Worthy of the Dissonance (Mountains & Men Book 3)

by R. C. Martin

  “Fuck—Sage!” she whimpers, her core clamping down around me yet again, this time drawing out my release. I prop my forehead against hers as I groan through the duration of my climax, pumping in and out of her until I am spent.

  I shift to free her legs and she wraps them around my waist as I surrender some of my weight on top of her. She reaches up to touch her lips to mine, and I don’t deny her, taking her mouth in a deep, wet, sexy as fuck kiss.

  “Baby, you just made me come three times in a row,” she whispers against my lips.

  I chuckle, pulling away to grin down at her. “I think my girl likes it slow.” She nods, chewing her bottom lip, trying to hide her own smile. “Give me a few and maybe next time I’ll try for four.”

  She giggles and my dick twitches inside of her.

  Fuck—if I could bottle that sound.

  I pull out and I can see it as the light in her eyes fades a little. I press a quick kiss against her lips and then ease her onto her side before positioning myself at her back, pulling the sheet up over us before I curl my body around hers.

  “Rough night, baby doll. Could use a little more shut eye. You with me?”

  She presses her body closer to mine before I feel her relax as she assures me, “I’m with you.”

  “Fuck you when we wake up,” I whisper, pressing a kiss against her shoulder.

  “Promise?”

  “Hell, yeah.”

  HE DOESN’T FUCK me after our nap. Instead, he’s gentle and slow as he makes sweet love to me. He takes his time, showering my body with affection, singing to me and whispering to me about how much he’s missed me and how much he loves me. I get so lost in him that nothing else in the whole entire world matters. It’s just him, hovering over me, buried deep inside of me, staring down at me—his icy blue eyes so gorgeous, so full of longing, so all consuming that I can’t help but fall in love with him all over again as I stare right back.

  I once swore that his ability to move his hips the way that he does was nothing short of magical—now, as he rolls them over and over, so unbelievably slow, I come again, and I know that I was not wrong. I come so hard, I swear to god, I see stars. My whole body is a quivering mess beneath his, the walls of my center constricting around him so tight. I can barely take a breath, let alone utter a single sound, and I can tell that he’s hanging on by a thread as he allows my body to enjoy my fourth consecutive orgasm.

  “Jesus—fuck, Millie,” he grunts when he can no longer hold himself back. As I begin to come down from my release, he speeds up his pace, pounding into me harder as he chases his own climax. When he finally comes, his whole body tenses, his muscles flexing under my hands as his cock swells and jerks inside of me. It’s so incredibly hot, I almost come again just looking at him.

  He collapses on top of me, and I wrap my arms and legs around him, wishing to keep him close. We’re both slick with sweat, the room laden with the heady scent of our love making, and I know there’s no where else in the world I’d rather be. Right here, right now, filled to capacity with my dreamer, I’m home.

  When his phone rings, he starts to lift himself off of me to go searching for it. I whine in protest, tightening my limbs around him, not ready to let him pull away from me.

  “Baby,” he chuckles, pressing a kiss to my lips. “Haven’t seen the guys all day. Fucked up last night. I don’t remember it, but one of the highlights was punching one of my oldest friends in the face. I have to see who that is.”

  “Oh,” I whisper, loosening my grip around him.

  He smacks another quick kiss against my mouth before he slides out of me and sits on the edge of the bed, reaching for his jeans. He pulls the device out of his pocket and barely even looks at the screen before he slides his finger across the display and answers the call.

  “Hey,” he mutters apprehensively. I watch as he listens to whoever is on the other end of the line. “Yeah, we’re good,” he says, resting a possessive hand on my leg as he looks over at me. “Yeah, okay. Half hour? All right.” He doesn’t say goodbye before he ends the call, tossing his phone back onto our pile of clothes on the floor. “Band meeting. We’re going to get a bite to eat. Hungry?”

  I sit up, drawing my knees to my chest as I run my fingers through my hair. “Yes. But, Sage, maybe I should—”

  He shakes his head, as if he knows already what I’m about to suggest, and interrupts me before I can finish. “You’re with me, doll face. It means you’re part of the fold, just like Violet.”

