottom, hips, and stomach. Just as my hands were about to cup my breasts, his gaze moved to the ceiling again.
“Can you please stop? Just stop. I’m trying to think.”
I froze.
Okay, so the good news was he wasn’t gonna be seduced. But the bad news was he wasn’t gonna be seduced. Despite the foreign feeling of total rejection, I was also immensely relieved. Unfortunately, that didn’t change the fact that Occum had demands. I glanced to the camera in the corner. The little red light was flashing.
Cluck. Cluck. Mother clucker.
Coming back in front of him, I bent to whisper in his ear. “He’s watching.”
“What?” He leaned back to look me right in the eyes. They moved between mine. Our faces were close enough that his breath tickled the strands of hair at my ear. Goosebumps prickled down my neck.
“I get that you don’t want me, but we have to go through the motions or we’re never getting out of here.”
He blinked at me but closed his mouth with one small nod.
“Play along.”
“What? How?” His Adam’s apple moved up and down with a loud swallow.
I slid into his lap. My knees hugged him as I draped my arms over his shoulders and started grinding myself to the music. The heat from his body lit me up from the outside in. Immobile, he seemed to be fighting some internal struggle.
“Touch me, Ford,” I whispered.
“This is a bad idea.” His voice came out strangled as he lifted his hand.
Chapter 7
Clifford
This was a very bad idea. My hand moved up Suzie’s thighs. She ground against me, undulating and provocative. She was very, very good at her job.
The atmosphere of the room had shifted. When I had first walked into the room and saw her, my wariness had flipped to rage. We were pawns in his game. She was being used by Occum and if not her, then another. I was still mad. Somewhere. Under the heat of our bodies, and the sweet clean smell of her hair that brushed over me.
