Trick (15 page)

“Oh.” I have no idea what else to say. I wondered how he got the bar, but I never expected that was the story, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.

My first thought is ‘poor girl.’ I get what it’s like to want to be a little crazy and sexy. I also know what it’s like to have your daddy’s money loom over every single aspect of your life. It’s not a nice feeling.

“The money was enough that I could buy this place, too. After Mrs. Daniels died, Mr. Daniels wanted out, but he wanted someone he knew would take care of things,” he adds. His back is stiff and straight, like he expects me to be disgusted by what he just told me.

“I think Mr. Daniels has excellent taste in people,” I say softly.

“Don’t, Harlow.” Gunner’s words are ringed with hard regret. “Don’t make excuses for me every time I fuck up. You have no idea how it breaks my goddamn heart to have you believe in me like that.”

“Why would it break your heart?” I ask, taking his hand.

He looks at me, his green eyes fierce on my face. “Because you make me believe I can live up to everything you expect. Everything you want. And I don’t know if I can do that.”

“You can.” I climb onto his lap and wrap my arms around him. “I know you can. I believe in you, Gunner. You can do anything.”

He crushes me to him, petting a hand over my hair with long, hard strokes. “I’ll never know how I got so damn lucky.”

“I’m the lucky one,” I whisper, and then his mouth finds mine and time evaporates into the most perfect bliss imaginable.

***

“I so wish we did have our own little island. I hate that I have to leave you,” I say, curling my hair in the mirror as Gunner scowls at me. “It will only be a few hours.”

“I don’t understand how you don’t even know where you’re going,” he mutters. “And why the hell can’t I drive you?”

“I told you. Jilly’s sister is arranging to get us all there and back together. There’s a ton of set up and limited parking, so we need to just travel together. And the client was trying to keep details quiet, because it’s a private party. So I don’t know the address. But I’m sure it’s one of the country clubs around here. There are, like, seven.”

He doesn’t even blink, and I feel like a rambling fool. I put on my makeup and ask, “Don’t you have to be at the bar?”

“Jared is happy to cover things,” he says. “I’m the boss, remember? I go there because not working makes me itchy. But I don’t have to be there.”

“Well, maybe you should go in tonight just to keep yourself busy. I’ll give you a call when I’m done, and we’ll get together. I got us some things the other day when you needed to run into the auto parts store.”

I point to the black and silver bag from the adult store. Gunner and I have been together for two glorious days. The only break was rehearsals, and Gunner sat in the parking lot, promising he’d wait till I was done. Only he never could and wound up stalking in and flashing a smile so sweet, even General Jilly relented and let us go early.

“What’s in there?” he asks, refusing to let his voice get excited, even though his eyes light up.

“Very fun things,” I promise vaguely. “Now come kiss me, because I have to go. But I expect to have a very, very good night with you later, Gunner Hunt.”

He walks over and wraps his arms around me. “I like your hair like that. You look even sexier than usual. Didn’t think that was possible. Come to bed with me.”

“I’ll muss my hair,” I whisper, already weakening. I check my phone and sigh. “Gunner. I only have a few minutes.”

He’s kissing my neck and bending me over the low dresser I set up to put my makeup on, whispering in my ear the whole time. “I’ll be quick. And I won’t mess your hair up. I promise.”

His hands are hard and sure, reaching under my clothes to assault my skin with their perfect, knee-jerkingly good pressure. He yanks the skirt of my dress up and my thong down, and the sound of his zipper makes my breath catch.

He rubs the tip against my backside in slow, soft circles until my knees actually knock together. One of his arms catches me around the waist, and he uses his thumb to run along my folds gently. Without a word, he fits himself right at the slick entrance and presses in, slow at first, then faster. His fingers bite into my hips and I grip the dresser. He pumps harder, and the dresser rocks, smashing into the wall.

“I need you to come,” he whispers into my ear and bites my neck gently. He presses one hand down my body, bunches my dress in his fist, and darts his fingers down until he’s right over my clit. “Tell me to touch you.”

