Set Loose Read Online Free PDF Page A

and wicked, her kicks higher, her hips moving with every beat.
    Men crowded around the stage, leaning forward with money in their hands. Emily moved closer to them and several men at once tucked bills into her thong. Even though she’d been expecting it, she had to resist the urge to pull away from their strange hands and hungry, even desperate looks. Then the moment passed and she was Star again, prancing along the edge, kneeling down and slithering along. It was all part of the game, and she did her part, tossing them a wink and a naughty smile before moving to the other side of the stage.
    She whirled around as the song built toward its climax, her movements faster and more urgent, mimicking the urgency before release. Without even planning it she grabbed hold of the pole and spun around it, surprised by how easy it was, another toy to tease the crowd, tease Cutter.
    The song wound down and she worked the perimeter again, letting men cop a feel as they thrust everything from one to twenty dollar bills at her. Then it was over. Tossing her hair one last time, she left the stage.
    Stan looked up from the audio equipment. “Not bad, kid.”
    “Thanks,” she smiled, her body still humming. “Hopefully it was good enough for Steve.”
    “Oh, it will be. That was good enough for anyone.”
    Cheryl ran in from the floor to give her a hug.
    “If I hadn’t seen you before you went on, I’d never believe that was your first time,” she said, shaking her head. “That was unreal. I’m just glad I don’t have to follow you.”
    Emily drank up the camaraderie, the good wishes and compliments, but her mind was full of Cutter. Should she go out there and find him, or wait and see if he came to her?
    “It was way more fun than I thought it would be,” she said, trying to keep up her end of the conversation. “I didn’t even care that I was naked up there.” She paused and looked down at herself. “But now I do. I’d better go get dressed.”
    She turned around and nearly ran into the manager.
    “You’re hired,” he said without preamble. “I can give you Sunday through Wednesday nights for starters. You’ll work six to two and we’ll see how it goes.”
    “Wow, that’s great. I mean, thank you.”
    “Can you do another number tonight?”
    “I’m afraid not. Not unless your customers want to see a naked Sleeping Beauty.”
    “A what?”
    “Nothing. I don’t have anything else ready, that’s all. But I will by tomorrow night.”
    “Fine, you can go. Just be prepared to dance four times a night from now on.”
    Smiling to herself, Emily headed back to the dressing room where she sat down and pulled her money out, piling it in her lap. Smoothing out the crumpled bills she counted it, then counted again, hardly able to believe it.
    One hundred and fifty three dollars. And she’d only danced once, without even working the floor. This was going to be even more lucrative than she’d expected.
    Giddy now, she showered and changed back into her black tank dress and strappy sandals. Her entire body was still buzzing with adrenaline, still awed by what she’d done, and still turned on.
    Time to find Cutter.
    No one recognized her with her clothes on and makeup off, which was a relief, especially since just being female garnered her more than enough attention. She guzzled a bottle of water and looked around for the man in question. He was taller than just about everyone in the room, so it didn’t take long to spot him.
    Sadly, her towering self-confidence seemed to be dissipating, and by the time she got within a few feet of him she had no idea what had come over her. First of all, the man was working, secondly, they were in the middle of a crowd of people, and thirdly, she hadn’t had a personality transplant, just a temporary blast of endorphins that were rapidly deserting her. She did an about-face and headed for the door.
    Then he called her name.
    ***
    Cutter stood near a cluster of tables, keeping an eye on