She knew she couldn’t just stand there and drip all over the floor, but neither did she relish the thought of heading into the women’s restroom where a gaggle of women would undoubtedly watch her sop up the drink another woman had spilled on her—and whisper about it behind her back. She’d much prefer a private, secure place where she could take her top off and wipe off the sticky residue on her skin.
She glanced at Craig, who was looking at her in concern, and didn’t hesitate to ask a huge favor. “Would you mind if I used your private bathroom in your office, where there are clean, dry towels I can use?” And where she’d be far away from prying eyes and gossipy women.
“Of course,” he said without hesitating, and gently grabbed her arm, which earned Christine an envious glare from Leanne.
Hearing a shuffling coming from the bar area, along with something crashing to the floor, Christine bit her bottom lip and tried to search through the throng of customers for Ben, and to see what was going on. Whatever was happening, it didn’t sound good.
“Come on. Let’s get you out of here,” Craig said as he started escorting her toward the back of the night club and away from the sudden mayhem going on at the bar. “Until the situation with Jason has been taken care of, it’ll be much safer for you in my office, anyways.”
Christine nodded gratefully. As more of the night club goers swarmed toward the bar in hopes of getting a glimpse of some action, she decided that leaving with Craig was the safest, and smartest bet, until Jason was out of the club and back under the restraining order restrictions.
And in the meantime, she could clean up the mess that Leanne had made in the privacy of Craig’s office bathroom.
Chapter Five
Ben strode determinedly toward Jason to put a stop to his progress toward Christine. Adrenaline pumped through his veins as it always did whenever he was about to face some kind of combat, and he rolled his shoulders to ease the tension settling there. As he closed in on her ex, he could see that the other man’s bloodshot eyes were brimming with a maelstrom of emotion, and most of it wasn’t of the warm, fuzzy variety. The fury and bitterness emanating from Jason was almost violent in its intensity.
Jason was so intent on getting to Christine that when Ben stepped right in front of him and put his hand out to stop him, the other man didn’t even see it coming. Jason stumbled back a step from the force of colliding with Ben’s unyielding arm, and caught his footing before he fell back on his ass.
Once Jason recovered from that unforeseen impediment, he glared up at Ben. “Get the hell out of my way, asshole,” he sneered, fully expecting Ben to comply.
Ben didn’t so much as budge. Instead, he widened his stance and crossed his arms over his chest. “I suggest you stop right where you are, turn around, and leave the night club before you get yourself in a whole lot of trouble.”
Jason stared at Ben with disdain. “Who the fuck are you?”
“I’m your worst nightmare,” Ben said, borrowing the famous line from his good friend, Joel Wilde. Noticing how the crowd around them was closing in and looking for a scuffle of some sort, he knew he needed to put an end to the confrontation, and quick, before it spun out of control.
Calmly, he said, “If I have to tell you to leave twice, Christine will be pressing charges and I’ll be the one escorting you out of here.”
“Fuck you!”
Ben was normally a very patient man, but not when it came to people who did incredibly stupid things, and Jason, at the moment, ranked pretty high up on the list. Security was finally starting to make their way through the crowd and close in, and Jason noticed, too, which made him way too unpredictable in Ben’s estimation. As soon as Jason tried to shove him out of the way, Ben reacted with lightening quick speed. He caught the other man’s wrist before it made contact with his chest, then twisted until Jason was forced to turn around and Ben could jam his arm up against the middle of his back to restrain him.
A struggle ensued, and as Jason tried to break free of Ben’s unrelenting hold, the other man tripped and fell against a nearby table, causing bottles and glasses to crash to the floor. With the table now cleared, Ben took the opportunity to pin him there, face down, while security put him in cuffs.
One of the guards grabbed the back of Jason’s shirt and pulled him upright. “Do you want us to call the cops so you can press charges?”
Ben shook his head. “No, not this time.” He actually felt sorry for the man and what he’d become—a pitiful drunk. “However, you come near Christine again, and all bets are off.”
