And we ate like this as we watched the sun start to sink lower in the sky. “You should try wearing pants sometimes,” I whispered against her ear. “It’s been cold lately. Although, on second thought, I like the view, and the part where I get to keep you warm. So never mind on that.”
“I hate winter. I like to pretend it’s still summer for as long as I can. How come you brought me here if heights bother you?”
I squeezed my arms around her a little tighter. Heights didn’t bother me. Or at least they never had before. Dani close to the edge—that was what bothered me. “I don’t know,” I said, rather than admitting the truth. “I thought you’d like it.”
“I do like it. It’s perfect up here.”
She settled in, nestling against me. And we stayed like this until the sun sank on the horizon.
~ CHAPTER 22 ~
DANI
The next few days were so damn nice. Hanging out in John’s giant house—messing around, watching movies, exploring Corolla, setting up my new drums in his big ass garage. It was the break from the drama of my life that I never realized I needed.
Yesterday, I played drums for four hours straight. My arms were sore today. It was really good to feel that familiar ache in my muscles again. It was like I had a missing piece of myself back in place.
There was one big fat elephant between John and me. At first staying here over the last week it was easy to skirt around. But now, at least for me, the elephant had grown. He hadn’t kissed me again. And I swear it was making me a little crazy. Like, c’mon, kiss me again already, dammit. Also, he hadn’t spoken a word about his past. I hadn’t asked him, either. I kept waiting for him to say something, anything, on the subject. He never did.
It made me question everything. Was I just his fuck buddy?
I guess so.
“Do you practice every day as hard as you did yesterday?” he asked me as we were eating breakfast.
I brushed my hair out of my eyes. I’d slept on it wet last night and today it was wild. “Yes. When I’m not on tour, I have to. Why? Did all the drumming bother you yesterday?”
My eyes were stuck on his lips. That fucking lip ring. Who knew a piece of metal could be so sexy? He’d made me come this morning and then he’d made me eggs. A girl could get used to this. But I needed to feel his lips on mine again. I needed it more than food or orgasms, and he wasn’t giving it to me.
“No. You don’t suck,” he said playfully, touching my chin so I’d looked up at his eyes. “I don’t mind. It’s kind of soothing actually, hearing you out in the garage while I’m trying to get stuff done.”
His electric blue eyes made my insides squirm. But I was interrupted when my phone buzzed from my jeans pocket.
“Hang on,” I told John.
It was my hourly check-in text message from Luke. I pulled out my phone to deal with it and get back to our conversation.
Luke: Still with him?
Me: Yes.
Luke: Still alive?
Me: Obviously.
Luke: Tell me something only Dani would know.
Me: In ninth grade bio class, I refused to dissect frogs. And Mr. King failed me. So you put a dead frog in his briefcase. He never opened it, and his room smelled for a month.
Luke: Okay. You passed this hour. Figure him out so I don’t have to keep texting. I have my own problems. Did you decide about Thanksgiving? It’s in two days.
Me: Not yet. I’ll let you know
I put my phone away, picking up my fork to eat. “It was Luke again.”
John knew the texts were coming, but he never pried. I liked that about him.
“I was saying,” he continued our conversation. “Your drumming is soothing. But I had this dream last night and it’s fucking with me today.”
“What sort of dream?”
“The really good sort.”
I set down my fork. My eggs could wait. Damn, his eyes were intense, and he had my full attention. “Go on.”
“You were naked in it. And you were playing the drums.”
Really? Did he just make that up? I laughed and stood to lean across the table. I shoved at his shoulder. “You’re such a guy. I’m not falling for that.”
He caught my face in his hands before I could move to sit back down. Fuck, was he going to kiss me now? I hovered there in place with him, waiting for it.
“I’ll make a trade,” he said softly. “I see you watching my lips. I know what you want. I’ll give you what you want if you give me what I want.”
“Hell yes,” I whispered.
