Playing For Love (29 page)

CHAPTER TWENTY

David's big, hard body was wrapped around me, his level breaths warming my ear. Then his arms tightened, pulling me close, and last night filtered through my mind.

His hips pressing to mine, his cock moving inside me, slow and deep. His arm braced across my chest. His labored breath by my ear. “I'd do anything for you. Anything to keep you. Anything,”
I remembered, his whispered words.

“I know you're awake,” he rumbled, breaking me from the sweet memory.

“Mmmm.”

He squeezed me tighter as my hands gripped his solid forearms. My fingers trailed over the bulging veins as he kissed along my shoulder.

“The whole thing yesterday.” His voice was a soft rasp. “About the cheating?” 

My breath caught in my chest, a sick feeling crawling through me. Unable to form words, I nodded.

“I've only had two girlfriends.
Ever
. And they both cheated on me. And the groupie I told you about, she was married and had a kid. Had no idea.”

My breath left me in a rush, relief washing over me
. His abandonment issues combined with that... No wonder.

“So, you don't trust me.” I was surprised how that possibility actually hurt.

“I don't trust your issues. I don't trust that you won't feel
hurt
and go do something to hurt
both
of us.”

He had a valid point.

I had a history of having destructive coping mechanisms. I didn't know what to say, so I just told him the truth.

“I don't
want
to do anything like that to you. And we would never be the same.”

Eventually, he said, “Yesterday, Elaine said I'm smothering you.” He propped up on an elbow, looking down at me and searching my face. “Am I?”

“No.” I smiled. “I
am
going to need to start going places other than the house and the gym, though.”

“Without me?”

“Mmm… Waxing appointments and colonics, definitely.”

His deep, throaty laugh warmed me, making me smile.

“You didn't like yesterday?” he teased.

“Let's just say I don't want to do it again.”

“You're so weird about the fact that you shit.” His crude words were offset by his light tone.

“David—”

“You run upstairs to use the bathroom. You think I don't know why?” he laughed.

My face heated. “I want my own bathroom,” I demanded, mortified at the conversation. “With a lock, and key.”

“It was—” My hands covered his mouth, not wanting this conversation to continue.

“You—
oh, God
. Kill me now.” I tried to pull the covers over my head to hide as David continued to laugh at my humiliation.

Luckily, there was a knock on the door, interrupting David's amusement. He threw the covers back and got up, and then he pulled on the sheet I was hiding under.

“Let go.” His voice was commanding, but patient. I let go and he slowly pulled the sheet away. “Still want to eat on the balcony?”

I gave him a small nod.

David smirked, and walked over to the chair, picking up the discarded robe from last night, tossing it to me.

“Put that on,” he directed as he pulled on his pants.

I struggled to get it on while still sitting in bed. Once I won my fight with the terrycloth dream, David left to answer the door. By the time I stepped out of the room, David was out on the balcony fixing our coffees, the waiter nowhere in sight.

Moving around him, I slid my hand over his firm ass, caressing every contour of those thickly sculpted muscles as I sat on the balcony couch with my back to the sun. David watched me with a questioning look, then he smirked. 

“You're lucky you have a husband who worships you.”

“I don't think it's luck.”

“Probably not,” he muttered wryly. Then under his breath he mumbled, “Gotta feeling several men worship you.”

I didn't think he intended for me to hear him, so I didn't bother correcting him.

When he sat next to me and I cuddled into his side, his steely arm wrapped around me and we ate. After several long moments of silence, he said, “I brought our gym clothes and clothes for you to wear to the shoot. I'm going to stay at the gym, get caught up.”

I turned to look at him, confused. That statement was so unlike David and didn't match anything he said or did last night. Not to mention, yesterday he'd told Elaine he was coming with me.

“You're not smothering me,” I blurted suddenly.

“Sweetheart, I've been ignoring the gym to be with you. And I told that new girl I would do the schedule yesterday—I didn't even go in. Honestly, I can't concentrate with you sitting on the couch we fuck on frequently.”  

I nodded, feeling perversely pleased and disappointed all at once. We did have sex on the office sofa a lot, significantly more than we had sex on the one at home.

“You're
always
my first priority. And you
always
will be,” he assured me. “Fergus'll be with you. But until I can hire a manager for the gym, I have to take care of it.”

“Oh, yeah. Of course.” I couldn't hide my disappointment that he wasn't coming with me and he seemed a little too happy with that.

So much for my girl power, independent thing.

I tried to shake it off as I buried my toes under his thigh and drank my coffee.

Eventually, David declared it was time to leave. I went to figure out my product situation. When I entered the bathroom, all
my
stuff was on the counter. He'd thought of everything.

I finished my morning routine then went back out to the balcony. He and Chance were lounging on the couch.

Crawling into David's lap, straddling him, I cupped his scruffy jaw. His deep eyes watched me in amusement.

“You're the
best
fucking
husband
.
Ever
.” I pressed a hard kiss to his lips.

“Mmmm,” he growled deep in his chest. “What do I get? Is there a prize?”

I watched his lips, his deep voice melting me, his intensity pulling me.

“Me,” I whispered sincerely.

“I can live with that.” He gripped my ass hard.

“Hope so, because you're stuck with me.”

“Good. Makes things easier. Cause you're never getting rid of me.” His lips brushed mine as he spoke, coaxing them open. His tongue slipped in, tasting me with shallow licks. Far too soon, he pulled back. 

