Surrender to Me

by Alexis Noelle

  His hands run up my back and find their way into my hair. He pulls my mouth down to his and kisses me…hard. Someone knocks on the door and shouts that he has a half hour until he’s due to go on. He drags his teeth over my lip, groaning when our mouths separate. “You make me so damn crazy, Becca.”

  I smile, loving that I’m able to affect him as much as he affects me. “I can’t wait to see you perform tonight.”

  “I’m sorry, but you can’t. There isn’t any section gated off like at the other shows, babe, and I don’t want you in that crowd.”

  Before I can protest, the door opens and one of his band members, I think his name is Casey, walks in. “Shit, sorry Luke. They wanted me to come find you so we can get our microphones and everything set up.”

  “Okay, Casey, I’ll be there in a minute.” Once the door closes, he turns back to me and kisses me one more time. “I’ll see you in a little bit, okay?”

  I’m a little irritated by this, but nod my head and climb off his lap. He gives me a kiss goodbye and leaves me looking like a redheaded step-child who was told to sit in the corner. After about fifteen minutes, I can hear the MC announcing the guys and I want to go watch them so badly that I’m trying to come up with reasons why I should go against Luke’s warnings. I have my pass around my neck so if it’s too crazy out there I can always leave and come back here, right? I decide to get up and go check things out; it’s easier than I thought it would be because the bouncer at the pit area sees my pass and lets me straight through. After a little work on my part, I find my way close to the front. Watching Luke perform is amazing; you can tell he throws every part of himself into each and every performance and doesn’t hold back at all. They’re on their fifth song and the crowd loves every minute of it.

  All of a sudden, I hear yelling and look to my right to see that a fight has broken out. I try to make my way back toward the bouncer, but everyone seems to start moving as numerous other fights break out around me. Everyone is yelling and pushing, leaving me scared with no idea what to do. I look up to the stage and at that moment my eyes connect with Luke’s. He’s definitely shocked to see me, but before I know what’s happening, I’m pushed from behind and fall to the ground. There are so many people here that no one notices, and before another thought crosses my mind, I’m being trampled.

  Lucas

  The crowd is crazy tonight and I’m so glad I had Becca stay in the dressing room. Being up here performing and feeding off their energy is one thing, but even I wouldn’t want to be down there tonight. Everyone is completely hammered from partying all day and I notice a fight starting to break out; all I can do is shake my head. There are always at least a couple of fights in the pit, usually because someone spilled someone else’s beer. I keep going, though, hoping it will all calm down and blow over. It’s not getting better—it’s getting worse—and fights are spreading throughout the crowd.

  Then I see her. What the hell is Becca doing out here? I’m just about to signal to security to get her when she disappears into the crowd. I stop singing and just stare, waiting for her to come back up. “Becca!” The band stops playing and Casey runs up to me. “She’s in the crowd, Case. I need to get to her.”

  Before he can stop me, I’m jumping down from the stage and trying to make my way through the crowd. People are going crazy; half of them don’t even notice what’s going on, and the other half are trying to rip my shirt and hold onto me in whatever way they can. All I can focus on is finding her, though. I look back up to the stage, trying to figure out where I had seen her last, when I see a flash of blonde hair about five feet in front of me. I run over to her; she’s curled up in the fetal position on the floor, covered in scratches and cuts. These animals must have been fucking stepping on her. I bend down to pick her up and fight my way through the crowd with her in my arms. I catch the attention of the bouncer that’s trying to stop people from getting backstage and he attempts to help make a path for me.

  Once I get away from the crowd, I run to my dressing room and lay Becca on the couch; she’s passed out and covered in dirt and blood. I can’t tell where most of it is coming from at first, and then I realize there are multiple cuts all along her arms and legs—some deeper than others. After checking her out, I feel a little better knowing that she doesn’t have any serious wounds. I move up to her face, cradling her head. “Becca, wake up. It’s me…you’re safe. Please, just open your eyes.”

