Chapter 4
Someone knocked on her door the next day.
Jewel rubbed her eyes and laid her pen down. The contract offer from Morcant was spread out all over the table. She’d taken to sketching again as she tried to decide what to do about it.
It was impressive.
But Ramsey’s words were stuck in her mind. Getting caught in a crossfire wasn’t her idea of a good time. The moment Morcant realized she wasn’t going to be the right bait, he’d leave her to wither and die without a second thought. A contract was only as good as the marketing backing it.
She looked through the spy hole in the door, surprised to see the drummer of Toxsin standing on the other side.
“Morning,” Drake said as she opened the door.
“Hi.”
He had warm brown eyes with amber flecks, and a square chin. He was thick through the shoulders and sported a leather jacket made from a deep, port-wine-colored leather.
“Voodoo doughnuts,” he said.
“Excuse me?” Jewel asked, trying to decide what he was getting at.
“I understand you were denied your prize yesterday. Drake is here to help you bring it in.”
She smiled. “Oh yeah? Would that be Sir Francis Drake, by chance?”
“None other.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “Get some shoes on.”
“You’re on.” She turned and went back into her room. Her shoes were under the table, and she grabbed her bag as she swept up her key card. They were in the elevator before she remembered the horde of camera jockeys waiting below. Her belly did a little flip as the elevator neared the ground floor.
“No fear,” Drake said.
“Ah…sure,” she answered. “I’m getting right on that.”
He winked at her before looping an arm across her shoulders as they went through the lobby. “Let’s confuse them completely by being seen together.”
His tone was so properly British, but the gleam in his eye was most definitely wicked. She was snorting as he took her through the doors. Cameras flashed and questions began sailing at them over the heads of the Hyatt security.
A polished Harley was sitting outside, a polo-shirted Toxsin crew member standing beside it. Drake lifted his leg and swung it over the seat of the machine. The paparazzi enjoyed every second of it, leaning over the barrier tape the hotel had placed outside the main driveway. He revved the bike, his features contorting with enjoyment.
“Let’s take a ride, Jewel.”
She slung her bag over her shoulder and slid on behind him. Her skirt rode up, making her eternally grateful for the leggings she’d put on. There were whistles as Drake pulled out of the circular drive in front of the hotel. Members of the paparazzi jumped on motorcycles and followed.
“Hold on,” Drake advised as he revved up the engine.
But he didn’t do anything stupid. A few of the camera jockeys kept up with them, but he didn’t care. He pulled up in front of Voodoo Doughnut.
“My lady’s pleasures await.”
Jewel laughed as she climbed off the bike and Drake swung his leg over to join her. Voodoo Doughnut had more than one location, but he’d brought her to one of the larger ones. It was in a brick building, the doors opening out onto the sidewalk.
“Wow…” Jewel said as she stepped inside and took her first breath of the sweet-smelling air. “I think my blood sugar is going up just by the scent of this place.”
There were cases of doughnuts, but not the sort she was used to seeing. All of them were over-the-top. Some were dipped in chocolate and then in candy or kids’ cereal. There were oversized doughnuts and vegan ones too.
She was pressing her nose to the glass of the display cases, enjoying the variety, when Drake came up behind her.
“Please get the phallus-shaped one…” he cooed next to her ear. “I want to tell Ramsey I watched you eat dick.”
She laughed at him.
“I’ll take that as agreement.” He straightened up and pointed at a huge doughnut shaped like a male cock and covered in chocolate. The kid behind the counter didn’t miss a step as he used a paper sheet to cover the sweet and lift it off the tray before nestling it in the box he had balanced on his arm. Jewel realized he’d been filling the box with everything she pointed at.
“Ah—” She started to correct the clerk because her budget couldn’t support that sort of excess.
“Don’t worry,” Drake said, cutting her off. “Got the whole crew to dispose of the leftovers.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her. “What sort of pirate would I be if I neglected my crew?”
“A dead one. Or marooned,” she said.
They’d reached the end of the counter where the register sat. Drake tossed down a hundred-dollar bill without blinking. “Keep the change.”
The kid flipped him a thumbs-up and handed over the box.
“I can pay for my own,” Jewel protested.
“Not a chance,” Drake said. “I’m working you over because a couple of guys in the crew are begging me to hook them up with you for some of that amazing ink you do.” He pushed the door open with his shoulder as he cradled the box of doughnuts. “You wouldn’t want them to think I roll over for nothing, would you?”
“Oh, please, send them my way,” she said as a camera flashed. “I am bored off my gourd.”
“Hey, Jewel, is Drake a good lover?”
Drake smirked at the reporter before he handed the box of doughnuts off to a Toxsin crew member who had somehow appeared. Drake winked at her before he looked at the crew member.
“Go get another box. That one’s for the band.”
The crew member was in motion the second Drake finished. Jewel looked at Drake. “My image of you taking me away just shattered.”
Drake mounted the Harley and crooked his finger at her. “Had to have someone hold the doughnuts,” he said in a deep tone. “You’re going to be busy holding on to me.”
The reporter whooped as Jewel choked on her laughter. She slid onto the back of the bike and wrapped her arms around Drake. The drummer was solid and smelled like leather. He was fun too. When he peeled away from the curb, her insides tightened, making her laugh. He took her through the streets of Portland, taking the scenic route back to the hotel. Her nose was cold by the time they made it back, but she didn’t care. She followed Drake into an elevator, laughing with him as it took them to the top of the hotel.
But the doors opened to reveal Brenton waiting for them. He was poised and congenial, but the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. There was something in his eyes that hinted at a very serious conversation heading her way.
“Ms. Ryan, could you come with me?”
“Sure.” She was already falling into step with him as she caught Drake watching them with a frown.
But Brenton didn’t give her time to dwell on it. He turned around a corner and took her through a set of double doors that led into a conference room. It had a long table in it with padded rolling chairs.
“This is Carl Pearson, our solicitor.”
“Nice to meet you.” Carl offered her his hand. When they finished shaking, Carl indicated a chair. “Have a seat. We have a little business to work out.”
