The Last Love Song (A BWWM BDSM Romance) (4 page)

Whatever it was, it couldn't be allowed. He had to be put in his place, had to be reprimanded for his disrespectful attitude.

That will do it
, I thought, nodding to myself,
An attitude adjustment
. If he just acted like a damn professional I wouldn't be so worked up over him.

With the issue finally settled in my mind, I drifted into sleep.

"How was operation cockblock?"

Pauline and I were sitting in the living room area of my suite. She'd come up to check on me still donning a robe herself. I felt as frazzled as she looked, and my hair looked like I'd stuck my finger in an electrical socket. It was too early and my head hurt too much to talk business just yet, so instead I asked about the little job we'd given her intern.

"Well, I'm happy to report there was no cocking to block." Pauline's face twisted as she said it. "Is that how you'd phrase it? Anyway, your new bodyguard is good at his job. He only kept his eyes on you the whole night, even when two of the dancers tried to flirt with him."

"Huh. How about that." I shouldn't have cared, but something fluttered in my chest. "Can you have him sent up to my room this afternoon?" I asked. We'd be staying in town one more night before flying to Chicago for a benefit concert, and then, finally, home for a short time.

"Please don't fire him, you promised," Pauline said, covering her hungover eyes.

"I'm not firing him," I said, "I'm just going to chew him a new asshole."

"Don't push him to quit, either."

"Pauline," I barked, "Just send him." I couldn't stand this arguing. Especially not while my head still hurt. I needed grease and coffee and a shower in any order. "Around two, okay?"

"All right," she said, waving at me before getting to her feet. "I'm going back to my room to call room service. I'll see you later."

"Yeah. Fine. We'll catch up more tonight."

I checked the clock once I was alone. Eleven. I had three hours before I had to deal with him. I felt oddly impatient about it, though - like I actually wanted to see him. When had I become so eager to chew out an employee?

Or maybe it was just that I wanted to be near him again.
No. I just want to get this confrontation over with.

The shower could wait. I wasn't thinking very clearly without my morning coffee.
I've got enough other things to worry about besides some bodyguard's bad attitude.

◦◦◦

Pauline sent him to my room right on time at two o'clock. She made me promise to meet with her right after to discuss our travel arrangements for the next day and about possibly making a "surprise" appearance on a local radio show that evening. I
was
looking forward to a whole day off, but at least I wouldn't have to get too made-up just to talk into a microphone.

Vaughn knocked on the door. I dawdled a moment before letting him in - I couldn't have him think I jumped up and answered the door promptly for anyone, least of all him.

He smirked when I finally opened the door. "I thought something might have happened, I was about to break in," he said.

He was off-duty and dressed casually. I hadn't seen him in anything but a suit yet and I took him all in - the smirk, the winding black tattoos on his forearms now that they weren't covered by his usual jacket. His t-shirt stretched tight across his broad, muscular chest. Between the tattoos and the bald head, he was pretty damn intimidating.
I
wasn't intimidated, of course, but I could imagine someone crossing the street when they saw him coming. It took a Herculean effort but I managed to avoid looking any lower. I could just imagine what smart-ass comments he'd make if he caught me trying to sneak a peak at his package.

I swallowed. "Please come sit down," I said, indicating the chair that Pauline had occupied earlier.

"After you."

I led him inside the suite's living area and settled into my armchair, crossing my legs and sitting up straight. I didn't want this to appear to be a casual meeting, despite how we were dressed. I was only in a soft t-shirt and jeans myself - something I wouldn't be caught dead in out in the public eye.

"What did you want to discuss?" he asked, sitting across from me.

"Your attitude," I said, "has been unacceptable." I saw no reason to sugarcoat it or to dance around the subject.

"My attitude?" Damn him, why did he seem so amused?

"Yes." I struggled to keep my cool. "The way that you speak to me is unprofessional and frankly a little appalling. If you don't respect me then how can I trust you?"

The slight grin left his face. "I respect you." I was a little taken aback at how sincerely he said it. "I respect the hell out of you."

I coughed. That certainly wasn't the response I was expecting. "Your attitude doesn't reflect that and I can't have it spreading through the rest of my staff. Despite how things appear on the surface, this is a business."

"I don't recall saying more than two words to you in the presence of anyone else."

"I..." That was true.
Damn
. "We're trying to maintain a certain image here," I said, but without the confidence I normally projected.

"Why was that intern watching me all night at the bar?"

I gaped. "You noticed?"

"It's my job to notice things."

I wondered if he noticed the warmth of my cheeks as they flushed. I liked to think my skin was too dark to visibly blush but if he was watching as closely as he actually seemed to be... I shrugged and tried to seem nonchalant. "I asked him to keep an eye on you. You're still new and I wanted to make sure you weren't going to get drunk and hit on any of my staff." I leaned in and grinned and exaggerated grin. "I was taking responsibility for my own safety. I can't have my security team getting intoxicated on the clock."