  As I’m trying to wake her up, Casey comes through the door. “How is she?”

  “I don’t know, Case, I can’t find anything more than small cuts and bruises, but I can’t wake her up, either. Did you call the medics?”

  “Yeah, they’ll be here in a minute.”

  Casey disappears into the bathroom and returns with a wet washcloth. I take it from him and start to rub the dirt and blood from Becca’s face. “Becca, come on babe, open your eyes.” I notice her lashes flutter just the tiniest bit. “That’s it, baby, come on.”

  When she opens her eyes and sees me she looks so scared. “What happened?”

  “Several fights broke out in the crowd and you got knocked down. I’m guessing from the way you look right now that they trampled all over you. I thought I told you to stay here, babe.” I know she doesn’t need me to be chastising her right now, but I wish she would have just listened to me.

  “I know.” Her voice sounds so fragile and shaky, and it seems like she’s trying to hold the impending tears in. “I’m sorry, Luke, I just wanted to see you.”

  Again, the door opens and this time two female paramedics walk in and ask to examine Becca alone. There is no way I’m leaving this room right now.

  “Luke, why don’t you hop in the shower now? That way, if she needs your help later you’re already good to go. Let them do their job, man.” I look over at Casey, knowing he’s right, but I still don’t like it.

  I walk over to Becca and let her know if she needs anything to call for me. By the time I’m done getting cleaned up, they’ve checked her out and report to me that she’s lucky to have just minor cuts and bruises. However, they do tell me that they think she’s bruised her ribs, too. When they give her the all clear I bend down to pick her up so I can get her back to the hotel.

  “I can walk, Luke.”

  I peer down at her and press a kiss to her forehead. “If you think I’m letting you go for even a second, you’re out of your mind.”

  The car ride over to the hotel seems to take forever but it’s probably only because I’m so anxious. I just want to get her back to the room and make sure she’s really okay. My heart is still beating a thousand times a minute from the fear of seeing her getting sucked into the crowd. When we get to the hotel the damn paparazzi are crowded around the entrance waiting. I call the hotel and explain the situation to them and they agree to let me use their delivery entrance in the back of the building.

  Once we get to the hotel room I put her down on the bed and go to grab her a change of clothes. “Do you want me to help you into the shower, babe?” She shakes her head no and walks off into the bathroom. She hasn’t really said anything since we left the venue, and I have no idea what to do to help her.

  The entire time Becca is showering all I can think about is the fact that tonight could have turned out a lot worse. I don’t know what I would have done if she’d been seriously injured. Even though I haven’t known her very long, there is a special connection between us. I feel like I’ve known her my whole life, and I’m completely comfortable with her. I’ve never been that person who believed that you could fall in love with someone in less than a month, but now that I’m in this situation I know it can happen.

  I hear the shower is no longer running and relax when I realize she’s almost done. I hear what sounds like crying and knock on the bathroom door. “Becca?” No answer. “Becca, please answer me, babe.” The door opens and she’s standing there with only the towel wrapped around her and I can tell she’s been crying.

  I take her hand an
d pull her into my arms. “What’s wrong, babe?” Her eyes are trained on the floor and she isn’t responding to me at all. I put my hands on both sides of her face so I can look her in the eye. “Baby, please talk to me.” There are tears running down her cheeks and it’s killing me that I can’t ease her pain right now. I bend down and kiss each tear that falls, hoping that there is some way I can help her.

  She gazes up at me and says, “I was standing in front of the mirror and I guess just seeing all of the bruises and cuts made everything seem so much more real. When I got pushed down it was probably one of the scariest times of my life. It was like no one even had a clue I was there; they just walked on me like I was a part of the floor.”

  I wrap my arms around her, holding her close to me, hoping that I can make her feel safe again.

  “I can’t believe you jumped into the crowd, Luke; you could have really gotten hurt. Why would you do that?”

