ROMEO

by Ruby Rowe

  “I’m just checking in. Is everything OK here?”

  “Yes, it’s fine, and I don’t need you checking in when I’m visiting with a guest on my list.”

  “You have an intense bodyguard, here, Ava,” Drake says before he tosses his cloth napkin on the table and glares up at Griffin. “He damn near frisked me in the driveway.”

  “Oh, he did, huh?” I glower back at Griffin, but he doesn’t back down. “I’ll be ready to leave for the party at seven,” I say, “and I won’t need you before then.”

  “Yes, Ms. Lane. Enjoy the rest of your lunch date.” His brooding self leaves us be, and I watch as Drake’s tightened jaw moves with his grinding teeth.

  “I liked Frank.”

  “Griffin’s not forming much of a fan club, but I feel safer than I ever have, and that’s what matters. Now, let’s get this over with.”

  Griffin

  “I’m growing tired of your broody disposition,” Ava says as we ride in the car to her dinner party. I look over at her, which I’ve been trying not to do.

  She’s barely clothed in a slinky pale pink dress that you can almost see through. Almost… In public, she’s generally modest with her attire, so I’m curious why she’s dressed provocatively tonight.

  “I’m not brooding. I’ve been focusing on your safety. I can’t afford to be distracted, and you’re distracting.”

  “You were angry that I had men over. Oliver, I can understand. He wasn’t on the list, but you had no right to interrogate Drake.”

  “Have you ever considered that your stalker could be a man you know?”

  “I’ve worked with Drake for years. Yes, he’s had a thing for me for some time, but he’s not a psycho. He’s been a supportive friend and costar.”

  She smirks. “And the idea of Oliver stalking me is hilarious. He’s too self-absorbed, and he made the choice to screw up our relationship.”

  “When I trust them, I’ll back off.”

  “I’ve had enough bodyguards to know this isn’t how they operate. You’ve got to back off a little now.”

  “Fine.” Before I look away from her, I can’t resist scanning her body once more. Her long, slender legs taunt me like they’re waiting to be spread, and I envision that fuck-me dress of hers riding up in the process.

  I grip my neck and exhale as quietly as I can so she doesn’t see how much she drives me crazy. It’s going to be a long night, especially if men are hitting on her like I’ve witnessed them do.

  We pull up in front of the restaurant where the dinner party is being held. Kellen gets out of the vehicle first to examine the area before telling me through my earpiece that it’s safe to exit.

  I step out of the town car next and button my suit jacket as I stride around to open the door for Ava. The valet is hovering, and a handful of paparazzi are on each side of the red velvet ropes, guarding the pathway to the restaurant.

  Ava plants a grin on her face and gives a light wave by the car. We get almost to the entrance—

  Fuck!

  Something’s pouring over our heads, creating a splashing sound. Tucking my chin to keep as much out of my eyes as possible, I suck in a breath from the impact. Swiftly, I wipe my face to see again before I grab Ava and rush her back to the car.

  Cameras are flashing, and yells can be heard, as I push her into the backseat. I practically throw myself on top of her while pulling the door closed behind me.

  “Find who did this!” I say to Kellen through the mic on my cuff. “Harold, drive!” I move Ava to a sitting position and work at getting the liquid off her face. “Does it burn?”

  She shakes her head no, and after seeing how covered she is, I jerk off my jacket so I can get to my shirt. I rip it open and pull it off so I can use it to get the shit off her eyes and face. She gasps for air as I continue to wipe away whatever it is that’s been thrown on us.

  “Harold, take us to the hospital.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  I hold Ava’s face. “Talk to me. Are you OK?”

  “I think it’s blood,” she says with a shaky voice as she looks at her hands. “I want to go home, and I want this off me.” Beginning to panic, she tugs on her dress, trying to get out of it. I help her pull it over her head, but the red substance has seeped through the thin fabric and is covering her body.

  “We’re getting you checked out first.”

  “You have it all over you, too.” With desperation, she begins wiping my face, but I yank her hands down. “Stop, and let me do my job.”

