At First Glance Read online

makeup, but this woman? Her eyes were intense,

  everything about her natural and very appealing.

  Faye was taken aback for a moment. She was sure she

  recognised the dancer. But she’d never been in a strip club

  before, or met a dancer, so she batted the familiarity away.

  The dancer crouched down in front of Faye, beckoning

  her closer with a curl of her index finger. “Hi.”

  “H-hi.” Faye stumbled over her words; her mouth dry.

  She quickly lifted her bourbon and sipped.

  “I…believe you’re all mine.”

  Faye’s lips parted as she eyed Phoebe. “What’s going

  on?”

  “She’s all yours for the next thirty minutes.”

  “Excuse me?” Faye almost spat out the drink she was

  sipping. “Did you just… No! No way!”

  “Go and have a little fun. It’s just a dance, Faye. God,

  you’re so uptight lately.”

  Uptight? Faye was a forty-year-old woman who had

  better things to do than think about the next time she’d

  have sex. Phoebe ought to remember that. “You’re telling

  me you’ve set up a private dance for me from this woman?”

  “Yep. And it cost me a small fortune, so…”

  “So, get a refund!” Faye gritted her teeth as she leaned

  in towards her best friend’s ear. It was one thing to be

  sitting here at all, but to accept a private dance from one of

  the women was another thing entirely. It was a line Faye

  couldn’t cross. “Phoebe, I can’t.”

  “Yes, you can. This is my gift to you for your recent

  bestseller. I’m so proud of you. Just enjoy yourself.”

  “Again,” Faye paused as her dancer guided her out of

  her seat, “dinner would have sufficed!”

  With a deep intake of breath, Faye closed her eyes and

  remembered that she wasn’t the only person in the world

  to receive a private dance in a strip club. It hadn’t been on

  her bucket list, it never would be, but something different

  never hurt anyone. But this isn’t me.

  Faye squared her shoulders, reached down for her

  clutch bag, and followed the dancer away from the stage.

  “I’ve been watching you since you walked into the club,”

  Faye’s dancer glanced over her shoulder as she pulled back

  a black curtain. “You’re new here.”

  “Y-yeah.” She smiled. She had no idea what the hell she

  was doing back here. Her dancer was gorgeous, those

  smoky eyes alluring, but this wasn’t right. Was it? As much

  as Faye hated this, her body told her otherwise. She

  couldn’t recall the last time she’d felt so…aroused. You’re

  disgusting! “Look, you don’t have to do this. I’ll pay you,

  but the dance or whatever…you don’t have to do this.”

  “What if I want to?” The dancer narrowed her eyes as

  she pushed Faye down into a seat. Those eyes…Faye knew

  them. “What if I want to dance for you?”

  “I-I, uh…” Faye’s heart pounded when hot breath

  washed over her ear. And then came the perfume. God, this

  woman smelled amazing. Subtle, but a scent Faye wouldn’t

  forget in a hurry. I won’t forget the woman wearing it

  either. “W-what’s your name?”

  “Don’t worry about my name right now.” Soft lips barely

  brushed Faye’s ear, flaring up every last ounce of arousal

  she had.

  Faye’s eyes closed when the dancer ground down

  against her lap. As beautiful as this woman was, Faye

  couldn’t possibly enjoy something that required payment.

  Not in this way. But her body continued to respond, telling

  her otherwise.

  “How about I just give you what you want?” The dancer

  flicked her long blonde hair over her shoulder, her hips

  rolling in Faye’s lap. “That’s why you’re here.”

  “S-sure,” Faye said, swallowing as she fought back the

  urge to reach out and touch her dancer. That wasn’t

  allowed—and rightly so. Nobody had any right to lay a hand

  on any of these women, and Faye was no different.

  Her dancer turned; her arms draped over Faye’s

  shoulders. Faye studied her, still convinced she knew her,

  but she couldn’t place where from. She held back the need

  to tell her dancer just how beautiful her eyes were, this

  wasn’t the time or place to hit on a woman. They were here

  for a job, not for a date. But God, she really is beautiful.

  Faye focused on her cleavage. Her mother would hit the

  roof if she knew what her daughter was doing tonight.

  All she could do was watch on, and enjoy the show.

  The dancer’s breasts pressed against Faye’s, and her

  breath hitched from the mere thought of this delectable

  woman against her. She shouldn’t feel this way. But Faye

  had never been so captivated by another woman before. A

  woman she knew nothing about, and a woman who was

  only here to get paid.

  That’s right. Find yourself attracted to the exotic

  dancer!

  CHAPTER TWO

  TALIA BLEW OUT A NERVOUS BREATH AS SHE JAMMED A TEA TOWEL

  into the cappuccino cup she’d been drying for the last ten

  minutes. Monday morning at the bistro was busy, but the

  constant orders coming in from customers hadn’t kept her

  mind off the events from Friday night. A night that Talia

  really wished she hadn’t been involved in.

