Uninhibited (Unlikely Lovers) by Cheryl Brooks Read Free Book Online Page A

life.”
    Her mother was joking, of course. Still, Emily wouldn’t have been surprised if Mandy wound up with an unreasonable fear of milkshakes, never setting foot inside a Steak ’n Shake again. She could understand how it might happen. After all, one limp dick had Emily avoiding men like the plague.
    “Speaking of being scarred for life, are you over Chad now?”
    “ Maybe,” Emily replied. “I’ve got a date on Friday—sort of. What does one wear to a gentleman’s club?”
    “Nothing?”
    “No, really, Mom. I’m serious.”
    “Hmm…s omething innocent but sexy. Think Kathleen Turner in Body Heat. Sure, it was only a skirt and blouse. The way she wore it made the difference.”
    “ Remember who you’re talking to, Mom. I’m no Kathleen Turner.”
    “ Dunno about that. You’ve got the same hair.”
    “Maybe .”
    “You’re much prettier than you think you are,” her dear mother assured her. “Remember that.”
    “I’ll try.”
    Alan had liked her hair. Crazy little Alan whom she’d probably never see again.
    Damn.

 
    Ch apter 5
     
    By the end of the day on Friday, Emily had given up any hope of escaping Stephen’s birthday party. Each and every one of the guys checked to see if she was still going, and when she went home to change her clothes, the limo was there to pick her up before she’d even decided what to wear.
    “What you’ve got on is fine,” Dillon assured her.
    She glanced down at the sweater and skirt she’d worn to the office. “You’re sure? Shouldn’t I wear something a little dressier?”
    “Hey, it’s a skirt. ”
    Men… “Okay. What’s the plan if I decide to leave early?”
    “The limo will take you home,” he promised . “We really appreciate you doing this, Emily. We know we’re asking a lot.”
    With a sigh, she snatched up her coat and purse and followed him out to the limo. Squeezing into a car full of men was weird—although the birthday boy seemed even more uncomfortable than she was. A blue-eyed blond somewhere in his late twenties, Stephen was normally very shy—certainly not the type to get drunk with the guys and hoot and holler at strippers. His weak smile made her wonder how they’d talked him into this party in the first place.
    T here were a couple of men in the limo Emily didn’t recognize. Was one of them Mitch, the future love of her life? Since neither of them bothered to introduce themselves, they must’ve assumed she’d met them at some point.
    Upon their arrival at the club, their essentially naked waitress laid out the ground rules.
    “You get twenty-five percent off for bringing a woman, and her drinks are free.” So much for the guys paying her expenses, unless dinner was involved. “Fifty percent off the next round if she dances on stage, seventy-five percent off if she’s topless, and free if she’s completely nude.”
    Emily swept the group with a glacial eye. “Do not bother to ask.”
    K nowing they’d have to face her at the office on Monday must’ve lowered their expectations because they all nodded their agreement.
    She passed most of the evening munching on chips and watching the men make fools of themselves, her eyes only occasionally straying to the stage. The rest of the time, between frequent trips to the restroom, she prayed that the guys would be satisfied with the twenty-five percent discount. However, as time went on and more alcohol was consumed, they got rowdier. Eventually, one of the two men she didn’t know took her hand and pulled her toward the stage.
    “No !” she yelled. “I’m not doing it.”
    “Aw, come on, Emily ,” he pleaded. “Dance with me. You don’t have to strip.”
    He was a big guy, and his firm grip had her up on the stage in a matter of seconds, despite the fact that she’d dragged her heels. To her dismay, she soon discovered that while touching a stripper was against the rules, she was fair game. Spinning her around in his arms, he did his best to dance with an