Ruby's Fantasy (11 page)

Every muscle in Jake's body knotted. ‘You sure he didn't hurt her?'

‘Not on my watch, but I never saw her again. After that I kept my eye on him but I haven't seen him trouble the girls since so I've got no excuse not to admit him when I'm on the door. Seen him hanging out with a rich client who comes here. A guy who spends a fortune on lap dancers.'

‘Got a name of the rich guy?' A rush of adrenaline hit Jake and his hand automatically went for the pistol he kept strapped to his chest, concealed by his jacket. How could a girl like Emerald get herself into danger so fast? He thought of his one meeting with Ruby's twin. Emerald was abrasive, not good-natured and fun like Ruby. He had to get this sorted.

The bouncer shook his head. ‘Guys who pay for the girls' services don't leave their calling card. Ain't smart if they're married. Thing is, he comes in regularly, books the same girl for a lap dance.'

‘Who?'

‘Nessa.'

‘When was the last time you saw Tattoo Face in the club?'

The bouncer frowned and shifted. ‘Came in a couple of weeks ago. Usually about two in the morning. Hangs around drinking while his mate is having fun. Haven't seen him for a while.'

‘Thanks for the information.' Jake shook John's hand and slipped him a twenty. He made his way to Abe's office to check in with the nightclub owner. Abe had complained about one of his screens not functioning. Working would distract him from the fear that gnawed at him. Not fear for himself but for Ruby. She'd be safer going into hiding like her twin had done, but somehow he couldn't see Ruby cooperating. He needed to establish a lead. Narrow down who the wealthy client was. Once he got that, he'd make sure Emerald and Ruby's troubles were over.

He wove his way through the dance floor and headed up the stairs to Abe's office. He buzzed and when he didn't get a response he keyed in the code he'd set up for Abe. The office was vacant so he left the door askew and strode in. Several screens showed scenes from the club but he could see one was down. He opened the control box and adjusted the settings on the crackling screen. The picture of the girls in the change room appeared grainy at first until he fiddled some more with the controls. Unlike Abe who enjoyed watching every aspect of his club and had it backed up on his computer system to keep as a record, Jake treated it as a job, but one of the girls danced with such sexual intent his gaze was transfixed.

Her back was to him so he couldn't see her face. His blood stirred as he took in the way her semi-naked body undulated as she practised her moves in front of the other women.

She had on a cop outfit, consisting of a policewoman's hat over cropped dark hair, and jacket, but nothing from the waist down bar killer stilettos. The image made him hard.

She flicked off the jacket and threw it to the ground. A shudder of desire ran through him. Her body was so like Ruby's. He noticed she wore a g-string, the elastic top had been hidden by the jacket, yet it was so tiny he mentally urged her to turn around. His gaze wandered over her perfectly rounded bottom, the cheeks just big enough to cup in each of his hands, and down over her long, shapely legs. When she moved, wiggling her hips, he couldn't take his eyes off her.

He adjusted the settings on the control panel narrowing the camera field to focus on the dancer in vivid colour. The g-string was spangled and red and when she bent, the movement elongated her legs and thrust her bottom at the screen. His hand moved to his jean-covered cock and he groaned. He thought of Ruby's mouth on him and the things she had done with her tongue. When she hooked her thumbs into the elastic and peeled the g-string off, it was the most erotic thing he'd ever seen. Jake leant forward. The g-string was barely an inch wide between her legs and left very little to the imagination. Her body was perfectly groomed and although he enjoyed the downy, blonde hair between Ruby's legs, the view was as alluring as a juicy, ripe fig.

The stripper spun around too fast for him to catch a picture of her face but instinct made him want to know what she looked like. He felt he'd seen her before. One thing he always made sure of was to follow his gut. He stopped the picture and rolled the sequence back so that he could examine the screen. He zoomed in further. There was something so familiar about her that he wondered if she'd passed him in the street on her way to work at the club. He was good at recalling faces and the thought that he couldn't nail who she was annoyed him. He didn't remember seeing her dance before at the club. Her black hair was swept across her face making it difficult to see her features well. Her eyes were closed, and her red, glossy lips were open as she spun.