“And you’re okay with that? I’ve been wanting it too. But I won’t push you if you aren’t into it.” We weren’t talking about me playing the drums naked. He meant us kissing. That first kiss of ours had been everything to me. How did he not know that? Wasn’t it written on my face? Couldn’t he see how badly I wanted to kiss him again?
“I’m okay with it.”
“I can’t mess this up,” he whispered, emotion suddenly radiating off him in waves. “Mess us up.” I saw fear in his eyes that I’d never seen in them before. All I wanted was to ease his fear.
“You won’t,” I assured him.
He wouldn’t—I had faith in that. It was myself I didn’t have faith in. And fate. Fate could be cruel.
He sighed. “You sure about that? There’s a reason I seclude myself.”
Finally, a hint about his past. I could have asked—why? I could have poked at that hint. But in that moment, seeing him anxious, seeing his fear so tangible on his face. I couldn’t take. I just wanted to give.
“There’s a reason I fuck strangers, too.” I swallowed, moving out of his grip so I could stand. Hovering over the table wasn’t exactly comfortable.
He stayed in his chair, staring up at me. “I’m not a stranger anymore, Danielle.”
Every time he said my full name, I felt my heart race. It didn’t bother me like it should have. In fact, it kind of cut me to the core each time. “You aren’t. And I’m still fucking you. So here we are. You’re letting me live in your space. And I’m staying.” I took a breath. “I’m staying for you.”
Shit, I liked him so much more than I ever planned. Or anyone for that matter. “So...” I shrugged, trying to lighten the mood. “Want to see me play the drums naked now?”
He smiled, staring down at his untouched food. He moved his eggs around on his plate with his fork. Then without much warning, John stood.
And he moved slowly into my personal space. Inhaling deeply, he had his eyes on mine. My body buzzed with all this bottled up tension. He dipped his head closer to mine, bringing his lips near my own. Jesus—he was so damn cute in his hesitation. So sexy. He was flirting with me, a hint of a smile on his lips. I stared up at him, unable to stop the pull.
I kissed him.
It was slow. I think we were both testing the waters, feeling one another out. But the moment our lips connected, it felt so right. I couldn’t help but take more. I pressed into him harder, bringing my hands up to touch his neck. He brushed my hair out of my face. Then he deepened our kiss, his tongue meeting mine.
Oh my God.
I loved fucking him. But this... it trumped everything else. He wasn’t breaking away. He wasn’t pushing for sex. He only kept kissing me. Slow. Gentle. Savoring.
He picked me up, and my legs naturally wrapped around him. Then he sat down on the kitchen floor, adjusting his legs out against the tile. I was sitting on his lap now. I held onto him and continued to kiss him while the rest of the world stood still around us.
This was the kiss every girl dreams about.
This was the guy every girl dreams about.
I felt a little piece of my pain slip away.
For a long time we didn’t move, only explored. Until a noise made us both stop.
“I got a turkey...” another voice started. “Um, okay then. Glad I got the twenty-pound one.”
I broke my lips from John’s, burying my face in his neck. His sister and Rhet
t were here.
~ CHAPTER 23 ~
JOHN
Fuck. Could Sydney learn how to knock? Or call ahead? Or yell when she entered? I guess she’d never had a reason to warn me before. She was used to me always being alone. It was a good thing Dani and I had only been kissing. A few more minutes and she might have found us both naked on the kitchen floor.
“What day is it?” I asked, a little light-headed. “I thought Thanksgiving was next week.”
“Um... try in two days,” Sydney clarified.
Dani had her face buried against my neck. It was nice as hell. I wasn’t ready for this to end. I could have stayed here on the floor all day. But she climbed off of me and stood. Then I followed—slow and reluctant—feeling all sorts of emotions when our eyes met.
“I’m going to go take a shower,” she said to me. She’d showered before bed. But I didn’t blame her, I wanted an excuse to get away too.
