"Little bastard," she muttered, looking for something she could use to pry it out of its crevice. The plastic pen looked like it'd do, so she grabbed that and thrust it into the gap, levering it up to lift the frog out of its hiding spot.
A white corner emerged and Audra dropped the pen in surprise. Was that the envelope with Jay's money? Had it slipped behind the desk?
Carefully, she inserted the pen again, but nothing came up. Oh, this was useless. Audra clambered to her feet and shoved the desk aside. The frog made a flying leap for the door and landed with a splat on the veranda. The fat envelope lost its fight with gravity and keeled over on its side, spilling out yellow notes.
Audra fell to her knees and gathered them up. It was Jay's money, all right – every dollar. She wouldn't have to repay him from her savings, but she would have to take it to him personally. This much cash was a temptation to anyone. Not like a cheque.
Swallowing, she tucked the envelope into the bottom of her camera bag. She would return it. Today, she promised herself. But it could wait a few hours while she dredged up enough courage to face him. At dinner in the restaurant.
FIFTY-NINE
"Table for how many?" the bored waitress asked without looking at her.
"One. Just me," Audra replied.
"ID." She stabbed her finger at the scanner.
Audra scanned her wristband as the waitress nodded.
"Pick any table you want. We switch to a new a la carte menu tonight, so no more buffet. I'll send a server over to take your order when you're ready."
She ordered the first thing she saw on the menu and a beer to help relax her wound-up nerves. What would she say to him? Here, let me refund your money because I didn't sleep with you? I can't keep this because I'm a liar? She couldn't tell him the truth – that she wished she could go back to that night and take what she'd really wanted. Him.
That was the hardest part. Admitting to herself that the money was the only reason she hadn't slept with him, because she had wanted to. She'd wanted to lose herself in everything he had to offer.
Serge's final words to her rang in her mind: "If life offers you another opportunity, don't hesitate. Grab it by the balls and climb on top."
Not that she intended to assault Jay and sit on him. Well, unless by some miracle he asked her to. She'd hurt him enough already. Hadn't she driven him back to drinking bourbon out of the bottle?
Her entrée arrived and she dug in, barely tasting it as she fixed her gaze on the door. Even if Jay ignored her, she'd throw the envelope on his table.
A well-dressed couple arrived and the waitress guided them to a corner table lit by a candle. Audra glanced at her casual clothes and wished she'd thought to wear something better. If she'd had anything more appropriate. All her good clothes were back home in Perth.
Her waitress returned, switching her empty entrée plate for the one containing her main course. Audra glanced at her wrist to see how much time had passed, but her wristband was mute. She should have put her watch on, but that was tucked into her backpack in her hotel room. Time didn't matter as much any more when you weren't working on the clock. Still, she missed knowing. The restaurant wasn't open all night. What if Jay came late, or didn't come at all?
He didn't eat in the restaurant because he didn't want fans interrupting his meal, she remembered now. Room service only. Shit. She'd have to go up to his villa whether she liked it or not. Suddenly Audra wasn't hungry any more. She shoved her plate aside and stood up. Throwing her napkin down, she lifted her chin and forced herself to leave the restaurant.
The humid evening air didn't clear her head at all. It curled around her in a caress that reminded her of Jay's hands on her. How she'd wanted to beg him not to stop, to coax burst after burst of pleasure from her willing body. If he appeared in front of her now, she'd drop to her knees and...
Make a fool of herself, Audra thought angrily, striding out into the rain. The drops pelting her head matched her mood, making her wish she could go into the gym and hit something, but Serge was gone and Adam wasn't anywhere near as accommodating. Even if she did have a guest ID today...
No. She'd go for a walk with her camera instead. Maybe photograph the stars here, if the clouds parted for long enough to let her.
Parting is such sweet sorrow...
