“I need to get back to my rehearsal," she muttered, not looking at him. “Go to the security trailer and they will inform you of our routines and practices around the tour.”
She sent a text to Vanessa. She appeared in the doorway a moment later, holding her clipboard and with a concerned look on her face.
"Take him to security and introduce him to the rest of the team. He can get briefed by the security team.”
"He is supposed to be your personal bodyguard, Arabella," Vanessa reminded her.
The last thing she needed was having him so close all the time. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, hoping no one would notice how flustered she was.
"Of course. My mother informed me that I would get extra security during the tour. So, after he receives his training from the security detail, he can assume his post as my personal bodyguard.”
"I'll protect you with my life," he said in a low grumble.
The sound of his voice sent heat between her legs and she gushed with excitement. When they were gone, she locked the door behind them. The heat of desire pulsated between her legs. She had never felt this and never expected to. She had no reference for this experience. It was too deep, too intense, and she had to relieve the pressure.
Arabella ran to her bedroom and closed the door. She closed all the curtains and the blinds and began to pace the room. She huffed and collapsed on the bed, panting and groaning. She slid her hands over her body, flushed with excitement. She needed release.
Her fingers slid absently into her shorts and slipped between her legs. She found the heat of her arousal and gasped, feeling the wetness of her desire. Her fingers slipped into the places she had never explored. Images flooded her mind. Titus kissing her, licking her, holding her tight. His bare chest glistening in the sunlight.
She arched her back as she began to stroke, thinking of him sliding his tongue down her body and between her legs. Kissing her thighs, gripping her hips. She imagined running her hands through his cropped hair, grazing her nails over his shoulders. In her imagination, his tongue slipped deeper into her core as her finger began to slip and slide over the tight swollen bud of her arousal. She bit her lip and groaned as the pleasure spiked and radiated through her body.
"Oh Titus," she breathed.
Her finger grew faster as the images of him kissing and licking and holding her tight in his big strong arms grew more vivid. Her mouth dropped open as the intensity increased. She was dripping wet with need and so close to the edge of release.
She needed this, she needed him. She slid a finger inside her channel as the other hand played on her clit. She had never touched herself like this before. She moaned and squeezed her breasts between her arms. Her nipples tightened with the pressure.
She was so close… So close to the edge of release. She imagined Titus kneeling over her. His long, thick shaft pointing toward the bright blue sky as she lay below him in the field of wildflowers. Their eyes locked. She was so open and wet and ready. He prowled over her and pressed the tip of his cock to her entrance.
She buried another finger inside her core as she rubbed herself frantically. In her imagination, he bit down and nipped at her neck as his thick cock slipped effortlessly inside her, stretching her virgin core to the limit.
As her imaginary lover entered her, she howled with the volcanic magnitude of her release. It throbbed from deep within, gripping her fingers and pulsing like a frantic heartbeat. Her eyes snapped open and her mouth dropped wide after the shock of liberating all that pent-up desire.
With amazement, she lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and panting. After several long moments, she realized what she had done. Her cheeks grew hot with embarrassment and she squeezed her eyes closed.
She had pleasured herself to the fantasy of her new bodyguard! What a fool she'd been to let herself lose control like that. But as the last echoes of release throbbed through her, she let out a deep sigh of contentment. She might be embarrassed, but her desire for him outweighed that by a thousand percent.
As much as she wanted to resist her attraction to the bear shifter, she knew she wanted Titus. She wanted him to explore the depths of her body like no one ever had and make her feel what a woman feels when she’s in love.
Arabella went to the bathroom to wash up and contemplated what she should do next. The logical side of her wanted to avoid him, to keep him at arm’s length and prevent him from distracting her from her career. But her heart, body, and soul wanted something much different.
Chapter 5
Titus was so shocked by Arabella's rebuke that he walked away from her trailer in a complete daze. His inner bear demanded that he go back to her trailer, take her in his arms, and claim her immediately. He knew he could never do that, but his emotions were out of control. It was all so confusing. He had no idea what to do.
He'd been waiting so long to find his mate, and now that he had, she'd rejected him. She’d even accused him of being here to do her harm. His heart hurt at the thought of it. He would never ever do anything to harm her. When he’d told her he would protect her with his life, he’d meant that absolutely.
Now that he’d found her, his life had a new meaning. That was Arabella. She was afraid and confused, but his inner bear could smell her desire filling the room. Even now, as he walked toward the security department, he could smell her arousal like a strong perfume, permeating the air all around him. She may be in denial about their bond, but for him, it was the truest thing in all existence.
He no longer cared about anything else. He would go to his grave serving her, protecting her, living to see her smile. It was everything he wanted and everything he needed. If he had to wait a lifetime for her to want him as much as he wanted her, he would gladly do it for the chance to have one kiss.
Vanessa introduced him to the head of security for Arabella's tour. He was a man named Sam Crenshaw with a military background himself. Titus gripped the man's hand in a strong handshake, and the two sized each other up as was typical for men of their stature. Titus had yet to meet a man, human or shifter, who was bigger and stronger than he was, but he let Sam imagine that he could take him for a moment, just to be polite.
