by Dawn Ryder
Taz reached over and whacked his bandmate on the side of the head again. Ramsey jumped, looking like he’d been caught off guard, and flipped Taz off. The Asian member of Toxsin wasn’t intimidated. He pointed a stern finger at Ramsey before reaching past him and taking the instruction sheet.
“Right, I’ll follow them,” Ramsey said.
He was opening his wallet, digging out a bunch of bills. She hesitated before reaching for them. Which was stupid, but she didn’t want to let the moment end.
Of course it had to.
He stopped with his hand on the door. “I’ll leave your name at the security desk tomorrow night. Come see the show. You should get a front-row seat to the unveiling of your work.”
Ramsey, Mega Rock Star, offered her a wink before he walked out of her life. Jewel watched him go, enjoying the uniqueness of the moment. There was a soft sound of an engine as an SUV pulled up in front of the shop without a shred of regard for the red curb. A guy hopped out from the front seat and had the door open before Ramsey and his buddies made it across the narrow sidewalk.
Oh yeah…they had guys to do stuff for them.
Jewel didn’t waste her time feeling jealous. She soaked it up. It was the adventure element her life had been lacking.
And a fine, healthy dose of it, too.
* * *
“Hmm…” Ramsey considered the list of rules. “Tight clothing is ill-advised.”
Syon groaned. “Why do we have to suffer?”
Taz snickered but turned and looked out the window as Ramsey popped open his pants. Ramsey didn’t care for clothing most of the time anyway. Having an excuse to shed it was welcome.
“She was cute,” Syon muttered. “The artist.”
“Yeah.” Ramsey stretched out his legs and let his eyes close. But his brain was churning. Jewel’s face was there, and all the intensity that had shown while she worked. It was sexy, but he was used to having sexy females around. There was something else snaring his attention, something he hadn’t associated with a female in a long time.
Admiration.
That made him frown, because it might lead to things like respect. Sure, he respected a fellow artist, but the last thing he needed to do was think she was sexy too. He enjoyed his sex life the way it was—uncomplicated.
Jewel was complicated. Problem was, that was the thing about her that he liked best.
* * *
“You fucking bitch!”
Ted threw his hat toward the hat stand as he blew through the door of the shop just before noon.
“Ramsey of Toxsin was here, and you didn’t let me do his tat?” Her boss was in top form, his neck and face red as he threw one of his tantrums. The man knew how to seethe better than anyone she’d ever met. In fact, she was pretty sure she’d never actually seen a human seethe before she’d met Ted. Because in toddlers, what her boss was doing was called a temper tantrum.
He was covered in tats from his shaved head to his feet, and wore only a tank top with a low, scoop neckline to better show off his tats and body.
Jewel rubbed her hands, her joints aching from the hours of work she’d done on the dragon. “The deal is walk-ins are mine during my shift.”
“Not when it’s a mega rock star,” Ted argued. “And why is this place a pig sty? Cleaning is part of your job.”
“I had a customer.”
“That you should have called me in to deal with.” Ted planted his foot on the stool at her workstation and kicked it across the shop. “Get out of my shop!”
“You’re firing me because of a walk-in?” she demanded. “That was our arrangement.”
“You bet your ass I am,” Ted snarled. “No bitch is working under my roof who doesn’t know who gets the lion’s share of the meat! In case you don’t understand English, it means mega rock stars are mine, no matter when they walk in. I built this place, not you.”
Ted chucked a half-full coffee mug at her.
Jewel yelped as she jumped out of the way. Cold, day-old coffee splattered across her leg as the pottery shattered.
There was a blur of motion as she regained her balance. Then a gurgle, and the sound of someone struggling for breath. She looked up and stared at Ted’s arms and legs flailing while Ramsey held him pinned against the wall, a full foot off the floor. It was more than impressive, because Ted liked to lift weights, and wasn’t flabby by a long shot.
“I don’t let pricks near me.” Ramsey released Ted. There was a scuff of boots against the floor as he landed. Ramsey faced off with him, his stance ready.
“Throw something else at her…” Ramsey’s voice was low and menacing. “I’d really love a reason to kick your ass.”
Ted spread out his arms. “What’s the big deal? She’s a fucking ice queen. Won’t give out a pony ride or even lip service. You want to fight over that?”
Ramsey shook his head and looked back at her. Jewel discovered herself standing in stunned shock. She’d never expected the look of protectiveness in his eyes. “Get your gear.”
Ted started to move. Ramsey turned on him in a flash. A tingle shot through her as she realized his well-honed body was more than just a showpiece. The guy had training in more than how to use the local gym weight equipment.
“And you”—Ramsey faced Ted again—“shut up before I kick your ass for being too stupid to recognize the value of professional behavior.”
“I’ll sue you,” Ted threatened, sounding like a weasel.
“And I’ll tweet, at the top of my mega rock star bandwidth,” Ramsey countered, in complete control and command of the situation.
The tension was tight, the two men settling into a staring war. She flipped open her case and started dumping her gear into it. The second she closed it and secured the metal latches, Ramsey reached over and grabbed the handle. He opened the door for her in a few long strides.
