A Killer Duet

by Mary Winter

  He was as handsome as she imagined, with flat pecs and a set of abs that made her mouth water. Unable to stop herself, she reached for his jeans, unbuttoning them and pulling the fly open. She groaned at his erect cock pressing against black cotton. Yet one more barrier to keep her from him and when she tugged on his jeans, he lifted his hips and helped by easing himself from the confines of his underwear. Oh lord was this man perfection. Just looking at his cock made her inner muscles tighten and though it took a moment for him to kick off his boots and then get completely naked, the hint of his ass made her whimper just a bit at the sight. She’d taken a model to her bed, someone who should pose for something…maybe for her.

  Right now though she wasn’t interested in that. Instead, she wasn’t ready to wait and she shed her clothing until she was as naked as he was. “Do you have protection?” she asked. Hell of a time, but better now than later.

  He nodded. “Yeah. Just a moment.” His voice emerged thick and raspy, as if it’d taken him a few moments to think about how to use it again. Then, he reached for his jeans and pulled a single condom out of his wallet. “Going to have to get more though. This is the only one I got.”

  “You’ll have to,” she said. “The press would have a field day if they saw me buying condoms. And it’d take too long to have them shipped online.” She winked. “You do the honors.”

  She hated watching the latex sheath cover him. Someday she’d take him bare inside her. That day wasn’t today. And with the preliminaries out of the way, they came together in a kiss of lips and tongues and caresses until he had her on her back and was bracing his weight over her.

  She lifted her thighs along his hips, knowing that she’d take him right now and it’d be perfect. Instead of accepting what she offered, he broke the kiss and began nibbling along her jaw and neck, then lower, until he nuzzled her breasts. Oh god, he was going to torment her, wasn’t he. With one big hand on her left breast, and his lips and tongue on her right, he licked and sucked until she bucked beneath him and rubbed against him like a cat in heat.

  Any other man might have fucked her right there. Not Case. He kept his attention focused on her breasts, moving between them until she thought she’d come just from his lips and tongue. Then, he moved lower, slowing across her abdomen to sprinkle kisses over it. Then lower still, until he made way for his shoulders between her legs and his warm breath caressed her intimately.

  He tasted her. A soft kiss, a stroke of his tongue, but it was like someone had lit a fuse deep inside her. She resisted the urge to grind herself against his face, letting his lips and tongue carry her higher. Tangling her fingers in his hair, she held him to her and couldn’t contain her moans of pleasure.

  She sensed his tempo, the way he worked the rising waves of her release. He’d play the lines, building the speed, the quickness, until he backed off, giving her a moment to catch her breath before he started all over again. Her body, so long denied the pleasure of a man’s mouth, or anything else on her, gave into its desires, and a moment later, a shattering orgasm overtook her. She bit her lip to keep from screaming as the pulses darted through her body.

  Case waited until she came back down, then with a very self-satisfied male smile, moved over her until he could kiss her and she tasted herself on his lips. The head of his cock pressed against her and she lifted her hips and he slid home. They stayed that way, with him buried inside of her, for a long moment. And then he began to move and much like before, the beat of their lovemaking overtook her and her body moved to its own rhythm. She came again, this time her cries swallowed by Case’s kiss. A moment later he followed her into release and they clung to each other, panting and sweating, the smell of sex in the air.

  It was there, laying in his arms, when Rain realized she’d made the cardinal sin in her line of work. She’d slept with her bodyguard.

  Chapter 8

  Case kept his attention purely business as he sat with the band, a hearty welcome from all the members. When they heard him play, they gave Rain a thumb’s up, and from how wide her eyes went, he guessed she must have wondered just how good he really was. Everyone confessed to being the next big thing when they spoke to a big performer. He’d done nothing, simply strummed a few chords in the hotel room, sang a bit of a popular country song. She’d said nothing, but he’d sensed her approval.

  That she thought he was a good filled him with more pride than her satisfied response to his lovemaking last night had. They worked on the duet, the lead backup singer who often sang the male part, admitting that Case was even better than he was. When the two of them sang about love, longing, things that couldn’t be had and the dashboard lights of a pickup truck heading to the next town, well, it gave him a musical punch in the gut.

  Dale had looked flustered when he’d picked them up in the bus. Case hadn’t like that, and he’d sat down with the venue security, letting them know that Scott was no longer working for them and if he were seen anywhere around the venue, unless they were actually performing, then he was to be contacted immediately. Local law enforcement, as well as the two FBI agents had been contacted about the break in of her hotel room and the destruction. Agent Williams, Hodges’ quiet partner, had agreed to come to the venue during the performances, and venue security had been notified. He’d overheard Rain fire Roddie this morning and even though he wasn’t on the call, he could tell it hadn’t gone well. More complications, but necessary ones.

  He’d left his cell phone in Rain’s dressing room. Authorities were supposed to contact him immediately if they got prints out of the room, or anything that might lead them to a suspect. Then Rain gave him a look that said he must have missed something, because they picked up the song from the start, and her worried expression eased as he flawlessly came in on time.

