by Loki Renard
There was only one thing for it. Cash sat down in front of the vanity and began to carefully apply fresh makeup. She was already wearing the mandatory touch of foundation, lip liner and mascara required in case of paparazzi, but it was time to add more. She broke out palettes of color and carefully picked between them, applying shade and contouring her face until a glance in the mirror revealed a powerful young woman who defended her art vigorously and didn’t take chastisement from any man.
She changed her clothing too, discarding casual travel clothes in favor of a black leather jacket over a sequined tank top. The lower half of her body was more difficult to clothe due to the remaining heat in her rear thanks to Miles. He’d promised she wouldn’t sit, but that had turned out to be an exaggeration and Cash was prepared to suffer for her art. She pulled on a pair of pale skinny jeans and completed the outfit with four-inch heels that gave her a significant boost in both height and confidence.
When she flung open the door and stalked out into the common area, all eyes immediately fell on her. She was getting used to having that effect. She reveled in it. It was good to know that one’s mere presence could make a room go completely silent. She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say what she had to say, she was cut off by a patronizing question that went a long way towards stealing her thunder.
“Where do you think you’re going, young lady?”
Cash ignored Miles, zeroing in on Kevin instead. She knew precisely what she looked like, her blue eyes framed dramatically with dark liner, lashes and shadow. It was just a little color, but it transformed her into someone much more powerful than the Cash who got her bottom spanked for not eating.
“I know what separates you from a pimp,” she said, speaking proud and clear. She let the statement hang in the air for just a moment, watching as Kevin’s once congenial expression hardened into annoyance. “The difference is,” she continued boldly. “That you work for me. I decide what I sing. I decide how I sing it. And if you don’t like it, you know where the door is. Understood?”
There was a stunned silence. Even Mattie kept her mouth firmly shut.
As the silence drew on, Cash became aware of the fact that her announcement was not having quite the effect she’d hoped it would have. She had expected a stammering apology from Kevin, instead she was being faced with hard looks from not just Kevin, but Miles too. Both men were glowering at her and neither one of them seeming to be in any way cowed by her announcement. It was quite something, to be caught in the ire filled gazes of two ex-military men. They both had a certain intensity to them, an intensity that not only matched hers but exceeded it, making her want to retreat. If she’d given in to pure animal instinct, she would have turned tail in that scary silence in which she could only wait to see what reaction she was going to get.
Her heart skipped a beat as she glanced at Miles, his handsome face hard with disapproval, his brow quirked in a way that seemed to say ‘you know better than this, young lady’. But it was Kevin she was really worried about. Prior to the tour, Kevin had been something like a friend, he was never pushy. But now he looked just as stern and just as in charge as Miles.
“You hired me as your manager, Cash,” Kevin said. “A manager is required to manage, and that means letting his client know when she is making a mistake. Like now, for instance.”
The simple statement took the wind out of Cash’s sails. There was no anger in his voice, no retaliatory snark, just a simple fact that made her feel a little bit silly.
“Your job is to represent me,” she said. “It’s to get me what I want.” She was aware of the fact that she was starting to sound very petulant, but dammit, she wanted things her way. “I’ve worked my ass off for a long time,” she said. “And I’m not happy with the current direction.”
“In that case,” Kevin replied, “you come to me and you tell me that. You don’t sneak around for weeks on end, changing the deal without the record label knowing you’ve done it, without me knowing you’ve done it. And then, when you get caught out, you don’t call me a pimp for representing you in a way you were perfectly satisfied with until very recently.”
Dammit. He was right. Cash knew he was right, but she couldn’t back down, not after all her dramatic statements. Not after all her dramatic makeup. To make matters worse, even though she was looking at Kevin, she could feel Miles’ disappointment hitting her like a wave. Suddenly, in spite of all the effort she’d made to look bold and brazen and strong, she felt like a naughty little girl.
“I’m sorry,” she said, lowering her eyes and speaking in a near whisper.
“I don’t know what to say, Cash,” Kevin sighed. “A great deal of what you want is incompatible with your current success.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means that you can do whatever you like, Cash. You can walk away from all of this tomorrow and go back to singing in dive bars. But you can’t have your cake and eat it too. This lifestyle and these earnings come with a certain kind of product.” He paused for breath. “But,” he said, “ and this is a big but, I will talk to the label when we are done with the tour. Maybe we can find a way to redefine the Cash Raine brand that makes you happy.”
A smile spread over Cash’s face as Kevin gave her a glimmer of hope. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much, I am so sorry I was rude to you.” She clasped her hands together and gave him her most apologetic look.
“It’s alright,” Kevin said, standing and moving over to her to give her a hug. “I know you’ve been under a lot of stress, we all have. I also know that you’ll be answering for this little outburst soon enough.”
Cash stiffened in Kevin’s arms and peeked over his bicep. Miles was looking at her and he did not look happy. Not one little bit.
“I’ve done enough answering for one night, I think,” she said, gracefully stepping back. “I think I’ll go to bed.”