  “You’re so damn bossy!” she yells.

  “And you’re a stubborn woman.”

  She laughs loudly and can’t seem to stop. It’s a coping mechanism from shock, so I ignore it and continue to clean her up. She doesn’t look physically harmed, so this was a scare tactic, surely done by her sick stalker.

  “A2, talk to me,” I say to Kellen in my mic after putting my jacket back on.

  “He was at an upstairs window. We haven’t found him yet.”

  “Don’t stop looking until you do,” I snarl.

  Ava

  “I want Holly to come to the house,” I say to Griffin as we ride home from the hospital.

  “She’s been up half the night already. You sent her home, remember, after she brought you clothes and spoke to the press?”

  “Right…” Trying to recall the conversation with Holly, I look down at the yoga pants and scoop neck top I’m wearing.

  “I’ll help you with whatever you need.”

  “I need a female, and Janelle’s off on Sundays.”

  “I’ll handle it,” he says. Biting my lip, I lean my head against the window. “Ava, answer me. What do you need?”

  “I don’t want to be alone while I shower and sleep. Maybe Sydney or Bonnie could come over.” I shake my head. “No, that won’t work. Paparazzi will be waiting at the house, so I can’t drag them into this mess, too.”

  “I’ll stay with you, but I can assure you that no one besides the guards are stepping foot on your property. I’ve called in an outside security company, along with every man on our detail.”

  “You don’t have to stay.”

  “I would prefer it.”

  Looking at him, I sigh. “Thank you for protecting me.”

  “I didn’t do enough, and it’s why I need you to stop resisting. I was promised by the restaurant that the place would be secure, but I should’ve sent an advance team to map and sweep the area. I didn’t do what my gut told me because you were already pissed over the measures I’d taken.”

  “I’m sorry.” Leaning my head back against the seat, I close my eyes until we’re through the gate at my house.

  I know we’re here since I hear the reporters. I won’t look. I’m exhausted and need an escape from the madness. Maybe it’s time to leave this life and move away from the city.

  Not wanting to be alone for a second, I follow Griffin to his apartment so he can gather some clothes. My cell phone rings, and when I see Mickey’s name, I answer it.

  “Hi,”

  “Holly said you’re OK, but I had to hear it for myself,” he says anxiously.

  “I’m shaken but otherwise fine.”

  “I see your new bodyguard can’t do his damn job.” I turn my back to Griffin as he rummages through his dresser.

  “I don’t need this from you right now. We’ll talk later,” I mumble into the phone.

  “Right, I’m sorry. I’m just pissed this happened to you.”

  “I know. Thank you for checking on me.”

  “I love you, Ava.”

  “Goodnight, Mick.” As I’m ending the call, Griffin’s cell phone rings, and he answers it.

  “Hi, Frank. Yes, she’s safe. Would you like to speak to her? She’s right here.” Griffin hands me the phone and walks to his bathroom.

  “Frank, hi.”

  “Ava, tell me you’re OK.”

  “I’m fine. I mean, I’m not physically hurt.”

  “I feel like I failed you b
y leaving when I did.”

  “No, you haven’t. Griffin’s taking good care of me. Really. This was all my fault, but we can talk about it another time. I appreciate you checking on me.”

  “If you need anything at all, Ms. Lane, you call me.”

  “I will. Thank you, Frank.” I hit the button on Griffin’s cell, and when I turn, he’s standing at my feet. He grabs the phone, and while still holding it up, he squeezes it.

  “Don’t ever take the blame for something I did. Do you understand?”

  “Yes, but in the car, you implied it was my fault for resisting your help.”

  He leans his head back, and his Adam’s apple bobs sharply as he stares up.

  “I’m sorry. I was pissed that I couldn’t prevent what happened. I was only trying to get the point across that added precautions are necessary.”

  “You’re not like any bodyguard I’ve hired.”

  Lowering his head to look at me, he touches my cheek.

  “You’re not like any client I’ve guarded. I have a fierce need to protect you, and if that means I’m unconventional, so be it.”