Security led Jason away, and with the other man taken care of and no longer a threat, Ben headed back to where he’d left Christine, only to find her gone, as was Craig. He glanced over at where Christine’s friends were, but she wasn’t there, either.
Un-freakin’-believable! Where in the hell did she go? He’d given her one simple order and she’d ignored it.
He jammed his fingers through his hair in frustration. Catching sight of Leanne, he headed in her direction, figuring she’d been the last to see Christine and would most likely know what happened to her. As he approached the buxom blonde, she eyed him like a fresh piece of meat she wanted to sink her teeth into.
“Hi there,” she said, gracing him with a slow, provocative smile that hinted at a more indecent proposition—if he was willing.
Annoyed by the other woman’s flirtatious attempts, and needing to find Christine ASAP, he got right down to business. “Where did Christine go?” he asked.
“She took off with Craig, and considering he’s had the hots for her for some time now, who knows what they’re doing,” she said, clearly attempting to make him jealous. She stepped closer and ran her fingers along the collar of his shirt. “You know, since you’re more my type than hers anyways, maybe you and I can hook up and have some fun.”
“Not interested.” He so did not have time for this shit.
“Now where did they go?” he demanded, more forcefully this time. Every second that passed was a second more that something could happen to Christine, and he was starting to feel anxious and edgy.
“Calm down.” His rejection must have stung, because her lower lip puffed out in a pout. “They went to his private office,” she admitted reluctantly. “It’s right up those stairs.”
She pointed across the lounge area, and Ben took off in that direction, his long legged stride getting him there in less than a minute. He took the steps two at a time, walked down a short hallway, and came to a door marked “Private Office”. He tried to turn the knob, but it was locked, and his stomach twisted with the worst kind of apprehension.
The door was solid and secure, and not one he could break open with one swift kick. So, he used his fist and pounded insistently on the surface with enough force to rattle the walls, until the door finally swung open and Craig stood on the other side with an irritable scowl on his face.
“Jesus, what the hell is wrong with you!” he bellowed.
Immediately, Ben noticed that Craig had taken off his suit jacket and tie, and his crisp white dress shirt was unbuttoned halfway down his chest. The knot in Ben’s belly squeezed tighter.
Ben pushed his way inside, giving the other man no option but to let him in. “Where is Christine?” He’d already checked and she wasn’t in this first room that was set up more like a mini lavish suite than an office, with a comfortable couch, a mini-bar, and big screen TV.
“She’s fine.” Antagonism radiated off of Craig in palpable waves. “With Jason out of control downstairs, I thought she’d be much safer up here until he was taken care of.”
His answer wasn’t the one Ben was looking for. Standing in the middle of the room, he turned around and met the other man’s stare, his own expression dark and dangerous and threatening. “Where the hell is she?”
This time, with Ben at his most foreboding, Craig didn’t dick around with his reply. “She’s right in there,” he said, waving a hand toward an adjoining closed door. “She’s usi
ng my private restroom, and she should be out in a few minutes.”
Ben didn’t have a few minutes to wait. He had to know that she was okay now. He strode toward the door with an irate Craig hot on his heels.
“Look, you can’t just come in here and take charge like you own the place!”
“I believe I just did,” Ben stated succinctly. He turned the knob and was grateful when it opened, even though he’d been fully prepared to bust this one down if it had been locked.
He stepped into the large, very plush and decadent bathroom, complete with marble flooring, an enclosed shower, and a large Jacuzzi tub. Christine, who’d been standing at the vanity in just a black lacy bra, skimpy panties, and black suede boots, sucked in a startled breath and jumped back upon his bold entrance. Her eyes widened as he shut and locked the door, then closed the distance between them.
Between Craig having shed some of his clothing, and now Christine, he automatically thought the worst—that Craig had somehow managed to take advantage of her. “Why are you undressed?” His throat felt raw.
