14. Chapter Fourteen
14
Evan
The moment her eyes darken I know I’ve done the wrong thing. I was content watching her from afar, wishing she was here with me as more than a job, until I watched the pretty boy walk up to her.
The moment he flashed her that smile I’m sure gets plenty of women’s panties wet, I saw red and knew I had to intervene. I couldn't draw attention to the moment, so I acted like Mia was at fault.
Her jaw clenches, and she puts the drink I gave her back into my hand, smiling brightly. I know what her smiles are like, and this is definitely not a real one. “You’re right, Evan.”
She gives the stranger a curt nod, then backs up and walks over to a dark section of the room, where she leans against the wall. If wasn’t for me being so acutely aware of her, I wouldn’t be able to tell where she’s at. Even in that red dress, she’s practically invisible to the people surrounding us.
I glance at the guys, who all have their brows raised at me in question, and I shake my head with a heavy sigh. They’ll want to ask a question, but I’m not giving them the chance. Before I walk up to her, I quickly down the whiskey I ordered, and she ignores my presence when I finally approach.
“I think I’m ready to head back,” I say, my tone clipped.
Mia rolls her eyes but pushes away from the wall and allows me to lead her out of the shadows. I keep myself pressed against her side, claiming that it’s because she’s my bodyguard, but I know what it’s really about — staking a claim.
When I told Mia that she needed to dress the part of going to the club, this was not what I had in mind. I thought she would wear a tight pair of jeans, maybe a top that showed more of her curves, but this dress?
The moment she stepped out of the tour bus, all I could think about was how beautiful she would look standing in front of me with the fabric in a puddle at her feet. She’d probably have a pair of lace panties on, only making her that much more desirable, but I knew I had to keep myself in control.
I was doing great with that — until he had to approach her.
It didn’t look like Mia recognized him, but maybe she wasn’t paying much attention. Noah Trinity is one of the biggest pop singers at the moment, and he’s definitely not shy when it comes to the ladies. I’ve seen more than enough images floating around to know that it’s not likely he would’ve been seen with Mia again, and she deserves more than that.
Not that it looked like she was falling for his charm, but I couldn’t take that chance.
The closer we get to the exit, the more aware I become of Mia's presence. The scent of her perfume, the soft brush of her arm against mine, the click of her heels on the floor—it all consumes me. Before I can think better of it, I’m pulling her into a dark hallway.
“What are you doing?” She hisses as we come to a stop.
I kissed her once, and all I can think about, with that red lipstick staining her lips, is that I want nothing more than to do it again. Instead of warning her and giving her time to object, I crash my mouth against hers and wait for her hands to come to my chest.
It would make sense if she pushed me away, but I’m surprised when she deepens it and instead fists the front of my shirt to pull me closer to her. We’re making out like horny teenagers, right? But I couldn’t care less.
One of her legs comes up and wraps around my waist while the other stays flattened on the floor. I guess there’s one advantage to the fuck-me heels she chose to wear tonight. They give her enough of a boost to do this comfortably.
I dart my tongue out, pushing it between her lips, and simultaneously roam a hand along the curves of her body. Her breasts are pushing out of the neckline, practically begging to be released, and I’m more than willing to make that happen. I cup her breast out of the fabric, massaging it, and the moan she makes against my mouth has my cock hardening more than it already is.
At this rate, I wouldn’t be surprised if it breaks through the zipper.
She rocks herself against my leg, chasing the itch that consuming her, and I pull away from her mouth breathlessly. “Tell me what to do, darlin’.”
The nickname makes her shudder, and her eyes turn into scorching flames. She takes a moment, letting go of the reason we shouldn’t be doing this, and grabs my hand before gliding down the length of her stomach to the edge of her dress. It’s already ridden up after she twisted her leg around me, so it doesn’t take much to have it completely exposing her panties.
I can’t see anything in the darkness, but the smell of her arousal hangs heavy in the air.
“Just touch me,” she whimpers, almost as if she’ll die right here and now if I don’t do as she asks.
“My pleasure, darlin’,” I say before running my hands over her leg and dipping it toward her panties.
She’s breathing heavier as I run a finger over her covered pussy, then I push the thin fabric aside and plunge the thick digit into her entrance. Her wet heat soaks my finger, and I nearly let out an animalistic growl, but it’s muffled by her lips as she slams them against mine. I thrust my finger in and out of her, paying attention to the way her body responds to the movements I make, and notice she trembles more when I curl it into her — right against that sweet spot.
I tease her for a few moments, thrusting the finger into her while also curling it against her inner walls, and she moans against my mouth beautifully. It’s replaced with another whimper when I change direction, uncurling it, and I smirk against the kiss.
“I’m so close,” she manages to say between heavy breaths. “ Please , Evan.”
“Since you asked so nicely, darlin’,” I rasp against her lips. “Come for me, then.”
