TableofContents

Chapter1
Chapter2
Chapter3
Chapter4
Chapter5
Chapter6
Chapter7
Chapter8
Chapter9
Chapter10
Chapter11
Chapter12
Chapter13
Chapter14
Chapter15
Chapter16
Chapter17
Chapter18
Chapter19
Epilogue

TableofContents

UnwrapMyPresent

Description

Introduction

Chapter1

Chapter2

Chapter3

Chapter4

Chapter5

Chapter6

Chapter7

Chapter8

Chapter9

Chapter10

Chapter11

Chapter12

Chapter13

Chapter14

Chapter15

Chapter16

Chapter17

Chapter18

Chapter19

Epilogue

WantMore?

AbouttheAuthor

Copyright

UnwrapMyPresent

By

ZoeReid

Description

Set in New York City — She’s a dancer in the Nutcracker; He’s a stripper and does
Holidayparties;herbestfriendiswildchildandforherupcomingbirthdaywhichisclose
toChristmas,shehireshimtostrip…thingsjustgetinterestingfromthere.

Introduction

Checkouttheother12DaysofChristmasNovellas

FindthemallHERE

Chapter1

Colton

RidingtheFtrainhomegavememoretimetothinkthanIneeded.Ispentthetime

brooding,wishingthingsweredifferent.I’dalreadyturnedthirtyandwasstillstuckina
dead-endjob,inchesawayfromthecareerIwanted.ButImightaswellbeamillionmiles
away.

EversinceIwasakid,I’dwantedtocook.Culinaryschoolhadbeenanawakening,

andthen I’d movedto the cityto break into therestaurant business. Itwas head chef or
nothing.

Rightnow,itwasnothing.

The bistro I worked in had a passable chef, but I knew I could do better.

Unfortunately,theownerthoughtIwas“toopretty”tobestuckinthebackofthehouse.I
waited tables, acted as a host, even helped her with management when needed. But she
didn’tletmegetanywherenearthestoves,whichmeantmydreamremainedunfulfilled.

Still,workingintherestaurantdidprovidesomeperks.Likethesexythingwho’d

come in today. To call her ‘beautiful’ was the understatement of the millennium.
ComparedtothewomenI’dbeenfuckinglately,shecouldhavedescendedfromheaven.

Her dark hair was pulled up tight into a knot, highlighting her strong cheekbones.

Plumplips,paleskin,andeyessogreentheyremindedmeofthegrassinCentralParkin
the middle of summer. I’d almost tripped over my own feet when I’d shown her to her
table.

A girl that pretty shouldn’t have been eating alone. But I didn’t think she’d be

interestedinhavingmejoinher.I’dmadearuntotheconveniencestoreonmybreakto
grab an energy drink and on my way back, she’d been coming out the door. She was
lookingdownatherphoneandhadslammedintome.

Icaughtherandhadgivenhermybestsmile,ashockofelectricityhittingmeatour

contact.Butshe’dyankedherselfawayfrommeandgivenmealittleshove,orderingme
nottotouchher,andthenshe’dhurriedoffwithoutanapology.

At the restaurant, gorgeous girls like her didn’t give me a second look. They

wouldn’tgivemethetimeofday,exceptwhenItookmyclothesofffortheirdollarbills.

They threw money at me then, feeling me up, begging me to take them into the

bathroomforaquickanddirtyride.Theyweren’tbadforagoodtime,andsometimesa
humongous tip, but desperate girls had never done it for me. I liked the quiet ones, the
reserved ones. They presented a challenge. And usually, it was the reserved ones who
werethebiggestfreaksbetweenthesheets.

The walk to my apartment was blessedly short, although the five flights of stairs

weresteepandnarrow,whichwasnice,especiallywhenIhadtolugmybikeupanddown
them. Tonight, I jogged up the stairs and unlocked my shitty studio apartment, barely
closingthedoorbehindmebeforeaknocksoundedonit.

ItwasOzzy,mynext-doorneighbor.Hewasinandoutofmyplacealmostasmuch

asIwas.OzzywasinhisearlytwentiesandfeltliketheyoungerbrotherIneverhad.He
lookeduptome,soIlethimhangwhenhegotsickofhisroommates.Whichseemedto
bemostofthetime.Icouldn’tblamehim.Ihadtoworkasecondjobjusttobeableto
afford400squarefeettomyself.

OzzywasinthefridgepullingoutacoupleofmybeersbeforeIgotmycoatoff.He

poppedthetopsoffthemandhandedonetome,takingalongpullonhisown.Heburped,
thenflunghimselfonmycouch,puttinghisfeetuponthecoffeetable.Isatdownbeside
him,takingasipofmyownbottle.

“Bigpartythisweekend,downbythecollege.Hotco-edsandacoupleofkegs.You

in?”

I leaned back, then tipped up the bottle, swallowing most of it in one long pull.

“Doubtful,”Ireplied.

“Whynot?Youknowthosecollegegirlsdroolalloveryou.”

Thestatementwaspartiallytrue.Drunkcollegegirlsfollowedmelikeamagnet.But

thesoberoneseyedmewithdistrust.Icouldn’tblamethem.Iwastoooldtobehanging
aroundcampus.Besides,Ihadenoughthirstywomenonmydickwithmynightjob.

Still,Ididn’twanttosayallthattoOzzy.SoIkeptitsimple.“Igotagig.”

Ozzyshookhishead.“Luckybastard.”Hedrainedtherestofthebottle.“What’sit

like,havingwomenmakeitraindollarbillsalloveryou?”

I eyed him. This wasn’t the first time he’d asked that question. The kid had the

makingsofapaunchandskinhedidn’ttakecareof.Toputitbluntly,hewasn’tcutoutfor
theworldoferoticentertainment.Buthelikedtohearmystories,andsometimesIliked
tellingthem,althoughtruthfully,thewholethinghadbeguntoloseitsshine.

“Themoneyisgood,”Iagreed.“Andtheworkisn’ttoostrenuous,althoughIhave

tokeepinshape,ofcourse.”

“Yeah,yeah,”Ozzysaid,wavinghishand.Thiswasn’tthepartofthestoryheliked.

“What about the ladies throwing themselves at you? Nothing to complain about there,
right?”

The boy had no idea. There were plenty of women I wasn’t excited to swing my

junk around in front of. Still, the money made bitching difficult. And the boy liked the
fairytale.SoIplayedthepartheexpected.

“What’s there to complain about? Hot women paying me to seduce them with my

sweetdancemoves?”

OzzylaughedatthatlineandIjoinedhim.“Comeon,Colton.Youcouldhaveany

oneofthosewomen.Andthey’dprobablyfuckingpayyouforit.”

Inodded.“Yeah.Butnoteveryoneisasupermodel,youknow.”

Ozzyrolledhiseyes.“Still,theyfuckingwantyou.Enougheventopayforit.”

Thekidhadapoint.Ineededthemoney.Tipsatthebistropaidfortheday-to-day

expenses of living in the city, but they weren’t enough to cover this apartment, nor the
loansI’dtakenoutforculinaryschooltuition.Mynighttimegigsmorethanmadeupfor
thecostofthegymmembershipandtheridiculousoutfitsthejobrequired.

My dresser had a drawer devoted to banana hammocks. Not to mention the

breakaway pants, the cop costume, the doctor’s coat and bag, the fireman outfit and its
fake hose. You name a manly profession, and I’ll show you the see-through boxer brief
equivalentfrommyowncloset.

“Well,” I said, settling back and tucking my hand into my waistband. “There was

thisbachelorettepartylastmonth.”

“Ohman,”Ozzysaidwithbrighteyes.“Hereitcomes.”

“Thebridewascute.Latetwenties,blondhair.Nicerack.”Shehadbeencute.And

absolutelyshitfacedbythetimeIgotthere.Herbridesmaidshadtoholdherinherseatfor
mybumpandgrind.

“They were in this fancy penthouse apartment uptown. These girls didn’t bother

with dollar bills. It was fives, tens, and twenties all night.” I’d pulled down enough to
coveramonth’srentthatnight.Whichwasnice,sinceIonlytookenoughgigstocover
mymonthlyexpenses.Iwasn’tgreedyenoughtodoitmorethanthat.

“And?”Ozzyasked.Hecaredmoreaboutthegirlsthanthemoney.

“Andtheladieshadbeeneagerto…uhh…payforafewprivatedances.”

The matron of honor had cornered me as I was coming out of the bathroom and

pushedmebackin.She’dthenshovedahundred-dollarbilldownmyshortsandstarted
kissingmychest.

Theweddingringonherfingerwouldhaveboughtmyparent’sentirehouseupstate.

I’dtriedtofendheroff,butasecondbillhadfollowedthefirst.

Shewasattractiveinarich-girlkindofway,withplasticfeaturessimilartotherest

of her friends. When she’d dropped to her knees in front of me, I’d let it happen. She
wasn’tbadwithhermouth,andIhadtoadmittoenjoyingit,evenifit’dleftmefeeling
emptyinsideafter.

“I just bet they were.” Ozzy rested his head against the wall and closed his eyes,

probably imagining a bevy of beauties waiting for him to shake his package in their
direction.

Asagig,theworkwasn’thard,andyeah,ithaditsdefinitebenefits.ButI’dhave

takenaspotinthekitchenanyday,evenifthatmeantsharinganapartmentwithtwoother
disaffectedNewYorkerslikeOzzydid.

Itpaidthebillsanditgotmelaid.SometimesIenjoyedit.Sometimes,notsomuch.

Truthbetold,I’dtakeadatewiththegirlwho’drunintomewithoutanapologyovera
quickfuckwithanynumberofwomenI’dshookmydickfor.

“Well,” Ozzy said finally, standing up and heading toward the door. “If your gig

doesn’truntoolate,trytocomebythepartyanyway.”

“Will do,” I said, knowing I wouldn’t. I insisted on a hot shower after every gig,

then usually drank enough beers to pass out alone. Not exactly the glamorous nightlife
guyslikeOzzyimagined.

ThedoorshutbehindhimandIheadedtothefridge.I’dboughtfreshproduceanda

goodcutofmeattocookfordinnertonight,butsuddenly,Ididn’tfeelsohungry.Isettled
onanotherbeerinstead.

Chapter2

Addison

I’dbarelymadeitbacktomyapartmentbeforethetearsoffrustrationstartedtofall.

Sincefinishingmytimeatacollegeforperformingarts,I’dhadplentyofshittydays.But
todaymighthavetakenthecake.

Wipingmyeyesandrefusingtogiveintotheurgetowallowinself-pity,Igotangry

instead.IpulledoutmyphoneanddialedKayla,mybestfriend.Icouldn’tholdbackthe
rantIhadincheckanylonger.

“KaylaMcConnell,”sheanswered,soundingasprofessionalasever.I’dmetherin

schoolwhereshe’dbeenstudyingcostumedesign.Nowsheownedherownbusinessand
hadstartedworkingwithsomeofthebiggestnamesintheater.

“Gotaminute?”Iasked,bitingmylipandprayingshewasn’tbusywithaclient.

“Foryou?Always.”

Ismiled.IcouldcountonKaylatogivemethesupportIwaslackingfrommycastand
crew.“I’mbeginningtothinkI’minthewrongbusiness.”

“What happened now?” Kayla had been getting an earful about my struggles ever

sinceIjoinedDrew’sdancecompany.AlthoughI’dconsideredittheperfectcareermove
atthetime,sinceIhadn’tgottenanytractionwithanyothercompaniesinthecityandmy
youth was slipping through my fingers at an alarming rate, I now realized that maybe it
wasn’tsogreatafterall.

Inthedanceworld,likealmostanyotherperformance-basedprofession,youthwas

prized, and I’d come to ballet later than most. Although I’d always been interested in
dance, I hadn’t decided to pursue ballet because I wasn’t sure I was up to the intense
challengeofthedance.ButwhenI’dfinallydecidedtogiveitashot,I’dthrownmyself
wholeheartedlyintotraining.Althoughmostofthedancersinthecompanywereyounger
thanme,itdidn’tmeanIwasn’tjustasskilled,despitebeinglongerinthetooththenwas
typicallypreferred.

DrewDannonhadgivenmeashotwhennooneelsewould.He’dwelcomedmeasa

member of the company and had lavished attention on me since the start. But I was
beginningtorealizethatattentionwasadouble-edgedsword.

“Well,morningrehearsalswerearealmess.Theshowstartsinacoupleofdays,so

we’redoingrun-throughstomakesureeverythingisperfect.I’dbeenonmytoes,literally,
foraboutfivehourswhenDrewfinallycallsforabreak.”

Tough rehearsals always made me hungry because they were the equivalent of

hittingthegymforseveralhours.Butdancershavetobemeticulousabouttheirweight,
whichmeantIhadtomonitoreverymorselthatpassedmylips.I’dheadedtothecommon
area to grab the lunch I’d packed—a protein bar and some grapes—when two of my
fellowdancershadapproached.

“Then B-Squad informs me that my fouetté is the worst they’ve ever seen.” Lacie

andKatherineweremybiggestrivals,bothofwhomwantedtheleadpartDrewhadgiven
me.Becausetheyheldsecond-tierparts,inmymind(andtomybestfriend)Icalledthem
‘B-Squad.’Thatandbecausetheywerebothgiganticbitches.

“Laciemadesomejokeaboutmylegsresemblingtreetrunksandhalfthecastheard.

Icouldn’tstandbeingthereanymore,soIlefttogetsomeair.”ItwasacoldDecemberin
NewYork,andI’dbeenshiveringbeforeImadeitacoupleblocks,thesweatturningcold
onmybody.“Iduckedintoabistrotogetlunch,andthat’swhenshitgotweird.”

The host had been handsome, but I barely noticed since I was trapped in such a

negativeheadspace.Assoonasthewaitressapproached,I’dorderedaglassofredwine.
Alcohol was on Drew’s list of no-no’s, but I needed a way to relax quickly. I still had
severalhoursofrehearsalstogothatdayandtherewasnowayIwasgoingtodothem
wellifIwasstillpissedoffatmyfellowdancers.

“Letmeguess,youbrokeyourdietrestriction?”Kaylaknewmetoowell.

“Yeah.Iditchedthesaladandgotfriesinstead.”ThenIlaughed.“And,uh,maybea

coupleofglassesofwine.”

“Idon’tblameyou,”Kaylasaidafteralaugh.

“SoI’mdrinkingthesecondglasswhenIgetthistext.It’sfromDrew.”I’dalmost

droppedmyphonewhenIreadit.

If you can’t get your weight under control, you won’t keep the lead part. And two

glasses of wine means I’m making you stay after to practice the grand jeté for an extra
hour.

The text was from Drew. My head swiveled around, but I couldn’t see him

anywhere.HowhadthebastardfoundoutwhereIwas,letalonewhatIwaseating?

“Whatthefuck?”Kaylabreathed.“Isthatassholestalkingyou?”

Thescarythingwas,Ididn’tknow.“Ipaidandgotupfromthetable,tryingtofindoutif
hewasinthebistroormaybeoutside.I’dpulledupmyphonetoreplytohistextwhenI
waswalkingoutandranrightintooneofthebistroemployees.”

Iblushed,rememberingnowwhathadhappened.He’dbeensoattractive,evennice,

catchingmewhenIbarreledintohim.Insteadofapologizing,I’dbittenhisheadoffand
stalkedaway.MaybeIshouldjointheB-Squad.

“As I rushed back to the studio, I texted Drew to ask him where he was, but he

didn’t answer me. When I got back, he ignored me, ordering us back to work and then
drivingmehardfortherestofrehearsals.Andwheneveryoneleft,hemademedojetés
foranhour.”Grandjetéswerelikein-airsplits.Mythighswereburninglikecrazy.

“I’m sorry, darling. Why don’t you make an appointment with your masseuse for

tomorrownight?Getthosemusclesallrelaxedforopeningnight.”

Theideaofamassagesoundedheavenly,butitwasn’ttobe.“Actually,thatwasthe

oneotherfuckedupthingthathappenedtoday.”

Afterrehearsal,butbeforemy‘privatepractice,’Laciehadcomeuptometoinvite

metoapartythenextday.Oneofthecastmemberswasgettingmarriedandthegirlshad
decidedtothrowherabacheloretteparty.Itwastomorrownight.

I felt like I had to go. They’d already accused me of being stuck-up and thinking

myselfbetterthantherestofthecast.I’dgoneoutofmywaytoprovethemwrong,butB-
Squadwasn’tabouttoletitrestthateasily.

“I’ll make an appearance, nurse a drink so they don’t think I’m being antisocial,

then I’ll get the heck out of there in time to get some good rest before opening night.”
EvenasIsaidthewords,Iknewthatitwouldn’tgoaccordingtoplan.NotifLacieand
Katherinehadtheirway.

Ifeltarayofhope,suddenly,whenIthoughtaboutattendingthepartywithbackup.

“Kayla, can you come with me? If they saw me being friendly with another girl, they
mightlayoffthesnobshitwithme.Please?”

“I can’t, darling. I’m sorry. I’ve got to finish these costumes before the Christmas

Dayparade.I’muptomyneckinSantabeardsandsequins.IwouldifIcould,youknow
that.”

“IswearI’llspendallofmyfreetimehelpingyousewthosecostumesifyoucome

withmetomorrownight.”

Kaylalaughed.“Firstofall,youhavenofreetime.You’retheprimaballerinainthe

Nutcrackerduringtheholidayseason.Second,youknowyourstitchingisterrible.Ican’t
have Santa Claus’s pants falling down during the parade. Jolly Old Saint Nick exposing
himselftoacrowdofchildrenisnotexactlytheimpressionwe’reshootingfor.”

Shehadapointthere.Icoulddancemyassoff,butwhenitcametoartsandcrafts,I

couldbarelyhotglueapieceofpapertoanotherpieceofpaper.Isucked.

“Well,ifyouchangeyourmind,letmeknow.”

“Will do. And Addison, just remember, you earned your place. You’re a great

dancer.Theseotherbitchesarejustjealous.”

“ThanksKayla.Iloveyou.”

“Loveyoutoo,darling.”

Icouldalwayscountonmybestietomakemefeelbetter.Whiletheotherdancersin

the company try to tear me down, Kayla helps me build myself back up again. It was
muchneededinthehigh-stakesenvironmentofNYCdancecompanies.

Ifilledupthetubandlitsomecandles,hopingawarmcandlelitbathwouldhelpme

torelax,oratleastcausemythighstostopburning.AsIsunkbeneaththewater’ssurface,
I wondered again about Drew. Had he been following me? How else would he have
knownaboutmylunch?

Thethoughtwasunsettling,buttherewaslittleIcoulddoaboutitnow.Intwodays,

IdebutedastheleadballerinaintheNutcracker.IonlyprayedIcouldmakeitthroughthe
nextcoupleofdaysunscathed.

Chapter3

Colton

Themusicwasbumpinginthemainflooroftheclub,butwhenIenteredtheprivate

roomandclosedthedoorbehindme,thingsquieteddownenoughtohearthevoicesofthe
women I was meeting. There were two of them, young and petite, giggling behind their
handsasIgavethemanodingreeting.

TheshorteronewiththepixiecutintroducedherselfasLacie,thenlaunchedintoa

slewofrequests.ShethrustasmallSantahatandbeardinmydirection,informingmethe
performance tonight would be Christmas-themed. I’d already anticipated a possible
holidaythemeandhadpackedmyownSantahatandtightredthonginmybag.WhenI
triedtoputtheirSantahatonmyheadtocheckthefit,theladiesstartedlaughing.

“No,” the red-head named Katherine said, pointing a long-nailed finger at my

crotch.“Thehatgoesthere.”

“Gotcha,”Isaid,alreadyannoyedbutactingthepartofaprofessional.“WherecanI

get set up?” The room had a couple of couches, and a ring of folding chairs where
presumably the guests would sit. There was also a table that featured a cake and some
bottlesofliquorandmixers.

Lacie jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “There’s a bathroom back there. But

beforeyouchange,wewanttodiscussyourperformance.”

Hereitcomes,Ithought.Whatfiendishperversionsdothesetwolittleladieshavein

mind? Looking them up and down, I thought it wouldn’t be a hardship providing a few
“extraperks.”Theywereattractivegirlswithfitbodies,eveniftheywereyoungerthanI
preferred.

“Wewantfullnude,”Katherineblurtedout,thengiggledagain.

Lacienoddedherhead.“Fullnudelapdancesforalltheladies.”

Inodded.“Thatwilladd$250tothetab.Kissingandtouchingcostmorealso.”

Lacieshrugged.“Fine.We’realsowillingtoofferyoua$500bonusifyoucanget

oneofthepartygoerstoagreetoaprivateshow.”

Katherinelaughed.“Yeah.Withpenetration.”

I cocked an eyebrow at the girls. “Any of the partygoers, or a particular one?” I

thoughtforamomentthatthegirlsmighthaveagrudgeagainstthebrideandweretrying
tofuckupherwedding.Ifthatwasthecase,thebonuswasn’tworththeguilt.

“Aparticularone.We’llpointherout.”

“Okay.I’llconsiderit.”IrefusedtodoanythingIwasuncomfortablewith,soIwas

adoptingawait-and-seeattitude.

“One last thing.” Lacie picked up a roll of wrapping paper and some tape, then

passeditovertome.“Wrapyourpackage.Wewantthebridetounwrapyou.”