She was suddenly glad she hadn’t eaten any of the doughnuts. Her belly knotted as she took a seat. Carl had a neat stack of paper sitting in front of him. Brenton had departed, leaving her and Carl alone.
“Toxsin’s image is vital to the band’s success,” Carl began.
“I believe I’ve experienced that in the form of doing a cover-up to avoid ‘image’ damage.” She was on the defensive. Every muscle was drawn tight.
“Yes.” Carl took back control of the meeting. “The tattoo you applied to Mr. Brimer is now a part of his stage persona. We would like exclusive rights to the artwork.” Carl was spreading out a contract in front of her. “We are prepared to pay for controlling rights, of course.”
* * *
Fresh from the stage, the members of Toxsin were still pumped up. Now that the concert was done, beer was flowing backstage. Makeup artists were touching up the band members’ faces as Brenton looked at his watch and made a “wrap it up” gesture with his fingers.
“Press is waiting, gentlemen.”
They left the backstage room, moving through the arena as fans squealed. Security lined the walkway, keeping the enthralled crowd back.
“Eat them up,” Brenton said with a firm pat on Ramsey’s shoulder.
The road manager was looking through the one-way glass in the doors at the horde of press waiting for the band to come out and talk to them. They were packed in behind security rope barriers, minding their places, because they knew the celebrities wouldn’t come out unless they behaved.
Ramsey opened his mouth and acted as though he were taking a bite out of the air between him and Brenton. It earned him another pat on the back as Brenton snickered softly, said, “That’s why they love you.”
Brenton fell back as Drake and Taz moved up to join them. The stadium staff pushed the doors open, and the cameras started flashing. They knew how to fall into place, each one hitting their pose for a long moment so pictures could be snapped. Once the frenzy died down, they each took one of the director chairs waiting for them. The interview questions started coming fast and furious. Every answer was being recorded, but there were still reporters scribbling down notes.
Each band member had a microphone, and they took turns answering. They ignored the more outrageous inquiries.
“Ramsey…the tattoo…who’s the artist? Why is she on tour with Toxsin?”
“Jewel Ryan,” Ramsey answered. “If you’ve got to ask why she’s on tour with us, you must need glasses, man. Her work is off the charts.”
There was a round of laughter.
“So, Drake, what is Jewel to you?” another reporter queried.
Ramsey snapped his head around, his calm stage face sticking in place only because of years of experience. Drake offered the reporter a wink.
“She’s a lady. What sort of a pirate would I be if I didn’t try to get her on the back of my bike?” Drake answered smugly.
The crowd of reporters laughed again. Brenton finally appeared, putting an end to the press conference. The reporters all scrambled to snap a last few shots before Toxsin disappeared behind the tinted windows of a black SUV. The trip to the hotel was short.
Security was thick, guiding them toward the elevators and making sure no one slipped in. Still, there were a good number of girls hugging the walls and peeking through the planters. They squealed and sent the band members suggestive looks, more than one flashing them. Taz eyed Ramsey and joined him in the elevator when he passed the rest of the band, making it to the elevator first and bypassing the girls for the first time in a very long time. Taz offered an approving nod as he joined him in the waiting car.
But the moment they made it to the top floor, Ramsey caught Drake in the hallway. The drummer had his arm draped across the shoulders of a giggling blond. She looked up at Ramsey with a little sigh.
“Get on in there and make yourself at home,” Drake said as he gave her a smack on her very delectable ass.
She jumped and turned to shoot them both a hot look. “Don’t be too long…” She fingered the straps of her dress, pulling them over her shoulders so more of her breasts were revealed, and her nipples were hard, poking out against the soft jersey fabric. “I don’t have very much to take off.”
Drake blew her kiss before turning back to look at Ramsey. “What’s up?”
“Why did you take Jewel out on your bike?” Ramsey demanded.
Drake blinked, his British demeanor solidly in place. “The woman had a craving… I fulfilled it, mate. Can’t help it if you’re slow on the uptake when it comes to satisfying her.”
“Fuck off,” Ramsey snarled.
Drake opened his arms wide as he took a step back. “Exactly my plan.” He turned and made his way into the open suite. There was a husky giggle before music started blaring.
“You’re better off,” Taz said from behind him. “Not going in there, I mean.”
Ramsey rounded on Taz. “Virtue might work for you, but I’m not going to be mind-fucked by some cultural dictate about morality being tied to monogamy. No one is heeding it anyway.”
“Plenty of people keep their word,” Taz argued. “Lots of couples keep their vows.”
“And double that number are boinking in their offices or limousines the second their spouse is out the door on a business trip. So don’t fucking tell me it’s the way to true happiness, or any shit like it’s good for my soul.”
Taz didn’t take offense at the way Ramsey was trying to poke holes in his beliefs. It was worse than that. His lips pressed into a hard line of disapproval. “Jewel is good for you because you want to be better for her. She brings out a better part of you.”
“I’m not trying to please her,” Ramsey said. “Know why? Because she isn’t interested in what I have to offer.”
Taz slowly shook his head. “That’s what I said. She won’t take your crappy party-animal relationship. She can see there is more inside you. Better wise up before you lose her. You should be grateful she doesn’t see you as a toy. What has that life gotten you? Take a good look in the mirror—you don’t like who you’ve become.”
Taz turned and left, leaving Ramsey fighting the urge to hurl a comment at his back.
He could tell 99 percent of the people on the face of the planet to fuck off, but not his bandmates. They were his family, and as such, shrugged off what they thought didn’t work very well. He knew they meant well, even when they pissed him off.
Besides, Taz was right, and to tell him he was wrong would be to say principles were something Ramsey saw no value in at all. Well fuck, he wasn’t going to do that, even if there were times he wondered if there was a single redeeming glimmer left alive inside him.
Jewel thought there was.
Hell, the way she looked at him, the way her eyes always lit up like he was some kind of hero—it stripped him bare, reducing him to a pile of need to be everything she believed he might be. A need he couldn’t ignore because it made him feel incredible, and Taz had nailed it.
