Under the Lights Page 2

  The two men turned to look at her. Their confusion quickly morphed to desire when she arched her back, thrusting her breasts out in invitation. She wasn’t sure what instructions Emma had given them before the show, but it was obvious they hadn’t expected her attention to turn toward them.

  Of course, being true-blue, hot-blooded, horny men, their reactions were textbook. They took a step closer, both bending nearer.

  She wasn’t sure what their intentions were. She didn’t have a chance to find out. The spotlight dimmed on the bed once more, focusing instead at the wings.

  The roar of applause and shouts from the audience let Becca know the star had arrived.

  Sadly, hunk number one blocked her view of Parker’s entrance.

  She was tempted to whisper “move,” but she knew the mic would pick up the quiet sound and Parker sure as hell didn’t need an ego boost from her. The women in the crowd were doing a good enough job in that department as his name was literally screamed over and over. Becca was tempted to roll her eyes, but that would ruin the mood of the erotic play. Not that anyone was bound to notice. She’d bet a million dollars there wasn’t one person in the room looking at her. All eyes were on Parker.

  Hunk number one moved away from the bed.

  Damn. Becca would have lost the bet.

  She was wrong. Someone was looking at her—intensely.

  Parker.

  Chapter Two

  Parker silently cursed his timing. He’d meant to draw the scene out, drag Becca’s anticipation on for as long as possible. As always, the little minx turned the tables on him and managed to grasp the upper hand by triggering his jealousy.

  He hadn’t taken his eyes off her since she’d left the dressing room and taken her place under the lights. She was beautiful. When she’d begun to touch herself, Parker had feared embarrassing himself in front of the two men waiting to take their turn onstage. Though he’d tried to relieve some of the pressure earlier—he and Becca masturbating in front of each other before the show—that climax had only whetted his desire for more. His cock was throbbing, rock hard.

  The crowd at Scoundrels was definitely going to get an eyeful tonight if he couldn’t find a way to rein it in. While his jeans were relatively loose, if he didn’t get this erection under control, there wasn’t going to be a person in the place unaware of his state. Not that hard cocks were exactly unusual on this stage.

  Regardless, a few minutes in Becca’s presence always left him with a hard-on. He was worse than a horny teenaged boy around her.

  He walked onto the stage slowly as the lighting flickered and the fog machine left a cloudy mist low to the ground. Emma had done a hell of a job setting the scene. He doubted there was anyone in the room who wasn’t convinced this was a dream sequence. And here he was, setup to play Becca’s imaginary man.

  When Emma had called to tell him about Becca’s revelation, he’d jumped at the chance to play this role. But the truth was, he had no desire to be her fantasy. From tonight forward, he intended to be her reality.

  No doubt Becca was anticipating a very different performance from the one he’d designed for her. Her fantasy involved capture, force and he was going to deliver. Just not in the way she expected. Before the show was over, Parker intended to force her to admit her feelings for him. She’d captured his heart over four years earlier and tonight he planned to stake the same claim.

  Becca took in his attire, her brows furrowed. He’d led her to believe he would be dressed in a robe while they’d been donning their costumes. He thought it would ease some of her tension over walking onstage in just the little nightie. Obviously she was pissed off that he was completely covered while she was pushing the limits on public nudity.

  He winked at her, slyly patting his front pocket to let her know he still had the remote to the vibrator in his possession. She shot him a dirty look.

  Showtime.

  Becca pressed her legs together as he approached the bed. Her nipples were budded beneath the sheer nightie, leaving precious little to the imagination. Once again, his jealousy reared its ugly head and he resisted the urge to cover her and drag her off the stage. There were too many hungry males in the audience, all looking at and coveting his woman.

  She was his. Regardless of her claim they could never be more than friends, Parker had no intention of leaving Scoundrels tonight without proving once and for all that they belonged to each other.

