THE TEMPTRESS

||Temptations||

•STEPHANIE•

We left the party right after the guys cleaned up, leaving the place spotless, as if nothing had happened inside, despite the gruesome incident earlier.

I had no idea what happened to Romanio afterward. All I knew was that Kaden's men had taken him somewhere, and his fate was uncertain.

But honestly, I couldn't be bothered by it. My main concern was where Kaden was taking me now.

We drove for ten minutes straight without stopping anywhere. It was evident we weren't heading back to his place. Kaden's expression was cold, his grip on the wheel tight, and it put me on edge.

I couldn't read his emotions, figure out his thoughts, or predict his next move. This uncertainty, especially with enemies, made me feel vulnerable, and helpless, just waiting for something to happen.

The car came to a halt in front of what looked like a club, although it resembled more of a brothel.

Kaden got out without a word, and I followed suit, curiosity mixed with apprehension.

"Kaden, what are we doing here?" I asked, my voice barely audible in the dim light.

He didn't respond, just shot me a blank look over his shoulder.

We walked through a poorly lit corridor, the distant echo of music adding to the eerie atmosphere. It was way out of my comfort zone, and I felt trapped. I had no choice but to follow Kaden and see how things played out.

We turned left, entering another hallway. The music grew louder, the air heavy with the scent of alcohol, perfume, and cigarettes. It was overwhelming, nearly nauseating.

Kaden led the way, drawing curious glances from the people in the club. We entered another room. My heart raced when I saw what kind of room it was.

The lights were low, the couches pushed against the walls, and a pole stood prominently in the center. I swallowed hard before stepping inside.

Kaden removed his suit jacket, tossing it casually onto a couch before sitting down, his eyes fixed on me.

"Why are we here?" I finally mustered the courage to ask.

"Isn't it obvious?" he replied, gesturing towards the pole.

No fucking  way. 

"You can't be serious," I said, my disbelief evident.

He just stared at me, unfazed. He couldn't possibly expect me to strip dance for him, especially not in this dress.

"Dance for me," he ordered, pouring himself a drink.

I crossed my arms, glaring at him. 

"No," 

"No?" he raised an eyebrow, taking a sip of his drink.

"I'm not doing any strip dancing for you," I retorted, refusing to back down.

"I'm not asking you to strip dance. Just dance. Use the pole," he said, his tone casual.

"That's exactly what strip dancers do."

"So you're not going to dance?" he asked, his expression unchanged.

"No, I'm not going to dance," I replied, holding my ground.

"Suit yourself."

Before I could respond, a tall brunette in a ponytail brushed past me and confidently entered the room, taking my place without a second thought.

My eyes quickly scanned her sexy lingerie, which barely covered anything, especially her ass, and those high leather boots. A small pang of raw emotion hit me right in the chest.

"What's going on?" I snapped at Kaden with a glare.

"Since you won't dance, she will."

The stripper walked toward the pole and posed in front of it, arm over her head, gripping the top of the pole.

"You can stand there and watch, or you can join me right here."

I couldn't bring myself to move. I locked eyes with him as he smirked back and sipped his drink before turning his attention to the stripper.

This weird feeling came over me, and I found myself glaring at the stripper. The music from outside was so loud we could hear it clearly in the room.

As if on cue when the music suddenly changed, the stripper began to dance and twirl around the pole. I shifted my gaze toward Kaden, who was locked in a trance watching her. It triggered my annoyance.

Her flawless dance around the pole was captivating, and I couldn't stop watching either. She lifted her legs, wrapped them around the pole, and swung around, flashing Kaden her front.

I clenched my fists tightly and shot Kaden a sharp glare.

He didn't even look my way, which fueled this hot emotion inside me, something I hadn't felt before.

It was so distracting, making me want to grab the stripper and kick her out of the room.

She dropped from the pole and walked toward Kaden, performing a little dance before leaning in and running her hand down his chest. His eyes followed her every move.

That was enough to make me see red.

I couldn't even let the realization sink in that I was jealous of the stripper touching him that way. All I could focus on was how he reacted to her.

His eyes flickered toward mine, and I saw the little smirk on his face. He was clearly enjoying himself.

Was he doing this on purpose? To make me jealous?

Fuck him.

This was the only time I'd admit that he had won this round.

I was jealous of what the stripper was doing in front of him and secretly fuming with anger, trying to stay calm and not lose control.

The stripper suddenly moved behind the couch, leaned down toward him, ran her hands down his chest, and kissed his neck.

His gaze locked with mine, and I could see the playful, mischievous look in his eyes. He was tempting me to react.

But I stayed rooted to the spot, forcing myself to watch and not give in easily.

He had successfully made me feel jealous, something I hadn't experienced before in this situation.

Bravo! Double fucking points for him.

He touched the girl's hand on his chest, narrowed his gaze slightly at me, and slowly guided her hand inside his shirt. The top three buttons were already undone, and her hand easily slipped inside. He leaned his head back, focusing on her lips.

He gave me one last glance before kissing the side of her jaw, and that was the last straw.

I strode over and stopped right in front of them. They paused, and I glared at the stripper.

"That's enough. Get out." She leaned back and scoffed, giving me a once-over.

"Excuse me?"

I reached inside my clutch without breaking eye contact, pulled out a couple hundred bills, and threw them on the table.

"Is that enough to pay for your time?" She glanced at the money, her eyes lighting up with interest.

She rounded the couch, picked up the money, and blew Kaden a kiss before leaving the room.

"Lock the door on your way out," I called after her.

Once I heard the door close and the lock clicked into place, I tilted my head and looked down at him.

He was giving me one of those playful smiles that got on my nerves but also gave me a fluttery feeling inside my stomach. It was sickening yet oddly satisfying.

"You just kicked the fun out of the room," he drawled while staring up at me with lust-filled eyes.

"Well, she's not your kind of fun,"  I replied while straddling him on the couch.

"I am,"