Pretend You're Mine (Inked Hearts 3)

It fills me with a deep, pure sense of victory.

She has a lot. She has his head.

But she doesn’t have his body.

The waitress interrupts to drop off our drinks. Diet coke for me. Club soda for Ryan.

I suck the dark liquid through a straw. Bubbles burst on my tongue. Mmm. Fake sugar.

It’s the same as pretending with Ryan—it satisfies for a minute but leaves me craving sweetness.

Another dancer approaches the table. She smiles as she struts. “Celebrating?”

“Our friends are getting married.” He stands. Puts one hand on Penny’s shoulder and the other on Boat Shoes’s. “Can you help them make it special.”

Boat Shoes’s eyes light up.

Penny bites her lip. Excitement flares in her eyes.

“Congratulations.” She trails her fingers over the straps of Penny’s dress. “I’d be honored.”

“How much for three songs?” Dean asks.

She unfurls her palm as she whispers in his ear.

He pulls a stack of twenties from his wallet and hands them over.

She slides them into a tiny purse on her wrist without counting. All her attention turns to the happy couple. “Follow me.”

Dean winks attaboy as the engaged couple stand and follow the dancer across the room then through a sheer black curtain.

“What I’d pay to watch that.” Dean shakes his head too bad.

Walker chuckles. “They make this thing called porn.”

“Sounds like you’re offering a performance. Walker, take it off. Surprise your girl when she gets back.” Dean winks.

Walker laughs. “Don’t think I won’t.”

Dean turns to his brother. “How about you? Ready to bare it all?”

“In front of you assholes?” Ryan shakes his head no way, but he’s not really here. His attention is on that sheer black curtain.

“You want a dance? It’s on me.” Dean shakes his wallet. “But I insist on watching.”

“You’re not even looking at the stage,” Walker says.

“That’s too far away. I need something up close,” Dean says.

“Since when are you nearsighted?” Walker asks.

“I like tits in my face. That a crime?” He looks down at Kristen. “What do you think? You want a dance?”

“Maybe.” Her attention stays on the round stage. A pink babydoll hits the ground. The pigtailed blonde kicks it aside with her black heels. Rolls at the waist to show the crowd her ass.

Slowly, she lowers herself onto the floor, crawls around the stage and thrusts her pussy into some guy’s face—inches from his face.

He tucks a bill into her garter.