by Skye Turner
Shit… well he is sexy, but he’s disgusting and a pig.
“He deliberately pisses me off and it’s like he gets pleasure from offending me. And just now… dear God… there was a moment this morning when I thought he might kiss me… thank GOD that didn’t happen! Ugh… just the thought of it makes my skin crawl now.
“I just saw a text on his phone. I wasn’t spying or being nosey. It just went off and I was right there, so, I looked down… then I saw some skank groupie or something thank him for the sex from last night that was so good she can’t walk today.”
Shadow neighs softly in response to my outrage.
“I know, right? What kind of self-respecting woman sends a man a text like that?!
“A skank, that’s who! And he had the audacity to look embarrassed that I saw it!
“Well, how about respecting yourself and those around you enough not to associate with that kind of thing around other people!”
Shadow is nuzzling my hand and patiently waiting to be led out of the barn while I rage. I’m so busy talking to her and expressing my loathing of Rafe that I completely miss the fact that he’s in my barn until he mutters from the doors, “Wow… thanks for letting me know exactly how you really feel about me.”
I whirl and scream in fright as my hand covers my galloping heart and Shadow dances backwards from being startled.
Glaring at Rafe, I rub Shadow’s neck and talk calmly to her. “Sorry, baby girl. I didn’t mean to scare you. It’s ok. Everything is ok.”
She steps into me and I pin Rafe with my glare from around her. His hands are in his pockets and he’s rocking on his heels as he watches us. I snap at him. “You shouldn’t sneak up on people. You spooked her! She could have hurt me… or herself! Jesus… use your damn brain!”
His eyes widen and he looks at me incredulously. “Seriously, princess? I didn’t sneak up on anyone. I even called your name when I saw you stomping off in this direction. I called you to wait up, but you walked in here.
“How was I supposed to know that you were bitching about how shitty of a person I am to a fucking horse?!”
Dropping Shadow’s reins, I march over to Rafe and jab him in the chest with my finger. He looks down and then back up at me with surprise.
I poke him again. “I didn’t hear you, asshole!” His eyes widen as if he’s shocked to hear me cuss.
Oh, whatever.
“And this is a barn! What the hell did you think was in here? A giraffe?!”
His eyes are staring down at me, but at that, they crinkle and he smiles. “That might be cool.”
I roll my eyes. “You’re an idiot. Why are you out here anyway? What the hell do you want? In case you missed it, I needed to get away from you. I don’t like you!”
He nods. “Yeah, I gathered that.” His hands rub the back of his neck and he sighs. “Look, I’m sorry. I didn’t know what that text was. I’m sorry you saw that.”
My brows raise in shock. “What? You’re apologizing to me? Why?”
He nods again and shrugs. “Yeah, I guess I am. I am sorry that you saw that. It wasn’t cool and I’m sorry that you hate me. I’m actually not a terrible person, you know?!”
What now?
Why does he care if I hate him?
Rafe
She’s looking at me like I’m speaking Taiwanese or something.
Ok, so yeah, I don’t really like knowing that she really does hate me.
She called me a disgusting pig, and yeah, that kind of bothers me.
I also heard that part about us having a moment this morning and her being glad I didn’t kiss her.
So, that expression and rage this morning… that WAS because I didn’t kiss her?!
Thank God I didn’t though. Jesus… if I had kissed her and she’d seen that text from Carlee… I think she really might have stabbed me.
But fuck… I’ve known that Carlee was bad news for a while and I’ve sworn that I was done with using her for sex, but she’s so easy. She always comes when I call and she’s a great lay.
She lets me fuck her when I want, how I want, and is not against anything as far as sex goes. That girl is wild…
And sometimes I just want to fuck the shit out of someone and know I don’t have to worry about any strings or issues with my sexual tastes.
I like rough sex, okay…
Dammit, Rafe.
I sigh to get out of my own head and focus on Daisy. She’s still looking at me like she doesn’t know what I’m doing in here. “Look, I just wanted to apologize, okay. Now I have and whether you accept it or not is up to you.” I cross my arms and stare at her. “I can’t make you accept it.
