Thinking of recycling beer had her giggling as she pushed to her feet. She nodded to the two ladies still sitting with her. They had not moved closer to the stage and appeared shocked by the outrageous antics of both the dancers and the audience. Though Geo was up next, her bladder would be ignored no longer.
She stumbled on her way out of the room, tripping and hitting the wall opposite the doorway. “Excuse me,” she said with another giggle before turning and stumbling to the restroom.
A few minutes later, her body back in synch, Sunny started back to the ballroom. She stopped at the doorway, and watched for a moment. Geo was on stage, strutting around, looking every inch the cowboy he was dressed to be. With the vocal encouragement of the crowd, he stopped in the center of the stage, grinned, and yanked his snap-front shirt open. With the shirt flapping open and closed as he danced across the stage, he shrugged it off, and tossed it toward the DJ’s booth, showing off the powerful muscles of his back, chest, and shoulders to the women who now circled the stage.
A dark emotion she could not name welled up like black oil. She began to blink back tears she could not rationally justify. Geo was up there, smiling and flirting, appearing so happy to be the center of attention it hurt her to watch. He was beautiful, the embodiment of the term sexy male, and so self-assured it radiated from him like light from a candle. She on the other hand, was short, and curvy, with all the self-confidence of a virgin at a hooker convention.
Whirling, she headed away from the ballroom, needing to be as far away from Geo, and the room full of hooting, hollering women, as she could get. She only made it a handful of steps before someone called her name. Never one to ignore people no matter how bad she was feeling, Sunny stopped and wiped her cheeks. She did not turn around because she could not stop crying.
Damn eyes.
Damn soft heart for feeling hurt when Geo was just doing his job.
Damn Geo for being so hot and sexy that women were grabbing him before he had finished his routine.
It did not surprise her when Gigi stepped in front of her.
“Are you having a good time?” she asked before looking into Sunny’s face and seeing her tears. “Oh my God, are you all right?”
Sunny forced a smile even as the tears continued to leak from her eyes and race down her cheeks. She sniffed and tried to laugh at herself, though the sound emerged rather waterlogged. “I’m having a great time. Not sure why I’m crying but I’m fine. I’m just going to go be alone and try to get myself back under control.”
Gigi studied her for a long minute, and Sunny fought to maintain the eye-to-eye study even though she knew she was lying. She was not okay, but she would never admit it to Geo’s sister. She did not want to get Geo in trouble because she was on emotional overload.
“Please don’t tell Geo,” she begged.
He did not need to know she had left during his performance. He did not need to know she was crying. He did not need to know anything. Surely with all those other women fawning over him, he would not miss her.
Sunny gave Gigi a quick hug. “I’m fine. I’m just going to go to my room and be alone for a while. I’ll see you in the morning.”
Gigi did not look convinced. “If you need anything, you’ll call me? Or shoot me a text?”
“Yes, Gigi,” Sunny managed as she started down the hall again. Her sole focus was to reach the elevator that would take her to the silent solitude of her room. She ignored the group of women who called for her to join them at the bar. She continued her march toward the lobby and the blessed freedom found in the elevator.
Once alone in the small box, she fought to control her plummeting emotions but could not seem to get a handle on them. By the time she entered her room, she could no longer control the riot of emotions roiling around in her, or the sobs that welled inside her chest.
After pushing the door closed and throwing the deadbolt, she left a trail of purse, shoes, and jeans on her way to the bed. Throwing herself across the bed, she finally let go and sobbed. By the time the tears eventually stopped, she felt completely drained, and flat, much like a balloon that had been blown up and then had the air let out of it again.
Pushing from the bed, she made one last trip to the bathroom. Returning to her room, though she was a mess, she found her nightshirt and changed, then pulled back the covers and crawled into the bed.
Taking slow, deep breaths, she felt like she was melting into the mattress, which she decided, might not be a bad thing. Then she could get out of doing the book signing tomorrow afternoon. Her last thoughts before falling asleep were to wonder if Geo even missed her downstairs, and to make a heartfelt wish to be a braver, bolder sort of woman who would not mind her man being drooled over by other women.
* * * *
As he danced, Geo was forced to focus on his moves, as he worked to block out thoughts of the pretty redhead at the back of the room. Counting in his head, he moved to the music, performing like the trained monkey he felt like. He worked hard to keep a smile on his lips as bold, drunk women groped him before tucking dollar bills down his shorts. He swore if Gigi ever asked him to do something like this again, he would deck her. Then he would say no in terms even she would understand.
When his interminable half hour was over, he gratefully left the stage. After retrieving his clothes from the DJ, he scanned the room. Being taller than everyone in the room helped, but he did not see Sunny anywhere. And with her hair color, it would have been hard to miss her, even with the lights dimmed.
Going to the men’s restroom they had turned into their dressing room, he quickly changed into a pair of jeans and the sleeveless T-shirt advertising one of the sponsors that was his uniform for the weekend. Gigi was in the hall outside when he emerged. She looked concerned as she shifted nervously from one foot to the other, tapping her pen on her clipboard.
“Where is she?” he asked, his voice an unhappy growl.