I studied his chiseled face: his brows, cheek bones, and lips. He was gorgeous and he was mine.

“Let’s go. We gotta get to the gym,” he interrupted my eye-fuck.

I slowly moved off him. 

“Pick me up after your shoot?” He tossed over his shoulder as he moved into the penthouse. 

“Yeah. You going like that?” I asked when he started picking his clothes up.

“Just gotta toss on a tee and shoes. I’ll do all the other shit at the gym.”

He disappeared around the corner, no doubt cleaning up after me.  

“Call the front desk and ask for the car.” His voice echoed from the bathroom.

When I hung up with the front desk, David was waiting at the door with our bag and Chance. He had on a white tank, jeans, and his boots.... Fuck, he looked good. The veins along his biceps begged me to run my tongue over them.

I tore my eyes away and grabbed my purse, following them out. They were both intimidating as I walked behind them. Chance was perfectly behaved as we passed a waiter in the hallway, unlike David. He didn't say anything, but I could tell from his posture and the waiter's gaze darting away that David did
something
.

“Behave.”

He stopped at the elevator, pressing the call button and looking at me with a boyish innocence. “I didn't do anything.” I huffed a small laugh. He was too cute. The elevator arrived, doors opening. David and Chance were right behind me as I got in. I leaned against the back wall as David pressed the button for the lobby.  “Now,” he purred, turning toward me. His strong forearms caged me in and he leaned close. His stubble brushed my cheek as his nose moved into my hair above my ear, breathing me in. His musky cotton candy smell surrounded me.  

“Now, what?” I whispered.

“This.” His lips met mine, coaxing them wider with soft licks. Then his tongue was pushing into my mouth, exploring sweetly as he kissed me deep. Then deeper.

I moaned at the delicious invasion of his hot, wet tongue gently fucking my mouth. My breasts swelled and my nipples hardened. My pussy viciously pulsed its need. Primed for more. Longing for more.   

He pulled away, leaning against the wall of the elevator, looking as if he hadn't just turned me inside out with that kiss. When he spoke again, he was all business.

“After our workout, sit in the sauna for fifteen minutes.”

It took me a minute longer to shift gears.

“Okay,” I panted, not coherent enough to question him. 

He looked over at me and winked, his sexy smirk making my heart jump. He knew exactly how he affected me, and from the happy gleam in his eyes, he loved it.

The elevator doors opened, plunging me back into the reality. His hand found mine, intertwining our fingers. I had an overwhelming sense of pride as we walked hand in hand through the lobby and out to the car. With Chance on my other side, their big bodies enclosed mine. I felt protected and loved.

David drove us to the gym, taking the back way to avoid the morning highway traffic.

“We agree on the minimal makeup?” he asked, glancing over at me, his hand tugging mine further into his lap. 

“Yeah, but they can just airbrush me into looking like someone else if they want, right?”

“They better not. Talk to Elaine today. She wants to get you a new agent.”

“Okay.”

His tone shifted to a warning. “No nudity today.”

“Not
after
that breakfast,” I muttered.

He'd ordered waffles and omelets. I stupidly ate the waffles.

“I'm serious. Fergus'll be there. If I get a call about you agreeing to that—”

“David, I'm not going to.”

He shifted back to business. “I haven't been listening to or reading Dawn's messages. Aaron and Fergus are dealing with her from here on out. I'm dealing with Zach. You keep ignoring him.”

“That's the plan,” I agreed.   

“Good. So we workout, and then sauna. Your deal shouldn't be more than two and a half hours at the most. This photographer today is good, fast. I won't be done by the time you are. So—”

“Can I go shopping then?” I asked eagerly.

“For what?”

“Clothes, face products, new sheets, and new towels.”

“You want new sheets and towels?” He sounded oddly excited by that.

“Yeah, something that's us. Not you.”

“Yes! Definitely. Do it. Fergus will follow you.”

“Perfect.”

“You don't
mind
Fergus following you?” 

“Does it matter?” I countered flatly.

“Just wondering.” His tone indicated it was much more than that.

“He doesn't like me.” Then I remembered. “I don't like him either.”

David pulled up to the gym's gate, lowered the window, and swiped his card into the machine. When nothing happened, we both looked at the gate, noticing it was badly damaged.

“What the fuck?” he breathed, dialing the gym.

The car filled with ringing.

“Hello?” Kelly answered brightly.

“What happened to the gate?” David demanded.

“I don't know. The guys opened the exit,” she added quickly.

David ended the call and backed out, going around, pulling into the exit, and parking in front.

I got out and grabbed the bag from the backseat, letting Chance out at the same time. David lifted the bag from my shoulder and grabbed Chance’s leash from behind me, his other hand gripping mine.    

He held open the heavy door with one arm as we walked through. Seeing Kelly was at the front desk, I immediately felt guilty for keeping David so occupied the day before.

“I'll have it done today,” David said as we passed her going back to his office. David stopped short, calling to her, “Who got here first?”

“Shawn, he hopped the gate to get in,” she tried to explain.

“Why didn't you call me? Have you looked at the cameras?”

“No, sir.” She was meek. She wouldn't last long around these guys.

Especially Noah.  

I gave her an apologetic smile just before we entered the office, shutting the door.