Nic stared at her. She couldn’t be more wrong. He didn’t give a shit about the woman’s weight. In fact, he preferred his women with a little more meat.
The security guards established a perimeter around him, with everyone but Summer and a disconcerted looking Kaden on the other side. “Are you hurt, sir?”
Nic shook his head, feeling pretty disconcerted himself. “Just winded.” When he moved to stand up, Kaden rushed forward. Exasperated and embarrassed, Nic waved him off. “I’m fine.”
Instantly, he regretted his harsh tone. The man was only doing his job, after all. He forced himself to sound calm. “Have the guards identified the woman?”
One of the security guards said, “Her driver’s license says she’s Abby Clanwell from Hartsville, South Carolina.” He peered at Nic, one eyebrow raised in speculation. “I take it you don’t know her? She says she’s your girlfriend.”
Another girlfriend? He sure was fucking popular tonight. “Never saw her before.”
“We didn’t find any weapons on her. She’s probably just an over-excited fan. We aren’t sure how she got through the perimeter, but we’ll be reviewing the security tapes to find out.”
The guard left and Kaden turned to him, chagrin on his face. “Sir, this shouldn’t have happened on my watch. If you want to get a new bodyguard, I’ll understand.”
Nic gripped his shoulder. “Relax, man. Even you can’t be in two places at once. Besides, this area was supposed to be secure.”
Kaden exhaled sharply. “Christ. She could be NicsBitch.”
“Believe me, it’s crossed my mind. But you know, if this had happened at any other time, we’d both be laughing.”
“Maybe so. But from now on, I’m sticking to you like glue.”
When the security guards gave up the perimeter, people flocked to his side. Turning to the fans across the street, Nic waved to reassure them. Then, he addressed the reporters gathered around him. “Thank you all for your concern but, really, I’m okay. I have truly wonderful fans, even the ones that get a little over-excited, and I’m honored by their love and devotion.”
“Now, if they could only stay behind the barriers,” Kaden muttered.
Everyone laughed, and just like that, the tension evaporated.
Lauren couldn’t believe her eyes. The woman had appeared out of nowhere and thrown herself at Nic. Where were the security guards? And for that matter, where was his blond bodyguard? Even Vivian was nowhere to be seen.
Lauren couldn’t help but smile when the bodyguard leaned down to help Nic stand up and Nic shoved his hand away. People often acted like she was fragile, weak, and she hated it. She could well imagine how Nic would feel about being treated like he was made of glass.
When the paparazzi had busted in on the photo shoot, he’d been so warrior-like. She got chills remembering how he’d jumped off the bed, landing between her and the door of the hotel room. A man like Nic would resent the need to have someone guard him.
His life had to be difficult. He had no privacy, no time to himself, and no freedom to be himself. Nic always had to be on his game, always had to be over the top. Always had to be Nic The Lover.
Lauren looked down at Jason, asleep in her arms. She didn’t need glitz and glamour to be happy. Nic may have discarded her like yesterday’s pizza box, but he didn’t have what she did. His life was empty. Hers was full.
And someday, she’d meet a stable family man and fall in love. Until then, she had her friends, her family. And her fantasies.
Nic stepped out of the limo in front of Summer’s apartment building, then turned to assist her. Kaden stood stone-faced, holding the passenger door open. “Can I have a private word, sir?”
Nic pulled Summer to his side. “Wait for me in the lobby.”
She rubbed against him and giggled. “Hurry, okay?”
After she entered the building, Nic caught Kaden rolling his eyes. He grinned. “She’s not so bad.” Besides, all he wanted right now was to get his mind off Lauren. Maybe Summer was the answer.
“Not so bad if you like them without a brain.” Nic shrugged. “What about the photographer, Lauren?”
“She’s got a brain.”
“What the fuck’s wrong with you? Do you want to blow it with her?”
Nic sighed. Everyone insisted on reminding him of Lauren. “I like Lauren. I like her a lot. I’m just not the right guy for her.”
“Based on the photo I saw, she might not agree.”
