Chapter 8

• LIAM
• The moment I rounded the corner and saw her, my heart nearly stopped. It was...her. I had my men fucking combing the entire city for her without any luck. Of course, I wouldn't tell her how obsessed I'd been trying to track her down.
• But here she was, standing in my building, looking at me like she belonged.
• Jesus fucking Christ, she was more than I remembered—even more striking in the light of day, her presence pulling all the air from the room, just like she had done at the club the other night. I caught myself staring, my mind spinning at how the hell she ended up here, of all places. For a second, the shock must have shown on my face, but I quickly concealed it.
• "You," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, though I couldn't quite hide the flicker of surprise.
• Her smile was slow, almost teasing, a knowing curve of her lips that did something to my mind and body. I couldn't tell if I was irritated or intrigued by this foreign disturbance from such a sinfully gorgeous woman. Maybe both.
• I wasn't about to let my employees listen to our encounter—not like I cared. But if I was going to strip this woman naked in my head, I didn't appreciate an audience.
• "Come with me," I turned on my heel and headed toward my office. I didn't wait for her to respond—I didn't need to. She would follow.
• Once inside, I closed the door behind her, the quiet hum of the city beyond the windows the only sound between us, so I hit the button that blinded the windows and silenced the noise from outside. She stood near the door, perfectly composed in her body-hugging pencil skirt and pale pink chiffon top that left me remembering how I'd traced every single curve on her and looking forward to doing it again, right here on my desk. Tension crackled between us, unspoken but undeniable. She looked... different in the daylight. It was still just as stunning, but there was something else now. Something sharper that I couldn't quite place my finger on.
• I walked to my desk, though I didn't sit down. Instead, I stood, leaning against the edge, letting my eyes rake over her—long legs, perfect curves, and that face. Fuck, that face.
• "What are you doing here?" I kept my voice low, tamping down the attraction I felt simmering under the surface. "You left without a word. No note, nothing."
• She gave a slight shrug as if it didn't matter. "I didn't think you'd notice. Plus, I kind of liked the anonymity between us; it made the night more intriguing, don't you think?"
• I couldn't help but smirk. "Oh, it did."
• And it really did. More than she could possibly know, and I wasn't one to go back to my one-night conquests. That was why this was all a bother to me: days of searching, hours wasted thinking of her, obsessing over the way she'd slipped away without a trace. But I wasn't about to let her know how much she'd gotten under my skin.
• She shifted slightly, her confidence dimming for just a moment. Was that nervousness I caught? Interesting.
• "But why...did you leave so suddenly?" I asked, folding my arms as I kept my eyes on her. I needed to know.
• She met my gaze, and I saw a flicker of vulnerability there, quickly masked by her usual cool demeanor. Or maybe I was thinking too deeply about every reaction she was throwing at me.
• "I realized who you were," she said softly. "Liam Sterling. You're not exactly... an ordinary man. It was intimidating."
• I raised an eyebrow, skeptical. Intimidated? Her? That didn't track with the woman I remembered. But then again, I'd been wrong before.
• "If that's the case, what are you doing here now? And how did you find me?"
• Her lips curved again like she'd been waiting for the question. "Do you know who you are?" She chuckled before answering her own question, "Liam Sterling...all it took was one question to know where I could find you."
• I studied her, leaning back against the desk. She'd actually sought me out deliberately. I couldn't tell if I liked that or not. But damn if I wasn't still drawn to her. The way she moved, the way she stood there, acting like she was unshaken by me. There was an undeniable pull between us, and I could feel the heat rising with every second.
• "So, let me get this straight," I let my voice soften as I tried to figure her out. "You were intimidated, yet here you are. In my office. Looking for what, exactly?"
• She held my gaze and let the silence stretch, the tension between us thickening with each breath. I caught the ghost of a tremble on those perfectly lined lips, red and plump like two perfect and juicy cherries.
• I took a step closer, not letting her off that easily. "Well?" I locked my eyes on hers. "What do you want from me?"
• She took two calculated steps toward me, almost mirroring my own movement. Her heels clinked lightly against the floor like she was trying to show that I shouldn't intimidate her more than I already did.
