Her hands reached behind my neck, and she drew me toward her, bringing my mouth on hers. I groaned as her tongue played with mine.
“I missed you.” I held her face between my hands.
“I know.” She fisted her hands in my hair, sighing against my cheek. “Me too.”
I growled, burying my head in her shoulder. I had missed everything about this part of her body—the way it felt on my lips and how her shampoo smelled as I nuzzled into the warmth of her neck. She was like the sun. My own summer surrender.
“Tell me,” she moaned.
“What?” I kissed her ear. I thought I had said everything. The truth was out.
She pressed her palms against my chest and rubbed the rigid muscles.
“You have to tell me.” She grinned wickedly.
I looked at the clock over the door, the closed blinds, and the chair under the door.
I pulled her against me and leaned down to whisper in her ear. “Fuck me.”
She ran her fingertips along my stomach. “Right here? Right now?” she teased.
I nodded. My eyes urged her to do what she wanted. I was hers.
She shook her head. “Uh-uh. You have to tell me,” she purred as she dipped her hand below my waistband.
I sucked in sharply. She always had this effect on me—taking me to the edge with the things she could do.
“Chelsea, you can fuck me now. Here. Wherever you want.” I leaned back. “Just take me.” I had never given control up like that. Power and anxiousness coiled together as I realized how freeing it was to ask her for what I wanted.
My body come alive under her command. But I knew there was something else I had to tell her. I had waited until it was too late before, and I wasn’t going to make that mistake a second time. I would never risk losing her again. Maybe she hadn’t completely forgiven me, but this was her way of saying there was still something there—it wasn’t over. I needed to take the next leap. I had to tell her.
“Chelsea?” I tried to focus. The burning in my belly was intense and her hands were all over my cock.
“Mmm-hmm?” She gripped my hands against her hips, shimming her skirt up around her waist. Her shoulders flattened against the wall, and I watched her breasts rise as her breath quickened.
My eyes met hers. I didn’t whisper. I didn’t want to make her guess. This was the fucking moment of truth.
“I am in love with you.”
The light I loved so much, the one I was afraid I had dimmed with my lies, glowed when she smiled.
“Ben,” she whispered.
My mouth descended on hers and everything else faded away.
CHAPTER FOURTY
Chelsea
“And why are we taking a private plane again? I had an airline ticket.” I tried to relax into the leather seat as a flight attendant handed me a glass of champagne. I had missed my scheduled flight.
“Because, I don’t want to put you on a plane alone, and I think you’ll like this much better.” Ben winked as he buckled in across from me.
One thing on a private jet is that there aren’t rows of seats. This one was set up like a living room. He was directly in front of me, where I could keep my eye on his perfect face. I couldn’t argue with him that the plane was beautiful. I’m sure it was a struggle for him to squeeze into regular airline seats. He looked comfortable on his mini-couch.
He raised his glass. “To first trips.”
“To first trips.” I tasted the bubbly. It was cold and smooth. “So, when we land in Austin, what are we going to do?” My meeting with Blue Steel Records was tomorrow afternoon, and except for that one, all of my other plans had gone right out the window the minute I let Ben kiss me again.
“We are driving to the ranch. I want you to see where I live. It’s no island, but I think you’ll like it.” He looked excited.
“Do they serve cowboy steak there?” I teased. I wouldn’t be surprised if he had a fire pit. He loved building a fire with the driftwood he collected. I wondered what kind of wood they used on the ranch.
“Lenny will make anything you want.”
“Lenny?”
“Yeah, ranch chef.” He said it like it was well-known fact.
Of course he would have a ranch chef. That’s what famous rich people had, right? I didn’t have any idea how many people worked for Ben or how big his network was. What I had learned about his famous life took place over the week we spent apart. It was my crash course into Hollywood gossip. I searched for articles, pictures, and anything with his name on it. It wasn’t my best decision. I learned more than I wanted to about his bachelor status, and about the girls before me.
Today was a whirlwind. Ben had left his Jeep with one of the ferry attendants, paying him to drive it back to my house. Then he hopped behind the wheel of my car and drove us all the way north on Highway 12. True, there was a bit of a commotion when we emerged from the lounge, but we had to hope it wasn’t enough to make a blip on the social media radar.
None of it made sense, but what makes sense when you realize you’re in love with the one person who keeps you breathing, who simultaneously spins and stops your world. You don’t close the door on that person—not a second time.
“What are you thinking about over there, pretty girl?” He flashed his killer smile. I didn’t want to fall for it the first day I saw it on the docks, but I did—right into the creek.
“I’m thinking about my meeting with Brandon and Quinn tomorrow, and how I’m going to tell my parents I’m on a plane with you right now, and I’m wondering—”
He was out of his seat and his hands planted on either side of my head. “Am I going to have to kiss you all the way to Texas to keep you from worrying?” He brushed his lips against mine.