Before she went, I caught her arm and pulled her close. I whispered softly against her ear, “move to my shower.” In the days we’d been alone here, she’d been using one of the other bathrooms, one that wasn’t mine. That needed to stop. We’d also been sleeping in different beds. I mean, I was right there with her by dawn each day. But I think we were both a little nervous to dive in one-hundred percent.
That was ending tonight.
She nodded, and then said, “see ya’ll in a little bit,” to the others.
And then she was gone. Leaving me to face Sydney and Rhett on my own.
Rhett took that twenty-pound frozen turkey and dropped it on the table.
“Why the hell did you get a twenty-pound turkey? It’s just the three of us. And Rhett’s mom if she isn’t working.”
Sydney had her arms filled with other groceries. All the ingredients needed for a massive Thanksgiving dinner. She began organizing stuff in our fridge so all of it could fit. “It was the last one. There’s a turkey shortage this year, apparently. Will Dani be coming?”
“I honestly thought today was Sunday,” I admitted. “It’s easy to lose track of time and reality with Dani. Should I ask her?” I sat down at one of the kitchen chairs. The breakfast I made Dani was still untouched. I’d clean it up in a minute.
“You should ask her,” Rhett answered. “But when was the last time you went to work?”
Why did he care? “Finn and Amanda have been splitting my appointments.”
“Well, that’s a recipe for disaster.”
I groaned, running my hands over my face and through my hair. I wasn’t ready for the bubble I’d been living in with Dani to pop. Real life needed to back the fuck up. But Rhett was right. I needed to go into work today. Thanksgiving week, especially this coming weekend, was a busy time in the shop. Families were in town. It meant more business. It meant I should be working overtime.
Sydney finished unloading her groceries and plopped down in one of the chairs across from me. “You should definitely ask her to stay for Thanksgiving. Now that you’re with her. I keep hearing Sunset Revival songs everywhere. One even came on at the grocery store today, huh Rhett?”
“Yep,” he confirmed.
“Whoa.” I stood up, stumbling out of my chair. “Wait a minute. Did you say Sunset Revival? As in, she’s the drummer for Sunset Revival?”
Rhett narrowed his brown eyes at me. “Dude, you didn’t know that?”
“What the serious fuck?” My heart clenched up in my chest. “Excuse me, I need to go talk to her.”
I left the kitchen and raced up the steps. How did I not know this? I knew she was in a band. I mean, obviously I knew she was good, and I knew people recognized her because that customer of mine recognized her. But Sunset Revival? She wasn’t just sort of famous. She was worldwide. Household. Mainstream. She dropped a few grand on those new drums like it was pocket change. That should have made me question her.
In my room, the steam from her shower wafted through my space. I moved toward it like a beacon, yanking open the bathroom door, coming upon the glass shower in the corner. Her naked outline was on the other side.
Not really thinking this through, I opened the door and stepped under the spray of the water.
“John!” Startled, she stepped back against the tiles and away from the water. “What are you doing?”
“What the fuck, Dani? Sunset Revival? That’s who you are.”
My chest rose and fell, the water soaking my clothes, steaming into my eyes. Why was this so... devastating? And why did she have to look so amazing naked? That wasn’t helping.
“It took you long enough,” she shot back. “When I told you I was in a band you could have asked which band. You never did. You didn’t give a fuck to ask.”
That was because some part of me, some subconscious part, feared this. “Trust me, I give a fuck. But I hate that you’re famous. And you’re even more famous than I realized.”
Wait a minute. What had she been doing in the shower before I stepped in? Because her skin was flushed pink and her nipples were hard little points. I stepped a little closer, really getting soaked by the water. I put my hands against the hard, slick wall, boxing her in. “What were you doing before I came in here?”
“Don’t change the subject.”
I dipped my face closer to hers. I couldn’t stay mad at her. Not even for a second. “What were you doing, Danielle?” I asked softly. “Were you touching that sweet pussy of yours? Were you thinking of me? How close were you to coming without me?”
She put her hands between us, both palms on my chest. “Is it a deal breaker? My being famous—is it a deal breaker?”
