by A. M. Myers
“Lucas,” I whisper with a laugh. “No one is going to be looking at me.”
His brow arches and he pulls me closer. “Are you kidding me? It’s a shame I didn’t bring my gun.”
“What?”
“Shit,” he hisses with a wince. “Yeah, we’ll talk about that later, okay?”
I open my mouth to protest as I spot Ronald and Willa crossing the ballroom to talk to me and I sigh.
“Yeah, we will talk about it later.”
“Miss Dawson, you look stunning,” Ronald says as he reaches us and I swear I hear Lucas growl behind me and I barely resist the urge to glare at him.
“Thank you, Ronald. How are things going down here?”
He nods and I glance over at Willa as she smirks at me and winks.
“Very well. We have just one little problem…”
“What?”
Willa steps forward and places her hand on my arm. “The band isn’t here yet but I’ve called them and they promised me that they’ll be here in ten minutes.”
“Ten minutes?” I hiss. “We’re going to have guests showing up in fifteen.”
“It’s not ideal,” she answers, speaking in a calm tone that I think is supposed to tame my nerves but it doesn’t work. This gala is one of the biggest events I’ve ever thrown and I still managed to pull it together with a shortened time table and after getting into a car accident so if the band tanks this thing, I’m going to ruin them.
“Get one or two of our regular bands on the phone and see if anyone’s available as a back-up,” I instruct Willa and she nods before running off to make phone calls. I turn back to Ronald and suck in a breath.
“Please tell me there are no more problems.”
He shakes his head. “No, ma’am. Everything else has been running smoothly.”
“Thank you, Ronald.” Turning back to Lucas, I sigh and he pulls me into his arms.
“Anything I can do to help?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“Quinn!” someone yells and I glance over toward the stage where Willa is pointing to the band as they unload their equipment.
“Thank fuck,” I whisper before squaring my shoulders and marching across the room as I drag Lucas along with me.
“Shit,” he mutters but I ignore him as I stop in front of the stage. Nick, the lead singer, turns to me and his eyes follow a leisurely path down my body that makes me feel all kinds of icky before he grins at me.
“Hey, gorgeous.”
Lucas steps up next to me. “Fucking watch it.”
“Let me ask you boys something… you are aware that you signed a contract, yes?”
“Yeah, and?” Nick asks, arching a defiant brow and I wish I could put him on my banned list a second time.
“And in that contract, it stated that you were to be here an hour early and yet here you are, setting up fifteen minutes before guests are set to arrive.”
“Then why the fuck are you standing here, bugging us?”
My jaw tightens and I swear I can feel my eye twitching. “Oh, I’ll be out of your way in a second. I just thought I should let y’all know why you’ll only be getting half your fee tonight.”
“What?” Nick bellows, jumping down off the stage and Lucas is in front of me in an instant, putting himself between Nick and me as he charges toward me. “You can’t do that, you little slut.”
Lucas shoves him back and he stumbles before righting himself.
“Actually, I can. It was in the contract you signed and your conduct is completely unprofessional.”
“Jackson. Rhett,” the drummer says, stepping forward and the other two guys set their instruments down. “Get Nick out of here for a second.”
They lead Nick out of the ballroom as the drummer approaches me. “Hello. I’m Dorian and I just want to apologize for Nick. I would say that he’s not normally like this but I would be lying.”
“Well, thank you for that, at least, and I hope you don’t mind me saying that I think you guys are very talented but your lead singer is holding you back.”
He nods, glancing over his shoulder. “I have to agree with you.”
“Can you get set up in five minutes?” I ask, glancing at the time on my phone and he sighs.
“We’ll give it our best shot.”
I point to the door that the other two members dragged Nick through. “One more outburst like that and I’ll have you all removed. I already have back-up entertainment in place in case this doesn’t go well.”
“I understand, Miss Dawson.”
He turns and walks out the same door the other three disappeared into and Lucas turns to me, rubbing his hands up and down my arms.
“You okay?”
I scoff. “Why don’t you ask me again at the end of this night?”
Chapter Fourteen
Quinn
Lucas pulls me into his arms and begins to sway back and forth as the band plays an instrumental version of Perfect by Ed Sheeran and I melt into him, relieved that this night is almost over. The band thankfully got their shit together just before the guests arrived and we managed to raise a ton of money for the children’s hospital without any more drama. And, as an added bonus, I had several people come up to me tonight and ask for business cards because they were so impressed with my work.
“You ready to call it a night?” Lucas asks as he holds my hand to his chest and I shake my head.
“Not quite yet. Dance with me a little while longer.”
He smiles. “I think I can do that. By the way, you killed it tonight, babe. I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, a blush creeping up my cheeks and a deep sense of satisfaction settling into my chest knowing that he’s impressed with all my hard work. Who would have thought, three weeks ago, that his opinion would mean more to me than anything else. “And thanks for getting all dressed up and accompanying me.”
“And miss seeing you in this dress? Not a chance in hell.”
I lean back and our eyes meet. “You trying to butter me up, Smith?”
“Why?” He laughs. “Is it working?”
“A lady never tells.”
