Rock Me Two Times (25 page)

“He did say he was taking the position himself if we didn’t get someone for you,” Ramsey admitted. “Besides, we don’t know who doped you.”

“So until we discover the source, you need a pair of eyes on you,” Syon finished.

“I’ll look out for myself, now that I know there is a problem.” And that was going to be the end of it. She picked up a plate and started filling it. The topic changed, turning to something lighter as they teased one another. But suspicion tingled on her neck, because she caught glances among them from time to time.

* * *

“Are you tired?”

Kate looked up to find Syon leaning against the sliding glass door’s frame. The door was open, letting the breeze in. The sun was starting to set.

“No.”

He looked at her skeptically.

“My internal clock is flipped. Besides, I slept most of the day,” she said. “I need my shop set up. I know you’re behind the crew not doing it.”

The crew had been holding her shop hostage, and none of the polo-shirted guys were willing to give her a straight answer when she asked to have it set up. Syon offered her only a shrug. “The doctor said rest.”

“I’m full up on resting,” she assured him. “We’re talking stir-crazy time.”

“Then get dressed. It’s date night.”

Kate sat up. “Really? Cid’s going to have something to say about that.”

Syon’s expression hardened. “Yeah. We all sort of came to that conclusion too. Get dressed.”

Kate disappeared into the bathroom, trying to decide what vibe was dancing through the air. She was no closer to pinpointing it when she finished dressing.

When she finished, Ramsey was lounging on the sofa, wearing a pair of black jeans for a change. He jumped up when she emerged.

Taz and Drake fell in with them on the way down the hall. Drake was grinning from ear to ear. “Pub night,” he exclaimed. “I need to hear English spoken correctly.” His voice had taken on a very British accent.

“Just to be clear,” Ramsey said to Drake, “I am not putting anything into my mouth called ‘spotted dick.’”

“This from the man who encouraged me to have octopus?” she asked.

Ramsey grinned at her as they started to pile into an SUV. “Octopus is good for you. Spotted dick, not so sure.”

“It’s custard,” Drake stated like a schoolmaster. “And I’ve seen some of the things you put your mouth on.”

“Only because you were behind me in line,” Ramsey answered.

Taz hooted.

Syon sat beside Kate, massaging her nape as they wove through the streets. She could tell when they were nearing the section of town were the restaurants were. The sidewalks were better lit, and more people were about. Their driver edged up in front of a place that had a mock shake-shingle roof and a red police call box outside it. Their driver paid no mind to the red curb, but pulled right up to let them unload in front of the door.

The pub was darker inside than most restaurants. A huge wooden bar stretched along half of it and people were sitting up at it as well as occupying small, round tables.

“We’ve got to grab a spot. Trivia night is popular,” Drake said. He dove into the section with the tables, managing to convince a pair of older guys to hop over a table so they could all sit together.

“Trivia night?” Kate asked.

Syon looked up from the beer menu and nodded. “Drake likes to think he’s brighter than the rest of us.”

“Sometimes, we even let him win,” Ramsey added, “’cause we hate to see him pout.”

A waitress with a Scottish accent came by, taking down their orders. A man stood up and got everyone’s attention. Somehow, Kate had never realized that trivia could be such an intense competition. The air in the bar became thick with tension. Teams hunkered down over their answer sheets, guarding their knowledge. It seemed that bragging rights were indeed coveted. The topics ranged from science to mythology.

Ramsey threw his hands up in the air when they managed to pull off a tie with another team. He howled with the victory, until the waitress showed up with their prize.

“Spotted dick,” Drake said with a smirk. “How sweet victory is.”

Ramsey tossed a crumpled-up napkin at him.

“Oh…where’s your sense of adventure?” Kate demanded. She picked up a spoon and dove into the dessert.

“Are you really going to eat dick right here in front of us?” Ramsey asked.

Kate choked on the custard, shooting Ramsey a killing look. But she pulled the spoon out of her mouth slowly, making Drake snicker.

It was a low-key sort of night, but she discovered that she cherished being part of the moment . They made it back to the hotel and found Cid waiting for them. The road manager had a smile on his lips, but there was something about his eyes that made Kate think he was forcing a professional look.

