No Reservations (14 page)

'He's um, wow. I think he needs a spanking for getting too close to that woman there. Is that al owed?'

Kate smirked as Leah's eyes widened when emo boy came out and fel to his knees again. Type indeed. Types made the fuckin' world go 'round and thank heaven for 'em.

'He's obsessed with moving in together. I keep tel ing him we can wait.' Kate took another sip of her drink as she watched the scene on stage unfold.

'Why? You're being dumb. Wow, just, wow. Look at granny go! She's gonna grab a hank of that long stripper mane and paw his wangdoodle too. I hope I'm stil as horny when I'm her age.' Leah nodded towards the very elderly woman one of the long-haired blond strippers made the mistake of thinking was safe and got too near.

'Teach him to assume just because a gal is up there in years that she's not spry enough to check to see if that bulge is peen or tube socks. And I'm not dumb. I'm practical.

Leah stood up quickly, grabbing Kate's arm and heading stage left. 'Show's over, picture time.' Kate laughed.

'You gonna see if it's peen?'

Leah rol ed her eyes. 'Pffft! I'm not touching strange, sweaty, random cock. I could get a cold sore.'

They'd been at Studio 54 the first night they arrived and had been in line in front of two extremely drunk dudes from New Jersey who claimed to be stockbrokers. Later, inside, they'd stumbled upon one of them making out with a woman who had practical y unhinged her jaw and was licking his tonsils. It had been a stunning sight and they'd both stood and stared for long moments, dumbfounded by sharing such a face-eating kiss with a stranger. Leah had final y summed it up in her veiy Leah way by saying, 'He could total y get a cold sore.'

'Here's my thing,' Kate said as they stood in line for fifteen-dol ar Polaroids, 'I like sweat on a man. Clean sweat.

Like when he's been working in the yard or working out. Or after sex when the sex is mixed with the sweat and layered on his skin.' She shivered, thinking about that spot on Dix, just where his neck met his shoulder. Nothing tasted better than a long lick up to his ear after they'd fucked.

Leah snapped her fingers. 'Snap of out of it. Jeez you two. I have to work with him and it's just weird imagining the two of you going at it.'

'Whatever! Anyway, but random sweat on a stripper who has just had eleventy bil ion women grind their cooters on them? Ew.' Leah's lip curled. 'Gross. Oh, we're next.'

'I'm not sitting on that one's lap,' Kate said, indicating the very young, veiy thin one on the end who looked like he was about to cry. I'l break him.'

'He might need that,' Leah joked. 'Let me handle this.'

They were motioned on the stage where the dancers were arranged and Leah did what Leah did best. Bossed the fuck out of those men and they snapped to it like they always did.

Leah was very handy as wel as pretty awe inspiring at times.

'Kate, you back there next to the pirate and the big blond one. I'l sit right here.'

Kate fol owed directions and found herself sandwiched between two slices of hot dude and Leah sat down on the lap of the one sitting in the front row opposite the scared one. As one, the two friends threw up the devil horns and grinned when the photographer said beefcake.

Good times.

Dix leant back, puffing his very fine cigar as he watched two women on the stage just beyond and raised above the main floor dance to pretty typical strip-club music. Nice tits on the blonde, but the brunette's were too hard. He liked breasts, but not if they looked like they could give you a concussion.

Kate's breasts were perfect. He grinned around his cigar. Not many women would have told their men to go off to a strip club. Not that he'd ever do anything with anyone else, much less a stripper. But Kate's confidence in herself and in him was damned sexy.

She'd given him a lap dance at a strip club she'd taken him to in Phil y. Had lifted her skirt and ground over his cock until he'd nearly lost it. The lights and music had buffeted them while her heat seared him through his pants. Women had been on the stage, crawling on al fours, nearly naked, but as he'd flicked a glance here and there, his real attention focused on her exposed ass as she rode him.

Yes, Katherine was a thousand times sexier than any of the women they'd watched that night. Because she knew herself and him too.

Bingo was mopey, but stil watching the parade of hot, gyrating sex bombs up on that stage. Dix had considered getting them a VIP table in one of the rooms, but that might go too far and he didn't want Brandon to feel like he was betraying Leah any more than Dix wanted to be alone in the dark in a tiny room with a woman who didn't give a fuck about him as she slid her cunt over his cock. Goo indeed.

