Total pages in book: 138
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129460 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 647(@200wpm)___ 518(@250wpm)___ 432(@300wpm)
They don’t even stray from me when he executes the perfect stripper worm that will have bookings shoot through the roof. His smile exposes he’s enjoying himself, but part of me wonders if that’s because he knows I’m pretending every grind of his hips is being done to me.
His cocky gleam exposes I’m on the money, not to mention his breathless whispers in my ear when he hides in the curtains with me, waiting for the chanting pleas of an encore. “Are you ready for the big finale, Jessie?”
Incapable of speaking since his damp-with-sweat, sweet-smelling skin has my tongue begging to trace the veins in his banging guns, I nod instead.
His smile kills me. “All right.” But the rest of his reply has me sweating like a pig on a spit. “Let me just get this wrapped up first, then we’ll move on to the private show.”
Thankfully, the crowd’s excited roar when he returns to the stage has him missing my moan. It wasn’t ladylike, and I’m not even sure it came from my throat.
Its vibration was felt far lower than my neck.
“What do you think, Jess? Do you think the bridal party will come to us?”
“Huh?” I dart my eyes between Caleb and Maui, completely lost. My head has been in a cloud since Caleb winked at me a second before he darted into the green room at the back of the stage area. It was laced with so much sexual innuendo I almost left his tips on the stage where they’d been thrown.
When it comes between choosing to eat something other than burgers for a week and being ravished by a playful Caleb, you can be assured I’ll always pick option two.
The only reason my smarts kicked back in was remembering I could only cater for my family for a week because of my father’s generosity. Without the food hamper kit he had sent, we would have been eating ramen noodles for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Mercifully, my father saved my pride from being brutally beaten again by making out he was proud of my ability to feed my family at such short notice. He said he and my mother used to put an extra staple into the shopping cart every week so my grandparents wouldn’t know they were struggling each Thanksgiving when they visited for a week.
Although I had planned to scold my father for not letting me live my own life, it was so nice being surrounded by family after the incident with Warren, I let it slide.
Family is meant to help each other, and once I got over my ego, I realized how kind and generous it was for him to do that.
I stop reminiscing on my father’s many wonderful traits when Caleb says, “Maui thinks we should make it a stipulation that when you hire me, the bachelorette party takes place here.”
The dollar signs flashing in Maui’s eyes fade when I ask, “For what rate?” I smile at him, wordlessly assuring him I don’t just have a pretty face before continuing, “You sent Pablo out on an emergency stock run before Caleb’s performance had even finished, so a share of tips shouldn’t be the only thing up on offer, an entertainment fee should be on the table as well.”
“An entertainment fee,” Maui pushes out in disbelief. “He strips.”
I shrug like he isn’t telling me anything I don’t already know. “And he can do that anywhere, so why tie himself to one venue?”
After twisting my torso to face Caleb, I nudge my head to his bag. “We should probably head off for your next performance.”
He stares at me like I’m insane. His performance is still hours away, but when I arch a brow, soundlessly warning him I will kick his ass if he ruins my ruse, he snatches up his bag and heads for the door like he jumps on command.
“Trinidad sounded eager last week…”
Even with the closure of my car door gobbling up half of my murmured comment, Maui takes my bait hook, line, and sinker. “Ten percent of sales an hour before and after your performance.”
I clamp my hand over Caleb’s mouth, halting his acceptance before asking, “And?”
Maui looks like he wants to wring my neck when he grinds out through clenched teeth. “And an equal share of the tips.”
“Sounds reasonable.” I leave him hanging long enough for sweat to dot his brows before muttering, “I’ll think about it.”
“You’ll think about it?” He follows my car down the narrow alleyway at the back of his club. “Come on, Jessie. Be reasonable.”
Caleb chuckles under his breath when my eyes narrow into thin slits over his term of endearment. “I said I’ll think about it, Maui. You should be grateful it wasn’t a straight-up no.”
He chokes on the dust my flooring of the gas kicks up. I have no clue which direction to take. Caleb’s next performance isn’t for hours, but it isn’t even three blocks over.