Take My Body (Curse Bound 2)

By the time they arrived at the club, Caspian knew all the strippers’ names, their specialities and how big their breasts were. Bud had ranked them too, and didn’t spare Caspian the details.

He wondered how Gunner had managed to fool his friends into believing he enjoyed outings like this, but it all became clear when they entered the club buzzing with loud, pulsing music. It was large, but not glamorous in the slightest, with all the spotlights focused on the girls, which left everything else in shadow.

Nobody would see just how uninterested his shlong was in the lady swirling around a pole in latex boots with heels so high they forced her feet into a shape reminiscent of a tiptoeing ballerina.

The air smelled of the smoke swirling through the air around the dancer, beer, booze and sweat, and the colorful lights didn’t even reflect off the dark walls and platforms, as if this place were a black hole. How long would they stay here? Until Bud got off? Caspian could only hope it would be a quick affair.

“Hey there ladies,” Todd smiled and opened his arms, staring at two women in skimpy gold bikinis. They must have known he had money on him, because they flocked to him like wasps to a donut dropped in the park.

Bud pointed out a Black woman with long braids and yelled, so Caspian could hear him over the music. “That’s Ralph’s favorite. ‘Cause she’s mute. Get it?” he whispered to Caspian, and it took a while to understand the joke. Right. Because Ralph didn’t speak much.

“Isn’t he married though?” Caspian asked. He realized he’d said the wrong thing the moment Bud frowned, so he laughed out loud and slapped the dumb bastard’s back. “Got you!”

Okay then. Caspian shouldn’t be surprised that these guys were cheaters on top of being bullies and drug dealers, but he sure hoped Gunner didn’t share that habit. Just thinking about Gunner being with another man right now, behind Caspian’s back, made liquid fire pump into his veins and he stopped listening to the conversations around him.

He followed Bud in the dark, but just as he was about to reach for his phone and check on Gunner, a slender hand slid around his, and soft flesh clad in thin fabric rubbed against his skin.

He froze and stared at the busty woman clinging to his arm. What was the code of conduct in this place? In movies, customers were never allowed to touch the girls, though technically he wasn’t the one doing the touching.

“Hello there,” he said and cringed at the stupidity of this line. Then again, he had no idea what was expected of him here, and maybe by holding on to this lady, he’d be left unbothered by anyone else.

Women had never expressed interest in him, so he easily flew under the radar when it came to being gay. This was literally virgin territory for him.

Todd patted his shoulder from behind but spoke to the woman. “This one broke up with his girl yesterday, I think he needs some comfort.”

Bud snorted. “Yeah, in her tits.”

Caspian glanced at the breasts covered in tattoos of state flags and instantly knew from Bud’s earlier descriptions that this had to be Marvel, which was most definitely not her real name.

Could he spend time with this one sitting next to him while other girls danced? Or would she soon need to get up on one of the stages and leave him to fend for himself? There were fewer customers around than he’d expected, but the crowd of guys cheering on the girl in ballet shoes was large enough to liven up the space, even though the rest of the club was sparsely peppered with men sitting alone or in small groups.

Gunner knew those women, but Caspian was stuck wanting to ask how she’d been, because what if that was too personal of a question? On the way here, Bud had talked about the girls as if they were friends, but what the hell could he know if he only came over once or twice a month to get a lap dance? Gunner should have warned Caspian of the tradition he observed with his buddies and told him how to act around the girls.

As soon as they all sat in a booth, Marvel straddled Caspian’s lap so unexpectedly, he leaned back into the plush upholstery.

“I bet you deserve better than her anyway,” Marvel said and winked at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck, suffocating him with the strong scent of perfume.

The other guys had girls vying for their attention too, so this tradition likely involved leaving large amounts of cash at Tiffany’s, but as Caspian tried to come up with something to say, Todd’s gaze swept over him for an uncomfortably long time.