Page 15 of Untouchable Billionaire (The Hardcore Novels: Special Editions #1)

"Sexy and sassy is a deadly combination."

"Yeah, it is." He stands, and I hold my hand out. "Happy Birthday, Brother."

He takes it and says. "Thanks." Then he walks back to his table. I watch him managing the maze, still not ready to return to mine.

When the dance is over, Seary leaves the stage, and hoping that that was her last performance for the night, I go back to my table.

When I arrive, Kip tells me the obvious. "Your drinks are here."

"Thanks." I sit down, take one, and toss the whole thing back, pick the second one up and do it again. Then I slam the glass down. "Ah! That's better."

He whistles. "Damn, Aurei. I don't know that I've ever seen you do that."

I give him a 'you're crazy' look. "What are you talking about? We've gotten wasted together plenty of times. Have you forgotten or were you too wasted to remember?"

He chuckles. "Naw, man. That's not what I'm talking about."

Oh, that. "What's your point?"

"Nothing." He smirks.

"Had to go take care of business." I grin at him.

He grins back. "Yeah. Nature was calling."

"That's right."

I look at this new quiet Bianca. She is staring at me, disengaged, which is completely out of character for her. "What's in your craw?"

"Nothing."

I realize that's girl code for 'something big,' but I lose focus when the THUMP and strobes bust the air again.

Fuck! My mind shouts 'no' but the entire rest of me tunes in.

I sit there struggling with myself and staring blankly at Bianca.

Could I walk out without a backward glance?

Then the song begins, and it's "This Is What You Came For" by Calvin Harris, featuring Rihanna. The song choice is perfect.

Bianca moves, and the motion brings her back into focus. She nods to the stage and mouths. "She's on again."

I can't resist. I turn to look at Seary marching down the runway right to me.

Tits flowing in all their glory. She has changed her costume.

No chains. No strings. She is wearing feathers.

Little, tiny, down feathers that cover only her pussy and her areolas.

She has white feathers woven into her hair, too, and the visual effect is that of wings on her back.

Blood floods my cock again, and a wave of hot desire pulses through me.

Knowing the lightning she is creating will shoot me in all the right places and knowing my balls are going to be full of cum again before this is over, I slough down in the chair and straighten my legs.

As she moves down the runway, a couple of men stand and wave cash at her in hopes she will come to the edge of the runway to them.

Oblivious that she isn't wearing anything that they could stuff the bills in.

She skillfully maneuvers out of their reach.

Then one drunk dude puts his hands on the stage and attempts to climb up.

The knot in my gut and my jaw seize at the same time.

Two men snatch him off instantly and take him down.

Looking around now, I see men dressed in black, blending in with the audience, and I realize how tight her security is.

Out of the corner of my eye, the drunken trespasser is subdued and being quietly escorted out.

When she mounts the stripper pole in front of me once more, she proceeds to do things to it that makes my cock hard and throbbing for her again, and my only salvation is that I just had a back-to-back jerk-off session less than ten minutes ago. I'm able to study her undeniable talent this time.

Her gracefulness is a thing of beauty. Her timing is perfect.

No movement is off. Her arms and legs, hands, and feet are pure poetry in motion as she moves up and down its length, dancing sensually on it, arousing thoughts of having sex in everyone here.

She is a real artist. When she drops to the bottom of the pole at the end of the song, she swings around it, taking a unique bow.

The people around me rise, giving her a standing ovation, and I stand with them.

As she scans the crowd, waving, our eyes touch, and in that flash of an instant, Easy's face flickers in my mind. Shocked, I sit down with my eyes locked on Seary.

The music moves immediately into "Dangerous Woman" by Ariana Grande, and she backs up against the pole.

Sliding down it, then right back up, she proceeds to seduce the room as she slinks her sexy, sassy self back to the stage, and like everything thing else she has done tonight, her dance and her song choice are spot-on, speaking directly to my heart.

When she vanishes from sight exactly on the last note of the song, the crowd in the room explodes again with applause and cheers.

I join in knowing one thing is for certain.

I want this sexy, sassy little stripper.

I want her staring into my eyes, wearing the look on her face that Easy had.

I smirk. Bold and confident, too, knowing I always get what I want because I make it happen.

The announcer comes back on and thanks everyone on Seary's behalf.

Knowing the show is over, the crowd collectively sits back down, and the noise level of intercommunication becomes loud.

I look at Kip and Bianca as I turn my chair back around and scoot it up under our table.

Kip is grinning from ear to ear at me, and I can't help the stupid grin that responds to his.

I feel like a schoolboy who has just gotten caught stealing a kiss from his first crush.

Kip asks. "So.... What did you think?"

"I think you were right. She's as hot as her name implies."

Bianca doesn't say a word, and she's not smiling.

