Survival of the Fiercest (10 page)

“Evan, your phone,” I say, shifting to rise.

He puts a palm on my belly. “Ignore it,” he murmurs without lifting his head.

“But—”

“Shhh.” His arms lock around my hips, bringing me closer to his mouth. My words trail off into a moan. His pace is steady and firm as he nibbles, licks, and sucks me into a frenzy. I’m going to lose it, recognizing the faint pre-orgasm tremors that have started to rack my body.

I brace myself as a thousand-volt orgasm rolls over me. I gasp for air, my loosened hair flops into my face, and I buck against his lips as I come. He tongues me through it, pulling my hips forward, working me until my trembling stops.

I’m vaguely aware that he is asking me if I’m okay, but I’m mute and wobbly from the aftermath.

“You’re sexy when you come.” Evan leans over me.

“That was amazing,” I say.

“You’re amazing,” he murmurs.

“Evan, I need you,” I plead.

“You want me?” he asks, propping himself in the cradle of my thighs. The ache that his tongue and fingers have left is almost painful. I need to be filled. His heated look meets mine, and I see satisfaction in his eyes. He knows exactly what he’s doing to me.

“Yes,” I sigh.

“Here?” Evan pushes the blunt head of his erection between my folds and holds himself at my entrance.

“Please,” I beg, thrusting my hips forward, frantic to have him inside me. Behind him, the one-way glass walls twinkle with the club lights, and I’m excited to fuck him while people scurry below. I have never been an exhibitionist, but tonight I want to be. I want to be a lot of things with him. Sexy, strong, fearless.

We kiss, and I taste myself, which makes me even hotter. I’m moving to take off my dress when he stills my hands. Confused, I tip my face to his.

Evan lets out a ragged breath. “Don’t look at me like that. Do you know how hard it is not to pound into you right now?” He leans over me and cups the back of my head. “I don’t want our first time to be sprawled on this couch. I want you in my bed. We’re leaving.”

Evan helps me up and gently rights my clothes. His warm palm comes to rest on the back of my neck, and his thumb caresses my rapid pulse. It feels nice. As I step toward him, my hip brushes against the hard ridge of his erection, and we both gasp. I’ve never wanted anyone like I want him.

“I’ll have my car pulled around,” he says urgently.

“I’d like to go to the ladies’ room,” I say.

“Sure. Of course,” he says, dropping a kiss on my lips.

We are grinning at each other like idiots when his phone goes off again. I catch his glance at the clock across the room before his attention comes back to me.

“Evan, you need to get that.”

“I have managers.”

“Who are probably calling you. It’s okay.”

He looks at me for a long moment before blowing out a frustrated sigh and grabbing his phone from his jeans. “What’s up, man,” he says into the phone.

Feeling like an eavesdropper, I put on my heels and head for the door.

He scowls at me.
No panties
, he mouths, following my movements.
No problem
. I don’t see them anywhere.

“Fuck,” Evan says, jerking his shirt closed. He gives me a solemn look. “I’ll be right back. The bathroom is down the hall. I’ll meet you back here.”

“Okay. Is everything all right?”

“I’m not sure,” he says. Before I can register or even respond, his lips touch mine, and he is out the door.

I double back to the tinted window and see Evan hurrying down the stairs. An involuntary smile crosses my face, but my smile wavers when I see him cross the floor to a girl with streaked hair.

Josie.

Evan grabs her arm, but she jerks it back and tips into a large tattooed guy who is stepping up to Evan. They exchange heated looks until Evan reaches around the guy, takes Josie by the hand, and marches her out of sight. What the fuck? Quickly finding my clutch, I head through the crowded lounge area to the balcony that overlooks the dance floor. But I don’t see them anymore. I’m on my way back when I hear a screech and Evan’s voice.

Evan sees me out of the corner of his eye. His face softens, and he is about to say something when Josie sees me and steps up.

“Stay the hell away from us.” She sneers.

“I’ll handle it. Go to the lounge,” says Evan.

“Tell your boss I’m with someone else now!” she screams at me, clutching on to Evan.

The walls close in on me. They
are
together. And she knows I am writing the piece for Viper. That lying sack of shit! He probably just said all those things so I wouldn’t write about them. And he hooked up with me to seal the deal. Instead of the supportive friend and savior of the street kids I thought he was, he turned out to be the typical model-banging player. Oh my God, how could I be so stupid?

