"What the fuck was that?" I yank my wrist out of Seven's grip once we're alone in the corridor.
"Nothing." He tries to brush off.
"Nothing? You just choked that man till he almost passed out!" I yell.
"Yeah well if he had kept his hands to himself then so would've I!" Seven yells back.
"What is your problem? Customers have been touching Kitty all night, I don't see you tackling them down!" I point out.
"I don't give a shit about Kitty." He says his voice no longer yelling.
"What, so you give a shit about me then? Is that what you're trying to say?" I laugh but my heart thuds against my chest as I look at him. He can't be serious.
"I..." Seven avoids my gaze and rubs the palms of his hands into his eyes in frustration.
"I don't know!" He admits warily. His hands move to comb through his brown hair.
"I don't know why I fucking did that okay!" Seven seems just as confused by his actions as I am.
"I just know I didn't like him touching you like that. I don't like the way they're looking at you." He admits and my heart splutters at his confession.
He was jealous?! Seven is jealous over the men looking at me tonight, and snapped when one of them touched me. Like he has before when other customers have touched me. The old man at the bar and then that meat head with his friends who grabbed me by the face. Seven's come to my defence every time someone has touched me.
"Well you're going to have to get use to it now that I'm a server." I fold my arms at him and watch his jaw tick in frustration.
"That's the only reason Victor made you a server. He did it to fuck me off." He reveals.
"Why would that fuck you off? Why are you so triggered by someone touching me?" I put to him and his green eyes find mine. The look in his eyes is pleading as he shakes his head, silently asking me not to ask him the questions I am.
"Can we go somewhere to talk?" Seven asks instead of answering me.
"No." I don't trust myself to go anywhere alone with him.
"Please." Seven begs and I've never heard him sound so desperate before.
"I said no." It takes everything in me not to fold. I want nothing more than to go somewhere to talk with him but I know where that will get me. I've told myself I need to keep my distance from him and that's what I need to do.
"Fuck sakes Lilianna!" He grows irritated by my refusal. I can tell he's not use to anyone telling him no.
"Why won't you just talk to me!" He demands pinching the bridge of his nose in vexation.
"I'm talking to you now." I point out.
"I mean in private. I don't want to talk about shit with other people around." He sighs, exasperated.
"Because I don't trust myself alone with you." I admit openly and he looks at me with an unreadable look on his face.
"Are you scared of me?" He asks quietly.
"No." I shake my head at him.
"I'm not scared of you. I'm scared of what might happen if we're alone together." I clarify and his eyes dart between mine as he studies them for the meaning behind my words.
Seven steps forward so he's only a foot away from me now. I can smell his cologne and the scent itself sets my heart singing. My breath picks up from the burning look behind Seven's eyes as he looks over my face. His eyes dropping momentarily to look down at my barely covered body. When his eyes meet mine again his pupils are completely blown out and I feel the air stick in the back of my throat. Electricity is buzzing at my fingertips willing me to reach out and grab him but I don't.
"I don't like them touching you because I want to." Seven confesses, his voice is so low and saturated in desire causing my whole body to flush.
"Y-You're not allowed to touch me." I remind him. My voice a whisper.
"I know that. And I won't touch you..." Seven's dark eyes burn into mine.
"Not until you ask me to." He finishes and my entire body is in flames from his words.
I don't even have a decent moment to process what's been said between us just now when a door opens further down the hallway causing Seven to quickly step back away from me. I glance down the corridor to see the older dancer making her way towards us as she starts her shift.
"Hiya guys." She smiles at us completely oblivious to what had just happened on the club floor or in this hallways.
"Hey Penny." Seven nods at her, avoiding eye contact with both of us as he looks at the ground.
The older woman, Penny, I think Seven called her smiles at me and makes her way out to the club.
"I should probably get back to work." I speak once she's gone and Seven lifts his head up.
"What? You don't have to go back out there." He shakes his head. I do though, I need the money.
"I need to get back to work." I simply reply and turn to walk away from him.
"I'll pay you not to go out there." Seven pleads.
"I'm not looking for a hand out here. I'd much rather you just treated me like the rest of the girls here and let me work. It'll make things a whole lot easier on both of us." I say and step away from him and out back into the club so he doesn't have a chance to argue.
