Page 22 of Guarding the Shadows
“That was fun,” Beth said, her eyes shining with delight in a post-gig glow. She looked hot in every sense of the word, especially with her flushed face and the tiny coating of perspiration sprinkling across her forehead, cheeks and top lip.
“You were amazing,” I mumbled, reaching for her wrist and taking it firmly in my grasp. Her skin felt sticky and damp, and I immediately wanted to lick her skin to see if it was salty. Shaking that pervy thought away, I leaned in and spoke quietly so that only she could hear. “We’re heading straight to the car. Once we’ve left, you can text Benny and he can meet us back at the hotel.”
“I usually give him a hand to pack the wires into boxes and stuff,” she said, sounding reluctant to do what I said.
Sweeping her long damp hair away from her ear, I leaned in again and sternly demanded, “Don’t defy me, Beth. We’re not working with ‘usually’ here.” When I pulled back and saw her pupils dilate, I almost smiled. Turning my tone pleasant, I said, “Besides, Benny’s a big boy. He can pack the shit up by himself since I’m picking up the slack by looking after you.”
Beth held my gaze, our faces inches apart. Her gaze dropped to my mouth, and she licked her lips like she was suddenly thirsty, took a sharp breath and blew it out. “You’re right. Sorry. Okay, what are we doing?” Her body trembled as her gaze looked intensely toward me.
“We’re leaving via a side exit. I’ve had one of the security guards bring the car round. Don’t worry, it’ll be right outside the door.”
Without another word, I led her firmly by her wrist to the exit I had mentioned and pushed open the fire door. Scanning the alley to ensure the coast was clear, I quickly helped Beth inside the car and slammed the door shut behind her. Taking the key from the guard, I thanked him as I jogged around the hood, climbed in beside her and started the engine.
“Jesus, Raff, that scene was straight out of an action movie. Why didn’t he just leave the keys in the car?” she asked as I drove speedily away.
I checked the rearview mirror to make sure nothing was behind us before I replied, “Because if someone wanted you that badly, they could have come from nowhere, slid straight into the driver’s seat, and driven off with you.”
“Damn, you think of everything,” she muttered. Relaxing, she slid down in her seat and raised her arms over her seat’s headrest. When I saw how comfortable she was after what had happened the night before, I figured I’d played my part in keeping her safe, although I believed I’d only fully chill out once we’d left Jacksonville.
Dropping my car with the valet, I opted to take Beth through the front lobby of the hotel. I figured he wouldn’t be anywhere near the reception area because he was camera conscious. I’d also tipped the bellboy to keep an elevator on standby for an hour around the time the gig was finishing, and to lock Beth in the elevator with him once I got out to check her suite again.
“Was all that necessary,” she asked once we stepped inside.
“Are you safe?” I asked, giving her a piercing look.
“Of course,” she said, her tone almost mocking, but when she almost lost her balance in her shoes, I knew my words hit home.
“Then it was necessary,” I replied, unbuttoning my jacket and shrugging out of it. I laid it on the back of a chair and when I turned back to see what she was doing, I froze at the sight of her sweet, plump ass in the air while she bent to pick up an earring that had fallen on the floor.“Fuck.”
Placing it back in her ear, she walked over and stood in front of me. Turning, she quickly scooped her hair in a high ponytail, exposing the delicious nape of her neck. Holding her hair up in one hand, she reached back with the other and tapped her dress zipper. “Would you mind?”
“Undressing you?” I asked, joking.
“Well, you could do that too, but the zipper will do for now,” she replied playfully.
“I never figured you for a cock-tease,” I muttered as I slowly fumbled to unfasten her zipper.
Glancing over her shoulder, her eyes met mine and she lifted a brow. “You figured right.” I didn’t miss the seductive tone that was at least an octave lower than her usual pitch when she said that.
My big, clumsy fingers became thumbs as I fought with my urge not to rip that fucking dress off her and throw her on the floor.
“What is this? What do you want from me, Beth?” I asked, focusing a little too hard on counting the zipper’s teeth as they ticked free one by one.
“That would depend upon what you’re offering. If you’re just after a rebound fuck, then no matter how much I want you, I’m definitely not your girl,” she countered.
“Not a rebound,” I muttered gruffly, sounding like I couldn’t string a whole sentence together.
“Then what?” she challenged, spinning to face me so fast, her loosened dress fell over her bare shoulders.
Unable to resist, I smoothed my palms over her them, then traced my fingers along each side of her collarbone until they met in the middle. Once there, I went further and grabbed her loosely by the throat. As Beth’s breath hitched, she stumbled before me, making me tighten my grip until she recovered her footing. “I’ll ask you again, pretty girl. What do you want from me? Do you just want someone to play around with, or are you looking for something more?”
“More,” she whispered.
“You sure? You can handle me?” I asked, staring darkly into her gorgeous, gray eyes.
“Mm-hm,” she muttered, her tone high and breathy as her gaze grew intense.
“Now that doesn’t sound like the forward girl with the flirty banter. Are you all talk, my sweet Bethany?” I goaded. When she fell silent, I dipped my head and placed my mouth on her shoulder. I smiled when her legs buckled again. Dragging my nose along the same path I’d traced from her shoulder to her neck, then I whispered in her ear, “Do you want me to fuck you hard? Or are you a vanilla girl who prefers pillow talk, and tender, languid sex?”
