Her Bush (Objects of Attraction), page 13
But kissing her was okay. I'd decided as much for my own sanity. So, I took her by the cheek and pulled her a little closer until I could feel her warm, soft lips against mine. She tasted as good as she smelled, and I savored each gentle, passionate kiss. Nell's leg snaked over my own, and she started to slide herself into a straddle position on top of me.
If I had let my cock run the ship, that would’ve been the last decision she made under her own power for the day. I would’ve carried her to my bed, stripped off her clothes, and pinned her wrists above her head while I savored every last inch of her body. I would have—
I forced myself to stop thinking about any of it. I pulled back from her mouth and gave her a long kiss on the forehead. “You should get ready for tonight,” I said. “If I’m going to have a chastity belt custom made for you in less than eight hours, I need to go make some calls.”
She smiled, but her eyes kept roaming my face and falling back to my lips. God. I knew she wanted it as badly as I did, but I just needed to remember how much was on her plate right now. “A chastity belt?”
“In case things go south with Damian.”
“If Damian tries to go south on me, he’s going to get an uppercut.”
I grinned. “That’s what I like to hear.”
“Now promise me one more time you won’t be there.”
“I promise. I will not be there.” This time, it wasn’t a lie. I absolutely was not going to step inside the venue, but I knew somebody who could on my behalf.
17
WILLIAM
Espionage would’ve been my middle name if I knew how to spell it. Infiltration. Subterfuge. Harry had given me a mission, and I was going to be damned if I screwed it up. Well, technically, I was actually just going to be amused if I screwed it up. That was probably why I invited the whole crew.
Hailey was to my left as we entered the party. It was the typical affair—music, cocktails, an open bar, and a huge venue downtown. It was also so packed I couldn’t spot Nell right away.
“Where is she?!” I shouted suddenly. A few people nearby turned and gave me curious looks.
Hailey rolled her eyes. “Can you please stop talking in that horrible impersonation of a Batman voice?”
I frowned down at her. “Batman wishes he was me. Don’t insult me by comparing me to that rodent.”
“Somehow, I doubt that would be true, even if we forget the fact that he’s not real.”
“Yeah. That’s exactly why he wishes he was me. I’m walking around with real, functional equipment while he’s stuck in fantasyland. Pussy.”
Hailey laughed. “You’re sure Harry actually asked you to come here?”
“What? You don’t think he’d trust me? Harry Barnidge and I have become very close friends.”
“Right. Or maybe you’re just being protective of me and can’t stand the idea of being too far removed from this book project.”
“Let me tell you something about me, wife.”
Hailey shot me a mischievous grin. She knew I only called her “wife” like that when I was planning on finding a place to plunder her at some point in the night. “Go on,” she said, eyebrows raised.
“I happen to like Harry. I also think he’s a competent bastard, so if I do manage to make a mess of this little mission he assigned me, he’ll figure it out. That’s why I invited Grammy, Bruce, and Natasha.”
“You did what?”
“It’s like a family reunion!” I said cheerily.
I saw Hailey scanning the room. We both spotted Grammy at the same time. She was talking to a young man who looked highly uncomfortable. Grammy was leaning in and laughing about something while the guy was arching his back like he was preparing to try to break a limbo world record.
“We should go save him.”
I sighed. “Go on, then. I’ve got important work to do.”
That was when I spotted my mark. Nell Snell. I grinned. Stupid name. She was standing next to Damian, and if I didn’t know better, I’d say he was dangling his arm so close behind her back that if she so much as coughed, he’d graze her ass. Oh, Hell no. This is exactly what Harry wanted me here to prevent.
I needed to find Grammy and get a plan in the works. And I needed to do it fast.
18
NELL
I fought the urge to yawn. Apparently, once you’d been to one fancy art enthusiast party, you’d been to all of them. Getting shopped around like a prize cow to potential buyers had gotten old quickly. Having to fend off Damian’s constant attempt to look like my boyfriend was only making the whole ordeal more unbearable.
Part of me actually wished Harry had done the stupid thing and come, just so I could watch him throw Damian off of me. It was almost funny. Once I learned the truth about everything that happened, I’d gone from being pissed at thinking Harry was jealous to almost wishing he was more jealous. I guess it made sense in a way. It wasn’t the jealousy that put me off, exactly. It was that I didn’t trust him to be different than Chuck. Seeing how much Harry had to put up with to try to keep a secret from me—and only to protect me, at that—made me think I could trust him.
I knew it was selfish to want Harry here. It was like he said. Damian and his father could ruin Harry if he had the inclination, and if I had to put up with this act for a few more days, it was a small price to pay to avoid that.
“Malorie,” Damian said loudly. He put his hand around my waist and led me toward a man and woman who were standing in front of a four-sided painting that was so big it nearly reached the ceiling. As far as I could tell, the painting was nothing but four slightly different color tones. “That’s her,” he muttered under his breath.
“The ex?”
“Yes,” he said.
The woman and the guy at her side were both attractive. The woman had more traditional beauty with full lips, big breasts, and heavy hips. The man, on the other hand, was handsome in that kind of weird way that makes you almost feel creepy for even thinking so. He was thin, had a strangely intricate beard and mustache thing going on, and he wore thick glasses.
