Raj took off his shoes and knelt on the sofa behind Brent.
He had to bite back a moan when he lifted his hands, trailed them up Brent’s back and slid them over his shoulders. Impressive muscles flexed under his hands. It was a crying shame that Brent wouldn’t let Raj get his hands on a very different type of muscle.
Raj set to work kneading and rubbing Brent’s shoulders. The man was stiff at first but, the more Raj worked, the more he felt Brent’s muscles loosen under his hands. He pressed his thumbs into Brent’s neck, causing the man to shiver, and when a small moan shattered the silence, Raj wasn’t sure who had made it—him or Brent.
“Feel good?”
“Hmm, yes. Like you wouldn’t believe, but I feel guilty. You’re the one who has been under stress lately and yet here you are massaging me.”
Raj leaned in closer and whispered in Brent’s ear at the same time as he smoothed his fingers over the man’s neck. “Maybe it was just an excuse to get my hands on you.”
Brent moaned and the sound was louder than before—the deep, gravelly tone of it went straight to Raj’s cock, hardening it almost to the point of pain.
“I think we should stop.” Regardless of his words, Brent made no move to get away. Instead he leant back into Raj’s touch.
Raj continued to work his magic with his fingers. He knew he gave a great massage. His previous lovers had complimented him on his technique. Brent was going to be putty in his hands. Raj decided to test the waters. Keeping his touch firm, he moved his hands lower, all the time kneading, until he was pressing his fingers into the dip of Brent’s lower back.
He grinned when he noticed the rise and fall of Brent’s shoulders pick up speed. The man was breathing heavily, more loudly than before. He was clearly aroused. Sliding his hands back up, Raj snaked one under Brent’s arm and around his side. He moved forward on the sofa until his chest was pressed against the bodyguard’s back. Brent would be sure to feel his erection pushed up against him, too.
Brent turned his head around until they made eye contact. “What are you doing?”
“This.”
Raj leant forward and pressed his lips to Brent’s. He held them there for a moment, waiting for Brent to pull away.
He didn’t.
Instead, Brent groaned and opened his mouth, sliding his tongue out to tease the seam of Raj’s lips until it snaked inside Raj’s mouth, giving him exactly what he wanted. Brent turned in his arms and kissed him with a fierce intensity. Brent took over the kiss and Raj let him. In that moment, he would have done anything the bodyguard asked, anything but end their kiss.
Brent slid his fingers through Raj’s hair, and gripped the back of his head, pulling him closer while his tongue made itself at home in Raj’s mouth.
Their kiss went on and on.
It was ecstasy and agony all at the same time. Raj’s cock was aching for release but, just when he slid his hand down to grab hold of Brent’s hip and tug him closer, Brent pulled back with a groan of protest.
“No, Raj. This has gone too far.” He cleared his throat and untangled himself from Raj’s arms.
Raj whimpered at the loss. He shook his head fervently.
“Not far enough.”
Raj tried to pull Brent back in for another kiss but the man stood up and took a step away from him. The erection tenting his pants had Raj salivating.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t do this.” He grabbed his jacket and the holster from the table and breezed out of the room. “I’ll be out front,” he said over his shoulder. “Keep the doors locked.”
Well, shit.
Raj threw his head back against the sofa and tried to get his breathing under control. That was the hottest damn kiss he’d ever experienced. He couldn’t believe it had ended before either of them had got off.
He had to be losing his touch.
At least he was sure now that Brent was attracted to him. Now that he had tasted Brent’s lips, he wouldn’t rest until he had tasted every other part of the man’s body, too…
Preferably soon then as often as possible.
Raj would not stop until Brent Hawthorne was his.
Brent marched through the large entrance hall, out of the front door then slammed it closed.
He stopped on the porch and scrubbed his hands over his face, mentally cursing himself for what he’d just done. What a fucking idiot. Raj was his boss, for Christ’s sake. Brent was supposed to be guarding him, not fucking him. It was his job to ensure Raj’s safety, but how the hell was he supposed to do that properly when he had such a conflict of interest? What if they had sex and then things became awkward between them? What if Raj found himself in a dangerous position and Brent didn’t deal with it correctly because he didn’t have his head in the game? Raj could get seriously hurt, or worse, and Brent would never forgive himself for that.
Aside from the obvious fear over what it could do to his career if people found out he’d been so unprofessional, Brent had to think about Raj’s motivations for seducing him. Did Raj come on to everyone he met or was Brent different? Maybe Raj had been involved with his bodyguards in the past and thought that Brent would be an easy lay. Although, he didn’t come across that way. Raj seemed like a good, decent person, not some sort of slut who was only looking for a quick screw.
Fuck.
Brent didn’t know what to think. He just knew that it couldn’t happen again. From now on he had to keep things between them strictly professional.
But that kiss…
How was he supposed to forget that and carry on as though nothing had happened? Brent wasn’t even sure how it had begun. Raj’s hands on him had felt so good. They’d eased all of the tension out of his shoulders and by the time they’d moved down to his lower back, Brent had felt so compliant he’d have done anything Raj had asked.
