Bulletproof (13 page)

I stopped her lips before they took me, and I lost all power to think straight. She read my gaze and moved back with a smirk, her hands making a wide circle over the polished floor as she shifted away from me. I dropped to my knees and crawled toward her, my lips touching her pointed toes and working their way up the terrain of her shapely legs. I took my time, letting the song wash over us as I reached her center.

I lingered there, kissing, caressing, thriving in the mounting energy building inside of her.

Morgan’s soft panting increased in tempo, her fingers scraping over my head as an orgasm rocketed through her. She arched her back and I supported her weight as she cried out, her legs trembling. Slowly she lowered herself back to the floor and with a smile, I kissed her stomach, my tongue spinning around her belly button.

“Please, Sean,” she whispered, her hips rising from the floor and hitting my torso.

“All of Me” by John Legend played over us. It was the perfect song, because it was true. This beauty beneath me could have every part of me. My world made sense when she was in it.

With a luxurious smile I slid up her body, thinking about the gift I had tucked in my jacket pocket as I held myself over her and lightly kissed her chin.

“Oh, now you’re just being mean.” Her brown eyes hit me, demanding more from this dance.

With a soft chuckle, I entered her. A sweet sigh escaped her lips, landing on my cheek and once again confirming everything I felt for her.

I kept the rhythm slow to match the music, a luxurious ride of pleasure that still sent us soaring. Our rhythm changed as we created our own crescendo, fire shooting through me as Morgan’s satin center sent me over the edge.

With a low moan I shuddered inside her, resting my lips against her silky neck and wishing time would stop.

“Every Time I Close My Eyes” by Babyface clicked on. I leaned away from my lover, gazing down at her beautiful face and tucking away a loose lock of hair. Her smile was languid, her eyes glowing.

“I love you,” she mouthed.

I kissed those luscious lips that made me whole.

“I love you too...and I’m not ashamed of that.”

She broke eye contact, ready to wriggle away from me, but I pinned her to the floor, the gentle pressure from my hips locking her into place.

“I’m sorry I’m not ready to flaunt the fact you’re my girl, baby, but you have to believe that you are. You are the only one.”

She stopped struggling and looked at me. “I know. I just...” She shook her head with a sad smile. “I love that you want to protect me.” She squeezed my shoulders.

“I do.” I licked my bottom lip. “But I also want you to be happy and I never, ever want you to doubt how I feel about you.”

A soft blush lit her cheeks.

“I got you somethin’.” Not wanting to move away from her, I stretched my arm as far as it would go, nabbing my jacket with my fingertips and pulling it toward us. Her giggles cut short as she saw me pull a small box from the pocket.

“Now, don’t freak out; it’s not an engagement ring.”

“O-kay.” Her eyes narrowed.

I flicked the box open to reveal a white-gold band with three sapphires inlaid. “It’s a promise ring. I’m claiming you, girl, and I may not want to shout it from the rooftops yet, but every time you look at your hand, I want you to know that I love you and that ain’t changin’.”

Her lips trembled with a smile and relief flooded through me.

Putting my weight on my elbows, I pulled the ring free and gently slid it onto the middle finger of her right hand. It fit snugly over her knuckle, and I raised her hand to my lips.

“Thank you.” Her fingers glided down my face.

“Come on.” I finally slid out of her, rising to my knees and pulling her up beside me. “Let’s spend the night at your place.”

“Spend the night.” Her eyebrows rose.

“Means I can sleep in for an extra thirty minutes.” I shrugged.

She chuckled, looking at the ring on her finger and then back up at me. “And who says I’m gonna let you sleep?”

The mischievous twinkle in her eye made me growl, and I captured her in my arms, nibbling her neck and making her burst with laughter.

We did eventually make it back to her place, but she was right. Sleeping with Morgan’s luscious form beside me was near impossible.

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

MORGAN

“He spent the whole night?”

“Uh-huh.” I grinned, gulping back the childish squeal I wanted to set free. My mood was so good I felt like I could sprout wings and fly.

It helped that Jody was actually sounding upbeat for a change.

“Well, good for you, sis. I take it this isn’t a one-time thing.”

“Nope, he’s come over about six times in the last two weeks, and he’ll be here after his family lunch today...and now that we’re on winter break, he can stay here for as long as he likes.”

My smile was indulgent, I could tell. Sean Jaxon for an entire night had been perfection. We’d hardly gotten any sleep and dragged our butts through work the next two days, but then he’d come back again on the Saturday night...and spent most of Sunday here as well...and then the next Tuesday and Thursday... I twirled the sapphire ring on my finger and let out a giddy sigh.

“Okay, well, I guess I’ll let you go primp and shave,” Jody giggled.