  I furrow my brow, my mind busy constructing a list of all the ways in which Violet and I are not the same. Her contribution to Mountains & Men is certainly far greater than mine. She’s dubbed herself M&M’s hottest roadie—and all of them know better than to argue. I, on the other hand—

  “What’d I say, doll face?” he mutters, reaching over to cup his hand around the side of my face. “You’re with me, Millicent. Band business is not a secret. Besides, I don’t show up with you on my arm, I’m sure they’ll all kick my ass. I’m going to hop in the shower, you with me?”

  I let his words sink in, remembering the way Derrick, Alex, JJ, and Violet saw to me yesterday. It’s not news to me that they’re all really close. They consider each other family. I’ve seen it first hand, and I’ve felt what it’s like to be welcomed by them—but I was never bold enough to consider myself one of them. Family is such a foreign concept to me; and yet, something tells me that I’m going to be part of theirs whether I want to be or not. In some ways, based on the definition of family, that strikes me as beautifully normal.

  “Baby—you with me?” Sage repeats.

  I lean into the palm of his hand and offer him a nod, accepting the fact that with Sage comes an entire family of friends, and I’m now one of them.

  “I’m with you.”

  He wastes no time taking my hand and pulling me off of the bed and into the shower. We spend the next twenty minutes making out under the water before we wash each other clean. We’re late by the time we get out. Sage is ready two minutes later, and I do my best to make myself presentable as quickly as possible. I hop back into my jeans before I dig through my bag for a fresh top. I throw on a strapless bra and then tug on a simple coral-colored, deep V-necked t-shirt. I then toss my hair up into a stylishly messy bun before applying a bit of eye liner and a touch of mascara.

  “Millie—baby, you good?” Sage calls out from inside the room.

  “Just need my shoes,” I tell him before I tuck my feet into my wedge-heeled sandals.

  I take a deep breath when I’m finished, reaching for my purse before I face him. He slides his phone into his pocket as he smirks at me and then circles an arm around my waist, pulling me against him tightly.

  “You’re so gorgeous.”

  “I’m a mess,” I laugh, leaning into him. “But I’m showered and somewhat presentable.”

  He smacks a kiss against my lips and repeats, “You’re so gorgeous.”

  I don’t know what to say, so I don’t say anything at all. He smiles at me before he taps my ass and then grabs my hand, leading me out of the room. We’re the last to arrive in the parking lot, and everyone is standing around waiting for us next to a big, black SUV. They fall silent as we join the circle, and I cling tightly to Sage’s arm, feeling a little unnerved under their collective stare.

  “Fuck, Mad Lips,” Sage hisses. My eyes search for him in the group. When I find him, I flinch at the sight of his black eye. “I’m so sorry, man. I—shit…”

  “You back?” Maddox asks, folding his arms across his chest. I’m not sure what he means, and my stomach knots up when his eyes shift from Sage to me and then back again.

  Sage squeezes my hand before he nods. “Yeah. I’m back.”

  “Next time, I’ll pummel your drunk ass.”

  “Fair enough.”

  “Millie?” I jerk my head in the direction of his voice, surprised to find Derrick addressing me. “By the looks of things, I take it you’re good?” he asks, lifting h
is chin in our direction.

  Sage squeezes my hand once more, and I look up at him. He’s got a small smirk on his lips as his eyes dance around my face, and I know he’s thinking of the multiple orgasms he gave me to ensure that I was good after yesterday’s fiasco. I fight a blush as I look back to Derrick. The expression on his face makes my heart swell. His attention is focused on me—not Sage, but me and me alone. Everyone waits for my response, as if to say that it’s all well and good that Sage is back, but how I feel matters to them, too.

  It hits me anew—I’m one of them.

  “I’m great,” I murmur honestly.

  “Thank fuck that’s over,” pipes in Knox. “Meeting adjourned. Let’s grub!”

  “You sure you don’t want me to drive?” Derrick asks Stefany as she heads for the front seat.

  “Please, drummer boy,” she scoffs. “Trust the professionals to handle the streets of L.A. Ride shot-gun and I’ll show you how it’s done.”

