That threw Sweetie for a loop. She didn’t know Chloe was married. She actually figured the girl was a lesbian the way she came to this place and blew a bag on all the women.
Chloe dragged Sweetie through the crowd of people in her section until she got to her husband. When Sweetie’s eyes met his, shock filled her.
Denzel DeLuca?
She couldn’t even form the name on her lips before her name was called. “Sweetie?”
Her brows dipped, and she slowly turned around. She had to tilt her head back to look up into the man’s eyes.
Boogie.
Her heart leaped with joy as a smile filled her face. “No way! Boogie?”
She threw her arms around his neck, and he held her securely into him. He’d grown up. Damn, did he grow up. His dark skin was littered with tattoos, and his arms were bulky, like he lived in a gym. When she pulled back, he grinned at her with perfectly pearly white teeth framed by the juiciest lips she had ever seen. She’d kissed those lips once. The best kiss she’d ever had.
“Sweetie Bishop. Ain’t no way I’m layin’ eyes on you right now.” He let her go completely and held her hand up, prompting her to twirl. “And you look the fuck good, girl. You workin’ in this spot?”
His thick brows pulled in. She knew he was confused. Suddenly, she felt a bit self-conscious.
“Yeah, just tryna get on my feet.” She looked down at her heels as she spoke. Sweetie had learned to have a really tough exterior, so although she felt a lump in her throat forming, she held the tears back. She didn’t even know where that reaction was coming from. Something about seeing Boogie knocked her off her rock.
“What I gotta do for a dance then?” Boogie asked.
When she looked up at him, he had a grin on his face, which made her crack a small smile. “For you? I’ll dance all night. You the reason I love dancing so much.”
His smile turned sad, as if he never wanted his love for dancing to land her at a strip club. That would make two of them, but after a life of being sheltered by her parents, she was never really good at anything else.
Boogie led her over to a quieter corner, and he sat. She didn’t waste any time. She sat on his lap with her back to his chest and moved her body. Her pulse raced as she felt his warmth against her. His hands found her waist and then moved to her thighs, and she threw her head back, never losing the beat.
“I can’t believe you’re here.”
“To stay,” he muttered, though she swore she heard him incorrectly.
It felt liberating dancing on Boogie like this. If only her father could see her now. He would have surely blown a gasket. The thought made her smile as she ground her ass harder.
This dance, . . . it was forbidden. They both knew it. A DeLuca and a Bishop fraternizing? It was cause for war, but since Boogie didn’t seem worried about it, Sweetie wasn’t either, at least for now. Since her father pulled her out of Boogie’s life, she never minded giving him the middle finger whenever she could. He had dominated her life into her thirties, and she was proud of herself for finally walking away. This right here was just the icing on the cake.
After a few songs, Boogie tapped her leg. “Unless you really wanna give these folks a show, I’ma need you to get up, baby.”
She giggled and slid into the seat next to him, her breathing labored. As she tried to calm her nerves from the top-notch dance she just gave, Boogie slid a knot of money toward her. Sweetie’s eyes bulged, and she tried to push it back toward him.“No, Boog. It was free. I would never charge you for no shit like that.”
He moved her hand and slid the knot into her bra, his finger grazing her nipple.
She gasped.
He grinned.
She slit her eyes at him.
“Take it and go home for the night. I’ma take ya address down and slide after this shit ends.”
Her brows pulled in. “I can’t just leave work.”
“Fake sick. I don’t want you givin’ out no more dances today.”
“But Chloe?—”
“Is my sister-in-law. She’ll be aight. I can deal wit’ her.”