“No, wait. I want to talk Christmas. I still can’t decide what to get Dad, and it’s only five days away. I thought we could go shopping when you get here. What day are you arriving?”

“Uh...Christmas Eve.”

“Not until Christmas Eve? Didn’t school finish for you on Friday?” My eyes shot to my phone on the counter. I leaned toward it as I waited for her reply to come through the speaker.

“Yeah, but you’re not the only people in my life. Some of my friends are doing a few party things, and I don’t want to miss them.”

My good mood scuttled into hiding as I crossed my arms and glared at the screen. “Partying things? What’s going on with you at the moment? You get drunk off your face at Thanksgiving, you leave for Tucson the next day without even saying goodbye to me—”

She groaned. “Would you let that go already. I’ve said sorry like a hundred times.”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “I know, I just...it was so out of character. I’m worried about you, Jo-Jo.”

“Stop! Please! I’m fine! Is it so wrong that I’d like to have a little fun with my new friends before dragging my butt home for some boring little Christmas dinner with Dad and Grandma?”

“What the hell, Jody! We’re your family.”

“Look, don’t get all pissy with me, okay. I’ve already made my decision. Dad’s fine with it. One of the girls here lives in LA; she’s dropping me home on her way back. It’s all worked out perfectly.”

I humphed.

She let out an exasperated sigh. “What do you want from me?”

I nibbled at my lip, glaring at my phone. “Nothing, I just can’t help feeling like you’re hiding something.”

Her pause told me everything.

I rolled my eyes. “Look, I know I’m not your mother, but I’m here for you, always. I just want to make sure you’re safe and happy.”

My fingers tapped on the counter as I waited for her to respond.

After another long pause she muttered, “I am. My life here is great... just let me live it, okay?”

“I love you, Jo-Jo.”

“Love you too,” her voice wavered. “I gotta go. See you in a few— See ya.”

Her phone clicked off and the worries I’d managed to push aside surged forward like a bullet train.

What kind of trouble was my little sister getting herself into? Getting drunk enough to throw up? Partying? Maybe I should be popping down there to surprise her. Find out a little more about this boyfriend and meet some of her friends.

I snatched the phone off the counter, ready to dial Ella and find out if Jody had told her more than she was willing to tell me, but the doorbell rang.

I glanced at my watch. Sean wasn’t due for another half hour. Maybe he was early. Thank God! I needed distracting from these issues with my evasive kid sister.

Honestly!

I threw back the door, ready to leap into his arms, but was stopped short by a very unexpected sight.

“Rhonda?” I gripped the door handle. “Um, hi.”

“Hello, Morgan.”

I forced a smile. “How do you...know where I live?”

“I can find out anything I need to.” She stepped into my apartment, forcing me to shuffle back and open the door wider.

With a frown, I closed the door and followed her into my place.

“So, what can I do for you?” I should have been offering her a drink, but we hadn’t exactly warmed to each other yet, and I wanted her gone before Sean arrived.

She spun to face me, holding out a wrapped gift. I took it from her, admiring the green and red paper.

“Just a little Christmas present for you.”

“You came to give me a Christmas present?”

“And to have a chat.” She placed her purse on my coffee table and sat in the single-seater opposite me. I lowered myself to the sofa, keeping a careful eye on her as I undid the bow. Inside was a box of decadent chocolate truffles. I smiled at her.

“Thank you.” I slid them onto the table.

She flicked her fingers. “Don’t worry about it. Just me looking after my client’s interests.” She winked.

I forced a laugh. For some reason, I couldn’t shake my disquiet.

Rhonda smoothed down her straight, knee-length skirt and swiveled to face me head on. “I’ll get to the point. I’m concerned about Sean.”

“O-kay.” My forehead wrinkled. “To be honest, I’m surprised by that. Things seem to be going very well for him at the moment.”

Rhonda pulled in a breath and held it for a beat too long before letting it go and pasting on a smile I didn’t buy for a microsecond.

“Listen, Sean and I have a really positive working relationship, and I don’t want to do anything to upset that.”

“That’s good.” Nerves skittered through my belly. Where the hell was she going with this?

“My main concern is making sure Sean’s career is a success.”

“Well, that
is
your job.” I would normally be much more open and friendly with a visitor, but the underlying hostility oozing off this woman was making it impossible.

“Listen, sugar, I get that he’s infatuated with you. I think that’s really sweet and all, but I’d ask you to be cautious. Sean doesn’t need any bad publicity.”

My eyebrows rose and I forced a smile, swallowing back the flurry of words I wanted to unleash. She thought I was bad publicity for him? Hello blatant insult!

I swallowed, lifting my chin and forcing a serene smile. “Sean wants to keep things quiet, so you don’t need to worry about that.”

