by Terry Towers
"No. Put your wallet away. I'll pay." He looked up at the young man. "How much?"
"Fifty bucks," the vendor replied without skipping a beat.
"I can pay Bo," Hanna protested, but quickly gave in, as he grabbed several twenty dollar bills from his wallet and thrust them at the vendor.
The man's eyes narrowed as he looked up at the billboard featuring Bo's face and then back to Bo, recognition began to form in his eyes.
Shit-fuck! Bo glanced around nervously, ensuring his security was close at hand. "Thanks."
"Bo..." The vendor eyed Bo, rubbing his chin with his hand, "Hey, you're..."
"Keep the change," he muttered. Not bothering to wait for the vendor to find change or blow his cover, Bo placed a hand at the small of Hanna's back and ushered her away from the vendor. "Keep walking, walk fast, but don't look suspicious," he whispered as they put distance between them and the vendors.
"Savage. The rock star. Bo... Bo Savage!"
Bo's body tensed as he heard the vendor calling his name, but he kept up the pace, head down. Muttering and murmurs sounded behind them.
"Where? Who?" voices asked behind him.
"There. Him," came the response.
"This way." Bo steered her down an alleyway, their pace so quick he was nearly jogging and her nearly running.
"I'm so sorry Bo."
"It's okay. Just walk." He cringed at the sharpness in his tone.
As they exited the alleyway, they continued onto the next street. He slowed his pace, glancing over his shoulder to see his bodyguards rushing behind them, but luckily there didn't seem to be anyone else in pursuit.
Bo sighed, and looked down at Hanna. Her eyes were downcast and visibly upset - whether she was upset with him or herself he couldn't say for sure. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap."
"It's okay." She looked up and smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.
"No. It's not." Feeling secure that they weren't being followed he slowed their pace to a brisk walk so she could continue to enjoy the sights of the city. "I just know what's going to happen if people start to recognize me. It'll make the news, and we'll be stuck for hours signing autographs on the sidewalk. And I really don't like that you never know who's approaching - it can be dangerous. Even with the security with us, they're only capable of doing so much. You'll see what I mean when we spend more time together."
Chapter 5
Hanna's heart skipped a beat. When we spend more time together. She mulled the words over a moment as they walked. Was he planning on seeing her beyond the concert? She hoped so, but she was afraid to ask.
"Well, thank you for the bag." She looked across him to see the roses in his hand and then up at him, brow raised. "And the flowers?"
"What?" He grinned as he looked down at the flowers in his hand, forgotten in the excitement of their hasty retreat. "Yeah. These are for you." He flushed slightly, when he glanced down at them, tightly clutched in his hand. "Sorry about breaking the stems. Just... The excitement and all."
Taking the flowers from him, she brought them to her nose, closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. The sweet scent rushed into her nostrils and she sighed, immediately relaxing.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome." They exchanged a look that sent a shiver down her spine, and ignited the throbbing between her legs. For a brief moment, she hoped he'd suggest she forgo the room he had selected for her, and join him for the night in his bed, but she quickly dismissed the idea. Even if he did offer, she wasn't sure if it would be such a good idea, it's not like they could have a normal relationship. She'd end up with a broken heart; there was no doubt in her mind that's how it would go down.
"Here we are, home safe and sound."
His voice broke her from her thoughts. Sure enough, they were approaching his building.
"Ahhh shit, spoke too soon."
Frowning, Hanna followed his gaze to see a reporter approaching them, with a photographer hot on her heels. The photographer began taking pictures as they approached Hanna and Bo.
Bo released her hand and slid it around her waist, pulling her tight. "Keep your head down Hanna, unless you want to be on the cover of the next gossip magazine," he murmured.
The thought was horrifying to her. God only knew how she'd be labelled, so she did as told, lowering her eyes and pressing her face against his shoulder.
"We got them Bo."