As soon as I curl my finger back into her, thrusting it frantically to coax the release out, she shakes uncontrollably against me with her fingers digging into my shoulder. Her walls clench, her scent filling the space even more than before, and I slowly ease my finger out of her before putting her panties back in place.
She’s got her head leaned back against the wall, chest moving up and down slowly, and it takes a minute before her gaze falls onto mine. Desire and heat are no longer there, but I guess it’s a good thing that I don’t see regret either.
“I’ve wanted to do that for a while now,” I whisper into her neck, inhaling deeply like she’s going to evaporate right in front of me, and I want to memorize the scent lingering on her skin before she goes.
Her hands come to the top of my hand, tugging on the strands until I’m looking at her, and I brace for the words I know I’ll hear.
“I would be lying if I said I didn’t feel the same way.”
I blink, thinking I heard her wrong, but there’s a hint of fear in her gaze that tells me I didn’t imagine it. She closes her eyes slowly as I lift my clean hand up to her cheek, cupping it, and I smirk at her. “So, what do we do about that, darlin’?”
When Mia opens her eyes, she sighs heavily. “Let’s head out, I’m exhausted.”
That makes my chest fill with pride, and I grin wide, causing her to smack my chest playfully.
Instead of getting into a car, we simply step out of the exit and make a left toward the hotel that rests next door. They at least had a good sense to build a hotel right next to a club, saving people from getting behind the wheel after a night of partying. Since the tour bus is a few blocks away, we all agreed getting a room for the night would be best and Carmen said the tour bus would be here bright and early for us.
The woman at the front desk blinks a few times as I walk toward, but otherwise doesn’t say anything. I tap the counter and give her a friendly smile. “Hi, I have a room booked under Knight.”
She nods, then quickly gets onto the computer. Her brow furrows and she spins around, searching for something on the counter behind her, then plucks what looks to be a package from it. “This was delivered for you, sir, and here’s your key.”
Mia’s body stiffens next to mine as the woman places everything into my open hand, and my breaths get shorter the longer I stare at the box. There’s no tape on it, which means it wasn’t delivered by mail, and whoever it was had to be in the area. I quickly glance around, just as Mia’s doing, but the only person inside the lobby is an older man who looks like he’s asleep on a plush sofa.
I grip the box, then nod curtly to the woman. “Thanks.”
When we get to the elevator, Mia rips it from my hand and opens it. I’m not sure what I expect to find there, but it’s definitely not what this is. It’s another note, except much more dangerous than any other one I’ve received.
Awe, you reunited with your little girlfriend.
This gift is on me, use it wisely… you should know what happens when you don’t.
Beneath the note is a pack of condoms.
This is a sick joke.
When I look at Mia, she’s shaking, and her face pales. I don’t know what she’ll do, but I take the chance and pull her against me as we step onto the elevator. Mia was already set to be stationed outside my door all night, so, once we make it onto our floor, I scan the keycard and push through my room without letting her go.
She tries to fight my hold, but I’m not letting her do this.
“Mia,” I say softly, but she’s still looking at the note and won’t glance up at me. “Darlin’, I need you to look at me.”
Reluctantly, she does, and the sight of tears makes my heart crack. I swipe them away with the pad of my thumb, a frown on my face, and I immediately pull her into my chest, with my arms wrapped around her small frame.
Whoever this is… they just made a big mistake. It’s one thing to come after me, but now they’ve included Liam, and I’m not going to take that lightly.
If only I could figure out who the stalker is, so I could end their charade already.
Mia’s body finally stops shaking and she pulls away from me, a look of sheer determination on her face. “I’m finding this bastard,” she hisses. “I don’t care if I have to stay up all night, combing through everything I know about… I’m not sleeping until I know who this is.”
Her face is blank, serious as ever, and I nod even though I’m not going to allow her to run herself to the ground like that. “Let me help you, at least. There’s got to be a clue somewhere, right?”
She sighs, and her shoulders sag forward, then her body perks up. “They mentioned before that they wanted your life to be ruined like theirs. Do you know who that could be about?”
A thought comes to my mind, and I want to tell her, but there’s no way that’s who it could be — instead, I keep my mouth shut and shake my head. It’s the only thing I can do right now until I have more concrete evidence.
I hate keeping this from Mia, but I can't voice my suspicion. Not yet. If I'm right, and it is Mack... God, the implications would be massive. It would mean our former manager, the man who knows every detail of our lives, our schedules, our weaknesses, is behind this.
But if I'm wrong, and I tell Mia, we could waste valuable time chasing the wrong lead. Or worse, tip off the real stalker that we're onto them. No, I need to be sure before I say anything.
Plus, there's a part of me that doesn't want to believe Mack could do this. Despite everything, he was once like family. To think he'd stoop this low... I need proof before I can accept that.