And then Raj had kissed him.
It had been soft at first and tentative, as though Raj had been trying to establish if Brent would be open to a kiss—if he would be responsive.
And he’d responded, all right.
The instant their lips had met, Brent wanted more—he wanted to taste, to lose himself in the eroticism of it all…and he had, for a moment, until the stupid voice inside his head had screamed at him to stop.
Why the hell had he listened to that fucking voice?
But it was probably for the best. No good could come of he and Raj starting anything—no good at all.
Brent just needed to remember that.
Chapter Ten
Pulling aside the heavy curtain to the changing room, Raj cleared his throat to get Brent’s attention. When the bodyguard looked his way Raj motioned to a few shirts hanging on a rail just beyond his reach.
“Can you grab those for me?”
Without a word, Brent handed over the shirts then resumed his position guarding the room, his eyes fixed on the shop’s glass-fronted door. Jaideep was standing guard outside even though the shop had been closed to allow Raj time and space to browse the new collection without interruption.
Raj normally hated that kind of special treatment but, as he watched Brent out of the corner of his eye, he was grateful for the time alone with him. They hadn’t had a chance to talk since the kiss they’d shared and Raj had thought about nothing else. He’d spent more time plotting how he could make it happen again than he had learning his lines for the movie he was currently filming, which said a lot. Raj usually put his all into his film roles, but for the last few days Brent had been first and foremost on his mind.
It was hot outside, damn hot—the temperature rising into the hundreds—so Raj was thankful for the powerful air-conditioning system inside the store. The only downside to the cool breeze was the way it made his nipples harden into firm points, although Raj was fairly sure that could be counted as a positive. He was pleased when Brent turned to look at him, eyes widening with something bordering on excitement when he took in Raj’s naked chest.
“I can get you one of the assistants if you
need help.” Brent said, finally averting his gaze.
Raj waved off the offer. “There’s no need. I already dismissed them. I can’t stand all the fussing over me when I’m trying to decide what to buy. It makes me feel both uncomfortable and obligated to buy things I don’t want.”
Brent raised his eyebrows but he didn’t respond.
Raj shrugged into the first shirt—a coffee-colored silk number that clung snugly to body, outlining the muscles in his arms and stomach.
“Are you ready to talk about what happened between us the other night?”
Brent frowned but he didn’t take his eyes off the door. “There’s nothing to talk about. It shouldn’t have happened, plain and simple.
“You hired me to work for you and from now on that’s exactly what I’m going to do…only that.”
While Raj checked the fit of the shirt in the mirror he thought about a way around Brent’s self-imposed rule. Brent was undoubtedly a professional so it was going to be difficult to persuade him to indulge when he was so focused on doing his job to the best of his abilities. Raj could commend him for that. He liked that Brent was so committed. However, from the stiff set of Brent’s shoulders, he did not look as though he were going to budge on this and then look at what they’d both be missing out on.
The bodyguard seriously needed to loosen up—to shake off some of his British uptightness and learn to live a little.
Raj supposed he could understand why Brent might not want to get involved with him. There was a lot at stake. Raj had never had a relationship with anyone who worked for him in any capacity before. He wasn’t stupid—he knew how unprofessional that would be.
But this was different—Brent was different.
Every time Raj looked at the sexy bodyguard his pulse raced and his dick responded in kind. He felt like a damned teenager around Brent, but there was something more than just sexual desire and the longing to get Brent into bed. Raj loved spending time with the man. He looked forward to seeing him every day and he never wanted their time to come to an end. He’d just have to step up the flirting until he got what he wanted.
He would, eventually. He was certain of it. Raj grinned and undid the top three buttons on the shirt, exposing his smooth, hair-free chest. He pulled the curtain open further and tried not to smile when he asked.
“How does this look?”
Brent turned, probably more out of politeness than anything else, but the look in his eyes instantly turned heated. Raj knew he was on the right track when he saw the bob of Brent’s throat as he swallowed hard.
“Um…”
Smoothing his hand over the shirt, he let his fingers linger just a second too long on his nipples and then down over his abs. “Does it fit okay?”
“Stop it, just stop, okay?”
Raj ignored Brent’s plea and continued to slide his hand over the soft material. Brent was shifting from foot to foot, frowning and chewing on his bottom lip, but he never tore his eyes away from the free show Raj was putting on for his eyes only.
Brent frowned. “I know what you’re doing, and it isn’t going to work.”
Raj met Brent’s gaze and held it as his hands moved lower.
“I’m not doing anything.”
“Oh come on, Raj. How stupid do you think I am? Stop flirting with me. And stop trying to seduce me. It’s pointless.”
Raj grinned. “I’ll stop, when you admit that you want me.”
“Mr. Khan, how are the shirts?” The shop manager interrupted. “Would you like me to find you something else?”
The electricity and tension that had been thrumming between Raj and Brent suddenly dispersed.
“Thank you, Mahaj. The shirts are fine. I have all that I need.”
“Sir.” He bowed and walked back to his counter near the entrance of the store.
Brent frowned, shook his head and pushed away from the wall.
