Crash and Burn

by Maggie Nash

  “I don’t think—”

  “Please, Daniel… I’ll suffocate in here by myself. I’ll be careful. I promise. I won’t do anything to attract attention. Don’t say no.”

  Daniel stood in front of the door and stopped, his back to her. “The short blonde one. And hurry up. We should get some sleep sometime soon.”

  Yes! Without waiting for him to change his mind, Beth grabbed the bag of disguises and headed for the bathroom, closing the door firmly behind her.

  * * * *

  Five minutes later she emerged, transformed. Daniel stared at her. She’d changed clothes. With the spiky-heeled shoes, her legs seemed to go on forever. The short black skirt fit snugly across her mid-thighs and the fabric of the red tank top stretched taut across her breasts. He hardened instantly. Shit! This is a bad idea. He tried to turn away, but couldn’t. Not until he’d checked out every sexy little inch of her disguise. She’d made up her face and painted her sexy lips with a deep red lipstick. The blonde hair of her wig curled provocatively over her forehead and his hand itched to slip a spiral behind her ear. This was a different Beth to the one he’d come to know. She was more confident somehow. Her eyes were a flash of green light, daring him to challenge her. His gaze traveled from her eyes down her body once more. When he stopped at her breasts, she made a small gasping sound and he saw her nipples outlined through the strained material. They’d better get out of there and fast before he did something stupid, like throw her on the bed and show her exactly how she made his anatomy react. He grabbed her arm and dragged her to the door. “Let’s go!”

  She stood her ground and shook off his arm. “Do I look okay?”

  “Yeah, fine. Let’s get out of here.”

  “Not too much?”

  “No. Yes… Maybe. But we’ll wing it. Just stick close to me, okay?”

  “Okay,” she rasped as he once again took hold of her and propelled them into the hall. The door slammed shut as they walked down the staircase. He could feel her trembling under the weight of his hand on her. When they got to the street, he let her go and wrapped his arm over her shoulder.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Making sure no one propositions you. In that get-up, it’s a sure thing.”

  “Somehow I don’t think that was a compliment.”

  “Take it however you want… Now, let’s get that fresh air you wanted.”

  They moved out onto Macleay Street, into a crowd of people laughing and jostling each other along the pavement. Daniel watched the tourists and locals alike bustling along up and down the main drag of the Cross. Daniel had been there many times, but never with a woman like Beth on his arm. He could feel every leer from every teenager out with his mates searching for fun and every sleazy club bouncer out drumming up business in the many strip joints along the street. His face hurt from the snarls he gave them all. God, she was so damn sexy in that almost outfit. Another big bruiser of a guy stared at her breasts and he had an urge to punch the bozo’s lights out. Jesus, he’d better get her back to their room soon and pray she’d put on those flannel pajamas she’d bought on their shopping trip that morning. Was it only that morning? Ever since he’d found Will dead, he’d felt as if he was on a treadmill that was gaining in speed. He didn’t have the luxury of feeling tired. He’d been living on adrenaline for the last three days and it wasn’t going to slow down for a while yet.

  Beth shifted position and slid her arm under his jacket to hold him around his waist, her fingers biting into his flesh. He tightened his grip on her shoulders and scanned the area up ahead. A large group of boisterous youths stampeded toward them.

  “We’d better get out of their way,” said Daniel.

  “I agree, but where?”

  When the marauding crowd was almost upon them, Daniel pushed Beth through a door that led to a staircase down to a basement. Unfortunately, it appeared that this was the intended destination for the group they were trying to escape from. They were propelled forward by muscle and testosterone into a room at the bottom. Inside they were pushed up against a wall as the rest of the group entered and took their places in a row of seats surrounding a catwalk-style stage. The musky smell of sandalwood permeating the walls was strong as Daniel edged toward the exit with Beth’s hand in his. When they neared the door, it was closed by the bouncer they’d seen before on the street. The lights went out and the audience went wild with wolf whistles and cheers.

