His Stripper by Darcy Rose, Isabella Starling
Myles
Tapping the back of the pen against my desk, I look at the inventory like it’s written in Chinese. I normally have the bookkeeping for the month done within two hours. Today I think it’ll take me six.
I can’t concentrate on this when I know Hazel is on the other side of the building without me. The need to go to her and make sure she is okay is both overwhelming and perplexing. What the hell is going on with me?
Yes, she is an incredible lay and the show she put on for me last night was a fucking wet dream, but it’s not like we’re in a real relationship. We can’t be. Not with who I am. Just because my brothers found some chick doesn’t mean I can. Especially not after the way I’ve treated Payton. Fuck, if one of my brothers would do to Hazel what I did to Payton, I would rip their fucking balls off.
The thought of men coming in and looking at her is almost unbearable. I have no reason to feel this kind of jealousy. For one, I hold no claim on her. Fuck, I barely know her. Besides that, she is perfectly safe where she is.
Alex is manning the door. Tommy is in the main room. Hazel is in the lobby, behind the desk, and fully dressed. There is no reason to feel the way I feel, but that knowledge doesn’t lessen the dreadful sensation swirling around my gut.
I even check the security camera every few minutes, hoping that would calm me down. It doesn’t. I still want to walk down there and see her with my own eyes.
Having had enough, I push off the chair and head out of my office. Walking through the packed club, I take in my surroundings. Holly is dancing, and a man sits in front, throwing dollar bills on the stage while essentially slobbering on himself.
Samantha gives a middle-aged guy a lap dance in the far-left corner, the hard-on tenting his pants visible from across the room.
This whole place smells of alcohol, sweat, and sex. I never minded it before, and I still don’t really. What I do mind is having Hazel here. She is too good for this place, too pure, too innocent. I feel like I’m tainting her by bringing her here.
Pushing through, I make my way to the lobby. I find Hazel right where I left her, standing behind the desk with a wide smile on her face. That smile brightens even further when she sees me approaching.
“Hey! Checking to see if I’m doing my job?” she jokes.
“Nah, I knew you would do well.”
“I love it! Seriously, I’m so glad you offered me this job. I’m so happy to be able to work and not have to dance. You know… for random men. I loved stripping for you,” she whispers the last part.
“I’m glad you like it. Especially the stripping for me part because that’s definitely happening again… at the house.”
“I’d like that,” she admits. “So, are you going to tell me the real reason you came down here?”
I shrug. “I’m just dragging my ass on doing inventory and bookkeeping today.”
“I can help you,” Hazel offers.
“Yeah? I might take you up on that.” I’ll take any chance to spend some one-on-one time with her.
“I’ve never done it, but I’m a quick learner.”
We’re interrupted by the door opening, and a gust of cool midnight air fills the space while a group of three men walks inside.
“Well, hello there,” one of the men greets as he steps up to the desk.
“Hi!” Hazel chirps. “It’s a twenty-dollar cover charge each.”
“I’ll give you a hundred dollars if the girls on stage look like you.”
Jealousy floods my veins, turning my blood to molten lava as it burns through my body.
“The girls on stage are all gorgeous, I can assure you.” Hazel giggles and takes the twenty-dollar bill from the guy. She hands him a token for a free drink. “Enjoy!”
I watch the other two men pay. Luckily, they don’t flirt with Hazel like the first asshole who already went inside.
“You look grumpy,” Hazel points out when we’re alone again.
“Just ready to go back home.” I shrug.
“How come?” she questions, and I’m unsure if I should tell her the truth.
“I want you to sleep in my bed every night from now on.”
“I’d love to.” She gives me a smile that has my heart racing.
I grin, leaning against the desk. “I guess I’ll go back to my office and try to get some work done. Come up if you need anything.”
“Okay.” She nods, and I force my legs to move.
If I don’t leave her side now, I won’t get any work done for the rest of the night. I look back over my shoulder one last time, and she gives me a tiny wave goodbye before I disappear into the main room.
The moment the door separates us, I feel the loss of her presence. I don’t understand my obsession with her, but I do know I want to spend every minute of the day with her. Each second we’re apart is too much.
Dammit, I’ve turned into a fucking pussy like my brothers.