“What’s happening tonight?” I questioned, completely oblivious.
“We always go out for drinks to celebrate a cover shoot.”
“Okay, I’m sure I’ll be there.”
The next hour passed in a blur. The rest of the band had arrived, yet there was no sign of Blake and Colby. I fiddled with my camera and props, spoke with the stylists, and went into complete organization mode. Finally just as I was about ready to send out a search party I heard Colby’s laughter from the main entrance. I swung my head around and found him and Blake sauntering in so casually, so effortlessly, but oozing with rock star charisma.
I didn’t even know Ashlyn was beside me until I heard her loud sigh. It wasn’t just a normal sigh, it was a ‘fuck me they are too gorgeous for words’ sigh. I wrapped my arm around her waist, and we stood their gawking at my two best friends.
“I think I need to introduce you to them,” I said breathlessly.
“Oh fuck, do I look okay? Shit! Colby is coming over.”
Colby’s eyes suggestively ran over Ashlyn’s body as he strolled across the room before focusing on me. He had serious sex appeal and every single woman in the room knew it. His face lit up with a cheeky grin as he pulled me into a tight hug and kissed the side of my head when he got to us.
“Fuck babe! Look at this; this is all your fucking doing. Proud of you!”
“Well I’ve got good subjects to shoot.”
“I’ll be sure to put on my best moves.”
Colby looked between Ashlyn and me, hinting for an introduction.
“Colby this is Ashlyn, and Ashlyn this is Colby.”
“Where have you been hiding this pretty girl?” he flirted, before kissing her on the cheek and shooting her a wink that I knew meant ‘I’ll rock your world’. Yep my best friend was a complete and utter ladies’ man.
I had never seen Ashlyn act so nervous before. She turned into a grinning mess and the seductress came out in full force, but I also knew she was still hung up on Lachlan.
“Gotta go to work babe,” Ashlyn announced and rushed off toward the portable dressing room that had been set up at the back of the warehouse.
Colby kissed me sweetly on the cheek before announcing, “And I’ve got to go and be all kinds of sexy.”
••••
The next two hours were pure bliss; it was going so well that I thought I was in an alternate world where no problems or issues existed. The whole shoot was flawless. The guys were professionals behind the camera. Yes they were loud, obnoxious, and acted like cocky assholes on occasion but when it came to their career, they were as professional as they could be. Blake was a born front man. He had the looks, the personality, and the charisma to match the best of them. The camera loved him, and it made my job easy. Just before taking the last few shots, I handed my camera to my assigned assistant and stepped through the lighting equipment and headed to where Blake was leaning against an exposed brick wall.
“What do you need me to do boss?” Blake asked with a flirty side grin.
“Well you have the sexiness down pat so just give me your filthiest ‘let me take you home’ look and that should sell a few thousand copies.”
“I am shocked that you are implying that I have not done this look already?” he questioned with a feigned gasp.
“You have.” I winked and stepped closer, raising on my tiptoe and leaning toward his ear. “I just need a moment to breathe.”
“I am so fucking proud of you.”
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me tightly against his tattooed covered bare chest. Oh yes, of course he was shirtless for most of the shoot. With a body like that, I would have been scorned by the women of the world if I didn’t photograph him half naked. I fell into the comfort and for a moment escaped the rat race of the highly charged shoot.
“Your boyfriend has just arrived,” he whispered into my ear. “And once again you are in my arms.”
My boyfriend? “I don’t have a boyfriend.”
His deep chuckle caused me to pull away and look up at him in question. “Okay, well the guy who you are saying isn’t your boyfriend but who is looking at me like he is, has arrived.”
