Gifted Connections 01

by S M Olivier

  The lights went back on and the crowd only seemed to get louder. I smiled at Ben and he smiled back.

  “Well folks,” he called out to the crowd. “We’re going to take a break and then we’ll be right back.”

  I waved and smiled at the crowd and followed the guys backstage. When we got back there, I tried to hug them all and failed, so I had to laugh at myself.

  “What an adrenaline rush!” I exclaimed, and I felt the warmth in my cheeks. I knew I had to be glowing.

  “Well, well, well look who let the spotlight get to her head,” Rick laughed with a wink.

  “You did great out there,” Taylor smiled as he threw an arm around my shoulder.

  “Please say you’ll stay with us,” Ben said after he took a long drag of his water bottle. I could see the beads of sweat rolling down his hairline and it only made me more aware of the sweat dripping down my neck and back as well.

  I grinned up at him. “How about for now,” I stated. “With work, Ella, and school right now, I feel like it’s something I can handle, but if it gets to be too much I may have to back out. What do you think about adding some original music to the mix eventually?”

  “He won’t like it,” Rick stated. It was clear that Ben was the leader of the group. “I’ve tried to propose it to him for a while now, but he’s stuck in his ways.”

  Ben blushed. “Well, if the right songs were to come our way, I think it may work.”

  “I think I may have a few,” I stated.

  I had been creating and writing music for years. That was my comfort zone. This was all new and exciting, but I didn’t know if I could survive on the constant adrenaline high of being the center of attention. I had enough of that in my life right now.

  “Great,” Ben said. “Bring them to practice on Tuesday and we’ll look them over.”

  “Times up, love birds,” Mike made a gagging sound. “Let’s wrap this up, I’m hungry.”

  “I need a shower,” Taylor chimed in.

  We took our positions back on stage and sang “Highway Don’t Care” by Taylor swift and Tim McGraw, but our own version. This was the driving away song. The realization that things were over. Knowing you wanted to be with each other, but the chasm seemed too large to cross.

  We ended the night singing “Broken” by Seether. The first song we sang together and the perfect song to end the story of our fake relationship. The raw emotion of missing someone. The realization that a part of you was gone, the moment the other person was no longer in your life.

  By the crowd’s reaction, I knew they understood the journey we had taken them on and they loved it. I let Ben and the guys talk to the manager and handle all the business stuff as I made my way back to my ‘family’. They had texted me that they would be in the middle right-hand side of the restaurant with some tables pushed together.

  I started to realize the error of my thinking. The crowd wanted to tell me what a great job I did or talk to me, which I was okay with at first, but some of them didn’t get the hint and started to touch me a little too intimately. I could feel the panic set in. I had been lulled into a false sense of security around my ‘family’. With every touch and smile they gave me, I had forgotten (well almost) the ugly in the world.

  When I felt like I was going to go into a full-blown panic attack and felt a strange warmth radiating through my body, I felt and smelled a reassuring warmth.

  “Back off,” I heard Remy growl.

  No one hesitated as he draped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me into the hard warmth of his body.

  “New rule,” he spoke firmly but gruffly, “if you continue doing this, you never go anywhere alone. Those people were animals.”

  “I know,” I mumbled, trying to regain my composure.

  “Are you okay?” he asked gently, hearing the unease and panic in my voice.

  I dropped a kiss in the middle of his chest and said, “Better now, thanks Goliath,” I murmured, knowing I meant it. In in his presence you couldn’t help but feel protected.

  “First a Mack truck, now a giant, your endearments make me feel all warm and fuzzy,” he spoke in my ear as he navigated me through the crowd.

  “So happy to oblige, I figured you would need a little warmth and comfort in your life,” I teased him.

  We finally reached the table and even though there was an open seat Remy still insisted on pulling me down on his lap. Everyone told me I did great.

  “They were savages,” Jemmy said as she grinned at me. “Imagine if you really were famous, famous. The chemistry you have on the stage with Ben is sick.”

  “Thanks,” I smiled. “I’m not too sure if I would want to ever be…famous,” I shuddered at the thought.

