Rock Steady (17 page)

That idea conflicted with so many things she’d believed to be true until she’d met him.

Well, there was no arguing the feeling.

None whatsoever.

* * *

“You were proving a point to me.”

Ramsey had been watching her sleep. Or wake up, as it were. The first thing she saw was his face when she opened her eyes the next morning. He was on his side, his head resting in his hand, his dark gaze on her.

“Well…” She blinked, trying to jump-start her brain and not sound like a complete idiot.

“Getting even with me,” he continued, as though she was alert enough to follow the conversation.

She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. “That’s a little harsh.”

He sat up, looking too big by far for her to handle so early in the morning. “Right on the money. You wanted to push me around the same way I did you.”

“Look, it’s too early in the morning for your commitment issues.” She crawled out of the bed and tried to pull her clothing into some semblance of order.

Ramsey was buck naked. His pants were lying across the back of a chair. He was so damned at ease in his skin, it actually pissed her off. She didn’t like thinking about how often he woke up in the buff with women.

“Don’t be a bitch.”

“Then don’t be a dick,” she shot back before throwing her hands into the air. “You’re looking for a fight, and I’m not interested.”

“Because you still don’t like what I have to say,” he countered. “I’m not the guy you think I am.”

She stopped with her hand on the door. It would have been wiser to keep going. But she turned around and stalked back toward him. He stiffened, but she reached down and locked her hand around his nape, pressing her mouth against his before he moved. His lips were frozen and stiff. She pressed a firm kiss against his mouth anyway before withdrawing.

“Don’t tell me what to think.” She flipped around, intending to make a clean getaway.

Ramsey hooked her around the waist and turned her back to face him. His eyes glittered with need. She got only a glimpse before he pressed his mouth against hers, threading his hand through her hair to hold her steady. It was a hard kiss, full of all the conflicting emotions inside him. He ravished her mouth, opening her lips and thrusting his tongue deep inside.

She retaliated by sucking on it, boldly meeting him, refusing to be intimidated by his experience. His cock pressed into her belly, the hard presence setting off a throbbing in her clit.

“Goddamnit.” He suddenly released her, stepping away.

They stood there for a moment, both of them breathing heavily. The arousal was tangible, like a tension they shared.

“You’re making me crazy.”

Ramsey spoke, but Jewel felt like he was vocalizing what they were feeling. The need was growing, jerking at both of them. What bothered her most was how uncontrollable it was for them. He’d seemed so confident, so capable of rejecting her, that it had given her a false sense of security. She might fail, but it wouldn’t matter, because he’d refuse her in the end.

That wasn’t happening.

It scared her.

And there was no shame in admitting it, only a very frightening wisdom in looking it square on and acknowledging the reality.

She ended up back in her room, leaning against the door as she tried to quell the urge to call her mom and book a bus ticket home.

Ramsey was going to smash her world to bits. The problem was, she was more afraid of missing the opportunity than of the consequences. Scared she’d kick herself for years over the discarded opportunity.

She was an idiot.

But she was staying, because she couldn’t hide from herself.

* * *

Show night had a vibe all its own.

Jewel started to feel it before noon. The crew was moving around, their steps lighter. Brenton was flashing his smile. Kate was in her workshop, while Jewel enjoyed having her own space. It really was a marvel the way the crew transformed a hotel into a living space while they were there.

Her workshop was empty today as the crew started making their way toward the arena where the concert was going to be held. Steven was hovering, clearly restless as the afternoon stretched on into evening. Jewel took the time to make sure her equipment was clean and worked on a new piece for her sketchbook.

“That’s wicked.”

She jumped, her hand slipping. Her unexpected company grabbed her wrist, lifting it away from the sketch.

“Wouldn’t want that piece to be ruined now, would we, luv?”

Jewel twisted away and stood up. The guy was a pistol, sharp and deadly. His eyebrows were slashes, clearly professionally maintained. He had a head of golden, honey-blond hair that was spiked up in front but short on the back of his head. An earring winked at her from his ear as he grinned, clearly pleased with getting the jump on her.

