Dancing With the Devil (The Devil #2) (5 page)

Strip clubs were prevalent in Hell, though just like on earth, certain places held them in abundance while others didn’t have a trace of them.  Andrew didn’t frequent strip clubs often, and he only did when he stressed out about something.  Currently, he was upset and knew that if he didn’t get out of the castle as fast as possible, he would punch a hole in a wall, and that was the first thing he would do.  Of course he wanted to be with Harleen, to make sure that she was all right, but she seemed to want to be alone.  That was how she dealt with things, and even though it frustrated him, he could respect that.  On the other hand, Andrew highly doubted Harleen would be able to extend to him the same courtesy.  Not that he would blame her.  It was a strip club after all.  But somehow, being anonymous in a hazy environment, he could rationalize problems, come up with solutions, and calm down.

Andrew should have told Harleen just where he was going and why, but he didn’t want to upset her more than she already was.  He also didn’t want to ruin the relationship they were building.  Yes, it would be a long time coming, but he had made headway with her, and somewhere inside of him, he knew she was beginning to like him.  Telling her about his strip club solution would no doubt ruin all of that, and as a result, he ultimately decided he wasn’t going to bring it up.  Maybe later, but definitely not now.

He decided to take one of his twelve cars, knowing if he showed up at
Benny’s
in a carriage, everyone would know exactly who it was, and the media would have a field day.  The drive was twenty five minutes, and the parking lot wasn’t that crowded.  He had black shades on, and his hair was pulled into a small ponytail.  He hoped nobody would recognize him, and if they did, hoped they wouldn’t make a big deal about anything, especially since he did need to relax…

I’m sure there are other ways to relax
, a voice inside his mind taunted. 
You shouldn’t be here.

Andrew banished the thought.  He didn’t want to think about anything, and with that, he opened the door and walked inside.

--

Harleen had been lounging in bed, staring up at the ceiling for the past hour and a half thinking about absolutely nothing.  Her body was numb, but with each passing moment, more and more thoughts believed it to be safe to flitter through her consciousness.  She thought of school, wondering what literature Mrs. King assigned.  She thought of Rosco, wondering if he was worried about her, if he even missed her, or if he was upset when he realized that not only had she disappeared, but Andrew had too.  She thought of her uncle, wondering if he knew exactly where she was, wondering if he regretted selling her soul or if he spent his money as though it was going out of style.  And finally, she thought of Andrew, and how particularly good looking he was, and how she was beginning to like him, whether she wanted to admit it or not.

And not just like him, but
like
him.  It was hard not to fall for someone who cared about her well being, who treated her like an equal, who was devilishly handsome (quite literally, in fact).  Speaking of Andrew, she wondered where he was.  Yes, she wanted to be alone, but now more than ever, she wanted his arms wrapped around her with the promise that everything was going to be okay.  When Andrew was around, Harleen felt safe, and though she could take care of herself to a certain extent, she couldn’t help but revel in the comfort Andrew’s presence gave her.

At that moment, the door opened and Sean walked in, carrying in a tray of food that Harleen’s stomach couldn’t resist.  When Harleen saw him, she sat up and threw her legs over the bed before standing and heading over to Sean.

“How are you, Your Highness?” Sean asked as he set the tray down on the small dining table located in the pocket of the bedroom. 

“Sean, you know you can call me Harleen,” she told him sincerely, a teasing smile touching her lips.  “And I’m fine.  I mean, I was scared – I am still kind of scared – but it’s okay.  Nothing happened to me.”  She crossed her arms over her chest, choosing to look at the food rather than at Sean.  “I was hoping you might be able to tell me where Andrew is.  I’ve been looking for him, but…”  She shrugged her shoulders.  “That’s a lie.  I’ve been here the whole time, but I want to talk to him.”  She shifted her eyes to look back at Sean, hoping he’d be able to help her.

Sean opened his mouth before cutting himself off and looking away.  “I have no idea where he might be, Harleen,” he said before standing up straight.  “Now, if there’s anything else I can get you, just let me know” -

“You’re lying to me Sean,” Harleen said, surprised at such a revelation.  “You know where Andrew is.  Can’t you tell me where he is?”

“I can’t,” Sean said, before gesturing at the food.  “Now, again, if you need anything” -

“Sean,” Harleen said, her voice firm.  “I need to talk to my husband.”  Yes, she had just called him her husband; desperate times called for desperate measures.  “And since you know where he is, I need you to tell me.  So I can talk to him.”  Sean looked like he was going to protest, but Harleen cut him off by adding a soft, “Please.”

Sean sighed through his nose, finally relenting.  Maybe it was a good thing he was going to tell Harleen where Andrew was; Andrew was a married man now, and he needed to step up and take some form of responsibility.  When things got rough, he couldn’t just hide at one of those places, or his marriage would surely fall apart.  “A gentleman’s club,” he finally said, avoiding Harleen’s eyes.  “I don’t know which one.”