Before I could respond, Blake was called away by his manager and after giving me a hasty kiss on the cheek he disappeared into a sea of people. I took the downtime between shoots and headed back toward the temporary dressing room where I had set up a temporary office in one of the corners. Blake’s outlandish statement swam around my head. He could have only meant one person. As my hand gripped the curtain, I turned and looked through the main space of the warehouse. My eyes darted across everyone’s face, but they never landed on Ky. I couldn’t ignore the hint of disappointment I felt. I considered that Blake might have mistaken Josh for Ky because from a distance they could have passed as twins but Josh was now standing beside Ashlyn in deep conversation. I sighed in defeat and ducked into my seclusion in the curtained off area.
Boyfriend.
There was no way he was my boyfriend. He couldn’t be my boyfriend. I didn’t want a boyfriend. Ky was simply the guy who I spent my nights with, the guy who would kiss me until I couldn’t breathe, who would touch me until I trembled, the guy who pushed his way into the darkness of my heart. He was my—
A cool breeze suddenly grazed the back of my neck and before I had a chance to turn around to see the meaning behind the intrusion, strong arms surrounded my waist and pulled me into a firm and very familiar chest.
“Do you realize what a fucking turn on it is to see you owning the place like you are today?” His thick voice sent a shiver down my spine. “Can you be quiet?”
“What do you mean?” I asked breathlessly, my body fitting so perfectly against his.
“I need to touch you, and I need to know whether you can be quiet. Last night wasn’t enough, and then I woke up this morning and you had disappeared.”
I opened my mouth to speak but was stopped when he placed a finger over my lips. He stood behind me, so close that I could feel every curve and muscle of his body against my back. The same body I was slowly becoming addicted to, for its warmth, strength and protection.
“Only say yes if you mean it. If you don’t want this say no to me. You need to be able to say no.” His pleads filled the space around me.
His hands lay on my stomach and his fingertips brushed the bare skin above my jeans, causing a shot of excitement to fire through me. I shuddered not because of fear but of desire.
“I’ll ask you once more but remember what I said.” His breath fell to my ear and the moment his tongue swept over the sensitive skin on my neck, my eyes slammed shut. “Can I touch you?”
“Yes,” I sighed in response.
As soon as the words left my mouth, his lips fell to my neck. They were full and hungry, and attacked my neck with peppered kisses and gentle nips of my skin. I sighed in absolute pleasure. My eyes slammed shut under the intensity of emotions circulating my body. I fell back closer to his body, desperate to erase any space between our bodies and my sudden movements didn’t make him falter. One of his hands that was on my stomach moved down my body, teasingly slow until he suddenly cupped my heat through my jeans. The pressure alone sent a spark through me, and I inhaled sharply. Up and down he rubbed, hard and then so softly I didn’t know whether he was still there. The friction of my jeans and panties rubbing and pressing on my clit caused my skin to heat and a tightness to form in my lower belly.
“Ky, please,” I strangled out. The feeling within me grew and spiraled into a pleasure I craved. “Yes,” I repeated.
“I never realized how fucking sexy it would be to hear you beg.”
With precision, the button of my jeans popped open and the zipper torn down. The moment Ky’s finger slipped through my slick folds my head fell back on his shoulder; my arm flew up and wound around the back of his neck for support. His finger ran up and down so torturously slow while my breathing rushed out of my chest. My hips shifted, trying to get the frictio
n I needed. I was beginning to crave the rush of pleasure this man could bring to me. With his free hand, Ky grabbed my chin and pulled my face around to the side so I was facing him.
“Open your eyes,” he growled, and I obeyed. His hazel eyes were bright, determined, and desire ridden. “I love when you beg, but I also love seeing your eyes when you come.”
His lips fell to mine, swallowing my gasp as he increased his torture yet he still didn’t hit the one spot where I craved his touch. Our tongues collided and swirled then attacked one another in fevered demands; for a moment I completely lost all sense of what was happening. He groaned against my lips as I rubbed my ass against his hardness then he quickly bit down on my bottom lip so erotically that I almost came on the spot. The moment he pulled away from my mouth and narrowed his eyes on mine I knew what was coming. Two fingers entered me, thrusting in and out, taking the air from my lungs while my head tried to process what was actually happening. I didn’t have a chance to analyze the situation before his thumb hit my needy clit. Not being able to hold it back any longer, I erupted into a wave of heat as my orgasm ran riot through me, taking every part of me along for the ride. I moaned but my sound was taken by his mouth as I rode out the sensation that took over my body.
