Page 9 of Collide

“One of the customers has taken a shine to you and has requested aprivate audience.”

I had just been about to tell her that I was very sorry but I couldn’t dothat when she held up a manicured finger and carried on talking.

“I know you don’t do private dances and you know I respect that, butthis customer isn’t someone who takes no for an answer.”

“Well, I’m afraid this person-” I pointed to my chest, “Is going tobe giving him no for an answer. I’m sorry, Diana, you know I don’t do private dances.”

I finished putting on my bra and reached for my shoes, this time theywere black peep-toe stilettos with silver heels which were an absolute bitch to dance in but made me feelverysexy.

Diana dropped to her knees in front of me, totally out of character forher, the woman never begged for anything. She grabbed my hand and squeezed it, almost to the point of pain.

“Riley, please, baby,” she pleaded desperately. “Ineedyou to do this.I owe this customer, like massively owe him, and he’s decided to cash it in by requesting an audience with you. He’s not someone I want to piss off.”

Despite the seriousness in her tone, I had to stifle a giggle. Shealmost looked comical on her knees, begging me for help, yet not a single muscle in her face moved an inch thanks to all the Botox. She really ought to lay off the cosmetic shit for a bit.

Instead, I hid my smirk and focused on the problem at hand.

“You’re not really selling this to me, Diana. Why would I want to bealone in a room with a man who can’t take no for an answer and isn’t someone you should piss off?” I mean, I had a point, right? He didn’t sound like he was someone I would want to be alone with for ten seconds, let alone the duration of a song.

“He’s willing to pay you whatever you want. And I’ll get one of thedoor staff to stand outside the room in case you need any assistance, but I promise you, he won't hurt you.” She gave me a look similar to when a puppy is begging for someone to pick them from the crate at the pound.

I had never seen her like this before, she was normally such a feistyball-breaker, no one dared to cross her. To see her on her knees and begging the way she was, I couldn't help but pity her.

She must have sensed my resolve weakening because she abruptlystood, grabbed my hand again, and yanked me out of the seat.

“At least come and meet him,” she said, before pulling me out of thedressing room and back into the corridor that led to the stage.

I could have stopped her, could have pulled my arm freefrom her grasp, and told her to get fucked. But I didn’t, curiosity got the better of me. Whether it was the fact that Diana had said this customer was willing to pay me whatever I wanted, or because I was so intrigued as to who had ruffled Diana’s feathers, I wasn’t sure.

Either way, I let Diana pull me along the corridor, onto the club floor,and passed the VIP booths, where I noted that Mr. Mysterious was nowhere to be seen. I guessed that he was busy by now, probably with Leandra’s mouth around his cock.

It wasn’t often that I thought she was a lucky bitch.

I pushed the thought out of my head as Diana led me into one ofthe private rooms, the one furthest away from the exit which I wasn’t exactly happy about but knew there was little I could do to change it.

Stepping inside, I was greeted with the back of a tall, broadman who was staring at a framed photo of an elegant woman wrapped around a pole, which happened to be one of my favorite pictures. My heart almost jumped out of my chest when I recognized the tailored suit he was wearing.

It was him.

Mr. Mysterious.

My observation was only confirmed when Diana cleared her throatand the man turned around to face us.

Being this close to him and in a better light, I drank in every singleinch of him. He didn’t smile, just stared at me with an intense look burning in his dark eyes, eyes that were so dark, they were almost black. If I had to guess his age, I would have said he was mid-thirties. He was clean-shaven and had a sharp jawline, his jet back hair was shaved around the sides but slightly longer on top, which had been swept back with the exception of a strand that flopped against his forehead.

I couldn’t resist eyeing up his body hidden underneath that expensivesuit, it was clear that he was nothing but solid muscle underneath the tight white shirt that stretched across his broad chest. His long legs were powerful and strong, and he had an air about him that screamed that this man was dangerous and not to be messed with. I couldn’t quite put my finger on what it was about him that gave me that impression, there was just….something.

Butterflies danced wildly in my belly and there was part of me thatwanted to run as far away from him as possible, while the other part of me wanted to move closer, drawn to him like a month to a dangerously hot flame.

“Sir, may I introduce you to one of our best dancers here at Club Sin,this is Star,” Diana announced with a quiver of nerves in her voice.

Still, he didn’t smile nor did he say anything, instead his eyes roamedup and down my body, and I was suddenly overcome with an eerie feeling that the man wanted to eat me alive. The worrying part was that I might have just let him.

“Bring me a bottle of scotch and two glasses,” he ordered Dianawithout taking his eyes from me, they burned fiercely into mine and I couldn’t stop the shudder that rolled through my body, but whether it was from fear or something entirely different, I didn’t know.

Diana muttered something quietly before she scurried away, leavingme alone with Mr. Mysterious. Still staring, he slowly unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing just how tight his shirt was against his firm chest. He placed it delicately over the arm of the sofa that was in the corner of the room.

“Is Star your real name?” he eventually asked after he finished gawking at my semi-naked body, still looking like he wanted to eat me alive, and that only made my heart race faster.

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