He blinked for a moment, considering my words. "You were trying to prevent me from sleeping with your people," he said. Then his lip quirked in a half-smile. "You couldn't stand the thought of me fucking anyone except maybe... you."

My heart seized as if I'd been struck in the chest. "Whoa. That is a huge jump in logic, buddy."

"I call it like I see it." He rose from the chair and turned away.

"Don't you walk away from me!" I barked. The man was so infuriating! I couldn't let him win this argument; no more last words for him. He was on my turf, in my world - I didn't care who the hell he thought he was. "I'm not done talking to you!"

Slowly, he turned back to face me. Something about the way he moved made me sit back in my seat, cringing away like a damn wilting flower. I froze there, tense, waiting for him to say something while his blue eyes bore into my soul.

"You might think you can order me around," he said, "And out there, when I'm on the clock, you can." He gestured towards the door, indicating the outside. "But when we're alone..."

Moving faster than I could track with my eyes, he jumped forward and grabbed my arms. In a flash of movement, he had my wrists gathered in one large hand and held them tight behind my head, his thick arm resting on my shoulder. I tried to wrench away but he held tight.

"What are you doing?" I hissed.
Why am I not screaming
, I asked myself.

He leaned in close, his face just a hair away from mine. I picked up the scent of his aftershave with my frantic breaths. "When we're alone," he repeated, "You will not do the ordering. And you will not lie."

I was mesmerized by his eyes. I should have felt fear, but he wasn't hurting me, and he wasn't shouting. Instead, I felt something I hadn't felt in the presence of a man in a very, very long time. Heat. Arousal. I felt like I was melting. So instead of shouting at him to get the hell out of my room and to pack his bags the way I should have, I nodded slowly.

"Now tell me." His breath brushed my lips with a warm breeze as he spoke. "Why did you ask that intern to watch me?"

"I wanted him to cockblock you."

"Tell me why."

"I didn't want you to sleep with any of my staff." My heart was racing so fast I thought it might jump from my chest. I didn't even feel this much anticipation when I was about to get onstage anymore. His lips were so close... so close...

"Why."

"I don't know," I whispered. That was the God's Honest Truth. I wasn't thinking about sleeping with him when I gave the order. At least not consciously. I didn't want to keep him for myself as he had been hinting.

Did I?

He seemed to accept that answer. He nodded, and I released a held breath, grateful that he was letting the question go. He shifted and whispered in my ear, his voice like gravel. "Good girl."

A violent shiver ran through my body.

I turned towards him.
What are you doing?!
my mind screamed, but I couldn't stop myself. I turned, lips parted, breathing shakily.

It was all the invitation he required. His lips devoured mine. It was the only way to describe it. He tilted me even further back in my seat using the arm that held me captive as his lips enveloped me with heat. They were so soft, yet firm, demanding. The fingers of his free hand turned my chin just where he wanted; then he slanted his mouth over mine with a deep and hungry growl.

His lips slicked over mine, pressing, gently sucking.

His tongue plunged inside my mouth with deep, possessive swipes.

And I sank. My body trembled with little tremors of pleasure as I melted beneath his sensual assault. I'd never been kissed like that - with such assurance and such aggression. There was absolutely no doubt that he was in control.

I whimpered as he shifted even closer, his body towering over mine. Having my arms restrained, having him kiss me like that - like he was going to consume me - it was turning me on in a big way. I crossed my legs tight, and my whimper became a whine.
Too much. I can't
.

He pulled back just enough to speak. "One of these nights," he said, planting another slow kiss on my swollen lips between words, "You're going to knock on my door. And I'm going to give you exactly what you need."

"And what exactly do I need?" I whispered, barely opening my eyes.

"You need to restrained. And dominated. And fucked."

I gasped as he withdrew and released me. I held a hand to my chest as I struggled to catch my breath; my racing heart pounded beneath my palm.

"Shh," he said, placing his hand over mine. His voice was softer now - almost like he was a different man. "You're okay." He tucked a loose curl of hair back beneath my headband.

"I have work to do," I said breathily. I couldn't take my eyes off his lips. Somehow I didn't think I'd be able to stop thinking about what they'd done to me. He had to get out of there before I did something stupid.

"And I should prepare for my shift," he said, backing away. A smile played across his lips, and I watched it, frozen, until he finally turned and left the room.

Only then did I take the deep breath I so badly needed. I actually felt a little dizzy. The room itself felt so much colder without him, so much emptier. Too empty.

What the hell was this man doing to me?