Chapter 12
If I thoughtI got attention in California, it didn’t compare or come close to the amount of attention I was getting in Australia with Bailey. Everywhere we went, the paparazzi followed. Every newsstand, grocery aisle, and billboard had our faces sprawled across it. There was no getting away from the cameras.
In the past two weeks since we’d been there, I lost count of how many reporters tried to sneak into our private, guarded estate unnoticed. People were constantly coming in and out for one thing or another, from our marketing teams to PR, glam squads, wardrobe assistants, and who the hell knows what else.
Even with the mounting tension of having to keep everything between us a secret, we still pushed all kinds of boundaries during our alone time together. There were some hours of the day that we couldn’t film due to the low and high tides of the ocean. We filmed all day and had the night off.
Bailey kept talking about the fair that was in town for the weekend and how much she missed the fair that she used to go to every year in Oak Island where she grew up. No way could I buy the park for the night for us, so I did the next best thing and worked a deal out with our guards to have us try to go unnoticed.
The driver drove up to a private entrance to the carnival. She was wearing one of my hoodies with a hat, and I did the same. Reaching up, I brushed the stray hairs away from her rosy cheeks.
After we rode a few rides, we ended up at one of the beer tents at the fair. A big concrete slab in the middle of the tent made up a makeshift dance floor. A small stage in front hosted a live local band throughout the weekend. Twinkling white lights hung from the beams and tables surrounding the dance floor.
With a grin, I cocked my head to the side, taking in the perfection of her creamy-white skin as Bailey danced in front of me. Swaying her hips to the country music, she ran her hands up her body and through her hair.
I leaned on the wood beam with my arms crossed over my chest and one leg over the other. She just wanted to dance. I watched her singing the lyrics to one of her old man’s songs, having the time of her life. I’d be lying if I said my cock wasn’t interested. She was a knockout, and her pouty lips reminded me of them wrapped around my dick.
Her loving, free-spirited personality alone was sexy to me. She turned me on in so many ways. It was only natural for us to be drawn to one another—law of attraction and all that shit.
Except things were different now.
We were different now.
Bailey needed a man who would always put her first, and I couldn’t resist the chance to step up to the plate. I couldn’t provide her with that, yet it was an offer I willingly put on the table.
Which was crazy since my priority was always my career. I didn’t have the time to be the man she needed, the man she deserved, but it was just another thing that came natural to me.
To be that person to her.
No one else knew me the way she did. I wasn’t a saint, never claimed to be, and at the end of the day, she knew I wasn’t.
As much as she tried to pretend that I was.
“Come dance with me.” Bailey interrupted my thoughts, throwing her arms around my neck.
My arms simultaneously wrapped around her waist. “I thought we were dancing,” I reminded her.
“This isn’t dancing.” She pouted, deliberately swaying her hips against my cock. “I’ll do everything. All you have to do is stand there and look like the badass you are.”
“Tell that to my dick you’re dry fucking right now.” I chuckled, enjoying the feel of her in my arms.
She rolled her eyes, stifling a smile. “I didn’t know I needed his permission. Since when does your cock care?”
“Since I was twelve and my dick realized it really liked you.”
She giggled, turning around to back her ass up right to where her pussy had just been. Knowing damn well I was an ass man.
“Do you mind? Or are you just going to stand there?” she taunted, swaying her hips to the beat of the music.
I smiled wide. Leaning into her ear, I rasped, “By all means, Bay. Don’t mind one bit.”
She shook her head. “You have no shame, Nicholas Aires.”
“It’s going to take a lot more booze to get me to dance.”
She peered over her shoulder and winked before grabbing my hands and placing them on the side of her thighs.
That was my cue to get out of there.
“I’m going to get another drink, you want one?”
“Yeah.” She spun, stumbling, throwing her arms around my neck again. “Bring me one of those girly umbrella drinks, okay?”
I cocked an eyebrow, looking at her like she couldn”t be serious.
“Fine… bring me a beer,” she added, pulling away.
I grabbed her hand at the last second and twirled her around in a circle, showing her one of the only dance moves I knew. “Don’t stray. Be right back.”
She smiled, nodding.
I walked back inside the bar. It was a lot more packed than it was before. People crowded all together in the big open space. I decided to use the bathroom before heading over to the bar. Skipping over all the people waiting to be served, I signaled to the bartender for two drinks.
The crowd parted for me as I made my way back outside and over to the tent where Bailey was. The music had switched from the live band to a DJ spinning the latest hits. I walked inside the tent, trying to find her through the crowd of people who’d rushed in to see who was playing. People littered the whole tent, making it nearly impossible to see the dance floor. I searched for any sign of her long brown hair and finally spotted her on the opposite end.
Except she wasn’t alone.
Some dipshit had his hands all over her body as she tried to get him to stop.
Where are our guards?
The beers dropped out of my hands and splashed to the ground. I hauled ass across the dance floor, shoving people out of the way. I was a ticking time bomb about to explode the longer it took to get to her. Taking down anyone in my path of destruction, I had to get to her as fast as I could.
I had my fist pulled back as I took my last step, and it connected with the motherfucker’s jaw before he even saw me coming. His head snapped back, taking half of his now limp body with him.
Bailey screamed as she was pulled to the ground by the asshole who didn’t let her go. I leaned forward, grabbing her by the waist, saving her ass from meeting the concrete below. Pulling her up to my chest, I snaked her body behind mine.
I had a short fuse, and my temper often got the best of me.
“Aires!” my bodyguard yelled out, stepping his way through the crowd. “Let’s go!” he ordered, nodding behind me.
I turned around, seeing security headed in our direction.
“Shit!”
“Aires—”
“Not one word, Bay.”
I was pissed as shit our guards weren’t doing their jobs until it was too late. Now cameras were suddenly in our faces from the people who recognized us.
This would be headline news, and it was only a matter of time before this would leak to the media if it hadn’t already. I hated myself that I had no control over my impulsion, but I simply reacted to Bailey’s distress.
Once we were by the SUV, surrounded by the guards, I roared, “Where the fuck were you?”
“Mr. Aires. We apologize?—”
“I’m not paying you to apologize to me. You have one job, one fucking job, and that was to take care of her!”
“Aires,” Bailey sympathized, grabbing my arm. “I’m fine.”
I yanked my arm out of her grasp. “And what if you weren’t?” Snapping my attention back to our guards, I bit, “You’re fired.” With that, I held Bailey’s hand and led her inside the SUV.
As soon as we got back to the estate, she followed me up the stairs as I ended the call with Thomas, and we walked into our room. The second she closed the door behind her, I roughly slammed her against it.
Caging her in with my arms on the side of her face, I eyed her up and down with a predatory regard.
Her eyes widened by the turn in events.
Call it possessiveness.
Control.
Obsession.
I hated seeing another man’s hands all over her.
Something inside me snapped, and all I could do was make her feel the desperation I felt at the thought of something happening to her on my watch.
“What are you doing to me?” I moaned into her ear, kissing all along the side of her neck.
The second my lips touched hers, I growled, parting them for her. My hands couldn’t get enough of her, and I couldn’t decide where I wanted to touch her the most. She leaned into every touch and sensation I had to offer, enjoying the thrill of what was to come. Almost like she was in the same headspace as me.
Next, I tore open her blouse, and buttons flew everywhere, sounding like they were crashing onto the floor. Her bra was off within seconds. She felt my strong hands kneading her breasts as I sucked and licked all around her nipples. Her back arched, making me grip the back of her neck.
I wanted her closer, yet she still wasn’t close enough.