Chapter 3

I closemy eyes and try to concentrate on the feel of Crystal's mouth as she sucks hard on my cock. I ignore the knock on the door, and when she pauses, I grip her hair, pushing her head farther down until she chokes. "Don't fucking stop," I growl.

The door opens and Hunter comes in. "You got guests," he says, smirking.

I flick my eyes to the clock—it's exactly seven p.m. "Bring them in," I say, yanking Crystal's head right back up until we're eye-to-eye. "Find Star and Kitty," I tell her, wiping my thumb over her plump, wet lips, "and we'll finish this later."

I'm tucking myself away when Hunter returns with Aaron and Josh. Both their eyes light up at the sight of Crystal's naked body as she passes them to leave. "Are you virgins?" I ask, my lips lifting slightly at one side. They shake their heads in denial a little too quickly. "Let's take this to the bar," I add, standing.

They follow me through to the main room of the club. It's kitted with a bar and several tables. At the far end is a pool table and a throne. I hate the bloody thing, but it's been here since the start, when my grandfather's grandfather set the place up, and although it holds no fucking good memories for me, I can't seem to rip the damn thing out.

I take a seat at my table. The same table every president that's ever been, has occupied. From here, I have a view of the entire room, the main door, and the car park. I point for the two to sit and they do while Hunter whistles to get Venus's attention. "Bring the bottle," he orders, taking his own seat.

"So, boys, what you got for me?" I ask.

"It's just talk," says Aaron. Josh whips his head to glare at his mate and it raises my suspicions. This kid is holding back on me.

"Talk?" I repeat.

Venus saunters over balancing a tray on her hand. She places a bottle of whiskey on the table along with four glasses. Aaron stares at her like she's a queen, and I get it cos I was his age once. But while he's distracted, I take my opportunity, grabbing the back of his head and slamming it down onto the table. Venus jumps back in surprise, and Hunter clicks his fingers to get her attention before pointing to the bar. It's her cue to leave.

"I take a fucking chance on you and laughing boy here, and all you bring me is talk?" I ask, making sure my mouth is close to his ear. I release him, and he lifts his head, feeling for blood. There's none, only cos I made sure not to cause too bad an injury.

"It's not talk," snaps Josh, pulling out his mobile. "They're coming this weekend." He pulls up a text message and shows me.

Unknown: Meet five a.m. Saturday. Warehouse carpark - Lovell Street.

"Who the fuck sent that?" asks Hunter.

"A guy called Richie. He's one of Ray's bitches. He organises all the men beneath him."

"So, what's the plan?" I ask.

"They don't tell us that stuff, I swear," Josh says, holding his hands up, looking petrified..

I believe the kid, so I give a slight nod, and he relaxes. Hunter pours us each a finger of whiskey, and they take it cautiously.

"How old are you?" I ask as they take a small sip each.

"Seventeen," they reply in unison.

I sigh heavily. "You gotta knock it back," I say, drinking my own down in one. They copy, and Hunter pours them a second. "So, you fucked before?" I crook my finger, indicating for Star and Kitty to step closer. They're the youngest of the club whores, and the lads eye them both.

"Yeah, ‘course," says Josh.

"Knock that back and have some fun," I say.

"You serious?" asks Aaron, his eyes practically popping out his head.

"You got a family, parents and shit?" asks Hunter casually.

"Yeah," says Josh. "Why?"

"Won't they worry about you hanging out at an MC club?"

"My sister is too wrapped up in herself," he mutters.

"And my parents are too busy working," Aaron adds.

"Oh yeah, what do they do?" I ask, topping up everyone's glass.

"Both lawyers," he says, rolling his eyes.

I grin. "Shit. A good family."

"What about yours?" Hunter asks Josh.

"Mum was a nurse. My sister is a teacher."

I clink my glass with Hunter's, and we share a smirk. "I don't know why you're both standing there looking pretty," I say, arching a brow in the whores' direction. "Lose the clothes."

The women begin to kiss, and Aaron hits Josh on the arm in excitement. They're fully invested in the show the girls are putting on as they strip one another. Hunter pours coke on the table and splits it into lines. "You wanna last, right?" he asks Josh, who's frowning at the straw Hunter's holding out for him. "You can't embarrass yourself with someone this hot." He tugs Kitty to sit on his lap, parting her legs to give Josh a glimpse of her pussy.

I pat Hunter on the shoulder. "You got it from here?" I ask, and he gives a nod. "Crystal's in with Elsie tonight."

"No worries, Pres. You go do your thing. I'll call if we need you."

Kitty is already on her knees, unfastening Aaron's jeans. I grin and call out, "Have a good night, boys."

The poundingof the music at the strip club helps me think straight. It's the only time I fully relax and concentrate, so it's why I spend most evenings here in the office, catching up on shit.

The door opens and the new girl stops in her tracks, ripping an earbud from her right ear. I narrow my eyes. "Don't you knock?" I snap.

Her mouth opens and closes a few times before her words tumble out. "I was told the office was empty."

