I get home after four in the morning, having watched the guys drink and flirt their way round most of town. Normally I’d join in, I’d be diving in pussy and moving on to the next without a second thought but all I could think about was her. I was like a stuck record, skipping over her name again and again. Sofia Lopez. Mine. Sofia Lopez. Mine. By the time I crash in bed I’ve decided that something’s got to give. I want Sofia to see that I’m no amateur, and the only way to do that is to bring her to the club. I want my job back, I want my life back, but I want her to be part of it. First, I needed to get past the fire breathing dragon holding the keys to the club kingdom: Betty.

I head to the club at lunchtime and wait in the parking lot. I can hear Betty’s soft-top Cadillac before I see it turning in and pulling up beside me. The pink monstrosity looked like it belonged outside Barbie’s Dreamhouse instead of being driven by a fifty something firecracker with an alcohol content of 80%, a skin tight pencil skirt and large leopard print sunglasses resting on her judgmental face.

“Beaumont,” she says curtly as she nods at me, “What’re you doing hanging around my club like a fly on shit?”

“I want back in,” I reply holding the door open for her as she gracefully steps out, high heels clicking as they hit the tarmac. It’s been over a month since I last danced at the club and staying away is driving me crazy.

She tilts her head at me and lights up a cigarette. I watch as she inhales, then exhales before pursing her pink lips.

“Look I’m ready,” I stand before her, sober and desperate to get back to dancing.

“I don’t agree,” she retorts as she opens up the club and motions for me to follow her inside.

“C’mon Betty. Let me come back, I need this.”

She turns and jabs a finger at my chest, “Boy, where were you last night?”

“Out” I sigh, knowing that she’ll think I was being my usual man slag self.

“Exactly.”

“It was different!” I protest as we head through the door and into the empty club. It was almost eerie in the day.

“I fail to see how,” she remarks as she flips on all the lights on behind the bar.

“Sofia invited me…”

“Sofia?”

I look away and run a hand awkwardly through my hair, “She’s...she’s my dance teacher. At the community centre.”

“Mario Lopez’s daughter? Small? Fiery?” I give a small nod as Betty continues trying to place her, “Lovely long dark hair. Very pretty that one.”

She looks over the top of her sunglasses at me, eyes narrowed. “What’re you playing at Sinclair?”

There’s no point lying to Betty, she knows everything like some damned Oracle of Vegas.

“I like her” is my simple and short answer. I can’t say anymore than that because I’m still figuring it out myself.

“You don’t like anyone,” she says suspiciously.

I shrug, there’s nothing more that I can say to explain what's happening because I don’t have a fucking clue.

“Fine. Two dances a night. You haven’t danced in a while and I’m not having you injure yourself the first week back.”

I swear I could almost punch the air I’m so happy, next thing on my list is to get Sofia here. She needs to see what I’m capable of— amateur my ass.

Chickening out of talking to Sofia, I just leave a note on her windscreen asking her to come to the club after class. She spends the next hour trying to catch my gaze but I don’t want to give anything away because she still doesn’t know what I do for a living. Until she can see me on that stage under the lights, I don’t want her to ask any questions. I quickly dodge my way past the oldies and slip through the door as soon as three o’clock rolls around even though I can hear her calling my name. I can’t stop because I have a show to get ready for and a woman to woo.

Seven pm rolls around and the doors to the club open. Women filter in like a paddling pool filling, seemingly slow at first and before you realise it the water is reaching the top and you’re drowning in clunge. I can’t see her face in the crowd but I know she’ll be here, the suspense will win out and she’ll come because she can’t keep her curiosity in check. I scan the crowd again quickly to make sure she’s not here before I sneak back behind the curtain. For the first time in my life I’m actually nervous about what I’m going to do. I love dancing but I’ve never danced to win someone over, they usually just fall at my feet. The music starts and I am psyching myself up ready to go out, shaking out my limbs when Gio smacks me on the shoulder.

