His lips were curved into a sensuous line, and it was all she could do not to reach out and run her fingers over them. She finally looked up into his eyes and blinked.
They were gray, almost silver, like moonlight on a winter night. The shiver she felt intensified and she impulsively wrapped her arms around herself.
The man tilted his head, his smile deepening, clearly enjoying her reaction. “Would you like a drink?”
Nikki finally found her voice. “Yeah…yes. I would. Thank you.”
With lithe grace the man moved to the bar, steering Nikki in front of him, his hand on the small of her back, easily cutting through the crush of men crowded at the rail. Behind the bar Sam caught her eye briefly before looking at the man.
“Whatever the lady’s usual is and I’ll have a Campari and soda.”
Sam, the bartender nodded, moving down the bar. The man’s hand was still on her back and her skin was on fire, as if the outline of his hand was being seared into her flesh.
“Do you have a name?” He’d bent close to her, his breath stirring the hair near her ear.
She turned toward him and his lips brushed lightly against her cheek.
“Nikki. I’m Nikki”
Their lips were almost touching, his eyes locked with hers. Nikki leaned forward, yearning for contact, aching for his kiss.
“Nikki, drinks.” She heard the thud of the glasses hitting the bar, Sam’s voice sharp in her ears. The not-so-subtle reminder: take it to a private room and make them pay. Nothing was free in Mack’s club.
The man straightened, retrieving the drinks, handing Nikki hers. She took a long swallow, feeling instant warmth spreading out from her center.
“And what’s your name?” She leaned into the man, her hand on his arm, pulling him toward the private rooms, finally remembering she was at work and this should be a paying customer, nothing less and nothing more. But there was so much more here she wanted, more than just giving this guy a lap dance and sending him home with a hard on and a memory. She didn’t know why this was happening, but this man was stirring up a storm inside her that no amount of shimmying and shaking was going to quell. She needed something more from him and it wasn’t something she was going to get here at the club. For the first time in her life as a dancer, she seriously considered taking this guy home.
“My name is Jax.” He took a sip of his drink, his eyes never leaving Nikki’s face.
“You’ve been here before. Are you looking for something special?” She caressed his arm, her fingers trailing over his skin, over the hard muscles beneath. He watched her hand and she had the sense of predator watching prey. And that sent another thrill through her body. Two could play at that game.
“I might be.” His eyes moved over her body, lingering on every curve she had.
“Let’s take this some place private.” Nikki took his hand, leading him to one of the many small private rooms that ringed the side of the room, putting as much sway into her h*ps as she could. She unhooked the curtain to the room, letting it fall closed behind them.
He was gorgeous, all long legs, narrow waist and taut ass. The image of him with his broad, muscular chest and shoulders hovering inches above her, his skin flushed with heat as he rose nak*d and ready sprang into her mind and the intensity of the vision made her gasp.
She was wound up from dancing, in the zone, and the thought of having this man totally under her spell, at her mercy, set her heart racing. She took another swallow of her drink before setting it on the small ledge that ran around the room.
“Have a seat.” She nodded toward the room’s only chair and took Jax’s drink, setting it next to hers. With a smile, she plucked the cherry from her glass, turning back to Jax, her tongue flicking out to slowly caress the red cherry. He was sitting in the chair, looking relaxed and confident, watching her intently.
“Rules. We have them and you have to abide, otherwise…you’re out.” She pouted, tilting her head.
“And I really wouldn’t want you to leave. Not until we’ve gotten to know each other better. So the deal is, I can touch you, but you have to keep your hands to yourself, mister.”
Jax looked up at her, his eyes locked with hers. “In here, you’re the boss, lady. I do as you say.” And then he smiled, his lips slowly curving up at the corners. Nikki’s knees went a little shaky and she wondered if she was going to manage to dance for this guy without falling off her heels. She took a deep breath, twisting her torso so that she was partially back to, her ass was pointed at him and she gave it a shake. Teasingly, she wrapped her lips around the cherry before pulling it from the stem with her teeth. She dropped it to the floor.
Nikki started to move, dancing slowly toward Jax. She bent forward, put her hands on his knees, gently pushing his legs apart while giving him a good view down the front of her outfit, shaking her shoulders just enough to set her br**sts swaying.
He’d put his hands on the arms of the chair and kept them there as she straightened, gyrating between his legs before turning her back to him, bending and twisting, giving him a good show.
She turned back to face him, resting her hands on the arms of his chair. As she slid her body up his, her br**sts brushing against his chest, she felt his hands move, covering hers. She tensed for a moment. With any other customer, she’d have stopped the dance and left the room, called Frank the bouncer and had the guy tossed out.
But this was different, really different. She drew in a sharp breath, her dance coming to an abrupt stop. His eyes were locked with Jax’s, her heart thudding in her chest. Different, and dangerous. And it was everything she wanted.
