Dirty Lines (Blurred Lines Volume 4) (3 page)

Chapter 5

I touch a hand to my head, feeling the blond wig. I’d forgotten I had it on.
My mind is swirling with thoughts of Zane and my brother. I can’t believe he’s seen Travis. I follow Zane into the warehouse with every intention of asking him to tell me more, but as soon as I walk inside, Mindy grabs my arm and walks me over to the makeup chair. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah,” I whisper, my voice shaky
. “Why? What’s going on?”

“Nothing serious. Just that Nigel is pissed you and John left. He wants the two of you to run the scene again, but this time I need to tan all your parts.”

“Oh?” I ask, confused.

“Yeah, it seems that they didn’t like your tan lines.”

“Shit.” I’m stressing. I don’t know if I can go through that again. My eyes scan the warehouse for John. He’s sitting on a chair next to the director. They seem to be having a heated conversation and I can’t help but wonder what they’re talking about.

“I know. I’m sorry,” Mindy says.

“Don’t worry about it.” I’m distracted, searching for Zane. It’s like he disappeared.

Mindy lifts a screen and sets it down in front of the chairs. “C
ome over here and let’s get all your parts tanned.”

I move without thought
, untying my robe and letting it drop to my feet.

Mindy turns on the tanning gun and gets to work spraying my breasts. After a couple of sprays, she pauses. “I’m not trying to get fresh, but there’s something on your breast. May I?”

“Sure,” I say, my mind elsewhere.

She picks at it. When it comes off,
she holds it out for me to see. “It feels like wax,” she says, flicking it into the trash. Then she looks at me, her eyes raised in question.

I don’t say anything. There’s no point.

She shrugs and starts spraying again, moving down my stomach to my hips and lower.

“Whoa,” I say, when some of the spray gets between my lips.

“Sorry,” she says, and it’s her turn to blush. After a few more sprays, she stands up straight. “Turn around.”

I do and I hear her suck in her breath.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, looking over my shoulder at her.

She steps close. “Your ass cheeks are the color of ripe cherries. Did Zane
...? Did he…?” she trails off, waiting.

“No, really. I’m not sure what happened. Can you fix it?”

She shakes her head in disbelief. “I’ll do my best.”

The cool liquid
from the spray tan feels good against my ass and I’m sad when she’s done.

“I don’t know if that did any good. It looks like it hurts.” She moves close again. “Would you like me to get you an ice pack?”

I want to kiss her at the suggestion, but I don’t want to make a big deal of it. I don’t want anyone saying anything negative about Zane. Or me and Zane. “If there’s one available, that’d be great.”

Mindy waves her hand. “Of course there is.” She sets the tanning gun down. “I’ll be right back.”

I check my ass in the mirror and see she’s right. With the tan it looks like I’ve spent too much time in the sun.

John’s face is suddenly in the mirror’s reflection. His features are hard.

I turn and face him.

“What happened before—” John grits his teeth. “God, I’m so sorry.” He shakes his head. “I wanted to fuck you, of course. But doing that… with everyone around… it was so unprofessional. Can you forgive me?” He buries his face in his hands.

I step toward him. “John, you have nothing to be sorry for. I was right there with you, enjoying every second.” I pull his hands from his face and hold his gaze. “I’m sorry.”

John chuckles but there’s no joy in it. “Can we agree we won’t do that again?”

I snort. “Yes, let's.”

His features relax. “Then it’s settled.” I see his eyes make their way to my ass cheeks. “What the fuck happened to you? Did I do that? Or,” his hands ball into fists, “Zane. I should kick his perverted, no
-good ass.”

As he speaks, I shake my head. “No, you shouldn’t.
Whatever you think happened, it doesn’t matter. Stay away from him. Okay?”

He doesn’t answer, his eyes still fixed on my ass. I tip his chin. “Okay?”

“If that’s what you want, Cadence.” He turns to leave and then says, “I talked to Nigel. We don’t have to redo the scene. They’ll CG a tan on the parts that bother them.”

“Really?” I’m relieved.

“Yeah, so we’re done for the day.”

Chapter 6

As soon as John leaves, Mindy returns. “Here’s the ice pack, but it looks like you
're done for the day.”

“That’s what John said.”

Mindy picks up the robe and I put it on. I sit in the chair and she pulls off the wig and the nylon cap, and then takes my hair out of the ponytail. Picking up a brush, she gently runs it through my hair. “Your clothes are over there.” She points in the direction of the wardrobe area, where I changed.

“Thanks, Mindy. For all your help.”

She looks as tired as I feel. “Sure.”

I quickly change back int
o my clothes and walk toward the front of the warehouse. Lincoln is talking to Mindy.

When Lincoln sees me coming toward them, he says something to Mindy and she walks away.

I can’t help but want to be nosy. “Did you ask her out?”

His aviator glasses are off so it’s easy to see his dark eyes change, but only slightly. “We’re going to meet for drinks later.”

“Nice.”

In response he puts on his glasses and we head to the limo.

Once inside, he tilts his rearview mirror so he can see me. “Mr. Zane is already at the hotel.” I notice a slight change in his voice. It never ceases to surprise me that this big man is actually a good man. It’s strange to think about after the way he broke down my door the night we met. He was just doing his job. I know that now. But he seems almost protective of me, and I can’t help but wonder what his story is. What makes a man choose the line of work he’s in? What makes a person work for someone like John Zane?

Even as the question runs through my mind I cringe.
Because I work for him, too.

“Thanks, Lincoln.”