Itookwhatsheoffered,mentallycalculatingtheriskofthetapestickingtoanything

itshouldn’t.Ikepteverythingmanscaped,soIwasn’ttooworried,butastrayhairhereor
therecouldbemurderwhenincontactwithtape.

Thedooropened,andacoupleofwomenentered,talkingloudly,alreadyobviously

having sampled some drinks. Lacie went to meet them while Katherine pointed to the
bathroom. “Go get ready. We’ll come get you when it’s time. You’re supposed to be a
surprise,sostayoutofsight.”
I was used to those instructions, and they’d almost stopped bothering me. Almost. I
grabbedmythings,fumblingthepaperbutcatchingitbeforeitdropped,thenheadedfor
thebathroom.

Itdidn’ttaketoolongtogettheSantacapfastenedovermyjunk.Idecidedtoputon

theotherhatI’dbroughtaswellasthebeard.Thenitwastimetogetwrapping.I’dnever
considered the difficulty of wrapping myself up like a present. It was harder than it
looked,especiallybymyself.Finally,Isettledonjustwrappingitstraightaroundmyhips,
figuringtheeffectwasmoreimportantthanthedetailsoftheexecution.

Then I stood there for almost an hour, waiting for my performance. This was the

partofthegigthatalwayssucked.RightbehindthedoorIcouldheartheguestsarriving.
There was laughter and loud talking. I could imagine the drinks flowing and the
conversations.ButIwasstuckhere,bymyself,waitingtobeincludedwiththerestofthe
party.

Finally,Iheardmusicstarttoplay.ItwasatechnorenditionofJingleBells.Atleast

ithadabeat.Thedooropened,Katherinenotevenhavingbotheredtoknock.Shelooked
me up and down and licked her lips. There was a drunken sparkle in her eye. I knew I
couldgetherintobedtonight,ifIwassoinclined.

I headed out of the bathroom and scanned the party. I immediately determined

which one was the bride, thanks to the sash and crown of penises. Zeroing in on her, I
thrustmywayforward,swivelingmyhipstoattractthebride’sattention.

Shewasattractive,withlightbrownhairintwoshortbraids.Hereyeswereslightly

glassy,thedrinkinherhandalmostempty.Placingmyhandsbehindmyhead,Ipulsated
myabmuscles,andhermouthdroppedopen.Idefinitelyhadherattentionnow.

I straddled her leg and rippled my torso, flexing and tightening to accentuate my

musculature. “I’ve got a package for you,” I said, indicating the wrapping paper taped
aroundme.“Wanttounwrapme?”

“Hellyes!”thebridereplied,thenrippedthepaperoffinonehastymotion.Manyof

thewomeninthecircleofchairsscreamedindelightasthelittleSantahatwasexposed.It
was fastened around my junk by a thin piece of elastic around my hips, leaving my ass
exposed.

I felt another girl’s hand there, cupping my ass cheek, and pasted on a smile,

mentallymakinganotetochargethewomenextra.“It’swhatIalwayswanted!”thebride
cooed.Ismileddownather,andsherubbedherhandsupmytorsotomychest.Flexing
myhardmusclesunderherhandsmadehergigglefiendishly.

Pullingawayfromthebride,Ibeganworkingmywayaroundthecircle.Thewomen

werefeisty,remindingmeofsharkscirclingtheirprey.Theyweren’tshyaboutclutching
me,tryingtogetbeneathmySantahat,butIwasn’treadytorevealthatyet.Iskirtedaway
fromthemwhentheygottooclose,whichfinallyledmetoher.

I froze for a second when I saw her, sitting there looking a little lost. It was the

gorgeousgirlfromtherestaurantyesterdayafternoon,theonewho’dplowedthroughme
withoutabackwardglance.Imovedforward,switchingfromthegyratingI’dbeendoing
beforetosomethingslowerandmoreseductive.

I no longer cared about the thirsty bitches around us. The only two people who

existedweremeandthisvisionoflovelinesswhowouldn’tgivemethetimeofday.Her
eyesshotuptomeetmine,butIcouldtellshedidn’trecognizeme,theSantabeardand
hathidingmostofmyfeatures.

Thatsuitedmefine.Shedidn’tneedtoremembermydayjob.Itwastimetoenchant

her with what I could do when night came. I drew close, flashing my pearly whites.
Insteadofdrawingmecloser,whichwasthereactionIexpected,sheblushedandpulled
away.

Decidingtoturnthingsupanotch,Istartedgrindingonherlap,givingheralittle

flash of what was hidden behind the miniature Santa hat. I was proud of my body,
especiallymycock,andthoughtsofheralreadyhaditonthewaytoengorged.

I hoped for some kind of reaction, but not the one I got. A look of mortification

crossed her face, and instead of her eyes filling with desire, she shot me a heated glare.
Princessobviouslydidn’tlikewhatIhadtooffer.

Lacieappearedbehindherandstartedpointingattheangrygirl,thengivingmean

over-the-top wink. So this was the woman I was supposed to seduce, not the all-too-
willingbride.Interesting.

Well,Ididlikeachallenge,anditwasclearshewouldpresentone.Andtheextra

money would just be icing on the cake for getting to lay this beautiful piece of work. I
begantopiecethingstogetherinmyhead.ItlookedlikeLacieandKatherinehadaplotto
maketheuptightprincessloosenup,andIwasapparentlythevehiclethey’dchosen.

Her green eyes were intense, and not just because they were shooting hate rays in

mydirection.Herskinwasflawless,theredflushofembarrassmentsomehowservingto
makeherevenmoreadorable.Herbodywaslongandlean,withenoughcurvestomake
mestarttodrool.

Okay,Idecided.I’llacceptthatchallenge.TimetomakePrincesswantme.

AndafterI’dfuckedthestuck-upbitchwhohadn’tevenofferedmeanapologyafter

crashingintome,I’dbelaughingallthewaytothebank.

Chapter4

Addison

When the tacky techno Christmas music started blaring, I knew we were in for a

showandheldbackmyannoyance.Strippersofanysorthadalwaysseemedtolackclass
tome,andthemangyratingtowarduswasnoexception.

Still, I had to admit to myself that he was a sexy motherfucker. His body was the

hottest I’d seen, all muscles and tanned skin. His moves weren’t too bad either, and it
seemedlikehehadanaturalgracethatmostinhisprofessionwerelacking.Buthewas
stillahotmalewhoknewhowmuchfemaleswantedhim,andthatmeantheonlycared
abouthimself.

It wasn’t like I’d come across a ton of male strippers in my day, but in the last

coupleyears,severalofmyfriendshaddecidedtotakethemaritalplunge,andforsome
reason beyond me, male entertainment was becoming ubiquitous at bachelorette parties.
Thesedancerslikedtostruttheirstuffaroundaringofhungryfemales,gladlyaccepting
their dollar bills, but in the real world, guys that looked like him never got into serious
relationships.

After I’d finished school and had waded into the world of competing for attention

fromthecity’selitedancecompanies,I’dwantedtofindsomeonetosharemyhopesand
fears with. In a city full of men, you’d think finding one who wanted something more
meaningfulthanaquickfuckwouldbeeasy.

You’dbewrong.

I was tired of single life, tired of dating in the modern age where guys would

promiseanythingbutwereconstantlylookingforthenextconquestinanever-endingline
of pictures on whatever dating app they favored. Although I’d thrown myself into my
training,Iwaslikeanyotherred-bloodedfemalewhocravedexcitementandintimacy.

I’d quickly found that excitement was overrated. Guys who promised to text the

next day never did. So I stuck to practicing, becoming the best dancer I could be, and
givingupguyswholookedlikesexySantaClaushere.

He was giving it all he had, even flashing a glimpse of his package at me. I

swallowed hard. It was attractive, to say the least. It gave me wild thoughts of what I

could do to make it even bigger and harder, but I pushed those thoughts away, barely
restrainingmyselffrompushingthedancerawaywiththem.

Instead,Iglaredathim,hopinghe’dgetthepoint.Iwasn’tgoingtofallforanother

sleazyguywholookedlikeanangelbutbehavedmorelikelameassdevilwhowashot
enough to light a fire between the sheets but wasn’t interested in a heaven that lasted
longerthantwentyminutesofsweatandgrunting.

When he finally moved on, I thought I was off the hook, but it turns out I was

wrong.Overthenexthour,IrealizedsomethingmoresinisterwasafootthanI’dthought.
The stripper kept returning to me, trying to capture my attention, so much so that the
bride,whowaspracticallybeggingforit,wasalmostignored.

Hebroughtmeadrink,whichIdidnothingmorethansipfromonceandputdown,

andtriedtorubmyshoulderswhilerubbinghisbodyagainstmybackinawaythathad
me wanting more while simultaneously silently cursing him. But when he brought me
overahugepieceofcakeandtriedtofeedittome,Icaughtontothegame.

LacieandKatherinewereacrossfromme,whisperingbehindtheirhandsandegging

thestripperon,gigglingallthewhile.Thenitdawnedonme.They’dputhimuptothis.
Thestripperwasn’tallovermebecausehewasintome.HewasbeingpaidbyLacieand
Katherinetosabotageme.

The rules of the company were clear. Refrain from alcohol and refined sugars. No

getting drunk and making a fool of yourself in public. Sure, the other girls were busy
ignoringthoserulesrightnow,butIwastheprimaballerina.Icouldn’taffordtoflauntthe
rules in front of others, not when there were plenty of mouths eager to whisper into
Drew’searaboutmybadbehavior.

It was lonely at the top, especially when everyone else wanted to take your place

andwouldn’tblinktwicetostabyouinthebacktogetit.Igavemycongratulationstothe
bridejustasthestripperwasperforminghisgrandfinale,fullynudeexceptforthebeard.
Shebarelyheardme,noddingwhilehereyesweregluedtothestunningmale.Ikeptmy
gazeaverted,notwantingtogetdistractedbyhisperfectbody.

Then I walked out, cake uneaten and alcohol all but untouched. I was already

considering walking a few extra blocks to the next subway station in order to burn the
caloriesofthefrostingthatmighthavetouchedmylipswhenIwalkedoutofthecluband
ontothecoldcitystreet.

BeforeIcouldgetpasttheendofthebuilding,afamiliarfaceconfrontedme.What

thehellwasDrewdoinghere?

“About time you left that den of iniquity,” he growled. “I can’t even believe you

cameoutthenightbeforeyourdebutleadperformance.Youmustbesomekindofstupid,
allright.”

Thedirector’sfacewassour,hisbeadyeyesboringintomine.DrewDannonwasa

successful company producer and director. In his forties, he had some pull in the dance
world,one that hecould either usefor or against you.That made himsomeone I had to

keephappy,ifIwantedtokeepworking.

“I’msorry,Drew.IwasinvitedtoMarie’sbachelorettepartytonight,andtherestof

thecastweregoing,soIdidn’twanttoseemrude.I—”

“Idon’tgiveafuckwhattherestofthoselazybitchesdo,”hesaid,grabbingmeby

thewristtopullmetowardthealley.“They’renottheprimaballerina,arethey?Although,
ifyoukeepactinglikethis,oneofthemmightberealsoon.”

Hehemmedmeinatthemouthofthealley,positioningmebetweenthewallandthe

garbagecanssoIcouldn’tmoveineitherdirection.Iwasforcedtolistentohislecture.

“Yesterdayatlunchwasridiculousenough,”hesaid,andIsawlittlepiecesofspittle

flyingfromhislips.“Twofuckingglassesofwineandfrenchfries?Fuckingfrenchfries,
Addison?”

Ihungmyhead.Yeah,I’dfuckedup,butI’dworkedoutdoubletimelastnightto

makeupforit.“I’msorry.Itwon’thappenagain.”

“Oh,itwon’t?WasityouIjustsawintherelettingamanplyyouwithdrinksand

grindcakeintoyourface?Anditwasn’ttheonlythinghewasgrindingonyou.”

Myeyeswidened.Washebeingserious?“Ididn’teatthecake,andIonlytookasip

ofthedrinktobepolite.Andthatguywasamalestripper.Hewasgrindingoneveryone.”

“You seem to be obsessed with what everyone else is doing,” he snarled, getting

closer. “You forget that you’re the special one.” His hands were on my shoulders now,
makingmefeelallkindsofuncomfortable.“Atleast,untilIsayyou’renotspecial.”

“Drew,” I said, trying to pull away but failing. “I swear it was nothing. I’m going

homenowtoprepfortomorrow.IpromiseIwon’tletyoudown.”

“You promise, huh?” He was so close, I could see the yellow of his teeth in the

streetlights.Hisbroadnoseanddarkeyesgavehimaferallook,likeananimalcornering
itsnextmeal.ButtherewasnowayinhellIwasgoingtobeDrew’svictim.

“Letmego,”Isaid.“I’llrehearseforthenextthreehours.Justletmegohome.”

“Youknow,allofthoselittlebitcheswantyourpart.ButIchoseyou.Andyet,you

continuetodisappointme.”

Hisbreathwashotonmyface,andmyskinstartedtocrawl.Hecontinued.“Ihad

noideawhatadirtylittleslutyouwereuntilIsawyouwiththatstripper,lettinghimrub
himselfalloveryou,likingit,wantingmore.”

Ifeltcagedin,trapped,afraid.Drew’sbodywastouchingminenowandIhatedit.

Hewastallandthin,notatallwhatIlookedforinaman,andwaytoooldforme.Butit
looked as if the attention he paid me was moving beyond the director’s typical control
over his lead. This wasn’t about me eating right and training hard enough. This was
somethingmuchworse.

“You’re going to have to work extra hard to get back in my good graces,” he

whisperedintomyear.Ifelthislipsthere,andtheymademeshudder.

“Stop,” I said, starting to struggle. I wanted the lead part and would give almost

anythingtoclaimit,butnotthis.Iwasn’tabouttostartwhoringmyselfoutformyplace
intheproduction.NottoDrew.Nottoanybody.

“Lookslikeyoudon’twantthepartbadenough,”hesaid,notlettinggo.“Ithought

youwoulddoanythingtogetitandkeepit.”

“No!”

Chapter5

Colton

Thenightwaswrappingup,andIwasinthebathroom,gettingchanged.Thedoor

swung open and the bride tumbled in, eyeing my cock hungrily. She slurred something
aboutonelastflingbeforesettlingdownforeverandlungedforward,tryingtokissme.

Sloppydrunkbitcheshaveneverbeenmytaste,especiallyoneswhoareabouttoget

marriedtosomeoneelse.AskindlyasIcould,Iletherdowngently,remindingherofhow
much she loved her husband-to-be and how much he must love her. Finally she left,
smilingsweetly,andIbreathedasighofrelief.

Sure,Icouldhavefuckedanynumberofthewomenattonight’sparty,buttherewas

onlyoneIwasinterestedin,andshe’dleftbeforemyfinalnumber.ThatmeantIwasout
of a bonus I could have used, but that fact didn’t bother me as much as the missed
opportunityofgettingtoseduceagenuinelygorgeouswoman.

Outoftheladieswho’dsurroundedme,gropingandgrabbing,she’dbeentheonly

one to exhibit any true class. Of course, that made her seem stuck up or distance to her
colleagues, but to me it was like a ray of sunshine on a cold winter day. A woman who
wasn’t throwing herself at me just because I flashed my muscles, my big dick, and my
smile.

A woman like that was appealing not only for the challenge she represented, but

becauseshe’dmademefeelmorehumanandnotlikeapieceofmeatbeingparadedfor
theirpleasure.

Ifinishedchangingandheadedoutoftheroom,shovingmytipsintomybag.Lacie

andKatherinewerethere,hangingoffoneanotherandlaughingmaniacally.Iheldoutmy
hand for payment and Lacie counted out my fee, plus the extras she’d negotiated. All
exceptthebonusforbaggingthedark-hairedbeauty.

Sheshookanadditionalstackofhundredsinmyface,thenslurred,“Youcouldahad

thistoo,ifyou’ddonethejobwe’daskedyoutodo.”

Ishrugged.“Sorry.LookslikeIwasn’tuptothetask.”

Katherine eyed me up and down. “I dunno. You look up to it to me. How’s about

youcomehomewithus?”

Lacie giggled, sliding her hand around my waist and squeezing my ass along the

way.“Whaddayasay?We’remorefunthanthatoldstickinthemudanyway.”

If‘stickinthemud’meantthegirlwho’dgottenaway,Iwouldbeforcedtodisagree

withher.IthinkitwouldhavetakenatleastadozenofgirlslikeLacieandKatherineto
equaloneofher.

“Sorry,ladies,”Isaid,removingLacie’shand.“I’vegotanotherengagement.”

“Suityourself,”Katherinesneered.“You’renotthathotanyway.”

Iwalkedout,notbotheringtolookbackwhentheystartedtalkingabouthowthey’d

seen hotter men at the homeless shelter down the block. This wasn’t the first time I’d
gottenharassedafterrejectingaclient’sadvances.

Outside the club, I breathed in the cold December air. It always made me feel

slightlydirty,takingmoneytoshakemydickaround,butthefrozenairhelpedclearaway
someofthatnegativeenergy.MyphonebuzzedandIpulleditout.

ItwasatextfromOzzy.Thegirlsaregoingwild,bud.Hopeyoucanmakeitdown.

Ismiled.Ozzywasalwaystalkingupwhateverhappeninghewasapartof.Thekid,

likemosthisage,hadtheurgetomakehimselfseemcoolerthanhewas.I’dgivenupsuch
socialpressures.Onethingstrippingwilldoisputyouupagainstyourownshit.Iknew
whoIwas,wascomfortableinmyownskin.Ifsomeonedidn’tlikeit,fuckthem,notmy
problem.

Iconsidermyreply.Apartywouldhelpmetakemymindoffthings,andmaybeI’d

find someone to drive out the thoughts of the dark-haired beauty who’d rebuffed all my
advances.ButdidIreallyneedsomeno-nothingcoedpawingmedrunkenlytoboostmy
self-esteem?

Ishovedmyphonebackinmypocket,decidingnottoreplyyet.Headingtowardthe

platform,Iweighedtheprosandconsofmakinganappearanceattheparty.Upahead,I
couldseethehunched-overformofatallguyatthemouthofthealleyIwasapproaching.
I wondered for a moment if he was taking a piss, mentally girding myself to avoid his
steaming puddle if he was. But as I grew closer, I realized it was something more
disturbingthanthat.

“No!”avoicecried.Afemalevoice.Iputonaburstofspeed,readytolendahand

towhateverdamselwasindistress.

“Excuse me,” I said, hoping the situation could be diffused by words alone. “I

believeshesaid‘no.’”

The tall guy craned his neck around, giving me a once over. “Mind your own

business,”hesaid.

Iglancedoverhisshoulderandmyeyeswidened.Itwasthegorgeousgirlfromthe

gig,pressedupagainstthealleywall.

My body shot rigid as my anger rose. How dare this motherfucker mess with my

girl? Sure, she wasn’t exactly my girl, but in that moment, my temper couldn’t tell the
difference.“Buddy,”Isaidthroughgrittedteeth,“I’mgoingtogiveyouonemorechance
tobackaway.”

“Orwhat?”heasked,turningaroundtofaceme.“Yougonnabounceyourpackage

aroundinfrontofme.Sorry,bro,butIdon’thaveanydollarbills.”

So, he knows about my profession. That’s surprising. Still, I wasn’t one to back

down,especiallyfromanassholeattemptingtoassaulttheangelcoweringinthealley.

“That’s funny,” I muttered. “That would be the first time anyone ever paid me to

kicktheirassbefore.”

Idroppedmybagandbegancrackingmyknuckles,flexingmymusclesinawayI

figured he’d interpret as threatening. The tall guy’s eyes narrowed. “Look, this really is
noneofyourbusiness.Tellhimyou’refine,Addison.”

The dark-haired beauty stared at me with wide eyes, her lips quivering. It was

obviousshewasnowherenearfine.

“Why don’t you go home and cool off,” I said in a conversational tone. “You can

discusswhateveritisyou’reupsetaboutlater,whenyou’vehadtimetocalmdown.”

The tall man’s face turned red. Apparently, he wasn’t used to people telling him

whattodo.“Yougonnatakeaswingatme,stripperman?”

Ishookmyhead,althoughIwantednothingmorethantoknockthebastard’steeth

in for him. “I’m going to call the police and tell them you’re assaulting this nice young
lady.”Ireachedformyphoneandstartedtodial.

“Fuck this,” he said in disgust, heading back up the street toward the club. He

looked back over his shoulder at the girl. “You better not come to the show tomorrow
lookinglikeahaggardsow,oryouknowwhatwillhappen.”Thenhestalkedaway.

“Areyouokay?”Iasked,concerned.Icouldseethatshewasfightingbacktears.

“I…Ithinkso.”Sheranherhandsthroughherhair.“Thankyou.”

Inoddedinacknowledgment.“Whowasthatguy?”

Addisonsighed.“He’smydirector.

IthoughtI’dliketodirectmyfootuphisass.“Director?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I’m a dancer in the Nutcracker ballet. The Sugar Plum Fairy,

actually.He’stheproduceranddirector.Basically,he’sGod.”

Ifrowned.Thatassholecertainlydidn’tbearanyresemblancetoGodinmyopinion.

