Love By Design (11 page)

Russ wanted to reach out and trace his finger from the top of her spine down to the hollow of her back. Then do the same with his lips. He wasn’t nearly finished exploring the tapestry of Victoria’s skin. He blew out a breath and sat up next to her. “I’m covering for a friend over at the Thunder Down Under Male Revue.”

“Please tell me you’re a bartender.”

“Well …”

“Oh my God, you’re a stripper?”

This was bad. Though the look on her face wasn’t anger; no, it was more like horror. But Russ knew mad wasn’t far away. “I’m just filling in. And they prefer the term dancer.”

“Do you take off your clothes?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Then you’re a stripper.”

“I’m just helping a friend out,” he repeated.

“Oh yeah, you’re a saint.”

He rubbed the stubble on his face. “Never said I was.”

She bowed her head in her hands. “I just had sex with a stripper.”

“Victoria—”

“And you didn’t even shower!” She exaggerated a shiver like she caught a terminal disease.

“I did, it’s just hard to wash off this gunk.”

“Oh my God, you didn’t … and then come here … and … and …”

Russ knew exactly want she was getting at. “No, no.” Before she could dissolve into female hysterics Russ added, “I wanted you.”

He reached out but she slapped his hand away.

“After that kiss—”

“You left to take off your clothes for what, hundreds of women?”

“Guess that’s a mood killer?”

“I feel dirty and not in a good way.”

“Come on cupcake, it’s all in good fun.”

“Do NOT call me cupcake. EVER!” Victoria struggled to stand up, wobbling a bit.

He grabbed her calves to steady her. Her skin was smooth as a pearl. He couldn’t help sliding his hand up her thighs as she tried to tug the body skimming skirt back into position. He pushed it up.

“This is NEVER going to happen again.”

He raised an eyebrow. “That’s what you said in the bathroom and just look at us now.” His head found its way under her skirt and he placed a tender kiss on her clit.

“Oh.”

“I want to taste you again.” He’d make her mindless. Make her need him. Before he was done she’d be begging him to dance for her. He licked the folds of her sex. Her thighs trembled against his face.

“This … isn’t … fair.”

Good, he had her panting. “All’s fair in—” He stopped before the word love came out of his mouth. That was close. He didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. Not that the cynical Victoria would have believed it. But his playful and vulnerable cupcake might. He flicked his tongue.

“Okay, one more time.”

She tried to lie back down, but Russ didn’t let her.

“I’m going to fall.”

“I gotcha, cupcake.”

“I told you—”

His lips clamp down and sucked, his tongue swirled. Her words turned to short, breathless whimpers. Then moans. Her legs quivered as her hands worked their way into his hair urging him on. Russ liked a woman who knew she wanted in and out of bed. It was a turn-on to please a woman. And Victoria was one turned on woman.

Her thighs nearly crushed his skull as she came again and again. Then, he gently laid her down and reached for his wallet for another condom. Russ kept it well stocked with three. Anymore and he would just be showing off.

“On your back,” ordered Victoria as she drew herself up to sit on the back of her heels.

The woman with the ‘a hair never out of place’ looked like a cavewoman who had just been ravaged by her caveman boyfriend. And if the smile on her face was any indication, wanted to ravage him back. His cock twitched with anticipation.

Russ gave a salute. “Yes, ma’am,” said Russ with an added Australian flavor to his voice.

She straddled his hips and engulfed him with her searing heat. A fever shot through his body as she rode him. He wanted to throw Victoria on her back and take her but he was doing this her way. This time. But next time? Oh yeah, she was going to pay for the way she drove him wild with need.

Yeah, Russ liked a woman who knew what she wanted in bed, but he was the one used to giving it to her. Not Victoria though. No, she took what she wanted like he was her sex slave to use as she willed. The little minx relished in her role as the dominator and in the process made him harder than he’d ever remembered being. Made him want to explode and it took all of his control not to.

Then she slowed the pace and he nearly growled out in frustration.

“Tell me, my Aussie handyman. How do you like it?”

Oh man, she wouldn’t be calling him a handyman if she were aware of the costume he wore up on stage. At least she didn’t consider him a sex slave. Not that he really minded. “Why don’t you show me what I want?”

An evil smile lit up her face. And she proceeded to show him exactly what he wanted and didn’t even know he did. She teased him. Fast, slow, then fast again, then slow. He was going to come with or without her. “You really are trying to kill me, aren’t you?” he asked through clenched teeth.

“Should I show mercy?”

“Yes, I think I’m about to have a religious experience.”

She laughed then rode him hard and he prayed that she wouldn’t let up this time. And she didn’t and he let himself go as he heard her cry out her own release.

Victoria might have accused him of falling right to sleep, but Russ seriously thought he’d passed out. As in lost all consciousness. He didn’t remember her getting off of him or her curling into a ball with her back to him. She was a good two feet away from his prone body. He flopped to his side and pulled her close to him.

She tried to pull away. “What are you doing?”

“Just getting some ASS.”

“Excuse me?”

“Calm down. It stands for after sex snuggle.”

“Oh, more Australian lingo?”

“No, just made it up.”

“You’re weird.” But she settled next to him just the same.

He’d questioned his decision to come to New York countless times since he arrived, but now with Victoria spooned up against him, it felt right. Surely, there was no one like her in LA. Hell, probably in the whole damn world.

“Russ?” she said in a sleepy voice.

“Hmmm?” He smoothed her hair back as he waited for some sort of sappy admission. No, not his Victoria. She was more apt to tell him that this wasn’t going to happen again.
Yeah, right.

“You can’t tell anyone.”

