Secret Love (Love Stings Series Book 2) (2 page)

After finishing my makeup, Taylor helps me copy her hairstyle. I grab my uniform out of my locker. It’s a black G-string with a tiny black pleated skirt and a red bikini top. Taylor helps me finish the look with a white collar that velcros around my neck and looks like the top of a button-up shirt. A tiny red and black checkered tie hangs to the top of my breasts. On each wrist is a white wristband that looks like the cuff of the same button-up shirt.

It’s definitely the naughty schoolgirl look. I slip into my black heels, which are not like the typical stripper shoes, the ones with the huge platforms and big heels. I just cannot wear them because I keep falling over in them. These heels I’m wearing now are five-inch spiked heels with no platform. Hopefully they’ll work. I’m happy to see that Taylor has the same type of shoes.

“You look great! Are you nervous?” Taylor asks as she grabs my arm and walks me toward the door that leads out to the main area.

“Not nervous, just not sure what to expect.”

“Oh, you have nothing to worry about. Rafe and Tucker have top-notch security here. Damien and his team are vigilant. They don’t let the customers get too handsy. Plus, they’re not too hard on the eyes, if you like the bad boy type.”

She winks at me as we step onto the floor and look for Bridgette. The statuesque blonde is standing by the bar. She waves us over and shares her expectations with us. Taylor promises her that she’ll get me all trained. We watch her walk away. I want to ask Taylor about Bridgette. Does Bridgette look at the other women like she does her? I don’t dare. What if Taylor went right to the other woman and told her I was asking? Maybe some other time.

Taylor introduces me to the bartenders, Kyle and Chet. Both men seem nice and more interested in each other than anyone else. We grab our trays, and when I turn around I freeze because the most beautiful man I’ve ever seen just walked in the door.

Chapter Two

Damien

Very slowly, I slide out of the bed and grab my jeans off of the floor. I quickly pull them on, snag my t-shirt up off of the floor, and slide it back on. I sit down on the chair in the corner of the room while I throw my socks and boots on.

“Why are you leaving?” she asks, her voice husky. I met her last night at the bar by my house called the Rusty Nail. Her name is on the tip of my tongue, but I honestly can’t remember what it is.

“Got shit to do.”

I stand up and look at her. They all seem to run together. One girl, same as the next, but with my job it’s what I’ll take. Since I work undercover, I don’t have time for relationships. It’s never wise to start something with someone when everything you tell them is a lie. So a few nights a week, I go to a bar, pick up a girl, fuck at her place, and then go home.

“Will I see you again?”

“Probably not. See ya.”

I get up and, without a backward glance, walk out of her apartment and to my motorcycle. She’s probably pissed right now, but whenever I pick up a girl I make sure she knows the deal. It’s sex and nothing more. They all agree until I start to leave.

Once I get back to my place, I crawl into my bed, but my phone rings. It’s the phone that’s for my parents only, so my guess is it’s my mom.

“Hey, Mom. How’s it going?”

“Hey, honey. We’re good. I just wanted to check in with you and see how you’re doing.”

She knows I can’t talk about my undercover work, so I give her my obligatory, “I’m fine.”

“Well, son, your father and I would like you to join us for dinner when you’re able.”

My parents supported my decision one hundred percent when I joined the DEA. I come from a long line of law enforcement—my father, his brothers, and their father. It’s in my blood, always has been. I was twenty-two when my best friend growing up died of a heroin overdose, and it pushed to me to become an agent.

I’m the perfect man for undercover work. I’m covered in tattoos, and I have gauges in my ears. I guess, to my boss, that means I look like the shady type.

“Mom, I promise you that as soon as I’m able, I’ll come to dinner. I’ve got to let you go so I can get some sleep before work. Love you.”

We hang up. With a pillow over my head, I go to sleep.

***

On my black Indian Chief Dark Horse, I pull into the parking lot of The Thirsty Beaver. When I was first given this assignment, I was convinced that being surrounded by all of that pussy was going to be brutal. I thought I’d be tempted to fuck all of them, but it wasn’t hard at all. Sure, a lot of these girls are beautiful and have smoking hot bodies, but they are bitches, straight up bitches.

