Triple Threat: A Dark Romance (Deadly Passion Series Book 3)

by Roxy Sinclaire

  I held my breath, though it burned my chest to do so. I saw Nate’s jaw clench and prayed that he would keep his cool. After seeing how he reacted to Blake’s advances yesterday, I knew that he was treading water to bring the man to his knees. Mr. Grey took a few steps closer to Blake. I knew he’d seen it too.

  “With all due respect, sir…” His words were spoken through clenched teeth. “I am only thinking of your bottom line. If you push her too hard, she could get clumsy and fall. A broken singer won’t bring in many donations.”

  “You think you know my girl better than I do?” Blake shot back, emphasizing on me being “his” girl.

  “I don’t presume to know her much at all, but I do know she isn’t a piece of property. I would never insult her by calling her ‘mine.’ Do you disrespect all of the performers like that or is she special?”

  Blake stopped talking suddenly. Nate had cornered him. He couldn’t say anything without seeming like a huge asshole in front of everyone. The little tiff had claimed the attention of everyone still on the set. I quickly finished packing up my things and knew I had to break the tension before something irreparable was said or done between the two feuding men.

  “Mr. Blake?” I said formally. He glared at me. “I promise I will work harder tomorrow. Can we go now?”

  “Fine,” he hissed. “You better watch your pet here though. One more outburst like that and I will have you both thrown from the show. Plan on having a meeting tomorrow to talk about this.” He turned his attention to Nate. “In private.”

  Nate took a step forward, but I ran down the steps and took his arm. “Okay, see you tomorrow.”

  I had to drag him out of the hall and past Mr. Grey. He was about to explode and blow his cover altogether, which wouldn’t do either of us any favors. We spilled out into the parking lot and quickly walked to the car, but I was acutely aware of the eyes still watching us from inside as I let go of Nate’s hand. It felt wrong to do so, but I knew that appearances had to be maintained. By the time we got into the car, Nate seemed less enraged.

  I kept my mouth shut for most of the drive. Nate was mulling over what had happened and truth be told, I was still trying to catch my breath. Blake certainly had a way of making someone want to die when they got on his bad side. That was just on stage too. Now that I had really pissed him off, there was no telling what would happen to me if he ever found me alone in a dark room. A shudder rocked my body, pulling Nate’s attention to me. His fingers brushed my arm, and a different kind of shudder coursed through me.

  “You are not going to meet with him alone tomorrow,” he fumed.

  “I don’t think I have much choice. I know you tried to stop him, but if he pushes the issue, I don’t think I can go through with it.”

  “I’ll die before I let him touch you. We’ll think of something. I know it’s late, but do you want to grab some dinner now?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, can you drop me off at the hotel first? I want a shower almost as much as I want food.”

  “You got it,” he said with a grin. “I’ll pick you up in an hour.”

  I grinned at him and jumped out of the car before he sped away. I got a quick shower and got dressed. As I put on my makeup, I realized for the first time that I hadn’t spoken to my father since the day before. He wouldn’t call me, at least not yet. He was trying to give me the space I needed to grow up, but it was a struggle for him. I quickly called him and put the phone on speaker while I continued with my makeup.

  “I was starting to worry about you,” he grumbled.

  “I know, I’m sorry I didn’t call earlier. Practice has been brutal. These girls really know how to put in a long day. How are you?”

  “Same old, same old. Missing my little girl, but I’m happy you are okay. Is Blake still giving you trouble?”

  “More than ever, unfortunately.” I sighed. “I hired an assistant though, a man to stay with me whenever I’m at practice. His first day was today and it did help some, but Blake was pissed.”

  “An assistant? Really? And a man? Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

  “I think so, it’s less for the help and more to drive me around and keep Blake at bay.”

  “Things getting that bad with him?”

  I shuddered. “Not yet,” I lied. “Better safe than sorry though, right?”

  “So, what’s this assistant’s name? Maybe I know him.”

