Page 2 of Maverick
Okay, maybe that was a little dramatic. Auburn was only a couple of hours from the Gulf Coast, butGod, I really didn’t want to be there.
What was that old saying? Let sleeping dogs lie? Trust me, I’d rather not be bitten twice.
“Are they really okay with you doing this?” I asked Stetson as we waited in line outside of Peaches.
My friend smiled up at me. “Yeah, they’re cool with it. Besides, three’s a crowd sometimes. They don’t mind having the occasional night to themselves.”
“That doesn’t make you feel left out?”
The line inched forward. Stetson shook his head. “I know there’ll be space for me in the bed when I get back. And if I asked for the same treatment, I know they’d give it to me.”
We both handed over our IDs and got waved through. I hadn’t been shocked that Stetson ended up withtwomen. Hell, he probably needed both of them to settle his wild ass down. Even as we entered the club, he practically bounced on his toes, scanning the space for an empty table. There was a dancer on stage, doing things with his body that I could only ever dream about.
“Slender” and “lithe” weren’t terms typically used to describe me. I was built… well, like a linebacker.
But not tonight. Tonight, I was going to be some hot stranger’s little pr?—
“What are you drinking?” Stetson needed to arch onto his toes to shout into my ear.
“Just… water.”
He arched a brow at me, but I stood my ground. I’d been speaking to Diesel online for weeks—a fake name, obviously—and he’d been an amazing comfort through all the nerves, but he’d made one thing clear: I was not to drink a single drop of alcohol. For consent reasons, I couldn’t be drunk, nor did I want to end up needing to stop because I had to pee.
“I’ll let loose later,” I promised Stetson, eyeing the cutoff behind the stage. That’s where I’d need to go after making some excuse to get away.
Unfortunately for me, my best friend was far too observant. “Oh,” he chuckled knowingly. “I got it now. You bought yourself a birthday present.”
My shoulders sagged in relief. Of course he knew about the room, that kinky little bastard. Before I could defend myself, he clapped me on the shoulder and wormed his way to the bar. My cheeks were on fire, but at least I wouldn’t have to lie to get away from the table. All I had to do was wait on a dancer named Onyx to finish his set, and all I’d have to do was slip away.
Technically, I hadn’t paid for anything. It was an anonymous meetup between two consenting strangers—but there was no arguing with Stetson once he got something in his head. Besides, the entire west coast would know if he had a problem with it.
He returned with my water, holding up a wad of cash that Levi must have given him when I wasn’t paying attention. “Come on. Onyx is on in five minutes. Let’s see if we can get close to the rail.”
That seemed to be the cue to kickstart my heart—but not forthe dancer. I’m sure he was great, but I was more excited for what would come after.
I practically vibrated in my seat throughout Onyx’s entire set. Sure enough, Stetson had clued someone in on my birthday, and I got some extra attention. Onyx singled me out with those glitter-accented brown eyes, crawling onto all fours and bouncing his glorious ass in my face. When he flipped his purple pleated skirt up to reveal the matching jock beneath, my mouth dried out. Squirming in my seat, the soft lace caressingmycock only served to make me harder. Onyx was gorgeous but even though my dick took interest, he was still far from my type.
Then he returned to the pole, and my heart threatened to beat right out of my chest. The song came to an end with an impressive spin from Onyx, and the stage went black. Subtly adjusting myself in the dim light, I rose from my seat. Stetson offered me nothing more than a wink and a knowing grin.
As the next dancer took the stage, I disappeared behind that curtain, counting the doors as I walked down the dark hallway.One… two… three… And I burst into the pitch-black room. I couldn’t see anything. The only sound I heard was the soft thump of the music outside—and my pulse rushing in my ears. Blood surged south, the thrill of the unknown enough to have me on the edge faster than I could blink.
For a moment, I wondered if I was in the wrong place. I was a second away from leaving when someone grabbed me from behind. I stiffened, hands flying to my captor’s arms. “Easy, princess. I’ve got you.”
The breathwhooshedout of my lungs. God damn, I was 6’ 4” but when my head fell back, it was onto a mountain of a shoulder. No wonder they called him Diesel. He must have been at least 6’ 8”, and the arms around my neck were the size of tree branches. He pressed into my back, letting me feel the hard planes of his chest and stomach. Judging by the sizable bulge pressing into my ass, he wore nothing but his underwear.
Now on edge for more than one reason, I tried to focus on my breathing. Deep inhales through my nose, and out through my mouth. Diesel’s thumb stroked my shoulder in time to my exhales. “Do you need a minute?” he asked.
“No,” I answered, perhaps a little too quickly. He chuckled, the deep sound rumbling his chest and vibrating my back. “I’m ready.”
“Alright, then. Give me your safeword and we’ll get started.”
“Traffic light system.” I swallowed against a dry mouth. “Yellow to slow down, red to stop.”
“Good girl.”
Oh, shit. Two little words were all it took to have me pressing my palm to my erection to stave off my orgasm. That was why I was here. I wanted to explorethatfeeling.
“Now…” Diesel’s right hand splayed across my chest, palm right over my heart. His left draped soft fabric across my arm. Rotating my hand, I accepted the mysterious garment. “As breathtaking as your ass feels in these jeans, it’s time for you to change into something more comfortable. I’m going to bring the lights up a bit so you can see. There’s a bathroom directly to your left. Leave your phone there. Understood?”
