Under the Lights

  Under the Lights

  A Scoundrels Short Story

  By Mari Carr

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2013 Mari Carr

  First electronic publication: April 2013

  Cover by Valerie Tibbs

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

  Just how hot does it get under the lights?

  Part Two - Under the Lights. Becca Preston has been in love with Parker Banks for years. But she’s resigned herself to the fact her feelings can never be revealed. For one thing, he’s a huge Hollywood movie star and a lifetime spent living with her famous father has taught her actors aren’t exactly known for their fidelity.

  But even more problematic is Parker’s dominance. Becca is used to calling the shots and Parker’s dark, commanding presence alarms her, leaves her frightened, confused...breathless.

  Parker is most at ease onstage. So what better place than Scoundrels for him to capture his elusive beauty, Becca. Tonight, under the lights, he’s determined to set her body on fire, bring her darkest fantasies to life…and claim her heart once and for all.

  This short story is part two of a trilogy of stories about Becca and Parker's romance and it is connected to the Scoundrels series, available now at Ellora’s Cave. For better enjoyment, it is suggested that you read Behind the Scenes before reading this book. Approximate word count is 6300 words.

  Chapter One

  Becca lay on the bed, trying to batten down her desires, fighting hard to repress the need to stroke herself, touch her clit, play with herself until she came. Hard.

  Unfortunately, she couldn’t do that. Or, at least, her modesty wouldn’t let her. After all, she was in the center of the large stage at Scoundrels and there were no less than three hundred people watching her. Waiting.

  She felt their pain. She was waiting too. And like the audience, she had no idea what was coming.

  Before Becca took her place on the soft mattress, Parker Banks, Hollywood’s sexiest leading man, had put a vibrator in her pussy, a plug in her ass, and issued a promise. He’d vowed that tonight, he would claim her. Completely.

  She would have liked to play the too stupid to live card and pretend his comments were strictly limited to the erotic show they were about to enact, but she knew better. Knew him too well to imagine he was only interested in her for the sake of the performance.

  They’d been best friends years earlier when he—like she—was just a lowly employee at the Scoundrels nightclub. He’d waited tables while she had tended bar. They’d had a running lunch date on Thursdays, and there hadn’t been an action film released that the two of them hadn’t gone to see together.

  Until…fame hit. Parker had been discovered on this very stage by a talent scout and the rest, as they say, was history. His career skyrocketed. She was happy for him, thrilled actually. He’d achieved his goals, seen his dreams come true. It was all she’d ever wanted for him.

  So what if his success had left her alone?

  Lonely.

  But now Parker was back. And the feelings she’d managed to shove to the wayside had returned with a vengeance.

  His final whispered words before she’d walked onstage had shaken her to the core. He’d wrapped his arm around her waist, tugged her back to his chest, and as his hot breath tickled her ear, he’d simply said, “Fight me. I dare you.”

  He didn’t have to worry about that. She’d spent the past four years building up her armaments, strengthening her defenses. She was perfectly prepared to wage this battle. Hell, after so long, it was time to finally put the war to rest. Tonight, she’d prove to Parker once and for all, they were incompatible. That his proclamations declaring he wanted her were based on nothing more than lust—a short-term and passing phase. He’d get over it soon enough and move on to the next gorgeous bimbo to throw herself at his mega movie star feet and then, once again, Becca would be alone.

  Lonely.

  He’d caught her unaware in the dressing room earlier. She’d allowed him to take control of the situation…and her body. She wouldn’t make that same mistake again. As she lay on the bed, she sucked in several long, deep breaths and steadied her nerves. She could do this. She had to.

  She heard the slight tinkling of glasses as the waitresses continued to deliver drinks to the patrons. She should be pouring those drinks from behind the safety of the bar. She didn’t belong here.

  Why wasn’t Parker coming out on stage? Why wasn’t he—

  The vibrator inside her began pulsing. She jerked, releasing a moan that seemed to confuse the audience. No wonder. She’d been lying like a corpse, alone for nearly five minutes. Now she was groaning and helpless to remain motionless. The vibrations from her pussy increased as the heartless bastard holding the remote took her from low to high speed in one fell swoop.

  She’d make Parker pay. Somehow, someday, the power would be in her hands, and she’d get revenge. With interest.

  Her hips thrust involuntarily as her hands flew to her pussy. Originally she’d thought to cover herself as her gyrations caused her flimsy nightgown to creep higher. That plan was quickly cast aside and instead, Becca discreetly sought out her clit through the silky material, trying to covertly stroke the swollen bud, seeking more stimulation.

  A quiet, approving murmur filled the room. So much for inconspicuous. She was center stage and alone. Every eye in the place was on her and obviously the audience was enjoying her show. Jesus. Was she really masturbating on stage? Apparently she was.

  Well…in for a dime, in for a dollar. She continued to play with herself while keeping her eyes firmly shut. Maybe if she didn’t see the crowd, she could pretend she was alone. The fantasy was a familiar one to her, so her actions certainly weren’t forced.

