Page 66 of Scattered Glitter

“I just need to talk to her for a second,” he insists, and I can already picture him standing outside with Carl, even taller than the bouncer.

“She’s booked for a private,” Carl grunts, his tone clipped and annoyed. “You can wait like everyone else.”

“How much is a private?”

The businessman in front of me raises an eyebrow, glancing toward the curtain as if he can hear the conversation as clearly as I can. I stay still, my heart racing, my body tense.

“A thousand,” Carl replies flatly, his tone daring Hottie to back down.

There’s a pause, just long enough to make the businessman and me exchange a glance before Hottie’s voice comes again.

“I’ll double it. And the same amount for you. Cash.” There is some ruffling. “Here.”

The businessman lets out a low whistle, a smirk playing at the edges of his lips. “Well, looks like that boy’s in love,” he murmurs, standing and adjusting his cuffs like he’s not at all surprised by the turn of events. “Make sure to pluck that chicken good, sweetheart. Have a good night.”

I can’t even manage a reply before the curtain parts, and Carl steps in with his usual gruff demeanor. “You’re out,” he saysto the businessman. “Diamond Diva will take care of you.”

The man shrugs, offering me a small smile as he walks out without a second glance. And then Hottie steps in, his presence filling the room like he owns it, the curtain falling shut behind him. He’s a wet dream come to life.

His eyes lock onto mine, and for a second, I can’t breathe.

Dammit, I need to stop doing these privates.

“Sparkle,” he says, but it’s a plea, tugging at something deep in my gut that I don’t need stirred up right now.

I narrow my eyes, crossing my arms. “What the hell are you doing here?”

“Just hear me out.” He runs a hand through his messy hair, trying to play it cool, but the tightness in his jaw gives him away. “I’m not easy to handle, okay? I feel things… deeply. Maybe too much. But—”

I cut him off, not in the mood for this bullshit and ready to fucking bolt. “What do you want?”

“What doIwant?” He laughs, but there’s no humor in it. “You pulled me in. Then you spit me out like it was nothing. And it’s driving me fucking crazy.”

My pulse quickens, but I keep my face neutral.

What the fuck is even happening?

“You’re in my head. I can’t shake you off. And I’m not here to play games or bullshit around. I… I need to know what happened. Why you pushed me away.”

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but his words are hitting all the wrong places. Or maybe all the right ones. Either way, I need him gone, even if he does have beautiful gray eyes.

“I—”

“You were into it.” He steps closer, his gaze pulling me in. “Then you just—” He breaks off, running a hand over hisface, his frustration simmering below the surface. “Fuck, I sound insane.”

“Yeah,” I say dryly, but it’s hard to hide how my heart is racing now. “And if you’d shut up for a second, I could tell you that you didn’t do anything, but I don’t want to talk. I can dance, or you can leave.”

I want to get this over with, grab my cash, and be done with it.Done with him. So, when he looks at me and doesn’t say anything more, I step over to the wall, hit play on the sound system, and the music swells around us. He watches as I push him back onto the couch, his body sinking into the plush velvet, completely willing.

Moving into the rhythm, I let Glitter take over. The music pulses through me, but the usual high I get from performing is still absent. I dance anyway, swaying my hips and sliding my hands down my body, hoping the moves will distract him from whatever conversation he’s trying to have.

“Sparkle.” He tries to talk to me again, but I keep moving.

This is a private dance, so I should be on his lap, but that is dangerous territory.

He watches me intently, his hands resting on his thighs, and there’s tension in him that looks ready to rip. His eyes follow my every move, but I can tell he’s not focused on the dance—his eyes never leave my face.

I want to spin around and give him my back, but before I can take another step, his hands are on me, firm but not forceful, gripping my waist. He pulls me onto his lap, and the sudden shift sends a shock through my body like a live wire.

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