Stripped Bare (Stripped #1)(87)

Mia narrowed her emerald eyes as she stared me down. “Your petulant argument isn't working in your favor, honey.”

“If I didn't know better, I'd say you just called me a child.”

“Well,” she said, spinning away and stalking to where her purse was on the bar. “It's a good thing you know better.”

I grinned, and my gaze dropped to her ass as she walked away from me. Fucking hell. It'd been months, yet I still got as hard as I did the first time I led her into the back room in Rock Solid to dance for her. Shit, just the thought of her lithe little body made my cock hard.

Combined with the knowledge of the deep purple lingerie she was wearing...

I adjusted my pants over my erection and joined her at the bar. She ignored me when I sat next to her. One look at her face told me she'd moved into what I called her 'work mode.' Trying to talk to her when she moved into this zone was like drawing blood from a stone—or common sense from Beck.

She scribbled furiously on a notepad. I could usually read her handwriting, but this time, it was like reading a doctor's note. Letters scrawled everywhere, her sentences veering off the ruled lines on the paper.

Yeah. She was definitely in her own little world.

It was quite amazing to watch her, actually. I didn't know how she thought up the kind of ideas she did, but there hadn't been a single one that hadn't worked for Rock Solid. Even the random ones she yelled at me out of the shower had boomed business, and one of those was free f*cking popcorn with every round of four drinks on the theme night.

I was considering doing it once a week. Apparently drunk women enjoyed popcorn while watching pretty much naked guys dance.

Granted, it made a royal f*cking mess, but it brought people in. Even if it sounded stupid.

“Stop staring at me. You're distracting me.” Mia continued writing even as she said it.

“Yeah, I can see it. Also down your shirt.”

She tugged her blouse up and over the glimpse of cleavage I could see.

I reached out and pulled it right down, then undid the top button.

She sighed and slammed her pen on top of the pad. “How do you expect me to work if you're undressing me?”

I rubbed my hand through my hair as my lips formed a dry smirk. “Really? You should know by now that if I wanted you naked, angel, you'd be f*cking naked already.”

Her cheeks flushed dark pink. “West.”

“Mia.”

“Stop it. It's almost time for the bar staff to come in. You can't keep talking like that.”

“Oh, come on. You're not still embarrassed about Vicky almost catching us last week, are you?”

“Yes!” Yet again, her cheeks burned brightly. “You might not care about your staff seeing you naked—”

“They used to on a regular basis, in my defense.”

“—but I do! And if you carry on, I'm going to start wearing pants to work.”

“What if I hide all your pants?”

“Then I'll kick you in your sleep.”

I stared at her. It sounded like it was worth it, if I was honest. Easy access to her sweet cunt on a regular basis for a nightly kick at two a.m.? Yeah, it was f*cking worth it. “I'm gonna hide your pants.”

She sighed heavily and packed her things inside her purse. She tucked her hair behind her ear and stood, grasping her purse tightly. “Come on. I think I have enough to get started.”

I followed her lead. I took her hand in my as I caught her up and ignored her eye-roll. So I liked touching her—always had. Always would. Touching her every second I could wasn't something I was going to compromise on, even if she did roll her eyes at me when she deemed it unnecessary or ridiculous.

“I'm going to pretend you didn't roll your eyes at me,” I said as we stepped onto the sidewalk.

She flung her hand out toward Rock Solid. “It's like twenty steps, West.”

“And your point is what, exactly?”

“It's twenty freaking steps.”

“So you don't have a point.” That's what I'd heard.

“I'm not even continuing this conversation. I'm going to go upstairs and get to work on re-branding The Landing Strip.” She pushed open the door, releasing my hand.

Once again, my gaze fell to her ass. It wiggled as she walked. It was those f*cking heels and figure-hugging skirts she wore. Fuck me. My cock was hardening again—I needed more than simply staring at her.

I needed her * to hug my cock before I could think straight and let her work.

My addiction to her was a little unhealthy, but I loved the f*ck out of her, and I couldn't stop.

I caught her up and swept my arm around her waist. She squealed loudly when I pulled her back against me then spun her around to face me.

“West, don't you dare!”

She knew me well.

I threw her over my shoulder, ignoring her warning, and smacked my hand across her ass. She squealed again, this high-pitched noise drawing Vicky's attention from behind the bar.

“You should probably get lunch,” I told her, carrying my wriggling, fussy woman through the club. “She gets loud.”

“West!” Mia beat her fists against my back, and her purse whacked me in the legs several times. “Ignore him, Vicky! He's being an ass!”