Bound To Protect (Crescent City Kings)

by Anya Summers

  “If you’d take this load from me, Michael, I’ll run down and get the rest of her things,” Dante said, holding the bags out for Michael to take while a wordless conversation seemingly passed between them.

  “Certainly. It seems like you did well with the excursions.” Michael rose from his seat and took the bags from Dante.

  “We did. I’ll be right back with the rest. Don’t get into too much trouble while I’m gone,” Dante teased, and shot her a saucy wink.

  Sabrina wanted to sigh at his flirtatious ways. She wanted to believe they were real. But then there was another part of her that said no matter whether it was real or a mere fantasy, she planned to enjoy it for all it was worth. It was a fairytale come to life. A way out of her dire situation where she would get to enjoy their company, perhaps indulge in her first love affair, be seen on an important man’s arm, and then she would have freedom like she had never experienced before.

  And if she didn’t know precisely what she would do with all the freedom and time, that was okay. She had the time to figure it out.

  “Let me show you the closet where you can put all of your things,” Michael said, jutting his chin back toward his room, his arms laden with bags.

  Sabrina glanced after Dante, whom she felt comfortable with, as he sauntered away and left her alone with Michael. She steeled her spine; she would have to get used to it. They were traveling to Los Angeles on Saturday, just the two of them, without Dante present as a buffer. She didn’t know why Michael flustered her. He just did. And it had nothing to do with the fact that the man had more money than God. It was his commanding, enigmatic presence.

  Sabrina followed Michael, feeling unsure and self-conscious in clothes that made her feel not herself. It was all just silly, the fluttering of fear in her chest that worked its way into her belly. Michael wouldn’t hurt her, ever. The fact was, he was more intimidating than Dante, and she worried whether she could pull off the feat and be what he needed with her brother’s care hanging in the balance.

  She knew Dante meant well, that they both did, but it hadn’t really sunk in yet that financially, she was out of the hole. That she could wake up tomorrow and the next day and not have to worry about money, or whether she was doing the right thing for Alex, or how she was failing him because she couldn’t afford the care he needed.

  The penthouse boasted four bedrooms, with Michael’s bedroom taking up the entire northwestern corner of the penthouse. Inside there was a bed, a mammoth, custom-made four-poster bed that could comfortably fit two large men and the woman of their choice between them. The room also held a plethora of lifestyle furniture. Dante had his own bedroom in the northeastern corner which, until recently, she had figured was just for show.

  But this room was the one she would share with Michael, she supposed. They hadn’t worked out all those pesky details. She had never even thought to ask, and had just assumed she would be sleeping in one of the two spare guest rooms.

  Then he strode through a second door that took them into a huge, room-sized closet that was divided into sections for Michael’s clothing and another for Dante’s. Michael pushed open a third door. Inside was a smaller room with shelves and closet rods that were empty. In the center was a plush bench in a deep, unapologetic burgundy that held the surfeit of bags from the previous day’s outing.

  Why had she never been in this closet before?

  Or, if she had, it looked markedly different now. There was a cedar drawer unit connected to the wall in the right corner which she could use for all the lingerie, stockings, and socks they had purchased in the last two days. There were spaces to hang her pretty new clothes, with wooden hangers lining the bars. One of the walls held slots for shoes. No more tossing them beneath the clothes in a haphazard fashion where she would never be able to find the second one of a pair. There was a full-length mirror in the left corner. In reality, this closet was nearly as large as her bedroom at home. She could fit her queen-sized, ancient mattress and dresser in here without any problems, and still have plenty of room.

  “We figured this closet would work for all your things,” Michael commented.

  Sabrina lowered a handful of bags near the crowded bench, trying to decide where to place it all. “And where exactly will I be sleeping? I know we didn’t talk about sleeping arrangements the other day. I assume, since this isn’t real, I’ll be in one of the spare bedrooms.”

  “We can’t chance it. Not with the traveling you and I will be doing. You need to be comfortable sleeping in the same bed with me for the time being. At least until we figure out who is behind the subterfuge. Is that a problem?” he asked, piercing her with a hard glint in his gaze, like he thought she would renege on their bargain.

  She shook her head. “No. I just didn’t think about it until now.” And there was also the little fact that she had never actually slept in a bed with a man before now, and had no idea whether she would be comfortable doing so or not.

  “Dante and I debated the topic. We figured it would be easiest all round. I know it’s putting a lot on your shoulders, but that’s why we’re paying you. It’s a huge bed and there’s plenty of room, so you don’t have to worry about my crowding on top of you. Unless you ask nicely and would like me to, of course.” Michael winked, and playfully bit his lush bottom lip.

  It took everything in her not to let her mouth drop open. Michael was flirting with her. Would wonders never cease? “I think we should just play it by ear. As long as you don’t make me watch any scary movies before bed, because then all bets are off, and I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

  He grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind. I had my assistant purchase some luggage for you. It’s there in the corner. We leave early Saturday morning. I know the next two days are going to be busy, with moving your brother tomorrow and then you on Friday, but you will need to be packed and ready Friday night. We have one formal event you will need to be prepared to attend in proper attire. Let me see the dresses you’ve purchased thus far—that way, I can pick one. And if there are none in the bunch I think would be appropriate, you and Dante will have a little time over the next two days to find a dress that will suit. Once we’ve determined what you’ll be wearing, I’ll have jewelry set aside for you in LA.”

