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  Putting him out of my mind, I walk into the dressing room. As soon as I step inside, I’m pushed to the floor, and a booted foot lands on my chest. I take in a strangled breath and look up to see a very pissed off Jason staring down at me. “I told you to wear the black bikini.”

  “I…”

  He cuts me off by pushing down on my chest even harder. “I don’t want any excuses. What I wanted was for you to wear what I brought you.” His voice is hard and even, and the fact that he isn’t yelling is scarier than if he were.

  He stares down at me for a second before finally removing his foot and taking a step back. My eyes follow him as I lift myself to my feet. “I didn’t have time to change,” I say, hoping like hell he’ll just leave me alone.

  He takes a step toward me, and his hand snakes out to roughly grab my face. Squeezing to the point that the metallic taste of blood fills my mouth, his other hand grips my ass hard, making me wince. “Like I said, Emmy, I don’t want any excuses.”

  He continues to stare me down, while the hand on my ass slowly moves around to my hip, grabbing the wad of money that was stuffed there. “This is mine.”

  My mind works fast, calculating how much I have in the bank. If he takes this, I won’t have enough to pay bills and Trey’s next tuition payment. I’ll have to make a choice, and I can’t do that. Through his grip, I whisper, “I need that money, Jason.”

  His hand releases my face. I stumble back a few steps, grasping my cheek and trying to ease the ache he left behind. He takes a hundred out of the pile and tosses the rest on the floor. I watch as the bills scatter everywhere. “Pick them up.” His voice is full of laughter, as if he is enjoying this. Who am I kidding? He lives for making us girls suffer.

  Embarrassment fills me as I lower myself to my knees, picking up the stray bills around my feet. Once I have them all, I stand up, not wanting to make eye contact with him.

  His evil laugh fills the dingy room. “You pay when you don’t listen to me. I make the rules around here, bitch. Never forget that.”

  I turn my back to him, wondering why in the hell he’s acting this way. Sure, he’s a douche bag; he has been since the day I started working here, but now, he’s taking it to a whole new level. His bare hand smacks my ass so hard that I stumble in my heels. His hand reaches out once more and grabs my upper arm. “Don’t turn your back on me, bitch.”

  “Get your fucking hands off of her,” a gravelly voice says with authority. I turn to look and find the guy from the front row. His face is shaded by the darkness of the hallway, but even from a distance, I can see the anger in his stance. Standing in the doorframe, his fists are clenched at his side. What the hell is he doing here?

  “You can’t be back here,” Jason says, turning toward him. He stares at his massive frame for a second before finally growing some balls. As if he could intimidate the gorilla of a man standing there. “This is a staff only area. Get back out to the club, or I’ll have to call security.”

  Instead of listening to Jason, the guy steps into the room and slams the door behind him. As soon as the lights hit his face, I immediately recognize him. He’s Kane Travis. You can’t go anywhere in Vegas without hearing his name. Hell, you can’t turn on ESPN without seeing his beautiful blue eyes and handsome face. More than once, I’ve used his image as motivation after some piss poor dates and to get me through more than a few lonely nights.

  Even though I don’t follow mixed martial arts, I can’t believe it took me this long to figure out who he is. He’s the number one contender for the UFC heavyweight title. The club always shows the fights, and a lot of the fighters like to come here to party after a win. I didn’t watch his entire fight, but I caught bits and pieces of it. From what I saw, he’s a beast.

  He’s also my little brother’s hero. Kane is half of the reason Trey started underground fighting, but I can’t blame him for that. My little brother is a follower, always has been. At least he’s not following some gang, or out on the streets dealing drugs. Trey watches all of his fights, and even follows his training schedule. He has more Kane “Knock Out” Travis shirts in his closet than I have shoes in mine.

  My eyes finally move over to Jason, and I watch as recognition hits him. His eyes are round, and he begins stepping away from me. “I was just…”

  Kane steps closer to the douche, not bothering to let him finish. “I came back here to talk to her. Now, get out.” His voice is deep and gravely as he orders Jason to leave his own room.

