Page 91 of Goldsin

Sweat glides down my back, hair sticking out in every direction from the countless hours of dancing. Or maybe it was just forty-five minutes. I can’t really tell with the tinted windows.

Yet Victoria looks pristine. Only her bloodshot eyes reveal the amount of alcohol she’s consumed—and her uncontrollable giggling anytime one of the waiters gets close to an elderly couple. I thought old people lost their sight once they reached a certain age, but that woman sure knows how to appreciate a man with just her eyes.

And the husbandhatesit.

“Another round!” Victoria cheers, and in an instant, two shots appear in her hands.

“Woohoo!” I throw my head back, swallowing down the burning liquid as the room starts to spin.

“Hey.” Victoria rests her hand on my shoulder. A playful smirk stretches her lips as she glances toward the dancers. “I dare you to go up there and join them.”

A hiccup leaves my lips. Shaking my head, I feel my movements slow down. “No way. I can’t dance like they do!”

The dancers sway their hips as the soft lights caress their tempting curves. Their movements are calculated, professional. I’d make a fool out of myself if I attempted to do the same.

Victoria leans her lips on my ear, her voice honeyed as she says, “Come on. Just for a bit.”

The words send chills over my heated body with all the alcohol coursing through it. I feel the dainty touch of her fingers as they find the hem of my shirt, and she caresses the bare skin there. My breath hitches, a spark trailing through every drunken part of my body.

“Please?”

There’s something different about Victoria right now as she coaxes me gently, almost like her words are hiding something from me. Her vulnerability, maybe? No ... she may be drunk, and her words are sweeter than they usually are, but her eyes are as sharp as a blade.

She wants to see if I’ll loosen up and give in to the night—to the ways of the Inferno Consortium. She’s suspicious of me, testing how far I’m willing to take it.

Not only that, but this will deepen our bond.

The closer I can get to her, the closer I’ll get to killing her.

My teeth sink into my lower lip, and I glance sideways, locking eyes with Julian. He hasn’t stopped lookingat me, and the thought of him seeing me strip in a room full of people sends a pulsing ache down to the space between my legs.

“Fine. But only if you count to ten.” I give her a serious look. “That’s how long I’ll be up there. Not a second more.”

“Deal!”

I make my way toward the stage on wobbly legs. The dancer steps to the side, giving me a long smirk before gesturing for me to come up and take her place.

I can only hear the click of my heels as I ascend the stairs, heartbeat pulsing wildly as I try to catch the rhythm of the song playing out.

Stumbling a little, I grab the pole for support. My back is to the audience, and when I turn toward them, giggling to myself, I freeze.

Then Victoria decides to whistle at me, calling for everyone’s attention.

Swallowing to wet my dry mouth, I focus my attention on one person. The reason I chose to do this in the first place.

His piercing eyes wait patiently, and I sway my hips. Slowly at first, not giving too much too soon. I take my jacket off, making a show of waving it in the air and throwing it at the crowd.

One.

“Yes!” Victoria cheers. “Give us more.”

The bass of the song pounds in my ear, the beat calming me down, allowing my body to sway smoothly as I brush my hands from my hips to the ceiling. My neck stretches to the side as I brush my hair away, showingthe audience—showinghim—where I’d like him to sink his teeth.

The cool metal bites at my fingertips. The feeling against my heated skin makes me delirious.

Two.

I step in front of the pole, pressing my back against it like the dancer did. I arch my back and let my head fall as I roll my hips. The hardness of the pole against my ass causes a gasp to part my lips.

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