Rise

by L A Cotton

“This has been great, you guys, truly, but I’m exhausted.” Eva yawned again, stretching her arms high enough to make her Black Hearts t-shirt rise, revealing a sliver of skin. Fuck. This was like torture. Having her right there and not being able to touch her. But I would manage, the way I always did.

  “Chick flick or action film?” Damon called. Letty and Eva shared a conspiratorial look.

  “Chick flick.” Eva grinned, returning her assistant’s high-five.

  “Never thought I’d see the day…” Hudson grumbled as he grabbed a cushion and stuffed it behind his head. We all spread out over the bench and chairs, getting comfortable. Eva was too far away for my liking but at least I wouldn’t be tempted to do something stupid like reach for her hand.

  “Okay, we should be good to go.” Damon joined us.

  “Before you hit play,” Eva said, her voice turning serious. I sat a little straighter. “I just want to say…” She hesitated and alarm bells rang in my head. “I… well, thank you. For tonight, for makin’ me so welcome. It means a lot. More than you’ll probably ever know.”

  “Jesus, Walker, I thought you were about to tell us you and Hunter were having a secret love child or something.” Hudson realized his error instantly, the color draining from his face. “Shit, I didn’t… excuse me while I go bury myself in the giant fucking hole I just made.”

  Eva laughed it off, but I saw the tightness around her eyes. Letty and Damon watched the two us, trying to see past our façades. All while Levi sat there none the wiser, a wolfish grin plastered on his face, because he didn’t think Hudson meant me.

  He assumed the joke was on him.

  And he didn’t seem in the least bit bothered.

  Eva

  I woke to the sound of the small television crackling. Sitting up, I rubbed my eyes and scanned the dimly lit bus.

  “Hey,” Rafe’s whisper cut through the air and I found him across from me, relaxed back in a chair.

  “I fell asleep?”

  “You weren’t the only one.” His eyes went to Hudson and Levi who were both out cold, their gentle snores creating a strange symphony.

  “Ugh, my neck,” I tried to stretch out the sore muscle. “Damon and Letty?” I asked, and his eyes slid to the bunks further down the bus. “Together?” My brows hit my hairline.

  “No.” Rafe chuckled. “Letty took a spare bunk. Old habit, I guess. You can take the bedroom, get some sleep.”

  My eyes flicked to Hudson and Levi again. “Show me where it is?” I gingerly inched out from behind the table, careful not to knock Hudson.

  “It’s right down—”

  “Show me,” I reached Rafe, gazing down at him, “please.”

  His eyes shuttered as he drew in a harsh breath. I half-expected him to say no. We were on the band’s tour bus, surrounded by his, albeit sleeping, bandmates. But Rafe didn’t refuse me. Instead, he got up and moved down the bus, stopping outside a narrow door. “It isn’t much, but it’s private.”

  I slipped past him, the weight of his stare burning into my back. I glanced over my shoulder, ready to ask him to stay a minute, but he was already there. Rafe hooked his finger into my jeans and pulled me around, crowding me against the wall. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve wanted to do this today?” His lips hovered over mine, teasing and tempting.

  “Rafe.” I slid my hands up his chest, pulling him closer. “We shouldn’t...” The last thing I wanted was to get him in trouble but the tether between us snapped taut.

  I needed him.

  I needed to know we were okay.

  “Don’t move, Starshine, don’t move an inch.” Rafe kissed me, soft at first, slipping his tongue into my mouth with slow shallow licks. My body trembled, his touch almost too much to bear, but at the same time, nowhere near enough to douse the flames growing inside me. Rafe pressed his hand against the wall beside my head and leaned in, pushing his hard lines against my soft curves.

  “Can you be quiet?” he whispered the words against my lips.

  I nodded, smothering the moan building in my throat. Taking a step back, Rafe let his eyes move over me. He lingered on my lips, the curve of my breasts, the hem of my leggings.

  “The things I want to do with you, Starshine.” His voice was quiet, the words gruff. My tummy clenched, heat spreading through me. My eyes flicked to the door. It was ajar, a sliver of light shining inside. From my position, I could see just down the bus, but no one would be able to see inside the bedroom without coming much closer.