“You know what this life does to people.” He thrust his hands in his pockets and stared at his shoes. “I could never ask her to deal with all the shit that goes on in this business. Anyways, I haven’t heard from her since D.C., and neither has Vivian.” He raised his eyes to meet Kaden’s gaze. “If she wants to work with me, she needs to let me know.”
“So, it’s just business?”
“It has to be.”
Kaden raised his eyebrows. “But why Summer?”
“She’s Nic The Lover’s type.”
“I see,” he said although it was clear from his expression that he didn’t. “You want me to wait?”
Nic shook his head. “I’ll walk home.”
“The woman’s a barracuda. What if you need to make a quick escape?”
Nic laughed and clapped Kaden on the back. “I can handle her.” He waited while Kaden drove away, then jogged up the steps to the lobby where Summer waited for him.
She led him to her apartment and ushered him inside. “My roommate’s out of town, so we have the place to ourselves.”
Nic smiled. Sex was definitely on the agenda. And exactly what he needed to get Lauren off his mind.
“The living room’s right through there. Why don’t you make yourself comfortable while I get us a drink?” The living room wasn’t large, but she’d made the most of it. A couch and an armchair crowded around a mid-size flat screen TV hanging on the wall. He was easing into the armchair when Summer handed him a beer. “I hope you like German.”
Nic eyed the bottle appreciatively. The woman knew her beer. “Love it, thanks.”
She held her bottle up to his. “Cheers!”
“Cheers.” He slugged back the fine German brew and watched her wander over to a stereo on a shelf. Her skimpy dress exposed long lean thighs and slim calves. Summer was beautiful, and like any man, he could appreciate her beauty, even if she wasn’t his type. Now, if Lauren were here, wearing that dress, well, she wouldn’t be wearing it for long.
After thumbing through a few CDs, Summer inserted one into the player. Moments later, Nic heard the opening notes of Bob Seger’s Old Time Rock and Roll. He raised a brow. Did she want to dance with him?
Summer started swaying her hips, but it wasn’t until she began undoing the zipper along the back of her dress that he understood. She wanted to dance for him. Hooboy! Relaxing into the comfortable armchair, he prepared to enjoy the show.
With her eyes on him, she shimmied and let the dress slowly drift down the length of her body to pool at her feet. She stood before him in a black lace bra and panties. The matching stripper heels were a welcome bonus.
She retrieved her beer from the shelf and ran the rim of the bottle against her lips, the condensation making them glisten. Nic stared as she stretched her neck and slid the bottle down the valley between her large breasts, leaving a wet path behind. A path that begged to be licked.
Turning her back to him, she bent over to place her drink on the low coffee table. Her hips rolled and she flipped her long hair from side to side. Nic’s mouth went dry and a sheen of sweat covered his forehead. Christ. Summer looked like she was being fucked from behind.
After a final saucy lick of her lips, she straightened and started dancing, her body flowing and undulating in time with the music. She pressed her hands to her stomach and trailed them up to cup her tits, squeezing them together. Nic gulped and had to loosen his tie so he could breathe. Normally, he didn’t go for this kind of thing, since women tended to be uncomfortable w
ith it, but in this case, it all looked rather professional. He had no difficulty seeing the imaginary pole she was grinding against.
Like a cat, she slinked her way over to him, took the bottle from his hand and set it on the table beside his chair. Carefully, she placed one knee on either side of his legs, straddling him. With each beat, she swayed forward so his roughened jaw slid across her belly.
The song changed to something sultrier, more soulful. Arching her back, she undid the clasp of her bra and her tits spilled out. She settled on his lap and took his hands, pressing them to her chest. “Don’t be shy.”
Nic smiled. He’d have to be made of stone not to be a little turned on. She overflowed his large hands. Unfortunately, her implants felt like twin rocks.
Suddenly, he remembered touching Lauren’s soft breasts, and had to close his eyes against the wave of lust that swamped him. When he’d cupped her during their Paparazzi Kiss gone wrong, she’d filled his hand. Not too much, not too little—just right.
What the hell was he doing here?
He gripped Summer’s hips to guide her off his lap, but she placed her hands on his shoulders and began to ride him, grinding against his cock. A cock that was hard and aching. She moaned and rubbed her chest against his in a sinuous motion. Her tongue darted out to lick his lips and then sought entrance to his mouth.
