Brent groaned. “Will you quit already? I told you it isn’t going to work.”
“Would that satisfy you, Brent? Because I have to say, I can think of better ways.”
“Stop flirting with me!”
“Do you realize that firm, commanding tone of yours is sexy as hell?” Raj ploughed on, leaning in close until he was right in front of Brent’s face. “I hope you use it when you take me to bed.”
Something inside Brent snapped.
He wanted Raj with a passion he had never experienced before. Without thought for the consequences, he did what he’d wanted to do all day long. He pushed Raj up against the wall of the car park, right there in the street, and pressed his lips against Raj’s, firm and insistent.
Raj opened to him immediately and whimpered into his mouth. Instead of pushing Brent away, he slid his hands up Brent’s shoulders and into his hair, pulling him closer so that the lengths of their bodies pressed together.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, Brent realized how insane this was.
Crazy stupid.
Not only were there his usual objections, but they were in a public place, for Christ’s sake. Anyone could have walked by and seen them, caught them kissing, and the game would have been over. But the kiss felt so good, so undeniably right, that he couldn’t bring himself to stop.
Raj tasted just as he had that first night—a combination of mint and coffee, sweet, yet bitter, fresh and so completely Raj, Brent thought he would lose his mind from the pleasure of it.
Brent once again lost himself in the sensation of their lips crushing together, of Raj’s tongue sliding against his own, sucking on it and coaxing it further into his mouth.
The press of their bodies as they ground their hard cocks together was so intense, so erotic, that Brent was in danger of coming in his pants, right there in the fucking street.
Yet, Brent couldn’t bring himself to care…
Couldn’t, that was, until the sound of a car approaching wrenched him out of his trance. Reluctantly, he released Raj’s mouth and pulled out of his embrace, just in time to see Jaideep rounding the corner before pulling up next to the curb.
Fuck, but that had been close.
Chapter Twelve
Brent leant forward, rested his head on the desk and groaned.
What the hell had come over him? He couldn’t believe he had allowed things between him and the Raj to go so far, and not once, but twice.
Jesus, Brent was losing his fucking mind.
He had never become personally involved with someone he was guarding before and he’d had plenty of offers over the years. It wasn’t even that he had anything against dating someone he was working with, but this wasn’t just another employee—Raj was his boss, he was one of the top actors in Bollywood, and, if that wasn’t enough, he wasn’t even out of the damn closet.
They both had so much to lose.
Was it really worth the risk?
The doubts and excuses all rolled around in Brent’s head, making him dizzy. For all of the reasons he could come up with as to why he shouldn’t pursue a relationship with Raj, none of them held much weight any more. There was just something about the man that had him turned inside out.
Brent felt powerless around him.
The second kiss they’d shared had been out in the open where anyone could have walked by and seen them. Raj was working so damn hard to keep his sexuality a secret until his acting career came to an end, and Brent had nearly outed him right there in the goddamn street.
Jesus, he was stupid.
What the hell had got into him?
Though, now that he came to think about it, Raj hadn’t been too concerned about being caught either. If anything, Raj had seemed disappointed when Jaideep had shown up, not worried or upset like Brent had thought he would be.
The whole situation was a mess.
“Want to talk about it?”
When Brent looked up, Jessie was rifling through some papers on her desk, pretending to look busy.
“I’m sure you don’t want to hear about my sex life.”
Shit.
He shouldn’t have said that.
He knew Jessie too well, and she would never let it pass as a throwaway comment.
Fuck.
Jessie’s mouth practically hit the floor. “You have a sex life. Since when?”
“Smart ass,” Brent mumbled—although he had to agree it had been a while since there had been anyone worth mentioning.
He and Jessie were so close he usually told her about all of his encounters, but he hadn’t mentioned Raj. He wasn’t sure why, but he wanted to keep what was between them private. He picked up the last letter Raj had received and read through it again, hoping to spot something he’d missed earlier. But he’d read through the letter about twenty times now and still nothing stood out.
What was he missing?
There had to be something.
“Oh. My. God!” Jessie squealed in excitement. “You’re fucking the actor! Jesus, Brent. That was fast work, and you know me… I know all about fast.”
“I am not.” Brent frowned and looked down at the letter in his hand.
He could feel his face fill with heat and cursed himself for becoming so embarrassed.
It was only Jessie, for Christ’s sake.
“But you want to.” Jessie sat back in her chair, looking triumphant. Damn her for knowing him so well. “So, what’s the problem?”
“Are you insane? We’re trying to run a professional business here. How do you think it would look if word got out that I’ve been banging our clients? Not to mention what it could do to Raj’s career.”
Jessie shrugged. “I started screwing the boss and look how that turned out.”
“That is completely different. Jack already had the hots for you. That’s the reason he hired you.”
Okay, maybe that wasn’t so different. Brent wasn’t sure if Raj’s attraction to him was one of the reasons they had landed the job but he suspected as much.
