by Layla Hagen
“So, is the travel itinerary all set? Security on point everywhere?” Dylan asked.
“Yes. Sasha is on top of everything,” Brayden replied.
“Will Isabelle have her own bodyguard?” Ian continued.
I cleared my throat. “Boys, behave. Let’s not turn this into an interrogation.”
Ian held his hands up in defense. “Hey, I’m not interrogating anyone.”
“I am,” Dylan supplied. I groaned.
“It’s fine, Isabelle. It’s normal that they want to know. And yes, she does,” Brayden said.
I whipped my head to him. “I do? You didn’t tell me that.”
“It’s on the instructions sheet Sasha sent you. I checked.”
The tips of my ears were hot.
“You didn’t read the instructions?” Brayden asked, frowning.
Holy shit! I sensed some overprotective alpha vibes about to be unleashed. I needed to diffuse this tension.
“I must have missed that part. What’s his name? Is he hot?” I batted my eyelashes in a ridiculous manner. Yeah, and I thought that was going to make things better? I was dead wrong. Brayden’s eyes darkened a tad. There was something feral about him. I couldn’t look away. He’d trapped me with that intense gaze. For a few moments, I completely forgot we weren’t alone in the room.
“Not funny,” he said eventually.
I flashed him a guilty smile. “Just a little funny.”
His gaze was still hard, and I had a hunch I’d only get back in his good graces with some smoking-hot kisses. They had to wait though.
We chatted about the first concert while we finished lunch, and once my plate was clean, Brayden asked, “Are your bags ready?”
My brothers both burst out laughing, waking up Sophie, who’d been asleep in her cot. Josie immediately lifted the baby in her arms.
“Um... almost,” I said evasively. The living room was clean now, but only because I’d taken the suitcases in my bedroom once they were semi-full.
“That’s actually a hell no,” Dylan supplied cheerfully. I narrowed my eyes. “I think she needs some motivation or you’ll miss the plane.”
“I agree,” Ian chimed in. “Did she ever tell you about that time she missed orientation day because she didn’t arrive early enough to—”
“I’d rather you go back to interrogating Brayden,” I said.
Brayden grinned. “Why? You got a lot of dirt on me from my cousins. It’s fair I get some on you.”
“Yeah... I suggest we do that another time,” Josie said, “or you’re really not going to catch the plane.”
My jaw dropped. “You too? Traitor.”
“It’s for your own good.”
Brayden rose to his feet. “Okay, let’s see what’s left to pack.”
“We’ll clean up here,” Josie assured me, patting Sophie’s back. “Or rather these two will clean up and I’ll boss them around.”
I felt a little embarrassed as I led him to my room, because, well... my siblings were right. I did have a lot left to pack. It wasn’t my forte.
Brayden stared at the room, blinking.
“This is almost ready?” he double-checked.
“No, but it will be in a few minutes. By the way, how can we miss a private plane?”
“We have a designated take-off time slot.”
Oh. That made sense.
He stood in the doorway, watching me closely, almost as if thinking I’d slack if he left me to my own devices. I admit, it was a possibility. I packed much faster under strict supervision.
Within fifteen minutes, I managed to shove 90 percent of the shoes in my second suitcase. While I squished the remaining 10 percent between the clothes in the first one, I heard the door close. A smile inched across my face. I pretended nothing was happening, right until I felt Brayden at my back.
“Now, that wasn’t so hard, was it?” he whispered in my ear, skimming his fingers up and down my bare arms before whirling me around.
He moved his thumb around the contour of my mouth. The touch set me on fire.
“What am I going to do with you, huh? Always pushing my buttons,” he murmured.
I leaned in for a kiss, but he pulled back. “No kiss for you. Not after asking me if the bodyguard is hot.”
I pouted before laying a quick peck on his jaw. “I was just trying to distract you. But... if that escalated to you wanting to stake your claim, I don’t mind,” I finished with a grin. “You’re, like, about a million times hotter when you’re trying to prove a point. You know... stake your claim. You go all alpha.”
He let out a low, feral groan.
“See? My point exactly.”
He kissed me the next second, so deep and hard that we both stumbled backward. He broke our fall by reaching one hand toward the wall behind me, holding me tightly to him with his other hand. I wrapped my arms around his neck, kissing him back with all I had. Energy shot through me, concentrating between my thighs. When he pulled back, licking my lower lip before pulling it into his mouth, I rose on my toes, unable to stand still anymore.
“I knew I could make you kiss me,” I said.
His eyes flashed with lust. His grip on my waist tightened, but then he let me go.
“Come on. Let’s go before we miss the plane because you made me lose my head.”
“The lunch was so good. If I were still a tour guide, I’d tell my next group to absolutely order everything you brought if they go there.”
“Wait, you gave them up for good? I thought you were only taking a break,” he said.
“Well, I haven’t been on one since that weekend when my parents were in New York.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
I shrugged. “I thought I did. I don’t know. It’s not that important.”
“But you love being a tour guide.”
“I know, but it’s basically just a way to blow off steam from being inside the office all day. Since you’re taking such good care of me morning, noon, and night, I kind of don’t need them,” I said playfully.
