by Amity Cross
“I’m not sure I have that kind of power.”
“Are you sure? I saw that ring on your finger.”
“What ring?” I asked innocently in an attempt to throw him off the scent. Last thing we needed right now was the engagement leaking.
“Don’t worry, I don’t buy into that tabloid gossip shit. This place is a cone of silence. There’s a code and we don’t break it.”
I snorted. “Really? I didn’t think things like that existed anymore.”
“Good people still exist in the far reaches of the world.” He smiled and guided me down the hall. “I know it seems like a myth but trust me, I’ve seen them.”
It was a beautiful dream, but I was beginning to believe I’d already met them all.
“Thanks for letting me hang out here today,” I said. “I really needed it.”
“You’re welcome,” Stewie said with a comforting smile. “Anything to help.”
13
Juniper
I was still buzzing from my trip to Haze Studios.
Standing in front of the bathroom mirror back at the McMansion, I began to strip. A hot shower sounded great right about now. I was slowly regaining my strength, but today had taken a lot out of me.
“Fuck, you’re beautiful.”
I looked up at the sound of Sebastian’s voce and caught his gaze in the mirror. I’d gotten as far as my underwear before he’d caught me.
“Hey,” I murmured. “I didn’t know you were home.”
“I got in about a half hour ago.” He moved into the bathroom, his gaze sweeping over my body. “How was today?”
“It was great,” I chatted happily. “Stewie was really nice. I got to see how everything worked in the studio and even sat in on a session.”
“You did? Who was recording?”
“An Australian rock band, The Devil’s Tattoo. They were really great, and I think they were looking for a good word about a support slot on someone’s tour.” I shrugged and batted my eyelids. “But I told them that I didn’t have that kind of superpower.”
Sebastian made a face. “Neither do I, but then again, I’ve never asked. So, it was that good, huh?”
“Yeah! I know everyone was there to work, but the atmosphere was so laid-back it felt like a bunch of mates just hanging out. No one worried about the time or performance targets—all that mattered was getting a take that was full of emotion. The music didn’t have to be one hundred percent perfect as long as the feeling was there… and in tune.” I glanced at Sebastian, who was leaning against the vanity, grinning at me. “What? I’m rambling, aren’t I?”
“Kind of, but I fucking love that you get it.” He moved closer and pressed his back against mine. “That’s how I feel about making music, give or take. The emotion, the electricity, the passion.”
“I’m so excited about this studio,” I said, leaning back. “I really think this might be the thing.”
His smile widened into a grin as he dragged my hair over my shoulder. “Sounds good to me. As long as you’re happy, then so am I.”
“They said I could go back,” I went on, “any time.”
“Yeah? When? Tomorrow?”
My smile faded and my gaze fell to the scar on my stomach. It was difficult not to look at the puckered red line. The skin was raised, red and shiny, though people kept telling me it’d settle down and fade. Fade didn’t mean disappear, and I knew it’d be there for life.
“My appointment at the hospital is tomorrow,” I murmured, my fingers lightly brushing along the mark.
“Are you worried?” Sebastian asked, his lips pressing against my shoulder.
“No. I feel okay. It just—”
“You don’t like the thought of going back there?”
I shook my head, my teeth tugging at my bottom lip.
“Do you want me to come with you?”
I snorted and knocked my shoulder against his chest. “You’ll send the entire place into an uproar. A rock star in the hospital? Don’t tell me you forgot all about the chaos you caused just by being there all those weeks while I recovered. They had to cordon off the ER to stop the press from blocking it.”
“Fuck ‘em. If you need me there, I’m coming.”
“No, I’ll be fine. It’ll be boring anyway.”
The thought lingered in the air as I search his gaze in the mirror. Out of nowhere, I found myself thinking about Point Mambie and the first time we’d kissed… and the first time I’d felt his cock enter me. I shivered, and the motion turned into a full quiver of desire as Sebastian’s hands slid over my waist.
“What are you thinking about?” he whispered, his breath hot against my ear.
“Sex,” I declared, rubbing my arse against his crotch. Unsurprisingly, I found he was hard and wondered how many times he’d jacked off since Christmas. He was a sexually charged man, so I wouldn’t blame him. Maybe he’d let me watch…
“Fuck,” he hissed. “Really?”
“Have you touched yourself since…” I trailed off, feeling a little naughty about asking him about his masturbation habits. Well, we were getting married, and I wouldn’t put it past him to grill me about where I liked to put my fingers.
His expression darkened, but I knew it wasn’t from anger. “No.”
“I’m ready,” I said, meeting his gaze.
He turned me in his arms and before I could take a breath, his mouth claimed mine in a kiss that had my knees weakening. He demanded entrance and I gave it, powerless now that I’d opened the floodgates. We moved across the room, my hands searching for something to steady us. I grasped the edge of the vanity, then the towel rack, before my back found the tiled wall.
Now that we had an anchor, Sebastian thrust his hard cock against my hip, grinding as his tongue delved into my mouth. Our embrace became charged with our pent-up sexual desires as Sebastian’s hand found its way to my bra and tugged. He trussed up my breasts and began massaging, teasing both nipples with his thumbs.
