by Knight, Evie
Chapter Four
Ariel took one last look around the cottage she’d lived at during the past week, making sure she’d collected everything she owned. This is it. My time here is done. Where she’d spend the night, she didn’t know. With a heavy sigh, Ariel grabbed her suitcase and rolled it to the entrance.
Deep green eyes startled her when she opened the door. “Are you here for the keys?” she asked.
The gorgeous stranger smiled. “No. I’m here for you,” he said, walking past her into the cottage.
She frowned, looking out the desolate street. Great, what if she needed to scream for help? Who’d come to her rescue? For all Ariel knew, no matter how charming he looked, this stranger could be a rapist, a murderer, a thief. Stop the drama, Ariel. She took a deep breath, reminding herself she wasn’t the dramatic type, willing such thoughts to leave her mind. She had to think fast and come up with a new plan. Perhaps he was the miracle she’d been hoping for.
Ariel turned to face him, remaining in the same spot by the open door. The man in her cottage had her attention, but it didn’t mean she’d let her guard down. She wasn’t stupid. Ariel didn’t yet know if she’d be forced to scream her lungs out after all. If he tried anything and her calculations were exact, she’d obstruct his path with her suitcase and run like hell.
The man chuckled. The sexy dimple on his left cheek would make any other woman drool, not her. She didn’t need any more bows on top of her misfortune.
“Don’t look so scared. I promise I don’t bite.” He sat on the couch.
“Who the hell are you?” Ariel didn’t move an inch from where she stood.
“I’m here to make you a deal.” He leaned back on the couch.
“Listen, I don’t know if this is some kind of joke or what.” Ariel dragged her gaze down his length, admiring the way the gray suit and his white shirt hugged his lean form, giving him a confident air. “Unless you’re here to offer me a job, I’m afraid you’ll have to leave.” She motioned to the door.
The stranger crossed his leg. “Ariel Parks, is it?”
She creased her brow at the mention of her name. How did he know? That was creepy. Ariel tightened her grip on the suitcase handle and took a step back, ready to run the hell out of there.
“I’m here because of Colin Hoskins.” He cocked his head, studying her.
“I asked, who the hell are you?” The mention of Colin’s name reminded her how he’d used and discarded her. Asshole.
“I’m Logan Ashby, his agent.”
All right, so maybe he wasn’t creepy. “Out of respect for both our time, there’s nothing I care to discuss where Colin is concerned,” she said. Anger replaced all worry in her mind.
Logan rested his arm on a décor pillow, his fingers tapping on the couch. “I’ll pay you twice as much what the ad said.”
Ariel looked to the ceiling. Twice the original salary sounded great, she’d go home sooner than expected. There was just a minor detail. Colin. “Even if you offered to pay me three times as much I’d still say no.”
Logan leaned forward on the coach. “Tell me what it’d take for you to accept this job.”
“Desperate, are you?”
“I am.” He looked to her suitcase then back at her. “I’d give you anything you want.”
She lifted one brow. “Anything?”
“Yes.”
Ariel met his gaze. “Sounds tempting. Paint it any way you want, I’m not working for Colin.”
“You won’t. You’ll be working for me. Listen, I know he can be a pain to work with.”
“You think?” Ariel sat on the chair opposite from him. “I can’t handle him. I suggest you find someone else because I’m leaving.” She pointed to her luggage.
Logan cursed under his breath. “Ariel, I don’t have time to go back and forth. Let me run this by you.” He paused. “You’re from New York. You’ve never worked a day in your life. About a week ago you lost every penny to your name, and your dear brother is nowhere to be found. You flew in a charter jet, so you don’t have a return plane ticket, which leads me to believe you’re also low in funds. The way I see it, I’m your way out while you sort out your problems. You need me to get home. I need you to get my friend back on stage. So what is it going to be?”
Her mouth fell open. “H-how do you know?”
“I run my own talent agency, Ariel. I don’t employ anyone without a background check. I needed to confirm you weren’t a phony. I’m protective of all the talent I represent, especially Colin.”