The line of Shakespeare popped into her head as if someone had spoken it. Why Shakespeare? Was it because of Jay and the lines he'd splattered on the wall of his villa? He hadn't quoted Romeo and Juliet, though – his lines had come from a different play. One she hadn't been as familiar with, though she did remember a few lines of it.
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts..."
She muttered the lines to herself as she strode through the downpour. Why had Jay written that quote? He'd said it explained everything, but it didn't mean a damn thing to her except that it compared life to a play. But life wasn't like fiction. Only romance novels had happily-ever-after endings. The chapter of her life here had a happy ending – or it would, once she left for Antarctica.
Cold comfort now, she told herself, smiling at her inadvertent pun. She wished she could ask him the name of the play. Or she could just search for it when she reached the laptop in her hotel room.
The rain seemed to have stopped. Audra glanced up. No, it hadn't stopped. She had marched her reluctant feet all the way to Villa Maxima, and the light glowing through the frosted glass door told her Jay was inside. Before she could think about the consequences, Audra rapped on the door.
"Who is it?" his deep voice purred.
Audra glanced down. Her soaked clothes clung to her as if she'd gone for a swim. This wasn't the way she'd wanted to look when she saw him again. If she reached into her camera bag for the money, her precious camera and the notes would get wet. "It's me." Even as the words left her lips, she cursed herself for her stupidity. "Audra." She almost added that she was from Housekeeping, but she held her tongue. She didn't work here and she wasn't from anywhere right now. She was just plain Audra Zujute, soon to be Audra from Antarctica.
The door flew open and Jay stood there, a delighted grin on his face. "You finally came!" He grabbed her and folded her into a fierce hug, wet clothes and all. "Talk about leaving it to the last minute."
Audra stiffened. This wasn't how she'd imagined things at all. She struggled out of his embrace. "Don't. You'll get wet."
His grin turned devilish. "I can see you are." His hand slid between her thighs before she could stop him, awaking desires that she tried to ignore. "Not wet enough, though. We can fix that." He rubbed his hands together.
"Jay." His name sounded so pleading, so needy on her lips. If she didn't tear her gaze away from his, she was going to drop to her knees and beg for what she didn't deserve. Not from him. Audra swallowed and unzipped her camera bag. "I have something for you."
"I have something for you, too, but ladies first."
The corners of the envelope were crumpled, but she slid it resolutely out from under her camera.
"How do you like your present? I wasn't sure what model you wanted, but this was the best I could get at short notice in town."
"It's fine, thanks. Better than I would've bought. I haven't really had a chance to use it until today."
"Well, better get a good one of us together, then." He seized the camera and clamped an arm around her shoulder as he raised it in front of them. "Smile." The flash blinded her. She blinked through the retina burn as Jay flipped the camera around. "Not bad."
At least she was smiling, Audra thought. Jay looked like he was posing for a shot with a fan, which he probably was. A fake smile for a photo of a moment that meant nothing to him.
"Can I get you to send me a copy? I'll give you my email address later. Afterwards." His grin didn't falter in the slightest. Fine. She'd wipe it from his face with the envelope
.
"If you want." Audra wet her lips. "I have a confession to make." She thrust the money at him. "I lied to you."
He shrugged, shoving his hands in his pockets. "I know."
SIXTY
Rain pattered on the roof as the silence swelled between them.
"What do you mean, you know?" Audra asked finally.
"I've been with a lot of women. Your body tells me way more than your lips do." Jay's gaze travelled down. "I felt you lose control. Utterly lose it. That's when I knew I'd won the bet. It didn't matter what you said. Your body knew what you wanted, even if your head was a mess."
"I was in complete control of my actions!" Audra snapped.
"No, you fucking weren't. You took a blow to the head and a beating, remember? It didn't feel fair, taking advantage of you when you were confused. I figured you'd be back, and here you are!" He spread his arms wide. "I admit I was pissed off for a moment when I saw you'd taken the money, but I figured you needed it for something. It's true, isn't it?"
Audra bit her lip.
