Stubborn woman.
She might not have realized it yet, but I’d do anything and everything in my power to protect her heart.
She took in the luxuriousness of the hotel lobby with her lips parted and eyes wide while I checked us in. When I finished and moved back to where she was standing, frozen to the floor, it took every ounce of willpower I had not to grab her by the back of the neck and slam my lips down on hers.
“Ready?” I asked softly, lifting a hand to tease a thick tendril of her soft hair. It was fucking impossible to keep my hands off her when she was near.
My question pulled her out of her dazed state, and she gave her head a little shake, clearing her throat to answer. “Uh, y-yeah. Yes. Ready when you are.”
Christ, she was adorable.
I hooked my duffel over my shoulder and grabbed the handles of hers before placing my free hand on the small of her back to guide her toward the elevators. Her whole body shivered the instant my palm touched her, and I couldn’t hold back the small grin that pulled at my lips. Her brain might have been putting up a good fight, but her body was desperate for me, and as long as that was the case, I still had a fighting chance.
“Wow,” she breathed the moment I pushed the door open and she stepped into the hotel room I’d booked for us. “Marco, this place is…. It’s incredible.”
I forced my eyes off her—a nearly impossible task—to scan the room, wanting to take in what she was seeing.
I’d made the reservation with the intention of giving her a night she wouldn’t forget. When she’d made the offhand admission a while back that she’d never ventured far from Hope Valley, my mind had run wild with all the places I wanted to take her. If I thought I could’ve gotten away with it, I would have whisked her off to Paris or Italy in a heartbeat.
As it was, the suite I’d booked was nothing to sneeze at, but from the expression on her face just then, you’d have thought she was standing in the middle of The Louvre.
“Glad you like it, baby.”
That honey gaze came back to me, and I felt my dick stir to life behind my fly. “I love it. But… it’s too much. You didn’t need to do all of this.” She threw her arms out to indicate the room. “Not for me.”
The skin between my eyes bunched with a heavy frown. “If not you, then who, huh?”
Her eyes swam with doubt, and I could feel her uncertainty like a hot brand against my skin as she shrugged, whispering, “Someone worth it.”
My chest vibrated with a rumble of displeasure as I closed the distance between us. “Christ, you’re fuckin’ hardheaded,” I said with a grunt, reaching up to rest my hands on the sides of her neck, tangling my fingers in that mass of silky hair. “In all this time you’ve been pushing me away, have I given you a single goddamn indication that I want anyone but you?”
“I—” Her breath hitched, making her chest rise and fall dramatically. “N-No,” she answered so quietly that if I hadn’t been standing an inch away, I wouldn’t have heard her.
Blowing out a breath to release the pressure building in my lungs, I dropped my forehead against hers and closed my eyes. “I’m right where I want to be, and I’m with exactly who I want to be with.”
Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I’d have rather been in that massive king-size bed with Gypsy’s naked body lying beneath mine, but that would have to wait.
Pulling back, I shifted my arm so I could see the time on my watch and then let out an unhappy grumble. “We got a little over an hour. Think you can get ready in that amount of time?”
Her eyes narrowed on me suspiciously, but she didn’t pull from my grasp. “Depends,” she stated.
“On?”
Her face flashed with humor as she grinned cheekily. “On what I’m getting ready for.”
My head fell back on a laugh, and I pulled her flush against me. “Nice try,” I said once I got a hold of myself. She was gazing up at me, those full, pouty lips calling to me, so I did the only thing I could. I bent my head and gave in to the need with a quick kiss that made her sigh and smile against my lips. And that was all it took. One contented sigh and a smile, and she proved once again that she was more than worth the effort.
“You’ve got an hour, girasol. I have faith you can make that work.”
She wiggled from my embrace, and as hard as it was, I let her go so she could head toward the bathroom. But not before I gave her ass a satisfying slap.
She let out a little yelp and turned to give me a playful scowl before disappearing into the bedroom.