Once they realized that I wasn’t going to fuck any of them, they started getting attitude with me, but at least it didn’t last long and now we just coexist. There are maybe a small handful of dancers and waitresses that I can stand, and those are the ones working there to make the money to move on to something better. I don’t think that any of the girls realize that Rafe and Tucker are fucked up dudes. They’ve got their hands in all sorts of shit, and it’s my job to find out what and who they’re working for.

My job is to get into their inner circle and find out who their supplier is. After six months working here, I’m finally on my way to being someone they can trust. I back my bike into my spot and shut it off, staring at the building in front of me. With a sigh I climb off and head inside.

The place isn’t filled up yet, but in a couple of hours it’ll get crazy in here. Rafe and Tucker have definitely done a great job making a name for themselves, but I’m sure a lot of it has to do with all of the “extra services” the guys provide. I haven’t figured out if they’re pimping any of the girls yet, but so far I think they have a separate place for that.

I find Rafe and Tucker standing by the bar and make my way toward them. They’re brothers, but they look nothing alike. Rafe is almost as tall as my six foot four self and lean with dark hair and even darker eyes that I swear look dead half the time. Tucker looks like a good ole’ country boy, tall but not as tall as his brother and a little on the stockier side with light brown hair and blue eyes. I’ve run them both through the department database, and there is nothing on either of them.

My guess is their names are just aliases, or worse they’re just that good and haven’t been caught…yet.

“Damien, what’s up, brother?”

I give them a chin lift. “Not much. Anything I need to know for tonight?”

Me and my security team monitor this place closely. The girls’ safety is our top priority. The only time they’re left alone are during private dances, but we’re right outside the room.

“We’ve got a bachelor party coming in at eleven, but other than that it shouldn’t be too crazy. We’ve got a new cocktail waitress who started tonight. Keep an eye on her. She’s fucking hot and the guys are going to eat her up,” Rafe says and then looks behind me. “There she is now. She’s the redhead with Taylor.”

Tucker wolf whistles when he looks to where his brother is looking. My curiosity is peaked as I turn around and check out this new girl. My eyes travel up long tanned legs, a flat stomach, a pierced belly button, perky tits, and a gorgeous face. I’m frozen where I stand. That girl has trouble written all over her, and not the bad kind of trouble, the best kind. She needs to get gone. These animals will eat her alive.

My feet carry me toward her, and I can tell I’m intimidating her because she’s all wide-eyed as she stares at me. The closer I get, I can see she’s got that girl next door look under all of that makeup. She has a light smattering of freckles across the bridge of her nose and the apples of her cheeks.

“Hi, Damien! This is Carrington. Today’s her first day,” Taylor says happily. She’s one of the few that I actually like. She’s a sweet kid just trying to do right by her son.

“Hey, Taylor.” I look at Carrington. “New girl, make sure you’re fast or these guys will eat you alive.”

I turn on my heel and walk across the room, to the other side. I feel her eyes on me, but I won’t give in and turn toward her. She makes me think all sorts of nasty thoughts. I’m just going to have to be a dick to her so she stays away from me. She’s a temptation I don’t need right now.

All night long, I watch her move through the tables with Taylor, and just as I expected, the guys are hanging all over her. I hang around close to the floor to make sure no one crosses the line with the girls. I glance at the bar and see Rafe signaling for me to come to him.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“We’ve been talking, and Tuck and I would like to give you more responsibility if you’re up for it. You’ve proven your loyalty to us over and over, and we could really use someone with your skill set. Give us a couple of weeks to put stuff together and we’ll bring you in.” Rafe looks at me like he’s offering me the world, like I should be grateful.

I give him a nod. “That’s great. I’m more than willing to take on more responsibility. Whenever you’re ready, I’m ready.”

“That’s what we like to hear,” Tucker says. “How’s the new girl working out?”

“It’s too soon to tell, but I don’t think she’s going to hack it.”

All three of us turn to watch her. Carrington’s standing at a table full of preppy little shitheads. I don’t like the way they’re staring at her, but I won’t make a move unless they cross a line.

