Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Nutcrackers and Nonsense

brUNO

"I fucking hate you." Holly sneered after I'd given her what I thought was one banger of an orgasm.

The second I removed my hand from between her soaked thighs and the other from her diamond-hard nipple, she twirled around and smacked me in the face, then screeched like a hyena, grabbed me by the lapels, and crashed her lips over mine.

I drank from the well of her mouth, our tongues tangling as one hand went into her hair, the other to her ass. I ground against her as my cheek sizzled with heat from where she'd clocked me. She groaned angrily and bit down on my bottom lip so hard she may have drawn blood, before ripping her mouth away and shoving me backward.

"Mixed messages much?" I scowled, rubbing my jaw, then my lip to find a drop of blood where she'd bitten me.

"How dare you!" she hissed under her breath.

"How dare me? You're the one that smacked me and then kissed me," I griped.

"Because you played me like a fiddle with your sexy, broody, voodoo that you have over me. I am on a date and you just…you just…"

"Fingered you until you came hard and helped you down from a massive panic attack? Yes, yes, I did."

She frowned. "That was a panic attack?"

"Yeah. Something Mr. Hollywood said set you off. I came to help. And I did. Don't you feel better?" I smirked, bringing the two fingers I had inside of her moments ago to my mouth and sucking on them. I groaned when her sweet flavor lit up my tastebuds, making me want to lift her ass onto the vanity and eat direct from the source right now.

Her eyes first sparked with what I knew to be lust, but quickly morphed into anger. "Don't do that again. I'm on a date with another man."

"I won't if you won't." I smirked, as her eyes narrowed to slits.

A knock on the door broke us from our bitch fest staring contest.

"Holly, you okay in there?" Colin spoke through the door.

"Speaking of the devil…" I put my hand to the doorknob as Holly scrambled to stop me by batting at my hands.

"No!" she hissed but it was too late.

I opened the door and grinned at the concerned, then surprised face of the man I currently loathed.

"Holly wasn't feeling well." I patted my chest pocket nonchalantly as though I had something inside, which I did not. "I gave her some anti-nausea pills. She should be okay by the time we arrive, but she should rest. Right, Holly?" I turned to face her.

She ran her hands down her body, righting herself, but had no idea how it looked more like a sensual caress along her gorgeous frame. I noticed it, and so did Mr. Hollywood, as could be seen by the way his gaze traced her curves as though he was imagining her sans the dress. I gritted my teeth and did my best not to reach for my holster.

"I've got it, Mr. Castellanos," Colin murmured, reaching a helping hand out for Holly.

"Of course. I'll be in my seat if you need me again, Holly."

Her head lifted, and her fiery gaze met mine. While Colin was doting on her, I brought the two fingers that I'd just had inside her sweet heat up to my face and brazenly inhaled. "Mmm, I sure am hungry."

Holly's mouth dropped open, and her gaze went lazy, the same way it did when I was about to feast on her.

"Yeah, I can't wait to eat. I'm starved . Maybe a steak or…chocolate cake. What do you say, Holly? I know chocolate cake is your favorite." I tilted my head and watched her squirm, likely remembering how much I ravaged her while she gorged on cake last night.

"I don't think we have any on the plane right now, but maybe some cookies," Colin suggested.

"No bother, I'll save my appetite for later." I pursed my lips and blew Holly a kiss when Colin was facing the other way.

She shook her head and glared.

Oh, tonight was going to be such fun. I now knew exactly how to get under Holly's skin and in her panties.

Colin Omstead didn't have a chance in hell of winning this woman. I just needed to figure out what that meant for the auction and for me, because I didn't want to let her go, but I also had no idea how to offer her more.

* * * *

The red-carpet scene was a nightmare right out of a horror themed Christmas movie. Not only was the entire hotel draped in decorative Christmas lights, complete with twenty-foot-tall wooden Nutcrackers framing its entrance, there were paparazzi with flashing cameras and screaming fans everywhere. Only in LA would you find giant Nutcrackers and fake snow when the temperature outside was a cool seventy-five degrees. None of it made any sense and was entirely overdone.

When Colin alighted from the limo and held a hand out for Holly, the crowd surrounding the event went wild. The pitch and volume of the roar practically made my ears bleed.

Instantly, I went for Holly's arm, but Colin stepped in front of me. "I've got it from here," he barked, staking his claim the same way I would have if our situations were reversed.

I nodded and stood back, creating a barrier between the couple and the crowd. Colin's security team had the other side and the back of the huddle we'd created. We were stationed right outside of the hotel in front of a set of stairs leading to the entrance. The red carpet ran from the curb all the way up and over the stairs into the building. Red ropes were strung on each side of the walkway separating the crowd and paparazzi from the celebrities arriving. I had no idea this event would be this massive. Colin's security team did not provide the appropriate intel.

My internal safety meter was starting to buzz, sending red flags waving in every direction. I clocked the number of guards stationed on both sides and quickly realized there was a distinct lack of security based on the amount of people clamoring to gain access to the stars.

