"Yes, I clean. You know, scrub floors, dust, tidy up. I'm very good at it. That's why I was applying for a housekeeping position. I'm stressed, I might as well get paid for what I'm going to be doing anyway."

"What a strange way to get your stress out," he said. He lowered his voice, so that only I could hear it through the buzzing of the engines. "Me, I like to f.u.c.k." And his eyes narrowed as he leaned in. His hips b.u.t.ted against mine and I felt, through his trousers, the hot bulge of an erection.

Oh my G.o.d. Oh my G.o.d. What was going on here? I scrabbled for sanity.

"You said I wouldn't be a wh.o.r.e," I said breathlessly.

"And I'm not paying you, am I?" he replied. Casually he stepped back and made a huge show of inspecting the bathroom door. "It says it's unoccupied. You should go in and take care of business. Are you feeling well?" His voice suddenly turned to one of concern.

"What?" I said.

He turned and spoke to someone. "My friend is feeling ill," he said. "I'm going to help her out."

"Sir, I'm afraid that's not allowed..."

A stewardess. He was talking to a stewardess.

I don't know what possessed me to do it, but I suddenly doubled over and began to cough. "Kent!" I managed to say between gags. "Kent, help..."

"I have to," Kent said. "Write me up, get the marshall to come over and make sure we're not terrorists, but she is about to yak everywhere."

Strong hands landed on my coat and hauled me upright. Then he opened the restroom door, dragged me inside, and closed the door behind us.

The bathroom was crowded, and the opposite of s.e.xy, but now his rock hard body was pressed completely against mine and arousal raced through me. "Jesus," I said.

"I ain't Jesus. I'm way better in bed," he said, and pulled me toward him, his lips crashing down to meet mine.

My G.o.d, the man knew how to kiss. Soft, pouted lips worked against mine, his hot, rough tongue flickering over my mouth, and I opened before him with a moan. His hands ran over my body, in out and everywhere, hot and demanding. His thigh pressed between mine, straight into my crotch and I rocked my hips over it, rubbing myself against him.

What are you doing? I screamed at myself from the darkness of my head. This is your potential boss. Stop thinking with your metaphorical p.e.n.i.s!

But I couldn't. His touch woke something in me, something primal and needy that I couldn't remember ever feeling before, something that meant I couldn't stop, no matter how smart it would have been to pull away. He pulled out of the kiss and pressed his lips to my ear. The roar of the engines in the tiny bathroom were so loud I could hardly hear him, but the gust of hot, wet breath over the sh.e.l.l of my ear made every nerve on my body stand up and pay attention.

"No time for a good f.u.c.k," he whispered hoa.r.s.ely. "But always time to get off." And he lowered his hands to my jeans and unb.u.t.toned them.

"Oh, G.o.d," I said, or I think I said it. His fingers were calloused and rough, and after he'd yanked the zipper down he turned me around without tenderness and shoved his hand down my pants, insinuating his fingers between my panties and the mound of my s.e.x.

I was panting, riding high. He smelled rich and dark, like cigarettes and rum. His other hand grabbed my b.r.e.a.s.t.s and squeezed, kneading and tweaking in time with the thrust of his hips. His enormous c.o.c.k, burning through his trousers and my jeans, nestled in the crack of my a.s.s, and he ground it against my curves as his fingers slipped between my slick lips and began to move.

I put my hands out and braced myself on the vibrating walls, crying out as one calloused finger dragged over my sensitive c.l.i.t. His mouth was on my ear, moving quickly, flicking the complex folds with his tongue as though he were imagining going down on me, lapping at my c.l.i.t with the tip of his tongue. His finger was almost too much, dipping further inside me.

"You're so f.u.c.king wet for me," he whispered. His voice, deep and resonant, echoed inside my head. I swallowed and closed my eyes as he ground his c.o.c.k against my a.s.s, his dipping and diving fingers sending me straight into the stratosphere.