I saw that she was shaking, and I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or what had just
happened. “Hey,” I said, moving a step closer. “How about we get out of here? Share a
cab?”

Addisonlookedatmewithdistrustinhereyes.IrememberedthenthatI’dspentthe

betterpartofthenighttryingtogethertofuckme,andshe’dclearlyrecognizedme.“No
funnybusiness,Ipromise,”Isaid,holdingmyhandsup.“Justaridehome.”

After a moment, a long one in which I thought she’d rebuff me in this like

everythingelseshehadthatnight,sheagreed.Isteppedoutintothestreet,hailingacab
andthenopeningthedoorforher.SheclimbedinandItriednottoogleherperfectass.
ThenIslidinafterher.

We rode in silence for a moment. I wasn’t sure what to say. It was clear she had

somemajorissuesatherjob.Butcouldthepotthattookhisclothesoffformoneycallthe
kettlegettingsexuallyharassedbyherbossblack?

“Iknowtheyputyouuptohittingonmetonight,”shesaid,breakingthesilence.

Inodded.“TheyofferedmeabonusifIcouldgetyouto…”Fuckme.“…likeme.”

Addisonleanedherheadbackagainsttheseat.“Ofcoursetheydid.Andthedrink

andcaketoo.Let’snotforgetaboutthem.”

“Sorry,”Imumbled,feelinglikeaheel.“Icouldn’tresistwhentheyofferedmethe

bonus. Besides, I’d seen you on the street the day before. You were coming out of the
restaurantIworkin.Youranintomeandthentriedtoblameme.”

Hereyeswidened,thenshelookedaway.“Thatwasyou.I’msorry.Ihavealoton

mymindrightnow.”

Clearly.“Look,whatyourbossisdoing,itisn’tright.”

Addisonlookeddownatherhands.Theywereeleganthands,knottedinherlap.“I

know,butthere’snothingIcando.Theworldofdanceishighlycompetitive,andifIquit,
Idon’tknowifI’llevergetanothershot.”

I put two and two together, which took longer than it should have. “Those girls

tonight.They’reballerinastoo?”

Shenodded.“Everyonewantsmypart.Andthedirector’sbeenwatchingmelikea

hawk, dinging me for any little infraction. Breaking my diet. Drinking.” She eyed him.
“Fraternizingwithmen.Anythingthattakesmyfocusoffdancing.”

Ithoughtherdirectorwouldn’tmindalittlefraternizing,aslongasitwaswithhim.

Andtome,shehadthoseotherfemalesbeathandsdown.Noonecouldholdacandleto
Addison’sbeautyandpoise.

“HetextedmewhileIwasattherestaurant,”shemurmured.“Andthenfollowedme

heretonight.He’sbeenmorecontrollingthanusual.”

“Hesoundsmorelikeastalkerthanadirector.”Idugoutmycard,ignoringthefact

thatithadashotofmenudetothewaist,winkingandsmiling.“Ifhetriesanyofthatshit
again,callme,okay?”

She hesitated, then reluctantly took the card, shoving it into her pocket. As she

gazedoutthewindow,Icouldtellshewaslettingtheeventsofthenighttakeatollonher.

“Listen,” I said, “if you’ve got talent, no one can take your place. Not a bunch of

jealousbitches,notastalkerboss.”

“Thanks,”shesaid,hertonesarcastic.“Butyoudon’tunderstandwhatit’slike.IfI

goagainsthiswishes,Icouldneverworkinthistownagain.”

“Andifhiswishesincludemakingyouhisgirlfriend?”Ichosetheword‘girlfriend,’

butIthinkwebothunderstoodImeant‘whore.’

She didn’t answer, and it was a little like a punch to the guts. Still, how could I

judge,consideringhowImademyliving.

“I think you can do better,” I said softly. “You deserve a guy who will treat you

right.”

Thecabpulledupatthecurbandhereyesmetmine.“Youmeanlikeyou?”

I didn’t know how to respond, and it was clear she didn’t expect me to. Addison

openedthedoorandclimbedout,thenturnedaroundtotossatwenty-dollarbillontothe
seat behind her. I assumed it was for the fare, but she could have been making a darker
pointaboutmyprofession.

Igavethecabbiemyaddressandpickedupthetwenty,assumingI’dneverseethe

dark-haired beauty again. I probably didn’t deserve to anyway, after I’d been such an
assholeattheparty.

Still, I couldn’t say it made me any happier, knowing she was firmly out of my

league.Iwouldhavetreatedherbetterthanherfuckingbossorher“friends.”We’donly
madeitafewblockswhenItoldthedrivertochangehiscourse.

Fuckit,Iwasheadingtothecollegeparty.Whythehellnot?

Chapter6

Addison

Backstage, things were still in a frenzy of nervous energy. I was shaking and

sweating,havingjustpulledoffaflawlessperformanceforourfirstnight.Afewmembers
ofthecrewcongratulatedmeandIsmiledandthankedthem,butmostofthecaststaredat
mewithdeadeyes.

Theywerestillpissedabouttheparty,aboutmyfailuretoindulgeandtogetkicked

out of the part. I tried to brush the haters off, but it was hard when I walked into my
dressingroomtofindthewords“Addisonisafatoldcow”writteninredlipstickonmy
mirror.

Isighed,thennoticedthebouquetofbeautifulrosesinavaseonmyvanity.Ismiled,

lookingthemoverforacardbutnotfindingone.Ifrowned,wonderingwhosentthemto
me.

ThedressingroomdoorswungopenandIturned,abouttogetupsetatwhoeverhad

bargedinwithoutknocking.ItwasDrew,andhisfacewashardtoread.Idecidednotto
yellathim,insteadturningmybackandstartingtoremovethepinsfrommyhair.

“Notbadtonight,”hesaidfinally,histonebegrudging.“Youwereoffonafewof

yourmoves,andyourpirouetteisshit,asusual,butnoglaringmistakes.”

Ibeamed,figuringthiswashighpraisefromDrew.“Thankyou.”

He drew closer and I tried not to stiffen. Running a single finger along the line of

myshoulder,hemurmuredclosetomyear,“Doyouliketheflowers?”

Sotheywerefromhim.Thatwasunexpected.“They’reverybeautiful.”

When he planted a kiss on my shoulder, I turned away. “I need to change,” I said

lightly.“Wouldyoupleaseexcuseme?”

DrewcrossedhisarmsoverhischestandforamomentIthoughthewouldn’tleave.

Hisgazetraveledfromheadtotoe,makingmefeelsicktomystomach.“Youneedtotry
hardertoimpressme,”hesaid.“ThatpartisyoursonlyaslongasIthinkyou’reworthit.”

HeleftandIlockedthedoorbehindhim.AsquicklyasIcould,Ichangedclothes,

carefullyhangingupmycostumeforcleaningandclimbingintomystreetclotheswithout
takingashower.IknewDrewhadkeystoallthebackstageroomsandIwasn’tgoingto
chancehiswalkinginonmeintheshower.

Iknewsomeofthecastandcrewweregoingouttocelebratetonight,butIwouldn’t

bejoiningthem.Theleadpartwasthemostarduous,andI’dbarelygottenanysleepthe
nightbefore.Iwasheadedhometoahotbath,ahalfglassofwine,andthenasmuchsleep
asIcouldmanage.

Atthelastmoment,Idecidedtograbtheflowers,notwantingtoleavetheminmy

dressingroomforsomeonetofuckwith.AsquicklyasIcould,Iheadedoutthestagedoor
andjoggedtowardthelineofcabsonthestreet.I’djustopenedthedoortotheclosestone
whenafamiliarvoicerangout.

“I’mgladyougottheflowers,”hesaid.“Iwasworriedtheywouldn’tgettoyou.”

Iturned,aconfusedsmileonmyface,toseeColtonLoweheadingtowardme.At

least“ColtonLowe”wasthenameonthecardhe’dgivenmethenightbefore,butmaybe
itwasjusthisperformingname.

“Thesearefromyou?”

He nodded. “Got them at the florist around the corner. I told them to make them

befittingaSugarPlumFairy.”

I looked at the vase, noticing the fluffy pink ribbon and sprays of white flowers

amongtheroses,lookingalittlelikesnowdrops.“They’relovely.”

“Ihunteddownthestagemanagerbeforetheshowandtoldhimtomakesurethey

gottoyourdressingroom.Youwerephenomenaltonight,bytheway.”

“Yousawmyshow?”Ashockofwarmthranthroughme.

“Well,youdidseemine,”herepliedwithacharmingsmile.“Itonlyseemedfair.”

I laughed, then the cabbie leaned over the back seat. “Are you in or are you out,

lady?”

“I’vegottogo,”Isaidwithasheepishsmile.

“Split the fare?” he asked, gesturing toward the cab. My hesitation was much less

thanlastnight.

“Sure,”Isaid,thenclimbedin.Heslidinbesidemeandclosedthedoorbehindhim.

Aftergivingthecabbiedirections,Ileanedbackandsettledthevasebetweenmyknees.
“Youlikedtheshow?”

“It was great,” he said, sounding entirely genuine. “But you were by far the best

part.”

“Thanks,” I said, his praise soothing my jangled post-show nerves. “I hope the

criticsagree.”

“Iftheydon’t,they’reblindandstupid.”

Ichuckled,shakingmyhead.“Iwishmydirectorwasaseasytopleaseasyouare.”

“Ishestillgivingyoushit?”

Inodded.“Igotinatonoftroubleafterthepartyyesterday.Heharpedonmeallday

aboutthecakeandthealcohol.”Andthehandsomestripper,Ithoughtbutfailedtoadd.

“Sorryaboutthat,”hesaid,soundingcontrite.“IfIhadknown,Ineverwouldhave

singledyououtforspecialattention.”

Suddenly,theideaofspecialattentionfromColtonLowedidn’tsoundsobad.Inthe

close confines of the cab, his intensity was appealing. Colton was over six feet of
gorgeous muscles. And, having already seen him naked, I knew exactly what he was
packingunderthosetightjeansofhis.

Ipushedthenaughtythoughtsfrommymind,focusingontheconversation.“It’snot

yourfault.It’smycast.They’realwaystryingtogetmecaughtdoingsomethingwrong.
Someofthosegirlswoulddoanythingtostealmypart.”

“Ican’tbelievethatyourdirectorwouldgiveitawaytosomeoneelsewhodoesn’t

havehalfthetalentyoudo.”

Iwasbuoyedbyhiswords,butIfeltlikehedidn’tseethewholepicture.“Actually,

Drewistakingachanceonpickingmeforthelead.I’matleastfivepoundsheavierthan
theothergirls,andacoupleofyearsolder.He’sbasicallydoingmeafavor.”

“That’sbullshit.”Histonewasangry,surprisingme.“Youearnedyourfuckingspot,

anyonecanseethat.Andyou’replentythinandyoungenough.”

“Notcomparedtotheotherballerinas.”Ballerinaswhowouldstopatnothingtotake

my place. “They think the only way I got the part was by…well, I guess you could say
givingthedirectormyspecialattention.”

Coltongaveherawrysmile.“They’rejealous,cattybitches.Andtheyonlyaccuse

youofthatbecausethey’ddoitthemselves,inaheartbeat.”

Iconsideredhiswords.Hewashelpingmegetperspectiveonthesituation,making

mefeelbetteraboutmycircumstances.AfterthemoodDrewhadleftmein,Iappreciated
Colton’speptalkmorethanIcouldsay.

We pulled up on my street and I was sad to see that the ride was already over.

Reachingintomybag,Ipulledoutmywallet,grabbingatwentyandholdingitouttohim.

Hishandclosedovermine,crumblingthebill.“Keepit.Tonighttheride’sonme,

SugarPlumFairy.”

I smiled. “Thanks.” His hand on mine was doing strange things to my insides. I

suddenlyhadtheurgetoinvitehimup.ButIknewitwasn’tagoodidea.“I’ve…I’vegot
togonow.I’dinviteyouin,butIdon’tthinkit’sagoodideatogetinvolvedwithanyone
rightnow,especially…”

“Especiallyonewhotakeshisclothesoffformoney?”Hisexpressionwasneutral.

“Iwasn’tgoingtosaythat,”Isaid,eventhoughI’dbeenthinkingalongthoselines.

Coltonshrugged.“Well,inanyevent,Iwon’tbedoingsoforlong.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”

“Afterthisholidayseason,I’mhangingupmySantahatthong.Nomorestripping.”

Mymouthdroppedopeninsurprise.“Anyparticularreasonyou’regivingitup?”

Coltonlookedaway.“It’snotsomethingIintendedtodoforever.Thegigshelppay

thebills,butit’snotasmuchfunasitlooks.”

Inodded,somehowknowingwhathemeant.Heturnedbacktofacemeandhiseyes

burnedintominewithanintensitythatsentarushthroughme.

“Youhavemycard,”hesaidquietly.“AndyouknowwhereIwork.Givemeacall

sometime.”

I got out, giving him a wave as the cab pulled away from the curb. Carrying the

flowers up the stairs, I got a whiff of their fragrance. No wonder the card had been
missing. Drew had obviously tossed it out to claim the flowers as his own. I shook my
head,wonderingwhyIcontinuedtotakeordersfromsuchanasshole.

“BecauseIwanttostayprimaballerina,”Iremindedmyself.IfIwantedtokeepmy

career,Ihadtoputupwithhisbullshit.

SuddenlyColton’sprofessionandminedidn’tseemsodifferent.

Chapter7

Colton

IwasgatheringmysuppliesformynextgigwhenIheardaknockatthedoor.Itwas

Ozzy,andhewastothefridgeandpullingoutbeersbeforeIcouldshutthedoorbehind
him.

“Bro, you missed a raging party last weekend,” he said, taking a pull off his beer.

“Tonsofhotchicks.”

Ishrugged,notbotheringtotellhimthatI’dstoppedbythepartyaftermygig.My

interactionwithAddisonhadleftmefeelingoff-kilter,andIfiguredtheattentionofsome
prettywomenwouldsetmymindaright.Instead,I’dleftafterlessthanahalfanhour,not
evenbotheringtofindOzzy.

I hadn’t been able to stop thinking about Addison, and when coed after coed had

lineduptothrowthemselvesatme,I’dbecomeslightlydisgustedbythewholethingand
left. That night I’d dreamed about Addison. She’d been decked out in a pink tutu and
spinningacrossastageoffakesnowandcandycanes.

I’dhadthesamedreameverynightthisweek.ThatwasthemainreasonI’dgoneto

hershow,andthereasonI’dbeenwatchingmyphoneceaselesslyallweek,hopingfora
callfromher.Sofar,nothing.

“Didyoubaganiceone?Maybemorethanone?”

Ijoinedhimonthecouch,takingthebeerheofferedmeandkickingmyfeetupon

theendtable.“Notexactly.”

Ozzygroaned.“Lame,man.Whathappened?Weretheyalldogsorsomething?You

couldhavehadyourpickattheparty.”

“Notdogs,notexactly.”Heexplainedtheatmosphere,thepartyfullofbeautifulbut

brittlewomen,thegirlswho’dwantedtogetrevengeontheprimaballerinafornoreason
otherthanshewasbetterthanthem.

“Sodidyoufuckher?”heasked,halfwaythroughmystory.

I frowned. “No. No bonus for me.” I took a sip of beer but it tasted sour in my

mouth.“ButIdidfindheroutsideafter.Herbosshadcorneredher,wastryingtoputhis
handsonher.”Ifoundthatmyhandshadturnedthemselvesintofistswithoutmynoticing.

ItoldOzzyhowI’dcometoherrescue,howwe’dsharedacab,howI’dgonetothe

showthenextnightandcaughtherafterward.“She’sbeautifulandsupertalented.”And
shewouldn’tfuckingcallme,nomatterhowoftenIthoughtabouther.

“Soundslikeyou’reinlove,bro.”

I laughed, punching Ozzy’s shoulder, maybe just a smidgen harder than I should

have.“I’mnotinlove.”Notyet.“ButI’dlovetogettoknowherbetter.”

“Youtotallyhaveathingfortheballerinagirl,”hesaid,chuckling.“Ineverthought

I’dseethedaywhenColtonLowefallsforachick.”

Ishrugged.“She’sanicegirlinashittysituation.Addisondeservesbetterthanshe

has.”

Ozzylookedatmeclosely.“Shewon’tgiveyouthetimeofday,willshe?”

I laughed, wondering when my neighbor had become so perceptive. “She’s a

challenge.I’llleaveitatthat.”

ThatnightIhadthedreamagain.Thistime,Addisonhadfloatedoff-stage,coming

up the aisle toward me. As I’d looked, the theater seats had been replaced by pink and
white roses. The wings on Addison’s back were fluttering. Her dewy skin and natural
glowweremesmerizing.Shedrewclose.“Tasteme,”shewhispered.“I’msweet.”

I woke up in a sweat, my dick hard enough to hammer nails. Falling back against

mypillow,Iletoutatorturedgroan.IwantedAddisonmorethanI’deverwantedanother
woman,andthisweekI’dfoundmycockachingworsethanithadwhenIwasateenager.

Thenextdaywasaroughone.I’dgottenlittlesleep,andtheownerwaskeepingan

eye on me. She’d caught me sneaking into the kitchen to work with the chef, and when
she’dorderedmebacktothefrontoftherestaurant,I’daskedheragaintoletmetransfer
tothekitchen.

She’d patted my cheek and told me I was too pretty to be wasted where nobody

couldseeme.I’dgottenangry,throwingdownmytowelandconsideringwalkingouton
thespot.ButsinceI’ddecidedtoquitstrippingaftertheholidays,Ineededthisjobmore
thanever.Iwasstilldeterminedtofindmyselfajobcooking,butnowwasn’tthetimeto
jointheunemployed.ItwasChristmas,afterall.

OneofthewaitstaffwasheadingoutonbreaksoIvolunteeredtotakehertables.

Walkingoutintothediningroom,IfrozewhenIcaughtsightofthevisionofloveliness
who’daskedmetotasteherinmydreams.

Addisonwasn’talone.Shesatacrossfromayoungwomanwithlightbrownhaircut

inafashionableasymmetricalbobthatframedherdelicatefeatures.They’dbeenseatedin
mycoworker’ssection,whichmeanttheywerenowinmysection.

IwrackedmybrainforsomethingclevertosayasIapproached,butIwastongue-

tied.TheonlythingIcouldthinktosaywas,“CanIgetyouanything?”

Addison looked up, seeming to pierce my soul with her green eyes. They were

vaguelyfeline,exotic.“Colton?”

I smiled. “Sorry, I’m not on the menu, but I’ll talk to the chef and see what I can

do.”

Shelaughed,andsodidthewomanwithher.“Don’tbotherthechef.I’msureIcan’t

affordyou.”

Ihopedshewasn’tthinkingaboutmysidehustleagain.“ShouldItakethefactthat

you’reinmybistroasasign?”

“A sign that I’m hungry? Definitely. You’re close to the studio and I have a mild

addictiontoyourfries.”
I smiled, trying not to take what she said as another rejection. Addison introduced the
womanasKayla,herbestfriend.

KaylaaccusedAddisonofkeepingthebest-lookingwaiterinthecityasecret.“IfI’d

knownyouwerehere,I’dlovetheFrenchfriestoo.”

Ismiled,droppingawink.“Icanpromiseyoualifetimesupply,ifyoucangetyour

bestfriendtogooutonadatewithme.”

“Careful,”Kaylareplied.“HaveImentionedI’macarbaddict?”

Addison took a sip of water. “You can drop your bribe, Colton. I’ve got to head

homeafterthis.Ineedtorestupformynextperformance.”

Kayla rolled her eyes. “Girl, weren’t you just saying you needed someone to rub

yourachingmuscles?Coltonlookslikehehasstronghands.I’msurehe’dbemorethan
happyto—”

“Don’tstart,Kayla,”Addisonsaidthroughgrittedteeth,thensmiledsweetlyinmy

direction.“I’mhappytoseeyouagain,Colton,butyouknowme.Workcomesfirst.”

IopenedmymouthtorespondwhenIsawtheownerwavingmeover.Apologizing,

I left the table, hoping to God the kitchen was on fire, because nothing short of an
emergencywouldpullmeawayfromAddison.

“The sauce cook’s gone home sick, and Chef is already short-handed. Get in the

kitchenandshowmeyoucanliveuptoallthatbigtalkaboutyourskills.”

Myjawdropped.Ofcourse,Iwouldgetmybigshotnow.“Willdo,”Isaid,sighing.

“Just let me finish at that table.” Before she could respond, I was jogging back toward
Addisonandherfriend.

“I’vebeencalleduptothebigleagues,”ItoldthemwhenIreturned.“Gottalenda

handinthekitchen.”
ItooktheexpressiononAddison’sfacefordisappointment.“Aww,”Kaylasaid.“Things
werejustgettinginteresting.”

Iapologized,thenfastenedmygazeonAddison.“Ihopetoseeyouagainsoon.”

She blushed, and the sight filled my chest with an unknown emotion. Then I was

off,headedformydestinyinthekitchen.

Chapter8

Addison

“Girl,Idon’tknowwhatyouthinkyou’redoing,butyou’refuckingup.”

IcockedaneyebrowatKayla.“Andwhyisthat?”

ShegesturedtowardColton’sretreatingform.“Youbettergetonthat,orIwill.”

Ilaughed.“Isthatso?”