  Is she serious? I place both of my hands on the sides of her face. “Becca, I went after you because I care about you. I know we haven’t been together long, and this might sound crazy, but I think I’m falling in love with you. I would do anything to protect you and keep you safe. In those few moments when I couldn’t see you, my heart was beating out of my chest and I couldn’t breathe. You’re so much more important to me than you realize, baby, and if I have any say about it, you will never experience any kind of hurt again. I’m here for you and I am not going anywhere.” I gaze deep into her blue eyes and know that she is my undoing—I’m way past falling in love with her—I am in love with her. Can I really say it to her this soon, though? Or will it scare her off? I look in her eyes and it’s almost like I can see that right now she needs comfort. I take a deep breath because this will be the first time I have ever said these words to someone outside of my own family. “I. Love. You.”

  Another tear slips from her eye before she crashes her lips against mine. “I love you, too, Luke. I would have never believed that it could happen this fast but I can’t imagine my life without you in it. When you’re around I feel happier and when I’m in your arms I feel like nothing can touch me. You are my safe haven, the place that I never want to leave.” I see a blush creeping into her cheeks and she smiles at me. “I want to be yours completely, Lucas Masterson. I want you to be my first and my only.”

  Fuck. I can’t believe she’s asking for this now. What if I hurt her? I’m about to tell her that maybe we should wait when I look into her eyes. Not only do I see love but I see desire; if this is what she wants, I’ll do everything I can to make it the best night of her life. I brush my thumb over the cut on her cheek and bend down to kiss it. “Okay, as long as you are sure this is what you want, baby.”

  She smiles at me. “I’ve wanted this since our first date, but now I know I’m ready for it.”

  That’s all I need to hear. “I’m gonna go slow and be gentle, Becca; I don’t want to hurt you.” I kiss her neck until I come to a spot on her collarbone that’s already starting to bruise. I place another kiss there and she sighs and leans into me. “The first thing I’m gonna do, Becca, is kiss every bruise and cut on your beautiful body. Then I’m going to make you mine, baby, and I can’t tell you how much I’ve been waiting for this.”

  She wraps her arms around my neck as I begin my slow journey down her body. When I reach the towel that’s still wrapped around her, I lead her toward the bed, lay her down on her back and gently remove it so I can examine every inch of her perfect body. I smile at her before lowering myself on top of her to continue kissing every reminder of what happened tonight.

  I’m ready to make Rebecca Chase mine, and I know now that there is no way in hell I am ever letting her go.

  Chapter Seven

  Rebecca

  I can’t believe this is actually happening. Luke’s looking down at me and I can see how much he cares. I used to read books about girls who fell in love in a week or two and think to myself that they were out of their minds. I figured there’s no way that anyone can develop those kinds of feelings for someone in such a short amount of time. I now know that isn’t true, though, because lying here, looking up at him, there’s no doubt in my mind that I love Luke with every bit of my heart.

  He runs his hand through my hair and across my cheek. “If you want me to stop at any time, Becca, you need to let me know, okay? I don’t want to hurt you.” I nod my head and he leans down, kissing me, and I can feel every ounce of his emotion in his kiss.

  He starts to get up and I grab his biceps. “I need to get a condom, babe.”

  He goes to rise again but I keep my hold on his arms. “I um…I’m on the pill. I have been since high school.” The one thing my mother actually did as a parent was make me go on birth control, but I’m pretty sure that’s only because she thought I was going to follow in her footsteps. “Are you okay with us being together without one?” All I can think about was how much Jen always talked about condoms and how uncomfortable they felt.

  He looks down at me and I can tell he isn’t sure how to respond. “If that’s what you want, Becca, that’s fine. Just so you know, I’m clean and I have never not used one before.” I nod my head and lean up to kiss him.

