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Ethan walks around the table to stand at Will’s side and locks eyes with me. Could he be any further away? Idiot.
Choosing to ignore him, I check the time and realize our driver will be here any minute. “Time to go.”
Will exits the apartment first, with Clarke behind him, leaving me with Ethan. We stare at each other for a second before I get enough sense to dig my keys from my purse.
“You look beautiful,” Ethan says under his breath. His voice is so low I have to strain to hear him.
“Thank you,” I mouth, not wanting my brother to hear us.
Will and Clarke are halfway downstairs, already arguing with each other over something.
Ethan touches my cheek with his calloused thumb, cupping the side of my face in his hand. “Mia, I’m sorry.”
That’s all he says before releasing his grip on me, though the hold he has over me stays with me all the way to the strip club.
Chapter Nineteen
Ethan
The look on Mia’s face when we walked into Scores was priceless. I knew it would be, so I snapped a picture with my cell phone without her noticing. Maybe one day I’ll show her. For now, it’s the picture attached to her number in my Contacts. I thought about making it my background picture, but Will would flip the fuck out if he were to see his sister on my screen.
Mia stares around the room and bites her cheek. She avoids the girls shaking their asses on the stage as if they don’t exist. It’s hard not to notice with all the men surrounding them. Clarke doesn’t seem the slightest bit phased, where Mia keeps her eyes pointed in front of her and bites her lip.
I hook my arm around Mia’s back and pull her closer to me. She stiffens from my touch but peeks up at me.
“You okay?”
She nods. “Yeah, I’m good. Why is everyone so worried about how I’ll react? I’m not a total prude.”
I dip down to whisper against the shell of her ear, “Oh, I know.”
She sucks in a deep breath and blows it out. “You’re the devil in expensive clothes.”
I laugh at her comment. She has no idea.
Clarke comes up on Mia’s right and yells, “Wanna come with? Will’s buying me a lap dance.”
Mia narrows her eyes at her. “Nah, I’ll pass. I have to do the thing, remember?”
I crane my neck to listen to their conversation, hoping to find out more about this secret mission. Mia has always been adventurous. I worry about her digging too deep. I know from personal experience that the underworld of Philly can be a cruel and dangerous place. The places I would venture to get my next high almost got me killed a few times when I was younger. If my father hadn’t found the box I hid under my bed, who knows where I would be right now? I doubt I would’ve made it to the NHL without him forcing me to become a better person.
“You can have fun in the meantime,” Clarke says. “Have you ever had a lap dance?”
Mia scrunches her nose at her friend. Her innocence is so adorable.
“Nope never had one,” Mia says. “Go with Will. I’m sure he’ll show you a good time. He probably knows this place like the back of his hand.”
More like his cock.
Clarke laughs. “I’m sure he does.”
We both do. Scores is like a right of passage for everyone on our team. Tyler Kane brought Will and me here our first year with the Flyers. Now that Kane’s married with a few kids and attached to his wife’s side, the tradition of breaking in the newbies has passed to Will, and by extension to me too.
Will winks at Mia. “I promise to take good care of her. Don’t worry. We’ll have fun for you.”
Mia waves her hand at Will and Clarke before turning to me. “You, too, Ethan. I have things to do.”
Will shoots me a look that says, Stay with her. I have no problem following Mia around for the night. Without Will hovering over her, I can give Mia a proper apology. She deserves more than one. I owe her a lot more than I’m sorry for being an ass.
