by Sierra Hill
“Oh God, Sage. Sage. Sage.”
I barely let her take a breath before I thrust inside her heat, my cock immediately coated with her slick desire.
Groaning loudly at the insane pleasure, my body begins pumping, pushing and driving into the hot inner sanctum of London’s body. Her walls clench around me, as I thrust and withdraw. Thrust and withdraw.
If Cam were with us right now, I’d want to feel his cock thrusting against mine inside her, as we fucked London together. We’ve discussed it with London, who has been a bit hesitant but hasn’t ruled it out. I’ve taken Cam in the ass, and Cam has fucked London anally, but we haven’t crossed over into double penetration territory quite yet.
The thought of taking her simultaneously with Cam has my balls tightening and the telltale sign of orgasm barreling down my spine, as I throw my head back in release. Her ankles cut into my waist, her hands squeezing my ass as I’m seized with white-hot pleasure. I shoot so hard, white-stars flash in my vision.
Panting through harsh and labored breaths, my weight drops over her, depleted and sated, as I leisurely enjoy the sensation of being wrapped in her embrace.
Yet I also miss being held in the much stronger, bulkier arms of Cam.
London’s fingers slide through the damp ends of hair at my neckline, caressing me gently as I slowly recover from the aftershocks.
“You were thinking about him, weren’t you?”
I rear back, my eyes connecting with hers beneath me. Cocking my head in question, I ask, “What makes you say that?”
She chuckles softly, running her hand along my neck until she’s cupping my face. I slip out of her and roll to my side, allowing her room to breathe.
She arches a brow. “Because you said Cam’s name when you came inside me.”
Oh fuck. I wince.
London notices my expression and she shakes her head.
“It’s okay, baby. He’s here with us even when he isn’t. He’s always here.” She points between our bodies with her index finger, illustrating the noticeable void.
I softly trace a figure eight around her belly, smiling with the thought of one day seeing it grow fat and round with a child of our own.
In the meantime, we’ll proceed with our wedding plans and start our married life together. All the while hoping Cam decides to return to us where he belongs someday soon.
Chapter 15
“I’m not sure I want Don Caldwell on the guest list. He skeeves me out.”
We sit in the back of the limo on our way to the All American Country Music Awards show, stuck in traffic and creeping along the Vegas strip leading to the MGM Grand where the event is being hosted.
Our wedding date is set for a month from now and the only thing we have left to do is finalize our list of invites. London and I agreed that we’d keep the list small and intimate, considering we were holding the wedding ceremony on our property.
But being in the entertainment business, it is nearly impossible to invite some people and neglect the rest, especially in the case of Don, the President of my band’s record label.
I shift around to face her in the seat beside me, her sequined emerald dress sparkling in the low interior light, the deep cut of the material emphasizing her plump cleavage. We’ve been photographed together too many times to count and the public was shocked to learn that London never modeled. I don’t blame them for being skeptical. She’s a natural beauty, but with the brains and heart to surpass any other woman, model or otherwise.
I watch her face as it transforms with anxious worry, the wheels spinning in her head as her lips pinch in thought.
“I was thinking…what if we just scrapped the whole ceremony and just had my parents, Cam and his family and that’s it. Not even the boys from the band or anyone.”
Leaning into her, I cup her cheeks gently, staring at her with admiration and love.
“It’s your wedding, darlin’. I’m just there to claim what’s mine and I don’t really care who’s there to witness it. In fact, I’d be just as happy to get married in Vegas tonight.” I throw this out with a sweep of my hand out the car window at the flashing lights and luxurious sights along the Strip.
London quirks a manicured eyebrow. “That’s not a bad idea. I mean, I am already dressed to the nines. Might as well take advantage of it.”
I’m dumbfounded by her response, because honestly, I was only half serious with my suggestion. While I’ve waited years to marry my beautiful girl, there’s something about doing it without Cam that doesn’t feel right.
As if he knows I am thinking about him, my phone lights up with a text.
Cam: Wishing you a good luck tonight. We’ll be watching.
I smile with pride and tip the phone in London’s direction so she can read it herself.
Over the last two months, we’ve slowly re-asserted ourselves back into Cam’s life with the help of his mom, Doreen. She’d reached out to us in a desperate plea to help straighten Cam out because he had fallen into a depression so deep she didn’t know how to help him.
London and I had met up with her and London’s mom, Cora, one day earlier last week for lunch in Nashville.
“Oh, my word, it is so good to see you two,” Doreen had gushed, hugging us both tightly as we walked into the crowded waiting area of the restaurant. “And London, honey, you are positively glowing. You are going to be the most beautiful bride. Cora has been filling me in on all the details. I’m so happy for you both.”
London blushes and waves her hand dismissively. “Oh stop, Dori. You’re embarrassing me. And momma is probably exaggerating about everything, aren’t you, Momma?”
We got seated at a booth, the two of us on one side and Doreen and Cora on the other, as the waitress provided us the menus and waters. We immediately segued from wedding into asking about Cam and Taylor.
“Is everything okay with them? Is Taylor adjusting to school? And is Cam back at work?”
