7
Trevor
Three Months Later
I stood in the middle of the huge open-plan living area of our cruise suite and felt my body instantly relax. After three months of eight shows a week, innumerable press conferences, talk shows, and meetings with studio executives, I could finally rest.
The sloped floor-to-ceiling windows allowed plentiful sunlight into the room, bathing us in its warmth. I took a deep breath, catching the scent of roses coming from the large vase set on the six-person dining table.
“This is really nice,“
Khalil said from behind me.
“It is,“
I agreed. “I’ll admit. I wasn’t expecting such a large suite.”
“Only the best for you,“
he said with a smile.
I turned and looked up at his handsome face, and my heart squeezed. For the last three months, he had been my protector, but he had also become my friend. He and the rest of his team from Angel Security had expertly managed to keep Simon Davies away from me, much to my glee and his intense displeasure. I’d been surprised not to see him in the crowd of reporters and paparazzi waiting for us at the port. I supposed he’d finally given up. I was sure I’d have to deal with him once I got back to London, but that was future Trevor’s problem.
“I’m not sure I’ll ever want to leave this place.”
He smiled at me. “It is a beautiful suite. Even so, there’s only so much you can do for ten days.”
The man had just handed me the perfect opening. For three months, I’d held myself back from him. I was done with that. After this cruise, I might never see him again. I had to let him know how I felt and let the chips fall where they would.
I stepped in close enough to feel the heat of his body without touching him—just in case I was misinterpreting the heated looks and lingering touches. I smiled up at him, sinking into the warmth of his hazel eyes. “I can think of lots of things we can do that wouldn’t even require us to leave the bedroom.”
Khalil’s brows rose and his eyes widened in surprise. He searched my face, and I took a chance, placing my hands on his broad chest. His gaze heated. “Trevor.”
“Kiss me,“
I whispered.
There was a moment of hesitation, then he cupped my face in his big hands and took my lips in a sweet, slow kiss. His lips were warm and soft, and I melted into him. Desire rose within me, and I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of the day and night exploring his body.
I slid my hands up his chest and around his neck. He moved his hands down to my arse, pulling my hips against his steely erection. He ran his tongue over my bottom lip, and I opened for him, eager to let him explore. Our hips began to move in sync, and I swore I was going to come right there like a horny teen.
A knock on the door startled us out of our lusty foreplay. I was about to tell him to ignore it when the knocking began again, and then a man’s voice called, “Mr. Lawrence?”
I growled. “Bugger it all.“
I reluctantly stepped away from Khalil, doing my best to straighten my clothes. It was fortunate I was wearing loose trousers, or my hard-on would have been quite evident. Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing. “Coming,” I called out. Sadly, not in the way I wanted.
I opened the door to find a slender dark-haired man with light-brown skin standing there holding a dark-blue folder.
“Can I help you?“
I asked as politely as I was able.
He gave me a tentative smile and held out his hand. “Mr. Lawrence, I’m Tai Leota, stage manager for What If?”
I shook his hand and held the door open wider. “Come in, Mr. Leota.”
“Please call me Tai,“
he said as he entered the suite. When he spotted Khalil, his eyes widened. “I didn’t realize you were traveling with a guest.”
I gestured toward my bodyguard. “This is Khalil Azar, my personal security. He’ll be accompanying me to rehearsals.”
Khalil came to stand beside me. He smiled at the other man. “Nice to meet you, Tai.”
I saw the stage manager drag his eyes up the length of Khalil’s body, and I was not amused. I cleared my throat and pointed at the folder in his hand. “Is that for me?”
He startled and color rose to his cheeks. He held out the folder. “Yes. In there is your rehearsal schedule and the dates and times of the performances, as well as information about the director, musical director, and the rest of the cast. We’ll be doing a read-through today at three in the main theater.”
I took the folder from him. “Thank you, Tai. I look forward to meeting everyone. I appreciate you bringing this to me personally. I know you must be very busy getting ready for the show.”
He smiled ruefully as he turned to leave. “Yeah. It’s a lot of work, but I love it.”
I walked with him to the door. “I know what you mean. I’ll see you at three.”
After I closed the door behind him, I lightly banged my forehead against it. “Bugger,“
I whispered. I feared the interruption would give Khalil a wake-up call and cause him to change his mind.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around me from behind. Khalil’s warm lips pressed against my neck. “I haven’t changed my mind if that’s what you were thinking.”
I turned in his embrace and wrapped my arms around his waist. “I was thinking that.”
He ran a calloused thumb over my cheek. “Three months is long enough.”
I kissed him, then rested my head against his chest. “I’ve wanted to do this since the first day I met you.”
His arms tightened around me. “I’m always up for a good hug.”
I checked the time on my smartwatch and sighed. It was after one, and I hadn’t had lunch yet. “I’m afraid we’ll have to continue this later this evening.”
He kissed my forehead. “That’s all right. I’d much rather take my time than have to rush.”
I grinned up at him. “Is that so?”
He gave me a lecherous smile. “Yes. That is so.”
I couldn’t wait.