  He repositions himself so that he’s at my opening. He’s managed to kiss and caress each and every bruise and scratch on my body and I know that now it’s time. I’ve always wanted to wait for someone that truly loves me and won’t use me just for sex, like I’ve witnessed men do with my mother countless times. Luke is that person for me; he truly loves me and I can see it in everything he does for me.

  He pushes into me little by little until he’s completely buried in me. I gasp when he breaks through my barrier and he immediately stills. “Are you okay?” I nod my head yes, not really ready to speak yet, and lean up to kiss him so that I can assure him that I’m fine. “I’m going to start to move, let me know if you need me to stop.”

  He starts to slide in and out of me and I can’t even begin to explain how amazing it feels. I tighten my hold on him, digging my nails into his back and arch myself up to him.

  “Baby, you feel so amazing right now.” He resumes kissing and nipping my neck which only makes the pull I was starting to feel intensify. I lift my legs up and wrap them around him, pulling him closer and pushing him deeper into me. “God, Becca, you can’t squeeze me like that, baby, or I’m not going to last long at all.”

  I slide my hands up and run them through his hair, letting them rest at the back of his neck. I can feel my pleasure building and it’s starting to feel like I can’t possibly take anymore and will explode at any minute.

  I feel an explosion rock my body and then filter through it in waves and I scream out Luke’s name. “Shit, Becca, I’m gonna come, baby. I need to know if you’re okay or if you want me to pull out.”

  There’s no way in hell I can form words because I’m still riding the after effects of my orgasm. I answer him by tightening my legs around him and when he comes he lets out a guttural moan that makes my insides come to life all over again.

  After a minute, he slowly pulls out and rolls over onto his back, gently pulling me close to him. As I’m drifting off to sleep, I feel him kiss the top of my head and whisper, “I love you.”

  *****

  When I wake up the next morning Luke is still asleep. I slip out of bed, walk into the adjoining living room and sit by the window. I grab my phone because I know I heard it beeping at some point last night. When I check it I see five text messages from Jen.

  Jen: OMG! I just saw what happened at the concert on the news! Are you ok?!

  Jen: PS-it is so hot that he jumped down there to save you!

  Jen: You need to answer me chica…I’m worried!

  Jen: So they have reported that there were no injuries to anyone which I am guessing means you are okay…I will also assume you must be having some mind blowing sex with the Adonis right now because that should be the only reason you aren’t answering me!

  Jen: I mean it�
��it better be mind blowing!

  I laugh and text her back, letting her know that I’m fine and will call her later tonight. As I’m looking out over the city, I think about everything that has happened in such a short amount of time. I never would have thought that this is where I would be a month ago. When Luke told me he loved last night, it took my breath away. Just knowing that he cares about me helped to make my decision about us being together that much easier. I’ve held off for so long because every time I would even come close to being with someone in such an intimate way I pictured my mother with her countless men and everyone at my school who assumed I would turn out just like her.

  I remember how devastated she was every time she gave herself over to a guy just to have him leave the next day without so much as a goodbye. She’d built a reputation in our neighborhood, and I paid for it. All through high school, people would constantly make comments about how I just had to be easy like her and how they were sure I picked up some pointers. The treatment that I received only made me more determined to never be like her. I knew that I would never let a guy use me for sex because I deserve better. When Luke first asked me out, I assumed that was all he wanted, and even though I may have wanted it, too, I had to know he actually cared about me.

  Thinking of how gentle and caring he was with me last night makes me smile. Aside from Jen, no one has truly cared about me for a long time. It feels so good to know that I have someone who will be here for me if I need them. I feel Luke’s arms wrap around me and it breaks me out of my reverie.

  “Hey, what are you doing out here?”

  I turn around to face him and hook my arms around his neck. “I was just looking out at the city; I didn’t even hear you get up.”

  Luke leans down to kiss me. “So, tomorrow we’ll officially be on the road for two months, are you ready?” I nod my head, needing a second to catch my breath. This is all so overwhelming and it’s happening so fast. “I want to do something today, though; are you up for it?”