Player in Paradise (14 page)

I slowly walk toward the back corner of the room where Tyler is popping cheese and crackers into his mouth. What am I going to say? I’ve never bribed or blackmailed anyone in my life. Do I want to be the person who stoops to that level? What Cassidy did to me wasn’t fair, but does it justify getting her back?

I run my fingers through my hair and take a deep breath. I’ve tried talking Cassidy out of this, and she’s hell bent on milking the engagement and wedding as long as possible with the press. If I don’t stop it now, it will be harder to make it end later on. And Austin’s right, there’s no way to get out of this without doing something drastic.

I step closer to Tyler and he looks straight at me.

“You look familiar…” he says.

I smile. “Yeah, I think I saw you at the hotel earlier.”

“Right, that was it. Do you work for the magazine?”

“What I do isn’t important.” I try to make my voice as calm and clear as possible even though I’m shaking inside.

“Ok…” he looks at me with an arched eyebrow now.

“I know who you are and I need you to do something for me.”

“
Whoa, whoa, what do you mean you know who I am? Who the hell are you?”

His voice raises and I motion for him to stay quiet. “You’re with Cassidy. Don’t try to deny it, I have photographic evidence and I’ve seen it with my own eyes.”

His face fades from tan and peachy to ghost-white. He places his food plate down on the table and steps closer to whisper. “What do you want me to do?”

“I need you to convince Cassidy to break up with Austin.
Or let him break up with her, it doesn’t matter who does it, as long as they aren’t together anymore.”

“How am I supposed to do that? And why should I help you?”

“You need to help me because I can ruin both of your lives in a matter of minutes. I have a multitude of media contacts who would love to get their hands on a story about Cassidy cheating on Austin. Her clean, wholesome image would go down the toilet in no time. I can see her losing fans and contracts as soon as the news hits the blogs.”

“
But why would you want to do that? What’s in it for you?” he asks, twisting his hands together anxiously. I’m doing it; I’m actually making him sweat.

“It doesn’t matter what’s in it for me. Just do it.”

I turn and walk away quickly to find the nearest bathroom. I’m about to have a panic attack -- I can feel my windpipe closing and my vision blur. I run in and turn on the sink, slapping my cheeks with the cold water. Rising, I stare at my reflection in the mirror. I look the same, but I feel…different. My mother told me before I got on the plane to California that I can’t let Hollywood get a hold of me. I brushed it off; I never let anything or anyone get in my head before, but now…now I feel like I’m turning into one of
them
. The liars and the backstabbers who run around L.A. doing whatever they can to get ahead, no matter the consequences or who gets hurt in the end.

I want to bolt out the door and run away from here, but I know I can’t. I’m working, and Austin needs me, and this is supposed to be fun. I exit the restroom and keep my distance from Tyler for the rest of the shoot. There’s enough commotion going on around us that I know he won’t make a scene.

The photographer changes the tone of the shoot from high-fashion to laid-back, with Austin out of his tuxedo and into a pair of dark denim, a plain white tee and a black leather jacket. He lays on the ground with Cassidy snuggled in the crook of his shoulder, looking rocker-chic in a tight black dress, silver belt and an arm full of studded bracelets. The photographer directs him to place his hand in her mane of tousled blonde hair and she lays her arm across his chest. The scene makes my stomach churn, but if everything goes to plan, this could be Austin and Cassidy’s last ever photo shoot together.

The shoot wraps and I wave Austin over as soon as he’s done changing. “We need to get out of here before Tyler talks to Cassidy, come on.”

We rush outside and jump in the car to get back to the hotel. This was our last stop for the day, so Cassidy made her own plans back to wherever she’s headed.

“How did it go?” Austin asks.

“Well, I did it…I asked him to make sure Cassidy breaks up with you or else I’d share the photo of them together with the press.”

“Thanks,” he says, turning his face to mine. “And I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“I wish I could have been the one to talk to him. I hate making you do something dirty like that. I wish you didn’t need to be brought into this mess.”

I grab his hand and give his fingers a quick squeeze. “It’s fine. I had to do what I had to do.”

He squeezes my hand back, tighter. “
Thanks, and hopefully it will all be worth it.”

“Yeah…hopefully.”

We order room service for dinner and relax in Austin’s expansive suite. “Come on, we’re getting out of here,” he says, grabbing my hand to pull me off the bed.

“
And where are we going?” I ask.

“
You need to experience New York City nightlife. It’s the best there is, even better than LA.”

“
But we can’t go out…together.”

“
Sure, we can. You’ll see.”

“Alright, but let me get into something a little nicer.” I rush to my room and throw on a tight strapless black dress and studded peep-toe pumps that I packed just in case we were invited out somewhere fancy. I freshen up my makeup with another swipe of eyeliner, mascara and lip gloss, and knock on his door.

Austin’s standing in the doorway,
staring me up and down. “Wow,” he says under his breath.

H
e looks impossibly sexy in his fitted jeans and black button-down shirt.

“Come in for a sec,
” he says.

