Rock Steady (21 page)

“Family wing,” he said over his shoulder. “I’d sure as hell only let someone I call family talk to me like that.”

He selected a door and tried the knob. It turned, and he pushed it in.

“Don’t cut your nose off to spite your face,” she said as she followed him inside.

Ramsey raised an eyebrow and gave her a dry cough as a reply.

“Seriously. He had a decent reason for chewing you out. Even dream jobs have business sides.” She walked past him and into a gorgeous suite. She’d probably even have time to appreciate it if Ramsey wasn’t inside it with her. But he was captivating her, as usual.

He shrugged and turned the lock on the door. A hint of satisfaction glittered in his eyes as he crossed his arms over his chest and faced off with her.

Her belly did a little flip.

“I was an asshole this morning.”

Whatever she’d thought he might say, an apology hadn’t been it. Her breath caught, and she put her back to him as her hold on her composure slipped. It was stupid, really. She’d made her choice and should be able to face the man she’d chosen as her lover. Logical thinking, however, was completely deserting her as usual when faced with Ramsey. All she wanted to do was dissolve into a puddle of receptors.

He let out a grunt, betraying his frustration. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

She winced. “I’m sorry.” She turned around. “I’m not trying to guilt-trip you. I wanted to be there…last night. I’m not saying I didn’t, and you don’t owe me anything.”

He was coming toward her, and it was too much. She was on overload and spun around, seeking space to escape. Ramsey didn’t let her make it more than a single step. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his body as he nuzzled her hair.

“Why?”

“It wasn’t on purpose…just, whenever guys at the shop would find out, they’d start trying to get in my pants like I was some sort of prize.”

“You’re that, alright,” he muttered as he kissed her temple.

“And you make me a little insane,” she finished. “I forget how to think, much less talk.”

“I do,” he whispered against her hair. “I made sure I drove you crazy. I’m an asshole for doing that. For pushing you. For treating you like just another handful of candy I could grab.”

She snorted, two tears trickling down her cheeks.

“I made my choice.” At least her voice came out smooth. “There’s nothing for you to feel guilty about.”

He released her and came around her. He cupped her chin and raised her face so their eyes met, reading her emotions like they were in print.

“Except fighting with Rage,” she said quickly. “What was that about?”

Ramsey’s lips twitched. “He pointed out that I was an idiot for leaving you to go to Vicky.”

An image of Ramsey holding the bikini-clad girl came instantly to mind. Her temper flared back up. “You were.” She walked past him, taking in the suite for the first time.

“What in the tar is that?” she demanded as she blinked, trying to absorb the reality of what she was seeing.

“One of Sammy’s playground toys,” Ramsey answered in a tone edged with amusement. She turned on him.

“Don’t laugh at me just because I’ve never seen one of those”—she gestured with her thumb over her shoulder—“in the flesh.”

Ramsey laughed outright at her. He rocked back on his heels as he chuckled. Jewel turned around to study the object in question.

It was a swing.

A bondage swing made of straps similar to seat belts, and thick metal bars. The thing was black and suspended from the ceiling. Once again, the room sported a basket of sex supplies like a hotel put out toiletry items.

“You should see your face,” Ramsey said from behind her.

Jewel turned back to look at Ramsey. He was watching her, his dark eyes full of appreciation. “Like seeing me blush, is that it?”

“
Like
isn’t a strong enough word,” he clarified. “I love your unjaded mind, your honest responses.”

His expression darkened as he looked past her at the swing. “I think I’ve got a bellyache.” He shook his head and reached out to grasp her hand. Once he had it, he tugged her through the suite, leaving the swing behind.

“I think I’ve been sick to my stomach for a long time without realizing it,” he said. The admission shocked her.

As well as warmed her. Some sensation was spreading through her, an emotion that caught her off guard as she struggled to put a name on it.

Cherished.

The word didn’t fit with his badass persona or his prowling jungle cat reputation.

But it sure suited her needs, soothing the hurt that had been sitting on her chest so heavily that she’d been fighting to breathe.

