His focus returned to the stage just as Scarlett flung her long hair out of her way while hopping back onto the pole. Her moves were flawless. Graceful. And sexier than anything he’d ever witnessed.
Several turns and twists that defied gravity later, and the song was finally,finallycoming to an end. By the time her erotic routine was finished, the stage was little more than an ocean of cash.
The amazing woman had earned so much, in fact, that two of the other dancers approached the stage with buckets so Scarlett had somewhere to put her earnings. None of the other dancers—last night or tonight—had gotten even half that much from one dance.
Only her.
Only his Scarlett.
She’s. Not. Yours.
No, she wasn’t. Of course, none of the women from his past had ever been his. Because he’d always kept them at arm’s length, never allowing anyone to get close enough to risk letting them all the way in.
Can’t lose something that isn’t yours.
Don’t let anyone in. A rule he’d lived by, and one he’d never been tempted to break. Until now.
But something had changedfor Olly tonight. In the span of a single song, a major shift had taken place within him. The weight from all the shit he’d kept piled on his shoulders all these years suddenly began to lesson.
Though his focus was still on finding Rose and putting a stop to the bastards behind her disappearance, he’d begun to feel another purpose in life. A calling that, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t seem to fight.
He saw it now, though. As if a fog had been lifted from his eyes, Olly was finally seeing clearly for what felt like the first time in his whole messed-up life.
Somewhere in the middle of the drum beats and guitar riffs, his outlook where his future was concerned had changed. He had begun to change.
His eyes were finally starting to open.
Yes, he was a criminal, but on paper. Not in his heart. So he didn’t have a lot of money or a fancy job. Did that mean he wasn’t able to provide a decent life? Did that automatically deem him incapable of making someone happy?
Olly had spent the last several years of his life believing so. But now, he wasn’t so sure.
Scarlett was an adult. They both were. Grown, consenting adults. And no matter what other soul-searching questions he still needed to face, there was one thing he knew for sure…
I get Scarlett in my arms again, there will be no walking away.
“Hey!”
He looked up to see the woman consuming his every thought walking his way. Gone was the naughty teacher outfit she’d purchased that morning. A purchase she’d insisted on keeping hidden from him until she’d taken the stage.
Probably a good thing, too. Because if she’d tried it on for him back at the hotel…
We never would have left.
Instead, Scarlett had changed back into the clothes she’d worn to the club. Jeans that hugged her curves in all the right places. A knitted, cream-colored crewneck sweater that lookedas soft and sweet as the woman wearing it. And those black lace-up boots she seemed to love.
Her hair was piled high once more, and the woman was smiling wide. Her green eyes shimmered as they fixed with his, waiting for a response to her greeting.
There were so many things he wanted to say just then. But the only thing Olly managed to choke out was a muttered, “Hey.”
Smooth, Ol. Really fucking smooth.
“So.” Scarlett pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. “What did you think?”
What did he think?
You were fucking phenomenal, that’s what I think. So sexy. So gorgeous. So utterly entrancing, I wanted to rush the stage, strip you down, and take you right there in front of God and everyone.
That’s what he was thinking. What he actuallysaidwas, “You, uh...you did great.”