He opened his mouth, clearly in disagreement, but didn’t have a chance to add anything because Dylan poked his head in. They each took a bag in their hand. I couldn’t take my eyes off Brayden. Even though the bags were on wheels, he still had to put some effort into rolling it down the corridor, which meant those biceps were flexing in the most delicious way.
At the door, Ian and Dylan each kissed my cheek before shaking Brayden’s hand firmly. So firmly, in fact, that I was wondering if they were trying to convey a message. Knowing my brothers, they probably were.
“Take care of her,” Dylan said seriously.
I cocked a brow at them.
“Yeah. We’re not making threats or anything,” Ian said, looking from me to Brayden, “but if we get wind that she’s in trouble... you’re in trouble too.”
Josie and I both burst out laughing, with the result that I completely missed what Brayden replied, but my brothers were nodding appreciatively, like they were seeing him in a different light.
“Wait, what was that? I didn’t hear it,” I said.
Brayden winked at me. “You weren’t supposed to.”
Huh, now he was having secrets with my brothers? I hadn’t expected that.
Josie and I exchanged a glance, and we both pressed our lips tightly together, trying not to laugh. I kissed the top of Sophie’s head just before we headed out. To my astonishment, Brayden reached out to her, caressing her small head. Holy smokes!
Yeah, if I thought he was delicious before, I didn’t even have words to describe him now, or what was happening to me. Were these my hormones going haywire?
In that case... I was in real trouble.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Isabelle
“I can’t believe I flew on a private plane,” I exclaimed as we entered our room at the Ritz Carlton in Miami. I immediately looked around. I’d stalked the room online and wanted to see if it looked the same. The decor was classic s
tyle, and the bathroom was as luxurious as it had seemed online, all cream-colored marble and golden light fixtures. I especially liked the enormous tub with the buttons for water massage. I planned to spoil my sexy star properly in here.
“Isabelle? Can you come here?” Brayden asked from inside the room.
“On my way,” I replied loudly, dashing back to the front door.
A hulk of a man stood next to Brayden. He was at least two heads taller and much wider.
“This is Rick. He’s going to be your security detail here in Miami.”
“Nice to meet you, Rick.”
“I’m going to be around the hotel, miss, but I won’t bother you,” he explained. “I gave Mr. Clarke my number. Just give me a call when you need me.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Have a great evening, and welcome to Miami,” he added before leaving.
As soon as we were alone, I curled my finger at Brayden. “I want to pamper you between all those performances so you’re at the top of your game. It starts now. Want to check the tub with me? It’s huge and super sexy, and I have lots of plans for it.”
“Lead the way.” His eyes flashed with lust.
“No, you go first. I need to take a few things from my bag,” I replied.
He looked at me suspiciously but did go to the bathroom.
Both my bags were already placed in a corner, ready to be opened. I took out a small pink bag and headed to the bathroom.
Brayden was leaning against the sink, watching me closely.
“Why are you still dressed? I was hoping you’d be waiting for me buck naked,” I said nonchalantly as I placed the bag in the sink.
“You should have said so,” he teased.
“Oh, really? So my saying I have lots of plans for the tub wasn’t a good enough clue?”
Instead of answering, he moved behind me, palming my ass and biting my shoulder.
I’ll take that.
I shimmied my hips as I took out the candles and bath oils.
“What’s that?”
“I call it the pampering kit. I told you I want to make sure you relax between performances. You said you don’t like using the hotel facilities because you run into people, so I’m bringing the relaxation program to you.”
He said nothing, so I looked up at him in the mirror. His brows were slightly raised, his eyes focused.
“No one’s ever done anything like this for me.”
“What do you mean? Everyone always bends over backward to make sure everything is just so.”
“Yes, but that’s the team. They work for me. Their job is to please me. But you... you like seeing me happy.” He sounded surprised, and my heart hurt a little for him.
I smiled. “Of course I do. Am I succeeding?”
He smiled back. “In spades, Isabelle. In spades.” Tilting his head, he kissed the side of my neck, watching me in the mirror.
“Are sexy times considered an exertion?” I asked, fighting to sound serious. Sasha had insisted the guys shouldn’t exert themselves in the afternoon before a performance.
“I don’t know. Want to check?” He spoke every word against my skin, making me shudder.
“No, no. Don’t want to risk Sasha saying yes,” I teased. “And besides... she didn’t say you couldn’t exert yourself tonight.”
***
The next morning, Brayden woke up before me. The whole band headed to the venue for a rehearsal. Because I woke up too late, I ordered breakfast in the room. My first client’s online session started at nine o’clock. I’d scheduled four appointments, planning to be finished just as Brayden returned so we could have lunch together. I wanted to devote my afternoon to pampering him—again.
I wouldn’t even need Rick until it was time to go to the venue, because I didn’t plan on getting out of the suite before then. Brayden was leaving with the band separately and much earlier, so I planned to cram in three more clients before I headed to the venue.
The morning flew by. I was getting more and more partial to having online sessions. It was more comfortable to be by myself in a room and not simply sit in my chair for eight to nine hours a day. Another pleasant surprise was that some clients seemed more comfortable opening up about what was weighing on them from the comfort of their home. I hadn’t expected that.
