Oblivion (Protecting Her Curves Book 4) Read online

  He lines up the cue, and with one powerful thrust, he pushes forward, connecting the cue with the white ball. Two solids sink, and I tilt my head to get a look at Kace. “I’m solids.” His body remains pressed into mine, and God knows, I haven’t felt more comfortable in my life.

  Kace brings his lips to my ear and whispers, “Sweetness, you can be whatever you like.” His words send a rush of heat down my neck. I swear if we weren’t in public, I’d probably beg him to take me right here.

  He slowly pulls away from me and takes his shot.

  “Your turn,” he says with a devilish grin and walks back to me to help guide my movements. I hold out my cue stick, blocking him. “Wait. I think I’ll try the next one on my own.”

  What Kace doesn’t know is that I’m not new to pool. In fact, I have yet to find a man that can kick my ass on the pool table. I can’t wait to see the look on his face when I sink my balls without his help.

  I bend forward, fully aware of how my dress shapes around my ass. It’s not every day that I get to show off my curves, so why the hell not? He drops his gaze onto my ass and runs his tongue across his bottom lip. I sneak him a playful wink before taking my next shot.

  I sink my shot, and the next, and the next, until my only remaining ball is the black. I turn to look at Kace, and he just stares back with his jaw practically dropped to the ground. “Holy fuck. You tricked me?”

  “I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” I say and blow him a playful kiss before turning back to the table and sinking my final ball.

  I tilt my head, dying to see the look on his face.

  “I wi—” I swallow the rest of that sentence when I see Kace is right on top of me. My pussy throbs with anticipation. If he remains this close to me, I’d have to stop over for a pregnancy test on my way home.

  Kace grabs hold of my cue and flicks it onto the table. “God, I have never been more attracted to a woman in my life, Lana,” he says in a deep growl. I try shying away, but he places his palms under my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze.

  Not even the loud indie rock music blaring through the bar’s speakers can dull the thumping sound of my beating heart.

  “Kace, I…”

  He doesn’t allow me to finish that sentence. Instead, he leans forward, and his lips lock onto mine. I try resisting, but my lips part, and the taste of his tongue is fucking magic on my taste buds. My nails dig into the back of his neck as the kiss intensifies. Clearly, I’m not the only one with tricks up their sleeves.

  After the most intense moment of passion in my life, Kace slowly pulls away. His eyes bore into my soul. “I’ve been waiting to do that from the moment I laid eyes on you earlier this evening. Fuck, tasting your lips is even better than I expected.” He takes my hand in his. “As much as I’d love to spend more time with you, I’m a man of my word.” And with a smile, he adds, “let’s get you home, beautiful.”

  What started out as a birthday from hell, quickly turned into the birthday of my dreams.

  5

  Kace

  I turn away from Nick, my manager. I can’t face him when he’s in one of these moods. “Look, I’m telling you. She’s the one. I have never felt this way with a girl before.”

  Nick lets out an annoyed grunt. “For fuck’s sake, Kace, wake up. People like you cannot be with people like her. She cannot be the one. I’m not sure what you think you felt, but we need to squash it. If news of you hooking up with some girl in a budget bar gets out, the tabloids would have a field day.”

  “Then let them have it. My mind is made up, Nick. I’m going after her whether you or the goddamn tabloids, like it or not.”

  I’m so sick of living this life where I have to pretend to be in love with other celebrities just for the sake of ‘publicity.’ Most people watch me either on the big screen or the interviews I’m forced to attend.

  People follow me on one of my social media accounts and fail to realize I have an entire team hired to post and respond to messages on those accounts. They think my life is terrific. But few people realize just how much I have to sacrifice in order to have this career.

  I’ve not been able to get her out of my mind since that day. I’m not sure if Nick’s more pissed that I took her out, or if it’s because I put my life on the line by saving her from that burning hotel. Either way, I have lived up to his expectations, and have done everything he has asked of me, but she is the one thing I refuse to compromise on. After all I pay him, not the other way around.

  “Anyway,” Nick continues, interrupting my train of thought, “I’ve set up a date with you and Jacqueline Hayek.”

  I turn around and shoot Nick a look that could kill. “Dude, are you fucking deaf?”

  “She’s really excited to meet you,” he continues, ignoring the firmness in my voice. “You two would make a power couple, and the fans would love it.”

  “They might love it. I won’t!” I bark. “Besides, if my fans can’t be happy for me, regardless of who I choose to date, then I don’t need them as fans.”

  “Please, stop be—” I stretch out my hand, cutting the rest of Nick’s sentence short.

  I grab hold of my cellphone and car keys. “Nick, I’m done with this conversation. I’m heading out.”

  He raises a brow. “Kace, you hired me to make sure you make the most of your career. Please don’t make my job harder.”

  I place a hand on the door handle and tilt my head to look back at him. “Then it should come as a relief that you are freed of some of your responsibilities. Let me live my life on my terms.” With that, I leave Nick’s apartment.

