Officer Tyler Lambert’s hand tightened around the ice-cold glass of ginger ale as the dark skinned beauty slid down the pole while looking out past the crowd. The long locks stopped just above her shoulders. His fingers itched just to bury them in her hair and hold her head back while thrusting deep inside her.

Built like a brick shithouse, the cafe au lait goddess on the stage danced to a seductive blues tune. She closed her eyes, and her body swayed to the music as she gracefully leapt onto the pole. With the skilled moves of an acrobat, she twirled around the gold bar and landed on the floor in a split.

Perhaps it had been a mistake coming to the Velvet Foxx tonight. Then again, he’d been pursuing his ex for quite some time, although she never suspected anything. Hell, she probably had forgotten how she wounded his heart a few years ago. Painful memories of her standing him up at the altar came flooding back, making his heart ache.

Tyler wrestled with the thought of approaching her. Why the hell was he bothering with someone who apparently didn’t give a damn about him? And why was he sitting in a titty bar allowing Alexia to cock-tease him until his balls turned blue?

His cock jerked painfully against the cotton of his jeans as he imagined pinching her perky nipples between his thumb and forefinger. The sight of the pole between her tits burned an image of how good his cock would look sliding back and forth between her large, fleshy mounds. He was ready and wanted to dominate Alexia for standing him up on their wedding day.

Tyler looked at his watch and downed the rest of his ginger ale before leaving the bar. He knew her schedule and he’d be waiting.

Alexia hadn’t realized she’d attracted the attention of a county police officer until it was too late. Her shift as an exotic dancer had been over since two o’clock in the morning. Why the hell did she have to take her friend Zoey up on drinking after hours at her house? After work, she should have taken her ass home and hit the sack after a long night of having men ogling and whistling at her, then picked her son up from the sitters, like she usually did.

“Shit!” she cursed out loud as she put on her signal and made her way over to the side of the beltway. With a loud sigh of defeat, she reached into her glove compartment and pulled out her registration. As she delved into her purse for her license, tears stung her eyes at the thought of getting an actual DUI.

Although not drunk, she shouldn’t have had those extra drinks with Zoey. Something in her gut told her she’d have to pay the piper this morning.

“Come on, I don’t have all day,” she grumbled while looking in her rearview mirror. She popped a breath mint and primped in the mirror. “Not bad,” she said out loud. “Okay, time to turn on the charm. Maybe he won’t even notice I’ve had a few drinks.”

Anxiety coursed through her veins while imagining the possible consequences of overindulging in liquor. “I’ll never drink again,” she said softly. The overwhelming feeling grew within, and she knew in her heart she wouldn’t be so lucky. “Please, hurry up!” She gripped the steering wheel tighter and gritted her teeth.

Patience was certainly not one of her strong points. As though she’d willed it, the officer exited his vehicle and slowly walked to her car. As soon as he approached, she knew exactly who he was.

She narrowed her eyes and squinted from the sun. “Tyler?”

“Do you realize you were doing seventy-four? The posted speed limit is sixty five on this highway.” He quickly took off his sunglasses and squinted in the bright morning sunshine.

Words escaped Alexia as she stared into emerald eyes. Why the hell had she listened to her mother? She and Tyler had been set to marry, but they had been from two completely different worlds. “I’m sorry. I’m just trying to make it home… to my… Just finished working a twelve-hour shift.”

“Oh, yes. That was one hell of a performance last night.”

“You mean… ”

“Yes, I saw you on stage.” His jaw tightened and his lips formed a cruel, thin line. “You have a lot of men wanting to bed you down.” He opened his ticket book and took out a pen.

Alexia bit her lip. She knew Tyler was jealous. She also blushed at the thought of her ex fiancee watching her shaking her ass in front of strangers. Had she known he was in the audience, she probably would never have completed her shift. She’d felt bad the day she stood him up, but her situation could not be helped.

“Tyler, what were you doing there last night?” She folded her arms and tried not to show how embarrassed she was.

“To be honest, I don’t know.” He shook his head and exhaled loudly. “Guess I just wanted to know why you did it.”

“Tyler, please. That was-”

“Two years ago, and still no explanation,” he bit out sharply. His eyes blazed with anger. Rightfully so. She’d done him wrong. “Is that how you thought of me? Still think of me?”

“This really isn’t the time or place.” Her voice was shaky, and she shivered while averting her gaze from his. It was hard looking him in the eye. Alexia tried swallowing the stubborn lump in her throat while wiping her sweaty palms on her jeans. “I thought you were in Virginia?”

He nodded. “I was. Just transferred back to Maryland about a week ago. What the hell are you doing working in a place like that? Don’t you know some of the things that go on there?”

“Don’t start on me.”

“No. I’m going to start on you. Hard and heavy, baby. I want… No! I demand an explanation.”

“So you resorted to stalking me?”

“Did you leave me standing at the altar on our wedding day to become a dancer?”

“Tyler, there’s a lot you don’t know.” She debated whether or not she should tell him her reasons. She’d listened to her parents too many times in the past. Tyler was never good enough for her; he wasn’t a self-made millionaire, blah blah blah.

“Do I smell alcohol?”

Alexia’s gut twisted. Her intuition had been correct. He was going to haul her ass off to jail this morning. Was this his reason for relocating from Virginia? Panic dug in her soul like a dark force. What the hell would she do about her two-year-old son, Kelvin? She knew her sister wouldn’t mind holding onto him for however long it took to clear this situation up, but she still had some concerns.

“I don’t usually make it a habit to drink and drive. In my defense, it’s been a few hours.” She tried to smile, but Tyler wasn’t having it.

Tight-lipped, he held out his hand. “License and registration, please.”

Alexia’s breathing became shallow to the point where she feared she might hyperventilate. Why the hell did he need her license and registration? He knew who she was. She’d hoped he wouldn’t ticket her. “Is this necessary?” His gaze burned into hers, and she knew he had some unresolved issues

“Yes, it is. What, did you think you could buy your way out of this?”

“I’ve never tried buying my way out of anything, and you know it!” she lashed out sharply. “Don’t you dare compare me to my family!”

It was true-the DuBois clan had money and always found one way or another to dodge their responsibilities.

Any hope she had of escaping this fine died. She hoped he’d issue a warning, and maybe he’d forget about the alcohol he smelled on her breath. Maybe.

His dark eyebrows furrowed. “Yeah, I know you,” he admitted while taking her information. “Is this your vehicle?”

“Who else would it belong to?” she snapped before she could retrieve her words. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” She said regretfully. “Look. Tyler. Please. I can’t afford to get a DUI.”

“You’ve got enough money to pay it, so why not?”