Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(20)

I had to appreciate her forwardness. That took balls.

“Keeping it classy, I see.”

“I could respond to that,” he said, “but it’d violate the professional-person line you’ve drawn.”

I hit him with a hard look. Yeah, but when I hit on you, you were already grinding your erection near my face.

We made it in and out of the second bar without him being hit on. It was much the same as the first, only without the videos on the TV screens. The screens were present but blank. Boy was I glad of that. I also really needed to make a note to put a drink down once he’d handed it to me, because in there, I’d had two really great cosmos, and I needed to get a glass of cold water in the next club.

The third club we visited, Hot Rod, was busier than the second and first, but not by much. What I did appreciate in this place was that, before we went right in, there was a calendar of sorts, saying what was happening during the weekend. I was allowed to snap a pic to take back to my “future sister-in-law’s bridal party,” and although I felt a little guilty about the lie—damn you and your guilt-trips, Mom—I felt better about using it for good.

Kind of.

It was my job, after all.

I declined West’s offer of a fourth drink, instead opting for water. This place was better put together than the previous two, but aside from the sign outside, there was nothing else saying what the plan was. I even flipped through the menu cards and sheets on the table next to me, but there was nothing. I pulled my phone out of my purse and noted it down. Put promos on every table.

“All right, darlin’?” A guy wearing ripped jeans and…nothing else...approached my table and grabbed the back of the chair next to me. Dark eyes gleamed down at me. “Here alone?”

“No.” I could smell the female lust on him like it was his own personal aftershave.

I bet he wanted to add mine to it. Sucked to be him tonight.

“You look pretty alone.” He moved closer to me.

I flexed my ankle. These heels were sharp. “I wouldn’t get any closer if I were you.”

“Sure? I could keep you company while you wait for your friend.”

“I’m wearing four-inch stilettos and my friend is six foot three and probably has twenty pounds on muscle on you. Come on closer, doll.” I smiled sweetly and tilted my head to the side.

Two glasses of water appeared on the table next to me, and I felt rather than saw West grip the back of the chair and lean over me.

The guy in front of me took one look at him, snorted, and walked away.

“He bothering you?” West said into my ear. His breath was hot, and I could hear the undercurrent of protectiveness. It was a foreign sound to me.

I shook my head and took a few sips of water. “I think I’m ready to go though.”

“Sure. Let’s go.” He came around and took my hand, looking out at the club.

The people made it impossible, but for the first time, I was truly glad he was with me. If he hadn’t been, that guy might not have backed off.

West held my hand the entire way back to the car. “Did you get anything useful?”

“I think so,” I said quietly, reluctantly taking my hand back.

His hold had been strong and confident, and despite my words, the guy’s insistence had shaken me a little—so had the knowledge that West had probably saved me from having a forced lap dance.

Now that we were away from the main hustle and bustle, in the parking lot, it felt like a different world. Sure, I could hear the music from Rock Solid, but I was tired. I hadn’t really thought about it before, but my feet were hurting and I just wanted to crawl into bed and think about this tomorrow.

“You should have come and got me when that prick made you uncomfortable.”

I turned to face him. “Are you seriously telling me off?”

We paused as the traffic stopped, and he cut his gaze to me. “I couldn’t see you at first. I told you it wasn’t safe for you to go alone.”

I rolled my eyes. “He was only there for two minutes. I would have stabbed him with my stiletto before he could do anything.”

“And I believe you, but it doesn’t change the fact that he made you uncomfortable.”

We turned a corner.

“I don’t want anything to happen to you just because you’re determined to do market research.”

“Nothing happened to me.”

“Mia, it doesn’t change the fact that it couldn’t. He only left because I showed up. I watched almost the entire f*cking thing.”

“And you only came in at the end? Gee, thanks, West. Knight in f*cking shining armor right there, aren’t you?” I ran my fingers through my hair and looked away. The light curls were still in place, although they were more of a lazy wave at this point, and I stared at my reflection in the side mirror. “We should probably not do this again.”

“On the contrary, I was having fun until the end. I don’t have fun much.”

“Looking out for me was fun? Yeah, okay.”

“I told you,” he said, pulling up outside my apartment block, which was really more of a converted three-story house. “I don’t want anything to happen to you. I’d feel bad.”

“Well, thanks. I’m gonna look over these notes in the morning and I’ll e-mail you. Okay?” I paused with my hand on the door and glanced back at him.