I couldn’t help but sigh and drink in the kiss that tasted like champagne. Private planes were even better than I thought. “No, but it’s a lot to sort through.” I raised my eyebrow.
He slid back into his seat. “Yes, it is.”
After he had started driving, we started talking. It was as if we were never apart. We fell back into our same dance moves, only this time it felt like they were stronger and sharper. We were going to Austin together. We were going to be together. There wasn’t a label or a promise tagged to the conversation, but our hearts understood.
The captain announced that we were about to take off. I watched as the runway peeled past us and we shot into the air, headed for the Lonestar State. The state responsible for creating Ben Baldwin.
Ben was reading something he had pulled from his bag. I bit on my lower lip. Just watching him made me happy. When he was gone, everything hurt. In only eight hours, all of the ache that had circled and clamped on my heart had removed its talons. It was beating again, wildly and hurriedly for him.
“What are you reading?” I asked, noticing his hands were stretched over the title.
He blushed and his fingers moved to the side.
“You’re reading Love & Bondage?” I giggled. It was a chick book. The kind that girls at school couldn’t stop talking about. It was popular, erotic, and hot. I had read it before graduation.
“Should I not read it?” He folded it in his lap.
“Oh no, read it. Definitely read it.” Ben didn’t need pointers, and he certainly didn’t need any creative suggestions in bed, but there was always the chance it might inspire him. My chest tingled with the idea.
The captain announced we were at a safe altitude to move about the cabin. I smiled as the flight attendant appeared to refill my champagne.
I wondered what Ben would be like in Texas. Could he be more cowboy than he already was? He had told me he didn’t want to make any more movies for a while, but he still had responsibilities with a staff, and he had loose ends to tie up with the latest press fiasco.
He had made it abundantly clear that he would do anything and everything I needed for my music. I loved that about him; he was filled with more good than I had ever seen. He helped everyone, and pu
t him or her first—always.
I felt my shoulders relax. That protective nature kept him from telling me the truth. Honestly, I don’t know what I would have done if I had known who he was from the beginning. I didn’t care that he was a celebrity, but it might have kept me from giving him a chance. It would have been too intimidating to know I was dating the World’s Sexiest Bachelor. I giggled, realizing I had caught the biggest fish of the summer.
I unbuckled the belt around my waist and moved next to Ben. He reached for a pillow, shoved it at the end of the loveseat, and laid down, giving me the perfect nook to cuddle into.
I nestled on his chest, settling into the rhythm of his breath. He held the book up with one hand. I loved the way he felt under my palms. I loved his cologne. I loved his hand resting on my hip. I loved everything about him.
He might have been cussing about something he read, I wasn’t sure. I closed my eyes and let my body melt into his. Nothing felt better in the world than sleeping next to my very own movie star. And he was mine.
###
Keep reading for four of my absolute favorite books from my friend Violet Paige. I hope you love them as much as I do!
Tempting the Crown
Published By Violet Paige
Copyright © 2017 Violet Paige
Dirty Play
Published By Violet Paige
Copyright © 2017 Violet Paige
Dirty Game
Published By Violet Paige
Copyright © 2017 Violet Paige
Resist
Published By Violet Paige
Copyright © 2017 Violet Paige
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places or events are entirely the work of the author. Any resemblance to actual persons, events, or places is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. Please purchase only authorized editions and do not participate in piracy of copyrighted materials.
TEMPTING THE CROWN
1
Damon
The bourbon was watered down. I flicked my wrist, washing it over the melted flecks of ice. I looked around, bored. That was the problem. I bored easily.
A waiter walked by without glancing at my table. That had always been the deal in this fucking place, though. They treated me like every other guy in here. They didn’t cater to one of us over the other. As if we were normal. As if we weren’t rich as sin. As if I didn’t own the entire country.
We existed under a cloak of secrecy. The façade that inside these walls we were on an equal playing field. Maybe there was some truth to that for one night a month. Gala night.
I slung back the last swallow of the hundred-dollar glass of booze. I pushed back from my chair to straighten my cramped legs, standing just shy of six-five. I moved across the room trying not to attract too much attention. It wasn’t easy to blend in, even if people were committed to ignoring me.
I knocked on the black door behind the bar and waited for someone to let me in. The incessant bass pumping through the speakers drowned out the hammering of my fist. It was loud as fuck in here.
“Damn it.” I gritted my teeth, pounding again. I wasn’t patient.
The door cracked enough that I could see a sliver of the stage. It was dark.
A stooge who couldn’t have been more than twenty stood in my way. I tapped at my watch. It probably cost more than ten cars in the parking lot put together. “You’re running late.” I kept my voice low.
He nodded. “I know. I’m sorry, your m—”
I put my hand up to stop him. “I have a reservation tonight,” I reminded him.
He looked over his shoulder nervously. “There have been a few setbacks,” he reported.
“Setbacks?” I cocked my eyebrow. When had The Titan had a setback?
“I assure you we’ll start any minute. I can personally escort you.”
