Page 21 of Throne of Sin

“Yes.” I straighten my back. Slowly, I get control of my head and confidence.

I walk back to Leon’s table. He’s in his mid-fifties, by the look of it. My eyes narrow in on the plain gold band on his hand. My stomach swooshes.I need the money.

“I was afraid you were going to change your mind,” he says, standing. “What room?”

“Two,” I answer, and he chuckles under his breath. It makes me self-conscious.

“You really are a newbie. Or is it that Dante has a thing for you?” he asks from behind me, his breath hitting my neck. I place the key into the lock and his front touches my back. “I know his kink is to watch. We’ll have to make sure to give him a show worth watching.”

“What?” We step into the room and he closes the door. My heart thunders a mile a minute.

“He likes a good show. We don’t want to disappoint him.” Leon nods toward the two-way mirror. I swallow down the saliva collecting in my mouth.

Music starts up the moment the door is closed and the lights dim themselves. Leon walks over to the couch, leaving me standing by the pole in the room.

My hand wraps around the metal to keep me steady.

“Do a little dance to warm both of us up.” He sinks back into the couch and rubs himself for a second. My stomach turns.I can do this.I have to do this.

I drop to my knees and pop up, allowing my butt to be in the air as I take my time moving upward. The entire time, my eyes shift between the man on the couch and the mirror.

“You like having the audience too, I see.” He leers at me, his grin almost sadistic. Or maybe it’s all in my head. “Bring that delicious ass toward me.”

I grip the pole tighter and my feet shuffle as I try a different routine. I wiggle my ass, trying to get lost in my dancing. It’s time Dante learns he can’t treat me differently. In my mind, I’m dancing for Dante, even though he’s probably not watching.

“We both know dancing on that thing is not your strong suit. Show me what your talent really is.”

I take the scrunchy from my hair and allow my ponytail to drop. With a shake, my long locks float to the middle of my back.

“No touching.” I wrap my elastic around his hands. He could free himself easily enough if he wanted to, but he adjusts himself and I can tell he’s liking this. I don’t think I could go through with it if he touched me.

I seductively sway my hips over to Leon. I make a show of lifting my leg easily above my head and turn so my back is facing him. With the beat to the song I lower myself, bending in half when his pants hit my leg. I move up and down, shaking my ass.

His fingers untie my corset and the ribbon slacks against my skin. Turning, I cage him so my breasts and his face are the same height.

He pulls me in closer and I fall into a straddle over him. I don’t want to be here. When I left town, I vowed I’d never find myself in a situation like my mother used to place me in. But look at me now; I’ve come full circle, because I demanded it.

The door opens with a bang and I’m pulled off the couch. Dante’s scent wraps around me.

“You need to leave. Now,” he growls.

“I expect my money back and a free dance.”

“You’re going to get my fist in your face if you don’t walk away in three seconds.”

My fingers reach behind me and quickly do up the ribbons, securing my top. Dante is breathing hard, the cords in his neck straining.

The music is cut short, its silence making the room thick with tension.

I stand, placing my hands on my hips. “You said I could dance!”

He stalks toward me. “Dance, not fuck. The rules haven’t changed Demi. If you need to fuck someone it will be me. It has always been me.” His nostrils flare while he cracks one knuckle at the time until he towers over me.

His hands sweep behind me and undo the ribbon. His dark irises lock on me, daring me to do something about it.

“I wasn’t going to fuck him.”

The pads of his fingers brush against my skin. My face heats, and I feel my flush creep from my neck to my cheeks. “No. You wanted to fuck with me. That’s why you kept watching the mirror.”

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