  “All right.” Sabrina started with the large garment bag that held a few fancy dresses. She switched the items inside over, onto the wooden hangers, and held each one out for Michael’s inspection.

  There were three elegant dresses in this bunch, and more on the bench from her trip the day prior which she had to unpack. A black sheath that fell to her ankles and had a slit up the side. A pale, frosted blue number with an A-line skirt that ended just above her knees. And then a formal ball gown in salmon pink that had a small train.

  “Let me see the blue one on you,” Michael said, with a hint of command in his voice.

  “Okay.” She hung the other two up and started to walk toward the bathroom.

  “Where are you going?”

  “To change.” Where did the man think she was going?

  “Just change here. You’ve got nothing I’ve not seen before, and we will be in the same hotel room. I’m bound to see it all at some point, might as well get it over with.” He waved at her in a hurry along manner.

  Other than doctors, Sabrina had never been undressed in front of a man before. Talk about ripping a bandage off.

  She gave Michael her back as she stepped out of her sandals and unbuckled her belt. She tried to think of anything else as she stripped down to her bra and panties. It was one of the new silk sets they had picked up the day before, in a pale mauve.

  “Well, it didn’t take long to get you naked,” Dante said huskily behind her.

  Sabrina spun, clutching the dress against her chest, like it would shield her from their eyes. “I’m not naked.”

  Dante’s ravenous gaze scorched a scintillating trail down her body with a look so potent, it felt like he was caressing her skin, making goosebum
ps break out and the air back up in her lungs. And then she caught a similar expression on Michael’s face. Why did she suddenly feel like a gazelle left out alone on the prairie with a pair of hungry lions stalking her?

  “Close enough, love,” Dante murmured. “And I must say, I never realized just how stunning your legs were. Don’t you think, Michael?”

  “Agreed. Her ass is downright fantastic,” Michael commented to Dante as they raked her body.

  “Continue putting on the dress.” Dante gave her a little turn around gesture with his hand.

  Sabrina turned around, giving the two men her back. She stepped into the dress and brought it up to her waist before she undid the clasp on her bra and let it fall beside her on the floor. The strapless number had a built-in bra that would help keep the girls up. She zipped the dress up as far as she could manage, then glanced over her shoulder. “Could one of you zip it the rest of the way up?”

  Michael stepped forward. “Certainly.”

  The tips of his fingers grazed her skin, and made her shiver. She tried to recall if Michael had ever touched her before, but couldn’t think of any instance in which he had done so.

  “There now. Turn,” Michael commanded.

  Lowering her hands from her bust, she swiveled.

  Michael stood back, assessing her. “That will be perfect for the premiere. I want you to pack that one, and I know what will complement it. You won’t have to worry about hair or makeup, I have professionals coming to the hotel on Sunday afternoon. Shoes?”

  “The silver ones we picked up today would look best, I think,” Dante commented. “I can help you find them.”

  She looked through the stack of shoe boxes, but it was Dante who located them first. He pulled them out and set them on the floor for her to step into. They were three and a half inch-heeled strappy stilettos in a crystalline silver that made her legs look great.

  Michael nodded. “Yes. Good. You’re right about the heels, Dante. Can you walk in them?”

  “Um, a little,” she admitted.

  “Well, you can wear those for the rest of the night until Dante ferries you home, to break them in a bit and get used to them.”

  She nibbled on her bottom lip, trying to distill the edge of panic. She was attending a Hollywood movie premiere. She would be wearing heels and needed to look like she belonged in them. The last time she had worn heels, other than her ill-fated night at Bayou Sin, had been at her mother’s funeral.

  “Did you want me to order dinner in?” Dante asked Michael.

  “It’s done already. Ormond’s should be here within the hour. And the staff on the first level club have instructions to bring it up,” Michael replied.

  “Then why don’t we get you out of that dress and back into your other clothes, love? You and Michael need to practice a bit.”

  “Practice? Practice what?” she asked, her head still full of giddy excitement and mind-numbing fear at the thought of being among movie stars. Not to mention being stared at by two potent alpha males as if she were on the menu.

  “Kissing,” Dante filled in.

  “Oh, right.” She flushed at the thought, shooting Michael a glance. Butterflies erupted inside her. She worried that she would be stiff, and it would be unappealing when she was supposed to be pretending that she was madly in love with him. What if he kissed like a Saint Bernard and slobbered all over her?

  “Can you unzip me?” she asked Dante.

  “Would love to,” Dante murmured.

  She turned. At the first brush of his fingers along her spine, electricity sizzled through her body. He had working man’s hands: calloused and rough. She held the front of the dress up to keep it from sliding down and exposing her top half. A part of her wanted to let go, wanted to see what they would do if she dropped the dress and stood in nothing but panties and heels. Dante wanted her. He had stated as much. But would Michael want her too?