Lust fogging his brain, he wrapped her long hair around his hand as he took control of the kiss. He plunged deep into her mouth, his tongue tangling with hers. She leaned into him, and he felt hard lumps pressing against his chest instead of Lauren’s plush mounds.
Fuck!
This wasn’t working. He had to get out of here. He shoved Summer off his lap and stood up.
“What’s wrong? Didn’t you like it?”
He smiled to soften the blow. “Nothing’s wrong, sweetheart.” You just aren’t Lauren. “But I’ve got to go. I have an early interview in the morning.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not buying his bullshit. “Oh, I get it. I’m not good enough for Nic The Lover.”
Christ. How did he get into these situations? Oh, yeah. Because he thought with his dick. Time for some damage control. “That’s not true,” he said, glancing at the bulge in his pants. “You know I enjoyed it.”
She looked down, then ran her hand along his cock. “So, why don’t you stay? I can take care of this for you.” Meeting his gaze, she ran her tongue along the edge of her lips.
An image of Lauren licking a drop of chardonnay off her lip at the restaurant popped into his mind and he had to take a deep breath before he could talk. Why the fuck hadn’t he listened to Kaden?
“I really need to go. If I don’t show up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed for this interview, Vivian will have my balls in a sling.”
“I could have your balls in my mouth.” Nic almost swallowed his tongue.
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He had to get out of the apartment, now. “As nice as that sounds, I can’t.”
Mick Jagger’s She’s the Boss started playing. He pulled out his cell phone and said a quick thanks to God for over-protective agents. After an apologetic glance at Summer, he answered the phone. “Hey, Viv. What’s up?”
“Darling, I hope you aren’t still at the after-party. You have an interview with Good Morning, L.A. at six.”
“Funny. I was just telling Summer about the interview.”
He heard Vivian snort. “Let me guess. She doesn’t believe you?”
“I’m sure she does now.”
She laughed. “Glad I could be of service.”
Nic hung up and, looking as earnest as he could, said, “Maybe we can do this again, sometime.” Then he opened the door and high-tailed it out of Summer’s apartment.
At three in the morning, Nic stumbled into the loft. Going to Summer’s place had been a huge mistake. The girl had moves. But even she couldn’t keep his mind off Lauren for more than thirty seconds at a time. Night after night, and half the day, he fantasized about having sex with Lauren, leaving him horny as hell, and the encounter with Summer hadn’t helped.
He slumped onto the couch with his feet on the coffee table and turned on the television. Entertainment Buzz was playing clips of the footprint ceremony and the incident with the zealous fan. The news reporter went on to discuss last month’s premiere of Bad Days.
When they showed the photo of him and Lauren kissing, Nic closed his eyes. The woman had imprinted on his mind. He saw her everywhere, whether his eyes were open or not. He saw her smile when she’d photographed him, her shock when their Paparazzi Kiss had gotten out of hand, her confusion when he’d kissed her goodnight on the cheek outside her hotel room.
Lauren was definitely the kind of woman he could get serious about. But he understood how she might not want to get involved with him and have to deal with the constant intrusions into her personal life. What he couldn’t understand, though, was how she could give up this opportunity to jump start her career.
His phone sat on the coffee table, taunting him, daring him to call her. Okay. He’d give her a call and see how she was doing, maybe find out why she’d changed her mind about the photo shoot. And, even though Vivian had called her to cancel, he did owe her an apology for skipping out on their appointment at the Pepsi Center. Yeah, a personal call wouldn’t hurt. He dialed 411.
Ten seconds later, he heard the phone ringing and had to wipe his sweaty palms on his pants. He was definitely crazy. Crazy about her.
“Hello?”
At the sound of her sleepy voice, his heart started pounding and his stomach did a weird little flip. Nic checked his watch. Shit. He’d been so focused on calling her he’d forgotten all about the time. “Chérie. I didn’t realize how late it is. I should let you get back to sleep.” His gut twisting, he waited a few tense moments for her reply.
“Jason and I watched the ceremony on TV, and we saw that woman attack you. Are you okay?”