  Daniel leaned over and whispered in Beth’s ear. “I guess this means it’s show time. We’d better wait for a bit.” God, she smells so good. He inhaled deeply. Unable to think of one excuse to keep his mouth close to her face, he stood upright again, but not before her gentle shudder.

  “Er…show time? Just what kind of ‘show’ is this?”

  “Shh…try to be inconspicuous. We may be able to get through the door unnoticed if we’re lucky. Just sit tight through the first act. We’ll make a move during the applause.”

  The spotlight went on as the curtain opened and the music started. Ravel’s Bolero squeaked and crackled through a sound system that must have predated vinyl records. A young woman with flowing black hair, whose body was draped in magenta gauze veils, swayed to the music as she twirled and stepped her way down the catwalk.

  “Oh my God—this is a strip show!”

  Daniel’s hand came over her mouth and his lips brushed her ear. She could feel his warm breath as he whispered, sending shivers of sensation all over her scalp. “You’ll have to lower the decibels if we’re going for inconspicuous. If the show’s too hot for you, you can always close your eyes.”

  Close my eyes. Yes, close my eyes. That’ll work. I can do this. Bloody hell, I’m watching a sex show with a man who makes me sweat thinking about him!

  Closing her eyes wasn’t going to fix the problem. And besides, once she spied the girl moving, she couldn’t take her eyes off the stage. She inhaled deeply as Daniel withdrew his hand from her mouth. “I’m all right, just a little surprised.” She could swear she heard a hint of a chuckle from Daniel as he slid his arm back around her shoulder.

  The girl leaned suggestively into the audience. A young patron in the front row took one of her veils between his teeth and drew it off her body.

  Beth gasped.

  When the crowd caterwauled and several men reached for her, the girl deftly withdrew and blew a kiss to the audience before moving off the catwalk to the stage area where a red velvet lounge chair had appeared. Only a few scraps of material covered her lithe body and what was there left little to the imagination. Her large nipples and areola peeked through the transparent fabric, as did the dark shadow of her pubic hair between her thighs as she swayed to the music. She stopped before the chair, faced the audience, and stood perfectly still. The music stopped and the crowd went wild. Cries of ‘Get it off!’ and ‘Show us the rest!’ filled the room. The girl’s face was expressionless, but her eyes shimmered with passion while she awaited the next part of the performance.

  Beth stood on her toes to whisper in Daniel’s ear. “She’s getting off on this.”

  Daniel shifted uncomfortably in place and tilted his head down to answer her. “They aren’t all forced in to this life. Some actually do it because they like it.”

  “I can’t imagine wanting to bare yourself to strangers like this.”

  Daniel shifted again and cleared his throat. “I hear it’s a favorite fantasy for some women.”

  Now it was Beth’s turn to be squirm. She didn’t want to admit it, but being in this room and thinking about being naked and adored in front of all these men aroused her more than she would ever have thought. Lucky the lights stayed low, she thought as she felt a flush of heat rise over her face and spread through the rest of her body. She licked her dry lips and attempted to answer him, only managing a croaky, “oh”. What could she say after that revelation? An image of herself standing naked in front of Daniel flashed through her mind. Her core temperature blasted off the scale when she pictured his eye
s glazed with passion for her. Stop! With reluctance she turned her attention back to the stage, where a drummer began a pulsating rhythm, the girl swaying to its beat. The spotlight shifted to the side of the stage and a man appeared. He was tall, muscular and gorgeous, and wore tight leather pants with a leather bolero vest. In his right hand he carried a large whip. The handle was thick and black and shaped like a large phallus. He flicked the leather coil toward the audience before aiming at both sides of the girl.

  Oh shit! Beth felt for Daniel’s hand and squeezed.

  The performer raised his hand and Beth held her breath. The room fell into silence. Daniel tightened his grip on her shoulder, sending waves of heat through to her very core.

  The first crack of the whip caught Beth’s attention, her eyes unblinking as she watched it snake across the woman’s breasts, leaving a thin pink slash before removing the offending piece of cloth. Wetness flooded Beth’s panties as she swallowed, anticipating the next flick of the whip. It felt as if she was on stage and not the performer.

