Playing the Part

by Robin Covington

  Mick barely took a breath to let her in the conversation anyway. “She’s with me. I protect what’s mine. You step out of line and I’ll make sure you can’t get an audition for Chuck E. Fucking Cheese. You got me?”

  Holy hell. Piper sucked in a breath at Mick’s words, not liking the way both her heart and her sex clenched when he uttered “mine.” She wasn’t his—didn’t want to be his—but damn, it felt good to have somebody in her corner.

  “Fuck you,” Antonio answered with less venom than pain.

  “I’ll take that as a yes. Now smile nicely at Piper for the camera and walk away.” Mick gave Antonio a little shove, then wrapped his arm around her waist again. They both watched until Antonio had stalked away, and then together, they headed out the door to ask the attendant to call the limo.

  At the attendant’s stand, Mick stood quietly for a moment, then murmured in her ear, “If you’re going to blast my ass for that stunt, please wait until we get in the car. A bunch of the press followed us outside.”

  Piper opened her mouth to reply but had no clue what to say. Thank you? Fuck you? What the hell were you thinking? Did you mean it?

  Mick had complicated everything with that stunt, muddying their clearly sexual waters with stuff that looked a little like friendship. Friendship led to giving a shit, and she wasn’t ready for what lay beyond.

  So she did the one thing that to her mind encompassed all those things and none of them at the same time. The one thing she could do that he could take any way he damn well wanted. The one thing between them that never got complicated.

  She kissed him.

  Mick staggered back a moment when she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to her mouth. Ignoring the flash of the cameras and the shouts from clamoring reporters, she attacked him—lips, teeth, tongue all demanding him to surrender to her desire to bring this whole thing back into focus.

  Mick found his equilibrium. And while she might have started the onslaught, he took control, large hands cupping her face, long fingers winding through her hair to anchor her in the perfect spot for him to deepen the kiss. His movement drew her up on her tiptoes—soft against hard and naked flesh against rough fabric of confining clothing.

  The sound of a murmured, “Mr. Blackwell?” from the valet pulled them apart.

  Mick stroked her lower lip. “You’re not mad?” he asked.

  “Did that feel like mad to you?”

  “It feels like I’m going to get lucky.”

  Piper moved out of his embrace, headed to the open door of the limo, then stopped just before stepping inside the dark interior to look at Mick over her shoulder.

  “You’re going to get so lucky you might want to stop off and buy a few lottery tickets.”

  Chapter Eight

  “Don’t fall in the pool. I’m not fishing your asses out.”

  At the sound of Lincoln’s voice, Mick released Piper’s mouth from the kiss. Blue water, backlit by lights in the pool, illuminated them both and cast an eerie glow to Lincoln’s face, where he sat reclined in a lounge chair.

  After leaving the club opening, Mick had practically ordered the limo driver to commit every moving violation to get them back to his place so he could strip Piper down and spend hours exploring her body. He hadn’t been able to wait and had started in on a deep kiss just outside the pool house. Only to be caught making out like a couple of horny teenagers.

  Well, fuck.

  Looked like his buddy was going to cock block him a while longer.

  “Hey, Linc. Didn’t see you there.”

  “It’s hard to see anyone else when you’ve got your tongue down someone’s throat,” Lincoln drawled, his lit cigarette glowing in the gloom. “Are you going to introduce me?”

  Mick knew the danger of introducing a woman to Linc. The tattoos, the wounded soul, the voice with just a hint of a Welsh accent were almost impossible for some women to resist. Better get Piper inside as soon as possible because Mick was pretty sure he’d drown Linc if he got between his dick and Piper’s hot little body tonight. “Lincoln St. John—rock god. Piper James—writing goddess.”

  “Oh Jesus.” Lincoln rose from his seat, stamping out his cigarette in an ashtray before coming over to pull Piper in for a kiss on the cheek. “Actors. They exaggerate everything.”

  “Bite me,” Mick said.

