by JA Low
“Doug.” She smiles as he puts her feet back down on the ground. His blue eyes look at me. “Who’s your beautiful friend?” he asks, giving me a wink. Thankfully he isn’t giving off creeper vibes.
“This is Vanessa. She’s just moved over from London. She is the newest PR girl at Montgomery Records.”
Doug’s face lights up. “Oh, fantastic. Monty, that old bastard, his bark is worse than his bite. If he gives you any problems, you let him know Doug Vincent is a friend and that will shut the old fucker up.” Doug gives me a big hearty chuckle. “Now run along you two little sex kittens, there are some delicious young men here for you and for me.” He gives us a wave as he makes his way back into the crowd.
“Doug owns West Coast Productions. He’s best friends with Monty. They went to school together or something like that,” Camryn rambles on, waving her hands in the air as she talks. The parties in London were so different to this, I feel like I have stepped onto some sort of Hollywood set. All these larger than life characters walking around, it doesn’t feel real. We head back toward the bar area, more people have arrived filling up every nook and crevasse of the house which hangs precariously on the edge of a cliff. I say a prayer to the earthquake gods to stay calm for tonight, because I don’t want to slide down the mountain when the big one hits.
“Camryn!” A giant blond bear calls out behind us.
“Oh my God, Lance Burrows is here. He plays for the San Diego Chargers,” Camryn whispers to me. Not sure if that is supposed to mean something?
“I met him last weekend when I worked his friend’s wedding. He’s so hot.”
The giant bends down giving Camryn a kiss on the cheek, this makes her giggle. Camryn is a flirt, there isn’t anyone she can’t get, but she’s no slut, she just knows how to work what Mother Nature gave her, which was a shit load of hotness—bitch!
“Nice to see you again.” His eyes are firmly stuck on her bouncing cleavage.
“This is my friend, Vanessa. She’s just arrived from London.”
I smile at him as his eyes also stick to my chest. Footballers!
“This is my buddy, Kane. He plays with me at San Diego,” he says as he introduces us to another equally huge man. The two of them are so big, I feel like I’m on the set of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, one wrong step and I could be squished. Kane has jet black hair, a chiseled jaw and the greenest eyes I have ever seen. His bulging muscles are incased in a white collared fitted shirt that at any minute the buttons could pop off and go flying in all different directions. His tailored black slacks fit tightly around his tree trunk legs. He kisses my cheeks and a tiny flutter takes off in my tummy.
As the night progresses his conversational skills are left lacking, unless it has to do with football, something I am not particularly interested in.
“It’s been nice talking to you, Kane, but I just flew in from London today and am suffering from jet lag.” I try and stifle a fake yawn.
Kane looks a little upset, but I give him a kiss on the cheek to smooth things over, it’s the polite thing to do.
“It’s been nice meeting you, Vanessa. Do you think I could grab your number?” he asks, giving me a smile, which I’m sure works on hundreds of girls, just not this one.
“I’m sure I’ll see you around.” My eyes drift to where Camryn and Lance are sitting close together. “I start a new job on Monday, my life is about to get crazy,” I explain, giving him a wide smile, hoping that would help lessen the sting of rejection.
“Oh yeah sure, see you around,” he calls out as I disappear into the party.
I’ve been busting to go to the bathroom for ages but Kane hadn’t stopped talking to give me a chance to go. I make my way through the crowd and wander inside the grand home, where I see a small lineup to use the facilities. After waiting a couple of moments for the bathroom I go inside and take care of business. I check my make-up, fluff up my hair and step out, right into the chest of one of the older men who were trying to pick us up at the bar earlier.
“We meet again, beautiful. I told you I would have you in my arms by the end of the night,” he chuckles. His beastly dark eyes look over me, making my skin crawl. Giving him a tight smile I try and move away from him. He is so large, he makes the hallway small, and I find it hard to get around him.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he questions, while he grabs my wrist painfully hard. I try to get passed him.
“I’m going back to my friends.” My eyes look down at where his pudgy fingers are holding me. “Please let go of my wrist.”
