Page 1 of Daddy’s Little Charmer (Daddy #36)

Christian walked through the door of one of his more popular businesses and nodded at Tommy, the bouncer he employed for the front door. The strip joint wasn’t one of the businesses he was most proud of, but it had fallen into his lap and was one of the most profitable he owned.

“Hey, Mr. Sharp.”

“How’s it going, Tommy?”

“Good, sir. We’ve got a good crowd tonight.”

“That’s always good to hear,” Christian commented with a smile.

After coming through the door, Christian stepped off to the side to let his eyes adjust to the dim, hazy light of the room. His gaze scanned the area, looking for changes or repairs that needed to be made. Like always, Roberto, his manager, and the bartender had everything in top condition.

When he acquired the place, he had updated just about everything.

Now he had the stage in the middle where the girls danced.

He’d placed chairs with small tables around the stage, so more men had a chance at front-row views of the pretty women.

Scattered around the room were over twenty other tables, some fit two people, others could fit eight.

The tables were sturdy maple, and the chairs were all cushioned, brown leather.

Christian figured the more comfortable the seating, the longer they would stay, and so far, it had worked.

The bar that ran along the back of the room was new. He’d had a friend of his carve the bar top out of one long piece of maple. Christian always admired the craftsmanship of the wood and the intricate details along the edge.

Christian had the artist create several pieces for his private home and display them in a few of his other businesses.

Tall, comfortable stools sat in front of it. A long mirror with glass shelves ran along the back wall behind the bar, which held both inexpensive and expensive liqueurs and whiskeys.

The place had been the run-of-the-mill strip joint, but he knew how to make money on it, and he had a knack for turning a business around. He needed the place to be comfortable but classy.

He’d learned a lot at college, but it was the friends he made, like Darian and Gabe, who had taught him the most. He knew he had to bring in people who could afford the luxury. But he’d also made it accessible to the average person with on-tap beers and a low cover charge to get in.

As far as the girls he employed to strip, they had to stay drug-free, and there was absolutely no sex on his property.

He couldn’t tell them what to do off the clock, but he was very strict when they were in his business.

He had too many what he thought of as “legitimate businesses,” which would be affected if he were charged with prostitution.

Christian took a seat at the end of the bar and waited. He caught his bartender’s eye and lifted his hand.

“Hey, Mr. Sharp. How are you doing tonight?”

“Hello, Roberto. I was on this side of town and thought I’d check in with you. You emailed me about a possible problem?”

Roberto absently wiped the already clean bar top in front of his boss.

Christian noticed Roberto always had a towel within reach, and he usually carried around a white cloth he tucked into his front jeans pocket when he wasn’t using it to wipe anything down.

He was very particular about the cleanliness of the bar area, and he expected his employees to share the same standards, which Christian appreciated.

“Yes, sir. One of the strippers was caught having sex outside the back door. Tommy found her and warned her that next time she’d be out of work, and last night, he caught her again.”

Christian gritted his teeth as a spike of anger hit him.

“Then fire her,” he growled tersely.

Roberto nodded. “I would have, but she’s one of the women who make us the most money. A lot of men come to see her. She’s also a single mom. So, I wanted to check with you before I made a decision.”

Christian pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. “What’s her name?” he asked.

“Candy.”

Christian snorted at the name. “Is she here tonight?”

“Yes, she just got off the stage.”

“I’ll talk to her.”

“I was hoping you would. Candy’s a nice girl and a great stripper, but we’re all aware of your policies. I really think she’d straighten up if you talked to her. You scare the hell out of most people.”

Christian looked taken aback. He didn’t try to be like that, but he’d always had a dark personality that made most people uncomfortable, though that was not his intention.

“Damn, Roberto.” Christian laughed.

Roberto chuckled. “All you have to do is scowl, and it makes some grown men piss themselves.”

Christian snorted.

Roberto’s head jerked up like he saw something of concern. He caught a bouncer’s attention and then pointed.

“Tray … Harmony,” Roberto bellowed.

Christian looked around at what had caused Roberto’s anger, but the place was too crowded to see much of anything.

“What’s up?” Christian asked.

“Our new waitress, she’s good at her job, and the men like her, but I don’t like the way some of them grab at her.”

