His Property, page 19
“Rob,” I hiss. “I can't –”
“So, let's give a very warm Club Nova welcome to Miss Harper Wilkins,” the emcee almost shouts and leads the audience in a round of applause.
The spotlight swings from the emcee to me and when the light hits me, I feel like my skin is on fire. My cheeks are burning and I'm positive my heart is going to burst out of my chest any minute. Rob is applauding and smiling at me, his eyes sparkling.
But beyond that, what I see on his face is pure love. Belief. He believes in me. He must, to have gone to the lengths he did to set this up. And that makes my heart swell with pride. Swell with love. I lean over and kiss him, which draws even louder applause from the audience.
“You're going to knock them dead,” he says when I pull back. “You've got the voice of an angel, Harper Wilkins. They deserve to hear you. You deserve to be heard.”
“I – I don't even know what to say,” I whisper in his ear.
“You don't have to say anything,” he says. “Just sing for me.”
“Thank you,” I say.
He pats me on the butt and gives me another smile. “Go on, get your butt up there,” he says. “Your adoring fans are waiting.”
I climb up onto the stage and feel the swarm of butterflies in my stomach. Only, this time they seem larger, batter me harder. My heart is racing and my hands are trembling – and for the first time in my life, I realize I'm in the grips of actual stage fright.
I sit down on the chair – mostly so I don't pass out or fall over. Picking up my guitar, I look at it for a moment, still not believing what's happening. The crowd goes silent as everybody waits for me to start and I look out into the darkened room, the people little more than shadows and silhouettes. I clear my throat and adjust the microphones to my height. And when I have that task complete – really just a stalling tactic to give myself time to gather my wits about me – I lean forward.
“You'll have to forgive me,” I say. “This is all a bit of a surprise to me. I mean, look at me. I'm not exactly dressed to be up on a stage tonight, right? There I was enjoying a lovely dinner and now – well – here I am.”
There's some laughter and applause of encouragement from the crowd. I shift my gaze from the audience to the table in front – to Rob. And as I focus on him, everything else seems to just melt away. I'm no longer playing to a packed room – a room far larger than anything I've ever played in before – I'm playing for just one man. It's just me and Rob in that room. My heart slows and the trembling subsides. As our eyes lock onto one another's, a sense of peace and calm settles down over me and I begin to play.
And as I play my guitar and sing, the magic of what I do takes hold of me. It's not long before I'm completely lost in the music, caught up in the lyrics, and feel the energy of my songs and the crowd flowing through me. I put every ounce of my emotion – everything I feel for Rob – into my performance. I channel my growing love for this man into my voice and belt out my songs – playing maybe better than I ever have before.
And when I strum the last chord and that song ends, the crowd erupts into cheers. The applause is thunderous and I can feel the vibration ripple through my body. I feel my energy rising like a tide and my heart swell like it's never done before. Rob is looking at me with an expression of absolute awe on his face and I can't help myself – tears of joy leak from my eyes and roll down my cheeks.
The crowd is chanting for more and when I look to the side of the stage, the man who'd introduced me is smiling. He points to his watch and flashes me ten fingers – I have ten more minutes to fill. Gone is the uncertainty that gripped me when I stepped onto the stage and in its place is a confidence I've never felt before. The applause is heady. It's intoxicating. And in that moment, ten minutes doesn't feel like enough – I feel like I want to keep singing all night.
Leaning forward, I speak into the microphone. “Thank you so much,” I say. “Since you're not tired of me yet, I'd like to play you another song –”
Another burst of cheers and applause accompanies that announcement and I smile as I wait for it to fade.
“I wrote this one a while ago, back when I was growing up in Blackburn, Georgia,” I say. “And I'd like to dedicate this one to that very special man in my life.”
I see Miguel nudge Rob and give him a look. Rob just smiles and when he looks up at me, the expression on his face is one I want to remember for the rest of my life – it's an expression of the purest love and adoration I've ever seen one person give another. Riding on the wave of emotion and the buzz of the crowd, I start to play the next song.
~ooo000ooo~
“Thank you just seems completely insufficient,” I say.
“Watching you play your heart out like you did is thanks enough,” he says.
We're laying in bed later that night, our naked bodies intertwined and pressed together. I lay my head on his chest and trace circles across his skin with the tip of my fingernail. The buzz of tonight's performance is still running through me. The electricity firing through my veins hasn't abated in the least – and the smile I've worn since that first burst of applause hasn't seemed to diminish either.
I've never felt more amazing than I do in that moment. And I owe it all to this most amazing man.
“They really loved you up there,” he says.
“I don't even have the words,” I say. “I've never felt anything like that before. I've never played in front of a crowd that large.”
“No?”
I shake my head. “Not unless you count playing on a subway platform.”
Rob laughs. “I'm really proud of you, Harper,” he says. “You were beyond amazing tonight.”
I plant a soft kiss on his stomach. “I can't believe you did all that. For me.”
He strokes my hair and even in the darkness of the room, I know he's smiling. “Why wouldn't I?” he asks. “You're amazing. The world should get to see just how amazing you are.”
