Erotic Encounters (3 page)

Shasta didn’t know if she felt relief or disappointment when she saw him fully dressed in jeans and a pullover shirt. The long black wig and the mask were gone, the bare chest covered. She reached out a slightly trembling hand and touched the front of his shirt, feeling the hard planes of his chest beneath the fabric. She didn’t know what to say but couldn’t stop the nervous giggle. Then the words just seemed to slip out on their own. “You didn’t need to get dressed on my account.”

The dangerously sexy smile she had come to appreciate showed a row of perfect white teeth. “To tell you truthfully, all that stuff I wear when performing is uncomfortable—especially that damn wig.”

“Then why do you wear it?” She motioned him inside, then shut the door.

His expression became serious. “As I said, I want to explain. I don’t want you to harbor any wrong assumptions about what’s going on or what I’m all about. I’m basically a straight forward simple down-to-earth type of guy, in spite of what you’ve discovered tonight.”

The sound of her spontaneous laughter filled the room. “
Simple down-to-earth type of guy
is not exactly the description I’d use for the Macho Marauder—a man whose job is to take his clothes off as entertainment for a room full of screaming horny women.”

Oh, no. Did I really say horny? I’ve got to get my mouth under control. No more champagne for me. Bad birthday girl. Bad birthday girl
.

He took her hand and led her to the couch. There was no mistaking the surge of desire that shot through her the moment she felt his touch. Even in her slightly impaired condition, she knew it was caused by more than the champagne.

“That’s what I wanted to explain.” Dane sat next to her. He had never been in such close proximity to her for this long. She had a natural beauty that gnawed at his vulnerability.

He brushed his fingertips across a cheek that felt as creamy smooth as it looked. The sensation of her skin against his sent a wave of desire crashing through him.

Surrender To Passion
…the fragrance still clung to her skin, tickling his senses, enticing him with forbidden thoughts. He wanted to give her his undivided personal attention again and again and again until the wee hours of the morning when they were both too exhausted to move, then do it all over again.

He had long ago learned to turn his mind off when he did the Macho Marauder strip act. And as far as putting his nearly naked body on display…well, it was just skin. No big deal. Self-consciousness about body image was not a hang-up for him. Everyone had a body, with each person’s being different and unique unto itself.

But performing for Shasta. That had been very personal compared to the other private performances he had been hired to do. Every time he saw her, he wanted to have her naked in his bed. Just watching her excited him. Her eyes glowed with a hidden desire as her breathing quickened. Her tongue occasionally darted out, licking her slightly parted lips.

“The wig…the mask…by making them part of my act, I get to remain anonymous. I don’t want my
extra-curricular
activity intruding into my normal business routine. I don’t want any of my clients recognizing me at the club. I can go about my daily business without concerns of whether my nighttime alter ego will have a negative impact on my career.”

“Then why do you do it?” She furrowed her brow in momentary confusion. “Does having a secret kinky side spice up your life?”

Dane’s muscles tensed. He resisted the initial reaction to pull back from the sting of her words. Did he really come across that way? As some ego driven jerk?

Shasta reached out and gently touched his arm. “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. I have no business making judgments about your personal life. It’s just that it was such a shock. It’s not the type of thing I would have associated with a computer consultant.”

She withdrew her touch from his arm, then rubbed her fingers against her temples, drew in a deep breath and held it a moment. “I think I had one too many glasses of birthday champagne.”

Settling his fingers beneath her chin, he lifted until they had eye contact. He delved into the depths of her eyes as he studied her. He offered a gentle smile, hoping to convey that he wasn’t unhappy or insulted.

“I have a feeling my explanation is going to be wasted on you tonight.” He leaned his face close to hers and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, then emitted a sigh of resignation that contained a touch of disappointment. “Perhaps it would be better if I left so you could get some sleep.”