Ramsey didn’t like the person he’d become.
* * *
Jewel woke up sometime after midnight when someone pounded on her door. She was sacked out on the sofa, where she’d fallen asleep looking out at the Portland skyline. Her cell phone vibrated with an incoming text.
I know you’re in there, Jewel.
It was Ramsey.
Well, I know you’re standing in the hallway she texted back. It wasn’t the most mature message. She heard him snort on the other side of the door and smiled.
“Alright.” She rolled off the sofa, walked barefoot across the dark mini-suite, and undid the security latch before opening the door.
“You didn’t come to the show,” he said.
“I had a business meeting with your lawyer and was pinned in a boardroom,” she shot back, but she didn’t like the sound of her voice. Didn’t care for how rattled she was. If she wanted to play in the big leagues, she was going to have to pull up her big-girl panties. “Not that I couldn’t handle it.”
“You’re mad,” he accused her.
“Okay, fine. But not because of the contract. I get that part,” she answered.
He opened up his hands, looking at her for an explanation. She chewed on her lower lip as she contemplated clueing him in. His attention dropped to her mouth, his eyes narrowing with hunger. She jumped at the chance to change the topic back to something nonsexual.
“You should have asked me yourself, not had your lawyer and road manager corner me. I drew the dragon for you, Ramsey. I never would have done another one—I have integrity.” She sounded hurt, and she hated the fact that her emotions were bubbling over while he was there. She felt on display, like she was standing there naked.
She heard him snort.
“Does that mean you won’t be accepting the money?” he asked. “I don’t think so.”
She rolled her eyes. “Did you knock on my door just to start a fight? I know what I do. Are you a sell out for signing with a music producer? Would you rather be strumming your guitar on a street corner for change?”
Ramsey opened his mouth to say something, but he shut his jaw and considered her for a long moment. He pushed away from the wall and closed the distance between them. Her belly twisted, her body coming alive. He kept her in the grip of anticipation as he reached out and stroked his fingers down one side of her face.
She shuddered. His touch unleashed a rush of sensation that crackled through her.
“You need to understand…” His voice was rough from the concert. “Being around me means dealing with my fame.”
She pushed away from him, back into her room, but he followed her, the door hitting his shoulder as he came right in after her. But there was a very resounding thud as the door shut behind him.
“That’s a chickenshit answer,” she said. “You didn’t want to ask me because you knew what it meant to me. And then, when I tell you that, you’re just going to say I’m projecting onto you again because I see you as more than a dick.”
She was suddenly so frustrated, she wanted to yank her hair out.
He was overwhelming her as usual. She backed up, moving to where the room opened up. She’d never turned the lights on, and when the outer door closed, there were only the city-skyline lights to illuminate him.
“You sell your art, Jewel, ” he countered. “Why should I worry about your feelings of attachment? No one’s ever paid you what I have.”
“That’s not the point.” Her voice was a mere whisper, as though she was out of strength.
“The point is, you want me to care about you,” Ramsey said. “You want to make things personal between us. Not going to happen, sweetheart.”
He was exasperated, frustration edging his words. The sight quelled her temper.
“Why does that bother you so much?” she asked, throwing her hands into the air and turning her back on him. “Why do I care? I’m such an idiot.”
She actually grabbed a handful of her hair.
He was suddenly there, against her back, his arms locked around her, pushing her arm down, keeping her in place as she jerked against the overwhelming stimulus of being in contact with him.
“Don’t…don’t…stop caring.” It was a dark whisper from the blackness surrounding them. A flicker of need deep inside him she’d known was there, despite his denials.
“Just…don’t,” he rasped out.
He was kissing her hair, nuzzling her temple. She shivered, the skin-to-skin contact flashing through her like an explosive. It blew her common sense to bits, leaving her with nothing but yearnings.
She turned to him, slipping her hands up his neck. His skin was smooth and hot. So hot, she felt like her clothing was too much to suffer. Ramsey seemed to think the same thing. He slid his hands down her sides until he found the hem of her tunic top. His mouth captured hers as he rolled the fabric up her body, breaking away from their kiss to tug it off her.
She gasped, a little sound that betrayed how vulnerable she felt. He was so confident, so much in his element. She felt helpless by comparison.
“You’re beautiful,” he rasped, reaching out to finger the lace-edged cups of her bra.
“You mean a pirate’s dream, a sunken chest.” She closed her arms over her breasts as her confidence deserted her completely.
“I mean beautiful.” He scooped her off her feet, cradling her as he carried her into the bedroom. “And your body is smokin’ hot too.”
Somehow, she was on the bed, and Ramsey was shrugging out of his vest. He reached down to work the fly of his pants without missing a beat.
“Look… I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”
He stopped, his fingers still on the laces of his pants.
“I’m not trying to be a tease,” she sputtered as she struggled to sit up, unbearably conscious of the fact that she was on a bed. “I know it seems like I am…and I’m sorry… I’m just not ready.”
He was suddenly there with her, surrounding her, embracing her, kneeling in front of her as he pulled her between his knees.
“I’m being pushy”—he cupped her chin and raised her face so their eyes locked—“and callous…”
He was only shadow, illuminated in silver lights.
He trailed his fingers along her jawline, raising gooseflesh across her skin.
“Let me…try.” His voice was a rumbling whisper. A promise of something she craved. All she had to do was trust.
She wavered, undecided, as he found the two hair ties in her hair and popped them like they were nothing. She trembled. The strength he had in his fingers was amazing.
“Let me try…seducing you, Jewel.”
“Okay…” She wasn’t sure when she decided to mutter the word, only that it came across her lips as she shuddered. God, he smelled good. Her senses were on overload.
His lips were next to her ear. Her breath caught as he stroked her arms from shoulder to wrist and then back up her sides and across her back until he found the closure of her bra. There was a snap as he undid it, and then he was slipping the straps down her arms and off her completely.
