Twenty Times Tempted: A Sexy Contemporary Romance Collection

by Petrova, Em

  Cassie didn’t back down from the challenge. “You wanna see my moves, do you?” She shook her hips harder as she studied him from head to toe. When he nodded, the corner of her mouth lifted. “I think I could manage that…under one condition.”

  She sauntered closer. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist, then she pulled his body into hers. Their eyes met, but his lowered back to her lips. He wanted to kiss her, was so caught up in the need pulsing in his veins that he didn’t realize what she said before it was too late.

  “I’ll show you mine if you show me yours…”

  The innuendo was a clever tease on her part. It just proved where his mind was—deep in thoughts of her, or was it thoughts of being deep in her…? In reality, they were one and the same. He needed to fuck her.

  Then came the reality check. She wasn’t suggesting they sleep together. She wanted him to dance. His plan to put space between them had definitely backfired.

  Consequently, so was his plan to seduce her.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Theo guzzled half of his beer before Cassie grew impatient. She grabbed the bottle out of his hands then shook her finger at him when he opened his mouth to object. He gave in to the tug of her hand and stepped closer.

  She didn’t budge. Her finger trailed over his lips then she winked. “There’s nothing to be afraid of, Theo.”

  “Who said I’m afraid?”

  “Your reaction said plenty. If you’re not afraid, why won’t you dance with me?”

  His cheeks tightened with a grin as he gazed off. “You’re the dancing queen.”

  She leaned in close. He thought she would kiss him, but her lips went to his ear. “Dancing is easy, handsome. It’s just like fucking. It’s all in the way you work your hips.”

  He turned to her as she pulled away. She stared in his eyes, but when their lips came close to brushing, she hesitated.

  Damn… If dancing with her meant being this close, he was screwed. Every bat of her lashes chipped away at his restraint. Why did he have to want her this much?

  By the time she got him onto the dance floor, the music stopped. The crowd broke into applause. Some whistled. For a moment, it appeared as though he hit a spot of luck. Perhaps the band would take a break. Then he wouldn’t have to dance.

  Who was he kidding? There was no such thing as luck.

  JP played the intro to a new song. Then the drums kicked in. Each beat built with the next, creating a slower tempo. A few people departed the floor while others paired up and remained. Bodies pressed together. Necks were encircled. Hips were grasped.

  Once Cassie came into view, everyone else faded. Nothing existed but her, the wicked twist of her lips, the comforting warmth of her body…

  “Is this more your pace?” she teased.

  “Maybe… You wouldn’t laugh at a guy who couldn’t dance, would you?”

  “Never.” Her arms rose to his neck. They wrapped at the nape as her breasts brushed his chest. “But I know you can dance, Theo.” She rocked her hips with his. “You’re the one who offered to teach me last weekend. Besides, I felt the way you moved when we were at the studio. All you have to do is loosen up and let go.”

  An objection played on his lips, but he swallowed it back and did as she suggested. By the time the chorus began, the tension left his muscles. He swayed his body in rhythm with hers.

  She was right, yet again. He knew how to dance, especially slow dancing. He didn’t have all the fancy moves she did, but he knew how to work his body. What she said was true. Dancing was a lot like fucking.

  As the lyrics rang through the air, he lowered his hands from her waist to her hips. The heat radiating between them caused sweat to bead on his back. When the moment arrived and she was in his bed, there would be more than beads forming over their skin. The friction created from each of their thrusts would have them covered in sweat.

  He guaranteed it.

  JP’s solo began as he neared the edge of the stage, not far from where they were dancing. When his fingers zipped over the strings in a frenzy, Cassie peered over her shoulder, smiling in his direction. Every second he remained the center of her attention made Theo grit his teeth. He wanted her looking at him, no one else.

  When the last note hung in the air, JP glanced their way. He winked at Cassie then hung his head as the music regained control.

  “I think your new pal just winked at you.”

