Page 18 of Loving Lex

“Dancers have to do that?” I asked, gaping.

“Dancers don’thaveto do anything,” she said. “But money talks. And there are escorts here as well, but most of the time they go off-site.”

“So, what’s the tricky part?”

She shrugged and made a little face. “When things are going on,” she said. “Sometimes clients lose sight of who they’ve paid for their little fantasy, and we go in looking like we do and their little churned-up minds think maybe the more the merrier.” She pointed toward Lex. “Hence, the muscle outside the door. Just smile and flirt and wink and stay out of reach, and you’ll be fine.”

Out of reach of who?

I followed her as she quietly entered the first room, taking great care not to meet Lex’s gaze as I passed him. A completely nude dancer was riding a man’s lap in a slow pulse to the music, while another writhed erotically on the pole in front of him. Mariah walked slowly and sultrily to the small table set with two different carafes of liquor, crystal tumblers, bottles of sparkling water, an unopened bottle of Dom Perignon, and a silver tray of fruit and expensive cheeses. A black embossed name card was on the tray with the man’s name.Mr. Jones.

Of course.

She silently checked the supply to see if anything needed replacing, although it didn’t look like anything had been touched but the whiskey.

“Is there anything else you need, Mr. Jones?” she asked softly, standing close enough for him to see her but out of reach.

His eyes took her in hungrily and then drifted to me. I had to mentally talk my arms down from covering myself up.You’re hot. Use it. Work it.Jesus, it was mentally exhausting what these women had to put themselves through.

These womenincluded me now.

Mariah poured Mr. Jones another drink and set it on the end table next to him, smiling seductively, and we left.

“That’s all there is to it really,” she said. “Use their names, it personalizes it for them. Sometimes, the clients prefer to remain anonymous, but it’s probably a turn-on to hear the fake names they give, too,” she said wryly. “Think you can handle the next one?”

“Will you come in with me?”

“Of course,” she said. “I’ll just follow. Give me one second though, I need to run to the ladies’ room.”

“Take your time.”

Mariah laughed and sauntered away, and I was left with the eyes burning a hole in my back. I turned slowly and tried to steel myself for whatever was coming.

Lex’s eyes dropped to my breasts, then closed briefly before meeting my gaze like that was the hardest thing he’d ever done.

“Why are you working up here?” I asked, knowing it was a stupid question, but someone had to break the silence.

“Why are you?”

I sighed. “Are we really doing this again?”

“Well, I don’t know, making up was pretty fun last time.”

I cut him a look. Was he seriously going to be that asshole? I’d worried about his reaction all day for this? God, I could certainly pick them.

“Too soon?” he said with a smirk.

“I have to work,” I said, turning to—do something productive while I waited for Mariah. At this point, I didn’t care what.

“Wait,” he said, expelling a long breath as I reluctantly looked back over my shoulder. “Are you okay?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Am I okay?”

“I mean, I’m sorry,” he said, dropping his arms and glancing behind him at the door as he lowered his voice and took a step toward me. “Look, I thought you were into it, too, but when you didn’t say anything afterward and then weren’t there today—” He shook his head. “Shay, if I did something you didn’t want...”

Damn it, I was the asshole.

I hated being the asshole.

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