Page 59 of Hard Ruck

I just pretended to.

When the band finished their final encore, I shuffled out behind everyone else, Atlas on my heels.

He placed a hand on my shoulder and held me there as he said, “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

“It was…fun,” I said awkwardly.

His fingers tightened on my skin. “If they ever need a backing dancer, I know where they can find one. If you can dance and keep your clothes on.”

Fortunately the arena was still loud enough that only I heard him say that.

I looked at him over my shoulder. “I’ll stick to medicine. That’s what I do best.”

He snorted, his breath brushing my neck. “I bet that’s not true. Anyone who gets paid to fuck must be good at it.”

I stiffened. “I’m very good at it.” I brushed off his hand and hurried up the steps leading out of the arena.

He strode along behind me, keeping pace. When he followed me into the foyer, he was stopped by a couple of women a few years younger than both of us.

“Atlas Underwood!” one squealed. “You’re even better looking in person. Can I get a selfie with you?”

“Of course,” he said without glancing at me. His attention was all on her and her friend.

“I need to go to the bathroom,” I said.

I did, but it would also be a good way to slip away from him and any watchful eyes. Even if I had to climb out the window. That was a last resort, but the longer I was with him, the uneasier I became. He was as volatile as Storm. Better to sneak away before things went south.

“Stay,” was all Atlas said without taking his eyes off the women. He stood between them and smiled warmly at the phone in the first woman’s hand. That was quickly replaced by the other woman’s phone and more smiles.

“Thank you so much!” Both women squealed now. “We’re going to Hazards for a drink. Are youcoming?”

I doubted anyone missed the emphasis on that last word. It was obviously an invitation to fuck one or both of them. Divina would have remarked they both had the perfect mouths for giving blowjobs. She would probably have offered them a job on the spot. What would they say to an offer like that? I suspected they’d decline.

“I might be along a bit later,” he said. “Go ahead and start without me.”

They pouted but walked away, hips swaying. One of them actually glanced back and gave him an air kiss before disappearing in the throng. Neither of them seemed to have noticed I existed, or cared. If they thought we were together, they still would have made the offer.

His obvious hypocrisy annoyed the hell out of me. He didn’t like it when Jasper came on to me before the concert, but it was okay for those women to come on to him? If that was how he was, I’d be better off without him.

“Maybe you should go,” I said. He might enjoy spending time with them instead of me. Women like that might be more his type. A quick fuck with no complications. Honestly, that didn’t sound too bad right now.

“We’re not done,” he said. “Come with me.” He took my hand, lacing his fingers in mine and guided me out the big glass doors at the front of the arena. He walked beside me like we were nothing more interesting than a couple out on a pleasant date, enjoying the concert and then the night air. Maybe later we’d go home, bake some cupcakes and have vanilla sex.

“I know you must have been surprised,” I started. That was an understatement. He was obviously a lot more than surprised.

He glanced around, uneasy eyes scanning the crowd to see if anyone was paying us any attention. A couple of people glanced at him, but most seemed in a hurry to get away from the arena. To reach their cars, or a bar where they could enjoy a few drinks.

“Not here.” We walked a couple of blocks until we reached a quieter part of the city. We weren’t completely alone, but we were away from the thickest of the crowds. If he decided to kill me, he’d have an audience. And so would I. But we were far enough away from anyone else that we could talk and not be overheard. Not unless things got heated and loud.

Finally done with waiting, I stopped, pulling him to a halt with me. “I don’t regret what I did. I needed to work. That’s all there was to it.”

He let go of my hand and placed his on the wall behind me, pinning me in.

“I had to work before I turned professional. Do you know what I did? I delivered pizza. I had a shitty little car that I used to drive around Sydney, delivering fuckingpizza. Later on, it was on the back of a bike. Dodging in and out of city traffic, trying not to get killed to bring people their hotfuckingmeals. Never once did it occur to me to take my clothes off or fuck strangers. Not once.”

“Funny, it never occurred to me to deliver food on the back of a bike,” I said tartly.

I would have preferred to work in a restaurant, carrying food to tables. Or behind a bar, pouring drinks, side by side with Sadie. “I danced because I was good at it. Because the money was good. And guess what? Because I enjoyed it. And I was much less likely to be hit by a car while spinning around a pole.” The job wasn’t without its risks, but I never had to worry about getting run over.

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