Romance: The Billionaire Alpha Collection (17 page)

He looks at me and then sips on his drink again. “Why? It’s not like you really care.”

“You’d be surprised. I actually prefer talking over dancing, so we could be doing us both a favor,” I say with a smile.

He laughs. “A stripper who doesn’t like dancing? What you doing, paying for school? I know that’s why a lot of you girls get into the life.”

“More like trying to pay off school. I’ve already finished. Now the student loans are killing me.”

“What’d you get your degree in?”

“English literature. I love anything that has to do with reading or writing.”

“I was not expecting that!” he laughs. “Wasn’t expecting that at all.”

I smile nicely. “Most don’t. So what’s wrong with you? Why the long face? You know, you’re in the place where all your dreams can come true for the night.”

“Got into a fight with my girl and unless one of you can fix that, then I’m sure none of my dreams will come true tonight.”

“So you got into it with your girl and you decided to come to the strip club? You know that’ll be the start of another argument, right?”

He shrugs. “Needed to clear my mind, that’s all.”

“But you’re just over here sipping a drink. You could’ve went to a bar and done the same thing with no problem,” I say with a smile.

“Well, seeing a little ass never killed anyone either,” he says.

“But you’re not paying it any attention. I’m assuming you really love your girl? Or you would be like one of those fools over there touching every ass that comes by and buying as many lap dances as you could.”

“I love her more than she knows but she just doesn’t get it. She just likes to argue about every little thing and I’m just…I don’t know. I’m trying to show her that I’m a good man and all, but she just doesn’t want to listen to me. I just can’t seem to do anything right in her eyes.”

“Well, maybe you should try to make her understand how you feel instead of being here. This is probably going to make it worse. If you want to show her that you’re a good guy when she starts to yell, just listen to her - don’t provoke her any further. Just show her that you are there for her in every way possible and if she doesn’t understand that, then maybe you’re too good for her. But one thing’s for sure, being here isn’t going to solve anything.”

He sighs. “I guess you’re right. I’m going to go home and let her know how I really feel. You know, you give some good advice, maybe you should’ve been a therapist.”

I smile. “I just know how to listen, that’s all. Nothing special. It’s a gift all women have, some of us just choose not to use it.”

He smiles at me and slides me a fifty.

“For your time. And I’m serious, you really do have a knack for listening. Last time I was talking to a stripper, she was trying to get me to come with her. I was shocked but you definitely are one of a kind.”

He winks at me and walks out of the door.

I smile to myself.

I had really helped that guy and I was glad but it also made me realize that I miss being in a relationship.

I miss having someone listen to my problems and argue with.

Most guys hear that you’re a stripper and automatically think that you’re a hoe and won’t give you the time of day, which is why I never really bother with trying to date anyone.

A couple of my customers try to take me out on a regular basis but I never take them seriously. Besides, I knew they only did it because they wanted to see how far I would go but it wasn’t happening.

I just really miss being wanted by someone for more than just my body.

Hopefully, one day, I will have that.

I walk back toward the back and put my money up in my lockbox for safe keeping because I didn’t trust some of these girls around my money. Some of them were known for their quick fingers around money. At the end of the night, I would have to give the club owner his cut of the money but I still should walk away with a good amount.

It was the only reason I bothered to stay here for so long. I was originally going to dance here for a month, then one month turned into two, and now it is five months later.

But I would have to work three jobs as a waitress if I wanted to even come close to what I make here.

I change into my naughty devil outfit and my light up heels to give it the dramatic affect.

Looking in the mirror, I check out my makeup and give my outfit the once over. I know that this is my last set before I have to do the once over again and then I was out of here and I was glad.

I could go home get in the bed and forget I did this for a living. 

I walk toward the door and wait for the DJ to introduce me again and play my second song. I walk on the stage and I see that the club has become much busier than it was in the past ten minutes.

It seems as if it were a bunch of business men out for the night away from their wives, which meant more tips and more crazy behavior because they obviously didn’t get out much. They bought a bunch of bottles and got as many lap dances as they possibly could. A couple of them would wind up taking a girl home for the night.

I got on the stage and immediately started to swing on the pole.

The money immediately started flying on the stage and I amped it up even more. I pulled my bra off and got on my knees and start to play with my nipples. Whistles started to fly and then - even more money.

I untied my G-sting and started to shake my ass even more. I kept imagining that I was in my room reading so that I didn’t have to deal with how I was degrading myself but I have to do what I have to do to survive.

It is a dog eat dog world and right now, I am being eaten alive.

I spin on the pole one final time and slide down as slow as I can as the song starts to end.

I can feel eyes boring on me but one set of eyes feel different.

Looking out to the crowd, I take a closer look at the eyes.

No.

It can’t be.

I spin around and check again.

Damn…

Chapter 2

My heart is pounding and I am struggling to catch my breath as I run back into the room.

It can’t be.

Why?

What was
he
doing here?

Grayson Williams, my new prick of a stepbrother, was in this club. Shit. This was not good.

I only met him once at our parents wedding but even then, he seemed arrogant and cocky.