  “Looks like she already did.” Lincoln motioned to the part of Mick’s neck exposed by his shirt. Piper had laid one on him in the limo, and he’d wondered if she’d left a mark. Question answered.

  “I’ve heard a lot about you,” Lincoln offered to Piper.

  “I bet you did,” Piper said, raising an eyebrow as she cut an assessing look in Mick’s direction.

  Mick put a hand up in his defense. “I didn’t kiss and tell…much.”

  “He really didn’t,” Lincoln interrupted, his chuckle hedging off a possible argument. “Which, paired with the fact that he took you out in his beloved car—he never takes girls out in Ali—means you must be a pretty special woman.”

  “Linc,” Mick warned.

  “What? Are you going to deny it?”

  No, he wasn’t. But he also wasn’t going to talk about it standing on the patio with a raging hard-on. He nodded pointedly first at his friend and then to door to the main house, making his message clear—get the hell out. Remembering that this was really Linc’s house, he mouthed a silent “please” to his request.

  Lincoln took the hint and started backing away as he spoke. “I’ve got to get back to working on this song, so I’ll leave you two alone.” He nodded to Piper, his smile a flash of white in the semidarkness of twilight. “I expect to see you at one of my New York shows as my guest.”

  Piper beamed at him, a little fangirl glint in her eyes that Mick told himself he would not let bother him—much.

  “I’d love that. It was really nice to meet you,” she replied and waved as he shut the door behind him.

  “I’m over this way.” Mick wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, kissing the satiny skin of her shoulder as he walked her into the pool house he rented from Linc. With three bedrooms and a movie theater, it was more than enough room for him—especially tonight when he planned on them needing only the square footage occupied by his bed.

  Once inside the door, he spun her around, pinning her against the wall with his body, mouth just hovering over her own. “Do you need anything? Something to drink?”

  “Just this.” Piper pushed her hips out, catching his hard cock in the cleft between her legs—exactly where he wanted to be. He wondered how pissed she’d be if he ripped her dress off her and buried himself deep inside her, only two feet from his front door.

  She moved boldly against his hands, which roamed freely, mildly desperate with his need to map her curves once again. She hovered her mouth over his own, pulling back in a teasing gesture when he leaned in to take possession.

  He groaned, low and deep, the sound settling in the heat burning in his belly. He wove a hand through her hair, tangling the strands in his grip as he pulled her head back, forcing her to look him in the eye. She never wavered, only licked her lips, a clear invitation to taste.

  “What you did with Antonio? That was hot.” She purred as she traced his chest with her fingertips, lightly skimming over his nipples and making his dick throb in response.

  “You liked the whole knight in shining armor thing?”

  “Was that an act? Just a ploy to get me back in your bed?”

  “No. Tony is a dick, and he needed to get put down.” He broke away from her, his breathing rough and unsteady. He traced her jaw with his finger, tipping up her face to look at him. “However, I would do whatever you want to get back inside you. To see you come for me.” He kept his eyes open, locked on hers as they stood on the verge, ready to jump at the point of no return. He felt more than heard her answer.

  “Then I want you to fuck me.”

  His body bucked upward at her words, and he leane
d forward and took her mouth. Piper opened to him immediately, surrendering to his possession and moaning at the tugs in her hair to keep her in place. She was hot, wet, and hungry, and he was dying to fill her up. He pulled back, anxious to get them to his bed, a place where he could strip her down and spread her out. He wanted to lick, suck, and taste every inch of her.

  “Come with me. We’re going to take our time tonight.” His legs shaky and loose from the arousal pouring through his system, he led her down the darkened hallway to his bedroom. His bedside lamp was on, casting the large room in light and shadow.

  Mick grasped her waist, pulled her against his body, then slowly ground his cock against her belly. He was hard, aching for her, but there was no reason to rush. He kissed her, letting her lead the kiss, welcoming her tongue, wet velvet, into his mouth. He roamed his hands over her body, palms coasting along her arms, fingers teasing the tops of her breasts, the line of her cheekbones.

