When I'm with You (Hope Town #3)(10)

Seven sets of eyes just blink at me, clearly not following my train of thought. Nothing new there.

“Fine.” I sigh with fake exasperation. “How about I show you what I’m talking about?”

“Might be a good idea since you lost us when you started talking about candy,” Shane jokes, earning a laugh from the others.

“Where is everyone else?” I ask, getting up and walking across the large open space toward the platform in the corner where the DJ booth and sound system are set up.

“All the girls are in the holding room finishing up their uniform fittings with Hilary. She was finishing up the last I went in there, though, so you should be good.”

I give Shane a nod while looking through the extensive list of songs we have on our playlist software—another program I created. Finding the song I need, I set the timer before turning up the volume, making sure to engage all the speakers and subwoofers before making my way behind the main bar.

“Do me a favor, Trav, and go get the girls. Get off my bar, Dent.”

I look up and see Shane’s mouth form a smile knowing where I’m going with this. None of these guys, besides him, have ever seen me dance. I don’t give a shit how big of a dancer Denton is, either. He’s about to learn just how to make a girl melt in seconds.

Making sure I have what I need: coconut rum, clear apple juice, and one of the thousands of cotton candy flavor lollipops I ordered in bulk, it takes me no time to get the drink measured out, sugar around the rim, and the lollipop wrapper off. I check my watch to see how much time I have left before the song will start then drop the candy into the glass so just the stick is popping out and push it forward.

The girls start walking in just as I rest my hands on the bar top. A few of them are new faces that I haven’t gotten to know as well as the others. I look over and let my gaze hit all twenty faces of our floor girls, stopping when I see the one that will work for what I need.

“Come here, Julie,” I demand. One blond brow goes up, but she doesn’t miss a beat, and just when she steps up to the bar, the first notes of Framing Henley’s “Lollipop” blasts through the room. Some of the girls jump but not Julie. She takes the glass sitting on the bar, then pulls out the lollipop and lifts it to her red stained lips.

The second she finishes the last drop and places the lollipop into her mouth, I use both hands still resting on the bar to push my body up and leap onto the sleek wooden surface.

Then I get the reaction I want.

I have only a second to appreciate the way the uniform of choice—black shorts that might as well be a pair of those sexy boy short underwear chicks wear and a black corset—fits her body before looking around her to make sure I have everyone else’s attention.

My eyes settle back on Julie just in time to see her own widen as she steps back slightly, wobbling on her tall-as-f*ck blood-red heels, another Dirty Dog requirement.

I grab the bar that hangs down from the ceiling above the bar, parallel with each length of wood and pull myself up, using one of the rotating hooks to spin myself in a quick but powerful circle before slamming my feet back down on the wood.

She stands there as I lean down and take the stick from her red lips. Holding the stem to my crotch, I pull her from behind the neck until her lips are touching the wet candy. She gasps when I run the wet candy over her open mouth by thrusting and rolling my hips before I release her head and stick the lollipop back in her mouth. I give her a wink before I finish moving on top of the bar. Continuing to move my body with the heavy thumps of the music, I run my hands up my tee shirt, starting at the hem, and pull the fabric up until it’s over my head and tossed to the floor at her feet.

I don’t put my all into the dance, but regardless, before the song is over, there’s no question in anyone’s mind that had there been a woman up there with me, I would have been f*cking her right there on the bar.

“Wow,” she pants when the song ends and silence once again fills the room around our group.

“Thanks, ladies. What do you think of our spotlight dance and the new signature drink here at Dirty Dog?” I ask the room before jumping off the bar and letting my heart rate settle back to normal. They all give different variations of the same nod and breathy praise.

Just what I was hoping for.

“Well, I guess that’s one way of doing it.” Denton laughs.

“Someone’s been practicing,” Shane grunts, slapping me on my sweaty shoulder. “And here I thought you would have lost some of those moves over the years.”

“Do you see this,” I ask him while gesturing down my body. “No need to practice when you’re working with perfection.”

He rolls his eyes. I open my mouth to say something to the guys but stop when Julie walks into my space.

Rolling onto her toes so that she can get closer to my ear, she says, “Call me later?” She drops back down so that her heels are back against the concrete floor before giving me a devious smile. I should have known it was a mistake to bring her on; we hooked up once, a long f*cking time ago, but now that she’s working for me, it won’t happen again.

I don’t respond. Instead, I pick up my shirt and pull it back over my head.

“Opening night is Friday,” I tell the room, instantly feeling the energy go from aroused to electric with excitement. “Has everyone got their schedules for the next month?”