When Nathan Rio, a guarded stripper with a haunting past, catches the eye of the city’s most powerful bachelor, his life plunges into a world of seduction, secrets, and betrayal. Donald Ervin is stinking rich, dangerously charming—and hiding more than just his criminal empire. One night of steamy passion between them ignites a fire neither can ignore. But when Nathan becomes his personal bodyguard, the line between love and hate blurs dangerously fast, and he finds himself pulled deeper into a world of crime. As the past claws its way back and enemies scheme to tear them apart, Nathan must choose: betray the man he has come to love in order to protect himself, or risk everything for a chance at redemption. In a world where love is lethal and secrets destroy, how far will he go to protect his heart?
Lihat lebih banyakCHAPTER ONE: I'll HAVE HIM
Heaven on Earth—the most exclusive club in the entire country. A haven of seduction and Lust where men and women—especially men—came to lose themselves in passion.
“Welcome to Heaven on Earth,” a lady purred, her straight brown hair cascaded over a tight dress that could barely contained her large bossom. As she poured drinks, a group of men gawked her shamelessly—except one.
Donald Ervin.
Thirty-three, filthy rich, dangerously attractive. A man with an aura so strong it pulled people in with such a great force. Piercing blue eyes, smooth jawline. An air of control that made everyone around him submit without question.
But tonight, his eyes weren’t on the ladies, who were looking extra good today.
His gaze was fixed intently on one of the strippers—A man.
Tattooed on his left breast was a dragon. His black pants clung to him as he moved with seductively on the pole. The way he smiled, the way he moved, everything about him made Donald yearn to have him.
“Mr. Ervin!”
Mrs. V, the club owner, walked toward him in red platforms. Her red hair was pulled into a high ponytail, and her dress clung to her hourglass figure.
“It’s always a pleasure to see you,” she smiled. "I wasn't expecting you tonight tho."
“You look ravishing, as always,” Donald said, rising briefly to kiss her hand. “Red suits you. I assume your husband’s been feeding you well.”
Mrs. V blushed. “He’s away on a business trip, so I’ve been looking after the club around the clock.” She took a seat next to him on the couch.
The drinks arrived. They clinked glasses.
“I see your eyes are… occupied tonight,” she teased, trying to follow his gaze. "You like what you see?"
“Off course." He took a sip from his glass. The wine was nice. He'd ask for the name before he left the club.
"They are,” Donald replied, voice low, eyes still on the man.
She smirked. “Liz’s quite the seductress. Skilled in every way, she's beautifully end—”
“I’m not talking about Liz,” he cut her off. “I’m talking about him.” He pointed towards the man in black pants. “The one entertaining those ladies.”
Mrs. V turned and blinked. “Nathan?” She blinked repeatedly. "Maybe I have it all wrong."
Donald’s gaze was still glued to the dancer. “Is that his name?”
"Nathan." He muttered. It was a nice name.
“Yes, but I didn’t realize you were…” She caught herself, when she noticed the change in his mood. “I mean, you usually request the ladies.”
Donald raised a brow, slightly irritated by her words. “And?”
“Nothing,” she laughed nervously, taking a sip from her glass. “I was just surprised, that’s all.”
“Is there a rule that says I can’t want a man?” he asked flatly. "Or is a federal crime?"
“Of course not! We’re all-inclusive here. I’m a proud ally.” She threw a mock salute, laughing awkwardly.
“How much for him?” Donald asked, eyes never leaving Nathan. “Triple of what I pay for the girls."
Mrs. V’s smile widened at the mention of money. “They set their own rules and prices. I can’t override that. But I’ll ask.”
She called over a girl nearby. “Sapphire, go get Nathan.”
The girl hurried off, whispered something in his ear while pointing in their direction, and she had him in her company when she returned.
Donald repeated the name under his breath. “Nathan. He looked much more handsome up close."
Nathan approached minutes later, shirtless, his body glistening with sweat and confidence.
But the moment his eyes met Donald’s, his expression turned cold. He immediately knew why he had been called. His face was scrunched up in pure disgust.
“Your performance was eye-catching tonight,” Mrs. V said, her tone sugary. “One of our very special guests”—her hand rested Donald’s lap, trying to give a clue to Nathan—“would like your company in the VIP room.”
“I’ll pass,” Nathan said bluntly. "Can I go now?" He glared at Donald who was smiling.
Mrs. V blinked. “Nathan, he's one of our VVIP—”
“I made it clear when I signed the contract." He cut her off rudely. "I only do women.” His tone was calm but laced with disdain. “Not men.”
Mrs. V hesitated, then nodded stiffly. “Of course. You’re free to go.”
“Thank you, ma’am.” Nathan slightly bowed his head and walked away, returning to the stage where the women eagerly pulled him in.
Donald’s gaze followed him. “Hard to catch,” he muttered with a small smirk. "I like him."
Mrs. V tried to smooth over the awkward moment. “I’m really sorry, Mr. Ervin. It’s policy, and I can't breach it."
Donald didn't say anything which made her paranoid. He was one of her biggest customers, she couldn't lose him.
"We can’t force anyone—”
“To do what they don’t want. I get it,” he said. "Nobody likes that in business."
“As a courtesy, I can offer you two of our best girls—no charge. You can take them home tonight.” She said, pointing at two ladies who were ogling at him.
Donald’s lips curled into a dangerous smile. “I’m not interested in consolation prizes.” He reached for his glass.
