Protecting Emma

by ML Michaels

  “I… don’t like the taste of marshmallows,” he lied. He didn’t have a problem with marshmallows but he was prepared to hate them to keep his secret safe.

  “You can’t be human,” she teased. He tensed up. Did she know about him this whole time? “Everyone likes marshmallows,” she continued. He exhaled hard and chuckled. False alarm.

  “Well not me.”

  She nodded and took another turtle into her mouth, this time she used it to think of what she would ask next.

  “Do you have any kids?” she tested. He shook his head to disagree. Her eyebrows rose. “You’re 30 with no kids?”

  “Thirty-two actually, and nope. I’d want my kids to have a mom in their lives and considering I didn’t meet the right woman, yet… Kids were never an idea I considered before.”

  “Yet?” she questioned keenly. It was all on the tip of her tongue. The lust and longing to kiss him was evident.

  “Yet,” he confirmed, before quickly continuing, “So, that photo shoot today was pretty naughty.”

  “I had no idea it was going to be like that. I put on the outfit and it was my first indication but I thought maybe I would just pose in a classy way and it would kind of make up for the raunchy outfit,” she laughed.

  “I always say it’s not about what the person wears, it’s about their actions in their clothes,” he told her. She smiled at him and nodded; his words were always wise and true.

  “I think with that photo shoot, the message that I’m sending out is all wrong. People will think I’m a slut. I think that regardless of what my voice is like, some people will probably still buy my albums because the cover photo is sexy,” she confessed. “It just doesn’t feel right.” Lucas took a moment to breath and respond.

  “Apryl, you’re beautiful. You’re wearing no makeup, and I haven’t seen you glow as much as you are right now. You don’t need to sell your body to sell your records. Some people will always buy your music because your face is gorgeous, but then when they listen to it, your talent will blow them away. You’re a triple threat.”

  “My beauty and my talent are two things. How am I a triple threat?”

  “Your personality is the third thing. You’re way too down to earth to be so gorgeous and talented. You’re nice to everyone you meet.”

  “I’ve never heard such nice things before.”

  “That’s absolutely unbelievable. Those are the things people should be telling you all the time. You have a talent and a face that that draw people in. You have to take a hold of it and realize that you’re in charge of what happens to you. Without you, Suzann doesn’t get a check every two weeks. And if she isn’t treating you the way you should be treated, she doesn’t deserve the money she makes off of you. You should stand up for yourself. I can tell you’ve never been the kind of girl to let someone push you around. She didn’t make you talented, but she is making you someone you don’t want to be.”

  “You’re right,” she said thoughtfully. “I don’t know why I let things go this far. It’s all so new to me.”

  “I’m just saying everything that you’ve been too afraid to admit to yourself. Subconsciously you know that you’re becoming the opposite of what you’ve always dreamed.”

  “It’s like you’re in my head. You know exactly how I think — and feel.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes and he felt the tension. His heart picked up pace and his insides began to roar. He imagined ripping her clothes off and pressing her lips firmly onto his. He wanted to explore every curve and inch of her body against his and in his hands.

  At that moment, he didn’t want to control his urges, but he knew he had to. One part of him yearned for the feeling of her body pinned up against his, and the other part of him wanted to be as far away from her as possible.

  He wanted to be the one to love and protect her —be the man she needed. But he was more than a typical man. He was a shifter, and that would cause problems that he wouldn’t be able to fix. He was born that way, and it was both a blessing and a curse. At times like this, being a shifter felt like a heavy unyielding burden.

  He watched as she licked her lips and eyed his. He instinctively did the same, and the moment he inched forward she pounced on him.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips against his. His softness made her moan, and she pulled at him with her lips. She felt his hands on her back as she pressed her chest against his. He pushed back on the couch and took in every turn of their mouths against each other. Suddenly he remembered to have self-control and he gently pushed her off. He broke the kiss and began panting as he stared in her eyes. She was still filled with lust and her lips were begging for more. All he wanted was to kiss her more, but he knew it’d be a bad idea.

