“My dance.” I watched as he loosened his tie.
“On the bed?”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“It’s hard to dance on the bed.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure something out.”
“You have a nice house.”
“You didn’t come to talk about the house.”
“What do you want me to do for fifty grand?” I spat out and shivered as I walked towards the bed. Grant was lying there with the top two buttons of his shirt undone and a glossy look in his eyes.
“You can do whatever you want.”
“Whatever I want?” I stopped. “What if I don’t want to do anything?”
“Then you don’t have to.” He sat up slightly and waved me forward. “Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed, embarrassed that I was slightly turned on by him. I didn’t even know him. He was a stranger, yet, my body was craving his touch.
“Too many people worry about what a society that they don’t know will think of them before they do anything. Why are you arguing with your body? Why are you distrusting your base instincts?”
“You don’t know what my body is thinking.”
“I knew the moment you sat on my lap. I knew the second you agreed to come to my home.” He stepped off of the bed and walked towards me, his fingers deftly undoing the rest of the buttons on his shirt. “I knew the moment you popped out of the cake.”
“What did you know?”
“I knew that I wanted you.” He pulled his shirt off and dropped it on the ground. I stared at his chest in amazement. It was as perfectly sculpted as I’d expected it to be, but the scar running down the side of his chest surprised me.
“Where did you get that?” I pointed at the scar and he ignored me. Instead of answering me he turned away and walked to his closet. I watched as he pulled out a thick silver chain.
“What are you doing?” I gasped as he wrapped the chain around his chest and arm.
“I like the feeling of the metal against my skin. It reminds me of my strength.” He turned towards me as he pulled the metal along his body.
His muscles bulged with the strength of a hundred men as he gazed at me with soulless eyes. I swallowed as I stared at the thick steel chains slithering across his skin like a snake. There was something so sensual in the movement and I couldn't move my eyes away from his chest.
“What are you going to do?” I whispered as he moved towards me like a panther tracking down its prey.
“Whatever you want me to do.”
“What if I don't want you to do anything?”
“Then we might have a problem.”
“Then we might have a problem.” I repeated as he stopped in front of me, his eyes never leaving mine as he continued moving the chain across his skin.
“Are you scared?”
“What do you think?” My eyes widened as my voice cracked. I took a deep breath. “I’m going to kill Hailey.”
“Who?” He frowned.
“My best friend. I was working for her.” I closed my eyes to avoid his intense gaze as my body shivered. “I would have been at home watching TV right now if it wasn’t for her.” My eyes popped open as his fingers touched my arm.
“What makes you so mad?” He said gently. “The fact that you took the job or the fact that you’re here?”
“The fact that I’m standing in front of a stranger with a big silver chain.” I gulped and licked my lips slowly.
“And does that make you mad or turned on?”
“What are you? A bloody professor or something? What’s with all the questions?”
“Why are you repressing your sexuality?”
“What?” My jaw dropped as I stared at him, my face heating up.
“Why can’t you celebrate being here with me? I’m not going to hurt you.”
“Let me just give you the lap dance and go.” I bit down on my lower lip. “You can keep the five grand. I think I might have given you the wrong impression of me.”
“Oh, why’s that?”
“I think you are under the impression that I want to be with you in a way that I don’t.” I mumbled as I stared at his bulging biceps. Shit, he was so cut and built. I’d never seen a man as muscular and fit as him before. I wanted to reach out and touch his muscle to see if it was as rock hard as it looked.
“I see.” He took a step back. “That’s disappointing then.”
“I suppose.” I shrugged and turned away, feeling bereft and alone. Part of me wanted him to beg me to give him a chance. Part of me wanted him to stare at me with lust and desire so profound that I wouldn’t be able to say no. Deep inside, I didn’t want to say no.
“Stop.” His voice was low and gentle, yet commanding and all-consuming and my leg froze in midair. “Look at me.”
I turned towards him slowly, gazing at the look on his face. Gone was the laughing teasing man from the club. In front of me was a man so serious, so immobile that I wondered if he was the same person.
“The chains weren’t to scare you.” He pulled them off and dropped them on the ground. “I’m not going to use them on you.”
“I would think not.” I shuddered as I stared at the mass of steel on his cowhide rug.
“So this isn’t going down as I thought it would tonight.” His lips curled up in a small smile.
“What did you think was going to go down?” I asked curiously and then my phone started ringing. I looked at him and then at my handbag and he nodded at me to answer it. I walked over to my bag and lifted it up quickly and pulled out my phone. “Hello.”
“Evie, where are you?” Hailey’s voice sounded anxious. “Starr and Crystal just called me. They said you just disappeared.”
“I didn’t mean to just leave.” I mumbled, feeling guilty and hoping I hadn’t jeopardized Hailey’s job. “I just had to get out of there.”
“Where are you? Why aren’t you at home? What happened?”
“I kinda met a guy.” I whispered quickly, hoping she wouldn’t really understand what I was saying.
“You what?” She screamed into the phone.
“Hailey.” I turned away from a grinning Grant. He seemed to be enjoying eavesdropping a bit too much. “I’ll tell you more when I get home.”
“Evie Johnson, you come home right now.” She shouted into the phone.
“I thought you were on a date?” I asked suspiciously.
“I am and he’s here, but I’ll send him packing when you get here.” She sighed. “You’re not meant to hook up with the guys. You don’t know them, Evie. He could be a psycho.”
“He’s not a psycho.” I whispered, hoping Grant couldn’t hear me. “I’ll come home as soon as possible.”
“Evie, tell me where you are and I’ll come and get you.” Hailey sounded worried and I was about to turn around and ask Grant for his address when I felt his arms around waist. I froze for a second and looked up at him. “Evie?” Hailey pleaded onto my ear and I was about to speak when Grant grabbed the phone from my hand and ended the call.