  She loved dancing at Vision. She loved dancing period.

  She didn’t particularly care for the men who drooled over

  her, or the women on some occasions, but she loved the

  freedom to express herself—and the money she took home

  at the end of the night. In reality, she didn’t need the job at

  the bistro, but with only being required to work a Friday

  and Saturday night, a normal 9 to 5 job appealed to her. If

  she wasn’t on the go, Talia didn’t know what to do with

  herself.

  But then the woman from the coffee shop had walked in,

  apparently booked a private dance, and now, any hopes of

  Talia charming her in here had been smashed to pieces.

  She knew she was fooling herself; she couldn’t hold down a

  relationship because of her other work, but Talia couldn’t

  give it up either.

  Regardless of what people thought about the profession,

  she loved it. Every second of it. At a time when she could

  have ruined her life and fallen into a routine with the

  wrong people, Paul, the owner of Vision and its sister club

  in London, had come calling after seeing Talia’s audition

  tape.

  And now, she was considered one of the best dancers in

  Europe.

  But she knew what people thought of her. They may not

  say it out loud—her family and old friends who didn’t call

  anymore—but Talia knew exactly what they were saying.

  She was a whore. She would give up her body for anyone if

  the price was right. She was a disappointment in her

  mother’s eyes. But none of it was true. Vision had a strict

  no touching policy, and if anyone dared to cross the line,

  expecting more, the client was blacklisted from the venue.

  And in s
ome cases, the dancer was released from their

  contract. Talia had witnessed it on several occasions, but

  she had never crossed the line with a client. And she never

  would. It would change how Talia saw herself.

  It would also change her career. In her eyes, she was a

  performer. It really was as simple as that. She didn’t pour

  herself over clients because she wanted something more

  from them, but they paid the top end of the pricelist for her

  attention, and at the end of the night, Talia was the one

  who left feeling good about herself. Because she’d worked

  hard to have the life she had now. At 29, she had a

  mortgage on a gorgeous apartment in the city, her own car,

  and she didn’t rely on another soul for anything in life.

  While her friends from school were up to their eyeballs in

  debt, sleeping with the wrong people, or in prison, Talia

  was quite literally living her best life.

  And as she stood here this morning, taking coffee and

  breakfast orders, she knew she wouldn’t change a single

  second of it. If someone wanted to pay the best part of four

  hundred pounds to spend thirty minutes with her in their

  lap, who was she to complain? She must have been doing

  something right.

  She snapped out of her thoughts when she realised she

  had a queue forming at the cash register. It was Monday

  morning, the beginning of a new week, and she’d already

  paid her bills for the month. This was just something to

  keep her occupied, but she wouldn’t offer a shitty service

  because of it.

  When she approached the counter, her eyes widened.

  The next customer to be served was the woman from the

  club on Friday. Talia had never felt embarrassed about

  what she did, but this morning, the potential was there.

  The customer would see her and probably out her to

  everyone around.

  God, she is so beautiful too. And respectful. The first

  reminder that sprung to mind from that night was how

  respectful her client had been. Talia knew she didn’t want

  to be there, her friend had dragged her along, but she had

  offered to pay Talia without the dance. That was definitely

  the sign of a woman who didn’t agree with dancing in

  gentleman’s clubs. Yet, she still walked through that door.

  “Hi. What can I get you?” Talia bit the bullet and

  stepped behind the register. The pretty cappuccino woman

  was going to bump into her at some point. Why not get it

  over and done with now?

  “Oh, hi.” She smiled, her eyes fixed firmly on Talia’s.

  There was a slight crease to her brow. Did this woman not

  recognise Talia? Surely not. Okay, she had blonde hair

  when she was dancing, not her natural jet black, and her

  makeup was kinda heavy, but she didn’t think she’d be so

  unrecognisable. “Uh, cappuccino please. And I’ll take a

  cream cheese bagel, too.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Excuse me?” The customer’s brow furrowed deeper.

  And then Talia realised exactly what she’d said. She’d

  asked the very same thing her client had asked on Friday

  night.

  “F-for your order. I need a name.”

  “Oh, right.” She shook her head and laughed. “Faye.”

  “I’ll bring it over to you when it’s ready. Take a seat.”

  Faye left the counter and took a seat in the window.

  Talia assumed it to be her preferred spot since she’d been

  sat there on Friday morning too. But it was a good spot.

  You could see the people going about their business from

  that table, and there was a great view of the city.

  A few minutes later when Faye’s order was ready, Talia

  cleared her throat and approached the table. Faye had to

  realise who she was sooner or later, but Talia didn’t have

  the heart to tell her. Faye seemed quiet, perhaps timid. She

  looked as though she preferred her own company, always

  lost in thought as she sat behind her laptop. Hidden away—

  that’s how Talia felt about Faye. As though she wanted to

  be hidden away.

