“Yeah, I know that one.” Her fingers began to tap a rhythm against her thigh.
“Now, I’m going to add in the bass. See what you think.” I jumped in halfway through the first verse on B and strummed the notes. Instead of watching my fingers, I watched her. Her eyes lit up as they surveyed my fingers moving up and down the strings, pulling the deep notes from my instrument. Her head bobbed in time with the music.
When the final notes faded, I began playing one of the most famous bass lines ever. “Do you recognize this?”
She squinted her eyes in concentration. She hummed along with me until she could grab onto the lyrics in her mind. “That’s a Beatles song. ‘Come Together’, right?”
♪ Come Together by The Beatles
“Yep. It’s one of my favorite things.” I strummed a few more bars as I took in her confused face. “One of my favorite things is coming together.” I winked. “With you.”
“Oh,” she whispered.
“How about this one?”
As soon as I hit the first few notes of the classic Ben E. King song, she exclaimed, “Stand by Me.”
Then I move my fingers and began playing the classic bass part from “For Whom the Bell Tolls”.
“I know it’s Metallica, but I can’t remember the name.”
I told her then segued into “Give it Away Now” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers.
Britt began to sing along with me. When she sang of putting it in you, my cock twitched in my pants. I switched to James Brown’s “I Feel Good” which caused her to squeal like the classic singer. When I dropped into Bon Jovi’s “Living on a Prayer” I was convinced Brittany fully appreciated the instrument everyone thought was so simple because it lacked two strings.
My fingers found the notes to Queen’s “Under Pressure,” but Britt began rapping “Ice, Ice Baby”. I chuckled. “Close, but not quite the exact same. But I have to say, you rapping is hot.”
“Vanilla is my guilty pleasure,” she said with a giggle.
I shook my head with a wide smile. I wanted to be her guilty pleasure. She was definitely becoming mine. Mesmerized, I stared at her. Her beautiful blue eyes were locked on mine. Without permission, my fingers began to coax a love song from the strings. One where the bass did much of the heavy lifting melody-wise.
♪ Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sheeran
I hummed along as Britt’s head tilted, and her hand flattened over her heart. When I finished playing, I set my bass aside, leaning it against my nightstand.
“That was beautiful. I had no idea the bass guitar added so much to songs. Music would suck without it,” she declared, causing my heart to pound even harder. She grasped my hand and lifted my fingertips to her lips. Though the pads of my fingers were numb and throbbed from playing, I still felt the kiss she placed on them. “These really are magic fingers.” Her voice held a note of awe.
“Angel, you’re killing me,” I groaned because all I could think about was what else my magic fingers wanted to be doing.
She laughed then gave me a hug. “The feeling is mutual.” Her palm skated down my torso to trace the indentation at my hip, just above my waistband.
“Good to know.” I winked at her. Reluctantly, I stood and returned my bass to its stand. I fastened my pants as I moved into my closet to find a long-sleeved T-shirt.
“Ready?” I asked when I emerged, fully dressed.
“Yeah.”
We strolled the pier hand in hand. The temperature was perfect for January. Especially considering we were by the ocean. When we reached the end, Britt leaned against the rail, looking out at the endless sea of blue broken only by the rhythmic white foam created when the waves crested.
While she became lost in the view, I became lost in her. The wind tossed her hair. She leaned back against my chest, relaxing. It was a moment I wished I could bottle to take out when I was in desperate need of peace, which was happening more frequently than ever before.
“I love it out here,” she said, the breeze taking her words.
Overhead a speaker played an old song. Her head tipped back, resting on my shoulder. A sad smile tipped her lips. “I haven’t heard this song in forever. It was my parents’ song. I’m surprised they’re playing it here.”
“Dolly and Kenny are classic,” I said, tightening my arms around her.