  The guys all burst into laughter as we make our way to the vehicle, squeezing into every available seat. I’m the last in, and Sage guides me down into his lap, the only spot left, before he tells me, “Hold on tight, doll face.”

  And I do.

  I FEAST ON MY girl for Thanksgiving.

  When Thursday morning rolled around, I was up before Millie, allowing me the chance to call my parents, as I promised Rosy I would. We didn’t talk long before I called Pepper and then Rosy, who fessed up to her part in Millie’s visit. She was irritated to learn that I didn’t handle the surprise very well, but soon forgave me when I told her Millie and I were fine. More than fine.

  Knowing that I had company, my sisters didn’t keep me on the phone. As soon as I disconnect from my last call, I abandoned the device altogether and focused all my attention on Millie. We didn’t leave the room for hours, snacking on shit from the vending machine down the hall when we got hungry. Millie griped about how unhealthy our food options were, but she didn’t seem at all disappointed about spending her holiday in a motel with her boyfriend, no turkey in sight. I wondered about her usual Thanksgiving plans, but I didn’t ask, knowing how much she hates talking about her family. I wanted the day to be about us—and it was.

  We fucked, we talked about the tour and the cities I’d been to, then we fucked some more. She told me about how Violet came to see her, and how Rosy insisted she come out to L.A. in her place, and then I made love to my gorgeous girl. It was late in the day when we decided we should see about a legitimate meal. I called up my boys and we all headed out for dinner before we agreed to hit a bar or two. We found this local dive with live music and stuck around for a while. At the end of the night, I could honestly say that if I had to spend my Thanksgiving away from my family, this was certainly an acceptable alternative—on the road with the band and my girl.

  Now, as I watch Millie pack up the last of her things, I wonder where the last two days have gone. She’ll be flying out this afternoon as the tour takes us northeast. Our next stop is all the way in North Dakota. We’ve got a gig Sunday night.

  “This sucks.”

  “What sucks?” she asks, looking at me from over her shoulder.

  “Now that I know I can get you out on the road with me, I don’t want you to go home.”

  “I have to go back to work on Monday, Sage,” she murmurs, turning back to her bag.

  I stand to my feet and close the distance between us, sliding my arms around her waist as I press my chest against her back. “Are you saying that if you didn’t have to be to work on Monday, you’d stick around?”

  She laughs softly, shaking her head at me. “Didn’t you say that JJ sleeps on the couch? You don’t need another body on that bus.”

  “Not a problem. You’d bunk with me, doll face.”

  “Sage, don’t be ridiculous.”

  When I bury my face between her neck and her shoulder, kissing her soft skin—fragrant with the familiar scent of vanilla—I decide I don’t think I’m being ridiculous at all. Selfish, maybe, but not ridiculous. Before I can say as much, she spins around in my arms and reaches for my face. The look in her eyes causes me to furrow my brow in confusion.

  “Don’t stop calling,” she whispers anxiously. “I promise I’ll answer whenever I can. I swear it.”

  “Baby,” I start to say, burying my fingers in her hair. I grip the back of her neck with one hand, my other arm pulling her against me closer. “Don’t you get it by now? I was never going to stop calling. I’m not going to start now.”

  She stares at me for a moment before lifting herself up to press her lips to mine. I hold her tighter, kissing her in return. For a second, we both get carried away; then I remember, as much as I don’t want to, we’ve got to get out of here. Time is our enemy, and he’s a punk-ass bastard. I sever our connection, sliding a hand down and around Millie’s ass before I give her a squeeze.

  Fucking love her sweet, little ass.

  “We gotta jet. I need to feed my girl.”

  “Okay,” she murmurs, turning away from me once more.

  It’s another couple of minutes before she deems herself ready, zipping up her carry-on roller bag. As she slides her purse over her shoulder, I reach for her luggage, and then we make our way out of the building. We grab a taxi and make a stop back at the bus, so we can drop off Millie’s stuff, and then we hitch a ride to the nearest diner. We’re seated in a booth. Rather than sliding in on the opposite side of the table, I sit my ass right next to Millie. When she smiles at me, I know I made the right choice.

