The lights were too bright and hot as always. Behind their brilliance, it was hard to make out much of anything, especially in those first few minutes. So I didn’t bother trying.

The music was a heartbeat, and I focused on that rhythm, moving to it in a way that had become second nature at this point.

I’d never been self-conscience about much, and this wasn’t any different; although, thanks to some recent changes made to the stage, there had been a few times when the women in the audience had been able to reach out and grab me.

That had been unexpected and not particularly welcome, but I’d quickly learned how to deal and evade.

The avid look in the eyes of one woman had my crotch-grabber alert going off, so instead of going to the spot in front of her where I normally would have, I side-stepped and went to the corner, dropping to my knees, then going lower to stare into the eyes of a cute, nervous woman who squealed and ducked behind her friend.

Her friend laughed and pushed her back toward me. I caught her hand, holding on as if she was the only thing in my world. The audience exploded into cheers as I lifted it to my lips and kissed the back before pushing away.

Who in the hell would’ve thought that I’d be doing this now?

Not me. I’d expected to spend at least another ten years in the game, being worshipped by adoring fans.

But that was done, and this was my life now. Technically, I guessed I was still being worshipped. Just by a different kind of fans. Off in the audience, somebody screeched my name, loud enough to be heard over the music.

Pushing myself to my feet, I fired a grin in that general direction and placed my hands over my heart and mimed that it was pounding too hard, before stalking to the other corner of the stage.

The crotch-grabber had somehow forced her way even closer to the stage, and her boobs were now all but spilling out of her low-cut shirt. If she jumped around much more, there would be two strip shows going on here.

That was up to her, as long as I didn’t have to share my tips.

Over the intercom, the emcee’s voice boomed out, “Laaaaddies…are you enjoying the man of the hour?”

He paused as the women erupted into hoots, screams, and applause.

“That sounds like a yes. Excellent, because Jacen is certainly enjoying you. As a matter of fact, I believe he would like to choose a special lady of the audience to join him…”

I managed not to roll my eyes. Again. One night, when I’d just become one of the show’s regulars, I’d pulled one of the women up with me. I’d had an argument with the manager and had decided to just say fuck it. I’d expected to get fired and had planned on going to one of the other shows in town.

But I’d ended up as one of the headliners instead.

And this was now one of the main draws of the show. Two of the other guys had tried it with so-so results, and then one was an abject failure, so now it was my deal alone.

Apparently, I had an eye for the right sort of person to persuade onto the stage.

And it wasn’t going to be the crotch-grabber, that was for sure.

I circled around and around, pausing from time to time. And just because I was an asshole sometimes, I paused in front of crotch-grabber, long enough to make her eyes widen and her lips curve. Then I moved on, right back to the cute shy girl and her laughing friend.

Shy girl’s eyes widened in panic. Her friend started to shove her to me as I went to my knees.

Shy girl met my eyes, shaking her head, terrified. I gave her a slow smile.

Then looked right at her friend and held out my hand.

* * *

“You’ve got admirers waiting.”

Ginny Hoyt worked the bar at Hard Rock, the place I always came to wind down after a show. I was particularly fond of the ladies they had at the bar or, to be specific, the ladies they had on the bar. In white boots and bikinis, they danced and moved and smiled, providing a welcome diversion for my amped-up mind. From time to time, I hooked up with one of them, but Daphne didn’t seem to be working tonight.

That pretty much sucked because I could’ve used the company and the distraction. I was feeling edgy and restless, and that was never a good thing for me. My eyes moved to the brightly colored bottles lined up on the bar. Pretty little maids lined up in a row. The oblivion they could bring was even better than sex.

“Get me a drink,” I said to Ginny, speaking far more abruptly than I’d planned.

She arched an eyebrow in my direction, and her expression was telling, but she said nothing as she turned away. When she came back just a minute later, she had a glass in hand, a pale golden liquid sparkling inside it, crystal ice cubes clinking together.

“I can call Daphne,” she said. “See if she’d mind coming in for a bit. Off the clock, of course.”

“No. I’m good.”

A burst of giggles from the other end of the bar broke out, and we both glanced down at the group of tipsy women before looking back at each other.

“They’ve been waiting for you,” Ginny said.

I recognized one of them as the woman I’d tagged as a crotch-grabber and did my best not to scowl. “I’m not interested.”

“Lovely.” Her lips bowed up in a smile, and she nodded toward the other end of the bar. “A friend of mine came to your show earlier too. She actually paid for your drink.”

I’d been in the process of lifting it to my lips to take a sip, but now I lowered it, studying it with more concern.

“It’s just your regular, Jacen. Relax.”

Tension drained from my shoulders, and I took a sip of the ginger ale. “Okay. Why is she buying my drink, and where is she?”

