by Joanna Blake
No, not the water. It was Chan.
It had always been Chan.
I whimpered, feeling his hands as they touched me. He wasn't grabbing or taunting. He wasn't cocky for once in his life.
He was hungry.
Reverent.
I felt like glass in his hands. Fragile. Precious.
I felt like diamonds.
He made me feel like I was a treasure. Not something he could just take. Something he had to earn.
And the way he was kissing me, I almost hoped he could.
He pressed me back until I was flat against the wall. Then he grabbed one leg and lifted it. We both groaned as he pressed himself against me.
We were one.
Almost.
His hand slid up to my breast. I felt like cold water had been poured over me.
No. Hot water.
I felt so hot...
This was wrong. So, so wrong.
No matter how badly I wanted it.
How badly I wanted him.
"Stop it Chan!"
I tore away from him. He let me go. Both of us were breathing heavily, staring at each other.
"What's the matter, Princess?"
"You know what's the matter."
He grunted and ground his hips into mine one more time. I felt my body respond. Again.
How could I be so predictable? I was just like all those other girls who'd fallen at his feet. It had just taken a little bit longer.
I ran my hands through my hair, trying to shake off the kiss. Make light of it. Make a joke.
That's what Chan would do. In fact, I was surprised he wasn't cracking jokes already. But he looked serious. Angry almost.
"I never did have good judgement when it came to you."
Then he smiled. His grin was cheeky as he stepped forward. I held my ground. We were face to face again as he lifted my hand, bringing it to his lips for a soft kiss.
Tingles spread deliciously through my body.
"Why start now?"
"I'm serious Chan! I'm not some girl you can have your fun with!"
His thumb grazed my lip. He looked like he wanted to eat me. Maybe he did.
"I know that."
"Please, you have to stay away from me. Every time we are together, something bad happens."
"You call this bad?"
He grinned, pulling me against him raging hard on. It felt so big. Unnatural almost. I'd never felt anything so... carnal. Or explicit.
Chan was all man, that much was certain. But I wasn't his to use this way. I pushed him away.
"I'm serious Chan! I'm getting married. I care about you. More than I should. But... I can't see you again."
He grabbed my arms and held me perfectly still. His face was harsh as he leaned towards me. I thought he was going to kiss me again, but instead he just looked at me with a sort of desperation that frightened me.
"You would have to kill me to get me to stay away from you, Princess."
His hands squeezed me. Too hard. It hurt.
"Let me go Chan!"
"I can't! Don't you see that I can't?"
His mouth crashed down on mine again. It wasn't a loving kiss. Or even a sensual one.
This was a kiss of pure possession.
He wanted to own me.
In that moment, he did own me.
We both knew it too.
I gasped as he released me and stalked to the door. Before he left he looked back at me, his blue eyes cold as ice.
"It's not just because I want you. It's because you are in danger. But either way, you are going to be mine."
I stood there, holding my arms where he'd grabbed me. I must have stood there for an hour. My mind was spinning and my body was crying out for him to come back.
To come back and finish what he'd started.
He'd seemed so sure that what he said was true. But it couldn't be. Could it?
Trouble was, I was starting to believe him.
Chapter Eight
Chandler
I paced back and forth outside the Peach Pussycat. I was worried this wasn't going to work. I had been driving myself crazy since I'd left Caro's last night. The thought of her. The way she'd felt in my arms.
I never wanted to let her go.
That scared me. But not as much as the thought of losing her.
Of her being hurt.
I couldn't let that happen.
I'd drank myself to sleep and woken up at dawn, still in a state of panic. I'd spent the day wracking my brain for ideas. Now, I was waiting for Joss.
Joss was late.
I was about to call him when I saw movement out of the corner of my eye.
Joss was walking out of the club with someone. He looked upset. Even with his sunglasses on.
A blond was standing beside him. She was short and curvy with a button nose and dark sunglasses. A cute little thing who looked a whole hell of a lot like Caro. Pretty, young, sweet.
But her posture implied something else. She was hunched forward, as if trying to make herself smaller. I recognized that look.
She'd been broken. Beaten. I could see bruises on her delicate arms. Her lip was swollen and healing.
I had a terrible feeling that this girl had been taking whatever Max had planned for my girl.
My beautiful, perfect Carolina.
"This is January."
"Hi. I'm Chan."
She smiled and nodded.
"Candy Man. I know who you are."
She glanced at Joss. He nodded. Slowly, she pulled off her sunglasses.
Her right eye was black and blue.
"Let's go somewhere to talk."
She nodded and we walked towards the beach.
"How long has this been going on?"
She shrugged, her slender shoulders rising gracefully.
"On and off for a year. It's not just me. There were others before me too."
We stopped and Joss bought us all coffees. She looked at me from behind those giant sunglasses.
"At first, he's so charming. Then he gets mad, once, twice..."