“Quinn,” Willa calls as she approaches us and I turn to her with a smile.
“Hey, girl. What ever happened to your date?”
She shakes her head with a sigh. “He bailed on me ten minutes before the event started.”
“What a tool,” Lucas tells her and I nod in agreement.
“Oh, don’t you worry about it. You, sir, have renewed my faith in the opposite sex.”
Lucas laughs, pulling me closer and I can’t help but smile. “Well, glad I could help.”
“And you,” she says, pointing to me. “We have lots to talk about on Monday.”
“I’m really looking forward to that,” I quip, my tone dry and she laughs. No doubt she’ll spend the rest of the weekend thinking of questions to grill me with.
“Me, too. I’m going to take off and I’ll be back in the morning to get all this broken down.”
I nod and step out of Lucas’s arms to give her a hug. “Thank you. Text me when you get home so I know you made it safe and I’ll be around tomorrow if you run into any problems.”
“Don’t worry about it. I can handle it,” she says before flashing me a grin. “So you two have a fun weekend.”
“Subtle,” I murmur and she laughs.
“That word is not in my vocabulary.” She pulls away and takes a step back, waving as Lucas pulls me back into his body. “Bye, y’all.”
When she’s gone, I turn back to Lucas and yawn as I lay my head on his shoulder. We sway back and forth to A Thousand Years by Christina Perri. There are a few couples out on the dance floor and a few groups of people still milling around but the party is definitely winding down and although I’m exhausted, I’m incredibly proud of myself for throwing this together.
“Let’s get you upstairs, gorgeous,” Lucas whispers in my ear and I nod as I yawn again.
/> “Okay.”
He grabs my hand and laces our fingers as we start slowly wandering out of the ballroom. “Is it time for my surprise now?”
“You’re like a kid on Christmas,” I tease with a laugh.
“Come on, baby. Just tell me what it is. I’ve been thinking about it all night.”
I grab his arm and cuddle into his side as we stop in front of the elevator. “I think you can wait a few more minutes.”
“Fine,” he grumbles, looking more like a little boy than the man I’ve gotten to know over the past month and I giggle as the elevator doors open.
“So impatient.”
We step into the elevator and as soon as the doors slide closed, he pushes my back up against the wall and runs his nose down the length of mine. “You know what else I’ve been waiting all night for?”
“What?”
He leans in and gently presses his lips to mine, letting them linger just long enough to make me want more before he pulls away. “That.”
“Do it again.”
“Look at you,” he muses, leaning one hand against the wall by my head as he traces over my bottom lip with his finger. “Getting all demanding and shit.”
“Kiss me, Lucas.”
He shakes his head and drops his hand from my face. “I don’t know, Darlin’. I kind of like hearing you beg like this.”
“Don’t press your luck,” I murmur, arching my back and pressing my hips into his. He sucks in a breath and a satisfied smile stretches across my face.
“What if I do?”
“Then I’ll be sleeping alone tonight.”
The door slides open and I arch a brow as I shove him off me and leave him standing in the elevator with a shocked look on his face. I peek over my shoulder as I dig the key out of my clutch and he follows after me, his gaze locked on my ass, and I turn back to the door with a grin on my face.
“The back of this fucking dress,” he growls, stepping up behind me and gripping the fabric at the waist. “Is killing me.”
“I would say I’m sorry…”
He shakes his head and presses his lips to my neck. “No, don’t. I love it.”
“Well,” I muse as I slip the key into the lock and twist it. The door opens and I step inside before reaching out and pulling him along with me. As soon as the door closes, I feel bolder than I have all night and I press him up against the wall. “I think it’s time for your surprise.”
His eyes light up. “Yeah? What is it?”
Leaning in, I lay my hand flat against his chest and kiss his neck, lingering for a second before moving on to the next spot. A groan rumbles in his chest and his grip on my hips tightens.
“Darlin’,” he rasps, his voice full of gravel. It sends shivers down my spine and my belly flips as moisture pools between my thighs. “If you keep kissing me like that…”
“Shut up, Lucas. No more warnings. No more holding back. No more rules. In the past month, you’ve proven to me countless times that you are the kind of man that I can trust with not only my body but my heart. My feelings for you are wild and overwhelming sometimes, given that we’ve only known each other for a short time but I told you I was ready for more and that’s your surprise tonight.”
His brows furrow. “What do you mean?”
“I guess I’ll have to show you,” I whisper, reaching under my arm and unhooking the top of the dress as our eyes lock. My heart thunders in my chest as I slowly lower the zipper and when I reach the bottom, I slip the dress off my shoulders. Lucas’s gaze falls to my chest and he swallows hard as I let go of the dress and it glides down my body before pooling in a puddle at my feet.
“Fuck,” he groans as his eyes slowly trail back up my body and I resist the urge to cover my bare breasts. It’s been a long time since I’ve been willingly naked in front of a man but I meant everything I said. I trust him with everything - my heart, my body, my fears, my past. I’ve given it all to him.
He pushes himself off the wall as one arm wraps around my waist and pulls me into his body. We back up until my shoulders hit the opposite wall and he cups my face, brushing his thumb back and forth across my cheek.