  “Tell me you’re mine.” Rafe’s eyes were as black as night, streaked with flashes of silver-gray. He looked deadly. Dark and dangerous.

  He looked like he wanted to eat me alive.

  “I’m yours,” I breathed, gasping as he fluttered a single finger down the column of my neck. It lingered on the neckline of my t-shirt.

  “I like seeing our name on you.” Rafe’s finger slipped to the printed heart and he slowly, painstakingly, traced each word.

  Black.

  Hearts.

  Still.

  Beat.

  My heart crashed in my chest, overwhelming me in the best kind of way. I was trapped. Pinned in place by eyes so intense, so filled with torment and emotion, I could hardly breathe.

  “You’re mine, Starshine. Not his. Not the bands. Mine.” Rafe’s hand fanned out as he dragged it down my stomach, all the way to the apex of my thighs. He pressed his palm against me, eliciting a breathy moan from me.

  “I shouldn’t do this,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I shouldn’t slip my hands inside and feel how wet you are for me. But I can’t stop myself. You own me, Eva,” his hand dipped inside my leggings, “you’ve owned me ever since the first day I laid eyes on you.” His fingers found their way into my panties, sliding between my wetness.

  I bit my lip to stifle the moan building. It felt too good. My legs quivered, but Rafe was right there to hold me up as he slowly worked two fingers inside me.

  “More,” I whisper-cried in the darkness, letting my head fall back against the wall. There was a gentle thud and both of us froze. A beat passed and another. Rafe watched me, his gaze hard and possessive as he began to move his fingers again. Curling and stroking. He didn’t kiss me. He didn’t speak or whisper dirty words into my ear. He showed me with his touch, communicated with his eyes, what he felt.

  My skin grew hot, my breaths coming in short sharp bursts as Rafe took me to the brink. “I’m goin’ to...” I smashed my lips together, trying to swallow the cries as heavy waves of pleasure washed over me.

  Rafe leaned in, dragging his tongue up my neck and kissing me. “You look so fucking good like this.” He bought his fingers to his lips and sucked them clean. “You taste good too.”

  My legs buckled again. He was so different like this. Dominant and dirty, and in complete control of me. My body.

  I pressed my head to his shoulder, trying to catch my breath. “Is this the part where you leave me?” It was unfair of me to ask him, but the words spilled from my lips without warning.

  “I wish it could be different.” He sighed deeply.

  “Rafe, I—”

  “Dream of me, Eva. Dream of me right there beside you, holding you.”

  I nodded, swallowing over the lump in my throat.

  Slowly, Rafe eased away from me, his eyes full of regret. “Sleep tight, Starshine.” He pressed a kiss to my head before ducking out of the room.

  As if he hadn’t just rocked my world.

  As if he hadn’t just stolen the final piece of my heart and taken it with him.

  The smell of burning woke me up. “What the...?” I pushed the covers off, pulled on my leggings and went to see what on earth was happening.

  “Morning, Angel.” Hudson grinned as he pushed what I assumed was supposed to be bacon around a pan.

  “What are you doin’?”

  “Well, I was trying to make you breakfast, but I’m guessing from the way your lip is curled in disgust, I shouldn’t have bother
ed.”

  “I think you killed the bacon.” I smothered a laugh, moving closer. “Are there pancakes?”

  “Of course there are... Damon, is there pancake mix?” he yelled over his shoulder, and Damon came padding out of the bathroom, a towel hanging low on his waist.

  I quickly looked away, and they both chuckled. “We forget how sweet and innocent you are. Morning, Eva.”

  “Good mornin’, Damon.” I gave him a warm smile, keeping my eyes on his face. “Hudson killed the bacon.”

  “Nah,” he reached into the pan plucking a piece out. “The crispier the better. Pancake mix should be in the cabinet.” He motioned above our heads.

  “Thanks. Where’s Letty?”

  “Morning briefing with the other assistants.”

  “So we’re already in Nevada?”

  “Crossed the border about an hour ago. Duke wanted to make a pit stop, refuel and stock up on supplies. We won’t hit Vegas for another hour or so. This one,” he nodded toward Hudson, “thought he’d try his hand at making breakfast.”

