Romancing Austin

by Riley Bancroft, Evelyn Berry, Cara Carnes, Jax Garren, Irene Preston, Rebecca Royce, Chandra Ryan

  Every nuance of the music and their time together glowed on her face or vibrated throughout her body, attracting him like a moth to the light and heat of her open flame. Her honesty kept her from hiding or holding anything back and he wanted a few more minutes to hold that feeling close. But perhaps it was good to hear the news now instead of waiting. He took a deep breath and waited for Christa to continue.

  “I know the Board of Directors will agree with me when I say it was a deep honor for you to share your talent with us.” She paused to turn and shake someone else’s hand. His professional smile turned genuine when Aurora placed a hand on his arm and squeezed. Whether in support or frustration at the disruption, it didn’t matter. She touched him.

  Christa returned her attention to him. “I’m sorry for the interruption. Thank you for your commitment to the Austin Choir…” Every sentence she said, he added a ‘but’ to the end of it. “It was a wonderful performance, but…” or ‘thank you for your commitment, but…” He leaned forward ready to absorb the blow of her words when they turned to rejection. “And we hope to honor your talent and commitment by extending you a contract for next year.”

  Those weren’t the words he expected. Perhaps he’d heard what he wanted to hear, so he shook his head a little, “Excuse me?” he asked so she could repeat herself.

  “Congratulations!” Aurora yelled then squeezed his shoulder, releasing some of the tension he held there.

  Christa’s smile got wider as she took in Aurora’s joy. “You got the job, Dallas. Congratulations. We’ll have our office staff prepare the contract for you on Monday, but for now, enjoy the party.”

  He hadn’t been hearing things. He’d really gotten the job. Speechless, he shook Christa’s hand again and croaked out a thank you.

  As soon as Christa left to thank other performers and audience members, he turned on the bench and grabbed Aurora around the waist, giving her an awkward hug. Their hips and thighs touched, but he couldn’t hold her the way he wanted to. It was the first time he could remember when he couldn’t wait to leave from behind an organ. Every fiber of his being yearned to embrace her. The desperation of his feelings made him pause, and he forced himself to take longer than he wanted to get his music and equipment together.

  “Aurora, I wanted to thank you for all your help these last few days. And especially the concert. It felt like we were playing together…we were making music together.”

  She kept her gaze down. He was disappointed he couldn’t see the emotions she was unable to conceal.

  Word of his contract spread quickly, and it took forever to leave the church. She kept asking him the time until he asked, “What are we late for?”

  “I want to make sure we don’t miss Dexter Bryce Reed.” A pang of disappointment soured the sweetness of his evening. How could he forget what she’d looked forward to since the day they met? A chance to meet his ex-rehab mate.

  “Don’t worry, Aurora.” He tried to console her, but her wrinkled brow told him she really worried. He tried again. “Reed is not known for being on time for anything. Even though the party’s been going on for an hour, we’ll probably beat him to it.”

  The fundraiser dance was held across the street, so all they had to do was follow the sound of laughter and tinkling glass to the party. The light from the moon and the street lamp fought over the jewels in her dress, catching his attention.

  “For once, your dress is appropriate for the occasion.”

  She always looked beautiful, but tonight as they walked in among all the moneyed guests, Aurora outshone them all. She laughed and swirled, letting the skirt of her dress bellow wide until he could see the top of her thighs. He wanted to see more. He wanted to feel her slim legs in his hands as he opened them.

  “I’m always appropriate. Everyone else is just under-dressed.” She raised her chin and dared him to contradict her. He laughed with her. He couldn’t remember laughing as much as he had in the past few days.

  He reached out for her hand and she didn’t hesitate to place hers in his grasp, then squeezed his fingers. She leaned in with her body and pressed her chest against his side. He took her hint and curled his arm around her waist, bringing her hip against his. Her eyes sparkled with some inner joy, and he was hopeful enough to think it was because of him.

