by Tijan
I have to push on his chest with some real force to get him to back up. “I’ll show you.”
He closes his hand around mine when I try to let go of his erection.
I give him a devious smile. “I can’t show you if you’re fucking my hand, can I?”
He’s quick to let me go. Arching my back, I reach behind me and find the zipper. When I get halfway I have to move to the front to unzip it the rest of the way. I installed a hidden zipper that starts at my tailbone and ends at my navel in preparation for this exact event.
I turn around and bend over, showing him my bare ass. I’m without panties—otherwise, what would be the point?
“You’re a goddamn genius.” Bane spins me around, grabs me by the ass and lifts me. I wrap my legs around his waist and his thick head slides over my clit. “I’ll love you better later,” he promises, and then he slips low and pushes inside.
It’s a fast, frantic fuck. I bite his shoulder so I don’t make too much noise. I doubt anyone will be able to hear us with the auction going on, but just in case, I want to limit my pleasure sounds. I know when he’s getting close because he tugs on my ponytail. I lift my head and his palm slips under my chin, holding my face while he drills me into the door, eyes on mine.
He’s wearing the Batman mask. It’s so sexy. I think I may have a costume fetish. Thankfully, Bane seems to share it.
He slips his thumb between my lips. “That’s gonna be my cock as soon as we get to the room.”
I come, groaning his name because I love his dirty mouth, and he’s right, that’s exactly what’s going to happen. I’m so glad we’re staying at the hotel tonight and that Bane has booked us into one of the lavish presidential suites. We have all night to get our freaky sex on. It’s going to be amazing. A few more thrusts and he follows right after me, declaring his love of fucking Catwoman.
After a few long moments of just breathing, he steps back from the door and I unwrap my legs from his waist. As he starts to set me down there’s a horrible ripping sound. We freeze, eyes on each other.
“I really hope that wasn’t anything important,” he says with a nervous chuckle.
Together, we look down. It’s impossible to see what the issue is with the black on black material. He bends at the knee and I lower my legs carefully to the ground, but when he tries to pull away another tear reverberates loudly through the room.
My carefully sewed secret front pocket in his Batman leotard is ripped wide open. But that’s not the worst part. The zipper on my cat suit has torn as well, leaving a huge hole at my crotch. The two seem to have gotten caught on each other with all the thrusting.
“Oh shit. That’s not good.”
“No, no, it’s not.” I try to separate us, but all I manage to do is make the hole in my costume bigger. “I have to be back out there soon. Gwendolyn is going to give some huge speech and make me go out there and thank everyone for coming. I can’t do that with my vagina hanging out!” I gesture wildly to my crotch. Panic is setting in. This is an epic wardrobe malfunction.
“Fuck. Shit.” Bane tries to run his hand through his hair, except he’s wearing the mask, so he runs it over that instead. He takes a deep breath and goes into problem-solving mode. “Where’s your dress?”
“In our room.”
“Fuck. So we have to get to the elevators.”
I bite my lip. “And up to the twenty-third floor without being seen.”
He exhales a breath, nods once, grabs my ass, and hoists me back up.
I grab his shoulders. “What’re you doing?”
“Taking you to your dress.” He wraps his cape around us, holding it closed with one hand.
“Right. Okay.” I throw the lock.
Bane peeks his head out into the hallway. The coast is clear so far. He creeps down the hall, as much as a six-three, two-hundred-plus-pound man can creep anywhere with a woman attached to the front of his body. If I wasn’t so worried about having to be back onstage, I might think this whole situation was hilarious. I don’t even know how long we were in the supply closet. I don’t think I’ll get over the panic until I’m back in my dress.
We manage to get to the doors leading to the hallway without being seen, which is a miracle since we have to pass Lexington, who’s still waiting for his turn to go up on stage. Wow, I didn’t expect Wentworth to be such a hit with the ladies, or maybe we were a lot faster than I thought.