She frowned at him and tried to cover herself with the small, damp hand towel she’d been holding. “Because I’m covered in sticky Mai-Tai, from my chest to my thighs, and I’m trying to wash most of it off. Do you think maybe next time you can knock instead of just barging in like Conan the Barbarian?”
Covered in sticky Mai-Tai? He shook his head in confusion, because he had no idea what the hell she was talking about. “Considering I’m in charge of making sure you’re safe at all times, I’ll barge in whenever the situation warrants,” he said in a low, harsh whisper, just in case the walls were paper thin and Craig could hear their conversation. “Like right now.”
She lifted her chin defiantly. “Oh, really?”
“Yes, really.” He was so damned relieved that she was okay, because he never would have forgiven himself if she’d been harmed in any way, but he was still more than a little pissed off at her for disobeying his orders.
Wanting her to know just how serious he was, he stepped closer, backed her up against the sink, and braced his hands on either side of her hips on the counter. His face was very close to hers, and he could smell something sweet and fruity, with a hint of rum… like a Mai-Tai.
“I thought I told you to stay put while I handled Jason.” She opened her mouth to say something, but he was quicker. “I can’t do my job effectively if I don’t know where the hell you are. When I tell you to wait somewhere, it means you don’t leave the area. With anyone. Especially Craig.”
“Jason was the threat,” she said, keeping her voice hushed. “Not Craig!”
“I don’t like him,” he snapped. Ben knew his aversion to the man was irrational and based more on the fact that Craig wanted Christine for his own, but at the moment he didn’t care.
“I asked to use his private bathroom after Leanne deliberately dumped her drink on me, which is why I’m standing here half-naked.” She held her arms out to her sides, giving him a delicious glimpse of all that creamy flesh being plumped up by her push-up bra. “I’m trying to clean up the sticky mess, and I didn’t anticipate an interruption!”
So that explained why she smelled like a fruity drink he wanted to taste. And it didn’t surprise him it at all to discover that Leanne was behind such a juvenile stunt.
He tipped his head, the beginning of a grin chasing away the brunt of his anger. “Is your life always filled with this much drama?”
“Not until you became a part of it.” She smiled sweetly.
Now that he’d gotten all that tension off his chest, he straightened and stepped away from her. He kept his gaze on her face, but his peripheral vision, and his vivid imagination, had no problem conjuring her figure from the neck down. A sexy black bra encasing her small, firm breasts. A smooth, flat belly. Skimpy lace panties. Slim, sleek thighs… and those damned dominatrix high-heeled boots.
He swallowed hard and hoped her gaze didn’t stray any lower than his waist, or she was bound to find more than she bargained for. “You have to remember that first and foremost, I’m your bodyguard. There is a viable threat against your father, and your family, and that includes you, as well.” Especially her. “My job is to keep you safe, and it will go so much more smoothly with your cooperation. Got it?”
She nodded. “Yes, sir.”
“Good.” Grabbing her top and skirt off the counter, he thrust both at her, covering as much as of her bared body as he could. “Put your clothes back on. You can shower at home. I’ve had enough excitement for one night. As soon as you’re dressed, we’re getting the hell out of here.”
Standing in her dark, quiet kitchen, Christine stared out the window over the sink to the moonlit backyard and took a sip of the hot chamomile tea she’d made. Closing her eyes, she savored the soothing, relaxing warmth as it spread its way down to her stomach.
Regardless of the late hour that was way past her normal bedtime, and despite feeling utterly exhausted after everything that had transpired at Envy earlier, she hadn’t been able to fall asleep. She’d spent an hour tossing and turning in her bed with a myriad of thoughts running through her mind, and when the clock on her night stand hit midnight, she decided to resort to her good ole standby of tea to help her unwind and hopefully enable her to sleep. She had a busy day at the office tomorrow and couldn’t afford to have her mind fogged by lack of slumber.