He nods. “You’re welcome.” He starts the car and drives.

I buckle my seatbelt and make myself a drink.
Ice and bourbon. Simple. Strong. After the day I’ve had, it’s exactly what I need.

And when it’s gone, I make myself another. By the time
that one's gone I’m feeling much more relaxed.

Lincoln stops the limo at the entrance to the hotel and lets me out. We walk to the elevator together and ride it in silence. When it opens on the thirteenth floor I get out, but he doesn’t come with me.

I look back at him, a question on my face.

“Just
be yourself, Cadence. It’s what drew him to you.”

The elevator doors close.
I stand there a moment, surprised by the comment.

Be myself?

Just this morning I pondered what that would be like. It was along the lines of being bait, but still. I have no idea who I am, other than a hooker.

Sure
, I have dreams. Desires.

Who the fuck knows
, I think and sigh.

I reach the door and use the keycard and open it.

“Zane,” I call. He isn’t in the kitchen area or the living room either. The curtains are pulled back though, and I can’t help but admire the view. It dawns on me that this suite is an exact replica of John Cruze’s, only everything is flipped.

I move to the windows. It’s dusk and the setting sun is sending its last rays shimmering across the water. It’s breathtaking.

And for some reason that makes me sad.

Strong arms circle my waist. I lean against him, no fight left in me. He presses the side of his face against my head and kisses my hair. “I’ve made you a bath,” he says softly.
“Come with me.”

He takes my hand and gently pulls
me into the bedroom. I let him remove my clothes. The bathroom is filled with the scent of lavender. The smell immediately relaxes me.

Zane helps me step into the gigantic tub. The water is warm. The jets are on and bubbles caress the surface. I sit against one of the jets and let it gently pound on my lower back.

He dims the lights. “Enjoy.” Then he closes the door and is gone.

Tension I didn’t know I
had immediately leaves my shoulders. I lean back and rest my head against a white towel, take a deep breath and close my eyes.

The day
's events pummel my mind and, try as I might, I can’t make them go away. The moment with John was so fucking hot. I think part of the turn on was the fact that there were others watching. I don’t know what that says about me as a person, but I liked the idea that someone might know what we were actually doing.

The look on Zane’s face afterward is one I’ll never forget. It was a combination of anger, jealousy, and
, I now realize, pain.

I hurt his feelings.

That probably pissed him off more than anything.

But he said he’d hurt my brother…
"make him suffer" were the words he used. More than anything, I need more information. I want to know what Zane knows.

Chapter 7

There’s a soft knock on the door. I open my eyes and watch Zane come into the bathroom. He’s naked
, his perfectly toned body shadowed against the dim lights.

“Mind if I join you?”

“Do I have a choice?” I ask softly.

Zane stops and looks at me
, his face expressionless. “You always have a choice. I thought you chose to be with me for six months. If you’ve changed your mind, we can talk about that.” He takes a step forward. “As for this moment, if you’d rather me not join you, then I can leave.”

A part of me wants to tell him to get the fuck out. But it’s a very small part. The rest of me is already singing praises to what it knows he can do to my body
, the ways he makes me feel more alive than I’ve ever felt.

That part wins out. “I want you, Zane.”

His expression darkens, turns lustful. I realize I know nothing about this man. At that moment, I determine to really get to know him.

Zane steps into the tub. When he’s seated he pulls me over and turns me so my body rests against his. His cock hardens and I feel it pushing against my lower back.

I rest my head against his shoulder.

“I want you.
All of you,” Zane whispers. His breath against my hair and his words in my ear make my body tingle. Goosebumps tighten my flesh and I press my body against his.

After that, it’s a flurry of hunger. Need, even.
To forget. To feel.

I turn in his arms, straddle him, and his mouth is on mine.
Forceful, urgent. I bite his lower lip, suck on it. He draws my tongue into his mouth. The kiss is so deep I feel it all the way down.

His hands move to my waist and he slides his cock into my pussy.

We both groan at the pleasure.

“God, you feel good.”
He holds me to him so that I’m filled up inside. Our eyes meet and we search the other’s face. “I mean it, Cadence. I want all of you. Every last inch of you to be mine.”

His words make my throat tighten and the butterflies in my stomach stretch and yawn in delicious ecstasy. But I don’t know what to say, how to respond. My emotions are all over the place. Except I know one thing. “Fuck me,” I whisper.

Zane closes his eyes a moment. Opens them. Then slowly lifts me off his cock. I gasp at the pleasure. He pushes me slowly back onto him and we start a rhythm. Slow. Intense. Filled with an incredible heat. I lean into him and press a soft kiss to his lips. Then another. I let my hands wander the muscles on his shoulders, down his arms to his thick biceps and to his taut chest and down his abs.

He kisses me and our rhythm intensifies.

Zane pulls away, leaning his head back against the tub. I kiss his neck, his shoulders, every inch of him I can reach.

Water sloshes over the edges but we’re both too into the way our bodies feel together to care.

Zane’s eyes are closed, his long lashes wet and parted. His hair is longer than when we first met and it curls slightly at the ends. His hands move from my waist to my breasts. He cups them. Opens his eyes and teases my nipples until they’re hardened.

We move together faster. His body tenses and I know he’s going to come soon. Mine is
coming too, but I don’t want it to end, so I stop.

He looks at me. “What’s wrong?”

I give him a sly grin. “I need pain with my pleasure, Mr. Zane.”

His face lights up like a Christmas tree. “Do you?”

“Most definitely.”