1 How Not to Quit

Danielle 'Elle' Cutting was what many would call tough as nails. But for Elle, what she saw in when she looked in the mirror was not someone who was tough as nails. What she saw, was survivor. At twenty-six she had taken quite a few hard hits from life and kept on moving. The types of things that would have had most people tying a noose or impaling themselves on a sharp knife.

A week before her eighteenth birthday she had become an orphan. Both her parents gone in a single night. All it had taken was a drunk woman at the wheel of her expensive car and the life Elle had known was torn apart. Ruth Cutting had died on the scene, her head cracked open, the coroner said her mom probably never even knew what happened. Elle sincerely hoped that was true, that one of her parents had gone out peacefully. Robert Cutting had not been so lucky, Her father, stubborn until the end, had held on for an hour. Bones broken, some of them piercing flesh, his spine and lungs a mess. But he had still held on, finally letting go when his heart could take no more.

Even worse than her parents' deaths had been watching the woman who did it walk free. No injuries whatsoever, and then with her army of high paid lawyers, she'd shrugged off the case like it was an out of season coat. No prison time, no fine, no compensation. All the things money could buy.

Money that Elle, orphaned, newly an adult did not have, but desperately needed. There had been bills to pay, rent, utilities, funeral costs, plus the hefty bill her father's brief but intensive hospital stay had garnered. She had worked three jobs then, a delivery truck driver, a barista, and a waitress. All of them leaving her drained. A balancing act that she had only been able to keep up for six months before losing all three jobs in the span of a week.

Sleeps on the job. Makes deliveries late. Talks back to customers. Those had been just a few of the complaints against her.

In a show of awful judgment, Elle had gone out that weekend to get sloshed. Venturing into a part of town run by the Romano crime family. But she had never made it to the bar, finding herself outside club M in the middle of the night staring at the 'NEW DANCER WANTED' poster. She had gone in, expecting an interview, but what she had been met with had been a brown eyed stranger staring at her like she was the answer to all his problems.

"I am Elle, I am here about the new dancer post," She had said, and he had smiled at her, his cheeks dimpling.

"Hello Elle. I am Gio, the owner of club M," With that he had led her to the stage, and into a trial by fire. Later, she had found out that he was not just Gio, but Giovanni Romano, the current Don of the Romano family. A cutthroat gangster hidden behind innocent brown eyes, a wide smile and body that looked like it had been chiselled from stone. 

She should have left and never come back, but then he'd set those eyes on her, a big warm hand on her shoulder

"I'll see you tomorrow night, right?" He'd asked and all Elle could do was nod, swept away in wave of his unassuming charm.

That had been six years ago now, but Elle, was still at the club, working the pole. She had long paid her debts, and was almost done with her accounting degree, but come night time, Elle changed into her stage persona, Lady Ecstasy( Lady E for short), and hit the stage. The men raining money on her as she moved. The skimpiest bra and a barely there thong the only things between her and total nudity. If anyone asked, she would tell them that she stayed because the money was good. But that was only partly true. The main reason Elle stayed, cliché as it was… was for a man.

Her on and off fling with Gio had begun a year into her working at club M. They never really talked about it, never meeting anywhere but at the club. But it had become something Elle looked forward to, a constant in her stormy life. Now with the club patrons gone, and the dancers getting ready to leave, Elle stayed behind.

"I am going to use the wifi here before heading home, you guys go on without me," There was a chorus of jeers and cackling. The girls giving her knowing looks as they passed, and Elle felt her cheeks heat. 

"Take care lady E, don't let the 'wifi' bite!" Cherry Top called and Elle flipped her the bird. The woman, her hair currently red, her brown eyes lined with kohl, returned the gesture as she went out the door.

"See you, E," Phoenix's goodbye was more polite, her best friend Desire trailing behind her, the two of them leaving hand in hand. With all the girls gone, Elle took a moment to calm herself, her relationship with Gio was one of the worst kept secrets. But somehow, any time someone even alluded to it, she found herself blushing like a teenage girl. Like she did not earn her living by dancing nearly naked in a room full of men…how embarrassing.

But this time she was not waiting for sex. She was going to end things. She had to move on, she could not keep dancing half naked for the rest of her life. Elle wanted kids, she wanted a family. What she had with Gio would never give her that. So she had decided to end it. Though she had not told anyone, it was her final night at the club. 

She was done, now she just had to tell Gio, so she waited, and waited, and waited.

At some point she got up and went to her locker, taking her coat out and putting it on, sitting around in her underwear was doing her no favors. She was just about to give up and go home, when the door opened and in walked Gio. Looking like sex on legs in jeans and form fitting shirt. Spotting a stubble that always did things to Elle, especially with his head between her thighs.

"Took you long enough," She shot him an irritated glare, standing and turning her back to him. Opening her locker to pretend like she was looking for something. If she continued looking at the devilish smirk of his, she might just jump him, and that was not why she was there.

A hand came around her waist, pulling her back into a solid wall of muscle and she let out an involuntary squeak.

Warm breath ghosted the side of her as he neck as huffed" Why so angry, cara mia?" Back to chest as she was, his deep baritone reverberated through her body and Elle felt herself instantly relax, leaning more of her weight onto him as he peppered the side of her neck with kisses.

This was not good, she had to focus, she was here to quit. No smooth words or delightful kisses would change her mind. 

She breathed, trying to gather herself, and there was that voice, rumbling through her as he laughed. His big strong hands gripped her waist, and Elle turned her head, their mouths meeting as his hands began moving over her body.

How was her mind supposed to function when her body betrayed her at every turn?

He shoved his tongue into her mouth and Elle welcomed him, he tasted of whiskey, the expensive kind that he kept in his office and she found herself craving more of it. Her tongue battling his in an effort to get more of the taste. Twisting until she was facing him, she threw her arms around his neck, standing on her tiptoes( even with her stilettos on, the man was still unfairly tall). 

They kissed until Elle was drunk on it, her lips swollen when he drew back, his eyes looking at her hungry.

Wait! I am here to quit! Elle thought frantically, but that was as far as her thoughts got. Deepening the kiss further, Gio's hands moved to her thighs, one of them going to the vee of her legs and Elle gave up the fight. 

How was she supposed to give this up?

Given that his fingers were now pushing her panties to the side, Elle chose not to answer her own question. There would be time to think on it later. Right now, all she could focus on was the feel of his tongue and the touch of his hand. And right on cue his fingers hit the jackpot and Elle's brain short circuited.

Yes, she would leave the questions for future Elle, for now, she would just let Gio pleasure her.

That was the last coherent thought she had for a long while.