“Don’t tell me that the man slag is nervous,” he laughs.

Darius calls out behind him, “Don’t worry about it pretty boy, you were born to be a stripper— you won’t have lost your touch.”

Jag just winks at me as he walks past practically naked, getting ready for his slot because he’s on after me. I hear the beat and I know it’s only two counts until I’m due onto the stage. One. Two.

Heart hammering in my chest I slide out onto the stage on my knees. I grip onto the centre stage pole to bring myself up in a reverse drop move. Women are screaming, and why wouldn’t they? I’ve been away for a while so the fact that I’m back adds a little extra. I swing myself round the pole once before doing a little one-two step like Sofia taught me. As I move my hips side to side, I start to undo my buttons and that’s when I spot her. She’s sat to the right in a booth with some girls I vaguely recognize from the Cuban club. She gives me a small wave with her eyebrow raised as I blow her a kiss and grin at her. I spin around, looking over my shoulder as I slide my shirt off. I do a little bump and grind on the pole before another spin and another dance move. I spot Betty heading towards the booth and I start to panic a little. I don’t want her to tell Sofia what a mess I’ve been lately or about the amount of women here just to watch me. I don’t want to scare her off. The glint from the disco ball moves across my bare chest as I do a body roll and thrust my hips in her direction. Betty takes a seat besides her and calls over for a bottle of champagne. If I ever brought a girlfriend home and my parents were normal, then this is what I imagined the embarrassment and the nerves would feel like. Betty’s the closest thing I’ve got and it still doesn’t make it any easier. I rip my trousers off and incorporate a back flip, landing in just my thong and boots. I toss the fabric to the side and shift into a handstand where I slowly open my legs. This is all for her, every single move, every drop of sweat is to show her how much I want her and it seems to be working because when I’m right side up I see her blushing furiously, biting down on her lip. I glide through the rest of the routine, a blur as my eyes don’t leave hers. What’s between us is electric and with our eyes locked from across the room I swear I am more turned on than I ever have been. I want to touch her, to bring her onto this stage and claim her as mine but the screams and shouts as I flash my ass before ducking off stage remind me that we’re not alone.

“Dude who was that woman in the booth?” Jag calls as he waits for his music to start up.

I’m not ready to explain about Sofia just yet, so I decide the best tactic is just to deny, deny, deny, “What woman? I don’t know what you’re on about.”

“Liar, the hottie with Betty. Big eyes and the kind of hair you want to wrap around your fist as you fuck her four ways from Sunday,” he says as he peeks out at her, interest registering in his blue eyes.

“I think it’s six,” I say, avoiding answering him.

“Huh?” he frowns at me.

“It’s six ways from Sunday idiot,” I explain as I wipe myself down with a towel.

He chuckles, “Stop deflecting, who’s the bird?”

“She’s no one,” I growl, followed with “But she’s off limits.”

“Off limits huh? Then she’s not a no one is she. Don’t pretend like you’ve ever had a problem sharing before Sin,” he snorts before disappearing on stage.

The thought of sharing has me angry and all I want is to see her. I need Sofia to know that she’s mine and this time I need her to understand it. If she walks away again I don’t know what more I can do.

Once I’ve pulled on my jeans and a t-shirt I head for that booth so fast it’s like my ass has been set on fire. When I get to the black leather studded seating area not only is Sofia grinning at me, but she’s also tipsy. Thank God for Betty and her champagne because Sofia jumps up and pulls me into an embrace, her inhibitions gone.

“That was amazing. Why didn’t you tell me you could dance like that?” she whispers in my ear before playfully nipping on my earlobe.

“You never asked, you just assumed I was inferior,” I say as I slide my hands down her back to grab her ass.

“Well...I can make it up to you,” she teased.