“I’m Rage,” he offered in a deep-timbered tone that sent a little shiver down her spine. It was like liquid dark chocolate, that voice.

“I said I’d introduce you,” Kate said from the doorway. Her hair was held in a clip on top of her head, which Jewel had come to recognize as her working mode. “If Jewel lets Steven kick your tail for sneaking up on her, you’ll have it coming.”

Rage offered her a short chuckle. “Bring it on. No one lets me have any fun anymore. Not since Sammy got hot under the collar about the stitches on my chin.”

Jewel considered the chin in question and found the faint pink line marking his skin.

“Hey…What am I? Chopped liver?” Another man appeared behind Kate. He had slightly longer hair, but it was styled to the extreme. “Hmm…” He made a low, rumbling sound in his throat. “On second thought… Nice score, Rage.”

“That’s Dare,” Rage offered.

“They’re known as Act of Fury,” Kate supplied. “Samuel Moss produces them as well as Toxsin. Sam sent them over, since they don’t know how to take care of their leather any better than our boys.”

“I am definitely a bad boy, darlin’,” Rage said, “but I’m also a real good man when it counts.”

He’d turned his attention back to Jewel as he finished. She propped her hand on her hip and rolled her eyes.

Rage snickered. “I’m going to have to do better than that to shock you, aren’t I?”

Jewel nodded.

“Come on,” Kate said to Dare. “You’re making me miss my husband’s show. So let’s make this a good fitting.”

“We flew in. Isn’t that worth missing a show you’ve seen over and over?” Dare asked as Kate left him standing in the hallway. He ended up following her.

Jewel faced Rage. He’d parked himself against the wall, but she didn’t buy the relaxed pose for a second. He was gauging her.

“Is there something I can do for you?” she asked.

“Maybe. Since you’re approved by the big man, I can consider letting you loose on my skin.” He pushed away from the wall and snatched the sketchbook from the table.

“Approved?” she questioned.

Rage nodded as he turned to the sketch she’d been working on. “As in, you signed the confidentiality agreement and turned over the exclusive rights on the dragon you did for Ramsey. Image is something Sammy gets possessive about. I can’t have just anyone inking me.”

He tapped the new sketch. “This is really dark. You’re pissed at someone.”

“Maybe I know enough about my business to know dark sells well,” she answered. “I mean, you don’t exactly look like the pony and butterfly sort, and a lot of my clients look like you.”

He scoffed at her. “They wish they looked like me.”

She had to smile, because that was true in more cases than she cared to admit. A few mental images rose up to torment her. What had been seen could not be unseen. “Point taken.”

He was going through her book, but she felt like he was seeing the sketches differently than most of her clients. He was another artist. He didn’t dismiss the personal element so many people were just blind to.

“I heard you did the dragon personally for Ramsey,” Rage said when he’d reached the end of the book.

“Yes.” She didn’t go into details about the rescue necessity.

He set the book down and pegged her with a hard look. “What do you see for me?”

“I don’t really know you well enough.” She was hedging. There was something about him that was intense, like Ramsey, only she wasn’t interested. In fact, her hackles were raised.

He suddenly grinned, like she’d presented him with an opening. “In that case, I’m taking you to dinner. So you can get to know me.”

“Ah…” Her mouth hung open as he reached out and tried to claim her wrist. She lifted her arm out of his reach, at least until he decided to lunge for it.

And she got the distinct impression he wouldn’t hesitate to do exactly what he wanted.

“Unless I make you nervous,” he said.

He might as well have called her “chicken” straight out.

“Dinner is cool,” she said slowly, relieved her voice came out even. “Holding my hand isn’t. We just met, after all.”

He pushed his lower lip out in a pout before he gestured toward the door. Jewel didn’t care for how much she hesitated. It was dinner with a prospective client. She picked up her bag and turned back around to face him. It was what she’d wanted when she’d taken Ramsey’s offer, after all. The chance to establish herself as a serious artist.

So why did she feel so hollow?

Chapter 5

Steven stuck with them, as well as two other bodyguards obviously attached to Rage. The three men had their hands full when Rage escorted her through the entrance of the hotel. The paparazzi surged to life, stepping past the barriers as they dispensed with civilized behavior.

