by Ali Parker
"What story do you have to tell, Chloe?"
I tossed the phone down and pulled on a pair of loose-fitting jeans and a tight black t-shirt with my shit kickers. I looked like I was ready to jump on a hog and run-rule the biggest bad-ass in town. I was... It would be interesting to see what she thought of me.
The night was to help with me making a decision, but her father hadn't given her the chance to have a say in any of it, obviously. Was he still treating her like a child? I picked up the phone and called the picture back up, checking the date.
Eleven years ago.
She was twenty-one and probably had a sense of entitlement all over her. Rich, young and beautiful. The three things I didn't want to get involved in.
"The money's good. The money's good. Just keep telling yourself the money's good."
Since when did I give a shit about money?
Since getting a good taste of it.
Fuck, I hope she's not hot.
CHAPTER SEVEN
The shimmery pink top looked good on me. I was a little apprehensive about having to meet this new guy, but if he could push through the layers of shit I was going to throw his way, I guess he deserved the job. My father wasn't going to relent and though I wanted to keep pushing against his will, it just wouldn't work in my best interest.
I did as I always had when he forced something on me. I pouted and threw a few childish fits and then simply accepted it. The pouting was over and now it was fit throwing time. I smiled and put another layer of sparkly pink lip gloss over my lips as I leaned toward the mirror in the club bathroom.
"So, how much is the bet tonight?" Lyndsay, a semi-friend from my childhood days glanced toward me. I was with her and three other girls from high school, none of them real friends but simply the girls my father approved of me being seen with.
"Three hundred bucks?" Angie tugged at her breasts as a grimace moved across her face. Her short pixie cut looked wrong against her face, but I wasn't going to tell her. She was a bitch on a good day, and I was simply grateful that today was good.
"I'm in," Lyndsay murmured and checked her teeth one more time.
"Wait, what's the bet for?" I glanced toward Angie as confusion rolled over me.
"Oh right. Miss UCLA here hasn't been home in a year." Angie winked at me and nodded toward Lyndsay. "We started a game about eight months ago. First girl to get laid gets three hundred bucks. We'll each throw in a hundred dollar bill."
Margaret was by the bar with Karen, so I had to assume they didn't play the game. Sex sounded good, but I was rather particular with my choice of men. There was no way in hell I was going to win the bet anyway... my father was sending a babysitter to watch over me. Unless...
A smile lifted my lips as the other two laughed and began to question me.
"Nothing. I'm in." I turned and walked from the bathroom, making a beeline to the bar. Karen waved me over and I squeezed in between them, pressing my arms to the bar as the other girls started to chat.
"Hey, pretty girl." The bartender stopped in front of me, the rough-looking guy more my taste than anything I'd seen on campus.
"Hi there." I glanced behind him as if making a decision. "Ummm... I'll have a jack and Coke."
"Good choice. First one is on me. You want a tab after that?"
"I doubt I'll need one." I laughed and he chuckled and winked. He was cute and the tattoo playing peek-a-boo out of the sleeve of his shirt made my heart skip a beat. My father would never allow me to date anyone who looked like they belonged to a motorcycle crew, but damn if I didn't want to spend one night with one of them.
Just to see if the rumors were true. To test out the theory and such...
I turned and watched the door of the club as nervousness rolled in my stomach. I didn't know what I was looking for, but my father had demanded that I tell him what I was wearing that night. The new guy would find me by dad's description if nothing else.
There was a part of me that wanted to change last minute to confuse the brute and blame it on my wayward female hormones, but I stopped myself.
"So tell us about UCLA. How is the sorority, the classes, the men?" Margaret tugged a long strand of copper hair behind her ear and looked down her nose at me.
"You guys have been to L.A. a million times. It's an eclectic mix of the rich and beautiful and the poor and hot." I laughed and they did too. One of my favorite songs poured from the speakers above us and I grabbed my drink, slipping through them. "That's my jam. I'm out."
I took a long drink of my poison of choice and walked onto the dance floor with the rest of the city it would seem. The club was packed for a Monday night, which made no sense other than it being the first official day of summer. I turned and smiled up at a dark-skinned boy who slipped a hand around my waist and rolled up against me.
He leaned over and brushed his lips by my ear. "You're cute. What's your name?"
I shook my head and smiled. No names being given during the song. I was there to dance. Nothing else. Turning around, I backed up into him and kept dancing. The sea of bodies around us bounced to the music, the rhythm picking up into something a little faster.
I glanced over my shoulder and winked at him before slipping out of the group. A large guy with thick muscles and a perfect rear turned in front of me and walked toward the bar. My first thought was to brush by his butt, just to have a chance to touch it, but I realized how whorish I was being. It had been too long since I'd slept with someone. My hormones might not cause me to change my shirt, but they would most likely force me beneath some hot guy by the end of the night.
My friends seemed to notice him too, their stares and ogling almost obnoxious.
"I call dibs." I walked up and nodded to him.
"Oh, hell no." Angie turned on me. "I'm going after him."
"Nope. I called it." I shrugged. She could puff up all she wanted. I had to see what he looked like, how he danced, what he smelled like. I giggled at the look on her face, which seemed to piss her off further.
