by Lily Graison
Two days had passed since she talked to Devin and the thought of seeing him again left her more nervous than when she realized who he was that day in the cabin.
She glanced to her left, watching Roxy, and smiled. Her friend didn’t look any more at ease than she did. The invitation to join her on the trip had elated her friend and left Holly thankful for being able to repay her for the mountain trip. The chance to meet Luke, in person, was enough for Roxy. Her usually very vibrant friend was suddenly quiet, her hands shaking.
The car stopped, the door opening an instant later, and they both stepped out of the limo onto the sidewalk of a swanky New York hotel. Holly stared up at the building, looking at the windows and wondering which one Devin was behind.
The minutes seemed to pass in a blur, their bags taken to their room ahead of them, and before she had time to think, she stood alone before his door. Her heart raced, her insides shaking to the point she was nauseous.
One minute she was forcing herself to make her presence known, the next she was staring into those emerald green eyes she’d lost herself in all those months ago.
Devin grinned as he looked down at her. She looked as nervous as he felt. Two days of pacing the floors waiting for her and there she was. Like a dream he never wanted to wake from.
He’d spent the last two months consumed with thoughts of her. The scent of her skin haunted him, the sound of her laughter echoing in his head, and the breathy sighs he’d pulled from her body leaving him hard and longing for her touch.
Two weeks with her and she’d completely turned his world inside out. He craved her, ached for her, and now…here she was.
Taking a step toward her, he reached up, brushing his knuckles across her cheek. “Are you ready?” he asked, grinning before wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her flush against him.
She smiled, looking up at him through her lashes. “Ready for what?”
He placed a soft, chaste kiss on her lips, his tongue extending to taste her. “Are you ready to be wicked.”
She shivered, raised her arms, and wrapped them around his neck. “And what exactly do you have in mind?”
Devin pulled her into the room, shutting the door behind her, and pushing her body against it. “Oh baby, I'm gonna make you scream.”
The End
Wicked: Leather and Lace
(The Wicked Series #2)
by
Lily Graison
One
Sheer panic sucked the air from Roxy Carlisle’s lungs and burned a trail throughout her entire body.
That she was in this state rocked her more than the feeling itself. Roxy didn’t panic. Ever. She stared down hardened criminals for a living and laughed in their faces while they tried to intimidate her. She was the toughest person she knew. Nothing rattled her. Nothing could.
Nothing except the six-foot tall luscious man walking straight for her.
Luke Harris, lead guitarist for the band Wicked and her ultimate fantasy, was currently sauntering across the crowded hotel bar like a walking sex god. Her mouth watered with every step he took and the sight of him conjured visions that stole her breath.
Her every dream come true, he was a sensual piece of eye candy right down to those damn big clunky boots. He wore his trademark black leather pants and jacket but he’d worn a shirt to her disappointment. She wasn’t aware the man owned one. Every time she saw him, whether on TV or in magazines, those incredible abs and delicious hipbones were visible. She felt cheated as she watched him now.
That is until she looked at his face.
His long black hair hung around chiseled features she’d memorized and tumbled over broad shoulders. Those intense, pale gray eyes scanned the crowd and perfectly bowed lips curled into a sarcastic smile. The man knew every woman in the room was watching him and he was right.
It took every ounce of willpower she possessed not to turn around and see if someone was behind her. Someone he was looking at instead of her. She’d die if there were. She’d dreamed of meeting this man for two years now, ever since spying him on television when they played their first live show, and nothing would tarnish this particular dream. In her mind, it was her he was stalking. Her, he’d gazed at from across the room before he stood and left a gaggle of ladies standing gaped mouth as they watched him walk away.
She sucked in a breath, tossed her hair over one shoulder and turned back to the bar when he neared her. Her heart was beating so fast, she felt dizzy. Blood rushed through her veins, thundered in her ears, and she concentrated on getting one breath in and letting it out slowly.
The moment he stopped by her bar stool, her vision clouded. His voice sounded miles away. She closed her eyes, pulling on that reserve of steady nerves she used everyday of her life before opening them, and turning her head toward him.
The smug smile on his face was gone. So was that lusty gleam in his eye. Hatred burned in those smoky depths and Roxy was taken aback by the sudden change of attitude.
Luckily his anger wasn’t directed at her.
She turned her head, looking over her left shoulder where he was staring and was surprised to see her best friend, Holly Baker, and the reason she was even in New York, Devin Shaw. They were standing at the bar entrance, arms tightly around each other, kissing like the earth was ending. Her best friend had met the man of her dreams and spent every waking minute in sexual bliss, judging by the look on her face.
Of course, the man of her own dreams was standing scant inches away. Roxy turned her head, a lingering gaze traveling over the tall hunk of man who’d stopped by her chair. His attention was still on Devin and Holly.
His hair fell over his right shoulder, the midnight black tresses lost in the folds of his leather jacket. He smelled of sandalwood and spicy cologne and she inhaled the scent, restraining herself from closing her eyes and savoring him.