  I don’t know why. She’s absolutely gorgeous.

  She had the cutest dimples Talia had ever seen on

  another woman and stunning blue eyes. When she smiled,

  her entire face lit up and made Talia’s heart jump ever so

  slightly. But Faye wouldn’t be interested in someone like

  her. Talia knew it without a shadow of a doubt.

  Faye’s blonde hair whipped around her face as Talia

  cleared her throat. “Your order.”

  “Oh, thank you.” Faye’s full smile melted Talia. This

  woman really had no idea who she was.

  And maybe that was for the best. She didn’t expect to

  see Faye at the club again; she’d noted the disinterest in

  her eyes as she took her hand and guided her to a private

  room. She’d heard the tremble in her voice as Talia

  straddled her lap. The uncertainty was palpable in that

  room on Friday.

  Talia noted the paperback sitting on the table, just as it

  had on Friday morning. “Did you read it?”

  “Oh, I’ve read it many times,” Faye said, glancing up at

  Talia as she stirred her cappuccino.

  And then Talia put two and two together. Faye Holmes.

  “Wait! Are you…her?” She nodded towards the book.

  “This is your work, isn’t it?”

  “That is me, yes.”

  “Wow.” Oh, God. I gave a bestselling author a lap dance.

  Talia didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “It was

  amazing.”

  “Thank you.” Faye lowered her eyes, her cheeks red.

  “I have to say, I didn’t expect the woman who wrote that

  kinda stuff to look like you.”

  Faye lowered her eyes. “I’m not sure what that’s

  supposed to mean.”

  “It’s…raunchy.” And it really was. Talia didn’t often

  blush, and she had no qualms with discussing sex, but that

  book had really done a number on her. She would also

  admit to some one-handed reading throughout the turning

  of those delicious pages.

  Faye barked a laugh. “It’s also fiction.”

  Oh, now now, little miss butter wouldn’t melt, Talia

  thought, fighting back a grin. “Fair enough. Well, it was a

  great read, anyway. Looking forward to more.”

  “You’ll be lucky,” Faye said, relaxing back in her seat. “If

  I don’t get some work done soon, there won’t be anymore.”

  Talia held up a hand, backing away. You’ve told her how

  you felt about it, now get out of her way. “Apologies, I’ll let

  you be.”

  “Oh, no. I didn’t mean—” Faye exhaled a breath. “Sorry.

  I wasn’t implying that you were interrupting me.”

  “It’s okay. I should probably get back to work anyway.”

  Talia threw a thumb over her shoulder.

  “Hey, Talia?” There was an edge to Faye’s voice this

  time. Perhaps a hesitation.

  Great. She’s realised who I am. She swallowed and then

  perked herself up. “Y-yeah?”

  “Do you have a break coming up at all?”

  S
he turned her watch towards herself. “In an hour.”

  “Did you want to join me for coffee? If you don’t already

  have lunch plans…”

  Talia’s heart settled. Faye wasn’t about to reveal her

  dancing career. This woman was genuine and had

  absolutely no idea. Talia didn’t know if that was a blessing

  or a curse. “I’d love to.”

  “Okay then. I’ll see you in an hour.”

  OKAY, just be yourself.

  Talia took two coffees from the counter and made a

  beeline for Faye. She’d been working away at her keyboard

  since Talia had brought her order to her an hour ago, so

  her concern now was disturbing the incredibly beautiful

  writer. Maybe she should let her be. She was sure Faye

  didn’t particularly want her company. She was probably

  just being nice when she offered earlier.

  The more time you spend with her, the more likely she is

  to recognise you. Not only that, but the more time Talia

  spent with Faye…the more likely she was to get too

  attached.

  She’d been here before. She wouldn’t put herself

  through the pain ever again.

  For the last hour, Talia had mulled over it all in her head.

  She wasn’t ashamed of who she was or what she did, but

  she’d decided she didn’t want Faye to know about her real

  life. It was easier if things could remain separate at the

  bistro. If the management found out about Talia’s dancing,

  they may not want her on their books. Sure, there was

  probably a lawsuit that could come with that, but she didn’t

  want to fight with people to make them understand that

  what she did on her weekends was perfectly acceptable.

  But there would always be that stigma. Talia knew that

  coming into the business she was in.

  “Are you joining me or are you thinking about running

  away?”

  Talia shook her thoughts away, clearing her throat as

  Faye’s soft voice reached her ears. “Sorry. I didn’t know if

  you were on a bit of a roll.”

  “I’m ready for a break,” Faye said, smiling as she pulled

  out the chair beside her. “Sit. You’ve been rushed off your

  feet all morning.”

  Okay, that was kinda sweet. Faye clearly paid attention

  to other people and her surroundings. “I brought you more

  coffee.”

  “Perfect. Maybe I could just move in here and have you

  ply me with coffee.”

  “If it means you give us more amazing novels, I