At the Stroke of Midnight (Naughty Princess Club 1)

I let out a huge breath, turning my head to look over at him as he pulls into my driveway and puts the truck in park with the engine still running.

Leaning over in his seat, he brushes my hair off my forehead and presses his lips against it, holding them there for a few seconds before tipping his head down and pressing his forehead against mine.

“I never want Anastasia to think she has to rely on someone else for her happiness, or be afraid to be whoever she wants to be. I want her to learn how to be strong and independent and how to make something of herself on her own, never changing just to suit someone else’s ideas or vision of what a wife and a woman should be, or how they should act,” I explain to him. “I know not everyone is going to be proud of the Naughty Princess Club, but I am, and I know my daughter will be too, and that’s all that matters.”

PJ pulls his head back and presses one of his hands to the side of my face.

“You amaze me,” he whispers. “Every single day, every single minute I spend with you, I watch you do exactly what you set out to do, so strong and confident and sure of yourself, and it amazes me. Anastasia is going to grow up to be a remarkable young woman because you have already shown her what a fierce, independent, incredible woman looks like, and you are a wonderful mother.”

I wrap my arms around PJ’s shoulders and he wraps his around my waist, and we pull each other closer as I turn my head and rest my cheek on his shoulder.

“Thank you,” I tell him softly as I stare out of his driver’s side window and see Anastasia and Ariel come racing out of the house.

I pull out of PJ’s arms and point to the two of them giggling as they run across the yard. PJ hits the button to roll down his window just as they make it to his side of the car.

“So, Mom, Ariel has been teaching me some sweet dance moves while you were gone. How soon can I join the family business?” Anastasia asks.

“Ariel!” I shout, which makes her shrug.

“What? She wanted to learn how to dance like a stripper, so I showed her how to dance like a stripper. It’s fine. I didn’t let her take any clothes off. She’s underage, and I’m not a monster or anything,” Ariel replies.

“No more stripper lessons with my daughter,” I scold her.

“Chill, Mom. When you croak, someone’s gonna need to handle things around here,” Anastasia says.

“Maybe I should have waited to sit her down and tell her about the Naughty Princess Club when she was older. Like, thirty. Or never,” I whisper to PJ.

“Seriously, you have nothing to worry about. Your daughter has the rhythm of a drunk baby on meth. It was hard to watch.” Ariel grimaces, which earns her a smack in the arm from my daughter.

PJ and I watch the two of them bicker as they head back toward the house, and we both get out of the car and follow behind them.

“What was that you were saying about me being a wonderful mother?” I ask with a sigh as he wraps his arm around my shoulder.

“Eh, it’ll be fine. We’ll just throw some chocolate at her and she’ll forget all about it.”

Chapter 27: Human Ficus Tree

Swivel your hips. Make eye contact with the men across the room who are watching. Sensually slide your hands over your breasts. Bend over and come back up nice and slow.

“Oh my God, your shoes are so cute!”

My mental pep talk is interrupted when I bend forward and my eyes latch on to the adorable black heels that lace halfway up the legs of Staci, the woman whose lap I’m currently sitting on.

With my ass in her crotch, her hands on my hips and my back to her, I’m leaning over her legs so far at this point my boobs are pressed against her knees.

“Thanks! I got them at the Rack Room. Fifty percent off.”

I pull myself up and lean back against her chest when she kicks one of her legs out in front of us, bringing her leg up between my knees, twisting and turning her foot so I can get a better look at her killer shoes.

“Do they come in red? I have this adorable red bra with matching garters and those would look great with them.”

Someone clears their throat from across the room and I look over to find PJ standing in the corner with his arms crossed in front of him and his eyebrow raised.

I thought I would be nervous as hell dancing at my first official Naughty Princess Club party this weekend, but as soon as I walked in the door and saw it was a couple’s bachelor/bachelorette party, all my nerves vanished in an instant. It helped having other women here. Sisters in solidarity and all that shit. It also didn’t hurt that PJ decided he would come with me and act as my bodyguard. It was one of the rules he put in place when he was helping us with the terms and conditions on our website. I still don’t let him tell me what to do, but when he explained that a beautiful, sexy woman walking into a house full of strangers, most likely drunk men, all alone was a safety issue, I understood where he was coming from. Until we’re making enough money to hire someone else, PJ will accompany me, hiding in the corner like he is right now, while I work.