“Yes, I know, but he has been spending quite a few nights here recently. How’s that keeping things quiet?” She eyed the ring on my finger, her brow arching as she reached for my hand and studied the sapphires.

“He parks around the block.” I snatched my hand back and tucked it under my leg.

“Oh, well then.” Her chuckle was hard. “I’m glad he’s taking my advice. I just hope you will too.”

“And what advice do you have for me?” It was hard to get the words out.

She gave me a patronizing smile, her head tipping to the side. “Sean’s career is just taking off. This show is sending him in a new direction, giving him a new face, if you will. It’s his chance to put the whole Abigail debacle behind him and really surge forward...become an A-lister, like he deserves to be.”

“If that’s what he wants, I hope he makes it.”

“Oh he
will
make it...as long as nothing gets in his way. He really doesn’t need any distractions right now.”

I felt the snap inside me; it turned my gaze hard. I sent a silent warning firing across the coffee table.

“If you think I’m going to break up with Sean because you want me to, you can think again. He’s a big boy; he can make his own decisions. If he doesn’t want to be with me anymore, then so be it, but like hell I’m gonna let you come into my house and manipulate this situation to work in your favor. He’s not a puppet, and he’s allowed to love whoever he wants.”

Her back pinged straight, her hard gaze matching mine head-on. “He doesn’t need some prissy little girlfriend complaining about his life behind the scenes, putting demands on him and forcing him into a corner.”

Is that what she thought I was doing? I pulled in a sharp breath through my nose.

“There are certain things we need to push to give him the best chance at public success.”

“What kinds of things?” My eyes narrowed.

She pursed her lips and ran a finger over her left eyebrow. “All I’m asking, Miss Pritchett, is that you don’t get in the way of Sean’s career. He’s a very talented man, and he deserves all the positive exposure he can get...and he certainly doesn’t need some
nobody
whispering in his ear, demanding that he flaunt her to the world. I know he told you what Travis said to him, and if I’m honest, I’m highly annoyed that you would try to pressure him to say anything on your behalf. Fight your own damn battles, Miss Pritchett, but leave my client out of it.”

My eyes bulged, my mouth dropping open at her harsh tone.

“It’d be a different story if I was dealing with a hot celebrity, but Morgan, you’re a nobody...and how is that going to move Sean into the elite? We don’t want Married to Who-the-hell-is-that-chick on his IMDb page. You get me?”

An arctic breeze rushed up my throat, drying out all my fiery words. Before I could even form a rebuttal, she stood and walked for the door.

“I want you to have a careful think about Sean’s future. It’s Christmas break now.” She waved her hand around the apartment. “Hide away in here if you need to, spend every day in bed together if that’s what it takes to get him out of your system, but come the New Year, I really expect you to pull back. I have plans for this talented man, and they don’t include you. Don’t jeopardize his entire future out of selfish desire, please. If you love him, you’ll walk away.”

The door clicked shut behind her, and I sat frozen on the couch.

What the fuck just happened?

I felt like I was waking up from a nightmare.

Who the hell did she think she was? Did Sean even know she’d come?

The doorbell rang.

What? Had she not finished?

I lurched from my seat, charging toward the door and ripping it open.

“What!”

Sean flinched, his dark eyebrows bunching into a frown.

My shoulders sagged. “Sorry, I thought you were someone else.”

“Who?” His blue eyes rounded.

I tsked and walked back to the couch, letting him close the door behind us. I was surprised he hadn’t seen her leaving. She must have scuttled away pretty damn fast.

“Baby, what’s wrong?”

Slumping down, I leaned my elbows onto my knees and flicked the box of chocolates toward him. “Rhonda came to give me a gift.”

“Really?” He sat down beside me, running his large hand up my back. His touch made everything instantly better. “That was nice of her.”

“Yeah, really nice.” My eyebrows rose to match my sharp sarcasm.

He gave me a sidelong glance, accompanied with a funny smirk.

I sighed. “She came by to tell me to stop pressuring you.”

“Pressuring me?”

“Yeah, I think she’s annoyed by how much time we’re spending together and that we’re not being careful enough. Did you tell her what I said to you in the office the other week...about standing up to Travis?”

He shrugged. “I tell her everything.”

“I wish you wouldn’t.”

He frowned.

“Now she’s treating me like the bad guy. Like I’m somehow trying to ruin your career.”

“She’s just stressin’. She does that.”

“She doesn’t want us together, Sean.” I swiveled to face him, my knee pressing into his.

“That’s not her decision.”

“I know that! Do you?”

He frowned at me, looking slightly pissed that I was questioning him.

I dropped my gaze, running a finger up the bridge of my nose and pressing it into my forehead.

“Look, Rhonda and I have always worked closely together and I trust her. She saved my career after the Abigail thing.”