Seduce Me (Stark Trilogy 3.4)

He hasn't touched me yet, but I tremble, the anticipation almost as powerful as the touch that I expect.

And when his fingers do slip over my bare skin, I hear his groan of surprise and satisfaction. "No underwear," he says. "Naughty girl."

"Is that what you like? Bad girls?"

"That depends how bad. Look at me," he says, and I open my eyes. The depth of passion I see in his eyes makes me gasp, as does the finger he slides inside me. My body contracts around him, wanting this. Wanting a hell of a lot more than this, but right now, in this restaurant, this is all I'm going to get. But when he slides another finger in, then teases my clit with his thumb, I have to bite my lower lip so that I don't cry out. And I have to clutch tight to the edge of the table so that I don't grind myself hard against his hand.

"That's it, baby. I want you to come."

I want to protest that we are in a restaurant, but right at the moment, I really don't care. I'm not caring about much, actually, except the way that he is making me feel. That, and trying to be at least a little bit modest. Not screaming would be good, but Christ, the way that the sensations are rising inside me, I'm really not sure that it's possible.

I look away, focusing on the lobby so as to maybe slow this down, maybe make it last, or perhaps get some control so I can keep myself from losing it completely.

And that's when I see her.

Marcy.

Jay is right beside her, and they are heading toward the main doors with their hand luggage.

Marcy looks utterly defeated.

And every ounce of blood and sensation fizzle from my body, leaving me cold and lost and frustrated in all the wrong ways.

"Nikki?"

There is concern in his voice, and I realize that I'm frowning.

"What's wrong?"

"I--" I swallow. I want so badly to say nothing. To pretend like everything is fine and slide back into the fantasy of this night with the Damien who has seduced me.

But I can't. Dammit, I know that I can't. And if I want to help Marcy, I need the man I married.

I reach beneath the table and take his hand, tugging it away from my core even as I slide sideways so that I can look at him directly. And as I do, I feel the warmth of his wedding ring against my palm. And in that moment, I know that I have to tell him. Because no matter what games we may play, when you get right down to it, Damien is my husband, and he will always be there for me.

He will always love me.

I take his hand, and slowly stroke the titanium band. Then I look up into his eyes. "Damien," I say, "I really need your help."

Two minutes later, we are hurrying down the staff staircase to reach the service area behind the reception desk. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"I only just learned today. And if I'd told you, then I would have been pulling my husband into the mix. And that meant the fantasy would end. I liked the fantasy," I admit softly. "And I thought I could handle it myself. But I was wrong. I don't know why she came back after I sent her away, but she did. And now I think she's in trouble."

"All right," he says in the kind of confident tone that suggests that nothing can go wrong in his world. "I'll take care of it."

And right then, I am certain that no matter what else happens, Marcy will be okay.

Chapter 9

"What are you going to do now?" I ask as we reach the suite of offices behind the reception desk.

On the walk down, Damien had made two calls. The first to the valet stand, letting them know that if they valued their jobs, they would delay bringing up Mr. Jay Monroe's vehicle until Damien said otherwise.

Then he called Ryan, who'd been in the casino gambling with Jamie. "Everything you can find about this guy," he'd said. "I want it in the next fifteen minutes."

But I have absolutely no clue what he intends to do next.

"I'm willing to help this woman because you believe her," he says. "But, Nikki, I don't know her. I've never met her. And she came back to the hotel of her own free will."

I wince at that, because I cannot imagine why she returned, but I cannot deny the truth of what he says.

"So we're going to get her away from Jay. And we're going to hear her say on her own and without prompting that she wants your help. If she does that, then she has whatever she needs. Fair enough?"

I nod. Because I certainly can't ask more than that. "Except she already tried to leave once, and he must know it. He's never going to let her out of his sight."

"Oh, I think we can work something out. Come on."

The hotel has a private reception lounge just past the main entrance where VIP guests can check in and receive concierge services with an elevated amount of pomp, circumstance, and pampering. We go inside, and I pace while Damien issues a series of instructions. Then he takes my arm and we both step behind the counter where one of the clerks is checking in a new guest. Hidden from the guests' view are a series of monitors, including several showing the driveway and valet stand in front of the hotel. It's a customer-service feature that allows VIP guests to rest inside in comfort, confident that one of the clerks will inform them when the valet pulls up with their car or when their limo has arrived.

I have a feeling Damien has something else in mind.

I watch as Marcy stands by her luggage, her shoulders slumped.

A woman rushes by, bumping into her as she tries to roll an overnight case.

Marcy looks up, startled, as the woman grabs hold of her for balance. Then she pulls away and moves on down the drive.

"Wait," I say. "Can you rewind that?"

"No need," Damien says. "She slipped Marcy a note."

"What's it say?"

"When you get inside, use the ladies room."

I frown--and I understand why Marcy, who is surreptitiously scanning the note, also looks confused.

"Now this," Damien says, and we watch as one of the uniformed valet chiefs approaches Jay. "It turns out that Jay's car has a flat tire. Very unfortunate timing," he says, and I laugh. "So Jay and his companion will be invited to enjoy the hospitality in this VIP lounge while the tire is being changed."

We watch as Jay and the valet have a heated conversation--well, heated from Jay's side--and then the valet gestures toward the hotel. "That's our cue," Damien says. "Come on."

"Our cue?" I ask, but I follow him to the back of the room and into the ladies lounge.

I lean against the wall and raise my eyebrows. "Really?"

He shrugs. "Trust me."

I do. And less than two minutes later, Marcy steps through the door, her face flushed, obviously terrified that Jay is going to catch on.

"Nikki!" Her voice is a low, happy whisper, and she gives me a tight hug. "I'm so sorry. Everything you did for me, and I--"

"What happened?" I ask. "Why did you come back?"

She glances at Damien, then at me.

"Marcy, this is my husband, Damien Stark."

"Oh! Well, thank you, too."

"Nikki tells me she put you on the road to Texas. How did you end up back here?"

"He called," she says. "And he said that if I didn't get my fat ass back right that second--that's a direct quote--he'd kill Chester."

"Chester?" I ask.

"My dog," she says. "He's a rescued greyhound. Sweetest disposition, and such a hard life. And Jay just tossed that out there like--" She swallows and blinks back tears. "I had to come back."

"Of course you did," I say, though I'm secretly wishing that she would have called me. Damien could have easily sent someone to get the dog before Jay got home.

"I need to know if you want to leave again," Damien says. "I can have someone go get your dog. Make sure he's safe, and then get him to you in Texas."

"You'd do that?"

"If it's what you want."

"Yes." She nods, then takes a deep breath. "He--he hits me. I don't want to ever see him again."

Damien looks at her, his expression tender. Then he puts a hand on her shoulder. "D

one."

When we follow him back out to the lounge, I can see that Marcy is nervous. But Jay is nowhere to be found.

"Did the car get fixed?" I ask. "Did he leave?"

"He's in one of the offices," Damien says. "Having a chat with Ryan."

"Oh." I nod. "Good."

"Come on," he says to Marcy. "Let's try this again."

This time when her SUV disappears into the lights of the Strip, I don't expect to see her again.

I stand for a moment with Damien's arm around my waist, then I lean against his shoulder. "Thank you."