♪ Islands in the Stream by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton
“True. My dad used to spin my mom around the kitchen whenever this came on the radio. Considering South Carolina is in the south, and the only radio station the old boombox in the kitchen picked up was an oldie country station, this song played several times a week. My mom’s face would always light up when he’d draw her into his arms. They were so sweet to watch,” she said wistfully.
I longed to put a genuine smile back on her face, so I spun her around and dipped her deeply. I led her in some sort of two-step back toward the Ferris wheel. “Come to the top of the world with me?” I asked when we were near the line waiting to board the huge, red and yellow wheel.
“Only if you promise to kiss me when we get there,” she sassed.
“Of course.” I tweaked her nose gently then took care of paying for us to ride. When it was our turn, I ushered her into the swinging bucket.
As we ticked our way around the circle on our way to the top, the breeze off the ocean blew through, lifting her honeysuckle scent to my nostrils. It was intoxicating. I draped my arm around her shoulders and pulled her across the seat until we were pressed together, shoulder to thigh. Her palm rested on my leg, high enough to make my dick twitch at the nearness of her warm fingers.
Wisps of white clouds drifted across the bright blue expanse. In the distance, the sky plunged down to kiss the ocean. We rose higher off the ground. “You feel like you’re getting closer to home, angel?” I said in her ear.
She turned, a question on her face.
I stroked some fly-away strands off her cheek. “You know, because we’re getting closer to heaven,” I explained.
“Pfft. I bet you use that line and nickname on all the girls you bring up here,” she said dismissively, pushing against my chest playfully.
I shifted my body closer to hers, turning toward her as much as the metal seat would allow. “First of all, I have never been on this Ferris wheel before, let alone with another girl. And second, I don’t do nicknames, pet names or terms of endearment. Ever. Not until you. And I don’t know why you’re different. You just are.” The confession was heavy and light at the same time. This woman and how she made me feel confounded the hell out of me.
Her eyes shifted back and forth, studying me. Probably searching for sincerity. She must have decided I was telling the truth because her hand on my chest fisted the fabric of my shirt and yanked me to her.
Just before her mouth met mine, she said, “It’s time for that kiss you promised me. We’re almost at the top of the world.”
Her lips parted beneath mine, and I pounced on the opportunity to reacquaint my mouth with hers. I didn’t know how many trips around the massive circle we took, but I kissed her until a throat cleared. The ride operator stood sheepishly to the side with the little gate open, waiting for us to step off the ride.
“Sorry,” Britt whispered to him as I helped her step down.
We strolled along the wooden planks to Mariasol Mexican Cocina and had the best tacos ever. We chose to sit outside and eat them. After we finished, I wiped my thumb along the corner of her mouth, eliminating the hint of salsa that clung there. Then I brought it to my lips, licking it clean.
The afternoon was leisurely. We played games at the arcade, challenging each other to races, dance offs and skee ball. Then we watched the aerialists from the trapeze school.
“They’re dancing in the air,” Britt breathed beside me. “That couple over there has so much chemistry between them.” She pointed to a man and woman using a trapeze swing and silks. They were mesmerizing. The music playing in the background was seductive; the couple’s a
erial dance was so sensual. They most definitely were a couple. People didn’t touch and kiss like that without genuine affection between them. We watched them do their routine twice all the way through, neither of us willing to walk away from the love on full display for us.
As the sun was setting, we finally made our way back to the end of the pier. The sky was streaked with orange and pink and purple. With it as a backdrop for Britt, the whole scene was breathtaking. The fiery sphere dropped lower and lower. I longed to kiss her—and keep kissing her until the sun appeared in the sky again.
Gently, I turned her face to mine. I gave her the softest, most meaningful kiss of my life. With my forehead pressed against hers, I asked, “Have you ever kissed all night long? From sunset to sunrise?”
♪ What Am I by Why Don’t We
Her eyes darkened. “No, I haven’t,” she whispered softly. Her hand lifted to rub along the scruff starting to dot along my jaw. “But it sounds nice if it’s with you.”