  “We can’t do this,” he told her before trying to slip off the couch. She sat up on her knees and looked at him with pleading eyes.

  “Why?” she asked.

  “It’s not good for you… I’m not good for you,” he said thinking about his secret. He knew that once she knew she wouldn’t want to be with him.

  “What do you mean? I’m a big girl, Lucas. I can handle anything.” She grabbed for his arm, but he pulled it back before she could reach it. She furrowed her eyebrows at the speed of his retraction. It was almost animal-like how fast his reflexes were.

  He shook his head and walked around the coffee table towards the door.

  “Enjoy the candy,” he said over his shoulder before escaping the apartment and going back down to the black Range Rover. His heart was racing and his mind couldn’t think of anything but her. He took deep breaths and tried to think rationally.

  She said she could handle it, but if she knew what ‘it’ was, would she feel the same way?

  He felt his inner tiger tear him up inside. She was his destined mate. Every bone in his body screamed a primal recognition. Maybe he should tell her.

  If it ended badly, the only thing he’d lose was his job. His heart. His future. The truth was he would lose everything he valued if she turned her back on him.

  ***

  Apryl sat in a rolling chair next to Yung Fray and bobbed her head to the music that filled the room through amplified speakers. She was proud of her soprano notes and sang her part effortlessly.

  “This is hot!” Yung Fray shouted, turning the volume knob down. She smiled at him and nodded in agreement.

  The song was called “You and I” and the label created it for both of them.

  Yung Fray has recently earned a reputation as the most popular rapper of the year. Every song he released turned gold in a week and then platinum in less than a month. It was an honor for Apryl to work with him.

  “So, has Suz talked to you yet?” he asked. She shook her head. The relationship between her and Suzann had been rocky ever since the photo shoot.

  “Tonight she wants us to go on the Sun Strip together. Generate some paparazzi and fans and let them know we have a single dropping in a few days,” he explained. Apryl nodded. It seemed harmless enough. There was nothing for her to do at home anyway. Lucas was no longer assigned to stake out her house, and he hadn’t even spoken to her about anything that didn’t involve business since they’d kissed a month ago. It felt like he was slipping away from her. But she’d never let him know how deeply he’d hurt her. She’d shared everything with him, and he left her with no explanation.

  “Alright, you want to get lunch now and go there later?” Apryl offered.

  “Definitely, let’s go,” he said, and they shut off all the equipment. She grabbed her purse and walked outside to the huddle of guards standing by the exit.

  “Yung Fray and I are going to lunch. He has a smaller security team, and it’d be easier if I just went with them,” Apryl told her team.

  “Are you sure you don’t want at least one of us to go with you?” Jeremy asked eyeing Lucas’ obvious discomfort. Apryl looked up at Lucas and watched as his eyes looked everywhere but at her. He
was jittery. She rolled her eyes and dismissed it.

  “I’m sure,” she said and followed Yung Fray out to the door.

  Lucas’ jaw was permanently clenched. He knew he shouldn’t be jealous but the though of her with Yung Fray made him want to lash out in fury.

  ***

  Apryl scrolled through the gossip blogs on her computer the moment she arrived back home. It seemed that all the paparazzi had posted videos and pictures of her and Yung Fray together on their “date” almost instantly.

  Apryl laughed and enjoyed the gossip about a relationship between the two of them. Yung Fray was a great rapper, but they were not each other’s type. He was a flashy, arrogant guy who was into fame and money, and she enjoyed more intellectual types. He definitely wasn’t her type.

  She continued to read posts from blogs when suddenly her phone began to vibrate against the glass coffee table. She quickly checked, and it was Suzann. She took a deep breath and answered it reluctantly.

  “Apryl, we love these pictures of you and Yung Fray!” Suzann shouted into the receiver. Apryl pulled the phone from her ear. The screaming would probably shatter her eardrum.

  “Well, yeah. We were just doing what you said,” Apryl responded.