  Thanks to the damn tabloids, his attempts at convincing her his feelings were sincere would be even harder. The paparazzi had tried to link him with too many women, scrambling to create romances where there were none. The only woman who’d ever stolen his heart was currently sitting on the bed in front of him.

  Coming here tonight, performing in the show, had seemed like the perfect way to declare Parker Banks was officially off the market. He liked the idea of a grand proclamation. Of announcing his feelings for her to the world…or at least to these three hundred people.

  Becca fought against the cuffs at her wrists. Parker swallowed heavily, trying to pretend the sight of her chained to the bed wasn’t the hottest, horniest thing he’d ever seen.

  Christ. They’d be enacting this fantasy again very soon. For real. In the privacy of his bedroom.

  Parker looked at the men next to her and waved his hand. Emma had gone into a fairly detailed description of Becca’s fantasy with him, but she’d allowed Parker to decide how the show would play out. He wondered if Emma would regret giving him that much freedom after the performance. He’d discussed his plans with the other two men, Ross and Joe, prior to Becca’s arrival backstage. Tonight was going to be very different from Scoundrel’s typical entertainment.

  Joe reached over and released the cuffs on Becca’s wrists. Her face betrayed her surprise at being freed. Becca glanced around the stage and he watched as her clever mind tried to chart an escape route. He’d told her to fight. Clearly, she wasn’t going to disappoint him.

  He waited until her gaze landed on his face. Then he gave her a cocky grin that said, “Bring it.”

  Her eyes narrowed at his silent challenge. Unfortunately it lasted only a second before she matched his arrogant look with one he instantly distrusted. Before he could step closer to the bed, Becca reached out and grasped Joe’s face, pulling the man closer and kissing him.

  Parker’s temper flared. Walking to the bottom of the bed, he reached up and grasped her foot, dragging her away from the other man roughly. The audience erupted into applause as several women screamed “Parker!” He dismissed the sounds. There was only one woman he wanted to hear screaming his name and she was currently trying to kick her foot free from his grip.

  “Be still,” he commanded, lacing his words with a tone that said he wouldn’t be refused. She’d think he was playing the part of captor, but he would soon correct that misapprehension.

  She stopped struggling for only a moment, and then she took up the battle again, using her free foot to kick at the hand holding her.

  Parker looked at Joe and Ross. “Hold her down.”

  The men sprang to action. It was the order they’d been anticipating. Waiting for. Parker had asked them to give the audience a good show with the initial striptease because he wanted the crowd to feel like they’d gotten their money’s worth in case things took a bad turn. From this point on, Parker didn’t have a clue how the rest of the night would play out.

  Becca yelled, fighting like a cornered cat. She batted their hands away, kicking wildly in her attempts to connect with anything she could.

  Joe took a few scratches to the cheek before he managed to subdue her right hand and she landed a pretty hard punch to the center of Ross’ chest. It didn’t matter. The men had her arms pinned to the mattress within seconds.

  Parker had managed to get a firm grip on both of her ankles, letting his tight hold drive home the fact she was well and truly caught.

  She continued to tussle for several moments before finally accepting the truth. Her gaz
e landed on him, her face flushed, her body glistening with perspiration from her struggles.

  He let her feel her captivity for almost a full minute before declaring, “You’re mine, Becca.”

  If his use of her real name surprised her, she didn’t betray it. Instead, she shook her head. “Never.”

  Though her reply was spoken in a whisper, it was loud enough for the microphone to catch.

  One woman in the crowd yelled, “You can have me, Parker!”

  Becca’s face hardened and Parker silently cursed. While he might have physically overpowered her, he had a much harder battle to win. It would be difficult to convince Becca he was in this for the long haul. That he wouldn’t cheat on her and he wouldn’t hurt her. He wasn’t her father. Somehow, some way, he’d have to convince her of that.

  He hoped to break down some of her protective walls tonight.

  “You’re mine, Becca. Now, tonight, forever.”

  Her inhaled breath mimicked the sounds from the audience. His declarations were sincere, but only Becca knew that. For now, everyone else believed this was simply part of the play—a dream man coming to claim his lover.