I step through the doorway and h
e pulls out a bottle of tequila and two shot glasses.

“Oh no, no, no.
We’re not getting out of control tonight, not in public.”

“Just one shot,” he says, untwisting the cap.

He fills up the glasses and hands me one. I begrudgingly accept and clink my glass to his. “To New York City,” he shouts before tossing his head back and swallowing it down.

I follow
his actions and wince as the liquid burns through my chest. He reaches for my hand as soon as my glass hits the table and pulls me in for a quick, yet intimate kiss. “I’m going to show you the best night of your life.”

Red f
lashing lights go off in my head telling me to turn back around, but I follow him out the door and into a yellow cab.

“
Can you take us to Electricity?” Austin asks the driver.

Electricity?
One of the most exclusive clubs in NYC? Even though I’ve lived in L.A. for several months, I’ve never ventured into an established night club. Mandy and I tend to hang out in smaller bars and lounges…mostly because the cover charges at the clubs are outrageous and the lines to get in are even more insane.

We exit the cab and Austin strolls right
up to the bouncer at the front of the line who lets both of us in right away. So this it what feels like to have access to anything you want, anytime, anywhere…

Austin grabs my hand as soon as we get inside the dimly-lit club. The décor and ambience is like something out of a rock music video – plush leather couches, gorgeous female fashion models milling around,
and people ordering bottles of champagne like they’re bottles of water. The music is so loud that it’s vibrating through my body and Austin’s lips graze my ear when he speaks. It’s hard to hear a word he says, but before I know it, he’s handing me another drink and guzzling down one of his own.

He moves his hips to the rhythm and wraps his arm around my waist. It’s so dark and crowded in here that I’
m sure no one is watching us together. I let myself dance along to the music’s erratic beat. Austin leans down to touch his forehead to mine as we move together.

“You’re my angel,”
he says into my ear. “My sexy little angel.”

I know I’m blushing, but
thankfully he won’t be able to see it. I smile up at him and meet his lips with a forceful kiss. His tongue invades my mouth as my eyes close, and my stomach churns with excitement. Is it possible to fall in love this fast? Is it possible to feel like you’ve known someone for years even though you’ve only known them a few weeks?

His large hand
s grab my ass, pushing me even closer to his body. I boldly slide my hand toward the front of his jeans and feel his arousal. We only just arrived at the club, but I already want to take him back to the hotel and get him into bed.

He grabs my hand away and places it on his hard chest
instead. “Uh, uh, uh.” He shakes his head. “You’ll get it later, don’t you worry.”

As we head to the bar for another round of drinks, a few
models try to stop him. Thankfully, his hand doesn’t drop from mine and he quickly nods them off as we walk by. He’s rejecting six-foot tall, exotic, hot as hell fashion models for me. For me! I still don’t understand why, but at this point I’ve stopped trying to figure it out. All that matters is that he wants me, and no one else.

We continue toward the back of the room and Austin leads me down a staircase to an unmarked door with a
burly security guard outside. The guard nods at Austin without saying a word and opens the door to let us in. It’s even darker in here, but just as loud, although the music is a little slower-paced than upstairs.

I’m shocked to see
women down here with minimal clothing on, if any at all. There’s one very tall, slender girl with long, wavy hair in the corner of the room completely naked, dancing with a bottle of champagne in her hand.

“Is this a secret strip club?” I whisper to Austin.

“It’s whatever you want it to be.” He runs his fingers through my hair, which is now matted down to my forehead with sweat.

A
shirtless man wearing sunglasses strolls over to Austin. “Want a bump?” he asks.

Drugs?
Are they doing drugs down here? What the fuck?

“Nah man, I’m good,” Austin replies.

“So, how do you know about this room?” I ask.

“
You shouldn’t ask questions you really don’t want the answers to,” he responds, raising his eyebrows. He further deflects my question by scraping his teeth against a tender spot on my collarbone.

“Austin
, I’m uncomfortable here.”

“
Listen, I used to frequent this spot, before I knew you, even before I met Cassidy. But I promise I don’t do drugs anymore. It’s just a good room to let loose…you can do whatever you want down here. Just let go…”

He whispers the last words in my ear,
then bites down on my earlobe, sending a chill down my spine. Just let go, just let go…okay. I think I can do that. I grab a shot from a waitress passing by with neon-colored drinks on silver platter and toss it back quickly. It doesn’t even burn this time.

Austin smiles at me with a devilish grin and backs me up
against one of the couches until I fall back into a sitting position. He swirls his hips over mine and lands one hand on my bare shoulder as if he’s giving me a private lap dance. He unbuttons his shirt slowly and I reach out to touch his glistening chest. His hips grind into mine as he towers over me and rests his head on my shoulder. He breathes in deeply and slides his hands down my sides, gripping me tight. “I want you so fucking bad,” he whispers. “I want to taste and feel every inch of you.”

My head spins and my heart ra
ces. The mix of alcohol, the booming music, and Austin’s stare intoxicate me. “You can have me,” I say, feeling completely uninhibited.