  I clear my throat. “Did you want to shower here? I can wait to take mine since I had a partial one at the hospital.” Shaking my head, I look down at my body. “I can’t believe they think it could be animal’s blood… The whole thing’s disgusting.”

  “No, you can take another shower first. Let’s go.”

  CHAPTER TEN

  Griffin

  “I guess I’ll head up to my bedroom,” Ava says as we stand in her grand foyer. The elaborate crystal chandelier is shining brightly over us, illuminating her house like there’s nothing to fear, but I see it in her eyes, the worry as to whether she’ll be safe here. “There are bathrooms off all six spare bedrooms, so help yourself to any of them,” she adds.

  “I’ll wait until you’re finished.”

  Nodding, she walks up the winding marble staircase. The guest quarter’s apartment opposite of mine was turned into a command center once Romeo became a threat, so I call Kellen, who’s waiting there to brief me.

  “What’s the latest?” I ask through my phone.

  “Detectives and local authorities are still hunting for him. They’re going to check for possible surveillance cameras from the businesses across the street to see if there could be a clear image of the suspect standing at the window.

  “He really thought this through,” Kellen adds. “The owner of the restaurant said there are two lavish condos above it, and one’s for sale. He had an inquiry about it earlier this week.

  “The guy wanted to know if it was empty, and he was asking a lot of questions about accessibility. There’s a code to get into the ground-level entrance, but someone skilled could bypass it.”

  “There should’ve been security at the rear entrance of this event.”

  “There was security at the back, but the door to the condos is on the side of the building. The restaurant cameras show that a man wearing a ball cap and carrying a duffle bag approached it. There are no cameras inside the stairwell, or even in the hallway where you enter the condos, so there’s no clear shot of him.

  “The news stations are already showing his profile from the parking lot, but with him wearing a hat and having his head down, he’s going to be hard to identify. He managed to escape by car, and he strategically parked to where there’s no shot of his license plate, either.”

  “This is bad,” I reply. “He’s smart and put a great deal of planning into this. He also knew Ava was a guest at the party.”

  I begin to pace the hall. I should’ve been more thorough and cautious in preparing for this outing. I can’t leave it up to others to handle, like the damn restaurant and event coordinator.

  Needing my own break from this madness, I glance at my watch. “Look, it’s 2:00 a.m. Go home and get some rest. The night shift is here, along with the extra security I called in. Let’s meet in the office at 9:00 a.m. Maybe the authorities will have some new information for us.”

  “All right, but call if you need me.”

  “I will, thanks.”

  Hanging up with him, I check the alarm system before I wander throughout the lower level of the house, ensuring all doors and windows are locked.

  Once that’s complete, I grab my bag of clothes and toiletries and take the stairs. A part of me feels like I’m intruding on Ava’s privacy, but a bigger part is drawn to her like a magnet.

  As soon as I reach the top step, I see her walking toward me in the hallway, barefoot and in sexy pajamas. There’s no bra beneath her leopard print tank top, and her short, silky bottoms match it.

  Her hair is wet, and the second she’s standing in front of me, I smell her jasmine scent. Is she trying to turn me on?

  “I feel so much better,” she says with a smile. Lazily, her eyelids close and open, and she yawns.

  “The house is secure, so you don’t need to worry, but I’ll do rounds tonight.”

  “You have to be tired, too, so make sure you get some sleep.”

  Shaking my head, I struggle not to smirk. She doesn’t understand how jacked up a man gets when he experiences an adrenaline rush like I did this evening. Add the fact that I want to fuck her right now, and sleep’s the last thing on my mind.

  “Why are you shaking your head?” She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  I stare at her, weighing whether I want to open Pandora’s box. “Do you want the honest answer from Griffin or the conventional answer from your bodyguard?”

  “Honesty, always.”

  “All right. I want to fuck you. I want a mental escape from what happened tonight, and I need to create some semblance that I’m in control.”