“Touch me,” I gasp as he slides in and out harder.

“Where?” he asks.

“Touch my pussy,” I whimper.

His chuckle tickles my ear. “Good girl. That’s it.”

His fingers move fast and undo me, make me scream, make me shake against him and reach back to grab his hips and press him deeper than he was before.

“Harlow!” he moans, his body jerking over mine before he braces his arms on the dresser and keeps me trapped in his embrace.

I wait a few beats, then pull away from him, not wanting to do anything but climb back in bed. But I need to go to my job. My first dancing job! Much as it sucks to leave Gunner, there’s something thrilling about the idea of dancing and the thought that I’ll finally be proving my father and everyone who didn’t believe in me wrong.

I cup Gunner’s face in my hands and kiss him hard. “Thank you for that,” I grin. “I’ll be back and we’ll play with what’s in that little bag, okay?”

He tugs his pants back up on his hips. “I can’t wait, baby. Go have a good time. I’ll be ready when you’re done.”

***

We’re so busy chatting and doing last minute fixes of our hair and makeup, I’m hardly paying attention to where we pull up. When I glance out the window, I’m not the only one who’s suddenly quiet.

“Uh, where the hell are we?” Madison asks, adjusting a fake eyelash. “I thought we were dancing for a private party. I assumed that meant Hudson’s Country Club.”

“I was thinking Pillar’s,” Alex says, looking at the tiny bar that’s so
not
Piedmont’s premier club.

I’d been half hoping, half dreading that it was Pillar’s, because my father is a member. Part of me wanted to hide my
risqué outfit and dance from his eyes because he’s my father. But part of me wanted to have one of those moments where he saw me from across the room, finally seeing onstage the things I’d talked about doing so many times. Daddy had come to ballet recitals all while I was growing up, but the kind of modern, passionate dance we were doing tonight was something he had no idea about.

But we weren’t at Pillar’s. Oh no we weren’t. And I felt my heart jump into my throat when I realized where exactly we were. And I felt so, so damn stupid for not putting it together sooner.

“Girls, this is a good paying gig. The company that booked this location could easily have afforded Pillar’s, but they wanted this atmosphere. Loose, casual, fun. We’re here to help them keep that atmosphere. Not to judge.” June, Jilly’s sister, gives us all a severe look. “I want to remind you that you’re here as professionals under contracts. So lose the belle look and march in there like you’re about to do a job. Got it?”

The other five girls nod, but my throat has closed. I grab Jilly’s arm before she can hop out of the huge suburban. “Jilly, you have to make excuses for me. I can’t do this.”

“Are you kidding? Every other girl looks to you when they’re unsure. You cannot not do this. Are you having stage fright?”

“Jilly, this is Gunner’s bar.”

“Shit. Um, okay. Look, I’m so sorry. June didn’t even know the location until yesterday, and she just said it was an old bar. I had no idea...will Gunner be pissed?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I have no idea how Gunner will feel about me dancing in next to nothing, probably on top of his bar. I’m not ashamed of what I do, but I have a feeling Gunner will be less than thrilled to see me doing it in a shady bar.

“Who would have booked this place?” I ask.

“An oil rig company? I don’t really know, but I guess they wanted to have downtime for the workers to relax and get some entertainment.” Jilly puts a hand on my arm. “I can stall for ten minutes. Can you call Gunner? Or is he here?”

I glance out the window.

His bike is here.

“I’ll meet you in ten. Thank you, Jilly.” I watch my friend slip away and try Gunner’s cell. He picks up, but it’s too loud inside for me to hear him. I hang up and text for him to come to the parking lot.

The sight of him coming out of the bar, all long legs in perfectly fitted jeans, scuffed boots, a tight t-shirt, and that cocky smile, makes me wet all over again.

“Well, well, well, look at you.” He holds his hands out and frowns at the suburban behind me. “It was nice of you to come show me your outfit, baby, but I would have been fine with seeing it after the show.” He looks me up and down and his frown deepens. “Though I’m kinda hoping you’re going to tell me there’s a little more to it than that?”