“Enjoy your time with your horse. I guess I’ll see you in a few days when the producer shows up and it’s time to record. Roman just said he’s trying to line Avery Clairborne up over the next couple of days if he’s free and willing to come down from Nashville.”
Her eyes widen again and she shakes her head then smirks. “Right. Well, thanks for the apology. We’ll be around each other a lot for the next long while, so we should reach an agreement.”
I raise my brows.
“We’ll record the song and do whatever the label says we have to. After all, we’re at their mercy and they’ve always been good to me… to us… until now. But other than the song, promotion, video, and tour, there’s no need for us to communicate at all.” I can’t stop my jaw from going slack.
She shakes her head at me. “We are not friends, Rafe. We are nothing alike. You do the things you do and I think they’re disgusting. But that’s me and I’m entitled to my opinion, right?! I’m sure you don’t like me either. After all, you screw around and I abhor that. You think I’m some goody two shoes in cowgirl boots. But we’re different people. Different types.
“We’re polar opposites. So, I accept your apology, but no need to worry about what I think. I’m certain I don’t matter to you and you certainly don’t matter to me. What we think of each other is really completely irrelevant.
“For the cameras and the audiences, we can be chummy. You can act, right? But, it stops there.
“Sound good?”
What?
Did she just sugar coat the fact that she can’t stand me and she still thinks I’m some dude who screws around and has no respect for himself or anyone else?!
Fuck that. Fuck her.
She doesn’t know me at all. Her opinion of me doesn’t matter!
Yet, you’re enraged that she just cut you down in the same breath as saying she accepts your apology.
I blink to clear some of the rage from my head. She’s looking up at me all innocently, like she didn’t just insult me to the core.
Without even intending to, I grab her upper arms. My hands curl around them and I pull her into my body.
She gasps and her eyes mirror her confusion. “Wha…”
Leaning down, I stop right in front of her face. I exhale to try to reign in my anger a notch. As I inhale, she exhales and blood roars through my veins. I’m aware of every place our bodies touch. Her legs are pressed into mine, her hips are cradled with mine, our torsos are touching and I’m still holding her arms. Her hands are pressed flat against my chest and I know she can feel my heart pounding under her palm.
I growl and she whimpers, but it doesn’t sound like she’s afraid. Taking another breath, I lean down farther. My lips are almost touching hers. If either of us breathes too deeply, our lips will touch.
Her eyes are wide and staring into my own. She’s not trying to get away from me. I’m not sure what that means.
I growl again and she shudders as my breath caresses her lips. “You shouldn’t hate me, Daisy. I don’t like it…” My hands trace her arms and I feel her shiver. It presses her higher against me and her hands curl as she grabs my shirt. “In fact, I don’t like that fact… one… tiny…bit… and that pisses me off.”
She blinks and squeaks as she says, “Wh––what? Why do you care what I think of you? We don’
t even know each other, Rafe.”
My eyes drink in the golden brown of hers and I whisper, “We’re about to spend a whole lot of time together and I think we’re going to know each other very well… let’s start now…” and my lips cover hers.
She gasps and I take advantage of it, sliding my tongue past her lips. She gasps again and then her tongue tentatively brushes against mine.
Her brief response is all it takes to spur me on. My hands trail down her arms and sides before settling on her ass. As my tongue explores her mouth more fully, I knead her ass cheeks and rub her against me.
Her hands find their way up my chest and over my shoulders before linking behind my neck and pulling my head down to hers.
Our tongues are sliding together as my hands become acquainted with her pert ass through the soft denim covering it. I can feel my cock hardening against her and when she rubs against me, my blood bubbles through my veins and races to my cock, engorging it further.
We continue to kiss as my hand slides under the waistband of her jeans and I trace the top of her ass crack with my finger.