No one touches me the rest of my shift. I think Seven's outburst sent the message out to the patrons that I wasn't to be touched. Without the touching, being a server is not as bad as I had been thinking. Granted it's much worse when the men grab at you but wearing next to nothing has gone down better than I thought I'd deal with it. The tips I'm making tonight also help. I've made close to seven hundred dollars on tips alone tonight.
I don't see Seven come back into the club again till very later on in the night. It's almost closing and him and Curby disappear down to the basement. I don't let myself think too much into what they might be doing down there.
When my shift ends and the guards are throwing out the last of the customers I wonder over to the where Kitty and some of the other women are talking.
"Hey." I smile at the group and most of them smile back. Except for the dancer, Destiny. She looks me up and down and doesn't bother to hide her clear dislike of me. Usually that would bother me but the feeling is mutual.
"How was your first night?" Kitty asks me.
"Good! I made like seven hundred in tips." I say proudly.
"Shit girl that's some bank for not showing anything off." Kitty congratulates me.
"I wonder how much I've made tonight, now that Seven's paying me double." Destiny says loudly to the group, flicking her hair over her shoulder.
"Seven's paying you double?" One of the other girls gapes at Destiny and she smiles smugly back at her.
"He told me tonight he's gonna pay me double for my time." She boasts and looks directly at me. I want to slap the smug look she's giving me right off her face. Why is she looking at me like that? Does she think it bothers me that she gives Seven dances? It does but I can at least pretend to her that it doesn't.
"He can probably afford it since he's got a new job as Lips' personal body guard." Kitty smirks at me and the other girls laugh. Except Destiny, she doesn't find it funny as she looks at Kitty sourly.
I give Kitty a small smile for her joke, I feel like she was slightly sticking up for me there. Batting the ball of jealousy Destiny served me right back at her.
"Oh god." Destiny looks over at the stage and we all glance over to see Penny picking up the notes that she'd danced for off the stage.
"Someone throw her a fifty. I just know those are all ones." Destiny comments flicking her hair again. She clearly has some kind of superiority complex going on around here. She's the bully in the playground and I've never liked bullies.
"Well I'm out. I'll see yas tomorrow." Kitty speaks and waves at me before she leaves the group.
Not liking what Destiny said about Penny I decide to make my way over to her at the stage instead. I'm sure she's much better company than Destiny. Penny is still picking up the notes from around the stage and I begin collecting the ones from around the floor that missed the stage for her. I make a nice little stack of the cheap bills, and slyly slip a hundred dollar bill from my own tips into the pile. Fuck you Destiny.
"Thanks." Penny smiles when I hand them to her.
"You're welcome." I smile back.
"Are you new here?" Penny asks me as she sits down on the stage and begins counting her bills.
"Sort of. Well tonight was my first night as a server, I usually work on the bar." I tell her and she nods.
"Ah! I thought I recognised you." She says tucking the money into her thigh high leather boot.
"I'm Penny." She holds out her hand for me.
"Lily." I introduce myself shaking her hand.
"That's not your real name is it?" She asks me.
"It is." I admit and she shakes her head.
"Girl don't ever be using your real name around here." She warns me.
"Is Penny not yours?" I ask and she shakes her head again.
"No, no. I was born in Pennsylvania, so I go by Penny when I'm working. Have you not come up with a work name yet?" She asks me intrigued and I shrug.
"I hadn't really needed one working on the bar."
"Well you definitely need one now as a server. Have you thought of any?" She asks getting off the stage and grabbing a spray bottle and cloth.
"My friend and I tried to think of some but I couldn't pick one. Kitty calls me Lips but I don't think I want to introduce myself as that." I admit and Penny hums in agreement.
"Yeah no. Lips will just open the door for too many customers to say shit you don't want to hear." She warns and I know exactly what she means.
"It will just come to you, your work name I mean. They usually just come about somehow and stick." Penny explains as she gets back up on the stage and begins to spray down the pole. I guess it's some kind of cleaning agent.
"You were great tonight." I tell her gesturing towards the pole.
"How long have you been doing this?" I ask her.
"Too long." She laughs and I smile.
