Page 23 of Scarred Hearts

“What?” I scoffed.

“Someone in this office likes Gia,” he teased.

Throwing the dagger onto the desk, I ran a palm over my face before resting my hands on my hips. “No, I’m?—”

“Jealous,” he interrupted, still wearing a smug grin. “You’re not even good at hiding it.”

“I’m not jealous.” I stormed out of the room.

“Where are you going?”

“To make sure he doesn’t break the fucking rules.”

“Have fun with that,” he called after me. “I have to go make my rounds.”

Ignoring him, I briskly made my way down the hallway. As I passed Victoria, she emerged from the cage room and grabbed my hand. I stopped in my tracks, turning to face her.

“Where are you off to in such a hurry?”

“I have something to handle,” I replied.

Her hand drifted up to caress my jawline. “Do you want a dance?”

I hesitated, glancing down the corridor in search of Giovanna. Finally, I gently removed her hand from my face and dropped it to her side. “I have to go.” I left her standing there alone as I turned and veered to the side, scanning my card before stepping into the dimly lit private viewing hallway.

I looked in each room, my eyes darting back and forth. Finally, I arrived at L3, one of the exclusive private rooms. The bed was placed against the center of the wall, its midnight-blue, silk sheets pristine and unused. A polished metal pole stood tall in one corner, beckoning to be danced upon, while a sleek black leather sitting area occupied the other corner.

They entered the room, and she led him over to the couch, her hand pressed against his chest. He fell back easily into her seductive trap, already under her spell. I felt a twinge of irritation at how easily she manipulated him, knowing she had a personal history with him. It made me wonder if they’d ever been more.

Ever since Mila’s death, I hadn’t touched another woman. Despite being offered endless lap dances, blowjobs, and sex by eager women looking to distract me from my grief, I always declined. But now, seeing Giovanna with someone else stirred up conflicting emotions within me. I felt guilty for even wondering about her sex life.

Just as I reminded myself Mila’s death was all my fault to keep my thoughts in check, Giovanna slid the top of her dress down while swaying her hips to whatever song she was playing in the room. Swallowing hard, I took a deep breath, bringing my hand to my chin.

I work in a strip club and a sex club. This is just my job. It’s nothing I don’t see every night. It’s fine if I watch, right? The place wasn’t Mila’s scene, but she never cared about the fact that I thrived in the atmosphere, and I never wronged her.

Despite the one-way glass barrier between us, I could have sworn her gaze locked onto mine as she ran her fingers over her perky breasts and pinched her pierced nipples with a playful grin. She turned around and bent over in front of him, shaking her ass teasingly in his face before glancing back at me once again.

He reached out, cupping her backside. Gnawing the inside of my cheek, I felt my heart pounding in my chest. I averted my eyes, blinking rapidly, before forcing my gaze back to the room. She was facing him again. He put his hands over hers, and they slid her short dress up, slipping her black thong down her legs. She stepped out of it, and he yanked her on top of his lap again.

A confused feeling simmered inside me. Unable to bear the sight any longer, I stormed down the hallway, my heart thumping loudly in my chest. I reached the end of the corridor, hurling the door open, and stepped into the main hall, nearly colliding with Roxy.

“Hey!” she beamed. “Just the man I was looking for!” Her nose scrunched up in concern as she took a step back. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” I shook off the feeling that had come over me, suddenly aware of my body’s betrayal and physical reaction to seeing Giovanna naked. Shit. “What’s going on?”

“Did I see Gia was back?” she asked eagerly.

I nodded once. “Yeah, she’s dancing.”

“That’s awesome!” She pointed behind her toward the office. “There’s a couple waiting for you to sign their paperwork.”

“Thanks.” I patted her shoulder as I made my way past her. Anything to distract myself from what was happening in the other room.

My mind raced with conflicting thoughts; guilt for betraying Mila and memories of the intense night I shared with Giovanna. Then, my mind wandered to the other night, when I helped her back to her apartment.

You didn’t think I was useless when you fucked my every hole. Your body is still as hard as I remember. I like it when you touch me like that, or so it seemed like that’s what she was about to say before she fell asleep.

I didn’t want to tell her all the things she revealed to me while intoxicated. It would only embarrass her, and I wanted to avoid that conversation at all costs. Things had already gotten awkward enough earlier in the hallway.

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