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  Party Starter

  Kris Starr

  Julia Redmond is the personification of the perfect party—sultry, adventurous and completely unforgettable. Night after night she keeps parties, and bar tabs, going when energy begins to fade. When the mood strikes, she’s got no problem taking a little work home with her, and Stone Ridge is one tasty party favor she can’t wait to sample. She wants nothing more than to get the man on his back and between her sheets—right up until the moment he makes a play for her job.

  Stone has his sights set on stealing Julia’s prime employment. He matches her total package with a smokin’ hot party experience of his own—and not even Julia is immune to his charm. But one wicked encounter on the dance floor and Stone’s ready to divert his focus. As competition for the best gigs ensues, Stone and Julia begin to realize they’re hot individually, but together they’re explosive.

  PARTY STARTER

  Kris Starr

  Chapter One

  Julia Redmond stood facing the large, closed double doors in front of her and shut her eyes, waiting. The service hallway was brightly lit, cold and industrial in its utilitarian bleakness. The insistent, heavy thump, thump, thump of some indistinguishable techno song reverberated through the walls, and not surprisingly, the dull pain behind her left eye began to pulse at the same tempo. She let out a sigh. The universe had to be telling her something because she just wasn’t her usual, good-to-go self tonight.

  “Everything okay, Miz Red?”

  The security guard standing off to the side could have doubled as a tiny mountain. Julia opened her eyes and looked at him. There was no doubt the man could single-handedly defeat a small army if he had to. Arms the size of tree trunks crossed a chest practically as wide as she was tall, all encased in a tight navy-blue t-shirt emblazoned with the word “Security” in gold letters.

  As if anyone needed clarification.

  Julia flashed the man her usual grin, knowing it was only at fifty percent effort, but he didn’t seem to mind. His gaze wandered over her approvingly, and Julia could practically read his thoughts on his face.

  She smoothed her skintight red mini-dress over her hips and gave her hair a flip.

  “I’m good, thanks, Curtis,” she lied, weariness settling heavily on her shoulders. Why did she feel so bloody old?

  He nodded, his attention lingering on her extreme cleavage. “A good crowd out there tonight.”

  Julia nodded noncommittally. “Sounds like it.”

  “This one’s definitely got cash. They hit peak capacity an hour ago, but the bar’s slowing down and the energy level’s starting to drop.”

  She nodded again. No surprises there at all. It was one o’clock in the morning and the partying crowd inside was beginning to realize it. Time to do her job.

  Julia just wished she could get in the mood.

  Maybe it was the fact that she’d had another gig last night. She didn’t normally have them back-to-back like this, but tonight was a favor to Ricky.

  And besides, tonight was worth six grand to her bank account, instead of the usual five.

  Not a bad way to spend an evening.

  Julia closed her eyes again, trying to visualize the party going on behind the metal doors. A lot of drunkenness, sure, and inhibitions lowering further and further by the minute. Bodies slick and glistening with perspiration, the musk of arousal thick in the air. Pelvises pressed together as couples and groups gyrated around the dance floor, a hairsbreadth away from fucking with their clothes on.

  And very shortly, they’d all want her. Every single one of them.

  A warm flush started in her pussy and slowly began to seep from her core outward, filling her limbs with a very familiar tingling.

  Yes, this was more like it.

  She licked her lips, her mouth slowly curving into a feline smile. Mentally, she shrugged off her earlier dissatisfaction as a fluke, nothing more. Maybe the dim sum she’d had for dinner wasn’t sitting right.

  Never mind. Tonight was going to be as good as always. Everything would be just peachy.

  An almost imperceptible beep reached her ears and she opened her eyes, glancing in Curtis’ direction. The man had one hand pressed to an ear, ostensibly listening to someone on the other end.

  “Okay, boss,” he said, his bass voice rumbling. He met Julia’s gaze. “Get ready. It’s showtime.”

  Julia inhaled deeply and slowly exhaled. She was ready, as usual. Finally. She gave Curtis a quick nod and a wink. “Time to make everybody want to party real hard.”