Without thinking Nikki leaned forward, lips parted. Jax slowly ran his hands up her arms, his fingers leaving behind a trail of goose bumps on her skin.
“I…” Her voice was barely a whisper, tinged dark with lust.
“Shhhh...” He sat forward; his lips so close to hers she could feel his breath, smell his masculine scent. His eyes drew her closer, held her enthralled, captive.
When his lips brushed against hers, it sent a wave of heat through her body. She shuddered, closing her eyes, letting him claim her lips with his, moaning against the sensual feel of his mouth against hers.
The tip of his tongue traced along her lower lip, and she gave herself over to the kiss, opening her mouth, meeting his tongue with hers. She settled her body against him, arching her back as his hands moved from her arms to slide up her torso.
He held her easily, his hands spanning the curves of her body, resting just beneath her br**sts. It felt as if she were weightless, suspended against him as he slid further down in the chair, as her body rested against his. She was aware of his growing erection pressing against her stomach, hard and hot, and she wiggled in his grasp, seeking more contact. Jax flexed his h*ps upward, pressing himself against her, moaning against her mouth.
Time seemed to stand still, the kiss deepening, intensifying, sending frissons of pleasure through her body. It could have been minutes or hours, but when Jax finally sat up, gently setting her feet on the floor, she was weak and breathless.
“Oh…well.” Nikki opened her eyes. Jax was smiling at her, his eyes almost glowing in the dim light of the small room.
“I broke your rule.” His voice was low and there was no hint of guilt and certainly no apology.
“You did.”
He was still smiling at her as his hands slid up her torso as he gently pushed her away from him, before rising from the chair. Nikki looked up at him, confused.
“Wait. Are you…are we finished?” She’d never had any man leave before she was finished with her dance. But then again, she’d never let one go so far with her as she’d let Jax. Her mind was a swirl of confused emotions. But her body was a swirl of arousal and passion, no confusion there at all.
“I think I should leave.” Jax leaned forward, kissing her forehead. “I’m not sure I’m good for you…or you’re good for me.”
“But…wait. Are you coming back?” She was standing in front of him now, hands on her hips, blocking the doorway. No one walked out on Nikki, without good reason. And not if she hadn’t kicked them out first.
Jax looked down at her, an amused smile playing around his lips. “Do you want me to come back? You don’t even know me. For all you know, I could be the big bad wolf.” He leaned forward, resting his hands on her shoulders. “I could be all kinds of wrong for you, Nikki.”
“I think I should be the one to decide that, don’t you?” She stepped forward, running her hands up his chest as his arms slid back down her body. “I could be all kinds of right for you.”
She caught the beat of the music from the club, dancing against Jax. “Besides, I notice that I have some kind of effect on you.”
Nikki rubbed against Jax, her h*ps swaying, her br**sts against his chest. She heard him moan low, something that almost sounded like a growl. His hands slid down further, cupping her ass briefly before finding their resting place on her hips. Nikki looked up at him from beneath her thick, dark lashes.
“So…you’ll be back, right?” She tilted her face to his again and his lips were on hers, harsh and primal. She felt his growl against her mouth and it set off a deep thud of arousal low in her belly. No man had ever gotten her so hot so fast, with just a kiss.
Jax finally broke away with a gasp. “I really have to go. But…” He pulled her hard against him for a moment. His erection pressed against her stomach, undeniably hard.
“I’ll be back. How can I resist?”
“You can’t.” He pulled away, ducking through the curtain. Nikki followed, pouting.
She watched Jax walk out of the club before turning back to the throng of men, the loud music and the smell of the promise of sex. Mack tried to keep the girls in line and Nikki knew there was a lot more than just promises being sold in the private rooms. She sighed, moving back behind the curtain for their drinks, draining hers in one long swallow. Jax’s glass was half full and she looked at it briefly, before draining it. Nothing left to go to waste, except the promise of a night with Jax.
Chapter Two
Jax stepped out of the club, turning blindly down the sidewalk, out of the glare of the neon light of the club’s sign, relentlessly flashing overhead. The night closed around him as he walked down the gritty broken sidewalk. There weren’t many who’d walk down these streets alone, but then Jax wasn’t just anyone. Being a werewolf, even when the moon wasn’t full, gave him confidence and strength that no mortal would ever possess.
But it didn’t always give him common sense. He’d come this close to taking that girl with him, back to his house, to his den. Taking her almost any place where he could have torn off her clothes and taken her. His body still ached, his erection slow to fade from her touch, her kiss, her incredible scent.
But he hadn’t. He stopped at the corner, leaning against an abandoned and shuttered building, the bricks rough against his arm, wondering just what the hell he was playing with. She wasn’t the one, couldn’t be the one, not the girl he wanted for his mate, and definitely not the kind of girl the alpha male would bring back to the pack.