earlier, and Hailey would have been midorgasm. Three minutes later, and Gage was pretty sure he’d have been sliding into her hot, wet depths.
Still, it was hard to find an attitude of gratitude when his rock-hard dick was pressing painfully against his zipper.
He slid a sideways glance at Hailey. Horror was starting to replace shock on her face. Both of which had quickly chased away that glow of desire he’d enjoyed so much.
It was as much for that, as for the fact that he had to surreptitiously move his hand back to his own lap now, that Gage cursed Rudy.
Not that the other guy cared.
His grin as oblivious as the vacant expression in his date’s eyes, the old man plopped himself into the chair opposite Gage and Hailey and threw both hands wide.
“Well? Show me some romance.”
* * *
HE’D GOT HER off over dinner.
In a restaurant.
With just his fingers. And his words.
Her face was still on fire. Hailey’s breath caught in her chest and she had to close her eyes against the power of that memory. His murmured suggestions echoed in her mind, making her want to squirm.
Oh, yeah, those had been some powerful words.
And then, just as she’d been ready to throw off her clothes and ride him at the dinner table, her potential boss had come in.
And Gage, damn him, had acted as if nothing at all had happened. As if he hadn’t had his fingers inside her as he greeted the other man. As if she hadn’t been dripping wet, hot and horny beneath his hand while Rudy Rudolph introduced his bimbo du jour. Then, while Hailey was still reeling—she didn’t even know if she’d said hello—he’d claimed they were finished with dinner and suggested they leave immediately for his sexy scenario.
And she’d been too busy trying to climb out of the orgasm haze to even protest.
It was enough to make a girl scream.
And not in a good way.
“Here we are,” Gage said, his words just background noise to her whirlwind of thoughts. Throughout the car ride, she’d heard him chatting with Rudy and the redhead, who were in the backseat. But she hadn’t taken in a word. The most she’d been able to do was state that her pitch would take place at another time. Just as well, since she wasn’t sure she’d even get her name right at this point, let alone be able to present her argument for romantic lingerie.
Still lost in thought, she absently took Gage’s hand as he helped her from the passenger seat of his car. He’d insisted on driving her to part two of their evening. She’d tried to disagree, desperately wanting her own car—and some time to herself. But once Rudy and Candy had decided to ride along, she’d figured it was better to just go with the flow.
Now, staring up at the building in front of them while the valet took Gage’s BMW, she desperately wished she’d stood up for her choice and had a car to escape with.
Pussy’s Galore, the neon sign screamed in bright orange.
“Are you sure this is how you wanted to pitch your argument for Milano designs?” she asked as they approached the rough-stone building. The red light flashing over the door spelled out clearly what kind of entertainment the Pussy Cats would be providing.
And it wasn’t anything Hailey wanted to see.
“I’m sure.” Gage stopped, one hand on the brass door pull, and gave her an amused look. “You’re not backing out, are you? Afraid of a little adventure?”
She figured her desire to hiss and scratch could be blamed on the club he was about to drag her into. But her reaction—a nervous knot in her stomach and a feeling of nausea clogged in her throat—was definitely fear.
She slid a sideways glance at Rudy, who was pretending to read the encased poster showcasing the evening’s entertainment. From the smile playing over his thin lips, he thought she was afraid, too.
His date, Hailey noted, was busy checking her manicure and clearly didn’t care.
Logically, Hailey knew she could object to visiting a club called Pussy’s Galore. There was nothing wrong with that. It wasn’t as if she was a prude or uptight in any way. Hell, she’d just had an orgasm with her chicken piccata.
She really didn’t want to go into a place that screamed sex. If a romantic setting with Gage inspired an under-the-table orgasm, who knew what inhibitions she’d toss aside in a sex club.
But she didn’t want to be the one who ruined the evening, either. Nor did she want to be the one going home alone by taxi while the others had fun, with Gage charming Rudy into the contract over naked bodies.
“You’re paying my entry fee, I hope,” she finally said, giving Gage a sassy look. “After all, I paid for dinner.”
“You made this sweet girl pay for the meal?” Rudy interrupted, pulled out of his fake perusal to frown at Gage. “That’s not right.”
“Romance is genderless, Mr. Rudolph,” Hailey said with a shrug that conveyed she didn’t play to the double standard. “And it was my point for the bet, so it’s only fair that I paid. Of course, that means Gage should pay for anything we encounter in here, too.”
She sure hoped the going rate for hookers was a lot more than chicken.
Ten minutes later, her wrist stamped with a go-go boot and her butt perched on a magenta fur-covered chrome stool, Hailey gave Gage an arch look.
“You said it was a house of ill repute when we pulled up.” At least, that was what she thought he’d said. She’d been too busy reveling in the memory of what his fingers had done between her thighs to be sure.
“Prostitution is illegal in San Francisco,” he pointed out with a grin. “This is a Kitty Cat Club. More upscale and diverse than a standard strip club. There are strippers on three stages, but there’s also pole dancing, a dance floor upstairs and, in case you get any ideas, a few rooms to rent by the hour in back.”
She wanted to roll her eyes and blithely dismiss the innuendo. Except her thighs were still tingling from his fingers, her panties were damp from the orgasm and, thanks to the image he’d built in her head of licking her, she didn’t think her nipples were ever going to lose their rock-hard perkiness.
So instead of being hypocritical, she opted to change the subject.
“Where did Rudy and Candy go?” She’d stepped into the bathroom after they’d entered the club and hadn’t seen the odd couple since.
“I’m not sure. He said something about getting drinks, and that he’d catch up with us in a minute.” Gage glanced toward the back with a frown. “But he headed in the opposite direction from the bar.”
She followed his gaze toward the bank of doors along the back wall, all with lights over the top, a few lit bright red to show they were occupied.
“You don’t think...”
“You