  Nick is not the only one concerned about me pursuing Lana. She hasn’t answered or returned any of my calls since the night she whipped my ass in pool. I tried to sneak in a final kiss after dropping her off that night, but she stopped me. “Pretty women line up at your feet. While I’m flattered, I don’t think I’d be able to give you what you want,” she told me. And with that, she left.

  Lana may be right about one thing. Women do line up at my feet, but what she fails to realize is that I’m not interested in any of them. There’s only one girl I have my eyes set on. Oh, and there’s something else she doesn’t know about me yet. When I want something, I go after it and don’t stop until I succeed.

  With that thought in mind, I redial Lana’s number.

  6

  Lana

  “Hi, sweetheart. How’s New York?” My dad asks.

  I put the phone on speaker and continue stirring the mince for my lasagna. “It’s fine, I guess. I’m still struggling to fit in and find my feet, but I’m sure things will pick up soon enough.”

  “Hang in there, angel. I’m sure things will improve. And how about boys, you found anyone worth your time?”

  Hearing my dad ask about my love life is beyond weird, and still something I’m trying to adjust to. Growing up, we weren’t particularly close. In fact, there was a point in my life where I couldn’t stand the sight of him. He could either be found drunk or passed out with empty vodka bottles scattered around him. He was an absentee father who quickly turned into an alcoholic after my mother left us.

  Before she left him, he never touched a drop of alcohol. For the years that followed, it was his only coping mechanism. It was only last year, after he apologized to me, that I realized I may have been a little hard on him. Today, he’s eighteen months clean, and regularly attends AA meetings.

  The only reason he’s so worried about me and my sister’s love life is that he doesn’t want us to go through the same pain he did all those years.

  I consider my dad’s question. “Yeah, I suppose there is this one guy. But it would never work. I don’t see how a relationship with someone like me could work, so I blew him off.”

  “Why? Was he a shitty person?” Dad grills.

  “Oh, no. In fact, he is probably a little too nice.” I decide against telling dad about the burning hotel. The last thing he needs is to be stressing about something else right now. “No, Kace
is a good guy. It’s just that, well... he’s famous and rich. We are just too different, and I don’t see it working.”

  My father chuckles on the other end of the line. “Sweetheart, I will let you make your own decisions. All I’m saying is that you shouldn’t let your pride get in the way of what may bring you happiness.”

  I open my mouth to respond, but my phone starts ringing. “Shit, dad. It’s him, and he’s trying to phone again. What do I do?”

  “Do what your heart tells you.”

  I take in a deep gulp of air. “Okay, dad, love you… and I’ve gotta go.”

  With that, I hang up the call with my father and accept Kace’s call.

  My heart beats triple time when that deep, “hello,” comes from the other end of the line.

  My palms have suddenly grown sweaty after hearing his sexy voice again. I still don’t understand Kace’s obsession with me. He has women lined up to be with him, and yet he insists on trying to get hold of me. He’s famous, has abs that put even the best bodybuilders to shame, and he treats me like a queen. Kace Taitum is the perfect package.

  When he dropped me off at home, I gave him my number, confident he wouldn’t use it, but he hasn’t stopped calling me since my birthday.

  “Lana, are you there?” His low, deep voice sends shivers down my spine.

  I clear my throat. “Yes. Um… Hi, Kace?”

  “What’s a guy gotta do to get you to take his call?” He says. “I’m glad I got ahold of you. Lana, I’m taking you out on a date. I just need you to confirm the time, and I’ll pick you up.”

  “Kace, stop. I honestly don’t think that’s a good idea.”

  “Why not? Do you not like me?”

  Paranoia starts to settle in. “No, of course, I do,” I say with a little more eagerness than intended.

  “So, what’s the issue?”

  I look around my mostly unfurnished apartment. You could say I’m going for the minimalistic look, but I know the truth. This is a classic case of barely being able to afford the rent, let alone buy furniture.

  “Because, Kace. We’re from two very different worlds. I’m from Brooklyn, and you’re from… well, wherever your private jet takes you, really.”

  Kace bursts out laughing. “Really? Is that the issue? Lana, I have more than enough money for the both of us.”

  “That’s my point. I don’t want to be the girl everyone thinks is with you because of your money.”

  Kace takes a few moments to consider that last response. “Okay, fine. I’ll play by your rules. If money is the issue, then how about I set a limit to how much can be spent on our date? Either way, I’m still taking you out. I’ll prove to you that my interest in you extends to far more than the material things.”

  Wow. This guy is something else. “Wait, you mean to tell me, you’d be willing to live a day in my life? Why?” At this point, I can’t hold back my chuckle.

  “Lana, there’s a whole lot more I’m willing to do. You just wait and see. Now, I’m going to ask you again, what time should I pick you up?”

  7

  Kace

  “Who is it?” Lana asks from the other end of the door.

  I reach in my pocket and pull out the $50 bill—my entire budget for today’s date. I’m also holding a picnic basket, with some stuff I got from home for our date.

  “It’s me,” I say impatiently. “Come on, Sweetness, we’re gonna be late.” God knows I’ve waited long enough to see her.

