Sugar and Sin Bundle

by Stacey Joy Netzel

  “If I were going on a date would I do this?” His voice was tight, the muscles in his neck taut, straining against his still damp skin. The scent of the homeowner’s lemon soap drifted in the air reminding her of the impropriety of what they were about to do.

  Before she could utter a half-hearted protest, his mouth descended on hers. Sparks of delight shot out from her center and radiated throughout her body like a Macy’s Fourth of July display.

  He kissed her like he’d been waiting to kiss her all his life. And she thought him laid back, perhaps even a little lazy?

  There was nothing lazy about him now. All his pent up passion was being unleashed on her trembling lips. So tired of the clean-cut and clean-shaven men she usually dated, Victoria reveled in the feel of the stubble against her tender skin. Sex with Russ would be wild and she instinctively knew no woman would ever be able to tame him. But she didn’t want to tame him; she wanted to ride him. She wanted—

  A noise from the hallway startled Victoria. What if one of the crew caught them? She tried to break away.

  Without breaking contact, Russ reached out, slamming the door shut with one hand, then picked her up with the other by the rear-end, roughly plopping her onto the sink counter. He pushed himself between her legs, her skirt riding up, as he pulled her to him.

  Victoria’s eyes widened as he pressed against the soaked lining of her panties. She moaned and his tongue invaded her mouth. He tasted like spun sugar made from the vanilla cake he’d gobbled from her fingers earlier.

  His kiss deepened, his tongue urging hers to fuse with his. Victoria splayed her hands across his back, her nails digging into the cotton fabric of his shirt. Her heart drummed inside her, pulsating to a primitive beat.

  Russ growled against her lips as her tongue joined his in what became a tango, each vying for dominance. His hand slid up to her aching breast, brushing the tip with his thumb. Releasing her hold on his back to reach for his belt buckle, Victoria thought she was losing her balance as her backside dipped into the bowl of the sink. Automatically she reached back, her hand mistakenly hitting the faucet, and cold water sprayed onto her skirt.

  They broke apart like two dogs in heat being separated with a garden hose. Victoria jumped off the counter. She swiped a hand across her wet backside and wouldn’t have been surprised to see steam rising in the air. She peeked up to see Russ leaning against the wall, breathing heavy, with a look of shock on his face.

  Good.

  “Can you make yourself useful and hand me a towel?”

  “Um, sure.”

  With robotic like movements he reached over for a clean towel. He must have regained his senses because instead of handing it over, he started to pat at her bottom. Oh, but that felt naughty.

  “Give me that.” She slapped his hand away and grabbed the towel.

  “Just trying to help.”

  “Yeah, help yourself cop a feel.”

  “Already copped several.”

  She turned her face from him so he couldn’t see her blush. “This can’t happen again.”

  “Why not, luv?”

  “We work together for one. And making out on set isn’t right.”

  “We call it pashing back home. See, we can say it was a cultural exchange.”

  “You mean fluid exchange?” she grimaced.

  “Ouch. So cold for what we just shared.”

  His smile mocking but his touch gentle, Russ drew her into his arms. As he bent his head to kiss her again she placed her hand on his chest in a stopping motion, his lips inches from hers. “Don’t you have somewhere to be?”

  He straightened and laughed. “That I do. You make a man forget himself.” He opened the door but turned his head before leaving, his golden brown hair flipped with the movement leaving a couple of strands in front of his eyes. A crooked grin appeared on his face. “See you tomorrow, cupcake.”

  Victoria watched him swagger down the hallway like they just had wild sex instead of a kiss. One long-wet-thrilling-five-minute kiss. Or pashing as he called it.

  No matter the name, it was unprofessional to be groping in a homeowner’s bathroom. Worse, she’d lost control of the situation and of herself. And she still didn’t know where he was going.