  They broke apart for air, chests heaving with sharp pants that echoed in the quiet stillness of his room.

  “I need to see you. All of you,” he said. At her nod, he pushed her down until she sat on the bed, looking up at him with eyes dilated with passion—almost entirely black except for the thin rim of electric blue. He reached for her glasses, then gently removed them and laid them aside. Turning back to her, Mick quickly shook off his shirt, unfastened his jeans, and slowly pushed them down, stepping out and kicking them to the side.

  His cock, thick and ready, pressed against his belly, the head flushed and glistening with pre-come. Piper made a sound, a soft moan in the back of her throat, and he dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands shaking as they skimmed along her calves and down to the strap securing her shoes at the ankle. Removing one and then the other, he watched her face, memorizing the way her eyelashes fluttered when his palm skimmed her calf and the way she bit her bottom lip when he followed the length of her leg and traced the hot cleft between her thighs.

  Piper’s head lolled to the side as he delved under the damp fabric, finding her slick and swollen. He ghosted over her clit before withdrawing his hand.

  “Oh my God, Mick.” She whimpered in disappointment. “Don’t stop.”

  “Don’t worry, baby. I’ll give you more.” He reached around the side of her dress, pulling the zipper down, revealing inch after inch of her tantalizing skin to his hungry gaze, then eased the dress down her body, followed by her panties, which he tossed on the floor. Finally, he was able to see her. She was beautiful, all soft curves and creamy skin, bathed in the soft lamplight.

  “Goddamn, but you are the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

  “You don’t have to say that.”

  How could she doubt her beauty? He met her eyes, seeing the doubt there, and decided to show her what she didn’t believe with his words. Capturing her mouth, he swallowed her whimper. And then he cupped her face in his hand, running his thumb over her mouth until she looked at him again.

  “Roll over.”

  Her eyes flared a little, the heat overcoming any questions, and she did as he asked. Mick sat up on his knees, then mapped her slowly, kissing his way down her back, across her sweet ass, and along the backs of her thighs and the tender, ticklish skin behind her knees. He lingered, teasing and caressing her until she was writhing beneath him, legs open, body begging for him to do more. To give her more.

  Easing her over onto her back, he trailed back up her body, following the satiny length of her thigh, tonguing a path along her soft skin until he reached her warm, moist center. His first kiss, a wet lick of his tongue, had her twisting and moaning to the point where his cock throbbed in a silent plea for release. He grasped it in his hand, pumping slowly through the sensation, staving off his need to come.

  Under control once more, he eased forward, his shoulders wedging in between her thighs, urging her to allow him full access to her core as he bathed her with his tongue, lips, and teeth.

  “Yes, Mick. Oh God.” Piper’s cries bounced around the room—wanton, needy, and unashamed. She writhed, pushing herself against his mouth, begging for him to give her release. He teased, keeping her on the edge to heighten her pleasure.

  She tasted like heaven, sweet and earthy in his mouth. She was close, thigh muscles shaking with her need to come. He pressed her open and found her clit, tight and hot, sucking on it in a steady rhythm while she tensed under him, her back rigid, until she shattered apart.

  Chapter Nine

  Mick Blackwell had a mouth that could convince an angel to sin.

  Piper let the aftershocks of her orgasm wash over as Mick kept loving her, gentling his kisses on her sex as she came down until she was limp against the bed, warm and pliant under his touch. He eased over her, crawling up her body with teasing kisses on her belly that radiated warmth through her limbs until he leaned over her, face-to-face.

  “Kiss me.” Piper looped her arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of her, the taste of herself on his lips making her shiver with the need building again in her belly. She reveled in the heavy weight of his body on hers, the crinkly rub of the hair on his legs against her own, the press of his hard cock resting against her sex. She rocked upward, feeling the length of him move against her clit, her wetness making it a smooth glide.

  Mick broke off the kiss, the light from the lamp emphasizing the sharp lines of his face. He stared at her, the only movement the slow thrust of his hips and the rise and fall of their chests.