  “So many people are calling us about it to figure out if you two are an item. Jacob and I are prepared to release a statement confirming it,” she said. Apryl pursed her lips and took a moment to catch her breath.

  “Excuse me? You and Jacob are going to do what?” Apryl asked for clarification.

  “Please, Apryl don’t be a baby about this. Yung Fray has already agreed, and his publicist has already written up the press release. I’m calling to let you know, not to get your permission” Suzann declared. Apryl was appalled. Was that even legal?

  “I… I just didn’t know people faked relationships. It’s one think if people draw their own conclusions when they see us together. It’s another thing to confirm what isn’t true.”

  “It’s done all the time, kiddo. Yung Fray and his team are expecting this. It will help both of you generate more sales. You’ve already embarrassed me once in front of my friends, don’t do it again.”

  “Okay,” Apryl agreed. Suzann laughed in happiness then hung up quickly. Apryl immediately regretted caving in once again. Within the hour, a new article surfaced on the top celebrity website. It was an update to confirm that the rumors about Yung Fray and her were true. She shut the laptop and sat with her legs curled under her. She couldn’t believe it.

  She was now a liar.

  With every passing day, the reflection she saw in the mirror became more and more unfamiliar. She was someone she didn’t know and frankly didn’t like. She thought about when, in the past month, she actually liked herself and it came to her; she only liked herself when she saw herself through Lucas’ eyes. He seemed to see only the very best parts of her.

  She grabbed her cellphone and called him. No matter what their romantic status was he’d promised he’d always be there to talk to her and right now that was all she needed.

  “Apryl?”

  She sniffled and tried to hold back the tears.

  “I need you.”

  ***

  “You have the power to say you’ve had enough,” Lucas told her. She cuddled onto his chest as they lay in bed, her head directly under his chin and her leg draped over his. He listened intently and used that concentration to distract his heart and inner tiger from racing.

  “Every time I want to say no I worry that I’ll lose everything I’ve worked for.”

  “What you worked for, and what Suzann is creating are two different things. You didn’t want to be a liar, but she made that your reality. I’d buy your album even if you didn’t have Yung Fray on it and a sexy cover,” he joked, finally making her laugh. She sniffled hard and decided she’d had enough crying for the night.

  “So, are you going to run away if I kiss you again?” she asked tentatively. He visibly tensed and took a deep breath. He wanted her to kiss him. It was all he had thought about.

  She straddled on top of him and placed her hands on his chest. She traced his defined muscles with the tips of her fingers and slowly lowered her lips to his. He placed his hands on her hips and guided her as she rubbed herself against him. He felt himself growing hard underneath her and he tangled his fingers into her hair.

  “Do you want to do this?” she asked letting their lips lightly touch as they spoke.

  “This is all I’ve ever wanted,” he told her and rolled her over to get on top. He pulled his shirt off and continued to kiss her. They only broke the kiss so she could pull her shirt off over her head. He slipped his hand behind her and unhooked her bra with ease.

  “I need you. Please…” She laid her head back onto the pillow and hoped he wanted her as much as she wanted him. He admired her body and took a moment to think everything through.

  He couldn’t do it. No matter how bad his inner-tiger wanted to claim his mate, this wasn’t the time to do it. His urges had carried him far enough. He sat back and she frowned in disappointment.

  “What is it now?” she asked. He sighed, and she pressed herself up against his back. She rested her chin on his shoulder and waited for him to respond.

  “I don’t think right now is the time for us do this. I want to wait until…everything is right,” he told her vaguely. She nodded as if she understood.

  “Of course, I get it. I’ll break up with Yung Fray.”

  “I want you to do what makes you happy. I’ll always be here for you,” he told her. She leaned into him, and they shared one final kiss before he pulled his shirt back on and decided it was time to leave.

  “I’ll see you at my show tomorrow, right?” she asked.

  “I am your bodyguard, right?”

  ***

  Apryl stood backstage, her hands shaking as she held her microphone. She heard the crowd beyond the curtain chant her name waiting for the song she was going to sing with Yung Fray.