I didn’t want to hear his bullshit. I didn’t tolerate excuses no matter the circumstances.
I exhaled. “That won’t be necessary. You have five minutes,” I warned. “Figure it out or I’m leaving. I don’t need to waste my time.”
“I’ll let them know.” He closed the door with a solid shove.
I turned for my table. Ashford Grant was a few feet behind me. He smirked. If I didn’t know better, his tattered jeans and T-shirt suggested he was a man who was out for a round with his buddies.
“I see you escaped for the night.” He tipped a drink toward me.
I scowled. “It’s never easy.”
I glanced over his shoulder at my guards standing by the front entrance. Their arms were crossed. They scanned every guest who walked past. They didn’t give a shit that every person in the club was a member. You couldn’t walk through the front doors without a signed contract. Correction—a hefty deposit and a signed contract.
There were standards for all members.
“You can’t shake those two?” he asked.
“They go where I go.”
“That goes with the territory I guess.”
I needed another drink. I eyed the bartender. He nodded and poured me a second bourbon. He knew which bottle I had selected for the night.
I liked expensive smooth bourbons that took decades to distill. The Titan imported my favorite from the States to keep on hand for nights like this.
“It’s been a few months, hasn’t it?”
“Six,” I answered. “Sutcliffe has been a bastard lately.”
Ashford laughed. “I’m glad I don’t have to deal with that shit. I don’t know how you do it.”
Was I supposed to answer? Tell him the burden was suffocating? That sometimes the walls closed in on me? There were days I considered hiding under a ball cap and hopping aboard one of the catamarans in the marina. Sailing the hell out of here. Ashford was one of my oldest friends, but even he wasn’t privy to those thoughts.
“Do you have the tally?” I changed the subject.
Ashford reached in his back pocket, withdrawing a narrow but thick sheet of paper. He handed it to me.
“Not much on there tonight,” he added.
The bartender walked around the edge of the counter, carrying the aged bourbon. “Here you go, sir.” He nodded.
“Thank you.”
I scanned the tally. “Why is the bottom blank?” I looked at my friend.
“Hell if I know,” Ashford huffed. “And they’re late. I’m going to talk to Lesage. He can’t expect us to come back if this is how gala nights are being run.”
I gripped his upper arm firmly. “We’ll just take our investments elsewhere.” I eyed him.
Ashford’s nodded slightly. “It’s a shame. Freychon needed a place like this.”
“I agree. We all needed it. But he’s not up to the task. Come on. My driver can drop you somewhere.”
I was prepared to leave. Admit tonight was a loss. A wasted night, trying to feed my dark habits.
Ashford followed me toward my security guards. The bass lowered and the lights flickered.
“Wait.” I stopped him.
“Want to turn around?”
I handed the tally back to him. “Let’s take a look.” I nodded toward the black door.
“I’m just a loyal follower,” he ribbed.
I silenced him with an icy glare. No one could speak to me with that fucking tone. Friend or not.
2
Molly
Snap. Snap. Fingers clicked inches from my nose.
I blinked.
“Did you hear me, cher?”
The stage manager wore a headset. He blended French and Spanish so frequently it was hard to follow. Although, I learned most citizens of Galona mixed the language
s.
I nodded in a fog. “Yes.”
Brooklyn poked me in the ribs. “He’s trying to tell us how it works.”
I realized his purpose, only I couldn’t believe I was going along with this.
“I-I don’t know about this.” I fidgeted in line in front of my best friend.
“Smile and have fun,” she instructed. “This is a once in a lifetime chance. Bucket list, remember?”
I twisted my lips together. “Right. The Galona bucket list.”
The short wiry man had moved on to the girls behind us. I heard his sharp voice instructing them to follow an order of events.
“I don’t think I can do it.” I shook my head. “I’m going to head back to the apartment. Ok?”
Brooklyn caught my shoulders. “No, you’re not. Until tonight I thought this place was an urban legend. But it’s not. It’s real, Molly. You can’t just walk out on this chance. It’s legendary.”
I nodded. “I can. I’ll tear up the contract on my way out.”
She frowned. “I’m not going to let you do that. There is an excellent chance on the other side of that curtain there’s a member of the royal family.” She was getting caught up in her fantasy again. “And you are guaranteed whether he’s royalty or not that he’s going to be a multi-millionaire. An oil tycoon. A wine baron. A celebrity. It’s going to be a celebrity. I just have this feeling.” Her brown eyes sparkled with excitement.
I knew mine didn’t look like that. My stomach flipped itself into one more knot. It was not an adrenaline rush. I was on the verge of panic. I sucked air through my nostrils.
“I’m going to be sick. I can’t do it. I have to get out of here.”
I pivoted on my heels and bolted for the back exit, but ran square into the tiny man with the headset. I heard someone call him Luc. Nametags probably weren’t permitted in a place that existed on its secrecy.
“No, no, cherie. This way.” He jerked me back to the line and shoved me forward.
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