It’s amazing what one can find in strip clubs…
Josh Carter gets the shock of a lifetime when he shows up at a place of ill repute for a business meeting and sees the one that got away gyrating on the stage. Abigail Reese—the girl with so much potential, the girl that took his heart along with his body one night long ago—what brought her to this level?
Though stripping is not what Abigail set out to do, it’s putting food on the table and a roof over her daughter’s head. But just how much can she reveal to Josh without risking it all?
When Josh causes Abigail to lose her job, she has two choices: come clean about her past and her situation or push him out of her life as quick as he came into it. It’s up to her…only she has to think of her little girl too.
Content Warning: One steamy bedroom scene.
Buy Links: Amazon / All Romance / Nook
Excerpt
Abigail
stood in front of room one, took a deep breath, and lightly knocked before
opening the door. Her nerves were on edge as she wondered who waited inside.
The room was dimly lit with yet another pole in the middle for those customers
who wanted private shows. The man’s head was slightly turned to where she
couldn’t see who it was. But something in her gut told her she knew him. While
she didn’t recognize him from this angle, she had a feeling things were about
to change. Abigail wasn’t really sure what to say, so she leaned against the
pole and asked in a sultry tone, “What can I do for you?”
He turned
and looked at her. Abigail froze. Her mouth dropped open. She knew exactly who
it was. She hadn’t seen him in years and he was slightly older now. But it was
a face she’d recognize anywhere. In fact, she looked at a replica of it almost
every day.
“Josh.” It
came out an almost whisper.
He nodded.
His expression was cold, not like the last time she’d seen him over four years
ago. His hair was a light brown with a few streaks of gray and his dark green
eyes bore into her.
“What are
you doing here? Did you come looking for me?” she asked, needing to know if his
being here was a mere coincidence.
“I’m here on
business and when you came on stage, I recognized you. Years ago you were
getting your degree to be a lawyer. You were doing so well and I have to say I
was quite surprised to see you. So when I came in here, I certainly wasn’t
looking for you. What happened? Anything I can do to help?” He patted the seat
next to him. “Please sit. You’re making me uncomfortable.”
Abigail did
as he requested, but she didn’t answer his questions. Just him being there
scared her. She wasn’t sure how much he knew about her and decided it was best
to keep quiet. He was a rich man and held a lot of power.
“Did you
finish your degree?” he asked.
“No.”
“How come?”
Because I got pregnant and school
doesn’t work with a crying newborn. “Life.”
“You’ve got to
give me more than that. I’d like to help you. Obviously if you’re working here,
you’ve hit a rough patch.” His gaze locked on hers. “I’ve thought about you
many times the last few years. I never intended for our evening together to be
a one-time thing.” Josh reached out and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear.
A shiver shot down her spine.
Abigail
thought back to that evening. It had been hot and perfect. He’d pleasured her
more than anyone else ever had and they connected on so many levels. She’d known
he’d wanted more than that one night—he’d been honest about the direction his
thoughts were taking—but it had scared her and the next day, she’d left a fake
phone number when they’d parted ways. By the time she realized the mistake
she’d made, it had been too late, or so, she thought.
“I got
scared.”
Josh removed
his suit jacket and draped it around her shoulders. “As much as I enjoy the
view, I’m not here for that.”
She
suppressed the grin she wanted to give him and asked, “Why are you here if you
didn’t come to see me?”
Josh was
older than her by at least ten years. His life was already established when
she’d met him and hers had just begun. She’d kept up with him throughout the
years from different news reports and tabloids. It was almost hard not to. Josh
Carter was a billionaire. It was one of the reasons why she’d never sought him
out. Abigail wasn’t a gold digger and didn’t want to be accused of being one.
“Business,
of course. I think that’s my life. The guys I was meeting with are younger and
this was the place they wanted to come and for one particular act. The amazing
girl on the pole.” He leaned in closer to her ear. “I must say, I was impressed
by your act.”
Her heart
raced, the result of him being so close. Even after all these years, he still
had an effect on her. Biting her bottom lip, she pushed those feelings away and
remembered that if he knew her secret, he could take everything from her.
“How about
you get dressed and we’ll get out of here? I’d like to catch up,” he suggested.
Hailey crossed
her mind and the babysitter who was waiting with her. “I can’t. I have to get
home.”
“I
understand.” Josh reached into his pocket and took out a card, handing it to
her. “Call me. I’ll be in town for the next week and I’d like to chat. Maybe we
can meet up for dinner and if you’ll let me, I’d like to help you get back on
your feet.”
“Okay, I
will.” She stood and began to remove his jacket.
“Keep it.
It’s the only way I can ensure I’ll see you while I’m in town.”
“Thank you.”
She gazed down at him. “I don’t want you to feel sorry for me. I’m doing well
and happy, even though this wasn’t the life I initially set out to have.”
Abigail didn’t say another word, but left room one and high-tailed it back to
the dressing room to change and get home. Josh Carter being in town was either
going to be a good thing or a bad. Or maybe it was time she faced the truth and
did what was right by Hailey. After all, her daughter deserved better then she
had it now.
About
the Author:
Lacey Wolfe has
always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing
her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short
stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has
always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of
school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband,
son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.
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