She was standing on the pavement before everything really sank in. Just shy of noon, the streets were fairly empty, because it was a Thursday.
“Which way?”
“Uh…” The guy was just as sexy by the light of day, which should have been against some cosmic law.
“Your place,” Ramsey said, enlightening her.
“Oh.” She reached out for her gear box. “I’ve got it.”
He offered her a raised eyebrow and kept her gear box out of her reach. Short of chasing his right side around in a circle, she wasn’t getting it back.
“I didn’t expect to see you back here.”
Ramsey shrugged. “I wanted to bring you some tickets, since I had only a first name. Your real name is nowhere on the website, a real jerk move by your boss to keep you from building a following, if you ask me. Seems like the dude doesn’t feel his own work can stand up against yours.”
He raised his voice, and she realized Ted had followed them outside. Ramsey shot that last comment straight at him. There was a muffled word of profanity behind them before she heard the door of the shop slam.
Ramsey gave her a grin that melted her a little. Sure, he was sexy, but when he was being sincere, there was a relaxed set to his eyes that made him as adorable as a puppy.
And likely just as much trouble as one too.
“I thought you’d be sleeping,” she said.
He shrugged and started down the street. “Just drove in from Los Angeles on the bus. That’s enough rack time for me, unless there’s some action between the sheets.”
Oh yeah, trouble in spades. The guy was adorable, made her fingers itch to stroke him, but he’d jump right into her lap and have his way if she didn’t watch out.
Her nipples drew tight, tingling with anticipation.
“Well, you shouldn’t have risked a fight with him.”
Ramsey made a low sound in the back of his throat. “Worried I can’t handle myself?” He slid her a sidelong look that was brimming with confidence. “Don’t worry, Uncle Sam made sure I know how to protect myself.”
“Seriously?” The question slipped out before
she realized she already knew the answer. It was in the way he moved, the way he positioned his feet when he stopped. She knew her share of loud, self-proclaimed badasses, and the difference between them and Ramsey.
“Navy, EOD, bomb patrol,” he offered.
It was impressive, and she lost the will to ignore him. Her gaze slipped down his lean body. He had on just a leather vest that gave her a teasing glimpse of his flat abs when he moved. His pants were black and fitted perfectly to his hips, giving her a glimpse of her work along his side. Just the back spikes of the dragon. She couldn’t have placed it any better if she’d been working with a blank canvas.
“Oh, crap.” The slight sheen of lotion slapped her back into reality. “You’ve got to cover that up. Right now.”
His eyes narrowed for a moment. “Sunlight, right, you mentioned that.”
Her mind was on the dragon. She dug her keys out of her purse and hurried ahead of him. She fiddled with the barred building door, finally coaxing the rusty lock to move. She pushed it in and waved Ramsey up the narrow stairway. He paused on the first step as the weathered floorboards creaked.
“Yeah, I know, it sounds ominous, but no one’s fallen through yet,” she tried to reassure him.
“Yet,” he said before following her up the stairs. One of the stairwell lights was still clinging to life, flickering on and off in a vain effort to keep the stairwell lit. At night, it resembled a medieval castle that was lit only by torchlight. The steps groaned under every footstep, the sound bouncing between the peeling plaster walls.
She was suddenly self-conscious, noticing the scent of moldy plaster more than she normally did. The door that led to her tiny apartment was a mass of cracked varnish. Normally, she shrugged it off and labeled it “vintage.” Today, she bit her lip to keep from apologizing for the condition.
Ramsey carried her case into the middle of her apartment, but he didn’t put it down. He was taking a survey of his surroundings. She got caught up watching him because of how sharp he looked. His exterior hadn’t changed. He was still the lean, leather-clad man more suited to darkness than daylight.
Which made the way he looked over her apartment more interesting. He was staring at the single window that had a fabulous view of the rusty fire escape ladder. He reached out and ran his finger along the edges of the wood, where there was so much paint, the pane would require a crowbar to raise it.
“This is a fucking death trap,” he said.
“Yeah, it is. Welcome to the Bay Area, excessively high rent zone extraordinaire,” she said with a flourish of her hand.
He found the small emergency escape hammer she had bought in the event that she needed to get through the window. Its handle was bright orange, and she always kept it on the windowsill.
“You’re no idiot, Jewel,” he remarked with a touch of admiration in his tone.
She thumbed through her meager supplies for enough gauze to cover the exposed areas of his tat.
Actually, she felt like a mega fool for bringing him inside her apartment. She was practically going into heat with so much raw brawn so close to her fingertips. Getting him out of reach was a priority, or she might end up hating herself when she did something impulsive.
She got the feeling Ramsey knew exactly how to take advantage of “impulsive” moments.
“This will do the job.” The paper wrapping crinkled, seeming excessively loud, because every nerve ending she had was on high alert.
Ramsey turned toward her, the case settling onto the worn floorboards. He popped open the top button of his pants, and she fought off the urge to run a hand across her chin in case she was drooling.
Boy, was he worthy of it.
But she wasn’t going there.
Nope.
As in…No! All you have is your pride, girl.