  By the time they’d completed run-throughs of several of the songs, he felt as if he could participate meaningfully on stage, if not actually be a performer. Rain broke for lunch, while the band stayed with him to finish rehearsing. For so long he’d pushed his dreams aside. To be on the stage, even in this capacity, made his heart soar. Not that he wanted anything to happen to Rain, but if it was his security job that brought him here, well he wasn’t going to complain.

  After another hour, the band felt that he had it, and they agreed to meet up about an hour before show time in case anything came up. He put his guitar in the case, then left it in the equipment room with the other instruments, and went to Rain’s dressing room. He knocked on the door.

  She opened it. “Oh thank goodness you’re here. Dale usually comes back by now with my costumes. I’ve texted him but he’s not responding. Would you mind picking them up?”

  “Of course.” He took directions and left.

  The ten minute drive to the dry cleaners wasn’t anything interesting, but who he found once he got there was. Dale stepped out of his truck. As soon as he saw Case, he looked around, as if concerned someone had seen him. “What are you doing here?” Dale asked as they made it to the door together. He still glanced around nervously, and worry lines bracketed his eyes. If he were hiding something—and Case would bet his guitar he was—he certainly wasn’t good at it.

  “Picking up Rain’s dry-cleaning. She couldn’t reach you. Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Why wouldn’t they be? Just got to talking to the grandkids. So, you ‘ve got this?” He appeared eager, too eager, to leave.

  “I’m good. I’ll let Rain know everything is okay. She worries about you.” His gut told him to reach out. He rested his hand on Dale’s shoulder. “If there’s anything going on, even if you don’t want Rain to know, you can tell me. I’ve seen a lot. Whatever it is, I can deal and won’t freak out on you.” He smiled and released the bigger man.

  “Okay. Yeah. Um, thanks.” Dale turned. “See you tonight. I won’t be late. I promise.” He hurried back to his truck and a moment later backed out of the parking lot as if his wheels were on fire.

  Case watched him go, thinking the en
tire encounter was strange. Especially since the more he thought about it, right now the grandkids probably should have been in school. Unless they were younger. He didn’t know, but figured Rain would. He picked up the dry cleaning without incident and returned. Rain took it, called for her usual delivery order which he met at the back door, and they ate silently.

  Thankfully, his on-stage wardrobe wasn’t as elaborate as hers, and he got by with a clean pair of jeans, a bit of polish on his boots, and a new western shirt from one of the stores on the main strip. Then, he met the band on the stage at an hour until show time and prepared for what would be the night of his life.

  Rain didn’t like what Case had told her about meeting Dale at the dry cleaners. She’d thought his kids were older, of an age where they should be going to school during the day. So the excuse really didn’t hold water. Except, she had a show to put on, fans who had paid to hear her sing, and didn’t really have time to think about it. She changed into her costume, noticing that there was an envelope clipped to the inside of the garment bag.

  Found this in a pocket. Thank you.

  She hadn’t remembered leaving anything in her pocket, but it was possible someone passed her song notes or instructions and she’d tucked them away and forgotten about them. She opened the envelope the dry cleaners provided to find a folded over and sealed piece of paper. It looked singed on the edges, as if someone had taken a cigarette lighter to it on accident or maybe just used an old piece of paper. She thought about opening it, then decided not to. Not when she had to get on stage. Instead, she set it on her dressing table.

  The paper bothered her down the long, dark hallway with Case by her side as she went to the stage. The band was warming up, playing her intro music, and the crowd was on their feet. Their stomps and claps shook the building, and when she arrived on stage, the eruption of applause was near deafening. Case went to his spot with the band and she took to the microphone.

  “Hello, Branson!”

  The cheering got even louder.

  “You’re in for a special treat tonight, because my good friend, Case Trenton, is going to be joining me on stage. Give him a welcome!”

  When the audience quieted, she broke into the first chords of one of her older songs, a standard she knew everyone wanted to hear. Case came in right on cue, and she loved hearing the audience’s appreciation when he did. The music was really coming together tonight. Some nights it seemed as if everyone were playing, and to the untrained ear, it no doubt sounded great. To her, however, it seemed phoned in, like nothing really was harmonic. Tonight was different, and she knew it had a lot to do with the man on the stage behind her.

  When he came in and harmonized on the vocals, shivers went down her spine. That voice! She’d heard it in the hotel room before all of this started. She’d fantasized then about what kind of man would sing like that. Now that she knew…well it made the sound all the sweeter.

  The music moved right into a second song, then a third, and then a fourth that was one of the deeper cuts from her latest record. Even then, the crowd hooted and hollered as if she were playing just her string of number one hits. This was what she’d imagined when she’d dreamed about being a star. This was the life she’d wanted for herself.

  She rocked it right through the first set until they would have a short ten minute intermission. She met Case at the edge of the stage and pulled him into a hug. “You did great,” she said, pausing just for a moment to relish his tall, hard body against hers. “I think the crowd loved you.” She pulled back, knowing if she kissed him the way she wanted to, she’d have to probably reapply her makeup and she just didn’t have time for that.