It was time to forge ahead in his plan to sleep next to his woman in a luxury hotel suite rather than that roach trap of a motel. 'So talk. Mindy is up next and according to the guy at the table next to us, she can do that up side-down-pole thing.

That takes super thigh muscles. Usual y makes for a very nice ass.'

Talk about what?' Bingo's mouth went al sul en, frowning, and he slouched even more.

Dix opted for a sip of Scotch before returning to the cigar. 'Bingo, let's get this straight. You love Leah. And from what I can see and what I've heard from Katherine, Leah loves you. The question is . . . for fuck's sake, just smoke the cigar.

It's good.'

Brandon sent him a narrow-eyed glare, but al owed Dix to light the cigar. He took a few puffs. You don't cal me that unless you're my mother. And this is a very good cigar.'

'Fair enough, Brandon. OK, so the question is, why the hel are you even considering another night in that roach-infested piss-hole when you could be in a bed with thousand-thread-count sheets next to a naked woman? A naked woman who loves you.'

Brandon sighed and took a swig of his beer.

'Sometimes you have to do what's right for the long run even if it sucks hardcore short term.'

Dix understood that. Some things were worth risking everything for. Because without them, nothing else mattered.

Like this living-together thing. Damn it.

'Christ, kid. Sony! Habit.' Dix held a hand up as Brandon grunted his way. They'd sort of bonded over the last two days.

He liked Brandon and Dix believed without a doubt that the guy was a good thing for Leah. 'I understand and I agree that sometimes you need to make a stand. Wow, the splits upside down. Impressive.'

'Her breasts don't move. I like her hair though. I bet those shoes hurt.'

'Those aren't walking shoes.' He loved toweringly high heels on a woman. Kate wore them out to dinner a lot. Again because she knew he dug it. She told him, her body pressed to his, her mouth against his ear, 'I didn't buy them to walk, Charles. I bought them to make my ass look nice and to make you hard. Money wel spent, I'd say, given the cock bruising my bel y through your pants right now.'

She was so sexy, his perfect match in every way.

Why the fuck was he in this place, in the semi-dark with a hundred other men watching women they'd never actual y touch without paying when he had a woman back at a luxury hotel who was more than wil ing to let him touch her wherever he wanted? 'Why did Kate leave?'

Turn about and al that. 'My ex-wife showed up at the lake house. Wedged herself between me and Kate.

Manipulated our daughters to keep herself there. Kate got upset. Pissed off at Eve, frustrated at me.'

'Not to be total y obvious or anything, but it has to be bigger than that. Kate's levelheaded. She's talked about your ex before. I have no doubt Kate can hold her own. Unless you did something with your ex?' The look Brandon gave Dix was decidedly unfriendly and, even as he was offended, he liked that the other man felt protective of Kate.

'Please. You've seen Kate, why would I want anyone else? Anyway, I want to make the next step. I want us to move in together and she's using this situation to keep that from happening. Hel , I want to marry her, but I know she wil want to wait at least another year for that. I know we can make moving in together work if she'd just let go of whatever Eve thinks. I'l handle my daughters.'

He hadn't meant to say al that, but it was nice to get it al out anyway.

Brandon took another long, appreciate puff of the cigar.

'I was going to ask Leah to marry me. She saw the ring in my suitcase and ran.'

'Not to be obvious or anything, but pot, meet kettle.

Obviously she didn't run because you wanted to many her.

You're already living together and she seems very happy when I see her. Which is several times a week at work. So you want what from her now?' Dix looked up to see the new stripper on stage start shaking her tasty ass to Fergie's

'London Bridge'. 'I think I'm going to start talking over al my relationship problems while watching strippers shake things.

It's oddly relaxing.'

Brandon snorted but his gaze was locked on the woman on stage as he spoke again. 'I want an answer from her!

She's not the only one of us who knows what the other one needs. I know what she needs and how to give it to her. She just won't ... let me.' The last was an aside but Dix got a clearer picture of Leah and Brandon's home life and he reminded himself to goad Kate about it. Clearly she'd been holding back.

'How did you ask her?'

