Page 48 of City of Salvation

It wasn’t just the fact that she didnotneed more alcohol, but she had people after her. I wanted to watch every fucking drink she had been made and be the one to deliver them to her. She wasn’t going to be roofied on my watch.

“I thought you were going to teach me how to strip on a pole,” I said, desperate to get her to smile again. My assumption was dead on because her face lit up, and so did the other women when they saw Nikki dragging me onto the stage in the center of the circular booth.

As if on cue, a new song started, and she grabbed onto the pole, doing a few full body rolls, ending it with the whipping around of her hair and a smile so sinful the devil wouldn’t have been able to do a better job.

“Okay, sexy Dexy, it’s your turn. Think you can manage to copy that? Or do I need to start even slower for you?” she asked, curling a finger and motioning me to come closer.

I reached up and yanked out the black band holding my hair up in a bun. If she wanted a show, I’d give her a damn show. I nearly popped out a hip with how I dramatically walked toward the pole, but it was worth the laugh she was trying to hide behind her hand.

The cool metal felt good against my hands, which had been clammy since the moment Nikki had dragged me out of my seat, pulling me onto the dance floor. I tried to figure out how not to pop a boner again from the feel of her skin against mine.

I leaned over, determined to win the challenge Nikki had thrown down. I was a competitive fucker, something people didn’t usually anticipate. It was part of why I was so good at getting information. It felt like a game to see who would break first: my moral code or the person’s hold on the information. Sometimes, the third option won out, and their body broke before the other two.

“How about a wager for every move of yours I can do?” I asked.

She arched a manicured brow. “What do you want?” she asked, her tone thick with suspicion.

I pushed away the images of her spread out on her bed, or even the one of her plump lips pressed to mine, because anything physical was out of the question.

Not after what just happened on the dance floor, which had only proven how poor my self-control was with her.

The crowd of people was the only reason I’d even paused, and I didn’t have any issues with public play, so the next time a situation like that occurred, I probably wouldn’t be able to stop myself if she didn’t.

Luckily, there was something else I really wanted.

I motioned her closer with my finger, the same way she had moments before. Her steps were hesitant, but there was something in her eyes. The way they glinted under the red lights told me she was excited to know what I had to say.

“When I win?—”

“If.”

Ignoring her, I continued laying out my terms. “I want toknow something about your past. Something you keep locked away in here.” The tip of my finger trailed up her torso, coming to rest above her heart, and I gave it two taps. Fear replaced the look of excitement, and I knew I needed to reel her back in.

“But, hey, maybe you don’t want to take that bet because you know I really am talented,” I provoked, twirling around the pole once, being sure to look ungraceful.

“You’re on.”

I tucked away my look of triumph before facing her again. The poor girl had no clue what she’d just agreed to.

“Now, how did that first one go again? Oh, that’s right.”

The space filled with the sound of horny women hollering as I did a full body roll while holding the poll, flipping my hair back the way I’d seen Nikki do countless times. I knew I didn’t look nearly as good as she did while doing it, but our little audience seemed pretty damn pleased. Nikki, on the other hand, had her hands propped on her hips, rolling her eyes when I held out a single finger.

One point, Dex.

“That’s literally the easiest move ever.” She strode over, hip-checking me out her way. “Don’t get cocky over a little body roll.”

“There was a hair flip in there, too, which I think gets me two questions,” I said.

“I think not.”

There was something so sexy about seeing her slightly pissed off.

There was probably something trauma-related to why I liked angry women, but I had no interest in exploring the reasons. I was happy to reap the benefits of this particular quirk.

All thoughts stopped, and my mind blanked when Nikkitook a running leap, gripping high up on the pole and letting the momentum swing her in a circle before she wrapped a creamy leg around and transitioned to twirling by the crook of her leg and a single arm.

The wink she sent me went straight to my dick. This competition was going to make everything that much harder—literally.

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