Chapter Eleven
Ben
I read over the plan for the media junket for Jade Glow’s album and upcoming tour, located at an upscale hotel in Midtown Manhattan.
For Summer, the event, scheduled to last one day, will include portrait sessions, TV and radio interviews, and roundtable conversations with Summer, Tawny, and of course, the star herself.
This go-round, I plan to meet up with security and make sure I am satisfied with the situation, the cameras, and the coverage.
Although I will keep Summer in sight, I’ll be damned happy when she isn’t prancing around in front of media and strangers, at least until whoever is after her has finally been found.
From a rational protection perspective, I’ll also be glad when the decision is finally made about who will be the person accompanying Jade Glow on her world tour.
But I’m not feeling particularly rational, because a part of me doesn’t want this situation to come to an end.
Despite all my internal warnings to myself, I am invested in Summer on every level, and losing her isn’t something I’ll ever be ready to think about.
Jade hasn’t decided definitely when she will be announcing her choice, but she’s been teasing the possibility that it will happen tonight, at the end of the junket.
The star is using the mystery angle on social media for the last few days as well as teasing reporters all day, reminding them to stay until the end, lest they miss her possible announcement.
Even I have bought into the hype, my stomach in complete knots, thinking my time with Summer is almost over.
For her part, Summer is jumpy and nervous, to the point where I don’t know what to say to calm her, her sole focus on the upcoming decision.
During the first hour of chats, she was stiff with the interviewers, which isn’t like her.
She is normally bubbly, happy, and relaxed, but Jade’s teasing and the unknown time frame have her nerves shot.
The one thing I know for sure is that I want her to live her dream, and to do that, she needs to relax and have a smile on her face and an easy answer on her sexy lips.
We have a good chunk of time before her next set of interviews, and the good news is that she has a hotel suite to escape to between sessions. And I know just how to calm her frazzled nerves.
* * *
Summer
I’ve just finished up an interview that didn’t go as well as I would have liked. Tawny is upbeat, interrupting so she has center stage, and throwing me off my game. Frustrated afterwards, I walk off, heading for the coffee stand in the far corner of the event floor.
Before I reach my destination, Ben, who is never out of my sight, stops me. “Come on,” he says, grasping my elbow. “I’m taking you upstairs to chill out.”
“But I need caffeine.”
He shakes his head in definite disagreement. “Caffeine is the last thing you should be putting in your body. Trust me, princess, I have the solution.”
“But—”
“No buts. You need a break and you’ve got free time,” he insists, directing me to the bank of elevators leading to the suite we were given as a courtesy for the day.
“Fine. Let’s go up,” I say in a tense tone. I don’t mean to be a bitch, but I am upset with how today is going. I don’t want the opportunity to slip by me because Tawny knows how to get the first and last word.
The elevator doors open, and Ben places a hand on my back, stepping out into the hall and guiding me to the room at the far end, where earlier we dropped off my cosmetics and a change of clothes, just in case.
He slides the key card over the sensor, and the green light flashes. He opens the door, propping it with one foot so I can step inside.
No sooner have I entered than Ben swings me into his arms. “Ben!” I grab him around his neck so I can hold on. “What are you doing?”
“I’m going to relax you.”
“How?”
He grins and strides to the big king-size bed, depositing me in the center. “How do you think?” He slides his wallet from his jeans, removes a condom, and drops it onto the bed.
“Ooh,” I say, completely on board with his notion of relaxation.
He grasps my legs, sliding me down toward where he stands at the edge of the mattress. My skirt rides up, revealing my barely there thong panties, which he promptly removes. Cool air rushed over my suddenly damp flesh, causing my hips to wriggle, need flushing across my skin.
His gaze narrows on my swollen sex.
Aroused, I slide my legs farther apart in readiness, absolutely on board with his plan.
I don’t want to worry until the next round of interviews. Leave it to Ben to take care of me. “I like the way you think.”
“I realize you have to be back downstairs and need time to pull yourself together after.” He drops his holster onto the floor, unbuttons his jeans, his cock springing free, hard and thick. “Ready for a fast ride?”
I run my tongue over my lips, my gaze on his pulsing erection. “I’m ready for you.”
He bends his head and swirls his tongue around my already needy sex.