  Curtis chuckled. “Amen to that.” He pulled open the door in front of them and the volume exploded a hundredfold. It was pitch dark beyond the threshold, the blackness broken only by the occasional flashes of distant strobe lights and stage spots. Faint track lighting on the floor led Julia down a short hall to a thick velvet curtain, where she paused.

  At that moment, the music changed, and the first few notes of Julia’s signature song began to play. The distinct melody wrapped itself around her like a tangible second skin, kissing her bare limbs and licking its way from her toes right up to the top of her head.

  Julia exhaled slowly, succumbing to the song, slowly gyrating and shimmying in place, unable to keep herself from moving. Her nipples tightened, and she felt naughty and dirty and ready to give every man in the place an immediate hard-on. And make some of the women wet too.

  The DJ’s voice emerged over the sudden, thumping drumbeat. “How are you all doing tonight?”

  A cacophony of drunken hollers and catcalls answered him. Julia grinned. Oh, this crowd was at its prime, all right.

  “Well, I’m thinkin’ that you guys are slowing down out there. C’mon! It’s only one a.m.! But maybe you need a little help, huh?”

  More enthusiastic whistles and cheers.

  “So have I got a treat for you! Ladies and gentlemen, to get your engines going and get your blood pumping again, please welcome Kitty Red!”

  A juggernaut of ecstatic sound nearly drowned out the music, and Julia flung the curtain aside to screams of delight.

  The spotlight found her, and she struck a pose, winking lasciviously at the crowd and exaggeratedly licking her lips. Letting the music take control, she danced her way to the center of the floor, moving her body with a hedonistic sexuality that was infectious. The energy that had filled the floor earlier skyrocketed, and Julia found herself at the center of the maelstrom, every eye in the room locked on her. Moving with well-practiced steps, she engaged them all, wordlessly encouraging the partiers to join in.

  A glass was pressed into her hand, and she caught the eye of the bartender who handed it to her. A quick sip confirmed it was her usual mineral water with lime and she blew the young college kid a kiss, laughing at his lovesick expression and obvious infatuation.

  Throwing her hands up in the air she gave a cheer that spread like wildfire, sparking energy into the crowd around her.

  Julia spun on the floor, gyrating her hips and shaking her tits, making sure the partiers were all watching. Then at some unseen signal, the crowd closed in, tighter than before. There was less space on the floor than there had been, and a quick glance around the room confirmed that fewer tables were occupied now.

  She’d begun to reel ‘em in, all right.

  The music changed again to yet another hot techno track—one of her favorites, in fact—and Julia began to work her magic.

  Letting the music carry her along, she wound her way through the crowd, shimmying against a pelvis here, brushing up against an arm there. The nonstop friction was more delicious than usual. Musky perfumes and colognes enveloped her, and the slick slide of damp skin made her pussy just as wet. The strange melancholy she’d experienced earlier had vanished, and now she was horny. Scratch that—s
he was hornier than usual and this crowd was equally hot.

  Random hands stroked her bare arms, and an increasing number of rock-hard nipples and granite cock ridges pressed against her. Julia let out a squeal of pleasure that the music immediately swallowed. She dove headfirst into the sea of lust and attention directed at her and reveled in it. They loved her, they worshipped her and they wanted her. Shit, she’d fuck every single person in the place at this very moment, if she could.

  Condensation from her glass dripped down her arm and she took a large sip, glancing at the bar at the same time. Lineups had formed, four and five people deep, and Julia smiled smugly. Oh, yeah, she was the party starter, all right.

  A slight tingle at the base of her neck gave her pause. The same niggling sensation she’d had in the hallway while talking to Curtis, the security guard. Something still wasn’t quite right, but damn if she could put her finger on what it was. She’d left her cell locked in the glove box of her Lexus, though she was certain she could find a phone somewhere if she really needed one. But just who would she call, anyway? Her manager Ricky? And tell him what? That the party felt weird? Right.