“She seems to be doing fine to me,” Rafe says as he moves to stand next to me. “What do you think my chances are with her?”

“Haven’t you learned yet that you shouldn’t fuck the help? You’re just setting yourself up for trouble. I’d stay away from her. Remember what happened when you were fucking Candy?”

About three months ago, he fucked one of our ex-dancers, and her boyfriend showed up and started tearing up the place. It was the first time since I went undercover there that I had to prove my loyalty, so I took the guy out back and, while a couple of the security guards held him, I hit him over and over again until finally the guy collapsed.

I took no pleasure in beating the guy’s ass, but it earned me some respect from Rafe and Tucker, which was the goal from the beginning.

The rest of the night is pretty relaxed. The crowd is well-behaved. Every now and then, I’d let my eyes drift to Carrington, who seemed to be holding her own because Taylor was working one side while Carrington took care of the other. I don’t want to admit that Carrington is doing a great job, but she is.

The girls all cash out and head back to the dressing room at the end of the night. We have a crew that comes in to clean after we close. That way, when the girls are done, they can just go home. I will admit that, for as much bad shit that Rafe and Tucker are into, they really take care of their girls. Another guy on my security team and I always hang around so we can escort the ladies out to their cars and make sure no drunk assholes are hanging around to bother any of the girls.

Ryan, who is from my team, escorts the majority of the girls out. When I hear laughter coming from the hallway, I turn to see Taylor and Carrington walking out. Carrington looked hot in the uniform, but now, in cut offs, an off-the-shoulder t-shirt, and flip-flops she looks fucking sexy. My cock is getting hard just looking at her.

“New girl!” I bark out. She freezes in place with Taylor standing next to her. “Bye, Taylor.” The curvy brunette takes the hint and heads out.

I move until I’m standing in front of Carrington. I’m a big guy and I tower over her, but she stiffens her spine and scowls up at me.

“If you’re going to make it here, you’re going to have to be faster.”

It’s a fucking lame excuse to berate her, but I’m grasping at any excuse I can to ride her ass. Great, now my cock is getting hard again thinking about riding her.

“Um, okay. I thought I was doing okay for my first night, but tomorrow I’ll be faster.”

I can see her eyes flare, and she stands up a little taller. I’ve always been able to read people, and she wants to chew me out, I can tell. If she doesn’t unclench her jaw, I’ll start to hear teeth shatter.

“Well, make sure that you do.”

On silent feet, I follow her out to the parking lot and watch her climb into a black Corolla. She backs out of her spot and drives past me, and I swear to God she just flipped me off. I look at her license plate and memorize it before heading back inside.

Chapter Three

Carrington

I’ve been working at The Thirsty Beaver for a month, and it’s been going well. Sure, I’m exhausted from working there three nights and then working at least two nights a week in the ER, but the money is great. I already set aside the money to retake my boards and have even started a savings account.

Even with all of the good stuff, there is one bad thing, or I should say bad person. Damien. I don’t know what his beef with me is, but every fucking time we work together, he rides my ass about everything. I swear, sometimes I’m so close to taking off my heels and stabbing him in the face with them, which sucks because he’s fucking gorgeous in that total bad boy, I’m-gonna-break-your-heart way. Too bad the guy is a prick. Well, at least to me he is.

Last night Taylor pulled me back into the dressing room after Damien told me I should do something with myself because I wasn’t sexy enough. For some reason, those words cut me deep and really fucking hurt. I’m glad she took me to the dressing room because I wasn’t going to let that hot asshole see me cry.

“Honey, what happened? What did he say to you?” Taylor asks as she holds my hands in hers.

“He told me I wasn’t sexy enough. I don’t know what I did to him, but he hates me.” I squeeze my eyes shut. “Taylor, every night he rides me about every thing.” I look at the floor as I tell her about him bitching because I’m “too slow” or I’m “screwing up orders.” It doesn’t matter what I do because to him, I did it wrong.