He’s still hovering above me
, his legs straddling mine as his hands move toward the center of my chest. He strokes my nipples until they’re hard and bites down on my neck again.

I grab for his shirt, which is now wide open, leaving his muscular abs exposed, and pull him closer. He rubs himself against my leg and moves his finger
s under the skirt of my dress, slowly pressing on the fabric of my underwear. I’m craving him so badly, and his teasing drives me insane.

“You’re so wet,” he whispers
before pushing my panties aside and sliding one digit in. His mouth locks onto mine as he explores me in two places at once. He slowly glides in another finger and pulls his face away from mine. I study his expression as he continues to rub me the right way. His carnal gaze, the way he bites the corner of his lush bottom lip, and the sweat beading on his forehead is almost too much to bear.

He pushes his fingers deeper inside,
and looks me straight in the eye. I lick my lips and nod before closing my eyes. I rest my head against the couch and let the music and the feeling of his fingers consume me. I’m already so turned on that it doesn’t take much to send me over the edge.

“That’s it, baby,” he
says as my hips buck toward him, my body trembling with pleasure.

My eyelids open
as he takes a seat next to me. “I’ve turned you into a dirty little girl, haven’t I?”

I laugh
and shake my head. “I guess so. But you’re so fucking hot, I would do anything you asked me to.”

“Is that so
?”

“I bet I could come again just by looking at you.”
I moan into his ear and grab his thigh. Maybe he has turned me a bit more devious than I used to be.

“Don’t do that
,” he says. “I’m about to explode, and I’d rather it happen inside of you later.”

“Let’s go then.” I pull him up from the couch and take one last look around the room…other people are doing much wilder things than what we just did.

He jumps up and follows me out, but steers me toward a back door to exit from.

Taking my hand, he places
a kiss on the backside of my palm. “Let’s make a detour.”

Austin
walks me down the street into a very interesting neighborhood. I wonder what he has in mind as we pass by a few sex shops, stores that sell stripper gear, and a tattoo and piercing place.

“Where the hell are we?” I ask.

“This is where I got my ink last night,” Austin responds. “Come on.”

He squeezes
my hand and leads me into the shop.

“Hey, Hollywood!” one of the tattoo artists shouts.

“Hey man,” Austin says. “This is the girl I was telling you about.”

The heavily pierced,
tattooed guy walks over to greet me. “I’m Dave,” he says, holding out his gloved hand. “Man, you have some hold on this guy. He wouldn’t shut up about you last night. I bet if you told him to jump off a bridge he would do it.”

How embarrassing. I smile and nod politely, but I really want to run out of the shop.

“So, you
wanna get something done?” he asks me.

“Oh, no, that’s ok
ay.”

Austin nudges me in the s
ide. “Yes! That would be so hot, come on, you have to.”

I shake my head and back away. “No, I’m not really the tattoo type…”

I only have my ears pierced. I didn’t even get a belly button ring when they were all the rage in high school.

Austin stands over me with his hands on his hips. “You only live onc
e, Olivia. Come on, just do it.”

“
I don’t know…I wouldn’t know what to get.”

“Get something that will remind you of something special.
” He rolls up his sleeve and stares at the waterfall. “That’s what I did…”

Maybe it’s
the alcohol taking over, but all of a sudden I feel more courageous than usual. “Okay, I’ll do it.”

“Really?”

I nod, scared, but excited.

“So, what’ll it be?” Dave
asks.

“Something that reminds me of Hawaii…”

He flips through some idea books. “How about a hula girl?”

I shake my head. “Hell no, I don’t want some half naked girl on my arm.”

“What about one of those flowers they use in the leis?” Austin suggests.

“
I’m not really the flower type.”

I flip through some pages of sample art for inspiration, but come up with nothing. As I absentmindedly rub the seashell ne
cklace between my fingers, Dave shouts a new idea. “That shell would be perfect.”

I smile.
It was a perfect moment when he gave it to me. “Yeah, I like that.” I turn to Austin for a second opinion. “What do you think?”

“I love it.”

Dave draws the shell and makes a copy on special paper that will leave the stencil on my body.

“And where is this going?”
he asks.

“How about right here?”
I point to a spot on my lower right hip. “For Austin’s eyes only.”

“That’s sexy
,” Austin responds, biting his lip.

Dave
preps me for the tattoo while I get settled in his chair. As the needle begins to buzz my stomach fills with a flurry of excitement and nerves. I instinctively reach for Austin and he grips my hand tight. I want to jump when the needle first touches my skin, but consciously restrain myself from moving. The sensation is odd, like a mix of bee stings or a rubber band striking, but then the tingling turns into a weird sensation of warmness and then even starts to feel a little numb.

The tattoo is small and only one color, so it doesn’t take long. I stare at it in the mirror and can’t believe that this is stuck on my body for
the rest of my life. Will Austin stick with me for life too?

“I can’t believe you talked me into doing that!” I shout as w
e head down the street to the sex shop.