--

This wasn’t helping like it used to.  Sure, he watched the women as they moved sensually to the music, rocking their hips back and forth, up and down.  A few of the girls recognized him and tried to tempt him into a private show, despite his wedding ring so blatant on his left ring finger.  But he refused.  If Andrew was anything, he was loyal, even when he didn’t have to be.

Yes, these women were sexy, but how many other men had seen them this way, had they tempted into succumbing?  Andrew had a woman waiting for him at him at home, untouched and all his.  What was he doing here?  Instead of solving his problem, he seemed to be causing more.

He needed to leave.  He had to see Harleen, to make sure that she was all right, after everything she had been through.

The drive home was quicker than the drive out, and soon, Andrew was in his bedroom but Harleen wasn’t in sight.  Had she left too?  An idea struck him, and his lips curled into his typical crooked smile as he headed out the door and down the hall.  Maybe Harleen’s place to work things out was the library.  While he escaped from the world with dancing women, maybe she did the same with books.

And there she was, his hypothesis correct.  She was curled on the couch, a book in her lap, a dim fire keeping her warm in the fire place.  Harleen glanced up at him upon hearing the door open, but her eyes flickered back to her book as though she didn’t care that he was there.  He frowned at this, and approached her, shoving his hands in his pockets while keeping his eyes fixated on her.

“So, I” -

He began, but Harleen cut him off.

“I would just like to be alone,” she said in a quiet voice, her words icy and cold.  She didn’t even look up at him.

Andrew realized Harleen must have found out about where he went, and as a result, seemed to upset with him.  He couldn’t exactly blame her, but her being mad at him frustrated him.  “Listen, I’m sorry,” he told her, trying not to be defensive but rather sincere.  “Let’s go to bed, okay?”

Harleen looked up at him, her eyes flashing emerald.  Was he expecting her to just put away her book and walk back to the bed they were supposed to share together, especially after where he went?  Yes, Harleen didn’t want to be married to him, but she was, and he was the one who had initiated it.  Something wasn’t right when he had to leave her in order to go to some stupid strip club.

“I’m not even tired,” she informed him, her eyes drifting back to her book.

And that’s where she stayed even when Andrew left her by herself. 

A few more days passed, and Sean watched the interaction between Andrew and his new wife with sharp eyes.  Harleen, surprisingly enough, was starting to forgive him, or at least, she talked to him more and didn’t bring up the whole Andrew-going-to-a-strip-club-thing.  At least not yet.  But Sean had a feeling Harleen was trying to move past it, especially since Andrew had saved her from Nigel, who was still rotting in his prison cell.  However, Sean’s sharp eyes also captured something else; Harleen was getting antsy.  Court hadn’t been held in the past few days – not until Andrew sorted out everything that had happened to Harleen and what to do with Nigel – but with that, she hadn’t left the castle.  Yes, Harleen was apt to amuse herself with books, but sometimes she wanted to go out and walk around.  Maybe even meet new people besides Andrew, Sean, and Amber. 

Sean pulled Andrew aside after dinner was finished, deciding to tell Andrew what he thought about his observations.  “The Queen seems to be getting cabin fever, Your Highness,” he explained, speaking in a hushed voice.  He also hoped that what he said wouldn’t offend Andrew because he wasn’t trying to.  “Maybe you should take her out to a nightclub and see how she likes it.  Something like that.”

Andrew thought about it for a long moment before nodding his head in agreement.  “We could all go,” he said, looking at Sean expectantly.  “I don’t want her to feel like I’m asking her on a date.  If I were, I wouldn’t be taking her to a nightclub, that’s for sure.  But if we all go, it would be as though we were relaxing.  It might even be fun.  She might enjoy herself.”

“You’ve known her before, sir,” Sean said.  “Was she the nightclub type?”

A crooked smile touched Andrew’s lips as he shook his head.  “No, not at all,” he said, his tone almost nostalgic.  “But I think that’s why I picked her.  And she might not be a nightclub person, but I have this feeling…  I think she likes to dance.  Perhaps she just needs to be in a certain environment and her good girl shell will peel away as her inhibitions fall to the wayside.  And she’ll dance her ass off.”

Sean suppressed a smirk.  Andrew had been thinking about this for a while and just needed a reason to test out his theory.  “Right,” he said as he turned and headed for the bedroom door.  “Well, I’m going to go inform Amber and she’ll tell Harleen.”

“Have them meet the two of us there,” Andrew told his friend and assistant.  “I want to test out another theory of mine.”

“Do I want to know?” Sean asked, pausing his action of holding the door open.  He perked his brow and glanced over his shoulder, looking at Andrew.

“I don’t think so,” Andrew admitted, the mysterious smile still on his face.

--

“I’ve never been to a nightclub in my entire life,” Harleen said, her eyes looking at Amber’s back as the young maid invaded Harleen’s closet, looking for proper club attire.  “And yet, I think I’ve always wanted to try it out.  I love dancing.”