  “Dallas, congratulations about the position. I can’t wait to work with you next season.” He dragged himself away from Aurora and searched for the well-wisher. He spied Fern near the bar, consoling her pianist boyfriend who seemed determined to drown his sorrows. He made a mental note to talk to the guy when he was alone. The self-serving production manager would twist neither of their words.

  After shaking hands and hugging and kissing everyone he cared to, Dallas grabbed a wine for himself and a glass of ‘nectar’ for Aurora, and started making their way to the balcony. A boisterous cloud of noise could be heard over the regular din, and he squinted into the crowd by the door.

  Dexter Bryce Reed had arrived.

  A small entourage of handlers and security staff orbited the rocker as he made his way through the party attendees. Dallas made eye contact with Reed, tilting his head in acknowledgment. Placing his arm around Aurora’s shoulders, Dallas gestured toward the rock star. “There he is.” The man might be as genuine as a pair of silicone breasts, but he’d helped Dallas in his own special way to figure out where a directionless soul might find a new compass. He owed Reed.

  And he owed Aurora for helping him find the music in his soul, feeding the spark that breathed life into art. And if she wanted the self-absorbed rocker, then Dallas would give Reed to her.

  10

  Aurora peered through the crowd of humans toward the self-important joker prancing toward them.

  This was Dexter Bryce Reed? The human man her aunt desired? The Reed-man stopped in front of them and exchanged a few words with Dallas, but his snail eyes crawled slimy trails all over her from behind his sunglasses, making her shiver. She leaned into Dallas and tightened both arms around his waist.

  “Dallas, good to see ya, mate. I’ve said a few words of congratulation to Christa on the choir’s recent Grammy win. Are you coming to my party tomorrow night?” He spoke in an accented deep voice and leaned forward as if wanting to trap her down his opened shirt.

  No, thank you. She was supposed to waste her one wish on this guy?

  No, she wouldn’t wish Reed to her aunt. Everyone knew Titania had a weakness for humans…and a capricious nature that made her kingdoms quake under her volatile temper. Yet, there must be something else she could do to save her mother and herself from eternal servitude. After finally seeing Reed, it made her choice crystal clear. She wouldn’t fulfill that request when she had the means to do some good in this human world. Aurora’s heart desired for someone else.

  Dallas.

  The decision to keep her wish to herself a little longer made perfect sense.

  “Wouldn’t miss it, Dex. I’d like to introduce you to Aurora.” Even though Dallas tipped his chin in her direction, he didn’t let go of her. She was glad. He was hers, and she belonged to him.

  “Aurora, eh? Didn’t I meet you at a swimsuit shoot in Milan?” He threw his head back and laughed until the platinum chains on his chest shook. “Now that was a wild party.” A large monolith of human flesh wearing an earpiece and shades craned down and spoke into Reed’s ear. The rocker turned toward them and placed out his hands in supplication, “My man here tells me there’s an even wilder party down the street.” He turned and headed for the entrance. “Don’t forget about tomorrow.”

  She followed the rocker with her gaze and let out a small sigh when he left. Dallas looked down at her, and she tilted her head. Their lips were close to touching. She wanted to stand on her tiptoes and taste her sweet Dallas to get the bitterness of Reed out of her system.

  Dallas gave her a small smile. “Was he everything you thought he’d be?”

  “Worse,” she admitted and laughed with him.

&nb
sp; “Let’s go outside. I’d like a breath of fresh air.”

  “Anything you want.” He turned them both toward the balcony doors. The dark shadows hid them away from everything, including the loud party noises, and they both took a minute to drink in the silence and the sensation of their bodies melting together.

  “Look over there.” He pointed toward the edge of the sky, and she gasped as a streak of white flashed against the darkness.

  “A falling star. Make a wish.” She closed her eyelids and debated over her wish. Should she use the one wish Aunt Titania granted her to bring her rocker to the forest? What was enslavement to the four days of freedom she had with Dallas? Even with all the negatives of being human, there was so much capacity for good and happiness. She wanted him to experience joy…for all eternity. When it came down to it, there really was no choice.