  She’d described her dirty sex dream to her friend, Emma, one afternoon after they’d consumed too many margaritas at lunch. Tonight, Emma—damn her—had decided to bring Becca’s fantasy to life…onstage. And she’d recruited Parker to play the starring role.

  Another quiet cry escaped as her arousal grew. Her nipples were tight, sensitive, begging for a pinch. Giving in to the urge, Becca used her free hand to give her breast a firm squeeze. The audience released an audible sigh, which encouraged her to up the ante. She took one taut nub between her fingers and pressed hard.

  “Oh God,” she murmured, shocked when the softly spoken words filled the large room. Damn. She’d forgotten about the boom mic hanging directly above the bed. Every sound, every word she spoke tonight would be broadcast throughout the nightclub.

  She recalled exactly how loud, how vocal she could be in the midst of sex. And while she and Parker weren’t going to do the actual deed, she knew him well enough to know he’d give a damn fine impersonation of it. If the vibrator wreaking havoc on her libido was anything to go by, he probably wouldn’t be satisfied until she’d come for real in front of God and everybody. This was bound to be embarrassing.

  Fuck it. She’d signed on to play a role. That was all this was. She was an actress in a performance. If she could hold on to that thoug
ht, it would make the next half hour or so a hell of a lot easier to take.

  If only Emma hadn’t orchestrated this particular fantasy…

  If only Parker wasn’t the leading man…

  Parker had driven her to orgasm less than half an hour earlier in the dressing room, but rather than satisfy, it had merely inflamed her, left her hungry for so much more.

  The vibrator continued to beat away at her sensitive pussy muscles. Each time she clenched around the too small, too ineffective toy, she was reminded of the plug in her ass. Anal play wasn’t in her normal repertoire, but she couldn’t deny there was something about having her ass filled that triggered a latent wow button. She liked it a lot more than she ever would have expected.

  Leave it to Parker to toss her into the deep end. The man had consumed too much of her attention the past few years, causing her to feel things she didn’t want to feel, want things she had no business wanting.

  Parker was an actor. A gorgeous, sexy, sought-after movie star. Having spent a lifetime living under the same roof with that exact brand of man, there was no way Becca would sign on for the pain her mother had suffered. Her father hadn’t even tried to honor his marriage vows or hide his affairs.

  And after only three years in the spotlight, Parker had racked up his fair share of torrid front-page tabloid love affairs. Becca had no interest in adding her name to that list. Thanks to her famous father, she’d already been subjected to all sorts of conjecture about her love life. The latest rumor speculated that she was a lesbian, and a picture of her shopping with Emma had made the rounds. People really needed to get a life. Unlike the Kardashians, she didn’t enjoy their unsavory attention. Besides, they always managed to get everything wrong.

  She’d probably pay for her appearance on this stage tonight. She clearly hadn’t thought this through. How many people in the audience recognized her and were tweeting to the world that Jared Preston’s supposedly lesbian daughter was acting in an erotic show at Scoundrels. She blew out a long, annoyed breath. Her father would love it, boasting that she was finally following in his footsteps. Her mother would be horrified.

  What the hell had she been thinking?

  She hadn’t. She’d seen Parker. Let him overwhelm her with his take-charge sexual advances in the dressing room and then she’d let him shove her onto this stage like a lamb to the slaughter.

  The problem was her heart was too engaged when it came to Parker. She needed to keep her emotions contained. Platonic love was all she could safely offer him. Despite his assertions they would be perfect for each other, she was far-too-well aware of exactly how long perfect lasted in Hollywood. She ventured to guess her manicure would survive longer than any Parker Banks romance.

  The lighting on the stage began to change colors, washing her in a sea of blue, then red, then green that she could see even beneath her lowered eyelids. The background music until this point had been soft, melodic, almost a lullaby. Which was appropriate. After all, her role was simple. She was a woman alone in bed at night, having naughty, sexy dreams.

  Dreams that would be fulfilled by Parker…and friends. She hadn’t seen the other men Emma had hired to participate in this sex fantasy, but knowing her girlfriend, she’d have found two unbelievably gorgeous specimens, which would only put Becca in a more painfully aroused state.

  Becca stilled, waiting, as the music grew louder. Her fingers lingered on her pussy. Then it dawned on her the vibrator was no longer pulsing. When had Parker turned it off?

  Unable to resist taking a peek, she opened her eyes. The lights focused on the bed had grown dimmer as a spotlight shone toward the edge of the stage nearest her feet. The bed was angled diagonally at center stage. The negligee she’d been mortified about wearing in public had ridden up and was barely concealing the panties Parker had tugged over his kinky toys fifteen minutes earlier. Funny how she no longer gave a shit about how much skin she was revealing.

  Two men appeared through the mist provided by a fog machine. Becca had been right. They were drop-dead handsome, both dressed in black, muscle-hugging t-shirts and tight blue jeans. They wore baseball caps that cast their faces in shadow. No doubt that was part of the act.