“I never gave you any of my information,” she said, raising her voice.
“Next time you’ll need to be more careful of where you leave your personal details.” Logan pulled her passport from his jacket, and slid it across the coffee table.
Ariel squeezed her eyes closed. She’d forgotten to take her passport back from Colin the day he interviewed her.
“I don’t know everything about you yet. It doesn’t mean I won’t. What’s important now is we can help each other out. It’s your decision.” Logan locked her gaze.
“How do you do that?” She gripped the sides of her chair, hating that he’d looked into her personal life. Ariel reminded herself she still needed a job and a roof over her heard.
“What?”
“Summarize my life then make it sound as if I don’t have a choice, but to take your damn job. You say it’s my decision.”
Logan glanced around her cottage. “It’s your decision at the end. You better than anyone know what your options are.”
No shit. Her choices were this job or the street. “I need to find my brother.”
“I can help you track him down.”
“You will?”
“You got my word,” he said.
Ariel studied him, still not convinced, and bothered that he’d put her in this situation. Why the urgency? Why her? “Answer me one thing, yes?”
He nodded.
“What’s in it for you? What does it matter to you what Colin does or doesn’t do?” Ariel crossed her arms.
Logan stared at her. “He’s my good friend. I consider him a brother. Music is his life. I want him to be normal again.”
Sadness and envy clutched at her chest for a moment, wishing to have a friend like Logan. “That’s pretty commendable of you. You’re a good friend.” Not accepting the job wasn’t an option. If she didn’t, the street awaited her. What did she ever do to deserve this? She’d always been good to everyone, done the right things—for the most part. Still, she didn’t deserve all the bad luck following her around the past few days.
If she worked for Logan, she’d be working with Colin. After what happened between them a couple of days ago, Ariel didn’t know if she’d be able to do it. Damn it. She needed the job. “Hypothetically speaking, if I decide to take the job, what do I need to do?”
“It’s not hypothetical. You know you can’t afford to decline it.”
Ariel bit the inside of her cheek at the truth in his words. “You’re doing it again.”
Logan shrugged. “You know it’s the truth. It’s a simple job anyway. All you have to do is make sure he shows up for rehearsal at Gérard’s, a mutual friend, every day, review the documents my assistant sends you and make sure Colin signs them. A lot of the time you’ll work with Marissa, my assistant. Believe me when I say, all you—”
“All I have to do is make sure his conceited ass shows up wherever you need him.” Ariel narrowed her eyes at him. “Why me? Didn’t others apply for the job?”
Ariel didn’t doubt she’d been the one desperate enough to answer the ad. People were too scared of Colin. She’d been at the same venue as him the night his fiancée’s murder tainted his career so she had a hard time believing anything the media said. Colin was an asshole. A murderer? She’d debate it if anyone cared to ask her. Right now, fighting her attraction to him, not surrendering to his charms again, was her biggest worry besides having a roof over her head.
“You know ha
lf the answer to your question, and I think we’ve already established the why. So help me help Colin get out of his funk while I help you find your brother.”
“You really are desperate.”
“As are you.” He quirked a brow.
Damn him for being right. “He’s got an ugly funk, I’m not sure it’d be worth the effort or our time.” She shook her head. With already too many problems, Ariel didn’t need to add one more to her list.
“You get Colin back on stage, I find your brother. You go home, and everyone’s happy. How is it not worth it? Three months is all I ask. The last thing you’ll have to do is get Colin to New York for the mid-summer concert at Central Park. He’s received an invitation from the Philharmonic to share the stage with them. This is the opportunity he needs.” Logan rose from his seat, extending his hand to her.
Ariel stood and shook his hand, agreeing to what she considered her biggest mistake yet. For all she knew, Logan could be using her to get Colin to do what he wanted. On the other hand, she needed to find her brother and didn’t have anyone else. Whether she wanted to trust Logan or not, his offer was best to nothing.
“So you’ll pay me three times what the ad said, right? Also, I’ll need an advance.”
