Page 97 of Sinful Pleasure

“A strip club?” I choked out. “Seriously?”

Maddox turned to me with a playful grin, clearly amused by my reaction.

“You wanted to come.”

“What the hell are we going to do in a strip club, Maddox?” I demanded, hurrying to keep up with his long strides as he headed toward the entrance.

His pace didn’t falter as he replied casually, “We? Nothing. I have something to take care of really fast. You will sit at the bar and wait for me. Without doing anything stupid, like you usually end up doing.”

I gasped, feigning offense.

“Me? Doing something stupid? I would never!”

He scoffed, giving me a knowing look because, let’s face it, we both knew that was a blatant lie.

As we stepped inside the club, my jaw practically hit the floor.

“Is it… is it weird to call a strip club beautiful?” I muttered under my breath.

The interior was luxurious, sleek, and undeniably opulent. It had an old-money charm but paired with just the right amount of modern edge. The walls were adorned with gold accents, the lighting dim and sensual, creating an atmosphere that was both seductive and inviting.

Despite it being the afternoon, the club was bustling with activity. My eyes darted to the main stage in the center of the room, where a stunning blonde was performing. She moved with a hypnotic grace, dressed in a delicate lace two-piece that seemed more like art than clothing.Dollar bills rained at her feet as the men gathered in front of the stage watched her with rapt attention, their faces slack with fascination.

I couldn’t blame them.

Her every movement was calculated, and entrancing, and there was something in her eyes—a kind of magnetic confidence—that pulled you in.

Meanwhile, Maddox barely seemed to notice.

His focus was straight ahead as he walked through the club with the ease of someone who owned the place.

I, on the other hand, couldn’t stop looking around. My eyes soaked in every detail, from the dancers on smaller stages to the waitresses in matching two-piece costumes. Each one of them exuded a polished allure, but it didn’t escape my notice how their gazes lingered on Maddox as he passed.

The hungry, flirtatious stares they shot his way were impossible to miss. Not that he cared. He didn’t so much as glance in their direction.

“Do they always look at you like that?” I blurted, still trailing close behind him.

He smirked, his voice low and teasing.

“Jealous already, princess?”

I scoffed. ‘‘You wish.’’

But the waitresses practically undressed Maddox with their eyes while I stood right next to him made my skin crawl.

Not that Maddox seemed to care.

He moved through the room like he was immune to their attention, not even sparing them a nod as they greeted him.

Almost every table was occupied with men in expensive suits, each with a woman—or sometimes more than one—perched on their laps.

Kissing, touching, and whispering in ways that made it impossible not to notice. I had to force my gaze away, focusing instead on Maddox’s broad back as he led the way to the bar.

When he stopped, he turned to face me. “You’re going to sit here and wait for me,” he said firmly. “It won’t take long.”

“You don’t have to talk to me like I’m some child, Maddox. I got it.”

His lips quirked, but he didn’t argue.

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