  “You could make a killing selling records,” Jax reached out and tugged one of my curls.

  “You could hear her nerves,” Stacey said disdainfully.

  “Jealous much?” Rachel rolled her eyes. “You were fantastic. Is there anything you can’t do?” she joked.

  “I can think of quite a few things,” I demurred.

  “Hungry?” Drake asked as he pushed some loaded nachos and hummus with flat bread my way. He also slid me a steaming mug.

  I took a sip and smiled in appreciation at him. It was hot tea with honey and lemon. It felt great on my raw vocal chords.

  “Oh yes,” I turned my attention back to the food. “Thanks!” I began eating with gusto.

  “Got another gig,” Ben said as he plopped down in the empty seat beside us. “There was another manager in the crowd that likes our sound. Are you free next Friday?”

  I looked back at Remy. “I have to help Remy at the restaurant.” I stated.

  Remy shook his head and his hands found their way into my hair. Delicious goosebumps spread on my skin. “It’s not like you have a set schedule yet. You can go.” He shrugged. “In fact, I want to hire you guys on opening night in thirteen days. If you’re interested.”

  Ben couldn’t look more ecstatic. “Seriously, man?! That would be so awesome. I knew you were a lucky charm,” Ben winked at me.

  I rolled my eyes. “You would do fine without me,” I mumbled around a mouth full of hummus with feta cheese and artichoke.

  “Nah,” Jax joked. “I mean he sounded great and the girls got all hot and bothered, but with you on stage with him, you’re now appealing to us men,” he leered jokingly at me.

  I giggled. “You’re a hot mess!”

  “I know,” Jax grinned unrepentantly.

  On Sunday, I originally reluctantly agreed to have another band session at the house, since Ben insisted he wanted to add some original music to the mix. It was only going to be Rick and Ben though. They both had a knack for writing lyrics, Rick more so than Ben, but Ben was better at the music side. They just needed a little guidance blending the two.

  I didn’t mind this brainstorming at all. Especially since my friends were surrounding me. Ben, Rick and I were sitting on the floor with papers and our guitars surrounding us. Jax was laying down watching a movie, with his head was in my lap. Drake was behind me stretched out on the couch and occasionally, I could feel his discreet touch as he read a book. Remy was being a pillow for both Jemmy and Rachel. He was too wise to allow them to goad him like they did Jax. Noah had left with Stacey somewhere, which pleased and annoyed me at the same time. I was glad Stacey was gone, but I wish Noah was here.

  As Rick fed me lyrics, I strummed the music I heard with the lyrics. Ben would add his own cords and together we revised some of the wording, so it flowed more freely. By the time the afternoon rolled around we had two new songs to introduce to Taylor and Mike, come Tuesday. We invited the guys to stay for dinner and they eagerly agreed to stay.

  I made my way into the kitchen to help Drake make us some baked ham, au gratin potatoes, and green beans. Drake decided to make a carrot cake for dessert as well. I liked cooking with Drake, it made me feel like I was contributing to the house more. We worked well together, and I knew he appreciated my hel
p, although he didn’t necessarily need it. He was so used to cooking for multiple people, that he had it down to a science now.

  Ella came home just in time to have dinner with us and she talked almost the whole dinner.

  We had all changed into our pajamas and Jemmy was excited to watch some fashion show on T.V. I was shocked that the guys didn’t object until I saw that it was a lingerie fashion show. The models walked up and down the runway with little bits of lace, satin, and silk with wings on their backs, angel, butterfly, dragon fly, bumble bees, lady bugs, crows, peacocks, and other variations. I admired their beauty because even though they were tall, they didn’t look emaciated as most of them did.

  “Holy wow,” Jemmy breathed as one of the models took the stage. She had on a red lace push up bra (although she didn’t need much of help in that area), red thong, red garters, and red thigh highs to clip on them. Her wings imitated that of a red and gold macaw, her makeup in reds and golds. Instead of looking macabre or gaudy, she looked elegant and beautiful. Her long blond hair was very pale, almost white and fell to the top of her hips, her skin was fair, like she never went in the sun, but not washed out. As the camera panned onto her face, I could see she had very full lips and pale grey eyes. She was stunning.

