They touch down in LA mid-afternoon and Jonas lets them know he has 5 bodyguards ready to be interviewed. They go straight to the LA home and meet Jonas there, he looks Marli up and down upset by what he sees. "Sorry, Marli. We will make sure this does not happen again," he says pulling her in for a hug. "Guys, come on it's not that big of a deal," she tries to soothe their upset. Austin pulls her into the kitchen. "It's a big deal. Ok, Jonas what have you got for us?" he asks. Jonas puts five files down in front of Austin and Marli who are now sitting at the kitchen island. "They all come highly recommended. All worked in the industry for years. All have good references. Number 1, 2, and 5 are fine, but number 3 has like no body hair, he is smooth like a dolphin and number 4 is my favorite," Jonas informs them as Austin starts looking through their paperwork. They interview both numbers 1 and 2. Big strong woman with amazing backgrounds, both are a little scary though and number 2 is allergic to dogs so they are both a no. Jonas is right about number 3 he has no body hair and says it makes him aerodynamic, he is fast as a whistle, but only in water...like a dolphin. Also, Marli misses half of what he says because she is constantly trying to stop Austin and Jonas from attempting to rub his very smooth head, arm, leg, or chest. So he is a no too.
Number 5 was OK and probably would have been hired if he had not been overshadowed by number 4. Number 4, Lou, turns out to be perfect. She is no bigger than Marli in fact she is exactly the same size. She also does not look like she spends every waking hour in the gym. Just a normal-looking girl - Lebanese, striking brown eyes, well-maintained eyebrows, and super long dagger-like nails. She grew up in England so she has a thick British accent and a witty sense of humor. Austin is a little skeptical when he learns it's her only her first bodyguard job. But Marli loves Lou and after some coaxing, he agrees to give her a go. Also when Jonas tells a joke and she makes him swear never to repeat it again he knows she will fit right in. Austin hires Lou explaining that her sole purpose is to attach herself to Marli's hip and make sure she is safe at all times. The only time Lou is not working is when Austin is with Marli. No exceptions. Lou agrees and then follows Jonas to sign her contract and an NDA. They both leave shortly after and Marli is grateful she and Austin are alone for the night.
Austin suggests they order in Chinese and she takes a shower while they wait for their food. She walks into the kitchen just as the Chinese arrives, but Austin won't let her eat until he has finished fussing over her bruises on her arms, neck, and face rubbing Vitamin K cream and giving her two more Arnica pills to swallow. She hops on the kitchen island and grabs a container of food. She ignores Austin's pointed look as he sits in one of the island chairs, taking his own container of food. After a few bites, she decides she does not like the sweet and sour pork so she pushes it aside and leans over to look at what Austin has. He huffs a small laugh and gives her his container then takes her discarded container. She takes a few bites of the cashew chicken but decides she does not like that either. Austin shakes his head.
"Oh no you don't, you have to eat."
"I know, I just am not that hungry I guess."
"I got dumplings too," he says. Marli scrunched her nose up at that. "Well I want you to eat, if I cut a green pepper up will you eat that?" he asks. "Probably, yeah," she answers. She may be enjoying how much Austin is fussing over her.
Marli eats the green pepper and has a few more bites of the pork, preening at the pleased look on Austin's face. Austin clears away the food once they are done eating and makes them each a coffee. Placing the coffee on the counter near Marli he sits back down on his chair and pulls Marli who is still sitting on the counter towards him, pushing her thighs apart so her legs are on either side of him.
"Please tell me you are wearing lace under this oversized tee."
She is definitely wearing lace...
"I can't remember, you will have to check."
Austin sucks in a breath and while keeping a steady eye on Marli he slowly moves his hand up her thigh, up under the tee until his fingers brush the soft lace of her panties. A small smile plays on his lips and shakes his head slightly.
"I like you in lace," he whispers.