The man reached out to shake my hand. “Kyle Van Buren,” he said.
“Hi. I’m Nell.”
Damian pulled me a little tighter into his side, which made my skin want to crawl right off my bones and jump in a vat of acid.
Malorie didn’t miss the gesture, and I saw her eyes tighten momentarily before she flashed a huge, artificial smile. “It’s so good to see you again, Damian. Is this your latest project?”
I realized a second late that “this” was me. I wondered if she’d look so cocky with a few knuckle prints on those makeup-crusted cheeks. Calm down, Nell. I could've laughed at myself. I wasn't usually violent, but apparently, learning the power of my punch with Harry had made me start fantasizing about punching people who got on my bad side.
“Nell is an up-and-coming artist. We’re trying to get bids on her latest piece. It’s absolutely new. Groundbreaking stuff. Really.”
Van Buren touched his mustache and leaned a little closer. “Is it here?”
“Right over there,” Damian said.
Van Buren left, not even waiting for Malorie to follow after him. She looked like she was thinking about throwing her drink in Damian’s face. “Why are you really bringing her right in my face?”
“I’m trying to do my job, Malorie. Selling art for my clients.”
“Client. Right. Because you’re not fooling me. I can see her cringing away from you. Are you really so pathetic that you wanted me to think she was your girlfriend? Did she actually agree to that? Or did you just threaten to ruin her if she refused?”
Damian scoffed, and before I knew what was happening, he was leaning toward me like he was expecting a kiss. I only had time to think about whether I’d rather punch him or jump back as quickly as I could before a blur of motion flashed by my face. In an instant, Damian wasn’t there anymore.
Malorie just barely had enough time to step out of the way.
“Harry?” I asked. All I could see was a big man wrestling with Damian on the ground.
“Oh, Jesus,” Hailey Chamberson said. She was jogging over to the men. She knelt down and tried to peel the man on top off, who still had his back to me. She whacked him with her handbag a few times, to which he finally turned and looked up at her. It was William, not Harry.
But why…
Damian landed a solid punch on William from the ground and sent William flopping to the floor.
That was when Hailey swung her handbag at Damian so hard in the face, I thought she might’ve knocked a tooth loose. His head whipped back, and he clutched his jaw. “You fucking—” He looked around, eyes suddenly seeming less blue and more black as he took in every single person who had gathered around to watch. I thought he was about to give some sort of evil villain speech, but all he did was walk up until he was only inches away from me and lower his voice. “I know exactly who asked him to be here. You’re finished. He’s finished. Oh, and that purple hair looks ridiculous on you.”
Damian pushed past me and left the rest of us standing there in stunned silence.
“Wait,” I said.
Damian turned around and looked at me expectantly.
I grabbed a glass of red wine from the woman beside me and splashed it in his face. “Okay. You can go now.”
To my surprise, Damian walked away without another word.
William sat up and shook his head like a wet dog. “Did anyone see the part where I kneed him in the balls? He didn’t even flinch. So, yeah, you’re welcome ladies. I just confirmed for everyone here that Damian Cross is nutless.”
A man who looked so much like William it could only be his brother, Bruce, pushed his way through the crowd. A woman I took to be his wife was close behind him. They helped William to his feet. Bruce brushed some dirt off William’s suit. “You okay?”
“Yeah, he just slapped me with those wet noodles he calls arms a few times. I’ll be fine. Wife,” William said to Hailey.
“Really? Right now?” she asked.
“My blood is pumping. Your warrior needs to sate his—”
She pushed her fingertips to his lips and smiled uncomfortably. “I think he might’ve bumped his head a little. I’m going to go take him somewhere to get him checked out.”
“Yeah. The broom closet. It’ll be just like—”
Hailey used her whole hand this time before rushing William away.
I didn’t need to be a genius to piece together what had happened. Harry had asked William to come and keep an eye on me. I took about two seconds to decide if it pissed me off and realized it didn’t. He’d known Damian was likely to try something stupid, and having William come instead of himself showed that he could at least be level headed enough to avoid taking an unnecessary risk. William by himself wouldn’t have raised any eyebrows, but it also meant Harry had some confirmation that Damian would be kept in check.
It was a good plan, but—
A collective gasp drew my attention to the other side of the room. I looked just in time to see the top half of my bush penis fall to the ground. Damian was standing there with some kind of sword he must’ve swiped from one of the art pieces and a triumphant look on his face. He let the sword clatter to the ground as he spread his arms wide and walked backward toward the exit. “Whoops!” he shouted.
19
HARRY
Nell was sipping chocolate milk on the couch in her apartment while I paced back and forth in her small kitchen—which basically meant taking one step forward, turning around, and taking another step. Between the call William had made to me and Nell’s quick explanation, I had a relatively clear picture of what had happened. When William told me what Damian was trying to pull, I had to remind myself that I could get him back later. Nell needed me right now. Murdering Damian with my bare hands could wait, at least for a few hours.