“Jewel… Jewel… Are you dating Rage now?”

“Are you Ramsey’s submissive? Is he sharing you?”

Rage laid an arm across her back as the cameras closed in, shielding her while half-carrying her to the waiting car.

“Jewel isn’t the type of girl a man shares,” Rage said, distracting the horde of press by giving them something to listen to. “A smart man knows she’s the best there is and recognizes what a lucky bastard he is. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to wine and dine her as she deserves.”

There were shouts of agreement and more than one thumbs-up before he dropped into the limo beside her and the door sealed the paparazzi outside.

“That was—” Jewel began to protest.

“Good for image,” Rage cut her off. “As well as making it clear we hold you in high esteem. They’ll be a little less likely to run you off the road when they realize they might catch hell from both bands over it.”

“You heard about that?”

He sent her a serious look. “Security details need to be shared. You wouldn’t want me to make the same mistake with a girl, would you?”

“I guess not.”

He flashed her another one of those grins that implied he was getting everything he wanted. “But you’re not too sure you like me knowing your personal details?”

“Pretty much,” she answered.

He offered her a shrug. “Reality can be a real hassle from time to time.”

She ended up laughing, maybe at herself, but it really didn’t matter because it cut through the tension.

“I’m going to be really disappointed if you take me to a high-class restaurant.” She mimicked a yawn. “Like a…nice guy.”

“I see what Ramsey likes about you.” Rage pulled his cell phone out of his inner jacket pocket and punched in a text. The limo turned a few moments later.

When he made eye contact with her again, there was a sparkle in his blue eyes—he was plotting.

Well…bring it on.

* * *

Ramsey wiped his face the moment he made it into the performers’ room. His hair was full of sweat, and his chest was covered too. The crowd roared, and music started to blare outside in the parking lot as the fans made it to their cars and began the after-show party. It would go on until they were evicted from the property, only to be carried on to houses all over the city.

He seriously loved his job.

“Where’s Kate?” Taz asked.

Syon took a long drink from a bottle of water. He lowered the bottle and sent Ramsey a disgruntled look. “Sammy wanted her to deal with Rage and Dare. Flew them in early so she could measure them.” His tone made it clear he didn’t care to know his wife was anywhere near the other rockers.

“And you didn’t think to tell me that?” Ramsey demanded.

Syon drank again and sent him a confused look. “What’s your problem? Kate’s my wife.”

“The problem is Rage better keep his paws off Jewel. He’s a damned poacher, and you know it.”

“Careful,” Taz said, “it sounds like you give a shit. That sort of thing might ruin the perception that you don’t care about her.”

Ramsey flipped Taz off. Drake responded with a two-finger, profane English gesture.

“You two can suck my dick,” Ramsey said as he found his cell phone and swiped the screen. The moment he did, it chirped to life, multiple messages appearing.

“That son of a bitch!” Ramsey exploded. “I’m going to kick his ass! And Sammy can fuck off for all I care.”

Taz and Syon looked over at what had Ramsey pissed. There was a full color shot of Rage with his arm around Jewel.

“That’s kind of bad,” Taz agreed. “But you can’t kick his ass.”

“Watch me.” Ramsey punched at the screen of his cell phone, scowling when he didn’t get what he wanted from it. “Shit. Jewel’s cell phone location chip doesn’t work.”

“Yeah, we knew that,” Drake said.

“Brenton?” Ramsey called out. “Find out where Rage took her.”

Brenton weighed the request. Ramsey snorted and turned around to sit in a makeup chair. Charlene was used to him, but she hung back for a moment, judging his mood.

“What the fuck?” he demanded of pretty much everyone in the room. “I’m jealous. So what? I’d think you’d all be happy.”

Syon rolled his lips in to cover the grin he was fighting. Drake lifted a beer to his mouth to avoid the issue. Taz, on the other hand, gave him an approving nod that was salt in the wound. Charlene muttered something under her breath that sounded way too much like a prayer before she started removing his makeup.

He was jealous.

But there was no way in hell he was going to do anything about it.