Page 12 of Dancing for the Minotaur

“And how else do you suggest I make a living? In case you haven’t noticed, the economy sucks right now. Stripping might not be the best line of work, but it puts food on my table and clothes on my kids’ backs. Oh, but you already know about that, don’t you? Since you looked into my freaking mind!”

“Please, I didn’t mean to frighten you.” Taurex put out both hands, palm up, in a gesture of peace.

But it was too late. Terra narrowed her eyes at him.

“I bet you made me get turned on too, didn’t you? Did you do some kind of alien mind trick on me? I’ve heard all kinds of weird stuff about you Monstrum, but I didn’t know you could control a woman sexually!”

Taurex thought of telling her that the reason she’d gotten sexually aroused was probably because he was her fated mate and his pheromones had excited her body in ways no other male could. But he was certain that wouldn’t go over well with the already-angry human.

“I wasn’t controlling you in any way,” he said quietly. “But I can tell our time together is now at an end.”

“You’re Goddamn right it’s at an end!” Terra exclaimed. She pointed one shaking finger to the pink, spangly curtain that divided their private area from the rest of the VIP lounge. “Go on–get out.”

Putting his hand in his pocket, Taurex pulled out a thick wad of the paper bills humans used as money. His client had told him to bring plenty of the human cash for tips, and he had done as instructed. He placed the wad on the seat of the chair he’d been sitting on and, after a bit of thought, added one of his business cards.

“You don’t have to do this for a living,” he repeated. “I would be happy to give you a job that would pay twice as much.”

“Oh, so you want me to be your private dancer? Is that it?” she demanded.

Taurex shook his head.

“No. You would keep your clothing on, and you would not be required to stimulate me sexually.”

He wasn’t sure exactly what kind of job he could offer her, but he would make up a position if he had to. Anything to bring her closer to him. She was his fated mate–he was almost certain of it. But as things stood, she was angry and frightened of him. Part of him wanted to pick her up and carry her away so he could keep her safe and protect her from having to do these kinds of sexual shows for other males. But he knew that would turn out badly.

Terra still had her arms crossed over her ample breasts and she looked like she didn’t know what to think of him at this point.

Taurex simply nodded his head at her.

“Think about it,” he murmured. “I’m leaving now.”

Then, though it was the hardest thing he’d ever done, he left the curvy little woman who he was certain was his fated mate standing alone.

7

TERRA

Terra watched him go, not certain what had just happened.

Had a huge alien Minotaur really just read her mind and offered her a job? Right after making her come?

Well, to be fair it was the buzzing bullet vibrator that had made her come, but something about Taurex had certainly gotten her in the mood–which she never was when she was in the VIP lounge.

Why had she reacted so strongly to him? He claimed he hadn’t been manipulating her mind, but he had known things he never should have been able to know if she hadn’t told him. How could he know about her kids and her mom and the fact that she didn’t really like stripping when she’d only just met him that night?

Put it out of your head, she told herself. You got the money, that’s all that matters. And you never have to see him again.

She reached for the wad of cash on the chair, ignoring the card he’d left behind. Expecting a bunch of ones, she began flipping through the folded bills. What she saw made her eyes go wide.

The wad of folded bills wasn’t ones–it was almost all twenties with a few fifties and even two hundreds thrown in. There wasn’t a single bill lower than a ten.

Terra counted it–then counted again. Two thousand dollars! That was enough to fix her alternator and buy new clothes for the kids. How could the huge Monstrum afford to just give her two thousand dollars like it was nothing?

Maybe she ought to think about his offer of a job after all.

But no…he’d been inside her head. He’d seen her life, and he’d manipulated her sexually somehow. She wasn’t about to give him a chance to do worse.

Still, it’s not like he hurt you, whispered a little voice in her head. Which was true. In fact, she’d never been so turned on in her life. Certainly not with her ex, who couldn’t find her clit with both hands and a map. No man had ever made her come like that and he hadn’t even touched her–well, except to hold her hips as she ground against him.