I wanted to f.u.c.k him, badly. I panted and mewled against him as he thrust his c.o.c.k against me over and over. His free hand wandered over my b.r.e.a.s.t.s, down my rib cage, up to my throat. Long fingers closed over my windpipe and he pulled me into him, restricting my movements. I should have panicked, but I didn't. The feeling of being constrained, of being subjected to his carnal desires whether I wanted them or not, thrilled me darkly.

He held me fast, slipping another finger between my slick folds. I felt every rough, harsh ridge of the callouses on his fingers-the testament to his calling in life as a ba.s.sist-and when he lifted me with his leg, I let him tip my hips forward as he worked his way inside my core.

"Kent," I moaned.

"You'd be a great lay," he said. "I wish we had more time. I'm going to make you come, though. Are you ready?"

His dirty words sent shockwaves of heat through me, and I nodded as best I could from my pinned position.

"Good."

Withdrawing his hand from me, he released my throat before hooking his thumbs into the waistband of my pants. With a swift, strong yank he pulled down my underwear and my jeans.

"Stand," he said. "Brace against the back wall."

Swallowing, I did as I was told. My hands splayed out over cold, vibrating plastic, and the din of the engines drowned out all ambient noise-including the sound of a zipper. When I felt the hot, petal-soft flesh of his c.o.c.k come to rest between my a.s.s cheeks, I started and tried to twist away.

A hand fisted in my hair. "You only have to say no, and I'll stop," Kent said.

I shook my head as best I could with him holding me immobile. Each strand pulling from my scalp stung, but it was the good sort of pain, the kind that heightens pleasure. "Don't stop," I gasped.

That was enough. Carefully he reached down and put his fingers against my slick flesh again, delving into the dark s.p.a.ce between my thighs, parting the lips and revealing the inner core with his index finger and ring finger. His middle finger curled and he placed the calloused pad of it against my c.l.i.t.

I squirmed at the contact. And empty s.p.a.ce was opening inside me. It needed to be filled. If he didn't put his c.o.c.k in me, I was going to perish.

He didn't put his c.o.c.k in me, and I somehow lived. What he did instead was slide his hot, thick shaft between my legs. With soft, gentle thrusts, he gathered moisture from my core, lubing up my thighs and crotch, until he glided easily over my skin. Then, with quick, small strokes, he began to f.u.c.k my closed thighs. My eyes rolled and my legs shook. Waves of pleasure washed over me, delectable sensations that only intensified with each thrust, and every flick of his finger over my c.l.i.t made my entire body jump.

He picked up speed, his hips slapping against my a.s.s. I could hear the meeting of our bodies over the roar of the plane. I moaned, writhing around his finger on my c.l.i.t, my hands scrabbling for purchase inside the tiny cabin, and a climax began to coil deep in my stomach, tight and heavy.

Somewhere far away, my common sense was despairing. What are you doing? it asked me, but I didn't have an answer. All I knew was the attraction was chemical, something in the water, something in the air. I'd spent enough time f.u.c.king a terrible bully and a loser over the past four years-at least this time I was actually getting something out of it. I'd never been f.u.c.ked like this, and I wasn't even getting f.u.c.ked, technically. My toes curled in my shoes, sending me up on my tiptoes as my calves knotted with the tension of striving to reach my release.

Then my back was covered in warmth as Kent curled over me. The smell of him blotted out everything, the cloying scent of tobacco and rum wrapping around me. "f.u.c.k, Rebecca, your a.s.s is so sweet," he moaned into my ear, yanking my head to the side. His lips found my pulse, and he sucked and bit, his hips hammering against me faster and faster, the finger circling my c.l.i.t harder and more insistently.

My o.r.g.a.s.m built without mercy, something I couldn't escape, even if I wanted to. He felt it in my tensing muscles, in the fluttering of my nether lips over his slippery erection.

"f.u.c.k, come for me, Rebecca. Come for me, now!"

I sobbed, reaching for that release, and when the dam finally burst I shrieked and thrashed against him, my hands finding his hair, tangling and closing in it, holding him tightly against me as shudder after shudder ripped into my body.