I let out a soft gasp as he turned. Tattoos raced across his throat and down his exposed forearms. He had to be covered in them. His eyes were dark, his expression pensive and filled with angst. The tight black t-shirt that stretched across his chest left little to the imagination. He was cut, and I couldn't decide if my fantasies should have me licking the ink trail or the swell of his muscles first.
He glanced toward me as his hair dropped into his eyes. The smirk on his mouth was beautiful, sensual... teasing. A fire started in the pit of my stomach and I knew without a doubt that if he was willing to play, I'd be winning the bet tonight.
A slow, sexy song cued up behind me as if the universe decided to cut me some slack. I finished my drink and walked toward him.
His eyes moved down the length of my body as he lifted a beer to his lips.
"I need someone to dance with. You look like the kind of guy that might be able to keep up." I smiled and reached for him, not one to shy away from much of anything.
"Do I, now?" He stood and took another sip of his beer before nodding toward the floor. "Lead the way."
His voice was low and husky, the sound of it rushing across my nerve endings and sending them into a heated frenzy. I walked to the floor, hoping like hell my jeans were tight enough to grab his attention, my shirt not too childish, but simply pretty.
I turned and pushed my thick blond hair over my shoulder, reaching out and sliding one hand over his chest and looping it on the thickness of his neck. Breathing in deeply, I let out a soft moan and moved closer to him.
Danger sat on him like a well-worn coat, his expression stripping me naked before I had a chance to offer anything to the handsome stranger. His cologne was light and mixed with the scent of aftershave and soap.
"I want to see where these tats lead." I brushed my fingers along the one on his neck.
"Do you have any of your own?" He leaned in and brushed his nose by my cheek. I shivered and took the final step between us, pressing my
body against his. Warning signals started going off in my head. I hadn't wanted anyone physically this bad for as long as I could remember.
One night. One night and nothing more.
"No, but I've always wanted one." I smiled up at him and rolled my hips as he shifted his back. I smirked at the thought of him hiding his erection, or worse... maybe he didn't have one.
"I'm not so sure the daughter of a Senator would do well marking up her pretty body."
I stiffened and moved back as fear rolled over me. Was he someone I should be afraid of or just a follower of my dad's that recognized me? I approached him, not the other way around.
"Fan of my dad's?" I asked, standing awkwardly in the middle of the floor.
"Soon to be employee. Let's go over there and talk for a minute, Chloe. I'm Ian." He chuckled as heat burned my chest and cheeks.
No fucking way I just hit on my bodyguard. I have to call my dad now. This guy can't get the job. He's hotter than sin.
I'd never survive.
CHAPTER EIGHT
She was far more than I expected, the tight little pink t-shirt hugging her breasts and leaving a little bit of skin showing at her mid-drift. Her bright blue eyes were alive with the need for adventure, her lips thick and so fucking hot. Long blond hair that appeared thick and silky sat on her shoulders. My damn fingers itched to sink into it, pull her head back and make love to her mouth for a few hours before moving on to the rest of her.
I followed her out to the dance floor, taking in the fullness of her long legs and beautiful little ass that filled up her jeans perfectly. She turned to face me and I'd seen that look too many times not to know exactly what she wanted. The girl was looking for a long night of fucking. Too bad it wouldn't be me giving it to her. My cock almost lamented over the fact.
I never slept with a woman that I would approach or choose on my own. Too dangerous for my heart.
She pressed herself to the front of me and the smell of vanilla mixed with the strong burn of Jack Daniels washed over my senses. I stifled a growl and the desire to pull her closer and run my hands over her curves, memorizing them before I started my assault. I had to keep my hands and my desires on lockdown. This wasn't about a night, or a week of passion, but a job that would pay off my remaining debt and give me a few months to look for the right job instead of jumping to something new that I hated more than the hospital.
I let her play her game for a few minutes before dropping the bomb on the pretty little thing. The expression on her face was priceless and I thought for a minute she might slap me. It was fitting, and wouldn't have been the first time I'd gotten a bit of what I deserved. I should have been upfront with her, but she moved in too quickly.
"Yeah. Great," she muttered and turned, walking toward the back of the club and hitting the door with more force than I figured she wanted to put on display. She was a fit thrower. I would have bet money on it. Pretty little rich girl that got what she wanted, when she wanted and she did the playing, but never got played.
Well, you just did.
"Is there some reason you didn't want to tell me who you were before we went to the dance floor?" She spun around, anger sitting on her intriguing features.
"I didn't get a chance, ma'am. My directives tonight were to locate you and talk for a few minutes. You came on to me."
"I wasn't coming on to you. I wanted to dance. That's all." She spat her words at me as she crossed her arms over her chest, which only seemed to accentuate her breasts. They were smaller than I was used to, but I wanted to spend the evening bathing each of them with my tongue until she writhed below me.
Stop it. It's not happening.
"That's all you wanted? Not interested in seeing where my tattoos go anymore?" I chuckled and leaned against the wall behind me, slipping my hands into my pockets. My cock was thick and working its way to full attention, but I didn't care if that was apparent or not. She could take the thought home with her and ponder on the size of it for a while.