Evan is coming toward me, but I turn and rush out of the club. Out in the street, I run around the corner to the gallery entrance and hail a cab back to the W. I’m in the back of the car when my phone goes off. Evan’s number flashes, but I send it to voice mail. Instead I call Randy.

“Hot ‘n’ Sexy at your service,” Randy answers. If I wasn’t devastated, I’d laugh.

“Josie is cheating on Skinny with Evan for sure,” I say.

“For reals?”

“One hundred percent,” I say. “Do me a favor. I’m going to send you a revision to the piece. Update it and schedule it to run first thing in the morning. I can’t trust myself to post it. I’m afraid I’ll chicken out.”

“Done,” he says. “Lex, are you okay? You sound upset.”

“No, boo, I’m good. Fierce is back. I’m great.” I swipe at the tear that rolls down my cheek. “Talk to you later.”

The floodgates in my eyes open after I hang up. I’ve been a fool. He’s not the guy I thought he was. He’s just another playboy who wants money, fame, and girls.

Another 415 call comes through, and I turn off my phone. I take a look at San Francisco as we tear past and say a silent sayonara. I’m gonna get my contract, and then I’m going home.

Chapter Twelve

The shower at the hotel is heaven. The black tiles and rainforest showerhead emulate a tropical waterfall that sluices away every image I have of Josie and Evan or of Evan and me. Evan seems to have no shortage of girls waiting in the wings.
Bastard
. Not fifteen minutes after I came all over Evan’s couch, there was Josie yelling at me to go tell my boss that she is with another man. Don’t worry, Ms. Pink. I’m telling the world.

I shut off the water, wrap my hair in a towel, and throw on the fluffy robe. Passing my laptop, I see an e-mail from Randy. He took my revision and updated the piece. I scan the attachment, send him an approval, and delete the message trail. I don’t want to look at it ever again. My phone is on the desk, but it’s still off. And it’s staying off.

The clock says it’s a little past midnight. Pulling the towel from my hair, I shrug off my robe and then dig through my bag for a clean T-shirt. My hand gets caught in my silver chemise with the black lace trim. Ugh! I forgot I tossed it in my bag. The satin hangs seductively from my fingers. With a shrug, I slip it on, and oddly, the cool satin makes me feel a little bit better.

Punching the Sleep button, I fall into bed, then cringe—my panties are still in his office somewhere. I roll away from the memory of Evan and shut my eyes until a loud double ring fills my room. I punch the Wake button and grab the receiver of the hotel phone as the lights go back on.

“Hello?”

“Miss Martine, a Mr. Randy is downstairs.” Randy? Oh, my phone is off. He must have forgotten my room number.

“Send him up,” I say. I’m tying my robe when the knock on the door comes.

“Randy, why are you in the lobby?” I ask as I open the door.

My heart slams in my chest as Evan stands there with a determined look on his face. Anger and disappointment rush through me.

“Oh, hell no,” I say and try to shut the door, but Evan pushes back firmly.

“Lex, please. I need to talk to you,” he says in a gruff tone, widening the entrance as I continue to strain against his efforts, but I am fighting a losing battle. Releasing the door, I put the entire length of the room between us and stand by the desk. Evan follows me inside and closes the door behind him. His gaze falls to the gaping folds of my robe. I quickly clench it shut.

“Talk. Then get out,” I say.

“That wasn’t what you think.”

I cock a brow. “And what do I think?”

“You think that Josie and I are together, and I’m just toying with you.”

Good guess
. I cross my arms. I know what I saw and what I heard. No amount of excuses is going to negate that.

“We are not together. I swear. I’ll tell you everything about Josie, if you’ll let me. But first let me say this.” His gaze bores into mine. “I want you, Lex. I want you like no other woman I ever been with. I can’t get you out of my head.” He runs a hand though his hair and takes a deep breath. “Yes, I invited you to brunch because I knew you took that picture of Josie and me. I needed to find out why. But more than that, I wanted an excuse to see you again. I’m not toying with you. This situation is just complicated.”

Although I am still angry, my body responds to his words. I want him too, badly, but I’m still not convinced he’s telling the truth. He admitted the brunch was a ruse. This could be one too.

“Fine. Good. So what’s the deal with Josie?”

“Josie thought you were working for Skinny. There are rumors that Skinny has people keeping tabs on her. She’s scared.”