She jerks back and tears her lips from mine. I blink at her as I try to come back to my senses. My body is screaming at me to shove her against any available surface and sink into her satiny depths.
Her eyes are accusatory as she stares at me. Her hand races for her mouth and she covers her swollen lips as she gasps again.
Chapter Seven
Daisy
Dear God… my body is on fire. Every single part of me is consumed by flames.
Rafe just kissed me… and holy Mary, Mother of God, can that man kiss.
My bones are liquid. I have no idea how I’m still standing right now… I feel like I should be a puddle on the floor.
How am I not a puddle of liquid desire on the barn floor?!
You are so turned on…
Omg, I am so turned on. My panties are saturated. It feels like a Louisiana rainstorm is residing in my panties and my nipples are as hard as huge pieces of hail.
Why did I stop? Why are we not naked and having fantastic sex right now?
Oh right… because this is Rafe… The same Rafe who apparently screwed some skank so hard and in such a way that she can’t sit down today.
He also touched my ass. Like he was caressing my ass…
He likes anal… He must prefer it that way…
Of course he does. He’s a freaking rock star. I’m sure he’s had sex every way you can possibly have sex and even invented a few ways. I bet he’s had sex with multiple people, too… at the same time.
You cannot fall into that trap, Daisy!
No freaking way. I’m not some skank groupie and I refuse to have sex with a man who receives texts at business meetings like the one I saw today.
No… this can’t happen.
Even if my body is shouting from the rooftops that I need to jump on him right now.
No, not going to happen.
I jumped back as soon as Rafe touched my ass crack. I am not into that. And he did it with such ease… like he expected it to be ok.
Well, it’s not. Keep banging skanks like the one who texted you… SHE apparently likes that! I do not!
Smoothing my shirt down and wincing as my brazenly hard nipples rub against the lace of my bra, I peek up at Rafe.
His hands are fisted at his sides and he’s just watching me. His jaw is clenched and his nostrils are flaring. I can also see his very impressive length pressed against the front of his jeans.
Holy moly…
I quickly raise my eyes back to his face. His crystal blue eyes are fixed on me. They’re hard and as I adjust my clothes and nervously fidget in front of him, I see them harden further.
Opening my mouth, I try to speak, but my voice is gone. My thighs are still quivering and my stomach is in a ball of knots and feels like butterflies are flapping around in there.
He blinks and I can almost see a shutter come over his eyes. He smiles, but it doesn’t look kind. “No need for words. Your actions are making your thoughts perfectly clear, princess. You’re too good for me and how dare I touch you, right?”
I blink and my jaw falls open. “Hu––Huh? Wait, I didn’t say that.” I sigh and look away. Shadow is munching on a hay bale in the corner. Her reins are laying on the ground beside her.
Oh my God, I forgot all about my baby girl being out in here.
Rafe laughs harshly. “You were into the kiss, Daisy. You were all over me, too. Yet, now you’re like the Ice Queen, so of course you’re pissed at me and yourself for responding to me. After all, I’m just a disgusting rocker… Your words, sweetheart.”
He’s really mad. And I didn’t even say anything. Yes, I stopped and yeah, I might have just thought some of those things, but he doesn’t know that! He can’t read my mind and I never said them out loud.
Yet, he’s now jumping all over me and pissed that I stopped the kiss.
What is his damn problem?
Glaring at him, I spit out. “Yeah, I kissed you back. You can kiss… I’ll give you that. I’m certain you’re great in bed, too, but I don’t intend to find that out, Rafe.” His jaw opens and he hurriedly closes it. “Yes, I did kiss you back. You’re very attractive. And I responded. I’m not going to lie and say I didn’t.
“But, that doesn’t mean anything. Last night you were sleeping with God knows who and tonight I’m sure you’ll screw someone else… but I don’t want to be included in that lineup.
“I’m not a bed hopping, sleep with rockers, kind of girl. The kiss was good. It was really good, but our tempers were ignited and we’re both passionate people.