“Cash…”
She heard Miles say her name. She ignored it. She wished she hadn’t worn high heels; it made escaping an awkward situation really quite difficult. She found herself tottering into her room at the highest speed possible, feeling completely silly as she did.
Before she could shut the door, Miles was there. He alleviated her of the burden of scampering in high heels by wrapping his strong arm around her waist and sweeping her up off the ground.
“Miles, no!”
She was afraid that he was going to start spanking her all over again, but he just sat her on the bed.
“Take those off, you’re going to break an ankle.”
Cash obeyed, working at the little buckles until her feet were free. Sitting on the bed was an unpleasant reminder of what had taken place in that very room not all that long ago. Her bottom was very tender, especially encased in tight jeans that only intensified the ache.
“You’re lucky Kevin is the forgiving kind,” he said, his hands on his hips as he looked down at her. “That was quite an outburst, young lady.”
“I’m sorry,” she said. “I was just so tired of feeling pushed into being just this one thing.”
“Is that the cause of this fancy dress?” A muscle in Miles’ cheek ticked as he clearly tried to hold back amusement. He was teasing her.
She relaxed a little, her shoulders slumping as she gave him a puppy dog look. “I’m not in trouble with you, am I?”
“You probably should be,” Miles drawled. “But I think you’ve had enough for one night. Just remember to be polite to the people trying to help you, alright?”
Cash nodded. “I just… didn’t expect him to find out tonight. I wasn’t ready.”
“But you knew he would find out eventually.”
“I guess,” Cash admitted.
Miles’ voice dropped into a liquid smooth dominant tone. “Did you enjoy that? The feeling that sooner or later, you were going to get caught out?”
Cash shook her head. “No.”
It wasn’t entirely true. She and Mattie had both very much
enjoyed the little secret they’d been keeping from Kevin. The knowledge that they were playing a dangerous game made it all the more fun when they got out on stage and surprised everyone with a new fusion of styles. ‘Thrash Pop’, some people were calling it.
“Really?” Miles pushed the question a little further. “Because I recall a certain young lady on a tour bus telling me how Kevin didn’t know about this music and she looked rather excited about it all.”
“Okay,” Cash admitted. “It was a little bit fun.”
“But it wasn’t quite so fun getting caught?”
“Not when he was grumpy with us – or with me,” Cash said. “Mattie didn’t even get into trouble. That wasn’t fair at all.”
Miles sat down on the bed beside her and put an arm around her shoulders. “That’s probably because Mattie wasn’t the one being naughty. She wasn’t the one rebelling in secret. And she wasn’t the one who put on war paint to tell him who he worked for.”
Cash grinned a little as Miles squeezed her shoulders. “It’s not war paint,” she said, “it’s makeup.”
“Cash, sweetheart, you could lead a small tribe, you’ve got that much of the stuff on. You have less on when you go on stage,” he said, pulling her against his muscular frame. “We could probably redecorate this room with just what you have stuck to that pretty face of yours.”
She let out a little giggle. “Well, maybe.”
“You’ve gotten good at hiding behind image, haven’t you?”
The observation was keen and it made her feel somewhat naked. Miles always seemed to see through everything. Where other people were impressed by smoke and mirrors, he saw through to the heart of things – to the heart of people.
“How did you get so smart?” She asked the question with genuine wonder.
Miles chuckled. “I’m not smart, necessarily,” he said. “I’ve just had a lot of practice with people. When you lead a unit, you have to know exactly who every person is. You have to understand them in order to be able to trust them. Everyone needs somewhere to hide. Some people hide in anger, some people hide in intellect – you hide in color.”
She stared at him, realizing just how true that statement was. “I think you’re amazing,” she said, being completely honest. “I’ve never known anyone like you. You’re scary, but you’re kind and you’re sort of dangerous, but you’re also a complete teddy bear.”
“Teddy bear, huh?” There was a dimple in Miles’ cheek as he smiled. “Take some advice from this teddy bear – I’m not going to be covering for you. In fact, I’m going to let Kevin know precisely what you’re up to, especially if it has anything to do with your work. So if you and Mattie hatch any more little schemes, you’re going to get caught. Understood?”
“Aye aye, captain,” Cash said, giving him a playful mock salute.
He smiled and pressed a kiss to her lips, a kiss that deepened and quickly became passionate. She felt his hand slipping down her back to cup her bottom and then he was pulling her against his body whilst his tongue played skillfully against hers.
“Let’s see what this bear does to Goldilocks,” he growled against her mouth, laying her down on the bed.
Caught between a giggle and a moan as his hand slid between her thighs and rubbed against her jean-clad crotch, Cash unbuttoned her pants. All she wanted was to be naked with him.
He helped her and she soon had part of her wish. Stripped down to her bra and panties, she let out little whimpers as he palmed her bottom. The spanking from earlier was still making her flesh tender. Every time he clenched his hand, fresh tingles of sensation went zipping through her nether regions.
“I want you,” she breathed. “I want you to take your clothes off.”
It was something he’d refused throughout the course of their association and she was afraid he would do so again, but Miles seemed to be just as tired of the super slow pace of their physical relationship as she was. In response to her request he stripped off his shirt, leaving his muscular torso bare.