“She’s afraid of Skinny? I thought they were together.”

“Things went south. She’s leaving him, and she wants to leave his porn company, but she’s on contract for two more years. He’s been threatening her.”

“Threatening her life?”

“Yeah. If I can’t have you, no one can. That sort of thing. Josie’s movies make him more money than all three of his rap albums combined. She called Jared and me for help. Like I said, when Josie calls, it’s always trouble.”

“I didn’t realize Skinny had a porn company,” I say, leaning on the desk.

“Yeah, and it’s built around Josie. When Josie went to LA after high school, she did some small-time porn movies and met Skinny at a party. Skinny had just bought the company and signed her to be his main girl. She and the company blew up. Then they started dating, and she moved in with him. Now the relationship is over, and she has nothing without him. He controls everything—her work schedule, the money she is paid, her bank accounts, her apartments in LA and New York… Everything is under the company’s name. He might even own her stage name.”

“Sounds like he has her trapped,” I say. The rumors and the reasons for her behavior are all starting to make sense. Josie isn’t cheating; she’s leaving Skinny, leaving her life, and she ran to her best friends for help.

“He does,” says Evan, his voice lowering. “She told me he hit her a few times.” His face tightens, and his gaze lowers in disgust, as if he’d like to kill Skinny for that.

“So you and Jared have been trying to protect her.”

“Yes.”

“Is that everything?”

He nods and moves toward me with methodical steps. “That’s everything. And I’m glad it’s out. I don’t want it between us anymore.” His gaze rakes over my robe and hair before settling on my face. I straighten and back farther into the desk. His shirt is rumpled, and my body sizzles when I think about how I ripped it off him earlier.

“What are you doing?” I ask, my voice shaky. He leans in and puts both hands on the desk, caging me in his arms.

“I can still taste you,” he says. His mouth covers mine in a deep and powerful kiss. My traitorous body wants to give in, but my head is spinning. I pull away just inches from his lips. Our breaths mingle, and our gazes lock. He could still be lying, and yet the sexual ache in my belly almost hurts. A second goes by, then two.

My anger turns to violent need, and I kiss him back, threading my fingers in his hair. We nip at each other’s lips until Evan works open my robe. He groans in approval.

His knuckle finds my chin and lifts my face to his. “I’ve wanted you since the first night you came into my office,” he says in a husky tone. “We are going to finish what we started.” He teases the sharp points of my nipples though the silver fabric. His fingertips trail lower to the lace hem and my naked thigh. I shudder and go breathless when he lifts the chemise to reveal my naked sex.

“I want more,” he whispers, hitching me into his arms and plopping me on the edge of the desk. He kneels and brings his tongue right where I need it. I grip the wood as he sucks my wet heat. I push myself against his lips, grinding, whimpering, and unable to think about anything but this man. Actually, there is one more thing I’m thinking about—riding him like a pony.

I’ve never been this hot, and I’ve never wanted to be the girl who gave a man everything. I write articles about independence—never changing for a man. But with Evan’s gentle kisses on my most sensitive spot, he could ask me for anything—to cook, clean, and bring him his slippers in the nude—and I’d do it. Another small cry escapes my throat. I’m close, but I tug at his shoulders and whisper for him to rise. When he does, I plunge my tongue into his mouth and slide my hand over the prominent bulge in his pants. The hard, huge length of him makes my bones melt. If I don’t have it soon, I’m going to die.

With a growl, Evan yanks my robe off and lifts me into his arms. We cross the room, and my back hits the bed. He rises above me. The weight of him feels delicious, and I lock my legs around him.

“I want to taste you too,” I say and attach my lips to the strong column of his neck as I rip open his button-down shirt. I trail my tongue over his chest, and his breathing becomes more labored as I nip at his tight nipples. Evan lets out a hiss when I bite a little too hard. With a light kiss, I soothe the angry flesh. Then I watch his eyes roll back in his head as I rock my hips against the straining monster in his jeans.

My gesture spurs him into action. He shrugs from his open shirt and slides the camisole over my head. Both garments are on the floor in seconds. Evan pauses at my nakedness, and I am instantly shy, exposed. Suddenly my hips seem too curvy and my tummy too round. On instinct, my arms come between us, but Evan shakes his head and gently pulls them over my head. I quiver, shy, as my naked chest is exposed to his rapt gaze. “You’re a goddess,” he whispers, and he fills his palms with my breasts.