“Please.”
“I have no idea. Stop bothering me about it.”
Gina tossed her hands in the air. “Fine. Tell me everything about him.”
“Ruland is a nice guy. He’s not nearly as tough as he portrays. I’m not saying wimp. I’m saying nice guy. He was probably my favorite artist to tour with because he’s a natural dancer. He gets into whatever you tell him to do and takes it to another level. Many a night he’d come to me with an idea about what we could do with the dancers. His ideas were phenomenal.”
She danced her way over to me and grabbed my wrists. “If I beg will you whisper it to me? I’ve only been asking non-stop for five years.”
Jay grunted. “For the love of my sanity, would you please just confess it’s you?”
Exavier laughed. “Yeah, right. Linds doesn’t sing.”
“Yeah, nice try, Jay.” Gina rolled her eyes.
Getting to his feet slowly, Jay yawned and closed the distance between us quickly. He pulled me into him and began to dance with me. He had to be the best dancer out of all the men I’d dated in my life. I loved to tease him about having no rhythm but that wasn’t the case. The man could do amazing things with his pelvis.
Tilting my chin, he forced me to look into his dark brown eyes. Since most of what Ruland did in this song was say the words, not sing them, Jay didn’t hesitate to jump right in. I couldn’t help myself. I began to hum. Soft at first and then louder.
Jay rocked our bodies and leaned into me. Getting lost in the moment, I let my guard down and dropped the one thing I rarely did in front of others, I started to sing. All I really did was repeat Ruland’s lyrics. It had originally come about during a late night rehearsal. It ended up being something he asked me to put down on a track with him. I still wasn’t sure why I gave in.
When Jay got to the portion of the song about having sex, he slapped my ass and made me yelp. I stopped singing and tried to find enough skin to pinch his sides. I failed. “I’m so going to let Gina beat you up.”
“Promise?” he asked, looking hopeful. He stepped back and winked. “I’d like to present the mysterious voice.”
Gina and Myra gave me dual shocked looks. I shrugged. “What? Stop, he tricked me. I wouldn’t have subjected you to that under normal circumstances. The only reason Jay knows is because I,” my cheeks flared red, “apparently like to sing in the shower.”
“And I,” Jay said, cocking an eyebrow, “apparently like sneaking up on you while you’re showering.”
Exavier cleared his throat and Jay took a giant step back from me. “Wait, did I say that? I meant to say I’ll never again be near you while you’re showering. Ever. Ever. Nope. Never. Can we go back to Paco? Who the hell is Paco and why haven’t I met him yet?”
“Jay?” I’d have questioned him further but the reality of it all hit me. My face fell. “Oh, shit. I just sang in front of a guy who is famous.” I glanced at Gina.. “He is famous, right?”
“Huge,” she said, putting her arms out for effect.
“Jay, hide me and then take me home so I can slit my wrists.”
“No can do, Lindsay. For one, I like your wrists. For two, the only man who will be taking you home from here on out is that one.” He pointed at Exavier. “Trust me when I say that any other man who dares to try will not even live to get to regret it.”
Myra put her hand on her hip and gave me a pointed stare. “Got something you want to share with the group?”
I shook my head. “No. I’m as lost as you are. I just met the man this morning.”
It was Jay’s turn to laugh. “He’s looking a little jealous. My guess is because he didn’t know you liked to sing. Tell him why it is you keep it a secret.”
“Cuz, I can’t sing.”
“Lindsay.”
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. Because when I was little the boy I told you about, my first crush, used to tease me for it. So, I hate doing it around anyone.”
Exavier gave Jay a hard look. “Nice. So happy I filled you in on everything.”
“Oh, like you had a choice,” Jay spat back. “Now, the question isn’t how pissed you are at me. It’s how long are you going to stand there? You could be home bedding your woman.”
Shocked, I took a step backwards. “Well, by all means, Mr. Kedmen, don’t let us hold up a booty call.”
