Page 56 of Twisted Prince

Fuck. Double fuck.

Tensing, I move to stand, but he grasps my wrist and keeps me where I am.

“Now, now, no need to be like that. I think we got off on the wrong foot, and I just wanted to speak with you before your shift to clear the air,” he says, his blue eyes twinkling.

“Oh.” I wish he would remove his hand from my wrist, but I fight the urge to yank it away if he’s actually serious. “Okay.”

“My cousin made it perfectly clear that I’m not to bother you while you’re working. And I apologize if my behavior was… inappropriate,” he says, taking my hand with both of his now.

Stomach knotting from the unwanted contact, I lean back from his touch as far as I can without being completely rude. But his apology caught me so off guard, I’m still trying to process it. “Well… th-thank you,” I stammer, lost in a world of confusion. “I appreciate th?—”

“But I have to say, Melody—that’s your name, isn’t it?” He pauses, waiting for my baffled nod of confirmation. “You are the most delectable thing I’ve ever seen. And just because I’m not supposed to bother you during business hours doesn’t mean I wouldn’t love to get inside you.”

Icy terror floods my chest as humiliation flames in my cheeks. And this time, I do snatch my hand away, rising from the couch in disbelief. “Excuse me?” I demand, my voice breathy with disgust.

“Come on, love. Don’t tell me you never spread those long, sexy legs for the right price,” he insists, rising from the couch to follow me. “Don’t you want to know what it would feel like to have a real man inside your cunt? I’d love to fill every one of your sexy little holes, and in return, I’ll buy you as many pretty dresses as your heart desires. It looks like you could use a new wardrobe, some nice designer shoes…”

Fiery resentment flashes through me. Does he seriously believe I could be so easily bought? “Thanks for the offer,” I snap, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “But I think I’ll have to pass. I’m no one’s mistress. And I don’t just go spreading my legs for a designer dress.”

I know his type. He loves to jump from pretty girl to pretty girl, keeping fresh eye candy on his arm with trinkets and bobs. But when the day is done, his attention span won’t last long. And I know just how to make his dick go limp.

“If a man wants me, he can marry me,” I challenge, adopting an air of superiority. “Otherwise, all men just talk the talk. They use women up, then leave us out in the cold to wither away. So, what do you say, Vinny? You willing to marry me to get what you want?”

My back finds the door handle as he comes up short, his eyebrows climbing nearly to his hairline in surprise. Then, a wicked grin stretches across his face. “I’ll marry you right here and now, love,” he promises lasciviously. But the twinkle in his eye says he’s just playing along. He thinks I’m teasing.

Laughing, I roll my eyes. “You can’t be serious. You know nothing about me.”

He chuckles along with me, his posture shifting to something closer to relaxed, and as he crosses his arms, I know I’ve won. He won’t be bothering me anymore.

“Well, thanks for the meeting. This has been… fun,” I say, searching for my opening to leave. “I guess I’ll be seeing you around?” I tease. Not likely; he’ll find a new girl to start groping shortly—probably later tonight. And while I feel bad for whoever his new victim might be, I’m just glad it won’t be me. Grasping the handle to the lounge, I turn it so I can slip into the hall.

“I’m sure you will,” he agrees, his eyes never leaving me.

And as I pull the door closed behind me, I’ve never been more grateful to have made a narrow escape. I’m going to kill Kitty. She better not have known it was that Mr. Kelly who dragged me into work early for a meeting.

I missed out on precious time with my daughter—not to mention, I just got sexually harassed again by the guy who supposedly got the message loud and clear that he wasn’t supposed to bother me.

Arrogant prick. Has his tactic ever worked on any girl? Or is he such a lech because no girl will have him?

What I wouldn’t give to march straight to Keoghan Kelly’s office and tell him exactly what his cousin just did. But I’m still unclear on how well my employer might have my back, and if I’ve learned one thing while working at Pearl’s, it’s that you don’t push your luck with the boss.

Taking several deep, steadying breaths, I head toward Kitty’s office, ready to give her a piece of my mind.

24

GLEB

Mel practically sprinted into the burlesque lounge on her way into work, leaving me no time to cross the street and intercept her.

Instead, I’ll have to find her during her shift.

That won’t be a problem. Even if I’ve been banned from Pearl’s.

I wait until the crowd starts to flow in, when I’ll garner the least amount of attention. Then, I shuffle into the steady stream of bodies flooding through the door. It’s a man accepting cover charges at the front tonight. He’s conversing with the couple ahead of me and too distracted to check my face. So, he barely gives me a second glance along with his nod as I slip him a fifty-dollar bill. Then I walk on in without a fuss.

There’s an art to being invisible, and I’m not afraid to use it to my full advantage to get inside unnoticed. Avoiding my brothers will probably prove a far bigger challenge, but I just need enough time to speak to Mel. I can accomplish that before they spot me.

The same dark-haired bartender is working tonight, so rather than taking a stool, I slink toward the bathroom hallway, searching for a way into the club’s back rooms. My eyes land on the concealed door to the left of the stage, behind the bandstand.

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