“Remember where you are,” he whispered against my swollen lips. “I don’t want to share your pleasure with anyone.”
Fuck! It was only then as I opened my eyes that I realized we were in the curtained off section of the warehouse with colleagues, friends, and family just a couple steps away. Excitement flooded me at the thought of how close we were to being caught. Since when had I been an exhibitionist?
“You are wrecking me Eden Rivers.” His voice was hoarse with honesty.
With quick hands he pulled up my zipper and did the button of my jeans, then swung me around to face him. It was the first time I really had a chance to look at him, and I drank in his delights. He smirked and shook his head slightly then took a step away.
“You need to get back to work, and I need to leave before I do something really inappropriate. Getting you off in this tent might not satisfy the craving.”
“Ky!” I gasped at his words.
“Honesty babe.”
He winked and then disappeared through the curtain, leaving me completely gobsmacked.
Truth be told, he was the one wrecking me.
••••
Heat swirled around me as I made my way through the crowd at Delights. The fact that the wrap party was being held in the place where it all began wasn’t lost on me. Colby and Blake were in their element. The final photo had turned out more amazing than I could have imagined. I loved standing in the shadows and being able to watch my best friends live their dreams—it was the best feeling in the world.
But then there was Ky.
He had barely said two words to me since I had arrived with Ashlyn. I knew he was busy and had to work the room, but fuck, a hello would have been nice. I knew his eyes were constantly on me though, because my body hummed at the sensation.
I pushed through the crowd with the main bar in sight. Somehow I shifted my body onto the stool even though the dress I wore hugged me like a second skin. I smiled at the thought that I had worn it for Ky. I crossed my legs at the knee and grabbed the cocktail menu and skimmed through the high priced alcoholic concoctions. Just what I needed.
“What can I get for you beautiful?” I allowed my eyes to rise from the menu and came face to face with the guy who had served Tori and me many weeks ago. Recognition flashed within his eyes, which surprised me. “Oh I remember you, how could I ever forget a face like yours.”
He leaned over the bar and his eyes skimmed over my face. I felt my cheeks flame under the intensity of his gaze.
“Well I’m glad I wasn’t forgettable.”
What the fuck was that? Was I flirting?
“You could never be forgotten, now tell me pretty lady, what will I be serving you tonight? I will be your personal servant for as long as you need me.”
I completely understood his insinuation.
And I didn’t completely shut down.
“Cosmopolitan and please make it super strong.”
“Coming up.” He winked before creating the masterpiece before me. I watched him closely, for the first time letting my mind open to the thought of possibilities. All I could think about was Ky even though a handsome guy was flirting with me. Ky treating me like a goddess last night and then again today was the only thought that had mixed with the craziness of my mind, but now he was almost treating me like I didn’t exist.
The bartender who finally introduced himself as Damien continued supplying me with Cosmopolitans and his constant flirting made me giggle like a school girl. The more I drank the more I forgot and the more I turned into one of my many alter-egos. Mission accomplished.
The stool beside me became occupied and I felt the heat of the person before I saw them. Through quickening drunken eyes I turned to find Josh looking at me with a crooked grin on his face as his eyes moved between me and the empty glasses stacked in front of me.
“What are you doing pretty girl?” he asked softly, placing a hand around the half empty glass in front of me and pushing it away.
His arrival had caught me off guard, but it was welcomed.
“Your brother is ignoring me.” I cringed the moment I spoke.
“He is probably just busy.”