“In that case,” he stormed towards me, “let’s go.” Exavier ducked down and swooped me up and over his shoulder with ease. He smacked my ass cheek and turned to head out of the gymnasium.
“Put me down!”
“Can’t do that. I need you for the bedding of my woman to work.”
I wiggled, doing my best to break his hold. “What the hell am I supposed to do? Tell her you’re a really nice guy under all that rock star shit?”
“Nope. You’re supposed to tell me you’re looking forward to being bedded.”
My stomach dropped as his words sank in. “I’m not sleeping with you.”
He slapped my ass again. “Who said anything about sleeping?”
Chapter Eight
Turning, I snuggled into the warmth Exavier was letting off and sighed. I should have been freaked out by the fact I was sleeping with a man I just met. I wasn’t. It helped that we were just sleeping. No sex, sadly enough.
Exavier shifted slightly and I knew he had to be uncomfortable. At six-foot-five, he didn’t exactly fit in the back end of his SUV, even with the rear seats down. When he’d first plopped me into the front seat, claiming to want to bed me, I wasn’t sure what he was going to do. After driving around for a while and talking about nothing in particular, I dozed off for a bit. When I woke, we were parked far off the highway in the country.
I didn’t even want to think about how long Exavier must have driven to get us out of the city and somewhere secluded. I didn’t care. It felt good to be away from it all for a bit. It felt good to be with him.
He’d been asleep too, with his head back, still sitting in the driver’s seat. I think I shocked him almost as much as I shocked myself when I woke him and suggested we climb in the back and rest. I would have suggested a hotel but he looked exhausted and there was something carefree and fun about what we were doing.
As I lay there, snuggled close to him, I did my best to ignore the fact that I had to urinate. It wasn’t like it was convenient timing. Giving in, I went to open the back door and Exavier wrapped his arm around my waist.
“Hey,” he whispered. “Where are you going? It’s dark out there and you hate the dark.”
I slid my hand over his and yawned slightly. “I know, but I have got to pee.”
The laugh that came from him was deep and sexy. “You are so unaffected by being around famous people.”
“Oh, what? Famous people don’t pee?”
He chuckled and went to sit up.
“You aren’t coming with me. I, unlike you, can’t just whip it out and go. I’m not exactly sure how I’m going to pull this off but I know that I can’t wait much longer. Ah, man, I can’t not wash my hands. Forget it. I’ll hold it.”
“Lindsay, I can drive us to find a rest stop or something.”
Smiling, I touched his cheek. “Honey, you’re tired. I can feel it. Sleep. I’ll be fine.”
Something passed over his face and the dimly moonlit vehicle prevented me from fully soaking it all in. “Baby, I don’t mind.”
Baby?
It hit me then, I’d called him honey. I huffed. “I can’t believe I pet named you. What the hell is that about?”
“You like me. Admit it.”
I nodded. “Fine. I like you. Happy now, Mr. Rock Star?”
A shiver moved over me as cool air seemed to settle in near me. Exavier reached for me. “Linds?”
“Hmm, you throw some serious heat off when you sleep. I move away from you and then I’m suddenly freezing.” I shivered again.
Exavier sat up as best he could in the tight space and pulled his tee shirt over his head. The lighting may h
ave been dim but it was good enough for me. It also helped me get a look at his upper body. I drew in a sharp breath as my inner thighs tightened. He was chiseled perfection.
I bit my lower lip and willed myself not to reach out and touch him. It was hard but I managed.
“Here,” he said, pulling his tee shirt over my head and dressing me as if I were a child. It seemed to radiate heat, much the same way Exavier did. “I’ll find us a place to stay for the night.. Somewhere with a bed, blankets and a bathroom.”
“Xavs, I don’t need your shirt. I’m…”
He pressed his finger to my lips. “You were cold. I’m hot. Works out well. I had an excuse to shed some clothes. I was going to roll a window down but when you snuggled against me I felt the goose bumps on your arms.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you.”
He winked at me.
“This is nice. In case I forget to tell you that.”
