Darling didn’t know what she would’ve done if he hadn’t been there. Someone actually wanted to kill her? Did they see just a shape in front of the window and assume it was her, or was it just another act of vandalism gone wrong? She really began doubting that all the things going on was the work of teenagers unhappy about the house being reoccupied. Someone wanted her gone. They’d managed to scare her enough that she would be getting out for a while.
She didn’t want to call Madison until she knew the prognosis for Beauty Belle. Madison was never going to want Darling to do her another favor. First her car got vandalized and now her dog was fighting for her life, the victim of some crazy person. Beauty Belle would’ve been much better off staying in the city with a house sitter. Do not cry. Keep your big girl panties on and be tough. You have got to deal with the police, get Beauty Belle proper care, and you’re going to get away from here for a few days and figure out what to do. Stay calm.
She would go to London with Ross for a few days. He might not have asked her for all the right reasons, but it would give her a chance to get some perspective and think things through. Maybe now that bullets were flying, the town sheriff would be a bit more proactive about these kids trying to run her off.
Chapter 35
After the second hour of questioning, Ross began to feel like his feet were on fire. Enough time had passed for his adrenaline spike to subside, and now he could actually feel things like pain. The local cops had been asking them the same questions over and over. He didn’t really have any new answers.
The vet had taken Beauty Belle to the hospital after getting her stabilized and running an IV bag treating her for shock. He was a young guy, but he seemed like he knew what he was doing. He was optimistic that Beauty would pull through with time and, of course, money. Without a second thought, Ross had peeled a dozen bills off a stack full of hundreds and handed it to the vet. Darling had just watched him with a tender smile. He liked animals, and Link and Madison were close friends of his. Of course he would do whatever he could to see their family pet get good care. Dealing with an injured animal was the easy part of this whole night. The cops and Darling were a whole other nightmare.
For the first half hour, the sheriff insisted the rambunctious youth of Uniontown were still just trying to reclaim their beach and maybe add a little more urban legend to the lake house’s reputation. Eventually the fucker totally reversed his theory. So now it wasn’t teenagers trying to drive Darling away from the house but somebody with a grudge against him causing the trouble. He assured the officer that he’d had no calls or notes or any issues lately with stalkers. Nobody in Uniontown really knew who he was.
That wasn’t enough for the sheriff, though. He had his new theory, and he bit into it wholeheartedly. “No, I know you rock star types. You’ve got your groupies, your stalkers, and your drug dealers. It may be that you owe somebody some money, or you’ve got mixed up with the wrong dealer, and they are trying to get back at you. We don’t like that kind of thing in this town. I did some checking up on you, and you’re not new to trouble from that area. Seems your wife died in an accident involving illegal substances, and you have a history of rehab. Think that’s about right?”
Ross stepped toward the old curmudgeon only to have Darling block his path. “Sheriff Brickman, please. I really don’t think we need to bring Ross’ past up in this. He’s been a good friend to me while some pretty rotten things have happened.” She took his hand in her own. “Nobody but my closest friends and immediate family knows he’s even here. There hasn’t been any press coverage—he’s kept a low profile. No drugs, no groupies, just vandalism directed at my house.”
“Ms. Roberts, you’ve got some family still left in this town, so why don’t you go and stay with your aunt. Let us keep an eye on the house, see if we can’t do some extra patrols and try to catch the perps who are stirring things up? I don’t really think anyone was trying to actually shoot at you, just cause some damage and vent some anger, but it would be best if you stayed away for a time.” He pulled his hat a bit lower and shuffled off to give orders to the deputies standing nearby.
“Does he actually get paid for being that useless?” Ross asked rhetorically.
Darling just shook her head and collected the broom and dustpan from the kitchen closet. Ross took the supplies from her hand. “Just leave it. We’ll get someone to come over and replace the patio doors later. Right now I just want to see bags packed and us on our way far from all this.” He tugged at her hand, motioning toward the stairs. “Grab what you absolutely need. We can pick up whatever else in London. I’ll make the arrangements while we drive to the airport.”
Chapter 36
Darling stretched her leg up through the water pushing her toes out of the deep cocoon of bubbles. She edged her foot up to turn off the hot water and sighed with bliss. The presidential suite of the Piedmont Hotel in London had the best giant whirlpool bath she’d ever seen. It was exactly what she needed to help her soak away the stressors of the last fifteen hours. Ross had taken care of everything. He hired a security company to keep an eye on the lake house while the police investigation over the shooting was completed. He made arrangements for them to fly out of Boston first-class to London and even walked her through a same-day passport agency. She’d made a few early morning phone calls to Carrie, letting her know what happened at the house. Her friend had tried to talk her into coming to stay with her but in the end understood Darling’s desire to get out of town for a little while.
Cousin Logan had also attempted to talk her into staying with him and her aunt Tracy, but she wasn’t interested. He’d tried to sound like a protective big brother on the phone at first. “Darling, you should come over here right now. I don’t know what’s been going on at that house, but I think you need to be around family, and with your dad out of town, we’re the only ones you’ve got,” he implored, sounding very reasonable.