  She walked back to behind the curtains where the host was showing the flurry and chaos behind the scenes. They panned out to the stage where some famous up-and-coming pop star was getting ready to take the stage. Then they went to back stage again where some of the girls were casually conversing in next to nothing next to their boyfriends or husbands.

  I gasped as my eyes widened. Leaning casually against the wall was Jace. Looking more splendid and more model-like than I had ever seen him. He wore a tuxedo and he hadn’t shaved today, so he looked ruggedly handsome. The camera panned in on him as he laughed at something the previous model said, as she draped herself along his body. They looked so perfect together. Like they belonged together.

  I gulped fighting the feelings of hurt. Was this the urgent business that called him away from us, from me?

  “Isn’t that Jace? Lucky guy. Who’s the girl?” Rachel asked as she popped some M& M’s in her mouth.

  “That’s Molly Hunt,” Remy said squeezing me to his side. “His EX-girlfriend.” He said, emphasizing ‘ex’.

  I looked away. “Doesn’t look like work to me,” I muttered.

  “Troy had a security detail there tonight,” Drake quickly turned to look at me, before I could slip on my poker face. He must have seen the hurt in my eyes. “We all get called in to help sometimes when he’s short on men, and since a few of the people on staff and models are gifted we help when we can.” He tried to quickly reassure me.

  “That’s not work,” Rachel laughed. “I’m surprised you all didn’t volunteer to help,” she snorted, not realizing the mounting tension in the room.

  “That’s the same Ex he’s still really good friends with? Like, best friends?” I asked softly looking at Jemmy, who quickly turned away and then looked at Jax. They were open books. They wouldn’t have been able to lie to me.

  “They’re just friends,” Jax said quickly, too quickly.

  “And that’s a lie,” Rachel said quietly as if she realized she was missing something and looked at me and at all the guys in turn. “Is he your connected?” she blurted out.

  I didn’t answer her, I just got up and left the room. “Night all. I’m tired. School in the morning, you know.” I said over my shoulder.

  There was a light knocking on my door and I refused to answer it. I didn’t want anyone to see me right now. I felt weak as the tears fell on my pillow. How silly of me to believe someone that sophisticated could be interested in me? Connection or no connection, I was tired of feeling like I was competing with these girls. Seriously, they were all gorgeous, all more mature in age—and experience, I’m sure—and had known these guys for years.

  I was wallowing so much in my self-pity I didn’t even hear him enter until I felt the dip in my bed.

  “He never thought you were coming, none of us did. I know he hoped, more than all of us, he searched the hardest, but they were kids when they met. I know he will always care for her but believe me when I tell you since you have come into our lives he’s been distancing himself from her. Even before he knew for certain it was you. He moved out of state to find you and separate himself from her.” Remy said gruffly as he perched himself on the edge of my bed.

  “It doesn’t matter,” I tried to pretend like I hadn’t been crying. “I’m a realist. I grew up in the life of hard knocks. I know you guys are attractive and authentically good guys. I really can’t expect you guys to be content to be tethered to just me while I get to show and express my affections with all of you when and how I want to. Let’s be real, I’m a kid in age and looks compared to Molly, Stacey, and Rose. Maybe not so much with Tamara, but even then, she knows Jax more than I ever have. She’s made sure to let me know every opportunity she could this past week.”

  He shifted so that he could lay down behind me. “You are so much older in experience than all of them combined. Your age isn’t really a factor. You are our connected and believe it or not the more we get to know you and be around you we are content knowing no one else would do for us. The more you start to understand how the gifted community works, the more you’ll realize that once we’re all connected we won’t be able to even think of another.”

  I snorted. “How can I compete with any of those girls? I can’t. I have seen some graphic, lewd, and lascivious behavior when it comes to sex and all the acts that go along with it and I haven’t the slightest clue how to attract any of you if I wanted to. I don’t know how I could please any of you.”

