Babes Stripping For Love

“Bree, look at me.” Gage cupped her face, turning her to face him. He seated her on the kitchen stool trying to clean her scrapes and pick shards of glass from the broken car window embedded in her arm. It wasn’t much but he needs to make sure the wounds won’t get infected. The bruise on her neck looked worse, he put medical ointment to hopefully help it heal faster. He also put some on her exposed hip, then ushered her to change to his t-shirt and pajama pants.

While Bree was in the bathroom, Gage had called Mrs. Mancini and told her to pack a few days’ worths of clothing for both Hazel and Bree.

“I… I have to get back, Hazel…” Bree said after she was back joining him in the living room.

“I’ve sent Elvis to pick them up and escort them here, I have a spare room.” Gage thought that he should not offer, he has other apartments, and he could even put her up in a hotel. But deep down he blamed himself, after all, she was attacked in the parking lot of the apartment that he rented out to her. He didn’t know the full story yet. Not until he asked, then he felt the worst kind of guilt.

“Do you recognize the man?”

She nodded, she was still fidgeting with her hands when he put his on hers assuring Bree that she was safe and her daughter will join them along with Mrs. Mancini later on.

“Tell me, Bree, you’re safe.”

“The last guy I danced for, he… he wanted more…”

“Fuck,” Gage cursed lowly, he sighed visibly, before continuing with his words, “okay, let me call the club. Bree, please… look at me?” Gage moved his hand to her cheek, caressing her softly. She was pale and fragile and he wanted nothing more but to put her in his arms promising her he’d stay with her until everything is resolved. But he knows he couldn’t, he needs to make sure. It’s his club, his dancers, his employees, and his responsibility.

Last night, the boss man was sure that he was helping Bree by telling Jojo to let her dance and work the floor. He was letting go of his jealousy, telling himself that he was better being single, that he was a broken man. The memory of his wife and unborn child kept steering him from finding another.

Guilt crept up in his mind. If Gage didn’t tell Jojo to let Bree dance, the man wouldn’t assault her.

Fuck… he curse again on the inside, he was about to get up when her hands grabbed his, panicking, fresh tears wetting her cheeks.

“It’s okay, Bree, you should rest. Hazel will be here soon and she shouldn’t see you like this.” He helped her stand up and ushered her to one of the guest rooms.

“You’re right, I can’t let her see me like this. Can I rest here? Just for a couple of hours.” She practically begged, and he didn’t like that she had to ask for it as if there was a chance that he might say no.

“Anything you need, I will tell Elvis to stay there. Until you’re ready.” He tried to tuck her under the comforter but her grip on his hand was like a lifeline. “Bree, I’m going to get you a drink, okay?”

She was reluctant but eventually let him go, and Bree was still jumpy when he was back with a glass of water and a sleeping pill.

“To help you rest, I’ll be outside. I need to get my guys to take a look at the CCTV, we’ll find him and you’re going to be safe.”

Bree took the pill, washed it down with a glass of water, and rest her head on the fluffy pillow. It smells nice, clean, just like the rest of his house while she felt dirty, whorish, and unworthy of staying in such a nice place.

It felt like decades ago since her life had been turned upside down by her ex. Her marriage was ruined, money gone, future uncertain. All she had was her baby, her little Hazel, and with her little sunshine on her head, her mind started to get foggy as the pill worked its way into her bloodstream and she falls asleep within minutes.

*****

Gage checked on her after he left the guestroom ten minutes ago, he sighed seeing her sleeping under the covers. The man went into his home office and opened his laptop, accessing the club’s CCTV feeds inside and from the parking lot outside of Babes. Gage watched intensely as he saw a man watching Bree, waiting for her, staying in his car and following her as she drives back home.

“Get his license plate, find him, scare the guy, make sure he’s not welcome anymore at Babes.”

“Of course, Mr. Huxley.”

“Rockford, remember what I said.” Gage made sure once again that Rockford understood what was implied from his words. The beefy bodyguard had been with him for years, he knows what kind of sleaze bags they’re dealing with and what threats they need to give out. Rockford also knows that his boss didn’t want any evidence traced back to him or the club. The guard knows how to stage an incident and follow up on their threats.

“Yes, Mr. Huxley. Understood.”

Ending the call with Rockford eases his mind for a while, knowing the guy will get the job done. Gage pushed his chair back to the liquor cabinet behind him and pour himself a glass of his favorite whiskey. He savored the fine taste before he let the warmth run down his throat and settled in his stomach.

Gage was finishing his drink when he heard something breaking. “Bree,” he was quick to exit his home office to get to the guest bedroom.

“I’m sorry, I…”

“Stay there, let me clean the shattered glass,”

Bree stayed and watched as her boss took a broom and cleaned the floor then made an extra effort of wiping the floor making sure there were no small pieces of the broken glass.

“I…” Bree hesitated, she looked jaded and not sure of what to say to her boss when Gage decided to tell her again that everything was going to be okay.

“We have your assailant on CCTV, we’re handling it. You’re welcome to stay. I personally think you should stay here until the matter is resolved.”

“Hazel, my clothes, I need to go to work,”

Her words were choppy as if she was still struggling with everything that was on her mind.

“There are new toiletries in the adjoining bathroom,” Gage pointed to the door across the bed. “Why don’t you freshen up while I’ll make both of us some breakfast.” He knows he shouldn’t, she was still fragile, he should stay back and let her deal with the situation. But there was a vulnerability in her that he wanted to push aside and that’s when his hand moved on its own to take a strand of her hair and tucked them back behind her ear.

Bree couldn’t help herself to lean into his touches, she knows she shouldn’t, but she felt so weak that she needed his strength hoping it’ll bleed into her system.

“Gage,” she breathed his name and gave in to her weak moment when she put her lips on his. It was soft, timid, a safe little kiss and he didn’t pull back. He thought he should but he didn’t want to, not yet. Gage opened his mouth and let her in, his curiosity wins, and his cock suddenly hard in seconds, quicker than he had ever been in years.Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g

“Oh god, I’m so sorry,” she blushed profusely from her boldness towards her boss which made Gage smile kindly at her.

“Don’t, it’s okay,” he tilts her jaw to face him, “we will disregard it if you’re uncomfortable, though I’m happy that you did.” He startled both of them by saying so, he was not expecting that he would admit that he wanted to kiss her too. Gage hadn’t felt the need to be honest to anyone in years.

He cleared his throat to break the brief intimacy between them. The sudden comfort made him feel the need to put some distance. And that was exactly what he did when he retreated back to the kitchen and started on their simple omelet and bacon breakfast.

*****

“Gage, I need to check on Hazel,” Bree said the moment she joined him in the kitchen looking fresh though still a bit pale. The bruise on her neck was getting darker and she needs to apply some makeup before Hazel sees her.

“Mrs. Mancini still has your phone, here you can use mine.” Gage fished his phone from his pocket, unlocked it for Bree then continue plating their breakfast in front of her.

“How do you know?” she asked when she decides to call her little sunshine later after looking at the clock thinking it was still seven, hazel usually wakes up at eight.

“One of the neighbors, he knows you’re staying in my unit,” Gage answered knowing she was asking how he managed to come to her rescue so soon.

The next hour they spent talking, while both carefully ignoring the intimate little kiss that they shared a while ago. Gage needed to take a step back, while Bree felt as if she was ready to bolt from the sheer embarrassment if only her car was there. Both felt they need to pull back, but both stayed and have their quiet breakfast while silently thinking of ways to get through the awkward situation.