I almost groaned when the music started up again. I wasn’t sure what the hell I was thinking coming here. No way I could get over Tyra.
As if I conjured her up—or at least someone who looked a hell of a lot like her—a tiny thing with brown skin, wild curls, and dressed in nothing but a football jersey and thigh-high patent-leather boots, crawled from behind the curtains. My heart felt like it was in my throat. I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She reached the pole in the center of the catwalk and used it to seductively regain her feet. Her head was still down as she kept going, making her way to the center stage. I didn’t even recognize the song playing, but I was convinced it had been made for her rhythm alone.
By the time she reached the stage, I was enthralled though I didn’t want to be. I couldn’t stop watching the way her hips moved. My hands flexed, wanting to grab them. I subtly shifted when my pants tightened, but it was no use. I was good and hard.
And that was when she finally lifted her head.
The first thing I noticed was the fullness of her red lips and the two black streaks painted underneath her eyes. I would have snorted if not for the dim light somewhere high up, revealing those whiskey eyes. The section was dark, but I might as well have had night vision. I was caught between rage and disbelief as I realized who the girl was slowly undoing the strings keeping the jersey around her. Tyra was staring at the curtains behind us as if the thought of making eye contact was too much to bear. She had yet to recognize the men she was dancing for. The jersey covering her fell to the stage, and then she was left in nothing but a thong and her boots.
“Jamie, are you kidding me? What the fuck?” Ever spat in a low tone.
It didn’t matter, though.
Tyra had heard him.
Her gaze shot toward the sound of Ever’s voice, and her jaw dropped as mortification filled her eyes. She then looked at Jamie sitting next to him and then Wren and then me. My body tensed as she took a step back and then another. By the time she realized how close she was to the edge, it was too late. She’d fallen right off the stage.
The sound of her body hitting the floor was enough to make everything and everyone in the section come to a screeching halt. I was the first one there as we all shot out of our seats. Tyra was grimacing and holding the back of her head as she struggled to sit up. I gripped her arms, helping her, and as soon as she was on her feet, Wren offered her his suit jacket. She gratefully took it just as Dan, a couple of bouncers, and what I could only assume was the manager rushed over. I let her go, only so she could put the jacket on.
“My name is Neil. I’m the manager. What’s going on here?” he demanded. “What happened?”
“She fell,” Ever informed him.
Neil whirled on Tyra, anger in his gaze rather than concern. “I see. My apologies for the disturbance, gentlemen.” He then crooked a finger at Tyra as if she were a child or a dog. “Tyra, I’d like to see you in my office. Immediately.”
I gripped Tyra’s arm, keeping her from taking a single step when she tried to follow after him. “What for?” I challenged. “It was an accident, and we’re to blame.”
“Oh?”
“We startled her on account of the fact that we know her. It’s not her fault.”
“Regardless,” Neil shot back, clearly not giving a shit. “She is expected to remain professional at all times. Tyra, in my office, please.”
I let her go when Tyra began to wrestle her arm free. She’d been hurt enough tonight. With her head down, she followed her boss through the club, and I watched them until they disappeared in his office. The moment the door cleared, I whirled on Jamie so I could knock his teeth down his throat.
“You knew.”
“Well, obviously, I didn’t know that was going to happen. And honestly, how the fuck didn’t you know that she worked here? That’s your girl—”
“As you pointed out, not three hours ago, she’s not my girl and never will be.”
It was his turn to dismiss me. “You need to nip this shit in the bud. You