Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 84195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 84195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 421(@200wpm)___ 337(@250wpm)___ 281(@300wpm)
She joined me near a ledge along the wall as she sipped her Cosmo and me a beer. Just as I was about to lean over and ask her if she danced, a pretty twink with short-cropped blond hair and holding a microphone jumped on the bar. He held his hand out to a hunky bartender with dark hair, who’d been working the other end of the crowd.
“They’re gorgeous together,” Gretchen said once the bartender joined the blond guy and they began dancing together in a sensual way. And they were. In fact, I couldn’t take my eyes off them, and I wondered if they were a real couple. The soft way they were looking at each other while grinding their hips together kept me watching with rapt attention.
It also made my chest ache with a foreign sort of longing. Maybe because it was something I was missing in my life. Not a boyfriend, because I’d had plenty. A real relationship. Someone I wanted to spend my life with, not just pass the time.
When they ended the dance with a steamy kiss to hoots and hollers from the crowd below them, a bell went off in my head. Was this the friend Skylar had told me about who was dating the bartender? Given the possessive look in the bartender’s eyes, I was going to guess in the affirmative. So hot!
The blond strode through the crowd toward a riser and was helped up by another gorgeous guy. I held in a small gasp. He wasn’t only gorgeous. He was stunning. Skylar wasn’t kidding when he said I hadn’t seen anything yet.
I pointed. “Oh my God, there’s Skylar.”
His full face of glittery makeup enhanced his features, and as I stared openly, noting his sharp cheekbones, long lashes, and full red lips, my eyes snagged on his midsection next, which was on full display. Smooth, creamy skin below a cropped T-shirt and above nylon shorts that were so skintight, they accentuated, well, everything. When he turned toward the wall and bent at the waist, showcasing his ass, all I could do was gape because his body was banging. All lean, graceful lines in a compact package.
“Skylar’s an amazing dancer,” Gretchen said, and I had to agree once I finally snapped out of my gawking and noticed how he moved and appealed to the crowd.
When he got close enough to the edge, men would step up and shove dollar bills in his shorts, and that made me feel…strange. I didn’t know why. This was what he did for a living, he was damned good at it, and he apparently enjoyed it, given his radiant smile. Some of it might’ve been shtick as he egged on his customers for tips, but I also got the feeling he simply enjoyed performing.
“Follow me. I’ve got a couple of singles.” Gretchen pulled at my arm with a laugh, and my stomach tightened as we moved nearer.
She handed me a dollar bill before stepping directly in front of him and raising her hands in the air as she bounced on her feet. When Skylar focused on us, he released a gasp, and when our eyes locked, the biggest smile broke over his face. “Sneaky! You didn’t tell me you were coming.”
He looked so happy, I was suddenly glad I’d made the leap tonight. Seeing him smile like that after his earlier glum mood was exactly what I needed. I couldn’t help grinning back.
“Here you go. You’re awesome,” Gretchen said, quickly slipping the money into his shorts, then stepping back to give me more room. But I just stayed put, my feet feeling like lead.
“You got one for me too?” Skylar asked, then turned to wiggle his butt suggestively.
My entire face flamed as I surged forward and slipped the dollar bill inside his waistband. His skin was hot and sweaty but so smooth. I always thought I liked bigger and hairier guys, but right then it was as if my twelve-year-old self was crushing on gymnastics Skylar. I felt a bit light-headed as I stepped back. He blew me a kiss, then moved to the other side of the riser to appeal to that portion of the crowd.
We watched a while longer, then walked around the club, but my gaze always found its way back to Skylar. Thankfully, Gretchen never asked me to dance, because I wasn’t sure I could make my legs move well enough to not embarrass myself. But it was fun to watch others getting down and dirty in the little pockets of spaces we found to stand. Eventually we ended up at the original bar for one more drink before Gretchen pulled me toward a spot against the wall.
When I next looked for Skylar, I saw him jumping off the riser with the blond guy and heading our way, possibly taking a break. As they walked through the crowd, men reached out to him, and that made an uncomfortable feeling churn in my gut, but again, I didn’t understand why. Maybe it was that confidence thing. He had an abundance of it when it came to owning his sexuality. They both did.