“Do you remember what I told you?”
I shake my head. “No one needs to be in charge here, Lucas. I told you that I trust you and I meant it. If I’m uncomfortable with something, I’ll let you know. Until then, stop holding back with me. I’m not going to break.”
His eyes linger on mine for a second before he leans in and slams his lips to mine. I whimper and my knees tremble as I grip his arm and pull him closer, my lips parting. He nips at my bottom lip and my core clenches as a wave of need crashes over me. There is something deep down in my soul screaming for more from him, like it will never be enough. I’ll never get him close enough. He’ll never kiss me hard enough or long enough to satisfy this ache in my chest for him.
“Lucas,” I whisper as he drags his lips across my skin and he groans, his hand gripping the back of my neck. We stumble away from the wall, our lips finding their way back to each other as I start frantically pulling at his tux, desperate to feel all of him against me. His jacket hits the floor quickly followed by his shirt as he kicks off his shoes. I hum as my fingers trail down his stomach and the tight muscles of his abs.
“Quinn,” he breathes, his head dropping back. I continue down his body and unbutton his pants before shoving them down his legs. As he steps out of them, he wraps his arm around me and lifts me into the air before carrying me over to the bed. He lays me on my back and leans over me as he runs a hand down my chest. My nipple pebbles under his touch and he groans again.
“Tell me something,” he says and I release a breath.
“You want to have a conversation right now?”
He nods. “Are you wet?”
A moan slips past my lips before I can respond and my cheeks heat. No one has ever talked to me like that before but it certainly works for me. Or maybe that’s just Lucas.
“Was that a yes, gorgeous?”
“Yes,” I breathe with a nod. He grins as his hand slowly crawls up the inside of my thigh.
“Are you going to tell me what you want?”
I meet his gaze. “You know what I want.”
“Yeah,” he muses with a glint in his eyes, totally in his element. It’s a side to him that I’ve never seen and if I wasn’t already addicted to him, I would be now. There’s something about that little hint of danger in a man I know I can trust that thrills the part of me that still craves a rush. “I do.”
He moves my panties to the side and strokes his thumb over my slit as my eyes roll back in my head and I moan.
“Do that again, baby,” he whispers, repeating the move and I comply, moaning his name as a little voice in my head screams for more.
“Take them off.” I hook my thumbs in the waistband of the lacy white panties I picked out for tonight and shove them down my hips as far as I can before Lucas takes over and tosses them across the room. He stands and removes his boxer briefs before crawling back over me and a moment of panic lances through me before I can stop it.
“Whoa, what was that?”
I shake my head and squeeze my eyes closed. “Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“Fuck that. Talk to me, baby,” he says, grabbing my hand and pulling me up into a sitting position. I wrap my arms around my knees and suck in a breath.
“It’s just… I haven’t…”
“Since that night?” he finishes for me and I nod. “Do you want to stop?”
“No! I want to do this and I’m not even scared anymore. It was just like a second where I freaked out a little bit.”
He studies me for a moment before nodding and I watch him as he props a couple pillows up against the headboard and leans back against them before holding his hand out to me. “Come here.”
I crawl across the bed and allow him to pull me into his lap. His cock nudges against my core and I suck in a breath as he groans. Hooking his hand around the back
of my neck, he pulls me forward until our lips connect and I sigh, any and all fear melting away in an instant.
“Better?” he whispers into my kiss and I nod. “You want more?”
“God, yes.”
As he nips at my bottom lip, his thumb finds my clit and he circles it slowly as I grip his shoulders and fall apart in his lap, arching my back as I close my eyes and rock my hips against his hand.
“You good?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“Ready for more?”
“Absolutely.”
He releases my neck to stroke my cheek and I open my eyes, meeting his gaze. “Wrap your hand around my cock, sweetheart.”
My heart hammers against my rib cage as I reach down and do as he instructs, grabbing his length before slowly pumping it up and down.
“Jesus Christ,” he hisses, his eyes closing as his head falls back against the headboard. “Just like that, Quinn.”
Leaning in, I kiss his neck as I continue working him up and down and he groans, his hands grabbing my hips and pulling me closer. Feeling a little bolder, I run my tongue up the column of his neck and he groans louder, his grip tightening.
“Shit, you’re killin’ me here.”
I smile against his skin. “Oh? I’m so sorry.”
“No, you’re fucking not. I can feel you grinning.”
Pulling back, I meet his eyes with the same smile on my face as I move up on my knees and press the tip of his cock against my entrance. He growls as his gaze drops to his lap. Holding him in place, I rub myself back and forth across the head a couple times. His eyes roll back in his head and I feel a little victorious as I slowly sink down on top of him.
“Wait! Shit. I need a condom.”
I shake my head. “I’m on birth control and I don’t want anything between us.”
His gaze flicks to my face and he nods, giving me the go ahead as I take him inside me and release a low moan.
“Holy shit, you feel amazing,” he groans, his fingers kneading my hips as he struggles to maintain control. “You good?”
“Yes, I’m good.” Planting my hands on his shoulders, I start rocking my hips. “What did I say earlier? No holding back, no rules. Just let go.”