Slow Burn (Feverish #4)

by Jade C. Jamison

  Her green eyes grew wide while the blood drained from her face, and she looked up from the menu. “You know about that?”

  He couldn’t help but chuckle—even though it meant that she now knew he’d cyberstalked her ever so slightly. “Sure did.”

  He also loved that she tried to glare but was too amused to make it really work. “Actually, I’ll take a picture of whatever I order and post that, maybe giving it a YOLO hashtag.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  When the waiter appeared, he asked, “What can I get you folks to drink?”

  “My date here needs to loosen up a bit, so what alcoholic beverages would you recommend?”

  “For the record, I’m on a calorie budget.”

  “We’re working out later, remember?” The waiter cocked an eyebrow, making it hard for Brian not to grin. He winked at the guy, sensing he would be a valuable partner in crime.

  “We have a Skinny Piña Colada. Tastes so good, you don’t miss the extra calories.”

  Shooting daggers at Brian, Sophie said, “Fine.” Then she muttered something under her breath that Brian couldn’t quite hear—but he had his own drink order to put in.

  “I’ll take whatever beer here you think goes best with the tacos.”

  “You got it.”

  “Oh,” Sophie said, just as the waiter started to pull away. “And a glass of water, too.”

  “Of course. I’ll be right back to take your order.” And off he went.

  “See? That wasn’t so hard.”

  Sophie kept her eyes glued to the menu. “Just because I ordered it doesn’t mean I have to drink it.” Finally, though, she looked straight into his eyes with such force, he almost felt like he had to grab the table to stay seated. “I know what you’re doing, Brian, but I’m not easily manipulated.”

  Of all the behaviors he could be accused of, that wasn’t one of them. “That’s pretty obvious—and that’s not my bag.”

  “You think cajoling me and making fun of me is something I enjoy? If it’s not meant to manipulate, then what’s the motivation behind all that?”

  While he was ready with a snappy retort, he paused and actually gave it some thought—followed by an honest answer. “I’ve always been a bit of a joker. Sometimes, I guess, my humor can be biting—but I don’t mean any harm by it.” That was as truthful as he was going to be with this woman, because he wasn’t about to talk about what had made him the class clown in the first place.

  “Well…it doesn’t always seem very nice.”

  Setting down his menu, Brian waited until she looked up at him. “I’ll try to keep that in mind.” But it wasn’t like they were trying to be friends. After tonight, she’d be out of his life, a distant memory. Maybe, just for now, he could try to quell that comedic impulse. “What did you decide on?”

  “To eat?” When he nodded, she said, “I think I’ll go with the grilled chicken—but I’m going to have them hold the cheese.”

  “YOLO, remember?”

  “Yeah, doing all manner of horrible things in the name of only living once sounds great until you have ten pounds to take off and a dress you can’t fit in. If you’re in mourning for the cheese, I’ll have them add the extra to your tacos. Good enough?”

  “Damn, you take it as good as you get.”

  “Damn right.”

  But at least if she’d drink part of the piña colada, he felt like maybe they were getting somewhere…

  Chapter Thirteen

  While Sophie had grown comfortable in Manhattan and part of her even loved the city that never sleeps, it was a far cry from her roots. She wasn’t in Kansas anymore. But Brian was right about one thing: there was an energy in L.A.—not better or worse than NYC, but different. She was only going to be there for a few more hours, so why not have some fun?

  And that was how he’d talked her into going to the club. At first, she’d thought they were going to catch a concert on the strip, but he’d already figured out hard rock wasn’t her thing. Deep down, she had to admit that LFS’s music was growing on her, but she wouldn’t say it out loud and most definitely wouldn’t say a word to Brian about it.

  As they walked into the club, assaulted by darkness pierced with beams of color and flashing lights, undulating bodies, and palpable music, Sophie realized she had a spring in her step—and, for the first time since her plane had landed, she was truly happy to be here.

  “We should get a drink first.”

  “No, no, no. I already had one drink, and—thanks to you—I’ve blown my calorie budget for the week. No more alcohol for me.”

  “Well, maybe you’ll change your mind after an hour of dancing. Let’s hit the floor then.”

  Laughing, Sophie decided not to argue anymore, instead deciding to simply enjoy the evening. Although the club played a lot of music she didn’t know, it was perfect. There was a demanding beat she could feel throughout her body, a drumming enhanced by electronic and digital tunes with a little singing here and there, but all the while a rhythm that demanded motion. She never would’ve expected a rock star who played the kind of music he did to dance as well as Brian did, but damn did that man have some moves. Not only was he smooth on the floor and an intuitive dance partner, but he was sexy as hell. After just a few songs, Sophie felt overheated, in need of a little rest.

  More than that, though, she felt turned on. She hated to admit that she was having a good time and, as Brian had promised, probably burning off all those calories she’d been worried about consuming.

  After they finished their third dance, Brian said, “I need a drink. If you don’t want one, suit yourself, but I need something. I’m parched.”

  With a grin, Sophie said, “I’m sure water would hit the spot.”