"But clearly it isn't. Always fucking knock."

She begins to back out. "You may as well do whatever it is you came to do," I snap, "now you've distracted me." She hesitates again before sighing, popping the bud back in, and stepping inside.

I stare at the numbers on the laptop, not able to focus as she moves around the room, wiping a cloth over the surfaces. Occasionally, she hums. It's soft, almost like she doesn't mean for it to come out but can't stop it. She's pretty, in that natural kind of way, and I imagine she gets out of bed looking just as radiant. Her large brown eyes remind me of a wounded puppy, showing every emotion possible, and although happiness fills them, there's also a tinge of sadness, something she wants to keep hidden. Her arse looks good in the tight-fitted denim she's wearing, I'm an arse kinda guy, and I like them shapely, like hers.

She steps closer, and I get a waft of her perfume. It's subtle but spicy, and as she wipes the damp cloth over my desk, I have the urge to run my fingers through her long, brown hair. I stare at her wrist, and as she wipes nearer, I take it in my hand. She looks up in surprise, but that's soon replaced with panic.

She removes the earbud and asks, "Did I do something else?"

Her words are cute, and a part of me is thrilled by her innocence. "It was a good move earlier today," I say, and her brows furrow, causing her nose to twitch. "Distracting Elsie to prevent the tantrum."

A smile replaces the frown, and I decide I like it. "Oh. She likes to do jobs. She likes to feel responsible."

"Her mum used to do the same," I admit. I never talk about Harley, especially not to complete strangers. The words surprise me, and now, it's my turn to frown. "Thanks."

"No problem. It's my job."

NORA

I'm not even goingto lie to myself and pretend my new boss isn't hot. Because he is. One hundred percent hot stuff. His tattoos alone give him enough sexy points to blow the average Joe out the water. Couple that with his dimples on the very few occasions he's almost smiled to show them and I'm done for. Not that he'd look my way. I laugh to myself, and he looks up from his desk. I feel myself blush and go back to vacuuming the office. I offered to do it when he was gone, but he insisted I get it done. Who the hell works this late by choice? It's a pity he's so uptight all the time—the constant frown on his forehead must ache.

I turn off the vacuum, jumping in fright when I turn to speak to him and realise he's right behind me. "Oh." It's the only word that falls from my mouth as his blue eyes pierce through me.

"Why do you need a second job?"

I take the earbuds from my ears. The music stopped ages ago, and I was too lost in thought to restart it. "Working in the school doesn't pay much."

"So, why do it?"

I shrug. "I like kids."

"You got any?"

He's so short in his questions, like he's firing them at me. "Is this an interview, cos I have to tell you, your manager out there already gave me the job." I want him to laugh, even a little, just so I can see his dimples in full flow. Instead, he scowls.

"You got any kids?" he repeats, and I give my head a shake. "Husband?" I shake again. "Why not?"

I laugh this time. "You're really rude," I point out. "Anyone ever tell you that?"

"Boyfriend?"

"None of your business," I snap, shoving the vacuum towards the door.

"I wanna know if some fucker's gonna show up at my strip bar, pissed I gave you a job."

I glance back over my shoulder. "You didn't give me the job, Sapphire did, and she told me you'd hardly be here. If I'd have known, I wouldn't have taken it." Then I leave, slamming the door for good measure.

I find Sapphire at the bar counting cash. She looks up. "How did yah get on?" I force a small smile and she grins. "That bad, huh? He's a pussy cat. You just have to get used to his moody arse. Can I get you a drink?" I pull some coins out my pocket, realising I don't have much, so I shake my head and stuff them back. "On the house," she adds, noticing my discomfort.

"Sure. A Coke, thanks."

"He said you wouldn't last the shift," she says, glancing at her watch, "but it's bang on ten p.m. Well done. Will you come back tomorrow?"

I give a nod. "I don't have much choice."

Another woman joins us and dramatically flops her head down on the bar, releasing a long groan. "That was hard work," she announces.

"Lu, this is Nora, the new cleaner." She looks up and gives a half-smile before pulling herself onto the barstool beside me. "Lu is one of our top earners," she adds for my benefit.

"And that little private got me a step closer to my dream," says Lu, pulling a handful of crumpled notes from her bra. She begins to lay them on the bar, opening them out one at a time. My eyes light up at the bunch of twenties.

"What's your dream?" I ask absentmindedly, unable to tear my eyes from the cash.

"Getting these bad boys done," she says, cupping her boobs and laughing with Sapphire.

I stare at her already ample chest. "What's wrong with them?"

She rolls her eyes and, without warning, lifts her bra so they pop out. I gasp, glancing around, thankful it's not too busy. "They're sagging." She lifts her arms and waits for me to say something, but I don't see it.

"They look good to me," I tell her, shrugging.

She shakes her head in irritation and grabs my hand, placing it on her breast and forcing me to squeeze it. "There's nothing in there, right? Like bags of air."

