Evan's Addiction (47 page)

     I didn’t miss this part of the job.

     Finding a spot against the wall for optimum viewing I leaned
against it and waited, camera phone at the ready. For the next thirty minutes I
watched Jeremy interact with the girls around him. He threw around a lot of
smiles, touches, and hugs, but it wasn’t anything that was worth a picture. I
needed lips on lips and lots of groping. Right now the guy was just overly
friendly. For me it would have been enough, but my clients wanted harder porn
shots. 

     The only thing good about this party was that none of my harassers
hung with this Fraternity, but I did still have to deal with several guys
hitting on me. Most of them would walk away with only a nasty sneer, but some
were too drunk to read my repugnance and sidled up next to me.

     At the moment I was dealing with number five, and this one was the
worst.

     “Go away.” I repeated, glaring at the drunken douche-bag whose
hand was planted on the wall above my head so he could lean down in my face.

     “You’re a hot little piesh, and I like girlsh that play hard to
get.” He slurred.

     I waved my hand dispersing his foul breath. “I’m not playing hard
to get. I have a boyfriend and I’m not looking for another.” I so wanted to
call this asshole an asshole, but I was trying to keep things civil because I
didn’t need to draw attention.

     The knob-polisher leaned in closer, leering at me up and down
while licking his lips in a really disgusting manner. I was going to need a
bath tonight and maybe even a strong antibiotic.

     “I’ll be your boyfriend tonight.”

     “No thanks. I like sandy brown hair and amber eyes, not blonde
hair and brown eyes.” I clipped, shifting away from him.

     He frowned in confusion. “What?”

     I rolled my eyes. Was it the alcohol, or was he always this
stupid?  

     “She’s saying I’m prettier than you and to get lost.”

     My head swiveled in shock to find Evan standing behind stupid; the
muscles in his face twitching, his lips tight, and a fire burning in his eyes.
Evan gave stupid a hardy shove that had him stumbling away, and thankfully he
kept on going. It appeared he wasn’t too drunk to realize Evan was taller and
bigger.

     “Evan, what are you doing here?”  

     Had he really taken me up on my suggestion to go have fun without
me? I had hoped he would go hang out with his friends, not come to one of these
hook-up parties. My throat began to clog up with disappointment…and hurt.

     He looked down at the cup of beer in my hand like it held Ebola.
“Tell me you’re not drinking that?”

     I shook my head and the next second it was gone from my hand, and
then his palms hit the wall on either side of my head and his hard, hot body
caged me against the wall. “I’m here to find you, Red.” His tone was a low roar
cutting through the music and crowd noise. “I’ve been texting you all night
trying to get you to give me your location, but you’re stubborn as hell. So for
the last hour and a half I’ve been hitting Frat houses trying to find you and I
have to tell you I am not happy. How many guys have hit on you tonight? How
many have gotten in your face like that asshole?”

     I stared at him in astonishment. “You’re here for me? You’ve been
looking for me? What…Why? I told you I was fine.” I couldn’t believe he’d been
searching parties for me.

     He scowled. “It’s not fine when I find drunken tools hitting on
you. It’s not safe coming to these parties alone, and if this guy you’re trying
to catch cheating notices you taking pictures of him he could turn aggressive.
If any of these guys realized who you represent there could be a full blown
riot.” Evan’s hand gently gripped the back of my neck and he gave a tiny shake.
“Fuck Shaw! You weren’t answering my calls or texts; I’ve been worried about
you.”

     My astonishment exploded. He’d been worried about me?! But…why?
I’d been looking after myself for as long as I can remember.

     Evan’s and my eyes were locked and I watched his amber orbs flare,
and I realized my hands had settled on his waist without me even knowing. I
went with it and squeezed the solid muscles there.                

     “Evan, I can take of myself, been doing it forever. Nothings ever
happened to me at one of these parties, and people take pictures at these
things all the time. Pretending to take a selfie is as ordinary as someone
puking.”