  Becca recovered quickly and raised her chin in that haughty way he’d come to recognize. Hell, there was some sick, twisted part of him that even loved that look. Loved the challenge she presented. Life with her would never be boring.

  “In your dreams, Parker,” she taunted, throwing his name at him as well. It appeared neither of them was willing to pretend to be anyone other than who they were. Good. That made Parker’s work easier. Becca wouldn’t be able to dismiss tonight as make-believe. The fight they’d begun behind the scenes would now continue here…under the bright lights.

  He laughed. “No. Tonight we’re living out your dream. Tomorrow, we’ll start to work on mine.”

  Parker climbed onto the foot of the bed, careful to keep his grip on her ankles tight. He wasn’t foolish enough to release her. Not yet. She’d landed more than a few painful kicks during her attempt to break loose. He’d have a handful of nasty bruises on his arms and chest come morning.

  He straddled her thighs, holding her down with the weight of his body. Joe raised her arm and secured it to the headboard once more. Ross followed suit, then both men took advantage of the wheels on the bed, rolling it until it was sideways to the crowd.

  “Go,” Parker commanded.

  Joe and Ross left the stage.

  Their departure obviously confused Becca, as she frowned.

  “Just us. It’s always going to be just the two of us.”

  He leaned forward and kissed her.

  Becca didn’t even pretend to struggle. Instead, she returned the kiss, parting her lips in silent invitation. He accepted, slipping his tongue inside her wet warmth. Soon, their kisses grew deeper, longer, more passionate. The music had quieted, no longer the pounding heavy metal, but instead something sexier. The lighting was also softer, creating the illusion of romance. The fog machine continued to pump its mist around the bed, until he could almost believe they were floating on a cloud.

  Parker dragged his lips along Becca’s soft cheek until they rested just outside her ear. Then, in a quiet voice, he whispered, “Give in to me.” He was careful to keep his words no louder than a breath, so that the microphone didn’t capture his voice.

  Then he pushed himself upright until he looked down at her, still straddling her thighs. Becca lay motionless beneath him. Parker studied her face, troubled by her easy acquiescence. Had she really surrendered? Or had she found yet another way to stonewall him?

  Her calm acceptance told him everything he needed to know. She’d battened the hatches and was biding her time. Resolved to endure everything he dished out. Apparently she thought by playing along she could bring the show to a quick, painless ending.

  He smiled at her. Becca blinked rapidly, her nervousness peeking through.

  “You’re still fighting me.”

  His voice filled the room. A crease formed in Becca’s forehead. “No.”

  “I know you, Becca Preston. Better than you realize. I know what you’re afraid of, but you’ll just have to trust me when I say I’ll never hurt you.”

  Parker distantly heard the sighs from the women in the audience, but he ignored them.

  Becca scowled. He’d used her full name. Let everyone in the room know exactly who was lying on the bed beneath him.

  She glanced toward the crowd, anxiously. “You’ll never have me,” she answered quietly. She was trying to steer them toward safer waters—back to make-believe.

  He was never going there with her again.

  “You’re wrong. And I’m going to prove it.”

  “How?”

  Rather than answer, he reached out and touched her breasts, squeezing them roughly. Becca gasped but her body responded, just as he’d known it would.

  He’d tested the waters in the dressing room and had proven exactly what he’d always suspected to be true. He and Becca were not only compatible companions; they were physically in tune with each other. Their bodies responded to each other powerfully. It was just one more way they were connected, one more tie that would hold them together. Friendship, lust, desire…love. All of it was there. If only Becca would look beyond her fears to see it.

  Whatever wall she’d built against him started to crumble once more. Becca fought against the cuffs at her wrists in earnest. “Release me. I don’t want this anymore.”

  Her voice broke on the last word, the terror in her tone slicing through him like a knife. Regardless, he couldn’t give her what she wanted.