Kaylarestedherchininthepalmsofherhands.“He’sdreamy,”shesaid,following

himwithhereyes.

She could say that again. Colton was the hottest guy I’d ever seen. I would never

admit it, but he’d started starring in my fantasies. He’d tower over me with his naked,
muscledbodyandIwouldpullhimdown,kissinghimpassionatelyuntil…

“Iwanttoknowwhatyou’rethinkingabout,”Kaylasaidinasing-songvoice,and

mycheeksburnedwithembarrassment.

“He’sastripper,”Iblurtedout.

Kayla’s mouth dropped open. “Oh. My. GOD. He’s the stripper? The one those

bitchespaidtoseduceyou?TheonewhosavedyoufromDrewtheDickhead?”

Ifrownedathernicknameformyboss,eventhoughitwasabsolutelytrue.“Yeah.”

Kayla shook her head. “How have you not slept with him yet? He brought you flowers,
right?Andyouknowhe’shot,you’veseenhispackage.”

Itookanothersipofwater,fanningmyfacewithmyhand.“Ican’tdateastripper.”

“Whynot?He’snice.He’sobviouslyintoyou.Whynotgivehimashot?”

Could I? What she was saying was sounding more and more tempting. But the

stripper thing, it bothered me. The fact that he got naked for other women, it was
somethingthatIknewIwouldn’tbeabletogetpast.

“EvenifIcoulddatehim,Idon’thavetime.I’vegottoconcentrateonmycareer.”

Kaylaleanedback,pinningmewithanangrygaze.“Yousaythatallthetime,butI

thinkyou’rewrong.You’vegotastressfulcareer,andyouspendallyourtimeobsessing

about your looks, your age, your weight. Your perception of yourself is skewed. A nice
boylikeColtoncoulddowondersforyourself-esteem.Nottomentionknockingthedust
offyour—”

“Okay!”Isaid,almostchokingonmytongue.“Iappreciateyourpoint,but—”

“Seriously,Addy,”Kaylasaid,herfacesoftening.“Howlonghasitbeen?Yourlast

serious boyfriend was while you were still in school. I know you’ve dated a few guys
sincestartingatthecompany,buthowlonghasitbeensinceyougotlaid?”

Iheldmybreath,notwantingtoadmitthatshewasright.“I’vestillgotmyB.O.B.”

“It’snottherealthing,”shereminded.“Yourvibratordoesn’tcuddleyouafterwards.

Itdoesn’ttakeyoutodinnerandwatchshittyrom-comswithyouonthecouch.Evenif
you won’t admit to being sexually frustrated, which I know you totally are, you can
concedethatyouwishyouhadsomeonetospendtimewith.Andahunklikethatwould
bealotoffun.”

Iknewherwordsweretrue,butitdidn’tmatter.Ihadtheshowtoconcentrateon,

andmyownhang-ups.“Dropit,Kayla.It’snotgoingtohappen.”

Kaylaletoutahugesigh.“You’retheonlyonestandinginyourway.Iknowyou’re

nothappyinyourballetcompany,andIcantellyouwantsomeonetoshareyourlifewith.
Lietoyourselfallyouwant,butyoucan’tlietome.”

“Iloveballet,”Iinsisted.

“Butyouhateyourcompany.It’sfilledwithbackbitingbitchesandabosswho’sjust

waitingforyoutocavetohisnastyadvances.Hebelittlesyou,makesyoufeellessthan,
sohecanlordthepartoveryou.You’llonlybeabletotellhimnoforsolongbeforehe
makeshismove,andthenyou’llhavetomakeachoice.Fuckhimorlosethepart.”
I stared at her, hoping against hope that she was mistaken. “What choice have I got?” I
said at last. “I’m five years older than most of the other girls, and at least five pounds
heavier.IauditionedforsevenothercompaniesbeforeDrewhiredme.IfIquit,whereelse
willIgo?Andevenifanothercompanyhiresme,they’llnevergivemetheleadpart.”

Kayla shook her head. “You’re the only one who thinks that. You got your part

becauseyou’retalented,andDrewsawthatandthefactthatyouweredesperate.Heuses
yourdesperationagainstyou.Markmywords,thingswillcometoaheadsoon,andwhen
theydo,Ihopeyoukickhisass.”

“Iwon’tsleepwithhim,”Ivowed.

“Iknow.Youhaveintegrity.Ijustwishyouwouldn’twaituntilitgottothatpoint.”

Shestilldidn’tunderstand.Therewasn’tmuchofachoice.IfIstuckitout,Icould

hopethatDrewwouldrealizewhatanassetIwas.But,inthebackofmymind,Ihadto
admitthatherwordswereechoingmyownthoughts.

I picked up the check and we headed toward the host station. My head swiveled

around,hopingtocatchaglimpseofColton.Andforonce,myluckwasn’tabsoluteshit.
He was standing at the station, entering something into the tablet there. His face was a

scowl,andIwonderedwhathadhappened.

Whenheglancedupandsawusapproaching,hisexpressionchanged.Hefastened

onasmile,saying,“Helloagain,ladies.”

Ipassedhimthecheckwithmycreditcard.Coltonlookedatme,thenhandedthe

cardbackwithoutswipingit.“It’sonthehouse,ladies.”

Smiling,Iputthecardaway.“Thanks.”

“Mypleasure.”

ThemomentstretchedoutasIlookedintohislightblueeyes.IheardKaylacough

andlookedaway,embarrassed.

“Well,kiddos,I’vegottorun.Costumeemergency.IfIcan’tfinishthosetwelveelf

costumes before Sunday, they’ll be naked in the big parade. Who knows? Maybe it will
get bigger ratings. Anyway, I digress. You two should hook up. You’re perfect for each
other.”KaylawinkedinColton’sdirection.“Shetoldmeshelikeswhatyou’vegotunder
yourSantahat.”

I sputtered as my best friend walked out, waving at me over her shoulder. “You’ll

havetoforgivemyfriend.She’sgotacaseofthestupids.”
Coltonlaughed.“Ihearit’sgoingaroundthistimeofyear.Mustbetheweather.”

I smiled, suddenly nervous. It was time to go, but I couldn’t seem to pull myself

awayfromhim.“Mustbe.”

“Look,ifyou’renotdoinganythingrightnow,I’dlovetotakeyouout.Howabouta

cupofcoffeeandapieceofpie?Iknowthisdinerabouttwentyblocksfromhere.They
havethebestpecanpie.”

I swallowed. He was asking me out. For pie, no less. “I really shouldn’t,” I said,

pattingmytummy.“Mydirectorwouldn’tapprove.”

Colton frowned, then tapped his head with his index finger. “How about this? I’ll

orderthepieandwaftthesmelloverinyourdirection.Atleastyoucangetawhifftotide
youover.”

Ilaughed.“Thatsoundslikeborderlinecruelty.”

“Tell me about it. What kind of director doesn’t let his Sugar Plum Fairy eat

sweets?”

He had a point. And even if I didn’t eat the pie, it would be nice to spend a little

moretimewithColton.“Okay,”Isaid.“Let’sgrabthatcoffeeandhomemadepiesmell.”
“Great,”hesaid,pullingoffhishalfapronandtossingitonthehostplatform.“Let’sget
outofhere.”

HetookmyhandandIfeltasparkofelectricityflowingbetweenus.Ilethimlead

meoutthedoor,stoppingonlytograbhiscoat,andthenwewereoutonthewintrystreets
ofNewYorkCity.

Chapter9

Colton

WhenI’dheadedbackintothekitchen,myspiritshigh,IfrozewhenIsawthesous

chef at his position. I scratched my head. Walking up to the guy, I asked him if he was
goinghomesick.He’dshookhishead,sayinghefeltfine.

Theheadchefwasbusyexpediting,andIaskedifheneededahand.Helookedme

upanddown,thenfrowned.“Youcangettheseordersoutquicker.Youandyourfellow
serversseemcontenttoletthemgetcoldinthewindow.”

Ibackedaway,confused.Stickingmyheadintheowner’soffice,Iaskedherwhat

gives. She smiled sweetly at me, and then I realized something was all fucked up. The
ownerneversmiled.

“Thought I’d actually let you in the kitchen, huh?” She laughed hoarsely, taking a

drink of the cocktail that never left her side. The older woman ran a finger along the
expensivepearlsthathungaroundherwrinkledneck.“Whenwillyougetitthroughyour
thickbuthandsomeskullthatit’snevergoingtohappen?”

“Butwhywouldyoudothis,now?”Itmadenosense.

Her eyes glittered with an evil light. “I saw you chatting up that table of female

floozies.Can’thaveyoudistractedonthejob.”

Ifrowned.Thiswasn’tthefirsttimeI’dflirtedwithacustomer.Ididn’tunderstand

whyshe’dplayedsuchapitifuljokeonme.“They’refriendsofmine,”Isaid.

“Yeah,reallygoodfriends,I’msure.”Thenshepulledoutacardfromunderneath

theledgeronherdesk.“Friendsthatyoumadeatyoursecondjob?”

Itwasmybusinesscard.Wherethefuckhadtheoldbroadgottenthat?

“Look,kid,”shesaid,takingadrinkofhercocktail.“You’vegotaprettyface,that’s

whyIletyoustickaroundhere.Butifyoudon’tstoptalkingaboutworkinginthekitchen,
I’lldropyouinahotsecondandyoucanshowyourprivatepartsfulltime.”

My expression hardened. “Understood,” I said, turning on my heel and exiting the

backoftherestaurant.Istoppedatthehoststationandloggedintothetimelog.Clocking

out, I considered walking out the door and never looking back. This was a dead end,
anotherinalongline.Whybothertryinganymore?

ThenIcaughtsightofAddisoncomingtowardmeandsomeoftheshittinessIwas

feeling started to dissipate. When she agreed to coffee, I forgot all about the bitch of an
ownerandledherout,afraidthatifIdelayed,Addisonwouldbolt.

Weheadedtowardthediner,alightdustingofsnowflakesmakingtheworldalittle

more magical. I was on a date with the Sugar Plum Fairy. Magic had to be at play
somehow.

I’dgrabbedherhandintherestaurantandsofar,shehadn’tletgo.Ilikedthefeelof

herdelicatehandinmine.Anycontactwithherwasappreciated,buttherewassomething
sosimpleandsweetaboutholdinghands.SomethingI’dbeenmissinginmysinglelifeof
quickhookups.

When we reached the diner, I ordered two coffees and one slice of pie. Addison

frowned,butIpromisedtofeedhertinybitesthatwouldn’tadduptoenoughcaloriesto
outweighthewalkwe’djusttaken.Thatturnedherfrownupsidedown.

She rested her chin on her hands, elbows on the table, and looked out the frosted

window.“Pieceofpieforyourthoughts?”Isaid.

Addison graced me with a smile that went right through me, warming me up and

making me wish I could see that smile in the morning light, next to me in my bed after
spendingthenight.Onestepatatime,Ihadtoremindmyself.

“Justthinkingaboutwork,”shesaid.“I’vegotabusyweekofperformancesahead,

allthroughtherestofthemonth.It’shardwork,andstressful.It’sdifficulttorelax.”

I nodded. “I can imagine. You’ve got to do things that make you feel good, to

combatallthestress.”

Shelookedatme,andIrealizedsuddenlyhowmywordsmighthavesounded.“I’m

not saying, er…” I stammered. “I just meant, you know…” Thankfully the waitress
showedupatthatmoment,depositingthecoffeeandpie.

Addisonblewoverthetopofhercup,andmycockshotrockhardwhenshepursed

herlipstoblow.Iclosedmyeyesandcountedtoten.WhenIopenedthem,she’dpulled
thepecanpieovertohersideandwasdiggingintoit.

“Youpromisedtoshare,”Iremindedher,andsheindicatedmyfork,pointingatthe

pie.Ilaughed.AddisonwassointothepieIfeltabitjealous.Itwasashamethatshefelt
theneedtokeepherselfsothin,tostarveherself.Shehadlovelycurvesandcouldstandto
gainafewpounds.

Ijoinedherandwemadequickworkoftheslice.Addisonleanedback,lickingher

lips, and another jolt went through my dick. “Thanks,” she said, then wiped her mouth
withanapkin.“AlthoughI’llprobablybecursingyournameafterthesugarrushisgone.I
shouldn’thaveeatenthat.”

“Nonsense,”Ireplied.“Withasmanycaloriesasyoumustburninaday,youcould

probablyeatthewholedamnpieandnotgainapound.”
“Iwish,”shesaid.“IfIatethewholething,theNutcrackerPrincewouldn’thaveachance
ofliftingmeoverhishead.”

“Thenhe’sapussy,”Isaid,justasshewastakingasipofcoffee.

Shegasped,gurglinghercoffeeandendingupspittingitalloverherblouse.“Shit,”

shesaid,asheepishsmileonherface.“Youshouldn’thavemademelaughlikethat.Igot
coffee all over me.” Addison was blotting at her blouse but the silk was absorbing the
coffeeatanalarmingrate.

“Youneedtotreatthat,”Isaid.“Amixofvinegarandwatershoulddothetrick.”As

awaiter,I’dbecomefamiliarwithallmannerofstainremovingtreatments.“Myplaceisa
shortwalkfromhere.Whydon’tyoucomeoverandI’llgetthosestainsout.”

Addisoneyedmedistrustfully,soIputupmyhandsdefensively.“I’mnotgoingto

bite,”Isaid,eventhoughIwantedtonibbleatherlipsforhours.

“Okay,”shesaidfinally.“Thisblousewasagiftfrommygrandmother.I’dliketo

salvageit,ifIcan.”

I paid the tab and led her out into the streets once again. The flakes had become

biggerandfluffier,andtheairwascolder,nowthatthesunhadset.Itookherhandagain
toleadherforwardandshedidn’tpullaway.Thatmademesmile.

Ihustledusforward,makingshortworkoftheblocksandgettingbacktomyplace

inabouttenminutes.Iletherin,thenledheruptheseveralflightstomydoor.Hernose
wasadorablyredandherchecksflushed.Shelookedsolovely,mypulseratequickened.

Inside,Iflippedonthelights,thenheadedtomycloset.Pullingoutanoversizedt-

shirt,Itossedittoher.“Thebathroom’soverthere,”Isaid,pointingattheonlyopendoor.
“Changeintothatandwe’llgetyourblousecleanedup.

Whilesheduckedintothebathroom,Istartedkickingmydirtyclothesandclutter

outoftheway,wishingI’dtakenfifteenminutestocleanupthismorning.Whenshecame
out,Igotastrangefeelingatthesightofherinmyclothing.Shetossedherblousetome,
andIstretcheditoutonthecounter,dabbingatitwithamixtureofvinegarandwater.

OnceI’ddonemybusiness,Ihungtheblouseoverthebackofachairtoletitair

dry. Then I joined her on the couch, the only other piece of furniture besides my bed.
Addison is scanning the room, her expression slightly confused. “It’s not what I
expected,”shesaidquietly.

“Whatdoyoumean?”

Sheshruggedashoulder.“Idon’tknow.Itlooksso…normal.NotwhatI’dimagine

amalestripper’splacetolooklike.”

Ilaughed.“Yeah,Ihadthepoleremovedbecauseitwastakinguptoomuchspace.”

Addisonlaughed.“That’snotwhatImeant.It’sprettymodestisall.Ithoughtyou

madealotofmoneyfromstripping.”

“Soyoumovefrominsultingmyplacetoinsultingmyskills?”

Addisoncoveredhermouthtoblockthegiggles.“Ijustmean,Ithoughtyou’dlive

inapartypadorsomething.”

Ishook my head.“Nope. I onlywork a few gigsa month, justenough to help me

coverrentandexpenses.”

“Butwhy?”sheasked.“Ifyoucouldmakemoremoneythanyoucanwaitingtables,

whynotbookmoregigs?”

“Becausemydreamisn’ttobeamalestripper.It’stobeachef.AndI’mprettysure

workinginarestaurantgetsmeclosertothatgoalthandancingfortipsdoes.”

Addisonlookedatmewithinterestwrittenlargeonherface.“Achef,huh?”

Inodded.“Iwantmyownrestaurantoneday.Untilthen,mysidehustlemakesitso

Icanaffordtoliveinthisexpensivefuckingcityandpursuemydream.”

“Still,Icouldn’timaginedoingit,”shesaid.“Takingmyclothesoffforstrangers.It

seemsso…odd.”
Iranmyhandsthroughmyhair.“I’vealwaysbeenreallycomfortablewithmyownbody.
Iseethewaywomenlookatme.Andit’snotalwaystotallynude.Thewomenrequestit,
anditcostsextra.”

Shenodded.“Sowhatdoesyourgirlfriendthinkofyourjob?”

I found her question very revealing. It was a transparent attempt to determine if I

wasseeinganyone.ThatmeantIwasonestepclosertoclaimingAddisonformyown.“I
don’tknow,”Isaid,watchingherfacecarefully.“Idon’thaveone.”

I could see relief cover her face before she quickly hid it with a laugh. “Well, no

wonder.Youdon’tseemliketherelationshiptypeofguy.”

“You’vegotmeallwrong,”Isaid,shakingmyheadwithalaugh.“Unlikeyourself,

I’dverymuchliketobeinarelationship.”

“Unlikemyself?WhosaidIdidn’twantarelationship.”

Icockedaneyebrowather.“Youdid.‘Workcomesfirst,’remember?”

Addison fastened on a wry smile. “Yeah, well, if you think I’ve got you pegged

wrong,thenyou’reguiltyofthesamething.”

“Oh,Idon’tthinkso,”Isaidteasingly,slidingcloser.“That’swhyIhaven’tmadea

moveyet.”

“What do you mean?” Her voice was soft, but I could sense a little tenor of

anticipation.

“You’rekindofaprude,”Isaid,notmeaningwhatIwassaying.“Attheparty,Idid

mybesttoturnyouon.Nothingworked.”

Addisonrolledhereyes.“MaybeIjustwasn’tintoyou.”

“Is that so,” I said, drawing even closer. I bent to whisper in her ear. “If you’re not into

me,thenwhydoIseetinygoosebumpsalloveryourflawlessskin?”

HersharpintakeofbreathsaidIwasontherighttrack.“Whydon’tyouprovethatI

don’tturnyouon.Kissme.Ifyoufeelnothing,I’llbeabletotell.”

Addisongavemealookofdisbelief.“KissyoutoproveI’mnotattractedtoyou?

YoumustthinkI’mdumbasaboxofrocks.”Still,withouthesitation,sheleanedinand
pressedhersoftlipstomine.

Thecontactwasmomentary.Ileanedback,givingheraknowinglook.“Onelittle

kissdoesn’tproveanything.Otherthanmaybeyou’reaprude.”

Addisonsmiledandopenedhermouthtorespond.Beforeshecouldgetawordout,

Iseizedherlipsinasavagekiss,bentwhollyonturningheron.Itwasatake-no-prisoners
strategy,andIcouldonlyhopeitwouldn’tbackfire.

TheminuteIcapturedherlips,IknewIwaslost.

Chapter10

Addison

Holyshit,thismancankiss!

His lips were soft and muted pink, and what he did with his tongue…damn. I’ve

neverbeenkissedlikethat.Whenhefinallyletmecomeupforair,IwonderedifIcould
goanothersecondwithoutkissinghimagain.

Getaholdofyourself,Addison!Focus!Youshouldn’tbedoingthis.

“Hmmm,” he said, stroking my bottom lip with his thumb, his hand cupping my

cheek.“Areyousureyou’renotturnedon.Thatfeltlikemaybeyouwere.”

I tried to catch my breath and think of a smart retort. “Doubtful,” I managed to

chokeout.“Iwasjustbeingpolite.”

He gave a throaty chuckle, his hand slipping lower to touch my nipple, barely

brushing against it. “Really? Because it seems like these guys are hard. Do you usually
walkaroundwithhardnippleswhenyou’renotturnedon?”

God,everytimehetouchedmynipples,asparkofelectricityshotthroughme.Still,

Ihadtodenyit.Itwasthegamewewereplaying,agamethatwasarousingmemorethan
Iwouldeveradmit.

“It’scold,”Isaid,bitingmybottomlip.

Hedrewcloser,whispering“Bullshit,”againstmylipsbeforeclaimingthemagain.

Hishandsstrokedmybreaststhroughthet-shirtandIbarelyheldbackamoan.Hislips
movedlower,andhekissedhiswayalongthenecklineoftheshirt.

Fuckthis.Igrabbedthehemoftheshirtandpulleditovermyhead,exposingmy

lacybra.ColtonstartedlickingmynipplesthroughthebraandIgaveupresisting,leaning
backandenjoyingthesensationofhiswarmmouthonmysensitivelittlepoints.

Hisarmswentaroundmybackandunfastenedmybra,thenhismouthreturned,his

tonguetracingoverthedelicatefleshthere.God,itfeltgood.

“I’vedreamedoftastingyoueverynightthisweek,”hemurmured,kissinghisway

lower.“I’vegotto,orI’llgocrazy.”

Heunbuttonedmyjeansandpushedthemdown,andIdidnothingtostophim.My

heartratespedup,andIrealizedIwantedhimtotastememorethanI’dwantedanything
for a long time. His breath was warm against my lacy panties, and I wondered if he’d
noticethespotofwetnessthathadalreadysoakedintothem.