His fingers continue to softly and slowly brush over the lace. Marli doesn't know how but her body is so responsive to the most simple of touches by Austin, she is vibrating already. She crosses her arms and grabs her oversized tee by the hem and removes it in one fluid motion. She had not put a bra on after her shower so now she sat with only her lace panties on. She has a sudden flash of shyness so instead of throwing her tee like she had intended she holds it to her chest covering her breasts. For a beat Austin does nothing, he simply cocks his head and continues to look up at her.
"Get rid of the tee, lil mama."
She hesitates.
"Now."
She drops it on the floor. He takes her hands and places them palm-down on the counter.
"Hands stay there...yes?" He raises his eyebrows and Marli nods. He slides his hands slowly up her thighs and grabs her hips. Leaning forward he takes her nipple in his mouth and starts to work over it with that magical tongue of his. When he switches over to her other nipple he slips a few fingers into her panties, the feeling has Marli gasping and instinct makes her want to wrap her arms around his shoulders but she knows if she does he will stop. She can't have him stop. He stands with bended knees and works his way up to kissing Marli, she kisses him back trying not to act as desperate as she feels. He slips two fingers into her and rubs her clit with his thumb. She is always amazed at how controlled he is, the way he moves his fingers is an art form. He is rough yet soft, fast yet slow it makes her head spin. He stops kissing her, pulling back to watch her as she reacts to the bolts of pleasure he sends through her body with each calculated and consistent stroke. He smirks in satisfaction as Marli's orgasm hits, forcing her body to arch as he continues to stroke her through it. He gives her enough time to catch her breath, but her body is still super sensitive. He whispers into her ear.
"Do you trust me?"
Stupid question, she does.
"Yes."
He nods and then she feels a sharp tug and hears tearing, they both look down and see lace in Austin's hands. He has ripped her panties from her body. She looks up and Austin has a grin on his face. "Oops," he says and tosses the mangled lace over his shoulder. He catches Marli's mouth with his and slides her off the island counter. While still kissing her he turns her body around so she has her back flush to his body. He moves her forward two steps so her abdomen is pushed against the countertop.
He stops kissing her and watches her carefully as he starts pushing her face down onto the countertop. She realizes what his intentions are, but she does not feel confident enough for that so she puts her hands out to stop him from pushing her further and starts shaking her head.
"No, I want to see you. I can't do it like this."
Austin stops pushing and lets Marli come up, letting her push her back into his chest. He wraps his arms around her and she turns her head to the side so she can see him. "Hush, lil mama. You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," he assures her then kisses her and slowly starts to turn her back around to face him, but she stops him. She trusts him. She wants to at least try. She pulls out of the kiss and looks at him for a beat then bends over face first and flush onto the island counter, submitting to him completely. She feels very exposed but safe. She hears Austin let out a staggered breath. She is his to either nurture or take advantage of. The edge of the counter is a little uncomfortable as it pushes into her hip bones. He runs his hands up and down her back softly, seemly assessing the situation he then lifts her hips and repositions her a little, the edge of the counter is no longer pushing into her hip bones, but she does notice that the tips of her toes are bearly touching the floor.
He leans over her so he is flush with her body and she can feel he is now naked too. She pouts a little at the thought of not seeing him. He takes her delicate wrists into his big hands and leans close to her ear.
"Are you sure?"
"With you, I always am."
He kisses her temple and then pulls her arms up and positions them so they are griping the other end of the island counter. It's a stretch for her and she has to grip pretty tight, the muscles in her arms are stretched and strained and she can no longer touch the floor with the tips of her toes anymore. The position he has placed her in has left her completely vulnerable and at his mercy. If it had been anyone else she would have never have allowed herself to be placed in such a position. But with Austin she feels she can, that she is safe and even, as strange as it may seem, empowered. Austin starts trailing delicate wet kisses down her spine, when he reaches her right hip he nips her softly, the sensation making her squeak involuntarily. Austin pushes her thighs apart, enough to allow him to stand between them. He grips her hips and she can feel him lining himself up. He strokes her lower back soothingly with his right hand and then in one single powerful swift motion, he thrusts into her, punching the air out of her lungs.