“It seems like maybe this little spontaneous trip to Vegas wasn't all that spontaneous after all,” I say. “Seems pretty well coordinated.”
He shrugs. “Maybe not entirely spontaneous,” he says. “But, it was very last minute.”
“How did you get my guitar here?” I ask. “I didn't see it with the bags when we were getting on the plane.”
“I have my ways,” he says in a dramatic voice.
“I don't know how you got it on the plane without me seeing it,” I say.
He laughs softly. “That would have ruined the surprise,” he says.
“I still can't believe you didn't even give me a little bit of a heads up,” I say. “You totally sandbagged me.”
“You're really not very good at surprises, are you?”
“Clearly not,” I say and smile.
He places a soft kiss on the top of my head and strokes my hair.
“I wanted to surprise you,” he says. “I wanted it to be spontaneous. I wanted to hear you sing right from your heart.”
“Well, you succeeded,” he says.
“And it was absolutely magical.”
I sigh and melt against him. “It really was,” I say. “That's the perfect word for it. Magical.”
“Oh, I forgot to tell you. Ken, the owner of Nova, said you're welcome back to play anytime you want,” he says.
It all feels so surreal. Like I'm walking through a dream and none of this is reality. But the warm body beneath me is very real. Even still, I almost have to pinch myself.
Slowly, the buzz of the evening begins to wear off and I feel exhaustion starting to creep in. I'd ended up playing for almost an hour, and given the emotional energy I'd expended up on stage, I'm starting to feel the drain of it.
But, it's a good exhaustion. The best exhaustion I've ever felt in my life.
“You make me feel amazing,” I say softly. “You make me feel so incredible and so loved.”
“And you make me feel the same way, Harper.”
I place another soft kiss on his stomach and feel my eyes fluttering closed. I struggle against it, but the darkness creeps in at the edges of my vision and before I know it, the dark grip of sleep seizes me and pulls me under.
Chapter Thirty-Three
Rob
The sensation of her tongue sliding up and down my cock and circling my balls pulls me out of sleep. I open my eyes and moan as I look down and only see Harper's shape beneath the covers. But I feel what she's doing down there and my eyes roll back into my head.
She works on me with her mouth and her hand, sucking and jerking me harder and faster. I pull the covers off of her and Harper looks up at me, a gleam in her eye and a sultry little smile on her lips.
“Well, good morning to you,” I say.
“Good morning to you,” she replies.
“You're up early,” I say, laughing softly.
“Well, this thing here was up earlier and poking me in the back,” she says. “So, I felt compelled to do something about it.”
I laugh and shake my head. “And here, I thought my morning would be great if I got to start it off with some waffles.”
She shrugs. “Who says you can't still have 'em?”
“Good point.”
Keeping her eyes locked on mine, Harper takes my cock into her mouth and tightens her lips around the shaft. Squeezing my balls nice and firmly, she starts to bob her head up and down, hard and fast. I push my head back into the pillows and moan as she works on me.
She pulls my cock out of her mouth and runs the tongue around the head as she grips my shaft and starts to jerk me off. I stop her for a moment, causing her to look up at me.
“Turn around,” I say, my voice hoarse. “I want to taste you.”
Grinning, Harper turns around and gently straddles my face. She goes back to sucking and stroking me eagerly, her hands and mouth moving in a steady rhythm that drives me crazy. I grab her hips and pull her down on my face. I run my tongue over her lips, savoring the taste of her juices. And when I plunge my tongue deep inside of her, she moans loudly, losing her rhythm.
I lick and suck on her with ferocity, pulling her down harder against my mouth. I slip a finger into her and begin pumping it in and out as I suck on her clit. She pulls my rod out of her mouth and moans, her ragged breath warm against my skin. Harper grinds her pussy against my mouth, urging me to slide my tongue and finger deeper into her – and I'm more than happy to oblige.
I finger and lick her as she goes back to sucking and jerking on my cock. Having her on my face and tasting her juices at the same time she's swallowing my stiff prick is almost too much for me to bear. But I do my best to hold off, not anywhere near ready to let go of my control yet – not until I've been inside of her.
Her breathing is becoming more ragged and her movements more erratic. She has my dick in her hand, but her body is trembling and she's crying out. A moment later, she calls my name as her body clenches up and then suddenly releases. I feel her pussy pulsing around my finger as her orgasm tears through her.
“Jesus, Rob,” she pants. “You're going to kill me.”
“I can think of far worse ways to go.”
She climbs off my face and turns around, that sultry smile back on her lips. She reaches into her bag and pulls out a condom. Unwrapping it, she slides it down over my cock and gives me a firm squeeze. She straddles me and plants her hands against my chest for leverage. But she squeals when I grab hold of her hips and spin her down so she's on her back and I'm on top of her.
Harper wraps her long legs around me as I lean forward and kiss her, our tongues swirling together. We look into each other's eyes for a long moment and I sense there is so much that's being communicated without ever being said. My heart swells as I look into her eyes and see everything I'm feeling for her being reflected back to me.
I move my hips, slowly pushing myself forward. The head of my cock slips between her wet, swollen lips and when I slip myself in a little further, Harper gasps and bites her bottom lip.