Jake groaned.

A red-spangled bra matched the g-string, though he could only see the back of it. Her waist was narrow and the primeval male in him made him want to span it, bend the girl forward and...get a grip. He'd never bothered to watch the strippers close up though he was in and out of the club a lot, especially when he'd been setting up the security system, but this woman made him horny enough to wonder if she also added lap-dancing to her services. He squashed the thought. Ruby would be horrified and he wasn't the kind of man who needed to pay women for services they didn't wish to give freely. No matter how much he'd enjoyed what Ruby had done to him using her lips and tongue, he wanted more from her. A lot more.

The stripper reached behind her and unclipped her bra, waving it around her head before flinging it away. Her back was beautiful with even, fair skin like milk, the type he'd like to caress. He wished he could see her breasts, which he bet would be high and perfect. She was the type of woman who could lure men in by wearing a backless dress.

She spun again, her short, black hair flying over her face as she danced and Jake's hand moved to his jean-clad erection. She was wearing red nipple tassels. He froze the frame on the screen so he could examine the front of her better again. She was achingly familiar and it bugged the hell out of him. He was right about her breasts. Full and high. A perfect combination just like Ruby's. Desperation made him ache with desire. He needed Ruby.

No more flirting.

No more playing around with her.

He was serious about her and he intended to demand she find a way to stay so they could be together. There was no way he'd make love to her and let her leave if Emerald came back.

She. Was. His.

Whether she knew it or not.

Damn he was hot for her. He'd have her begging for him next time if her reaction to his foreplay last night was anything to go by.

‘Enjoying the view?' a male voice interrupted.

Jake turned to see Abe leering at the screen as he walked towards him.

‘I've fixed the last monitor. It just needed an adjustment.'

‘Yeah, I see you've positioned the camera real good. Could almost lick that girl's tits from here.'

‘Don't tempt me,' Jake growled, uncomfortably aware of his own erection. ‘You know I don't believe in paying for it. I like my women willing.'

‘The more you pay the more willing they are,' Abe said.

Jake managed to pull his own gaze away from the screen. ‘I spoke to John, your bouncer. He said the spider-tattooed man who smashed the shop window next to me has come to the club with one of your wealthy clients. The client uses the services of the lap dancers.'

‘Got a few of those.'

‘I need to go through your electronic security files to see if I can locate him.'

Abe hadn't turned from the screen. Instead he fiddled with the controls. ‘Wish she'd spin around again so I can see her tits bounce.'

‘You hear what I said?' Jake shoved his hands into his pockets, pulling his jeans out to ease the pressure. He was as uncontrolled as a teen.

Abe waved his hand at Jake. ‘Yeah, sure. Have whatcha need. See if you can narrow it down and we'll get the bugger. Don't want some jackass to scare this girl off. Gives good lip, this one. Makes me want to put her over my knee. You know the best way to stop a woman talking?'

‘Spare me the details.'

‘She's got a lush mouth. Nice and soft. What a cute arse. Could grab it and prise it apart. I'd like a piece of that.'

‘You won't be getting any peace if you make a move on her because she's my “piece”.' Jake frowned as his gaze moved from Abe to the scene. Raw anger hit him. ‘Hell!'

He moved closer to Abe and stared again. The woman flung off her policewoman's hat, bowed to the audience in the change room so that the screen was filled with her perfectly toned butt and long legs. The same legs that had been wrapped around him.

Abe glanced at him. ‘Your neighbour's hot in that wig.'

‘What is she doing here?' Jake clenched his teeth and fought to stay calm. Abe chuckled. ‘Guess she doesn't know she's your “piece”. Got her to demonstrate her gear here. What a great body.'

Jake's hands clenched into fists. He strode from the room before he did something to Abe he regretted. He shoved the stripper's change room door open and whipped Ruby around to face him.

She stood staring at him, the whites of her eyes showing. ‘Jake! What are you doing here?'

Too angry to speak; too furious to reason, he picked her up and slung her over his shoulder semi-bare arsed.