He pulls back until he is almost all the way out and then thrusts back in even more powerful than his first. His rhythm is unforgiving and relentless, Marli's muscles are burning from griping onto the island counter, but she can feel her orgasm start to build and her whole body starts to tingle in anticipation. Then it hits her, and explodes throughout her body like electricity zipping and popping making each nerve endings tingle and come alive, it's so intense she can't help but scream as she climaxes. Austin doesn't last long after he hears her.
Marli is so spent that she hardly notices Austin pulling her up from the counter. He puts her arms around his neck and lifts her making her wrap her legs around his waist. She buries her face in his neck and keeps her eyes closed. She just wants to sleep. He starts walking them to the bedroom.
"You want your coffee? The one I made earlier is cold, but I can make you another if you like."
"No thank you. Sleep."
Austin huffs out a laugh.
"We need to shower first."
Marli grunts in protest, but she hears Austin turning on the shower and then feels the warm water on her back, she tightens her arms and legs around him and buries her head further into his neck. He huffs out another laugh.
"You going to make me clean you while you cling to me like a baby monkey?"
Marli keeps her eyes shut and nods. She can feel Austin smile against her temple.
"Alright then."
After they shower he cuddles with her into the bed. It's sweet and soppy and cute and should be a little embarrassing as to how much they cling to each other, but neither of them has the energy to give a shit right now.
~
Over the next three weeks, Austin is stuck in the studio spending hours practicing for his tour. He attends some parties in LA, but for the most part, his attention is on two things, his music and Marli. Marli feels like she is on top of the world. Austin is intoxicating and she is in love with him, her need for him grows every day.
While Austin is busy in the studio during the day Marli takes the opportunity to get some Christmas shopping in. She has lots of people she has to buy for from Austin, corporate stuff. And then there is her mother's list, so her days are very busy. Austin pitched a fit when she tried to leave the first morning back in her Mini. He is convinced she would die in it.
"It's a tin can, lil mama, I can't in good conscience let you leave in that!" he complains.
Marli, always up for a challenge, simply gripped her car keys tighter. "It's my car Austin, I haven't driven it in months and you have no say in it. I will drive what I want," she snaps back. She likes Austin's attention and him fussing over her but this is bullshit. He has become a little too protective over her. She turns and heads for the back kitchen door that leads to the garage.
Austin blocks the back door.
"What about that Gwagon I got a few months ago for you? It's just sitting there," he says trying to win her over. Marli rolls her eyes, she knows he got it for her. She refuses to drive it. "No! It's ugly and big. I can't park it," she complains. Austin continues to block the door. "I can park it, I can drive it," Lou says from behind Marli. Traitor. "Thank you, Lou," Austin flashes his best smile at Lou while Marli glares. "Nope. I am driving my Mini," Marli says as she pushes past Austin and then throws Jonas a suspicious look as he walks out of the garage.
"Oh, hey Marli. Lou. Enjoy your day," Jonas says as he walks away. Suspicious. But Marli does not have time to get to the bottom of Jonas' behavior and she certainly does not have time to wonder why Austin has suddenly decided to just back off or why he fist pumps Jonas. She chooses to ignore them both and storms off to the garage. Climbing into the Mini with Lou, she turns the key, and nothing. It does not start. "You said you haven't driven it in months, maybe the battery is dead," Lou says clearly trying to hide a smile, Marli rolls her eyes and pops the hood. No battery. Austin and Jonas - those sleazy bastards. Marli storms back into the kitchen. Austin and Jonas are sipping on coffee and pretending to read a newspaper. Austin never reads the newspaper, she does not even know where he got it from. "Where is the battery for my car?" she asks. Jonas throws her a confused look and shrugs. "Bit irresponsible of you to go around losing car batteries, Marli," he says. Marli crosses her arms and stamps her foot like a child. "Dam it, Austin! My battery!" she shouts. Austin puts the newspaper down and sighs. He gives Marli a pointed look then stands up. "Jonas please go check that the car is ready to take us to the studio," he says calmly.