  He unclenched his teeth and grunted. “Not me, sugar. He winked at you…”

  The fact that JP was flirting with her was the last thing he wanted to admit. If she developed an interest in his new acquaintance, there was nothing he could do. She wasn’t his, nor would she be pining for him when he left. He was an idiot to think she would. This entire plan to seduce her was stupid.

  “You know JP thinks you’re hot, right?”

  Cassie rolled her eyes. “So you can read minds now?”

  “No,” he chuckled. “I don’t need to read minds. I’m a guy. We know these things. Besides, he reminds me a lot of myself.”

  “You mentioned that earlier but never explained why. Wanna tell me now?”

  He didn’t want to dredge up the past. Yet the weight of her gaze reminded him of her determination. He couldn’t avoid the subject.

  “JP and I have followed the same path. He bartends to pay the bills and finds gigs to pay for his dreams.”

  “You were a bartender?”

  “Yeah. I had to do something when things went to shit in New Orleans.”

  Her body slowed as they fell out of rhythm with the music. “What do you mean?”

  Great… It was time to reveal the failure he wanted to forget.

  He leaned in closer and pressed his mouth close to her ear. “Jesse’s contact fell through six months after we relocated. Bills were piling up, money wasn’t coming in, but we were still partying. Things got worse three months later when Jonah enrolled in school for sound producing. Long story short, he ended up with a job offer in L.A. and left. Then I hit rock bottom.”

  He observed the people around them as memories flooded his mind. Part of him still resented Jonah for leaving, probably always would. He wouldn’t have left his brother if the roles were reversed. At least Jonah was making up for it now, but the scar his departure left would remain.

  “Jesse didn’t let me give up. One night, he convinced me to go to a bar on Bourbon Street. It’s where we met Allen. His uncle owned the bar.”

  “I’m assuming you guys hit it off?”

  He nodded but kept the crowd in his sight. His thumbs pressed into her hips, then he guided hers with his. They swayed to the song as his tension decreased. “A week later, Jesse and I were bartending. With Allen’s help, we reformed Southern Scandal and performed at the bar on the weekends. A while later, Jonah and I made amends. ”

  Refocusing on her once more, the stage lights lit up her eyes, making them glisten. Something weighed within them, something he’d only seen in his mother’s eyes. Compassion. Empathy. Regret…

  “I hate how much things went to hell for you, but you’re here now, recording your first album. You’re on your way to something special, Theo. Everything happens for a reason.”

  He couldn’t deny the truth. If Jonah hadn’t left, he and Jesse wouldn’t have met Allen, or even Jeff a few months later. It was their contacts that helped them play enough bars and clubs to gain local attention, including their agent, Joel. Once he introduced them to Josh, he insisted on being their manager. Now Theo was here, just like she said.

  As the song drew to a close, another round of thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. The singer spoke into the microphone, but Theo couldn’t hear what he was saying. Cassie hadn’t backed away. Their bodies remained motionless, but her sharp gaze shook him to the core.

  The drums kicked in as JP played a series of gritty chords. Cheers came from the crowd, then the floor filled with people. Bodies multiplied around him and Cassie. All were shaking and bouncing to the beat, all b
ut hers and his.

  She stared at him for what seemed like an eternity. Her shoulders rose with each breath, and those breaths brushed his cheek. If they were alone, he wouldn’t waste another second holding her, not with her clothes on.

  But they weren’t alone. The painful reminder reared its head when she pulled her hands from his neck and shook her body to the faster rhythm. She examined the room, as if she were looking to see who was watching. When he regained her attention, it felt like he could breathe again.

  As she rolled her body to the music, he remained still. His mind was in overdrive. Each shimmy and shake had him anxious for the next. And he thought watching her in high school had been painful. Yeah right. Painful didn’t describe the repetitious throbbing in his dick. The more he tried ignoring it, the worse it grew. Or maybe it was the way she was grinding against him.

  “Damn woman. You haven’t lost your moves.”

  “And you still like watching.” She trailed her hands across her breasts, down to her hips, and gripped them. “You know we have to put on a show tomorrow.”

  “How so?”