****
Unfortunately the stars didn’t align for her during the weekend. Her situation remained the same. On Monday morning, Ariel walked the long driveway to Colin’s striking Victorian house. It sat at the top of the hill, surrounded by greenery of the rolling countryside. The sight took her breath away and her stomach flipped. If she didn’t need the job, she’d admire the scene then spin on her heel. Instead, she went through with the deal she made with Logan.
The housekeeper greeted her at the door then took her to Colin’s music studio. Ariel walked around the room. Her gaze lingered on the bay window as she remembered panting under him on the seat not too long ago. She shook her head, trying to dismiss the memory, reminding herself of her one goal today. Get him over to practice. Ariel hoped Logan and Gérard’s plan worked, otherwise Colin would eat her alive.
“What are you doing in my studio?” Colin asked.
Ariel gasped, snapping her head in the direction of the door. His usual black T-shirt and jeans gave him a don’t-fuck-with-me air. “I work here.” Tension filled the room. His hot gaze reminded her of the feel of his body against hers. She remained on her side of the room, trying her best to ignore the tingles running down her back at seeing him there.
Colin approached her, every step timed and with intent. “As I recall, you told me to go fuck myself. Now I wonder if you actually meant you accepted my job offer?” He stopped at a short distance from her.
“I don’t work for you.” Ariel took a calming breath, reigning in her body’s reaction to him. “I work for Logan.”
Colin crossed his arms. “He doesn’t live here, I do. Did you get the address right or might you be confused?” His gaze slid down her length, studying her.
Warmth flooded her, turning her insides to jelly. “I got the correct address all right,” she said, glancing at the door.
“What’s your job, gorgeous?” he asked, his tone low.
Ariel met his gaze, her lips parted to speak, then curved into a tight lip smile at seeing the amusement in his eyes. He wouldn’t be amused by her answer. “Babysitting you.”
“Get out.” Colin took a step forward.
“I’ll be in your study.” Ariel headed for the door feeling the need to run.
“When I said get out, I meant you’re fired.”
She stopped half way, and met his damn hot eyes. “You can’t fire me. I work for Logan, not you.” Her body vibrated with want. How did he do this to her? Why did she allow him to do this?
“He’s fired.” Colin advanced on her.
Ariel sidestepped him, using the chair next to his music stand as her shield. “I’m afraid you’ll have to tell him yourself.” She assessed her surroundings, looking for her nearest escape route. “For now, you’re stuck with me and I’m stuck with you.” Ariel tried to make her way out, but his hand closed around her arm, halting her mid-step and bringing her body to his.
“You think it’s funny, don’t you?” His searing gaze bore into hers.
She pressed her breasts against his arm. “Think what you will. I’m only doing my job.” Ariel dragged her hand to his cock and cupped it with enough pressure, stealing a gasp from him. “And, it doesn’t include this.”
Colin dropped his hold on her and she walked out of his music studio, hoping to make it as far away from him as possible before he figured out what was missing. The warmth of his groin still lingered in her palm and she balled her hand into a fist. His proximity stirred her insides, tangling the butterflies in her stomach into a knot. Ariel didn’t know how she walked without stumbling. Colin was a fallen angel without wings or horns, who enjoyed showing her how much his touch affected her.
Focus, Ariel, focus. She had to stop thinking of him in those terms if she planned to work there for the next three months. Maybe she’d focus on other things, starting with his wardrobe. A splash of color to his black wardrobe wouldn’t hurt him. Ariel didn’t consider messing with his clothing crossing the line if she was only trying to help as his assistant.
“Ariel!”
Oh, shit. He knew. Ariel made a run for the closest room since his home study seemed thousands of miles away.
“Ariel,” he shouted once more. “I’ll find your little ass, and you’ll be sorry when I do.”
She ran into the first room she found, shutting the double doors. Crap. No lock. Ariel stepped back, glancing around at what appeared to be a sitting room. His strides in the hall sounded closer and closer each time. Damn it. She had nowhere to hide.
