Operation Burlesque BBW Romance Read online

  In response, I bit my lip, a small flirtation that only he could see given that my back was to the audience. Boldly holding his gaze, I unhooked my bra, releasing my breasts. As I spun back toward the front of the stage, I paused to spin the tassels of the pasties covering my nipples at Blake. His eyes widened. I’d surprised him again, but then he smiled at me.

  I was smiling too, a big silly grin of satisfaction. My tassels spun round and round with the last few bars of the music. I played with them, raising my hands over my head to reverse the tassels’ spin and then lowering my hands to make them switch directions again. The audience roared so loud, I couldn’t tell the music had stopped.

  I stood there, basking in the exhilaration. I’d done it. The spotlight had shined on me and chased away all the shadows cast by my doubts. Yes, I was a quiet, retiring seamstress, but I could claim the role of strumpet temptress too.

  And own it like a rock star.

  Boo-freaking-yah.

  Unable to hide a broad grin, I lifted a breast in each hand to the delight of the audience and swung the tassels one last time before strutting off stage.

  Someone handed me Lilli’s robe and I shrugged it on as I worked to catch my breath, thankful that Stan had reduced Lilli’s act to just one number. I didn’t know if he was hedging his bets or taking it easy on me, but I was glad either way. She normally did three different stripteases and made it look easy. I’d done one number and felt like I’d run a marathon.

  The MC took the stage again to introduce the final act; a showgirl revue with even fewer clothes on than me. The number had a pretty art nouveau aesthetic. I liked to watch it when I could, but tonight a hand reached out and spun me into a dark out-of-the-way corner. A hungry mouth pressed into mine.

  I pushed against whoever it was, squealing against their lips, but they just captured both my hands and pinned them at my sides.

  “Ruby,” whispered Blake, the rasp of his deep voice unmistakable.

  “Blake?” I drew back my head. “What are you doing?”

  “You promised me something, did you not?” His hand moved to briefly cup my breast, thumb grazing the pastie over one nipple.

  My body responded instantly. My nipples tightened and pulled on my core. I sighed and leaned into him. Had I promised him anything? No. I didn’t know what I was doing enough to make such a specific promise. Teasing? Yes. Taunting? Sure. But a promise? No. Still, the man I had lusted over for months, who’d been my knight in shining armor just that morning was now kissing me and saying my name. I wasn’t going to complain. Other than to wish this had happened sooner.

  He kissed me again and this time I opened my mouth, allowing his tongue to sweep inside. Still kissing me, he pulled me through the stage and the hallway to a door leading outside.

  “Come on.” He tugged my hand.

  Another hand unexpectedly grabbed my free hand and pulled me back. I stumbled, which caused Blake to lose his grip on me. We both turned around to see what had happened.

  “You owe me a kiss, Ruby,” came the familiar voice of Clark.

  I groaned. “This again?” I faced the crewman with a glare. “Let it go, man. It’s not going to happen.”

  “I won’t let it happen,” Blake said, his voice low with anger. “Did you forget this morning’s lesson?”

  “No. I think you’ll find I did some studying.” Clark’s lips twisted in a malicious grin and he brandished a small gun. “She comes with me, magic man, and you’ll let her go unless you want to see what Swiss cheese feels like.”

  The sight of the gun set my heart racing. I glanced at Blake with wide eyes, but he looked cool as ever. I hoped that meant he had a plan or at least a magic trick that could beat a gun up his sleeve. A disappearing act might come in handy.

  Blake moved toward Clark, a dangerous gleam in his eyes. Clark pulled me closer against him, until the smell of his sweat filled my nose. I twisted my wrist in his grasp, trying to break free and considered my options. In New York, I’d taken a self defense class that had advised us to ram our heel into an assailant’s instep and smash their faces with our heads.

  I sized Clark up, trying to gauge whether I could really hurt the burly man.

  “Let her go,” Blake said.

  “Go away,” Clark countered. The gun clicked as he released the safety.

  Blake and I exchanged glances. Apparently, the Cirque had a psycho on staff and he’d fixated on me. Lovely.