Slowly,soslowly,heloweredmypantiesuntilIwishedhewouldripthemoffme.

Then,hiseyesonmine,heloweredhisheadtomypussyandkissedme.

He opened me to his gaze and his eyes felt hot on my most private of places.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said, then set about licking me into a frenzy. I couldn’t get
enoughofhistongue.ItwastalentedinawayI’dneverexperienced.

Myhandsonhishead,Iwasmoaningmyencouragement,strivingforareleasethat

wasbarrelingdownonme.“Pleasedon’tstop,”Icriedout,andthenhesuckedonmyclit,
slidingtwofingersinsideme.Istartedtoclimax,unabletohelpmyself.

Mylegswereshakingaswavesofpleasurewashedoverme.Hecontinuedtotaste

me,seemingtosavorme.“Thatwasperfect,”hewhisperedafterafewmoments.

I was panting, naked, exposed to his gaze. His eyes were hungry, roving over my

body.Hestood,removinghisclothessoquicklyandwithnoneoftheartfulnessI’dseen
duringhisperformance.Thiswasseriousbusiness,andhishoodedlookmademeshiver.

“Iwantyou,”hesaid.“Allofyou.”Takingmyhands,hepulledmeupandledmeto

his bed. Settling me underneath him, he reached for a condom in the drawer of his
nightstand.

Colton stroked my face, and I reveled in the feel of his hard body pressed against

me,hiswarmskinsurprisinglysoft.Hishandslidbetweenmylegstostrokemyslit,one
fingerpushinginsidetostarttheprocessofdrivingmecrazyalloveragain.

My legs fell open and my head fell back. I was completely open to his touch. He

strokedme,lavishedmybodywithattention,makingmefeelcherishedinawaythatwas
completely unexpected. At last, when I couldn’t stand it anymore, he positioned himself
betweenmythighs.

Icouldfeelhishardcockrubbingmethere,seekingentry.Iknewhowhugehewas,

having seen his package during his performance. It would be a very tight fit, but one I
wantedmorethananything.

Colton groaned as he eased inside me. My legs were shaking by the time he was

fullyburied.“God,nothinghaseverfeltthisgood,”hesaid,bitinghislip.

I loved having this effect on him. His words were turning me on as much as his

bodygrindingagainstmine.HethrustinharderandIcriedout,wrappingmylegsaround
hiswaist.HethrustagainandIclutchedhisshoulders,startingtodigmynailsin.

Colton picked up the pace and I thought I might pass out from pleasure. He was

hittingthespotinsidemethatmademeshakewithlust.Thewayhemovedagainstme,he
managed to not only tickle the spot deep inside me, but to create enough sensation to
stimulatemyclit.Inmoments,Icouldfeelanotherclimaxabouttodescend.

Then he stopped. My eyes flew open to see his smiling face. “Tell me you’re not

turnedonnow,SugarPlumFairy.Tellmeyouwantthis,andI’llstartagain.”

Goddammit,nofair!Ipulledhisheaddowntokisshimbuthepulledaway.

“Oh,noyoudon’t.TellmeyouwantmetofuckyouthatIturnyouon.”

“You turn me on,” I mumbled, then lifted my hips to his, making him suck in his

breath.

“Naughtygirl,”hegrowled.Hethrustonce,makingmemoan.“Sayit.”

Myheadthrashedagainstthepillowashethrustagain,thenstopped.Thrust.Stop.

Thrust.Stop.

Iwasgoingtogoinsanefromlust.Histeasingwasdrivingmetotheedge.Finally,I

couldn’ttakeitanymore.

“Fuckme,Colton!”

He smiled, then drove in deep, setting a brutal pace that had me climaxing almost

immediately.Myinnermusclesweresqueezingaroundhimsotight,hewasgroaningas
heslammedintome.“Can’tholdback,”hegrunted,thencamewhileclutchingmetight.

Afterwards,restinginthecrookofhisarm,Icouldfeelsleepbeckoningme.Ihadn’t

felt this relaxed in ages, this content. There was something about Colton, something
beyond the amazing sex we’d just had, that made me feel special. Made me feel like I
wasn’ttheperpetualfuckupIconsideredmyselftobe.

Butitwaslate,toolate,andIhadmultipleperformancestomorrow.Icouldn’tafford

tostayheresnuggledupwithColton,nomatterhowmuchIwantedto.

And, in fact, I shouldn’t want to. Not only was he right, work came first, but our

timetogethertonighthadn’tchangedthefactthathewasstillamalestripper.

Idraggedmyselfoutofhisarmsandmademywaytothebathroom.ThenIpicked

mywayaroundtheroom,gatheringmyclothingandputtingiton.

“Leavingsosoon?”heasked,disappointmentobviousinhistone.

“Ihaveto,”Isaid.“I’vegottoworkalldaytomorrow.”

Herose,pullingonhisownclothesandwalkingmedowntofetchacab.“Ireally

enjoyed getting to know you tonight,” he said quietly as they waited for the cab to pull
over.“WhencanIseeyouagain?”

Ifrowned.I’dreallywantedthistojustbeaboutthesex,butitwascleartherewas

somethingmoreatworkhere.Woulditbeeasiesttoripthebandageoffnow,tellhimthere
wasnofutureforusandthatweprobablywouldn’tseeeachotheragain?

Forsomereason,thewordswouldn’tcomeoutofmymouth.“I’mnotsure,”Isaid

instead,lamely.“I’llcallyou.”

He gave me a gentle kiss on the forehead and tucked me into a cab. I waved as it

pulledawayfromthecurb.AsIrodealong,Istaredoutthewindowatthebluroflights,

wonderingwhenthewavesofregretwouldpullmeunder.

I couldn’t regret the pleasure I’d felt. It had been far too long since I’d used my

body in that way. But then again, maybe I’d never used it like that. Colton was very
skilled,andhe’dbroughtmetonewheights.

Still,thatskillwaslikelybornoutofpractice.Hewasamanwhotookhisclothes

offforhornywomen.Despitehisdreamsofowningarestaurant,therealitywas,heshook
hisjunkatladieswhothrewthemselvesathim,andhewasn’tabovemakingalittleextra
moneytodomore.

Icouldn’tlivewiththat.Notwiththethoughtofhimoutexposinghimself,ofhim

maybesleepingwithanotherwomantomakeafewextrabucks.Thatwasn’tthetypeof
relationshipI’dbecomfortablein.

The realization that we were doomed, although one I’d come to before, was a sad

one.IlikedColton,morethanIwantedtoadmit.Butthecardswerestackedagainstus.

Andbycards,Imeantoneswithhisphonenumberandhisnakedtorsoandcheeky

grin.

Chapter11

Colton

The smell of her hair was still on my pillow when I woke up the next morning. I

couldn’tgetAddisonoutofmythoughts,sotohavehersmellstillsurroundingmetook
things to another level. I idly wondered if I could get away with not showering, just to
baskinthescentofherskinagainstminealittlelonger.

The memory of us together last night played on a loop in my brain. The taste of

Addison,thewayshefeltinmyarms.Sinkingintoherhadbeenlikefindingheaven.I’d
neverwantedtoleave.

My cock was rock hard and I didn’t mind the throb. Even it reminded me of her.

Fuckingherhadbeensophenomenal,Ifeltlike“fucking”wasn’ttherightwordforit.It
wasamixtureof“transcendence”and“ecstasy,”withjustapinchof“dirtyfun.”

Addisonwasn’tlikeotherwomen,especiallytheladieswhothrewthemselvesatme

duringmygigs.Shewaselegant,refined,butwithawickedwitthatkeptmeonmytoes.
When it had come time for seduction, she’d met me measure for measure. And that
thoughtjustmademydickthrobharder.

Ipaddedtotheshower,turningonthehotwaterandwaitingforittoworkitsway

through the building’s old pipes. As steam filled the room, I considered how to move
forward.Ireallylikedthisgirl.MorethanI’dlikedanyoneinalongtime.Shewasinher
ownclass,headandshouldersabovetherest.

Butshewasalsoconcernedaboutmyprofession.Icouldn’tblameher.Ifthetables

wereturned,I’dbeburningwithjealousy,knowingaroomfullofhornymenwereogling
hernakedbody.Fuckthat.Won’thappen.SohowcouldIexpecthernottofeelthesame
way?

Thehotwaterhelpedclearmyhead.Imulledovermypredicament.Atthemoment,

the career I wanted was out of reach and the jobs I had were less than satisfactory. One
was a consolation prize for not being a chef, and the other was actively standing in the
wayoftheonlyrelationshipI’dwantedinages.Somethinghadtochange.

I jumped out of the shower with a renewed sense of purpose. I’d been floating

along,contenttowaitinthewingsattherestaurantwhileusingmyphysicalattributesto

makeenoughmoneyformetowaitandsee.Butthattimewasovernow.Ihadtogoafter
whatIwanted.

That meant Addison, definitely. Which in turn meant I couldn’t continue stripping

on the side. But Addison wasn’t the only thing I wanted. I’d come to the city with a
dream,andithadbeenputonholdforlongenough.

If the bistro’s owner wouldn’t give me a chance in the kitchen, then I’d walk. I’d

findsomewhereelsethatwouldgivemeashot.Itwasabigrisktotake,givingupboth
jobsinasingleday,butsomethingaboutbeingwithAddisonmademebold.

She’dworkedherassofftogettowhereshewas,andeverydayshetriedashardas

shecouldtoachievehergoals.Ifshecoulddoit,thensocouldI.Addisonwasn’tjustthe
girlIwanted,shewasaninspiration.

Iheadedintowork,determinedtohavemysaywiththeowner.Iwouldn’tbeputoff

anylonger,andIwouldn’tbethebuttofherridiculoussoul-crushingjokeseither.Ifound
her in her office, cocktail in hand even though it wasn’t even noon yet. She eyed me
suspiciously,butIcouldseethecornersofhermouthwantingtoturnup.Theownerwas
stilllaughingabouthergagfromyesterday.

“You’relookingquitechipperthismorning,”shesaidaroundasipofherdrink.“I

wouldhavethoughtwavingyourjunkatflooziesallnightwouldmakeyoutired.”

“I’vegotmoreenergythanyouthink,”Ireplied,refusingtotakethebait.“Andyou

shouldreallystopunderestimatingme.”

The old woman leaned back, taking me in from head to toe, then sighed. “You’ve

obviouslygotabeeinyourbonnetthismorning.”Shegesturedatthestoolinfrontofher.
“Takeaseat.”

Istraddledthestoolandtookadeepbreath.Iknewtheoldbroadwouldbeahard-

corenegotiator.Ihadtosticktomygunsandbereadytowalkoutif(when)thingsdidn’t
gomyway.

Theownersetdownherdrinkandputherhandsonherknees.“Letmeguess,the

word‘kitchen’isabouttocomeoutofyourmouth,lessthan24hoursafterIwarnedyou
againstit.”

Shewasn’twrong,buttherehadtobeawaytobringherovertomyside.I’dhad

grandmothers eating out of the palm of my hand during a gig, so this hard-bitten
Mahattanite wasn’t impossible. I wasn’t going to seduce her, but maybe I could find
anotherappealthatmightwork.

“Yousayyouwantmyprettyfaceondisplayinyourrestaurant.”

Shenodded,raisinganeyebrow.“That’sright.Hot,charmingwaitersgetcustomers

tolinger,orderingmore,andmakingmemoremoney.”

“That’s just the thing,” I said, leaning in. “My face makes you money, but my

body’sbeenmakingmemoney.”

Shesnorted,crossingherarmsoverherchest.“I’lljustbetitdoes.Butifyoumean

toconvincemetoturnthisplaceintoastripclub,you’regoingtohavetotryharderthan
that.”

Ismiled.“Notatall.I’msimplysaying,I’mmorethanaprettyface.Givemybody

a chance to earn you some money. I’ve got skills that extend beyond remembering six
separateorders.Beyondripplingmyabmusclestomakeladiesdrool.Icanfuckingcook,
andifyougivemeashot,I’llmakeyoumoremoneyinthekitchenthanIevermadeyou
asaserver.”

The owner stared at me, mulling over my words. Then she shook her head. “I’ll

giveyouonething,kid.Youdon’tquit.Ithoughtforsureyou’dslinkoutfrontwithyour
tailbetweenyourlegsandstaythereafterwhatIsaidtoyouyesterday,buthereyouare,
directlydisobeyingme.”

Ishrugged.“I’mtiredofbeingpatient.Ithasn’tgottenmeanythingbutanightjob

that makes me sore in strange places.” She laughed at that line, but I continued. “I’m a
trainedchef,andIknowyourmenuinsideandout.Givemeashot,justoneweek,andI’ll
provetoyouthatIcanbeagreaterassettoyoubackwherenoonecanseemyface.”

“Okay,”shesaidfinally,throwingherhandsup.“Youwin.You’vegotyourweek.

TellChefIwantyouonashisassistant.I’mgoingtomakesurehegoeshardonyou,so
be prepared to work. And if you don’t prove yourself in those seven days, you’re never
goingtomentionthekitchenagain.”

Ismiled,jumpingupandkissingtheoldbroadonherpaperycheek.“Thankyou!I

promiseIwon’tdisappointyou.”

“Youbetternot,”shesaid,finallycrackingasmile,“oryou’llhavetodomorethan

givemeaprivatedancetogetyourwaiterjobback.”

Ilaughed,knowingshewasn’tserious,butIshookmyassatherasImademyway

out into the kitchen all the same. The rest of the day I worked my hardest, managing to
impresstheheadchefbythetimethelunchrushwasover.

Atlonglast,IwasdoingwhatI’dalwayswantedtodo.Itfeltfantastic.NowIjust

neededsomeonetoshareitwith.IwishedIcouldcallAddison,butIrememberedshewas
dancingtonight.Nottomentionshe’dnevergivenmeherphonenumber.

MaybeIshouldstopbyafterwork,trytocatchtheendofhershow.Maybeeven

takeherouttocelebrate.NowthatIcouldgiveupmysidegig,Ihopedshewouldgiveme
a shot. I felt on top of the world, confident in my ability to romance my way into
Addison’sheart.Shit,I’dgottentheoldbroadtogivemeashotinthekitchenafterthree
yearsoftellingmeno.

Addisonwon’tbeabletoresistmenow.

Chapter12

Addison

Itwastheweekend,meaningwehadmatineeshowsthisafternoonasChristmaswas

right around the corner. I came to the theater early, hoping to warm up on the bar for a
while before practicing a particularly difficult sequence. Although I’d headed home last
night with a negative outlook on things, I’d woken up this morning with a different
perspective.

I’dsleptwithColton.Ithadbeenearthshattering,tosaytheleast,andIhadn’tbeen

able to stop thinking about it. I felt more relaxed today, more limber. The release he’d
provided,well,actuallytworeleases,hadallowedmetoletgoofsomeofthetensionI’d
beenholdingforages.Andthatwasn’ttheonlythingIcouldthankhimfor.

Headingbehindthestagetoputawaymybag,Iwassurprisedtofindmydressing

room door cracked open. I heard noises behind the door, and they drove all thoughts of
Coltonandourmagicalnighttogetheroutofmymind.

I pushed the door open, shocked to discover that my dressing room was already

occupied.AndbythetwopeopleIwantedtoseeleastintheworldrightnow.Especially
consideringwhattheyweredoing.

Drew was standing facing the door with his eyes closed. On her knees in front of

himwasLacie.Therewasnomistakingwhatshewasdoing.Hishandswereonherhead,
guidingherpaceasshesuckedhimoff.

I tried to step out of the room quietly, but as I was backing up, I rattled the door.

Drew’s eyes shot open, and they fastened on me, making me feel sick. Lacie turned
around,aredflushofembarrassmentcoveringherface.

“Getout,”thedancersaid,thenwipedhermouth.

Istartedtoturn,butDrew’svoicemademefreeze.“Stop.”Hezippeduphispants,

thenleaneddowntopullLacietoherfeet.“Gopractice,”hesaid,aiminghertowardthe
doorandslappingherasstogetherstarted.“IneedtotalktoAddison.”

Lacielookedathimlikehewascrazy,butshedidasshewastold.IwishedIcould

followheroutbutDrewwasalreadygrabbingmyarm,pullingmeintothedressingroom

andclosingthedoorbehindhim.

IfiguredhewasgoingtomakemeswearnottotellanyonewhatI’dseen.Hedidn’t

need to worry, I never wanted to think about the scene before me ever again. Then I
realizedthatifhewasconcernedaboutwordgettingout,maybeIcouldusethatfearas
leverageandgethimtobackoffalittle.

BoywasIwrong.

Drewstoodwithhishandsonhiships.“You’vejustbeenreplaced.”

Myjawdroppedathiswords.“Ibegyourpardon?”

Heindicatedaboxofmythings,sittingonthevanity.“Laciepackedyourshitup

foryou.Youcantakeitandgo.”

“Youreplacedme.WithLacie?”

Henodded.Icouldn’tbelieveit.“Becauseshe’sblowingyou?”

Hissmilewassinister.“Sheknowshowtogetahead.”

Suddenly I couldn’t stand the bullshit anymore. “You know what, that’s fine.” I

walkedovertopickupthebox,butbeforeIcould,hegrabbedmyarm.

“I’vegivenyoucountlesschances.Itoldyouwhatthisjobtakes.You’vegottolose

weight,layoffthepartying.Andinsteadyou’vefloutedeverysinglerule.”

“That’s bullshit,” I shouted. “I’ve lost three pounds in the last two weeks. That

means I’m ten pounds under my healthy weight. I’ve been dancing better than ever and
youknowit.AndIhaven’tbeenpartying,I’vebeenpracticingmyassoff.”
“I’veseenyouwithhim,”hesnarled,gettinginmyface.“Thatfuckingmanwhoreyou’re
so eager to spread your legs for. You should have known where your fucking loyalties
shouldlay,andnotwithsomestripperwhocan’tdoshitforyou.”

Drew’sfacewasamaskofanger.“Imadeyouthegoddamnprimaballerina,gave

youthebiggestpartinmyproduction.Andhowdoyourepayme?”

“BybeingthebestdancerIcanbe!”

“Bywhoringyourselfoutbehindmyback!”

Ishookmyhead.“Idon’tbelongtoyou.Youaren’tmyowner.Icandatewhomever

Iwant.”

“That’swhereyou’rewrong,”hesaid,tighteninghisgriponmyarmuntilitbecame

painful. “If you work for me, I do own you.” Then he lunged forward and pressed his
mouthagainstmine.

Iturnedmyheadaway,disgusted,sohepushedmebackagainstthewallandputhis

hand on my breast, squeezing cruelly. “I own you, and if you want to keep your part,
you’llstartshowingmesomegoddamnappreciation.”

I struggled in his grip, flailing my arms and catching him on the side of his face.

“Letgoofme!Idon’twantyourfuckingpart,notifitmeansyougettotouchme.You

disgustme.”

Herecoiledasifslapped.“IknewI’dfuckedupwhenIhiredyou.You’retooold

andtoofuckingfattobeinmycompany.”Drewmovedback.“Getyourthingsandgetthe
fuckout.”

I glared at him, retrieving my box and leaving the dressing room without a

backwardsglance.AsIstompedfrombackstage,IsawLaciesittinginoneofthetheater
seats.ShegavemeaslowclapasIclimbeddownfromthestageandstarteduptheaisle.
“Goodbye,loser,”shecalled.

“Enjoyyourpart,”Ireplied.“Iknowyouhadtogivetheperformanceofyourlifeto

earnit,andIdon’tmeanonstage.”ThenIleft.

The cab ride home was agony. I couldn’t help thinking that I’d somehow screwed

up. I’d been living my dream, prima ballerina in an important company in the big city.
NowIwasnothing.

I knew Drew wouldn’t hesitate to badmouth me all over town. What chance did I

havewithanothercompany?Eveniftheywereabletolookpastmysizeandmyage,it
wouldbehardtocombatwhatevermaliciousrumorsDrewwouldspreadaboutme.

Leavingthecab,Iluggedmyboxupthestepstomyapartment,myheadhunglow.I

couldn’thelpbutkickmyselfformyactions.IfI’djustdoneashesaid,well,demanded,I
couldhavehungon.Ididn’tmeansubmittingtohisvileattentions.Nosir.ButifI’dlaid
offthefrenchfriesandthewine.IfI’dturneddownthepartyinvitation.IfI’dnotstarted
seeingColton,maybeIcouldhavemadeitthroughtheseason.

InsteadI’dgivenintomydesiresandscrewedmyselfover.Fuck,couldthisdayget

any shittier? I’d started it with a newfound confidence in myself and a comfortability in
mybody.NowIwasunemployed,abused,andmyconfidencelayintatters.

Ithrewmyselfonmybed,fightingbackthetearsthatwerecoming.Icouldn’tquite

telliftheyweretearsofangeratmyunfairtreatment,ordespair.Myeyescaughtthecard
sittingonmybedsidetable.Colton’ssmilingfacestaredbackatme.

Inthatmoment,Iwantedtocallhimmorethananything.Laymytroublesathisfeet

and beg him to just come over and hold me. He probably would, and being in his arms
wouldbeawonderfulcomfortaftertheshitparadeofthismorning.