  “Yeah,” Brian said, his humor as dry as his throat, “I’m sure it would.”

  Sophie ordered a water—at first. But the night wore on, turning into several more dances and, at last, she gave in to having a couple of drinks. Unlike the one she’d had at the restaurant, these drinks were strong enough that she began to feel lightheaded and giddy.

  Free.

  It wasn’t often that Sophie let her hair down, but she found herself doing just that. And if she’d thought she was having fun before, she was having a ball by the time both she and Brian felt like maybe they needed some time to recover.

  “Let’s head on out, catch our breath, and maybe we’ll hit another club later.”

  “Or we could go to the beach!” Sophie started giggling, realizing that Brian had probably been right earlier in the evening when he’d urged her to eat more, because it would have made her less susceptible to the effects of alcohol—but she would never admit that he’d been correct about a point of contention between the two of them.

  As they got near the doors leading outside, Brian said, “After you, fair lady.” Once again, Sophie giggled, unable to stop herself. Brian held the door for her and she realized, walking through, that she was probably game for anything.

  Except that.

  She gasped loudly as she was assaulted by flashes of light all in front of her, blinding her sight, making her laughter fade into nothingness. What the hell was going on? Unfortunately, she knew that answer.

  Damned paparazzi.

  “Follow me,” Brian said, and when he grabbed her hand to pull her through the mass of bodies blocking their way to the street, she held on for dear life. Like never before, Brian not only felt like a savior and a hero…but he felt like more. Not just the object of desire she’d been imagining up till now but way more. She didn’t have much time to think about it as she covered her face with her free arm, refusing to reward the photographers for their boorish behavior. Once they’d reached the curb, Brian hailed a cab, and while they waited for it to get close, the photographers closed in on them once more, taking pictures and asking questions.

  “Are you dating now?” one asked, making Sophie aware once more of their hands. But, oh, that tattooed hand felt warm and safe at the
moment, especially inside this sea of predators.

  “Fuck off,” Brian said, opening the passenger door of the cab, helping her in first before jumping in next to her.

  “Where to?” the quiet cabbie asked.

  “Just drive.” Then Brian looked at Sophie. “Should we just head back to the hotel?” As an answer, she merely shrugged.

  As the cab drove up the street, the driver braked at a stoplight at the end of the block. A couple of cars caught up to them quickly, one beside and one behind, and it didn’t take long to figure out that those vehicles were being driven by photographers. The guy in the car next to them held his camera up, pointed at the open window on the passenger side, trying to get more pictures. The cabbie didn’t seem to notice, even though, when the light turned green, the two cars stayed close to the cab as it moved forward.

  Brian asked Sophie, “You seeing and what I’m seeing?”

  “Yeah. I’m wondering if being a supermodel is all it’s cracked up to be.”

  Unable to miss a chance at taking a dig, he said, “You ain’t a supermodel yet.” The glare she gave him was earned fair and square.

  As they drove down the Strip, it was clear they weren’t going to be able to shake those cars, not driving the way the cabbie was anyway. The photographers seemed pretty persistent, stuck to them as if an invisible string attached them to the taxi. It didn’t help that the driver drove like an unsure eighty-year-old, slow and overly courteous in traffic.

  Brian leaned forward and asked, “See all these cars following us?”

  “It’s kind of hard not to.”

  “So maybe you can tell that we’re being followed.”

  The cabbie’s reply sounded as if he thought Brian was losing his mind. “Okay...”

  “I want to make you a proposition.”

  Brian then whipped his wallet out of his back pocket before rifling through it and pulling out several bills. Waving them out far enough that the cabbie could see them, he said, “Three hundred bucks if you get us the hell away from these vultures as fast as you can.”

  The driver considered him for a short moment. “One hundred up front, and you got yourself a deal.”

  “Sold.” Brian handed him a bill and sat back. To Sophie, he said, “Buckle up.”

  Taking a deep breath, she glanced out the window. Just as he’d done earlier, the photographer next to them was continuing to snap pictures even through the tinted glass of the cab. Sophie didn’t know that he could actually see them, and she definitely couldn’t understand the purpose of stalking them. The one thing she did know was that it was stressing her out.

  But that was about to change.

  Suddenly, the driver took a sharp right at the corner, speeding up enough that Sophie was forced back into the seat. She wouldn’t admit it out loud, but the shift in velocity and avoiding pursuit felt kind of exciting. She felt a rush unlike anything she’d felt in a long time. In fact, the last time she could remember feeling this sort of sensation was when the carnival had come to town when she was in high school, and she’d forced herself to ride the rickety old roller coaster. There had been a fear deep inside at the time, but there had also been something liberating about pushing through it just the same, something exhilarating.

  Something indescribable.

  Impulsively, she grabbed Brian’s hand like he’d done hers earlier, but she didn’t make eye contact. Then, she held on for dear life.