He opened a patio door. Outside was a private deck. There were padded lounge chairs and a hot tub. He punched the controls, and the water started bubbling. The sun was almost gone, leaving them in semidarkness. Sounds drifted over from the party, but all they did was make her shudder.

“You’ve got to be sore.” He shrugged out of his vest. “Let’s soak.”

“Hot tubs aren’t good for healing tats.”

“Sammy employs the best people in the biz to disinfect his house, because he likes to party with his groupies and doesn’t want to catch anything.”

“Makes sense.”

He crooked his finger at her.

She worried her lower lip, more focused on him opening his pants than the mild discomfort left from the night before. His cock was hard, jutting up the moment he freed it. The dragon tattoo was almost healed now, the reptile breathing onto that hard length.

He climbed into the tub, settling back but watching her. She ended up grinning. He lifted an eyebrow. “It was an invitation, Jewel, not a challenge.”

“You toss the gauntlet down just by being yourself.”

His lips parted, flashing his teeth. Unrepentant. Rebellious. The trait she liked best about him. Because it made her bold enough to unbuckle her own leash and run free.

“You’re an enabler, you know that?”

He snorted at her accusation. “According to my parents, I’m leading all my fans to Satan with my music.”

He’d meant it as a joke, but the ease with which the words crossed his lips told her it was true.

And that was sad.

Bitterly so.

“That’s—” she started.

“The way it is,” he finished for her. “I’ve gotten to the point where I just accept it’s the way things are. To be mad about it would be to say they don’t have the right to disagree with me. I can’t go on demanding the world let me be myself if I’m going to deprive others of the same privilege.”

“You have a good heart.”

“No, I don’t,” he insisted with a shrug. “I sold it at a pawn shop back when we were trying to get Toxsin launched.”

She bit her lip, quelling the urge to argue with him. Now wasn’t the time. There was a guarded look in his eyes that told her he was thinking he’d said too much.

“So what are you going to do now?” he asked her.

“I thought I might…” She fingered the bottom of her swim top. “Take my top off.”

His eyes narrowed. “So do it.”

There was a touch of arrogance in his tone now, but she realized it was also need. Ramsey style. The man didn’t do anything normally.

“Maybe I’m still thinking about it. Enabler.”

He nodded. “Tough call. Considering how much I love your tits. Take that top off and I’m going to cup them”—he lifted his hands out of the bubbling water to mimic the action—“and then I’m going to tease those little nipples of yours until they are hard points…before I lean over and lick them…”

Her nipples were puckering already, pushing out the soft fabric of her swim top. His gaze settled on them, satisfaction glittering in his eyes.

“And then, I’m going to suck them…one at a time.”

Her breath was coming harder, her heart accelerating. His words were intoxicating, and she wanted more. She pulled off her top, enjoying the feel of the night air on her bare skin. His expression turned hungry.

“Now if you take off those shorts…” He moved to the edge of the tub and rested his hands on the edge like he was making ready to vault over it. “I’m going to have to dig deep for restraint, because I can’t start off fucking you. No.” His voice became a soft, menacing promise. “I’m going to have to keep my cock out of you for a good long session of foreplay. Tease that little clit of yours, play with it until you scream like you did last night. Your G-spot is so sensitive, you loved having my fingers inside you…”

She was already wet, her pussy aching and empty. It shouldn’t have turned her on so much, except there was a glitter of sincerity in his eyes that was more like determination. He was holding the edge of the hot tub, gripping it. Her heart was racing, her clit throbbing.

“I think that water might be a little too hot for me…right now.” She pushed her swim shorts down and stepped out of them. “But I should warn you, if you come out, I’m going to wrap my fingers around that cock of yours and—”

There was a splash as he vaulted over the side of the tub and landed on his feet. Water slithered down his skin as he slowly stalked her.

They collided like thunder, the sound shaking her and rattling her teeth. Her core felt like it was melting, and she was sort of sure steam was rising off her as he claimed her mouth in a kiss, his fingers cupping her nape as he captured her.

There had never been a more willing victim.

