by Salsbury, JB
Her laughter is the sweetest balm to my lovesick heart. “You told me I’d ace it.”
“Yeah, I did. So? Tell me all about it. Oh, what about the verb tenses? You were nervous about those.”
“Let’s just say I made that Spanish test my bitch.” There’s a smile in her voice. “Thanks to you.”
“Nah, you did the work, baby. That’s all you.” I head into the dressing room, closing the door behind me. “My nerdy college girl.”
“Nerdy?” She laughs.
The sound makes me smile and heats my blood. God, I miss her. I want to touch her, kiss her, make love to her for a week straight. I’ve contemplated flying back to LA on our nights off, but as hungry as I am to touch her, I’m terrified I’ll do something to fuck up all the progress she’s made.
“How was therapy today?” I ask.
“Dr. Moore says I’m making great progress and moved me to bi-weekly visits rather than every week.”
“See! Killin’ it in school, killin’ it in therapy. What can’t you do?”
“Seems I’m unemployable.” She sighs. “Although I did get an interview for that wedding event company I applied for. The woman seems really interested in someone who knows about PA systems and lighting.”
My chest fills with pride for my girl. She insisted I leave her broken and alone so she could pull herself up on her own, and she did that in spades. She’s the strongest person I know. I can’t believe I get to call her mine. “I’m so fucking proud of you.”
“I’m kind of proud of me too. Tell me about Vancouver.”
“It’s cold. I miss you.”
The sound of rustling sheets has me envisioning her warm and safe in bed. “Six weeks and you’ll be home.”
I groan. “Feels like a lifetime.”
The door bursts open and Jesse, Bethany, Ben, Ash, Ryder, and Jade all file into the room. Seeing them all together, their obnoxious PDA, just makes me miss Taylor more. If she were here, I’d never be able to keep my hands off her. I finally understand their PDA, but it drives me fucking crazy. Crazier than I already feel.
“You know what the world is saying about you, right?” There’s an air of cockiness in her voice.
I sigh and smile. “I do, but remind me.”
“Rumor has it your band has a no-contact rule with fans now. Photos without touching, no more backstage visits.”
“The rumors are true.”
Taylor’s attack was a huge wake-up call for our band and the industry in general. Lawsuits are popping up everywhere, filed against members of the music industry from the greenest roadie to music legends and everyone in between. With the truthful lawsuits there have also been false complaints filed. As a band, we decided to avoid both by introducing a new way to interact with our fans, protecting both them and us.
And it’s worked out great. We’ll shower our fans with music until our fucking arms fall off, but there’s never a need for physical contact beyond a handshake or high five. We still meet with our fans, take no-contact photos, and we stopped signing body parts or clothing they’re wearing.
Bethany suggested that we start interacting more on social media too, shooting live videos of us working on music or just hanging out, shooting the shit.
“I saw your Instagram live yesterday between classes.”
“Oh yeah?” I smile, my insides warming at the thought of her watching me even when we’re parted by too many miles.
“Who is this mystery woman the guys keep giving you shit about? The one you talk about constantly and text all day?”
“How often is your phone blowing up over the course of the day?”
I hear her smile as she says, “Every one of your waking hours, give or take.”
“I told you I’d call every day.”
“You didn’t tell me you’d be doing it all day every day.”
“You want me to stop?”
“Don’t you dare.”
“Fuuuck.” I groan in agony. “I miss you so goddamn much.”
“I miss you too.”
“I need to get showered and hit the road. I’d call you when I get in the bus, but I know you have biology early in the morning, and it’s Wednesday, which means your professor will probably give you a pop quiz.”
The sound of her raspy laughter stirs a longing inside me that I have never known. Not a desire for sex—although that is definitely there—but a soul-deep need to be close to her. To hold her in my arms and feel her pulse and her gentle breathing reassuring me that she’s safe. A painful yearning for intimate connection—to look in her eyes, feel her warmth, smell her skin.
“Ethan?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“What do you want most?”