• "I—I need a job," she said, her voice catching for just a second before steadying.
• I raised an eyebrow, skepticism creeping into my tone. "A job? You expect me to believe you came here looking for a j—a job?"
• Okay, that? I wasn't expecting. This woman was full of surprises.
• She licked her lips, her gaze flickering to my desk before settling back on me. "Yes. I need a job, and now that I know you're the owner of the club, it's only convenient that I ask you."
• I leaned in slightly, enough to catch the subtle scent of her perfume—something sweet, like jasmine and trouble. How did I get myself tangled in this? "What kind of job are we talking about here?"
• Her lips parted, and for a moment, I thought she wouldn't answer. But then she took a breath and straightened her shoulders. "I want to work at your club."
• My eyebrows shot up. "Work at my club? Doing what?"
• She hesitated, the blush creeping up her neck and giving her away. "I... I could strip."
• There it was. The admission hanging in the air between us was like a challenge. She said it so softly, almost as if she wasn't sure of it herself. I couldn't stop the slow smirk that tugged at my lips.
• "You want to strip at my club?" I took a half step closer, watching her every move, every slight shift in her posture. "And why should I let you?"
• She met my gaze, her eyes flickering with something like determination. "Because I'll be good at it. Better than anyone you've ever had."
• Before I could reply, she surprised me. Her hands moved to the soft knot on the collar of her blouse and tugged at it, letting it fall loosely over her chest, exposing a sliver of the skin right above her breasts. She went ahead and undid the tiny buttons of the blouse with slow, deliberate motions. Her eyes never left mine. I knew she wasn't backing down.
• I watched, intrigued, as she slipped the blouse off her shoulders, revealing a sexy white lacy bodysuit underneath. The perfect bodice of the lacey material hugged her curves like a second skin, revealing perfectly rounded breasts with droll-worthy cleavage.
• My pants tightened from the slight twitch of my cock.
• She gave me an equally daring and seductive look, and then—almost as if daring herself—she started to move.
• Her hips swayed slowly, sensuously, in time with a rhythm only she could hear. Her fingers trailed up her sides, brushing against her waist, then her neck, like a slow caress. Then she took a steady step closer. My pulse quickened despite myself. There was something hypnotic about how she moved—intentional but not overdone. It was the confidence, the subtle way she demanded my attention, even as she stood in front of me, vulnerable and exposed.
• I wanted so badly to bend her over my desk and hear her scream.
• For a moment, I almost forgot what we were even talking about.
• "You think that's enough to get you hired?" I knew my voice came out rougher than I intended.
• She stopped mid-movement, her chest rising and falling. Her eyes locked onto mine, glinting with something dangerous—something I hadn't quite anticipated. She was about to say something, probably another one of her bold comebacks, but I cut her off before she could.
• "I have a better offer," I stepped closer again, the space between us now barely a breath.
• Her lips parted slightly, curiosity mixed with suspicion. I watched the shift in her expression, the quick flash of uncertainty that she tried to hide.
• "I don't need another stripper in my club," I continued, trying to sound deliberate. "What I need... is someone more... committed."
• Her brow arched, but she didn't flinch. I could see the gears turning in her head, trying to figure out where I was going with this. "More committed?" She asked.
• "Yes, so here's my offer," I let the words roll off my tongue slowly, savoring the anticipation that hung between us. "You want a job? Be mine."
• Her eyes widened slightly, just enough for me to catch the flicker of uncertainty.
• "I'm not talking about dancing on stage or taking orders from my club managers." I leaned in until I could feel her breath against my skin, her scent wrapping around me. I let my voice drop to a whisper, dark and deliberate. "I'm talking about something more... about you being mine. Completely."
• Her breath hitched, but she didn't move. Didn't pull away. I let the silence linger for a second, savoring the way her pulse quickened.
• "Your body. Your time. Everything," I continued, my lips just inches from her ear. "Mine to do with as I choose."
• The words hung in the air, thick and dangerous. I watched as the realization washed over her, the struggle to keep her guard up. She was trying to stay in control, but I knew I had her teetering on the edge.