I groan and grasp on to the bedding as he eats at me like a man who can’t get enough, who has single-minded focus, and whose attention is wholly centered on me.
After all our time together, he knows what I like and need and immediately zeroes in on my clit.
Desire slams into me hard and fast, no slow buildup, just zero to sixty, my climax suddenly and quickly within reach. I moan and switch my grasp from the bedspread to his hair, holding him in place while I rock my face against his mouth, chasing the waves of pleasure that rush through me.
He tongues my clit in a perfect rhythm that has me spiraling higher until I peak, my orgasm taking me into utter bliss. I am lost to sensation, only coming back to myself when Ben, sheathed with a condom, settles between my thighs.
The head of his cock breaches my entrance, but I have no time to focus. His mouth comes down on mine, and I taste my musky scent on his lips. At the same moment, he takes me hard, his erection thrusting into me.
“F-u-c-k,” he says, drawing out the syllable. He drops down over me, bracing his hands on either side of my shoulders, his chest reverberating against mine.
“Ben, God.” I feel him everywhere as he throbs inside me, my inner walls clasping him tight, my emotions fully engaged as our bodies join completely.
Instead of a hard and fast taking, Ben rocks into me, grinding against my clit with every shift and pitch of his hips. Sensation begins to take hold and build once more. Swirling need envelopes me, and I cry out, the sweet feelings he inspires driving me higher and higher.
“Come with me,” he says, sliding a hand between our bodies and pressing against my most sensitive spot.
“Oh God.” Waves of desire shake me, sparks of pleasure shooting out from my clit to every nerve ending I possess. “Ben. I’m coming!”
“Right there with you,” he promises, and he begins a punishing rhythm. I explode once more, my climax a burst of glorious light and feeling, as he groans and comes, too, my name on his lips.
He collapses on top of me, and we pant in unison, until reality slowly returns.
“Can’t breathe,” I say, and he rolls off me, keeping my hand in his as he falls onto his back.
“That was a real stress reducer.” I grin, but inside I am more serious than I’ve ever been. Because what just happened between us?
That was too intense to soothe me. Instead all I can do is feel—Ben inside me, Ben coaxing me to come, calling my name as he climaxed right after me. The sensations went beyond sex. He tagged every emotion I have: Love, caring, yearning.
Things I will need time to process and deal with.
Things I have to find a place for in my life …
once I know what my future holds. I feel pulled in two different directions, my love for Ben and the career I’ve been working toward my entire life, causing a quiet and somber blanket of emotion to envelop me.
I want to give Ben the time he deserves, and I don’t have that ability now.
“I need to wash up,” I say, sitting up in bed, eager to put the intensity behind us as fast as possible so I can prepare for the rest of the day.
“Come.” He rises and walks to the bathroom, his bare ass peeking from beneath his shirt.
The man has a body to die for and drool over and a heart that is bigger than he likes to admit. And I wish we could spend more time alone here, in bed. Talking. Figuring out us. But I need my focus where it belongs, on the media downstairs and the probable announcement coming later tonight.
So I push myself to a standing position and go to get ready to return to the press junket downstairs.
* * *
Summer
Hours later, I feel like I’m ready to collapse in exhaustion. My last interview just ended. There isn’t a reporter I haven’t spoken to or a question I haven’t answered. But I have to admit my romp with Ben gave me the emotional boost I needed to push through the rest of the day.
Every time I looked up, he was there, not just watching over me as part of his job but playing the part of passionate supporter. A thumbs-up, a wink, a smile all let me know he is there, in my corner, paying attention. I don’t think I could love him more.
What to do about that love?
“What’s your plan?” he asks me, joining me and interrupting my thoughts.
“Jade said to be back downstairs at eight. I thought I’d lie down for an hour. I’m wiped out.”
Sympathy flashes in his expression. “Let’s get you to bed.”
Memories of our earlier time upstairs flash through my mind, him making love to me—and I refuse to think we shared anything less—his big body filling mine, causing me to tremble.
He meets my gaze, a knowing grin on his handsome face. “No, princess. Not for that. You need to rest this time.”
I pretend to pout, and he laughs.
“Come on.” Ben escorts me upstairs and literally tucks me into bed.
I set my phone alarm just in case I fall asleep and place it on the nightstand.
“All set?” he asks.
I nod.