I grin, because that’s fucking easy. “You. Forever. I just want you.”
She hums as if my words have sent with them a peace that helps her sleep. “I love you. Good night.”
“Love you too. Night.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Four Weeks Later
Taylor
“I’m sorry, Miss…” The general manager of the five-star hotel in Connecticut looks me up and down, taking in my not-so-impressive jeans and long-sleeved Henley.
“Marsten.” I lift my brows, waiting for my last name to register with the man, but there’s nothing but suspicion in his eyes.
“I’m afraid I can’t just take your word for it, you understand. We take the privacy of our VIP clientele—”
“Taylor!” I turn around just in time for Bethany to launch into a tackle hug. “You’re here!”
I rock back on my heels and hug her back. “Yes, finally. I caught a red-eye after my shift.”
I worked a wedding that lasted until midnight. I could’ve waited until this morning to fly out, but I didn’t want to waste a single second. Excitement to see Ethan aside, I had no problem sleeping the entire flight from LA to Connecticut. First-class seats are more comfortable than the tiny bunks I slept in most of my life.
“Perfect timing, the guys just left for the arena.”
“Taylor!” The voice comes from over Bethany’s shoulder and I see Ashleigh and Jade walking my way, both of them double-fisting fruity cocktails complete with umbrellas.
“We’re so glad you’re here.” Jade does her best to hug me without her hands, then Ashleigh pushes one of the frosty drinks into my palm. “Ethan is getting impossible to be around.”
Bethany nods and sips her drink. “He’s so crabby.”
Having been on the receiving end of his attitude in the past, I can only imagine what he’s been like. The thought makes me grin.
Then I notice the cup in my hand, shake my head, and hand the drink back to Ash. “I don’t have the best experience with alcohol.”
Bethany smirks. “Don’t worry, they’re virgin.” She shares a secret smile with Ashleigh.
I say, “I feel like I’m missing something…”
“We’re trying to get pregnant,” they say in unison.
“Hold on… both of you?”
“Yep!” Bethany’s face lights up.
“I think making a baby is the most fun I’ve ever had.” Ashleigh slurps her drink.
“Live it up, ladies.” Jade holds her drink up for a toast. “Enjoy your last few months of uninterrupted sex and sleep.”
We clink our glasses together and get interrupted by a male throat clearing behind me.
I roll my eyes. “I’m trying to get a key, but I’m not on the reservation.”
“That’s bullshit.” Jade scowls at the man and steps in front of me. “Mr. Seville, please check again.”
The old man humors her, punches a few keys on the computer, and scan the screen. His face pales and he clears his throat. “I apologize. It looks like you were added in the notes here.”
Jade smirks. “That’s what I thought.”
He quickly produces a key, along with his deepest apologies. I suppose he was expecting someone a little more glamorous.
“We got
everything you asked for,” Bethany whispers. “This is going to be epic.”
Butterflies explode in my gut. “I can’t believe I’m going to be seeing Ethan tonight.”
“No one is more excited than he will be, trust me,” Ash says.
“He talks about you all day,” Jade continues. “I mean all day.”
My cheeks heat. “I think about him all day. I’m nervous.”
Jade puts an arm around me. “Don’t be. You’re exactly where you belong.”
Ethan
“Are you all right, man?” Ryder asks me as we climb out of the SUV and head to the back entrance of the hotel.
Tonight’s show was lit. Just like I do after every show, as soon as I walked off stage, I called Taylor. But she didn’t answer. I’ve texted and called for the last hour and still nothing.
“I can’t get a hold of Taylor.” God, I feel sick. Is she okay?
“Huh…” Ryder says with little feeling.
“Dude, I know you think I’m overreacting, but she always answers her phone when I call after a show.”
“You try her dad?”
“Yeah, he says he hasn’t heard from her, but he didn’t seem worried at all.” Which is bullfuckingshit. I almost had the driver take me directly to the airport rather than back to the hotel. “I need to know she’s okay. I’m calling the LAPD to see if they can cruise by and check on her.”