“And aren’t you glad he did?” Jessie grinned, exposing her perfectly straight, white teeth.
Brent chuckled.
He had to admit he was. It was Jessie that had introduced him to Jack three years ago. She had begun dating him a couple of weeks after starting at his security company and within six months they were married. Now he and Jack were firm friends as well as business partners.
“One has nothing to do with the other,” he reasoned. “It’s not only our reputations that are on the line here. If I get intimate with Raj, it could prevent me from doing my job properly.
“I need to be alert when I’m around him or it could cost him his life. How am I supposed to concentrate if all I’m thinking about is my dick?”
Brent sighed and chewed on his bottom lip.
“I think it’s already too late for that.”
“What do mean?”
Jessie chuckled. “Whether you’re fucking him or not, don’t tell me you’re not going to be thinking about doing it every damn second you’re with him.”
“It’s not the same thing.”
“Really? Will you take a look in the mirror? You look like a lovesick puppy. I’d say it’s not only your dick you have to worry about—your heart is in danger, too.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Brent scoffed. “I just met the man.”
The trouble was, the more time Brent spent around the actor, the more he liked him. And the kisses they’d shared… Jesus Christ. Hot. Brent couldn’t stop thinking about the way Raj’s mouth felt against his. And he would never forget the way he tasted.
Brent loved the way Raj kissed with complete abandon as though offering every part of himself. Raj might be handsome, sexy and strong, but he had a vulnerability to him that made Brent want to protect him, to look after him. It would be very easy to lose his heart to a man like Raj. And that was out of the damn question. No good could come from them starting anything serious while they were working so closely togeth
er.
Brent couldn’t even believe he was having this debate with himself. What would a top Bollywood actor want with a man like him, anyway? Raj could have any man he wanted—and Brent was sure, when he quit the acting profession and didn’t have to worry about keeping up appearances anymore, he would.
“What have you got for me?” Jack breezed into the office and threw the India Times newspaper onto Brent’s desk. He didn’t wait for an answer to his question before he ploughed into his next statement. “Take a look at the headlines on page five. We’ve got it fucking made!”
Brent grabbed the paper and flicked through the pages to find the article.
“What does it say?” Jessie asked.
“‘British Security Company Reaching for the Stars’,” Jack answered.
Brent’s stomach lurched.
What the fuck did that mean? Had someone seen him and Raj together yesterday? Brent’s hands shook as he turned the page and found what he was looking for. He breathed a sigh of relief after he’d skimmed through the first couple of paragraphs.
“What’s this?” Brent asked his friend.
Jack snatched the paper out of Brent’s hands. “It’s our ticket to the big time, that’s what it is.”
Brent leant back in his chair and linked his hands behind his head. He rolled his eyes but he couldn’t prevent his mouth curving up into a smirk.
“Please, enlighten us.”
Jack took a seat in the chair next to his wife and pulled a cigar out of his shirt pocket. He made a grand display of cutting the end, lighting it and taking a few puffs before he spoke.
“What it says is that All-Star Security is the name on everyone’s lips in Bollywood. Now that we’ve snagged Mr. Rajkumar Khan, they are going to be lining up at our door to hire us.”
Brent frowned.
The last thing Raj needed right now was more media coverage of his personal life.
“How the hell did the papers find out we are working for Raj?”
Jack shrugged. “Who knows? Whoever told them just did us a huge fucking favor though.” Jack waggled his eyebrows comically doing his best Groucho Marx impression. “We, my friend, are going to be rich.”
Shit.
Brent had better tell Raj about the article before he found out from someone else. He let out a long breath. He only hoped Raj wouldn’t think Brent or someone from his agency had gone to the papers themselves. What a nightmare.
“What’s wrong?” Jack asked. “I thought you’d be happy about this. This publicity is great for the business.”
Brent nodded. “Yes, but it’s not good for Raj. He already has enough to deal with without all of this.”
Jack stared at Brent as though he’d lost his mind. “It’s only a newspaper article, for Christ’s sake. He’s an actor…they love the attention. Besides, he’ll be used to dealing with the press. This is just another day at the office for him.”
Under normal circumstances Brent would have agreed with Jack. But Brent had seen first-hand how the letters and threats had affected Raj. He didn’t want to add to the man’s troubles. He checked his watch. He had to be at Raj’s house in just over an hour and he needed to get home to shower and change first. He grabbed his wallet and keys and got up from the desk.
“I gotta go. I’ll catch you both later.”
“What’s up with him?” Brent heard Jack ask after he’d closed the door and started walking down the stairs to street level.
“He’s in lurve,” Jessie teased.
Brent rolled his eyes and quickened his pace. He had just made it outside the building when his cell phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Brent, its Raj. I know you’re supposed to be here in an hour…but can you come over now?” There was a pause on the other end of the line. “I need you.”
Brent’s stomach flipped when he heard the fear in Raj’s voice. He swallowed, hard. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
There was a pause on the other end of the line then Raj heaved a sigh. “Someone just tried to run me over.”
