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“I don’t want you topless.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want to go home with empty pockets. It’s a topless club, Gio.” I glanced down at my rack and shrugged. It took a lot for me to act blasé about any part of this job after what we’d been through. “They’re just tits.”
“They’re so far from just anything, I could wash your mouth out with soap for even daring to think that.”
I blinked up at him and found he’d rendered me speechless.
First time for everything.
“You do what you have to do.” He brushed a quick, hard kiss over my forehead. “And so will I.”
Then he was gone.
“Whoa, intense.” Lydia, one of the other dancers, whistled.
I nodded. Yep. That about summed up Gio in a nutshell.
“And seriously fuckin’ hot.”
That too.
Fifteen minutes later, I stepped outside to find my shadow waiting. With just one glimpse into his tense face, I was thrown back to that night last spring that started all of this. The night I’d so foolishly followed him here and hung around while he did his best to chase me away.
Even now, he still hadn’t quite managed that feat. I was either the very embodiment of tenacity or pathetically dumb.
“How long do you dance?”
“Two shifts.” I fell into step beside him. “About forty-five minutes each. In between, sometimes I serve drinks and food if I’m needed.”
“And flirt with the clientele.”
We stopped walking beside the steps to my cage, and I had to grip the railing to keep from losing my balance. All of a sudden, the walls were pressing in on me.
“Hey, hey. Tesoro. Look at me.”
I looked because I wasn’t strong enough not to.
“You don’t have to do this unless you want to.” He cupped my cheek. “We can leave right now.”
“I promised Nancy I’d cover for her.” God, I hated sounding so unsure.
He exhaled. “Fine. But I’m going to be right down here if you need me.”
Swallowing hard, I nodded and climbed the first couple of steps. Then I glanced over my shoulder. He stood at the base of the stairs, watching me as he’d promised to do.
“This is going to be weird. Dancing for you. I mean, dancing while I know you’re in the audience…” I trailed off, my face going hot.
He climbed up a step, all he needed to be taller than me once again. “I’ve been in the audience before while you danced.” His gaze dropped to my chest and his voice lowered. “I’ve seen how you move. I just didn’t realize it was you.”
I lifted my chin. “Now you do.”
“Now I do.” He trailed his fingers over the inside of my wrist before he stepped down and melted into the noisy crowd.
I faced the cage in front of me and tried to remember the fun I’d had dancing high above the clientele. Part of them, but separate. Close, but untouchable.
I didn’t feel safe like that anymore. Now I knew all too well how very touchable I was, if someone wanted to try.
You can do this. One more night, for Nancy, then you don’t have to come back if you don’t want to.