“She got a bit, um, overwhelmed during your performance. She went to her room. What the hell did you do to her?” Gigi looked at him with suspicion.
“Overwhelmed? What do you mean?”
Gigi turned her back on a trio of ladies who stepped out of the ballroom and walked past them toward the restrooms. “I mean she was crying and couldn’t seem to stop. She said she was fine, but I could tell she wasn’t. Since you were with her earlier, I’m just wondering what you did to upset her?”
“Not a damn thing. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of her,” Geo said before walking away. “Oh, and I won’t be dancing anymore. Ever. Understand?”
Without waiting for his sister’s response, he turned and stormed away. Nothing mattered right now except getting to his Sunflower. The elevator seemed to take entirely too long to arrive and then stopped at every floor on its way back up. Finally, he emerged on the correct floor.
Not caring how it looked to anyone who might see him, Geo jogged down the hall to his room. Sliding his key in the lock, he pushed the door open, and rushed inside. Thankfully, he had had the foresight earlier to turn on the light in the entry area. Tossing his rolled-up costume toward his suitcase, he went to the door that connected his room to Sunny’s. His door stood wide open. Hers had been pushed closed, but the latch was not engaged.
Easing the door open, he paused a moment to allow his eyes to adjust to the absolute darkness of her room. Not only were there no lights on, she had pulled the blackout curtains so the room was dark as a cave.
With light streaming in from his room, Geo moved closer to the bed. It took a minute of study to realize that she was curled up under the white covers in the center of the bed. It was hard to tell as the covers were pulled up to completely cover her, with her face the only part exposed to the air.
“Oh, baby girl,” he whispered sadly.
Leaning across the bed, he gently brushed a kiss on her forehead. She did not respond to his touch. Backing away, he eased the connecting door closed once more. Stripping off his clothes, he took a quick shower to w
ash away the sweat, baby oil, and other women’s fingerprints his performance had left on him. After drying off, he pulled on a pair of loose-fitting boxers and a soft cotton T-shirt.
Leaving the light on his room, he returned to Sunny’s room. She had not moved an inch during the time he had been gone. Pulling the covers back, he slid into the other side of the bed, thankful that the hotel’s single rooms all boasted king-size beds. After pulling the sheet and blanket over himself, he worked his way across the bed until just a couple inches separated his body from hers.
Then he settled in to warm up and quiet his mind enough to sleep. That took some time for his thoughts were racing a million ideas a second. Mostly they were about how to talk Sunny into moving to Texas in general, and into his ranch, his life, and his bed, specifically.
Once he felt that his presence would not be a shock to her sleep-warmed body, he closed the last small distance between their bodies. Sliding one arm under her neck, the other wrapped around her middle. He held her to his chest like a child would a favored teddy bear. Then, with one breath, he relaxed, drifting into sleep and dreams of their future together.
Chapter Five
Sunny tried to roll over, but something, large, solid, and very, very warm stopped her. And it was not the pillow she normally cuddled with half the night, then fought with the other half.
“Shhh, baby girl. Go back to sleep,” a deep, deep voice said from somewhere above her head.
Opening tear-swollen eyes, she did not recognize the room. It took a minute to remember where she was and what in hell had happened the night before. Finally she remembered she was in a hotel room in Texas. Then her memory floodgates open. She recalled the flight, dinner with Geo, and then the men dancing, her emotional meltdown, and having to leave before Geo got down to whatever it was he was going to get down to.
She even remembered her conversation with Gigi. Then she came up here and completely lost it. What she could not remember was allowing a man into her room, much less to her bed.
Shifting and squirming, and fighting with the pillow that she had been clutching to her chest when she had fallen asleep, Sunny fought her way out of the covers and jumped from the bed. Pulling at the nightshirt twisted around her waist, she straightened it, smoothing it down to cover her from shoulders to mid-thigh. Only then did she turn to face the bed.
The man was sitting up, watching her closely, a concerned expression on his face that she could read even through the dim light coming from the open doorway to the next room. “Geo?” she asked, her heart fluttering with excitement at the same moment her stomach dropped with shyness.
The man nodded slowly before lying down on his side, and looking far too sexy for her comfort. “Come back to bed, Sunflower. It’s too early to be running around just yet.”
Sunny frowned at him. “What are you doing in my room? And in my bed?”
Geo smiled as he straightened the covers she had thrown back just moments before. “Sleeping with the sweetest flower in Texas,” he replied with a smile. “Now come back to bed. If you don’t want to sleep, I’m sure we can find other things to do to pass the time until the restaurant opens.”
Sunny glanced at the clock and the glowing red numbers showed it was only four-something, too early to be awake in Texas, though due to the time difference, at home she would already be up, dressed, and working at her computer.
Turning back to the bed, she cocked her head in confusion. “When did you come in here?”
“About an hour after you disappeared from the ballroom. I came up as soon as I finished my routine and talked to Gigi. But I had to take a shower before I could join you. What were you dreaming about last night?” he asked, propping his head up on one bent arm and giving her a smile that screamed sex.
“I don’t dream,” Sunny answered automatically.
