Chapter Two

Savvy was barely in the VIP room before the guys that she suspected were her targets were waving her over. That she felt like a target was unnerving. Usually, it was her doing the picking. One of them was already getting a dance from her homegirl Chantel, so she started towards the guy sitting alone who had waved her over.

She almost tripped on the carpet in her stilettos while looking at him. He looked like sex on a stick. This man was fine. He was sitting, but she could tell by how his legs stretched in front of him he was tall, even taller than the bouncer standing by the door. He had a low haircut with the waves bussing, not pretty boy waves but grown man waves. His deep-set brown eyes seemed to suck her in. For the first time since she had worked at the club, she felt a mild embarrassment for the way she was dressed. It felt like he could see right through her provocative clothes to her soul. She couldn't look away.

Savvy shook herself and got back to business. He was just a mark, like any other man. But when he smiled, as she got closer, she couldn't stop herself from thinking he had the most lusciously kissable lips she had ever seen. She felt the heat of his gaze travel from her feet to her face, and suddenly she felt the need to cover herself. Every instinct in her body was saying turn around and run before he gets too close. As if she had no power whatsoever, her legs continued to move until she was right in front of him.

"You want a dance?" She asked. Wondering why she didn't recognize her voice. She highly doubted he did. Closer, he didn't look like the usual type that frequented the club. He was in a suit that looked tailored to fit every muscle. His shoes were shiny penny colored Stacy Adams. His intelligent eyes looked to be wanting way more than she could give.

"If you want to dance, I won't stop you, but I'd rather talk to you in private." He said as he moved over to the couch to make space for her to sit.

His voice was so deep and husky, it ran across her skin like velvet, causing a shiver to travel down the length of her limbs. It almost made her accept his proposal. Damn, nobody ever made her feel like this. It must be the atmosphere. She almost felt high or drunk and she was neither. She also felt insulted. Why did men continuously stereotype her, thinking that because she was a stripper, she had to be down to fuck? Damn shame he was like all the rest.

She felt her anger rising and it must have shown on her face because his handsome smile disappeared. "I don't get down like that," she said, walking towards the door. She was ready to go now, her mood and her mind misconstrued. Just as she got to the exit, Mr. Deep pockets abruptly stopped her.

"I didn't mean it like that." he intoned as if to calm her.

He looked sincere and a little desperate. Maybe he wasn't after her ass. Before she could reply, Ron, the bouncer, grabbed the dude up and told him "No touching."

She didn't hear the handsome guy's reply. She took the chance she had and ducked around them and back to her dressing room. Once there, she put on her jeans and tank top she had come in, grabbed her purse and her keys, and headed to her old beat-up Cadillac. The car had originally belonged to her grandma. Since Maple couldn't drive anymore, she had kept the car.

It was an ongoing problem for her and every month she had to fix something on it, but she loved it. As she was unlocking her door, a hand touched her shoulder, and she twirled around and without even looking pepper-sprayed his face.

"AAAHHHHH, damn woman, what the hell is wrong with you?" Mr. Handsome yelled.

"Why were you following me?" Savvy yelled back, "you lucky I didn't kick you in the nuts."

He was bent over, clutching his eyes and still moaning in pain. "I would not hurt you........ Just wanted to ask you something..... Fuck it, fuck you. Are you going to help me or what?"

He looked pitiful and as he was incapable of seeing, Savvy felt a little pity for him and went to her backseat, coming back with two bottles of water. "You should have let your presence be known, sir." She said, tilting his head back and dumping water into his eyes. "In my profession stalkers are not unheard of."

Jesus, she thought, he smelled so good. His hair was like silk under her palm. He was calm now, and he was quiet while she went about rinsing his eye. When they popped open, they were bloodshot and angry.

"Sorry," Savvy whispered and stepped away, as she realized how close they were.

"Yeah, whatever. Isn't it illegal to carry pepper spray if you're not the mail carrier?"

"It might be," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "What do you want?"

"I had a business deal for you. I don't even know if I want to "

Savvy cut him off before he could even get started. "Before you even go there, I don't do private parties and I don't fly by night. I'm a dancer, that's all."

"Well, that should make this easier..." he mumbled.

"What?" she asked, letting all of her attitude leaks into that one word? He leaned his tall frame against her car. He was tall, so very tall. She was sure she would have a stiff neck if she had to look at him every day.

"Want to go grab something to eat." He asked.