  “I think we can rustle up somethin’ between the two of us.”

  “See, I knew you’d come in handy.” Hudson smirked.

  “Where are Levi and Rafe?”

  “Levi is still sleeping and Rafe is... actually, I have no idea where Rafe is. He probably went to stretch his legs. Why do you ask?”

  “No reason.” I busied myself with searching for the pancake mix.

  “How was the bed?”

  “It was fine... better than the bunks.” I felt their eyes burning into me, and heat spread up my neck.

  Just then the door opened and Rafe appeared. “Hey,” he said. “I thought I smelled bacon.”

  “We’re makin’ breakfast.” I met his eyes, fighting a smile.

  “How did you sleep?” It was an innocent enough question, but I knew he wasn’t talking about whether I’d found the bed comfortable or not.

  “Good, real good,” I replied, my cheeks flushing.

  “You two are—”

  “What the fuck is that smell?” Levi came out of the other bedroom, rubbing his face. His hair was sticking up at all angles, his eyelids heavy with sleep.

  “We’re makin’ breakfast,” I said for the second time. “Hungry?”

  “Fuck, yes. I could eat a cow.”

  “We don’t have cow, but we do have extra crispy bacon and I’m about to make pancakes.”

  “Hell, yeah.” Levi slumped down on the bench. He seemed unusually tired, as if he was recovering from a big night out. But we’d stayed in and had all fallen asleep.

  “Is Levi okay?” I whispered to Hudson as we worked side by side to make breakfast.

  He glanced back to where his friend sat. “Sometimes he gets like this. One minute he can be as high as a kite and the next, he’s barely awake. He’ll be okay though.”

  “I hope there’s enough for one more.” Letty’s voice filtered down the bus and seconds later she appeared, bright-eyed and well-rested.

  “I have a surprise for you.” She homed in on me.

  “You have a fresh packet of bacon?” I asked earning me a nudge in the ribs from Hudson. Our laughter filled the bus.

  “Nope. But how’s this?” A slow grin spread over her face. “Molly is flying in to see the show tonight.”

  “She is? But how—”

  “I’m not just the world’s best assistant, you know. I have a few other tricks up my sleeve.”

  “Oh my gosh.” I dropped the fork and launched myself at Letty. “You’re the best, the world’s best.” I hugged her tightly.

  She chuckled, hugging me back. “I thought you’d be happy.”

  Happy?

  I couldn’t believe it.

  It had only been ten days since I’d seen her, but it felt like forever. Time moved differently in this world. The days were long, going from interview to interview; appearance to appearance; sound check to sound check. And the nights were surreal. The shows, the parties... it felt like I’d been gone ten hundred days, not less than two weeks.

  “I was hoping your parents could come too, but they wanted to wait until they could drive.”

  “That sounds like Mom.” She had a terrible fear of flying, and I couldn’t imagine my parents in Vegas.

  “Molly’s flight gets in at two, so there’ll be plenty of time to catch up before the show. I’ve got her a full backstage pass and then tonight, she’ll be staying with us at the hotel.”

  “Thank you, this means everything to me.” My eyes slid to Hudson. “Will you be okay seein’ her again?”

  “Wait, who’s Molly again?”

  I grabbed a towel and flicked it at him. He jerked back, trying to stop my attack. “Joke,” he chuckled. “I was joking. This is your big moment, Eva. Of course you want your best friend there.”

  “You know, you’re really not that bad sometimes.”

  “Only sometimes?” His brow quirked. “Sweetheart, I am fucking awesome.”

  “At everythin’ except cookin’ bacon it would seem.”

  Hudson’s expression darkened. “It’s a good thing I like you.”

  We didn’t discuss Molly again. Instead, we ate breakfast while the guys told me about the last time they performed in Las Vegas. They had been at a smaller venue when a group of girls managed to break through security and storm the stage. It sounded terrifying, but they all laughed about it, reassuring me it had only ever happened a handful of times.

  After breakfast, I went to get my cell and text Molly, only to find at least five messages from her.

  * * *

  Surprise!!! I’m on the way to the airport, I’ll see you soon.