“I think we should do that.” My lips fused with hers again, starting the process. I was shocked at my suggestion. I’d never wanted to spend hours just making out with a girl before. But Britt made me want to do all kinds of things I’d never considered before.
When I’d gotten my fill for the moment, I pulled back. “Let’s go home and do that.”
I steered us back to the car. As we walked, she peeked up at me. “To your home or to Dawson’s?”
“We’ll stop by my place so I can pack a bag. If that’s OK with you?” I asked nervously as we reached the vehicle. I was asking for multiple nights with her without coming right out and saying that was what I wanted.
“I think it sounds perfect.”
Miraculously, traffic was light, so we made it to my apartment building in record time. All the lights were off when I unlocked the door. I flipped on a few as we moved through the house in the direction of my room. Brittany wandered around my room while I grabbed my duffle bag and threw in several changes of clothes and all my toiletries. I dumped a handful of fire balls inside just in case.
As I tossed my iPod on top, I glanced over at Britt. She was crouched down by my bookshelf, her fingers trailing over the spines. I had quite the collection of books. Some more well-loved than others.
I zipped my bag shut and tossed it over my shoulder. “Ready?” I asked as I held my hand out to help her up.
“You have some eclectic reading tastes,” she observed as she got to her feet. “Everything from The Davinci Code to John Grisham to Fifty Shades of Grey and everything in between.”
“Just FYI, the Fifty Shades books are actually Dawson’s. I should probably return them. I did a lot of reading when we were living on the tour bus. We all did a lot of reading. Life on the road isn’t always glamorous.” I pursed my lips as I recalled those long days in the beginning, driving hours from one roadmap dot to another in cramped quarters with no way to escape or gain space except through a book.
“Now you’re going to be performing for months in Vegas without having to go from place to place. I bet you’re excited about that,” she said.
“We all are. It’s kind of the best of both worlds. Performing and having a home base that isn’t on wheels.”
She wound her fingers between mine and followed me toward the front of the apartment. I skidded to a halt when we crossed the threshold into the living room. Wilder stood there. He must have just gotten home.
As the tension and silence mounted, Britt gave my hand a squeeze. “I’m going to go use the restroom real quick.”
Reluctantly, I let her hand go and turned my attention to Wilder. When I got closer, he said, “Should I start looking for a new place?”
I frowned. “Why would you think that?”
He rocked on his heels. “I didn’t know if Brittany was moving in with you.”
“No. I’m going to go stay at Dawson’s for a while,” I admitted sheepishly, tucking my hand in my back pocket. “Listen, dude, I’m sorry for the way things are. I hate this weird awkwardness between us. I never expected … any of this.” I lifted my shoulders helplessly.
Wilder leaned against the counter, sighing heavily. “I know. I just need some time to process. It shouldn’t take long for me to adjust. I mean, it’s not like I was in love with her or anything. I just really liked her and enjoyed being with her.” He straightened and walked over to me. His hand dropped to my shoulder. “We’ll be cool again. It’ll just take some time.” He gave me a squeeze then disappeared down the hall to his room.
We’d be OK. Hopefully soon.
An hour or so later, I led Brittany up the stairs and through Dawson and Izzy’s room to the bed on the balcony. I got the blankets back out of the chest and shook them out to spread over the mattress. Then I spun back to where Britt stood watching. It took me two steps to bring my body flush with hers.
I cradled her face in my hands and delicately sipped at her mouth, keeping a tight leash on the passion that surged within me just over her proximity. My brain shouted for me to devour her. My cock screamed at me to plunder. And my heart whispered for me to cherish.
My fingers slipped along her jaw until they were tangled in her hair. When they twitched, pulling her locks slightly, she moaned, causing her lips to vibrate against mine.
Impatient fingers dipped into the waistband of my jeans. Without lifting my mouth from hers, I jutted my hips backward, escaping her touch.
“Please,” she groaned against my mouth. The single word plea clawed at my resolve.