A rustle of fabric caught her attention and she glanced up. He was staring at her again. The intense look in his eye wasn’t as strong as before, but his lips curved into a smile nonetheless.
“Can I buy you a drink?”
Roxy smiled and tilted her head toward her glass. “I have one.”
“I see,” he said. His tongue darted out, licking his full bottom lip. “Anything else I can get for you?”
Lord in heaven, the man was sinful. Heat rushed up her neck and Roxy couldn’t breathe. “Plenty,” she said.
Perfect white teeth gleamed behind a smile that made her panties wet and her imagination run wild. The man was simply too gorgeous for words. Especially when he smiled like that. It promised things too wicked to contemplate and Lord help her she wanted to think about them. She’d fuck him right where he stood if he’d let her. Of course, the way he was looking at her, she didn’t think he’d have any objections.
“What did you have in mind?” he asked.
She smiled and tried to catch her breath, letting her gaze wander over the sinful body she knew was hiding behind all that dark material. When she spoke, a husky whisper that surprised even her caused his eyes to flare hotly. “You have no idea what I have in mind.”
He leaned forward, his mouth scant inches from her own. “Try me.”
Goose bumps pimpled her flesh, heat traveled every nerve and the dizzy feeling she’d been trying to overcome made her lust addled brain scream to take him right where he stood. His breath was warm and sweet against her face. A small tilt of her head and she would be able to taste those luscious lips. She licked her own at the thought and inhaled deeply, taking in his scent and suppressed a moan of pleasure.
“Roxy! I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
I’m going to kill her. Roxy forced a smile in spite of the interruption and tore her gaze from Luke to glance over her shoulder. The look she shot her friend conveyed her intentions apparently. Holly leaned back and her smile faltered for a split second before she glanced at Devin.
The band’s front man saved her friend from a quick death. “Hey Roxy. I’m Devin,�
� he said, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her in for a quick hug. “Holly has talked about you nonstop.”
“I’m sure she has,” Roxy grinned. “She always talks about me when she’s thigh deep in a man.”
Holly’s cheeks reddened and she glanced at her feet. Roxy chuckled at her embarrassment. “Is there something you needed, Holly?” Roxy asked to move the conversation along. She had two hundred pounds of hardened man at her back that needed her attention.
“Yes and no,” Holly smiled. “Devin was looking for Luke, actually.”
Devin motioned to a side table with his head and walked away from them, turning once to see if Luke was following him. Roxy watched the lead guitarist, trying to catch the mumbled words he hissed under his breath before he turned and followed. Of course, watching him walk away wasn’t all that bad. The man had an ass that would stop traffic.
“You’re not even going to play hard to get, are you?”
Roxy grinned at Holly’s question. “What’s the point? I could waste days flirting and getting worked up with the same outcome. I’ll have that man between my thighs before I go back home.”
“Is that all you want?”
“What do you mean?” Roxy asked.
“Well,” Holly said. “If all you want is a quick fling, then go ahead and have your way with him. According to Devin, Luke takes advantage of every groupie willing to let him seduce her. But… if you want something more than a fling…”
“You’ve lost me, Holl. I don’t want to marry the man. I just want to fuck him.”
“God, you’re so rude,” Holly laughed.
Roxy shrugged. “There’s no reason to beat around the bush about it. I want him and I plan on having him”
“Okay. Well, what if he pursues you instead? Wouldn’t it make your victory even sweeter if you had the man begging at your feet?”
“He doesn’t look like the begging kind.”
“Devin thinks he is.”
“And how would he know?”
“They’re friends. They talk.”
Roxy picked up her drink, drained it, and motioned to the bartender for a refill. She sat in silence while he filled the glass and when he sat a fresh one in front of her, she turned to Holly. “Okay, I’ll bite,” she said. “What is the purpose of playing hard to get? What will I gain by it?”
Holly turned, sneaking a quick glance at the guys before facing Roxy again. She smiled and leaned in close and spoke in hushed whispers. “Devin said Luke thinks all women are… well, sluts basically. He’s never had to do a damn thing to get a woman other than speak to one. He flashes them a smile, a flirty innuendo or two, and they practically fall on his dick. Devin seems to think if one woman turned him down and he had to work for it, then that would probably be the one he fell for.”
Roxy snorted. “Do I look insane to you? I turn him down and he’ll be back over at that table of groupies before I can blink.”
“Why isn’t he there now?” Holly asked.
“He was,” Roxy said. “He came over here and I intend on keeping him here.”
Holly leaned back, looking at the table of ladies watching Luke and Devin. She could tell by their smiles and their hushed whispers they were all conspiring. “Luke was with them already?”
“Yes.”
“And he came over here to you?”
Roxy lifted one perfectly shaped brow. “Yes. Do you find that hard to believe?”
“No,” Holly grinned. “It just proved my point.”
“How so.”
Holly sighed. “Roxy, Luke was sitting with…” she leaned back, counting the girls at the far end of the bar before turning back to Roxy. “Eight girls. All of which I’m sure were waiting in line for their turn at him, yet he left them and came to you. Now what does that tell you?”
“That I’m the luckiest bitch in the building?”