“Do you think we could switch some of our appointments to online even when you’re back?” Freya asked. She was my last client before lunch.
“If you prefer that, of course.”
“I’ll think about it, but I really like this setup. Plus, I’m saving the travel time.”
“I’m open to permanent online sessions, absolutely,” I assured her. In my mind, I was already doing a happy dance. I’d lower my rate, of course. Perhaps I could join Brayden on the entire tour. I was already making plans at the back of my mind, but I shook myself out of it. It was too early to think about that. Maybe he’d realize after three weeks that he didn’t want us joined at the hip during the whole tour.
I hated that thought, but I couldn’t dismiss the possibility. He’d always said touring was a difficult time for him. I mean, I did have some aces up my sleeve, and I planned to use them... but only if he let me in.
When I heard the door of the suite opening, I dashed to meet him and my eyes widened. Holy shit! He looked every inch the international star he was. Wearing rugged, washed-out jeans and a black tank top, he just exuded sex appeal. There was a thin sheen of sweat coating his skin, and his hair was sticking out in every direction.
“Wait, let me fan myself before you give me a kiss,” I said, making a big deal out of flailing my hands around my face. “You’re so hot that I can feel the heat all the way over here.”
He grinned. “Extra sassy, I see.”
He stalked right up to me, pulling me flat against him.
“And you’re extra sweaty,” I murmured.
“I wanted to come right back to you after the rehearsal.”
“Awww, so these sexy and sweaty vibes are all for me?”
He kissed me the next second, and I wrapped my arms around his neck. It was sexy as hell, kissing him like this. His body was still vibrating with energy from being on stage, and I was absorbing every ounce of it. He pinned me against the wall, kissing me with so much urgency that I hummed against his mouth.
“Mmm...” I pouted when he let go of me. His eyes were bright and happy. I loved how alight he was while playing music, and even afterward.
“I’m going to shower,” he said. “Want to order room service in the meantime? I’m starving.”
“Sure. But only if I get to watch you when you shower.”
He bit my lower lip lightly. “You’re welcome to join me.”
I shook my head, trying not to show how much I wanted to do just that. My whole body was aching for him. My nipples were hard, pressing against my bra cups.
“No exerting yourself this afternoon, remember?”
He looked straight at me, eyes hot and determined. “I’m not tired at all.”
“Yeah, I think you’re still high on adrenaline. You’ll crash soon.”
“But you can take advantage of me in the meantime.”
“Don’t say that twice or I’ll take you up on it. Come on. Hop in the shower.”
I ordered lunch fast, not wanting to miss a minute of his time in the shower. Watching the water douse all those muscles was making it even harder for me to keep my hands to myself. I kept my distance though, leaning against the sink. I could avoid any “accidental” groping this way.
“Come on, you know you want to touch me,” he taunted.
“Oh, I do. But one squeeze of that ass, one lick on that cock, and I’m on a slippery slope.”
His eyes flashed, and his mouth parted as he exhaled sharply. I was definitely being extra sassy, but I didn’t plan to act on it because he needed his strength tonight. If I stayed here though, there was no way I could resist touching this sexy man, so I left the bathroom.
***
During lunch, he asked about my sessions, and I brought him up to date. The adrenaline seemed to melt away right in front of my eyes. After lunch, he immediately fell asleep. Sasha wasn’t kidding about the guys needing recovery time. I’d honestly never seen him sleep like this.
I, however, was wide awake. I didn’t want to move around the suite because I risked waking him up, so I opened the Kindle app on my phone and read the first three chapters of a thriller right until it was time to wake Brayden up.
I swear he hadn’t moved an inch. He was still sleeping in the same position as when he lay down: on his belly, hugging the pillow under his head.
Hmmm... I wondered how creative I could be with my wake-up techniques. I peppered small kisses on his left bicep, moving my mouth from his elbow all the way to his shoulder. He began to stir. I continued exploring him, kissing his shoulder blades, then down his back in a straight line on his spine. I had the slight suspicion that he was already awake and was taunting me. I lingered at the small of his back before moving my mouth up, slowly kissing his bicep again, watching the flutter of his eyelids. He was definitely awake, just keeping his eyes closed!
I pulled my mouth away, to see what he’d do. A few seconds later, he opened his eyes. Before I had a chance to react, he pulled me flush against him. Laughing, I cuddled against his chest.
“I knew you were awake. Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
“I was enjoying you.”
“It’s time to get out of bed.”
He tightened his arm around my waist so there was no wiggling away. As if I wanted to.
“Not yet. I set my alarm clock,” he said.
“Damn. So my wake-up technique wasn’t needed at all.”
“It’s always welcome. Best damn way to wake up.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
I soaked up all that warmth and the feeling of his hard body against me right until the alarm went off and he leaped out of bed. I pouted at the sight of his boxers. With the bedsheet covering him to the waist, he’d looked naked. I’d forgotten he was wearing them, and I was ready to feast my eyes on his sexy ass.
“Can we make sleeping naked a rule?” I asked.