she should have taken The Bandit directly to her hotel room: gotten sweaty and mussed while taking off each section of leather, piece by piece, inch by sexy inch—instead of hanging here with all of these couples.
She didn’t do the couple thing. After they’d had a wonderful time on the cruise, Tyler seemed to have that couple’s thing in mind, and she’d nixed it…after letting him get embarrassingly close.
He’d been the first man to actually spend the whole night at her place. And she didn’t do that sort of thing. No matter how good the sex, the guy went home after. She might stay over at his place, but rarely. She didn’t like the morning-after awkwardness or the intimacy.
Unwillingly, her eyes strayed to the corner where Tyler sat with an attractive woman perched practically on his lap; obstinately, she refused to look away when those blue eyes challenged.
She never backed down from a challenge.
And getting a professional stripper into her bed was going to be something. The Bandit would definitely make her forget anything she might feel for Tyler.
Tina looked over at Emma and Tony again. Didn’t they know what a mistake they were making? From what she’d seen growing up, there was no such thing as a couple. Just two people unwilling to admit they would eventually get tired of each other, get tired of having sex with each other.
Emma finally broke away from Tony, and then got directly in Tina’s face.
“Why did you bring him?” Emma gestured with her chin. “You promised,” she hissed.
In a sexy little bronze dress with a plunging neckline embroidered in gold, Emma looked great.
Too bad it wasn’t The Bandit kind of hot.
But the neckline of her flimsy dress was suspiciously askew and Emma’s nipples were at attention. Tina suspected Tony had very recently had his clever fingers deep inside the silk. “Aren’t you glad you didn’t wear the bra?”
Emma blushed. “Yes, he definitely likes the dress.”
“What’s not to like? But it’s the boobs, not the dress he’s enamored with.”
One of the girls gathered around The Bandit actually moaned.
Emma resumed looking disgusted. “How could you do this?”
“I had my fingers crossed when I promised. You know I do that sometimes.”
“So it’s my fault because I didn’t look at your damn fingers? Is this part of the I-don’t-understand-how-friendship-works problem? Or is it about your recent troubles with your social life?” Emma looked really upset and worried.
Tina’s gut rolled, and she didn’t know if it was from the alcohol or the hurt look on Emma’s face. Emma was a good friend, one of the few people Tina trusted, and she’d gone and blown it because…well, for no good reason. “I’m sorry. I’ll take him away in a few minutes.”
“What are we going to tell the girls? And how much did you pay? I mean, I don’t want you to be out a lot of money…” Emma’s eyes widened as she saw him caressing the leather shield in front of his groin. “He can’t be built like that? It’s padding, or something. Right?” Her voice rose.
“Watch out, honey. You’re drooling, and Tony’s watching. Don’t worry about the money or that equipment going to waste. I have every intention of taking him to my room and stripping him down to the bare essentials. I’ll give you a blow by blow in the morning, so to speak.”
“Tina, you can’t have sex with a stripper. What are you thinking?”
“Of course I can.” She looked toward the corner.
Emma noticed right away. “I’m sorry. I had no idea Sheila would hook Tyler for the evening.”
There was another half scream, half sob from the women watching the stripper. Tina saw one of the paralegals from work stuff a bill in his thong. “Why would I pine for a regular man when I can have a little party of my own with The Bandit? I’ve been thinking about this guy since he came to my friend’s party last month. Now I’m gonna put all of my curiosity to bed, and let that fantasy throw me over its shoulder and carry me away.”
Emma shook her head. “I don’t think it’s a good idea. But I have to admit, I’m glad he’s not going to be staying for the whole party. I think Tony’s going to have a fit. He wouldn’t have minded if I had a stripper. He’s just not comfortable watching, and neither am I.”
“Just think how desperate he’ll be to please you after seeing the competition. He’s gonna put both hands down into that dress.”
Emma blushed. “I’m still not pleased that you broke your promise. But I’m not going to tell Tony anything except that the girls at the office insisted we invite a stripper as a joke, so long as you get him out of here so it’s not obvious that you brought him along for the evening. You know The Bandit may not sleep with you. He’s a stripper, not a prostitute.”
“I’ll be very persuasive. I’m sure I’m not the first client who wanted a little something extra.”
Emma shivered. “Be careful. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “I’d better get back to Tony.”
Tina started breathing again. Miraculously, Emma was going to forgive her, again. “You do that. I’m gonna get another drink and let the girls have just a few more minutes of The Bandit’s time before I whisk him away to be my own little plaything.” Tina headed for the bar where one of her favorite judges was waiting in line. They did a little verbal sparring—it wouldn’t have been sporting otherwise. And then Tina wandered to the outskirts of the group worshipping The Bandit.
Let them grope him.
She could afford to be generous when she was the one who would be with him at the end of the night.
The girls were giving him a good time, but the stripper gave her a wink as she settled on a chair. She knew it was part of the act but she was prepared to offer him quite a sum. And while she’d never paid for sex before, she didn’t think a stripper would protest too much.
TYLER WALDEN finally escaped Sheila’s wandering hands, and then made his way to the balcony where he could look out over the tree line. He took a deep breath. It was difficult watching Tina drooling over the stripper. He wiped his brow. Funny how he could maintain icy control in the courtroom, but have Tina waltz into any other room and he couldn’t think straight.
“Tough, huh?” His best friend, Nelson, joined him after carefully shutting the French doors behind them. Perspiration dotted the bald spot on Nelson’s head and his fine blond hair. “It’s hot in there.”
“In more ways than one.” Tyler smiled halfheartedly.
Nelson took off his glasses and wiped them on his shirt. “If only she’d look at you like she looks at him. Instead, she’s staring a hole right through you.”
“No chance of her looking at me that way.”
“That’s because you’re not prancing around in leather. But I bet
