Infinity (18 page)

Their moves were fluid, beautiful, punctuating every emotion in my voice without a misstep and when the music stopped, I rolled my last note, taking a deep breath to swallow my emotions. Bowing and smiling at the thunderous roar, clapping and feet stomping that erupted.

Diego stepped behind me, wrapping me in his muscular arms ending with a loud kiss on my cheek. “And that’s how you do it.”

“Every time,” I looked up at him, kissing him on his cheek with a loud smack before walking by the still clapping dancers. Mumbling “Thank you,” distracted by Boulder who was waiting silently to escort me to my dressing room.

Walking past him, I tried to formulate the golden question without confirming all the rumors that I was crazy. He went to place a hand on my lower back and I flinched. His mouth tightened as he gave me wide berth allowing me to set the pace.

He growled under his breath, “Now I’m some kind of piranha?”

I continued walking with my head held high with emotions pinging all over as we passed a crowded section of the backstage. I stopped abruptly, his chest bumping into my back, “Do you really want me to go there right now?” I looked around the crowded hallway.

“I don’t give a shit, Infinity. I’m not ashamed of what I am. But can you say the same for yourself?” he grabbed my necklace, twisting the bronzed winged pendant around his finger dragging me to him.

Gritting my teeth, I placed my palms against his chest before responding. “Let go of my necklace.”

He pressed his finger against my neck. “Interesting necklace. Where did you get it?”

He was pissing me off because now we were causing a scene. My eyes narrowed, “Boulder, let go of my necklace.”

“Answer,” he growled.

I sighed because I was close to yanking away and breaking my necklace, I was stuck. “It was a gift from my mother. I’ve had it since birth. Now let the fuck go.”

He wrapped his arms around my waist dragging me closer. “Your mother’s name?” he whispered in my ear.

“Why are you all in my business?” I tried to pull away but his arms were like bands of steel.

“I like to know all I can about the woman who I’ve claimed as mine.”

“Claim?”

“Did I fucking stutter? Claim as in without a doubt you will be mine.”

I knew from the stubborn look in his eyes there would be no rationalizing with him. A crowd gathered around pretending to work. “Can we please have this conversation in the privacy of my dressing room?”

“Sure, if you promise not to lock me out once you get there.”

Shit. Sly bastard
. How did he know that was exactly what I planned to do?

“Fine”

He released me and I traipsed down the hall with him strolling behind me. As soon as the door clicked shut behind him I whirled to face him angrily.

“What the hell man? I don’t do bullying and caveman shit. That in the hallway was unacceptable." I poked him in the chest. “Got it?”

He backed me into the leather sofa causing me to fall into a clumsy sitting position. He sniffed the air. “It also seems like you don’t do a lot of other things too.”

Oh crap
, there was no way he could know that. I schooled my face into a blank mask. “Meaning?”

He smirked all sexy like, but this time I wanted to smack it right off his face. “You’re a virgin. I can smell it all over you.”

I sputtered, knowing that I was blushing from embarrassment. “What?”

He sat on the ottoman pulling it so close that my knees were between his legs. “Stop stalling, who’s your mother?”

No one ever asked that, in fact, every time I mentioned she was dead they clucked sympathetically and moved on. But now somehow me telling him her name felt wrong, like divulging some dark secret. “She’s dead, so why does it matter?”

He reached over and stroked my cheek. “Trust me on this, okay?”

I prided myself as being a good bullshit detector a skill honed from dealing with the bottom feeders of the industry and honestly, I didn’t pick up anything from him. I sighed heavily, “Mist.”

He leaned in with narrowed eyes, “Mist?”

“That was her name. She died while giving birth to me,” I paused. “So what are you going to do with the information? Sell it to the media? Write a book? What?”

He grabbed my face between his hands. “Does it look like I’m hard up for money?”

My stomach rolled. He didn’t, but I’ve been disappointed and sold out by so many people in my life, the trust factor wasn’t something that I had a lot of. “I don’t know anything about you, Boulder. Nothing.”

“There’s plenty of time for that.”

I licked my suddenly dry lips. “That’s the other thing. I don’t do relationships. So if you think we’re going to date or get serious, you’re in for a rude awakening. If....and that’s a big if, we get past me not putting an order of protection against you by the end of the night. We can hang all casual like...” There, I said it.