His grip gets tighter; my heart starts to accelerate. This situation is making me uneasy. I look around hoping someone is waiting to use the bathroom and can stop him, but the hall is deserted. Shit this isn’t good.
“You are so exquisite.” His hand touches my cheek, making me wince. “Do you know…I can make you famous,” he purrs, his gaze roaming over my body.
Cursing myself for choosing this strapless dress, which shows off my ample cleavage, his beady eyes are all over them. “No thanks, I don’t want to be famous.” I try and wiggle free from his tight grip.
The man sniggers, “Everyone wants to be famous, beautiful.” He grips my wrist tighter. “I’m sure you are going to love getting on your knees. Just like they all do in the end.”
“You’re hurting me,” I whisper.
He just laughs; a dark, murderous laugh. “You have no idea how much I want to hurt you,” he says, pushing me up against the wall of the hall, his repulsive erection pressing into me.
My whole body tenses, I’m going to be sick. “Get off me,” I shriek while trying to push him away, but it’s useless. He’s still holding my wrist so tightly I’m worried he is going to snap it in two. At this point I don’t know if I care if he snaps it as long as it means he lets go of me. He pushes my hand against his hardening dick that’s straining through his cheap pants. Panic grips me. He is so much stronger than I am, he can easily overpower me. Think, Vanessa, think. His lips touch my neck and it makes my skin crawl at its touch.
“Get off me. Get the hell away from me,” I scream, hoping someone can hear me. When no one comes, the creep just laughs.
He bends down and licks my neck again. “Fuck, you taste like peaches, I wonder if your pussy tastes the same. I can’t wait to taste it.”
“What! No way, fuck you, get off me.” I push him harder this time, hoping some sort of super human strength will hit me and I can get free, my adrenaline is already pumping but it’s like trying to move a fucking mountain. I need to find another way to get away from him. “Please let me go, I won’t tell anyone.” I try begging but it just makes him laugh harder at me.
“I’m not worried about you telling anyone, beautiful, they wouldn’t believe you anyway. Do you have any idea who I am?”
I shake my head because I don’t. He tries to lick my neck again.
“You are disgusting!” I spit out, making him snarl.
“I’m going to like teaching you a lesson, you fucking bitch.”
Oh shit! I made him angrier. He yanks my wrist, pulling me down the hall. I try digging my heels into the hard floor but it’s hopeless, I keep slipping. Think, Ness, think. Managing to get my shoe off, I hit him over the head with it, thankfully I have on my spiky Louboutin heels tonight. This makes him let go for a moment. He then starts spewing profanities at me, his face turning a nice shade of red as he rubs the egg on his head from my shoe.
I try and make a run for it.
“Fucking bitch.” I hear him scream.
As I run down the hall I look behind me making sure he isn’t following. I’m not watching where I am going and I hit a wall of muscle with such force that we both end up on the floor in a tangled mess of limbs. Dazzling whiskey colored eyes look up at me, tattooed arms are wrapped around me and my breasts are pushed against a hard chest.
“Fuck.” The deep, accented voice mumbles, his eyes fall to the cursing beast behind me. His arms tighten around me. “Are you oka
y, angel?” he whispers.
I shake my head as the creep looms over us.
“Get up, we haven’t finished what we started.” The man tries to grab me, but the tattooed guy pushes me out of the way.
“Don’t touch her,” he roars.
The old man looks at this guy and mumbles. “Fuck off, she’s mine, give her back. We have unfinished business to attend to.”
My mystery man pulls me up from the ground, his kind eyes looking at me, trying to work out if he is telling the truth. All I do is shake my head.
“Looks like she doesn’t want to go with you.” He positions himself in front of me while the creeper looks at me cowering behind my rescuer weighing up his odds. Seeing that the man has a good twenty years on him and probably double his strength, judging by the bulging muscles on display, he gives up.
“Fine, have the stupid bitch, she’s nothing but a cock tease anyway.”
