The Devil's Disguise

Chapter 1

I felt a surge of current as soon as his skin touched mine, making me flinch and withdraw my hand. His lips curled into a charming smile, as his eyes twinkled with amusement, or the colorful lights that gently accentuated his features.

"I'm sorry, did that hurt?" his deep voice questioned, clear even over the loud music.

I slowly shook my head. It didn't hurt.

It was exciting.

Even as logic and science yelled at me that it was just the effect of the chilly winter nights, that it was probably caused by some sort of static electricity, the more hopeful, and irrational part of me couldn't help but sigh in content.

What if, this were a sign from fate itself, that this incredibly attractive man was actually my soulmate?

His eyes held oceans within them, and the curly stands of his hair would put ribbons of darkness to shame. A strong jaw dotted with stubble, and plump, perfectly pink lips that begged me to touch them with mine. Even the small scar on his forehead, and the one on his slightly crooked nose didn't faze me. He was tall, and dressed in a sleek, blue suit, his lean, yet strong build obvious even through the layers.

Yeah, you guessed it. This man was the epitome of flawed perfection.

And way out of my league.

I hadn't even taken his wealth and status into consideration yet.

"You seem lost, darling," he said, waving that sexy hand in front of my face.

Could he blame me? I hadn't even known hands could be sexy before I met him. But his, I'd let him choke me with his.

If only I had known at that moment. 

"I... I'm not," I replied, blinking.

"You sure? Because you haven't even given me your name yet."

He was clearly amused.

I was sure he was subjected to this treatment on a daily basis. I mean, who wouldn't stare at that? He could probably predict my actions the moment he saw me. After all, I had to be another googly eyed girl, drooling all over him.

"Uh, Rosie," I managed to say. I was almost about to tell him my real name, but thank goodness I stopped myself. That would have caused problems for my job.

"Uh-Rosie," he teased, gently taking my hand in his.

Normally, I'd be averse to this. But this was him, and oh my God, the way my heart beat spiked.

"It was nice to meet--well, bump, into you." He brought my hand to his lips, not breaking eye contact for even a second.

By now, my stomach held a whole garden of colorful butterflies. And birds. And flying unicorns.

"See you around?" he asked, as his thumb lightly, almost casually, caressed the back of my hand. 

"S--Sure," I squeaked out, blinking at him.

He gave me another flattering smile, before walking past me, his arm quietly brushing against mine in the process. I sucked in a breath at the slight contact, and ended up taking in more of his intoxicating cologne.

God, I could get drunk on this.

What was he doing here, in a place like this? I thought all the wealthy ones went to the other clubs. Was he going to be around often? I really hoped so. Although I wasn't sure what I'd do if I were assigned to him. Dancing for men was okay, I was used to their thirsty gazes and lewd remarks. It was a part of the job, the one thing I had to bear in return for the money they gave me. But dancing for him? God, that would be something else. Especially when I knew exactly who he was.

The Rafael Knight, with those baby blue eyes that I'd recognize anywhere. I had seen him on the TV of my mother's hospital room so many times, that his smile had been burned into my memory. Did that make things any better when I saw it without a screen separating us? Nah. Not at all. If anything, it made my knees weak.

He was Sky City's youngest billionaire, most eligible bachelor, a businessman and a genius. At the age of twenty six, he owned his own car brand--Devil--and was also CEO of an aircraft company, RK Aerospace. A graduate of MIT University, and to top it all off, so incredibly gorgeous that he was the man of every girl's dreams.

Including mine, if I care to admit.

I mean, who doesn't fantasize about getting married to the sexiest and richest man of the city? I sure did.

He could be Ironman, or Batman, for all I knew. Who doesn't want to marry Ironman?

The vague sound of a customer calling out to me snapped me out of my thoughts.

Get your mind back on track, Lara!

I shook my head to clear my mind, before putting on a seductive smile and walking over to him. Every one in there knew that I worked for the club, owing to the bright red corset and black leather pants they dressed us in. The first reaction of every man I met in there was their gazes trailing down to my breasts, and lingering there for a moment before returning to my eyes. Rafael Knight was the only one who hadn't even glanced down at my body. As much as I admired him for that, I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel slightly insecure. Why didn't he stare? Was I not appealing enough for him?

"How can I help you?" I asked the customer in a deeper, sexier tone. Everything that would make me seem more desirable, would end up earning tips. And at this point, I needed all the tips I could get.

I had a simple rule. As long as no one touched me, I would do anything for my customers. From dancing, to stripping. And the fact that they were explicitly prohibited from touching me, made them all the more curious and excited.

"I don't know, what can you do?" the guy grinned, causing all his friends to chuckle. He was a new face, so he probably didn't know who I was, or what I did. He was probably expecting sex, owing to all those raging hormones they get at his age. He looked no older than twenty, with his bright eyes and clear skin, so he was probably a good four years younger than me. I wasn't sure if he should have even been in there, but hey, as long as he was interested.