  She shrugged again, willing the sensation away and trying to focus once again on the crowd and the music. Thankfully, a large, firm body appeared at her back at that very moment, and the sudden pressure of an impressive bulge against her ass made all of her concerns seem much less worrisome. She thrust her hips back, grinding against that cock in slow circles. A pair of long-fingered hands landed on her hips, pulling her in more closely.

  Julia groaned, her eyelids fluttering shut. God, it’d been too long since she’d had a good fuck. Maybe tonight was one of those extremely rare, random nights where she found someone in the crowd to take home with her. Someone who could make her headboard rattle with his thrusts and make her scream with ecstasy. It probably didn’t help that she was working two nights in a row. Last night had started this buildup and now the feeling was being compounded. Yeah, it was time to get laid again. Step one involved checking out the very sizeable candidate currently grinding against her ass in a promising way.

  Julia opened her eyes and shifted in her partner’s grip in order to turn to face him, and…

  Oh my dear God.

  Her dance partner forgotten, the breath stuttered from her lungs as she locked gazes with a man standing at the edge of the dance floor. It was difficult to get a truly clear view, but he was definitely tall and broad-shouldered, with great biceps showcased by his fitted t-shirt. Worn jeans hugged long legs and sat low on his hips. His light-colored hair was a tousled mass of waves that swept back from his forehead to nearly reach his shoulders, framing a strong jaw and cheekbones. But most shockingly, from this distance, his eyes appeared luminescent. It had to be a trick of the light, but the brightness of his eyes was undeniable, and the sight of it pushed every conscious thought out of her head. That cool emerald gaze seemed to bore into her, tearing away her clothing, stripping her entirely naked to his will. If he merely snapped his fingers she’d be on her knees in front of him in a heartbeat. Or on her back, or her front, or…

  With a sudden twitch Julia wrenched her gaze away, tamping down an unexpected flash of indignation. What the hell was that? She didn’t come when called like some crushing fan girl slut. She was the main attraction here. She was in control and called the shots. It was just her stupid fucking libido causing problems. That was it.

  As quickly as the irritation had arisen, it dissipated. New strategy—she just had to go check this guy out and wrap him around her pinky finger. Turn him to jelly just like every other man in the place.

  Piece of satiny-smooth, velvety cake.

  She forced her gaze back to the stranger.

  Cake with a ton of lickable, buttery icing. And oh, how she liked licking icing.

  Giving the hand on her hip a squeeze, she extricated herself from her dance partner’s grasp and slowly made her way across the floor. Julia took her time, never breaking eye contact with the fair Adonis, feeling her way from body to body. Inhibitions were dropping like flies and a few bolder hands stroked her ass, the curve of her breast. Halfway to her goal, she found herself sandwiched between two very scantily dressed women, a blonde and a brunette, and she let out a moan as two pair of very nice breasts rubbed against her, in front and back. The blonde behind her dropped a kiss between her shoulder blades, running her fingertips up and down Julia’s sides. The brunette in front brushed tentative kisses on her cheek until Julia turned her head to meet the woman’s mouth directly.

  A hot, wet tongue plunged between her lips and Julia met it with her own. The exquisite kiss lasted for several moments, a roar of approval coming from the surrounding crowd. Breaking away with a tiny pang of regret, Julia once again found her mystery man and continued toward him. As she watched, she could have sworn the light in his eyes flared for a single breath, and she was certain that his lips were curved in a very knowing smile.

  After what seemed like an eternity, she danced up next to him, nearly stumbling in her stilettos. Dear God, the man was even better looking up close.

  Time to get serious.

  “Hey, baby,” she said, “what’s your name?”

  He hesitated, then answered her. “Stone.”

  Julia laughed. “Stone, huh? Is that because you’re always hard?”

  He quirked an eyebrow at her. “Maybe.”

  “What kind of a name is Stone?”

  “What kind of a name is Kitty?”

  She shrugged in acquiescence. “Point taken. So, Stone, come and dance with me.”

  Stone shook his head slightly, an amused expression on his face. “Thanks, but I’m not much of a dancer. I’d rather just watch you.”

  A shiver rippled up Julia’s spine.