“Fuck you!” I scream. How fucking dare he after what he tried to do to me. Then without warning, I throw my other shoe at him, the one I had been clinging to. It hits him in the face.
Wiping his nose as a small trickle of blood falls from it he yells, “You fucking bitch.” He launches himself at me but my rescuer stops him easily.
“Move along before I show you how much of bitch you are when I have you screaming for mercy on the ground,” he growls back. The old man’s eyes flick to mine and back to my rescuer, he walks away grumbling, holding a hand to his nose.
My mystery man turns his attention to me, the full force of his handsome face stuns me for a moment. He rests his palms on my shaking shoulders.
“Are you okay?”
I can’t stop staring at this beautiful man, his golden brown hair pulled back into a messy bun, tanned skin from days spent in the sun. Long, muscular arms, adorned in colorful tattoos and then there are those eyes. Like glistening shards of amber, pulling you into him. I nod, maybe because I’m in shock but mainly because words seem to fail me in the presence of such a good looking guy. Then without thinking, and I am going to blame it on the shock, I launch myself into his arms. I wrap myself around his large frame, trying to keep my tears at bay, giving him the tightest hug I have ever given anyone before. His manly scent tickles my nose as my face is buried against his strong chest. A deep, timbered laugh vibrates through my body as he holds me tight.
“Wow, maybe I need to rescue beautiful women more often if this is the response I get.”
He thinks I’m beautiful. Gingerly I let go of him. “Sorry about that.” I take a step back from this perfect stranger.
“Nothing to be sorry about, darlin’.” His smile lights up his entire face. Straight white teeth flash against his weathered skin. I like his accent as well, he sounds like he’s just stepped off the rodeo circuit and directly into Hollywood.
“Well, thank you. I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t of appeared.” The words hitch in my throat, thinking about that disgusting man and how his grubby hands had touched me.
“You had it under control, angel. Remind me next time to never piss off a woman when she has heels on, they can be used as weapons.”
This makes me laugh. I will always make sure that I have heels on wherever I go from now on, knowing exactly what they can do. We both stand there for a moment taking each other in.
“Not sure about you, but I could use a drink,” he says, breaking the awkward silence.
“I think that sounds like a great idea.”
He retrieves my shoes and hands them to me. I slip them on, holding onto his strong arm for balance. Once I have them on, he takes my hand and walks me back through the party and straight toward the bar. The barmen are busy serving others so we wait our turn.
“So you’re not from around here, judging by that accent.”
“Originally from Australia, but just arrived from London today.”
“So you’re sticking around in LA then?”
“Yeah, I will be for a while.”
He gives me a panty melting smile. “Cool.” It’s at that moment that a barman stops in front of us.
“Four tequilas, please.”
Doesn’t take long for the barman to pour out the shots and hand over some salt and slices of lime.
“Here.” He hands me two shot glasses. “Bottoms up.” He smiles, knocking back the shots. I follow suit, the liquid heating a path through my body. The tart taste of lime hitting my lips as I try and balance out the tequila.
“Nice, I like a woman who knows her way round a tequila shot.” His eyes never leaving my lips that are currently wrapped around the slice of lime.
Is he flirting with me? I sure as hell hope so.
He hands me a glass of champagne and grabs a glass of beer for himself.
“Let’s grab a seat.” He points to a spare arm chair near the pool. Taking my free hand, he pulls me toward the chair. He takes a seat and motions for me to sit on his lap.
I raise my eyebrow at him.
He just laughs. “Fine, I can be a gentleman and stand.” He moves to get up out of the chair. I stop him with a hand on his chest.
“I think I can handle sitting on your lap.”
He sits back down again with a smile on his face.
I sit down on his lap, one of his hands rests on my thigh, the other hangs over the edge of the chair holding his beer.
“So what brings you to LA, besides the weather? Let’s face it, London’s weather sucks.” He laughs.
“Tell me about it. I felt like I was one winter away from turning into a vampire.” We both laugh. “I was actually offered a job here.”
“So, what do you do?”
