Page 5 of Taken by Moonlight
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In the dressing room,three of the strippers sat before the mirror, doing last minute touch ups before the show started. Tonight was a limited venue because of the auction. The strippers were supposed to warm up the audience for theauction.
The three were all shifters, and owed no allegiance to any pack. Most pack alphas would never allow their females to strip for othershifters.
“Sorry I’m late,” I told them. “I did scan the lounge and no troublemakers in sightthough.”
“Not with this crowd, hon. Private invitation only for the auction. They may be horny, but they’re not looking for a fight. Only for sex tonight.” Kelly, whose little girl had been baby-sat by Gabriel, patted powder on her nose. “Is Dante here with hisbetas?”
Jealousy curled through me. Kelly was a werewolf and the same as thetrio.
“Saw them.” I kept my voicecasual.
Kelly released a dreamy sigh. “That pack is the nicest, sexiest bunch of wolves I’ve ever met. Gabriel has been a lifesaver, babysitting for Karen when I can’t find anyone else. He may look like a bad ass, but he loves kids. And Dante, forget it. That alpha knows how tofuck.”
More tendrils of curiosity and jealousy curled through me. “What’s he like inbed?”
Kelly capped her lipstick. Her gaze met mine in the mirror. “I’ve only had him once, before you started working here, but he’s amazing. I think I blacked out, he gave me so many orgasms. All that energy anddominance.”
She leaned forward and lowered her voice in a conspiratorial whisper. “Male alphas like Dante, the ones who have alpha in their DNA, are especially endowed for sex. They have this protrusion on their cocks used for breeding, but wow, when they use it during sex on your G-spot… no wonder I blacked out. I swear I think I died and went to sexheaven.”
With a happy sigh, she leanedback.
Stephanie, a blonde who was a favorite with both the staff and customers for her sweetness, applied more mascara to eyelashes already thick with it. Steph was another werewolf, but quieter and shyer than Kelly. “I like the other one, Alex. Alex is so quiet and sweet. I hear he reads his lovers poetry before he makeslove.”
She gave a delicate shudder. “I like Guy, the bouncer as well, but he scares me a little because he’s so strong andintense.”
“Gabriel doesn’t read. I’ve heard he’d into games though.” Carmen grinned, showing off her capped teeth. A panther shifter, she had the sex drive of a tomcat. “He enjoys tying down hislovers.”
A tingle rushed through me. I’d heard all about the sexual prowess of club patrons many times here in the dressing room. The Crossroads allowed sex with the girls, long as it was discreet and kept to the champagne rooms in the back. Norm took a 10 percent cap off thefee.
“Dante, Alex, and Gabriel. Hard to choose between one of them.” Kelly gave a final pat to herhair.
“Wouldn’t it be nice if you had all three?” Imurmured.
Kelly laughed. “Be careful what you wish for,Peyton.”
I paused in changing into my plain black trousers and white starched shirt, complete with red satin vest. Norm let me wear the outfit because I blended into the background and kept the customers focus on the strippers. “I don’t wish anymore. Wishes never come true. But a girl can have a fantasy or two,right?”
“Or three,” Stephanie chimedin.
We all laughed, but my laughter felt forced. I was still a virgin at 23 and though I wasn’t saving myself for anything or anyone, I had desires. I was simply inexperienced, notdead.
Just deadbroke.
“Are any of you offering yourselves for the auction?” Iasked.
Three headshakes. “Not with that crowd,” Stephanie murmured. “I strip because the money is good, but sex with the wild ones is too dangerous. Some shifters like itrough.”
“I like it rough, but Norm’s rule is that once you put yourself on the auction block, you can’t come back here to work as a stripper. He says it ruins the mysterious allure for the shifters. They like to think they’re the only one who had sex with you, even if it’s not true, and if they see you stripping, they can get possessive and jealous.” Carmen shrugged. “I like my job and I have too much tolose.”
“Losewhat?”
Her gaze widened. “Health insurance. Whatelse?”
“It’s not worth it to have sex for one night, I guess.” I pulled my long hair back into a ponytail. Better, but still not goodenough.
Shifters adored long hair on women. They thought it wassexy.
