Page 25 of Their Pup to Tame

“Please tell me you still have it,” Phoenix said, trying and failing to roll over to look at him when Parker tightened his hold and nuzzled beneath his ear.

“Hanging on the wall in my study,” Parker said. “I’ll show you. Aspen has already seen it.”

“Sweet. I’ve never had a lobster roll. Now I want one. Raleigh texted me about The Canyon earlier, or I probably wouldn’t have known about it either.”

“Are they going?” I asked.

“Yup, Raleigh was all hyped up about it,” he replied. “He said Dorian got six tickets, just in case.”

“How can we not go then?” I said as I brushed his hair back from his cheek so I could kiss him.

The way he nuzzled against my hand, encouraging me not to move it away too soon, made me want to glue myself to him. We’d make a mess of Dorian’s fetish-gear shop and anywhere else we tried to go, but it would be worth it to never have to be separated from him.

“Raleigh got the chance to ride in one once,” he said, sighing as I stroked his hair. “It was one of those things where if they called your seat number, you won the chance to ride the course with one of the drivers. They even let him pick which one. I’ve never seen him so excited, not even the first time we went to the races. He chose Nightmare and got to hit the button to make the tail shoot sparks and everything.”

“Now that would be something to mount on the wall,” Parker said.

“How long have you known them?” I asked as Phoenix wiggled lower, his hand stroking over my hip before he gripped my ass and tugged me close enough that he could lick my nipple.

My body’s reaction was to instantly start leaking, drawing a purr from him as he lapped the drop of milk away.

“Damn, you picked the best spot on the bed,” Parker groaned.

“Benefits of a charmed existence,” I moaned as Phoenix latched on and started lazily sucking while I continued petting the long, silky strands.

“Lucky bastard.”

Phoenix chuckled, lips still pressed to my flesh, sending the vibration rumbling through me. As if I weren’t relaxed before, it felt like my body melted against the sheets when he did it a second time before finally answering Parker.

“I met them about six months before they started working at the strip club,” he murmured, breath warm against my skin. “They were working at a real shithole, kind of like our place has gotten these last two months, only worse, and no one tried to do anything to fix it. I helped them out of a jam and suggested they come work for us. They weren’t sure whether to trust me or not, but once we started hanging out, they got comfortable enough that they showed up and danced for my grandmother. She hired them on the spot.”

“Is she the only one to hire the dancers?” I asked.

“No, Mz. Ginger, one of her business partners, sits in on all the tryouts too,” he replied before dragging his tongue over my other nipple. “She and my grandmother used to be dancers there. Now they, along with a handful of other dancers and bouncers, ownthe club. They all pulled together to buy the original property and the one next door to it, so they could tear down the old buildings and build a much larger one. They bought the business behind it a few years later and tore it down to make the parking lot and expand the dressing room area. The business is operated by a board, with quarterly meetings, votes on policy chances, and the rest of the formalities. We’ve sponsored a few community events in the past, which my grandmother would like to see happen more often, and hosted a few strip-offs, which we will be getting back to again next year.”

“You’ll have to let us know when that is,” Parker said, fingers colliding with mine as he glided them through Phoenix’s hair. “I’d like to watch.”

“You’re not the only one,” I said. “I love a good competition, especially when dancing is involved.”

“There are always at least three rounds,” Phoenix muttered, sounding sleepy as he paused to suckle me again.

“You’re distracting him,” Parker protested, narrowing his eyes at me.

I could barely make out his pout with the way the television cast shadows across his face.

“I’m not doing anything but enjoying myself,” I sighed as Phoenix’s sucking began to lull me to sleep too. “The rest is all him.”

Then he stopped, and my eyes popped open as he squirmed.

“A few years back, we went through five rounds of guys and four of ladies,” Phoenix said, voice muffled as he pressed his head against my chest. “It wound up being a two-night event.It’s always cool to see how many retired dancers come back just to take part. That was one of my grandmother’s favorite charity events. One hundred percent of the proceeds from the door and the bar go to the LGBTQ youth center.”

Parker let out a low whistle. “Nice.”

“Have you ever gotten back up on stage?” I asked. “And I don’t mean to throw someone off it.”

“Every time we hold the event,” Phoenix explained, scooching back a little and twisting his head so he could crack his neck in a move that sounded downright painful. “Most of the former dancers in the family participate in one way or another, even if it’s just to work the bar or help keep track of the judges’ scores. All the board members help judge; they rotate them every round too. Gram really thought it through when she organized the event, and it’s always run smoothly.”

“Sounds that way,” I said. “I know a few so-called organizers who could use a few pointers from her.”