“She’s down to your right.” Ginny winked at me. “I think she wanted to get an edge up on the giggle squad.”

“If she’s not giggling, she’s already got an edge.” I glanced down the bar and caught sight of a dark-haired woman who was studiously ignoring me.

I looked back at Ginny. “Her?”

“Yes. She’s…nervous. This isn’t her thing. The only other time she’s ever gone to a strip show was when I dragged her to a friend’s bachelorette party a few months back.” With an expressive roll of her eyes, Ginny added, “You should’ve seen her face. I thought she was going to have the vapors.”

“I thought only Southern women did that.”

Ginny flicked a piece of balled up napkin at me. “It’s an expression, you obnoxious Aussie.”

Grinning at her, I took another sip of the drink then asked, “So what’s the deal with her?”

“Talk to her.” She shrugged, then after what looked like a brief internal debate, she said in a blunt voice, “She wants to get laid. She’s engaged—or was. Walked in on her fiancé when he was getting it on with their wedding planner. Now she’s pissed off, embarrassed, hurt…and she wants to get some of her own back.”

“Ah…” Nodding slowly, I pretended to ponder my drink. “Basically, she just wants to use me.”

“You seem to enjoy being used.” Ginny held my gaze steadily. “This time it would be for an almost noble purpose.”

“Hell, put it like that…” The giggling to my left had fallen off. “Shit. Is that loud one getting up?”

Ginny was a pro at checking things out under the pretense of doing her job.

“Better get up and move or somebody else is going to move on you,” she said in a low voice, turning away to intercept.

I got up.

And since it was the noble thing to do, I sat down next to Ginny’s friend. She glanced up at me with a frown, then she blinked, and the frown faded away, a blush settling on her cheeks.

She had a cupid’s bow mouth and big brown eyes that her wire-rimmed glasses couldn’t hide. She was sweetly rounded, too, the kind of curves American society seemed to dismiss as unwanted, but I’d always appreciated all sizes and shapes. I could already tell she’d be soft, and now I wanted to find out just how soft.

“‘Ello,” I drawled, hooking one leg over the rung of the stool, stretching the other one behind her. “I heard you’re a friend of Ginny’s.”

Her eyes darted past me and toward Ginny, then back to me. In a surprisingly calm voice, she said, “Yes.”

She turned to face me, her shoulders rising on a deep breath. That deep breath made one thing very clear. She had a serious rack on her. Not that I was trying to check her out. I’d just always had excellent peripheral vision, and it would’ve been impossible not to notice.

“I’m Donica.” She held out her hand.

I folded my hand over hers. “Hello, Donica. I’m Jacen.”

“I know who you are.” A quick smile danced over her lips, even as she blushed. “You’ve got your own billboard. Is that weird?”

The question caught me off-guard. No one had ever asked me that before. Now that she’d asked, I found myself picturing the billboards I’d seen. Most of them showed my face, but there were a few…well, if Mum had been alive to see them…that alone was enough to sour my mood, but I didn’t let it show.

At least I thought I didn’t. But Donica’s dark brown eyes were more than pretty.

They were insightful.

“I guess I shouldn’t have asked.”

Meeting her gaze, I shook my head. “It’s not the question, love. It’s…” Grimacing, I shrugged and looked away. “My mother died a few years back. The billboards don’t really bother me, but if she’d seen them…” I gave a half-smile. “She’d have tanned my hide and come rushing over here to throw some clothes on me. And then she probably would’ve scolded every guy in the show.”

Donica laughed softly and turned her attention back to her drink. After a moment, she said, “I’m sorry about your mother.”

“Thank you.” Then, before she could ask anything else, I reached up and caught a lock of thick, shining hair. “Are you here to gamble your night away, Donica? Or are you looking for a different form of entertainment?”

Her breath had caught the moment I’d touched her. Now, it expelled from her in a rush.

I didn’t stop touching her, though. Her hair was even softer than it’d looked.

Slowly, she turned back to me, but her eyes didn’t meet mine. Instead, she looked past me, toward the women who sat at the far end of the bar. I could still hear the occasional laugh, but there was a meaner slant to it now, and I didn’t have to hear any words to guess who was the subject of their cruelty.

“I think one of them wants your attention.”

“Too fucking bad for them,” I said cheerfully. “I’d much rather talk to you than having to listen to insane, shrill laughter all night.”

That made her laugh. It was a bright, boisterous laugh that came from deep inside her, and she clapped a hand over her mouth in surprise, as if she had no idea how she had possibly made such a noise. Based on what Ginny had told me, I was willing to bet it had been a while since she’d laughed.

Over her hand, her eyes met mine, dancing with amusement.

Slowly, she lowered her hand, and her lips twitched, a sure sign she was still fighting amusement.

