The Bodyguard (Red's Tavern 7)

I had no idea how to respond, so instead I just took his cock deep into my mouth again. He moaned and leaned back, and I said a silent prayer of thanks for it.

Right now, I couldn’t even begin to think about anything but making him come, anyway. I dragged my tongue up his length, flat and slow, and he let out another intoxicating groan.

“You are going to make me come way too fucking fast,” he said. “God, I need to pay you double what you’re already getting—”

“I am not doing this because you are paying me,” I said, sitting up quickly and staring him dead in the eyes. “Theo, how many times do I have to say it? I want to be doing this. I want to be around you. You’re the most interesting person I’ve ever met, and don’t even get me started on how goddamn beautiful you are, inside and out.”

He was stunned into silence for a moment. “Come with me,” he finally whispered. He let out a long breath and stood up. I watched as he walked across the living room, practically salivating over his skin, his hair, his fucking perfect, cute little ass. He went past the crackling fireplace and down the short hall that led to one of the bedrooms.

When Theo had asked me to book us a room in this hotel room, I’d gotten us a suite with two bedrooms. For professionalism, of course. Earlier tonight, I’d expected that he and I would come here, I’d talk him down for a couple of hours, and we’d go to sleep cordially and separately, in different rooms.

I was so glad that things were going differently than I expected.

I got up and pushed the “off” button near the fireplace, and the gas flames died down immediately. I made my way down the hall. Theo had left the bedroom door open, and inside, the only light was filtering in from the windows that lined the far side of the room. The ambient twinkling of the city lights filled the room with a faint, blue hue, and right there at the center of the gigantic, plush bed, I saw Theo, tucked under the covers.

I sat down on the edge of the bed, looking over at him. He looked small in that moment, the mountain of pillows and bedsheets surrounding his small frame. He was watching me like he was in a trance. I pulled aside the covers and got under them next to him, settling into the warmth of the bed.

“You’re going to call me crazy, but there’s a part of me that wants to extend this feeling forever,” he said. “And a part of me that worries that after we come, all of my awful fears will come rushing right back in. I want to come so badly. I want to make you come. But I also…”

“You also want to make sure I spend the night in this bed with you?”

He let out a breath like he’d been holding it. “Bingo,” he said.

“And you thought if we moved here now, that would guarantee it.”

“Bingo again. Like I said, call me crazy.”

I puffed out a feeble laugh. “Theo, I’ve known you were crazy since about thirty seconds after meeting you,” I said, turning on my side in the bed to look at him. “That’s no news to me. And of course I’m going to sleep next to you tonight.”

“Really?” he asked.

“I know you need it,” I told him, reaching out to stroke his arm.

“You always do seem to have a good intuition,” he mused.

“You’re definitely out of your mind, but not for the reasons you think,” I said. I reached up to the pillows above my head, grabbing two of the pointless decorative ones and tossing them onto the floor. I fluffed the regular pillow and tucked it under my head, settling into a cozy position. “The craziest thing about you—besides the driving—is that you have no idea how wonderful you are. But that’s not something anyone can show you or tell you. Certainly not me. So instead, I’m just here to keep you safe. And I’m not going anywhere.”

There was a beat of silence. I knew Theo was tired as hell, and that there was a chance he might just want to fall asleep. I felt a shift on the mattress and a moment later, there was a soft touch on my arm, just above my elbow. Theo’s palm was on my skin, and he started to rub little circles there. Very gently, at first. But then, after I let out a satisfied sigh, he touched me with a little more firmness. He rubbed my skin slowly and methodically, and before I knew it I was in a trance.

It felt like heaven.

He was reaching out to me, this time. It was very clear that he wasn’t just doing this because I wanted it.