     His face came closer. “I don’t like it, Shaw. All it takes is one
time. Any girl who’s been there can tell you that.”

     If he was trying to be intimidating it wasn’t working. The only
thing I was feeling was arousal. “Would it make you feel better if I told you I
have a taser?”

     His brows shot up and he seemed to forget about his displeasure
for a moment. “You do?”

     I brought out a smirk. “And mace. It’s every girls must have.”

     Eyeing me with hooded intensity he sighed. “Shaw, it’s still not
safe.” Closing his eyes his forehead touched mine. “Shit, I can’t believe how
freaked out I was.” Fierce eyes met mine again. “If you do this again I’m going
to turn your ass as red as your hair. I just might do it anyway for not
answering my calls.”

     Heat and emotions rushed through me. His threats didn’t even faze
me because it was taking everything in me to not let this moment seem more than
it was. Evan probably would have been concerned for any girl who was at a party
on her own because that’s the kind of guy he was. I reminded myself that I
wasn’t anything special.

     I wasn’t completely successful at not letting the fervor he was
displaying seep a little bit into my heart though.

     Incase my face was displaying everything I was feeling I buried it
in his neck, kissing up the length of it to his ear. “I’ll look forward to that
after I get my picture tonight.”

     His frame went rigid against mine. Surging harder into me,
pressing me into the wall, Evan twisted his head covering my mouth. I opened
instantly, letting him have his way. I hated that I’d been anxious about what
he’d do tonight on his own, and I had really thought he would jump at the chance
to go do something without me, but finding out that he’d spent the night
searching for me had this knot in my chest unraveling making me want to jump
him without delay in the middle of this party.   

     The sudden outburst of whooping and catcalls broke us both apart
though, and I became instantly mortified at giving everyone a show.

     Way to go, Shaw; show everyone that the rumors about you are true.

     Evan pressed my head into his chest. “Give it a minute and
everyone will find something else to look at.”

     Realizing he was trying to block me from everyone’s view I slumped
into his frame. My eyes misted and I blinked hastily to clear them. How did he
know what I was thinking and feeling? And it’s not like I cared what these
people thought about me. I was just sick of the rumors and harassment and
didn’t want to feed them more. I was just starting to get a slight reprieve
from it…all because of Evan, and now he was watching out for me again.

     Clutching at his shirt I pressed my face into him and inhaled. God
this moment felt wonderful, and I so wished that it could be forever.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-TWO

EVAN

     I blanketed Shaw, my heart thumping madly with lust, leftover
anger and anxiety. I was irritated as hell that she’d disregarded my texts and
calls on where she was, and finding some ass-bandit caging her against the
wall, hitting on her, did not make my night any better. When she had first
informed me about what she did I told her it was dangerous going to parties
alone, but she’d still gone and done it, and then had the audacity to tell me
to go have fun without her.

     When she texted me that suggestion I’d instantly rejected the idea
because…well, shit, I can’t even explain it to myself. I’d never spent so many
back to back days with any of my other women, and with any of them I would have
jumped at the idea of getting a break from them. The reason my time with them
had lasted a month was because I gave myself time away from them. After my
hasty refutation I had taken a moment to consider the idea, because it bore
thinking about and if I was anything it was a thinker, but even if she hadn’t
been out by herself doing recon at a party alone I realized I still didn’t want
a break from her.

     So I had continued to try and get a hold of her reminding her she
shouldn’t be at Frat parties by herself, but she’d brushed off my concern.

     Shaw’s astonished expression at witnessing my concern told me she
wasn’t accustomed to people worrying about her. I had to remind myself that
she’d been raised by people who didn’t give a damn if she stayed out all night
and got shit-faced, raped, or killed. Because of this her already independent personality
had been tweaked to become even more pigheaded.