  She had never experienced the very real, intoxicating power of being a woman and enticing men with her body. Sabrina knew she had a nice form. But she’d never used it in a sexual manner, to try and drive a man—or, in this case, men—crazy with desire. And dancing on stage at Bayou Sin didn’t count in her book.

  Besides, to be honest, she wanted Dante to kiss her again. Maybe if he kissed her, she would relax enough to kiss Michael, and then she wouldn’t be stressed over it.

  Dante’s fingers lingered on her spine. She let go of the material covering her chest. The dress slithered to the floor. Before she lost her nerve, she swiveled on her heels.

  Dante groaned, and his large hands reached for her. They cupped her breasts. She bit back a moan. Her skin went up in flames where he touched. His thumbs stroked over her nipples, making them tighten into taut peaks, and sent torrents of need whipping through her.

  She rose onto her tiptoes and lifted her face up, hungry for his lips. His gaze positively smoldered.

  One of his hands cupped her nape, and his lips crashed down on hers. She moaned as the world narrowed down to just this: Dante kissing her while Michael watched. She had no idea why but having Michael there, knowing he was watching the spectacle, added fuel to the flames.

  She braced her palms against Dante’s chest and all but purred at the feel of his firm muscles beneath her fingertips.

  Dante was the one to end the heated tangle, and tore his lips away. “As much as I would like to continue, tonight is for you to become familiar with Michael’s touch. Besides, if I continue, I doubt I will be able to stop.”

  She retreated. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to…”

  “Don’t be sorry, never be sorry about the passion and need inside you. Your breasts are lovely. And I want to spend hours sucking on them. But not tonight.”

  “Oh,” she murmured, feeling her eyes widen at the thought of his mouth on her there, trying to imagine what it would feel like.

  “I second that opinion.” Michael slid seamlessly in front of her when Dante retreated. His gaze raked her body, stopping at her cleavage and again at the small mauve silk triangle covering her sex.

  She waited, breathless, wondering what Michael would do. She focused on his mouth, the full, firm lips easier to look at than the intensity in his gaze. His hands tilted her face up, forcing her to look him in the eyes. His thumb traced her mouth, gently scraping against her bottom lip. Michael was wearing one of those colognes that hit all the right notes, stoking her pheromones, and making her want to roll around in his scent.

  He lowered his mouth, keeping his gaze trained on hers. Sabrina slid her eyes shut, giving herself over to the moment. She didn’t know what to expect from Michael. But when he brushed his lips tenderly against hers, she realized it hadn’t been this gentle seduction. He drew her in, enticing her as he explored, coaxing her mouth open. Sabrina sighed into the embrace. Her head spun as one kiss bled into two, and then three.

  And it was at that moment, when she lost all sense of reason, that his kiss shifted from dreamy to hot and needy. He wound her hair in his hand and dragged her head back while he plundered. She gripped the front of his shirt, needing something to hold on to.

  To compare the two men, if Dante was lightning, then Michael was thunder—the slow build up of sound and strength until the power of it rattled even the foundation upon which you stood.

  Sabrina lost her head and kissed him back with all the yearning, all the need, that had been bottled up inside her for years. It geysered up in a hot stream. She clung to him, wanting to climb his muscled form like a tree.

  All her worries had been for naught. Michael kissed like her deepest, darkest fantasies. They both did. After a lifetime of deprivation, Michael and Dante made her feel every part of their toe-curling kisses.

  Michael’s hands caressed the length of her back until he was palming the globes of her rear.

  On a garbled moan, she was lifted. Her back pressed against a wall that was cool against the inflamed heat of her skin. And without waiting for him to assist her, she wrapped her legs around
his waist. It put the firm ridge of his erection against the covered vee between her thighs. She whimpered at the erotic sensation.

  Michael’s mouth scorched a trail of kisses down her neck. When he closed his lips around a distended nipple, her head thunked back against the wall. Sabrina’s eyes widened at the rush of pleasure infusing every part of her being.

  He suckled her bud, teasing and tormenting it. And through heavy eyelids, she spied Dante, staring at them with such carnal lust covering his features, her belly quaked. What would it feel like to be surrounded by them? To feel Dante’s hard length pressed alongside her back with Michael like he was now?

  Sabrina started to reach for Dante, lost in ecstasy and starving for more.

  The elevator bell dinged and sounded throughout the penthouse.

  “I’ll go take care of dinner. You two need to make yourselves presentable,” Dante said gruffly, clearing his throat.

  Michael released her breast and glanced at her then, a seductive smile playing over his lips. “I would say we passed the test. Wouldn’t you?”

  Alone with him, her legs snug about his waist, she replied, “And then some.”

  He flashed her a grin, and her heart trembled. She’d always thought he was attractive in that untouchable, aloof manner. But after everything, that gregarious smile turned him into a heartbreakingly gorgeous hunk.

  Nibbling on her bottom lip, she said, “You can put me down now.”

  “But you’re such a nice handful,” he said, playfully squeezing her bottom.

  “Oh… well.” She felt the blush spreading into her cheeks.

  He chuckled. “I think we’re going to enjoy our time together, more than either of us bargained for or expected.”