  Crack! Again it flicked out, removing the cloth over the girl’s mons. Now the girl was exposed completely. The scent of her arousal assailed Beth’s nose, inflaming her growing desire and ramping up her own body’s desire to find release from the tortuous tension building inside her. Discreetly she peeked at Daniel, wondering what he thought of this erotic performance. Out of the corner of her eye she saw him readjust the bulge in his pants and realized she wasn’t the only one affected. With the third crack of the whip, her eyes flew back to the stage and she bit back another gasp.

  The strips of cloth that had been the girl’s only covering now lay in shreds on the floor. The crowd hooted and whistled, but Beth didn’t hear a thing except the beat of the drum and her own heartbeat thundering.

  The man tossed the whip to the back of the stage, behind the girl. He stood in front of her and slowly circled her naked body while she continued to stand perfectly still, no expression showing on her pale face. The spotlight softened and flames erupted from lanterns surrounding the stage. The smells of sandalwood and patchouli wafted over the room and mixed with the cigarette smoke, creating a thick haze.

  He picked her up and laid her down on the lounge chair, posing her with her arms above her head and her legs apart. He stepped back, exposing her body on full display to all. As he leaned over and covered her breasts with his hands, Beth gasped. He explored the girl’s body, sliding his fingers up and down, then he moved farther along her body, kissing her mouth before trailing back down to her breasts. The girl moaned as the man continued his exploration with his mouth, finally stopping at her labia. He turned to the audience and smiled as he showed them his tongue. The crowd went wild. Laughing, he turned back to the girl, licking his way through her entrance as she thrashed her head from side to side and cried out her release. He shifted between her parted legs and rubbed against her groin in time to the drums. She arched into his exploring hands as he mimicked entering her.

  Beth closed her eyes as a moan escaped from her open mouth. She felt every touch, every lick and every sliding movement as if it was happening to her. Her whole body tingled with heat. She was on fire. Oh God—I have to get out of here! She shifted out from under Daniel’s arm and tugged his hand. “I have to go… I can’t stay and watch any more of this.”

  She saw Daniel checking out the door and at the bouncer, who was engrossed in watching the couple on stage. “Okay, we’ll make our way out slowly, so as not to draw attention.”

  Luckily most of the patrons were seated, facing the stage, when she and Daniel made a quick, quiet escape out of the door and up the stairs. Once they were back in the street, they ran hand in hand back down the half block to the hotel. Inside the room, Daniel slammed the door shut with his foot. Their hands were still joined when Beth stared up into his face. She trembled. His eyes seared hers with a heat she’d never felt before. She was still caught up in the intoxication of the show and her body moved of its own volition. Daniel shifted closer as she reached up to kiss him. But this was no tentative kiss. It went from zero to a hundred in a millisecond.

  Beth opened her mouth to his invasion as he took charge. He’d been holding on by a thread ever since she’d emerged from the bathroom in that amazing disguise, and after that wild show they’d just witnessed, he was at detonation point. He wanted to hold back, but the way she made those erotic little moaning sounds into his mouth, control was a thing of the past. He pushed her up against the wall beside the door, trapping her with the heat of his body. The musky scent of her arousal was heady as she lifted a shapely leg and wrapped it around his thigh. Holy shit! He had to have her. Now.

  He slid his hands underneath her top and skimmed over her silky skin. She shivered at his touch and it fired him further. Moving his hands higher, he was relieved that no bra delayed contact with her enticing breasts. Her moans increased when he scraped his palms over her puckered nipples. He almost lost it right there as he moved his hands to her buttocks and pulled her closer to his erection.

  Oh yeah, this is what you do to me.