My fingers sifted through her hair then dragged down her neck, along her shoulders, down her arms, then over to clasp her hips in synchronized movements. I moved my hands on her body as if I was playing chords by pressing and plucking strings in harmony.
Finally, I lifted my mouth from hers, and I allowed enough air between us to breathe. “Remember what I asked you earlier?”
She was kiss drunk. Sluggishly, she shook her head.
My fingers clenched against her waist. “I asked if you’d ever kissed from sunset to sunrise. And when you said no, I said we should do that.”
“I remember,” she whispered.
“Well, we’re going to do that. Now. I know we’re a couple hours behind sunset because we got hung up at my house and driving and the puppy. But starting now, we’re going to spend the night making out. We’ll fall asleep kissing. If we wake up in the middle of the night, we’ll kiss some more. And we’ll greet the day kissing.” I inched her sweater up slightly, dragging the knit fabric against her skin.
“You want to spend the night kissing me?” Disbelief colored her tone.
“Yes.” I kissed her neck. “I’ve never done anything like that. Not even as a teenager. But something about being with you makes me want those moments I never experienced before. The ones I never cared about before,” I confessed.
“I want that too,” she whispered so softly.
Slowly, I lifted the hem of her sweater higher, revealing her body inch by inch to my hungry gaze. Her sweater made a pool of turquoise on the floor when I dropped it. I ran my fingertips along her back, her shoulder blades, then around to her sides, her stomach, up over her breasts—never stopping long enough to relish any one spot long.
Her body arched and flowed into my touch, chasing it. Needing it.
She reached for my shirt, and I stood still as she lifted it from my body. The night air cooled my fevered flesh, making goosebumps pop up. They quickly diminished when she pressed herself flush against me.
God, I wanted her in every way. But tonight was not about that.
My arms snaked around her waist, holding her tightly against me. I dropped a kiss on her upturned lips. “One rule until the sun comes up though,” I said against her skin.
“What’s that?” She rubbed her hands up my stomach until she could latch them around my neck, making my muscles quiver under her gentle touch.
“From now until the sun comes up, we’re only going to hold each other and kiss,” I said sternl
y.
Her eyes widened in surprise.
“When we met, we were just going to hook up one time. Obviously, that didn’t happen. I don’t have a label for whatever this is. But I know that we’re more than some flickering flash of a one-night stand. And because we’re more, it bothers me that we skipped some steps in our journey. I don’t want to do that. That’s why I wanted to take you on a real date today. And tonight, I want to spend hours just kissing you. Is that OK, angel?” I felt so vulnerable waiting for her response.
“It’s more than OK.” She hugged me tightly. “I think it might be the sweetest, most romantic thing anyone has ever said to me.”
I’d surprised her in a good way. And that made my heart flutter.
“Should I go put on my pajamas?” she asked, stepping back.
“Hell no. It’s going to be torture, but we’re going to lie tangled up in each other all night, naked. But only making out. It’s going to be the slowest, most delicious form of foreplay ever.” I kissed the tip of her nose.
“That’s going to be so hard because I want you so much. I … love when my body is joined with yours. But I like the sound of taking a step back and enjoying one of those pure moments that come early in a relationship. So, I’ll spend the night kissing you and being held by you. It sounds like heaven.” She beamed up at me.
One-handed, I flicked the clasp open on her bra, letting that bit of fabric flutter to the floor. I began to hum in her ear as we swayed under the light of the silvery moon. We shared another slow kiss as we moved to the music in our hearts.
♪ Heaven by Bryan Adams
I stripped her of the rest of her clothes. With the moonlight bathing her body in a soft glow, I stood back, appreciating the goddess before me. Everything inside me lurched toward her, needing to mesh with her in every way possible to imprint her on me forever. And forever was not something I’d ever entertained. In this moment with her in front of me, holding my heart in her hands, forever wasn’t so scary to consider.
Turn up the Tempo (Lyrical Odyssey Rock Star Series Book 4) Page 20