Mrs. V raised a brow. “Then what are you interested in?”
Donald leaned back in his chair, glass in hand, eyes never moving from the dancer.
“I’m a man who always gets what he wants.”
He took a sip. “And I want him.”
"Nathan is a tough one." She pointed out. "How do you intend to do that?"
"Don't worry about that." His lips curled up in a mischievous grin.
Donald got through the rest of the meetings he had. Investors had come in mouth watery proposals, all thanks to Nathan who had found some way to get Zarek out of the picture. He'd forever be indebted to him for saving his company from going down.On their way back, Donald instructed Nathan to bring the car to a halt. Nathan glanced at him through the rearview mirror, wondering why they were suddenly stopping."Today's been a long day." Dobald stretched his aching arms. "I need something sweet." Outside a small ice cream shop. Nathan alighted first, his eyes darted across every nook and cranny of the streets, scanning the area for threats."Calm down," Donald tapped him on the shoulder. "The streets are busy, no one would be stupid enough to try anything funny." He hoped and prayed.“Ice cream?” Nathan asked, suspicious. "Since when did you care for ice cream?" He didn't know much, but amongst the few things he knew about him boss, he was very sure that Donald wasn't a fan of ice cre
The next few hours brought untold joy to Donald as he went through his phone. His phone began to buzz with good news—stocks climbing again, investors returning, cautious but willing to talk. At first, he thought it was just luck, but then little details slipped through.He reached out to someone who got him the playstation and had it delivered to the house.By the next evening, a sleek black box sat on the dining table, wrapped neatly with a silver ribbon. Nathan eyed it suspiciously when he sat down at the table to eat, and it was right next to his plate.“What’s this?” he poked the box like it'd suddenly grow fangs and bite him.“Open it,” Donald said,a smile on his face."Why should I do that?" His eyes moved from the box to Donald's face. Eloise, who was dying to see his reaction when he saw it spoke up."Just open the god-damned box, have a look and stop asking way too many questions."Nathan glared at her then reached down to the box. He tore the ribbon and lifted the lid. His e
After dinner, Nathan stayed awake discussing with Eloise before she retired for the night, and he went back to his room.Donald had just gotten out of the shower. He changed into gray trousers and a plain white T-shirt, but instead of getting into bed, he stood in front of the mirror. Slowly, he took off the shirt, his muscles shifting under his skin as he flexed, checking the progress he was making from spending weeks in the gym. Nathan lay on the bed, watching from under half-closed eyes. His self-control was thinning with every slow movement. His chest felt tight, heat curling low in his stomach.But then that small, sharp voice in his head cut through the haze. "This man is supposed to be hated by you." The tiny voice said. You're not supposed to be looking at him like this.And with it came the memory—the night at the club. The heat, the mistakes, the things he still couldn’t forgive. The morning when he'd found himself naked in Donald's bed.His jaw tightened, and the heat wa
The police arrived in minutes, their boots heavy against the hotel carpet as they stepped into the room. "I hope you're not hurt," One of the police asked, and he shook his head. Aside from a little cut when he'd tried to grab the knife, he was fine.The police officer turned to the lady who was still yelling and cursing in a language which sounded like mandarin or taiwanese."Take her away," Two officers took the woman away in handcuffs while another stayed behind to take Nathan’s statement.Nathan told them everything. The attack, the connection to Zarek, and the fact that Donald had been asleep through all of it. His voice was calm, steady, but inside he was still burning from what had happened at the club.Donald was still fast asleep, unaware of the fact that he'd almost lost his life.“I want to file for a restraining order against Zarek,” Nathan added firmly.The officer nodded, jotting it down. “We’ll get that started right away. You’ll be contacted when it’s processed.” he i
The strip club looked exactly as Nathan remembered—the red and blue lights that added to the mood, the sensual and pulsing music, and the smell of cheap perfume mixed with alcohol. He pushed through the crowd until he spotted Zarek seated somewhere which was a private booth in the corner with a glass of dark liquor in his hand.Zarek smiled the moment he saw him. “Nathan. You look… different. I guess babysitting a CEO is a good job actually.” He took a sip from his glass. Nathan didn’t bother sitting. “Leave Donald alone.” he warned. "Donald had nothing to do with any of this, so I see no reason why you should hurt him."The smile faded from Zarek’s face, replaced with something colder. “This has everything to do with him." He replied. "He has something that belongs to me.""I don't belong to you, nor do I belong to anybody." Nathan retorted. "I wont warn you again, leave Donald alone.""You know I can’t do that.” He leaned back, taking a slow sip. “Donald took something that belong
Donald walked into the hotel, with Nathan carrying the bags following closely behind. They'd spent hours driving round town just to lose the man who had been tailing them all night. Since he'd checked them in, Donald had said nothing. He unlocked the door, and entered. Donald put his bag onto the bed that was close to the window, sat down, and immediately brought out his laptop.Nathan stood for a moment, watching him, then quietly closed the door. This man had become a shadow of himself. He hated this. And the cause of this was Zarek .Donald’s fingers moved over the keyboard as he logged into his company's emails. His face, already pale from stress, drained more color when he saw the messages there. He tap on them one by one, it kept coming, never ending. Each one was worse compared to the last.Their stocks were dropping fast. Investors were pulling out. His name—his company’s name—was being ripped apart in numbers and words. The news was all over the internet, and nobody wante
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Komen