“No.” Nothing was a deal breaker with her.
“Then why are you so upset?”
I breathed in deeply. How did she turn this around on me? I grabbed one of her hands off of my chest, guiding it down her deliciously wet body, straight to her pussy. “Don’t stop on account of my craziness.”
“Are you going to answer my question?”
“Only if you don’t stop. And you let me watch.”
“Motherfucker,” she cursed, and her hand began to move.
Yes! My heart sped. I returned my palm to the tile wall beside her head. I wasn’t watching her hand work, I watched her face. She was so sexy. The world could have been crumbling around us and nothing could have broken my eyes from hers.
Her breathing changed as she grew closer and closer to that edge. Goosebumps erupted across her skin. She made a noise and her eyes tried to flutter closed.
“Keep them open,” I whispered.
Her brown eyes met mine. “John,” she moaned. “Fuck... fuck you.”
I smiled. “Are you close?”
“Yes,” she cried out. “Oh my God, yes! John, yes!” Her mouth dropped open and she cried out. She held on tight to my shirt with her other hand, her hand making a fist. The look on her face—it was everything to me. I’d never grow tired of her. Of this. Of us.
She was still panting a minute later after it ended. I breathed in sharp breaths with her, pressing little kisses against her face. I wanted so badly to touch her now, to fuck her now. But I held back.
“I love you,” I told her. “That’s my problem… I’m in love with you.”
Dripping water everywhere, I left the shower.
I left my room.
I left the house.
~ CHAPTER 24 ~
DANI
What? What just happened? I stood under the water stream confused and a little angry with John. I didn’t even want to process what he’d said to me.
After a moment, I stepped out of the shower and slipped right onto my ass. “Motherfucker,” I cursed into the empty bathroom. John, in all his wet clothes, had dripped water everywhere. Now I was really fighting mad with him. The floor tiles were cold against my ass cheeks, and I sat there with my heart breaking for a moment. He couldn’t love me. I didn’t want him to. This thing between us was fun—not love.
When I was eighteen, the summer after I graduated high school, just a
s my cousins and I were forming our band and starting to get some traction, someone else fell in love with me.
And now that person was dead.
Fate... karma... life... whatever you want to call it... had ripped him away from me. The pain of losing someone was not something I ever wanted to experience twice. I promised myself a long time ago I’d never fall in love again.
I didn’t love John. I didn’t. There was no way he loved me, either. Friends. Fuck buddies. That’s what we were.
I crawled off the slippery floor, knowing I’d probably have a bowling-ball-sized bruise on my ass tomorrow, and started sopping up the watery mess with some of his towels from the linen closet. After I took care of his bathroom, I got into my suitcase and started making myself presentable.
When my hair was done and my clothes were on, I left the bathroom. John wasn’t in his room. And then he wasn’t downstairs.
I found Sydney in the kitchen, chopping apples. “Hi Sydney,” I said to her. “Where’s John?”
“He went to work. Soaking wet.” She gave me a small wink. “Want to help me? I’ve got three pies to make. Rhett likes apple most. John likes pecan. And if Rhett’s mom comes, she always insists on pumpkin.”
“Well, what do you like?” I asked her, feeling annoyed with the guys for her.
“None of them.” She laughed. “I’d much rather have a cheesecake. But don’t tell anyone that. I am not making a fourth option. And please tell me you like one of the other three.”
Me? She assumed I’d be coming to Thanksgiving. Had John given her that impression? “Oh. I’m not coming for Thanksgiving. I think my family would be crushed if I missed it.”
“Oh. Okay.” Sydney looked a little crushed herself. Her big green eyes were hard to say no to. When I first met her, I thought she seemed like one of those spoiled rich mean-girl types. I formed that opinion solely off her looks. Which now I realized was a mistake. She seemed like such a sweet, honest girl. Unjaded and unaffected by the world.
Never Kiss a Rockstar (Never Trust Book 2) Page 8