“I can’t believe he cut my penis in half,” Nell said. I could hardly believe it, but she was smirking.
“I’m glad you’re taking this well.”
She sighed. “I’m really sorry, Harry. But maybe Damian is bluffing? Who says his dad is even going to be willing to follow through on his son’s threats? Maybe we could even reach out to him before Damian has a chance to tell him some bogus version of what happened.”
“No. I’ve known Nathaniel Cross long enough to know he doesn’t care. Nathaniel cares about his reputation and making sure everybody knows he’s the most powerful man in the industry. Letting us get away with this would undermine that perception. People would see Damian got disrespected, and they’d start to wonder if Nathaniel was as god-like as he wants everyone to think.”
“I feel like this is my fault. If I hadn’t let Damian convince me we needed to worry about this Van Buren guy—”
“No. If you’d put your foot down, he would’ve kept thinking up new ways to get at you. The bottom line is Damian was going to try something sketchy sooner or later. We were kidding ourselves thinking we could just wait him out. I only wish he had waited until after Maya’s gala. God knows what kind of damage he can do to your chances of selling the piece.”
“I mean, he cut the thing in half. I don’t know if anyone is going to buy it now.”
I planted my hands on the counter and tried to think of something. Anything. I hated the idea of watching Nell get chased out of this opportunity she had, especially when I knew I’d played a part in messing it up for her. “Wait. Didn’t you say you were kind of into art when you were a kid?”
“I also said my art teacher told me to quit.”
“Yeah, but if you could make something like the bush penis once. You’ve got it in you to do it again. What if I get a team of guys trying to repair the penis and make sure the bush doesn’t die. If that doesn’t work, you and I will be working on a backup plan for the next couple days.”
“A backup plan?”
Nell studied the large bushes in my gardens while she held a pair of hedge clippers in her hand. "I don't know. The first time, I was seriously trying to make that damn penguin and his snowman. It wasn't like I had a deep, artistic vision, and it turned out like I planned."
“Yeah, well, I happen to think you’re capable of more than you give yourself credit for. I’ve watched you rise up to the moment again and again since we met. You may think you’re blundering through it, but to me, you’re killing it.”
She did a sarcastic little leg kick and twirled her hair. “You’re just trying to make me blush.”
“I know exactly how I plan to make you blush when this is all over. Right now, I’m just being honest.”
Nell looked down and swallowed. “How are you planning on making me blush after all this is over, exactly?”
I knew it wasn’t the time or the place, but I couldn’t stop myself from walking closer to her. She was wearing a casual exercise kind of outfit that didn’t have any right to be as sexy as it was on her. I put my hand on the side of her face and she leaned into it. I enjoyed the way she always seemed to want to melt into me when I touched her. If I hugged her, she sank into the hug. If I put my arm around her waist, she slid her body against mine.
"I'd start by doing what I've been dying to do since we met. I'd help you out of those clothes, and I wouldn't take my time about it." I kissed her neck, savoring the faintly sweet taste of her skin, and the smell of her soap. She always smelled so clean and impossibly fresh, like she'd just come from the shower even when it was midday, and I knew it had to have been hours since she last washed. "Then, I'd see if you taste as sweet all over."
“Okay,” she whispered. “I’m blushing already.”
“Ah.” I pushed back from her. “Then I guess I don’t need to tell you the rest.”
“No. Actually, false alarm. It was just the sun on my cheek. You can continue.”
I shrugged. “We should really get to work on this whole backup plan thing. It’s fine.”
I could feel her glaring as I turned and studied the bush. “Come on. Let’s think of something that would fit right in at Maya North’s gala.”
“A giant bush vagina?” Nell suggested.
I laughed. “Probably. But I feel like you need to push the envelope a little more than that.”
Nell walked a slow circle around the bush, then sat on a bench to study it while she rested her chin in her hands. “Hmm…”
“Have something?”
“No. I was just thinking about how I mostly charge my phone in my car, so does that mean my phone is gas powered?”
“I actually meant an artistic idea.”
“Come back in an hour,” Nell said suddenly. She stood and picked up the shears.
“I can’t watch you work?”
“I want it to be a surprise.”
“What am I supposed to do for an hour?”
“I don’t know? Go pull some fish out of the water. But throw them back in when you’ve had your fun. I won’t kiss a murderer.”
I grinned. “You’ve never eaten fish?”
“Fair point. But it seems different when you choke the life out of it with your bare hands.”
“For some reason, I think you don’t fully grasp how fishing works.”
“You know what I mean.”
“One hour,” I said. “And I don’t want to stress you out, but I do want to remind you that Maya’s gala is in two days. I don’t know if you did the mental math yet, but that works out to us not having much time to get this done right.”
“Please. Don’t you even start to doubt me. One hundred percent of the bushes I’ve sculpted have gained the attention of the biggest names in the art world.”
“Percentages don’t really tell the full story when we’re talking about a sample size of one.”
“Just go,” Nell huffed with a devious flicker of her eyes. “You’re sabotaging my artistic vision.”
I left her to work, but I had to admit I was nervous about whatever it was she thought she could create in an hour.