Doreen nods her head sadly at my barrage of questions, her lips pursed in a slight frown. “Taylor is doing wonderfully. He just received the weekly class award for Kindness Giver. I was so proud of that boy! He reminds me so much of you when you were that age, Sage. You were such a sensitive boy that cared so deeply for your friends.”
She patted me on the hand across the table, her wrinkled hand soft with a mother’s touch, flooding me with nostalgia of our childhood. Doreen was always so sweet and generous to me, loving me as if I were her own son.
London heaved a wistful sigh. “That makes me so happy to hear. I miss that boy so much.”
I kissed her cheek, laying an arm around her on the back of the booth.
Doreen nodded. “He misses you both, too. He always talks about his cool race car bed, all the toys you’ve spoiled him with, riding London’s horse and all the fun he has with uncle Sage and aunt London. You’ve been such a positive influence on him.”
Cora leans over and wraps an arm around Doreen’s shoulder, smiling broadly at the both of us across the table.
“He loves you both so much. So does his dad.”
Doreen smiles warmly at Cora and nods in agreement.
“He’s so lucky. While he’s too young to realize everything that’s happened, and the difficulties that Cam had during his recovery, I know his mother leaving has had a profound effect on Taylor. How could it not? But the two of you being there for both Taylor and Cam when they needed that love the most is so appreciated. I can’t thank you enough.”
Doreen pulled out a tissue from her purse and wiped away an errant tear in her eye.
London and I glanced at each other briefly, exchanging a sorrowful look between us.
“I know from experience how much it hurts to miss a mother when you’re young,” I admitted, growing reflective. “But sometimes not having a mother is far better than having a bad mother. And when you can substitute it for someone like you, Doreen, it makes up for the pain.”
Dori smiles a crooked and appreciative smile. “Sage, yo
u have gone through hell and back. I look at who you’ve become, and it boggles my mind that you turned out to be such a good man when you could’ve easily slipped into a dark place.”
I raised my eyebrows at her comment, flicking my gaze to London. “Believe me, I’ve been in my share of dark places in my time. Had it not been for my girl, here, I might not be here right now.”
A stretch of uncomfortable silence descended over the table as the waitress returned to take our orders and then walked off, leaving us to quietly ruminate on the deep topic.
Doreen cleared her throat, her hands laced together on the table and spoke in a hushed tone.
“Cam’s just not the same. Even after he was granted full custody and the divorce finalized, I think the closer we get to your wedding, the deeper he spirals into this hole. Listen…” she turns her head and lowers her voice in a conspiratorial tone.
“I know what the three of you share isn’t conventional by society’s standards and not a lot of people understand it. Heaven knows Cam’s father, Mike, never would have given his blessing. But I don’t care about any of that. I want what’s best for my son and my grandson. I know that Cam loves you both deeply and he needs you both in his life. He’s just too stubborn to admit it. And I think that going through what he did with Lisa and her blackmailing threats…”
My head jerked back in surprise. “What? What are you talking about?”
Doreen’s eyes grew wide as if she can’t believe we don’t know. I looked to London who was as equally confused and shocked as I was.
“Blackmail threats?” London repeated.
“He didn’t tell you? Oh Lordy, that man.” Doreen hung her head and shook it in frustration.
“Lisa indicated she knew about the three of you. She’d apparently seen texts or some video on Cam’s phone. And it was revealing.”
Oh shit.
Let’s just say we may have made a video of the three of us at one point. It was just for our eyes and was hot as fuck and was never meant to be seen by anyone else. We’d all promised each other that we’d guard it and keep it safe from any potential leakage.
“She was holding it over Cam, saying she would go to the press with the details and would ruin your career, Sage. But especially yours London, seeing as you work in public service with children. Lisa was always so jealous of you, knowing Cam never got over you while they were married.”
London’s mouth dropped open. “Oh my God. He never mentioned any of this to either of us. How did he resolve it?”
“He paid her off. We used the life insurance from Jeanine’s policy, as I was the beneficiary, and paid her fifty-grand to make her go away.”
“Holy shit.” I mumbled, in disbelief.
I could’ve cared less if a sex scandal had been revealed about me and gone public. But I know exactly how Cam felt wanting to protect London’s reputation. I would have done the exact same thing he did to protect her.
He was always protecting her.
And now he needed us to step up and be there for him more than ever.
Chapter 16
Past
The year I got out of prison was pretty fucking bleak. Not as bad as my time in prison, but not great, either.
While freedom living outside the walls of a jail cell was a thousand percent better, I was still remanded to live in a half-way house for a few months at the start of my parole. I had to show effort in establishing a job and contacts that weren’t known criminals.
That part wasn’t so hard, considering that before going to prison, I didn’t associate with criminals. Unless you counted the idiot thugs I smoked pot with back home in high school. But those guys were long gone, and no longer in my life.
And the only other two people that I could’ve been with were long gone, as well.
By then, Cam was married and in the Air Force overseas somewhere, doing pararescue missions to save lives. Heroic as ever.
And London. My angel had just recently graduated from NYU with a degree in social work and sociology. I knew this from her letters. She never stopped writing. And being the sap that I was, I could never keep myself from the torture of reading them.