  Her heavy eyes fill with desire, and all I imagine is her beneath me, sharing a slow, sleepy fuck where the pleasure builds and our orgasms grip us for so damn long that we pass out afterward.

  “I want the same.”

  “I know you do. The problem is, I won’t be able to do my job if you become any more of a distraction. Good night, Ms. Lane. I need to shower.”

  Stepping around her, I stride down the hallway and enter the guest room closest to her bedroom. On the other side of the closed door, I exhale a long breath.

  I’m a dick. I told her what I wanted when I could’ve held my tongue. Then, I rejected her. Shit, I’m breaking protocol right and left. I need to put the day behind me, and at sunrise, I’ll start with a clean slate. Professionalism. I need to fucking find it.

  Dropping my shit on the bed, I find my soap and shampoo and head to the bathroom. I open a closet to look for towels, and as I expected, there are several shelves of expensive white cotton.

  After adjusting the shower knobs, I take a piss before I step into the open stall that’s not shielded by a door or curtain. I begin to wash away the blood from the night. If only it was shed from the person who did this. That would be satisfying.

  I rinse until the water is crystal clear at my feet. Leaning my head back, I close my eyes and let it run over my face one last time. I hear the door, so I jerk my head down and open my eyes.

  Ava…

  From the seductive look on her face, I know nothing’s wrong, so I remain silent and still as she begins to undress. Her eyes never stray, and as if she knows I’ll want a thorough look, she stands naked by the door so I can soak up the sight of her.

  I should stop what’s inevitably going to happen. I should, but instead, my cock grows hard as I admire her perky tits, smooth stomach and waxed pussy.

  I can see now just how long her legs are, and I want them wrapped around my neck while I eat her out, and then I imagine them around my waist while we fuck–our bodies a tangled mess through it all.

  “Come here.”

  She strolls over with her chin slightly lowered and her green eyes tilted up at me. Once she walks into the shower, I yank her to me and lightly squeeze the back of her neck. “Did you not understand what I said?”

&nbs
p; “I guess I’m not a conventional client. Maybe you just need to get me out of your system.”

  “What if once isn’t enough?”

  “There’s only one way to find out.”

  Ava

  Craving excitement, and the same escape Griffin needs, I’m bolder than I’ve ever been. I made my move, and now he’s clutching my neck, staring at me like he’s ravenous.

  “You actually started this, so finish it,” I taunt. Pressing my back against the granite wall, he slams his lips to mine. I open my mouth for him about the time his rigid cock pushes against my stomach.

  Longing to feel it deep inside me, I moan. Closer. He needs to be so much closer. As I imagined, his kiss is aggressive, his tongue striking mine with an urgency unparalleled to any other man’s touch I’ve experienced.

  If he craves control, he hasn’t found it yet, and neither have I. Grabbing my wrists, he moves them above my head and holds them there with one hand. He gropes my breast until he can’t resist putting it in his mouth.

  Pressing my head back, I push my chest forward, and he cups my tit, squeezing it as he bites my nipple. He sucks on it, and I moan again, inhaling the steam of the shower.

  The bathroom is hot and humid, and we’re only adding to it as the sexual energy we’re creating builds fast and exponentially. It’s so palpable that it feels as if the room could combust.

  “Griffin,” I utter breathlessly.

  Bringing my arms down, he gets a better grip on my wrists and holds them at my waist as he squats and spreads my legs apart. He rests one over his shoulder and lowers his head.

  “Tell me what you want, and I’ll do it.”

  “You know what I want.”

  “I need to hear you say it. Beg for it, Ava.”

  “Please, taste my pussy.”

  He growls, and clamping down on my thigh and wrists, he strokes me with his tongue. Gasping from the amazing feeling, I thrust my pelvis forward as he finds my clit to lick. Lord, in this moment, I think I’d promise him anything to be sure he didn’t stop.

  Recalling how he wanted me to beg, I say, “Please, make me come.” A louder growl unfurls from his throat, and he strokes me harder and faster, burying his face until the dark stubble on his skin scratches me.