Tension tingled on her nape as the members of Toxsin stayed close to her, making their way to the elevators and on up to the penthouse floor. They all pounded each other’s fists before breaking formation and going different directions in the hallway.

Syon had just closed the door to their suite when she asked, “What was that about?”

“Cid needs to be reminded that we’re more than a wild bunch of animals.” He captured one of her hands and raised it to his lips. “But I don’t want to talk about Cid.”

He lifted her hand and turned her around under her arm. Her skirt flared out as he did it a couple more times, twirling her across the suite until they were at the sliding glass door. He stopped and came up behind her, enclosing her in his embrace as they looked out on the balcony.

“I don’t want to do anything except seduce you.” His voice was a whisper next to her ear. “We’ve fucked, but we haven’t made love…”

She shuddered.

“Like the sound of that?”

He moved her farther out the door. There was a private Jacuzzi on the balcony. Several candles were set up around it, their lit wicks the only source of light, giving off a soft golden hue that heightened the sense of intimacy.

Syon kissed her neck, nuzzling against her sensitive skin. She leaned her head to the side as he gathered up her hair and pressed a row of tender kisses against her throat.

The candles had a soft jasmine scent, but she enjoyed the scent of Syon’s skin more, his own personal musk. She turned and buried her nose in his shoulder, inhaling deeply as she stroked his chest.

“Fingertips are amazing things…aren’t they?” he said. Syon leaned back and laid his fingers against her collarbone. “So sensitive…so simple…”

He traced her collarbone, and then down across the bare skin exposed by her neckline. He reached the fabric and slowly dove beneath it.

She was holding her breath, poised on the edge of sensation as she waited for him to touch her breast. He’d done it before, but tonight, anticipation was driving her slowly mad. He finally succeeded, his warm fingers cupping the tender mound, and she let out a contented little sigh.

“I want to stroke you,” he said.

“Alright.” Kate took a step back. It was a sweet torment, feeling his fingers slipping away from her flesh. But there was a reward in the look glittering in his eyes. In that moment, he was hers, devoted to her, fixated on her as she released the buttons holding her dress closed. The fabric sagged, and he reached out to ease it over her shoulders. It slithered down her body to puddle at her feet, leaving her in her underwear.

She reached behind her and unhooked her bra. With it undone, her breasts lowered.

“Perfect.” Syon moved forward, cupping them, smoothing his thumbs over her nipples until they began to pull tight.

She worked the buttons on his shirt, opening it so she could touch him and flatten her hands on his chest. He made a soft sound of male enjoyment. His eyes slipped closed as she ran her fingertips through the crisp hair on his chest. He satisfied every type of sensation: touch, scent, and even those she hadn’t really realized she had.

Like the need to have her desire for intimacy fulfilled.

He stepped back and stripped. The sound of his jeans and shirt being shucked drifted to her ears. He stepped forward again and caught the edges of her panties where they hugged her hips, slowly kneeling as he pulled them down. He left them at her ankles and buried his nose in her curls.

She fought the urge to step back, trying to find the courage to stand steady. He rose back up until he towered over her. Her insides were tightening, excitement prickling along her skin. He slid a hand into her hair and held her steady before sealing his lips over hers.

He took his time with the kiss, teasing her with soft compressions before deepening the touch. All the while, he kept her head prisoner to his whim.

She wanted more.

Kate rose onto her toes, seeking out a deeper kiss. Syon didn’t disappoint her. He opened his mouth, pressing her lips apart and teasing her tongue with his.

She made a sound that was purely sensual. A moan, possibly a growl.

All she knew was he tasted good.

His arm came around her, securing her against his hard frame as they continued to kiss. His cock was pressed between them, feeling out of place. She wanted it inside her. She lifted her leg, leaving her panties on the floor. She hooked it around his hip, clearing a path to her throbbing center.

“Not yet,” Syon warned her. He climbed up the steps to the spa, down into the bubbling water, and offered her his hand.

She took it and smiled as she stepped into the water. It wasn’t too hot, making it easy to follow Syon down into it.