  Crap. I didn’t want to tell my dad Nate’s name. He would know someone who knew someone, and before long, he would be blowing up my phone wondering why a bodyguard was posing as an assistant. I had enough to deal with without more worry from him.

  “It’s getting late. I’ll send you his information at some point, but I’m exhausted. Can we pick this up tomorrow?”

  “Sure honey, get some sleep. Let me know you are okay tomorrow, please. I’m still your dad, it’s my job to worry.”

  “Love you, Dad,” I said softly just as my phone vibrated.

  I hung up the phone and made my way down to the lobby. Nate was waiting for me in a sharp suit. I was glad I’d opted for the only formal clothing I’d brought with me, though it felt out of place. The short red dress clung to my body tightly, reminding me of the outfits I normally only wore on stage. My hair hung loose, covering my otherwise exposed shoulders. Nate’s gaze ran down the length of my body.

  I blushed as he whistled at me. “Boy, you look amazing.”

  “Thanks, you clean up pretty well yourself. So where are we off to? Another diner?”

  He grinned and held open the car door for me. “Not this time. I thought we could celebrate surviving another day with Blake with a little dinner and dancing. There’s a place down the road called The Tray, it takes weeks to make a reservation, but I pulled a few strings and got us in for tonight. I hear they make the best sushi around.”

  “Sounds great,” I said as I glanced out the window. My heart started to race, and I whispered, “Do you see that?”

  “Yeah,” he said. “Looks like Mr. Grey is doing a little after-hours watching on Blake’s star. Don’t worry, I won’t leave you alone if he’s still here when we get back.”

  “Promise?”

  “You have my word,” he said as we pulled away.

  I did my best to trust him, but the uneasiness of seeing Grey outside the venue didn’t fade even as we were seated at our table. A few minutes into the wine and appetizers though, I was forgetting all my troubles. Nate had a way of putting me at ease. His eyes danced as he listened to me tell him about my childhood, and I reciprocated as he told me about his own. We had a lot in common, and I found myself wishing the night would never end. By the time dessert came, I was stuffed and relaxed.

  I was laughing at another one of his boyhood tails when his body stiffened, and instantly the laughter died on my lips. He took my hand and looked coldly into my eyes. “I don’t want you to look around, okay? Just keep looking at me. It seems Mr. Grey has found us.”

  “What?” I whispered as he squeezed my hand. “Why would he come here? Is Blake that obsessed with me?”

  “I don’t know, but I’m going to create a distraction okay? When that happens, I want you to slip out into the alley. I’ll meet you there in a second.”

  I nodded, my heart racing as Nate stood up and sauntered in the direction of the bathroom. He stumbled, looking like another drunk patron, and collapsed onto a nearby table, their drinks and meals flying across the floor and scattering as Mr. Grey’s attention was pulled away from me. I grabbed my clutch and ran for the kitchen, stumbling through the trays and out the back door. In the damp darkness, I braced myself for whatever was going to happen next.

  Chapter Nine

  Nate

  I stumbled to the bathroom after the scene I’d created and closed the door for a second. I counted to fifteen before peeking out the door. Mr. Grey wasn’t looking around for Anna as I’d hoped he would. Instead, he had his eyes trained on the bathroom door. Thankfully, he didn’t see me peeking out at
him, but it made my stomach sink. It wasn’t Anna he was watching, it was me, which was just as dangerous.

  “Hey,” she muttered when she jumped into the car. “Did we shake him?”

  I nodded. “I think so, for now, but he will probably be waiting back at the hotel. Is there anywhere else you can stay tonight just to be sure?”

  She shook her head. “I mean, I’m sure I can get another hotel room.”

  “Well, you don’t need to. I have a bungalow not far from here. It’s not much, but I’ve got a comfy couch I can sleep on and let you take the bed.”

  “You would do that for me?”

  There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for her and not just as a meal ticket. I didn’t like to see Blake stalking her or me like that. It meant she was in even more danger than we thought. He wouldn’t let her go, not without a fight. Blake was becoming obsessed, and that was dangerous.