"I wish I had the confidence to do what you girls do. I was shitting bricks about just wearing this tonight. I don't know how you guys do it." I confess and Penny stops wiping down the pole to lean against it, looking down at me.
"It helps if you don't think of yourself as yourself." She says and my brows raise questioningly.
"I mean like, when I'm up here dancing, I'm Penny. She's like another person in me, still me obviously but just a me that can express herself in a way I wouldn't be able to without this job. Stripping is actually quite empowering to me." Penny explains.
"Empowering?"
"Yeah. I mean looking down on a bunch of desperate horny men while I'm simply just feeling myself and the music gives me a weird feeling of empowerment." She shrugs.
"Sounds fun." I smile.
"You should try it." Penny says and I look at her shocked.
"Oh no. I could never do it. I can't even serve topless let alone strip." I shake my head.
"I'm not meaning strip, come dance on the pole now. You'll see what I mean." Penny suggests.
"No, no I couldn't. What if someone sees me." I look around the club and it's mostly empty apart from a few guards by the door.
"There's no one here. Come on! I'll show you what to do." Penny encourages me, holding out her hand to me.
"Okay, just so you can show me a couple moves." I give in and take her hand as she helps me up on to the stage.
Penny throws the spray bottle and cloth to the side before moving me into a position by the pole.
"You're gonna want to grip here and here." She moves my hands.
"The pole will spin itself, you just have to give it the motion." Penny shows me by swivelling me side to side.
"Okay." I nod. It's actually blowing my mind that the pole moves itself, I really though they were spinning around it using their body but this makes so much more sense.
"Just hold here and here and you can keep your feet on the ground and do a little spin." Penny instructs and I do as she says, gripping the pole and letting it spin around with my feet gliding over the floor as I spin around slowly with it.
"Exactly!" Penny smiles.
"Now do exactly the same thing as that but wrap one of your legs around the pole, you can wrap it front ways like this or wrap it back around the pole and hold the pole up higher above your head." She shows me the simple move. And although she makes them look simple when I go to do the same I feel like I look incredibly uncoordinated as I do it.
"That's it!" Penny claps me as I complete another slow full turn on the pole, this time with one leg wrapped around it.
"You're a fast learner." Penny gushes and I laugh. It's actually quite fun dancing on the pole.
"Do you want to try it with some music?" Penny asks me.
"It can help you get into it more." She suggests and I nod.
"Yeah okay." I shrug and she hops down from the stage to grab an iPad near the back.
"What's a nice slow song you like to dance to when you're on your own?" Penny asks and I shrug.
"Come on, what's a song you dance by yourself in your room to when you're alone?" She presses and my cheeks flush.
"We all do it." She shrugs and I laugh.
"Um Cashmere, by Tkay Maidza." I confess and she taps away on the ipad.
"I haven't heard that one before." Penny confesses as she searches up the song.
The familiar tune of angelic oohs echos through the club as the song begins.
"Now just pretend you're in your room alone but with a pole, and figure out parts of the song to slip those moves I showed you in." Penny encourages me as she moves to sit in the seat right in front of the stage.
I take a couple breaths to steady my nerves and quickly glance around to make sure no one is watching me. When the beat drops I begin to slowly sway my hips, grabbing the pole to steady myself. The song is slow, which helps me keep a slow rhythm to the way I move my body. I shut my eyes to ignore my surroundings and pretend I'm alone in my room like Penny suggests.
I let the music fill my ears and flow through my body, blocking out any insecure thoughts as I move my body slowly with the beat against the pole. The pole acts almost like a dance partner as I move my body around it without spinning yet, just simply dancing and rolling my body down it like I usually dance when I'm alone in my room.
I gain a little more confidence and grip the pole, slowly spinning myself around it like Penny showed me and I hear her cheer which makes me smile but I keep my eyes closed. Penny cheers every time I adventure into a more riskier or sexier move. I understand what she means, it does actually feel very empowering to feel so sexy and confident. To feel like someone totally different to me normally.
I begin to get a lot more into my dance, grinding against the pole and flicking my hair, touching down my body in a sensual way. Penny cheers and whistles egging me on and I laugh every now and then. This is actually a lot of fun.