Most nights she slept so deep that, even if she did have them, she never remembered her dreams upon wakening. She barely remembered falling asleep and waking hours later, feeling rested and ready to face the day though feeling like no time had passed since lying down.
“Well you had a dream last night. You were restless and moaning in your sleep, so it must have been a good one. Now come back to bed.” His voice deepened and developed a thread of something that Sunny could not identify but was unable to fight against.
Crossing to the side of the bed, she hesitated. Remembering their kiss, and then the blowjob she had given Geo, she wondered if he’d be true to his word and return the favor times three. Then she wondered if she would be able to let him.
Hell yes, her body screamed while her heart and head whispered, Be careful.
Looking into Geo’s sleep face, Sunny took a deep breath and decided to ignore the fear that clawed at the base of her throat. Another one, and she was able to climb back into the bed, lying down as close to the edge as she could manage, leaving nearly two feet between them.
Geo watched with a hint of a smirk on his lips. “You can move closer, sweetheart. I won’t bite, unless you ask me to.”
Recognizing a line she had used in her first book, she giggled as she shifted a little closer. “You’ve read my books?”
Geo nodded with a grin. “Several times. They’re wonderful stories, and I don’t do a lot of reading. But after reading the first one, I bought them all, then proceeded to read them, one right after the other. When I finished, I read them through again. And again last week when Gigi told me you would be here.”
Sunny could not help the blush that burned from her hairline all the way to her nipples. “Thank you, kind sir. I’m glad you enjoyed them.”
“And now that I know you a little better, I understand,” he said, shifting closer, cutting the remaining distance between their bodies in half. Then he reached out, wrapped one arm around her back, and pulled her. He did not stop until her breasts pressed against his chest with only layers of soft cotton knit material between them.
“Understand what?”
“You,” he said as he eased her over onto her back and leaned over her.
“What about me?” she breathed. She fought hard to control the panic clawing at her muscles as she tried to remember if she had brushed her teeth before falling asleep.
But she could not remember, and Geo did not seem to care as he tilted his head slightly and closed the gap between their lips.
It was a tender, almost innocent kiss, for about five seconds. Then her need exploded as if her entire being had been doused with gasoline and then set on fire. Wrapping her arms around his broad, strong shoulders, Sunny took the lead, growing bold as she thrust her tongue past his lips to explore.
The fact that he allowed it shocked her. She taunted and teased Geo in a manner she had dreamt about, and written about in her books, but never actually tried before. Then her hand slid down and around to the front of his body. Her rational brain kicked on just as she reached the waistband of his boxers. She froze with three fingertips tucked between elastic and skin.
What in the hell was she doing?
“Don’t stop now, baby girl,” Geo said, dragging his lips across her cheek and down her neck to where it joined her shoulder.
Though she tilted her head to the side, allowing him easier access, Sunny could make no other move of her own. Memories of the degrading words of her three past boyfriends slammed through her. Tears sprang up at the thought that Geo would someday think as they had, that she was a crazy bitch running hot and cold. Then the voice of her father, the loudest of all sounded, calling her a slut and a whore the night he caught her and her first boyfriend making out on their third date chimed in. All at once Sunny knew it was over before he had even begun.
Jerking away, she rolled away so her back was to him before curling into a ball. She imagined she looked like one of the pill bugs she had thought were so neat when she was a kid. If somebody messed with them they turned into a hard-shelled little ball until their attacker went away.
“Sunflower? What happened? What’s wrong?”
Geo said, laying a warm palm on her arm, which only made her flinch. “Where did you go?”
“Please,” she whimpered as tears filled her eyes once more. “Please just go. I’m not what you think I am. I’m not what you need.”
But he did not leave. A hand began to rub up and down her back. “And what do I think you are?” he asked, his voice as gentle to her ears as the fur on a baby rabbit.
The tears overflowed once more, and she sniffed twice before she could whisper, “A woman who you meet at noon, and sleep with for the few days while she’s in town before moving on to the next woman as soon as she’s gone. I can’t be like that, no matter how I acted yesterday afternoon. That’s just not me.”
She felt Geo move on the bed and tensed even further when he slipped one arm under her body. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her across the bed as easily as if she were a ball of fluff and not a curvy woman made of flesh and bone. She ended up on his lap, her side pressed against his chest, his chin resting on the top of her head and his arms wrapped securely around her, as if protecting her from the world.
“Sunflower Carlyle, I know exactly the kind of woman you are, and, as I have told you several times over the past however-many hours since we’ve met, you are exactly the kind of woman I want and need in my life. I just wonder how many more times I will have to repeat myself before you finally believe me.”
Though his embrace was warm, and he was saying all the right things, Sunny stayed curled up with her knees pulled to her chest. “I just don’t understand,” she said, softly. “I’m a scared little mouse with a too-active imagination who writes stories about women who are far more brave and bold and beautiful than I’ll ever be.”
She yelped when a hand came down hard on the outside part of her ass cheek. Tilting her head back, she looked up to see Geo frowning, obviously displeased by something. “What?”
The Shy Girl and the Stripper (Siren Publishing Classic) Page 4
