Bare Necessities. Marie Donovan

I don’t want to hurt them.” He assumed a noble expression. “You’re their baby girl.”

      She grimaced at him, exasperated. “All the dancers at Frisky’s are somebody’s baby girl.” Except for Electra, who was possibly someone’s baby boy.

      “Then think about yourself. Those strippers will only drag you down to their level with their bad habits—alcohol, drugs.”

      “In the first place, the dancers drink watered-down liquor at work so they don’t get tipsy and hurt themselves. And the only thing they inject into themselves is lip collagen.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “Half go to school, the other half dance to support their kids. Sugar is working on her business degree and Jinx told me she’s working on her master’s thesis in comparative lit at Chicago University.”

      He shook his head. “Forget about my weakness for you, Bridget. You know this is a bad idea. Promise me you won’t dance at Frisky’s until we talk again.”

      He had a weakness for her? Well, vice versa, Adam. “I don’t know….” She pretended confusion until she saw his anxious expression. “All right, I promise. I won’t wear sexy lingerie and take it all off at Frisky’s for a man who’ll beg to see my bare breasts swaying in front of his face. And I definitely won’t wear my garter belt and stockings to give anyone a lap dance so that he’s squirming under me from sheer arousal.”

      He swallowed hard. “Fine.” His voice squeaked and he tried again. “Fine. Thank you, Bridget. You’re an old-fashioned girl. You don’t belong doing any of that.”

      Oh, yeah? Bridget gave him a tight smile. The next time she saw him, this old-fashioned girl would do things the old-fashioned way and take him all the way.