Colin threw the doors open and strode in the room. It took him no more than a second to find her hiding spot, zeroing his gaze on her. He closed the doors, and stood there as he crossed his arms. “Where the fuck is my ex-Vieuxtemps?”
Ariel shifted on her feet behind an elegant white love seat, her fingers gripping the edge. “You mean, the Guarneri?”
His jaw tightened with impatience. “Yes.” He walked toward her.
“Um…” She slid her eyes closed. Shit. This was all Gérard’s fault or Logan’s, or anyone else’s not hers.
“Where’s my Guarneri, Ariel?” he asked at her ear. The warmth of his body traveled down her back as he stood behind her.
She’d been too busy putting the blame on someone else, and hadn’t noticed the moment he’d made his way behind her. An arm slid around her waist and his shaft pressed against her bottom. This proved why accepting the job had been a mistake. His touch clouded all logical thought in her mind.
“Gorgeous?” He bit her earlobe. “Where’s my violin?”
Ariel swallowed. “At Gérard’s,” she said, eyes still closed.
“Where’s my Stradivarious?” His lips hovered over the curve of her neck, his warmth kissing her skin.
Her breath quickened with anticipation, yearning to feel him, to be in his arms again. Was it wrong to want another taste of his lovemaking? Yes. Just one more time. Ariel leaned back on his chest, giving him greater access. Colin cupped her breasts, his fingers playing with her already tense nipples through her clothes. His touch shot a flood of heat straight to her core.
“Ariel?”
Entranced by his caresses, she reached behind him and gripped his waist. Colin understood her ask, rocking his hips against her ass, letting her feel his erection, giving her what she wanted.
“Yes. It’s at Gérard’s, too,” she said.
Colin kissed her neck, sucking the skin gently into his mouth. Ariel didn’t have to see to know he’d left a pink mark soon to turn purple. She didn’t care. She’d apply makeup or something to hide it. Colin pushed her upper body down on the couch, and lifted her dress. Every stroke, every kiss was an exquisite torture to her weak senses.
Colin rid her of her thong, and stretched her with three fingers. �
�Did I do this?” he asked, his fingers thrusting into her.
Oh, sweet torture. “Y-yes.”
“Good.” He withdrew his fingers.
Ariel wetted her lips, anticipation running through her veins. She angled her head and caught a glimpse of Colin rolling on a condom. His hand closed on her waist as he drove into her, filling her drenched channel with his full length.
Ariel caught her breath. She didn’t remember her body having to adjust to his length the first time they’d been together. In this position every inch of his was inside her, stretching her.
“Do you like this, Ariel?” Colin tangled his fingers in her long black hair, pulling at it as he plunged into her.
“M-more.” She rocked her hips back, matching his rhythm.
He let go of her hair and grasped her hips, driving into her harder. “Like this?”
“Y-yes.”
He thrust faster, filling her completely each time, the tip of his cock touching her sweet spot.
“Yes, like that. Harder. Faster, don’t stop,” she said. He obliged. Her orgasm broke into waves rippling through her body, her muscles clamping on his shaft.
“Fuck.” Colin held her tight in place, as his body trembled alongside hers, panting until they both caught their breaths. He stepped back, pulling her skirt down, then helped her straighten from the position he’d put her on. Turning around, he got rid of his condom, adding some distance between them as he put his clothes back to rights. Silence settled reminding her of her thong-less state. Ariel cast her gaze down in search of her discarded underwear.
“Looking for these?” Colin asked from the middle of the room, her thong dangling from one of his fingers.
“Are you trying to be funny?” She walked toward him.
With a smirk on his face, he scrunched it in his hand. “Remember I said your little ass would be sorry when I found you?”
He wouldn’t dare, not after what happened minutes ago. “Colin, it’s not funny. May I please have it back?” Ariel stretched out a hand.
“Sorry, gorgeous. I always come true with my promises.” He shoved the thong in his jeans pocket. “I’m afraid you’ll have to go on about your business without these,” he patted his pocket before he continued, “the rest of the day.” He grinned.