Chapter Sixteen
Gypsy
I’d taken the quickest shower of my life, twisting my hair into a knot at the top of my head to keep it from getting wet as I scrubbed the day off my body.
The water pressure had been heaven, the gentle spray the perfect temperature. If time had permitted, I would have stayed in the shower for at least an hour and let the steady pounding of the water soothe my tense muscles, but Marco’s challenge kept ringing in my ears.
He didn’t think I could get ready in such a short amount of time. Usually I couldn’t, but he’d issued a challenge I couldn’t resist accepting.
Wrapping a towel around my body, I looked at my reflection in the mirror and smirked, muttering, “I’ll show him.”
I rushed into the big bedroom to find my bag already on the bed. Pulling the zipper open, I turned it over, dumped the contents onto the mattress, and began tossing things around like a madwoman.
A nightgown. Two matching bra and pantie sets, both of which were more than just a little risqué—thanks a lot, Sunny. My cutoff jean shorts, Converse tennis shoes, and a plain navy V-neck tee. I wasn’t sure what Marco had planned, the sneaky bastard, but something told me that wasn’t what I was supposed to wear tonight.
They’d packed my toiletries, makeup, the strappy camel-colored shoes with a pencil-thin heel I’d bought at a small shop that specialized in knockoff designer duds for super cheap, and the sleeveless flower print chiffon dress that had been hanging in my closet with the tags still on it for a while now. It wasn’t really my style, but when Nona forced me into the dressing room at the mall, she’d fallen in love with how it looked on me and insisted I get it.
She didn’t know I couldn’t afford it, and I didn’t have it in me to tell her, so I bought the damn thing with the intention of returning it later. I’d never been able to find the time and eventually forgot about the dress altogether, but it didn’t matter now, because either Sunny or Odette had cut the tags off.
The sweetheart neckline would have looked subdued had it not been for the diamond-shaped cutout beneath my breasts. The straps on my shoulders crisscrossed at the back, leaving a ton of skin to view and making it impossible to wear a bra. Fortunately, the bodice fit tight, holding my girls in place. The dress was fun and flirty without being over the top, and the way it fit made me feel sexy and sweet at the same time.
Now knowing what I’d be wearing, I was able to figure out how to do my makeup and hair for the night. With a plan formed, I rushed back into the bathroom and got to work, making full use of the limited time I had. Fortunately, I was really good at quick hair and makeup, yet another skill I picked up on the job. It was amazing the things you learned as a stripper.
I quickly dressed and bent forward, flipping my hair over and fluffing it before tossing it back and giving it a quick spritz with the bottle of texturizing spray Odette or Sunny had packed in my toiletry kit.
I gave my reflection a quick once-over, pleased with the results. And just like that, I was ready with time to spare.
Ha! Take that you sexy, rugged man.
“Finished!” I called out as I started back into the bedroom. “And with five minutes to spare—” The words died on my lips and my mouth grew dry the moment my eyes landed on Marco.
He was standing across the room with his back to me, and I noticed just how fantastic his firm, taut ass looked in the pair of dark-wash jeans he was wearing. The muscles beneath all that smo
oth caramel skin flexed and bulged as he pulled a black button-down with pale blue pinstripes over his shoulders. When he turned to face me and I got a glimpse of those chiseled abs, I nearly swallowed my tongue.
I’d seen him naked more than once, licked and kissed every inch of him more than once, felt him moving inside me more than once, and still the view of his body drove me crazy.
What I was feeling for Marco was bordering on obsession. I was quickly becoming addicted to the way he made me feel. And it was because of those feelings that I knew I needed to guard myself as much as I possibly could.
“What was that?” He looked up, his fingers stopping in their task of buttoning his shirt when he caught sight of me. “Christ, Gypsy. I’ll never get used to how beautiful you are.”