"Yeah, I'm a rock star now, but that place in Cottesloe...I shared that shithole with five other guys and their occasional girlfriends. The place was falling apart and the landlord wouldn't repair it, not for the dirt-cheap rent he charged us. Some days the water at the beach was warmer than what came out of the so-called hot water system. I slept on a mattress on the floor that was so stained it had probably come from a brothel. If it had, the brothel had thrown it out." His eyes bored into hers. "I remember weeks when all I could afford was a packet of instant noodles for dinner. First year uni. First and last year, too." He gazed down at the tiles. "I failed everything. All I wanted was to play and drink and smoke and shit. So they kicked me out of uni and I had to move back home, because I couldn't get welfare payments. Unemployment ones, instead of student ones. So many times I nearly sold my guitar. I was still living at home when Chaya got our first recording contract. Fuck, I would've done almost anything for a couple hundred bucks, let alone five grand."
"I won't," Audra bit out, holding out the envelope.
"Now, it doesn't matter to me. Five grand is nothing. I don't need it back, Audra. Keep it. It's a gift, like the camera."
She wanted to stamp her foot and scream at him for not listening. "I can't. I'm not a prostitute, Jay." She threw the money at his feet.
"No, you've told me that. A few times now. Fair enough." He stooped to pick up the envelope and dropped it on the hall table. "Right, so are we done with all the talking? I won a bet and I want to claim my winnings."
Audra felt more confused than ever. "What winnings?"
Jay pointed at her chest. "Fuck, you're torturing me. Those perfect tits. The ones your soaked shirt is sticking to. And those nipples. Quit teasing me and take your shirt off."
Her head hurt. None of this made sense. "I came here to apologise and beg you to forgive me, and you're talking about my breasts. Why aren't you mad at me?"
Jay sighed and reached down to adjust himself. "Because I knew you wanted me and I was just waiting for you to come back. Everyone wants me." He flashed the same grin he had for the photograph. The one that didn't reach his eyes.
Realisation dawned. "You're joking. That's a joke. I don't know how many times I've heard you say it, but I just got it. You say it to bait people for a reaction, but then the joke's on them. Because everyone wants Jay Felix, the rock star. Not the man who only plays the part. Hence, the Shakespeare on the ceiling."
Jay's grin finally vanished and he held out his arm.
Audra followed his gaze to the tattooed words she'd noticed but never read. Now, she did: "All the world's a stage."
He pointed at her camera. "That's a gift for the girl who wouldn't let me die. I left a pub full of girls who thought they owned the rock star. I came back here for a girl who'd seen me at my worst and stayed to listen to the man in a moment of doubt. Audra, not Audrey. In As You Like It, Audrey married a fool. But Jacques stayed alone. He's the one who said we're all players. I don't want to be a fool or alone. I want you."
Audra sucked in a breath, not sure what to think any more. "Jay, don't you think –"
"Don't think," he replied. "We had a bet. That I'd give you the best orgasm of your life, you'd beg for more, and I'd give it to you after you got your tits out." He groaned. "Fuck, that wet t-shirt. Quit torturing me. Did I give you the best time of your life?"
Audra closed her eyes, remembering the heat of his fingers inside her as his tongue sent her soaring to undreamed-of heights. No one else had ever come close. She swallowed and nodded.
"Do you want more?"
"Yes," came the barely audible whisper.
"Then I've had enough of this fucking shirt." Cheap cotton ripped as Jay yanked hard at her top. Now the front hung free, dangling from one sleeve as it exposed most of her bra. "Fuck."
With trembling hands, Audra took off what remained of her t-shirt. She should have been shocked or annoyed at the destruction, but she didn't care. All that mattered was Jay. She reached to unhook her bra, but Jay's hands were already there, expertly freeing her faster than she could release herself. Wet lace fell away, replaced by his warm hands as he cupped her breasts.
