Shake, Rattle and Roll: The Baxter Boys #4 (The Baxter Boys ~ Rattled)

by Charles, Jane

  Christian gets so much and he’s not judgmental at all. Maybe it’s because of how he grew up that makes him more open. “He had been so worried about hurting me, but he was my best friend, and I wasn’t hurt. We were just not meant to be. And, he’s still my best friend and we barely go a week without talking on the phone, and we message daily. Kelly is pretty much the one thing I really, really miss from Kentucky, but when I moved to New York he headed to Portland and now we couldn’t live further apart while still being in the same country.”

  12

  Her best friend is an ex-boyfriend, gay, former lover. What I don’t get is why there hasn’t been anyone else. “At least you still get along even after everything.”

  “Like I said, best friend and I love him. Besides, we already knew there wasn’t a future, not like marriage, family and babies. I was headed to New York and it’s not like we were in love and wanted to make long distance work. Being best friends was more important.”

  My phone dings and I grab it from my pocket.

  Dylan: You still alive?

  Me: Yep

  Dylan: Good, because I haven’t had coffee yet and didn’t want to come looking for your ass.

  Me: Your concern warms my heart

  Then I note the time. “Wow, it’s almost five.”

  She blinks at me in surprise. “I guess we have been sitting and talking for a while.”

  “That was Dylan. He’s the only one who gets up this early. He must have noticed my bed wasn’t slept in.”

  She laughs. “House mother?”

  “Mary been telling you stories?”

  Bethany gives me an impish grin. “Maybe.” Then she tilts her head, studying me. “Does he always check up on you if you don’t come home by a certain time?”

  I have to laugh. “Not really. At least I don’t think he does.” How the hell did he know I wasn’t home yet? Dylan’s room is on the second floor and mine is on the third. Why would he go up when there wasn’t a reason to?

  Me: How did you know I wasn’t home?

  Dylan: Grabbed dirty towels and wash rags from your bathroom to do laundry. Bedroom door open, bed not slept in.

  Me: Great investigative work

  Dylan: You and Sean should really clean your bathroom. It’s gross

  Me: Yes, mother.

  I put the phone away because I can talk to Dylan anytime and I’d much rather focus on Bethany. I push my fingers through my hair. “I can’t remember the last time I didn’t come home or sleep in my own bed, so it’s kind of nice to know that if I were to disappear, somebody would notice.”

  It’s late, or early, and I really should be going, but I don’t want to leave. But, Bethany hasn’t asked me to stay either. We’re at that awkward moment, but she needs sleep. I need sleep. Setting her dainty foot aside I stand. “We’ll I should head out.”

  “I guess.” She sounds almost disappointed. I am willing to stay. This may be the best night I’ve ever had with a girl without having sex. It’s been a long time since I just sat and talked with one and not done anything else, even if my dick never really relaxed.

  She gets up and walks me to where I left my shoes. “I hope you enjoy your tour more than you think.” She stops to lean against the wall.

  I really don’t want to leave her. Being with Bethany is just right. “Me too.”

  Bend down, grab your shoes and leave. Instead, I just stand there, staring down in to her blue eyes.

  She looks up and the tip of her tongue darts out to moisten her upper lip. There it is, the current, primal urge to grab and claim.

  Instead, I allow myself a kiss. Just one kiss.

  Slowly I lower my face to hers, not closing my eyes, but watching hers for any sign that I should not be doing this. Instead, her blue eyes darken just as my lips touch hers.

  I should have known that it wouldn’t be simple or easy, or even chaste for that matter.

  Bethany parted almost instantly, my arms going around her and pulling her flush against my body. Her arms go around my shoulders, fingers through my hair. I’m hard in an instant.

  Her tongue mates with mine as my hands slip under her shirt, skimming them along her silky skin. Her leg comes around my hip, urging me closer as I press against her.

  At least she wants me as much as I want her. Bunching her skirt in my hands I start pulling it up until I finally connect with her smooth thigh and then her damp panties before I rub her clit through the silk. Bethany pulls my shirt from my pants and then goes to work unbuckling my belt, then the snap, then zipper, her knuckles grazing my cock in her quest. All the time, our mouths have been devouring each other as if we’d been starving for the other. Maybe we were because the moment our lips touched, something ignited.