Brent clenched his empty hand into a fist. He squeezed it so tightly his nails dug into his palm. “What the fuck? Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m just shaken up, I guess. Can you come over?”
“I’ll be right there.”
Brent hung up the call and narrowed his eyes.
His head throbbed.
He was going to catch the son of a bitch that was terrorizing Raj if it was the last thing he did.
Chapter Thirteen
“Raj? Are you up here?”
The sound of Brent’s voice calmed Raj and, just like every other time he heard it, his heart started beating faster and his stomach ached with need.
He couldn’t believe the effect Brent had on him.
No other man had ever got him this worked up this quickly.
“I’m in here!” he called back.
He looked up from his seated position on the edge of the bed and smiled when Brent appeared at his door, his eyebrows pulled together in a frown. Raj’s breath caught in his chest when he laid eyes on the handsome bodyguard, more pleased than he should be that Brent appeared to be worried about him.
“How are you doing?”
Raj shrugged. “Okay, I guess. It scared me, though. I didn’t think I’d be able to get out of the way in time.”
“Do you mind if I come in?”
“Of course not.”
Although Raj wanted Brent in his bedroom, he had thought when he actually got the man there that it would be under very different circumstances. Like the two of them hard and needy and desperate to get off. Just the thought of that scenario made him ache.
Brent strode into the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. He caught Raj’s gaze and held it.
“Tell me what happened.”
Raj sighed. “I had just finished filming at the studio and was on my way home. The bodyguards escorted me to the car. I walked around the back to get in and a car came out of nowhere.
“It swerved and came right for me. I noticed it right at the last minute and dived out of the way. It missed me by inches.”
The memory of the incident made Raj shiver and his hands began to shake. He clasped them together on his lap to try to steady them.
Brent drew his eyebrows together and his nostrils flared. “What the hell were the bodyguards doing while this was happening?”
Raj shrugged. “They were getting in the other side of the car.”
Brent rubbed the back of his neck. His lips were pressed together in a thin line. Raj had never seen him look so angry. “God damn it! They know better. They should have been at your side until you were safely in the car.”
“Please don’t blame them. None of us could have known that this would happen.”
“That makes no difference. They are being paid to guard you, to protect you. They are trained to expect the unexpected, and trained well.
“I’ll be having serious words with them about their lack of good judgment.”
Raj sighed and looked down at the clasped hands in his lap.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Brent reached out and placed a hand on Raj’s knee. The simple touch made Raj’s breath hitch. “You’re safe now.”
“But for how long? I thought the letters were empty threats, someone wanting to scare me. But they’re not, are they? Someone out there really wants me dead. And I can’t believe that it could be a person I know and trust.”
“We’ll find out who’s doing this, I promise you. Did you get the license number?”
“No, it all happened so fast and the street was busy. The car was out of sight before I even thought about it.”
“And the bodyguards didn’t catch it either?”
“No. They didn’t get the chance. You didn’t speak to Jaideep about what happened?”
Brent shook his head. “Not yet, no. I came straight to you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”
The admission made Raj’s heart soa
r. “Thank you for thinking about me.”
Brent shrugged. “There’s something else I need to discuss with you.”
Raj didn’t like the anxious look on Brent’s face. He had a feeling Brent was about to say something he wouldn’t like. Gods, he’d had enough bad shit to deal with for one day.
When was it going to end?
“What is it?”
“There’s an article in the paper today confirming you hired my company to guard you.”
Raj frowned.
Great.
More media attention was the last thing he needed right now.
“How did the press get hold of the story so quickly?”
“I don’t know. You don’t suppose Rahul had anything to do with it? After all, to an agent any publicity is good publicity, isn’t it?”
Raj shook his head. “Rahul might not be one of my favorite people but I trust him. I don’t always like his ideas but he always consults me before he does anything where the press are concerned. He would have asked me before going to them.”
“It could have been someone else on your staff. Did you make the list I asked for?”
“I had Rahul do it. He said he’d already emailed it to your office.”
“I didn’t get it. Maybe Jessie or Jack picked it up. Jameela hasn’t been in. I’ll speak to them later about it. I’m sorry about the newspaper article. You have enough to worry about without that.”
“It’s not your fault.” Raj sighed. “I’m glad you’re here. I don’t suppose…? No, never mind.” Raj couldn’t bring himself to ask the question. Besides, Brent would never go for it.
“What is it?”
Raj hesitated.
What he wanted was above and beyond, he knew that, but he did feel safer knowing Brent was around and looking out for him. Brent’s eyes softened and he smiled encouragingly. He still hadn’t taken his hand off Raj’s knee and the contact between them gave him confidence.
“You can ask me anything,” Brent continued.
“Would you…” Raj let out a long breath and then the words came out in a rush. “Would you consider staying here for a few days, or at least until this whole mess gets sorted out? I know it’s a lot to ask but I feel safer when you’re around.”
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