Joss handed her a coffee and we started walking again. The walking seemed to help the words flow. She kept glancing behind her, as if she were afraid she was being followed.
"It seems almost normal at first. That he would get rough. He's so powerful and the kind of business he's in, violence is normal. But after a while you realize he needs it. To... you know."
I exhaled sharply. He was a sadist apparently. It didn't surprise me. It scared the hell out of me though.
That didn't sound like something he could leave at the door when he came home to his darling wife.
There was no way in hell I was letting that creep lay a hand on Caro. Over my dead body. I had a feeling it might actually come to that.
So be it.
"There are other girls. Every time a new girls starts that's his type... we know what's coming. I tried to warn one of them. That earned me a beating. Now I just keep my mouth shut."
"His type?"
"Blond. Innocent looking. Small."
I finally understood what people meant when they said their blood curdled.
"What can we do for you?"
I looked at Joss. I hadn't even thought of that. I was so focused on Caro and getting what I wanted. He was right. We had to help her.
"I think I should... leave."
"Do you have someplace to go?"
She shook her head.
"My family is... well, they know about all this. They aren't happy with me."
"Joss, what about your friend in LA?"
"Trent?"
I nodded. Even behind her sunglasses, January looked hopeful.
"I will ask him. Give me a second."
Joss had a military buddy out West. I'd met him once or twice. Good guy.
I sat on a bench with January as he made the call. In just a few minutes he was back.
"He'll do it. We just have to get her to LAX."
"He doesn't mind?
I can't pay him."
Joss shook his head and laughed.
"No. He doesn't mind. He's rich as fuck. I hope you don't mind living in the guest house of someone who works in the porn industry."
January shook her head.
"How could I mind that?"
Joss sat down beside her.
"He won't expect anything either. He has women falling all over him. Just don't fall in love with him. All the women I've introduced him to, seem to do that."
She smiled.
"I won't, I promise."
He smiled. Joss rarely smiled. That was a good thing.
"He really is a good guy. Just think of him as an older brother. He has a thing for protecting women. But he's not the settling down type."
She nodded.
"Let's get you packed."
"Okay, thanks."
She turned to look at us, pulling her glasses off again.
"I mean it. Thank you. It's so rare to see guys who want to help someone like me."
I followed them back to the club and drove behind them to January's place.
I needed to get her to talk to Caro. But it wasn't safe for January here. Time was of the essence.
The phone would have to do.
We helped her pack her meager belongings. She threw all of her stripper gear into the trash. She looked almost happy when she told us how that part of her life was over. For good. Joss took a box he promised to send along after. I drove her to the airport and bought her ticket.
"You don't have to do that."
"I want to. I just- if I need you to talk to my girl, will you?"
She nodded.
"She's the one who looks like me?"
I smiled.
"Two prettiest girls I've seen in my life."
She smiled then. It was the first time I could see how young and pretty she was. When she got clear of this, she would be again. I waited until she was through security before I drove back to town to meet Joss.
We had work to do.
Carolina
"My love."
I smiled at Max's handsome face as he bent to kiss me. A quick warm press of his lips and he was gone. I'd hope to feel an overwhelming spark. The kind that Chan seemed to create without even trying.
But there was nothing.
"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to spend the week before our wedding apart?"
It was true. I was nothing if not traditional. I had thought it was romantic. But now it seemed like the past few days had driven a wedge between us.
He led me over to his enormous leather sectional. I grimaced. As a vegetarian, I wasn't very comfortable sitting on a piece of furniture made out of what looked like 50 dead animals.
Max knew that.
He didn't seem in a hurry to do anything about it though.
So when I sat on his couch, I was never really relaxed.
But... maybe that wasn't the only reason I felt that way.
"I wasn't expecting you but I can have Margreet cook something up..."
I shook my head. I hated putting his servants out. It was another thing I wasn't sure how I would get used to.
My mother had raised me to cook and clean my own house. I knew how to bake, broil, sew and mend. It was a point of pride.
But here, all of that would be useless.
He slid his arm around my shoulders, rubbing them lightly. Usually I found his touch soothing. This time I had to stifle the urge to scoot away.
"You are tense, Carolina. What is troubling you?"
His accent had always seemed charming. Urbane. Romantic.
Right now it sounded like the accent of a villain in a super spy movie. I almost expected him to push a button and reveal a tank full of sharks beneath our feet.
For the first time ever, I didn't feel safe with him.
"I've been thinking.... I think we should postpone the ceremony. I'm so busy with school and Gran hasn't been well. I want her to be here with us."
His hands stilled. Then he began rubbing me again.
"Is this really about your grandmother Carolina? Or are you afraid to complete our bargain?"
His hands gripped me firmly. This time I did try to move away. But he was too strong. His face was still smiling but his eyes were different.
Cold. Reptilian. I felt repulsed as he touched me with his clammy hands.