  Her wish belonged to Dallas.

  She opened her eyes and met his gaze. She saw something there that weakened her knees until she leaned against him, relishing his strength and heat infusing her body. “What did you wish for?” Her voice sounded huskier than normal.

  He shook his head, “I’m not supposed to tell.” But the devilish glint in his eyes gave him away. Aurora could guess what he wished for…

  “Well, I’m going to tell you…I wished your wish would come true.”

  “Me, too,” he whispered and leaned down to kiss her. She rose up on her toes to meet his lips. Every time he kissed her it was different, and she wanted to keep kissing him to see if any of his kisses would ever be the same…but they didn’t have that luxury. This was her last night as a human, and she was going to enjoy every minute of it. The second the clock chimed midnight, she’d be ready. She wasn’t going to regret anything.

  Dallas’ lips nibbled on hers—first the top lip and then the bottom. He made an adventure out of relishing her mouth, and she quickly became impatient to experience everything he had hinted at before. She twined her arms around his neck and threaded her fingers through his hair.

  He smiled against her mouth, but she was through playing. She ran her tongue along the seam of his lips and took advantage of his surprised gasp. Gotcha! Everything she’d learned of passion and longing she used to torture him. A gentle breeze ruffled both of them with the promise of colder winds, and she shivered, remembering her first night. It was the same north wind that had forced her out of the sky. She snuggled up against him, drawing in his warmth and protection. They broke the kiss, but the fire in his eyes burned her from the inside out.

  He took off his dress jacket and placed it over her shoulders, rubbing her upper arms. She couldn’t quit looking at him and thinking how much he’d grown to mean to her in such a short amount of time. She wanted a memory to hold onto, something she could tell—with some edits for general audiences—around the old fairy campfires.

  “Let’s go home, Dallas,” she whispered in his ear then took a few moments to appreciate the soft skin of his earlobe.

  They slipped into the night. The ride home was made in silence, which suited her fine. She’d resolved herself to the fact her impulsive decision not to kidnap the Reed-man may have cost her freedom, but she didn’t care.

  All right, maybe she cared.

  But only because she didn’t want fairy magic going to a human who didn’t deserve it. She was going to give Dallas a magical night he wouldn’t soon forget.

  He grabbed her hand and led her into the house. The lights were still out, and shafts of moonlight came in from all the windows. Moonbeams reflected off the grand piano in the music room, and she gave a wicked giggle.

  “What are you laughing about?”

  “I’ve got plans for you.” She tugged on their joined hands until he followed her to the music room. She was so glad she watched all those TV stories about the nude humans.

  “You want me to play you a song?”

  She giggled and stopped him to give him a kiss for being so funny. “The only instrument around here going to be played is you.” She poked at the hard wall of his chest and let her finger trail down. “And your organ.” Her hand flattened out over the pleat of his dress slacks and delighted in hearing his short, loud indrawn breath. She squeezed his hardness and pushed him back until he stumbled onto the padded piano bench.

  His legs splayed out, and he straddled the bench. She gave him what she hoped was a seductive smile before grabbing the hem of her dress and slowly lifting it over her head. Dallas groaned, “You’ve been naked under your dress the entire night?”

  “You mean women wear more clothes under their clothes? What about men?” She turned her head to the side and looked down at him. Her nipples and breasts tingled, and she put her hands up to cup them. He groaned even louder, “Let me do that.”

  She widened her eyes. Yes, it would feel so much better if he touched her. “I want you naked with me.” She truly felt beautiful and graceful for the first time under his heated gaze.

  “Yes, ma’am,” He undid the buttons on his dress shirt and shrugged it off his shoulders. The sleeves got stuck around his wrists, but he jerked them loose. Two buttons ricocheted off the marble floor, but she lost interest at the sight of his bare chest.

  How did she ever think him too hard like a rock? Dallas was just right for her. She moved down on her knees and ran her hands up and down his thighs. His hands shook as he wrestled with his pants button and zipper.