“Are the men abusive?” Christian asked, pissed. One thing he took pride in was creating a safe environment for the women who worked there.

“Not more than normal.”

“Roberto, I have an order.”

Christian straightened, turned when he heard a soft, husky voice beside him, and was struck dumb when he saw one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen.

She was very short, but she had curves in all the right places, the way a woman should.

Her head maybe came up to his shoulders.

Her hair was as black as his own and fell in a wave of curls down her back.

Her profile was very delicate and feminine, with very pale skin and a few freckles scattered over her nose.

She looked to have some Hispanic blood in her, he guessed.

Although pale, there was a darker tint to her skin, much like his own.

“Hey, Honey. Are you okay?” Roberto asked as he tried to read her expression.

Harmony smiled. “Of course. Tray helped me again.”

Christian cleared his throat to get their attention.

Roberto grimaced. “Sorry. Harmony, this is Mr. Sharp. Sir, this is Harmony, the new waitress.”

Roberto looked over his shoulder when someone yelled his name. “I’ll be right back.”

Harmony looked up at the introduction and smiled.

“Hello, it’s nice to meet you,” she said, smiling and holding out her hand.

Christian was speechless. Not only did she have two of the cutest dimples, one on each cheek, but her eyes were light blue and showed an innocence he’d only heard of but had never seen in his lifetime.

He’d learned about women like this and had even met a few who were involved with friends of his. They called them “littles.” Although the women were beautiful and charming, he never thought a relationship like theirs would appeal to him.

He watched in fascination as his huge hand wrapped around her much smaller one. The difference in size and color of their skin struck him. His hand was clearly twice the size of hers and much darker with calluses and scars. Her pale skin was soft and smooth.

A rush of blood swiftly and painfully filled his groin. It was unexpected because he’d never felt lust this powerful happen so swiftly. “It’s nice to meet you, Harmony.”

Harmony pulled her hand away and concentrated on the list of drinks she needed.

“So, how long have you worked here?” he asked her.

Harmony turned her attention back to him. “Um, a little over two months, I guess.”

“Do you strip as well as waitress?”

Harmony shook her head. “No, I’m just a waitress.”

Christian relaxed. The thought of her on stage without clothes and a hundred sets of hungry eyes on her made him want to howl in fury.

“Hey, Honey, sorry about that. What do you need?” Roberto asked.

Harmony turned her attention back to Roberto and gave him the list. Within a few minutes, she had a tray full of drinks.

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Mr. Sharp,” Harmony said and walked off.

Christian turned and waited for Roberto to serve someone before he called for him. “Who is she?”

Roberto cleared his throat uncomfortably. “Her father, Patrick, and I were Army buddies and best friends. He died a little over a year ago, and I’ve been looking after his daughter.”

“Is that her real name?”

Roberto smiled. “Yeah, and it fits her. She’s a good girl and one of the sweetest people I’ve ever known. She doesn’t have a mean bone in her body.”

“Then why the hell is she working at a strip joint?”

Roberto looked confused about the wave of anger that came from Christian.

“She’s trying to put herself through school, and this seemed like the perfect way to do it.

She can make a lot of money working two nights here, enough to pay for her classes every semester and have her own place, and I am here to watch over her.

She can take all week for classes and studying and not have to worry. ”

“But it’s the summer.”

“She takes them year-round so she can finish early.”

“Where is her family?”

“I’m it. Her mother died when she was eleven, and then her dad recently. They never had any other children, and as far as I know, her grandparents and other relatives are dead.”

Christian turned and watched as she moved around the room. She wore a sleeveless pale blue shirt and a denim skirt that hit a few inches above her knees. She was more covered than all the other women in the place, but he still wanted to hide her from all the eyes that hungrily followed.

Christian felt a growl rumble in his chest as a man grabbed her arm and wouldn’t let her go, even when she struggled. Before he could react, one of the bouncers was taking care of the situation.

Christian had so many more questions, but Roberto had walked off to help a customer. His head jerked around when Harmony laid her tray down. He could tell right away she was trying hard to hide the tremors in her hands.

“Are you okay?”

Harmony pushed her hair from her face and smiled brightly. “What? Oh, yes. Everything’s good.”