Just when I think we’re in the clear I peek my head out into the foyer and note several guests milling around there. Goddammit. Why aren’t they in the ballroom, taking part in the auction, or at least watching it go down like they’re supposed to?
I push him back before anyone sees me. “Shit. What are we going to do?”
Bancroft gives his head a shake. “I’m an idiot.”
“No you’re not. You were horny, and that’s totally okay, but I need to figure out a way to get my dress back on my body so not everyone gets to see my used cooch.”
He tries to set me down, but I cling to him. “Let go, babe.” He pries my fingers free. “You stay here, I’ll get the dress and bring it back down as fast as I can. I’ll take the stairs if I have to.”
“Why didn’t we think of this in the first place?”
“Panic is good for making people dumb. I’ll meet you back in the supply room.” He kisses me quickly and then he rushes out the door, leaving me in the hallway with a very drafty crotch.
I tug at the zipper, but it’s bent and pulled free from the teeth. I’ll have to replace it entirely to fix it. With my hands over my crotch and my back against the wall I shimmy my way through the dimly lit hallway, back to the supply closet to wait.
I’m not quite so lucky this time around with going unnoticed. As I’m passing backstage, my black outfit against the cream wallpaper must catch Lex’s attention. He glances over and spots me before I can duck out of sight. Not that there’s anywhere to duck into. The supply closet is still a good twenty feet away and I’m not free to move quickly unless I want to flash him.
I’m sure my smile is more of a grimace. He leaves his post and saunters over to me, looking suspicious. “What’s going on, Ruby? Where’s Bane?”
“Oh nothing, he’s just gone back to the room for a minute. He’ll be right back.”
He tilts his head to the side, eyes narrowed a little. “I thought you were getting drinks.”
“I was. I am. I just, we uh . . .” Shit. If he finds out what happened he’s never going to let either one of us live it down.
“Why are you standing like that?”
“I had a bit of a costume mishap.” I can give him a smidgen of truth.
He comes a little closer. “What kind of mishap?”
“My zipper broke.” Okay, maybe more of the truth is okay. He doesn’t need to know how it happened.
That signature smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. “Oh, yeah? What were you two doing to break a zipper?”
“It just, I just—” God. I lie professionally for a living—I fake being another human being, living another life five nights a week and I can’t even come up with a plausible lie to tell my boyfriend’s smirking brother.
Suddenly, Lexington’s name is called from the other side of the curtain. The crowd erupts in applause, along with the sound of female whistles.
“You have to go.” I cross my legs and try to shoo him toward the stage. When he doesn’t move right away, I hiss, “Go! You can’t keep Amie waiting like that, do you know how much stress this whole thing is causing her?”
“I seriously don’t understand why she’s marrying my dickbag cousin.” He turns and heads toward the stage.
“That makes two of us,” I mutter.
I must not have been quiet enough, because he glances over his shoulder, looking like he wants to say something.
“Can you do me a favor?” I don’t wait for him to say yes. “Make it take a while, please. I can’t go out there until I’m back in my dress.”
Lex win
ks and bows, then steps through the curtains and the crowd screams. God, he really thrives on the attention. And at this moment, I love him for it.
It’s another five minutes before Bancroft returns with my dress and his suit in hand. He’s sweaty, but at least he’s here and I won’t have to embarrass myself or anyone else with indecent exposure.
“Did you run into anyone on the way?” I rush to change back into it while Bane does the same. It’s the night of missing crotches, it seems.
“Brittany was getting off the elevator when I was getting on, but it was uneventful otherwise.”
Bane helps me fix my hair. My lipstick is worn off completely, but there’s nothing I can really do about that. I turn around. “I’m good?”
He gives my ass a little squeeze. “You’re phenomenal.”
“That could’ve been an absolute disaster.” I push up on my toes. “I need to get back out there.”
“I’m right behind you.”