The sound of a deep voice from behind them surprised Hanna. She'd forgotten about the security. She lifted her eyes, keeping her face buried against his shoulder and watched the group of guards, surrounding them - forming a unbreakable barrier between them and the reporters as they continued to move briskly towards the front entrance of the building.
"Bo! Bo! Can I ask you a few questions?" Without waiting for a response she continued. "Who's the new lady? Do we know her?" The tall, dark-haired woman tried to elbow past two of the guards, but to her frustration, access to them was denied.
"I'm sorry Penny. No interviews today," Bo replied, as they approached the front doors of the building. Two building guards came rushing from the building, joining Bo's security, blocking Bo and Hanna from the reporter, just as a news van pulled up to the curb. Another reporter and cameraman hopping out before the vehicle had even come to a complete stop.
"Come on Bo. Who is she? Is it serious?" Penny persisted.
"Is she the real reason you and Nadine broke up?" The new reporter, a short pudgy middle-aged man, asked as he approached the group. Bo's body stiffened beside her - evidently that comment hit a chord with Bo.
Hanna immediately knew the Nadine being referred to. Nadine Petrova was a Russian supermodel that Bo had been reported to be dating. If the tabloids were to be believed, they broke up a few weeks prior, for unexplained reasons, though there was speculation that Bo left her due to her excessive drug use. But, that was the tabloids and they were hardly the best source of information.
"No. She's not the reason for the break-up," Bo stated coldly, directing Hanna up the stairs of the building.
"Come on Bo, give us a little scoop. Please," the reporter, Penny, persisted.
At the top of the stairs, just outside the front doors of the building, Bo shifted so that Hanna was behind him, hidden and protected from the cameras and reporters by his body.
"Look Penny, when I'm prepared to talk about whom I am or am not dating, then you'll be the first to know. In the meantime, I ask that you respect our privacy on the matter. Thanks." He turned and walked Hanna into the building, the security close on their heels closing the doors behind them, blocking out the gathering crowd of onlookers.
"We're fine from here Marcel," Bo stated, as he pressed the call button on the elevator.
"Anything else Bo?"
"Nah, we're good."
The elevator dinged and doors slid open with a soft whoosh. Hanna clutched the roses to her chest as Bo rushed her into the elevator, following behind her. Pulling his keys from his inner jacket pocket, he slipped one into the keypad and selected his floor. The doors slid closed behind them and the elevator began its ascension.
"I'm sorry about that Hanna." Bo turned to her, his grey eyes catching hers. "I don't want your life to become a circus..."
"But..." She offered.
"But, if we're going to starting seeing each other. It's going to be hard to keep them away forever. Is that something you can live with?"
Hanna's head was spinning. That morning she was going on an unbelievable trip to see a concert and here she was hours later, with the possibility of being Bo Savage's girlfriend. Her jaw went slack as she tried to figure out what to say.
"I..." She chewed at her lower lip in consideration. "So does that mean you're interested in seeing me again after the concert?"
Bo's jaw clenched, as he noticed the insecurity in her eyes. Turning to the elevator keypad, he pressed the stop button and it immediately halted. Slipping a hand to the back of her neck and lowered his lips to hers.
She
moaned softly in anticipation even before his lips touched hers. He grazed his lips over hers tenderly, and as she parted her lips in invitation, he deepened the kiss, his tongue searching for hers. As their tongues touched, she moaned a second time as a jolt of electric pleasure rushed through her, to ignite a pulsing between her legs. Placing a palm on his chest, she felt the lean muscle underneath his shirt.
He slowly backed her up until her body was against the elevator wall, his huge manly frame pressing against hers. A soft crackling sounded, as the roses became crushed between their bodies, but neither of them seemed to notice or care. The smell of roses and his cologne teased her nose - tempting her - begging her to get closer.
Bo's groin pressed up against hers and she felt his growing erection between their layers of clothing. His arousal only enflamed her own arousal and she moaned against his lips, fisting his shirt, wishing their restricting clothing was gone and she could feel his warm, hard body naked against hers.