That’s all the encouragement I need so before she can change her mind I’m dragging her behind me into the VIP room. We’re only supposed to be in here for fifteen minutes maximum, but even Betty knows that’s a bullshit rule: no one ever follows it.

I close the door behind us and pull Sofia into me. My lips crash against hers as her taste engulfs me. She’s sweet and spicy my little dancer, all consuming. Her hands fist in my hair as her tongue demands more and more from me. She tries to push me back against the wall but I haven’t lost all my senses, I need to show her who’s really in charge here.

“Get down,” I command and she drops, ready to get on her knees but I’m not going to make it that easy on her.

“No, squat.”

“I’m in heels…”

“I know,” I grin.

She arches a brow at me and slides down my thighs, but I know her dancer's body is more than capable of getting low and holding it, even in the fuck-me-shoes. As she moves over me I grab the hem of her little black dress and pull it up as she goes down, she’s left in nothing but a pair of stockings, her heels and the tiniest thong I’ve ever seen in my life. It covers nothing. Fuck this woman, she makes being in control almost impossible.

I tip my head back and let out a quiet groan. Hearing her chuckle softly I already know I’m in big trouble, I’m practically drowning in her. Her small fingers work quickly on my jeans, the button coming undone with almost a pop they were straining so tightly against me. She pushes them down over my hips slowly, her big hazel eyes never leaving mine as she strips me bare. She licks at her bottom lip and man I want to kiss her but I hold my ground. My cock is inches away from her face, throbbing I’m so hard. The wait is killing me. I look at the mirrored walls and her ass looks like a fucking peach I’m dying to take a bite of, that stupid scrap of fabric hugging her pussy. I want to slide my fingers down that string between her ass cheeks, following it to her centre. I’m willing to bet if I touched her there now she’d be drenched.

A small breathless whisper escapes those sinful lips of hers as she takes my dick in one hand and hovers over the tip with her mouth, capturing my full attention. When she kisses me it sends a shiver down my spine, I don’t know how to do gentle or slow and the anticipation is killing me. Her lips part and she gives my length a long leisurely lick, like I was a fucking ice cream. I growl as the corners of her mouth twitch, she’s playing with me.

“You get one warning Sofia. I’m not a cuddly teddy bear and if you’re going to keep up this softly softly shit we’re going to have an issue,” I caution as my hand winds through her hair, gripping tightly as I tilt her head back so she can see how serious I am.

To my surprise my little vixen grins, before the tip of her tongue flicks between her lips and gives my dick the smallest lick ever. She was taking the piss, daring me to lose control and show her who was boss. And I was only too happy to oblige. I pull her face onto my cock and she opens her mouth willingly, letting out a soft moan as I thrust myself into her wetness. As I buck my hips steadily, not wanting this to be over too quickly, she suckles and slurps, the tiny noises going straight to my dick. Her hand on my shaft adds extra pressure as she slides it up and around following her mouth. This woman always manages to make me feel like a horny teenager about to blow his load. Running her hands over my thighs, every now and again she drags her nails over my skin before she starts cupping my balls, massaging them. She pulls away slightly and swirls her tongue over the tip of my cock as her hand now squeezes my ass. I almost come instantly as I see my shaft disappear between her gorgeous lips until she’s deep throating me, fuck this woman has some serious hidden talents. She uses her grip on my backside to control my thrusts but my body can’t take much more of her talented mouth as I begin to tense up. She speeds up, tightening her grip on my cock but also sucking harder until the pressure is too much and I can feel my release nearing. I try to pull away but she growls this time, warning me to stay in place as I come. I grin the biggest motherfucking grin ever as my cum fills her. I can see a trickle escape the side of her mouth and damn, I wish I could take a photo of this moment because Sofia has never looked hotter. My thighs clench and my body twitches as she takes every last drop from me before pulling away. Using her thumb, she swipes up the stray drizzle and slowly sucks her thumb. Fuck. I groan again but this time it’s because I know it’ll never be enough. I want this woman forever.