“I’ll wait for you at the door. Take as long as you need.”
Raj sighed.
Undoing the rest of the buttons on the shirt, he slipped it off his shoulders then reached for his own top. He needed to come up with another plan of action…or maybe it would be better to just step up the flirting a couple of notches. It had seemed to have been working well before they were interrupted. Raj knew with enough time and effort he’d be able break through Brent’s defences, because he’d already looked as though he were about to relent.
He just needed another shove in the right direction.
Chapter Eleven
Brent tapped his foot impatiently while he waited for Raj to sign another autograph.
He scanned the surrounding area, all the while keeping Raj in his peripheral vision. The actor was currently chatting with two of his fans—both women and both doing their best to flirt with their sexy Bollywood idol.
Brent wondered how they would react if they knew they were barking up the wrong tree. He would have loved nothing more than to lean over and kiss Raj right in front of them, just to see their reactions, but, of course, he would never do that, however much the idea appealed. Instead, he continued to watch the right side of the street while Jaideep covered the left.
It was obvious that Raj’s charm and charisma were what drew people to him.
His attributes were probably the reason he had become so successful, too. Brent didn’t doubt for a single second that the man had acting ability—he must do if he’d been nominated for Best Actor—but a good personality went a long way.
Raj greeted each individual with the same wide, easy-going and approachable smile. He had greeted the two women he was now chatting with in exactly the same way, even though it had to have been the twentieth damn autograph he’d been stopped for that day. Every person he came into contact with walked away utterly beguiled, and, of course, Brent had to count himself among those numbers.
On the day they’d first met, Raj had said it was Rahul who had got him where he was today, but Brent doubted that very much. Raj would have become successful whoever was managing him. Brent was certain of that after spending time watching the man in action.
The kiss they’d shared the other evening kept running through his mind…and, even though he knew logically that it shouldn’t have happened, he couldn’t help hoping for the chance to kiss Raj again.
Maybe if they’d met under different circumstances…
In the clothes shop earlier, Brent had fought hard to resist Raj’s flirting. He’d been sorely tempted to join Raj in the changing room, close the curtain on the world and push the man up against the nearest wall. He’d wanted to continue where they’d left off before he had gone and ruined everything. He’d known this job wasn’t going to be easy and Raj, it seemed, was hell-bent on making it all the more difficult.
Didn’t Raj understand why Brent had called a halt to their kiss?
It had been inappropriate.
Nothing could happen between them while Brent was under Raj’s employ.
All morning Raj had flirted with Brent and teased him mercilessly. He wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to resist Raj’s advances if his pursuit continued with such intensity. The crux of the matter was that Brent didn’t want to resist—he didn’t want to say no. He wanted Raj…but so often what you wanted and what you needed were two different things. Unfortunately, the line between those two things was starting to blur.
They continued down the busy street in silence. Raj had been trying to hide his identity under thick-framed, designer sunglasses, but his efforts had been in vain. Almost everyone recognized him and all those who did, it seemed, liked him.
Jaideep was flanking Raj’s left while Brent took the right. Every few hundred yards Raj pressed closer as he wove through the crowds, but the fifth time their bodies brushed together Brent became convinced that Raj was doing it on purpose to tease him. If he hadn’t been able to tell from Raj’s actions then the coquettish smile Raj gave him when Brent glanced his way would have done the trick.
Brent couldn’
t bring himself to be angry. The situation would have been amusing if it wasn’t so damn frustrating. Every little touch stirred something inside Brent that felt too good for him not to want it to happen again.
“Where do you want to go next?” he asked, trying yet again to regain control of the situation.
From the moment they’d met, Raj had been the one to hold all the aces. If he were to dissuade him, which he really should, then he had to act as though Raj’s advances weren’t getting under his skin. If Raj thought Brent wasn’t interested in him then maybe he’d quit.
“Do you want to do anymore shopping, or are you ready to call it a day?”
They rounded a corner that took them closer to the multi-storey where Jaideep had parked the car. Brent hoped Raj had done enough shopping. It was as hot as blue blazes and Brent was feeling the onset of a headache that had more than likely been brought on by the intense heat and lack of hydration.
Raj sighed then pursed his lips. “I think I’m done. I got everything I wanted. It’s damn hot out today and I need to get back to practice my lines for filming tomorrow.”
Brent nodded curtly. “Home it is then.”
They walked on another few hundred yards until they approached the front entrance to the car park. Raj had decided against a driver so Jaideep had done the honors.
“Jaideep, go in and get the car and Raj and I will meet you in the alley out back.”
“Yes, sir.” Jaideep nodded and disappeared through a door to their left.
“Follow me,” Brent said, leading Raj around the side of the building.
He was familiar with that part of the city now, having shopped there several times with Jessie, so he knew it would be quieter around the back. They wouldn’t have to worry about Raj being stopped again while they waited for Jaideep to bring the car.
“With pleasure,” Raj purred, his voice low and as smooth as silk. “I have no objection to you leading me into a deserted alley. Who knows what we could get up to? It’s quite exciting, don’t you think?”
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