She had been a bit tempted but remembered some of the things Aunt Tracy had said earlier. “I thank you for the offer, but I’m going to stay with Ross.”
Logan interrupted her before she could get the rest of her thought out. “You’re going to stay with him? He’s in a rock band; he’ll just throw you aside once all the groupies and hangers on start flocking to his side. A European tour isn’t like Uniontown. I don’t want to hurt you, but didn’t it occur to you that maybe he was hooking up with you because you were convenient and we don’t exactly have a bevy of supermodels partying around here?”
“Gee, thanks, Logan, my self-esteem needs pep talks like that. Little did I know what an expert on the behind the scenes activities of concert tours I was related to.” She’d gone from grateful relative to pissed-off vixen in seconds. “Many things have occurred to me, mostly that I have a pretty mean family when it comes to them supporting me in what I want out of my life. I’ve never said anything about anyone else’s decisions, yet everyone feels perfectly capable of telling me exactly how I should live.” She immediately felt a little guilty for her outburst, but then again maybe it had been a long time coming.
“I’m not going take offense to your bitchy tone because I know you’ve been through a lot. Obviously you’re upset; between staying at the place your mom disappeared from, losing Grandma, and the accidents that have happened recently. I’m sure the place just doesn’t seem all that homey. However, Sheriff Brickman is right. It’s probably just asshole teenagers trying to scare you out so they can go back to partying in the woods and have their beach hang out. This is a small town with nothing for the local kids to do except sneak around drinking and having sex in the woods. Trust me, I actually grew up here.” He chuckled, making Darling wince at the thought of a drunk, fornicating Logan partying on her beach. “You know that house is going to need a chunk of change to get it back to the way it was, don’t you?” He sounded more reasonable and less creepy.
“It really just needs the dock rebuilt, otherwise it’s not that bad. I have a bit of money coming to me
.”
“Darling, think about what you are doing,” Logan begged.
“I know it will be tough, but I hate the idea that someone is trying to push me away when I’ve finally figured out what I want. This house is my chance to start a new life.”
“You could still have a new life. Let my mom sell the house for you, she’d probably do it commission-free. You’ll be able to walk away with a couple hundred thousand dollars, buy a new place, and follow whatever dream that’s so important to you.” She tried to interrupt him, but he quickly spoke again. “I know we haven’t been around a ton for you, but it really wasn’t our fault. Your dad didn’t want to bring you around this way after your mom was gone, and I spent a lot of time with my dad in Chicago, at least when he wasn’t traveling for his next book. My mom can be a bit of a pill, but she means well.” Logan let out a long sigh.
“I appreciate the family and I get it, but right now I want to get away. I’m going to be staying with my old roommate Madison and her family. This really isn’t about Ross as much as it is about me just doing what I need to do. I’m not ready to sell the house; I need to get away and think about it.”
“How long are you going to be gone for?”
“I’m not completely sure. The veterinarian thinks Beauty Belle will need to stay at the clinic for at least a week and recover, so I expect to be gone that long. If you guys really want to help me out, maybe you can see if you can get a contractor to take a look at the dock for repairs. I can’t get anyone to call me back or even give an estimate at this point.”
“Yeah, I’ll talk to my mom, but she and Mr. Jenkins were pretty close, so I don’t know if she ever worked with any other contractors around here. Hey, stay safe.” Logan hung up, and Darling snapped her cell phone shut. Well, that went about as well as she expected.
She had fallen asleep on the plane watching a movie and woke up with a crick in her neck. Once in London things turned around quickly. Ross checked her into the hotel, and she immediately connected with the incredible bathtub. He was making phone calls, trying to figure out the whens and wheres of practice sessions, but the first big show was the following night.
Chapter 37
Nothing was more beautiful than Darling lounging in a Jacuzzi tub, her dusty pink nipples peeking out at him from the bubbles. He forced himself to leave the bathroom, hoping to finish his phone call before he jumped in that bath with her.
He frowned, annoyed at being stuck on hold, but understood that coordinating everything for a series of concerts across the European Union was no easy task for any tour manager, even one as with it as Shannon. At least he had Darling with him, so all the downtime would be something he looked forward to instead of dreading it the way he had in the past. She’d barely put up a fight once he had her packed and in the Land Cruiser. The paperwork was a pain, but he was able to get them ticketed and out of Boston by the end of the next day. They were staying at a swanky hotel, and after the next couple of shows, she would stay with Madison, Isabel, and their kids at La Chateau de Montmartre outside of Paris. Just as he’d imagined, Tommy was planning on commuting from the first couple of weeks of tour sites by helicopter. When that became too far of a trip, he’d move the family to another rental for the Eastern Europe dates. He and Link could get in on the deal, but only if they referred to him as the god of rock a few times to inflate his already annoying ego. It was worth it. He’d have Darling beside him for as long as he could keep her.
Finally Shannon was back on the line confirming the details he needed to know. He happily hung up and almost scowled at Darling as she came out of the bathroom all covered up in a huge hotel towel. Damn, but he’d planned on joining her in there. Now he’d have to sneak up on her in the bedroom. What a hardship. He smiled wickedly, new plans already forming in his mind.