When I hear a heavy door open and close my eyes shoot open and I pause while wrapped around the pole. My eyes finding Seven and Curby emerging out of the basement. Oh fuck.
"Just ignore them girl. Pretend they're not here." Penny tells me and I glance back at her trying to listen to her words and get back into that space in my mind I was just in when I was all alone.
I close my eyes again and concentrate on the music. I can do this, I can dance in front of Seven. I doubt he's even noticed it's me up here. I get back into my rhythm and begin to move again against the pole more confidently than before, now that I feel like I know a little more about what to do. When I'm back in that empowering headspace I allow myself to open my eyes and take a peek to see if Seven has noticed.
When I do, I find his green eyes immediately. He has noticed and he is watching me. In fact all the men left in the club are watching me now. Even Curby. Usually this would intimidate me beyond belief and I'd be running off the stage. But right now I'm not me, I'm someone else. A powerful sexual being that is very much in her element. Having an audience is almost better, I understand what Penny means now.
My eyes never leave Seven's as I continue to dance. I spin around on the pole and slowly slide my body down it, till my knees are bent and I flick my hair again before rolling my body against the pole as I climb back up it to stand again. Seven's mouth is practically on the floor from my little show and I couldn't be more pleased about it. He looks completely captivated and it's all because of me. The little jealous petty part of me wishes Destiny were here to see the way he's looking at me right now, but I'm kind of glad only I get to see that look in his eyes. That same dark hungry look he was giving me in the corridor earlier.
I know I've told myself to stay away from him but I don't know how long I'll be able to do that. Not when he keeps looking at me like this.
The song ends and I finish my little show. Penny erupts into an applause and so does Curby before Seven shoots him a glare and he stops. The interaction making me smile.
"Well that was definitely something." Penny gushes as I hop down off the stage and my usual shy self takes back her body. My cheeks beginning to flame.
"I think we found you your name." Penny grins at me and I look at her inquisitively.
"Cashmere." She she beams and I smile.
Cashmere. Cashmere. I actually like that.
"What do you think?" Penny asks me and I nod.
"Yeah. I like that." I agree and she sighs.
"Well Miss Cashmere, it was nice to meet you. But I really should be going. My babysitter starts to charge extra if I'm late." Penny tells me and I say my goodbyes to her. Thanking her for teaching me some moves. She's very nice and it bothers me even more that Destiny was being so rude about her, just because she's the oldest dancer here.
When Penny leaves out the back I glance over at Seven who is still staring at me and I watch as he says something to Curby. Curby looks over at me and I know Seven must have said something about me and my brows pull together. He simply nods back at Seven with a slightly concerned look on his face before walking off in the direction Penny just left from. I tuck my hair behind my ears and walk over to the bar to grab my phone and hand bag before going out the back to get changed again.
While walking down the concrete corridor my echoing steps are duetted by a louder pair of steps walking behind me. I turn around and watch Seven following me to the changing room. That dark look still in his eyes and my heart jumps into my throat.
I spin my body around to face him once I reach the changing room door and he stops in front of me so closely that I need to press my back into the door to create the small space between our bodies. Seven's arms lift to lean either side of my head against the door frame, his tall body towering over mine as he does.
"Enjoy the little show you put on for everyone out there, did you?" Seven asks me, his voice isn't threatening but he doesn't sound pleased about it. His face is so close I can feel his breath wash over my face as he talks.
I don't know what posses me but I answer him in a way I know will only provoke him.
"Sure seemed like you enjoyed it." I retort and watch as his lips turn up into a smirk. His once agitated demeanour completely vanishing into cheeky persona as the dimple pops in his left cheek and my insides completely melt. He's so handsome, and his face being this temptingly close is so dangerous.
"I sure did." He admits freely, leaning even closer into me. He's practically as close as he can get without touching me and it's driving me mad. My chest begins to rise up and down rapidly as I breathe for the air I so desperately need right now but all I can smell is him. I can taste his scent on my tongue when I open my mouth.
Seven's eyes glance down to my lips and I wish he'd kiss me right now. As much as I hate to admit it to myself I really want him to kiss me.
He pulls his face away and looks up at the corner of the corridor and my eyes follow his to a security camera that would no doubt see us right now.
"Always watching." Seven mutters quietly under his breath.