  The driver took a sharp right at the intersection and then took another at the end of the block before pressing down hard on the accelerator. The traffic on this road was lighter, but there wasn’t as much light, and so the cabbie had to be more alert. Sophie looked behind them and saw that the driver had lost one of the cars, but there was another right on their tail. As the cabbie kept speeding down the road, Sophie tried to keep her breathing steady until he quickly took a left at the intersection, barely avoiding getting clipped by a car coming through. Sophie gasped, unable to stop that reaction, and Brian squeezed her hand as if to tell her it was okay. Although they’d almost been in an accident, that was what it’d taken to shake the car that had been in pursuit—because now they were free. After several long, heavy seconds of silence in the cab, the driver finally asked, “Now do you guys know where you want to go?”

  Sophie wasn’t going to say it out loud, but she felt like she had to go to the bathroom so she could throw up every bit of food she’d eaten today. Other than that, she felt fucking fantastic.

  * * *

  Brian handed the cabbie every last bit of paper currency in his wallet, resolving to hit the ATM in the morning before flying out. But spending it had been worth it for more reasons than he could count. As he and Sophie headed towards the hotel doors, Brian continued looking around just to be sure they hadn’t been followed by someone more stealthy and less obvious. At this point, though, he was pretty sure that they were alone.

  He was amazed at how just one night had entirely changed the way he thought of Sophie. Sure, he’d found her gorgeous, bangable even, but that had been the extent of it. The woman wasn’t girlfriend material.

  But now, pondering the last few hours, he wondered if maybe she was. Whatever the case, he wasn’t going to be able to get her out of his mind easily. The next week or two were going to be tough, but that was the good thing about being a rock star. He could find tail wherever he wanted, whenever he needed in all shapes and sizes and colors, all consenting and happy to do his bidding. The sky was the limit.

  As they walked through the lobby towards the elevators, Brian considered inviting her to his room, but he didn’t know how she would take it, and he really wasn’t in the mood for rejection. Still, he had to try.

  As the doors to the elevator closed, Brian held his thumb out over the number nine, taking his time before depressing it. “I know you’ve already pushed yourself past the limit, but would you like to have just one drink in my room—just to chill out? Then I can walk you to your room if you want.”

  “Sure,” she said, and then he pushed the button in, ready to wait to be pulled upward.

  But when he turned to face her, she assaulted him with full force, not unlike the speeding cab just minutes earlier. His back was against the elevator wall, a hand bar pressing into his ass, and they were heading up by the time her lips crashed into his. Although unexpected, her advance was not unwelcome. And while she ran her fingers through his hair, he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close, kissing her back the way a woman this luscious deserved to be kissed: With force, with passion, with everything in his entire being. Maybe they would never work as a couple, but he could give her his soul just for one night.

  As his tongue tangled with hers and he fought against the blood rushing towards his cock, he reminded himself that maybe a kiss was just a kiss and not any kind of foreplay. Just because she was making a move didn’t mean she wanted more later. After all, what they’d just gone through had been pretty harrowing, extremely emotional. And so it was possible that she just needed an outlet for all those emotions bubbling up inside her. Brian had already known that Sophie was the kind of person who held everything in tightly with the lid clamped down, and this had probably just been too much to handle.

  But he’d take it. Being kissed roughly was maybe better than being yelled at—but, then again, he was starting to like when she gave him a tongue lashing. There was something about this woman, and he was afraid to admit to himself what that might be.

  The elevator made a dinging sound, and he heard the door slide open. The couple parted lips, ready to walk off, but another couple walked in. Brian glanced at the display to find he and Sophie had only made it to the second floor. They’d barely moved, and yet it felt like an eternity, just that time she’d let him have it. Brian cleared his throat and nodded, forcing a stiff smile on his face while Sophie raised her eyebrows, smoothing her black blouse. Then Brian couldn’t stop his trademark grin from flashing at his new partner in crime before he folded his hands in fr
ont of him, just like he would’ve as a youngster in Sunday School. The middle-aged man, a towel draped from his neck, shot another glance at Brian before pressing the button for the seventh floor. As the elevator started rising again, Brian surveyed the couple and determined from their workout attire that they’d been in the gym on the second floor and were heading back to their room. He was glad that they didn’t want to make friendly small talk any more than he did.

  In the now tighter space, Sophie took a couple of tiny steps sideways to be closer to him, close enough that her arm was touching his. Then, turning her head, she avoided eye contact, instead glancing at his chest. “Yes, I’ll come to your room for a drink.”

  But she didn’t say anything more, making Brian wonder. Was a drink just a drink, a kiss just a kiss, or were they promises of something much more?

  The good news was he was about to find out in short order.

  Chapter Fourteen

  It was difficult, but Sophie continued forcing herself to avoid giggling and talking incessantly. Feeling more relaxed made it harder, but it was something she had plenty of practice doing, and she hadn’t had to force herself to act calm in a long time. The whole evening had been full of overly emotional experiences, from getting to know Brian better to dancing like a crazy woman, followed by getting pounced on by the paparazzi and the crazy car chase afterward.

  Now, her brain and heart were on overdrive—and, for some reason, the only way she felt like she could get over it was by doing something extremely physical.