Page 5 of The Heartbreaker

There had been a dullness in my chest when I walked into this strip club tonight.

Now, I was on fire.

And there was no way I could let another second pass without buying her a drink.

“Going to grab a cocktail?” Beck Weston asked as I stood, his chair directly next to mine. “Do you mind grabbing one for me too?” The NHL star was loving his offseason life, freeing up his time to attend things like this.

“I’m not headed to the bar.”

He chuckled. “Where else would you be going? The restroom?”

I nodded toward the redhead, watching Beck’s stare land on her.

“Enough said.” He pounded my fist. “Go get her, my man.”

I took off before anyone else could distract me and delay me even more, and I walked out of the VIP area and into the general lounge, stopping at the base of the stage where she was standing.

Now that I was nearer, I could fill in all the blanks, like the color of her eyes, which was the lightest brown. A dusting of freckles that ran down the middle of her nose. Skin that wasn’t just smooth, but silky and creamy. Thighs that had the faintest definition of muscle.

And,goddamn it, nipples that were the lightest pink.

I didn’t care that she was standing on a stage with only a thong covering her. I sure as hell didn’t care that she was a stripper. Nor did I care that every fucking man in this room had his eyes on her.

What I cared about was that as soon as she stepped onto the floor, I grasped every bit of her attention.

Despite this being an imaginary playhouse, I was about to find the authenticity in this room.

And I was going to show her that in me.

Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long. The song was ending, and she was making her way to the steps, holding her bra and the cash she’d collected from the stage. A bouncer helped her down the short staircase where I waited for her.

As he moved away, helping the next stripper onto the stage, I said, “Hi,” just loud enough that she could hear me over the music.

Her smile tugged from the side and lifted. “Hi.”

“You were incredible up there.”

She knew how to shake her body, how to use the pole, how to squat with her legs spread wide while her hair whipped across her face.

“Thank you.”

I kept my eyes fixed on hers, not allowing them to dip even though I wanted them to. “Can I buy you a drink?”

She slipped her arms through her bra straps, wrapping the lace around her tits before she clasped the hook behind her back. “Why would you want to do that?”

“I was watching you from the VIP lounge and hauled my ass over here to talk to you.”

“Aren’t you charming?” She batted what I assumed were fake lashes, considering how long they were. “There’s a stage in there too. Was the dancer not entertaining enough?”

My hands were at my sides, but I wanted them on her waist, so I could feel just how velvety her skin was. And while I was there, I wanted to wrap her legs around me and carry her somewhere quiet. “She’s not you.”

She laughed, showing teeth that were white and beautifully straight. “I’m not sure what to say to that.”

“Say you’ll have a drink with me.”

“You’re cute—you know that?”

“Follow me,” I instructed.