GRIND

As quickly as I could, I scanned the crowd for Gabi, but she wasn’t in the front anymore. I didn’t let the smile slip, but I was definitely disappointed. Out of all the woman I saw on a daily basis, she’d been the one to really stand out to me.

Maybe it was because she hung back from the crowd, watching with more amusement on her face than anything else. Instead of yelling with the rest of the horny crowd, she slowly sipped on her drink. It was probably a stupid assumption, but it struck me that she had a cool, sexy demeanor to her.

I cashed out for the night, thanking Bill for my earnings, and grabbed my duffel bag before heading out the side stage door.

The throng of women was deep leading up to the bar, but luckily I didn’t have to worry too much about it, aside from having to stop and give a few of the women hugs, even signing one of their tickets. At the end of the bar, leaning against the counter, was Gabi.

I saw her before she saw me, and looked her up and down, wishing I knew what was on her mind. I certainly knew what the hell was on mine. It wasn’t usual for me to want to take anyone home after a shift at work, especially if I knew I had to study after a twelve-hour shift at the hospital.

Sidling up to her, I bent down and gently nudged her elbow, causing her to start.

“You waiting for someone?” I asked her, grinning.

Gabi was clearly fighting back a smile. Which was a shame, especially with those beautiful pouty lips of hers. “Maybe.”

I let my eyes travel down her body slowly, taking every inch of her in that I could in the dim lighting. Her low-cut top showed off quite an eye full, not that I was complaining. Her jeans clung tightly to her curvy hips and thighs, showing off her perfect hourglass figure. And with her curly auburn hair pulled back into a bun on top of her head, I was able to see the slender lines of her delicate neck. Something about her exposed skin was really doing a number on me. And coming from a stripper, that was saying something.

“So… The drinks here are overpriced, and probably weaker than they should be. I don’t suppose you want to get out of here, do you?” she asked, arching an eyebrow at me.

The way she took lead… This woman knew what she wanted and had every intention of getting it. And I was gonna be the one to give it to her. My grin grew wider, and my cock twitched in my pants just thinking about what would happen tonight with Gabi. “Brilliant idea, if I do say so myself.”

I took her hand in mine and led her out the front door, remembering that my old truck barely had room for my duffel bag in the front, much less Gabi. I winced as we made it to my truck parked way in the back of the parking lot, embarrassment rushing over me.

I could tell Gabi was a well put-together woman, which meant she came from money. And because she was so familiar looking to me, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she was a celebrity of some sort. And here I was with my shitty truck that desperately needed a new paint job. I ran my hand through my hair, fumbling for my keys. “Hope you don’t mind.”

“What? The truck? Not at all. It has… character,” she said slowly, running her hand along the rusted hood. “It’s not the truck I’m really interested in, anyway.”

When our eyes met, it was like a humming, sizzling jolt of electricity ran between us. Oh, she knew exactly what was going down. There was no doubt about it.

“And just what is it that you’re interested in?” I bravely ventured, leaning in toward her a little, unable to stop grinning down at her. Goddamn, she was beautiful.

Placing a hand on her hip, Gabi feigned a shrug. “Oh, I think you know what I’m interested in, Dr. Jake the Snake,” she replied.

Whoa, was this really happening?

I yanked open the door for her, bowing slightly as she hopped in. “Your chariot awaits, my lady.”

I practically ran around to the driver side, sliding into the cab with ease.

“I was thinking maybe we could go to my place. I live in the hills. I have a pretty big… movie projector screen. If you’re interested in maybe watching something. Eventually.”

The hills? “Okay, that’s fine by me. Just tell me how to get there and we’re straight.” Man, I knew she was well off, but I didn’t realize just how on the money I was.

I threw the truck into drive, tearing down the main road in a flash. To say I was driving like a bat out of hell was an understatement. It was like my cock was driving, desperate to get to my destination as fast as possible, still twitching in my sweatpants. Every now and then Gabi snuck a glance at me from the corner of her eye, running her hand down the length of her thigh, making me wish I was the jeans she was wearing.

It really didn’t help that the scent of her hair and skin was sending me into overdrive, something sweet, almost like vanilla. It only made me wonder what she tasted like. I was going to find out, if I had my way.

By the time we got to the bottom of the famously revered area of LA, Gabi’s hand had somehow mysteriously placed itself on my thigh, making it even harder to concentrate on driving up the winding road. I cleared my throat, wondering just how far she was going to go before we even got to her place.

Ahead, toward the very top, was a modern penthouse with a lit-up pathway leading to it. On either side of the pathway were hedges and trees that probably had been imported from somewhere outside the desert. You didn’t get luscious greenery like that native to LA, that was for sure. My mind was spinning, trying to place where I’d seen her before.

I parked outside the main circular driveway, wondering if she lived there with anyone else. I didn’t exactly want anyone to cramp my style, especially with the things I wanted to do to her. “Nice place,” I said as I opened her door for her.

Without missing a beat, she leaned in and whispered, “Nice manners.”

I followed behind her, getting a nice glimpse of her fine ass swaying back and forth in those tight jeans of hers. My heart was already beginning to race—and the list of things I imagined were going to happen was only getting longer. As easily as I could have any of the women who came into our club, and hell, even a few of my fellow interns at the hospital, Gabi had tripped my interest completely. Now it was time see what she was made of.

Once she unlocked the heavy wooden door, she pulled it open and gestured for me to go in first. I did, and nearly stopped short when I saw just how crazy the inside of her place looked. A giant crystal chandelier hung above my head, and gilded frames hung with midcentury art were scattered across the walls. It was modern, but with a hint of the past.

As if she could read my mind, Gabi laughed to herself. “I know it’s kind of weird, but I really like art. I’m kind of a big collector.”

I took a few steps closer to the nearest painting, inspecting the detail and texture. “I’ve never really been into the arts so much, I guess. But I can definitely see the interest in this one,” I said, my mouth quirking up. It was a large picture of a naked woman draped over a chaise lounge, posing with one of those large ornamental fans from Asia. Her orange hair was spread out around her, like a brighter version of Gabi’s hair.