The only bright spot in that year was my music teacher from prison, Drew. He and his wife, Candace, and their kids lived outside of Nashville, where they were both teachers – she an art teacher and he, of course, a music teacher.
Drew and Candace were my life-saving angels during that year. When I could’ve fallen down, they picked me up and showed me where I could use my talents.
“Hey, I want you to meet a guy I know. He’s a drummer and he was in my band class two years ago.”
Drew sits down at the coffee shop off of Maple Street where he asked to meet me. I had nothing else going on that day, and it was always good to hang with Drew. I’d share with him the music I’d written and sometimes we’d go down the street to a music shop and pump out some chords, playing around with the melody.
I lifted my gaze off the notebook that I’d been jotting down some lyrics in to meet his smiling eyes.
“Um, okay. Hello to you, too.”
Drew laughed jovially, a booming and boisterous sound. “Good morning, bro.”
He thumped me on the back in a quick bro-hug and looked down at the coffee sitting in his spot on the table.
“What’s this?” he pointed at the cup. “You didn’t have to buy me coffee.”
I rolled my eyes incredulously. “I’d buy you the whole damn place if I could. You know I can’t repay you enough for all you have done for me.”
He waved me off, removing the lid of the cup and emptying a packet of Stevia inside before replacing the lid and sipping it with unrestrained pleasure.
“Oh God, that tastes so good. I need this. I don’t think I’ve gotten two full hours of sleep this week.”
I snickered sarcastically. “I assume it’s not from hot, all-night sex.”
He scoffed. “Pfft. I wish. No, it’s the little screamer that was an outcome of all-night sex.”
Drew was referring to their newest baby, Dixie, who was their third child and apparently giving them the most trouble with her sleep habits. Or lack-there-of.
Drew scrubbed a hand down his scruffy, unshaved face, the dark-bluish circles underneath his eyes a telltale sign of his seriousness.
“Shit, she’s gonna be the death of us. Candi is ready to castrate me for knocking her up again with devil-baby.”
Heaving a heavy sigh, Drew sipped his coffee and then plunked down a slip of paper in front of me.
“This guy’s name is Chris Deggart, but he goes by Deg. He’s looking for a band.”
I stared at the paper, the handwriting clean and precise, with the name and number of this guy. Cocking my head to the side, my eyes scrunched in curiosity.
“Uh, a band? What band are you referring to?” I whipped my head side-to-side, shrugging my shoulders. “I don’t see no band.”
Nearly knocking me off my seat, Drew punched me in the chest with a thick knuckle. “Your new band, man!”
I nearly spat out the coffee from my mouth. “My band? Dude, are you high right now?”
Drew laughed like that was the most hysterical thing he’d ever heard. But then his expression grew serious and he leaned over the table, whispering in a hushed voice.
“I am not high. But I am absolutely serious. You my friend, have talent and are the real-deal. You have the music, the lyrics, and the voice. And I suppose by some standards, the look,” he said with a flourish of his hand and a roll of his eyes. “Now you just need some back-up musicians to get you started. And Deg is an excellent rhythm section and a great harmonizer. Add a couple other instruments and you can start something pretty fucking phenomenal.”
The thing I loved most about Drew was the ever-present internal happy-meter he had. Aside from the sleeplessness, the guy was always plugged into positive. High on life, his family and his passion for music. And for helping others. I’d never seen Drew without a wide smile across hi
s ruddy-face, his ginger hair sticking up in all different directions, and his reddish-brown eyebrows lifted in amusement.
I shook my head and grumbled. “Thanks, but they wouldn’t want to play with a convicted felon.”
A roar and a loud smack on the table jarred me, my shoulders jerking back from the noise. People at the table to the right of us gasped.
“Don’t you ever think that about yourself. Sage. That shit doesn’t define you. What happened in your past is over with. You’ve paid your dues and served your time in reparation. Now it’s time to move on. Your whole life is in front of you. You’re still a young man, barely twenty-two-years old. You can make something out of your talent. Trust me. You just have to believe in yourself.”
What Drew wouldn’t understand was that I had never had a belief in myself. After years of hearing my father cut me down and tell me I was worthless, it became a matter of fact. Regardless of how many times Cam, London or now Drew said otherwise.
I hefted my cup in a cheer. “Good speech, man. Thanks.”
A sad smile curved at the corners of his lips and he shook his head in a seemingly disappointed gesture.
Tipping his head back, Drew looked skyward and muttered, “When will he ever see his potential?”
I drew my gaze up to the ceiling where he stared, uncertain of who the hell he was talking to.
A split second later, he sternly tapped the paper on the table. “Call him. If not for you, do it for me. Because while the coffee was a nice treat, this would be your real gift to me.”
Chapter 17
Present
The band didn’t win any awards tonight, but I did pick up Best Songwriter of the Year for the song I wrote for Chris Stapleton. That was more of a career highlight for me than anything else.
London and I also didn’t get married last night.
After attending three different after-parties at various hotels, hob-knobbing with other musicians and artists into the wee hours of the morning, we wound up chartering a private jet back home instead of staying overnight.