Page 31 of Tainted Love
The second verse is Asher’s, and Elias has a moment to compose himself. When he finally manages to drag his gaze from me, he shakes his head, appearing to clear it, and for the rest of the set he refuses to look in my direction.
It is now that I realise the flaw in my plan, when the handsy guy I used to piss off Elias doesn’t give me an inch of space. When I try to move away, he wraps his arms around my waist, locking me to his body. My heart races, and not in a good way. I swallow down my rising panic. I’m essentially trapped and spend the rest of the set trying to figure out how to get away.
After an hour, Forever Summer leave the stage for intermission, and the DJ returns to keep the crowd entertained. I twist to face my captor, smiling flirtatiously as I tell him I need to use the bathroom.
When he doesn’t let go straight away, I lean in and brush my lips over his cheek while shouting, “I’ll be right back,” over the music, even though it’s not my intention whatsoever.
I breathe a sigh of relief when he releases me and I quickly weave through the throng of people, finally locating thebathroom down a dark hallway. Surprisingly, there isn’t a line for the ladies, and I don’t have to wait.
As I’m washing my hands, the door opens, but I don’t look up until I feel the heat of a body behind mine. My eyes widen when they lock on Elias’s in the mirror.
“What—”
His hand clamps over my mouth. “Is this for my benefit, Duchess?” he growls as he runs his free hand up the laces on the front of my dress until it rests on the valley of my breasts.
I try to shake my head, but the movement is futile, the grip he has on my face is too tight.
“See, I think you’re lying,” he murmurs in my ear, his warm breath coating my skin and causing me to shiver. “I think you’re desperate for my attention.” He dances his fingers over my heaving chest. “I think if I touch you right now, you’d be soaking wet. Am I right?”
My thighs clench involuntarily, and I try to shake my head again, forgetting I’m immobilised.
Elias chuckles, but it’s a dark sound. There’s no humour in it at all, and a sliver of fear washes over me.
“When will you learn you’re not the one in control here?” I stare at his reflection in the mirror, hypnotised by his steel eyes. “I’m warning you, Duchess,” he says, nipping at the skin just below my ear. “That fucker who was all over you? He’s already been taken care of. No one touches what’s mine.”
Anger surges through me at his claim. I’m not a possession and I don’t belong to anyone. Not Hunter, and certainly not Elias.
I bite down on his hand which covers my mouth as I aim my elbow at his solar plexus while also stomping down hard on his foot with my heel. Elias curses in surprise as he releases me and doubles over, momentarily winded.Thank you, Dad, for the self-defence classes he made Maya and me take before we left for overseas.
“I came here tonight to show you that nobody owns me, Elias,” I hiss as I turn around to face him, my hands on my hips. “Whatever happened between us the other morning was a momentary lapse in my restraint. I’ve broken up with one controlling arsehole this week, and I donotneed another one trying to step into his place. Now, I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to dance with whoever the fuck I want, and there is nothing you can do about it.”
He straightens to his full height, and amusement dances in his eyes. It has me moving back in surprise until I feel the bathroom counter dig into my back.
“Oh, Duchess,” he says with a chuckle, as he steps back into my space and cages me in. “Your fight only makes me want you even more.”
I gasp as he grips the back of my neck and his lips crash down onto mine.
Chapter 17
Elias
I HADN’T PLANNED on kissing her. But fuck, Bea has me doing things I never thought I’d be capable of again.
Seeing another guy with his hands all over her body almost had me jumping off the stage to kill the motherfucker with my bare hands. When I saw her standing in the crowd in that skimpy black corset dress, her full breasts barely held in, my cock turned rock hard. Not exactly ideal when you’re playing a gig in front of almost a thousand people. But it was the dark makeup, and the way her usually wavy hair hung dead straight which had me stumbling over my lyrics for the first time ever. It was like seeing a ghost. It’s unnerving how much Bea looks like Jas, and it confuses the shit out of me.
Instead of beating his arse, though, I had security kick the guy out while I followed Bea down the corridor toward the staff bathrooms. And here I am now, devouring her mouth and swallowing her delicious sounds as she melts against me. The kiss is electric, and I feel more alive than I have in the last six years. Her taste and the feel of her body pressed against mine gives me a high so much fucking better than beingon stage in front of tens of thousands of people. She makes me feel alive.
Bea fists my jacket, pulling me closer. Dropping my hands to her arse, I lift her onto the bench and step in between her legs. Her moans are a sweet fucking sound as I grind my rock-hard cock against her core.
“Elias,” she gasps into my mouth.
I barely register an increase in the noise from the venue as the door opens, but at the sound of Kill’s snort of laughter and a loud, “Found him”, Bea stiffens.
“I’m busy,” I grunt in my bandmate’s direction, not even bothering to look over at him.
But the moment has passed. Bea pulls away from me, wiping her mouth and ducking her head.
“This was a mistake,” she whispers, so only I can hear. “Please, Elias. This back and forth needs to stop. I can’t do this anymore.”