His face tightened, “You mean casual fucking?”

I blanched, “You don’t have to be all vulgar about it, but yes!”

“Darlin’, that’s not happening. There’s nothing casual about what I want from you.” He brushed my cheek with his big fingers. I leaned into his touch.

“Sorry. I don’t do relationships. It’s not in my DNA.” I pulled away. He was going to have accept this cold fact. No attachments. Ever.

He cupped my jaw. “You mean before me.”

“Whatever. Before you, after you, it’s all the same thing.” I leaned back, examining him.

“Look, I’m not asking for a commitment. Yet.” He snarled.

I started to interrupt, but he cut me off. “And yes, I’ve fucked around casually.”

I smirked, “You mean you’re fucking around casually because you’re sure as hell are not a virgin my friend.”

“Yes, I’m fucking around casually, but I’m willing to try something different. With you.”

His admission made me squirm uncomfortably. Who the hell was he sleeping with? “A man attempting honesty. Refreshing and wholesome.”

He smiled, “I’m trying here. Just be open.”

He’s a freaking optimist. While I knew this thing...whatever this thing was, wouldn’t last past tonight. “Let’s see where it goes.”

“This is not a conceited statement.”

I rolled my eyes, “Big Red. Really?”

“Are you always this difficult?”

I pursed my lips, “I’m worse without my morning coffee. You should note that now.”

“Duly noted. As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted. You’re the first woman I’ve had to convince to even give me a chance.”

I leaned in with a wide grin, cupping his face. “There’s a first time for everything. Like me not kicking your ass out of my dressing room. Or me not calling security. Oh wait, you are security.”

He grasped my legs, draping them over his knees, crowding my space. “Smart ass.”

He plunged his hands into my hair, grasping my neck possessively. His demanding tongue licked my lips before plunging in like a man on a mission. Oh how I loved his mission. He tugged and grabbed my hair, letting his hand wander to my neck.

Freaking hell, he tasted so damn delicious as he pursued me over and over. Laying claim to my lips, burning his possession, and without a doubt letting his intention be known, that I was his whether I wanted to accept it or not.

My hand fisted into his black t-shirt as he maneuvered my head back to open up further for him. I was panting like a woman that couldn’t get enough, and I couldn’t. The more he demanded, the more I wanted, no needed to give. Instinctively, I let my fear go, running my tongue over his lips, tangling my tongue with his. I felt euphoric. I felt possessed. He growled low in his chest, something between an animal and tantalizing call of possession that called to the deepest recesses of my soul.

I pulled my lips away as he laid his forehead against mine. “You’re a wolf shifter,” I rasped and swallowed.

He claimed my mouth, sucking on my lips and exploring me with his tongue. “Yes,” He said against my lips.

“You all are.”

His green eyes bored into mine. “We all are.” He paused as if waiting for me to freak out. How could I when something in me knew from the moment that I stepped out of the car, that this was exactly what he was—something...Other. I nodded with acceptance as his lips kissed me quickly before continuing. “And I don’t think that you’re human. But this is something that I think I will leave up to Kara to confirm.”

This was not something that I accepted; more like expected and freaking out about my situation wouldn’t change the facts. I nodded as he squeezed my hand then kissed my forehead. “Yeah, she has a hell of a lot explaining to do.”

He ran his fingers across my thighs before pulling us both to stand up. “I suggest that you don’t think about this too much until after your show. I’ll let you get ready.”

We wrapped our arms around each other before he reluctantly let go and walked out. I plopped down on the sofa, resting my forehead in my hands when there was a knock on the door, and Zoe sauntered in closing the door quickly.

“So, did you and the Viking have sex and makeup?”

“Really?” I rolled my eyes, “Just met him, even I’m not that pressed.”

“Don’t even pretend to be some prude.” She pointed at me, “Your lips look well kissed and your hair is sticking up all over the place like you were rolling around in some hot make-out session. So I know that you gave him a little something, something.”

I ran my fingers through my hair. “Oh shut the hell up.”

She shrugged her shoulders, “I’m just saying...there’s no shame in it. I actually like the Viking. I mean come on...any guy that would put up with you screaming like a banshee in the midst of backstage conundrum without blinking an eye has my vote as boyfriend potential.”