But wanting to be in his arms was what had gotten me in this position in the first

place. If I would have behaved myself, this might have never happened. I picked up his
card, studying his features. That cheeky smile. That amazing body. Colton was every
woman’sfantasy.Andhe’dbeenmyreality.

Untilthatrealityturnedintoanightmare.

I shoved the card in my nightstand drawer and shoved my head under the pillow,

lettingthetearsstarttofall.

Chapter13

Colton

I stood around outside the theater’s back entrance, waiting for Addison to appear.

My shifts at the restaurant had kept me busy, so I hadn’t had a chance to catch her
performance,butthatdidn’tstopmefromtryingtofindherafterwards.

But the last few nights had been a bust. Addison was nowhere to be found. I was

frustrated, on the verge of angry, because she hadn’t sought me out after our night
together. I hadn’t had a chance to tell her about my change in luck, about the fact that I
wasn’tstrippingonthesideanylonger.

ThatnightwascolderthannormalandIstoodshivering,waitingtocatchaglimpse

ofmydark-hairedangel.Insteadthestagedooropenedandouttumbledthetwobitches
who’dbeenplottingrevengeagainstAddison.

“Ohlook,”Katherinesaid,pointinginmydirection.“It’sthestripperAddison’sin

lovewith.”

I knew they were making a snide comment, but nonetheless the words sent a jolt

throughme.ThethoughtofAddisonactuallybeinginlovewithmemademycheststartto
acheintheweirdestway.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”askedLacie.“Readytofinallyswingyourdickinour

direction?”

Ishookmyhead.“I’mwaitingforAddison.”

Katherinelaughed.“That’sgoingtobealongwait.”

“Whatdoyoumean?”Iasked,confused.

Lacie looked at Katherine with disbelief in her eyes. “Oh my God, he doesn’t

know.”

“Knowwhat?”

Katherine’sgrinwasferal.“Addison’sbeenfired.You’relookingatthenewSugar

PlumFairy,”shesaid,gesturingtotheshortergirlatherside.

Laciedidalittlepirouette,thenlaughed.“Sowhatdoyousay,stripperman?How

aboutyoudumpthatloserandcomehavefunwithus.”

“Still not interested,” I said, turning to walk away. I couldn’t believe the news.

Addisonhadlostherpart.Shemustbedevastated.IknewthatIhadtofindher,tobring
hersomekindofcomfort.Herjobhadbeenherwholelifeandnowitwasgone.

The problem was, I didn’t have her phone number. I knew the street she lived on,

butIwasn’tsurewhichofthetwodozenidenticalbrownstoneswasherbuilding.Thecab
hadalwaysleftbeforeshe’dapproachedone.IwrackedmybrainasIcaughttheFtrain
home,tryingtothinkofawaytofindhershortoftryingeverybuildingonthestreet.

I remembered then that her friend had mentioned designing the costumes for the

upcomingChristmasparade.Thatatleastgavemealeadtogoon.Istarteddoingresearch
onmyphoneonthetrainridehome,thencontinuedwhenIreachedmyapartment.

Finally,Ifoundapictureofthewomanwho’dbeenatthebistrowithAddisonthat

day.HernamewasKaylaMcConnell,andshewasindeedacostumedesigner.Ifoundthe
numbertoherbusinessandcalledit,expectingtoleaveamessage.

Insteadsheansweredonthethirdring.“KaylaMcConnell.”

“Hi,”Isaid,puttingonabrighttone.“Youmightnotrememberme,butI’mColton.

AfriendofAddison’s?”

Shelaughed.“Idon’tknowhowyouthinkIcouldhaveforgottenyou.HeyColton,

how’stricks?”

Ismiled.Kaylahadgoodenergy.“Tricksarealittlecomplicatedatthemoment.You

see,I’vebeentryingtoreachAddisonandhaven’thadanyluck.Iwashopingyou’dgive
meheraddresssoIcangoandseeher.”

TherewasamomentofsilenceontheotherendasKayladebated.Icouldn’tblame

her.I’mnotsureI’dgiveaguymybestfriend’saddress.Icrossedmyfingersandheldmy
breath,waitingforherreply.

“Youknow,”shesaidafterthepause,“Ireallyshouldn’tdothis,butforsomereason

Itrustyou.Ithinkyou’rejustwhatAddisonneeds.SoI’llgiveyoutheaddress.”

Ipumpedmyfistintheair,thenscrambledforapenandpaper.Iwrotedownthe

address,happytoseethatherplacewasn’ttooterriblyfarfrommyown.

“Nowgocheerthegirlup,”Kaylasaid.“She’shadanabsolutelyawfulweek.”

“Iheard,”Ireplied.“Youcancountonme.”

“I hope so. Good luck.” I was just about to disconnect the call when I heard her

voice again. “Oh, and Colton, you better treat her right because I only give people one
chance. Hurt my friend, and I’ll kick you in the balls so hard, you’ll need two banana
hammockstoholdthemafterwards.

Iwouldhavelaughedattheimageifitweren’tsothreatening.Buttherewasnothing

toworryabout.HurtingAddisonwasthelastthingIwantedtodo.

Itwasgettinglate,butIcouldn’tkeepmyselffromseeingher.Ijoggedbacktothe

stationandgrabbedthenexttrain.

Before long, I was heading up the steps to her brownstone. I rang the bell for her

doorandtheintercomcrackledtolife.“Yes?”

Just hearing her voice after the past few days had my pulse rate speeding up.

“Addison,it’sColton.CanIcomeup?”

Therewasalongpause,andIthoughtmaybeshe’ddecidedtowalkawayfromthe

intercom. Finally, after an eternity, the door lock buzzed. I pulled it open and walked
insidetothelobby.Therewasanelevatorthere,butIwasusedtostairssoItookthemtwo
atatimeuntilIreachedherdoor.

Iknocked,andsoonsheanswered.Addisonwasasbeautifulasever,herdarkhair

likeacloudaroundhershoulders,herfelineeyesglittering.“Whatareyoudoinghere?”

“Iwantedtoseeyou,”Isaid.“CanIcomein?”

Shestaredatme,hard,andawaveofdoubtcameoverme.Wouldshetellmeno?

Rejectmehere,andleavemeoutinthecold?

At long last she stepped aside, allowing me entry. I headed down the hallway and

intothelivingroom.Everythingwasneatandtidy.Modernfurniture,minimalistdécor.It
wasalmostlikeanapartmentoutofamovie.Likeshebarelylivedhereatall.

“Whatareyoudoinghere?”sheaskedmeagain.

“IheardabouttheNutcracker.Aboutyoulosingthepart.”

Addisonfrowned,thentookaseatonthesofa.“Isthatso?”

“I’msorrythathappenedtoyou.Yourbossisanidiot,givingthatparttosomeone

else.”
“I won’t argue with that,” Addison said, “although I’d be apt to call him several more
names,harsherones.”

I gave her a half-smile, sitting down beside her. “Do you want to tell me what

happened?”

“What’stheretotell?”shesaidwithadefeatedshrug.Ididn’tlikehowhopelessshe

looked.“Drewfiredme.IcaughtLaciegivinghimablowjobinmydressingroomandhe
basicallysaidthatifIdidn’twhoremyselfouttohimlikeshedid,Iwasoutofajob.”

Mymouthfellopen.“Thatdirtysonofabitch,”Igrowled,myhandsballingintofists

unconsciouslyasIfantasizedaboutkickinghiscrookedteethin.

“If I would have just followed his rules from the start, maybe he wouldn’t have

decidedtotakethingsfarther,maybehewouldn’t—”

“That’s bullshit and you know it,” I said, grabbing her hands. “That asshole fired

youbecausehewantedtofuckyoufromthebeginningandyouneverlethim.He’smore
worried about getting his dick sucked than about having the best performer in his show,

andthatmeansyou’rebetteroffwithouthim.”

“Better off without him?” she cried, and I could see unshed tears start to fill her

eyes. “No other company will have me, now that he’s poisoned the well. I got fired the
weekbeforeChristmas,andrent’sdueattheendofthemonth.Iwon’tgetthebonusIwas
countingonforcompletingtheshow.I’mbroke.I’munemployed.Howinthefuckdoes
thatconstitutebeingbetteroff?”

“Youstillhaveyourintegrity,”Isaid,pullinghercloseandrestingherheadonmy

shoulder. “You’re better than that guy. Fuck him. You’ll find something else soon, I
promiseyou.”

I held her, waiting until I could feel her breathing start to slow and some of the

tensionleaveherbody.ThenIpulledback,puttingafingerunderherchinandliftingher
gaze to mine. “Addison, you’re the most talented woman I’ve ever seen. I know you’re
going through a rough patch right now, but trust me, things will change soon and you’ll
soarhigherthanyoualreadyhave.”

HerfacebrokeintoawaterysmileandIwipedatearfromhereye.Shelookedat

me in a way that had my heart pounding hard in my chest. Slowly, she inched her way
forward,andafterwhatfeltlikeforever,shepressedherlipsagainstmine.

Chapter14

Addison

Colton appeared, and he was saying all the things I’d needed to hear the past few

days. I wasn’t sure how he’d found me, but for the moment, that didn’t matter. All that
matteredwasthathewashere,andIwasinhisarms,feelingsafeforthefirsttimesince
Drewthrewmeoutofthetheater.

ThewayhewaslookingatmemademefeellikemaybeIwasn’tthepieceofshit

I’dbeentellingmyselfIwasallweek.Iwantedtobelievethethingshesaid,thatIwould
bebetteroff,thatI’dfindsomethingevenmoreprestigiousthanI’djustgivenup.AndI
wantedtobelievethattheworldwouldseemethewayhesawme.

Icouldn’thelpmyself.Ileanedoverandkissedhim.Themomentourlipstouched,

afireigniteddeepinsideme.ThatfireseemedtoleapintohimandbeforeIrealizedit,we
werelockedtightinablazingembrace.

Coltonwasanimpeccablekisser,hismouthskilledandhistonguestrokingagainst

mine,makingmequakewithdesire.Icouldfeelhismuscularbodypressingagainstmine,
onepartinparticularevenharderthantherest.

Hismouthabandonedmylipsandscorchedatrailacrossmyneckanduptomyear.

My ears were very sensitive, and he seemed to sense the fact and make the most of it.
SoonIwasshakingwithlust,myfingersburyingthemselvesinhisthickhair,pullinghim
tighteragainstme.Hishandsslippedlower,tracingthenecklineofmyt-shirt.

“Colton,”Iwhispered.“Iwantyou.”

Hishandsmovedtogriptheedgeofmyshirtandliftit,pullingmyshirtovermy

head.Thenhishandswereback,kneadingmybreasts,teasingmynipplesthroughmybra.
Itfeltfantastic,butIneededmore,soIunhookedmybratoexposemybreaststohishot
gaze.

Coltonleanedintocaptureanippleinhismouth.Imoaned,unabletostopmyself.

HestartedtoscorethenipplewithmyteethandIsquirmedwithpleasure.Heworshipped
my breasts, palming one while he teased the other, covering both with kisses. My hips
startedtotwitchinneed.WhenhepulledhismouthawayIletoutacryoffrustration.

“Where’s the bedroom?” he asked, pulling me up to stand. I led the way to my

room,andwhenwereachedit,Ipusheddownmyyogapants,leavingmenakedexceptfor
mypinksatinpanties.

Iclimbedonthebed,givinghimaviewofmyass,lookingbackovermyshoulder

to see him inhale raggedly. He wanted me, it was obvious even before he pulled of his
clothes,exposinghismassiveerection.

“Don’tmove,”hesaid,andeveryinchofskinhiseyespassedoverseemedtocatch

fire.Coltonclimbedonthebedbehindme,butinsteadofturningmearound,hebentto
blowagainstmypussy.

I wasn’t used to this angle, so it caught me off guard. He licked me through my

panties,makingmewritheagainsthim.Whenhefinallyslidmypantiesoff,Iwascloseto
begginghimtolickmethere.

“You’resowet,”hesaid,pushingafingerintomeandmakingmemoan.“Andyou

tastefuckingdelicious.”

He buried his face in my pussy, teasing me with long, slow licks that drove me

crazy.Hecontinuedtopushhisfingerinandoutofme,makingmylegsshake.Whenhe
finally fastened his mouth over my clit and sucked, I immediately climaxed, shaking so
hardthatIfelltothebed.

Coltoncoveredmewithhisbody,kissingmyneck,thenrolledmeovertoattackmy

mouthagain.Icouldtastemynectaronhislipsanditturnedmeonevenmore.Iwrapped
myarmsaroundhisneckandpulledhimcloser.

Ourtonguestangleduntilwewerebothbreathless.Whenhestartedtokisshisway

downmybodyagain,IknewI’dneversurviveanotheronslaughtlikethelast.InsteadI
shoved against him, sitting up and saying, “Oh no you don’t. It’s my turn to have some
fun.”

Helaughedandletmepushhimbackagainstthebed.ThistimeIcoveredhisbody

withmyown.Iteasedhisnippleswithmyfingers,thenkissedhishardchest.Ilovedthe
wayhefeltagainstme,allhardbodyandsmoothskin.Iroseup,mykneesoneitherside
ofhiships,andstartedtomovebackandforthsothatmypussybarelygrazedhiscock.

Colton’seyeswidenedandhetriedtograbmyhipstotakecontrol,butIslappedhis

hands away. I did it again, gliding my pussy over the length of his hard cock, and he
groaned.“Youlikethat?”Iasked,teasinghim.

“YoufuckingbetIdo,”hesaid,bitinghislip.“Don’tfuckingstop.”

Icontinuedtoslidebackandforth,findingarhythmthathitmyclitandsoonhad

medripping.Iwasclosetocollapsingagainsthim,onthevergeofanotherclimax,when
hegrabbedmyhipstostopme.“I’mgoingtofuckingcomeifyoukeepdoingthat,andI
wanttobeinsideyou.”

Ibenttothenightstand,pullingacondomoutofthedrawerandhandingittohim.

Heputiton,thenpulledmyheaddowntoburnmymouthwithaflamingkiss.Iroseto

mykneesagainthenslowlyimpaledmyselfonhiscock.

“SweetJesus,”hegroaned,grippingmyhipstightlyinhishands.“You’resotight.”

Icouldfeelhimthrobbinginsideme.WhenIstartedtomove,Ihadtopacemyself

orelseIwasabouttoclimaxrightaway.

Theslowpacewasn’tjustdrivingmecrazy.Frombelow,hiseyesburnedintomine.

Hisfacewasamaskofpleasure,hisbreathcominginpants.Seeinghimsoturnedonfired
my arousal to new heights. I started to move faster, moaning as I climbed the peak of
pleasure.

He realized how close I was and started to move underneath me, pushing himself

deeper inside me, and I knew I wouldn’t last long. Three more strong thrusts and I was
coming,hard.

“Yes!Ilovetofeelyousqueezingaroundme,”hegroaned,thenthrustinfasteruntil

heletoutaraggedcryandreachedhisownclimax.

I collapsed atop him and Colton stroked my hair. It was such a tender moment, I

wantedittolastforever.Unfortunately,Irealizedthenthatour…activities…hadmademe
sweat.Iclimbedoffhimandhegrabbedmyhand,askingwhereIwasgoing.

“Ineedashower.”

“CanIjoinyou?I’dbehappytosoapupthatmagnificentbodyofyours.”

Ismiled.“Whynot?”

HejumpeduplikeakidonChristmasmorningandIlaughedandsprintedforthe

bathroom.Hecaughtmeinfrontofthesinkandpulledmeintohisarmsforalong,slow
kiss.Underthehotspray,thekisscontinued,andIwassoontoodistractedtosoapmyself.
Colton moved a loofah over my skin, cleaning me, and so I returned the favor. Once he
wassqueakyclean,Icouldn’tresistgettinghimdirtyagain.

I went to my knees and licked his cock, staring up at him and loving the way his

head leaned back under the spray and the water cascaded down his chest. I sucked him,
enjoyingthetasteofhiminmymouth.Soonhewastoohardtofitentirelyinmymouth,
soIresortedtolong,slowlicksdownthelengthofhim.

He growled and pulled me up to stand beside him. We kissed and I continued to

strokehishardshaft.HenibbledatmyneckandIbeggedhimtofuckmeagain.

Afterhepulledbackandputacondomon,Coltongavemealong,slowsmilethen

settledmeagainstthewall.Ispreadmylegs,liftingthemasheheldmetightinhisgrip.
Whenhisbigcockslidinsideme,Iletoutasighofrelief.

Hekissedmeashedroveinsideme,overandover,untilbothofuswereexploding

withpleasure.Atlastweclimbedout,dryingeachotheroff.Ibarelymadeittobedbefore
Iwasfallingasleep,exhaustedbyColtonandhisamazingsexualprowess.

Chapter15

Colton

My eyes shot open, the sun already lighting up the room around me. Addison’s

tousledheadwastuckedintothecrookofmyarmandIwasinstantlydistracted,forcedto
stareatherforlongminutes.Shewasbeautiful,sopeacefulinsleep,herbodyfinallyfree
ofalltension.

Iscannedherroom,lookingforanyhintofher.Thecolorsweremuted,thefurniture

sleekandfunctional.ThenIcaughtsightoftheclockagainstthewallandshotupwards.

Addisonblinkedawake,askingwhatwaswrong.“I’mlate,”Isaid,pressingakissto

thetopofherhead,thenclimbingoutofbed.

IwashuntingupmyclotheswhenAddisonsatup,theblanketsfallingtoherwaist

andexposingherperfectperkytits.Ifroze,mymouthstartingtowater,thenshookmyself
andbegantogetdressed.Iregrettedhavingtoleave,buttodaywasabigdayforme.The
owner was allowing me to cook two new dishes of my own suggestion for a possible
additiontothemenu.Iwasn’tgoingtoscrewthisupbybeinglate.

“Whereareyougoing?”Addisonaskedsleepily.

“Therestaurant,”hesaid.“I’msorry,butIhaveto.Theowner’sfinallygivenmea

shotinthekitchen,andtodayI’mcookingsomedishesforhertoprovethatIhavewhatit
takes.”

Addison smiled, and I couldn’t help but notice a tinge of sadness in her face.

“Congratulations.It’swhatyouwanted.I’mgladyou’refinallygettingyourchance.”
“Metoo.ButifIdon’thurryup,I’mgoingtoblowit.”

AddisonpulleduptheblanketandIsilentlymournedthelossofherbreaststomy

gaze.Imovedtothebed,bendingdowntokissher,wishingIcoulddosomethingabout
thedisappointmentonherface.

“I’msorry,”Imurmured.“IwishIcouldstay.”

Sheshrugged.“We’rejustnotluckyforeachotheranyway.I’mgoingtomakeyou

late,andyou…well,youknow.”

Ifrowned,notwantingtodredgeupthewholeargumentaboutherleavingthedance

company.“Idisagree.You’remynewgoodluckcharm.Igetmybigchancenow,andyou
knowwhatthismeanstome.Icanworkmywayuptoheadchef,maybeevenopenupmy
ownrestaurantoneday.”Ikissedheragain.“NottomentionthatIgettobewithyou.A
mancouldn’tbeanyluckier.”

Shedidn’treply,andIwasafraidshedidn’tfeelthesame,thatshewasstillworried

abouttheelephant,orshouldIsaybananahammock,intheroom.SoIstatedtheobvious.
“And I won’t be forced to strip to pay my bills anymore.” I tried to lighten the mood.
“Now,ifIstrip,itwillbepurelybecauseIwantto.”

I’dthoughtIwasbeingcute,butherexpressiontightenedandshepulledaway.

“What’swrong?”

Sheshookherhead.“Ifyouthinkyoucankeepyoursidejobandhaveme,you’ve

gotanotherthingcoming.”

IopenedmymouthtotellherthatIwasjoking,butshewasalreadyturningaway.

“Justgo.You’regoingtobelate.”

“Hey,”Isaid,crawlingacrossthebedtogettoher,butsheslidoutofmygripand

rose,slippingonasatinrobe.“Ican’tleavethingslikethis.Weneedtotalk.”

“Whatistheretotalkabout?”sheaskedlightly.“You’reofftoliveyourdream,and

mydreamisshattered,inpartbecauseofmyrelationshipwithyou.I’mbroke,andyou’re
jokingaboutshakingyourdickatotherwomentomakeextramoney.”

“Ididn’tmean—”

She covered my mouth with her hand. “You don’t have time for this. Go. You’re

going to miss your opportunity. And take it from me, you might only get one chance at
yourdream.”

Addisonwalkedintothebathroomandshutthedoorbehindher.Iconsideredwhat

todo.Ihadonlyabouttwentyminutestomakeittothebistro,andthatwasonlyifIcould
findacabwithacabbiecrazyenoughtodriveoversidewalkstomakeitintime.

Iwantedtogotoher,makeherlistentome,butshehadapoint.Opportunityknocks

but once. I shoved my feet in my shoes and left, running down the stairs and into the
street,grabbingthefirstcabIcouldsee.

Iendedupacoupleminuteslate,buttheownerwasstillpouringhercocktailsoI

wasabletoslipintothekitchenwithouthernoticing.Ithrewmyselfintomywork,aiming
tocreatetwodishesthatwouldblowtheoldbroad’spantsoff.

