Certainly not because she was sexually attracted to him.
“Sounds promising, though I’m not quite sure you’re worth it.” He held her gaze for a long, heated moment before he let it drop to her breasts.
His blatant perusal made her want to strip just for him. It also made her want to run away. Temptation warred within her, the urge to stick her tongue out like a bratty little girl and stomp off to pout in the corner so strong, she had to reel it in.
Ugh. The schoolgirl outfit had more of an effect on her than she thought.
The hip hop music stopped and in its place started a slow, almost jazzy beat. The volume lowered, the lights dimmed and the entire atmosphere changed in an instant. She could almost forget there were so many people milling within the suite.
All of these men, and only four women. Whereas some would think otherwise, the odds were definitely not in her favor tonight.
“Your friends are disappearing,” Nate-da
wg murmured.
He seemed almost pleased by this. She glanced around the room, saw a couple of the girls wander into the bedrooms, accompanied by party goers. Many of the guys were leaving the suite, though a few still lingered.
“They’re really not my friends. We work together.” She didn’t know the other girls at all, of course.
He leaned forward, no longer eyeing her in distaste, but rather in smoldering interest. “So if I give you two hundred dollars, you’ll dance for me?”
She stared at him in disbelief. He wanted her to dance? Surprising. “You’d like me to? You didn’t seem that into it earlier.” She wanted to smack herself. Why give him the option to back out? An extra two hundred would be more than welcome.
He gripped the arms of the chair with long fingers, his biceps flexing and shifting with the movement beneath the dark gray t-shirt. She couldn’t help but admire his physique. Not too muscular, not too wimpy, the guy was, well…
Perfect.
Just like that, she had the overwhelming urge to touch him. Run her fingers along his arms, across his broad shoulders, through his thick hair. What would he do? How would he react? Would he watch her with skeptical eyes or shudder with pleasure?
“You’re the student, I’m the teacher? Is that the game you want to play? Do you like games?” His deep voice pulled her from her thoughts, and she swore his eyes turned a shade darker when they met hers. His firm mouth softened, revealing the sensual curve of his lower lip and the temptation to touch him, kiss him was near overwhelming.
Janelle steeled her spine. Okay fine, she could do this. She could forget what a jerk he was, if she concentrated on his gorgeous face and those hungry eyes. Leaning over him, she rested her hands on the armrests, her fingers awfully close to his, her chest directly in his line of vision.
He stared at her breasts, didn’t try to pretend that he wasn’t. Slowly she turned her hips from side to side, teasing him with glimpses of her black satin-covered cleavage. “Is that what you’d like, Nate-dawg? Because it can be arranged. I do love a good game.”
Chuckling, he settled against the back of the overstuffed chair, looking very much the relaxed, cocky bastard. “I bet you do. And call me Nate.”
“Well, Nate, I’m Ginger. And I’ve been a naughty, naughty girl.” She moved in closer, her face directly in his and his minty breath fanned across her lips. She’d bet his mouth tasted just as good. “I need to be taught right from wrong so I won’t be a bad girl anymore. Can you help me?”
He stared at her hard, visibly swallowed. Lowering her lids, she shifted toward him, tempted to taste him. Just one little taste of that sensual mouth before she started to dance for him...
The man actually had the nerve to grin and shake his head. “Do guys actually fall for that act you put on?”
With an indignant huff she stood, glaring down at him from narrowed eyes. “Listen, jerk off, I’m playing the part of a fantasy. You know, where you use your imagination and pretend I’m naughty, maybe even get a little thrill out of it? Though you don’t look like the type who gets thrills. Or has an imagination, for that matter.”
Jeez, the guy was a jerk. She turned, glancing around the suite. The entire night was giving off a hinky vibe, and she didn’t like it. In fact, she was gonna bail out of the party right now, screw Ginger, forget the tips and the other girls, since they clearly forgot about her.
Not like she was going to do this for her sister again, so there was no bridge to burn...
“Hey, wait a minute.” Strong, warm fingers wrapped around her wrist, keeping her from bolting and she glanced down to find Jerk-dawg watching her, a flicker of—was that concern?—in his dark gaze.
Why should he care how she felt? He’d been slinging insults at her from the moment they met.
“What?” Janelle tried to ignore the tingles of awareness washing over her body at his touch. Pulse kicking up a notch, her breathing grew shallow when she felt the subtle brush of his thumb sweeping the inside of her wrist.
“Dance for me.” Eyebrows lifting, he cocked his head toward her. His eyes glittered in the darkness and his grip tightened on her, firm fingers pressing into her tender skin. “Forgive my earlier comments. I promise I’ll behave.”
She contemplated him, angry that she was weak enough to give in. “Fine. No touching allowed though.” Jerking out of his hold, she wobbled on her precarious heels and she blew out a harsh breath, steadying herself. Why did he change his mind so fast?