“That’s crazy. He’s always been such a nice guy to the rest of us. I think you’re doing great. The customers love you, and you interact great with them. I don’t know what his issue is, but don’t let him bother you,” Taylor said before leaving me alone to get myself together. Then she headed back out there.

My breath left me in a whoosh before I grabbed the handle of the door, pulling it open to head back onto the floor.

My mind shifts back to the present. As I drive toward the diner by the dance studio on Main Street, I can’t help but wonder what my dad needs to talk to me about. I wasn’t surprised when he called me and “requested” my presence at lunch, because over the past two weeks I’ve hardly talked to them. Between both jobs, I’m exhausted, and honestly if I’m not at work, I’m home, sleeping. Abby and I have barely seen each other since she’s started sort of talking to the hot deputy.

I park my car in front of the dance studio and walk down the brick sidewalk toward Sam’s diner. Up ahead I see my dad leaning against his truck, typing on his phone. My dad is so handsome, especially for a guy in his early fifties. His blond hair is mostly gray, but it’s a pretty gray. Somehow the tiny lines around his eyes really show off the green of them. He’s still in great shape. My mom, who’s a personal trainer, works him out.

“Hey, old man,” I call out. He pushes away from his truck as I run toward him.

“Hi, my beautiful girl. I’ve missed you.” He wraps me in a bear hug, squeezing me tight against his chest. “You feel thinner. Are you eating?” He lets go of me and wraps an arm around my shoulders as we make our way to the diner.

“I’m eating, Daddy. I’ve just been working a lot lately, and I’m still trying to get used to working third shift. My days still get all screwy.”

A waitress seats us in a booth, and we both order iced tea before she leaves us.

“How is it being a nurse? You know, your mom and I are so proud of you. You worked so hard to get where you are.”

Oh God, I hate lying to my dad. “It’s going good. I’m learning a lot.” I keep it brief, which I know is going to set off red flags with my dad. I usually don’t ever stop talking. “How’s Wukey?”

Both my dad and my brother share the same name, Luke. My parents said I’ve been calling him Wukey since he was born and I couldn’t say my L’s correctly, and it just kind of stuck.

“He’s doing good. Just busy getting ready for graduation. His coach from LSU wants him there after the fourth of July to start training.” My brother got recruited and offered a full scholarship from Louisiana State to play baseball and plans on studying construction management. I’m sure he’ll start interning at our dad’s and uncle’s construction and restoration company during the summers, when he’s not training.

“How’s Mom going to handle having her baby boy gone?” Sarcasm laces my voice. I swear my baby brother can do no wrong in their eyes. Ugh, I hate when I sound whiney, even if it’s in my own head.

My dad’s hand shoots across the table and grabs mine. “Hey, your mom misses you a lot. Why don’t you call her? She’d love to hear from you. She would’ve been here too, but she had a client and they couldn’t reschedule.”

When I was younger, my mom and I were really close, but then when I was around ten I noticed that my mom went into this weird sort of depression, even though I didn’t know what depression was. It was always on February eleventh, and my grandma and grandpa Carter, or grandma and grandpa Carmichael, would pick me and my brother up and keep us for the day. We’d get home and there was always this heaviness in the air, and Dad would ask for us to be quiet and good. He’d disappear into their room, occasionally coming out to check on us, but then he’d go right back into their room with Mom.

My grandparents would sometimes stop by and go into my parents’ bedroom to see Mom and then come out to visit with us. It was when I was around thirteen or fourteen that Mom and Dad sat me down and explained that I had a sister who died while still in my mom’s stomach. I saw how upset my mom got talking about it and, in that moment, I realized that I was simply a replacement child for the one they lost.

I’ve never told them I felt that. Instead, I became the wild child, doing my own thing and not caring what anyone thought.

“Care bear?” My dad squeezes my hand and pulls me out of my thoughts. “What’s going on with you?”

“Nothing, Daddy. I’m just tired.”

The rest of our lunch, we keep the conversation light, and I realize that I do need to call my mom. When we finish, he leads me outside and we stop by his truck.

“Don’t be a stranger, and call your mother.”

I wrap my arms around his middle. “I will. I love you, Dad.”