“Don’t compare yourself to other women. You’re perfect.”
He cupped her breasts, sending a jolt of awareness through her. “Perfect handfuls.”
He brushed her nipples with his thumbs, his lips curving as those sensitive peaks drew into hard points beneath the contact. She wanted to close her eyes but was mesmerized by the look on his face. The pure fascination displayed as he palmed her breasts. Saying they were pretty was one thing; the way his features were set made her believe him.
“So…perfectly responsive.” He lifted his attention to her face. “But I wonder, will they taste as good as they look?”
Her breath caught again, this time harder, feeling like a rock lodged in her throat.
“Do you want me to try them?” he asked.
She’d never pictured herself in a moment when he waited on her whim. It filled her with a confidence she’d never felt before.
“Yes.” Her voice was a husky whisper.
His lips thinned before he leaned over, and she felt the brush of his breath against one nipple before he closed his lips around the tender point.
She shuddered, her eyes closing as she slipped into the moment. It swamped her, covering her as he supported her descent onto the surface of the bed. There wasn’t any further thought about what she wanted. Need ruled.
So did the desire to offer herself to him. He sucked on her nipple, pulling it, stretching it until she gasped before he released it. He claimed it again, lapping it with his tongue before kissing his way down the side of her breast and up to the peak of her opposite breast. She arched, offering it to him.
Ramsey purred as he claimed it, his hair teasing her bare skin while he pulled and sucked on her nipple. He released her with a little pop before laying a trail of kisses down her body. He held her, slipping his hands along her sides until he grasped the waistband of her leggings and pulled them down.
The bed rocked, and she lifted her hips as he dragged the garment free. He ended up on his feet again, standing at the foot of the bed, her leggings dangling from one hand.
She hugged her knees, completely bare, once again vulnerable.
“Trust me.” He let her leggings go before placing a knee on the bed again. He didn’t reach for his fly, but slipped his hands up her legs instead.
The skin-to-skin contact was amazing. She felt doped, and like any addict, craved more. He stopped at her knees, his gaze locked with hers.
“Trust me not to take what you aren’t ready to give me.”
It was a promise dearer than any declaration. It also stabbed into her heart. There was no way to shield her feelings from it. He could have overwhelmed her in about two kisses, leaving her his to devour at will.
She knew it.
So did he.
But he was waiting for her to answer him, slowly rubbing his hands down the outside of her thighs and back up to her knees.
She relaxed back until her elbows were supporting her weight. “I do trust you.”
There were certainly reasons why she shouldn’t. The only problem was, she couldn’t think. Her brain was operating on a different level now, registering everything as pure sensation. Ramsey cupped her knees and spread them, threatening to fry her senses, but honestly, she didn’t give a shit.
But now, nothing mattered other than the way his body felt against hers.
He spread her thighs. It was exhilarating as well as more exposing than anything she’d ever experienced. With anyone else, it would have been an impossible thing to do. She’d have died of shame.
With Ramsey? It felt like destiny. As though they had been heading for this moment since the second they met. She’d known he’d bend her, always sensed that he’d push her to total submission.
“God, you smell hot…”
He hovered over her spread sex, his breath teasing her wet folds.
“Ramsey.” She started to sit up, curling away from him.
He pressed her down with one forearm against her belly as he locked his fingers around the curve of her hip. “What? You don’t think I like the smell of your pussy?”
She flinched and heard him chuckle. He massaged her hip but didn’t move even a millimeter.
“I do,” he rasped out. He looked up her body, his eyes glittering. “It smells hot and delicious.”
“Bullshit,” she bit out, feeling like the effort to form her thoughts into words was beyond her.
He chuckled again. “You don’t know how glad I am to hear you don’t like pussy, baby. That means I won’t have to share you with a girlfriend.”
He teased the bare mound of her pussy, fingering the smooth skin. “Seeing this bare cleft made me wonder if you’re bi.”
“I like to swim,” she explained in a breathless whisper that she had a little trouble identifying as her own voice. “It’s just…cleaner.”
“It’s hot,” he bit out with a rasp in his voice.
He leaned down and lapped her, throwing her into a torrent of responses that wrung her like a dishrag. Maintaining any sort of composure was impossible. Her eyes closed as he licked her cleft, his tongue so hot, she was fairly sure it was going to leave a burn.
She writhed beneath him, arching against the sheets and clenching handfuls of the smooth fabric as he spread her labia and tongued her clit. Her cry hit the ceiling, pleasure running like a coiling live current up from her clit to the deepest part of her core. It tightened with every stroke of Ramsey’s tongue. Perspiration popped out on her skin as she arched up, seeking more pressure.
“I’ll take care of you, baby…”
His tone was arrogant, hard, like he was, and she wanted him just that way. He leaned down and sucked her clit into his mouth, applying his tongue to it while he held the tender flesh between his lips.
She cried out and then moaned low and deep as pleasure exploded inside her. It jerked her into a swirling whirlpool of rapture. How long it lasted, she couldn’t say, only that when it ended, she was nothing more than a quivering mass lying on the bed. Lifting her eyelids was too much effort. All she wanted to do was let the lingering delight carry her away into darkness. But she couldn’t be so selfish.
“You…you didn’t…enjoy—” She fought to open her eyes and found Ramsey crawling up the bed to lie beside her.
“The hell I didn’t.” He gathered her close, cupping her head to keep it against his chest.
His pants were still on. She tried to think about why that impressed her, but the sound of his heart was filling her head, lulling her back into slumber. Sleeping in his embrace was by far the most perfect thing she’d ever experienced.
She smelled good.
Better than good. His cock was throbbing, on the border of pain. He curled his lips back and stroked Jewel’s hair again.
He wanted to fuck her.
But it seemed trivial compared to the privilege of holding her.
* * *
Ramsey was sleeping in her bed.
Jewel didn’t have to wipe the sleep from her eyes, and she wasn’t longing for coffee. Nope. Two seconds after waking, she realized she wasn’t alone in the bed. Ramsey wasn’t exactly the sort of guy one overlooked, after all. She ended up looking down at him because she’d sat bolt upright the second her brain absorbed the situation.
