Never Say Never (12 page)

            “I
like a girl who knows what she wants,” he kissed my ear.

            “I
like a guy who can give it to me.”

            “Then
why don't you lie back, love,” his voice teased me into submission. “And let me
give it to you
.”

            “You
can handle me however you like, only...” I looked up at him. “I don't have any
condoms.”

            If
his face fell, it was only for a moment. But Danny was too smooth to let that
distract him. “Don't worry,” he said. “We'll just focus on you tonight, then.
There's a time and a place for everything, and under...shall we say, more
auspicious circumstances, I'd hold off on
that
particular pleasure until
you beg me to do otherwise. As for tonight, there's a whole lot else we can
do...”

            He
smiled wickedly before pulling my panties down, his tongue lightly flicking at
my inner thigh, tracing a spiral that got closer – ever-closer – to where his
fingers were already lightly stroking. He turned his head slightly – just
slightly – the angle between his lips and my thighs just right...

            When
his moist tongue reached me, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I felt myself moan
aloud.

            “Don't
stop.”

            His
laugh rippled through my whole body, the deep rumble of it coursing through his
chest and vibrating through to my sensitive skin. Even that was pleasurable.

            “Who
said anything about
stopping,
love? We've only just begun...”

Chapter
13

           
I
woke up completely naked, wrapped in Danny's
arms for the second morning in a row. Who could have imagined that, twenty-four
hours ago, when I was rushing out of Danny's bedroom, that we'd end the night
like this? It felt so good to be close to him, utterly naked – and from what I
could feel beneath the covers, leaning against my stomach, he was as naked as I
was.

            “Good
morning...” Danny was leaning on the pillow, smiling over at me. “Sleep well,
love?” He pulled me close to him, his mouth meeting mine in a kiss at once
savage and playful.

            There
was something so strange, so surreal about this – and yet at the same time so
completely natural. It was as if I'd always been meant to wake up in the
morning in Danny Blue's arms, and this was just the first time I'd been able to
do so.

            “Good
morning,” I murmured back, matching his smile with one of my own. I relaxed
into his hard, firm body.

            “How
are you feeling?” Danny asked me, stroking my collarbone with his velvety
fingertips. “Of course, I can only imagine...” He reached playfully under the
covers, his fingers finding just what they were looking for.

            “Good,”
I murmured, my body resisting the urge to tense up once again. “Very good
indeed.”

            “I'm
glad,” he said. “Because I've got to confess, love, I'm awfully keen on doing
it again.” He flushed slightly. “Last night, when we were in the elevator – I
didn't know what this was going to be. A one-time thing, I thought. To get it
out of our systems. Once we acted on it, I thought maybe this need...” He pressed
closer against me, his need clearly not sated by the previous night, “would go
away. But it's stronger than ever, Neve. I think we might need another try to
get this out of our systems once and for all.” He laughed softly. “Or maybe
two. Or three...” He leaned over and pressed his lips against my hair. “You're
like a drug, Neve. I'm utterly insatiable when it comes to you.”           

            I
looked at him, flushing with delight. I too hadn't been sure what Danny wanted
– what
I
wanted – we'd been so caught up in the heat of the moment that
neither one of us had talked about it. But from the hours of pleasure he'd
given me last night, I knew now that I was eager to explore things further – to
see just how far to the brink he could push me before I'd lose control
completely. How liberating it was for me to lose control with Danny. But now it
seemed Danny was ready to come back for me.

            “Already?”
I teased. “I thought you'd be exhausted. I mean – all that work you did last night...”
I stretched out on the bed. “I'm talking, of course, about your work on the
guitar...”

            “Oh,
really?” he took me into his arms. “That's what you were talking about, huh?”

            “All
those amazing things you did with your fingers...you know, those guitar
solos...”

            “Oh,
those guitar solos, of course...”

            “And
with your tongue.”

            “You
mean my vocals.”

            “That's
exactly
what I mean...” I pressed my lips against his. “Mostly.”

            “Mostly.”