My knees buckled and I nearly fell, but his arm around me held me up by my c.l.i.t. The rough caresses of his calloused musician's fingers strummed over my sensitive flesh, playing my body like an instrument, and the climax he wrung from it was the most intense thing I'd ever known. Everything was his hand in me, his hand in me was my world. The grungy, cramped airplane lavatory melted away, the horrible things he'd said to me and others were wiped from my mind, the desperation of my situation, the power he held over me, my past, his rock star lifestyle-whatever it was-all of it crumpled and imploded beneath the weight of our mutual need.

I still thrashed in the grip of my release when his hips stuttered and his rhythm, until now impeccable, became erratic, falling apart. The heavy sac of his t.e.s.t.i.c.l.es, slapping against my closed thighs, hitched high and tight as c.u.m pumped up and through his shaft, and when he thrust hard against me, his enormous c.o.c.k poked out from between my legs and squirted stream after stream of hot c.u.m against the back of the toilet seat. White cream splattered over the black lid, the physical proof of our transgression.

"f.u.c.k," he growled into my ear, his hands rough and restless on my body, gripping and pulling as if he could somehow crawl inside me. "f.u.c.k, you feel so G.o.dd.a.m.n good..."

For a moment we stood, barely supporting each other, panting as we came down from the high. Then, abruptly, Kent withdrew. I felt him shifting behind me, but by the time I turned around, he had already stuffed his c.o.c.k back into his pants. Not wanting to be outdone, I pulled up my own jeans.

I was thoroughly confused by now. Did this guy like me or hate me?

The smell of him was still overwhelming me, filling my head with thoughts of rough s.e.x and long nights full of champagne and roses and whips and chains...

Oh dear. Where had those thoughts come from? It couldn't just be his scent... could it?

Stupid smell, I griped, get out of my head! I ducked my face and zipped up my jeans with shaking hands, struggling to hide my confusion.

To his credit-or rather, to his credit since I didn't peg Kent Hudson to be the sort of person who would bother-Kent grabbed some toilet paper, wiped away the c.u.m from the back of the toilet seat, and flushed it away. Then he straightened and looked down at me.

I could see what was going to happen next. He was going to do the typical rock star manwh.o.r.e thing. He was going to use me and then throw me away like a Kleenex during a spank session. The good vibes of the half-f.u.c.k we'd just had were already melting into anger.

I'm sick of being used, I thought. I'm going to do the using from now on.

I took a deep breath. "Well," I said, "not bad. Thanks. But your going to have to do a lot more than that to convince me to take the job."

It was probably the jerkiest thing I'd ever said after s.e.x, and I immediately felt bad as his eyes widened. "I..." he started, then shut his mouth with a snap. His brows twitched, and for a terrible moment I thought I might have hurt his feelings. Then he seemed to get himself under control, and I wasn't sure I'd seen that flash of emotion at all. He gave me a cool nod, turned, and waltzed out of the bathroom.

The buzz of the plane roared around me. What the h.e.l.l did you just do? I thought furiously at myself. Even if he was going to use me up and throw me away, that didn't mean he didn't also have feelings. I mean... What did I mean? I had no idea. My thoughts were just a jumble, a cluttered amalgamation of confusion, l.u.s.t, and guilt.

I stood there for a minute, and it was one of the longest minutes I think I've ever had to endure. When I judged enough time had pa.s.sed, I slipped out the door and, on shaking legs, managed to stumble back to my seat, once again upsetting my businessman seat partner and startling a fart out of the old lady in the middle. I said nothing, only sat down in my seat and watched out the window as the wings bounced and wove their way through a cloudless sky.

Chapter Three.

We took a limo to the hotel where Carter Hudson was staying. The whole time we drove, Randy kept chattering away about his time in 'the biz' and all his weird little anecdotes about the people he'd rubbed elbows with. I tried to nod politely while attempting to strangle him with the power of my mind, but Kent didn't even bother with that facade. He was staring out the window and not meeting my eye. If I hadn't known he was a hot shot ba.s.sist who probably banged ten groupies a night, I would have sworn he was sulking.

The ride took us straight to the strip. I should have guessed that Carter was one of those guys who didn't take investing and saving seriously, so I shouldn't have been so shocked when we entered the Bellagio and headed for the penthouse. For all I knew, Carter was able to bill this s.h.i.t to the record label. Keep the talent happy, keep the money rolling in.