He was stretched out on his back. The morning light made the bar piercing his right nipple gleam, and it made her more aware of the fact that she was nude.
“The sunlight makes that sheet transparent.”
She jumped as he spoke. There was a male sound of amusement as he opened his eyes and sat up so he was facing her. She settled back onto her knees, but couldn’t make herself release the sheet. The feel of the fabric between her fingers was too tangible.
“You still have your pants on.” It was a stupid thing to say. She felt her cheeks burning the second the words were past her lips.
He smiled at her, flashing his teeth. “Don’t sound so surprised.”
The bed rocked as he rolled over and landed on his feet beside it. “I’m not such a dick that I insist on having an even exchange.”
He meant it. He was six and a quarter feet of raw male. Hard, leather-wearing badass, and his words charmed her. Her eyes burned with unshed tears.
“Don’t take that as any sort of declaration,” he was quick to add. “I’m just…not a complete dick.”
There was a glimmer of something in his eyes that she had to think about before she realized what it was.
Fear. Maybe she could be kind and label it uncertainty.
“Got it,” she said. “And don’t get the idea that I trust you because I let you…”
“Suck you off?” He was taking cover in his persona once more, only this time, she recognized the tactic.
“Tantalize you?” he pressed when she didn’t give him a rise.
“Hold me,” she said softly. “If I wanted sex, it wouldn’t be too hard to find it. You don’t have an exclusive on that.”
Surprise registered on his face. Jewel seized the moment, releasing the sheet, and it fluttered down and left her bare. She kept her chin level, realizing she didn’t feel exposed by her nakedness, only by the way he made her feel so deeply.
“Excuse me. I think I want a shower before we clear out. Seattle next?” She stood up, marveling at her newfound confidence level.
He nodded.
She left him standing next to the bed. He watched her go, and she was pretty sure she felt his dark gaze singeing her back as she went toward the bathroom and disappeared behind a wall.
The moment she did, her knees turned to jelly, and she ended up leaning against that same wall as her heart beat at a frantic pace.
What the hell did she think she was doing?
Well, that was it in a nutshell, wasn’t it? With Ramsey, she lost the ability to think.
But at least he wasn’t being a dick about it.
That thought warmed her. It burst inside her chest like a tightly condensed bundle of happiness. She was partially giddy as she flipped on the shower, brushing her hair out while she waited for the water to warm up.
He’d held her.
She was surprised and awed.
And on the brink of trusting him to introduce her to passion.
* * *
Seattle, Washington, had the Space Needle.
Jewel Googled the city highlights as she sat in the motor coach. She was getting better at reading while the vehicle was in motion. She made it an hour before nausea claimed her and she crawled into the bunk for a nap.
Ramsey’s comment about getting enough rack time on the road suddenly made sense. There wasn’t a whole lot to do, since she wasn’t driving. But it was the only way to move the stage equipment. She was gaining personal insight into the workings of a major concert. It was fascinating and far more work than she’d ever realized. Rock stars worked hard, like the rest of the world.
Ramsey also had a heart.
That revelation kept her company along the miles. She was happy and scared too. It drew her toward him while her common sense screamed at her to notice just how dangerous a road it was.
Hearts don’t listen…
Ramsey wasn’t any happier about that than she was.
She giggled at the thought and decided maybe, just maybe, she’d share it with him later.
* * *
“This so fucking rocks!”
Jewel sat back as her customer looked over his new ink. Tom was a veteran with Toxsin. He’d signed on to run the sound-mixing board years before the band had made it to the top of the charts. He turned his arm over, using a mirror to get a good look at the tattoo she’d done for him. This was a service one, with an American flag and an eagle.
“Drake, man…I owe you,” Tom said as he passed Drake, who was leaning in the doorway of the meeting room the crew had set up as a studio for her.
“Keep it out of the sunlight for three weeks…and clean.” Jewel stressed the last word.
Tom turned and gave her a mock salute. He disappeared, Drake falling into step with him.
“So, now that the work is done”—Kate appeared in the doorway—“is it girl time?”
Jewel grinned. “If there is food involved, you’re on.”
Syon’s wife smiled. “Food and shopping.”
Jewel grabbed her bag and punched off the lights on the way out of the room. Most of the crew was kicking back after a day of stage building and sound checks. Their work wasn’t done. They’d be at it again in the morning. But there was music going at the other end of the floor, where one of the suites had been opened up as a party room. Hotel staff was arriving with food, and drinks were flowing.
Syon Braden looked up as Kate came into sight. He disengaged himself from the crew he’d been talking with and came down the hallway toward his wife.
“I’m going to spend as much of your money as possible,” Kate informed him.
“Hmm…” he growled softly as he leaned down and pressed a hard kiss against her lips. She wiggled, but he held her and kissed her for a long moment before allowing her to get away.
“Buy something lacy,” he said, looking behind her at Yoon. The bodyguard shared a look with Syon before Kate reached over and grabbed Jewel by the wrist.
“Come on… Let’s make our escape. I think the testosterone levels in here might be toxic.”
“Possibly,” Jewel agreed.
They ended up in the elevator, heading down to the ground floor. Yoon was with them, and another man who looked just as deadly as the Asian bodyguard.
“This is Steven,” Kate said, introducing the stranger. He offered Jewel a nod.
“Ramsey and Taz are feeling protective of you after your little run-in back in Portland,” Kate explained.
“What?” The doors opened, the two bodyguards exiting first.
Kate shrugged. “Trust me, you can argue, but you are never going to win, especially now that you and Ramsey are involved.”
“We’re not involved,” Jewel said.
Kate shot her a questioning look.
Jewel felt her cheeks heat. “You guys are like some weird medieval clan who knows everybody’s business.”
Kate laughed as they made their way past the entry doors. Outside, the paparazzi waited.
“Kate, are you pregnant?”
“Jewel, are you Kate’s lover?”