  “Yeah, of course I would. Let’s get back to my place.”

  “Wow,” she said. “This place is amazing! You live here all alone? I could never decorate a place like this.”

  “Ha,” I said as I locked the door. “I can’t take all the credit for that. It pays to know people in the industry. I had a friend that decorated for the rich and famous. She found a few things and cut some great deals for me.”

  “Well, she did a great job. So, was she more than just your decorator?”

  “Nah, not her. More like a sister that comes and goes as she pleases. I think she is in Spain right now. Apparently, they have a great fashion week.”

  “So, we have the place to ourselves?” she asked.

  Slowly, I nodded and sat down on the couch. “Can I get you anything to drink?”

  “Oh no, I’ve learned my lesson with alcohol.”

  “I was talking about a soda.”

  Anna shook her head again and sat down next to me. “You know, I’ve never spent the night at a man’s house before.”

  “Really? I guess I’m not surprised. You don’t seem like the kind of girl to do something like that very often.”

  She shifted on the couch, looking around and not making eye contact with me. I wanted to know what was going through her mind, but pushing her wasn’t a good idea. She had a stubborn streak that ran strong. Asking her to spend the night was a knee-jerk reaction, but I didn’t think about the other implications.

  “You know, Anna,” I started softly. “I didn’t ask you to stay here with anything else in mind. I was just thinking about your safety.”

  “Is that right?” she said playfully. “Tell me, do you think I was just thinking of my safety too?”

  “I don’t know, why don’t you tell me?”

  She slid closer to me on the couch and put her small hand on my knee before looking up into my eyes. In that moment, it took all my self-control not to leap onto her and show her a night of wild passion. I had to be slow with her. Those words were quickly becoming my permanent mantra anytime I was alone with her. It was going to be a long night if she kept looking at me like she was. Like the only thing that mattered in the entire world was taking me to the bedroom and having passionate sex.

  “I think I feel safe with you, but not just because you’re protecting me. I want more than that. Do you?”

  “Oh god, yes. I thought that was evident.”

  She giggled and slid her hand farther up my leg. “It was and still is, but I wanted to be sure first. I like hearing you say it.”

  “Say what? That your turn me on and drive me wild? Because you do. Everything about you lights a fire inside me.”

  “Mmm,” she whispered seductively as she inched closer.

  “Are you sure about this?” I asked in a cracked voice.

  It was already too late. I let my fingers dance up her back to the zipper on her dress. They lingered there for a second before moving to the back of her neck. She sucked in a sharp breath as I pulled her closer, her hand squeezing my leg. If she moved to the other leg, she would already be at my cock. Just thinking about her hand on my throbbing shaft made it jump to life. I stopped pulling her closer when she was just inches from my face. She smelled like wildflowers and body wash. It was intoxicating.

  I needed her to make the first move. I didn’t want her to feel pressured by me.

  Anna took an unsteady breath and slowly moved forward. “I want this.”

  Those words were all it took to break the small dam of self-containment that was holding me back. I pulled her closer to me, crushing her lips against mine. With the dam broken, the passion coursed over me, taking control of my body. My free hand flew to her arm, trailing down it and making her shudder. Her hand switched legs and a groan slipped past my lips. I forced open her mouth with my tongue and dove inside, flicking around and bringing her as much pleasure as I was getting myself.

  Our lips stayed locked together as her fingers moved over my cock. It strained against the fabric of my jeans. I listened to her suck in a sharp breath as she moved up my shaft. It wasn’t the first time a woman was shocked by the size of my cock. I wasn’t a porn star, but I was still well above average. I’d never been with anyone so young and pure as Anna though. I wanted to push forward, but something inside me clicked and I pulled away.

  “Wait,” I said breathlessly. “Anna, we should stop. You’re tired and it’s been a long day.”

  “What?” she said, biting her lip.