She sighed, still unable to believe how her evening had turned out. What had begun as a fun outing with friends had ended up being a night she wouldn’t soon forget.
After leaving Envy, the drive home with Ben had been quiet, and once they’d arrived at her place, he’d conducted a whole house search even though her security alarm had still been on and untripped. That didn’t matter to Ben, who insisted that until he was no longer in charge of her, this would be his routine whenever they arrived home. She had to admit, the man was thorough and efficient when it came to her safety.
Since her clothes had been damp and clinging to her, she’d headed straight for her bedroom, stripped her clothes back off, and took a long, hot shower. By the time she was done and went in search of Ben, he’d already retreated to the guest bedroom and had the door shut.
She took another drink of her warm tea. Other than the incident with Jason, then with Craig in his private office, she’d had a great time with Ben. He’d meshed well with her friends, and he played the part of her steady beau exceptionally well. Almost too well, considering how comfortable she’d been sitting on his lap, how sensual his touch felt on her bare thigh, and especially how territorial he’d been when he’d found her semi-nude in Craig’s bathroom.
Remembering the simmering heat in his gaze when he’d noticed her standing there in her bra and panty ensemble, then again when he’d crowded her against the vanity, a shiver rippled through her and tightened the tips of her breasts against her cotton camisole.
Her overwhelming reaction to Ben no longer surprised her at all. He made her burn with need, made her think about all the things she wanted to do to him, and with him. Sinful, shameless things she’d never done with any other man before.
She wasn’t a virgin when it came to sex, but since her break-up with Jason she’d come to realize that she was far too inexperienced when it came to all that sexual foreplay a couple usually enjoyed before the main course. For that matter, she was pretty damned innocent when it came to positions, too. The only one she was intimately familiar with was missionary style, and there was so much more she wanted to know, learn, and experience.
As she finished her tea and set her cup in the sink, she thought about what Madison had said to her earlier tonight, about giving Ben a bit of a shove in the right direction. But in order to do that, it meant she’d have to shed all those rules of propriety her mother had drilled into her head for so many years. Being a demure good girl and suppressing her own desires hadn’t gotten her much in terms of sexual gratification, and the thought of being a little wicked and wanton now held a whole lot of app
eal.
But embracing that sexually assertive woman within her meant being bolder in her pursuit. More daring in her quest to please herself, instead of doing what everyone else expected of her. It also meant not settling for less than what she wanted.
And what she wanted was Ben Cabrera.
“You can’t sleep either, huh?”
As if her thoughts had conjured him, Ben’s deep, husky voice sounded from somewhere behind her. Turning around, she found him across the kitchen, standing in the doorway, the moonlight streaming through the window illuminating him like a dark, fallen angel. Leaning casually against the frame, his corded arms were crossed over his bare chest, and he wore a pair of gray sweat pants that rode precariously low on his hips and revealed a good amount of his taut, rigid belly. Lower, the soft cotton emphasized everything that made him so heart-stoppingly virile.
Her mouth went dry, and she swallowed hard as she slowly, leisurely dragged her gaze back up the length of his gorgeous, well-built body, until she finally reached his face. Already, a light stubble had formed on his lean jaws, and his hair had been finger combed into a wildly disheveled style that flaunted that sexy, bad boy image of his.
Lust, strong and undeniable, licked through her like a live flame. She knew her shot at seduction was now or never, that there was no better time than the present moment to go full-force after the man who’d inspired some of her most erotic fantasies over the past few months.
“No, I couldn’t sleep either,” she said, her voice soft and low.
Gathering her confidence, she strolled across the kitchen toward him, wishing she was wearing a pair of her high heeled shoes that gave her a bit more of a height advantage. Without them, and because Ben was so big and tall, she felt incredibly delicate and feminine when she finally came to a stop in front of him.
“It’s all your fault, you know,” she said, blaming him for the time she’d spent tossing and turning in her bed.
He arched a dark brown brow in amusement. “And just how am I to blame?”
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