The cameras flashed as Yoon and Steven closed the doors of a limousine to give them privacy.
“We all live in one another’s back pockets during concert season,” Kate offered with a shrug. “So everyone knows Ramsey spent the night in your room.”
“We didn’t have sex,” Her cheeks caught fire as her memory offered up exactly what they had shared. Kate didn’t miss it either.
“I’m a virgin,” Jewel spat out. It was a defensive move, and it backfired.
Kate’s mouth dropped open. “Ramsey deserves more credit than I thought.”
Jewel drew in a deep breath and let it out. “Well, he doesn’t like hearing anyone tell him he’s got a good heart. Just remember, I warned you.”
“Oh, that I know,” Kate said. “The first month I was on tour with these guys, we tangled.”
“Yeah?”
Kate nodded.
“How did you end up on tour with Toxsin?”
It was a safe topic and a fun one. Kate’s eyes glittered with merriment as she launched into a tale of torn pants, a partner who was too scared of heights to get into a helicopter, and Syon Braden ambushing her into joining the tour to keep the band in leatherwear.
By the time she’d finished, the limo had slid quietly up to the main entrance of an upscale shopping mall. Kate happily bounded through the doors while Jewel hung back, sure there was a surcharge just for entering. But Kate’s bubbly personality was infectious. Jewel was drawn into their expedition, even when it ventured to the top floor where the designer-label dresses were. Here there were plush chairs to sit in while waiting, and racks of unique feminine apparel that delighted the senses with their style and crafting.
Jewel indulged herself by trying on a sapphire-blue dress that gave her heart palpitations when she glanced at the price tag. The moment she left the dressing room, the style specialists brought over shoes and even an expensive leather purse that matched the dress perfectly.
“That makes you look like a million bucks,” Kate said from where she was standing on a viewing box with three full-length mirrors surrounding her.
“You too,” Jewel responded. Kate had on a cotton dress that complemented her red hair.
“It needs alterations.” Kate pulled on the middle of the dress. “I wish I had your bustline. I always have to get a size bigger.”
“Please…” Jewel responded. “I’m the girl stuffing tissues in her bra because I think I should look like you.”
A tailor arrived, claiming Kate’s attention. Jewel used the moment to escape to the dressing room. She took one last longing look at herself before she took the dress off and hung it carefully back on the hanger. She left it in the dressing room.
They made their way to an unmarked entrance that led them to a private Italian restaurant.
“Paparazzi-free zone,” Kate said with a flourish of her hand. “Something I undervalued the idea of just a short year ago.”
Jewel accepted a menu before answering, “They are insane.”
Kate shook her head as she turned a page in the menu. “I ended up in a fountain once, trying to escape. Taz rescued me. Yoon is his cousin.”
The bodyguard was seated at another table with Steven.
“Honestly, I think this is a little overreacting,” Jewel said. There were no prices on the menu. That meant it was way out of her budget. The money Tom had given her was about to be yanked out of her “resettlement fund.” At least the place smelled amazing.
“Good luck convincing the boys of that,” Kate informed her with a hint of mirth in her voice. “Ramsey in particular.”
Jewel had broken off a piece of bread and pointed it at Kate. “That’s hitting below the belt. Where’s your sister spirit?”
“I went through a fountain; you got run off the road,” Kate countered. “Besides, I’ve got my hands full with my man-child husband. I’m sort of hoping you’ll throw a saddle on Ramsey.”
Jewel snorted at the mental image, but the look of expectation in Kate’s eyes sent a shiver of anticipation down Jewel’s body.
* * *
The party was still in full swing when Jewel made it back to the hotel. The mood was changing though, the vibe shifting to something more along the lines of “Red Light District.”
Somewhere down the hallway there was a different song being played. It was deeper, with more bass.
“The boys are working,” Kate said.
Kate crooked her finger at Jewel and then laid it against her lips as they neared the side of the hotel where the presidential suites were located. Kate slid her key card through the door and opened one side of the double-door entrance slowly.
The music spilled out like vapors. It wrapped around them as Kate gestured Jewel inside. There wasn’t any artificial light on in the suite. Instead, there were candles, their golden light illuminating Syon and Ramsey as they played near the open patio doors.
It was captivating. Ramsey was leaning back, the guitar across his groin as he fingered the strings. There was no denying how deep his music ran—she would have sworn she saw it flowing out of his soul in that moment. Kate kicked her shoes off, so her heels wouldn’t disturb the moment. Jewel did the same and moved closer as Syon and Ramsey continued to play.
The pair were connected somehow. Jewel wouldn’t be so arrogant as to say she understood it, only that she knew she was witnessing a connection that ran soul deep. It was Toxsin’s foundation, that thing that so many people didn’t credit the rockers with having.
Dedication to their music.
Sure, it was heavy metal.
But in that moment, there was an undeniable beauty.
They finished and plunged the suite into silence. There was a laptop on the table in front of them. Syon punched something on it, and the screen lit up. It was muted, but with only the candlelight in the room, it seemed bright. Ramsey leaned over and looked at the screen, both of them staring intently at whatever was there before Syon touched a stylus to the screen and made a change. Ramsey nodded in agreement.
They cued it up again, filling the suite with sound once more.
Ramsey locked gazes with her. Her breath got lodged in her throat as he pumped the music out while watching her. A chill raced across her skin and down her spine, leaving her nipples hard and her toes curled. She wanted to sway with the tempo, let her hips follow along in time with the rhythm. He was gauging her reaction, watching her to see what her response was. She got the impression she was seeing a part of him very few people had ever glimpsed. It was the thing she’d seen on stage, just glossed over by his performance persona.
This was who he was. The demon he embraced instead of fought.
It was fucking beautiful.
The music was reaching its finale. Kate moved closer, her body flowing with the melody. She stretched up and kissed her husband. He pulled out the last few notes as his mouth claimed hers. Kate was between Ramsey and Syon, in contact with both of them as she stretched up onto her toes to kiss Syon. Ramsey didn’t move away—he was finishing up the last of the notes, still watching Jewel, still waiting to see what she’d do.
