LLucy’s Revenge(Divine Creek Ranch 15)(20)

She listened as Camilla gave simple instructions and then moved them through the beginning stretches to loosen up their muscles. Two-stepping was one thing, but getting down on the floor demonstrated to her just how un-limber she’d gotten over the years. Listening to the music’s slow driving beat as they warmed up helped her to get into the groove of the class. She’d always hated working out in a gym and quickly found that this group was altogether different.

Camilla encouraged them to loosen up their hips and move in a circular motion as opposed to what she’d been accustomed to in school PE classes and aerobics, where the exercises had been more regimented and boxy, with butt tucked and body straight and rigid. The whole purpose of this class seemed to be to take the sensual rhythm of the music inside her and express it through hip grinding, seductive movements that laid some of her fears to rest.

I can do this. I don’t have to be a size two—or be able twist myself into a pretzel—to move with a little sexiness.

She giggled with the others when Camilla encouraged them to play with the hem of their top or toy with the waist of their pants in a teasing manner. Her dialogue with them as they moved conquered half the battle for Lucy.

“It’s okay to be seductive and to touch yourself. Embrace your sensual side. If someone ever convinced you that you weren’t sexy, they were wrong.”

Hear that, Chuck? You were wrong.

Instead of negative and distracting memories, Lucy tried to focus on her words and let the beat of the music take over as they went through the floor exercises and the routine. Most of the girls were barefooted just like her, but several, including Grace and Emma, performed the striptease routine in high heels, making an elegant show of removing the lingerie they’d put on over their clothes. The afternoon was enlightening to say the least.



* * * *



Patrick said good-bye to his client as they exited Chantilly’s Steakhouse and he headed toward his car in the parking lot. He’d come to a decision earlier and reached for his phone to call Lucy as he unlocked his car with the remote.

Despite what he’d told Lucy the month before, he did let how his family would react dictate his actions and he was done with that. He wanted her to come over that night and stay the whole night because he needed her. He wanted her to. He didn’t care if it got back to his mom and dad or his other relatives. He was a grown adult. He couldn’t give her what she ultimately wanted—that was up to Beck—but he could do this.

Lucy was intimidated by his big, influential, extended family and he knew she was treading even more carefully because soon she’d be a business owner in Divine as well. They could quite literally make or break her business.

He dialed her number as he placed his briefcase in the trunk, and then his eyes settled on her ruby red Ford Escape not twenty feet away in the parking lot. His eyes swung back to the building that housed the Twisted Bull and Chantilly’s and a big grin covered his face. Two of his favorite words came to mind.

Strip. Tease.

She’d finally taken the plunge. He chuckled and locked his car back up, and he strolled toward the entrance of the club, hands in the pockets of his suit pants. He felt a little lighter than he had all day. Business both in town and out of town had meant a tight schedule for him the last few weeks and Lucy had been working after hours on her new place downtown. He’d set aside time that weekend to spend with her and Patrick Junior. It was only Thursday afternoon but he decided to get the weekend started a little early—if she’d let him.

Cody Welsh met him at the door, greeting him with a handshake. “Are you picking Lucy up? They’re almost done.”

Taking the opportunity Cody gave him, Patrick nodded and entered the dark coolness of the club. As his eyes adjusted to the lighting, his attention was drawn to just one woman on the edge of the group on the dance floor.

Statuesque, with long, wavy black hair streaming down nearly to her waist. Lucy was barefoot and dressed in black yoga pants and a body-hugging black tank top, which accentuated the pale olive tone of her skin. Perspiration gleamed on her skin as she moved to the steady, heavy beat of the music.

He was vaguely aware of Camilla directing them as he watched Lucy move into a crouch, balancing on the balls of her feet. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, slowly lifted her ass, and then stood to her full height, moving like a seductive temptress.

Possessiveness made him glance at the three bouncers but he found that all three were occupied with other tasks. Cody perched on a barstool near the door, his attention on his smartphone, while Heath’s and Spencer’s attention was on a schedule of some sort on a laptop. He turned back to watch Lucy.