The reason why I refused to get drunk was on full display when I spoke next. “Josh, look what I am wearing. He hasn’t even noticed how tight this dress is. I can barely breathe it’s so tight. He hasn’t even told me I look nice. Fuck, he hasn’t even given me one of those stupid looks from across the room.”
“What if I told you how stunning you look? Because babe you are gorgeous tonight.”
“You aren’t your brother.”
Through the honesty of alcohol, I realized just how much Ky was getting to me. I was admitting the fact that it upset me that he hadn’t noticed me. For four years I had done everything in my power not to be noticed by men but here I was craving the attention of a man who had basically demanded that I spend every moment with him while I was in town. Well played, Ky fucking Crawford, you have won.
“What are you doing Eden?” Ky’s voice sounded behind me. “I think you’ve had enough.”
“I’ll leave you two alone.” Josh slid off the stool and disappeared through the crowd leaving me in the close proximity of Ky.
“What do you want Ky?” My erratic breathing rushed from my lungs while my heart smashed violently hard in my chest as the feeling of his hand gripping my arm burned through my skin.
“You have been waiting for me to tell you how fucking sexy you look tonight?” My eyes dropped from his. “Eden the thought of you in that dress has caused me to be hard all night. You think I don’t find you the most beautiful girl in the room? I’m sorry that I’ve been busy, but you and your shoot have caused a lot of excitement and people are asking about that girl. You are that girl Miss Rivers.”
“Oh.” Suddenly I felt like a complete idiot.
Being this close to him and hearing those things was dangerous and every part of me knew it. It confused me how much I wanted this man. I cringed at the way that I would lose all of my strength with a single glance from him. Ky was taking away every mask I wore, every fear I had, every promise I made to myself.
His eyes burned with lust as they met mine before the lust was shattered by a look I was becoming well accustomed to. I saw a look of confusion and remorse. His hand released my arm before grabbing my hand, and his fingers entwining with mine so perfectly. I refused to tear my gaze away from his. I would not break this time. I slid off the stool and with a strong grip, Ky pulled me toward the vacant VIP section of Delights without a word.
As we stood in the VIP section, almost chest to chest, all I could focus on was my breathing and the man standing before me. Ky’s brow furrowed as his eyes searched my face before dropping to take in
my lips. My tongue licked my lips in anticipation. A deep low growl rose from his chest before he placed his open palms of either side of my face, drawing my eyes back to his. With one step, his chest collided with mine, setting off a million bolts of electricity through my body.
“Seeing you sit at the bar, talking with that guy should have made me happy because I want you to have confidence, but it didn’t. It made me feel like a jealous asshole because someone was flirting with the girl who is quickly becoming mine.”
“But you still don’t want to make love to me!” I spat out.
His eyes questioned for a moment, considering my words until realization flashed before me and a heated look spread across his face.
“You think I don’t want to make love to you?” He dropped his face dangerously close to mine and the deep breath he exhaled bounced off my lips. If he moved one more inch I’d be completely under the spell of those lips that destroyed me in so many ways. “Eden, I want to fuck you in every way you could imagine but this isn’t about me. This month is about you.”
“What if I want it though? What if I am ready for that? What if that’s the only thing I can think of? You touch me, you taste me, you kiss me but you never go further. I want you Ky, I want you to take me. I’ve never begged for this before, but with you I am.”
“You’re drunk Eden. You have no fucking clue what you are asking.”
“I know exactly what I am asking Ky. I’ve had three cocktails, that’s not enough to get me drunk.” My voice was now coming out as a plea.
He brutally shook his head. “I just can’t.”
He grabbed my chin, turning my face to the side and placed a lingering kiss on my cheek. When he looked at me, his gaze told me that he had a billion things to say to me but he didn’t. He just gave me one last look before disappearing through the crowd leaving me completely rejected.
“Are you okay?” Ashlyn grabbed my hand and pulled me out of my zone. I turned to face her; the moment I saw the concern on her face I felt myself come undone, and I shook my head in response. “Come on, let’s go and have a chat.”
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