His hand stopped in mid-stroke. Ouch, he did not expect that. Though she was right, no one could know. He didn’t want a repeat of what happened back home. And this time it would be the truth; he had sex with his co-host. Still, his male pride demanded to ask, “What? That I rocked your world.”

“Mmmmmm.”

Russ let out a small chuckle. Yeah, no one in the whole damn world.

Chapter 15

V
ictoria panicked. “It’s not going to fit.”

“Will so,” grunted Russ.

“It’s too big.”

“No such thing.”

“Cut!” yelled Stephen

Victoria tore her attention away from Russ’s flexing muscles as he tried to maneuver a fifty-two-inch television into the spot she had created for a fifty-inch one. This wouldn’t have happened if Neil was here. He would have known to check her measurements. Then again Neil wouldn’t be wearing a tight white t-shirt with the sleeves cut off. Nor would she have cared if he had. “What’s wrong?”

“This is a family show,” said Stephen.

She gave him a confused look.

“You two sound like a bad porno flick.”

Stephen had it wrong. She and Russ could make one hell of a sex tape. Hall of Fame material. Or rather the Hall of Shame. It was wrong to mess around in somebody else’s home. Even worse not to feel guilty about it.

“Maybe, if we use some lubricant,” Russ said with a smile in Victoria’s direction.

She bit back a smile of her own. Russ was a snug fit, but no lubricant needed when it came to him. She was hot, wet, and ready for him—even now. And everyone would know it if she didn’t stop ogling him like the she imagined women at his show did. Victoria couldn’t wrap her mind around the fact that Russ stripped downtown. If the network found out he could be fired. If the network found out he was her private dancer she’d be fired. And that was the least of it. The paparazzi would never leave her alone and it had been a peaceful two years since a photo appeared in the paper. When the tabloids joked she had a revolving door busier than the one outside JFK Airport with her steady stream of athletes, actors, and wealthy men she dated, she stopped partying and clubbing and become boring in the eyes of their lenses.

The wild child heiress to a small fortune had become respectable. Even her mother had been pleased—for once. If Page Six got a whiff of her tryst with Russ, her co-host stripper, her career was done.

What would her mother say if she found out?
How could you?

What would Ava say?
How am I ever going to top that?

What would Neil say?
How much for Russ to give me a lap dance?

What was she going to tell Neil? He’d left five messages since last night. She shouldn’t have told him about Russ kissing her. How was she going to come up with a feasible story? She was a good liar when she wanted to be. Deceit was a requirement when dealing with her mother. But she had never lied to Neil. Or Ava. They told each other everything. But if she expected Russ to keep it a secret then it wouldn’t be fair for her to go and brag about it. And oh, how she wanted to brag.

Victoria sighed as she glanced back to Russ, who was still fussing with the TV. It was a designer’s biggest challenge to work with a TV of any size, never mind the monster in front of her. Mr. Johnson was adamant that it stayed. When she had looked to Mrs. Johnson for help she merely shrugged her shoulders saying, “It’s a small indulgence.” Maybe figuratively it was, but literally? Victoria didn’t understand the appeal of such a large screen. She supposed it was a guy thing. The bigger the better.

Though she wasn’t going to complain about Russ’s ten inches, was she? Oh, no. “Maybe you can rip off the top shelf?” she asked, trying to be helpful.

“I got it.” With a bit off jostling, Russ slid the TV into place. Taking a step back he put his hands on his hips surveying the result, then threw Victoria a cocky smile. “Told you it would fit.”

She was too distracted by the memory of his arms around her as they slept until dawn to care about his ‘told you so’ statement. Despite only getting three hours of sleep, she was on a high not even Sleeping Beauty was on after being awakened with a kiss by her prince. Of course Russ was no prince. And they did a lot more than kiss. He was just a down under gorgeous Aussie male who liked to snuggle.

Victoria didn’t see that one coming. She was always so careful not to do the after-sex-close thing, always letting the guy take the lead when it came to that. She thought most guys didn’t enjoy it and she couldn’t bear being pushed away. Then again most guys only did the minimal when it came to foreplay but Russ had it down to a science. No, an art.

The crew stared at her with their mouths open. Apparently, she had a reputation to uphold. The ‘I told you so’ remark had to be addressed, otherwise the staff would get suspicious. Victoria hoped Russ would play along. “Well, if you had built it right in the first place, we wouldn’t all be standing around waiting for you to correct it.”

His eyes narrowed in that sexy way of his. “Me?” He stalked over to where she stood as the crew pretended to look away. “I was only following your plans.”

“You mean those quick little sketches I drew up? Neil would have re-checked my measurements.” She thought she saw a flash of jealousy cross his face. But why? He knew Neil was gay. Perhaps it was professional jealousy? She risked a wink at Russ to convey that she wasn’t seriously blaming him for the snafu.

He tilted his head slightly, his hair falling across his face. His hand combed the strands back in place. “Oh, I’m sorry, I wasn’t aware Ms. Design Diva was ever wrong.”

Even though he winked back his comment still stung. He didn’t have to give as good as he got. At least the crew would think the two hated each other. “I wasn’t wrong. I merely mis-calculated.”

He threw back his head and laughed. “By two inches?”

“Measure twice, and cut once.” She threw up two fingers then one for effect.

“I know the saying,” he said tightly.

“If Neil were here—”

“But he’s not so until he gets back you’re stuck with me.” Russ pointed his thumb to his chest.

“You are such a—”

“Cut! Cut!” yelled Stephen.

She looked around. “But we’re not even filming.”

“Yeah, but we should be!” The director tapped on his watch. “Now both of you take ten and cool off. Victoria, go see make-up. You’re looking a bit flushed.”