Rock Me Faster (Licks of Leather #4) - Jenna Jacob Page 0,22
You can stay on the bus until—”
“No. I’m good. I’ll play my part as convincingly as you did a few minutes ago.”
Please, God, let her be bluffing.
This tempting little morsel was testing my self-restraint to its limit simply by breathing. If she started turning on the seduction, I’d come completely undone and things would get ugly fast. “Don’t start playing with fire, because I guarantee you will get burned.”
Harmony trembled, with what I hoped was a shiver of fear. But when she lifted her thick lashes and I saw challenge and hunger flare in her electric-blue eyes, I bit back a howl.
“Good thing I’m not afraid of a few flames.”
Fuck my life. This sassy, sexy minx is going to be the death of me.
“We’re supposed to be live on-air in five minutes,” Sofia reminded.
“Let’s get moving,” Quinn urged. “Oh, and one more thing, gang. When Harmony steps out with Ross, the press will want to know her name. Don’t tell them. I want to keep her identity a mystery for as long as possible.”
The others agreed to keep their mouths shut before making their way off the coach. I turned to Quinn with a scowl. “Why don’t you want them knowing her name?”
“Because it adds to the mystique.” Quinn smiled. “They’ll be so focused on trying to find out who she is, they might stop printing bullshit about suicide attempts.”
“What happens when they finally ID her?”
“They won’t,” Quinn assured cryptically.
“Why not?”
“You and Harmony need to sit down and get to know each other better…find out about one another’s lifestyles.”
I nearly gave myself whiplash as I snapped my head toward the girl. While I hadn’t been around her long enough to know if she was a submissive or not, she had all the markings for sure.
“You son of a—”
“Not that lifestyle, Ross,” Quinn quickly amended. “I mean, talk about your likes and dislikes, where you grew up, hopes and dreams. That kind of stuff.”
“Sure,” I scoffed, only to appease him.
“Good. Okay, I’ll bring up the rear,” he said, nodding toward the door. “Hold hands and keep her beside you.”
“I know the drill.”
“Wait. What am I supposed to do?” Harmony’s voice quivered.
Finally, fear had taken hold of her.
“Smile and don’t let go of my hand no matter what,” I instructed.
When we reached the stairs, I threaded my fingers through hers, doing everything in my power to ignore the current humming up my arm, and escorted her straight into the viper pit.
The instant the paparazzi saw us together, they swarmed like a school of piranhas, barking out questions over the loud rock music piped onto the street from the radio station.
We managed to get three steps in before the press—pushing and shoving and thrusting microphones and cameras in our faces—surrounded us and cut off our path. Harmony tensed and damn near squeezed my fingers off as a tiny whimper of terror slid from the back of her throat. Her lips quivered as her smile faltered, but it was the sheer look of panic shimmering in her eyes that sent my anger spiking.
Damn you, Quinn. She’s losing her shit.
Sliding my arm around her waist, I tucked Harmony in close to my side. I knew touching her sinful body was a stupid masochistic move, but I couldn’t let the terror unfurling within her take over. Still, I was unprepared for the feel of her lush, warm curves molding so perfectly against me. Where I was firm, solid muscle, she was soft, yielding flesh melting against me as if she’d been designed for me alone.
And when she wrapped her arm around my hip, fisting my shirt as if it were a lifeline, a bolt of lightning streaked up my spine. The primitive need to protect this precious angel at all costs thundered through me. And somewhere on the periphery of the kaleidoscope of emotions crowding my system, I could feel every cell in my body sizzling to life as if waking from a long, desolate coma.
As she trembled in my arms, Harmony turned her head, burying her face against my shirt. Her panicked breaths spilled through the fabric and ignited my flesh like the nine circles of hell. The ache to dip my head and claim her lips, gorge on the liquid heat of her mouth, and soothe her fears throbbed through me. But I fought the notion as Quinn shoved his way alongside Harmony, pushing the mics and cameras away.
Locked in the sea of unrelenting reporters, all struggling to get closer while bludgeoning us with