Page 11 of The Devil's Secret

As soon as the glass hits the surface, both my hands are laced through her hair, fisting, pulling, yanking roughly as I groan with desire clinging to every messed-up inch of me.

My cock is hardened steel as I look up to find her gaze tangled with need, the same web I’m trapped in. When she lets out a sensual exhale, her head falling back, I arch my hips in between her, wanting inside.

The song changes, the beat turning sensual, and so do her hips. She circles them around me, my hard-on jerking from the way she moves, from the way she looks at me.

I ease a fraction, lowering her face to mine, her lips brushing over my mouth, my hands around each one of her hips now as she rocks against me.

“Are you doing this because you want to or because you have to?” I need to know. This only works if she wants it.

Her features soften, her gaze wandering between my eyes and my lap as her hands go to her bra.

I find them, clutching both in my large palm.

“No,” I insist, edging my hand up her back until the span of my palm is around her neck. Lowering her so close, I could kiss her right now. “Answer me, Joelle. Tell me if you want this. I need to hear it. And don’t you lie.”

Her movements slow.

“I’ll still give you the money even if you stop. I promise.” My fingers snake through her hair, holding her tightly to me. “I don’t know what it is about you, but I just… I don’t know…”

“Patrick, I—” Her breaths fall over my mouth, her lower lip stroking over mine. “This is my job.” She tries to push herself back, but I don’t let her. She can say whatever she wants just like this, where I can taste her words, wanting to taste the rest of her in between. “This is what I do. I don’t know you and you don’t know me, and honestly, you don’t want to know me.” She pauses. “I’m not a good person. If you knew the kind of stuff I’ve done, you’d probably never want to see me again.”

“None of us are good, Joelle. We’ve all done things we’re not proud of.” I slip my palm up to her cheek, cupping her gently like I’ve been wanting to, and instead of recoiling, she burrows further into my touch. “Whatever you had to do, I’d never judge you for it. Because I bet you anything, I’ve done worse.”

Taking in a long breath, she lets out a sad laugh. “I don’t know why, but I believe you.”

“You should.” I stroke her full lips with mine. “I don’t lie.”

She forces a long sigh, pushing away from me, and this time, I let her go.

“I’ve never had a dance at a place like this before.” I attempt to lighten the mood. “You’d be my first.”

“You mean you’ve never had a stripper grinding on your dick at a fancy club before?” She giggles all sweet. “I’m flattered.”

A deep-chested chuckle breaks free with a groan as she shifts over me, my cock straining, my lower lip trapped between my teeth, forgetting where we are and why she’s really on top of me. “I never wanted one before you,” I admit. “But I like the way you dance, Joelle. I don’t want you to do it for me because it’s your job, I want you to do it because you want to.” My hands fall to her hips, my thumbs massaging with slow circles. “So, until that moment happens, when I come here, we talk. We hang out. That’s it. And you get to keep your clothes on.”

A harsh exhale rushes out of her chest. “Patrick,” she whispers, fear looping in her voice, on her face. “They’ll know.”

“Are there cameras in here?”

She shakes her head. “Only in the hall.”

“Then they won’t know. I won’t stay a minute past my time, and they’ll still get their money. On top of that, I’ll pay you two grand each time I come here, and every penny will be yours. Got it?”

“Why are you doing this?” Her brows slant into a frown as her gaze falls tenderly to mine. She palms the side of my neck, my pulse loudly thrashing in my ears, my heart weak for this woman.

She wakes up every part of me. The man. The boy. The hero. And the villain. With her, I’m all of them at the same time.

I shrug. “My brother once met a man, a long time ago, who helped us when we really needed it. I have a feeling you need that too.”

“I do,” she breathes. It’s the first real thing she’s said, and the way she says it, the shudder in her voice, goddamn, it breaks me as a man.

“You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you.” A hand slides up her spine, fingers parting through the luscious curtain of her hair, weaving deeper as I lean her forehead to mine.

“Then do it.” Her tone lowers with a tremble, the words skating past my lips. “It’s been a while since a man kissed me. Really kissed me. Really looked at me the way you do.”

“Fuck, Joelle. I want to.” I yank her back, my control practically breaking. “I want to so badly, baby, but I can’t.”

“I figured.” She scoffs, trying to push off my lap, but I don’t let her, gripping her hips, and keeping her just where she is. “A guy like you would never want a girl like me, who does the things I do.”

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