At the reception, he asked me to dance in celebration and when I agreed to it, he started to brag about all of the money that he makes and how he’s going to take over his dad’s business one day.

Prick.

He said nothing that showed interest in getting to know me.

It was purely the Grayson show.

I had politely excused myself and gotten a little tipsy at the open bar and he left with one of the single girls at the wedding.

He was a pig and well-known pig, for that matter.

Seeing him in here shouldn’t surprise me but him seeing me in here was a problem.

My own Mom didn’t even know I was stripping and there was no way that I would want him to tell her.

And that prick would.

I place my money in my box, not even bothering to count it this time.

The lights on the stage were bright but I was almost positive that it was him standing there. I would know that smirk anywhere.

I put my devil outfit back on, take a deep breath, and head out to the floor. I walk around and I immediately feel his eyes on me again.

I look over at him and I feel a hand reach out and grab me. It’s a business guy who is light skinned with a short haircut. I glance at Grayson one more time before I turn my attention to the guy.

I will just act like I don’t notice him and maybe he will just go away and go back to wherever it is he came from. Maybe he is drunk?

Hopefully to drunk to remember any of this.

“How can I help you, sexy?” I ask the businessman as I slide my hand on his shoulder.

“I need a lap dance. I enjoyed your little performance on stage a little while ago. You’re a natural,” he says.

I smile. “Sure, it’s thirty dollars, and thanks for the compliment.”

He pulls the money from his pocket and places it in my bra. I start to wind on his lap and rub on him, pressing hard into his body.

Looking across his shoulder, I see Grayson still staring at me and I start to feel self-conscious about what I am doing. I finish out the dance and the man hands me an extra hundred dollars.

“Thanks, sweetheart,” he says with a wink.

“It’s in my job description,” I say as I smile at him and he laughs.

“Yeah, well, you know you’re getting ripped off for charging thirty dollars.”

“I know, but there’s not much I can do about it so I just deal with it the best way I can.”

“I hear that. Enjoy your night, beautiful.”

I smile. “Enjoy yours as well.”

I start to walk toward the back. I had to clock out early - there is no way I can finish out the rest of the night with him in here. I am already starting to feel uncomfortable and he hadn’t even spoken to me yet.

I am halfway to the door when I feel another grip on me. The hand is firm, large and strong.

I turn around and I am face to face with Grayson Williams.

Damn.

I look him over and my heart starts to race.

“Hello,” he says smoothly.

“Hi,” I say as I shift my weight to my other leg. I couldn’t wait until he said what he had to say so that I can get out of here.

“It’s been a while,” he says as his eyes smooth down my body.

“I know.”

“I need a private dance.”

I narrow my eyes at him.

What?

Was he serious?

I couldn’t believe what he had the nerve to ask me.

It was actually the last thing I had expected to come out of his mouth.

This guy is really a pig and I can’t wait to get away from him. 

“No.”

He looks surprised. “Why not? I mean, if I ask for one, aren’t you supposed to give it to me?”

“Because I’m not giving you a private dance. I think that it would be a little inappropriate.”

“You do know that you’re not really my sister? It’s okay if you give me a dance or two. I can afford it.”

“I’m still not giving you a private dance Grayson, so you can just leave me alone.”

I look over his shoulder and see the club owner walking over and I roll my eyes.

I already know that I’m going to get chewed out over refusing the dance.

We weren’t allowed to refuse dances to anyone unless we felt that we were in danger and, in that case, we were to get security to handle the situation. And James, the owner, knows that because I didn’t pull security over, I was in no harm.

But Grayson was going to be harmed if he didn’t quit messing with me.

“Girl, may I speak to you for a minute? She’ll be right back,” James says as he pulls me off into a corner.

He presses real close to my face and I pull back a little. “You will give that man a private dance. He is one of the richest people in the world. I don’t see him threatening you so I don’t know what the problem is.”

I sigh. “I know exactly who he is and I’m not giving him a private dance. Let one of the other girls do it because I’m not in the mood for it. The guy’s an ass. It’s not like I can’t make up for it by doing a private dance for someone else.”

I didn’t want to admit that he was my stepbrother. Not to the owner and not to anyone.

If anyone knew whom my mother was married to, the questions wouldn’t stop. Rose was the only person that knew, and luckily for me, she could keep a secret.

James presses in closer to my face and starts wagging his finger at me. “No. He wants you and you will do it or you will be fired. Do we understand each other? Now get over there and make that man pour the money out of his wallet.”

“You owe me for this. I mean it. No more slow days.”

“Okay, fine. No more slow days for two weeks. Deal.”

“Deal.”

I look at him, shake my head, and then walk over to Grayson.

That pig.

I knew that James was probably lying to me to get me to do what he wanted me but there was no way that I was going to let him weasel his way out of giving me those days.

“It’s one fifty for a private dance,” I say nonchalantly.

I can’t believe that I’m actually about to do this.

What a pig.

Grayson smiles, hands me the money, and I storm off to one of the private rooms.

I can already feel the regret filling my body.

I push the door to the private room open, take a deep breath, and prepare myself for the madness I’ve just been suckered into.

Pig.