“Are you okay?” I ask.
She smiles. “More than okay.”
I slide my cock in further, driving it deep until I'm fully sheathed inside of her. Harper moans and arches her back as I start to thrust my hips, moving inside of her. As I start to fuck her harder, she rakes her nails down my back, making me grunt, a small amount of pain blending with the pleasure.
I pump my hips faster, groaning, relishing the feeling of how tight she is.
“Harder, Rob,” she says. “Remember, I'm not going to break.”
I give her a grin and do as she asks. I start to move my hips harder and faster, pounding my cock into her tight little opening. She's writhing beneath me, thrusting her hips upward to meet my downward thrusts, taking my rod deeper into her. Electrical currents of pleasure run through my veins and I feel like my body is ablaze with passion. With desire.
She gives me a cheeky little grin and slaps my ass. “Harder, baby,” she moans. “Fuck me, Rob. Fuck me hard.”
“You have no idea how much that turns me on, Harper.”
She bites her bottom lip and grins at me. I pound myself into her even harder, the sound of our bodies slapping together echoing around the room and blend with our cries of pleasure. It's the sound of an erotic symphony. The sound of passion. And the sound of love.
Harper's body tenses when I drive myself as deep as I can go inside of her and hold myself there. Her jaw is clenched and her eyes are squeezed shut. And then she screams my name so loud, I'm half-afraid Miguel and Jack will hear it from across the hall.
Her body seizes up and begins to shake and tremble. Her voice stutters as she gasps and moans my name over and over again. When the muscles inside of her tighten around my stiff rod, it pulls a gasp out of my own throat. I didn't think she could get any tighter than she was, but she just proved me wrong.
“Come for me, baby,” she gasps. “Keep fucking me and come for me.”
I thrust my hips again, driving my cock into her deep and hard again and again. She's still in the throes of her orgasm and every movement I make inside of her draws another cry from her. Her nails are digging into my back so hard, I'm positive she's leaving furrows.
The pressure is building up within me and as I thrust myself into her again, I feel the dam within me begin to crumble. Another couple of thrusts inside of her and that dam comes crashing down.
“Harper,” I gasp. “Oh fuck, I'm coming.”
“Yes, baby,” she cries.
My cock begins to pulse and I feel it begin spurting my hot spunk inside of her, filling up the condom. I shudder and grit my teeth, the sensation of being so deep in her as I blow my load is overwhelming.
We cling to each other, our bodies pressed together, our kissing passionate and fierce as we ride out the waves of pleasure together.
And when our orgasms subside, when our hearts slow, and our breathing returns to normal, we're left looking into each other's eyes. I plant a small, soft kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“I love you, Harper Wilkins.”
When I realize what had just fallen out of my mouth, I feel my eyes grow wide and my heart stumbles all over itself. I didn't even realize I was going to say that until the words had literally fallen out of my mouth. I look into her eyes, wishing more than anything, that I could pull those words back in, make it so that I'd never uttered them in the first place.
But when she looks back at me, instead of recoiling in horror, she smiles.
“And I love you back, Roberto Rossi.”
And suddenly, my heart swelling with emotion, I know that waffles are suddenly the lowest item on my list of things that made my morning great.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Landon
I pace the hotel room, my stomach in knots. I look at the phone in my hand and almost dial the number – for the hundredth time. I know that once I go down this path, there is no going back. I know that if I actually make this call, I'm sealing the deal I'm making with the devil.
But, what in the hell else am I going to do? I hold none of the cards and doing this is the only way I'm getting back into the game.
If I do this, I get what I want and I can disappear. Start over. Start somewhere fresh. With Harper. I do this and I get to keep her and set myself up with a cool hundred g's.
I don't do this and I get nothing – except maybe a couple of bullets to the head.
Options. I have none.
It feels like the proverbial walls are closing in on me. And like I have nowhere left to turn. If I want to get Harper, get the money, and get the hell out of here alive and in one piece, I'm going to have to do it. It's a cold slap of reality that's really settling on me.
The other is that if I don't do this and Marco Rossi feels like he's been disrespected or came all the way out here for nothing, I may catch a bullet from him too.
I really screwed the pooch on this one. I stop at the dresser, lean down, and snort a couple of lines. It's the only way I'm gonna get through this.
But, the only way out is through. I made my bed, now it's time to lay in it. A million other corny as hell old sayings pop into my head – and most of them are true. So, all that's left for me to do is bite the bullet and just do it.
Without giving myself another minute to think or delay the inevitable, I punch in the number and when the line starts to ring, I hit the speaker button. I continue to pace the room, my heart beating hard and the adrenaline rushing through me.
And when the call is picked up, I nearly piss myself.
“Rossi,” Rob says on the other end of the line.
“Rob,” I say, trying to calm the tremor in my voice. “It's Landon Hall.”
“Why are you calling me?”
I sit on the edge of the bed and then stand up again, too keyed up to sit still.
“We need to talk.”
“There's nothing to talk about,” he says, his voice colder than ice. “I gave you my terms. By now, you should be out of California. Is that not the case?”
I sigh. “Look, man,” I say. “It ain't that easy. I –”
