Page 11 of Seeking Vengeance
Sean knewthe exact moment she recognized him. Up until then, she’d been smooth, practiced. Fire and ice raced through his veins as he realized that she did this every night. The only thing keeping him sane at that moment was the fact that her eyes had been dead. Nicki’s body was there, but her mind had been somewhere far, far away.
He’d seen that look more times than he could count; it was one he wore often, one he’d seen in his brothers’ eyes when they were forced to do something they didn’t want to do but had to. That thought comforted him. If she’d been enjoying herself, he would have walked away and not looked back.
But she wasn’t. Christ, shehatedit. He could sense it, feel it with a certainty he dared not question. And that gave him hope.
When she saw it was him, her eyes blazed with life. Her body tensed mid-stroke, and her lips parted slightly in surprise. Several emotions passed through her face in seconds, and he felt every one of them acutely. Initial shock, then fear, then … embarrassment?
It took only seconds for her to recover, and then she began to pull away. She was going to bolt, going to leave him, but he wasn’t going to let that happen. Before she could throw herself from his lap, his hands came down like iron cuffs over her thighs in warning, trapping her in place. Her eyes widened. He saw a flash of panic.
He was aware of the security guy closing in on his right and another not far off on his left. He could kill them both instantly, without hesitation, if they tried to interfere.
“Finish it,” he commanded, his voice a rough, erotic whisper.
Sean’s hands eased just a little, and the panic in those smoldering eyes gave way to something else. Determination. Lust. Hunger. She signaled off the security guys, and then she dug one hand into his shoulder and wove the fingers of her other through his hair and smiled. Then, she tilted her head back, giving him a perfect view of her rock-hard nipples poking through the lace, and began to ride him in time with the music.
Sean’s eyes darkened to a deep sapphire blue as he felt the hot moisture soak into his jeans. He saw the widening of her eyes before they fluttered and half-closed, heard the softest of feminine moans, even over the pounding music. At first, he thought he’d imagined it. But then realization dawned, followed closely by a swell of triumph rising up within him.
He flexed his hands to draw her gaze back to him. He had to look in her eyes to know for sure. Her smoky light-grays were still a little dazed, and the telltale flush blossoming on her cheeks told him everything he needed to know.
Oh yeah. She had.
The fog cleared all too quickly. The soft smoke reverted back to the cold steel he’d seen before, her features hardened, and her chin lifted in defiance. Sean amended his assessment—she had come, but she hated herself for it.
Well, too damn bad.
The music began to wind down, and she eased herself from his lap. Sean took great pride in the fact that her legs were shaking, and she was forced to lean on his shoulders for a few seconds before collapsing. His big hands curled around her small waist to steady her.
“Give another man a lap dance, and he dies,” Sean threatened quietly as he leaned forward, tucking another fifty into her thong for show. To everyone else, it simply looked as if he were giving her an extra tip, but he felt her quiver beneath the discreet stroke of his fingers.
“Fuck you,” she said just as quietly, a smile pasted on her face as she gave him the customary kiss on the cheek.
“Count on it,” he breathed as she moved away.
CHAPTER FOUR
Nicki felt his eyes boring into her back until she disappeared behind the curtain, fighting the urge to collapse.
“Wow, must be beginner’s luck,” Sherri congratulated her with a wink backstage. “You got a Callaghan. I got a middle-aged banker with a paunch.”
Nicki tried to smile and wave it off, but inside, she felt like she was going to throw up.What the hell was he doing here? Had Nick sent him?
As if she didn’t hate herself enough. Those brief moments of orgasmic pleasure evaporated quickly, leaving nothing but the reality of burning shame. Dancing for nameless, faceless strangers was one thing; it didn’t mean anything. But dancing for her brother’s boss? It’d made her feel vile. Dirty.
Ashamed.
Why? Why did she care? Why had she gotten wet when those big hands held her?Thathad never happened before.
God, she was still shaking.
Maybe, she thought hopefully,he didn’t notice.
Then, she remembered the wicked smile on his face, the heated warning he had given her.
Oh yeah, he had known.Damn.
She plopped herself down in front of one of the small vanities in the dressing room, seeing and hearing little of the activity around her, willing her heart to stop pounding against the walls of her chest and her legs to stop quivering. With some effort, she began to remove the glittery stage makeup, smearing the thick cleansing cream over her face.
It was a one-time thing, she told herself. It was over. She’d gotten carried away, but she could rationalize it because it had totally fed into her naughty-girl persona.