Curious, I let go of her hair and laid my hand on her knee, bared by the flirty hem of her skirt. It wasn’t a short skirt, by any means. Her shifting on the seat had pushed it higher, revealing strong thighs and dimpled knees.

Her skin was every bit as soft as I’d expected.

“You never did answer me. Are you here to hit the slots? Looking to play a hand of blackjack? Or were you looking for something else?” As I spoke, I stroked my thumb over her knee.

Her eyes widened, the pupils dilating until the black all but swallowed the brown. She swallowed before replying, “I’m pretty sure Ginny would’ve at least given you a hint of what I...she’s too…well, that’s just what Ginny does.”

“Sure she did, but I want to hear it from you.”

Eyes narrowing slightly, she inclined her head. When she spoke again, her voice held a hint of challenge as the words spilled out. “My fiancé works at one of the blackjack tables. We were supposed to get married in two weeks. I’d paid for a huge event—my dad was an investor. He left me…quite well off. We were going to take a two-week cruise and finish our honeymoon up with three days in Milan, then two days in Paris. I’d paid for all of it. He’s a musician, still struggling to get noticed, and I was supportive. I was so supportive and so stupid. Two days ago, I had to leave work sick, and I walked in on him while he was fucking our wedding planner. In our bed.”

Her face was a hot, furious pink by the time she finished. She grabbed the drink in front of her and tossed it back. After she’d drained it, she sat there, hands shaking and her breaths ragged.

“Tell me the wedding is off,” I said.

Her eyes flew to mine. For a few seconds, she just stared. Then with a weak laugh, she nodded. She pushed her hair back, although it seemed to be a nervous gesture more than anything else.

“It’s so off. I sent the engagement ring back to him here while he was working. I asked the courier to stand by and see if he opened the package. I’d written on the front monetary value $500. Of course, he opened it. I’m told he put the ring in his pocket and went back to work. Ten minutes after I received the message that he’d gotten it, he start ed calling me.”

She sighed and picked up her glass, frowning when she saw it was empty.

“And now he won’t stop calling. When I had my assistant take over dealing with all the steps needed to cancel the wedding, he tried to go back and call everybody and insist the wedding was still on. But I’ve already gotten back whatever money I can, so…” She shrugged.

I needed to make sure we both understood exactly what we would be doing tonight if we went through with this. “And now you’re ready to…what? Where do I come in?”

Donica nervously wet her lips. “I’m…well, now that you’re here and making me talk about it, it sounds really crass. I’d be using you.”

“Ginny made an excellent point. I enjoy being used.” I stroked a finger down her cheek. “What sort of use do you have for me?”

Now I made no attempt to hide my interest as I slid my gaze down her neck, then lower.

The pulse at the base of her throat sped up, and I could see it fluttering like mad against her skin. I wanted to press my mouth there...bite, suck, lick.

“He gets off in fifteen minutes. I’ve got a room here in the hotel…we’d have to walk through the pit where he’s working to get there.”

“So you want to parade me past him. Then…what?” Leaning in, I nuzzled her neck. Her head fell back and she gasped. “Are you going to cut me loose and go on to your room and sleep?”

“Nuh-no.”

“Are you going to take me to your room where I can put you against the door and fuck you blind?”

She gasped. “It sounds like you’d like to do that.”

“Haven’t you been paying attention, love?” I took her hand and lifted it to my lips, kissing her fingertips. “From the moment I sat down, I’ve been thinking about just how sweet you must look naked under those prim and proper clothes.”

Her lids drooped, her mouth parting.

“Tell me, Donica. Do I have half a chance of getting my hands inside your panties?” I took one of her fingers in my mouth and sucked on it.

Her eyes closed, a look so sensual settled on her face that my cock went from half-mast to straight up. She raised her head and met my gaze. Slowly, she tugged her hand away and sat up straighter, her shoulders unconsciously going back. Whether she knew it or not, I had no idea, but she had a wild streak inside her.

I’d be damn happy to tease that streak, play with it.

“I’d say you had a very good shot at it,” she said, her voice husky. “Especially if we could stop all this chatting and get up, leave… And I’d really like to walk through the blackjack tables.” She bit her lip, her eyes skipping away. “I mean, if you didn’t mind.”

Instead of answering, I kissed her. A nice, solid kiss that promised all sorts of decadent sexual things with no strings attached. Then I took her hand, helped her to her feet, and let her lead the way.

It wasn’t hard to figure out which table her ex worked. Her hand tightened on mine the moment we got near it, and I decided that a simple walk-by wasn’t going to be enough. I shot a casual look around the floor and gestured to the table. “You want to try your hand?”

“I’ve never been any good,” she said faintly.

“Oh, that’s alright. I’m smashing.” I gave her a little tug toward the table.