  Chapter 12

  The cocky smile on his face faded into a deep frown as he turned his head away and strode down the hallway. What the hell had just happened? Okay, he knew what happened, but how? Russ wasn’t kidding when he told her she could make a man forget himself. One minute he was washing up, feeling guilty as all hell to be leaving them in a fix and the next moment he had Victoria propped up on the bathroom counter kissing her like he wanted to swallow her whole.

  Real smooth, Russ. Though she didn’t seem to mind. In fact she gave as good as she got. And her anger at him seemed to dissipate with each stroke of his tongue. The smile returned to his face.

  Man, she was a handful. Was she really that mad over him cutting out? The production schedule had shown filming ending at 6:30. He’d thought he’d be in the clear to leave for his 8:30 dance slot for Thunder Down Under. Though filming had ended on time, he had yet to start painting the wall unit. Stephen didn’t make a big deal out of it. Why should Victoria? For a director, Stephen was a wuss. Deep down Russ knew that, even took advantage of it. He wasn’t asked for an explanation so he didn’t offer one.

  Victoria had jumped to her own conclusions. So was she mad because he was cutting out or for her assumed reason behind it? Her voice indicated jealousy. So did her eyes, which darkened like a storm off the coast, complete with sparks of lightning. God, she was adorable when she was mad. He couldn’t help but kiss her, if only to shut her up.

  He didn’t mean to be so rough when he picked her up. With his body pumping with desire he forgot she weighed next to nothing. But that didn’t stop the pint-sized vixen from kissing like a six-foot Amazon ready to order him to her lair. He would’ve gladly obeyed. With her lips sweetened by strawberry lip gloss, Russ was anxious to discover what the rest of her tasted like.

  Unfortunately, by tomorrow she would have her guard back up. She already informed him in that snooty, holier-than-thou tone that it wouldn’t happen again. But with them with coming together like two lust filled teenagers at a make-out party, who was she kidding?

  A more troubling question nagged at him. Why would he rather stay put and prod Victoria into another fit than race off to strip for hundreds of screaming, willing women? Some questions were better left unanswered.

  ***

  Russ waited by the backstage door for the rest of the guys to finish dressing. Even though he needed a night on the town with his mates to get his mind off Victoria, he wondered what time she clocked out. Was she still there? Guilt twisted in his gut. Brady left the dressing room to wait by the exit.

  “Some show tonight, eh?”

  Russ shrugged. One show was just like the other. Same music. Same routines. Even the faces in the audience seemed the same. It was exhausting, not thrilling like he’d imagine. Russ mentally shook off the feeling. His testosterone levels must be dangerously low. “Brady, when do you think you’re going to find Jamie’s replacement?”

  “Tell you the truth, I haven’t been looking.”

  “Damn it, I told you this was just temporary.”

  “What’s the matter, mate? This is easy money and the women. We’ve got it made.”

  “My heart is not in it.”

  “Or it’s with that sheila?”

  “Victoria?”

  Brady shook his head. “She is a sweet piece of American pie.”

  “You’ve seen the show?” Russ’s brows knotted in confusion. He couldn’t quite picture Brady having HGTV on his favorites list.

  “Yeah, in a moment of weakness. I was going out with this chick who was in to all those makeover shows.”

  “And?”

  “I forget the name of the show, but we used to argue over which house a couple should pick, a couple of days later a commercial came on showi
ng these cozy couples doing the exact same thing. That’s when I realized I was being sucked in.”

  Russ laughed. “I’m not being sucked in. I’m doing you a favor but it’s not going to help my creditability with the label ‘stripper.’”

  “Russ, you’ve won awards for design.”

  “Doesn’t mean squat over here.”

  The rest of the guys milled out of the back room and they filed out into the alley. A flock of groupies was waiting and fluttered about the men as they left the building. Some wanted autographs, others a quick photo, and a brazen few offered lap dances. A tall, leggy blonde approached Russ as he tried to escape the mob.

  “I liked what I saw.” She was supermodel beautiful and obviously looking for a good time.

  “Um, thanks.”

  “A man of few words. I like that.”