"I don't even know you, and where do you think you going to get something this late?" She asked. Savannah was hungry, as she always was when she got off work. She didn't get an overly scary vibe from him, but still, a girl had to be careful. It was apparent that he was up to something, and she wished he would quit playing and just get to the point. She was only giving him the time of day because she believed that what he wanted didn't involve her being naked.

"Eat Right." He stated, looking across the street at the small burger joint that was always open late. Tyron smiled a little at the array of expressions that crossed her face. She would come to find that he was always one step ahead. He would have never even suggested food if there was no place open.

Savvy had forgotten about that place and it was right across the street. She went there all the time, but this guy had her mind all fucked up. Now she was embarrassed and mad. Rolling her eyes, she relented. "You're buying and you got fifteen minutes to get your point across. I have class in the morning."

"You go to school? How old are you?" He asked, stopping in his tracks. Tyron looked her up and down again. She didn't look a day over eighteen honestly, with her baby face features. However, he knew black didn't crack fast at all. He had a sister who looked young, and she was pushing thirty. Still, he had to be sure, he wasn't trying to catch any case.

"Yes," she said between tight lips. Did she look like she wanted to be doing this all her life like she can't have dreams and goals? Did he think she was underage? Why did everything that came out of his mouth feel like an insult? It sucked because, well, he was nice to look at. "I got to college and I'm very grown, sir. Got a high school diploma and everything."

Relieved, Tyron caught up to her speed walk in three long strides. Now at her side and easily keeping up, he asked, "Where do you go to school?"

"Somebody's nosey. Don't worry about it, just order and get to the point." She said.

She was hungry, so when he sat the food in front of her, she grabbed three burgers and one of the cheese fries. Savvy ate without even looking at him. Few people knew it, but these little burgers were her favorite fast food. She could eat ten of them easily, but not wanting to seem like a little pig, she only ate three. After the last burger was gone, she finally looked at him and he was staring at her, looking amused. He hadn't even eaten anything yet.

"Hungry?" he asked, smirking. "Should I get more?"

Savvy felt the blush creeping up from her neck to her cheeks. For someone who had just had a face full of mace, he had a lot of jokes. Lips set in a tight line, she asked. "Yeah, so what do you want?"

"I want you to marry me." He said, not missing a beat and enjoying the way she went from flustered to shock.

She spits out the French fry that was in her mouth and looked across the table at him. Relief washed over her when I saw him smiling. "Quit playing. For real, what do you want?"

"I am for real. I don't think you want to be working there, and I'm offering you a way out. My name is Tyron Turley. I own a real estate company that specializes in low-income families. I've done really well over the last few years. However, some recent investments have made me have to downsize. This last project is taking a lot more money and time. If I can just get it going, I'll be okay. My friend and I just made a deal that could help me finish the project on time. I'm an entrepreneur, I can't pass up a two million dollar investment. To get the prize, I need to marry a stripper, to put it gently and reform her. For your participation, I will give you half a mill. That's enough to change your life, pay for school, and quit working at the club. Now I'll let you ask anything you want."

He sat back in the booth and put his enormous hands behind his head. While she sat there with another fry still in her mouth. He didn't look crazy, and he claimed to be successful, but he sounded crazy as hell. Savvy observed him and the proposition he just put on the table was not too bad if he was serious. That was a big if.

"Let me recap real quick," she said, as she took a deep breath. "You want me to marry you and you're going to give me five hundred thousand dollars. All I have to do is marry you for a little while, temporarily?"

Tyron had a look of excitement in his eyes as he sat forward. "Exactly, you'll have to live with me and maybe go to a few places I have to go to. Be a loving fiancée and eventually my wife."

"No sex, right, and no catching feelings? Just pretending." She asked quickly.

"Yes. We might have to kiss occasionally for the public, especially around my family. But you definitely won't have to sleep with me and I don't do feelings." He supplied. He had an answer for everything.

It was so weird; he didn't want her body, but it felt like he wanted her to sell her soul. This was five hundred thousand dollars. She would be the highest-paid stripper ever, Savvy thought with a quiet laugh. Still, she wasn't sure she wanted to do it. This was too good to be true, and while he wouldn't catch feelings, she probably would. She had a history of falling for the wrong guys. "Can I think about it?" she asked.

"I'll give you until tomorrow." He said, rising from the booth and pulling out a card. "I'm not a patient man when money is involved, the sooner the better."

And then he left, leaving a lot on her mind.