     Well, I gave a damn about her and she was going to know it, and I
wasn’t going to let her blow me off just because she thought she was this autonomous
woman who could take on the world all by herself. Dammit, anything could have
happened to her.

     I pulled her in tighter as another wave of anger and fear rolled
over me. 

     The urge to drag her out of this house and implement my threat to
turn her ass red was great, but as I stood there holding her my riotous
emotions calmed and I began to comprehend that she wasn’t going to let me do
that until she got what she came for. Better to just help her get it done and
then it would be my turn.

     “Who’s the guy you need to photograph?” I grumbled down into her
hair…her loose hair, and that just got me more riled up. I was beginning to
consider her hair as mine. Yeah, it was stupid, but I didn’t like just anyone
seeing all those curls free.

     She shifted us sideways and I watched her peer around the room. A
frown line appeared between her eyes. “Oh shit! He’s not here. I’ve lost him.”
Leaning back she gave me a disgruntled look and pulled out her phone. Five
seconds later she shoved it at my chest. Taking it and turning it over I saw
the picture of a guy on it. “This is him. Now help me look.” She growled. 

     I was expecting to have to tag along behind her as she stormed
off, but she surprised me by grabbing my hand and tugging me after her as she
strode through the house searching the crowd.

     Expelling a breath, shaking my head, and holding back an exasperated
grin at her adorableness because I was still perturbed by this whole night, I
helped her search. I saw several people I knew and gave them head nods in
greeting but didn’t stop to chat. I wasn’t in the mood to mingle and I knew
Shaw wasn’t going to halt her search, and there was no way I was letting her
out of my sight.

     We were headed down a hallway when she suddenly stopped. “I really
thought he was going to be different.”

     Looking over her head I glimpsed the guy from her phone leaning
back against a wall, a girl pressed to his front, smacking lips like there was
no tomorrow. Shaw raised her phone to take a picture but the couple suddenly
disappeared behind a door.

     “Crap on a cracker.” She strode down the hallway and I followed.

     Stopping in front of the door she tried the doorknob and when it
didn’t budge she sighed and looked at me. “What do you think…can you kick it
down?” She asked all seriously.

     I knew her well enough now to read behind some of her faces.
Leaning my shoulder against the wall I grinned and sent my searing gaze up and
down her body. “I normally get paid for manual labor. How much you paying?”

     Cheeks flushing with arousal, and her green eyes sparkling with
excitement, Shaw rolled her eyes pretending to be uninterested. “Not that I
wouldn’t love to see you go all Hulk on this thin slab of tinder, I brought
something easier to lug around than your trunk of a leg.”

     Opening her off the shoulder bag…not purse…she rummaged inside. Of
course I tilted in to get a peek, and low and behold she hadn’t been fibbing
about that taser, but my curious gaze switched to the three inch slim metal
tool she pulled out. It had a small hook at one end and a wedge at the other.

     She held it up like it was made of gold. “My handy-dandy, lock
picker…for those locks that cost less then thirty dollars.” Fitting the wedge
end into the small hole in the center of the knob she gave a small twist and…“Wall-lah.”
She whispered.

     Slightly impressed, I raised one brow. “What are you going to do
now; just open the door and start clicking?”

     She returned the tool back to her purse with a scowl. “Do I look
like that kind of hack photographer to you?”

     No, she looked liked a fucking wet dream.

     After fiddling with her phone she gave me a smile and a
come-hither with her finger.

     I was a junkie for her smile so of course I obeyed. Taking hold of
my shirt she moved in close. “I knew if I fingered you long enough you’d come.”

     A smile split my face; the little minx just turned the table on me
pitching me an awesome pick-up line. Suddenly, she was pushing me backwards
through the door she’d unlocked. It was dark but Shaw fixed that by flicking on
the light.

     “Oh shit, sorry, sorry, we thought this room was empty. You should
really lock the door next time. Well, we will leave you to your fun and look
for another room. Ta-ta.”