  “Ally thinks we’re meeting up for the first time since last weekend.” She turned her back to him, pressed closer, and dipped low. She rose again, keeping her body against his. Then she peeked over her shoulder. “But we both know that isn’t true. Don’t we?”

  He couldn’t answer. Once she winked, she rolled her hips and slid down his body. He grit his teeth harder, resisting the urge to growl. She brought out the animal in him. The more she rubbed her ass over his crotch, the harder it was to fight off an erection. She was making this impossible.

  “So what are you doing tonight, getting me out of your system?”

  Her lips neared his as she whispered, “Maybe.”

  “What’s the matter, sugar? Are you afraid you won’t be able to keep your hands off me?”

  She spun around. Her fingers curled around his shoulder, then she rolled her hips. His restraint snapped. He jerked her closer then mimicked her movements.

  It’s what she wanted. Her soft laughter proved as much. So did the smug look on her face. “Maybe I’m afraid you won’t keep your hands off me.”

  Holy fuck. He couldn’t take much more. What little resolve he had was thinning. They needed to stop. Now. Before he lost control.

  The buzz from the alcohol was getting to him. His cheeks burned. Sweat rolled over his back, dampening his shirt. The more he sweat, the more it stuck to him. Everything was stuck to him, including her…

  His cock throbbed the more they worked their hips together. She would be amazing in bed. He had no doubts. She may even be his match. If so, she would be the first woman who could keep up with him. At least he’d enjoy the challenge of finding out.

  He pressed his fingers into her skin and jerked her closer. Her lips parted, but she didn’t resist. She rocked into him and breathed harder. There were so many people on the dance floor that they blended with the crowd. No one paid them a bit of attention, even when he cupped her ass and rolled his hips into hers.

  Soft moaning escaped her lips. The sound was lost to the crowd, to the music, to everything but him. If their faces weren’t so close, he would have missed it, should have missed it, because it did nothing to ease the way he ached for her.

  As her arms rose higher, they wrapped around his neck. One hand shot into his hair and fisted it. This time he growled. The sound appeased her. The corners of her mouth lifted and she stared at him, even when he lowered his head to hers.

  “You’re such a liar, Theo. You do know how to dance.”

  “Well, you said it was like fucking. You were right.”

  She gyrated her hips again, making him moan this time. “Does that mean you’re thinking about fucking me, Mr. McCabe?”

  “Maybe I am.” He brushed his lips over hers. “I can still taste your pussy on my lips.”

  “Is that so?” Her brow arched. “Then just imagine what it would feel like if you were deep inside me.”

  Fuck… The thought was too much. He needed a release, needed to be in his hotel, between her thighs, driving his cock deep and fast.

  “You’ll be the death of me, Cassie Clarke.”

  “Why is that?” Her voice grew strained as she kept up with their movements. “Is something wrong? Do you want me to stop?”

  Her body tensed under his grip, but he shook his head and squeezed her tighter. “No. I don’t want you to stop. I just…” His voice grew raspy. “I just wanna tell you something.”

  She slid back down his body. Her tits brushed his crotch this time, and his dick twitched. Pressure built within it. No matter how hard he fought to keep it from happening, he was getting a hard-on.

  When she rose this time, she kept her breasts pressed to him and leaned closer. “What’s on your mind, Theo?”

  “I, uh…wanted to tell you the real reason why I…why I can’t focus on my music.”

  She had him all but stuttering when she swept her finger across his lips. “Oh? I thought you said it was the lyrics?”

  He nodded. The lump in his throat grew, even after he swallowed. He hoped his voice wouldn’t crack when he spoke again.

  “The lyrics…they’re only a fraction of my problem.”

  “Then why can’t you concentrate on your music?”

  “Because of you.” He lowered his head, desperate to kiss her, but her finger went back to his lips.

  “Me…?” When he nodded again, her mouth gaped. “Why?”