"Do you know how long I have waited to possess you? I've honored your wishes because of your religious beliefs. But that time is at an end. If you are reneging..."
"That's not it. Truly!"
"My love... if you are having second thoughts you can tell me. I will do my best to put your mind at ease."
He leaned forward to kiss my temple.
His hands moved from my shoulders to my throat, circling it suddenly.
I almost didn't hear the words he whispered softly against my hair.
"But you are never, ever going to get away from me."
A shiver went down my spine. He leaned back and smiled at me, tenderly cupping my face.
"Ever."
He meant it.
Chan had been right.
Chapter Nine
Chandler
Another night. Another packed house. Another dance.
I was always a crowd pleaser. Usually I loved the attention. But tonight it felt hollow, empty.
For the first time in a long time I started wondering what was next. After dancing. I had to take care of Caro. I needed money to do that.
I'd saved quite a lot over the past five years of dancing.
Enough for a down payment on a house. Or a small business.
Maybe both. Not in Miami, but someplace cheaper. Quieter.
Someplace like home.
I'd always looked down on people who lived in small town America. I'd wanted excitement and flash, not contentment and stability.
White picket fences were not in the game plan.
With Caro in the picture though, it actually sounded nice. More than nice. It sounded amazing.
Who would have thought it? Me craving domestic bliss. I'd gone from wanting her in my bed, to wanting to share my life with her. Maybe that's what I'd always wanted but I'd been afraid to wish for it. To dream I could be worthy.
Of course I had to convince her that I was the guy for the long haul.
That wasn't going to be easy.
Nothing with Caro ever was.
I went through the group dance numbers mechanically. I barely heard the music or the crowd. I just let my body move to the beat.
By the time I got to my solo act I was ready to get out of there. I didn't pull anyone on stage tonight. I just danced.
I closed my eyes and let the music take me over, let it drive me. I tried to recreate the night that Caro had been here with me on stage. It actually worked. I was grinding into the floor when I opened my eyes and looked up.
Caro's big eyes were looking back at me.
It wasn't just the fantasy I'd been indulging in.
She was really here. In the back of the theater near the door. The last place on Earth I'd expected to see her again.
I saw her, standing with Mike, one of our servers. Most of the guys who worked here were just killing time until they got a shot at the stage. That's where the big money was.
And the glory.
Not to mention all the women.
Caro wasn't here to watch me to perform though.
I could tell by the way she was holding her arms. Mike wasn't hitting on her, which was unusual for Mike. He was standing watch.
He knew without asking that she was important to me. He could tell she was upset. I could tell it from all the way across the room.
I left the stage mid-song and ran around the theater to the front. I nodded to Mike and pulled her into the lobby. The show was almost over but at the moment, no one was out there but us.
"Caro?"
She looked up at me, her eyes full of tears.
"You were right."
Rage fille
d me. She didn't look hurt. She looked scared though. If he had dared to touch her...
"Did he hurt you Caro? Tell me!"
She shook her head no.
"He didn't. But he threatened to. I told him- I wanted to postpone. He saw right through me. He- he- put his hands around my neck. He could have killed me Chan. I think he actually thought about it for a second."
I wrapped her in my arms, holding her tight. I wanted to shield her. Absorb her pain. I would do anything to protect this woman.
Anything at all.
"I promise you I won't let that happen. I'm sorry he scared you."
"I'm the one who should be sorry. I- I should have listened to you, Chan."
I shook my head and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"You have nothing to be sorry about. Let's get you home and then we can talk."
She nodded and I put my arm around her, bringing her to the back to get my stuff. It felt so natural. My arm slid down her back to her tiny little waist and squeezed her reassuringly.
JC was pacing back and forth when I got to the dressing room.
"What the fuck, man?"
Chaz was on stage, working the crowd. I had kind of left them in the lurch. But it didn't matter. Nothing mattered except Caro and keeping her safe.
"Caro, sit down. I'll be right there."
I pulled JC aside. He owned the club and ran it with Chaz. He was a good guy. I gave him a level look.
"I need the week off."
"Fuck man! You are our headliner!"
"I can't explain. I'm sorry JC."
He gave me a level look.
"Everything alright?"
"No."
I looked over at Caro, sitting there. She looked so small and delicate.
"But it will be."
"Okay man, let me know if you need anything."
"Thanks JC."
We shook hands and said goodbye.
I had a crazy feeling that I wouldn't be back here again.
The crowd was dispersing by the time I led her outside to my ride. I handed her the spare helmet. She stared at it, then at me, then at the bike.
"Get on."
"On... this?"
I smiled and nodded, realization dawning.
"First time?"
Her sweet little mouth opened.
"Yes."
"Don't worry, it's perfectly safe."
She looked skeptical. Annoyed even. Disapproving, definitely. But not scared. That was an improvement.