Page 19 of Dancing for the Minotaur

Terra looked at her and felt a little warmth in her chest despite her irritation.

“No, honey. I'll be okay.”

Crystal gave her a worried look.

“Are you sure?”

Terra nodded.

“I'm sure.”

She wasn't, exactly, but Orlov was just a man. A creepy, handsy man, but still only a man. Terra had dealt with his kind before.

As she stood and adjusted the straps of her high heels, however, she couldn't help thinking about Taurex again.

The huge Monstrum had been nearly eight feet tall. His hands could probably span her entire waist, and his horns alone were wider than some of the VIP booths. He was the most physically intimidating male Terra had ever met in her life.

And yet she hadn't had to tell him twice not to touch her–not even once, really.

He had watched her dance completely naked and kept both hands to himself until she'd actually begun to fall after her orgasm. Even then, he'd only caught her hips to keep her from hitting the floor.

And when she'd told him to leave, he'd left.

When she'd told Orlov not to touch her, he treated it like the beginning of a negotiation and then he tried to see how much he could get away with.

The thought followed Terra out of the dressing room and down the dim hallway toward the VIP lounge, but she tried to push it out of her head. She needed to get through the next fifteen minutes, collect whatever tip Orlov wanted to give her and get back on stage–that was all.

She just hoped she could make it through without slapping the slimy bastard.

9

TERRA

Viktor Orlov was already sitting in one of the private booths when Terra entered the VIP lounge.

She knew which one before Marty even pointed it out. Orlov always chose the same booth in the far corner, where the dim red lighting was lowest and the curtain closed more completely than the others.

“There he is,” Marty murmured.

Terra took a deep breath.

“Yeah , I can see him.”

He gave her a look.

“All right now. Be nice.”

Terra shot him a look right back.

“I'm always nice.”

Marty's eyebrows rose.

“Is that right?”

Terra frowned.

“All right, I'm nice when the customer deserves it.”