  Jason opens his mouth to respond, and Kane takes another step forward, putting them almost toe to toe. “I asked you nicely this time. Don’t make me ask again, because you won’t like what happens next.”

  Jason shoots me a death glare before completely sidestepping around Kane, then tucks his tail in between his legs and runs like the pussy he is. A part of me worries that Kane doing this just might make Jason ride me even more.

  Taking in his full form, I have to wonder who is more dangerous, Kane or Jason. Deciding it’s best to be on guard, I put on my bitch face. “So, you always play knight in shining armor to strippers?”

  Watching his eyes roam down my body, I reach down and play with the strings at the side of my hips. His eyes follow my hand, and I lower it to my crotch and smile. I need to keep up my façade. This guy is intimidating as all hell, but I won’t let him know that. “Or do you want to stuff something else in my panties?”

  “Both. When I see something I want, I take it, and nobody else touches it.” He takes a step toward me, a cocky grin spreading across his face.

  My heart rate doubles, and I laugh nervously. Trying to play cool, I walk toward the vanities and spin toward him. Sitting on the counter, I spread my knees with my hands. “And what is it you want?”

  He moves quickly, coming to rest between my legs. “I think it’s pretty obvious. I want that sweet little pussy of yours.” His hand tangles in the back of my hair as he lowers his face to mine.

  My breath quickens, and I trace my tongue over my lips, enjoying the low rumbles vibrating from his chest. “Oh, yeah? That’s the same thing every other man wants. They all talk a big talk, too. Show me you’re different. Let me see what else those hands can do, other than fight.”

  My cocky words are barely past my lips before his mouth slams against mine and his tongue delves inside. The taste of him explodes in my mouth, drawing a muffled moan from my lips. Even though I know I shouldn’t, and even though I’ve never done it before, I let myself go and return his kiss with the same ferociousness.

  His hand is tangling in my hair, holding my head in place. I feel the fabric rip from between my legs, just before his large hand completely cups me. My pussy was already soaked from dancing in front of him, and it’s even more so now from the intensity in his deep blue eyes.

  Kane shoves two of his fingers inside me and uses his thumb to massage my clit. His fingers go deep, so deep that I yelp from pain and pleasure all the same time. His teeth bite my lower lip, gently tugging it before his tongue forces its way back into my mouth. His fingers pump in and out of me, and I throw my head back against the mirror and moan again.

  “I want to hear you scream my name.” His mouth moves to my neck, nipping his way down toward my breasts. I can feel my body tightening, my muscles clenching around his fingers. All at once, he takes my nipple in his mouth and presses down onto my clit. That’s all I can take before a scream is yanked from me, and I shatter around him.

  I look at his face and watch as he licks the remnants of my orgasm from his fingers. When my eyes finally meet his, what just happened hits me. I just let a customer finger me in the dressing room. That makes me no better than the sluts who work the private rooms, or the girls who slip the men their numbers and meet them at hotel rooms after work.

  Shame fills me as I realize I’ve violated my own rules. Yes, I wanted to, but I should have never given in. Don’t touch the customers. No matter who they are, how hot they are, or how much money they have, never mess with custom
ers. I need to get out of here, get the hell away from him as fast as I can.

  “Get off me.” I push him off of me, quickly grabbing my purse and the robe hanging on my chair before turning to leave.

  “Where are you going?” The hunger in his voice goes straight to my core, and it quivers, wanting more. “I’m nowhere near done with you.”

  “Yeah, well, I’m done with you,” I say with more conviction than I feel.

  He takes a step toward me, desire heavy in his eyes. “I know you want me. You just came on my hand.”

  He’s right. I want him more than I’ve ever wanted another man in my life, but it just isn’t going to happen. I can’t let it. “Well, consider it buyer’s remorse.”

  “What?” he asks, looking shocked. “You want me as much as I want you.”

  “Even though it might look like it, I’m not a whore.” Waving my hand back to the vanity, I continue. “Call what happened a major lapse in judgment.”