  * * *

  I packed a ton of outfits. You’ll help me pick somethin out, right? I have to look incredible. I cannot see him again lookin anything less than a sexy goddess who is far too good for Hudson I’m-not-even-that-good-in-bed Ryker.

  * * *

  There was another sent straight after.

  * * *

  Crap, you’re not with him right now, are you? Do not, I repeat DO NOT, ever let him see these messages. In fact, delete them. Delete them right now Evangeline Star Walker. Oh shoot, my flight is about to board. I’ll see you soon xo

  * * *

  Holy shit, you should see the guy I’m sitting next to. Hello tall, dark, and handsome. Goodbye playboy rock star who will never get to see me naked again.

  * * *

  The stewardess just told me to turn off my cell for take-off. Tonight is goin to be epic, Eva. I can’t wait to see you.

  * * *

  She’d signed off with little guitar and rock horn emojis. Typical Molly. Talking at a hundred miles an hour, thoughts shooting off in a hundred different directions. She talked a good talk, but I knew there was an underlying truth to her messages about Hudson. Molly was probably en route to Vegas armed with her favorite skin-tight mini dress armor and her secret weapon of choice: six-inch stiletto heels. It was a rock concert, but I didn’t doubt my best friend would be dressed to kill with the specific mission of making the Black Hearts drummer as jealous as she possibly could.

  Tonight was going to be very interesting indeed.

  The second the black SUV rolled up I shrieked with excitement. Letty chuckled beside me. We were waiting in the basement garage of The Lyndham. It was reserved for VIP guests, lending us some privacy. Although my little entourage of one assistant and two bodyguards didn’t quite have the same appeal.

  Molly didn’t even wait for the driver to cut the engine. She barreled out of the car and tackle hugged me. “Holy cow, Eva, this is the best day ever.”

  “I’m glad you think so.” I hugged her tighter, relieved to have my best friend here. Just because there had barely been time to miss her, didn’t mean I didn’t feel the hole she left every minute of the day. We texted all the time and tried to FaceTime as much as we could, but it wasn’t the same as seeing her in person.

  “I missed you,” I whispered, “so damn much.”r />
  “Oh no, superstar.” She pulled back, holding me at arm’s length. “None of that today. We are goin’ to enjoy every second I’m here.”

  “Deal.” My cheeks hurt from all the smiling.

  “This is the life, babe. I mean look around.”

  “Hmm, Mol, we’re standin’ in a basement garage with my bodyguards.”

  “Exactly my point. This is higher level shit, Eva. I mean,” she leaned in and whispered, “you have bodyguards now, and we’re in Vegas. Vegas, baby! It’s crazy.”

  The corner of Travis’ lip tipped. Letty cleared her throat and I swung around to her. “Molly, this is my amazin’ assistant Letty.”

  “We’re acquainted.” She smiled but it quickly turned into mask of disbelief as Molly pulled her in for a hug.

  “Thank you so much for organizin’ this. Any friend of Eva’s is a friend of mine, and honestly, it’s been a huge relief knowin’ she has you.”

  “That’s... fine.” Letty politely untangled herself from Molly.

  “You’ll have to excuse Molly,” I said, “she doesn’t get out much.”

  “Damn right, I don’t. I can’t wait to see our room. Tell me we get the penthouse.”

  “Molly!”

  “What, babe? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I plan on milkin’ it for all it’s worth.”

  “This is going to be fun,” Letty said cryptically, and I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew something I didn’t.

  But I’d find out soon enough.

  Minutes later, we piled out of the elevator and made our way to our room on the thirty-fifth floor of the hotel. “Not quite the penthouse,” Molly said as we entered the suite. “But it’ll do.”

  “I’m sorry,” I mouthed at Letty, but she seemed amused by the whole thing.

  “The guys are right next door. They’ll be along after they get done with the Rock Vegas FM interview.”

  Molly walked over to the window and peered over the city. “This is life, Eva. Hey, Letty, you don’t happen to need an assistant, do you?” She waggled her brows, and the three of us burst into laughter. Then she said nine little words that sucked the fun right out of the moment.