She shook her head. “Uh…no. I’m fine…really. I don’t usually drink this much and especially not champagne. It was all the birthday festivities…uh…I’ll make some coffee.”

“I think some fresh air might be a better idea.” Dane stood up and held out his hand toward her. “Come on,” he extended his most sincere smile, “we’ll take a walk around the block. Then if you still want some coffee, I’ll make it.”

After a moment’s hesitation, she placed her hand in his. “We can take that walk if you’d like, but please don’t feel you need to sober me up. I’m fine.” She flashed a warm smile. “Honest.”

Dane clasped her hand in his, resulting in a hard jolt of lust. Even though he had learned to disassociate his physical desires from his Macho Marauder performances, he still didn’t have a whole lot of control over the aftereffects that told him he was every bit as horny as the women who watched him and tried to pull at his clothes while he performed.

Mindless sex with strangers was not his style. But Shasta Brooks represented far more than the concept of relief for an aching cock, a fast fuck or a one night stand. He tried to shove away the need pulling at him. He was very selective in the women he became physically involved with, a result of needing to keep his club performances decisively separate from his personal life.

Before things went any further, he wanted to explain himself to her. He wanted to make sure she understood that he wasn’t a tomcat constantly on the prowl for fresh pussy and using a male strip club to find it.

Chapter Two

“Let’s take that walk anyway.” Dane offered Shasta an encouraging smile. “While we’re getting that fresh air, I’ll explain the Macho Marauder to you.”

“Wait.” She looked down at her bare feet. “My shoes…” She wiggled her feet into a pair of canvas slip-ons, then shoved her house key in her pocket. “I guess I’m ready.”

He laced their fingers together. Her hand felt so good in his, as if it belonged there. They walked along the sidewalk in silence for a couple of minutes as he tried to collect his thoughts about how to explain things to her and exactly how much of his past to reveal. And even more confusing were his thoughts about why he wanted to explain something so very private and personal, something he had never confided to anyone.

“About my Macho Marauder alter ego…it has to do with money. Stripping provides the maximum amount of money for the least amount of time and effort while not interfering with my real career. I’ve worked hard to establish my computer consulting business. I don’t want to jeopardize that, but I need all the extra cash I can get my hands on as quickly as possible so that I can…uh, pay off some heavy bills.”

An uncomfortable ripple of anxiety invaded his consciousness. The last thing he wanted to do was reveal any details of his dysfunctional family background. He had spent most of his adult life trying to disassociate himself from anything and everything family related. “For medical expenses.”

“Medical expenses?” She stopped walking, bringing him to an abrupt halt, her alarm obvious. “Are you ill?”

“No, not at all. I’m in excellent health. I don’t even catch colds.” They started walking again as he collected his thoughts. How to explain without really revealing things he had tried so hard to bury deep inside him? “The expenses were incurred because of a lengthy illness my mother had before she died three years ago. I’ve been working to pay off that debt. A few more months and the Macho Marauder can fold his cape, throw away his mask and disappear into the night never to be seen again.” He chuckled as a thought occurred to him. “And get rid of that itchy damn wig.”

“You’ve been doing this to pay off your mother’s medical expenses? Are you doing this on your own without any outside help? What about your father? Other family members? What about insurance?” A moment of alarm crossed her face followed by a hint of embarrassment. “I’m sorry. That’s obviously none of my business.”

How to explain without really explaining…how to answer her questions without really answering them. “There was some insurance but not anywhere near enough. I wasn’t legally responsible for her medical bills, but I was the only one around to take care of her so it kind of fell to me by default. I guess you could say I felt an ethical obligation to settle her debts, and a male strip club provided the path to the maximum amount of money in the shortest amount of time for the least amount of effort.” He tightened his hold on her hand in an attempt to get closer without seeming to be pushing her.

“I came up with the mask and wig as part of my act, and everything just seemed to fall into place. I had no idea the Macho Marauder would become such a big hit. In fact, he’s been so successful that I’m going to be able to settle the entire debt a year sooner than I originally thought.”
And then I can start to think about a personal life again.