            “Hold
on a second, love...” He kissed me on the shoulder and got up, going over to
where he'd left his bag. Watching his naked body cross the room filled me with
a new shuddering wave of desire. His body was utterly perfect. Toned, tanned a
smooth golden brown, his buttocks firm and tight – I wanted every inch of him
against me. And when he turned around...

            “Enjoying
the show?” he laughed, turning to face me, fully naked.

            “Oh,
I'm impressed.” I lived in a house with a pool and a steam room – I was no
stranger to the male member. I'd even walked in on Kyle once or twice in the
locker rooms – both of us crimson and laughing off the embarrassment. And while
Kyle was certainly well-equipped in that department, what Danny had to offer
was significantly more impressive.  I didn’t think it could get to that size.

            Danny
grinned. “You know what they say, love. It's not about the equipment. It's
about the performance.”

            “Well,
I'm happy to give that a test drive...” I pulled him back towards the bed. “I
think I definitely owe
you
a few hours of relaxation. And I promise you
– I'm a fast learner.”
New mental checklist
, I thought to myself.
Buy
panties. Condoms. Breath mints.

           
“As
much as I'd love to continue where we left off last night, my darling – it will
have to wait for tonight. I've got work.”

            “Work?”
I looked up, confused. “Professor Poe wants you on a Saturday?”

           
Shit.
Why did I have to bring up that Danny was my TA? If the situation in that
class wasn't awkward enough before, it certainly would be now...

            “No...”
Danny pulled out a fresh T-shirt and jeans from his bag and started dressing.
“Actually, I've got a second job.”

            “Teaching
doesn't pay the bills?”

            “Not
quite...”

            My
eyes traveled to the expensive black Tumi bag on the floor, surprised. Danny
had brought an overnight bag to the performance. But he couldn't have known
that we'd be staying over – he couldn't have known about the suites. Where had
he been planning to stay?

            “It's
for my dad,” Danny said.

            “What
does he do?”

            Danny
sighed. “I guess it's time I told you, Neve. I should have known you'd
understand – but when I tell you, I hope you'll understand why I haven't. The
same reason you didn't tell me about your father....”

            He
fixed his clear blue eyes on mine, looking at me intently. “Have you heard of
Beyond Blue?”

            “Yeah,
of course. It's the hottest new club in Vegas. I heard Rihanna was there last
week...”

            “Beyond
Blue. Owned by Clarence Blue.”

            “Yeah?”

            “Well...”

            Danny
waited for it to hit me. Clarence Blue – the richest mogul in the hospitality
industry – bigger than the Hiltons, known for the most exclusive and star-studded
nightclubs, hotels, and casinos between here, Palm Beach, London, and Paris,
and Bali.

            “Your...”

            “Dad,”
Danny finished the sentence for me.

            My
mouth fell open. If I thought I had a public image to hide as Keith Knight's
daughter, Danny had it twentyfold. Clarence Blue wasn't just rich. He was the
biggest celebrity of them all – a man who made his name by being flamboyant and
over-the-top, a man who frequently had designated Girlfriends One, Two, and
Three, who'd been married more times than Zsa Zsa Gabor, who'd had an affair
with anyone who'd ever made it on the cover of Rolling Stone...

            “This
hotel...” Danny said. “I didn't want to say anything. But there's a reason they
gave us the nicest suite. And it wasn't just because they felt bad about John
Flint.”

            “You
own it?”

            “It's
one of our smaller properties.”

            “And
that bag?”

            “I
called them last night – asked them to provide me with this change of clothes.
The staff is used to me traveling around from hotel to hotel to check up on
them once in a while, especially when my dad's away in London. It's part of the
deal I cut to let me go away to California...”

            “What
do you mean?”