His brow furrowed. “What? Lying in the back of my SUV? I get that you’ve no idea who I am or what my status is but trust me when I say I could spring for nicer accommodations.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “No. This is nice. Being out in the country, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It reminds me of camping. I used to make my father take me and my friend camping. My father hated every second of it. He’s not the outdoor type. Definitely more the lap of luxury kind of guy but he did it because I liked to look at the stars and he wasn’t keen on letting me and a little boy camp out alone—regardless how much he liked the boy.”
Exavier propped his head up and lay lengthwise, watching me close. “What did you like most about it all?”
I laughed. “Well, I can tell you what I didn’t like. I didn’t like it when a snake wandered into my sleeping bag. I was so scared, I couldn’t even scream. I just lay there paralyzed with fear. Xavs crawled over my father, who was out cold, reached into my sleeping bag and grabbed the snake like it was nothing. I have no clue how he knew it was there or that I was terrified. He just did. He took it away from the tent and then came back in, worried I was still scared.”
I shuddered at the thought of snakes and the demon we’d encountered earlier. “I still hate snakes. You know, most little boys would have laughed and probably chased me around with them. Not him, he even got rid of his pet one because he knew it scared me. That was sweet.”
I rubbed my inner arms, where the snakes from the demon had bit me, and shivered. “Eww, I hated the bug and snake part of camping. I’m very glad nothing creepy can get in here with us now.”
“You never outgrew that fear, did you?”
I shook my head. “No. I did try to get used to them because he seemed to like them so much, but I couldn’t.” I smiled down at him. “Want to know what I liked most about camping?”
“Yes.”
I went to answer him but stopped as I sensed evil nearing at an alarming rate. Closing my eyes, I swallowed hard. “I really need to pee. I’ll, umm, be back in a little bit.”
It wasn’t a complete lie but it wasn’t the complete truth either. I needed to lure the danger away from Exavier.
“Linds?”
I smiled. “I’ll be right back.” I didn’t wait for him to respond. I climbed out of the SUV and looked into the darkened wooded area. Shutting the door behind me, I let my power run over the SUV, coating it with protection. I also assured the doors were locked and bound with my magik so Exavier couldn’t get free and get hurt.
He tapped on the window. “Lindsay?”
Glancing over my shoulder, I found him struggling with the door, looking puzzled as to why it wouldn’t open. His eyes widened and I knew without looking something bad was in front of me. “Lindsay, get in the car! Now! Open the door! Now!”
Something growled and I forced myself to look ahead. The minute my gaze fell on three wolves, I backed up fast, hitting the SUV.
Exavier pounded on the glass. “Open it, Lindsay! Stop blocking me!”
Stop blocking me?
Did he know I was using magik to keep him in?
The wolves growled again and I knew from the buzz of energy they were emitting they were not only evil but lycans as well. I put my back to them in order to be able to face Exavier. Drawing on the quarter of me which was vampire, I pulled those powers forward and let my magik run over him. I was powerful enough to mesmerize some mid-level demons and had done it before. Yet, the idea of doing it to Exavier killed me on the inside.
“You do not see this as it happens. You forget I was here with you, that I even exist. You were driving back to meet your band, got tired, pulled off. You’ll leave here now and not look back. Go!”
I didn’t have time to force more power at him. He was human. He wouldn’t need it. The wolves began to circle me.. I turned and pressed my back against the vehicle.
“You can do this, Lindsay. Gina, Jay and Myra spent the last three years teaching you what to do,” I said to myself, not caring who heard. “Calm down.”
I couldn’t seem to follow my own advice. I was scared beyond words. All I did know was I needed to move away from the vehicle. I took a tiny step forward and one of the wolves picked then to morph into a man.
He stood there, staring at me with glowing eyes of burnt orange and claws emerging from his fingertips. I stiffened. He laughed as he drew in a deep breath.
“Fear. It’s divine.”
I couldn’t help but stare at all of him. It wasn’t like he’d opted for clothing or anything. He laughed again as he took one clawed hand and stroked himself. “Yes, your fear is divine. As are you. Stories have been told of your beauty but we believed them to be greatly exaggerated. We were wrong.”
