Page 229 of Boyfriend of the Hour

No, I couldn’t think about Nathan right now.

“The girls told me all about it,” I went on. “And it really made me see the light of what you said.”

I undid another button. Then another so I could drag my hand down his torso, lightly scratching over his skin, tracing my nails over his tattoos, just as he liked.

“What’s that?” he asked before licking his lip as he watched my hand slip lower and lower.

His body wasn’t anywhere close to the trim twenty-two-year-old who had charmed me in the mall. Now he was at least thirty-three, with the face and body of a man who hadn’t spent the last decade taking care of himself, but indulging. Softer belly. Graying teeth. Too many wrinkles. Blotchy skin.

How could I haveeverfound this man remotely attractive?

I deserved an Oscar for this performance.

“That I...belong...to...you.” Each word was a purr. “You aren’t really gonna let these other men take what’s yours, are you?”

Shawn’s dark eyes squinted. He was suspicious, but he didn’t move away.

“Please, baby?” I whispered into his ear before biting his lobe. “You can get us out. It’s like you always said. Just you and me.”

His familiar odor of menthol cigarettes and Old Spice curled around me. So different from Nathan’s clean, simple scent.

I resisted the urge to choke.

“I know what you’re doing. And it’s not going to work,” he said through his teeth, though it was obvious he was tempted. I could feel it against my leg. He grabbed my hand, jerking me back so I couldn’t lick his ear anymore. “There’s nowhere to go, and even if I wanted to take you off this boat—which I don’t—I can’t. They’re gonna know. And I don’t fuck with these guys, Joni. No one does.”

Okay. On to Plan B.

I allowed him to keep my wrist in his grip but leaned in and licked his ear again. Shawn was always a sucker for that.Sometimes when I reallywasfaking it, all I had to do was stick my tongue in there, and he’d come in seconds.

As always, he shuddered, and I resisted the urge to smirk as his other hand slipped around to take hold of my ass.

Bingo.

“Then take me before they do,” I begged, a hot whisper only for him. “Please. So I’ll know that when I’m ruined—when I’m sold—you were there first. Because you werealwaysthere first, weren’t you?”

My free hand drifted lower, toying with the waistband of his jeans. Running my nails along his hip bones.

Right on cue, Shawn’s entire body shook.

“You nasty little cumslut,” he crooned. “Do you want some of this, princess? You want a little bit of what Daddy has to offer?”

What Iwantedwas the vomit all over him. Then escape with Mike, find Nathan, and shower. Preferably in that order.

“You know I do,” I hummed right back.

An Oscar and a Tony. Bookend my EGOT right now.

Shawn glanced over my shoulder, where most of the girls were watching curiously, though plenty of them were too drugged up to care what was happening. Then he took my hand, barked over my shoulder, “Stay the fuck here,” and dragged me into the corridor.

Step one, complete.

“This way,” Shawn said, already undoing his pants as he dragged me past two open bedrooms before opening a third, much smaller one stacked with several duffels full of cash, drugs, and probably other illegal paraphernalia.

I made a mental note. If I did manage to get out of here alive, the cops would want details. And I’d give them everything.

“Come here,” Shawn ordered once the door had shut behind him. Stupid man was too blinded by the possibility of sex to even lock it. “On your knees.”

“Kiss me first?” I trilled like a chickadee. “Please, Shawn. One last kiss.”