I called it paying the bills.

No one had forced me into this lifestyle, and to be honest, I was good at it. Most dance clubs had high standards and expected the girls to be exceptional dancers, performers, and actresses. I didn’t want to do it forever, but I had serpentine moves that men had been ogling for years. Why not charge them to look? High-paying jobs weren’t easy to come by for Shifters, and sometimes a girl has to make tough choices. I lived a respectable life otherwise—probably one of the most celibate girls in the club. I was very selective of my men; that’s one piece of me I didn’t give away to just anyone.

“Ugh! Fawn is bleeding their wallets dry,” a bright voice exclaimed from the doorway.

Skye still had on her street clothes and slung her purse in a metal locker.

“What’s going on?” Daphne asked, her voice edged with concern. “I’m next, and you’re freaking me the hell out, girl.”

“She’s pulling out all the stops with an old Pussycat Dolls song. I think she stole Naya’s lollipop theme that was so popular two years ago. Remember that, Naya?”

Boy, did I! The men had eaten it up.

Literally.

“Well, good for her,” I said, sorting my tips.

“Easy for you to say. You’ve already been up.” Daphne wrinkled her nose. “Hellfire! Now I have to come up with something good.”

I tucked my money away in my silver clutch. “The nurse act is getting a little old, Daph. These men don’t want to be taken care of like an invalid. You should stop visiting the human clubs for ideas.”

I knew what turned Breed men on. They all had a touch of hero syndrome due to their natural instinct to protect women. Strictly speaking of certain Breeds, of course. A Mage couldn’t care less, and the same went for most Vampires. But Shifters and Chitahs? Those men responded to a damsel in distress and ate up any routine that ventured into hero territory. On my next theatrical dance, I planned to bring in chains and play captive.

Daphne slipped on a shiny red skirt that matched her lipstick. “What about a schoolteacher? I could get one of those long rulers…”

Skye sounded like a chimpanzee when she laughed. “Are you kidding me? Most of those men have never been inside a school. And I can guarantee you that they have no desire to be spanked with a ruler.”

“On the contrary,” I muttered with a surreptitious smile.

“Do tell.” Skye gasped, scooting beside me on the bench. Her brown hair swished above her fanny, and eyes as blue as the Texas sky beamed at me.

“Some of these tough men are turned on by an assertive female in the bedroom—even the baddest of the bad. It’s the one place they’re allowed to give up power.”

“Why would they want to do that?”

I shrugged. “Submission is a curious thing I know little about. Maybe they’re tired of being in control all the time, but I have a feeling that some of these men are broken and feel like they deserve to be punished. From my personal experience, when Shifters see a woman in a position of authority, they become putty in her hands. That’s the kind of dancer you want to be onstage and the kind of woman you want to be off. Then you’ll have them eating out of your hand.”