  “Thanks. It’s been great. Can’t believe I’m actually on stage.” He found his hand and tangled their fingers together as he walked her to her dressing room. She saw him glancing at the ramped up security and was thankful to see it there. She reached her dressing room and waited while he opened the door. His attention went to the paper. “What’s that?”

  “The dry cleaner found it in my pocket. I’m not going to worry about it until after the show.”

  “Are you sure?” He didn’t touch it.

  “I’m sure. You better check in with the band. We don’t have much time until the next set.” She shooed him out of her dressing room, then quickly went to work fixing her makeup and changing her costume. By the time the call for stage came, she’d forgotten all about the paper.

  They came back on stage to a standing ovation, one that had her blood racing. Case gave her a thumb’s up when she glanced at him and she tore into the guitar licks that launched her most recent number one hit, Truck Stop Girlfriend.

  I won’t be your truck stop girlfriend

  One night and then the fun ends

  Never knowing where you’re going

  Or when you’re going to come again

  Not that I want a ring from you

  No, there’s only one thing I wanna do

  So text me when you’re rig’s pullin’ in

  And don’t tell me where you’ve been

  Don’t wanna be your truck stop girlfriend…

  She pointed at the crowd and they took over the refrain until she hit the last chord and the sound echoed throughout the theater and the lights flashed. Security with their white shirts stood around the theater in the back and the colors bounced luminescent off their shirts. For a moment she thought she saw Scott standing there. Then, when the lights came up one final time before going back to focus on the stage, the space where she thought she’d seen him was empty.

  Her heart stopped. Her fingers stuttered for a moment over the next few chords before she picked up the song and hit the first verse right on cue. Her main guitar player caught her eye and she smiled, hopefully reassuring him everything was okay. This song was a duet with Case, and when he came to the microphone to join her, their faces close together, the crowd roared. His gaze told her he hadn’t missed the faltering beginning, that he’d want to know the reason why. Maybe he even had seen Scott toward the back of the theater. But there wasn’t time to discuss it now, not when the music was pounding and they had to perform.

  She wanted him to stand beside her together. The song passed by too quickly and Case returned to his spot closer to the band. The music changed, a few of her older hits mixed in with deeper cuts. Before long, she came to the final song and her time on stage with Case was over.

  Chapter 9

  Electricity crackled between them during the drive home. Dale was on time with the bus, and she hadn’t seen Scott or any signs of anything out of the ordinary. Instead, she focused on Case. He was good. Really good and with the right representation he could probably go far. He hadn’t said anything, other than an offhand remark about not going into music, but going into the military instead, and yet, beneath the surface, she wondered if tonight hadn’t been the culmination of some kind of dream for him.

  And the night wasn’t over. She tangled their fingers together as they walked into the hotel, not caring if anyone saw. She supposed she should. No doubt word of her firing Roddie, and maybe even Scott, was all over the industry news. She wouldn’t put it past either of them to make some kind of statement to the press or make it sound as if she’d been the one in the wrong. Then again, how much of what was going on did she really want in the press?

  “You okay?” Case asked as the elevator doors closed. “You look like you’re a thousand miles away.”

  She turned to him. “Just thinking about what the industry news outlets will say about my firing Roddie and if he’s given any statement. I shouldn’t let it bother me. I don’t care what he says. He kind of has a reputation and people are surprised I stayed with him as long as I had.”

  Case brushed his thumb over her lower lip, sending a shiver down her spine. “They won’t say anything bad about you. I’m sure of it.” He leaned in close, his face just a hair’s breadth away from hers.

  She leaned toward him, the need to kiss him, to consummate the pul
l between them that playing together had created, riding in her veins. Then, the elevator stopped and the door opened. A young family stood there, and she straightened and hurried out of the elevator before she could kiss him.

  He knew. Oh he knew, because the look he gave her as he opened the door to their hotel room made her toes curl. Not even the whispered, “Mommy, was that Rain Chowden?” could dampen her spirits and her need for the man beside her.

  As if by silent accord, as soon as the door closed behind them, Case turned her and backed her against it. He kissed her, hot and hungry, his lips moving over hers as if he couldn’t get enough of her. His fingers speared into her hair, sending pins flying, and the entire blonde mass tumbled down around them in a perfumed cloud.

  She moaned and opened her mouth, inviting him inside. The culmination of their duet, of the energy between them, fueled their need. He reached up and latched the door, the double clicks only distantly registering. Then he pinned her to the door, his hard body keeping her there by sheer force of will. The cowboy hat he’d worn went tumbling to the floor and she hungrily reached for the pearl snaps on his shirt.

  There weren’t any words and none were needed. Instead, she let her actions speak for her as she shoved his shirt off of his shoulders. It didn’t matter that they were up against the door, the bed just a few feet away. Not when he carefully pulled her shirt from her jeans and began to unbutton it with gentle fingers so as not to rip or tear the fabric. They parted just enough to drop the clothes on the floor, and she led him to the bed.