I wanted to get Holly inside right fucking now.

What I didn't expect when I turned around to suggest we get moving, was for Colin to put his arm around Holly's waist, holding her far more intimately than warranted. It suggested to the crowd that they were on more than just a date. He doubled down when he planted them both in the center of the carpet allowing everyone and their brother to take pictures of them. The photographers went nuts screaming at the duo.

"Colin, Colin, who's with you tonight?"

"Who's the blonde bombshell?"

"Is that your girlfriend?"

Colin didn't say a word. He just stood there and let them assume she was more than just a date while they took endless photos. He could have so easily claimed Holly was a friend, to keep her safest, but no, he wanted them to see her as a romantic interest. Which ultimately would play into his story when he bought her hand in the auction, and they got married so suddenly.

That motherfucker.

And what about Holly?

What I overheard before Holly had her panic attack was that he'd insinuated he would take care of her and her family. I could fucking take care of her and her family just as well as Mr. Hollywood, but that wasn't what Holly wanted. She had goals and dreams for herself. Things she wanted to accomplish on her own, not by being hand-fed buckets of money in exchange for the price of her dreams.

Finally, the next car rolled up and the attendants urged them to follow the carpet up the stairs, past all the fans, to enter the hotel where the event was being held.

I followed at Holly's side, a few feet away, matching what Colin's security did, giving them space but also staying close. My gaze cataloged everyone near them to ascertain any potential threats. What I didn't expect was a woman holding a microphone to duck under the red ropes, race over like an Olympian track runner and clock Holly in the head with the microphone, then bodily fling herself at Colin. He caught the woman, but that didn't stop the fifty other screaming fans from doing the same and bum rushing our group.

Holly screamed at the top of her lungs, a sound that pierced my heart like a dart hitting a bullseye. I watched in dread as her body bowed forward and she reached for her forehead. I went to counter the action, immediately bodily pushing people away from her until I finally scooped Holly up, spun us around, and raced up the steps that led inside.

The crowd mobbed Colin so completely his blonde head disappeared in the crowd as the security around them flung people off him trying to reach their charge. His own security had jumped over him, the way a pair of defenders on an NFL league would protect their quarterback.

Me, I protected the real prize…Holly.

When I got her inside, her entire body was shaking, her hands covering her forehead. "Baby, are you okay? Let me see your head," I begged, cupping her cheeks.

Her face was ghost white; her expression frightened, those pretty eyes of her shifting aimlessly as though she was lost.

"I've got you. You hear me?"

She nodded and let me gently remove her hand from her forehead. There was already a massive bump appearing, swollen pink tissue bulging where the woman hit her. Holly didn't take her eyes off me, her hands clutching my forearms as I assessed the wound.

"Excuse me, miss." A hotel attendant approached and touched her elbow. She flinched, let out a little cry, and plowed into my chest, tucking her face against me as the tears came.

"Back the fuck off!" I bellowed and wrapped my arms around her while she sobbed. "Lead us to the doctor. I know you have one at fancy events like this."

He nodded, clearly rattled as he waved me over toward an empty hall.

I picked up Holly as she continued to cry against my chest and rushed down the hall to an open hotel room. Inside was a man in a suit, a stethoscope dangling around his neck.

"Oh, my goodness, please, place her here," he encouraged, gesturing to the sofa.

Holly clung to me when I tried to set her down, so I sat with her in my lap.

"What happened?" The doctor asked, genuinely concerned. "Heat? Too much alcohol?"

"She was hit on the head by a psycho fan of Colin Omstead's," I grated, the situation becoming all too clear now that my girl was being tended to.

"Oh dear. May I?" He waved his hand toward Holly.

"Holly, baby, the doctor needs to see your head." I ran my fingers along the side of her hair, pushing the long golden locks over her shoulder.

She sniffled and then sat up a little straighter while still in my lap. Her head turned and the doctor grimaced.

"Looks like you got clobbered good. I'm just going to shine this light into your eyes, and ask that you follow it for me," he turned a pen light on and moved it around. "Looks good. I'm going to inspect the injury, okay?"

I liked this doctor's approach. He asked for permission and told her exactly what he was going to do.

The doc reached out and used his thumbs to manipulate the wound, feeling around it. "Can you get me an icepack from the little fridge over there?" he requested of the attendant who'd followed us in and hadn't left.

The attendant did as the doctor bade.

"We're going to have you sit here with the ice on your forehead for a little while, see if we can't get some of that swelling down. Do you know if you lost consciousness at all? Even for a second?"

Holly shook her head. "I didn't black out; it just hurts a lot."

"I'll bet. Was anyone else with you?" he asked, and as if the devil himself had risen straight from hell, I could hear a man screaming Holly's name.

Eventually, a slew of people, Colin leading the pack, raced into the room. His tie was half off, his shirt ripped and his hair a bird's nest on his head. There were lipstick stains all over his face, hands, and neck.