  “I’ll do it,” I said wondering how I kept agreeing to such preposterous schemes. First Lilli’s act, now this. I had a real penchant for trouble. “But you have to give Blake the gun.”

  “Ruby--” Blake began.

  I cut him off. “I want this to go away. If all he wants is a kiss, then so be it.” To Clark I said, “I mean it, give him the gun and I’ll kiss you.”

  “No lie?”

  “No lie.”

  Clark hesitated for a moment and then handed over the gun, which Blake pocketed smoothly, like he’d done it a hundred times before.

  Everything happened so fast after that. I moved to keep my promise, but Blake was there, inserting himself between us. Shoving me away, he slammed his fist into Clark’s face several times. I heard the crunch of bone.

  Clark dropped to the ground, howling. “You broke my nose, asshole.”

  “You okay, Ruby?” Blake looked at me and shook his punching hand with a grimace.

  I looked from Clark to Blake and back again. “I--what just happened?”

  “I couldn’t let him kiss you. That kind of guy, you give him an inch he’ll take a mile.”

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  He flexed his hand. “Just a little banged up. Clark’s a gnat compared to some of the guys I’ve gone up against.”

  “You fight a lot?” I couldn’t reconcile the debonair magician facade with the sudden appearance of a rowdy street fighter underneath.

  “I boxed in the military and I’ve done a lot of mixed martial arts. I even thought about UFC for a while, but decided I liked the way my nose looked too much to rearrange it.” Blake flashed a smile at me, but his eyes stayed on Clark.

  I gaped at him. “You’re ex-military?”

  He gave me a little salute. “Served two tours in Iraq before getting out and getting on with my life.”

  “Wow. I had no idea.” Blake was just full of surprises.

  “It’s not something I talk about much.” He crooked his elbow. “Shall we? I think he’s down for the count and we’ll want to be elsewhere when he recovers.”

  I looped my arm through his and we started to take off, but Clark stopped us short with a loud groan. “You’ll pay for this, magic man.”

  Blake held me close and said over his shoulder, “You pull that kind of bullshit on Ruby again and I won’t stop with your nose.”

  “Fuck you, man,” snarled Clark. He was awfully feisty for a guy who’d just taken a pounding.

  Blake let me go and squatted next to Clark. First, he punched him again in the face, making the crewman squeal in pain. Then he said, “Walk away while you still can.”

  Standing up, he dusted off his hands and then hooked elbows with me to lead the way to his trailer.

  “Thank you,” I said even though the words seemed inadequate.

  He patted my arm and guided me in the direction of his trailer. “I’m glad I was there.”

  “Me too.” I didn’t want to think about what would have happened without Blake there to rescue me. “Should we call the police?” I stopped walking as the thought struck me.

  Blake shrugged. “It’s up to you, but I wouldn’t worry too much. He’ll be working teardown all night and ship out at dawn with the rest of the crew.”

  “But he had a gun. Shouldn’t we tell someone?”

  “It’s just a prop gun from the clown act.” Blake took it out of his pocket and pulled the trigger.

  I flinched, but then relaxed when a little flag popped out with the word ‘Bang’ written on it. “Oh my God. Wh
at was he thinking?”

  “Not the brightest bulb, Clark.” Blake tugged me forward with gentle pressure on my arm and we resumed walking. “He’s determined, but not particularly dangerous. I’ve seen his type, and even if he has time to bother you, he won’t because you’ll be with me.”

  “I will?” I frowned at him, confused by this new Blake who paid so much attention to me.

  “Yeah, you will. At least, I hope you’ll be with me.” We arrived at Blake’s sleek black trailer and he unlocked the door. “After you,” he said with a flourish of his hand.

  I crossed the threshold with tentative steps. No one went inside Blake Cannon’s trailer. Everyone knew that. The crew were afraid to even knock on the door. Yet he ushered me in like he had people over all the time.

  I wanted to look around, to see the sanctum sanctorum of a man like Blake, but he didn’t give me a chance. The second the door shut, he was on me, hands roaming over my curves. His lips crushed mine and he peeled the robe off my shoulders.

