assessment. They did indeed have a “situation.”
The tension in the room was palpable. But then again so was the excitement. It was hard to gauge which way the energy would flow. Was this just a bunch of women having a good time? Or was this the calm before the storm? Another surge of the crowd and the table bumped into her, pushing her closer to the wall.
Jack wasn’t taking any chances. “Kamaria, we have to go. Now.”
She handed the book she had just finished signing back to its owner with a shaky hand. The woman gave Jack a shy smile, then thrust the book in his direction. “Would you sign it too? I never thought I’d get to meet Antonio in the flesh. You’re way more gorgeous in person.”
That one gesture turned the tide of the crowd toward chaos. A number of women in the vicinity had lurked around the table, trying to engage him. Once the woman asked for Jack’s autograph, the others took that as permission to flock toward him.
“Ooh, I want an autograph too.”
“Take a picture with me.”
“Do me like you did Keisha in the book!”
The women mobbed around Jack, reaching, pushing, and, unfortunately, grabbing. This was bad. Kamaria felt like the world was closing in tight around her. Her breath caught in her throat. She used her short height to her advantage by ducking and reaching into the crowd for Jack’s arm. When she finally caught it, he clapped his other hand on top of hers. She flexed her fingers into a death grip around Jack’s hand.
Jack pulled her forward, but fear locked her legs in place. So he swooped his arms under her knees and across her back instead.
She made the mistake of blinking and missed the whole fairytale moment. One second they were in the bright yellow ballroom. The next they were in the purple and green hallway. Her attention immediately went toward the direction of the casino entrance. She could see there were only a few people there. It looked like a safe space. Her safe space.
“What about the…?” She began to twist out of his arms.
He tightened his grip, holding her closer to him. “No, look at me. Only look at me. I have you.”
Jack elbowed them through the stunned crowd, away from the chaos. Kamaria shivered. “Stay focused, baby. We’ll be out of here in a sec.”
Look at Jack. Only at Jack. If not for her damned weaknesses, there was nothing, no one else she would want within her sights. His jet black hair, not short but not too long either. The way his beard framed his mouth. Oh, those lips and the things they did to her. The nose that had been broken at some point.
The determined look in his eye made her feel the safest she had been since she had last been this close to him. Had last been engulfed by his arms with him looming over her, stroke for stroke. His intent stare made her feel like the only thing in his world. She tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes. He cradled her closer to his body, like a running back with an oversize football. Everything about this moment felt incredibly right. She had been wrong about the casino. He was her safe space.
She might have to kidnap this guy on her way out of town.
The sounds of the slots and the rest of the casino faded away. The vice-like tension around her torso loosened. Her pulse felt less like an imminent heart attack. They were in the lobby now, but Kamaria could tell they had passed the elevators that would take them back up to her suite. She pulled her head out of the crook of Jack’s chin and looked around. “Where are we going?”
“I’m getting you out of here.” Jack pushed through a more visible service door that led them back into a hallway very similar to the one outside of the security office. “Those ladies were trolling the area by the elevators. There’s no way I’m getting stuck in close quarters with them again. Especially when you need time and some space to get yourself together.”
“Good luck with that. There aren’t many places in this city where
The tension in the room was palpable. But then again so was the excitement. It was hard to gauge which way the energy would flow. Was this just a bunch of women having a good time? Or was this the calm before the storm? Another surge of the crowd and the table bumped into her, pushing her closer to the wall.
Jack wasn’t taking any chances. “Kamaria, we have to go. Now.”
She handed the book she had just finished signing back to its owner with a shaky hand. The woman gave Jack a shy smile, then thrust the book in his direction. “Would you sign it too? I never thought I’d get to meet Antonio in the flesh. You’re way more gorgeous in person.”
That one gesture turned the tide of the crowd toward chaos. A number of women in the vicinity had lurked around the table, trying to engage him. Once the woman asked for Jack’s autograph, the others took that as permission to flock toward him.
“Ooh, I want an autograph too.”
“Take a picture with me.”
“Do me like you did Keisha in the book!”
The women mobbed around Jack, reaching, pushing, and, unfortunately, grabbing. This was bad. Kamaria felt like the world was closing in tight around her. Her breath caught in her throat. She used her short height to her advantage by ducking and reaching into the crowd for Jack’s arm. When she finally caught it, he clapped his other hand on top of hers. She flexed her fingers into a death grip around Jack’s hand.
Jack pulled her forward, but fear locked her legs in place. So he swooped his arms under her knees and across her back instead.
She made the mistake of blinking and missed the whole fairytale moment. One second they were in the bright yellow ballroom. The next they were in the purple and green hallway. Her attention immediately went toward the direction of the casino entrance. She could see there were only a few people there. It looked like a safe space. Her safe space.
“What about the…?” She began to twist out of his arms.
He tightened his grip, holding her closer to him. “No, look at me. Only look at me. I have you.”
Jack elbowed them through the stunned crowd, away from the chaos. Kamaria shivered. “Stay focused, baby. We’ll be out of here in a sec.”
Look at Jack. Only at Jack. If not for her damned weaknesses, there was nothing, no one else she would want within her sights. His jet black hair, not short but not too long either. The way his beard framed his mouth. Oh, those lips and the things they did to her. The nose that had been broken at some point.
The determined look in his eye made her feel the safest she had been since she had last been this close to him. Had last been engulfed by his arms with him looming over her, stroke for stroke. His intent stare made her feel like the only thing in his world. She tucked her head under his chin and closed her eyes. He cradled her closer to his body, like a running back with an oversize football. Everything about this moment felt incredibly right. She had been wrong about the casino. He was her safe space.
She might have to kidnap this guy on her way out of town.
The sounds of the slots and the rest of the casino faded away. The vice-like tension around her torso loosened. Her pulse felt less like an imminent heart attack. They were in the lobby now, but Kamaria could tell they had passed the elevators that would take them back up to her suite. She pulled her head out of the crook of Jack’s chin and looked around. “Where are we going?”
“I’m getting you out of here.” Jack pushed through a more visible service door that led them back into a hallway very similar to the one outside of the security office. “Those ladies were trolling the area by the elevators. There’s no way I’m getting stuck in close quarters with them again. Especially when you need time and some space to get yourself together.”
“Good luck with that. There aren’t many places in this city where
Similar Books