  “Why don’t I do it?” She moved his hands out of the way and rubbed up against his columnar hardness. His hips lifted off the bench and up to her hand. He really liked this?

  “Do what?” His voice strained with effort, and his head dropped back before swinging upright again. He wanted to see what she was doing? Well, she’d make it worth his while.

  She tugged down on the waist of his pants. He moved his hips up and she slid his pants down. Something sprung up in front of her eyes and she gulped.

  Nope. She was right before. Dallas was too big.

  She’d hoped he might be different than the men on TV since she didn’t look a thing like the women she’d seen. Her chest bumps—breasts—weren’t as round and big nor did her fingernails have those white tips.

  Her hands glided back to his hardness that had teased her for days. Now she wanted to tease him. She reached up and curled her fingers around his shaft. She started moving her hand up and down to get a sense of how thick he was and figure out how she was going to get him into her. A quick glance at his face revealed how different he was from those men she’d seen. His gaze met hers, and she gasped at the blue flames sparking in his eyes, igniting a responding fire deep within her. Dallas was hotter, more intense, and completely unrestrained…just like when he played his music.

  A bead of liquid pulsed at the tip, and she followed her impulse to taste him. She leaned her head down, relishing the blue tinted moonlight of her hair cascading around them. The heated tips of her breasts rubbed against his thighs, and she moved them back and forth, driving them both crazy by the sound of his ragged groan joining her gasps. Finally, she dipped her chin down and ran the tip of her tongue down the glistening slit. The salty flavor surprised her, and she moved more of her mouth down him.

  He moved her hair back, “I want to see you tasting me.” He groaned; pleasure dragged out his chest. “You can’t imagine how many times I fantasized about you and your gorgeous mouth.”

  His hands around her waist urged her up.

  This was it. Her heart started to gallop in her chest.

  She stood up and swirled around, straddling his legs with her back to his chest. The rough hair on his thighs both soothed and aroused at the same time. That mysterious maleness lay between her legs, right where she felt swollen and hot. She spread her legs wider until his shaft rubbed against her, moving up and down, tickling the hidden nub that was the source of her pleasure.

  Aurora gripped his cock, his strangled moan erupted into the night air, and she placed him between her plump folds. The smooth tip entered, stretched, then stoppe
d. She braced her hands on his thighs and flexed her thighs to sink down on him.

  But he wouldn’t move.

  He was stuck…and it started to hurt.

  She tried to move down again, but the mild burning sensation intensified until her eyes stung with tears. How did all those people on TV make it seem so easy?

  “Aurora,” Dallas’ voice rumbled behind her. The rough pitch sent shock waves through her, causing those tingles of heat to start up again, “What are you doing?”

  “Am I doing it wrong?” She peeked over her shoulder at him, “Isn’t this ‘reverse cowgirl’”?

  “Uh, where did you learn that?”

  “On your TV.” Were they going to talk? Now? She was determined to get this one thing right and show Dallas happy.

  But she failed. She felt like crying again, but this time from disappointment.

  He held her hips steady and turned her around until she faced him on the padded piano bench.

  Aurora stared at the steady pulse at the base of his neck, but he tipped her chin up so she would look at him. From this position, they were almost perfectly aligned, and she wanted to wade in the steady heat of his blue eyes until all her sorrow washed away.

  “All that stuff on TV isn’t for real.”

  “It isn’t? But you—.”

  “Me, what?”

  “You look just like those men,” she glanced down at his cock throbbing against her, then up to see his cheeks and the tip of his ears redden.

  “All I’m thinking about is you and I,”—he reached up and cradled the back of her head, tugging her forward to nip at her lips— “and the music we’re making together.”

  She closed her eyes, tilting her head back to make sure he kissed the spots around her ears and neck, “Hmm, what do you mean?” She smoothed her hands over his shoulders and chest. Hard muscles flexed beneath her fingers as she touched and explored. Perhaps it was better facing him; she could see him and gauge what he liked. So far, she loved everything he was doing.