Ruby screamed. ‘You put me down, Jake Steele.'

‘Like hell.' He strode towards the door.

‘You don't have the right.' Ruby writhed, trying to free herself.

He brought his hand down on her bottom with an uncompromising smack.

‘Ow!' Ruby howled and thumped his back with her fists.

The redhead with the beehive's mouth gaped. ‘I'm going straight to her shop tomorrow if wearing her stuff gets that reaction. That is one hunk of a man.'

The rest of the girls sighed.

Ruby sank her long fingernails into Jake's back outraged at his treatment of her. ‘You put me down, you hear?' Her wig had fallen off and the tie had come undone leaving her blonde hair streaming around her face. Worse, her nipple tassels were slapping her cheeks like a reprimand as Jake stormed from the club. Even hanging upside down she could see people laughing, others gawping at the sight of her wearing nothing but nipple tassels and a g-string in the street of The Cross while Jake stabbed his key code into his front door.

In any other suburb someone would have called the police by now. In The Cross, it was just another night. Perhaps people thought she was acting out some sort of caveman fantasy because although the men leered no one offered to help her.

Once he'd punched in his number, Jake kicked in the door so that it rammed hard against his shop wall. His naked aggression silenced her making her whole body slump and yet, instinctively she knew he wouldn't hurt her. But he was mad. Seriously so. Every muscle in his frame felt rock hard with fury and she could feel the ribbons of his back tense under her hands. The bulk of the muscle in his arm kept her pinioned over his shoulder.

He bent and put her on her feet.

She made for the open door but he reached over and slammed it. The blue of his eyes was so dark they became sharp, navy gems. ‘Open that door. I'm leaving.'

‘Get upstairs or I'll sling you over my shoulder and carry you again,' he growled.

‘Since when do you get to give me orders?'

‘Since you were crazy enough to go out on the streets wearing nothing.'

She sensed he was barely holding on to his wrath. His face had become sharp planes of anger and his lips looked pinched. Several of the buttons had popped on his shirt revealing very toned, bulging pectoral muscles and ripped abs.

‘Fine, have it your way.' It didn't take much to work out that he meant what he said and she was determined to preserve the last bit of dignity she had left, which wasn't easy wearing nipple tassels. She walked through his office and climbed up the stairs to his apartment above. When at the top she turned so that he, following a few stairs behind her, was face to face. ‘Who gave you permission to barge in and carry me out like some Neanderthal?'

‘I outlined the rules for your safety for good reason. I don't recall dressing like a stripper being part of them.'

‘Just for the record. I went out dressed in more than this.'

‘A hot cop outfit. What were you thinking of drawing attention to yourself like that?' A muscle ticked in his jaw.

‘I was determined to find out what happened to Emerald until you barged in.'

‘So you take your clothes off and provide entertainment for Abe?' Colour deepened at the vee of his throat.

His words took the wind out of her for a moment but she'd known with all those screens it was a risk she'd had to take. ‘Listen here. You don't get to shove me in a safe little box.'

‘I won't have to. The way you're going you'll be in a coffin.' His gaze flicked over her.

‘I don't like you ordering me around.'

‘It's to keep you alive,' he growled.

‘You think you're the only one who knows how to investigate? I would have told you what I had planned but I knew you wouldn't like it, so I didn't.'

His head reared back and his eyes narrowed. ‘You can't keep your plans to yourself.'

‘I do because you're so controlling.'

‘For a good reason.' Veins bulged in his neck.

A flare of anger shot through her. ‘I put up with my drunken, irrational father telling me what to do. I don't like being ordered around.'

‘You're in danger.' Jake put his hands either side of her face. ‘Protecting you is what I do. I'm good at it. I'm not going to let you get hurt.'

‘The security is enough.' It was like she was being sucked into her past. Watched. Ordered. Dealing with male anger. ‘Anyway, how do you know Tattoo Face is coming back?'

‘I can't be sure, but I talked to the bouncer. There's more to this than meets the eye, but I haven't worked it out yet. If Tattoo Face wants you, he's going to have to come through me.'