"So, you've been sent to be Arabella's personal bodyguard," Sam said. “You must come with some impressive credentials if the senator is trusting you with her daughter. But you need to understand, Mr. Sawyer, that we don't work for the senator. We work for Arabella herself. So, her word is always the last, do you understand?"
"I'm here to protect her. That is my job and I intend to do it."
"Good enough," Sam said. “We’ll familiarize you with the tour and then we'll let you start your post as Arabella's personal security.”
The other men in the security detail looked at him with a mixture of jealousy and suspicion.
He didn't blame them. Arabella Fernandez was one of the most popular female musicians of her time. Men everywhere fantasized about her. He'd even heard his crew mention how cute she was. Which was a rarity among shifters. Getting the job as her personal bodyguard was an enviable position. But these men would have to content themselves with watching over her from afar, because she belonged with Titus. Even if she rejected him and pushed him away, he would remain forever loyal to their connection. He knew that she felt it as much as he did, and it was just a matter of time until they could be honest with each other.
He followed Sam out of the security hut and toward the auditorium. He was introduced to the various people on staff. Arabella's personal crew. Her costume manager. Her hair and makeup team. Her personal assistants. The production crew. The sound and lighting people. The roadies in charge of loading in and out the equipment on each stop.
After he’d been introduced to everyone and given a rundown of the tour schedule, he was directed back to Arabella's bus to sit outside and wait until she was ready to go back to rehearsal.
He sat in a plastic chair waiting for her to emerge. The sweet smell of her arousal hung on the air an
d his inner grizzly growled with need.
"Mate! Mate! Mate!” the beast within chanted.
Titus put his palm to his forehead and gritted his teeth. He had to calm down. If he was in a state like this, he would never be able to convince Arabella that they were meant to be together. She was a busy and successful woman; the last thing she needed in her life was an out of control grizzly demanding to mate with her. He had to get it under control.
Fifteen minutes later, Arabella emerged from the trailer dressed in a new outfit. It was less revealing than the last one, and he felt like it showed more of her true personality. He smiled dumbly at her, and then remembered what he was there to do. He stood at attention and nodded.
"I'm going back to rehearsals. And then I’ll be going to the hotel for the night. Vanessa has informed me that my mother insists you have a room adjacent to mine for the duration of the tour. And I suppose that is appropriate, considering you are to be my personal bodyguard. But I want you to remember to keep your distance and try not to distract me. The fact that we were matched on a shifter dating website is reason enough for me to fire you. So just remember, if you want to keep your job, I don't want any mention of our match. Agreed?”
"Of course," he said. “All I want is to protect you. It's the only reason I'm here. The last thing I want is to get in your way.”
"I'm glad we understand each other," she said, stepping past him abruptly.
He followed her at a distance to the auditorium and watched from offstage as she finished practicing her set. When the crew was done for the night, Arabella was whisked away in a car to a local hotel. Titus was instructed to ride along with the driver. Her entourage took her inside, and Titus was given a room beside hers. It was the most luxurious room he’d ever been inside in his life. A door opened between the rooms, but she had given him firm instructions not to open it.
All night, he lay on his bed, unable to relax. Having her so close yet so far away was torture to him. She didn't want anything to do with him, and it hurt his soul like nothing else ever could. He had to find a way to prove to her that they were meant to be together. It was all that mattered. It was all he wanted in the world.
In the morning, he woke up cranky and unrested. The smell of her body was still thick in the air. How was he supposed to function like this? No matter how difficult it was to be so close to his mate yet unable to share his heart with her, he had to find a way to persevere. She needed him to be strong. The threat from the hyenas was real. And she was right about not getting distracted.
He had to stay focused on his job. The first thing he did upon waking was go to her door and knock to check on her. He was greeted by Vanessa instead, who informed him that Arabella was getting ready for the day. The show would be that night, and then they would get on the busses and immediately start on to the next venue.
He went back to his room and showered, his body begging for release. He imagined what it would be like to be with her, but he didn't let himself indulge in the fantasy for very long. He had to stay focused and fantasies like that wouldn't help him.
After showering and changing, he rode to the auditorium in the front of Arabella’s car with the driver. After she was safely inside her bus, he went to grab breakfast with the rest of the crew. There was a nice spread and he filled his plate. He then took his food to sit outside Arabella's bus to wait.
He ate his breakfast and then lunch and then dinner without seeing her. Finally, at 8 o'clock, she emerged from her bus, wearing fishnet stockings and short shorts. Her hair done up in a high ponytail, swinging from the top of her head. He was struck by her beauty. She nodded once, feigning indifference. But the scent of her body told a different story.
He followed behind her, in communication with the rest of the security crew.
"Do you have eyes on Songbird?" Sam asked through his walkie-talkie.
"That's an affirmative," Titus said. The fact that she had used the name her security detail called her on mate.com was not lost on him.
“There's been a bomb threat. We need to meet to consider canceling the show,” Sam said.