His eyes were like a physical touch across my skin, and the way the black of his pupils swallowed up that gorgeous hazel made my knees weak. “You aren’t so bad yourself,” I said in a teasing lilt. “And I was just bragging that I finished with five minutes to spare.” My attention shifted to the digital clock on the bedside table. “Well, three minutes now, but you get my point.”
Marco grabbed his wallet from the bedside table and stuffed it into the back pocket of his jeans before starting in my direction. I held my breath when he stopped in front of me, lifting his hand to toy with one of the loose curls in my hair before placing it on the side on my neck and rubbing my jaw with his thumb. “You take my breath away, girasol. Every time I look at you.”
I wasn’t sure how to respond to that, not that I could. He had the uncanny ability to turn me inside out and leave me speechless. Reaching up, I wrapped my fingers around his wrist and squeezed, hoping he could read by my touch and my eyes how much I appreciated what he’d just said.
His full, pillowy lips turned up in a grin just as he leaned in to place a soft kiss against mine. “We should get going. We don’t want to be late.”
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from telling him I’d rather we stay in, strip each other naked, and spend the rest of the night in that big bed as he grabbed my hand and started leading me through the sitting room toward the door.
I still had no clue where we were going, but it was more than clear that he’d gone to a lot of trouble to give me an incredible night away from home, and I didn’t want to say anything that could take away from that.
My anticipation returned as Marco led us back to his Cherokee and began navigating the streets of DC like he’d lived here all his life. He held my hand the whole time I stared out the window, taking in what I could of the new city. I’d never been outside of Virginia, never ventured far from my hometown, and I would have loved to see the sights, but with night having fallen, all I could see were streetlights and neon signs.
The Cherokee slowed, and when I turned to see where we were going, I spotted the words on the digital marquee like a huge beacon as Marco pulled into the parking lot. That was when realization dawned.
Sucking in a huge gasp, I shot around to face him and began bouncing in my seat. “Oh my God. Is this the surprise?”
He chuckled and gave my hand a squeeze. “Yep.”
I squealed. Unable to contain my excitement, I leaned over the console and began peppering the side of his face with kisses. “You’re taking me to a Civil Corruption concert!” His chuckle morphed into full-blown laughter as I wrapped my arms around his neck in a hug, careful not to block his view as he drove. “I love Civil Corruption!”
“Figured that, baby. You have a couple songs of theirs picked out for your sets at the club. I noticed you only dance to stuff you like, so I took a shot that this would be up your alley.”
He really did pay attention to everything about me. “It’s so up my alley!” I cried. “I’ve never been to a concert before. Oh my god!” I fell back into my seat. “This is gonna be so much fun. Thank you, Marco. This means so much.”
He turned to me, and I caught his intense gaze in the lights of the parking lot. “Anything for you, Gypsy. Absolutely anything.”
God, he was killing me. I couldn’t take it. He was just too perfect. Too incredible. Too everything.
The walls around my heart were quickly beginning to crumble to dust.
I looked back out the windshield and pulled in a ragged breath, noticing Marco had broken off from the trail of cars in front of us, and was driving around the back of the stadium, away from the rest of the traffic.
I felt the wrinkles burrow between my eyebrows in confusion as he pulled into the loading dock area. There was a big semitruck with a trailer attached that had the band’s logo painted across the side next to a fancy, top-of-the-line travel trailer with the same design. The band’s tour bus.
“Uh, Marco,” I said, turning my head in his direction. “I don’t think we’re allowed to park back here.”
“It’s all good,” he said, pulling into a parking spot close to a metal door and shifting in his seat to pull his cell from his pocket. He shot off a quick text before killing the engine and pushing his door open. “Ready?”
“Um….” I remained stuck to my seat as he rounded the hood, giving a jerk of his head to a man carrying a huge amplifier.
He pulled my door open and hit me with a blinding grin. “You stay in the car, you’ll miss out on one helluva show.”
I unbuckled my seat belt and let him pull me from the Cherokee as I took in our surrounding. It was organized chaos, with people hauling stage equipment and scuttling around at a quick pace.