Amber threw Harleen a smile over her shoulder.  “What girl doesn’t love to dance?” she asked before looking through her closet once again.  After another ten minutes, she pulled out what she had deemed as an amazing club outfit.  “Here you go, Your Highness.  This will have everyone’s eyes on you, including your husband’s.”  Amber smiled at this, knowing that though Harleen might never admit it aloud, the young Queen was attracted to the ruler of Hell.  It was all about how someone looked at a person, and Harleen’s eyes gave her away quite ruthlessly.

“I don’t know…”  Harleen murmured, looking down at it with uncertainty.  “But, I guess I can try it…”

Amber helped Harleen with her hair and makeup, and as the maid got dressed herself, Harleen decided to check herself in the mirror, making sure everything was being held in place, and nothing could possibly pop out while dancing.  The dress Harleen wore one of the tightest things she had ever worn in her entire life.  It was a deep midnight blue with thin straps that tied together at the shoulder.  The dress itself was low cut, and it ended at her mid-thigh.  Crystals were scattered across the material like stars in a night sky, and Harleen had no idea if they were real or not.  Did it even matter?  On her feet were matching strappy stilettos.

“Are you ready?” Amber asked, stepping around Harleen so the two of them could look at each other.  “Andrew and Sean will meet us there.”

“Let’s go,” Harleen said, feeling a bout of confidence slipping into her skin.

--

Andrew saw her from the moment she walked into the nightclub, despite the dark, crowded atmosphere.  And damn, did she look good.  It was as though none of the other women here trying to get his attention mattered whatsoever because she was his.  He watched as Amber leaned in and whispered something in Harleen’s ear.  A smile broke out on his wife’s face and she nodded before the two women bee-lined for the dance floor and started dancing.  Andrew’s eyes were glued to Harleen, unable to keep his mouth from dropping as he watched her.  To be honest, he didn’t know she could work her hips like
that
, but now that he did know…

At that moment, a couple of men walked up behind the two women and started dancing with them.  They seemed to enjoy themselves, and weren’t exactly pushing them away.  At first, Andrew wanted nothing more than to grab the man dancing with his wife by the collar and toss him across the room, but he had a theory he had to test out, and as a result, managed to restrain himself.

Instead, he pushed himself up from his seat in the VIP lounge, picked a random woman, and started dancing with her, making sure Harleen could see him, and more importantly, the woman he danced with.  It took a moment, but Harleen’s gaze flickered over at Andrew and her brow was pushed up, as she looked away.

Harleen, of course, would never admit it, but she was jealous.  She wasn’t a jealous person, but she was jealous now.  She hated the fact that her husband danced with some woman when he should be dancing with her. 

Amber immediately recognized the look on Harleen’s face, and while she kept her body in front of the guy dancing with her, leaned over and said, “Andrew’s a jealous person, Harl.  Don’t worry.  Keep dancing with the guy like you like it, and I guarantee Andrew will be all over you in a manner of minutes.”

Harleen thought about it for a moment, but all it took was another glimpse of Andrew from the corner of her eye, dancing with some woman.  She shifted in the man’s arms so that she faced him and ran her fingers up his chest before locking them together around his neck.  He smirked at this, and tightened his grip on her hips as she slowly gyrated her hips against him.

Before Harleen could even blink, her dance partner was suddenly torn from her, and replacing him was Andrew.  Amber was right; Andrew could get territorial with things he saw as his own.  And if Andrew didn’t like one thing, he didn’t like to share.  His dark hazel eyes burned down into her, and Harleen felt an unfamiliar tremor slide slow down her pelvis.  When he reached out to grip her hips, she didn’t stop him, and when he pulled her against his own body, a gasp of surprise left her mouth.  He was possessive, she realized, as he started to move against her.  He wanted to show the world what rightly belonged to him and what nobody else could have.  Harleen couldn’t help herself; she reached up and locked her arms around Andrew’s neck.  Somehow, their bodies were so syncopated that they rocked together without the need of any sort of music.

Harleen loved the way his hands felt on her, loved the way he looked at her with hazy eyes, loved the way they would drop to her lips.  Without consciously thinking about it, she dabbed her bottom lip with her tongue, causing Andrew’s eyes to widen. 

She wanted him just as badly as he wanted her.  And he wanted her badly.

Andrew tilted his head down so his forehead barely brushed hers, and captured her eyes within his, making sure she paid attention to him because what he was about to say was serious.  He tilted his head to the side so his lips were close to her ear, but not touching her.  It was almost as though he was teasing her – he was teasing himself.

“Do you want to get out of here?” he whispered, his warm breath caressing her neck and sending a shockwave of pleasure down to her very core.

Harleen swallowed, knowing she couldn’t speak just yet.  But she nodded her head in the affirmative.