“You have the best tits,” he said much to my amusement.
“Do I? Do I need to compliment something about you in return?”
“Wouldn’t hurt,” he mumbled against my lips.
“You have the best… fingers…”
He pulled back. “Fingers?”
“They like to play intricate things,” I whispered. “Guitars…” I grasped his right hand and moved it between my legs, “vaginas.”
He smirked and rubbed his palm over my clit. “Let me play something for you, then.”
I gasped as he stroked his forefinger inside me, circling and working lazy circles with his palm. His touch was electrifying, and my nipples hardened as his tongue laved around each bud.
“Sebastian…”
He hesitated, but I slid my palms down his chest and between us, finally fisting his cock. I teased him, my core aching to feel him inside me.
“Are you sure?” he murmured.
I nodded. I was so fucking sure. I needed him like before. I wasn’t fragile, I wasn’t harbouring some deep, dark pain. We’d lost something precious—that was undeniable—but I wanted to live.
“In the bedroom…” His voice was barely a whisper as he guided me out of the bathroom, his hands moving from my core to my waist.
He lay me down on the bed like I was the most precious thing in his world and undressed the last bit of my clothing, ridding my body of my bra and knickers. His shorts were flung across the room and his cock sprung free, the tip glistening.
Sheathing himself with a condom, he climbed over me, his eyes swirling with unmasked desire. The storm was back, raging with need, his sexual energy sparking from his body into mine. I widened my legs, my fingers teasing my clit.
“Come,” I whispered. “I need you, Sebastian. Like before.”
“Like before?” His brow creased.
“Deep, slow, hard, messy, raw, explosive… Like before.”
My back arched off the mattress as I felt him stroke his cock along me, his hardness in
toxicating.
He slid into me gently, every inch satisfying the craving deep within me. I’d missed him. I’d missed this. These intimate moments between us had always been so real and raw, more than any words could ever describe.
Sebastian took me slowly, holding his weight above me. He lowered his lips to mine, kissing me between breaths as he began to move. Pleasure rose between my legs as we ground together, pulsing towards ecstasy. Steady, then quick; slow, then hard, then soft. He fucked and loved me all in the same stroke of his cock.
It didn’t take long for my orgasm to shatter through me. I cried out, begging for more as he thrust, his movements becoming erratic. He grunted and held deep as he joined me, our pleasure mingling.
“I… love… you,” he said though heavy breaths, “so fucking much.”
“I love you, too.”
As we lay in bed, our bodies entwined, I felt an unbelievable wave of contentment. I hadn’t realised just how much I needed that orgasm. It was like a pressure valve had been opened inside me and now I was floating, listless and serene above the stormy ocean that was our lives.
“Do you want a small wedding or a big one?” Sebastian asked.
I nestled against him and traced my fingers over the muscles in his abdomen. “Small,” I replied. “Who the hell do I know? My invite list is mostly the same people who’d be on yours.”
He grunted. “I think we should have it on a beach. It’s where we met, after all.”
I smiled, picturing flowers and dresses and suits on a windswept Point Mambie-esque sandscape. Seemed appropriate.
“I made Vanessa promise me that Ziggy would be the flower-dog.”
Sebastian laughed, his chest rising and falling. “Does he have to wear a suit?”
“I don’t think he’d tolerate it,” I replied. “But a bow tie is mandatory.”
I shifted, my stomach aching after our passionate fucking, but it was something I wasn’t going to mention. He’d only worry.
“We can go to Paris for our honeymoon,” he whispered. “You wanted to go there, right?”
“Wasn’t there a tour date scheduled there?”
“Yeah, but I don’t want to take you when I’m working. I want to go with you. Just us, no bandwagon.”
I allowed my mind to soar, dwelling on all the things I’d underlined in that travel guide back in Point Mambie. Actually, I think I still had it somewhere, maybe in my suitcase in the walk-in. Somehow, I think the budget had gone up from hostel to the Ritz in one giant leap.
It was so great to be thinking about the future and planning for the good times.
“Sounds good,” I said after a moment. “There’s this carousel I want to check out…”
14
Sebastian
The doorbell rang, breaking me out of my reverie.
The McMansion was quiet today, even though Ziggy was causing a riot outside on the deck. Juniper was out, which had me trying to keep myself entertained. Honestly, I didn’t know how I’d managed it for all these years. Alcohol, drugs, touring, music, women—I guess there’d been plenty of things to do, just not necessarily the right kind.
I didn’t like that Juniper was at the hospital on her own, but she’d made me promise to stay at home. She was strong and independent that way, preferring to do things her own way. Instead of pacing back and forth, fretting over her results, I’d invited Harry over to discuss a few things that’d been on my mind.
Opening the door, I let him inside. “Hey.”
“‘Sup,” he replied, walking into the house. “Nice day for it.”
“I suppose.” We moved through the McMansion. Summer was dragging on in these parts, but it wouldn’t be long before autumn came calling. Another few weeks and the leaves would start to turn.
Harry hesitated when we reached the kitchen, his gaze falling on the place where Juniper had fallen on Christmas Eve.