“You sure we won’t get in trouble for being back here?” I whispered, holding on to his hand with both of mine. “It would kinda suck to be kicked out before we even got to hear the first song.”
He laughed, looking down at me like I was adorable as he rapped his knuckles against the metal door. “You trust me?”
“Of course I do,” I answered without hesitation, because it was the god’s honest truth.
His eyes flashed solid gold and his nostrils flared as he pulled in a deep inhale. I wasn’t sure why, but for some reason, my answer pleased him tremendously.
I could have sworn he was about to kiss me, and I really wanted that, but the door was suddenly thrown open, breaking through the heated moment. I nearly stumbled on my heels when I took a step back from the imposing man standing on the other side. Jeez, he was huge! Almost as big as Xander and just as terrifying. He looked like he could bench-press a car like it was nothing, and the scowl on his face sent an unpleasant shiver along my spine.
His unhappy expression suddenly shifted, replaced with a grin that was no less scary but a touch warmer. “My man!” he said on a hearty chuckle, lifting a big beefy paw.
“Ian. Good to see you, brother.” Marco clasped hands with the giant, and they proceeded to do that half hug, half back slap thing men did. “How’ve you been?”
They parted and stepped back from each other. Meanwhile, I was trying to keep my jaw from hitting the ground.
“Good, good. You know, just a lot of the same.”
Marco nodded and grinned. “Corrie still runnin’ you ragged?”
The giant shook his head and blew out an exasperated sigh, but there was no missing the way his lips tugged up in a little half smirk. “Man, you know it. Woman’s gonna be the death of me one of these days.”
“You love it,” Marco replied.
“True. And speakin’ of women….” The man’s gaze shifted to me, and I moved without thought, inching closer to Marco under the intense scrutiny of this guy. “Who do we have here?”
Looping his arm around my shoulders, Marco pulled me against his side and started introductions. “Ian, this is Gypsy Bradbury. Gypsy, this is my buddy Ian. He’s the guy I mentioned before who hooked me up with Lincoln.”
“Um, it’s, uh… nice to meet you,” I stammered, raising my hand to shake the one he held out to me.
“You sure about that, darlin’?” he asked, his tone laced with humor. “’Cause you look like you’re about to either run or pass out.”
&nbs
p; Okay, so he was teasing me. Maybe he wasn’t so scary after all. “Can you blame me?” I teased back. “That frown you were just wearing made you look like the kind of man who’d use the bones of your enemies as toothpicks.”
Ian’s eyes bulged for a second before he let out a huge burst of laughter. “Oh, my wife’s gonna love you.”
I really liked that, and I liked more that Marco’s grip on me grew tighter because he seemed to like it too.
“Come on, guys, I’ll show you the way. This place is a goddamn maze.”
Ian walked a few paces ahead, leading us from one hall to another and then to another.
“So what exactly does Ian do?” I asked on a whisper, leaning deeper into Marco’s side as we followed.
“He’s head of security for the band.”
I tripped over my own feet and would have gone down had it not been for Marco’s hold on me. “Wait. The band? You mean Civil Corruption? He’s the head of security for Civil Corruption?”
“Yep.”
“Does that mean you worked with the band too?”
“For about three years.”
I was still struggling to wrap my head around that when Ian came to a stop in front of a door and threw it open. “Guys, you got visitors.”
He stepped aside so Marco could usher me in, and as soon as I cleared the threshold, I nearly passed out.
Chapter Seventeen
Gypsy
Holy shit! I was standing in the middle of a room with all four members of Civil Corruption.
The room erupted into action the moment Marco stepped in as the bandmembers shot up to greet him like a lifelong friend, but all I could do was stand there and stare like a moron.
A high-pitched yelp from the corner drew my attention, and I looked over just as a gorgeous, petite blonde came running at Marco and launched herself into his arms.
Wrong Side of the Tracks: a Hope Valley novel Page 13