I look down at the tight satin blouse cut extra low and tied at the midriff, the tiny satin skirt, thigh high fishnets, and high heels. “Well, it’s kind of burlesque style, but without stripping,” I rush to finish explaining when his eyes blaze. “And we’re doing it...here.”

He raises his eyebrows and pulls his mouth to the side. “Come again?”

“Here,” I whisper. “We’re dancing here.”

“Fucking asshole douchebag Ryker,” he mutters. “Okay. Listen. You can’t dance. Not tonight. Not here.” He looks at me, his green eyes holding my gaze.

“You can’t tell me what to do...I have to. I
have to
, Gunner.” I keep my voice steely. “If I’d known it was here, I would have told you, but I had no clue until we pulled up. We thought it was a country club. They’re paying so much money, we never thought—”

“Never thought it might be a newly rich white trash bastard showing off his money?” he cuts in, disgust all over his face. “I knew I should have never told Ryker yes.”

“Who’s Ryker?” I ask.

“My dumbass brother,” Gunner spits out. “And a champion blowhard, and not the kind of guy I want my girlfriend dancing in front of. Not looking like that, and not even if you were wearing a snowsuit. No way.”

Girlfriend? Even though I know things have changed between us, I wasn’t sure how Gunner would define our relationship. Right in the middle of this stupid argument, I felt like throwing my arms out to the sides and twirling from happiness.

I am Gunner Hunt’s girlfriend.

I love the sound of that.

Unfortunately, there’s no time for me to dwell on it, because I have to take a stand. I so want Gunner to understand, and hope the worst case would be some amazing makeup sex after if he didn’t.

A girl could always hope.

“I’m sorry. I really am. But I have to just go in there and do this with my girls. It’s just a job. When it’s over, I’ll leave. And I’ll leave with you. It will be fine. Trust me.” I reach out for Gunner, but he spins away from my touch, jamming his hands through his hair.

“Damnit! It’s not
you
I don’t trust, Harlow! You don’t know what a bunch of degenerates my family is. You don’t know the lowlife scum they spend time with. I don’t have to meet a single person in there, and I can tell you right now they’re all trash.” He looks at me, his eyes wild. “Where’s your organizer? I’ll double your money if you leave now. All of you.”

But something has crossed my mind that never did before. “Is Rochelle here?” I glance over and see the bright orange Mustang with the custom striping I’ve found out is hers, so I know the answer.

“I guess. She and Ryker are friends,” he says absently.

“She’s from your world.” I say the words slowly, remembering what Rochelle said to Daisy and me. “And I’m not. You don’t think I can handle this. I don’t belong here.”

He grabs my shoulders, his fingers hard on my skin. “Exactly. The fact that you don’t belong here is a
good
thing, Harlow. This is a shitty, mean, ugly place, and you? You’re beautiful. You’ve got the biggest heart of anyone I’ve ever known. And you’re a kind, decent person. Which is why I want you to get whoever’s in charge of this mess and let me get you all out of here.”

“No.” I say it loudly.

“No?” He paces, balls his hands into fists, shakes them, and mutters what’s probably a whole lot of very bad words. “What the hell is your idiot plan, then?”

“I’m going in there. And I’m going to dance. And I’m going to leave. And it’s not going to be nearly as bad as you think it will be. I can be in your world, Gunner. I can.” I walk over to kiss him and he grabs me hard by the face, kissing me roughly. He tears his mouth away and scowls.

“This is a mistake, Harlow. I can feel it.” He grabs my hand and drags me in, not letting go of me until we’re through the back door and to the curtained-off area next to the bar. It’s basically a stage set to look like a second bar with several poles. It’s perfect for what we’re doing, but I can feel the anger rushing off of Gunner in waves.

“Thank you, Mr. Hunt,” June says, and all the girls other than Jilly stare. I nod to let them know that, yes, we’re dancing the bar where Gunner Hunt,
my
Mr. Hunt, works.