She realized he wanted her honest, knee-jerk response.
Isn’t that what you crave from him as well?
It was.
She was in motion without further thought. Moving toward him, letting herself be caught in his gravitational pull. He was waiting for her, his eyes glittering with anticipation. She smelled him as she got closer, the scent of his skin filling her senses. It drove her insane, and she was happy to dispense with sanity.
All she wanted was the madness he stirred in her.
She flattened her hands on his chest, slipping between the open fronts of his vest to connect with his bare skin. The nipple bar was warm, and she teased it, turning it with a gentle touch as she watched him.
He curled his lips back and bit the air between them. He cupped her nape, squeezing it just hard enough to send a jolt of awareness down her spine. But he didn’t kiss her. He released her and set his guitar aside. The candle flames flickered as he turned and scooped her off her feet, carrying her through a doorway into one of the two bedrooms the suite offered.
The door closed behind them, leaving the candlelight behind. The darkness suited her. She wanted to do everything she’d always shied away from. All of the things the night was fabled to be full of.
She wanted those. All of them.
Immoral or not. Maybe even more so if there was depravity involved. To put it bluntly, she wanted to sin.
She slid her hands into his hair and gripped it before he found his way to the bed. He sucked in a harsh breath as she angled her head and kissed him. She was hungry and went after his mouth with the appetite of a starving woman.
Ramsey let her legs down onto the bed and captured her nape as he kissed her back, hard.
She purred with delight.
Not a soft, cat sound. More like a lioness. She didn’t want to be petted; she wanted to take what she pleased.
And it was right within reach.
She kissed her way down his neck. His skin was hot and soft, but the muscles corded as he lifted his chin and stretched out to offer himself to her. She kept going until she found the bar adorning his right nipple. She licked it, drawing a word of profanity from him.
It filled her with boldness.
She reached down and found the ties holding his leather pants closed. She tugged at them and lifted her head when they didn’t release easily. It took a moment before she loosened them completely and opened them.
His cock sprang out, hard and hot. She teased it with her fingertips as she slipped lower on the bed.
“Jewel—” He caught a handful of her hair, stopping her.
But it was the stress in his voice that pleased her. She teased his cock again, drawing her fingers from the tip to the base and then back up. He shuddered, his body responding instantly.
“My turn,” she muttered determinedly. “And you’re going to just take it.”
His grip tightened in her hair, his features hard as he contemplated her. Jewel didn’t leave the matter open to his opinion though. She leaned down, pulling her own hair until he released it. She heard him suck in his breath as she teased the head of his cock with her lips.
“Holy shit!”
He growled when she opened her mouth and took the head of the organ between her lips. There was a slight salty taste. She drew her tongue across it, suddenly finding a use for all the coarse suggestions her ex-boss had delighted in vocalizing.
With Ramsey, they suddenly lost their seediness. Became something she was eager to try. She wanted to drive him to the extremes he’d pushed her to. Wanted to know she wasn’t alone in being susceptible to his allure.
So she opened her mouth wider and sucked more of his cock inside. The part that didn’t fit, she clasped her fingers around and stroked.
“Jewel…” His voice was stressed. “Stop…”
She doubled her efforts instead, using her tongue on the underside of the head, moving up and down as she hollowed her cheeks and sucked. She pumped her hand down to the base and cradled his balls in her fingers.
He made a sound that delighted her, because she recalled feeling so strained when he’d been going down on her. He was close to orgasm, and she had every intention of pushing him over the edge. He fisted a hand in her hair again, pumping his hips toward her. She felt him straining to bury more of his length inside her mouth a moment before he started spurting.
Victory was sweet. She savored the way his grip tightened in her hair and the frantic motion of his body as he thrust toward her. She kept his cock inside her mouth, sucking hard.
He collapsed on the bed, his chest rising heavily as his eyes rolled back. “That was…fucking…awesome…”
He was spent, his body relaxing as sleep claimed him. She enjoyed the sight and sometime later ended up slipping into sleep next to him.
It felt right.
That idea conflicted with so many things she’d believed to be true until she’d met him.
Well, there was no arguing the feeling.
None whatsoever.
* * *
“You were proving a point to me.”
Ramsey had been watching her sleep. Or wake up, as it were. The first thing she saw was his face when she opened her eyes the next morning. He was on his side, his head resting in his hand, his dark gaze on her.
“Well…” She blinked, trying to jump-start her brain and not sound like a complete idiot.
“Getting even with me,” he continued, as though she was alert enough to follow the conversation.
She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. “That’s a little harsh.”
He sat up, looking too big by far for her to handle so early in the morning. “Right on the money. You wanted to push me around the same way I did you.”
“Look, it’s too early in the morning for your commitment issues.” She crawled out of the bed and tried to pull her clothing into some semblance of order.
Ramsey was buck naked. His pants were lying across the back of a chair. He was so damned at ease in his skin, it actually pissed her off. She didn’t like thinking about how often he woke up in the buff with women.
“Don’t be a bitch.”
“Then don’t be a dick,” she shot back before throwing her hands into the air. “You’re looking for a fight, and I’m not interested.”
“Because you still don’t like what I have to say,” he countered. “I’m not the guy you think I am.”
She stopped with her hand on the door. It would have been wiser to keep going. But she turned around and stalked back toward him. He stiffened, but she reached down and locked her hand around his nape, pressing her mouth against his before he moved. His lips were frozen and stiff. She pressed a firm kiss against his mouth anyway before withdrawing.
“Don’t tell me what to think.” She flipped around, intending to make a clean getaway.
Ramsey hooked her around the waist and turned her back to face him. His eyes glittered with need. She got only a glimpse before he pressed his mouth against hers, threading his hand through her hair to hold her steady. It was a hard kiss, full of all the conflicting emotions inside him. He ravished her mouth, opening her lips and thrusting his tongue deep inside.