In a moment of bravery and possibly stupidity I grab a handful of Seven's black dress shirt and pull him into the changing room away from the camera. His eyes shoot down to my hand fisting the material over his abdomen and let's me lead him into the room. His mouth is open like mine, already struggling to take in air from the anticipation of this moment. Thank god no one is still in here when we enter.
My back hits against one of the lockers and I don't let go of Seven's shirt. His body circles around mine, large hands press into the locker behind me by my head as his ravenous dark eyes flick between mine like he's unsure what to do next.
"What are you doing Lilianna?" He asks me, cautions of the situation I've literally dragged him into. I know I must be confusing to him, saying I didn't want to be alone with him one moment then dragging him into a room to be alone the next. It confuses me too.
"I..." I don't know how to tell him what I'm doing, so I simply tell him what I want to be doing instead.
"I want you to touch me." I whisper to him in between heavy breaths.
I hear his sharp intake of air through his nose and his eyes roam my face as if he's making sure he didn't just imagined me saying it.
"You sure you want that?" Seven's voice is low and I can tell how much he wants this. How much he's holding back to make sure that I'm certain before we cross a line that we can't return.
"Yes. I want you to touch me." I repeat.
Seven's pupils are so dilated his eyes look completely black as he looks at me before pulling back a little to look down at my body.
"You have no idea how badly I've wanted to touch you." He admits his voice a soft, low whisper that sets my body alight with electricity.
Seven leans his body into me, pressing his hips against mine and I almost want to collapse just from feeling the long awaited contact. His hand raises up to my face, his fingertips brush over my cheek lightly before they move to my lips. He watches his own hand as his thumb traces the outline of my lips and I close my eyes at the sweet touch.
His hand continues to graze gently against my skin as he moves his fingers from my lips, to my chin, down my neck, along my collarbone and over my chest. My breathing is ragged when I feel the pads of his fingers running along the skin at the cups of my bra. His touch is so tender as he explores my body.
"You're so soft." He comments still running his fingers over my cleavage. His other hand comes to rest against my waist, his large palm and long finger are hot against my skin. They span out over the bottom of my rib cage as he holds me in place with his hand and hips pinned against mine.
His touch feels like static along my body, creating goosebumps to trail along my skin chasing his touch. He's doing the bare minimum but it feels like pure heaven and I let my head drop back against the locker, relishing this feeling.
"Can't believe this is happening." Seven admits, his voice is thick with desire and hearing how much this is effecting him too makes me chest heave.
"You're so beautiful." He whispers as his hand runs over the cup of my bra and I moan.
"Fuck." He groans stopping his hand on my stomach.
"I like hearing you moan." He confesses and moves his hand back up to cup my breast over my bra again and I let out another quiet moan for him.
Seven grunts a hum at my response, squeezing my chest in his palm. I feel the grip he has on my side tighten in response and he pushes his hips harder against mine. I can feel him hardening under his trousers against me and I lean my head off the locker to look at him. His eyes are blazing with pure appetency and I know mine mirror his.
"Can I touch you?" I ask him breathlessly.
"Please." He begs with a nod and I reach out for him. My hands grip his broad shoulders, feeling the strong muscles contract under his shirt. I move my hands to the front of his chest, dipping my hands into the opening of his shirt to touch over the burning hot skin on show, causing Seven to moan. I can feel his heart beating under my palm, it's hammering hard under his flesh at an even faster rate than mine is. I didn't know that could even be possible.
"Can I take your bra off?" Seven asks, his voice rushed and I nod.
"Yes." I agree quickly between pants, not letting myself think too much into what I just agreed to.
Seven's hands move to my back and I lean off the locker and into his chest so he can reach the clasp between my shoulder blades. He unclips it with ease and pulls back to watch his hands drag the straps down from my shoulders. I feel my checks prickle with an embarrassed blush when the bra falls, leaving me completely vulnerable to Seven's heated gaze.
"Fucking hell." He groans at the sight of me topless in front of him and lifts his hands to take my bare breasts into each of his warm hands. He gently squeezes them, kneading the flesh in his grip. I gasp out when I feel his fingers brush over my sensitive nipples, so he does it again. When he pinches them between his fingers I moan loudly and drop my head against his chest in pure pleasure.