  He looks at me for a second before something flashes in his eyes. “So, you’re gonna just walk out of here, leaving me with a hard dick. That doesn’t make you a whore. That makes you a cock tease.”

  “If you want a rub and tug, or a wham bam thank you ma’am, go find the bitches that were on your lap earlier,” I say, ignoring the truth of his words.

  His blue eyes grow wide in shock before he tosses his head back and laughs. “I should be pissed at you, but I’m not. Now, I just want in your panties even more.”

  I take advantage of his hilarity and move around him, hurrying out the door. I wrap the robe around me quickly as I push the back door open and almost run to my car. Jumping in and locking the doors behind me, it takes a minute to catch my breath. Then, I make myself a promise. This can’t happen again.

  Chapter Four

  Kane

  As my laughter fades, I hear the door shut. Realizing she ran, I follow behind her. There’s no way this one is getting away. Never once in my twenty-nine years has a girl made me laugh, and I like it. Even better, never have I tasted anything as sweet as her pussy. I’d give my left nut just to taste her again. No, I’m determined to have her again, except next time, she won’t skip out on me before I’ve owned her completely.

  By the time I reach the parking lot, she’s sitting in a beat up yellow Toyota with a big ass sticker that says ‘save the tatas’. The piece of shit has definitely seen better days. I doubt I would have even let Ozzy drive this when he turned sixteen; he was a horrible driver, but this death trap isn’t fit for anyone. With an ass like hers, she should be pulling in enough dough to be riding in a Mercedes-Benz. It makes me wonder where all her money goes. I hope she isn’t spending it on drugs.

  If I find out that’s true, I don’t care how good her pussy is. I’m out. I cannot get myself into any shit, especially with the title fight coming up. I’m gonna have to do something to figure this out before I take another run at her. Getting closer, I hear the motor whine, trying to start. It doesn’t sound like she’ll be going anywhere anytime soon.

  Walking over to her, I tap on the window, and her head turns in my direction. Fear flashes through her green eyes before she turns forward and tries the ignition again. This time, it doesn’t even make a sound. After another try, she fists her hands and slams them against the steering wheel. Even through the closed window, her shouted fuck hits my ears.

  Finally, she looks up at me again. Her eyes narrow at me, and she orders, “Get back!”

  I take a step back and put my hands in front of me, letting her know I’m not gonna try to pull anything. “I just want to talk.”

  The door opens, and one sequined shoe stomps on the ground, followed quickly by the other. When she finally gets out, she’s covered in nothing but a red robe that barely covers her ass and a large purple purse that’s hanging from her shoulder. My eyes instantly roam her body from head to toe, taking in all that will soon be mine.

  “I don’t have time for you. I’m tired as hell, and now, I’m gonna have to go in and get dressed then get a cab. So, do me a favor and go grab one of the bitches inside, get your dick wet, and just leave me the hell alone,” she says, crossing her arms in front of her, forming a physical barrier.

  A smile spreads across my lips, loving the fire inside her. I realize I’m more interested in this woman than any other woman I’ve met in a long time. Maybe she’s worth more than just a quick fuck. I’ll never know unless I give it try.

  “I’m not here to give you any trouble. I just wanted to see if you wanted to grab some dinner or something. Thought maybe working me up, getting off, and leaving me with an aching cock might have caused you to build up an appetite.” I wink at her, willing to do damn near anything to get in her panties.

  She looks at me like I’m some lunatic. Hell, maybe she’s right. I don’t date, ever. My manager sets up publicity events and forces me to bring arm candy, but they are always paid for a job well done. They’re upcoming models, singers, or actresses, all of whom want to be seen on my arm. They, of course, try to hop in my bed, hoping I’ll let them ride my coattails for more than just the night, but I refuse to be used. People may see it like I use women, but is it my fault that I crook my finger and the girls come running?

  “Dinner? You want to take me to dinner?” She makes it sound like I asked her to drop to her knees and suck me off.

  Knowing I’ve had enough of her game, I decide to play things my way and walk toward her. Placing a hand on her cheek, my lips brush over hers. “I want to take you to dinner, so I can take you to bed after.”