He opens the supply closet door and peeks out. The coast seems clear. I pretend like I didn’t just have sex in a supply closet, where I ripped the crotch out of my costume—thank God I had the good sense to have two—and make my way back to the stage where I hear a cacophony of screaming women. What the hell is going on out there?
I rush to the curtains and peek through them. Lex is strutting around on stage and there are about fifty hands in the air. Amie’s eyes are saucer wide and her hand is at her throat. Gwendolyn is fanning herself with a piece of paper. Bids are being shouted rapid fire. He’s already at a hundred thousand dollars. He’s been out there for all of ten minutes and the ladies are going wild.
It takes another ten minutes and fifty thousand dollars before the auction finally ends. Lexington has been purchased by someone other than Brittany. I’m sure he’s relieved.
I’m summoned to the stage to celebrate the nearly four hundred thousand dollars we’ve raised through the bachelor auction. Once we’re done thanking the guests, I thread my arm through Amie’s and lead her to the bar because I sure as hell need a drink and she looks like she needs about seven.
“What happened with Lex?” I ask after I’ve placed an order for two glasses of champagne. He’s already been claimed by his purchaser. I wonder if she thinks the date starts immediately.
Amie grabs hers almost before the bartender is finished pouring, chugs it, and signals him to refill it. “Lex flipped up his skirt thing.” At my confused expression she fills in the blank. “He wasn’t wearing underwear.”
“Oh!” As that news sets in I ask what I assume I already know, based on the reaction of the women in the audience. “I assume that means he’s . . . ample.”
“Well.” Amie gulps half of her second glass of champagne in one swallow. “I sincerely hope he’s a shower and not a grower, otherwise we should consider renaming him Vlad the Vagina Impaler.”
I snort. “You’re exaggerating.”
“Oh no, I am not. He could destroy someone with that thing.” Her cheeks flush, whether from the champagne or the memory of being flashed, I can’t be sure. Possibly both considering she’s finished her second glass and is going for her third.
She motions to me. “What happened to your Catwoman suit?”
I smooth my hand over my stomach. “There was a bit of a problem with the zipper.”
“What kind of problem?”
“It broke.” I sip my champagne and avoid her gaze.
“And how did that happen?”
“Oh, you know, the usual, quickie in the supply closet.”
Amie nearly spit-sprays her champagne all over me. “When did that happen?”
“About twenty minutes ago, give or take.”
“During the auction?” She pinches my arm. “You’re a jerk. I can’t believe you were getting your rocks off while I had to manage this.” She gestures to the empty stage.
“You should be thanking me, not punching me.”
“Thanking you for what?”
“You got to see a huge penis, didn’t you?”
Bane slips an arm around my waist from behind. “Talking about me again?”
I scoff. “This time we’re talking about your brother. Apparently he flashed the entire party.”
“It’s the night of indecent exposure, isn’t it?” His hand is on my hip, but it’s low, close to my butt without actually being an ass grab. “You ready to go up to the room soon?”
“In a bit. Amie needs help getting over being exposed to the Millses’ genetic monstrosity.”
Less than an hour later we’re in the elevator on the way up to the penthouse floor. Amie is three sheets to the wind, stumbling down the hall to her room. I’m in better form than she is, but not by much. I use Bancroft’s chest as a place to rest my head while he swipes the keycard and lets us into our room.
Once the door is open, he scoops me up and carries me inside. It makes me think about things like getting married. It’s a long way off, a hint of an idea, but if things continue the way they are, I imagine that it will be an eventuality. It makes me happy.
“What are you smiling about?” Bancroft kisses my neck, dropping down on the massive king-size poster bed.
“We’re lucky Lex and Amie are the only people who know what happened tonight.”
Bane lifts his head, his expression dark. “What do you mean Lex knows?”
“He caught me sneaking back to the supply closet.”
Bane’s eyes go wide and his grip on my hips tightens.