  Normally Russ would be happy with a woman who valued that trait in a man. He certainly did so in a woman. After pretty and uncomplicated, that is. Victoria was plenty pretty but complicated as a computer manual written in Spanish. And she was opinionated and mouthy like a political radio host.

  So why wasn’t he throwing on the charm with the lovely lady right in front of him? Because he didn’t need too. It was just too easy.

  “My place?”

  “Sorry, luv. I have a prior engagement.”

  The blonde shrugged her shoulders and set her sights on Brady.

  Brady gave him a disapproving look. Russ didn’t care if his mate thought he was whipped. He knew better. If Russ went home with the groupie he’d prove Victoria right that a woman kept him from the set. And he couldn’t have Victoria being right. That’s all there was to it.

  A cab pulled up to the curb, Russ climbed in and gave the address for the Johnson place out in Staten Island instead of the apartment he shared with four of his co-workers. He’d finish his project tonight so Victoria had nothing to complain about. One of the crewmembers should be there to guard the house in case the homeowners tried to sneak back in to take a peek before the reveal.

  The cab pulled up to the house. The lights were on so he paid the cabbie and tried the door. Unlocked. He opened the door and closed it behind him gently so as not to wake anyone who’d stayed behind.

  He heard Victoria’s laugh. From what he knew of her it was a rare occurrence. He knew he shouldn’t eavesdrop, but he wanted to know what made her laugh. And if she said anything about him, it would be a bonus. Russ crept up to the back of the house where the family room was and realized it was a one-sided conversation. She must be on the phone with Ava, but then Victoria said the words that sent a stab of unexpected jealousy to his heart.

  She missed who?

  Chapter 13

  Victoria lounged on the comfy white sofa. Covered in automobile grade vinyl, it was custom made for the Johnson’s living room. She almost got lost in the overstuffed pillows strewn across the back. She stared up at the chrome track lighting dimmed to a soft glow as she spoke to Neil on her cell phone. Her lifeline to sanity.

  She was relieved to hear his mother was doing well, but Victoria still held back on a thoughtless question of his return.

  “I miss you.”

  “I’d miss you too, sweet ums, if it weren’t for my mother’s nurse.”

  “Cute?”

  “Delicious. Having thoughts of feigning sickness.”

  Victoria laughed. “Naughty, naughty Neil, get back in bed, it’s time for your bath.”

  “Exactly! And how is it going with the Aussie?”

  “He’s impossible.”

  “Carl said he slapped you right on the ass. I didn’t believe him.”

  “Carl has a big mouth.”

  “So it’s true? And the Aussie still lives?”

  “He’s not afraid of me.”

  “I wish I was there to see THAT.”

  “If you were here, then he wouldn’t be and I wouldn’t have to put up with him.” Victoria needed to confide in someone. Ava would call her a drama queen. Neil understood, he was a drama queen trainee, though in his defense it was part of his act, that it was expected of a gay, male designer. Should she dump all this on him? His mother was doing better so he could handle a little drama. Maybe it would even take his mind off his worries if only for a moment. “Russ hated the paint color, he abandoned us with a ton of work still to be done, and he called me cupcake, Vic, Vicki, and Tori. You know how much I hate nicknames,” she rushed out.

  “Cupcake?”

  Figures he’d pick up on that. “It’s a long story.”

  “Victoriaaaaaa, there’s something you’re not telling me.”

  “He kissed me.”

  “OMG, OMG. Where? When?”

  “Today. In the bathroom.”

  “The homeowner’s bathroom?”

  “Umm … yeah.”

  Neil squealed and she heard him slapped his hand against something. “Scandalous!”

  Yes, it was. Victoria knew he meant professionally, but she was thinking about the actual kiss. There must be countries in the world where it meant they were married.

  “Andddd?”

  “And what?”

  “Good? Bad?”

  Good didn’t begin to describe Russ’s lips on hers.

  Mind blowing? Close.

  Rocked her world? Closer.

  Ruined her for all other men? Bingo.

  “Victoria?”

  “Good.”

  “As in you want to jump his bones?”

