Page 149 of Hard Rock Tease

“That’s not the real reason, is it? You hate all that media attention. You hate that the public has this twisted image of you. And you think I’ll hate the spotlight, too. Is that why you think we shouldn’t be together?”

Jayce stayed silent.

“You think I won’t be able to handle dating someone famous?” I pressed on. “That I wouldn’t be able to handle being in the public eye, that I can’t handle what the media will say about me?”

“Come on, Ailey. I already know you can’t.” Jayce frowned, looking frustrated. “You never post personal details about yourself online. You never show your face. You use a pseudonym for god’s sake. Your name is Aimee Lee, not Ailey, but you don’t want your followers to know that. You’d rather stay anonymous. Private. That’s exactly the opposite of what you’ll get if people find out I’m dating you. They’ll pry and pry and you’ll never get a moment of peace. You’ll get sick of it, sick of all the attention.”

“You think I’d dump you because of that? You think I’ll get tired of it all and leave?”

Jayce didn’t say anything, just narrowed his eyes and looked away. My heart clenched. How much had fame messed him up? Would he even take a chance with me?

“If that’s what you think, fine.” I pulled out my phone and tapped rapidly, stabbing at the keys with both thumbs. Then I shoved my phone into Jayce’s face. He leaned back in surprise before I could smack him in the nose.

“What are you showing me?”

“Read it.”

He scanned across the screen, from left to right, eyes widening with every word. I knew exactly what he was reading.

Hey, guys! This is Ailey. I’ve got a special announcement to make. I know a lot of you have been wondering who I really am. As of today, I’m no longer going to be writing anonymously. I’ve decided to make myself public.

Ihad posteda picture of myself smiling at the camera, a selfie taken months ago.

My real nameis Aimee Lee. I’m twenty-one and I go to a small private college, taking business and marketing. I hope to one day do this kind of thing for a living. I look forward to getting to know all of you as my real self.

Jayce lookedup from my phone, staring at me in wonder. I gave him my own small smirk, pleased that I’d be able to shock him.

“Tell me again I’m not willing to handle the spotlight.”

Chapter Eighteen

Jayce reachedout and tangled his fingers in my hair, pulling me toward him and giving me a blistering kiss. I threw my arms around his neck and pressed myself up against him. When we finally ran out of breath, I pulled away, but he clutched me close to his body. I ran my hands down his chest and stared into his eyes, trying to put everything I was feeling into that one look.

Jayce pulled me against him with a hand on my hip, his grip so tight I thought it might bruise. He tangled his fingers in my hair and tilted my head up.

“So fucking tempting.”

He crushed his mouth to mine, prying open my lips with his tongue. I moaned and stood on my toes to meet him halfway. The hot slide of his tongue against mine caused a flood of heat to flare up between my legs, and I was instantly aroused. Jayce pulled away abruptly and narrowed his eyes at me.

“How the fuck am I supposed to resist you?”

“Don’t,” I breathed. “Keep going.”

He groaned and clutched me closer. He lowered his mouth to my collarbone and placed a soft kiss there before darting his tongue to taste the skin. My muscles went limp and I moaned, letting my head fall back. He nipped at my neck lightly with his teeth and slid a hot stripe up with his tongue. I let out a sharp gasp as the hint of pain turned into exquisite pleasure.

“There you are every day, with those goddamn tight skirts, showing off every curve of that sweet ass.” Jayce groaned and cupped the swell at my lower back, molding my body to his.

“And here I’d thought my knee-length skirts were as conservative and unarousing as I could get.”

Jayce sucked an earlobe into his mouth and let out a deep moan in my ear.

“Baby, there’s nothing about you that’s unarousing.”

He maneuvered us around until he was sitting on the leather loveseat with me straddling his hips, the same position as that first time in the stairwell. I could feel the hardness in his pants. The thought of what lay hidden beneath those layers of clothes made my mouth water.

Jayce unbuttoned my blouse and pushed it off my shoulders with expert fingers, then unhooked my bra and threw it to the floor, baring me to his hungry gaze. He leaned down and took one of my nipples in his mouth, flicking it around with his tongue, tugging at it with his teeth. He played with me until he had me panting and moaning, then moved on to the other and gave it the same attention.

I gazed down at the top of his head, almost unbelieving. I’d thought that one secret kiss with Jayce would be it, and even that was more than I’d imagined would ever happen between us.