"That depends on what you want, honey," I replied, winking at him. I leaned in closer to him, and his eyes once again went to my chest. "But only if you can keep your hands to yourself."

His eyebrows furrowed at that. Typical. "So we can't do anything?"

"You can do anything you want, to yourself," I whispered, smirking. "However, stare all you want at me. The limit is your imagination." I tapped his forehead with my index finger. 

The guys with him began to hoot and cheer, looking increasingly excited.

He grinned. "Rosie, is it?"

I batted my lashes. "One and only."

"Take us to your garden then."

I let out a chuckle. This wasn't the first time I'd heard that line, but I liked to make them think that they were being original. It made them happy. Happy customers gave more tips.

"Follow me." I bit my lip and stood up straight, before turning around and walking off, certain that they were all going to follow. 

I spotted Rafael Knight once more as I went on. He was seated in a secluded booth, with another, hooded man, whose back was towards me. Rafael's eye caught mine, and he gave me a lazy smile, raising his drink. 

I returned it with my own, but it was nowhere near sexy or seductive. It was a just a genuine grin, that I couldn't help at the sight of him. Did I mention that I was crushing on him?

We reached my 'garden', and I pushed the door open, walking inside like I owned the room. I had been working here since the last four years, so it almost felt like home. Except, the guests who visited me were often self-invited. I held the door open for the boys to hurry inside, and I could almost smell the testosterone in the air. They were all giddy and excited, and more than rolling my eyes, I wanted to laugh. Young boys, and their obsession with women. Especially older women.

I closed the door after the last one got in, and leaned my back against it, staring them in the eye one by one.

"Make yourself comfortable," I gestured to the sofas and couches. "I don't recognize any of you, so I'm guessing it's your first time in a club like this. Let me introduce myself and go over the rules before we begin the fun thing. My name is Rosie, and I'm only here to entertain you. I'm a private dancer, but my body still belongs to me so none of you is allowed to touch me. If any of you tries anything, I'm sure you noticed the big men right outside. They will break the hand you lay on me, if I don't knee you in the crotch first. Any questions?" I smiled.

The guys looked at each other, before one of them actually raised up a hand.

I bit back an amused smile. "Yes?"

"Are you wearing a fake ass?"

My eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you think?"

"I don't know," he muttered, shrugging.

"Would you like to?" I smirked, slowly walked over to him.

He blinked up at me, looking slightly intimidated. "Yes..."

"So you want me to pull these layers off, while I sway to the music?" I raised my eyebrows.

"I--I'd like that."

"Then that's what you'll get."

The others hooted and cheered, as I smiled and backed away from him. The room was a small one, but had enough space for me to move around. It also had a pole, if I wished to use it, and huge speakers for the music. The lights were a reddish hue, dim, but bright enough to see properly. There were mirrors on the sides, to help the customers view anything they'd want, from any angle. 

I put on my favorite song, one that I had a lot of practice on. I really wanted good tips tonight, because I had promised my mother I was taking her out for lunch the next day. The beat was slow in the beginning, so I could show off how graceful and flexible my movements were. It would then pick up, and I could start pulling stuff off of me, until there would be no layers left. That was the part I never enjoyed, but as soon as it happened, the lights would switch off automatically, marking the end of the show. The customers only got to glimpse at my full body for a couple of seconds, and owing to my tattoos and piercings, it always left them curious and wanting more. Which meant, most would return the very next night, particularly asking to see Rosie.

It worked every time.

I started to lightly sway to the music, as the lights dimmed a bit, getting the boys even more excited than they already were. I could bet they had been to an all-boys school or something, because they were far more fired up about this than I had initially guessed. The one who had asked me about my ass, was definitely about to see a woman naked for the first time.

I slowly pulled out the pencil from my bun, letting my red hair fall to my hips in bouncy curls. It was a feature even my mother appreciated, and that woman never appreciated anyone. Looks, or efforts. I ran a hand through my hair, swaying it slightly, trailing my fingers down to my shoulder, and down the middle of my chest. The beat started to pick it up, and I increased my movements, tossing the pencil towards the guy who had called me. He caught it with a huge, victorious grin on his face, his free hand unmistakably moving down to his jeans. 

Gross, but whatever.

I was just getting into the rhythm, when an unexpected knock on the door made me freeze. I frowned, and so did the guys. No one was ever allowed inside once the show had begun. There were to be no interruptions, no pauses, and no breaks until the very end. The only other time that we had been stopped like this, was three years ago, when there had been a shoot out in the club. I instinctively tensed up, turning down the music.

"What the hell?"

"Why are you stopping?"

"This was just getting good."

The guys started whining, but I ignored them, quickly walking to the door and opening it. Standing outside was my boss, Elene, but her face wasn't grim or frightened. No, her eyes were bright with excitement, as if she had just won a lottery.

"Elene? Why would you interrupt me?" I raised an eyebrow.

"A special client has asked for you specifically," she grinned. "You won't believe who it is."

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Next update tomorrow! Stay tuned, loves!