The street lights provided just enough illumination for Shasta to see the faraway look in his eyes, one that told her he had given her all the explanation he intended to. It left her wondering why he hadn’t mentioned his father or any siblings and why his voice held a hard edge when saying he was the only one around to take care of his mother. It was obviously a very private matter for him—private and painful. Something he didn’t intend to discuss.

And something she knew was none of her business.

A soft warmth spread through her body and touched her heart. This sexy man whose physical presence had been driving her crazy for several months had turned out to be quite a surprise in more ways than one. First as a male stripper exuding hot sex, then as an honorable man striving to do the right thing even though it would have been much easier to walk away. A very powerful combination—raw sexual magnetism and personal integrity.

They walked for several blocks while engaging in casual conversation, eventually arriving back at her house. He had proved to be even more fascinating than she originally thought. He knew exactly who he was and what he wanted, a man able to live comfortably with his own reality. He presented a commanding physical presence even without the Macho Marauder’s costume.

There was so much more she wanted to know about him. But right now she wanted a night of unbridled passion with the sexiest man alive. The nipple rings created erotic little twinges, arousing her desires even more than they already were. She had given a quick thought to removing them but decided to immerse herself in the provocative new sensation they provided.

Back at her house, she headed for the kitchen. “I’ll make that coffee now.”

He grabbed her arm and stopped her in the dining room before she reached the kitchen door. “Don’t go to the trouble on my account. How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine. That walk in the fresh air is just what I needed.” She flashed a smile, half appreciative and half embarrassed. “I must apologize. Champagne makes me act…well, it does strange things to me. The party and…”

Dane laced their fingers together, tugging gently until he had her enfolded in his arms. Her breasts pressed against his chest, her tautly puckered nipples obvious even through both of their shirts. And the nipple rings she had not been wearing when he did his act, the ones he couldn’t help but notice among the birthday gifts on the table, were now blatantly obvious as they adorned her breasts.

With one arm banded around her back, he threaded the fingers of his other hand through the soft strands of her auburn hair. A moment of uncertainty made him pause. If he had asked her out to dinner, a legitimate date separate from his stripper job, then he would welcome this opportunity to be with her. To revel in the anticipation of what the night could bring and proceed with confidence. But the circumstances left him uncertain. Perhaps if he…

Shasta took the decision away from him. She slipped her arms around his neck and lifted her mouth to his. Her actions, neither tentative nor unsure, caught him off guard, but only for a second. He shoved aside his concerns and captured her mouth with a kiss that demanded everything of her and promised as much in return.

She tasted of champagne and pizza, a strange yet intriguing combination. He flicked his tongue across her lower lip, then invaded her mouth with a heated passion that left no question about his desires or where they were headed.

He caressed her shoulders and back, finally running his hands across her perfectly rounded rear end. He snuggled her hips against his. A tightness pulled across his chest as his arousal grew. Even through her jeans, he felt the heat radiating from her body.

One hand on her ass, he slipped the other inside the back of her T-shirt. Her creamy skin tantalized his fingers and teased his senses. His cock twitched with a life of its own, wanting to find a hot nest to call home.

A hint of concern tried to force its way back into his consciousness. Taking advantage of a woman who had a bit too much to drink was not his style. He wanted a partner as hot and turned on as he was, someone whose desires matched his own, someone fully aware of what she was doing and the choices available to her, not a woman merely complying with what she thought he wanted.

His conscience told him to back off and give her a clear cut choice, offer her the option of putting a stop to things before they got totally out of hand. But logic won out. He wasn’t forcing her into anything. If she wanted him to back off, all she had to do was say so.

He parted her lips with his tongue and probed the inside of her mouth. Her taste, the texture of her tongue against his, it all meshed together in a sensual twining that emulated the prelude to a sultry mating ritual.