"Oh, yesss..." The blissful look on his face made her smile. His eyes snapped open and he pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor. He snaked his arms around her, holding her tight to his bare chest. Her nipples tightened in response and she gasped. Jay kissed her open mouth.
The moment his tongue touched hers it was as if lightning had struck her, coursing down her spine to her core. Oh, but lightning only started in the sky. The blinding white light came from below.
Well, she was named after a storm for a reason.
Audra shimmied out of her shorts, leaving them with her underwear in a puddle on the floor. Now she was standing naked in Jay's arms. Talk about crazy.
Their lips parted for a moment as Jay paused to grab a breath.
Don't think. About tomorrow or next week or anything but this moment. Even the weather could wait.
She reached up to stroke the stubble on his jaw. This time she kissed him, focussing all her passion into the pressure of her lips and the twine of her tongue around his. His hands crept down her back to cup her arse.
He swept her up in his arms, carrying her through to...the bedroom? No, the bathroom. He dumped her unceremoniously into the spa and tossed her the plug as he turned on the taps. "Can you sort the temperature while I get these off?" He struggled with his shorts, which seemed to be stuck on his...
Audra tried to smother her laughter as she turned her attention to the taps. The water was comfortably hot when she heard Jay climb into the tub behind her, but an attack of nerves seemed to have frozen her. She squeaked when Jay's arms encircled her, pulling her into his lap.
"Do you trust me, Audra?" The seductive purr was sexier when his breath tickled the back of her neck. She could feel her insides melting. "Trust me to give you the best night of your life?"
His thumb circled her nipple, then trailed down her belly and slipped between her thighs, circling again. He brought her expertly to the edge of a storm front, as if he knew one more well-placed circle would unleash the storm's screaming fury. "Do you want it?"
"Yes," she gasped, feeling him press harder. "I want you, Jay. All...night...JAY!" Her words ended in a scream to the skies as she soared up past the clouds to the stars above.
SIXTY-ONE
When she returned to Earth, Audra found that the bath had filled with water, or maybe it was the space their bodies took up that had let it fill so fast. Or had she been too lost in Jay's magic hands?
"Turn around," he breathed in her ear and she complied, sliding around in his lap as she realised Jay was hard as all hell beneath her and with one thrust of his hips he'd be inside her. Shit, all that inside her? How would he fit? The man was massive.
He must have seen the fear in her eyes, because he leaned back and said, "Oh, you won't be getting that
until you're ready. I promise you that. Ready and begging for it, and not before. I'm not into pain. Yours or mine. Just pleasure and plenty of it. Trust me, Audra."
"The rock star or the man?"
Jay laughed. "Mostly the man. The rock star – " He took her hand and guided it to his cock. " – is ready and raring to go, but even he's going to wait until you're satisfied."
This time, she didn't manage to smother her laughter in time. She pulled her hand away and covered her mouth. "Shit. Now it all makes sense. Every time you make some comment about being a rock star, you're thinking with your..."
"Say it. You'll be riding it soon enough."
Audra swallowed. "Cock."
"It sounds so hot when you talk dirty. You should do it more." He pressed a hand to her back, between her shoulder blades. "Now, lean back a bit."
Audra did, and found herself floating up. She wrapped her legs around Jay, anchoring herself around his torso.
"Perfect." He leaned forward and licked her nipple, sending a jolt right into her core. "Oh, you like that. So do I – sweet pink pearls." His teeth grazed sensitive flesh as he sucked her so-called pearl into his mouth.
"Oh!" His tongue tickled as he sucked harder. Desire sparked at his touch and spread like forked lightning, electrifying her breast until he set her heart ablaze. His hair tangled around her fingers as she held him in place. "Oh my God, Jay."
"Told you I was a rock god. Now, I bet the second one's sweeter." He caressed her still-tingling breast with one hand as he devoured the other.
Heat engulfed her chest, racing through her veins to the juncture of her thighs. "Jay, I want to feel you inside me. Now."
Maid for the Rock Star Page 20