Page 16 of Waste of Worth

The words had come out on their own accord, practically ripping from his chest and forcing their way past his clenched teeth.

Karen’s eyes widened. “What?”

“Get down before I bring you down myself.”

He wasn’t very good at the whole communication thing.

He figured he was clear enough, because Karen didn’t hesitate to listen.

The moment Karen’s heels clicked on the hardwood floor of the club, Dino was standing, shrugging his coat off and tossing it over her shoulders. She didn’t refuse the jacket, her gaze drawn down to the floor as he began directing her toward the back offices.

“What are you doing?” Karen asked.

Dino scoffed.

He didn’t have a fucking clue.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“Trying to get a job,” Karen said quietly.

Dino could hear the slightest hint of shame in her voice, like that statement was the very last thing she wanted to admit, especially to him.

As soon as Dino got Karen through the threshold of his office, and slammed the door closed, she jerked out of his hold and spun on her sky-high heels. The click-clack of them hitting the floor drew his attention down to her long-as-fuck legs.

Again.

Get out of your head!

Or rather, he needed to stop thinking with his cock.

At that thought, Dino shifted his gaze to Karen’s face, doing all he could to ignore the way her cheeks were the sweetest color of pink, and how much his fucking cock liked the look of her embarrassment.

“I can walk just fine, thank you,” Karen said, shrugging Dino’s jacket of her shoulders and handing it over to him. “And I came here to dance, not to be covered up. What is your problem?”

She had no way of knowing this strip club belonged to Dino, of that, he was most sure. He’d only recently gotten it from Ben, as far as that went, and beyond that, he had never given Karen his last name during their two previous meetings.

This was all … random.

Or fate, his mind taunted further.

Right, fate.

Dino didn’t believe in coincidences, but he also didn’t believe in shit like destiny, either.

“I thought you were a photographer,” Dino said, his words coming out almost accusatory.

“I am. I also need to pay my bills, thanks.”

Ouch.

The bite in her tone stung.

“And who the hell are you to pull me down off the stage like that?” Karen asked when Dino stayed silent.

“The asshole that owns the place.”

Karen’s fight deflated in an instant. “Oh.”