  This was the masturbation dream that caused her to come the hardest. This was the fantasy she’d revealed to Emma over drinks. She’d told her friend about three faceless men coming into her bedroom at night. Two would hold her down and play with her, while the third—the leader—ravished her and took her over and over.

  Emma was recreating that fantasy now…for Becca. And three hundred nightclubbers. As Becca glanced around the stage, she had to admit Emma had nailed the illusory effects. The music, fog and lighting made it feel very much like she was still sleeping alone as her dreams came to life.

  The one part of the story Becca had been a fool to reveal to Emma was that Parker was always the ravisher in her dreams. Now he was coming to fulfill the fantasy. He had threatened to capture her, to claim her, and as she watched the story begin to unfold, she realized just how much danger she was in.

  The men crossed the stage slowly as women from the audience whistled and cheered them on. Becca had worked at Scoundrels for six years. She was no stranger to the erotic shows or the crowd’s responses. However, she’d never in her dizziest daydreams imagined herself performing in one.

  She sat up in the bed, pressing her back against the headboard. As the men came nearer, she swallowed heavily, her heart racing in fear…and anticipation. They towered over her, both tall, broad, muscular. Christ. They were huge. Becca had never considered herself weak, but she was no match for these two.

  Self-preservation kicked in as she recalled Parker’s words. He’d told her to fight.

  Fine. Game on.

  She tried to dart off the bed, but hunk number one caught her easily, putting her back on the mattress. The quick action pressed the plug deeper into her ass and she groaned. “Oh my God.”

  It was apparent neither the men nor the audience understood her response. Only Parker knew what she was hiding beneath her costume. Hunk number two produced a pair of velvet-lined handcuffs…to the obvious delight of the crowd. They began to cheer as each man grasped a wrist in their large hands and chained her to the headboard with her arms above her head.

  The bed was a prop in almost every erotic show Scoundrels produced. As a result, there were lots of slats on the tall headboard, allowing the actors to restrain each other in countless ways. It was set on wheels so it could be turned in different positions throughout the show, according to what was happening onstage.

  Becca was now sitting, in prime position for the audience to see her face for the next part of the show. Strangely, she’d felt less exposed lying down with her nightie riding high on her thighs.

  Now…she could see too much.

  The two gorgeous gods moved a couple steps away from the bed and whipped off their hats, tossing them into the audience. The sound of women squealing caught Becca’s attention. For the first time since walking onto the stage, she forced herself to look out into the club. Luckily, thanks to the blinding spotlights, she couldn’t see exactly how large the crowd was. While she knew it was a packed house—sold out, according to Emma—her vision was restricted to just the first row of tables. Somehow, that limited view helped. It made it easier to pretend she really was alone.

  With the two studs. And Parker waiting in the wings.

  The men reached for the hem of their t-shirts in unison. Women screamed with delight, but most of the sound was drowned out by the music that grew louder, faster. Her lullaby had morphed into a heavy metal jam that had her heart racing in time with the rapid drumbeat. Becca worked hard to school her expression as the two men standing near her stripped off their shirts.

  Holy pecs, Batman!

  They tossed their shirts into the crowd before reaching for the buttons on their jeans. Incorporating a bit of a striptease into a Scoundrels show was nothing new, but Becca had never been treated to such an up-close and
personal display. The men were near enough she could see the slight sheen of sweat at their brows—no doubt produced by the hot lights—and she could smell the light scent of cologne. For several minutes the men danced with the music, moving sensuously, slowly, dragging out the illusion of teasing and tempting their far-too-willing captive.

  Becca hadn’t even pretended to fight as they put the cuffs on her wrists because these men weren’t a threat to her. They were secondary characters, there to heighten the sense of danger. Becca knew where the true menace lay…and he wasn’t here yet.

  Hunk number one flexed his muscles and the room roared. Given the reaction of the women in the crowd, it was safe to say the supporting cast was pretty much stealing the show at this point.

  Jeans dropped to the stage as both men wiggled their hips slightly. Becca wasn’t sure exactly what sort of view the audience had, but there was no way it could compare to the tight and oh-so-squeezable asses barely contained in thongs she was studying from the rear…literally.

  Yum.

  The vibrator exploded in her pussy. One quick pulse—a warning—sent to remind her who was in control before it stilled again. Becca bit her lip and tried not to laugh. Apparently Parker didn’t appreciate her ogling her costars’ derrieres. For the first time all evening, she felt some small sense of power. She enjoyed it. And she liked knowing Parker was watching her.

  Time to crank up the heat. She looked at hunk number two’s ass again, then moved seductively on the bed, letting the audience—and Parker—see how aroused she was. She released a soft “oh yeah, please,” enjoying just how well the mic picked up her hungry voice.

  “Touch me,” she pleaded, hoping her husky tone was having the desired effect on Parker. Two could play the teasing game.