  “Oh, c’mon, hot stuff.” Julia fluttered her eyelashes at him, giving him her sexiest pout. “I’ll bet you move just fine.” She turned and moved a few steps away, swinging her hips, giving him the best view of her assets. Glancing over her shoulder, she waited, watching as several witnesses to her invitation shouted encouragement at him. Julia pursed her lips slightly. Something about this guy just wasn’t jiving. And Stone? Yeah, right. His name was really Stone about as much as her name was really Kitty. But that wasn’t important anyway. What was important was just who this guy was, and why her body seemed to be aflame whenever he looked at her.

  And another thing. Julia had done tons of these parties, seen a lot of faces that had become familiar over time. She’d never seen Stone before. Ever.

  She’d have definitely remembered him. No question about that.

  Holding his hands up in mock surrender, Stone stepped forward, making his way over to her. Either peer pressure had won, or she’d convinced him. Regardless, point for Ms. Kitty.

  Julia turned, gyrating in place, lifting her arms up over her head, tangling her hands in her hair. The position thrust her breasts out, the front of her dress so low cut that the very tops of her areolas were visible—if one looked close enough. That didn’t bother her, though. She’d had more wardrobe malfunctions during her career than she could count, and nobody at any of those parties had minded one iota.

  Stone reached her, his attention firmly fixed on her breasts.

  “I like what you’ve got there, Pussycat.”

  Julia lowered her arms, running her hands down the sides of those globes and down to her waist. His emphasis wasn’t lost on her.

  “‘Pussycat’?” she asked.

  He stepped closer, grasping her hips in his hands. He pulled her to him, pressing her firmly against his pelvis. Julia gulped in a breath.

  “Yeah,” he said, his expression intense. “‘Kitty’ is too cutesy, too little-girlish. ‘Pussycat’ is sexier, more seductive. And besides,” his fingertips pressed into her hips, slowly kneading her flesh, “it’s your pussy that everyone here wants, isn’t it?”

  Julia was saved from answering by a change in the music. The techno beat slowed, still pulsating, but now more
erotic, more seductive. Stone released her hips, sliding the palms of his hands farther down, teasing the very edges of her ass, to the tops of her thighs and the hem of her dress. He stroked the skin there deliberately, intently, then brought his hands back to her waist. Julia opened her mouth to speak but Stone pulled her closer, swiveled his hips, and began to move.

  And the universe as Julia knew it tilted askew by several degrees.

  Her first thought was, damn, the man’s good. Better than good. He led her gracefully yet seductively on the floor, encouraging and directing her with the tiniest of subtle gestures. He moved as though he’d been born to it, and Julia was aware of a ripple of exclamation pulsating through the crowd. Stone pulled her closer to him, their bodies fitting like interlocking puzzle pieces. An overwhelming feeling of rightness, of perfection settled over her, and her brain whirled, disconcerted.

  Her second thought was, I’ve been played! Not a dancer, my ass. A white-hot spear of anger knifed through the admiration and for a few seconds she was truly annoyed. He’d lied to her. Well, okay, not necessarily an out-and-out lie, but one of omission. Something was certainly fishy here.

  Then he executed a clever, yet tricky move and the anger was supplanted by giddiness mixed with a touch of awe. She never danced with guys like this. Usually they tried hard, but were slightly self-conscious, awkward or simply had no rhythm at all and did nothing more than grind their hips against hers. But dancing with someone who knew what he was doing and was damned good at it…well, it was an entirely welcome and thrilling experience.

  Insinuating his knee between hers, he looped his arm around her waist, keeping her close, causing her to nearly sit on his thigh. Julia groaned as her pussy pressed firmly against his hard, muscular leg, and she squirmed, rubbing herself against him. She pressed her palms against his chest, marveling for a moment at the firm muscle beneath his t-shirt. She let her upper body relax and arched backward, her breasts straining against the neckline of her dress. Stone’s tongue nestled into her cleavage, licking a path between her breasts. One of his hands tangled in her hair and he tugged at it possessively, forcing her back to arch even more.