He then walks up to Marli and crowds her against the kitchen counter. Marli has to concentrate on her breathing. He starts kissing her neck and then along her jaw "lil mama, please take the Gwagon," he mumbles into her skin. Marli shifts her head to give him more space."No," she manages to say. Austin continues to work his lips against Marli's skin, up under her ear. "lil mama..." he mumbles. She wants to say yes. "No," she says. Austin nibbles on her ear. "lil mama..." he mumbles again, his breath tickling her skin. She has to work really hard to stop herself from giggling. "N-no," she manages to stutter out. Austin dips lower and kisses along the bottom of her jaw then attaches his lips to her other ear.
"lil mama..."
Marli can hardly breathe. "Austin," she bearly manages to breathe out. Austin is still nibbling on her ear but she can feel him smile at her breathlessness and then he pushes his hips up and grids against her so hard that she is battling to balance on her tippy-toes. "lil mama..." he whispers in her ear again. "OK! Fuck! OK!" she shouts out. Austin pulls back with a shit-eating grin on his face. "Thank you, lil mama, and watch your mouth," says then he gives her a chased kiss. Marli bats him away, taking the Gwagon keys he is now dangling in her face. Up until they leave for Utah most mornings are like this. Austin will insist Marli needs to put on, take off or use something and Marli refuses until he has her pinned down or crowed up against a surface while sucking on her skin and whispering, "lil mama," in her ear. It's Marli's favorite game or at least one of her favorite games with Austin.
On their last day in LA, it's a rush. Austin needs to get in one last rehearsal in and a meeting with the label. Marli needs to go to several designers who are making outfits for Austin's tour. She needs to take pictures of said outfits so Austin can yay or nay them over the next week from Utah. She also has a few last-minute Christmas gifts to collect, one for Austin in particular. By mid-afternoon, Marli and Lou are both dying on their feet from rushing around. "This is our last stop right?" Lou says as she parks the Gwagon outside the front of Gucci. Marli nods. "Yes, thank goodness," she says. They are ushered to the suite where all of Austin's suits are and told that an assistant will be with them soon to help with the outfits. While waiting they can hear the very loud women sitting in the suite next door. "Drunk rich housewives," Lou mouths to Marli. Marli rolls her eyes and nods. Both women freeze though when they hear Austin's name being mentioned.
"Oh, I heard he is off the market."
"Oh please! Are you talking about that ridiculous doe-eyed PA that follows him around like a lost puppy?"
"She is like 18 or 19 years old. He will soon get bored of her."
"Well, apparently he is rather taken with her, stopped the drugs, drinking, and fucking around for her."
"Whatever, she is just a toy for now. He will get bored of playing house soon enough."
"And if not then we just sabotage it."
"And how do you propose we do that?"
"He is a man with a drug and drinking problem that will explode at the first opportunity it gets. It's only a matter of time."
The assistant comes back into the suite and starts showing the different outfits. Marli gets busy taking photos and ignores Lou's sympathetic stare. She is thankful she does not get to hear the rest of that conversation. When they are finally done they walk out of the suite just as the ladies in the suite next to theirs come out. They falter in their steps slightly when they recognize Marli, but they don't acknowledge her at all and continue to the counter.
Poor clumsy Lou trips on an uneven floor tile that causes her to accidentally bump into one of the ladies who ends up spilling her glass of champagne on herself and her two friends and their lovely outfits. Lou lets them know that it's such a shame that she ruined their outfits and she sure is sorry. Marli looks back and sees no uneven tile, but as they climb back into the Gwagon Lou insists that Marli has had a long day and obviously missed it.