Brandon and Dix cocked their heads sideways as the woman on the stage bent and undulated around the pole.

Once they left the club Dix planned to get his ass over to Kate's and ravish her ten ways til daylight. He hoped like hel he and Kate could broker a peace deal between Brandon and Leah so he could sleep in that huge bed with a beautiful woman instead of that dump from the night before.

'Is that even possible?' Brandon murmured.

'Dunno, but I'm gonna think on a way to ask Kate to try it.'

Brandon looked at him and then laughed. 'She'l cut you if you suggest it tonight after being here. That might be entertaining to watch.'

Dix chuckled. 'She can be pretty vicious. But that's part of the al ure.' He met Brandon's eyes. 'Isn't it? Tough and strong but soft underneath?'

Brandon nodded and puffed the cigar. But it's not evetything. Sometimes you have to take a stand.'

Dix agreed and he tended to think that's what he needed to do with the whole living-together situation. He'd been making some tentative plans, working schedules around to see what was realistic. He'd get Kate high on endorphins from climax, bring over chocolate and some expensive champagne and at her weakest, most relaxed, he'd press his advantage. Sure it was sneaky, but this was war and his opponent was wily.

What are you going to do about your ex?' Brandon asked, bringing Dix out of his thoughts.

That's a good question. I've made it clear I'm not interested. Hel , I made it clear for years. I divorced her! We never had sex after I left. But now every time I'm near her she's al over me like a cheap suit and you can imagine what Katherine's reaction to that is.' Sounds like you need to not be around her.' Brandon shrugged like it was easy.

I wish it were that easy. Fuck. Maybe it is and I just need to be harsher and not worry if my daughters see. I just wanted them to understand that you could stil be united with someone when it came to important things like raising children.' Haven't you done that already? You've been divorced for nine years.' Huh. So Bingo wasn't so naive after al . Maybe the kid had a point.

A lovely thing, young enough for him to have fathered, cruised past and positioned herself between them. Hel o there. You two want a lap dance? Private room?'

Dix smiled slow and sexy. He had no plans to have any pussy but Kate's grinding on his cock but that didn't mean he couldn't flirt. He was in love, not dead, and God knew he loved to look at women of al shapes and sizes. This one was easy on the eyes in every way. 'Darlin', you're mighty tempting, but I'm going to have to pass on the lap dance and the private room. I'd be happy to buy you a drink for looking so good though.'

She smiled and he stood to pul a chair out for her.

Thank you.'

In short order the twenty-dol ar drink showed up and Dix paid for it. I'm TifTani. Where are you two from?'

He bet it was with an 'i' she probably dotted with a heart.

Most likely one of three Tiffanis who worked there. Her real name was probably Julie or something.

'Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I'm Brandon, this is Charles.'

Wel , lookie there, Bingo knew how to handle himself with a stripper.

Brandon was used to staring down at the tops of girls'

heads rather than having a face ful of boobs. It was a little distracting, but he managed to look at the stripper's face and not just her tits and the pasties dangling from her nipples. Not that that he didn't look at al . She had a very nice pair of tits.

But somehow, unlike the many times in his past when he'd gone out to clubs with the goal of getting his hands on a woman like the one in front of him, al he could think about was how bad her feet must hurt at the end of the night.

Hi, Brandon. Charles.' Tiffani drawled their names, drawing out the syl ables and rol ing them around on her tongue. She pouted. 'Sure I can't convince you to take a private dance? Hel , boys as handsome as you, I'l do a twofer.' Brandon looked at Dix with a raised eyebrow. 'That's quite an offer, Tiffani.' Dix grinned. 'Sweetheart, you're entirely too generous.'

Tiffani put her hands on her hips, determined, it seemed, to entice them. 'Two ful songs. Both of you. Same price as one song, one guy.'

Dix snorted laughter and shook his head. Brandon tried hard to think about why she was so insistent when there was a club ful of high rol ers itching to stuff their cash into her pair of veiy tiny thong panties. Tiffani huffed her bangs out of her eyes and stared him down.

There's a fetish con in town,' she said final y, when neither Dix nor Brandon looked like they were going to take her up on the offer. 'Most of the people who'd be in here ready to spend their money getting sexed up are out there either doing it, or watching it, for free.'