Ryder covers my phone with his hand. “Don’t do that.”
My gaze snaps to his. “Why the hell not?”
“Because you’re going to freak her out by having a cop bang on her door at nine o’clock at night.”
We climb into the elevator and Rodger hits the button for our floor.
“You’re probably right.” That buys me a minute of peace before my worry gets the best of me. “What if she’s sick though? Or hurt. What if she’s fallen and she can’t get up?”
“She’s not on a crutch anymore and she’s not one hundred years old. I’m sure she’s fine. Go to bed, dude.” Ryder squeezes my shoulder. “You’re a fuckin’ mess.”
This guy is no help at all. How am I supposed to sleep when I’m worried about Taylor? I’ll call a couple more times, but if I don’t hear from her, I’m sending the cops.
I get to my hotel room, open the door, and flip on the light. “What the fuck…”
I blink as the blindingly-bright view does my head in. Every piece of furniture, every lamp and picture on the walls is silver. The mirror in the entry, the gilded sconces, even the chandelier, all of it is wrapped in aluminum foil.
I back out of the room, check the room number, and look back inside. “What the fuck?”
As I make my way through the room, the dining table, chairs, even the patio furniture is all wrapped in silver. The door to the bedroom is also wrapped. Like I passed through a portal that brought me to a space-aged Christmas.
“Who the hell would…” Hope like a tidal wave hits my gut.
I burst into the bedroom, my gaze devouring the space. I register the entire room covered in silver, but search for the culprit with my heart in my throat.
“Surprise!” Taylor jumps out of the bathroom, her hands spread wide and out at her sides as if to scare me.
Scare me? Her presence does the opposite. As I look at her, everything inside me, my entire life, clicks into place.
I rush toward her, already feeling her in my arms, but freeze solid just shy of making contact. “Can I hug you?” My voice comes out in a whisper.
She frowns and leaps into my arms. “Yes! Hug me, hold me.” Her breath is warm against my neck. “Never let me go.”
A surge of emotion overwhelms me. I nuzzle her neck, lift her off her feet, and try not to embarrass myself by bawling like a baby. “You’re here.” My voice cracks.
She pulls up her legs, wraps them around my hips, and I hoist her higher to get a solid grip. “I’m here.”
We stay like that for a while as I absorb the feeling of her in my arms. The heat of her body, her smoky, woodsy scent fills me, and the tickle of her breath against my skin grounds me, heals me, makes me whole.
I search for a place to set her down so I can look into her eyes and soak in the face I’ve only seen in my dreams for the last few months, but everything is covered in foil. I chuckle. “How long did this take you?”
She pulls back and admires her work. Her hair is longer than I remember, and life has returned to her eyes. My heart swells with joy. My beautiful, resilient woman. “The wives helped me.”
Unable to stop staring at her, I say, “Impressive prank,” without looking at their handiwork.
Her gaze drops to my lips.
A smile pulls at the corner of my mouth. “What do you want most, beautiful?”
She licks her lips and I groan at the sight of her desire, something I wondered if she’d ever feel for me again. “I want to kiss you.”
“What are you waiting fo—”
She presses her mouth against mine, and a rush of compulsion explodes between us. Lips, tongues, and teeth, I lose myself in a frenzy of urgent need. A voice in the back of my head whispers to stay present, warns me to pay attention to her non-verbal cues. Don’t fuck this up!
Her muscles are relaxed, her hands fist in my hair, and she tilts her head to deepen the kiss. She sucks on my tongue and bites at my lower lip.
“I take it you missed me.” Fuck if her desperation to get at my mouth isn’t the biggest turn-on ever.
She answers by kissing me again, her legs locked around my waist. I walk her back to the bed and lower her onto the foil-covered mattress. The tinny sound of our weight crushing the thin metal mingles with our frantic breath.