How does he make me feel like this just from touching me?
"So perfect." Seven whispers as he continues his gentle assault against my chest, and I push my hips harder against his to ease the ache that's building there for him. His prominent erection is digging into my lower stomach and I boldly reach down to palm it over his black slacks.
He sucks in a sharp breath as soon as my hand makes contact with him.
"Oh shit." He pants as I begin a movement over his length, hoping to give him some relief.
"Christ, Lilianna." Seven groans and pinches my nipples harder in response to my hand working against him. I like seeing him like this, seeing the way his face creases in pleasure from me touching him. His pants and quiet moans encourage me and I grip him a little tighter and move over him a little faster.
"Mm, Lilianna." He hums and pinches at my nipples again and our moans tangle together to echo through the empty changing room.
"Does that feel good?" I whisper boldly.
"So fucking good." He praises me and leans his head forward in pleasure. My eyes are fixated on his open mouth, the way his bottom lip hangs relaxed and low from his mouth. I wish he'd kiss me, I want to feel the way his plump lips feel.
He looks down at my hand touching him before squeezing his eyes shut tightly.
"Ah, shit." He comments, frowning in pleasure with his eyes still closed.
"Fuck. Stop. Stop!" He pulls his hips back and drops his touch from my chest. I pull my hand away timidly, terrified that I've done something wrong as Seven pants heavily with his eyes still closed, a pained look covers his face.
"Fuck." He says again and wipes a hand over his hair.
"Did I do something wrong?" My voice comes out so timorous when I speak. Maybe I took it too far by touching him like that and my cheeks flare up for the hundredth time.
"No. No." Seven opens his eyes to me shaking his head.
"I just..." He looks like he doesn't want to tell me but continues anyway.
"I was just about to come." He explains looking at me dead in the eyes and my body flushes.
"Oh." I don't know what to say. But I can't stop the giddy feeling inside me at his statement, he was going to come just from me touching him over his trousers for only a moment.
"We should probably stop." He says and I feel the disappointment fall over my face at his suggestion.
"Oh, okay." I look down and instinctively fold my arms over my chest to cover myself. Feeling heavily exposed in front of him now that the blazing heat between us is cooling down. I can't help but feel a little rejected by him right now. I would've thought most guys would want to carry on. He notice my dispirited demeanour and reaches up to touch my cheek.
"Hey, look at me." He moves his hand under my chin to tilt it up to him and I meet his eyes.
"I just think we should stop because I don't want to take things too far. Not tonight, and not in here." Seven's voice is so soft as he explains it to me. I've never heard him speak like this before, the earnestness in his tone catches me completely off guard.
"You good?" He asks and I nod.
"Now let's get you dressed before I change my mind." Seven jokes and bends down to lift up the bra from the floor.
"That's actually Kitty's. Mine is on the bench behind you." I tell him and he turns around to search the bench.
Seven grabs my t-shirt dress and catches my bra as it falls out from the fold of the dress. He brings them to me and I go to take them from his hands but he moves them out the way before I can.
"Arms out." He instructs and I roll my eyes at him but do as he says. Seven slides my bra up my arms, his fingers trailing up them slowly. He takes every opportunity to touch over my skin as he adjusts the bra around me. When his fingers brush over my sides I watch his brow crease and he ceases his movements, brushing his fingers over a spot on my left side next to the side of my breast.
"What's that?" Seven leans over to inspect the small section of uneven skin.
"It's a scar." I shrug as Seven runs his fingers over it again.
"What from?" He asks me.
"I'm not sure. I don't remember how I got it. I was really young." I tell him and he hums before continuing to put my bra on for me.
"I like that you have a scar." He says randomly and I quirk an eyebrow at him.
"Why?" I ask as he clips the back of the bra together.
"You're kind of too perfect. I guess you having a scar makes you a little more real to me." He reveals quietly and I can tell him saying this kind of thing makes him a little uncomfortable. Seven isn't use to talking like this with anyone.
"I'm not perfect." I dismiss his claims with a humoured smile and he pulls my dress over my head.
"I think you are." He speaks in a whisper so quiet I don't think he wanted me to hear him.
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