  “Hey, are you ready?” Yung Fray asked as he swaggered over with sagging pants and a pound of chains dangling from his neck. She looked at him and remembered what she wanted to tell him.

  “Yung Fray, I want to say thank you because I know working with a newbie isn’t the coolest thing, and I’m sure pretending to date one is even worse. But I have a guy I want to date so fake dating you really won’t work. I’m going to make a quick announcement about it before we start the song,” she explained. She knew he would understand so without a moment of hesitation she strutted out to the stage and waved at the crowd.

  “How are you doing tonight, Las Vegas?” she shouted into the microphone. Yung Fray came out shortly after and signaled the DJ to start the song.

  “Hey, I was going to tell them about-” she tried to shout into his ear but he lifted the microphone to his mouth and interrupted her.

  “Who’s ready to party?” he asked the crowd and they shouted wildly. Apryl decided she’d address it later. She started to sing her verse and Yung Fray rapped over her. She furrowed her eyebrows and waited for him to stop but he didn’t. Then he began to say things that weren’t originally apart of the song.

  “Cut the track!” he shouted at the DJ. The song stopped and Apryl watched as he took steps to her.

  “Apryl ain’t shit but a scared ass bitch. She doesn’t know how to....” She stared at him horrified by his cruel words and dead eyes. He was clearly upset, and she couldn’t believe how horribly things would turn out. She ran off the stage and before she could make it all the way outside Lucas embraced her in his strong arms.

  He led her to his Range Rover and quickly pulled out of the parking lot and drove to her house.

  “Let’s get away,” he told her hastily. She had been crying the whole ride, and she wasn’t able to say no to him. She nodded quickly and ran in to pack a bag with a few things she would need. She returned to his car.

  “Where are we going?” Apryl finally asked.
/>   “We’re heading to LAX. I know some guys who can get us on a flight to the Bahamas.”

  “The Bahamas? Lucas, I’ve never even been outside of America.”

  “You won’t be able to say that for long,” he smiled.

  ***

  Lucas was able to secure a flight and a hotel in a matter of hours due to the vast number of connections he had. Apryl didn’t even need her passport.

  Before long, Apryl sat on her bed in the room of a Bahamas tiki hut with a sour face. Although, it was a beautiful island, her life was the opposite.

  “Hey, I was thinking we could walk along the beach. No one’s there at night,” he suggested. She shook her head to decline the offer.

  “Talk to me,” he said as he sat next to her on the bed. She shrugged and kissed his cheek.

  “This is where I want to be; Right here with you,” she said. He cupped her cheek with his hand and darted his tongue into her mouth. Their lips wrestled with each other until they ended up half naked with him on top of her.

  “Do you want to do this?” she asked out of breath.

  He smiled tenderly. “More than you know.” He reached for a condom and quickly put it on without missing a beat. Lucas planted kisses all over every inch of her body before giving her what she wanted. He stroked into her, and her fingers ran down his back leaving scratches. He sped up causing her to moan in his ear and bite his shoulder.

  In a sudden whirl of passion, she felt herself about to orgasm. She held on to him tightly and took a deep breath. The way he was making love to her she knew it’d be the best orgasm of her entire life. Suddenly she exploded all over him and let him explode into her.

  He held her to his chest as they panted in the aftermath of their love.

  “I love you,” she said spontaneously. Lucas sat up and placed her hand in his. He looked into her big brown eyes as they locked onto his blue ones. He smiled at her.

  “I loved you first.”

  ***

  “There must be a mistake. Call the owner.” The sound of Lucas shouting at a local man interrupted her sleep. “No one is supposed to know we’re here.” She heard the local man murmuring but couldn’t make out his words. “I don’t care how much the paparazzi offered you. And no I won’t split it with you. Tell those vultures you made a mistake, and there is no celebrity here. Call the owner right now. I know him personally, and he would never agree to this,” he yelled. This time she heard the local man clearly.