  “Piper, I want to fuck you.”

  God, how she loved dirty talk. “Yes. Please.” Piper released him from her embrace, watching as he leaned over, opened the nightstand drawer and withdrew a few condoms. She tracked his movements when he came back to the bed and sat back on his heels, eying the graceful play of his muscles under golden skin. He glanced up, mouth tilting up a little at the corner as he opened the packet, then rolled the rubber over thick muscle. She grew even wetter.

  “Give me your mouth.” Mick leaned forward once more, kissing her eyelids, her cheeks, her lips, as he positioned his cock at her entrance. The pressure, light and teasing, was enough to make her lift her hips in response, to widen her legs to invite him in.

  “Don’t tease,” she cried.

  Mick pushed inside her, the slickness of her sex making it an easy glide until he was balls-deep inside her, filling her. He groaned against her neck, growling low before he began a slow rhythm of deep, exquisite pleasure.

  He leaned forward, sliding his strong arms under her body to hold them close, faces aligned and locked together in the most intimate caress. He used his hips, pulling out and pushing inside with a thrust that curled her toes, gaining momentum as the sparks of their pleasure grew and blazed in her belly and across her skin.

  Piper gasped at the rise of her arousal, shocked to be so close to the precipice so soon after experiencing such a powerful orgasm. Her body clenched around him, her nipples abraded with each intake of air in the most delicious way by the soft hair on his chest.

  The sudden ring of a cell phone startled her—the sound a harsh reminder that this was not the entirety of the universe, even if she wanted it to be. Mick ignored the call, continued his invasion, adding a soft, wet, deep kiss to his seduction.

  “Don’t listen. Don’t think about it,” he murmured against her skin, his voice deep and smooth as whiskey. “Piper, you have no fucking idea how much you make me want.”

  Oh yes, she did. He wasn’t one-sided in this desire. Her body had screamed for his touch every time they were near each other. Now that she had him here, inside her, around her, there was nothing but him.

  “I can’t—” She gasped when he surged deeper, the snap of his hips gaining speed as they gave in to their lust. Piper struggled against the onslaught, almost too much of an overload to her system. She couldn’t hold a thought, the pleasure growing sharper as she met each thrust with the lift of her hips. She needed to let it go, needed to give in to this fire before it burned her alive.
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br />   “Come on, Piper,” Mick groaned, his voice low and dark as he strained against her.

  The white lightning began in her extremities—finger and toes tingling—the sensation gaining momentum as it coursed over her skin, bringing her nerve endings to vibrant life and making her skin sensitive to the slightest touch. It was as if her entire body pulsed with the pleasure created by their desire.

  Mick roared out his release against her neck, his hips still as he remained frozen inside of her, so deep she could fill the pulsing of his cock as he came.

  The phone sounded again, a distant sound, adding to the ringing in her ears as her blood pounded in her veins, her heart racing in time with Mick’s own as they lay tightly entwined in a jumble of arms and legs. The weight of him and her weakened limbs made movement impossible on her part. Mick, however, was quicker to recover, gently pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder and pulling a sheet over her body before rising to remove and dispose of the condom.

  Piper summoned enough energy to roll over to her side, enjoying the view of his long muscled legs, tight ass, and glorious cock as he returned to the bed.

  He slid in next to her, propping himself up on one arm to look down on her. The smile on his face indulgent, tender, and altogether smug.

  “You’re pretty good at that,” she drawled.

  “I was inspired by the subject matter,” he said, tracing lazy circles on her hip. “You’re very much worth my A-game.”

  “Really? Does that mean you don’t bring out the A-game for everyone? Do they know that? Because I’d be pretty pissed if I knew I was only getting second best.”

  She remembered the two telephone calls. “Maybe we should ask one of them,” she teased. Quickly, she climbed over Mick’s body to reach for his phone where it lay beside the bed.

  He laughed and tried to tickle her into submission until she ended up sprawled over his body, the two of them tangled together in a knit of skin and heat.