LITMIR.BIZ

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to check up on things.”

      “Of course. That makes perfect sense.” Her thoughts putting an end to the laughter, Hailey put on a serious face and nodded. “I’m sure you only visit for the articles, view the women as hardworking employees and never, ever enjoy yourself.”

      He shrugged.

      “I did try to pole dance once.” He gave her a teasing look. “You do know what pole dancing is, right?”

      He said it as if she were a complete innocent. What? Wasn’t it enough that she designed lingerie—a product that by its very nature demanded an awareness of sex? How did that get her a ticket to the purity princess hall of fame?

      Hell, she’d just let him feel her up, and bring her down, in a restaurant on what was questionably their first date.

      And he still looked at her as if she were a sweet little thing who’d run screaming at the sight of a fully erect penis.

      Hailey’s shoulders stiffened and her chin lifted. Was it because she was a proponent of romance? Was that why he kept dismissing her sexual savvy?

      She should ignore it. She didn’t have anything to prove.

      But dammit, the man made her think silk scarves, whipped cream and doing it doggy style. She’d be damned if he’d dismiss her as unworthy of those thoughts.

      “Let’s see, pole dancing,” she mused, tapping one finger on her lower lip. “Crazy gymnastic moves that require an incredible amount of upper body and core strength in order to climb a hard, phallic-shaped dance partner.”

      She waited for that to sink in, then leaned closer. Close enough to breathe in the scent of his soap. Close enough to see his pupils dilate and his gaze fog as the image played through his mind.

      “There’s something so empowering about grabbing hold of that big, hard pole and sliding yourself up and down its length.” Her gaze locked on his, she pulled her glass of pussycat punch toward her and wrapped her lips around the straw. She waited just a second, watching his pulse jump in his throat, then sucked. Hard.

      And that’s how it’s done, she thought with a grin when Gage closed his eyes and gave a soft groan. That’d show him not to dismiss her as a naive good girl.

      “You’ve pole danced?” he clarified when he opened his eyes again, looking at her as if he wanted to cement that visual in his brain. “In a skimpy outfit?”

      Hailey’s lips twitched and she took another sip of the surprisingly delicious punch.

      “All the way to the top. In short shorts and a cropped T-shirt,” she confirmed. He didn’t need to know it’d been in a gym with fourteen other women during an exercise class. Why ruin the romance or, to use his term, the image.

      “They have poles in the back for customer use. Let’s go.” He was off his stool, his fingers around her wrist before Hailey could swallow her punch.

      Freaked, she started to shake her head. It was one thing to claim she’d danced the pole. It was another to do it in front of him.

      “I don’t think so,” she started to say.

      Before she could launch her full protest—or even come up with how to do it without making him look at her like a Pollyanna again—their waitress returned with a tray covered with snack bowls. Hailey squinted. Was that cat food?

      Before she could use it as a distraction to keep Gage from trying to introduce her to a dancing pole, Rudy came strutting across the room, weaving between people like a happy rooster. Hailey didn’t wonder at his smile, given that he was followed by a very disheveled Candy, who was hand in hand with another woman.

      “Three of them?” she murmured, a little awed.

      “Gotta hand it to the guy. He’s not shy about having a good time,” Gage muttered back, shaking his head.

      Hailey wrinkled her nose.

      “I’ll bet you think this proves your point.” It was all she could do not to slip right into a pout. Why couldn’t Cherry have felt well tonight? If she’d been here, Rudy wouldn’t have gone off to get off. He’d have stayed to woo his potential spokesmodel, giving Hailey plenty of opportunity to pitch charming point after charming point.

      But nooooo. Instead, she’d said maybe a dozen words to the guy and paid a couple hundred dollars for dinner. With nothing to show for it but an orgasm.

      Albeit a freaking awesome orgasm.

      “I don’t know if it proves my point,” Gage mused. “But it definitely proves the old man has stamina.”

      Yeah. That was what he had. Stamina.

      And a contract that Hailey wanted.

      Which was why she kept to herself her irritation at Rudy’s eccentric—which sounded better than rude, inconsiderate and self-indulgent—behavior and everything else about this evening all going to hell.

      But now they could finally get to the business portion of the night, which was the actual point behind all this craziness. Hailey straightened her shoulders and put on her best smile. The one that didn’t show how creeped out she was at imagining a skinny man in his seventies with two women who’d have to show ID to purchase alcohol, all doing sexual gymnastics in a room that looked about the size of Hailey’s shoe closet.

      “Rudy,” she greeted when he drew closer. “Can I pour you some punch? It’s delicious.”

      For the first time since she’d met him, the older man looked his age. Instead of bouncing on the balls of his feet, he was dragging them. His eyes were sleepy and his shoulders drooped. But his smile... Well, that was one satisfied smile.

      “Gage, Hailey, this was great. Thanks to you both, I’ve discovered a new restaurant and a club. But I’m tuckered out for the night, so we’ll have to talk business later.”

      “But we’re supposed to be pitching our points,” she protested.

      “Just one drink?” Gage suggested, who, unlike her, sounded perfectly content to write the evening off as a pitch-fail.

      “No, no. It’s my bedtime. We’ll meet tomorrow, though. You both still have two shots to convince me. Sound fair?”

      Not bothering to wait for a response, he wrapped one arm around Candy, offered his other to the blonde, gave them all a wink and headed for the door.

      Hailey was pretty sure her mouth was hanging open.

      So much for stamina.

      * * *

      BUSINESS-WISE, Gage was calling this evening a total bust.

      He’d set out with the intention of intimidating Hailey, charming Cherry and tossing enough sexual entertainment at Rudy that the guy didn’t give this whole stupid bet thing any attention.

      He’d ended up fascinated by Hailey, Cherry was a no-show and Rudy had just walked out with way more entertainment than Gage had figured on. And not one single thing had been accomplished toward the goal of being in Tahoe by the weekend.

      “Damn,” he muttered, dropping back onto the fur-covered stool.

      “I’m sorry.”

      He gave Hailey a skeptical look. “Yeah? Really?”

      “Yeah, really,” she said, sincerity clear in those huge eyes. “It’s not fun making big plans and putting everything you’ve got into a pitch and then having it fall apart.”

      Right. Because her scenario had fallen apart, too. Even though this evening had been a bust, he supposed he’d got the better end of the deal in pitching. At least Rudy had shown up for his and had enjoyed it enough that he’d remember the next day.

      Her frown ferocious, like a kitten showing its claws, Hailey glared at the exit, then huffed a heavy sigh. Lifting the punch pitcher, she gestured to his glass. When Gage shook

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