  Our waitress’s name is Betty. She’s got to be at least forty-five, and she looks like she walked right out of the eighties, with her big hair, her bright makeup, and a shirt that’s at least a size too small. As she takes our order, she calls Millie honey and dubs me good-lookin’, and I make a mental note to leave her a nice tip just for being the perfect combination of amusing and sweet.

  “So, North Dakota this weekend, and then where?” asks Millie as Betty heads for the kitchen with our order.

  “Man,” I sigh, resting a hand on her thigh. “Missouri, Illinois, Ohio, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Mississippi, and then home.”

  “Wow,” she whispers. She shakes her head before she says, “Hearing you talk about it back home is so much different than being here with you, in California—just one of your many stops—and hearing you talk about the rest of your trip.”

  “Yeah,” I reply with a smirk. “Halfway through and it still feels so unreal.”

  Her eyes drift away from me and then I watch as she sinks a little into the booth, as if she’s trying to make herself smaller. I follow the direction of her gaze and spot a girl, probably still in high school, apprehensively approaching our table.

  “Sorry. Um, I’m sorry—you just look like—” she hesitates, her cheeks heating in a blush before she blurts out, “Did you play at a concert the other night? At The Wiltern?”

  “Yeah,” I reply with a nod.

  “You’re the lead singer of Mountains & Men, aren’t you?”

  “That’s me,” I chuckle.

  “Oh, my god!” she cries as her blush deepens. “My friends are going to flip when I tell them I met you. That’s the first time we ever heard you—but you were so good. We all downloaded your EP! Just Tonight is, like, totally my new favorite song.”

  I grin at her, giving Millie’s leg a squeeze—my girl. My muse.

  “Thank you,” I tell the young stranger.

  “Could I get your autograph?”

  Before I can even answer, she turns and stops the nearest waitress, asking to borrow her pen. She then plucks a napkin from out of the napkin holder at the table beside ours and hands me both.

  “What’s your name?” I ask, both humbled and flattered by her attention.

  “Sonya—with a y,” she tells me.

  I write her a short note, thanking her for her support, and then sign my name before handing her the napkin. She thanks me a few times before she turns and heads back to her table
, and I think back on the words I had spoken no longer than five minutes ago.

  …it still feels so unreal.

  When I turn my gaze back to Millie, I find her staring down into her lap, fidgeting with her fingers. I reach for her hand, and she peeks up at me from beneath her lashes.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask with a frown.

  “Nothing,” she says softly.

  “Bullshit, baby—what’s wrong?”

  Her green eyes plead with me even before she says another word.

  “You’ll call, right? You promised.” She squeezes my hand, leaning closer to me before she continues. “And we won’t grow apart, right? Not this tour—or the next—or the next; not when you get busier, and not when you’re so well known that you can’t go anywhere without people knowing exactly who you are? Not when—”

  “Millicent, hey, slow down,” I insist, reaching up to press my hand against her cheek. “What are you so worried about?”

  “I love you,” she whispers. “You have all that I have to give—it’s why I got scared; it’s why I’m still scared. Sage, I don’t want to lose you. I can’t lose you. Dammit,” she mutters, her eyes filling with tears. “Even just thinking about losing you to them…”

  “Them?”

  “Everyone,” she blurts out. “The people you sing for.” She closes her eyes and a single tear rushes down her cheek. “You don’t see yourself the way I see you—the way they see you. They won’t be able to get enough of you; I just know it. You’re already on your way, and I’m not just saying that to blow smoke up your ass, Sage. You’re brilliant, all of you. Soon, you’ll be so much bigger than your hometown; bigger than The Brew Cycle; bigger than the second slot on someone else’s headlining tour…bigger than me.”

  “Doll face, open your eyes.” She does as I ask and I look at her for a moment, really look at her. I know that right now, she’s offering me something she’s never offered me before. Total transparency. She’s not running, she’s not pushing me away, she’s being honest. She’s being real. And fuck me—it makes me love her more. Hearing her admit just how much she wants this, how much she wants us, it suddenly makes the last three miserable weeks totally worth it. It brought us here.