She retaliated by sucking on it, boldly meeting him, refusing to be intimidated by his experience. His cock pressed into her belly, the hard presence setting off a throbbing in her clit.
“Goddamnit.” He suddenly released her, stepping away.
They stood there for a moment, both of them breathing heavily. The arousal was tangible, like a tension they shared.
“You’re making me crazy.”
Ramsey spoke, but Jewel felt like he was vocalizing what they were feeling. The need was growing, jerking at both of them. What bothered her most was how uncontrollable it was for them. He’d seemed so confident, so capable of rejecting her, that it had given her a false sense of security. She might fail, but it wouldn’t matter, because he’d refuse her in the end.
That wasn’t happening.
It scared her.
And there was no shame in admitting it, only a very frightening wisdom in looking it square on and acknowledging the reality.
She ended up back in her room, leaning against the door as she tried to quell the urge to call her mom and book a bus ticket home.
Ramsey was going to smash her world to bits. The problem was, she was more afraid of missing the opportunity than of the consequences. Scared she’d kick herself for years over the discarded opportunity.
She was an idiot.
But she was staying, because she couldn’t hide from herself.
* * *
Show night had a vibe all its own.
Jewel started to feel it before noon. The crew was moving around, their steps lighter. Brenton was flashing his smile. Kate was in her workshop, while Jewel enjoyed having her own space. It really was a marvel the way the crew transformed a hotel into a living space while they were there.
Her workshop was empty today as the crew started making their way toward the arena where the concert was going to be held. Steven was hovering, clearly restless as the afternoon stretched on into evening. Jewel took the time to make sure her equipment was clean and worked on a new piece for her sketchbook.
“That’s wicked.”
She jumped, her hand slipping. Her unexpected company grabbed her wrist, lifting it away from the sketch.
“Wouldn’t want that piece to be ruined now, would we, luv?”
Jewel twisted away and stood up. The guy was a pistol, sharp and deadly. His eyebrows were slashes, clearly professionally maintained. He had a head of golden, honey-blond hair that was spiked up in front but short on the back of his head. An earring winked at her from his ear as he grinned, clearly pleased with getting the jump on her.
“I’m Rage,” he offered in a deep-timbered tone that sent a little shiver down her spine. It was like liquid dark chocolate, that voice.
“I said I’d introduce you,” Kate said from the doorway. Her hair was held in a clip on top of her head, which Jewel had come to recognize as her working mode. “If Jewel lets Steven kick your tail for sneaking up on her, you’ll have it coming.”
Rage offered her a short chuckle. “Bring it on. No one lets me have any fun anymore. Not since Sammy got hot under the collar about the stitches on my chin.”
Jewel considered the chin in question and found the faint pink line marking his skin.
“Hey…What am I? Chopped liver?” Another man appeared behind Kate. He had slightly longer hair, but it was styled to the extreme. “Hmm…” He made a low, rumbling sound in his throat. “On second thought… Nice score, Rage.”
“That’s Dare,” Rage offered.
“They’re known as Act of Fury,” Kate supplied. “Samuel Moss produces them as well as Toxsin. Sam sent them over, since they don’t know how to take care of their leather any better than our boys.”
“I am definitely a bad boy, darlin’,” Rage said, “but I’m also a real good man when it counts.”
He’d turned his attention back to Jewel as he finished. She propped her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes.
Rage snickered. “I’m going to have to do better than that to shock you, aren’t I?”
Jewel nodded.
“Come on,” Kate said to Dare. “You’re making me miss my husband’s show. So let’s make this a good fitting.”
“We flew in. Isn’t that worth missing a show you’ve seen over and over?” Dare asked as Kate left him standing in the hallway. He ended up following her.
Jewel faced Rage. He’d parked himself against the wall, but she didn’t buy the relaxed pose for a second. He was gauging her.
“Is there something I can do for you?” she asked.
“Maybe. Since you’re approved by the big man, I can consider letting you loose on my skin.” He pushed away from the wall and snatched the sketchbook from the table.
“Approved?” she questioned.
Rage nodded as he turned to the sketch she’d been working on. “As in, you signed the confidentiality agreement and turned over the exclusive rights on the dragon you did for Ramsey. Image is something Sammy gets possessive about. I can’t have just anyone inking me.”
He tapped the new sketch. “This is really dark. You’re pissed at someone.”
“Maybe I know enough about my business to know dark sells well,” she answered. “I mean, you don’t exactly look like the pony and butterfly sort, and a lot of my clients look like you.”
He scoffed at her. “They wish they looked like me.”
She had to smile, because that was true in more cases than she cared to admit. A few mental images rose up to torment her. What had been seen could not be unseen. “Point taken.”
He was going through her book, but she felt like he was seeing the sketches differently than most of her clients. He was another artist. He didn’t dismiss the personal element so many people were just blind to.
“I heard you did the dragon personally for Ramsey,” Rage said when he’d reached the end of the book.
“Yes.” She didn’t go into details about the rescue necessity.
He set the book down and pegged her with a hard look. “What do you see for me?”
“I don’t really know you well enough.” She was hedging. There was something about him that was intense, like Ramsey, only she wasn’t interested. In fact, her hackles were raised.
He suddenly grinned, like she’d presented him with an opening. “In that case, I’m taking you to dinner. So you can get to know me.”
“Ah…” Her mouth hung open as he reached out and tried to claim her wrist. She lifted her arm out of his reach, at least until he decided to lunge for it.
And she got the distinct impression he wouldn’t hesitate to do exactly what he wanted.
“Unless I make you nervous,” he said.
He might as well have called her “chicken” straight out.
“Dinner is cool,” she said slowly, relieved her voice came out even. “Holding my hand isn’t. We just met, after all.”
He pushed his lower lip out in a pout before he gestured toward the door. Jewel didn’t care for how much she hesitated. It was dinner with a prospective client. She picked up her bag and turned back around to face him. It was what she’d wanted when she’d taken Ramsey’s offer, after all. The chance to establish herself as a serious artist.
So why did she feel so hollow?