  We hadn’t even made it past the kitchen area. In fact, I was braced against the counter.

  “Blake--” I started, wanting to suggest we find a soft place to land.

  He ignored me and sucked my bottom lip into his mouth, making further conversation impossible. His hands snuck inside my robe and went to my breasts, cupping them, lifting them up and then letting them fall. The tassels swayed back and forth, pulling on the nipple underneath. I moaned as his fingers went to remove the pasties.

  “Let me help,” I managed to say between his kisses. There was a process to pastie removal, but Blake didn’t care. He ripped the pasties off, ignoring my shriek of protest. I squirmed, wanting to free my arms, but all I managed to do was rub against the erection in his pants. Wetness flooded me as I imagined him filling me up and pumping me to satisfaction.

  Oh God, yes.

  My nipples now naked, Blake dipped his head and wrapped his lips around one. Grimacing, he immediately released it.

  That made me laugh. “Glue boob.” It took a lot of latex glue to avoid nip slips.

  He arched an eyebrow at me. He hadn’t turned on any lights, but some illumination filtered in through the little window over his kitchen sink. The shadows made his already dark looks appear diabolically sexy.

  “I haven’t eaten glue since I was five.” He shifted me over to the side and ran the water in the sink. Wetting a washrag with his free hand, he brought it to my breasts and began to scrub.

  I tried to move again. “Here let me,” I offered.

  He shook his head. “I’ll take care of it.” His hand tightened around my wrists. A little thrill went through me at the movement. I loved that he could hold me down with one hand, that his hands were big enough to contain me.

  My nipples tingled at first, but, as he increased the pressure, the sensation escalated until the nub at my core began to pulse with hot desire. I moaned and my knees sagged, forcing me to lean back against the counter, grateful for its support. The rough pleasure of the wash rag, scrubbing my nipples up and down, shivered through me in waves. My flesh contracted into tighter and tighter points.

  When he was satisfied the glue had been removed, he guided a nipple into his mouth and sucked. The hot velvet of his mouth was a stark contrast to the cold abrasion of the washrag. I arched against him and sighed. This was heaven.

  “Why?” I asked him, running my hands through his hair and clutching him against my breast. “Why now?” I’d watched him for six months with wide goo-goo eyes, but he’d been as impassive as stone. What had changed?

  He let my nipple go and said, “Because it’s the last night.”

  “Love me and leave me?” I half joked, but the punch line hurt. “I thought you didn’t like me.”

  “What’s not to like?” He hefted a breast in each hand and squeezed.

  “I’m too much for some men,” I said archly. His fingers had wandered down to the cleft between my legs and it became difficult to think.

  “You’re just the right amount of too much.” Blake dipped his head and laved a nipple once again. My breathing hitched as he toyed with two of the most sensitive spots on my body. His finger wiggled at my core and my gasp made him smile. “You think you’re hot and wet now Ruby? This is only the beginning.” He leaned in close, almost kissing me but not quite. “I’m going to incinerate you, baby.”

  Our mouths collided then. Blake’s lips were so hungry, he practically swallowed me. He kissed me with the passion of a man who’d restrained himself for longer than was healthy. I matched his intensity, letting my own secret yearning run free.

  He pressed me back into the counter, grinding the bulge of his cock against my pelvis. “This is for you. All of it. Can you take it, baby?”

  “Oh yes,” I moaned. His hands turned my body until I faced the counter.

  “Bend over, spread your legs for me. Let me see you.”

  I hesitated. I wanted him like I’d never wanted a man, but I felt vulnerable in this position. Nothing would be hidden. I would be fully exposed.

  “Ruby?” There was a warning note in his voice. As if I’d been a bad girl. His hand touched my hip and I flinched, almost expecting a spank, but he merely pressed me down. “Don’t hide your gorgeous curves from me. I’ve been thinking about them for a long time.”

  He slipped a finger inside my wet slit, honing in on the sensitive bud there. “Did you think about me all those times you watched from the wings?”