“You’re a moron, Roxy. Luke wanted you. He chose you out of every woman in this bar. He said as much when he left them standing. Now, make him work for it.”
“And when I refuse, what’s to keep him from turning tail and heading right back over there?”
“You mean, Roxy Carlisle, lawyer extraordinaire, can’t persuade a man, Luke Harris to be exact, that she’s what he really wants?”
Roxy watched Holly grin before looking over her shoulder. She almost sighed at how wonderful Luke looked. God that man did things to her she couldn’t even name. Her mouth practically watered just thinking about how he’d taste.
If she did as Holly suggested, and didn’t jump him the minute he asked, she risked loosing her chance. But what if her plan worked? How sweet would it be to know that Luke Harris, sex god to the stars, chased after her like some lovesick puppy?
“Come on, Roxy. I can practically see you working this all out in your head. Just think of how much sweeter his fine ass will be when he’s begging for it.”
Roxy looked back at Holly. She had to admit it would be a sweet victory if Luke pursued her instead of throwing herself at him. Where was the challenge in that anyway? And according to what Holly said, the man never worked for it. Maybe he should. “One day. If he doesn’t take the bait and saunters off to one of those harpies, I’ll kill you in your sleep.”
“Deal,” Holly laughed. “Trust me. Luke will be falling all over himself if you just play it cool.”
“He better,” Roxy said.
“Trust me. It’s a done deal.”
****
“I’m going to kill you so hard, Holly. He’s leaving.”
Holly frowned when Roxy practically growled at her before turning her head to watch Luke walk out of the bar. She glanced at Devin. The small twitching in his jaw let her know he wasn’t happy about something. “Don’t move. I’ll find out what happened.”
Roxy sighed, shaking her head before gulping down her drink. “Don’t throw yourself at him, Roxy,” she mumbled. “Let him beg for it. Great advice, Holly. No, really. I couldn’t have planned it better myself.”
Running a hand through her hair, Roxy pushed her empty glass across the bar and motioned for another.
“Devin pissed him off.”
“You think?” Roxy said, taking her drink when the bartender slid the glass to her.
“They’ve been at each others throats for a week now. Curt, their manager, has them all on lock down, sequestered in the hotel so he can keep his eye on them before the tour starts, and Luke has been bitching about it all week since they all live here. Anyway, Devin said they’re suppose to do some publicity thing at this club down town tonight so…”
“So what?”
Holly sighed. “Luke will be there and so will we. You’ve got all the access to the man you want. This gives you the rest of the day to plan your attack.”
Roxy smiled at the huge grin covering Holly’s face before shaking her head. “Fine, but if this backfires…”
“Trust me on this, Roxy,” Holly laughed. “Now, do you have anything sexy for tonight’s party?”
“I have a few things but nothing that’ll stop him in his tracks.”
“Well, this is New York.”
“That it is,” Roxy grinned. “Shopping trip?”
“You know it!”
Two
Roxy glared at the girl who practically pushed her down the steps of the club before turning back to scan the crowd. The crush of bodies inside the building was thick. She’d never seen so many people in such a small space. Not that the club was small. It was larger than any she’d been in at home, but with this many people, moving around was almost impossible.
The music was loud, colored lights flashing off the walls, and the smell of sweat and perfume hung heavy in the air. It was exactly the kind of atmosphere she needed to take full advantage of her plan to seduce Luke Harris and leave him begging for more. That is if the groupies didn’t beat her to him.
Scanning the tables and booths along the back wall, it wasn’t hard to spot the guys. The mass number of ladies crowded into the
corner told her exactly where the band members from Wicked were.
She inhaled deeply, ran a hand down the front of her dress to smooth out the wrinkles and gave her hair a light toss. “Do I have lipstick on my teeth?”
Holly smiled at Roxy’s enormous grin, while she showed her teeth. “No. Do I?”
“No,” Roxy said. She straightened her spine, threw her shoulders back and looked at the guys. “Well, let’s get this show started. I didn’t fork out a thousand dollars for this dress to let the groupies drool all over it.”
Holly shook her head. “You’re an idiot for spending that much money on one dress.”
“Probably, but as long as Luke finds me irresistible, its money well spent.”
Maneuvering through the throng of people was easier said than done but Holly caught Devin’s attention without so much as raising a finger. The man must have some sort of radar where her friend was concerned. They’d barely started across the floor when the group of people hovering around the band parted like the red sea. Six massive men, bodyguards apparently, cleared an isle from the table to the dance floor where they stood. Roxy locked eyes with the gray-eyed devil she came to tempt and took her time walking toward him.
****
When the crowd surrounding the table parted, Luke turned to see who was joining them and froze. The voices around him died to a low rumble. The only thing registering was the goddess walking straight toward him, her gaze locked on him.
Long, dark hair spilled across her shoulders in waves of chocolate brown. A light pink dress, overlaid with body clinging white lace, wrapped around her curves like a second skin. A narrow waist, wide hips and long tanned legs barely covered by the short skirt greeted him. He smiled while his gaze feasted on every inch of her he could see.