            “My
doctorate – I do that because I love it. I'm funded – paying for it myself with
my teaching. I don't want to live off my father's name, any more than you do.
But my dad – he wanted me to go into the hotel business. He agreed to let me go
off to California without interfering or objecting. He insisted on giving me
money – money I don't need or want. But I agreed on one condition. I'd work for
it, like everyone else in his company. He tries to give me the cushiest
assignments – but I want to earn my dues.” He flushed. “When my dad found out I
liked to play, he encouraged it. I think he thinks it will help his image to
have a pro rocker for a son. He hired me the best tutors money could buy; he
called in favors from everyone from Springsteen to Mick Jagger. And a
lot
of
people owed him favors. When I got good, I joined Peyton's band.” His eyes
darkened at the mention of her name. He sat down alongside me, running his hand
up and down my backside, my body crushed against his.

            “I
would have told you earlier – but I didn't want it to influence you. Either for
or against me.”

            “I
understand,” I said. “I didn't want to tell you, either.”

            “We
understand each other, then,” Danny smiled. “I'm glad. Someone else who gets
how crazy this whole life is.” He pointed to another bag on the coffee table.
“I called this morning before you woke up and had them bring some clothes for
you, too. We've got a personal shopper at Neiman's Beverly Hills – I got your
size from the labels.” His arms encircled my waist. “I'm sure you'd look
gorgeous in anything, but you'll like what the staff picked out for you...”

            I
was overwhelmed. My parents had personal shoppers, of course – as did most of
the celebrities in Beverly Hills – but I'd always preferred to lurk incognito
in vintage stores, avoiding that world. Now that world was staring me in the
face.

            “Babe,
I'm so sorry to leave like this – but I'll miss my flight if I don't hurry up.”

            “I
have to fly to Chicago today to check on a new property.” He kissed me lightly,
his teeth smooth against my lips. “But I want to see you tonight, Neve.” His
voice was husky with desire. “I'm not done with you, yet. Come to my place
tonight. I want more of you. A whole lot more.” He kissed me thoroughly then.

            And
I knew that I wanted him too. “Okay,” I whispered.

            “And
bring...whatever you like.” He kissed me one more time. “I'll be thinking of
you all day.”

            When
he was gone, I sighed with a mixture of exhaustion and relief. Being around him
was almost too tiring – my body ached from how tense I'd been all night. I
slipped into the turquoise sundress and sandals in the bag, impressed at how
well they fit. Danny wanted to spoil me, apparently. I flushed. What I thought
was going to be a one-night fling was shaping up to be a lot more than that.

            But
if this desire I felt was anything to go by, I knew neither of us could ever be
satisfied with just one night.

Chapter
14

           
N
o sooner had I driven back to the dorm and
entered the common room than I felt a mysterious sinking feeling in the pit of
my stomach. Everyone was staring at me – people I'd shared bathrooms and
corridors with for weeks without so much as giving me a second glance were now
looking me up and down like I was a piece of meat. I didn't even have to ask –
I knew that they knew. I'd tried to keep my celebrity status quiet – I'd
changed my name from the decidedly hippie “Never” to the much more conventional
“Neve”, and done my best to avoid talking about my family altogether – but now
I knew it was too late.

            “Hey baby...” A frat
guy I recognized as living on my hall approached me, belching out gas that
smelled distinctly like beer. “
You make my chest burn, baby – you make me
shake, like only you know how...”

           
Those were my
dad's lyrics. Lyrics I'd grown up with. But in this guy's mouth they sounded
filthy, sordid. I flushed scarlet.

            “Come on, baby – give
us a kiss...” He lumbered forward. “Just like you gave that other guy. Do you
do that with all your fans, baby? Just like your dad...”

            “Fat chance,” I spat,
turning crimson as I hurried to my room. My face was scarlet and hot – with
shame, with fury. All it had taken was one blog post and my life was turned upside
down overnight. When I first arrived at college I'd dreamed of being normal, of
blending in, of making friends – of shedding this image of a Beverly Hills
party girl that had claimed, one by one, all my friends growing up. But I was a
fool. I should have known that my past would come back to haunt me, as it
always did. Now that everyone knew who I was, I wasn't safe. The tiniest
indiscretion, the silliest drunken moment – anyone who lived at the dorms with
me could take a picture and upload it to the internet in no time.