Page 31 of Knight’s Dominion

"I was just about to go on stage," Grace said, resting her hand on Oden’s shoulder, willing to do anything, even touch the bastard if it would help Vince. They’d be having a serious conversation after her shift, though, this couldn't go on. She did not pimp herself out, not for anyone.

Oden’s gaze turned cold, and he pulled her toward his lap, like he had the right to touch her, like she belonged to him. She resisted, but his fingers dug into her waist, holding her too tight. “I think you can spare me a few minutes of your time?”

"Of course." She refused to climb into his lap, though, and instead draped her arm over the back of his chair and forced herself to relax when what she really wanted was to scratch his damned eyes out.

His hand roamed while the males talked business, barely avoiding her no-go zones, skimming the underside of her breasts, fingers brushing low across the tops of her thighs. She did her best to ignore it, to listen to the conversation. She was a decoration, the blond bimbo, too stupid to understand what they were talking about. But Oden’s friends kept glancing her way. Whatever. It wasn't the first time someone underestimated her, and it wouldn't be the last.

As time ticked by it became obvious they were talking in some kind of code, but no matter how hard she tried to decipher it, she couldn’t work it out. Her spidey senses were on high alert, and by the time Laney’s dance had come to an end, she was ready to tear his wandering hands off his wrists and choke him with them. "I better head backstage. I'm up next."

She turned to walk away, but Oden grabbed her wrist, stopping her and tugged her back. He slipped his hand around her waist, just above her ass, and pulled her in close to his side. “Wear this." He stood and turned her to face the bar, lifting a necklace over her head. "I want to see you in nothing but my diamonds.”

She lifted her gaze, and whatever she was about to say seized in her throat. Chaos stood leaning against the bar, pose relaxed to the casual observer. But she knew better. Behind his midnight gaze, rage burned, and when Oden gripped her hips roughly and dragged his nose along her throat, every muscle in his body went rigid.

She knew little about the instincts of knights and the females they were meant to mate with, but she wasn't stupid enough to think his reaction was anything more than that. Chaos may not know she was meant to be his, but he had to feel something, even if it was watered down through her shields.

Chaos was not a male to lose control easily, but right then she thought he was as close to it as she'd ever seen him, and that was saying something, considering she'd seen him brutally kill demon after demon with single-minded focus. It was confirmation that on some level he sensed their connection, there was no other reason for what she saw in his eyes.

Wrapping her hands around Oden's wrists, she moved out of his hold. "Thank you, it's beautiful."

"Go dance for me,” he said roughly against her ear.

She chanced another glance over at the bar, but Chaos was gone. Scanning the place, she breathed a sigh of relief. Good thing. She wasn’t ready to deal with him right then.

She hurried backstage and waited to be announced.

“Welcome to the stage, Miss Gigi Fury!”

The crowd cheered as she strode out with a set of large, pale-blue, feathered fans. The music started slow, a low throbbing beat, and she took her time moving across the stage. The lights were bright, and she couldn't see the audience very well. And like every time she danced, she blocked them from her mind and let the music move through her.

The song slowly changed, getting heavier, moodier. Using the feathers for cover, she removed several items of clothing to the music and after turning away from her audience, she bent low, placing the fans on the floor.

As the song changed tempo, the beat faster, she crawled across the stage on her hands and knees.

Rolling, she arched up onto her hands, head back, hair trailing on the floor behind her, thighs spread wide in only her underwear, stockings, garter, and bra. She lifted her head and did a little shimmy before undoing the delicate fabric supporting her breasts. She cupped herself, holding the fabric to her chest, and spun before lying back once more. After another sexy shimmy, she flung her bra away, giving the crowd her yeah-I'm-so-hot-I'm-writhing-here-all-by-myself treatment.

Jesus, men were easy.

Finally, she got to her feet, this time with her back to the crowed, moving with the music while the song came to an end.

The lights dipped, darkening the area round her, and the crowd cheered.

She took a couple of steps, about to walk off the stage—

Chaos stood a few feet away, legs braced apart, fists clenched at his sides, and an expression she had no hope of reading but made her heart pound and her pussy clench with need.

Quickly walked off, slipped on a robe, and headed to the dressing room. She didn’t need to have the power to see through walls to know he’d be waiting for her.

When she pushed the door open, he stood there, arms crossed over his monster chest, volatile energy rolling off him in furious waves.

Neither of them spoke as he moved toward her, closing the space between them like a stalking panther. The room was empty, and with a glance at the door by Chaos, it flew shut, the lock sliding into place behind her all on its own.

His fingers curled around the necklace Oden had put on her. “Diamonds, huh? Never thought you’d fall for that shit.”

“He wants to waste his money on me, who am I to argue?” she said, pretending that she didn’t want to toss the stones in the trash, that having him put it around her neck like some kind of ownership had made her sick to her stomach.

“You’re fucking him.”

It took a moment for his words to reach past her haze of lust.