Her earlier answer, 'nothing,' returns to my mind, and I know I need to deal with the 'something big' that is 'nothing.

' But the waitress returns and brushes my arm with her tits as she leans in to pick up our empty glasses.

"My name is Stacey. May I get you another round? "

I answer. "Yes, please. The same."

When she stands back up, her hip is pressing into my arm, and she smiles down at me. "Excellent. I'll be more than happy to hook you up." The innuendo hangs in the air as she continues to hold my eyes and asks Kip and Bianca. "Would you two also like to reorder the same?"

I hear Kip say. "Yes."

"I'll be right back. Don't go anywhere." She tells me, then disappears again.

When I look back at Kip and Bianca, I expect to see her leaning on the table in her usual aggressive, jealous position, but instead, she is sitting in Kip's lap. Surprised, I ask her again. "What's in your craw?"

She gives me a 'really?' look like it's a dumb question, and she says again. "Nothing."

Now I give her a 'really?' look, and Kip chuckles at us. "Don't give me that bullshit, Bianca. Something is up with you."

"Not with me. With you."

"What?" I frown at her.

She rolls her eyes. "It's nothing. I'm fine."

"Bianca, we've known each other for years. And in that time, you have never not challenged another woman who is in my presence. What's in your craw?" I stare at her.

"What's in my 'craw' Alabama boy isn't the question, but the answer is, what's in yours, or rather, who's in yours."

I look at her, thinking about what's she has said and who she is implying.

Seary. Yeah, Seary is in my craw. First time I've ever had someone in there too.

For just a moment, I think about shrugging it off and denying it, but then I realize there's no point.

Bianca's right, and she knows she is right. Wait a minute. Wait just a damn minute!

"Are you telling me that you've just let it go, like that?"

"No point anymore."

"What the hell?" I shake my head, confused by her certainty. "I haven't done anything differently." She laughs with confidence. "Explain yourself," I demand.

She raises her eyebrows at me, and I know that was a turn-on for her.

"Listen, Aurei. It's the way you looked at her."

I frown, knowing my tongue wasn't hanging out with drool dripping off it. I'm very careful about my facial expressions. I raise my eyebrows at her and command more information.

She looks at Kip for help, and he says. "Don't look at me. I'm lost too."

She rolls her eyes like we are children. Stacey comes back with our drinks and again brushes my arm with her breasts as she sets them down. I reach in my pants and pull out a tip for her. She grins as I stick it in her cleavage. "Thanks, Big Daddy."

Bianca says. "You're wasting your time, Hun. He's got Seary in mind."

She laughs and looks at her. "Then I'm not wasting my time at all. She doesn't do extracurricular activities." She looks down at me. "My shift ends in a couple of hours. We can hook up then if you're interested."

I smile at her and ask. "What if I'm gambling?"

"Then you'll need to go ahead and book a room. Let Beverly know you want me."

"Thanks." I smile at her, and she turns away, thinking I'm going to. I look back at Bianca. "OK. So, I do have Seary in mind. Why aren't you upset by that? It's not like you to give up."

She laughs. "It's not like me to fight a losing battle either."

I frown at her, not sure which direction to pursue with her implications. "Are you telling me if I had brought a date around you, you would have backed off?"

"No."

I frown harder.

"What I'm telling you is the look on your face when you watched Seary is the same look on Kip's face when he looks at me."

"And what look is that?"

She smiles at me and turns to look at Kip. She kisses his lips, then pulls back and runs her fingers down his temple across his jawline. He looks at her, mesmerized. She looks back at me and states, "It's complete commitment."

Her answer startles me. "Commitment? That's a strong word!"

She gives me a soft look that says she's right, and I'll discover it on my own.

"What makes you so sure?"

"I've known you a long time, and I've pressured you the entire time.

You have never given in, not because you aren't attracted to me, and not because you wouldn't dig it, but because you respect our commitment too much.

I got that, but I knew I could convince you eventually.

This. Her. What I see in your eyes. What I see on your face. That. I will never overcome."

I don't answer. I don't have an answer. I don't know anything right now, except I feel the need to drink.

I reach for one of my doubles and slam it down.

She and Kip take theirs, and Bianca raises hers to me then throws it back.

I look at the stage and watch without seeing the dancer on the pole. She does nothing for me.

The three of us sit in silence for a little while longer, then I throw my last shot back and tell them. "I'm going to go gamble. I've seen enough for one night."

Kip pushes Bianca off his lap and stands with me. I shake his hand, and he says. "I hope Lady Luck smiles down on you."

"Yeah. Thanks."

"How long are you staying?"

"I'm flying home Wednesday."

"OK. Let me know if you need anything else."

"Will do." I look at Bianca. She is smiling up at me. Leaning down, I kiss the top of her head, then walk away.