“Calm down, baby, he didn’t see anything. His ball flashing probably saved me from other people finding out, so we’ll just have to deal with the razzing.”
“With his antics tonight, I don’t think he has much of a right to razz. My father is not pleased.” He kicks off his shoes, pushes back on the mattress and pulls me on top of him. “Enough talk, I want to put that mouth to good use tonight, bring it here.” My dress rides up as I straddle his waist. He slides one wide palm along the side of my neck and pulls my mouth down, the other hand moving up the outside of my bare thigh. I brace myself on his chest and bend to kiss his chin, moving slowly to his lips.
“I’m guessing it’s going to take some work to fix your costume,” he says. Well, mostly it’s a groan.
I push back and run my fingers through his hair. “Probably. Are you disappointed?”
He shrugs. “I’m sure I’ll get over it.”
“Tomorrow night I could be Wonder Woman again, but tonight you’ll just have to take me as I am.”
He skims the contours of my lip, grinning. “I’m pretty sure I can handle that.”
Before he can monopolize my mouth with his tongue, I say, “I think we should start planning next year’s costumes early.”
His right eyebrow arches. “You want to throw another party after this shit show?”
“Maybe a private one. In our bedroom. You and me.”
“I like private.” He grabs my hips and pulls me closer. “And I vote no zippers.”
My wheels are already spinning as he pulls my mouth down to his. And then all my thoughts turn to vapor when he kisses me.
My Batman, my Bruce Wayne, my filthy-mouthed Prince Charming.
Don’t miss these other titles from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author HELENA HUNTING!
Shacking Up
Hooking Up
The Pucked Series
Pucked
Pucked Up
Pucked Over
Forever Pucked
Pucked Under
Pucked Off
AREA 51: Pucked Series & Outtakes
The Clipped Wings Series
Cupcakes and Ink
Clipped Wings
Inked Armor
Cracks in the Armor
Fractures in Ink
Standalones
Get Inked (A Pucked Series & Clipped Wings Crossover)
The Librarian Principle
Felony Ever After
Visit her online at http://www.helenahunting.com/
&
nbsp; About the Author
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Pucked series, Helena Hunting lives on the outskirts of Toronto with her incredibly tolerant family and two moderately intolerant cats. She writes contemporary romance ranging from new adult angst to romantic comedy.
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UNSAFE HAVEN
Bella Jewel
Chapter 1
“Just talk to him already!”
I stop midway through sipping my coffee and stare over the counter at my best friend, Erin. She’s looking at me in a way that screams excitement. Her blue eyes bright, her blond hair bobbing around her chin, her mouth spread into a big grin. She raises her hands, claps them together, and then wiggles her brows at me.
“I can’t,” I murmur, staring down at the creamy liquid in my cup. “He doesn’t really look like he enjoys being spoken to.”
“All men enjoy being spoken to!”
I huff. “Maybe so, but he seems . . . shy. Broody, even. He isn’t like most happy-go-lucky men. I wouldn’t even know where to start.”
“You start with hello, Jade, and you go from there.”
I purse my lips, and take another sip of coffee. “I mean, I have said hello, and he murmurs a reply but then just gets back to work. Marlie said he’s going to be at Sanctuary the next two days to help with all the decorations for the Halloween party. Maybe I can try and talk to him then.”
“Don’t try, just do it, Jade.”
I stare at Erin. She’s right, I should just talk to the mysterious, gorgeous, broody handyman who helps out at my job, but I’m far too shy to bring myself to do it. He started only a few months back, and I can’t seem to take my eyes off him when I’m there. There’s something that draws me to him. There aren’t many men that show up at my job, so having him there, and even finding the courage to speak to him, is huge.
I don’t have the best history with men. My ex, Terry, made my life miserable for a few solid years. When I tried to leave, he wasn’t happy about it. I guess you could say I’m an abuse survivor, and because of that, I became slightly withdrawn when it came to the male species. My work has definitely helped with that.