Even if he hadn’t been the dealer, I would’ve been able to spot him. Bastards like him all had a look about them, even if they had different physical characteristics. This one was tall and lean, almost to the point of skinny, and it looked like he’d spent as much time just on his hair as I did showering, shaving, and getting dressed.

“He’s a peacock, Donni,” I said, smiling as I guided her to the table and pulled a few bills from my pocket. It was part of the tips I’d made earlier, but it’d be worth losing it to show that asshole how badly he’d fucked up.

Ten minutes later, the hundred I’d put down had turned into a thousand, and I turned to Donica with a wide smile. “My good luck charm!” Then I looked at the table and tossed some bills down. “Drinks on the house! Top shelf!”

The casino provided free cocktails, but top shelf was a different story. You’d have to be playing the high-limit tables to get that free. As the other players at the table scrambled to place their orders, I bent my head and gave Donica a deep, slow kiss. Her mouth was trembling under mine, but she didn’t push me away.

When I finally broke the kiss, I pulled back only far enough to whisper, “You ready to go? I think we gave him a show he won’t be forgetting any time soon.”

She nodded.

* * *

Had I thought she was hungry? Sexy?

I’d been wrong.

She was sexier than fucking hell, and all but starving.

Now, with her nails digging into my shoulders and her heels just above my ass, I slammed one hand against the door over her head and gritted my teeth as she clamped down around me and wailed, coming hard and fast.

She was so wet, I could feel it, so hot, she scorched me even through the rubber. Harsh, hitching breaths escaped her as I hammered into her, chasing my climax, and another orgasm grabbed her.

“Please, Jacen, please!” she panted before attacking my mouth again.

Sliding a hand under her blouse, I sought out the firm mound of one breast and pinched her nipple.

She jolted against me in surprise, then bit my tongue.

Startled, I jerked back and stared down at her. “That hurt.”

“I…” She blinked. “I’m sorry? No. Wait, no, I’m not. I liked it. Didn’t you?”

Laughing, half-delighted and more than a little aroused, I closed my hand around her throat and squeezed, angling her head up as I kissed her again, rougher this time. She moaned, a deep, internal shudder rippling through her. I felt it when she was about to go over again. It was…

Fantastic.

Slowly, I lifted her up until just the head of my cock was left inside her convulsing cunt. She shivered, making the sexiest mewling sounds against my lips.

I dragged her back down.

“Oh…”

I did it again.

Again.

Slow this time, because it was too sweet not to experience it any other way.

She shoved her hands into my hair and squeezed my hips with her thighs. “Stop teasing—”

Something crashed into the door.

Startled, she arched forward, sliding forward and down onto my dick faster than I’d intended. Her eyes widened. “Oh…”

Just a breath away from coming, I slammed upward into her.

The pounding came again.

“Donica!”

The deep male voice cut into my groove a little. It could’ve cut into hers a lot. But I was determined not to let that happen if I could stop it. She deserved to have this. Cupping her ass in my hands, I spread her cheeks and stroked my index finger down the seam.

“Don’t listen to him,” I said, not bothering to lower my voice. The fuckhead outside deserved to hear every word, every moan. “Listen to me, sweetheart. Do you hear me?”

Her glazed eyes focused on my face. “I do.”

“Say my name.”

“Jacen.” Then she flinched as a fist hit the door behind her.

“That’s right, baby. You liked biting me…hurting me a little.”

She blushed and the anxiety that had suddenly appeared in her eyes faded. “Some.”

“Want to play more then? I love playing games, D.”

He banged the door again, and she squeezed her eyes shut. She nodded quickly, a little edge of panic to it, but no unwillingness.

“Play with me.”

As soon as the words came from her mouth, I did just that. For the past few moments, I’d been slicking moisture back and forth to the tight pucker of her ass, and now I breached it with my finger, slowly twisting and working deeper, letting her acclimate. Her mouth fell open, her lashes fluttered closing, a startled moan leaving her.

He hit the door again, but she barely appeared to notice.

“Do you like it?”

“Yes,” she whispered, her voice broken.

“Maybe I should fuck you there then. Have you ever had that?” I kissed her, biting her lower lip and waiting for her to look at me. When she finally did, her gaze was startled. The knocking had faded to a low, study thumping, punctuated by random curses, and I wondered if she’d even noticed.

“No. And yes…I want you to.”

“Good.” I ground her down on my cock hard enough that I suspected she might be a bit bruised tomorrow, but it brought her to a hard, almost violent climax, so I didn’t think she’d mind.

Then, my prick still hard and throbbing inside her, I carried her to bed. When I put her down, pulling my cock out, she made a sound of protest. I smoothed back the hair from her face. “Shhh…we’re not done yet, darling. I just need to take care of something.”

She made a low noise in her throat and rolled onto her side.

I hitched up my jeans and went to the door.