"Holly! My God, are you okay?" He stormed forward and fell to his knees before us, attempting to reach out to touch what was not his.

"You can back up, Mr. Omstead," I clung to my precious cargo. "Give her some space," I demanded in a tone that would be followed or consequences would ensue.

"Colin," Holly whispered dejectedly before her face crumpled into despair and the tears made a second appearance.

"She's clearly upset after being attacked." For the second time in just over a week, I wanted to say, but wasn't about to share Holly's personal life with this do-gooder loser.

"I can't believe that happened. The event swore there was security up and down the carpet. If I had known it would be so easy for the fans to break through the barricade, we would have gone through the rear private entrance. I'm so so sorry," he reached out as if to console her.

I boldly shoved his hand away. "No fucking touching."

Holly reached for my hand and patted it, before clearing her throat and sliding off my lap and to my side. "Thank you, Bruno." Her eyes met mine. "Thank you for saving me…again."

"Again?" Colin asked, confused.

"Shut it!" I barked at him.

"Hey?" Holly cupped my cheek. "Look at me."

I glared at Colin and then turned my head, her eyes were filled with gratitude and something I didn't want to name but it looked a lot like trust.

"Thank you for saving me, Bruno. That could have been really bad without you there."

"It's my job," I said on autopilot. "It was my honor," I corrected, letting down that mental wall between me and my feelings for just a moment. The experience was unusual and made me itch to get up and do something, anything, but instead, I forced myself to take it in, to look into Holly's warm gaze and accept her thanks. "You're welcome."

She nodded and then shifted to face Colin. "Are you okay?"

I gritted my teeth and let her do her thing.

"Fine. I mean, that was scary. It hasn't been that bad in years, but I'm more worried about you." His gaze went to her forehead where the ugly bump was getting uglier by the second.

"Ice," I reminded her.

She placed the icepack back over the injury and winced. "I'll try to rally, maybe the doctor can give me some pain meds so I could stay…"

"Absolutely not!" I said at the same time Colin did.

At least we agreed on something.

"We'll go back to the hotel so I can take care of you…" he attempted.

I was just about to lose my fucking mind on him when Holly shook her head. "No, I think I need to be on my own."

"Actually, with a head injury, my medical suggestion is for you to be watched at all times. Even if you didn't pass out, you were hit pretty hard and that's a nasty bump. I need someone to keep an eye on you all night, waking you every two hours to ensure you don't have a concussion. Unless of course you're amenable to going to the hospital and being checked…"

"Jesus, this situation is getting worse by the minute, Colin," said a dark-haired woman I hadn't seen before. She was wearing a black satin strapless gown. "We've already got the press all over the woman attacking your date and then you being tackled by your security team while women act like piranhas having just been fed a juicy steak for the first time. We have to get on top of this. You don't have the time to play nursemaid to some gold-digger," she snapped.

"Who the fuck are you?" I stood, putting myself between Holly and this bitch.

"I'm Carmen Deetz, his manager. You must be the date's security. Can you get her out of here without anyone seeing her?"

"Gladly," I rumbled as Holly stood and put her hands on my back.

"Bruno, please don't make the situation worse," Holly pleaded in a low whiney voice I hated.

I changed the subject. "You said there was a back private entrance?"

"Carmen, I need to make sure Holly's okay. She's my date, and this is all my fault," Colin explained.

"No, you need to get out there, make sure you've met the expectations of your movie producers by making a speech, donating a million dollars to the charity you chose, and soaking up all the good press. You need it more now, after that debacle out front." Carmen glanced at me and then at Holly. "Besides, it looks like she's being taken care of just fine to me."

"Agreed," I shifted to put my arm around Holly. "Let's get you settled in our room where I can keep an eye on you."

"Our room?" Colin blurted. "I booked you a separate one on the floor below us."

"Yeah, that's not going to work for me. Read your contract. Security stays in the same suite, or in this case, room, as the candidate."

"Candidate?" Carmen asked.

"You're her security guy, not her boyfriend. Don't you think that's overdoing it a bit?"

"After what you just put her through, I'm not about to take any chances with her life. And since you just put her on the media's radar, and that of your deranged fans, the closer I am to Holly, the better. Now get out of my way."

"Bruno…" Holly dug her nails into my bicep. "Don't be rude."

"This is me being nice," I snapped and dragged her past an agitated Colin, who was raking his fingers through his hair and looking at Holly as though she was his long-lost puppy. One that had somehow found a new owner.

"I'll call you when this is over, Holly, I swear. We'll work it out!" Colin called out.

"Don't hold your fucking breath," I grumbled as I followed the hotel attendant to a back exit. There was a shiny black limo already waiting.

I scanned the street and was relieved when I didn't see a single photographer. Quickly, I hustled Holly into the limo, slid in beside her, and told the driver to get the hell out of dodge.

We were off without anyone being the wiser.