Her eyes moved down my chest and rested on my hips for a minute before jerking back up as I cleared my throat.
"I like tats. It's that simply really." She shrugged and glanced toward the door. "We've met, so I'm going back inside with my friends. Good luck getting anywhere with a woman tonight. Your cologne is too strong and you need a haircut."
She started for the door and I stood, grabbing her and pulling her to me. I shouldn't have, but I never was one for rules. Pressing her to the side of the building, I tilted her face up toward me with a quick push of my thumb to the soft skin of her chin.
"A pretty girl like you should take more care to hit on a man that looks like me. Not all of us are good guys." I rocked against her as she moaned softly, her eyes closing as her fingers dug into my sides. She was all in. It wouldn't take much of anything to get her to strip for me and dance around if I wanted her to. "If I take this job, you're going to follow my rules and I'm not your daddy... I won't put up with your shit."
Her expression changed and she jerked from me, the loss of her softness against me missed immediately. Anger burned her gaze again and I swear my body lit fully on fire for her.
"Fuck you."
"Nice tongue you got there." I chuckled and pulled out my phone, glancing at the pretty ten-year-old picture of her. "Why are there no pictures of you with your father online?"
"What?"
My question seemed to throw her off, so I repeated it slowly, as if she needed the extra time to work through the meaning of each word.
"I understood the question, asshole. I was asking why you would want to know." She growled at me and took a step in my direction, her approach having meant to be a form of aggression I would guess. She wasn't intimidating, but I could teach her to be.
"Then ask why, not what." I shrugged and slipped the phone back into my pocket. "Don't leave with anyone tonight. You're better than that." I turned and walked toward the road, ready to leave now that I'd seen her and made my decision.
"You're leaving? Just like that?" Her voice held a hint of hurt in it, which was the only reason I looked back.
"Yeah and you should too. This place is known for dropping roofies in drinks. Ask for a beer from now on and tell them you want to see them open it or do it yourself."
"You sound like my father." She turned to walk back toward the club and I spun around and walked backwards, wanting to see her for a few more minutes before making my exit.
"I like your father. He's a good man."
"You don't know anything about him." She paused by the door, her need to keep me there and interested in her almost palatable.
"I will soon."
"You're taking the job?" She let out a long aggravated sigh.
"Of course. It's the easiest job I'll ever have. Watching a spoiled brat slut herself out on Monday nights and lay around the beach the rest of the week? Cheesecake." I knew my words would piss her off and I stifled the smirk that went along with her loud yelp of anger.
"Fuck you." She pulled the door open to the club and turned around before I could respond. "You're not staying at my house. You can sleep on the porch, but we're not sharing the house together."
"Yeah, we are. I want the big room too for my gym equipment. Make sure you clean it out for me." I was just being a dick at this point, but she was so fucking cute now that she was mad.
"Hell no. Find your own place and don't think you're coming anywhere near this." She brushed her hand down the front of her body as I chuckled.
"I'm not the one who wanted to see what was under your clothes, baby doll. Don't flatter yourself. You're too soft for me. Not my type at all." I tugged my shirt off as her eyes went wide.
Bingo. I was exactly the type of man that made her wet and needy. Good.
I turned to the sound of her yelling something about talking to her father about his choices. A chuckle rose up inside of me as I pulled the shirt back on and got on my bike. The world had been a bit dull as of late, but this sweet little piece of ass wa
s going to bring it back to life for me.
Starting the bike, I pulled out and glanced back toward the alley, Chloe still standing there, her finger now in her mouth as if she were biting back the urge to come after me. I waved and got the bird from the pretty rich girl.
I was taking the job for sure. Nothing could stop me from living the roller coaster this girl would put me on.
I was too much of a masochist not to.
CHAPTER NINE
Two Days Later
I couldn't get him out of my mind and it was driving me insane. By Wednesday morning I was pacing the floor in the living room waiting for my next encounter with him.
Why isn't he here yet? Did he not take the job?
My father and I'd had a brief conversation the day before over Ian and I had grumbled, but agreed to whatever decision dad made. I couldn't have hand-picked a better fit for my wildest fantasies, but it almost felt like torture knowing that he would spend the summer with me. He was an ass and a half, but that was part of his charm.
Part of his contract with my father had to be about keeping his hands off of me. I would work like crazy to make that the hardest commitment he ever kept. A smile brushed across my lips as I thought back to the scene in the alley on Monday night.
He had been so cocky, so full of himself, and yet he wanted me just as much as I had wanted him. He might have convinced himself that he didn't, but the huge bulge at the front of his jeans told a very different story.
I groaned at the remembrance of him pressed against me, his body so fucking hard and his forcefulness beyond sexy. My body ached for something to have happened between us, but as my luck would always have it, we were soon to be business partners and nothing else.
Slumping down on the couch I let myself dive deep into a whole different version of the events on Monday night. I was panting by the time I pulled myself out of the sweaty fuck-session with my soon-to-be bodyguard. Having only been with guys that I would classify as boys, I couldn't imagine how good it would feel to have a man show me the ropes, to take me on a journey of discovery about what we were capable of together. I groaned as need fucked me hard already.