  She stares up at me, her mouth slightly parted. Something is working behind her eyes, confusion filling them. This girl will be the biggest challenge I have ever had, and I love challenges.

  She shakes her head slowly, as if trying to figure out what to say. “I don’t go on dates.”

  That simple statement brings a chuckle out that I just can’t hold in. Placing another kiss against her lips, I reply, “Me neither, Sunshine. It’ll be a first for both of us.”

  Just as I deepen the kiss, her phone rings, and she jerks back. She slides her purse from her arm and pulls her phone out. When she looks at the screen, fear flashes across her face. Instantly, my body goes alert.

  “Hello,” she quickly says, panic already present in her voice. “Yes, this is Emmy Sanders.”

  Emmy Sanders. I say the name inside of my head. It fits her.

  “Yes, this is her. What happened?” The fear in her voice has racketed up to pure terror.

  For some reason, I need to protect her, to take that fear away. Reaching out, I pull her against me, hoping to calm her down. I really want to ask what the hell is going on, but I keep my mouth shut and listen. Even if I were to say something, she is so preoccupied, she probably wouldn’t even notice.

  “Oh my God. I’ll be right there.” She lets out a broken sob. “Please, tell him I’m coming and that I love him.”

  Hearing her say those words, telling another man she loves him, causes me to step back. All I want to do right now is send my fist through a wall. She’s someone else’s woman, not mine. Some guys are good with doing married chicks, but that isn’t me. When my dick is in a woman, she is mine in every way imaginable. I will walk away before I share.

  I need to get the hell away from her fast, but that would leave her alone to deal with this on her own. I can’t do that, either. I wouldn’t want to be left alone with no way to get to my family, so I won’t do that to her. I’ll take her where she needs to go, then forget I ever met her.

  As soon as she presses the end button, she has the phone back in her purse and is running to the car. Her keys are in the ignition before she even shuts the door. But, of course, the car doesn’t start, doesn’t even attempt to turn over.

  “No,” she screams, beating her fists against the steering wheel again. Her forehead falls forward, and her shoulders start to shake. “What am I gonna do?”

  As much as I want to get the hell away from her, as much as I hate tha
t she’s running to her man, I know there’s no choice. Stepping forward, my hand rests on the top of the door. “Come on. I’ll take you.”

  Her head jerks up, tears covering her beautiful face, and she looks at me as if she forgot I was even here. She shakes her head just a second then jumps out of the car, nearly knocking me over as she rushes past me. “Hurry up. My little brother’s hurt, and I have to get there.”

  Her brother? A sense of relief fills me before I remember the situation. I catch up to her, grasping her hand and leading her to my truck. “Don’t worry, Sunshine. I’ll get you to him.”

  Chapter Five

  Emmy

  As soon as he beeps the locks, I climb into his truck, cursing the fact that he is my only option right now. There’s no way I’m waiting for a cab. I need to get to Trey, and Kane can get me there quickly. At this point, I’d probably blow him if it were the only way I could get to the hospital.

  When Kane climbs into the driver’s side and his eyes lock on my uncovered legs, the realization of what I’m wearing hits me. “Damn.”

  He brings his beautiful blue eyes to mine, arching an eyebrow in question. “What is it now?”

  Grabbing the bottom of my robe, I tug the hem down. “Showing up like this will be really fun. I’m sure I’ll grab everyone’s attention, especially since, thanks to you, I’m not wearing any panties.”

  “You’re welcome,” he says as a smile spreads across his face

  I can’t stop myself from flipping him off. “Screw you.”

  A smile is still covering his face as he turns around in the seat and leans into the back. When he returns, he has a shirt in his hand. “It isn’t much, but it’ll cover more than what you’re wearing right now.” He tosses the shirt to me.

  It’s a red t-shirt with the words Ground-N-Pound on the front and Kane ‘KO’ Travis on the back, nearly identical to the shirt my brother was wearing when he left for school. “Thanks.”