  “You saw me?” I’d thought he didn’t even know I existed. Had he been aware of me the whole time?

  “Yes. Every night.” His finger stilled causing me to give a little mewl of frustration. It felt so good. “Answer the question Ruby.”

  “I-I-Yes, I did.” He moved his finger again and I whimpered.

  “You made me hard while I was on stage, which was bad enough and then tonight you drove me insane. Did you know that?” His hand left my core and went to my hip. Before I could protest, the tip of his cock was at my wet entrance. I stopped paying attention to his words and pushed back trying to bring him inside me. Blake resisted my advance with a soft chuckle. “Are you impatient?”

  “Yes.” God. I wanted him inside me like yesterday.

  “Do you want me?” He pressed himself a little harder against my entrance, but still refused to make me whole. “Do you really need this?” He drew out the word need.

  “Stop teasing me, magician.” My voice came out in a ragged sigh. The head of his cock felt deliciously large.

  “Turnabout is fair play, isn’t it?”

  “That’s a dirty move.” I strained to reach him, but he put his hands on my hips and held me in place. I’d always been bigger than a lot of my dates, and often afraid of overwhelming them in bed, but Blake had strength to spare. I could fight him all I wanted, but I wouldn’t escape his grasp. He was a man who knew how to handle a woman. The thought made me even wetter.

  “I have a secret to tell you, Ruby.”

  I twisted around to look at him over my shoulder. “What?”

  He leaned down, his chest covering my back and whispered in my ear. “I always play dirty.” With that, he finally thrust into me and I suppressed a shriek of pleasure. The empty ache in my core welcomed him with a flutter.

  “Hold on.” With that terse warning, Blake pulled out and then slammed into me, rocking me forward onto my toes.

  My hands curled around the counter’s edge as my breasts surged up to lightly hit the cupboards below. He pounded me fast and furious. I loved every brutal second. Blake took me with the kind of primal lust a man loses himself to when a girl drives him crazy.

  The first orgasm peaked a moment later and I convulsed with a sharp yell.

  “Come for me baby. Show me how you really feel.” Blake panted as he spoke. He was still hard and just kept going, no matter how tight my inner walls grabbed him.

  I whimpered now with every thrust. My nerves were hyper-reactive. Each stroke felt like the edge of another climax.
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br />   “You’re going to come again for me, aren’t you?”

  “Yes, I think so.” I’d never had more than one orgasm, but most men didn’t have Blake’s staying power. Already my body trembled on a second precipice, ready to jump.

  His hands kneaded their way up my back and around to scoop up what he could of my breasts. Then he returned to my hips, one hand somehow slipping around his cock to the now swollen bud at my core. I hissed when he made contact.

  “You like that?” He rubbed me harder.

  I nodded my head, unable to talk. It was going to happen again. The orgasm prepared to explode, threatening to sweep me into oblivion.

  “I’m going to come,” I whined.

  Blake’s finger started moving at the same speed of his cock. “Give it to me, Ruby. I want all of you.”

  I screamed this time. The orgasm was too big to be muted. The neighbors probably all heard me, but I didn’t care just then. Pure bliss ran in hot waves through my body as my nipples twisted themselves into pebbled points.

  Blake’s climax a second later seemed to flow from his cock into my body, heightening mine. I shuddered even as Blake went still, my flesh telegraphing exquisite sensation.

  When he pulled out, I stood up and faced him. Cupping his face between my hands, I kissed him softly, savoring the taste of him, wanting to make this moment to last.

  After a while, he pulled away and opened his small refrigerator to take out a wine bottle. “Would you like something to drink? I have champagne.”

  “Champagne?” It sounded very high end to me. We lived in a traveling trailer park after all.

  “I always see the last show off with it.” Blake popped the cork and poured the golden bubbly into plastic champagne flutes.

  I took the glass he offered me. “Where’s your next gig?” I asked, trying to sound nonchalant. I really wanted to ask him ‘when will I see you again’ but that was too forward, too heavy with commitment that could scare him off.