Bo growled softly at the back of his throat as he pulled his lips from hers, while keeping their bodies tight to each other, leaving her longing for more. Her knees felt weak under her, and she was grateful for his body pinning her against the elevator wall.
"Does that answer your question?" He whispered, brushing his lips across hers.
She nodded. It answered her original question, and spawned a slew more.
"Okay, in that case, I'd better get the elevator moving before they," he nodded towards the security camera in the upper corner of the elevator, pointed directly at them, "start to enjoy the show."
"We turned our eyes, didn't see a thing Bo," a male voice matter-of-factly stated out of nowhere.
Hanna's face grew warm and she was sure her cheeks were crimson, as Bo laughed, reached behind her and pressed the start button on the control panel. "Good to hear it, Jerome."
The elevator jerked and began to continue its ascent. Bo leaned into her and his mouth brushed across her earlobe and sent a shiver through her. "Don't worry about Jerome. He's seen more than you can imagine in his ten years working in the control room."
"My embarrassment that evident huh?" she whispered back.
He pulled back and grinned, the humour reflecting in his smoke grey eyes. "Very."
"So there's cameras everywhere?"
He shrugged. "Well, not in my penthouse. But the building from the basement to the roof top is all under video surveillance. Nothing goes on without security knowing. But the people living here are the types that require that kind of security and are willing to pay a premium for it."
The elevator dinged and the doors slid open to reveal a short hallway, with a metal door at the end, which had a keypad to the side. As they made their way to his door, she was dying to ask how much a penthouse in the building would cost. She imagined it would scare her.
"It must be hard..."
Sliding the card in the reader, he punched in his security code and the door beeped as it unlocked. "What? Living like this?"
She nodded as he opened the door and gestured for her to enter before him. "Yeah."
"It's the price we pay. In some areas I can go about freely. It's just in a city like New York, just before a concert... Going out was a recipe for disaster. I apologize. I could have put you in danger taking you out. It was stupid and impulsive of me, and it'll never happen again."
*****
Bo glanced up at the clock in the foyer and was shocked to see it was midnight. Disappointment rushed through him. He needed to get some sleep soon, even though he wasn't tired in the least. The Madison Square Gardens concert was a televised concert, so he needed to be on top his game for it so getting a full night’s sleep was critical.
"I'm going to have to turn in soon, so I'll show you your room and perhaps we can relax for a short bit before heading to bed."
Bo also felt bad about the reporters. If they happened to get a picture of Hanna someone could easily recognize her -considering the fact that she worked in a public place and knew many people. Bo frowned, upset at himself and the reporter. He knew that if Hanna’s identity was revealed she’d be hounded by reporters and tabloid vultures. That's the last thing he wanted for her. It was painfully evident how introverted and reserved she was, that was one of the qualities he adored about her. Being hounded by strangers would be hard for someone like her to deal with.
Which brought him to another concern...
If something developed between them, could she handle being his woman? He didn't know, and the last thing he wanted was for either of them to get attached to the other and then deal with the hurt that would come along with a public break-up.
"What's wrong?" She frowned, looking up at him, as they climbed the staircase to the second floor.
He forced a smile on his lips as they reached the landing to the second floor. "Nothing. I was just thinking." He led her to his room, and ushered her in. "Okay, I'll grab you something you can wear and then take those flowers and put them in water." He looked down at the bouquet which had become a crumbled mess. He'd be lucky to salvage half of the flowers. "What's left of them anyhow."
"Thank you." A faint blush coloured her cheeks as she shifted from foot to foot, her eyes scanning his massive, yet humbly furnished bedroom.
He grabbed the first t-shirt and pair of boxers he came to and set them on the bed. "Why don't you change here and then meet me in the kitchen for a snack before bed."
A wide grin spread across her lips and she raised a brow at him. "Milk and cookies?"
Bo laughed. The milk and cookies idea didn't sound halfway bad. "Chocolate chip as a matter of fact."