I rolled my eyes, “There’s no boyfriend thing happening.”
Gawd
, I hoped not. In fact, I hoped to get out of whatever was happening between us with my heart and wallet intact. “It’s sex, that’s all.”

She looked at me pointedly with arms crossed, “Please, who do you think you’re fooling? You want him for more than sex.” She rubbed the back of her neck, “Gawd, Infinity, please don’t fuck this up! Stop letting the losers of your past, including Mason dictate your future. Just go with the flow with this. Trust me, he’s all good.”

I threw my hands up in the air, “Enough of your relationship advice. What are the vitals on him?” I grabbed a bottle of water and sipped slowly.

Her eyes centered on me as she clasped her hands behind her head. “Okay, getting any good info on Big Red was really hard. In fact, getting any info on any of them was hard. So I called my deep gossip contacts and found out that Boulder, last name Vigari, is part owner of a billion dollar security firm.”

I choked on my water, “Did you say billion dollar?”

“Yes, ‘b’ as in billions.”

Shit, there goes my theory that he was only after my money
. My eyes narrowed as I chomped on chips, “Vigari, that name sounds familiar.”

She leaned forward excitedly, “Oh, it gets better. Guess what the name of his firm is?”

My heart was thumping as I slammed the bottle on the table. “Come on, come on. You’re killing me here.”

“Channing & Vigari Enterprises.”

I sputtered sending bits of chips flying landing on Zoe. “What? I can’t afford them.” They were the elite of the elite in security firms. Only the extremely wealthy like foreign leaders, owners of billion dollars conglomerates, and dynasty families could afford their services. “I’m rich, but not that rich. Besides, I thought they were very picky about whom they took on as clients?”

She flicked away the bits of chips with disgust. “They are, that’s the frigging point. I couldn’t find any, and I mean any, instances of them taking on a client like you.”

My bottom lip jutted out. “Uh, why did you have to say it like that? I’m not the bottom of the barrel you know.”

She slapped my arm playfully, “You know what I mean. Singer. Young. They don’t take on actors, singers any of that. I got the impression it was beneath them.”

With wide eyes, I asked, “Then why are they are protecting me? Better yet, why is the president of the company here leading the team?”

She grabbed some chips. “He’s not the president, he’s the VP. Are you going to let me finish?”

I waved her on with impatience, “Yes! Go on damn it.”

“Torch Channing, President of C&V, age 30, speculated. Boulder Vigari, Vice President of C&V, age 29, speculated.”

I arched a brow, “What do you mean by ‘speculated’?”

“Uh, it means that no one knows anything about these guys. It’s all rumors, gossip and everything in between. They keep their personal lives very tight. No info on family, girlfriends, affairs, nothing. In our world, you know how hard it is to keep anything private.”

I jumped up with my heart in my throat. “I don’t get this. The VP of C&V is out there.” I pointed to the door, “Leading a team of his elite security team for me, ‘Superstar’” I did air quotes, “Uh, is it me, or does this seem strange?”

Her eyes widened, “Uh yes! I mean, I love you and everything, but guarding someone like you is not even on their radar. My source was shocked that they were even here. They don’t do this type of security.”

I bit my bottom lip nervously, because as with everything weird in my life, all roads pointed to mom. Wolves, Vampires....something nudged my memory. “Well, it’s got to be some sort of favor for mom. She travels in some tight circles. Plus, she’s been real uptight about the concert. This has her written all over it.”

“Sounds about right.”

Someone knocked on the door. I looked at the clock. “That would be my body artist. We’ll talk later?”

“Definitely. Now go get hot.” She walked out the door as, Rule, the most sought after tattoo and body artist in the business, walked in.

“Hey, Rule.”

Gorgeous, tall, and heavenly chocolate Rule kissed me dead on the lips before winking. “Ready to get the art work of your life? It’s going to be absolutely beautiful, love. Raven soaring.”

I always wanted a raven tattoo on my back, so Rule came up with the idea of putting a semi-permanent raven tattoo with an over the top Swarovski crystal beak. The tattoo would trail from my left shoulder to my back. “I’m happy to hear it. We’ve been working forever to get the concept right. I hope it looks just as beautiful on my back.”