Kent had banished us to the overstuffed chairs in the lobby before he'd spoken briefly with the woman at the front desk, flashed his ID, then talked to a man obviously high up in the rankings at the hotel, before receiving a key. With a curt gesture, he indicated we should follow him. Randy leaped to his feet, and I stomped behind him, feeling like I'd somehow broken into this palace of opulence and was about to be arrested for contaminating the pretty people at any moment. We slipped down a beautifully decorated hallway to a private elevator. Kent swiped the key and we entered.

The elevator rose like a dream, fancy hydraulics hauling it into the air without all that lurching and shaking that old elevators used to do. Instead, we ascended smoothly, and when we reached the top, Kent swiped the card again, and let us out directly into the penthouse.

At least, I a.s.sume it was the penthouse. I'd expected something on the sw.a.n.ky side, and while this place sure had been sw.a.n.ky no more than a few hours ago, something had clearly happened to it to take away its sw.a.n.k cred.

For starters, it looked like a tornado had come through. Two tornadoes. Two tornadoes and they were fighting. Two tornadoes and they were fighting and then they had crazy angry make-up s.e.x. Because that was the only explanation I could think of for the level of destruction that met us.

Clothes were strewn everywhere. On lamp posts, on light fixtures, over the backs of chairs, cl.u.s.tered in a heap near the dining table. The dining table was transformed into a blanket fort, and I could have sworn I heard someone snoring inside it. Gla.s.s bottles and small shot gla.s.ses peppered every available surface, glittering in the desert sun that was now free to stream in through the windows because someone had ripped the curtains away to fortify the southern side of Fort Blankie. The cushions on the furniture was, to a pillow, completely MIA, someone had tried to play a game of shuffleboard on the marble floor, and an array of d.i.l.d.os in each color of the rainbow had been meticulously lined up on the granite top of the bar. I shuddered to think what was going on in the kitchen.

Behind us, Kent sighed. "All right. Eyes on me." Dutifully Randy and I turned, and we caught each other's eyes as we did so. I could see in his face a reflection of my own thoughts: what the h.e.l.l have we gotten ourselves into?

Kent crossed his arms, and I tried not to think about how well his coat hung and displayed his slender hips when he did so. A rush of blood from my head told me I was unsuccessful, and I had to physically pinch myself to drag my attention back to Kent's face.

To my surprise, he looked tired. Worn out. He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger before crossing his arms again. "I have already discussed this with Rebecca," he said, "but I want to be completely clear with the both of you. As you can see, my younger brother Carter, the band's guitarist and songwriter, likes to live a bit on the wild side. He has gone through a number of personal a.s.sistants, first employed by him, and then employed by myself. They have all found him too much to handle, and I can't say I blame them. What I'm looking for in a personal a.s.sistant, then, is a babysitter. Someone who can be stern with him and who will keep him from accidentally killing himself. This is a hard thing to do with a child, and harder to do with a grown man. I a.s.sure you that you will be well-compensated for your work. I have sat down and added things up. Due to Carter's difficulties in acting like an adult, I expect you to be on-call 24/7, and your pay will reflect that." He took a deep breath, then quoted a number that made a tiny atom bomb explode in my brain.

Holy s.h.i.t, I thought. Holy s.h.i.t. Holy s.h.i.t.

Holy s.h.i.t.

That kind of money... I couldn't even comprehend it. It would be a miracle to me. It would change my life.

Suddenly, I found myself not quite so ambivalent about the job as I had been before. My palms began to sweat.

Kent continued: "I will be asking whichever one of you does not get the job to sign a confidentiality agreement, and I will be happy to give you a reference to whomever you choose to apply to in the future. For now, I would like to see how you would perform your duties, which consist of: Keep Carter alive, keep Carter's indiscretions out of the media, curtail his spending to the best of your ability, and do your best to curb his alcohol and drug abuse."

I laughed out loud at that last one. Kent raised his eyebrows at me. "You think that's funny?" he asked, and there was a hardness to his voice that gave me shivers.