Gina’s words rang in my head. Lindsay, don’t see them as monsters. See them as dance partners.
Myra’s voice was next. Regardless who they are, they’re still men.
Jay even snickered at the comment and how true it was.
Deciding to take a different approach to my normal running, since I was in the middle of nowhere and couldn’t outrun lycans, I called upon my power. The minute I felt the first raindrop, I knew it was working. Thunder sounded in the distance. The other two lycans took human form as well, both naked and looking all too horny at the idea of having found me near the woods.
The one with the orange eyes stepped closer to me. “You know what we’ve come for—the prince.”
Exhaling, I chased away my fears and let my gaze rake down him slowly. “Pity. I was hoping you came for something else.”
Thunder boomed and lightning flashed as the rain increased. Pulling Exavier’s tee shirt over my head, I made sure to take my red tank with it, leaving me in only a tiny, red stylish sports bra and black, boot cut stretch pants. They rode low on my hips and I tugged them lower as I locked gazes with the main man. My long hair clung to me as did my remaining articles of clothing.
The man tipped his head back and howled. I wanted to cringe and run. I didn’t. I held my ground.
“Dispose of the human in the truck and then we can see what the female knows,” the man said, arching a brow and licking his lower lip.
Dispose of the human? Exavier!
I went to glance over my shoulder and the man used the opportunity to advance on me before I was prepared. He jerked me to him, grinding his erection against my lower stomach.
I heard a car door opening and tried to look back. The man before me made his move. He went to slide his hand down my wet pants and my power surfaced to protect me. A bolt of lightening struck right next to us. The force threw us apart. I went high into the air and hit the SUV with a thud. My knees sank into the muddy ground and rain continued to pour around me.
The man charged at me, growling, his eyes ablaze. I waited until he was directly in front of me before giving in and rolling to my side.. I got to my feet and leaned back quickly, narrowly missing taking a clawed hand to the head.
“You will beg me for mercy, bitch,” he spat. “You will watch as we kill your friend a
nd then you will beg for your life.”
He came at me again. I spun, stepped to the right and watched as he went right past me. Turning, he glared at me. “Oh, yes, you will beg me for mercy.”
Something inside me snapped. A sick sounding laugh erupted from me. Tipping my head to the side, I let the rain wash over me as I smiled. “You are oh-so-very late on that threat, asshole. I spent four days begging. First for the life of another and then to die. I’m all begged out.”
I let my power out more, recreating the sound of the music Gina often played while she taught me to defend myself. The man looked around, clearly taken aback by the development. “What the…?”
“This,” I smiled, “is what Gina calls ass kickin’ flavor. And you,” I winked, “are what she calls expendable.”
He came at me and I moved my body as a full unit, countering his advance with a kick to the back of his knee. He went forward and I wasted no time in leaping into the air, anticipating his strike before it came. The whoosh from his clawed hand just missing me was a reminder of how very deadly a game this was.
Drawing one leg up, I extended the other and kicked him in the side of the head, knocking him away from me. I landed on my feet and watched as he tried to come at me again. I went into a jumping front kick, holding my arms firm and waiting to strike until I was almost to the height of my jump.
As my foot came into contact with his chin, I couldn’t stop the surge of power that moved through me. Lightning crashed around us again, this time launching me high into the air. I tucked into myself and did my best to sense the ground coming up on me. I landed on one knee, my breathing ragged and my pulse racing. The music stopped as I felt my power waning.
The sound of growling caught my attention. Glancing up, I watched as one of the other men was attacked by the biggest black wolf I’d ever seen. It took him down with ease. The man with the orange eyes advanced on me again.
The black wolf lunged at him, striking his throat and ripping it from his body. The wolf turned, setting its sights on me. I froze. The closer it got, the more the pressure in the air around me increased. My fingers slid over material on the ground and I glanced down to find myself clutching Exavier’s wet tee shirt.
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