“That’s all it was and I’m not going to fall into bed with you. That is not going to happen. I’m not a virgin by any means, but I’m not like you. I don’t screw someone one night without even knowing their name and fall into some other nameless slut’s arms as soon as I’m done.
“I don’t know why you just kissed me and I don’t know what you were thinking was going to come from that kiss… but, I’m not going to sleep with you!
“We kissed in anger… yeah, we responded to each other, but nothing is going to happen here, okay. We need to both understand that this is a business arrangement. I’ll sing with you, promote with you, and tour with you, and even act like we’re involved for the music video, but anything else is just not going to happen.
I respect myself way too much for that!”
He’s not saying anything as he stares at me. My pulse is leveling out as the desire wanes from my blood. Glancing down quickly, I see that he’s still very aroused.
Well, I’m sorry. I’m certain he’s not used to being told “no.”
I’m also certain that he’ll have absolutely no trouble finding someone to take care of that for him.
But, dammit, why does the thought of that make my stomach turn?!
Son of a bitch…
He nods and smirks. “Sure, no problem, princess. And no worries. I’m sure I won’t need you to fill my bed on the tour. There’s never an absence of willing women to keep me warm and satisfy my needs.” He winks. “Besides, you’d run screaming from the room buck naked at the things I would make you feel… make you beg for…” I gasp. “Can’t have that.”
He winks at me and turns on his heel. “See you to record. I have places to be and women to fuck after all.” He waves with a peace sign and calls out, “Deuces, princess.”
I’m left open mouthed and sick to my stomach in the middle of my barn.
Blinking back unexpected tears, I grab Shadow’s reins and lead her to the back doors of the barn. After climbing on, I nudge her sides with my heels and allow her the freedom to fly. The wind whipping on my cheeks, scatters the tears that I couldn’t prevent from falling.
Rafe
I feel the need to punch the shit out of something and since Sean is refusing to go home, if he doesn’t shut the fuck up, it’s going to be him!
After I just grunt at him for like the fiftee
nth time, he finally sets his feet on the floor and looks at me. “Ok, man. What the fuck? What’s crawled up your ass and died? Since the second you got back from going to apologize, or whatever you did, to Daisy earlier, you’ve been a real gem to be around.”
Without looking at him, I flip him off and stare more intently at the TV. I don’t even know what we’re watching.
He laughs. “Yeah, see. What gives? You’re never this pissy. Do you need some pussy? I can make a call. We haven’t tag-teamed anyone in a few weeks. Want to unleash?”
I look over at him. He means well, but no, the idea of fucking someone with him is not at all appealing right now. I grunt, “No thanks. Not in the mood.”
As he slaps his knee and laughs, I look over at him. “Rafe Rider is not in the mood to fuck a chick? Really? What the hell is wrong with you? Is your dick broken?” When I don’t respond to his goading, he gets serious. I see him lean onto his knees as he looks at me. “Rafe, come on. Seriously. What’s wrong? You’re all doom and gloom. You’re worrying me, man.”
Sighing, I glance at the empty alcohol bottle on the table. “Is there any more of that?”
He nods and hops up, walking toward my kitchen. “Yeah, I’ll grab more liquor. But, when I get back with it, you’re spilling the beans on what the hell is wrong with you.”
Flipping through channels blindly, I mutter, “Yeah, ok. Sure.”
Sean is my best friend. We’ve known each other our whole lives. Literally. Our parents were best friends, and we’re both only children, so our families were always together. We’ve always done everything together. Everything. He’s more than my boy. He’s also my brother.
I need to get all of this confusing shit out and if I was going to talk to anyone, it’d be him.
He comes back with a bottle of Jack Daniels Honey Whiskey. I raise my brows and mutter, “If we’re drinking that, I at least need some ice.”
He laughs and slaps the bottle on the coffee table. As he walks back to my kitchen, he mutters, “Weak. You’re so weak, Rider!”
I flip him off though he can’t see me and yell back, “What the fuck ever. You know if I die and it’s your fault, you don’t get shit, right?!”