both.
“Damon, this will work if you do what I need you to.” Tasha met his gaze—this close his eyes were green rimmed in gold.
“What do you need?”
“When we get up on stage you need to use your belt on me.”
“Tasha—”
“Give them a show. I want you to do it hard enough that everyone hears it— get everyone in the club looking at us. Fold the belt in half—it will make a lot of noise. Then hit me harder, somewhere unexpected. I’m going to cry like you’re really hurting me and try to get away.”
His eyes flicked side-to-side as he searched her face. “What’s the endgame?”
“When I resist you’re going to hit me.”
“Keep going with the belt?”
“No, I mean really hit me. In the face.”
Damon’s whole body jerked. “Absolutely not.”
“You do that, I’ll fall off the stage into Marco and Jennie. Then I’ll get Jennie to take me to the back. The guards and Demario will be busy throwing you out—there will be no one back there.”
“I’m not going to beat you with a belt and then punch you.”
“Not punch, backhand.”
“No. I will not do that.” His hands squeezed her waist.
A little shiver of happiness worked its way through Tasha. She pushed the useless feeling aside. It was nice to have another protector, but right now she needed someone who would hit her.
“Okay, that’s fine. I’m going to invite someone from the crowd onstage with me. All I need you to do is nod as if you ordered me to do it. Then, when they hit me, make a big scene while Jennie takes me into the back.”
“Wait, no. I don’t want anyone to hit you. Me or anyone else.”
“I don’t have time to argue.” She tried to get up but he held her in place on his knee.
“We’ll switch,” he said, words tinged with frustration. “I’ll be the sub, you hit me.”
“I think it’s a bit late for that plan.” It was such a sweet offer that Tasha impulsively leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
She jerked back, moving so fast that he didn’t have time to tighten his hold. Tasha dropped to her knees in front of him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. What was wrong with her? Why had she done that?
He leaned forward. “Are you okay?”
She tried to move away, but he caught her by the ring at the front of her collar. For the first time since she’d put it on it was used for its intended purpose—to control her. It should have made her angry, or helped snap her out of this flustered state, but instead all it did was make her aware of Damon’s eyes, his lips, his strength.
“Are you okay?” he repeated.
“Fine. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“ That peck on the cheek?”
The way he said it made it clear that it meant nothing to him. Tasha closed her eyes. It meant nothing to him. She held onto that, focusing on it until she had herself under control.
“Do you want me to get someone from the crowd?” she asked him.
He searched her face and then shook his head. “No. I’ll do it. Are you sure I have to—”
“Hit me as hard as you can.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Trust me. I know it’s coming, and I can pull away from it. In reality you’ll barely have touched me, but it will look bad.”
“What if you don’t move in time? I box to relieve stress. I could really hurt you.”
She winked. “You can try.”
That seemed to be what he needed, because he stood, pulling her up by the arm. “Let’s do this.”
~~~~
Chapter Six
Marco turned his chair and watched Damon lift Tasha onto the stage. Under the bright lights, her skin seemed pale and delicate. In contrast, Damon looked like a gladiator with his thick muscles and gold skin. The mask and darkened hair added to the impression that the man up there was someone Marco didn’t really know.
He’d kept his hand on Jennie’s neck once she’d repositioned herself. There was something wrong with her—he could only assume she was drunk, though if she was working that seemed a bit strange.
“Damon, this will work if you do what I need you to.” Tasha met his gaze—this close his eyes were green rimmed in gold.
“What do you need?”
“When we get up on stage you need to use your belt on me.”
“Tasha—”
“Give them a show. I want you to do it hard enough that everyone hears it— get everyone in the club looking at us. Fold the belt in half—it will make a lot of noise. Then hit me harder, somewhere unexpected. I’m going to cry like you’re really hurting me and try to get away.”
His eyes flicked side-to-side as he searched her face. “What’s the endgame?”
“When I resist you’re going to hit me.”
“Keep going with the belt?”
“No, I mean really hit me. In the face.”
Damon’s whole body jerked. “Absolutely not.”
“You do that, I’ll fall off the stage into Marco and Jennie. Then I’ll get Jennie to take me to the back. The guards and Demario will be busy throwing you out—there will be no one back there.”
“I’m not going to beat you with a belt and then punch you.”
“Not punch, backhand.”
“No. I will not do that.” His hands squeezed her waist.
A little shiver of happiness worked its way through Tasha. She pushed the useless feeling aside. It was nice to have another protector, but right now she needed someone who would hit her.
“Okay, that’s fine. I’m going to invite someone from the crowd onstage with me. All I need you to do is nod as if you ordered me to do it. Then, when they hit me, make a big scene while Jennie takes me into the back.”
“Wait, no. I don’t want anyone to hit you. Me or anyone else.”
“I don’t have time to argue.” She tried to get up but he held her in place on his knee.
“We’ll switch,” he said, words tinged with frustration. “I’ll be the sub, you hit me.”
“I think it’s a bit late for that plan.” It was such a sweet offer that Tasha impulsively leaned forward and kissed his cheek.
She jerked back, moving so fast that he didn’t have time to tighten his hold. Tasha dropped to her knees in front of him. Her heart was pounding in her chest. What was wrong with her? Why had she done that?
He leaned forward. “Are you okay?”
She tried to move away, but he caught her by the ring at the front of her collar. For the first time since she’d put it on it was used for its intended purpose—to control her. It should have made her angry, or helped snap her out of this flustered state, but instead all it did was make her aware of Damon’s eyes, his lips, his strength.
“Are you okay?” he repeated.
“Fine. I shouldn’t have done that.”
“ That peck on the cheek?”
The way he said it made it clear that it meant nothing to him. Tasha closed her eyes. It meant nothing to him. She held onto that, focusing on it until she had herself under control.
“Do you want me to get someone from the crowd?” she asked him.
He searched her face and then shook his head. “No. I’ll do it. Are you sure I have to—”
“Hit me as hard as you can.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Trust me. I know it’s coming, and I can pull away from it. In reality you’ll barely have touched me, but it will look bad.”
“What if you don’t move in time? I box to relieve stress. I could really hurt you.”
She winked. “You can try.”
That seemed to be what he needed, because he stood, pulling her up by the arm. “Let’s do this.”
~~~~
Chapter Six
Marco turned his chair and watched Damon lift Tasha onto the stage. Under the bright lights, her skin seemed pale and delicate. In contrast, Damon looked like a gladiator with his thick muscles and gold skin. The mask and darkened hair added to the impression that the man up there was someone Marco didn’t really know.
He’d kept his hand on Jennie’s neck once she’d repositioned herself. There was something wrong with her—he could only assume she was drunk, though if she was working that seemed a bit strange.
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