  Her flushed cheeks were the first things I noticed. The fire inside me loved the rouge that appeared each time she got flustered, but my eyes moved lower. She had a fit body and perky breasts that would perfectly fit in my hands. Her nipples poked through the flimsy fabric of her dress. I moaned and reached down to adjust my cock absentmindedly. Her eyes followed my hand, and when she licked her delicate, swollen lips, I almost died.

  “Is there something wrong?” she asked.

  I vigorously shook my head. “No! You are perfect. You are something out of a wet dream that I never thought I could get. I just…I want to take things slow, okay? I’m guessing you’ve only had sex with a couple guys? I don’t want to be like them. I want to make sure you know this isn’t about sex.”

  “Right, well,” she stuttered as she backed away from me. “I don’t know that I was planning on having sex. I guess I didn’t really think that far ahead.”

  “Oh,” I replied. “That’s my fault then. You were just acting like that’s where this was leading.”

  Anna shrugged. “I thought we were just messing around a little bit, but I like it. I want to keep going.”

  “Messing around?” I asked.

  Something about the way she said it made me suspicious. I knew that she was young, but I never thought about the other possibility. I mean, this was Vegas after all. If you were older than sixteen around here, you’d had sex at least once.

  “Can I ask you something personal?” I asked carefully.

  “Yeah. I mean, I think we have reached that point, so why not?”

  “Anna, are you a virgin?” I asked.

  I saw the familiar action of her hands flying to her lap, and she started to fidget. She did it when she was nervous. When she nodded, a thrill of pleasure and fear coursed through my body.

  “Oh shit,” I whispered.

  “No,” she said as her hands flew to mine. “Please don’t say that. Listen. There just weren’t a whole lot of opportunities where I’m from. It’s not like I’m some young, naive girl here. It’s something that I want. I guess this is just the first chance I’ve had to act on it.”

  “I’m sure that someday you are going to meet the right guy, but I don’t think I’m him, okay?”

  Her eyes that had started to tear up became determined, and I knew I was in for a fight. She stood up, but when she didn’t storm from the room, I started to have my doubts. Instead, she spun away from me and lifted up her arm, her thick hair falling down the front of her body as she unzipped the dress she was wearing. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t even move as I watched, mesmerized.

  S
he wiggled out of the dress, and it pooled onto the floor. Carefully, she stepped out of it, now wearing nothing but a thin black thong and the high, black, stiletto heels from earlier in the night. Slowly, she turned back around and revealed her slender frame and ample breasts lightly covered by her golden hair. Even if I wanted to stop her, I couldn’t. My body had taken on a life of its own while leaving my moral compass far behind.

  I watched every move she made without fail. Every soft curl of her hair as it played hide and seek with her perfectly pink nipples. Her body was clean-shaven and firm all over. I could see the dampness on the front of her panties and knew it was there for the taking. I could only imagine how sweet her nectar would taste on my lips. I wanted to hear her moan my name as she quivered under my skilled tongue.

  Lifting one delicate hand in the air, she curled her finger and beckoned me to her. Without another word, I rose and followed her every command as she led me to the bedroom. I was a drowning man without land; I would have done anything she commanded. Virgin or not, Anna was taking over my world, and I was willingly going along for the ride. I swallowed back my fear and softly closed the door behind me.

  Chapter Ten

  Anna

  My heart was racing faster than I could handle. The shaking in my hands was evidence of that. Nate’s hand felt warm in my own and I was suddenly wishing I’d taken him up on the offer to pour me a drink. I wanted him and everything inside me was proof of that. My body tingled with desire, the moisture in my thong nearly seeping through as proof. I swallowed hard as the bedroom door closed behind him, and I shuddered with an unknown need.

  His hands ran up the length of my arms, and a chill went through me again. My nipples responded to the pleasure instantly and became rigid. When his lips pressed against my bare shoulder, I let a moan slip past my lips as my head tilted back. As his fingers skipped over to my hips, I resisted the urge to press my entire body against him. It took me a second to realize there was no reason for me not to give into that urge. As my butt crushed the fabric of his pants, I felt his large cock for the first time, straining to be free.