WhenIstoodinfrontoftheownerafewhourslaterandwatchedherpracticallylick

herplateclean,IknewI’dimpressedher.Sheagreedtoletmestayinthekitchenandto
workundertheheadchef.Thensherevealedshewasconsideringopeninganewlocation,
andifIcontinuedtoimpressher,thechefspotatthenewplacewasmine.

I couldn’t believe my luck. I picked the old broad up and swirled her around,

plantingawetkissonhercheek.Shelaughed,thentoldmetokeepmyhandstomyself.I
cleanedup,thenstrolledoutofthebistrolikeIwaswalkingonair.

I headed toward the train station, awash with the realization that I was getting

everythingthatI’deverwanted.Exceptonething.

Tofeelcomplete,IneededAddison.

InsteadofgrabbingtheFtrain,Itookthetraintoherplace.ItstartedsnowingasI

walkedandIhunchedagainstthewind.Despitethecold,myenthusiasmwasundeterred.I
couldn’twaittosharethegoodnewswithAddison.

I hit the intercom, asking Addison to let me in. But it wasn’t her voice that came

back.

“I’msorry,Addisondoesn’twanttoseeyouatthemoment.”

Myjawdropped.Irecognizedthevoice.ItwasKayla’s.“Whatdoyoumean?”

Iheardasigh.“Addisondoesn’twanttoseeyou.Gohome.”

“What’sgoingon?”Iasked,unwillingtoleaveitatthat.

“I should have never given you her address or tried to push you two together. It’s

obviousyoudon’tdeserveher.”

“Whatdoyoumean?Addison?Areyouthere?”Ishouted.

“She’s not interested, buddy,” Kayla said, shouting over me. “She doesn’t date

strippers,andit’sclearyouaren’tinterestedingivingupthegoodlife.Somoveon.”

“That’sridiculous.I’mgoingtochange,Ijustneedachance.Addison!Justletme

talktoyou.”

“Notgoingtohappen,”Kaylasaid,ahintofsadnessinhervoice.“AndIlikedyou,

bro.Butyoubrokeyourpromiseandhurther.SoI’mgoingtohavetotellyoupolitelyto
fuckoff.”

“Addison!”Iyelled,buttheintercomwasnolongercrackling.Kaylahadturnedit

off.Ibeatmyfistagainstthebrownstone,pissedoffatthecircumstances.IknewI’dsaid
thewrongthingthismorning,butthatdidn’tmeanIdeservedtobeshutout.

I took the train home, anger and depression vying for dominance. There had to be

somewaytoconvinceAddisonthatIwasseriousabouther.IwantedhertoknowthatI
wasthereforher,thatIwantedtobewithher,andthatI’dgiveupalmostanythingtohave
her.

Iwassittingonmycouchacouplehourslaterwhenmyphonerang.Ihopedagainst

hopethatitwouldbeAddison,butinsteaditwasathroaty-voicedfemale.“ColtonLowe?
I’dliketohireyouforagig.”

Iopenedmymouthtorefuse,notatallinterestedingettingnakedforanywoman

otherthanAddison.ButIfrozebeforesayingthewords.IfItookthegig,Icouldmake
someextramoney.Addisonhadtoldmeshewasbroke,thatrentwasdueandshedidn’t

haveenoughtocoverit.

AlthoughI’dbemakingmoremoneyasachefintheweekstocome,itwouldn’tpay

dividendsuntilthebeginningoftheyear.AndsinceI’dbeeninthekitchen,Ihadn’tbeen
making tips like I had as a server. Which meant I didn’t have the funds to help her out
unlessItookthegig.

“When?”Iasked,caving.

“ChristmasEve.I’llpaydouble.”

That was all the enticement I needed. One more gig, just to make enough to give

Addison.Evenifshewouldn’ttakemeback,Iwantedhertohavethemoney.

Ihungup,runningmyhandsthroughmyhairandlettingoutasighoffrustration.I

missedheralready.Itwasliketherewasaholeinmychest,anemptinessI’dneverfelt
before.

Chapter16

Addison

Kaylasteppedawayfromtheintercomandsatdownonthesofabesideme.“Well,

that’sdone.”

Inodded,feelinglikeI’djustmadeahugefuckingmistake.Thatwouldbeparfor

thecoursethisweek.

“Are you sure about what just went down?” she asked, searching my face. “He

seemedlikeareallyniceguy.”

“He’sastripper,”Isaidflatly.“Hetakeshisclothesoffinfrontofhornywomenfor

money.”

Kaylashrugged.“Thereareworsewaystomakeabuck.”

“Thatmightbetrue,butIcan’tbeinarelationshipwithaguywhodoesn’tsavehis

bodyformealone.”

“You’vegotapoint,”Kaylasaid,leaningback.“It’sjusttoobad.Hesoundedlike

hewasreallyupset.”

Colton had sounded upset. I’d expected him to maybe be disappointed, but he’d

been shouting into the intercom like his life had depended on me hearing him. Was it
possiblethatImeantmoretohimthanjustahotchickhelikedtofuck?

“Areyousurehecan’tchange?”Kaylaasked.“Imean,yousaidhegotthisjobin

thekitchenlikehe’salwayswanted.Maybethatwillbeenoughtogethimoffthepole,so
tospeak.”

“Butwhycan’tIbeenough?”Isaid,notlikinghowwhineyitsounded.“Hesaidhe

wantedtobetogetherwithmeinonebreath,theninthenexthewastalkingaboutonly
strippingforpleasure.”

Kaylalaughed.“Hewasprobablytalkingaboutstrippingforyou,youninny.”

Ifrowned.Couldsheberight?Hehadbeenplayfulthismorning.Evenso,itwasn’t

something he should be joking about. He knew it was a sensitive issue between us. “It
doesn’tmatter,”Isaidatlast.“Itwouldneverworkbetweenus.Allwehaveishotsex.I’ll

admitthatit’stremendous,butthatdoesn’tmakeforastrongrelationship.”

“You’vebarelyhadachancetoexplorearelationship,”Kaylaremindedmegently.

“Youdon’treallyknowwhattypeofpersonheis.Sofar,heseemslikeastand-upguy.He
rescued you from your ex-boss, brought you flowers, encouraged you to aim high, built
backupyourself-esteemafteryougotfired.He’sbeenhereforyou.Sowhynotgivehim
achance?”

“Doyoureallythinkhecanchange?”Iasked,wonderingifmaybeKaylawasn’ton

tosomething.

“Youknow,there’sonewaywecandefinitivelyfindoutifhecan.”

Myeyebrowsshotup.“How?”

“Wecancallhimandtrytobookagig.”

Istaredatherinamazement.“You’reonedeviousbitch,”Ibreathed.

Kaylalaughed.“Iprefer‘clever,’butI’lltakeit.”Shepulledoutherphone.“What’s

hisnumber?”

Iwenttomybedroomanddugouthiscard,carryingitbacktoKayla.Shedialedthe

numberandwaitedforhimtoanswer.Whenhedid,shesaid,“ColtonLowe?I’dliketo
hireyouforagig.”
Iheldmybreath,prayinghewouldgivetherightanswer.Myhopescrashedandburned
whenKaylasaid,“ChristmasEve.I’llpayyoudouble.”

My friend gave him directions to the design studio space she kept behind her

costumeshop,thenhungupthephone.“I’msorry,”shesaidsoftly.“Iwasreallyhoping
youcouldtrusthim.”

“IguessIcan’tblamehim,”Isaid,tearsstartingtofalldownmycheeks.“Youdid

offertopayhimdouble.MaybeI’minthewronglineofworkmyself.”

Kaylapulledmeintoherarmsandstrokedmyhair.“Hey,don’tkidyourself.You’re

aterrificdancer.You’llfindsomethingsoon,Iknowit.”

“Thanks,” I mumbled, pulling away to find a tissue to blow my nose. I passed a

mirror and looked at my reflection. I was a hot mess. Hair every which way, red nose,
puffyeyes.NowonderColtonwasseekingthecompanyofotherwomen.

NottomentionIwasbroke.Justanotherblackmarkagainstme.

“Call him back and cancel,” I told Kayla. “No reason for him to come out on

ChristmasEvefornothing.”

“Fuckthat,”Kaylarepliedcruelly.“Lethimfreezehisassoffbehindmyshopforan

hour,waitingformetoshowup.Andthenlethimbeoutallthemoneyhe’dthoughthe
had.Itstillwouldn’tbeenoughtopunishhim,butit’sastart.”

Ilaughed.“That’sharsh.”

Kaylashookherhead.“No,youknowwhatwouldbeharsh?Lethimshowup,and

youbetheretoconfronthim.Keepthelightsdimuntilhestartsdancing,andthenlethim
know it’s you. Tell him you always knew he was a piece of shit, and that he doesn’t
deserveyou.Andhe’dbeoutthemoneyaswell.He’dbetotallyscrewed.”

Ifrowned.Thatideadidn’tappealtomeatall.Therewasnoneedtoconfronthim.

He’dmadehischoice.

Just once I wanted to be the first choice for something. I’d thought it had been

gettingtheleadintheNutcracker.Thathadwentbust.AndnowColtonwaschoosinghis
walletoverme.Eitherhiswalletorthehighhegotfromdancingforotherwomen.

Whatdiditmatter?ItrudgedbacktothesofaandsatquietlywhileKaylatriedto

cheermeupwithChristmasmoviesandhotcocoa.IwasgladwhenshefinallyleftsoI
couldsulkinmybedandtrytosleep.

Thedayswentbyataniceberg’space.Withnojob,nofamilyintownandnowhere

to go, all I had to do was sit and stare at the snowflakes tumbling down outside my
window.ImissedColtonmorethanIthoughtpossible.We’donlyseeneachotherafew
times, but in those short hours I’d grown closer to him than I could have imagined. I
wantedhisarmsaroundme.Wantedtohearhisvoice.Tosmellhisscent.Totastehisskin
again.

But wanting wasn’t getting. The days stretched on before me filled with longing.

ThenitwasChristmasEveandIwascelebratingbymakingmyselfafewdozencookies.
Therewasnoreasontowatchmyweightanymore.Noonewouldhiremeanyway.

Theintercombuzzed.ItwasKayla,demandingtobeletup.Iwasn’texpectingher.

The big parade was tomorrow, and I thought she’d be staying up all night sewing
miniaturetreesonredfeltcostumes.

“Smells good in here,” she said when she bustled inside and took off her coat. I

handedheroneofthecookies.“Mmm,stillwarm,”shesaidaroundamouthful.

“Don’t you have work to do?” I asked, sitting down and picking up the remote to

flip through the channels, past holiday classic after holiday classic. It seemed the whole
worldwasfullofChristmascheer.Well,everyonebutme.

“Finished early,” she said, sitting down beside me. “I’ve got the early morning

fittingstodo,butuntilthen,I’mgolden.”

Kayla looked tired. I knew she’d struggled through late trains and cold weather to

comeseeme.Ilovedmybestfriendandwasgladtoseeher.Wallowinginself-pitywas
lonelybusiness.

“WannaorderChinese?”sheasked,grabbingtheremoteawayandsettingtheTVon

thetaleofayoungboyandhisquestforanairrifleforChristmas.Itplayedonaloopthis
timeofyearandI’dseenitabilliontimesbefore.

Ishrugged,mybellyalreadyswollenfromthenumberofcookiesI’dshovedintoit.

“NowIknowsomething’swrong,”Kaylasaid,givingmeahardlook.“Youalways

getexcitedforChinese.Allthosecarbsinthenoodles,remember?”

“It’snolongerforbiddenfruit,”Isaid.“IcaneatasmuchasIwantanditdoesn’t

matter.Nooneisgoingtofuckmeanyway.”

I’d been about to say ‘hire me anyway,’ but ‘fuck me’ had come out instead.

Interesting.

Kaylarecoiledinshock.“Wow.Idon’tknowwherethisiscomingfrom.You’rethe

hottestchickIknow.”

I rolled my eyes. “The hottest chick with no job, no prospects, no life, and no

boyfriend.”

Kayla frowned. “That last one is remedied easily enough. The guy you want is

probablyheadedtomyshoprightnow.Whydon’tyougoandmeethim?”

Iblewairthroughmypursedlips.“Why?Nothing’schanged.He’sheadedtoyour

shoptotakeoffhisclothesforsomewoman.”
“Yeah,andthatwomancouldbeyou.”

“Kayla, why in the hell would I do that? He said he was going to change, but he

didn’t.”

“Yeah, surprisingly he didn’t quit stripping right away after the girl he wanted

rejectedhim.Canyoureallyblamehim?Youhadjustshatalloverhishopesanddreams.”
Icoveredmyface,confused.“YouthinkIshouldgivehimanotherchance?”

Kaylapulledmyarmsdownandstaredintomyeyes.“Yes.Gotothegig.Confront

him.Tellhimyouwantsomethingserious,butthatmeansnomorestripping,ever.Ifhe
agreestostopandthengoesbehindyourbacktocontinue,you’llknowhe’sthescumof
theearthandnevertalktohimagain.Butifhedoesn’t…”

Ifhedoesn’t,IcouldhavethemanIwantalltomyself.

“I can’t even believe I’m considering this,” I said, standing up and heading to my

closettodigoutsomethingtowear.”

“Believe it, girl. If you want something bad enough, it will be worth all the effort

youputintoitwhenyoufinallygetit.”

Ismiledwryly.Yeah,butwillIreallygethim?

Therewasonlyonewaytofindout.

Chapter17

Colton

I’d just gotten off the train a few blocks from the venue and stood in the station,

debatingwhethertogotopsideandbravetheelementstowalktherestofthewaytothe
gig. I planned on using the money to help Addison pay her rent, but as the time grew
closer,Iwantedtotakemyclothesoffforastrangerlessandless.

TherewasonlyonegirlIwantedtogetundressedfor.Unfortunately,shewouldn’t

givemethetimeofday.

Istartedtrudgingupthesteps,thenpausedagain.MaybeIcouldstillwinherover,

without going to the gig. I’d stashed away a little savings, and this week I’d worked
double-shifts, helping out the wait-staff during the busy holiday rush. If I combined the
two, there might be enough to make a dent in her rent. It would leave me without my
safetyfund,butthingswerelookingupatwork,andfrankly,Addisonwasworthit.

Thethoughtofnothavingtogothroughwiththegigmademefeellikeaweighthad

been lifted off my shoulders. The sensation proved to me that canceling the gig was the
rightdecision.IwouldonlytakemyclothesoffforthegirlIwantedtotakethemofffor
andwouldacceptnosubstitutes,nomatterhowmuchmoneythey’dshoveinmyG-string.

Iscrolledthroughmyphonetofindthenumberthathadcalledmeafewdaysago

anddialeditback.Onthesecondring,theclientpickedup.“KaylaMcConnell.”

Ashockwentthroughme.“Kayla?AsinAddison’sfriend?”

“Yes.Whoisthis?”

Ilaughed.“It’sColtonLowe.I’mheadedtothegigyoubooked.”

Kaylaexhaled.“Isee.Whyareyoucalling?”

“Iwasabouttocancelthegig.Whattheheckisgoingon?”

Kayla’svoiceroseanoctave.“Whyareyoucanceling?”

Iblewoutabreath.“Well,beforeIknewitwasyou,IwascancelingbecauseIdon’t

wanttodothegig.”

“Whynot?”

I shook my head in a confusion, wondering why she was pushing me on this. “I

don’twanttodoitbecauseI’minlovewithAddison.I’mnotinterestedingettingnaked
foranybodyelse.”

KaylaletoutawhoopandIhadtoholdthephoneawayfrommyear.“Yes!Iknew

it!”Shewaslaughinglikeamaniac,soIwishedherMerryChristmas,abouttohangup.

“Wait!Don’tgo!Anddon’tcancel!”

“Didn’tyoujusthearwhatIsaid?I’mnotinterestedindancingforsomeone,even

you.”

Kaylachuckled.“Ithinkyoumightbeinterested.”

“Whywouldyouthinkthat?”

“Becauseyouwon’tbedancingforme,youidiot.Addisonisheadedtothegigright

now.”
“What the fuck are you talking about?” I’d been confused before, now I was downright
mystified.

“Look,Icalledtotryandbookagigthatnightafteryouleft.Wewantedtoseeif

youwereseriousaboutquittingyourstrippingjob.”

Islappedmyforehead.Ofcourse.Deviousfemales.“AndItookthejob.Andnow

Addisonknowsthat.”

“She does,” Kayla said. “Why would you take another job right after you told her

youwerequitting?”

“She’sbroke,”Isaidraggedly.“Iwantedtohelpherpayherbills.IthoughtIcould

takeonemoregig,maybehelpherpayherrent.Then—”

“Then she’ll forgive you and you’ll kiss and make up and then live happily ever

after.”

“Yeah,somethinglikethat.ButifsheknowsItookthegig,she’sgottobefurious.”

Kaylalaughed.“She’snotbeeninthebestmoodlately,no.”

“Thenwhyisshecomingtothegig?Tochewmeout?”Itdidn’tmatter.Iwantedto

seeheragainbadlyenoughtoputupwithheryellingatme.

“Let me level with you, stripper man. If you want to find out why she’s coming,

you’regoingtohavetogotothegig.”Thenshehungup.

I stood there, staring at my phone, while the wind blew snowflakes down the

stairwell.Howquicklythingshadchanged.

IgatheredmythoughtsasIclimbedthestairstothestreet.Thesnowfallwasheavy,

butthestreetlightsreflectingoffthewhitenessmadethestreetbright.Istartedpastadrug
storethenstopped,retracingmysteps.

A blast of heat hit me when I walked through the automatic doors. The store was

nearly deserted, probably because it was Christmas Eve. A couple stragglers were

perusingthebargainbinsforlast-minutegifts.Iwalkedpastthem,headedfortheoffice
suppliesaisle.IquicklyfoundwhatIneededandmademywayuptotheregister.

AsIhurriedthelastfewblockstowardtheaddressI’dbeengiven,Iconsideredmy

situation. I’d been given a test, one I had failed spectacularly. I had no right to expect
anythingotherthanadressingdownandanotherrejectionwhenIarrivedatthegig.But
forsomereason,partofmedidn’tbelievethat.

Addison wasn’t the type of person to confront me like that, to rub my nose in my

mistake.Ihadn’tknownherlong,theshorttimeI’dbeenwithherwasenoughformeto
realizeshehadtoomuchclassforthatkindofdrama.Shejustwouldn’tdoit.

I would have expected her to cut me out of her life entirely, to write me off like I

didn’texist.AndmaybeIdeservedthat.Addisonwasaonce-in-a-lifetimewoman.Noone
wouldcomparetoher,Iknewthatalready.SowhatmademethinkIwasworthyofher?

Ishookmyheadtoclearitofnegativethoughts.Icouldn’tthinklikethis,notnow.I

waspushingmywaythroughtheblusteringwintertogettoher,allonthethinnestmargin
of hope that she would give me another chance. I had to think positive, had to pray for
somekindofChristmasmiracle.

I found the address at last and hurried down the alley to find the blue door Kayla

had told me about. I knocked a couple times, then tried the door. It swung open and I
walkedinside,closingthedoorbehindme.

Thespacewaswideanddim.Icouldseeafigureseatedintheshadowsacrossthe

room.“Bathroom’soverthere,”avoicesaid.Hervoice,ofcourse,butwithalowertone
thanusual.Iwentinthedirectionshepointedandfoundasmallrestroom,shuttingmyself
inside.

MyheartwasbeatinghardandItookasecondtocatchmybreath.Shewaswaiting

intheretosurpriseme,butitwasmysurpriseIwasbettingontoachievemygoal.Itook
myclothesoff,thenpulledmycostumeoutofmybag.Itconsistedoftightredshorts,a
redvest,andaSantahat.BeforeIdidupthesnapsonthevest,Imadeuseofthemarker
I’d bought at the drug store. Then I snapped up the vest, put on the hat, and left the
restroomwithadeepbreath.

Comeon,Christmasmiracle!

Chapter18

Addison

IsatinachairintheshadowycornerofKayla’sstudio,tryingtocatchmybreath.I

couldn’tbelieveIwasabouttodothis.HowhadItalkedmyselfintothis?

WhenI’dseenhim,backlightbythelightsinthealleywithsnowswirlingaround

him, I’d been struck by how mesmerizing he was. Colton was the sexiest man I’d ever
seenwithhisclotheson.Withthemoff,hewasdevastating.AndhereIwas,waitingfor
himtostripforme.

Icouldn’tallowmyselftobehypnotizedbyhishotness.Ihadtosticktomyguns,to

standmygroundandlethimknowthetermsunderwhichI’dconsidertryingsomething
seriouswithhim.

But would he be willing to listen to my demands? Did I even have a right to give

himany?

Yes.Ihadtorespectmyself.Ifhewantedmelikehesaidhedid,thenhe’dhaveto

treatmewell,likeIdeserved.Askinghimtostoptakingmoneyforflashinghissmileand
awholelotmorewasn’tunreasonable.

Andifhewouldn’tagreetostopstripping?Ifhewantedtokeepthingscasual,keep

fuckingmewhileflirtingwithotherwomen?

No.Itwaseverythingornothing.Nogray,onlyblackorwhite.Hewantsme,orhe

doesn’t.

Therestroomdooropenedandouthecame,dressedintinyredshortsandavestthat

huggedhismuscularchest.Ashedrewcloser,IknewIhadtomakemymovenow,before
Ilostmynerve.Withouthesitation,Ipulledonthecordofthelampthatstoodnexttome,
floodingthecornerwithlight.

