Eye Candy

“Anytime you need me to punch out an ex, or even your current fiancé, you just let me know and I’m there.” He winks, but I have a feeling he might be serious about my current fiancé.

“Okay, well,” Ruby claps her hands together. “I think you’re channeling the spirit of gladiator perfectly tonight, Lex. Keep that up when you’re on the stage so we can make some serious money off of you.”

Gwendolyn comes rushing backstage, looking as if her head is going to explode. “Amalie! There you are! You won’t believe what just happened. Some man dressed as Peter Pan was in the foyer, screaming about having his panties stolen. Can you even believe it? Bancroft is escorting him off the property. I don’t even know how he managed to get on the guest list.”

Ruby and I give each other a look. Of all the nights for Armstrong to miss a party, this is definitely a good one.





Chapter 12: Costume Malfunction


Ruby

Gwendolyn has forced Amie to come up on stage with her to help auction off the men. I’ve been relegated to backstage duty—Gwendolyn thinks my costume is too suggestive. Those weren’t her exact words, but her twitchy face and her pinched lips were a significant enough tell, along with her tone when she called my costume inappropriate.

Amie is not a huge fan of being in front of hundreds of people unless it’s associated with presenting in a boardroom. Apparently when there are slides and a presentation it’s a lot different. I suppose that makes sense. This is unstructured.

My job is to make sure the guys are prepared, look dapper—or in Lex’s case, hot enough to cause women to succumb to the vapors—and make it out on stage for their auction slot. It’s pretty easy. So far we’ve managed to raise more than a hundred and forty thousand dollars and we still have two bachelors to go. One of them is Wentworth Williams. He once flirted with me at a party back when Bancroft and I were yet to be defined and I was only his pet sitter, not his live-in girlfriend.

The first time I met Wentworth, within an hour he intimated that he wanted to get naked with me. He’s been well-behaved this evening, perhaps because Lex is right here, and Wentworth is aware that I’m living with Bancroft. He’s been ultra-polite.

Lex is looking at his phone when something else catches his attention. He frowns, his stance becoming defensive. Dear God, the panty chewer better not be back. The curtains part and Bancroft comes through, dressed as Batman.

Lex’s posture relaxes immediately and he directs his smirk at me. “You have to be responsible for that.”

I grin. “Totally.”

“You take care of that guy?” Lex asks Bane.

“Oh, yeah. He’s gone.” Bancroft nods to Wentworth and slips an arm around my waist. It’s an intentionally possessive move. Especially when he kisses my temple and pulls me into his side. “That guy’s a little obsessed, huh? A bit of a nutbar? Is he from Amie’s anarchy days?”

“Anarchy days?” Lex’s grin widens.

I wave a hand around, as if it’s not important. “She was a bit of a wild child. Anyway, that guy chews holes in panties, and he’s a little unhinged. I think that’s about as much as you all need to know.” It’s really not my story to tell, especially in front of Lex. Maybe later, when I’m alone with Bane and we’re not having sex, I’ll tell him about that brief, weird relationship.

“I’ll just leave that one alone, then.”

“That’s probably for the best.” I run my hand over his chest. His broad, Lycra-covered chest. I can’t wait until we’re up in our room and having superhero sex.

A round of applause makes it difficult to hear Lex’s question and a few moments later Wentworth is being called to the stage. I don’t adjust his tie like I have everyone else, because there’s no way Bane is going to let go of me to make that happen. Also, his hand is wandering and I can feel his hard-on against my hip.

Once Wentworth disappears through the curtains Lex looks up from his phone. “You two don’t need to babysit me, I’ve done this a bunch of times. I know the drill. Go get a drink.” He motions to the curtains leading to the stage. “This’ll take a while, anyway.”

I’m starting to get hot in this costume. A drink would be great. “Can I get you anything?”

He shakes his empty glass. “Scotch and soda would be good.”

I nab it from him. “I’ll be back in a few.”

“Take your time.” He glances at his phone again.

I head for the stairs, but before I get too far, fingers wrap around my wrist and I’m pulled back into a hard wall of muscle. Bancroft’s cape flutters around me, caging me in. Picking me up, he takes me in the opposite direction of the bar, and back behind the stage.

“What’re you doing?” I whisper hiss.

“This costume is killing me,” he mutters.

“Like you’re uncomfortable?” I can’t see how that’s possible; his costume is the softest, stretchiest fabric in the world. Warm maybe, because Lycra isn’t known for being super breathable.

I’m dangling about six inches above the floor, my back pressed to his front. He shifts his hips so I can feel his hard-on. “No. You’re making my balls ache. I need to take the edge off.”

“But we’re supposed to get a drink for Lex.”

“Lex can get his own drink. We’ll be quick.” He heads toward the closest door. Pushing it open, he hits the light. It’s a supply closet. “This’ll have to do.”

It closes behind us and he sets me down, flipping the lock before he pushes me up against the wall and crushes his mouth to mine. Well, I guess I know how he feels about the Catwoman costume. Grinding against me, he strips off his gloves and runs his hands over my shiny black cat suit, groping my breasts, sliding them over my hips, and cupping them between my legs. Tearing his mouth away he exhales a harsh breath. “Fuck, you’re so hot. Why is this so hot? Motherfucker.”

He groans when I palm him through his Batman suit, then slip my hand into the secret pocket and wrestle him free. He wasn’t kidding about this costume driving him nuts; he’s rock solid. His cock kicks in my hand as I run my thumb over the head. My nails are painted red.

He takes my face in his hands, tilts my head back and his mouth is on mine again, tongue forcing its way past my lips, each stroke hot and aggressive. Exactly the way he’s pumping into my hand.

“I want inside you.” His hands move down my sides and he grabs my ass, the other coming around to slip between my thighs. “How do I get into this?”

I have to push on his chest with some real force to get him to back up. “I’ll show you.”

He closes his hand around mine when I try to let go of his erection.

I give him a devious smile. “I can’t show you if you’re fucking my hand, can I?”

He’s quick to let me go. Arching my back, I reach behind me and find the zipper. When I get halfway I have to move to the front to unzip it the rest of the way. I installed a hidden zipper that starts at my tailbone and ends at my navel in preparation for this exact event.