I shrugged, trying to be nonchalant. "I've known a lot of drug addicts," I said. "It's almost impossible to help them. Rock bottom and all that."

"Nevertheless," Kent said. "That would be part of your duties."

The impossible job from h.e.l.l, I thought. That explained why the money was so good...

Kent took a deep breath and appeared to compose himself. "All right, turn around and look around you. Pretend you are Carter's handler. He's escaped from you. You arrive here. This is what you see. What would you do in this situation?"

Both of us were silent, surveying the destruction. Unfortunately, I didn't think put a match to it and watch that motherf.u.c.ker burn was an acceptable answer.

Randy cleared his throat. "Well, first I would call you and ask you for instructions on how you wanted me to handle a situation as dire as this-"

Even I winced at that answer.

"No," Kent said, cutting him off. "If you think this situation is dire, then you might as well turn around and leave. This situation is par for the course, and I don't need you calling me every twelve hours asking what you should do. Try again."

Kent began to sweat, working his hands at his sides as though he could grab the correct answer from his a.s.s. "Er... I guess I would first call housekeeping..."

Kent gave an exasperated sigh, and he sounded exactly like my father did whenever one of us kids managed to get our dumb a.s.ses into trouble again. "No," he snapped. "Rebecca?"

I looked around the penthouse. What would I do, if I wanted to keep this under wraps?

"Um... I think first I would go find Carter. No, wait. First I'd make sure nothing's on fire, then I'd find Carter."

Behind me, Kent was silent for a second, then he grunted. "Fine. That answer is acceptable. Both of you, go."

Randy, clearly hoping to show that he wasn't as useless as he had already demonstrated, darted forward like a shot, rounding the bar to peer into the kitchen. I left him to it and began to pick my way across the floor. It was littered with gla.s.s and was sticky in places. A few used condoms stuffed in unlikely places made me shudder, but nothing seemed to be actively burning down. I made a beeline for the blanket fort and lifted one side of it, peering into the dimness.

A pretty young woman with long blonde hair and wearing nothing but a bustier lay on a mound of pillows, fast asleep, her legs indecently spread and a scattering of condoms littering the pillows around her.

My stomach turned. Grabbing one of the blankets from the fort, I gently covered her, my mind already racing with the implications. What if she'd been raped? What if Carter's DNA was in one of those condoms. I didn't want to hide that, at all. That was the sort of thing that should reach the media.

Kent appeared at my shoulder, crouching down next to me. It was totally inappropriate, but I felt a heady rush of desire at the whiff of his scent that wafted my way. I clenched my jaw as Kent shook his head. "Showgirl," he said. "I'll get her to a new room, see if I can't find her clothes."

"What if she was raped?" I said.

He went still next to me, then sighed. "I'll leave my number with her. But I doubt it was rape. If we can find her clothes I bet you'll find a fat wad of bills stuffed inside her purse."

Ugh. Maybe it was true, but maybe it wasn't. I felt ill at the thought of leaving a rape victim alone in a strange room, but I didn't know what to do. Should I trust Kent? Would he really leave his number with her? I stole a glance at him from the corner of my eye and saw that the tired look on his face was even more p.r.o.nounced. "Go find Carter," he said.

I supposed I really had no choice but to trust him at this point, since there was no way to slip her my own number and be a.s.sured that it would get to her. I stood up and rounded the rest of the room, taking meticulous stock of the damage that had been done. It continued to be breathtaking. When I was done, Randy had already finished his survey of the kitchen and lingered in front of the bedroom. I walked over to him, and together we entered it.

The bedroom suite seemed to have fared slightly better than the living room, but the sheets and comforters were still all thrown off the bed, and a pair of fuzzy purple handcuffs dangled from the headboard. A huge dog, approximately the size of a tiger, curled up in the mess of bedclothes, watching us with one dark, blood-shot eye, while apparently grabbing it's light afternoon snooze with the other. I grabbed Randy's hand and edged around it, toward the bathroom. Randy inhaled sharply at the sight of such an enormous predator so close to him, but the shock was quickly supplanted by something else.