Crossing the room, he took the roses from her and exited the room, closing the door behind him. As he made his way to the kitchen, his mind quickly flashed back to a memory of him and Jeremy as kids sharing a bag of chocolate chip cookies and dunking them into their milk as their mother busied herself with housework.
He grew up poor, but the shortage of money was made up by an abundance of love and affection. It taught him a valuable lesson. He may have everything money could buy, but he knew he wouldn't be truly happy until he found someone to share his life with. Over the past several years he realized that he'd forgotten that very important detail, but spending the evening with Hanna made him realize just what he'd been missing in his life. And dammit, he wanted it.
Chapter 6
Pulling the t-shirt over head, Hanna was amused to see the hem of the shirt fell to her mid-thigh area. She was about to pull on the boxers, but on impulse and with a sudden burst of brazenness, decided against it. Placing her clothing in a neat pile on the floor by the bed she made her way downstairs and found Bo in the kitchen.
Hanna giggled as she spotted Bo, sitting on a kitchen stool at the breakfast bar, with a bag of chocolate chip cookies, a couple glass and a jug of milk in front of him.
Bo looked up, was about to speak and paused. His eyes scanned her from head to toe, the look in his eyes turning from amused to heated. He lowered his eyes and when they returned to meet hers, the friendly amusement was back in them.
"You look extremely sexy in that t-shirt Hanna."
She was tempted to give into her shyness and look away, but forced herself to keep his gaze. "Thank you."
He pushed the bag of cookies across the counter. "Care to join me?"
"Don't mind if I do." She perched herself on the stool across from him and pulled a couple of cookies from the bag and then poured herself a tall glass of milk. "I really should send a text to Jackie."
Bo cringed.
"What?"
"I doubt you'll get a response. Jeremy sent me a text while you were getting changed."
"And?"
"And, they're-" Bo cleared his throat, looking slightly uncomfortable "-they're busy."
"Ohhhhhhhh." Hanna shifted her eyes downward and focused on dipping her cookie. It didn't surprise Hanna, but a part of her wished she were bolder. But, then you'd just be another girl to him, a voice in the back of her mind chid
ed. She could already hear Jackie's gushing, telling her every single detail of her time with Jeremy. Every intimate detail.
When she looked back up, the heat had returned to Bo's eyes and there was tension in his body. "You know Hanna. I want you to know that I'm very attracted to you and I really want to..."
"Me too," she whispered. She wasn't even sure if she'd said it out load, but hearing his sharp intake of breath made her realize she'd indeed admitted it to him.
Bo reached across the counter and took her hand in his. "I don't want to rush this. I want you to get a feel for my life and what it's like to be with me before we jump too deep." He frowned. "If you were just 'some girl' then I wouldn't care. But, I see potential with you."
Hanna's heart skipped a beat. Bo Savage saw potential in her! Hanna had no idea how to respond to that; every response that came to mind would make her sound like a blubbering schoolgirl so she remained silent.
"So would this be what is considered an awkward silence?" Bo teased, giving her hand a squeeze.
Hanna nodded. "Little bit."
"Awkward because you don't want to spend more time together to explore what might be between us, or awkward because you feel embarrassed to agree with me." His smile widened, the humour reaching his eyes, but not overpowering the desire raging within them.
Instead of replying, Hanna pressed her palm against his chest and leaned forward. She brushed her lips against his and moaned softly against his lips. Releasing her hand, he slipped his hand to the back of her neck, and threaded his fingers into her hair, kissing her harder.
Her lips parted, under his probing tongue allowing him access. When his tongue touched hers, electricity shot through her, and the pulsing between her legs ignited.
Don't let yourself go. Don't let yourself go. She urged herself silently, keeping a restraint on her passion, despite her rapidly increasing need for him. But it was hard - so hard. She'd never wanted a man more, and never a man she'd just met and barely knew.
Bo slid from the bar stool and stood before her, turning her and pressing her back against the breakfast bar. He pinned her body against the cool wood, and pressed himself against her, his cock rising against her.