It was a sad little truth. Jewel covered the new ink carefully.
Ramsey chuckled softly.
Warmly.
So very…male.
“Don’t be intimidated.”
She looked up, the cloth tape she’d planned to secure the gauze with still dangling from her fingers.
He cupped her chin and lowered his head until their lips were a single inch apart.
“Don’t be intimidated, babe.” He stroked her jawline, sending ripples of delight down her body. “Touch me.”
She shook her head, recoiling as a warning bell went off somewhere in the part of her brain still functioning on a rational level. “I am going to cover this and…”
Her fingers were trembling.
Hell, she was rapidly turning into a quivering mass of overstimulated receptors.
But she got the gauze taped in place and pushed the button on his fly back through its hole.
And realized she’d been holding her breath the entire time.
She stepped away from him and drew in a deep breath. As she blew it out, she heard the unmistakable sound of him chuckling.
“Yeah, yeah, yeah…” She discovered herself laughing along with him. “Like you don’t know what you do to the opposite sex.”
His eyes narrowed, his expression becoming insanely sensual. Her mouth went dry as she stared, transfixed by the glitter in his eyes. She wasn’t sure when he moved, only that he was suddenly folding her into his embrace.
“Glad to know I’m not the only one turned-on.” His voice was a husky promise, just a whisper against her temple that shouldn’t have had the power to send a shiver down her spine in the bright light of day.
“Whoa.” She flattened her hands on his chest, but pulled away when it felt like she’d grabbed a pair of live jumper cables. “We’re not doing this.”
He cupped her nape, the grip ripping through the fragile hold she had on logic. As in shredded. There was something primal about the way he handled her, taking control and tilting her head up so she got locked into his mesmerizing stare. But he held back, just enough to make her have to commit to the moment. If he’d kissed her, she could have labeled him an overbearing jerk. A spoiled celebrity. Instead, she was caught between temptation and the screaming warning from her common sense.
“We’re not doing it…yet,” he rasped.
Disappointment drew its claw across her as he spoke. There was a flash of iron-willed control in his dark eyes that frustrated her as much as it titillated.
“You’re not nearly excited enough, Jewel.”
Hell…
“What I’m not is into jumping clients,” she informed him with what was left of her rational mind.
She tried to shift away, but he moved his hand into her hair, threading his fingers through the delicate strands before he massaged her scalp. The motion set off a crazy twist of awareness that went coiling through her until it set fire to her clit. Her hips jerked toward his, giving her a blunt, firsthand knowledge of just how hard his cock was.
“Better,” he said. “But still not enough.”
“I mean it, Ramsey. Back off.” She hated how desperate she sounded, but there was little help for it. She was transforming into putty, just a hairbreadth away from losing all grip on what she should do, in favor of what she craved.
All those dark cravings no one really wanted to admit they had. For the first time, she feared him, because Ramsey wasn’t afraid of those dark tidings. Oh, hell no. He danced into the center of the storm and let it consume him.
“Really—” She pushed away from him, taking a moment to touch his chest, getting a glimpse of what she was forbidding herself to experience.
Being practical sucked.
He let her go, but she didn’t think for a second he was in agreement with her. No, there was something in his eyes that warned her this was just beginning.
“Well, I’ve got to find another job,” she said, trying to get herself focused on real-world issues. Trying to keep a roof over her head was as practical as it got.
He snorted. “Let me take care of that.”
She felt cold now that she’d separated from him, but the chill go
ing down her back came from her need to stand on her own two feet. “I don’t need you to get me a job.”
“Yeah, that’s what I like about you. No handouts. That’s not your style,” he muttered. From another man, she was pretty sure she would have labeled that a line. Insincere words meant to weaken her resolve. But there was a flash of confidence in Ramsey’s eyes that told her he’d meant exactly what he’d said.
He tossed his head, his black hair whipping through the air, looking like black rain. “Get some sleep. Your talent will get you another job as soon as I reveal this tat tomorrow night. I’ll send a car around for you.”
Relief surged through her. She got exactly three seconds to enjoy it before he moved, hooking his arm around her back and stepping forward at the same time. The result was being closed in his embrace. Not pulled to him or being crowded.
No, it was far more overwhelming than anything she’d experienced before. He truly enveloped her. A level of control she’d never experienced. He knew his body, knew how to use it for maximum effectiveness.
She was so ready for him to kiss her.
Except he didn’t. He nuzzled against her head, inhaling the scent of her hair.
“You smell…delicious.” He drew in another deep breath, shifting so she felt the hardening of his cock against her midsection. “I want to circle you for a good long time before we get to the jumping part.”
She recoiled from the hard certainty in his voice.
And his body.
But once she was staring at him across a space of several feet, she realized what she was reeling from was her reaction to him.
And boy, was it knocking her for a loop.
“I do appreciate the help in getting me another job, but I’d like to keep things professional between us,” she said.
His jaw tightened. “Me too, but I don’t think either of us is going to be able to ignore the other,” he answered with what sounded like her own thoughts.
She heard a hint of distaste in his tone and thought she saw a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes before he turned and left. It felt like the damned temperature of the room went down several degrees with his departure.