  He shook his head. Then he felt the truth slipping out, unbidden. “I can’t, Becca. I can’t let you go. Don’t you think I’ve tried?”

  She stilled, her eyes pressing closed tightly as if by shutting him out, she could hide.

  “Oh no, you don’t. Open your eyes. Look at me.”

  She lifted her eyelids slowly, her expression one of sadness. He wished he knew a way to ease that emotion for her. Unfortunately, nothing but time could assuage her apprehension. Until then, he needed to convince her to give him a chance to prove himself.

  “Don’t look away.”

  He dragged his hands along her sides until they rested at her waist. Then he lifted her nightie, baring the slightest bit of skin. His bent legs shielded most of her lower body from the crowd. Her panties were conservative, covering her pussy and ass. Scoundrels didn’t allow total nudity onstage. Not that Parker would ever expose Becca to anyone else’s eyes.

  She sucked in a breath when his fingers caressed her sensitive skin.

  “So sweet,” he murmured.

  She tried to scoff, to look away, but he tightened his grip on her waist in warning. Becca responded to his unspoken dominance and her eyes didn’t leave his face. Instead, she studied him, trying to figure out his next move.

  Parker was finished with the game. He let the shields drop.

  Smiling, he drew one finger down the side of her face. “You’re always so suspicious.”

  He dragged his fingers along her throat, then stroked the skin above the neckline of her gown, the tops of her breasts just peeking out. His close proximity to her heart allowed him to feel how quickly it raced. He pressed his hand over the pulsing organ, trying to instill some semblance of calm.

  “Breathe,” he whispered. He let his chest rise and fall slowly, encouraging her to mimic the rhythm. “It’s just me. Parker. You know me. You trust me, right?”

  She started to deny it, but his girl was nothing if not honest. “I trust you.”

  He winked. “How much did it hurt to say those words?” They’d always shared the same sense of humor, wit laced with sarcasm.

  She laughed lightly. “Too much.”

  A light chuckle from the crowd reached his ears. God. This performance may have started as a dream sequence, but he and Becca were taking it out of that realm quickly, revealing too much of themselves in the process.

  Parker reached for the h
em of his t-shirt, tugging the soft cotton over his head. The room erupted with applause and cheers, but the thunder was nothing compared to the pounding of his own heart.

  He lay down on top of Becca. Pushing her legs apart, he pressed his covered cock against the seam of her panties, letting her feel his erection, his desire.

  Becca groaned when he thrust more firmly against her, but she didn’t close her eyes, didn’t take her gaze away from his.

  He began moving his hips against her, imitating the act of sex for the audience. Then, he took her silk-covered breast in his mouth, sucking on her taut nipple. Applause erupted at the sexy, provocative show they were putting on. Parker was careful not to cross the lines very clearly drawn for the actors prior to show time. Emma was extremely specific about the limits. Unfortunately, Parker wanted Becca too much. Her sweet sighs and the sensuous way she was thrusting against him was too damn tempting.

  Maybe it hadn’t been such a great idea announcing his feelings in such a public setting. She made him forget himself, the world, everything.

  “Unhook me,” she pleaded.

  “No.”

  “God, Parker, please. I want to touch you.”

  He glanced up at her flushed face and smiled. Apparently Becca was suffering from the same problem. If he released her hands now, he feared what she’d do, how far she’d go. She certainly didn’t seem to remember there was an audience. “Later. You can touch me all you want. Later tonight.”

  She blinked rapidly, her eyes focusing on him once more before darting to the crowd. She cleared her throat. “Aren’t you forgetting? This dream is over once I wake up. There won’t be a later.”

  “Dreams can come true, Becca.” Parker could only begin to imagine what the audience was thinking of tonight’s show. Emma had sketched a rough plotline based on Becca’s desires and trusted him to carry it out.

  Instead, Parker had rewritten the script, taking this performance somewhere completely different. Time to move in for the kill.

  “You belong to me, Becca. You’re my captive. And I’m never letting you go.”