“I'll let her know," Titus said.
He walked toward Arabella, not wanting to upset her. But this was a serious issue that needed to be addressed.
"Ms. Fernandez," he said. “I've been informed by the security detail that there has been a bomb threat. They want to meet backstage to consider canceling.”
"There's no need to meet," she said. “My fans have all come out to see me, and I'm not going to let their night be ruined because some jackass called in a bogus threat.” She gripped her hip and cocked her chin at him.
"This could be serious," he said. He had to protect her, even if she didn’t want protection.
"I trust that you and the rest of my security detail can handle it. I'm not going to disappoint my fans."
"Understood." He gritted his teeth.
He admired her dedication to her fans. And that was one of the things that people loved so much about her. But he was afraid that something might happen. There was a reason he was here. The threat was real.
"Songbird says the show must go on," Titus said through his walkie-talkie.
"Ten-four.”
He followed Arabella backstage and waited outside the door of her dressing room.
"We got some suspicious activity outside gate C," Sam said through the walkie-talkie.
"Explain," Titus said.
“We've got a few protest signs. Looks like it could be some of these hyena extremists. I need someone to go down there and check it out.”
"I'm on Songbird," Titus said.
“Sit tight, Sawyer. We’ll send someone else.”
Titus wished he could be out there doing something. He wished there was something he could do to show Arabella his loyalty. To show her that he was worthy of her. But instead, he was stuck sitting like a fool outside her door.
Arabella emerged from her dressing room and met with her backup dancers and singers for a group huddle before the show. Titus watched from afar as they warmed up and prayed and gave each other words of motivation. She was beautiful in that moment. Strong and brave and supportive of her team. He could see why so many people around the world loved her. He didn't understand why she was so cold to him. It was so different from how she acted to everyone else. Maybe she was afraid of what she felt and what it would mean to be mated to a shifter. He could understand why she would feel that way. He just hoped that he could find a way for her to trust him so he could finally show her what was in his heart.
Chapter 6
Arabella took her place on the stage. All the backup singers, the sound crew, and the band were in place. Her dancers were on their marks and the lights were about to go up. She could feel the energy of the crowd pulsing, cellphone lights and fluorescent bracelets dotted the darkness.
She took several deep breaths, staring down at her mark on the stage. She glanced to the right and saw Titus standing offstage. She gritted her teeth and tried to focus. She couldn't let her all-consuming attraction to him distract her.
She looked back at her mark and the lights went up. She lifted her face and her microphone, shouting the first word of her latest hit song. The crowd went wild as her image filled the big screens on the stage. The dancers moved with the rhythm of the music as her voice rose high and powerful through the stadium.
Her heart burst with the energy of the moment. She lived for this. Performing was everything. As she whirled on the stage, she caught sight of Titus again, standing with his arms folded over his strong chest. She couldn't help but think that there was something else new that was as important as the music. She almost missed a step and her voice went off-key just slightly.
She smiled and tried to radiate the self-confidence that her young fans depended on, but inside she was steaming. She wouldn't let her confusion over Titus ruin her concert. Just like she wouldn't let the threat of hyena terrorists force her to send all these people home without the show they'd
waited and traveled and paid to see. She owed them the best show of their lives and she was going to give it to them.
Chapter 7
Titus watched Arabella, mesmerized by her voice and movements. It was like watching a goddess perform magic. The crowd ate it up, and he stood in stunned silence as he worshiped at her altar.
"Come in, Titus," Sam said over the walkie-talkie. He picked it up and stepped away from the stage, not wanting to disturb the crew. "The problem at the south gate is ramping up. I'm overseeing the ticket line. I need someone to go over there immediately and figure out what's going on.”
"I can't leave Arabella.”
"She's on stage in front of ten thousand people. No one's going to try anything.”
"I hope you're right.”
He reluctantly turned away from the stage and started out toward the south gate of the stadium. He had a monitor on Arabella the whole time. He wouldn’t take his eyes off her.
But he knew that if anything was happening at the gate, it was his job to deal with it. That was the reason he'd come here: to protect the senator's daughter from the hyena threat. His love for his mate was secondary to the mission. But definitely not to Titus.
Being close to her had made him feel things he had never expected to feel. Things he'd been holding back all his life. Protecting her was his greatest duty and purpose. He passed the roadies and the road crew, smoking cigarettes and chatting behind the stadium.
"Has anything suspicious been happening out here?" he asked Hank, the head of the road crew.
"Sam mentioned there might be some problems tonight. But I haven't noticed anything."
"I'll take a look," Titus said, continuing past the road crew toward the rear entrance to the stadium.
The main entrance was to the north, and that was where the audience would be entering. But apparently some people hadn't been informed. He heard the crash of a bottle and loud voices making a ruckus. He hurried toward the sound and found the rest of the security crew who'd already been dispatched to break up several aggressive protesters. They held signs making vicious statements about Arabella's mother and about his mate herself.
Bodyguard Bear (Justice Squad Book 3) Page 3