“Should I be scared that you look like the Big Bad Wolf about to eat Little Red Riding Hood right now?” she asked, pulling a clip that let her hair fall free around her shoulders.
“Depends.” He eyed the swell of her breasts peaking above the towel. A muscle in his jaw twitched.
“On what?” she asked, pulling that demon towel tighter.
“On whether I can stand being outside of your incredible body long enough to devour you.” He stepped closer to her, enjoying how pink her skin turned at his naughty suggestions. She really was so sweet.
He brushed a long, loose lock of her light hair to the side of her face and pulled her head closer. His eyes searched her clear blue eyes, begging silent permission to proceed. Darling swallowed and pushed her lips hesitantly to his, her eyes still open. A warm jolt of electricity went through his body. He deepened the kiss, gently easing his tongue into her warm, sweet depths. She kissed him back, awkwardly stroking her tongue along his lips. The little groan she released had him straining even more in his jeans. She pulled away from him briefly, and he sucked in a deep breath of air, trying to clear his befuddled senses. He wanted to make sure he got this right for her but wasn’t sure how long he could play nice. Her warm mouth caressed his lobe and traced a scorching path around his lips. He released a growl, tightened his hold on the back of her head with one arm, and sneaked the other one round to cup her full breast, pushing the towel to the floor. He felt her nipple pebble hard against his palm, but that was just a reassuring tease.
“Oh, God,” he muttered, new waves of desire shooting through his veins. The hard nipple he’d teasingly cupped a moment ago was straining and peaking against his hand. He fondled each nipple, rolling them roughly against his calloused fingers, anxious to taste them. She threw her head back, her eyes drifting shut, and whimpered. That was all the encouragement he needed to lean down and feast on each perky nipple in turn.
Ross stepped her back a few steps and down onto the bed, supporting her head in his hand as they reclined. He took a break to kiss her mouth again, and she grabbed at the bottom of his T-shirt, hefting it up and dropping it. His baby was a bit shy still, but he’d help her get over that soon enough. He pulled his shirt over his body and tossed it across the room. Her eyes widened just as they had before at the sight of his pierced nipple and tribal black tattoos. She tentatively touched the design and gently tugged on his nipple ring, working a groan out of him. She smiled softly at him and put her lips around his nipple, licking the tip and ring with her pointy tongue. He ground his denim-encased cock into her sex, contemplating how long it would take before she drove him completely insane. He needed to plant himself deep inside of her more than he needed to take his next breath. What had come over him?
A few more kisses, another light roll of her swollen nipples, and she was grinding against him in return. His Darling was definitely not frigid. She scored her nails gently down his ribs and across his flat stomach, reaching to undo the five buttons holding his jeans up. Her hands stilled. He knew she was getting nervous again about taking the lead. He pulled his buttons loose with one hand, letting his cock spring free. He placed his length into her slim hand and smiled at the appreciative “oh” she uttered. Her soft fingers stroked his thick length. He swelled larger than he thought possible.
If she kept this up, rubbing him and sucking at his nipples, he was going to spend himself in her hand like a teenage boy. He pulled her fingers out of his pants. His skin felt hot and fevered. He kissed her again and slid his pants the rest of the way off, using his feet to kick them aside. He lay back down almost on top of her, supporting much of his weight with his elbow. He licked and sucked at the pulse point of her neck.
She whimpered breathlessly.
“Hush, baby,” Ross assured her and slipped his fingers down her adorable round tummy to stroke the liquid heat trickling from her pussy. She was soaking wet and creamy for him. His wide fingers stroked through her folds, and he slipped one digit inside her. Her hips bucked at this new invasion, rocking back and forth to try and take in more. She sucked in a full breath of air before letting it hiss out between clenched teeth. “That’s it, baby, just focus on how good th
is feels,” he uttered before pushing another finger in and circling her swollen clitoris with his calloused thumb. He was finger fucking her and moving his engorged cock against her thigh. The noises she was making and the way she was clutching at his shoulders was sending him beyond sanity. He had no more sense than an animal in heat. She started to tighten around his fingers. He couldn’t help himself anymore. He smeared some of her wetness on the head of his dick. He reached for the special ring that had been in the box of goodies and slipped it on and turned the little knobbed pad so that it would rub Darling in just the right way. He kissed her mouth hard and shifted himself between her legs. Darling gripped his shoulders and arched her hips to rub her heat against him. He positioned himself and rammed his cock into her tight, wet pussy. She gasped at his intrusion and softened around him. Ross stilled to give her body time to adjust and to keep himself from coming too fast. Once settled, he ground the nubs against her clit, feeling her orgasm build. She was making a loud keening noise as she peaked, biting and sucking his shoulder. The sting of her teeth in his skin made him thrust deeper in her. She was grinding her pelvis and clawing at his back. He arched so he could bend down and take one of her straining nipples into his mouth and sucked hard. “Come for me, baby. I wanna feel your pussy melt all over me,” he encouraged. He bit her swollen nipple and she moaned, calling out his name in her release.
“Ross, I’m coming. You’re making me come,” she panted. He pushed in again and again, wringing every last little contraction out of her until he finally came. He heaved his cock out, still exploding all over her pussy lips.
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