He blinked and moved towards the deck. “I haven’t been here since… you know.”
“You okay with that?” I asked, sliding open the door. The sound attracted Ziggy, who was out in the garden running laps around his new best friend, Farmer.
The little dog galloped towards us and Harry knelt down, reaching his hands out. Ziggy ploughed into him, almost knocking the poor guy on his arse.
“The infamous Ziggy!” he declared, roughing up the black and white Jack Russell. “Nice to finally meet you, little guy.”
“He’s a real people person,” I drawled. “Farmer’s going to be devastated when he goes back to Point Mambie.”
We sat on the banana lounges, the sun warming our skin, and Ziggy jumped next to me. He stretched out, sticking his paws in front of him.
Harry kicked his feet up, his loafers falling to the deck. “Where’s Juniper? I hope she’s getting out and not vegetating on the couch.”
“She’s at the hospital getting her scans.”
“You didn’t go with her?”
“No. She told me I wasn’t welcomed,” I replied. “Something about breaking hearts and causing chaos all over the hospital? I don’t know.” I smirked and offered a coy shrug.
“You can make the bad boy rock star fall in love, but you can’t take the bad boy outta the rock star.”
“Not entirely.”
“How are things with you two?”
“Good. We’re solid,” I replied. “She doesn’t want to talk about what happened, though.”
“Can you blame her?”
“No.” I shook my head. “She was pregnant, you know, but they had to…” I trailed off, hoping Harry would get the gist of it.
“Seriously?” His mouth dropped open, then he rubbed his jaw. “Now I see why you’re worried.”
I don’t know why I trusted Harry, but he’d proven himself as a good guy over and over again. Thinking about Josh and the others, I didn’t think it was something I could talk to them about. Not that I didn’t want to, but they were a bunch of men with perpetually hard dicks. What did they know about losing a baby? I knew they cared, but… If I could talk to anyone about this, it’d be Harry.
“She claims she’s fine,” I went on. “But when I brought it up the other night, she just shut down.”
“I’m no expert, but I’m not sure someone like Juniper can… how do you say it? Not care about a loss like that.”
“She wasn’t ready for all that,” I murmured. “Neither was I, but I would’ve done whatever it took.”
“She mightn’t be, but she’d never turn her back on it, either.”
“I know. I’m just afraid she’s bottling everything up and is going to break sooner rather than later.”
“You can’t force her to face something she doesn’t want to face,” he went on. “It’ll only make things worse. Maybe she has come to terms with it. If things do come to a head, the best any of us can do is be there for her.” And that answer was why I chose to talk to Harry about it and not Josh.
“Thanks,” I said.
“So, what’s up?” he went on, obviously dying to know why I’d asked him to come to the McMansion instead of barking orders down the phone. “I know we all love Juniper, but she can’t be the only reason you called me over here today.”
“You know the shit we’ve been going through with Galaxy lately,” I began, “the stalled tour, our lack of manager…” I sighed. “The lack of any direction really..”
“Yeah, but I don’t know what I can do. I’m back as your assistant, but that’s a far cry from having any sway with the head honcho.”
“That’s why we have to take matters into our own hands. Nothing’s getting done. The guys are restless, Juniper’s doing as well as we can hope right now, and there’s been no word about Vix’s trial. If we let things with the band stagnate any further, we’ll lose momentum.”
“Are you really afraid people will forget about Beneath? I wouldn’t be so quick to believe it. You guys are the biggest band in rock right now.”
“Exactly. Right now.”
“I
t’s been two months since Christmas,” Harry argued. “That’s hardly any time at all.”
I shrugged. “The problem is, I need to get the band moving again. More for the others than for me.”
“That makes it sound like you don’t want to—” His eyes narrowed.
“I fucked up,” I said with a groan. “I didn’t handle things with Juniper very well, and I thought about quitting Beneath.”
“What?”
“Don’t look at me like that,” I complained. “It was my fame that lead to her attack in our home. Can you blame me for considering it?” He gave me a stern look, but there was no comeback waiting for me. “First, we need a manager. Myers reckons he’s going to find someone personally, but last I heard, he was on his super-yacht somewhere in the fucking Caribbean.”
“You want to find your own manager?” Harry raised his eyebrows. “I don’t think it’s something you can list in the newspaper.”
I snorted. “Could you imagine the amount of bullshit we’d get in the mail if we did that?”
“Yeah, I’d be the one sorting through it all.”
I cast my gaze out over the water and set my hand on Ziggy’s back. The little guy was getting really restrained when it came to the water nowadays.
“Josh wanted to go independent,” I mused.
“Leave Galaxy?” Harry asked. “Is that even possible?”
“We’ve still got two years on our contract and it’s a lot of work to take it on ourselves. The label supports us in more ways than he realises. Marketing, setting up our touring schedule, releases… it all adds up. We’d need to start our own label and hire a bunch of staff to take the pressure off.” I shook my head. “Which is something we can always consider in the future, but for right now, sticking with Galaxy is the smartest thing to do.”
“And all you need is a manager to get things back on track?”
“That’s where you come in,” I declared.