“You’re not either.”
She glanced up at him and sadness flickered through her eyes.
“What is it?” He could smell the fear coming off her in waves, mixed with desperation.
“Nothing.” She shook her head and glanced around the room, fear dancing in her eyes against the lights in the room.
“Are you in danger, Catty?” He touched her elbow. “Tell me. I can help you.”
“Hey, no touching unless you are planning on paying for a lap dance.” The older woman with a clipboard stepped up to them and pulled his hand away. He fought back a growl.
“I’m willing to pay,” Lucien answered.
“Really?” The woman’s eyebrows shot up. “Well, I’m afraid Catty doesn’t usually do lap dances. So you might have to be generous, if you know what I mean, to even tempt her.” The woman sneered.
“I’m willing to pay whatever.”
“Catty?” The woman narrowed her eyes and waited for an answer.
“I’ll do it.” Catty held his gaze.
“Just so we’re clear…” The woman stepped closer. The scent of cigarette smoke and bad breath made him hold his breath. “The Triple X allows lap dances in the special rooms. She can touch you all she wants, but you can’t touch her. That’s extra.”
“Understood.”
“Follow me,” The woman led the way to the far side of the wall of the club. There were no stages or seating areas here. Only a line of rooms along the wall.
He glanced in the occupied rooms. The doors were clear glass and even though they were closed, he could still see a lot of what was going on inside.
A brunette dressed only in a G-string straddled her customer and was rubbing her tits in his face. In another room, a redhead was bent over at the waist and was shaking her butt in a bald guy’s face while he grabbed her ass cheeks.
The older woman stepped into a room with a loveseat and a side table.
“I’ll need the money. It’s a hundred dollars for fifteen minutes.” The woman held out her hand.
“But—” Catty protested, but the older woman sent her a glare and she didn’t say any more.
“Fine.” He dug in his wallet and pulled out two hundred dollars. “I want privacy. If you know what I mean.”
“You got it.” The woman smiled and stuck the cash in the pocket of her slacks before leaving them alone. He knew right then the owner of the club would never see a dime. The older woman was stealing from the club.
Catty rounded on him and crossed he arm. “You overpaid. A lap dance is only fifty dollars for fifteen minutes.”
“I would have paid more.”
She stared back at him and crossed her arms. The silence between them as heavy and deafening as new-fallen snow.
“Why are you doing this?” Her voice sounded small and unsure.
“I want to be with you. Alone.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Her eyes softened. Her expression changed, shifted into desire and want and need. She stepped up to him and pressed her palm to his chest. His heart stumbled in his chest at the heat of her touch.
“Catty.”
“Shush. Sit.” She gave him a shove. He obeyed and eased down onto the couch.
She walked over to the wall to the built-in radio. She glanced at him and smiled before she pushed some buttons. A slow, sultry rock song spilled out from the speakers.
“Catty…”
She pressed her fingers to his lips. “No talking.”
She stood and started to move and sway to the music. His body tightened as she moved with a fluidity he’d never seen. She knelt in front of him and spread his legs with the palms of her hands. She ran her hands up along the inside of his thighs and stopped inches from his crotch.
She trailed her hands down to his knees and slowly stood. Carefully, she straddled him and pressed her face to his neck.
“Be careful what you say. The walls have ears,” she whispered near his ear.
He rested his hands on her ass as she pulled back to look into his eyes.
He nodded his understanding. He mouthed Are you okay?
For now. She answered back.
She pressed her palms to his chest and leaned her head back, undulating to the music.
“How many lap dances have you given?” he asked.
“You’re my first.”
Pride swelled in his chest.
“Good.”
“You like what you see so far?” she purred as she looked at him.
“Yes.”
Her hands trailed down his chest to his crotch.
“You can’t come back in here, Lucien. Big Mike, the owner of the club, broke into my apartment and was questioning me about you. They know I’ve been with you. You don’t want to mess with him. He’s dangerous.”