  Rubbing his lips together, he debated on how to respond. He hadn’t intended on saying anything. Between the shots of tequila and the way she was teasing him with her body, he’d lost his senses. Now he had to choose what was more important, lying through his teeth and sticking with his plan or forgetting the plan and taking her back to his room.

  The longer he debated, the more he leaned toward dissolving his plan.

  “I can’t concentrate because you’ve been on my mind, and the reason you’ve been on my mind is because…” His voice fell short when their eyes met. “The truth is, you’ve always been—”

  All thoughts rushed out of his mind when a firm grip greeted his shoulder. It spun him around and knocked Cassie back. Before he could gauge his surroundings, a fist tightened his shirt and jerked him forward as a man shouted.

  “Who the fuck do you think you are?”

  Confusion built in Theo. His head spun as much as his thoughts. When he recognized the man as the obnoxious drunk from the bar, he shoved him backwards. A sense of satisfaction filled him in watching the man stumble. By the time he was able to regain his stance, Theo was in his face.

  “Keep your hands off me. Go sober up somewhere. I have no problem with you.”

  Drawing his shoulders back, the stranger shoved Theo again. “Oh, we definitely have a problem, dude. We can settle it here or outside. Doesn’t matter much to me. Either way, I’m gonna whoop your ass.”

  “Dude, you’re drunk. I told you at the bar that we don’t know each other. Whatever you think I did, you’re wrong.”

  “The hell I am, motherfucker. You’re the one touching my girl.”

  The man pointed behind Theo to the same spot where Cassie stood. Apparently, this idiot was so drunk that he was confusing her for his girlfriend. He turned to tell him as much, until Cassie moved beside him.

  She flashed him an empathetic look then glared at the man. He couldn’t wait for her to set this asshole straight. Better her than him. Yet when she finally responded, she spoke words he wasn’t expecting.

  “Enough of this bullshit. What the hell is your problem, Mike?”

  Chapter Eighteen

  The music continued in the background as most of the crowd remained oblivious to the confrontation occurring. The people standing nearby were definitely gawking. Cassie ignored their curious stares and attempted to defuse the situation.

  It wasn’t working. The moment Theo tried wrapping his arm around her, Mike advanced in his direction. They went ch
est to chest, allowing her little space to wedge between them. She pried them apart after some effort.

  When Mike came at Theo again, she shoved him back. As if the jealousy he displayed last weekend hadn’t been bad enough, he’d taken it to a whole new level. Who the hell did he think he was calling her his girl?

  Theo wasn’t making things easier. He came close to knocking her down as he did his best to get around her. She didn’t doubt Mike would put up a good fight, but she knew he was underestimating Theo. He may not be as broad as Mike, but he could pack a hell of a punch. She’d witnessed him take down Parker in high school at half the size he was now.

  “Get out of the way, Cassie.” Mike fisted his hands and drew them higher. “You’re only delaying the inevitable.”

  “You’re a real class act, dude,” Theo scoffed from behind.

  “Says the guy who’d fuck anything with tits. You left here last weekend with two chicks on your arms. Now you’re coming after my girl?”

  Cassie tried objecting, but Theo darted around her and got back in Mike’s face. “Your girl? What the fuck makes you think she belongs to you?”

  “Because she went home with me last weekend, just like she does every weekend.”

  “Bullshit, dude. She was with me on Saturday.”

  Mike looked her up and down as if he were undressing her with his eyes. It made her cringe, especially when he smirked at Theo. “She was fucking me on Friday.”

  “That’s enough.” She struggled to separate them again. By the time she forced their shoulders apart, Jimmy rushed over.

  “Dude, come on. What the hell are you doing?” He gripped Mike’s shoulders and tugged him backwards. “When Evan hears about this, you’re going to be in a shit ton of trouble. You fight him, you can kiss your job good-bye.”

  Still struggling against Jimmy’s grip, Mike glowered at Theo. He was hell-bent on defending his imaginary relationship with her. That’s exactly what it was. Make-believe.

  It was Theo who finally relaxed his body and eased away. He sized up Mike once more, then snorted. “You’re not worth the trouble. Neither of you.”