* * *

There was an explosion of laughter from off in the distance where the pool was, and the party was still going strong. Jewel forced her eyes open and found herself staring at the ceiling above the bed that had a spotless mirror attached to it. She got a great view of the man-animal stretched out beside her.

“They might have heard you.” Ramsey rolled over onto his side and lay there grinning with victory. “You screamed really loud…and a…lot.”

He was laughing. Jewel was on her back, her arms flung above her head. She closed her hand around the corner of a pillow and swung it at him.

He raised an arm to block her attack, laughing harder. She flipped over but stopped, because if she hadn’t been sore before, she sure was now. Her body wanted vengeance for what she’d been putting it through. Going after Ramsey seemed a poor choice compared to finding some painkillers.

Ramsey changed moods instantly. “Come on.”

The bed rocked as he stood and reached over to scoop her up.

“I can walk, ya know.”

He carried her out of the suite to the hot tub. “I like claiming you.” The water was still warm, even though the jets had turned off.

“You have control issues.” She settled back against him as the warm water soothed her aching muscles.

“You love the way I come after you,” he countered as he cupped water and rubbed it over her shoulders. “That I don’t behave. It excites you.”

“Maybe.” She sighed. “But I don’t like all of your caveman tactics. I want to talk about Steven.”

“Only if you want to talk me into getting him a partner so he can have set hours off, because you’re worried he isn’t getting his beauty rest.”

She started to push away from him. Ramsey closed his arms around her and held her still, her back to him as she sat between his thighs and reclined on him.

“You don’t know my world, Jewel. It’s vicious at times. You were run off the road within hours of being linked with me.”

She snorted, frustrated by his undisputable logic. He rubbed her arms. “Steven stays.”

“You still should have discussed it with me.”

She felt him nodding against her head. “I was having self-discipline challenges. Couldn’t seem to focus on anything but getting between your thighs.”

“You poor thing.”

He was chuckling again. “It’s been a strain.”

She snorted at him.

He became serious. “I shouldn’t have gone over to Vicky like that. Rage called it right.”

He was still stroking her, cupping the water and keeping her shoulders from getting cold. “I didn’t ask you to change,” she said.

“You didn’t,” he whispered against her hair. “That just makes me a double asshole for not realizing you’re worth straightening up for.”

He held her for a moment longer before there was another outbreak of amusement from the pool area.

“Time to go show my face,” he said. “Sammy didn’t fly us all out here to have us hiding in his guest wing. He wants to discuss details.”

He eased out from behind her and climbed out of the tub. She bit her lower lip as she tried to decide what to do next. He used his thumb to pull her chin down and free her lip.

“He did drop a fair amount of money on this party,” she said.

Ramsey tossed her a towel once she’d climbed out of the tub.

“He’s sharp.” Ramsey used another towel to mop the water off his skin before he moved into the suite and found his pants. “He wants us in the recording studio as soon as the concert tour ends. There’s no contract as of yet, but investing in bringing us here is a drop in the bucket. Especially since Morcant is sniffing around.”

“That would explain the Jurassic Park feeling I got when we showed up.” It also gave her a very unsavory sensation about Quinn Morcant’s offer.

Ramsey flashed a huge smile. “Yeah, there are flesh eaters out there, for sure. But only the ones Sammy’s sure are on his side.”

“So…why didn’t you tell Sammy about Tia? It seems to me he would be a little pissed if he found out about the cherry blossoms.”

Ramsey finished securing his pants and shrugged into his vest. Jewel pulled her swimsuit back on so she could go and find her dress. He brushed her hair back from her face.

“I told you, Jewel. I own my fuckups.”

“Yeah. You do.” It was a compliment, one she truly meant. An acceptance of his apology.

He knew it. For a moment, they stood there, both of them uncertain but chained together by the current of emotion that seemed to bind them.

Another outburst from the pool broke the spell.

“Time to work,” he said. “But first, some more clothes for you.”

“So says the man who walks around in an open vest.”

He clasped her hand and started pulling her down the hallway. “I said I own my fuckups, not that I was going to start playing fair.”