I knew that would be his next question. I don’t want to tell him what I do for a living. Usually when I tell guys I am a PR executive for a record label they want to hand me a demo. Men have dated me in the past to get further up the ladder, I don’t trust any of them.
“I…I’m an event planner.” I’ve heard Camryn talk about it enough I can bluff my way through. It’s not like I am ever going to see this man again. “What about you?”
He stills for a moment, takes a sip of his beer before answering. “I…um…am a chef.” He smiles.
He’s hot and can cook, but before we can delve further, I hear my name being called.
“Nessa, there you are. I have been looking everywhere for you.” Camryn stops and eyes me sitting on some random hot guy’s lap. Her eyes widen. “Kane said you had gone home; you were complaining about jet lag or something.”
Mystery man stiffens at hearing another guy’s name.
“Sorry, I kind of told a white lie. I couldn’t sit and listen to him harp on about football anymore.”
Camryn nods in understanding. “So, um…who’s this?” She questions my mystery man.
“I was her knight in shining armor.”
Camryn frowns, not following his train of thought.
“Your friend ran into some trouble at the bathroom.”
Camryn’s face turns to me. “Are you okay, babe?”
Rubbing my wrist, where the guy had hurt me, I respond, “Yeah, one of those old creeps from before tried to get handsy with me, but this guy saved me.” I tap his strong, tight thigh with my hand.
“Actually, I was just her back up, she had it all under control. Did you know she has lethal skills with heels?”
We both laugh. I could laugh about it now. Camryn looks at each of us, her face falls when she sees the bruise growing on my wrist.
“Ness?” She points to my wrist.
I rub it again. “It’s okay.”
Camryn didn’t look happy about it. “Lance and I were just leaving,” she tells me as the very large footballer walks up behind her, his arm resting around her shoulder. His eyes drop to me sitting on this guy’s lap. He’s probably not happy about it because not long ago I was flirting with his friend.
“Ready to go, Cam?” his deep voice breaks the silence.
“Um, yeah sure. Ness, you ready to
go?” Camryn looks between me and my mystery man.
My stomach sinks as I have to leave this man, Cammie is my ride home. Slowly I slip off his lap. “Thank you for helping me tonight,” I say as he stands up.
“Anytime, angel, anytime.”
We both stand there looking at each other, not knowing what to do.
“I owe you a drink?” Camryn says, looking at my rescuer. “I mean it’s not every day someone saves my best friend from some sleaze ball.”
He shoves his hands into the pockets of his jeans, looking a little uncomfortable with the attention Camryn is giving him about his heroics.
“Why don’t you come back to our place and grab a drink there?” She smiles, fluttering her eyelashes at him.
He turns to me, gauging my reaction. I nod in agreement.
“Okay, sound like fun,” he answers as he entwines our fingers together.
“Welcome to la casa de dos Perras,” Camryn says, laughing as we enter.
“The house of two bitches,” says mystery man, raising his eyebrows at Camryn.
“You caught that, hey?” She giggles.
“I’m from Texas, I speak a little Spanish.” He grins at her.
Oh, that’s why he sounds like a cowboy. Texan accent, hot!
“I think I’m going to like this place.” His warm breath tickles my skin as we grab drinks from the kitchen.
We head up to the top deck of our home where there is a large open terrace. During the day you can see the ocean in the distance. The house is beautiful, a three story, modern home Camryn’s renting from a friend. The deck has a couple of large sun beds, a hammock and a small table set up. Camryn and Lance snuggle up on one of the sun beds, leaving my mystery man and I on the other. We both lay back on the sun bed side by side, looking up to the stars in the night sky which are hard to see because of all the excessive light around us. A warm summer nights’ breeze blows against my skin.
“I haven’t done this in ages,” I confess, looking up into the night sky.
“What? Bring home some strange hot guy?” Mystery man wiggles his eyebrows at me.
“No, that’s a common occurrence,” I joke, elbowing him in the ribs. “I mean looking up at the stars, like this.”