  He pushed the crotch of her panties aside with his fingers and delved into her folds. She was hot, wet and ready. He felt her hand as it scraped over the front of his jeans and unzipped them so fast it sounded as if the denim had ripped. With his free hand, he reached for his pocket and pulled out a condom, ripping the packet open with his teeth. Beth snatched it from his hand and rolled it onto his erection, inch by slow inch, driving him insane with her featherlight touch on his hard cock. He couldn’t wait any longer. His body was on fire. He lifted her up to just the right level and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. He ripped the crotch out of her panties before entering her, groaning at the feel of her tight, hot pussy. This was no sweet and romantic lovemaking. It was raw and primal and neither of them could stop.

  “Yes… Oh yes…” Beth’s moans became shrieks as he pounded in to her once, twice, then some more. Her cries of release set off a mind-blowing climax of his own that went on and on until he felt like he dissolved into liquid onto the floor. He kissed the side of her neck as she nestled her head on his shoulder and sighed. Not wanting to lose contact with her, he tightened his hold as she held onto him, and moved them both to the bed, laying them both down, arms wrapped tightly around her.

  Beth lifted her head and pulled off the wig. She ran her fingers through her sweat-streaked hair and tried to move away. Daniel tilted her chin and looked into her eyes.

  “Are you okay?”

  Beth pushed his hand away and sat up, turning her back to him. “I’m fine.”

  “Did I hurt you?”

  “No.” She shuffled her bottom a little bit farther away from him, crossing her arms in front of her. She leaned forward, rocking slightly.

  Aw hell! He should have known he was coming on too strong. She obviously wasn’t ready for that level of intensity. Intensity? Hell, inferno more like it. He wasn’t sure he was okay yet either. Reaching over, he lightly touched her shoulder, careful not to surprise her.

  “Beth?”

  She shrugged his hand aside and released her arms from their vise-like hold of her middle and let her legs slide to the floor. “I’m all right, okay!”

  She shook her head and covered her eyes with her hands. Why on God’s earth had she done that? Embarrassment filled her. She’d never lost control like that before. She’d promised herself she wouldn’t get any more involved with Daniel, but holy moley, it’d been amazing. No one made her tingle all over like that. No one but Daniel. How could she face him now? How could they go back to all business and find whoever was trying to kill them?

  The weight of the bed shifted as Daniel sat up and zipped his pants. They’d been so impatient, they were still dressed. Beth’s singlet top was all askew, her skirt hiked up to her waist. Ewww. She needed a shower, but was reluctant to stand in her current state. She moved her legs back onto the bed, pulled the covers over herself and lay back on the pillow, turning her head a
way.

  “You’re not okay, are you? I’m so sorry, Beth. I’m not usually that out of control. My only excuse is that you seemed to want it as much as me. Am I right?”

  Beth sighed and turned to look at him. He really did fill out a shirt well, and his penetrating brown eyes were intensely beautiful staring at her, waiting for her response.

  “Call it momentary madness? I don’t know. I’ve never been to a strip show before. Do people always react that way to one?”

  He reached for her hand and stroked her palm gently with his index finger, sending quivers through her body. “Maybe, but in this case I think it had more to do with how we reacted to each other. That hasn’t happened quite that way before. Not to me anyway.”

  “Oh,” she said softly, lowering her gaze to his strong fingers as they continued their lazy exploration of her hand. A small thread of hope wound its way around her heart, but then Daniel pulled his hand away and walked to the other side of the room.

  “Let’s try to get some perspective here. We’re attracted to each other. We like each other, and nature took its course.”

  The thread fell away as quickly as it had formed, disappointment thudding into her chest. So nothing has changed. She bit into her bottom lip to stop it quivering as she waited for the bravado to kick in to defend her fragile feelings. “And it wasn’t the first time, so don’t beat yourself up about it. We’re grown-ups here, no big deal. That’s what you mean, right?”

  “Not quite. I think we could have something really special going for us, but I think we need to be mindful of the situation we’re in. We shouldn’t get too involved right now when all our focus should be on finding out who’s following us. We can’t be distracted. I can’t be distracted. I can’t keep you safe unless I have total concentration.”

  “So what are you saying…the fun’s been had, let’s move on?”

  “No, I’m saying this was amazing, but we should slow down so we can keep our heads together. After this is over, who knows?”