Coltonstoppedinhistracks,staringatme.Istaredback,thenwilledmyselftostand

upandfacehim.

“Addison,”hesaid,hisvoiceluringme,untilIfeltlikeIwassinkingintoawarm

tub.No.Staystrongdammit.

“Colton.You’reprobablywonderingwhatI’mdoinghere.”

He nodded, keeping his face neutral. I took a few steps forward, leaning my head

back to stare into his eyes. For a minute I couldn’t say a word, I just looked at him. He
was something beyond handsome, almost angelic, but with a ruggedness that made me
tremble.

“Iwantedtoseeyou.”

ThewordstumbledoutbeforeIcouldholdthemback.But,nowthatI’dstartedit,I

knewIhadtofinish.“Ishouldhavetalkedtoyouthatnight,whenyoucamebacktomy
place. Should have given you a chance to explain. I apologize for not giving you that
chance.”

Helookedalittletakenabackbymywords.Still,Iplungedahead.“ButIcan’thelp

wondering if you really wanted that chance. Because two hours later, you were booking
thisgig.”

“Look,letmeexplain—”

I cut him off. “There’s no need. I just want to know if you were serious. Do you

reallythinkweshouldbetogether?”

Hiseyeswereblazing.“Yes.”

“Then you have to know that I can’t accept your career. And I don’t mean at the

restaurant. I need to be the only woman you’re being intimate with, and I won’t accept
anythingless.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but I wasn’t finished. I put my hands on his

shoulders, drawing closer. “I don’t care about your past, okay. I just need to know I’m
youronlyimmediatefuture.Canyoupromisemethat?Becauseifyoucan’t,I’llwalk.”

Itookabreathtocontinue,butColtoncoveredmymouth,makingmyeyeswidenin

surprise. “Okay, I’ve listened to what you had to say, and now you’re going to listen to
me.”

Hiseyesweresobright,theyheldmetransfixed.“Ionlytookthisgigbecauseyou

threwmeoutinthecoldstreetandwouldn’tevengivemeachancetotalktoyou.You’d
saidrepeatedlythatyouwerebroke,thatrentwasdueandyouweren’tsureyou’dbeable
topayit.Whenthecallcamein,IknewIcouldmakesomeextramoneytogiveyoufor
yourexpenses.That’stheonlyreasonItookthegig.”

Istoodthere,staring,andheslowlyremovedhishandfrommymouth.“I’msorry,

Addison,”hesaidsoftly.“Youdeservebetterthanthis.ButIwillmakeyouthispromise:
If you give me a chance, I’ll prove myself to you. You and me, together. No one else. I
swearit.”

My heart was hammering away in my chest. Was he telling the truth? Or was he

saying what I wanted to hear because I’d caught him red-handed? How could I ever be
sure?

I wanted him that much was clear. Just being this close to him, close enough to

smell him, to feel the heat radiating off his body, was arousing me. I was hopelessly
attractedtohim.EvenifIcouldn’tbelievehim,Iwantedto.

“TomorrowmorningIofficiallyquitstripping,”hesaid,pressingakisstomyneck.

“Buttonight,I’vegotonelastshow.”

Coltontookmyhand,leadingmebacktothechair.Isatdown,butwavedmyhands.

“Youdon’thaveto—”

“Shh,”hesaid,bendingdowntoplaceasinglefingeragainstmylips.Hetookafew

stepsbackandturnedawayfromme,lookingatmeoverhisshoulder.

Coltonbegantosway,buttherewasnomusic.Forsomereason,thatmadeitseem

muchmoreintimate.Moreintense.IrealizedIwasgettingwetjustfromwatchingtheway
hismusclesworked.

He spun around to face me, muscles rippling, his expression fierce. Gone was the

good-time guy he’d been during the last performance I’d seen. This time, he was
completelyserious.Irealizedthenthatforhim,too,itwaseverythingornothing.

Hepulledoffhishatandtossedittome.ItlandedinmylapandIhadthestrangest

urgetosniffit,whichIbarelyresisted.Hedrewcloser,closeenoughtogrindagainstme,
andallthepreviousawkwardnesswasgone.Itwaspuresex,andIwanteditbadenough
tobeg.

He paused, his eyes locking with mine, and then he ripped open his vest. There,

written over the skin above his heart, were the words “To Addison, from Colton, with
love.”

Mymouthdroppedopen.“You…youknewIwouldbehere.”

Henodded,aseductivesmileslidingacrosshisface.

“But…how?”

“IfoundoutwhenIcalledtocancelandKaylaansweredthephone.”

Ilaughed.Icouldn’thelpmyself.“IthoughtIwassettingyouup,butyougotme

instead.”

“DoI?”

Ilookedathim,confused.“Doyouwhat?”

“Haveyou?DoIhaveyou,Addison?BecauseIwantyoumorethanIwantmynext

breath.”

Hiswordssentashockrunningthroughme.Inodded.“Yes.Youhaveme.”

Coltonpulledmeupandintohisarms,burningmewithascorchingkissthatleftme

breathless.

Hepulledaway,cuppingmycheek.“Iloveyou,Addison.I’veneverfeltthisway

aboutsomeonebefore.You’reallIneed.”

I realized then that I needed him too, more than I thought possible. Looping my

arms around his neck, I pulled him close for a sweet kiss that soon became something
muchdeeper.

Chapter19

Colton

Icouldn’tbelieveit.I’djusttoldAddisonthatIlovedher.Ididn’tregretthewords,

ithadjustbeenunexpected.I’dnevertoldagirlthatbefore.I’dalwaysshiedawayfrom
sayingit,knowingthatIwantedthewordstomeansomething.Andnowtheydid.They
meantsomethingmoretomethanIcouldsay.

Addison’s kiss was so delicate and sweet, it made my insides ache. But I couldn’t

control myself for long. I took charge of the kiss, taking it somewhere more seductive,
untilshewasmewlingagainstmylips,herbodyflushagainstmine,herhandsgrippingme
tightly.

Icuppedherbottomandlifted,andsheslippedherlegsaroundmywaist.Carrying

heracrosstheroomtoatable,Isetherthere,holdingherfacestillsothatIcouldexplore
hermouthmoredeeply.OurtonguesentwinedandImoaned,lovingthefeelofher.She
gotmycockharderthananyoneelsecould,andIknewIturnedheron.

I pulled up the sweater she was wearing, palming her breasts through her bra, and

thenlickingthroughthethinmaterialtoteasehernipples.Theyhardenedintolittlepeaks
under my tongue and I couldn’t help sucking one after another into my mouth until she
wasmoaningnear-constantly.

IthankedGodthatshewaswearingaskirtandmyhandsslowlycreptunderneathit,

over the stocking, up her knee, then her thigh. I stopped when I reached bare skin,
realizingthatshewaswearingthigh-highstockings.

Ilookedintohereyesandshegavemeashysmile.Irealizedshe’dhopedforthe

best from our exchange too. Otherwise why would she have dressed in such an inviting
way?Ipushedupherskirttorevealthetopsofthestockingsandthetinyscrapoflacethat
washerpanties.

I cupped her pussy, groaning when I felt how warm and wet she already was.

Addison’s desire for me was a powerful aphrodisiac. I had to taste her again, or I’d go
crazy. Laying her back gently across a table full of fabric scraps, I positioned myself
betweenherthighs.Ispreadheropentomygazeandherlegsfellopen.”

“You’re so fucking perfect here,” I said, tracing her slit with my finger. “I could

spendtherestofmylifejustkissingyouhere,tastingyou,savoringyou.”

“Please,” she said, her gaze igniting a lust inside me that was near overwhelming.

“Please,Colton.Ineedyou.”

Icouldn’tleavemysweetheartinneed.Ibenttoher,runningmytonguealongher

slit,goingwildatthefirsttasteofherhoney.Imadelovetoherwithmymouth,unableto
stopmyselffromtastingeverypartofher.

HerlegsbegantoshakewhenIfoundhersensitivelittlenubandworkeditwithmy

tongue. I slid one finger into her tight heat, then another, working them back and forth
untilIcouldfeelshewasontheedge.

I backed off, and she let out an exclamation of frustration. I began my torment

again,bringingherrighttotheedgeandthenbackingoff.OverandoverItoyedwithher
untilshereacheddowntograbmyhair,holdingmethere.

Ifastenedmymouthoverherclitandpickedupthepacewithmyfingers,hittingthe

spot inside her that I knew drove her crazy. She started to climax instantly, and I took
advantage,lickingatherfuriously.

Irose,mycockmakingatentinthetightredshorts.Ihavetohaveher,myaching

dicksaid.Now.Rough.Bendheroverandfuckheruntilyoudieofecstasy.

Thankfully,mybettermindtookover.Wewereinsomekindofstudioorworkshop,

withtoolsandfabricscatteredeverywhere.Therewerenosurfacesbeyondthetablesand
chairsonwhichIcouldworkmymagic.

Addisonlaytherepanting,hereyesclosed.Ineededtotakemytimewithher,bring

hertothepeakoverandoveragain.Iwantedtopleasureherlikenoonehadbefore.And
thiswasn’ttheplacetodoit.

GentlyIpulleddownherskirt,thenbenttokissher.“Waithereamoment,love.”

Hurryingtothebathroom,Ipulledmyclothesonoverthecostume,notwantingto

wasteprecioussecondsawayfromher.Grabbingmybag,Ireturnedtothemainroomto
findAddisonhoppingoffthetable.

“Get your coat,” I said, kissing her cheek and throwing on my own winter jacket.

“Andlet’sgetoutofhere.”

Shefollowedmeoutintothealley,turningbacktolockthedoorbehindher.Then

wewereheadedoutintothestreet.Ihailedacab,luckytofindonedrivingby.Thesnow
wascomingdowningiantwetflakesandIwantedtogetAddisonoutoftheweatheras
quicklyaspossible.

Inthecab,Ihookedmyarmaroundhershouldersandpulledhercloser,kissingher

neck.Ilovedthesmellofher,likesomethingfreshandwarm.Inuzzledherthereandshe
gaveathroatylaugh.

Itwasseveralmilesbacktomyplace,andalthoughtheshopshadseemeddeserted,

traffic was heavy. I knew it would be a while. Sitting with her beside me, feeling the
delicateweightofherinmyarms,Ididn’tthinkIcouldwaitthatlong.

Mycockwasthrobbinginmypants.Itwouldn’tgodown,notwithhernexttome,

notwithoutfeelingherheataroundit.Sheglancedoverandcaughtsightoftheerection
strainingagainstthefabricofmypants,hermouthmakingalittle‘O’ofsurprise.Thenher
expressionchangedintosomethingmoremischievous.

Eversoslowly,sheslidherhandoveruntilshecouldtracetheoutlineofmycock.I

hadtobitemylipandforcemyselfnottograbherhandandmoldittomyachingshaft.
PullinghercloserIkissedher,puttingeveryounceoflustIwasfeelingintothekiss.

Shepulledaway,breathingheavy.“Wow.”

Ismiled.ThenIcaughtsightoftherear-viewmirror.Thecabbiewaswatchingus,

andheslippedmeawink.Ichuckled,thenpulledthehandawayfrommycocktotuckit
intomine.Ikissedhersweetlyonthecheekandforcedmyselftobehaveuntilwegotto
myapartment.

Irushedherupthesteps,eagertogetinsideandgetbacktobusiness.Islammedthe

doorbehindme,thenbenttopickherup.Shewaslikeairinmyfingers.Addisonarched
andstretchedherlegs,takingupaballetpositionthatsuddenlymadeherlooklikeabird
inflight.Iwasentrancedbyherelegance.

ThenIsetherdownandshepouncedonme,pushingmeontothebedandclimbing

on top of me. She settled herself on my aching cock and started grinding against me
throughmyclothing.Igritmyteeth.“Slowdown,baby.”

Shelaughed.“What’sthematter?Youwereteasingmebackatthestudio,bringing

metotheedgeandnotlettingmecome.Ifyoucan’ttaketheheat,getthehelloutofthe
kitchen.”

Igrabbedherbythehipsandflippedherover,takingpositionontop.ThenIground

mycockbetweenherthighs,rubbinguntilIfoundherclitandheardhersharpintakeof
breath.“Whocan’tstandtheheatnow?”

Flipping up her skirt, I ripped her panties off, exposing her to my gaze. She was

gorgeous, her pale skin against the black thigh-highs that had my pulse racing. Addison
pulledhersweateroverherhead,thenunfastenedherbra.

My mouth watered at the sight of her high breasts with those perky nipples. They

resembledtwocherries,stillswollenfrommytreatmentatthestudio.Thenshepushedher
skirtdownherlegsandlaybeforeme,onlyinherstockings.

I removed my own sweater and then unzipped my jeans, exposing the red shorts

underneath.ShelickedherlipsandIdidn’tcareaboutteasingheranymore.Ineededtobe
insideher,orIwasgoingtodiefromlonging.

Clothesabandoned,Iclimbedintothebedandpulledherintomyarms,kissingher

feverishly. Addison gripped me, clawing at my shoulders, kissing me back with an
intensity that just drove my own arousal higher. I pulled away, going to my knees, and

turnedherover,positioningheronherkneesinfrontofme.

Shelookedbackoverhershoulderandthenbentlow,archingherbackandexposing

herperfectlinestome.Shehadadancer’sbody,litheandsmooth,andamazinglyflexible.

Irubbedmyhardcockalongherpussy,butthistimeIdidn’tteaseher.Ipushedin

deeponthefirstthrust,buryingmyselfcompletelyinherheat.

Addison cried out and I thrust again, deeper still. With a death grip on her hips I

poundedintoher,unabletoholdbackanythingfromher.Shecriedout,thenbeggedme
formore.Shewaspushingbackagainstme,drivingmemad,untilIcouldfeelmyclimax
boilingup.

Iwouldn’tcomebeforeher,though.Iangledmycocktohitthespotdeepinsideher

andshemoaned,herheadthrashingagainstthepillow.Anothercouplethrustsandshewas
cominghard,herwholebodyshaking.

WhenIfeltherinnermusclessqueezingaroundme,Icouldn’tholdbackanymore.

With a triumphant yell I climaxed, and it felt like the top of my head exploded. Spots
appearedbeforemyeyesandIcollapsed,havingneverexperiencedsuchintensepleasure.

I pulled her against my chest, spooning her, my arm wrapped across her chest. “I

loveyou,Addison.”

“Iloveyoutoo,”shesaid,hervoicesoft.

Myheartstopped,thenstartedwithafierceboom.Shelovesme.

“Thankyouforgivingmeanotherchance.Iwon’tdisappointyou,”Isaid,moving

herhairasidetokissherneck.“You’reeverythingIeverwanted.”

“You’renotsobadyourself.”

Ilaughed,thengotserious.“Thingsaregoingwellattherestaurant,andI’vebeen

offeredtheheadchefpositionatthenewplacetheowner’sopening.Moneywillbegood
soon.Ithinkweshouldmoveintogether.Iwanttotakecareofyou.”

Sheshiftedtolookintomyeyes.“Areyousure?Aren’twemovingtoofast?”

Ishookmyhead.“Iwanttospendeveryspareminutewithyou.Whywaittodothat

untilsomearbitrarytimeinthefuture?Iwantyounow.Everysecondofeveryday.”

Addison smiled and light filled my chest. I wanted her to know how much she

meanttome.“Ionlywanttomakeyouhappy,andthatmeansfulfillingmypromisesto
you.”Ikissedheronthenose.“Ipromise,I’llneverstripagain.”

“That’stoobad,”shesaidwithacheekysmile.“BecauseIwantanothershow.”

Epilogue

OneYearLater

Addison

Ipulledthechickenoutoftheovenandcheckeditstemperature.Itwasjustabout

ready.Bastingit,thenputtingitbackintheoven,Imovedontostartthegravy.

ThisChristmasEvewasmuchdifferentthanlastyear’s.Forone,Coltonhadmoved

intomyplace.He’dtakenoverpayingrent,notbecauseIaskedhimto,becausehewanted
to.Hispromotionhadmeantalmostdoublehissalary,sohecouldaffordit.Ichippedin
onthingswhenIcould,butI’donlybeeninacoupleshowsthelastyear.

Istillloveddancing,butI’drealizedwhatatoxicenvironmenttheindustrycouldbe.

Therewereplentyofpredatorscircling,andIwasn’tcontenttobeprey.Iwashappywith
myself,happywithmybody,andIwouldnolongerapologizeformyage.

Whileafewcompanieshadbeenreadytotakemeoninafewparts,nonehadhired

me as their prima ballerina. It was disappointing, but I realized then that ballet didn’t
define me. I could still dance, could still express myself, without doing damage to my
body,mind,andspiritwhiledoingso.

I’d recently taken up the idea of teaching, fostering a younger generation of

ballerinas,teachingthemtobestrongandstandupforthemselves.I’dalsobegunthinking
about starting a family, which meant I didn’t have much hope of signing on with a
companyanyway.Apregnantbellyandballetdonotmix.

I hadn’t mentioned the family idea to Colton yet, and I wasn’t sure he’d go for it.

He’dbeenverybusywiththenewrestaurant,pouringhisblood,sweatandtearsintothe
thingandturningitintothetalkofthetown.

He’dstartednegotiationswiththeownertobuyintothebusinesshimself,hopingto

eventuallytakeitovercompletelyfromher.ColtonLowe,restaurateur.Ithadanicering
toit.

I started setting the table, glancing at the clock. The restaurant was closing early

tonight, and I’d decided to cook Christmas Eve dinner myself. He deserved something
nice,andachancetorestaftercookingforpeopleallday.I’djustpulledthebirdbackout
oftheovenwhenIheardthedooropen.

Coltonstrodeintothekitchen,givingmeapassionatekisshello,thenfiddlingwith

theedgeofmyapron.“Ilikeyoualldomestic.”

Irubbedmyhandsuphischest.“AndIlikeyourchest.Andmostofyourotherparts

too.”

Helaughed,thentookaseatatthetable.“Thislooksfantastic.”

“Thankyou,”Isaid,blushing.HewassuchagoodcookandIwasnervous,hoping

he’d think I was at least passable. We dug into our meal, and I was relieved to find the
chickenmoistanddelicious.”

“Funny thing happened at work today,” he said, grabbing a biscuit. “You’ll never

guesswhowalkedin.”
“Who?”

“Youroldstalker.”

Mybrowsshotup.“Drew?”

Coltonnodded.“Hehadayoungballerinaonhisarm.Shehadtobebarelylegal.”

Ifrowned.“YouthinkhewouldhavelearnedhislessonafterKatherineslappedhim

with that sexual harassment lawsuit, then waltzed across town to become a rival
company’sprima.”

“Ithoughtsotoo,butapparentlynot.”

Irolledmyeyes.“Well,she’lldrophimquickwhensherealizeshiscompany’sgone

bellyup.”

Colton smiled. “I didn’t feel like waiting. So when I came over to ask how their

dishes were, I ‘recognized’ him. I asked him what he was doing now, since he’d been
forcedtoclosehiscompanyinthewakeofthebigscandal.”

Ilaughedsohardmysideshurt.“Whatdidhedo?”

“Hisfaceturnedredandkindofpuffedup.Helookedlikeafish,thewayhismouth

wasopeningandclosing.Theballerinastoodupandleftwithoutanotherword.”

I rose and walked around the table to his chair, kissing him on the cheek. “Thank

you.”

He slid his chair back and pulled me into his lap. “No problem. That asshole

deservesit.Preyingoninnocentgirls.”

And not so innocent ones, I thought, thinking of Lacie and Katherine. Still, I was

gladtobeoutofthatworld.Itwasn’taplaceIwantedtoreturntoeither.ButIwasgladto
know that Colton was looking out for others like me, making sure Drew didn’t take
advantageofanyoneelse.

“Something else happened today,” Colton said softly, holding me tighter. “I was

approvedfortheloan.”

Iletoutacryofjoy.“Thismeansyoucanbuyintotherestaurant,right?You’llbe

halfowner?”

Coltonnodded.“Therestaurantisofficiallyours.”

“Yours,”Isaid.“Youmeanofficiallyyours.”

“Imeanours.”Heslippedhishandintohispocketandpulledoutasmallboxfitted

withawhitebow.Handingittome,hekissedthetipofmynose.

I opened it, finding a beautiful diamond ring. My eyes flashed to his, and he gave

measolemngrin.

“Addison,I’llalwaysneedyoubymyside.Iwantustospendtherestofourlives

together.Willyoumarryme?”

Tearsfilledmyeyesasheslippedtheringonmyfinger.Itsparkledthroughthehaze

oftwinklinglightsandunshedtears.

“Yes,I’llmarryyou.Iloveyou,Colton,foreverandalways.”

Hekissedme,gently,tenderly,untilIpulledhimclosertomeandthekissdeepened.

Whenwefinallycameupforair,hegavemeaseductivesmile.

“Comeon,SugarPlumFairy,”hesaidagainstmylips.“Followmetothebedroom

andI’llteachyousomedirtydancemoves.”

Ismiledandfollowedhim.Hewasmine…forever.

THEEND

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IfyoulikeContemporaryorNewAdultRomance,checkherout
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Allrightsreserved.Thisbookoranyportionthereofmaynotbereproducedorusedinany

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