Her lover…

The term fit the moment. Syon pulled her gently into his lap, easing her onto his length. As she sank lower, the water bubbled up around her waist, teasing her skin, his cock satisfying the ache inside her.

“That’s right where I want you, Kate.”

His tone was full of demand. He cupped her hips, controlling their pace. She let him lead, let him take her through a pace that was slow and easy. Need was blistering her insides, but the tempo built the pleasure until it was glowing red-hot. Controlling it intensified it. Syon’s jaw was tight, the muscles along his neck corded, but he didn’t start hammering her.

She leaned forward and kissed his neck, continuing with the pace, slowly riding the rising wave. Their breathing accelerated, their gazes meeting as they neared the point of breaking. It broke with a rolling motion that churned through her. Not in a hard snap, but in a tumbling motion that lasted. She cried out, arching back to press herself against him. His grip tightened, his cock bursting as he pushed upward into her with sharp little thrusts.

He pressed her against his chest, still buried inside her as the rapture encased them. Slowly stroking her, petting her, cherishing her. If there was another person alive on the globe, she wasn’t aware of them. In fact, she wasn’t sure where Syon ended and she began. It felt like their heartbeats had fused. Just like their bodies.

It was by far the most intimate moment of her life.

* * *

“Stay in tonight.”

Kate looked over at Syon, feeling like the breath had just left her lungs. He was watching her from beneath narrowed eyes.

“I thought you liked having me at the show.”

Something crossed his face. “That was before you ended up getting hurt. I’ll be fine.”

It felt like he was cutting her from his life, and she didn’t like it.

“It’s not like I can’t handle it. Someone slipped me a roofie.”

He let out a sigh. “I know, and I’m not any closer to finding out who did it, so…”

“So what?” Kate came closer. “The vibe coming off you is curling my toes, and not in a good way.”

“Don’t be pissed, Kate. I can’t back down when it comes to your safety.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m going to be hurt if you tell me you don’t want me to come tonight. Not pissed. This is personal, between us. Because you want me there, I know you do, and I don’t want to see you cutting me from your life because we had some bad luck. That’s the difference between hooking up and being in a relationship. Boyfriend.”

He reached out and stroked her jaw, a hint of satisfaction flickering in his eyes. “Fine. We’ll do it your way.”

Suspicion tingled on her nape. The feeling that she’d just stepped into a trap came over her.

He moved to the door and opened it. Standing in the hallway was a lean-looking Asian man. He was dressed in a dark suit, with only a half inch of spiky hair on his head, and was at least six feet tall.

“Meet Yoon. Your bodyguard.”

Syon offered the guy a nod before he shut the door. Satisfaction was definitely glowing in his eyes now.

“Don’t be so pigheaded,” Kate argued. “I told you, I don’t need a bodyguard.”

“And we all agreed that making sure you’re taken care of is a better way to go than the lot of us getting thrown in jail.”

Well, she had to concede that point. “That’s a tad unfair.”

“So is the way we react to each other. I lose my head; you lose your head.”

“I just won’t drink,” she offered, “until the show is over.”

“That won’t solve the problem with the press.”

“I’m a little new to this lifestyle. I’ll get better at it,” she said. “It should be my choice.”

Syon shook his head. “No, it’s not. It’s mine, and the rest of the guys agree.”

He was halfway out of the door when she realized he had every intention of leaving her with her escort.

“You can’t just find me glorified pet sitters.”

Syon flipped around and stepped up so they were nose to nose when she raised her chin.

“I have to concentrate, Kate, and I can’t do that when I’m worried about you being in danger.” He caught her shoulders. “Don’t be difficult, or I swear I will promise him a fat bonus if he doesn’t lose you the entire night. He’ll stand outside the bathroom door.”

“That is insane,” she stated. “You’re insane.”

“Yeah, like I said, you make me insane.”

He pressed a hard kiss against her mouth, absorbing her protest and working his lips against hers until she melted and kissed him back.

Damn him.

She couldn’t think.

She never could when he touched her. The current was flowing between them, burning off everything else. Reality was just a puff of smoke.