Interesting. Not only had she watched the footprint ceremony, she’d also been worried about him. “All I lost was my breath and my dignity. She was just an excited fan, but she’d make any hockey team an excellent defenseman, though.”
Lauren laughed. “The way she body-checked you, she’d give Lidstrom a run for his money.”
A feeling of warmth spread across his chest. She shared his passion for hockey. “Yeah, she kicked my ass.”
“I’m surprised you called me.” Lauren didn’t sound sleepy anymore; she sounded upset.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, for starters you stood me up. I called Vivian and left her a voice mail with the time for you to meet me at the Pepsi Center. I waited there for over an hour and called her several times, but she never answered. In fact, she never returned any of my calls.”
Nic frowned. He clearly remembered asking Vivian to let Lauren know he couldn’t make the photo shoot. “I had to leave town on an emergency. She was supposed to call you to reschedule.”
“An emergency? I hope everything is okay.”
“It will be.” Determination thickened his voice. After clearing his throat, he continued. “So, let me get this straight. Vivian never contacted you?”
“Even the proofs I sent her came back unopened.”
“There has to be a mistake.” If Vivian had wanted to reject the photos, she would have taken great pleasure in telling Lauren and certainly wouldn’t have resorted to returning them unopened.
He heard Lauren sigh. “It wasn’t a mistake. She thinks I’m not good enough for you… that I’m not a good enough photographer, I mean.”
“You’re very talented.”
“This has nothing to do with my photography skills.” She sounded a little frustrated. “Anyway, talk to her, and if you still want to finish the photo shoot, let me know.”
Nic shook his head. The woman clearly had no idea what she did to him. Suddenly, an image of Lauren straddling him on the motorcycle flashed in front of his eyes. Molten lava flowed in his veins at the mere
thought of touching her. His cock hardened, and he had to stand up or risk emasculation.
“We’re doing this, chérie. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Being with her and knowing he couldn’t take their relationship beyond a professional level would be torture. But still, he wanted the pleasure of hanging out with her, of being treated like a normal man for a few short days, of seeing her again, one last time.
Lauren lay back on the pillows and watched the shadows dance on her bedroom ceiling. The last thing she’d expected tonight was a call from Nic. As far as she could tell, the only person standing in the way of Nic helping launch her career was Vivian. If Vivian didn’t release the photos of Nic, Lauren’s career would be dead before it even started. She grinned, remembering how he’d sweet-talked his agent into getting his way in D.C. If anyone could get around Vivian, it was Nic.
God, she missed him. She did want another chance to finish shooting Nic, but even more, she wanted another chance to spend time with him. The ride they’d taken together on the motorcycle had been exciting; Nic was exciting. And despite his superb acting skills, she was sure his interest in her had been genuine. She smiled. Certainly, the bulge in his pants had been genuine.
Closing her eyes, she gave in to the desire, the need to feel him near, and drifted into one of her favorite fantasies. She wasn’t normally an exhibitionist, not even close, but in her fantasies, she could explore situations she’d never dare to in real life…
She’s in some sort of Midwestern redneck bar wearing a peasant blouse, a long loose skirt, cowboy boots and nothing else. The lights are low and a band plays loudly in the corner. She leans against a tall wooden table, watching people dance in front of her. She closes her eyes, letting the music sweep through her, setting her hips to swaying.
Hands slip under the edge of her shirt, searing her skin as a warm mouth nips the sensitive flesh of her neck just below her ear. His touch and his smell tell her this man is Nic. With a smile, she turns her head to kiss him. She traces the seam of his lips until they part, the taste of the Guinness he’s been drinking thick on his tongue. His strong arm around her waist pulls her tightly against his groin, where he is hot, hard, and ready. His hands skim up her ribcage, smoothing their way to her breasts, which he cups and kneads. She gasps. Her back arches in pleasure, her peaked nipples poking his palms, begging for attention. Gently, he rolls them between his thumbs and forefingers, creating a pleasurable friction. Then he increases the pressure and adds a tugging motion that ratchets up her need, making her want more.
DEADLY OBSESSION Page 7