  I catch her peeking out of the peephole, and I lift my cap so she can get a better look at me.

  Moments later, she opens the door, and my world comes to a complete standstill. My chest feels tight, and the oxygen in the air suddenly grows heavy. It feels like day one all over again, except more intense. I didn’t think it was possible, but the girl is even more beautiful than she was when I first saw her. This girl wreaks havoc inside my pants, and it’s taking every ounce of self-restraint to not leap forward and make her come undone right on the spot.

  I hand her a bunch of handpicked daisies and reach forward to hug her. “Hello, beautiful,” I say.

  The deepening rosy shade of pink her cheeks are turning has the butterflies inside my stomach doing summersaults. “Hi,” she says shyly.

  I take her hand in mine, and reach forward, planting a kiss on her forehead. “You’re ready?”

  “Yeah, but I’m a little nervous, to be honest. You remember the rules? What’s the budget for our date?”

  I flash the $50 bill in front of her. “Yeah, I thought I’d go all out.” She gives me a small smile, clearly still nervous. I drink in her honey-brown eyes and pull her into me. “Sweetness, when you’re with me, there’s nothing to be nervous about. Now let’s get out of here. We have a train to catch.”

  I wasn’t always the well-off actor I am today. I grew up in poverty, living in a trailer park for most of my early years. We were happy with what we had, but I refused to settle for that life and worked my ass off to get to where I am today and help out my family. Now my family’s taken care of, but I’ve been searching for that special woman to spend my money on, and as Lana takes that first step onto the train, I can’t help but think that I found her.

  “Who would have thought that Mr. Big-shot, Kace Taitum, rides the subway?” she teases. She struggles to hide the smile on her face, right up until we reach our stop.

  “We’re headed to Central Park.”

  The train stops on Broadway at 66th, and we make our way to the park. We walk, hand in hand, through the park until we reach a quiet, secluded spot, and I open up a picnic blanket.

  Lana finds a seat, and I pop the bottle of sparkling wine.

  “What’s on the menu?” She asks innocently.

  “Strawberries and champagne. Or rather, sparkling wine. I couldn’t quite afford the champagne.” I say teasingly and hand her a glass.

  I find a seat beside Lana, and wrap my arms around her waist—something I’ve waited to do since picking her up.

  “How long have you wanted to be an actress?” I ask her.

  She sits upright, and I can just see the excitement on her face as she starts talking about her dream career.

  “Since I was just a little girl. My sister first put the thought in my head, and I managed to get a few gigs in local commercials, and then my heart was set. When I saw myself on my tv screen, something clicked inside me, and I knew—this is what I wanted to do with my life.”

  We chatted some more, and I learn as much about this queen as I can. I could just listen to her speak all day long. We lay back, and my queen is in my arms; right where she belongs. We stare at the sky for a few moments in silence, just taking in the bliss of each other’s company.

  She’s the first to speak. “Thanks for this. I was worried about coming on this date, but this is the most special I’ve felt, since arriving in this city.”

  I turn to my side and glance at her perfect, plump lips. It’s as if they are made for kissing. I reach down, and my lips crash into hers. I try taking it slow, but the moment I feel her soft lips against mine, I’m a goner.

  We make out for the next few moments when realization dawns on me.

  Shit. I hope we’re not late.

  I glance down at my wristwatch. I need to make sure my timing is perfect. “Sweetness, we better get going.” I say and stand to my feet.

  Lana’s brows furrow. “Okay… but that’s an abrupt way to end our date,” she says, chuckling.

  I fold up the picnic blanket. “Oh, who said anything about us being done? No, angel. We have one final stop left.”

  8

  Lana

  Kace keeps stealing glances at his watch as if he’s late for something. He refuses to tell me where we’re off to, and the suspense is driving me nuts.

  “Where are you taking me?” I try grilling him.

  “I already told you, we’re going to Broadway,” He says with a massive grin.

  “For what? A show? Remember, we don’t have the ‘budget
’ to watch a show,” I chuckle and increase my pace, struggling to keep up with him.

  “I guess you could call it that.”

  Dear Lord, what is this man planning?

  I’m not sure what it is that he sees in me, but Kace really has a way of making me feel like the only girl on earth. Every moment I spend in his company leaves me craving more. He’s like a drug, and I know that once I get that first hit, I’ll be hooked.

  Perhaps it’s the fact that he treats me like a queen, or maybe it’s the power and possessiveness he exudes whenever he looks at me. Whatever the case, I know I need to have more.

  Hand in hand, we run down Broadway, like a newly-wedded couple making their getaway to spend their first night together.

  “We’re here,” Kace says in a deep, growly voice.

  “Oh,” I respond. “This is… nice.” I say, wondering if he’s under the impression that I haven’t seen these streets before?

  He shifts behind me and presses his body into mine. The thick outline of his flaccid cock pressing against my ass has me gasping for air. Even when soft, I can tell the man is packing! If this man continues at this rate, I have a feeling I’m going to lose my virginity. He reaches his hand forward and uses it to block my vision.

  “Okay, now you’re freaking me out. Kace, what are you up to?”