I hold my weight above her, not wanting her to feel caged, but she digs her ankles into my ass, bringing my hardening dick to the sweet spot between her legs. We moan in unison at the contact. She arches her back, lifts her hips, and rubs against me as best she can from beneath.
I break the kiss, lick down her neck, and kiss along her collarbone. “We can slow down. We don’t have to do this.”
She rakes her nails against my scalp, holding my lips against her skin. “If we don’t do it, I’ll die.”
“Death by horniness?” I smile against her pulse point, licking the throbbing vein and feeling her life force pound against my tongue. “Sounds painful.”
“It is,” she groans. “I ache for you.”
I rest my forehead against her shoulder, close my eyes, and clench my jaw against the unbridled need to give her what she wants. Hard. “I need… a minute.” To calm the hell down, take it slow. The last thing I want to do is hurt her.
“You don’t have to be gentle with me.”
“Yes, I do. Last time we were together, you jumped every time my hand brushed yours. I don’t want to scare you, but I need you. I need you more than I’ve needed anyone. Ever.”
She tugs up her shirt, exposing her braless breasts, her nipples tight and begging for my lips. “I need you too, Ethan.”
I roll us both, me to my back and her above me. Her thighs spread over my hips and she pulls her shirt off and tosses it. I cup her breasts, thumb her nipples, and watch as she rolls her hips above mine. A sultry sigh falls from her parted lips.
“Take what you need, baby. I’m all yours.”
She slips her hands beneath my T-shirt, pushing it up, and I lift and help her pull it over my head. Folding forward, she brushes her bare breasts against my pecs, making us both hiss with pleasure. She rocks against me, her jeans against mine causing just enough friction to be maddening. I lick into her mouth, using my tongue between her lips the way I’d love to use it between her legs, but that’ll have to wait. I want her to have all the control.
She reaches between us, wraps her hand around my hard-on, and gives it a firm tug.
“Fuck.” I put my hand on hers. “I’m gonna come. Give me a second.”
She licks up the side of my neck.
I grit my teeth. “Not helping.”
&nbs
p; She smiles into our kiss as I back myself off of an orgasm ledge.
“Okay, I’m good.” I release her hand and she frees me from my jeans.
The foil crinkles as she sits back, taking a moment to look at my engorged erection standing proudly between us. She runs her thumb over the tip, back and forth until my hips jerk off the bed. “I forgot how sexy you are down here.”
“Take your time getting—ohhh yeah…” Fuck, she feels good. “Reacquainted.” I’m panting, a light sheen of sweat turning me into a greased-up ham against the foil at my back.
I sit up, take her lips, and lift her off me while standing at the same time. I rip through the foil to expose the overstuffed white comforter, then I pop the button of her jeans, pulling them down her legs, followed by her panties. She kicks them both aside.
I do the same with my own jeans before falling back to the bed and pulling her astride me. “Now, where were we?”
“Hmmm…” She leans forward and kisses me, her hand doing wicked things between my legs. “Rounding third base?”
I run my palms up the soft skin of her thighs to her ribcage, stopping just under the swell of her breasts and relishing the feel of her. I’ve been so scared I’d never get the chance to touch her like this again. I cup her breasts, mold them against my hands, and her moan makes me impossibly harder. I move my hands back to her thighs, inching them closer between her legs and watching her reaction, searching for the slightest hesitancy.
“Please, Ethan.” She grabs my hand and presses it between her legs. “I need you here.”
I bite my lip against a moan as I rub her wet heat. She releases my dick and splays her palms on my chest, working herself against my fingers. I slip one inside and she throws her head back, her hips circling as she chases her release.
I push up on an elbow to lick her nipples, sucking and biting them softly until I feel her muscles spasm around my finger. “So fucking hot.”
“Ethan.”
“I’m right here.” I kiss her as her back arches and an orgasm rips through her. Her muscles tense, she cries out against my tongue, and I swallow every sexy groan and whimper as she draws out her release against my hand. “You’re sexy as hell. I can’t believe you’re mine.”