“I love you too, sweetheart.” I stand on the sidewalk and watch him climb in his truck and then drive away.

“Was that your dad?”

I scream. I turn around to find the asshole, Damien, standing behind me and again looking at me like I’m an idiot.

“Nope, that was my lover.” In a huff I turn and start walking away, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.

“Whatever, smartass. I heard you call him dad.” His lip curls in a smirk, but I will not be turned on by it because he’s a jerk.

“Well, this was fun. See you later,” I say before turning away from him and walking as fast as I can down the street to my car. With a quick glance, I look behind me and find Damien still standing down the street, looking at me. Aviator sunglasses shield his eyes, so I can’t see them. A girl in a tiny little skirt and tank top appears out of nowhere, wrapping her arms around Damien. I should look away, I shouldn’t care, but my stomach clenches as I watch his hand slide down her back until it settles on her ass.

With a shake of my head, I climb inside my car and head home to take a nap. I work tonight, so I want to make sure I’m well-rested. When I pull into the parking lot of my apartment complex, I see that Abby’s gone and feel a little bummed. I was hoping to get the scoop on the guy she’s dating. I know they’re spending a lot of time together and are getting really serious. I’ve seen him in passing, but I haven’t had the chance to formally meet him yet. All I know is that he’s a babe and Abby is one lucky girl.

I walk up the sidewalk, toward our door. The fragrant scent of the flowers that line the walkway wrap around me. I have no green thumb, so I don’t know what type of flowers they are, but they’re a beautiful mixture of deep purples and vibrant whites.

I make my way inside our apartment and head straight to my room. I’m on edge, and I know what I need to calm me down. My clothes hit the floor as I strip naked and then crawl into my bed. I grab my vibrator out of the drawer in my nightstand. With my purple monstrosity in my hand, I lie flat on my back and close my eyes. I’m really good at conjuring up fantasies in my head. Of course my stupid brain picks Damien.

We’re the only two at the club. He’s been his usual asshole self to me, but tonight it’s got me hot and bothered and so wet. I bite my lip as he walks toward me with that arrogant swagger of his. My pussy convulses as he looks me up and down and then very slowly licks his lips. An involuntary moan escapes my lips at his actions.

When he’s right in front of me, he whispers, “Play with your nipples.”

I pinch and roll them between my fingers. I can feel myself getting wet as I continue to play with them.

I moan as he tells me to slide my hand down my body to my pussy.
My fingers slide through my wet pussy, and I grab my vibrator, turning it on.
His lips finally touch my neck, and I cry out as his teeth grab onto the skin of my neck.

He picks me up and sets my ass on the stage. “Don’t move.” His voice is low. I do as he says and hold still.

His lips travel between my breasts and down my stomach until he reaches the apex of my thighs. He spreads my legs and uses his thumbs to open me. His breath tickles me as he leans in close. “I need to taste you before I fuck you.” His tongue swipes up and down, once then twice.

I cry out, gripping his head with my hands. He pulls away from my pussy, and I cry out in frustration, but that quickly turns to a moan when Damien unzips his jeans and pulls his long, thick dick out of his pants. He moves closer, and then he’s thrusting inside me.
My back arches off the stage as he leans forward, sucking a nipple into his mouth.

I’ve never felt so full in my life. He’s stretching me so much, it hurts, but it hurts so good. He hammers into me over and over.

“Fuck me harder, baby,” I moan out. The tell-tale sign that I’m going to come starts in my belly. My hips drive up to meet his thrusts as his groans get louder, vibrating against my skin.

“Are you going to come for me, baby?”

He pinches my clit, and I explode around him. I feel my walls clamp down on him as I begin to feel him pulse inside of me. He slows his strokes, kissing my lips softly.

The buzzing of my vibrator pulls me from my fantasy. I toss it to the side and lie there, catching my breath. Ugh…Now I’m going to think about that stupid fantasy every time I see him. I’m just not going to worry about it or him. He’s got a woman, and I shouldn’t be surprised because he is a gorgeous man.

I throw on my robe, wash my vibrator, and then crawl under the covers.