Page 21 of Rock Me

Thanks to the amount of people, we would have been pushed together for even a fast dance, but the music shifts, and any movement will now be slow.I intend to take advantage, but before I can act, someone bumps me from behind, shoving me into the person across from me, which nearly causes a domino effect of people knocking into each other.

Ben grabs me, pulls me against him, and begins to sway to the music.I tip my head back, and our gazes lock as we move in perfect unison.It is too loud for us to talk unless we want to shout to be heard, so our sensual movements speak for us.I have one hand on his shoulder, his arm wrapped around my back, my chest pressed against his, and the hardness of his lower body causes an arousing sense of awareness in mine.He smells delicious, the masculine scent I associate with him adding to the variety of sensations overtaking me.

Without taking his gaze off me, he lowers his head even closer to mine, his lips brushing my mouth one, twice, three times before he licks at the seam with his tongue.I moan, not that he will hear, and part my lips, letting him inside.

He tightens his hold, pressing our bodies intimately, hips grinding together to the beat of the music, his pelvis rocking against mine, the sparks of arousal spiking inside me.

I am happy to let the music provide the beat while Ben and I dance sensuously against each other, a subtle shifting and grinding that is hidden by the many people surrounding us.

He lifts his head, meeting my gaze, desire and raw need in his expression, when suddenly Tawny’s loud voice sounds near our ears.“Well, well, well, just like old times.”

Ben immediately steps back, putting space between us though not letting go of his hold on me; however, I know at this moment, thanks to Tawny’s interruption, it is my safety keeping us close, not his desire to be near me.If the way Ben drags me off the dance floor is any indication, he doesn’t appreciate the reminder of our problematic past.

Tawny is obviously determined to do more than take away my chance at a career-changing opportunity.She wants to cause as much trouble as she possibly can.Anything to throw me off my game.The joke is on Tawny, because I can handle the other woman and her bitchy games.

I just need to figure out how to get through to Ben, because nobody gets lost in a moment like we did if he isn’t yearning to be together again.He is fighting himself, and I need him to stop.

For now, though, I figure Ben needs time to stew and be angry at himself for kissing me instead of guarding me, so I stride ahead of him into the dressing room area.I left my purse with my lipstick and gloss in a drawer of the vanity.I want to touch up my makeup since my lips feel damp after my gloss was licked off by Ben.

I approach the area to which I was assigned, finding it empty, no people hanging around, but when I reach my mirrored section, I stop short.All my things are strewn everywhere.A vase of flowers, which was on the counter, are lying randomly across the floor, surrounded by shards of broken glass.The drawers are open, and my purse was removed and emptied out, the contents mixed among the flowers.

And someone wrote on the mirror with what looks like lipstick, the wordsDrop Out or Elsescrawled in red on the reflective surface.This is the first time I have visible proof that there is a threat of some kind against me, and I am freaked out.

I spin around in a panic and run directly into Ben’s hard chest.

“Whoa,” he says, grasping my forearms tightly.He glances beyond me, taking in the wreckage of what was her backstage area.

“Fuck.Who the hell was watching this room?”he yells, keeping me tucked protectively beneath the shelter of his arm.

And I don’t want to leave there anytime soon.

***

Ben

I am furious.My job is to guard Summer, not to danger-proof the club.Either someone didn’t dotheirjob or the powers that be thought it was enough to have coverage on the girls, to hell with other types of threats.I won’t be surprised if it is the latter.Orion Motors and Jade Glow just want the talent protected.

Speaking of the talent, Summer has curled into me for protection, and I hate to admit how much I like her there, about as much I liked that hot kiss and grind on the dance floor.I run a hand through my hair.Something has to be done about this attraction between us, or at least my on-again, off-again reaction, but now isn’t the time for me to dwell on what.

The club manager, who introduced himself earlier, walks over to me.He takes in the situation at a glance and groans.“Shit.”

I frown at the man.“Did you have anyone keeping an eye on this room and the women’s belongings?”

He shakes his head.“I’m so sorry, sir, but we didn’t.People could have come and gone all night.”

This is why a bodyguard is often only half of the equation.Obviously, nobody was paying for investigative services.They just reported the initial threat to the police and hired me.

“Call the cops.Now.”

I glance at Summer, who has pulled herself together and is watching the interaction between us.“Do you think they’ll find anything helpful?”she asks as the manager steps aside to make the call.

“No.”My gut tells me they won’t discover prints that will lead to a culprit.Just everyone and anyone who had access to this room, which is the entire club.A couple could have snuck in here for a quickie and the girl fixed herself up after.Anything could have happened in here in between the time of the act and when we walked in.

“The police will be here soon,” the manager says.

I glance up at the ceiling, looking for signs of video cameras and finding none.“I don’t suppose you have cameras covering the room?”I ask the other man.

“No.”He shoves his hands into his pants pockets.“Look, I need to greet the cops when they show up.”