  He turned me so I was facing him. “You’re kidding me, right? We are all drawn to you like a moth to a flame. You don’t have to do anything. You just need to be you. You were created for us, and us for you.”

  I laughed dryly. “Why haven’t you tried to kiss me then? You treat me like a little sister, okay, maybe not quite like a sister, but it’s like you’re reluctant, just as much as Jace was to this situation.”

  The moonlight was streaming through the window and I could see the war that was being fought in his eyes. “Because I know if I start, I wouldn’t want to stop. I’m…a little rough and I’m good at just taking what I want and walking away. I can’t with you.” He finally murmured.

  “Try,” I whispered softly. Forgetting my turmoil from moments ago.

  I knew it took a lot for him to come see me tonight. He normally ran when my emotions got high. I had a feeling his demons were just as big, if not bigger than mine.

  He muttered something under his breath before his lips took mine. Rough. He wasn’t soft or exploring and I understood now, once his passion was unleashed he had a hard time reigning it in, but I met him with relish. The anger I felt with Jace and Noah was released out of its cage as I met his rough mouth and tongue with my own.

  I grabbed the back of his head and lightly tugged on his hair, so he knew I was ready for this challenge, but not so roughly that I would hurt him. I noticed he practiced restraint as I felt his whole length stretched across me. He took my hands and pinned them above my head as he delved into my mouth repeatedly. He groaned as his lips began to trail demanding licks, sucks, and nips on the side of my neck to my collar bone.

  “I’ll stop whenever you want. Just say the word,” his voice was thick with desire.

  “No…not yet,” I moaned as I thrust my hips into him.

  He hissed under his breath. “You’re so small I can crush you,” I heard the ripping of my shirt, but I felt no outrage. The cool night air caressed my breasts, making my nipples peak, but they weren’t cold for long as he insistently tugged and sucked on them.

  “I want to touch you,” I moaned softly as he expertly seduced me.

  He released my hands and stripped down to his boxers in no time. He joined me back on the bed and continued his journey down to my stomach. His brea
th tickled, caressed, and warmed me. As he neared the waistband of my shorts he looked up at me inquiringly.

  I gasped and nodded as I felt his hands brush against my core.

  “Can I just taste you tonight?” he asked gruffly as he slowly removed my shorts.

  I knew in that moment I would have given him anything. The person within him was reaching out to the person within me and I wasn’t afraid of the actual act for once. He was the biggest and strongest of my guys, but I feared him the least. Even though his movements were more rough and possessive than any of them had been.

  I nodded. “Please,” I said breathlessly.

  He let out a breath I’m sure he had been holding. “Just say the word,” he said as his lips hovered above my core.

  “I can’t,” I almost whined as I pushed my hips towards him, seeking his warm lips.

  I nearly fell apart within seconds of his mouth touching me. He expertly licked and sucked on me. He might have just told me he was great at taking and walking away, but he knew how to give. He more than knew how to give. I never thought this act would be so enjoyable. It seemed extremely intimate and closer than I thought I would ever want to be with anyone.

  Soon his hands joined his exploration and he groaned deep in his throat like he was enjoying this as much as I was.

  “Remy, please,” I begged him, although I wasn’t sure what I was exactly begging for.

  He did, as he drove me higher into the throes of passion. The pressure deep in my core and in my stomach, built to astounding heights and with one more flick of his tongue and the feeling of his fingers in me, I fell apart. I grabbed a pillow and threw it over my mouth as a scream I was helpless to stop ripped through my throat.

  We were both shaking, and I could feel the aftershocks of the pleasure and our connection. They both rocked me to the core. I laid there for a moment in satiation and satisfaction.

  When my breathing slowed he pulled me to him. “Was I too rough?”

  I shook my head. “No, no far from it.” I said earnestly.

  As I laid on his chest, I knew I wanted to reciprocate what he had done for me. I had to remind myself this was someone I cared about and he cared about me. His demonstration moments ago was proof of that. Sure, he had been demanding in his movements, but I wouldn’t expect anything less from him and I enjoyed it.