  “Jump him? Really, you’re as bad as Ava—” A floorboard creaked. Neil went to say something but she shushed him. The vinyl made a crinkling noise as she tried to sit up. Instead she slid off the couch, her butt hitting the floor with a thud.

  “What’s the matter?”

  “I think someone is in the house.”

  “Maybe, it’s—”

  “Shhhh!” The floorboard creaked again. Only then did she regret volunteering to work late. Did she remember to check the lock after the last of the crew left? Damn it, she didn’t think so. Maybe the house was haunted. Please, please let the house be haunted.

  “Who’s there?” What kind of stupid ass question was that? As if a robber or worse would announce himself. Where was that nail gun? Another creak, this time closer, and she saw a figure outside the darken archway leading into the living room. She was just about to let out a scream that would rival any made-for-Halloween movie when she heard the familiar Aussie drawl.

  “I’m home, cupcake.” He entered the room with his hands up.

  Her body froze like a statue as if he was a bear she stumbled upon in the woods. Or was the rule to drop to the ground, curl into a ball, and try not to cry? She was a city girl for crying out loud. What did she know about taming wild animals or wild handsome Aussies? Well, she knew one thing: never stare directly into their eyes. But that is exactly what she did.

  “Victoria! Is everything okay?” The question spouted from the cell phone. Remembering Neil, she slowly lifted the phone to her mouth like any sudden movement would cause Russ to pounce. She whispered even though he was close enough to hear anyway. “It’s him. Gotta go.”

  “No, wait! Put it on speaker so—”

  Neil’s frantic request was cut short as she snapped the phone shut. She believed a good defense was a good offense. “What are you doing back here?”

  “Me? What are you still doing here?”

  “I asked first.”

  Russ laughed and dropped his hands to his side. “Had some unfinished business.”

  “That kiss—”

  “Is not why I’m here. I meant the entertainment center.”

  “Oh.” Her feminine ego took a momentary hit. But she mentally shook it off. She should be giving him points for coming back to complete his project; instead she took them away for listening in on her conversation with Neil. Not to mention he’d frightened her by creeping down the hall. It had absolutely nothing do with the fact he wasn’t here to kiss her senseless. Russ caught her talking about him, just
like he did at the meeting. “Eavesdropping, again?”

  “Just wanted to hear if you said anything bad about me.”

  He didn’t even try to deny it. But she didn’t buy his reasoning for it for a second. She folded her arms across her waist. “No, you were waiting to hear something good.”

  Russ shrugged his shoulders. “I did discover you were plotting against me.”

  “What, I am not—” His deadly smile stopped her denial.

  “I heard you. You’re planning to jump me.”

  “That was Neil’s idea. Not mine.”

  He took a step closer. “Too bad, it was a good idea.”

  “It was?”

  Victoria bravely stood her ground as his hand reached out to caress her cheek. She wanted to run but didn’t want him to think she was afraid of what he could do to her body. To her heart. She tried to rationalize the quickened pace of its beat. The skip as his fingers traced down her neck, then to the plane of her collarbone, and then along the curve of the scoop neck of the t-shirt she wore. Anticipation. Excitement. That was all. How long had it been since a man touched her? And so gently, like she was a dream that might shatter into oblivion. So unlike the all or nothing kiss they shared earlier.

  “Yes, but I have an even better plan.”

  “You do?” she choked out. What was she doing? She should back away and stop what was about to happen. But instead Victoria took a step closer as his head bent.

  “It starts out like this.”

  The huskiness in his voice fired a blaze in her core.

  He kissed her lightly, tracing the outline of her lips with his tongue until she parted her own and their tongues swirled together. A bonfire of conflicting feelings arose. Victoria’s body melted to his touch as her mind rang multiple fire alarms trying to extinguish the flames before she combusted into a pile of ashes at his feet.

  He’s a co-worker.

  Who kisses really, really good.

  He’s not my type.

  Type? Hot body. Check. Ten inches. Check.

  This is wrong.