Page 14 of Fame & Obsession

“I’m sorry I botched the comeback assignment, sir. The legend in question tried to vagina ninja me against my will, so I had to microwave his nuts off. It happens.”

There’s no way to break Heath’s fingers and still get the interview. This is as hopeless as—

Did he just lick me?

I glare at him just as his tongue darts back into his smirking mouth. I’ve been manhandled too much in my life to take anything else from him.

“You need to back the hell up,” I warn. There’s a long pause of silence, making me acutely aware of the bouncer’s absence. I move to turn toward the door, but before I can, both of arms are pulled back in a rough hold above my elbows.

“Most women would kill to be you,” he hisses. “I shouldn’t bother, but I like your smart mouth.”

My heart pounds as his hand moves inward. I try not to show weakness, but my body betrays me and trembles. With restrained arms, I have no hope of getting my stun gun out of my purse.

Where’s the goddamn bouncer?

Squeezing my eyes shut, I breathe through the panic and keep broken memories in the past. As the years melt away, I struggle to remember my self-defense training. .

I whisper the first rule to myself in hopes of forcing confidence. “Element One, Surprise Defense—kick to maim and use the other to attack.” I manage to get my foot on his thigh, but my shoe slides off, and I keep having to regroup.

Tears burn my eyes.

“Take your hands off her,now.”

Startled, both Heath and I turn, and then my jaw hit the floor. The possibility that I’m hallucinating roots me.

Heath couldn’t care less. “Piss off, asshole. We’ve done this dance already.”

Familiar spiked hair swirls in the breeze, and fisted hands clench in tightly controlled rage. “I said, take your fucking hands off her.”

Heath momentarily loses interest in groping me and turns his attention toward his challenger. “What’s it to you, cocksucker? You couldn’t close the deal before.” He pauses, sliding his hand down to my hip. “Besides, this one’s a prick tease, anyway.”

Exploding, the sex god rushes forward, his clenched fist swinging in a side hook that connects with Heath’s face. The sound of bone hitting bone staggers me backward into the railing.

Heath crashes onto a glass table, his hands flying to his face as blood spurts from in between his fingers. “You broke my fucking nose!” he garbles.

Bloodied fists tighten. “Trust me, it’s an improvement.”

“Do youknowwho I am?” Heath glares, stretching his chin side to side.

“I’d say a bitch-ass pussy, but I’d be insulting pussies, and I’m kind of a fan.”

Fueled by male ego, Heath tears his hands away from his face and lunges. I start to scream when the bouncer returns from wherever he’s been and grabs them both by the neck.

“What the fuck? You two need to take this down the street, or do I call the cops?”

“Bastard jumped me for no reason and broke my nose!” Twisting out of the bouncer’s grasp, Heath points to his bloodied face. “Don’t touch me! I’m Heath Vaughn, asshole. I’m suing this goddamn place andthispiece of shit.” He hurls a finger at his attacker.

The sex god shrugs and gestures in my direction. “He had his hands on the lady after she told him no. I asked him twice to remove them.” He stares at me. “I don’t ask a third time for anything.Ever.”

Breath stutters in my chest.

“I apologize, Mr. Vaughn,” The bouncer says, nodding to Heath. “Please accept our regrets.”

The sex god cocks an eyebrow. “You realize he tried to assault one of your female patrons while you jacked off in the bushes, right?”

A deep shade of red crawls up the bouncer’s neck. “I don’t give a shit who started it or care who had whose hands on whose woman...” He stops, his gaze narrowing. As if someone flipped a light switch, his expression changes, and he releases the sex god’s collar as if it’s on fire. “Sorry, I, uh, I didn’t realize. Well, it’s dark, and...” He picks Heath up by the back of the shirt. “He won’t be bothering you, or the lady, tonight.”

They disappear through the door, leaving me standing in a daze with jade eyes that hold me in a slow burn.