Page 51 of Fang
“I didn’t even throw.”
“Ask.”
“Why are you ashamed of being a stripper?”
She swallows hard. “I told you a little about my childhood. I didn’t tell you all of it, though. My mother was, or I guess is, a prostitute. I haven’t seen her since I turned eighteen, so I would guess she is still at it. She is a drug addict and drunk. She would beat me over and over for existing. She is the reason I can’t handle violence. She is also the reason I even thought about stripping. That’s where she started. So you see, I’m ashamed because I’ve taken the first step to becoming her, and it scares me to death. It’s something I promised I would never do, and yet here I am.”
I move to her, pulling her in my arms. “You are not your mother. You have your morals. You aren’t selling every little thing about yourself for money. You aren’t her. You hear me?”
She pulls back, looking up at me with tears in her eyes.
“I don’t want to strip forever, but I’m afraid it’s all I can ever do. What if I fail? What if I don’t have a future?”
I cup her cheek. “You do have a future. We will make sure of it, and if you don’t get the job you want, then you will help me run the club. I won’t let you strip forever. I promise.”
“Promises get broken, Jensen.”
My body jolts at the use of my real name. She asked me about it earlier in the evening, but I never anticipated she would use it. I like it. Maybe a little too much.
“Maybe from lesser men, but I’m not them.”
She nods as someone comes on the loudspeaker. “We will be closing in ten minutes.”
“Let’s get you home.”
She takes my hand as I lead her out of the place. Once at my bike, we go through the motions of getting our helmets on, her with my help. Then we take off.
The ride to her place is longer than it should be because I take all of the side roads I can. I’m not ready for it to end.
Eventually I do bring her back to her dorm, though, walking her all the way up to her door.
“I’d invite you in, but you saw the place,” she whispers.
I cup her face, leaning in to kiss her. It’s not a gentle kiss. It’s rough and demanding. I’m taking from her what I know she wants to give to me. What she is too afraid to admit she wants.
She melts into my kiss, her arms winding around my neck. When her fingers pull at my hair lightly, I growl, pushing her against her door.
Her leg comes up to cradle my hip as I press into her. I know we need to stop, but I can’t get enough of her.
A ding in my pocket breaks the moment, making me pull back. She’s breathing as heavy as I am.
Pressing one last kiss to her lips, I step back.
“I have to go on a run, so I’ll be gone for a few days. Be a good girl while I’m gone, little dancer.”
She smirks at me. “If I’m not, will you come back sooner?”
She’s a fucking minx.
“No, but I will have to show you what happens when you misbehave.” I nip at her lip.
Her breath hitches. “Okay. Good girl it is then.”
“Aww, you ruin all my fun,” I joke. “Text or call if you need anything.”
“I won’t, but you already knew that.”
I did.