She made an appreciative sound as she took the sight of him in. He wasn’t all rippling muscles like some of her contemporaries, but he was strong and hard, slabs of muscle that were completely unyielding as her bra-clad breasts were pushed against them. His was a body made for action, one that had done some serious hard work in its time.
His mouth captured hers again and she splayed her legs as he pushed his hand back between them, lightly massaging her pussy through her panties. She could barely stand the pleasure of it all; his touch was so sure, so confident, and so completely possessive. As the pads of his fingers massaged her intimate petals she felt herself moaning ever more, her hips thrusting until she was grinding shamelessly against his hand.
“Please,” she whispered, her lips next to his ear. “Take me.”
“I can’t take your virginity, Cash,” he murmured. “Not like this. I want it to be special.”
“This isn’t special?” She pulled away a little, only to be drawn right back again, a light slap landing against her lower lips.
“Every minute I get with you is special,” he said, a sincerity in his voice making her come over all emotional, “but I don’t want your first time to be in some random hotel room with your bodyguard. I want it to have meaning.”
Cash pushed away, harder this time. “Is that all you think you are? Just my bodyguard?”
He pulled her back yet again. “We haven’t discussed anything else, Miss Raine.” He softened the professional language by slipping the soaked crotch of her panties to the side and working the tips of two fingers at the entrance to her pussy. His touch made it impossible for her to take offense or become too upset. She ended up clinging to his neck as he slowly worked his digits in and out of her, the warmth of his hand heavenly inside her virginal canal.
For several long minutes he brought her to new crescendos of pleasure, his fingers working magic in her most secret places. Then, before she could reach a complete climax, he pulled his fingers away, leaving her bereft of his touch. She made a small whimper of complaint, but he pressed a finger to her lips, a finger that tasted of her arousal, and bade her be quiet.
He moved away slightly. She watched as he moved his hands to his belt and began to strip himself completely naked. The first impression she got of his cock was of a springing beast, long and thick and hard – so hard. When he took her hand and gently guided her to touch, she was surprised at how smooth and, well, soft it was. Although the flesh itself was completely rigid, there was a silken sensation as she stroked her hand along the shaft of his cock, bringing a groan of pleasure to his lips.
“Taste it.”
It was a command, or Cash fancied it was one anyway. She liked it. Miles lay back on the bed. She bent between his knees and gave his hard cock an experimental lick. There was a little bit of a salty taste as her tongue swirled over the head. The motion of her tongue made his hips jolt with pleasure - and made her smile. Licking him, seeing him react, it gave her a sense of power and control she rarely felt when Miles was in the same room.
Growing bolder, Cash licked from the very base of his cock all the way to the tip. She repeated the treatment several times, then surprised him by enveloping the thick mushroom tip entirely, wrapping her lips around the shaft of his penis and lowering her mouth down so she could suck and taste him as much as possible.
His pleasure was obvious in his groans and his half whispered words of encouragement. He reached down and stroked her hair, running his fingers through her fine blonde locks as she lapped and licked and pleasured him to the best of her ability.
Caught in fantasy, Cash completely forgot that she was a pop star and he was her bodyguard. It felt much more like he was a conquering emperor and she an avid slave commanded to bring him to climax. She felt his cock growing stiffer between her lips and when she wrapped her hand around the base and began to thrust her mouth up and down along his shaft, it soon became apparent that he was going to cum. He warned her as much in ragged brea
ths, giving her time to move away if she didn’t want to taste it. But she did. She wanted to taste his seed and when he stiffened and pumped his load across her tongue, she savored it without shame, swallowing every single drop.
She smiled as he pulled her up and cuddled her close, pressing kisses to her face and lips, not seeming to mind the taste of himself. She felt completely cherished and completely cared for as he held her more sweetly than ever before. She felt his heart beating in his chest, a fast rhythm that slowed as he relaxed and the effects of orgasm faded.
“That was amazing, sweetheart,” he whispered, palming her bottom.
“Miles…”
“Hmm?” His voice was sleepy comfortable, his face a picture of masculine contentment. All the tension had drained out of his body, leaving him with an almost beatific expression that Cash found adorable.
“Would you go out with me?”
His eyes flickered open and settled on her. “Are you asking me out on a date?”
Cash squirmed against him. She was still aroused, still very wet, but it wasn’t her body she wanted to satisfy. It was her heart, the heart that was beating fast with nervousness as she clarified the question. “I’m asking you if you want to, um, go steady.”
He smiled, a broad smile of amusement and pleasure. “You want to go steady, hmm?”
“Uh huh,” Cash nodded.
“Are you sure you want to go steady with a man who spanks your bottom and expects you to obey him?”
She squirmed against him, nuzzling under his chin in a primal display of closeness. “I want everything about you.”
“Very well, Miss Raine,” he said, tapping her bottom lightly. “Then you are mine and I am yours.”
He captured her in another kiss, turning her onto her back and covering her body with his stronger, larger frame.