I've never groped another woman's breast before, and I can feel the burn of embarrassment on my cheeks, made even worse when a man stalks up behind Lu and grabs both her breasts in his hands, knocking mine away. He nuzzles into her neck, and she grins, closing her eyes and tipping her head to one side to allow it.

"Told you a million times, babe, there ain't nothing wrong with your tits," he reassures her, and then he pulls her bra back into place and spins her to face him. His hand moves to her throat and he kisses her. I know I'm staring, but the kiss is so . . . hot, I can't pull my eyes away. He whispers something in her ear, and she giggles before grabbing his hand and tugging him away.

Sapphire shakes her head with a smile playing on her lips as she collects the notes Lu left on the bar. "More money than sense," she mutters.

"How much is there?" I ask.

"Private dances can make a girl a lot of cash," she tells me. "There's three hundred here, but later on, when the place is packed out, she could triple that."

"Just for dancing?" I ask, my brows arched in surprise. "Fuck."

"Don't let the girls hear you say that," she warns. "They work hard. It's physical, and when you've got men pawing at you all night, it's mentally draining. They're here from five p.m. most evenings to practise, and they don't leave here until five a.m. some mornings."

"She looked pleased to see that guy," I point out.

"Oh, he's not a punter. He's a Steel Rider."

"A Steel what?"

She laughs again. "He's part of the motorcycle club." When it's clear I have no idea what she's talking about, she continues, "Bear, that grumpy biker in there," she says, pointing to the office, "runs the club. And Malakai, who just whisked Lu away for a quick fuck, he's part of the club."

I frown. I had no idea Bear was anything to do with a motorcycle club, and so far, I've only referred to him as Mister Stevens. But Bear . . . it's such an unusual name.

"So, how much can they make on a busy night?" I ask casually, changing the subject.

"Thousands," she replies, heading off down the bar to serve a customer.

I take a sip of my Coke and turn in my seat to watch the stage. The club doesn't open to public until nine, and even though it's past that, it's still quiet, with about five men sitting at the front. A woman is on stage dancing slow to a haunting tune, and she's down to her underwear. When the song finishes, she swoops to pick up her dress and leaves the stage. The men boo, clearly wanting to see more.

"Don't you have a home to go to?" I snap out of my fixation with the dancer and turn to find Bear beside me.

"Huh?"

"Home. It's home time."

I glance at my half-drunk Coke, as if to answer his question. He takes it from me and drinks it in one, slamming the glass on the table. "See you tomorrow," he says, signalling for Sapphire to come over.

"You're so fucking rude," I mutter, sliding off the stool.

"Why the fuck do you wanna hang out in a strip bar? You got school tomorrow."

"She's interested in dancing," says Sapphire, sliding a drink toward Bear.

I feel my cheeks heat instantly as Bear side-eyes me. "I didn't say that," I rush out.

"No chance" is all he says before staring down at his drink, dismissing me.

I frown, glancing back to the stage, where another woman is now in full swing, removing clothes and throwing them to men who cheer her on. "Why?" The word slips out before I can stop it.

He smirks, not bothering to look at me. "Cos you're a goody two-shoes."

"I am not," I argue.

He swivels on the stool, placing his elbows on the bar behind him and looking me up and down, assessing me. "You don't have what it takes."

"I can take my clothes off," I snap. "It's not hard."

"Prove it."

I narrow my eyes. "You don't think I'll do it?"

He shrugs, looking around the bar before settling back on me. "You won't."

"I can strip if I wanna strip," I say, feeling irritated at his instant dismissal. Sure, I've never done it before, but how hard can it be?

"What are you waiting for?"

I look around, seeing there's only one man at the bar and he's staring down into his pint. "Fine." I've never been one to back down from a challenge.

I pull my vest top over my head, look around for a place, and then throw it to the stool beside Bear. He tracks it with his eyes, still looking amused. "See? I'm not afraid to get my body out," I say, feeling satisfied.

He grins and shrugs. "You took your top off, hardly stripper of the year."

"If you want to see more, you have to pay," I retort, and this evokes a laugh from him. I'm mesmerised as his head tips back slightly and the throaty sound escapes.

"Sweetheart, you're supposed to be convincing me you're worth a shot in my club. So far, I'm not impressed." He cocks a brow, letting his eyes land on my white silk bra. It's not the most attractive, and I regret it. "You wanna earn a spot on my stage, I gotta see it all."

"All?" I repeat, looking down at my C-cup chest. "Fine."

I unbutton my jeans and shove them down my legs, kicking them off. At least the silk thong matches for once. I take a steadying breath. What I'm about to do is suddenly hitting my brain and I'm seriously doubting myself. What the hell was I thinking?

"Well, do we have to wait for the big reveal?" he asks.

I reach around the back and unhook my bra, then I slide one strap at a time from my arms before fully removing it. I make sure to stare him in the eyes, pretending I'm confident even though I don't feel it at all. I drop my bra to the floor and hook my fingers into the silk of my thong. I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and . . .