  Just as I’m about to slip my fingers between her skin and her panties, Bethany pulls back.

  “Wait. I can’t.”

  I freeze and stare at her.

  “The pill.”

  “What about it?”

  “I’m on it.”

  “Isn’t that a good thing?”

  She’s panting, I’m not sure I can breathe.

  “But I can’t.”

  Stepping back I let her skirt drop. So close. So freaking close, but a no is a no, no matter how close I came to the prize.

  “I want to, I really do, but it’s the antibiotics.”

  “I thought you weren’t contagious.” Didn’t she say strep and I just practically had my tongue down her throat? This is not the time to get sick if I’m going on tour.

  “No, you don’t understand.” She pushes her fingers through her hair and leans her head back against the wall. “Antibiotics cut the effective rate of the pill to approximately fifty percent. I can’t risk that.”

  I tilt my head and look at her. “So you aren’t saying no to the sex. You are saying no because you are afraid it isn’t safe sex.”

  “Yes!” she cries.

  “Did you forget you have like a case of condoms by the kitchen counter?”

  Her blue eyes go wide. She most definitely forgot.

  “Oh, God, get one.”

  I do not need to be told twice and take two steps, grab one out of the box and tear it open as she’s pushing my pants down, along with my boxers. By the time my cock is free, the condom is out of the package and I’m rolling it on. “Upstairs?”

  “Too far.” Her arms go around me again and pulls me flush against her. I should spend time kissing her other places and giving attention to the boobs, but I need to get in her and I think she wants me there too. Pushing her skirt up to her hips I then slide her panties down. The sweet scent of her arousal surrounding me as I bend, and I get even harder. She kicks the panties aside and once again I hike that long skirt. Her leg comes around my hip. I grab her ass, lift and pause at her entrance. “You sure.”

  “Yes!” she practically cries.

  “It’s not a pity thing from earlier?”

  “No.”

  “Not a groupie thing?” I don’t know why but I really need to know for certain that it’s me.

  “It’s totally a Christian thing.”

  That’s all I needed to hear as I press forward.

  Her other leg comes up and I have her against the wall. She’s so tight that I’m afraid I’ll hurt her, but she gives, slowly, and I work my way until I’m as far as I can go. I should set a steady rhythm, to drag this out, but I can’t. I’ve been on fire for her all fucking day, and night, and apparently she has been for me too. In only moments she arches, tightens and fractures as she cries out and I follow her right over and my knees nearly give out.

  That has to be the fastest and best fucking orgasm I’ve ever had.

  I just had sex, with Christian Sucato, against the wall of my uncle’s apartment. If I could catch my breath I’d probably laugh because I never dreamed something like this could happen to me. That a guy like Christian would actually be into me.

  God, I hope it wasn’t just a quick fuck for him. If I never see him again,
that would suck balls, especially since that was the best sex of my entire life, even if it barley lasted a minute. But those seconds were awesome.

  We haven’t moved since we came. My legs are still around Christians hips and his hands are holding my ass, and we are both breathing as if we have just run a marathon. My head is against the wall and so is his forehead. We probably should move. “Want to go to bed?”

  What if he says no because he got what he wanted? I know we shared a lot tonight but that doesn’t mean anything. Maybe that was foreplay for him.

  “Yeah. I’d like that.” He finally says as he straightens and my legs slip from around him.

  I wander to the front door, surprised my legs are even working right now, and make sure all of the locks are set, then flip the switches until the apartment is only illuminated from the light outside of the windows. Christian follows me up the stairs and I turn the lamp on by my bed before I pull the long blackout curtains across the front of the loft.

  “Now you’re worried about privacy.” He laughs.

  It’s not like there is a building on the other side of my windows. If there had been, I wouldn’t have had sex with Christian in the hall. On second thought, I probably would have because the windows were the last thing on my mind. “Those windows face east. The sun is coming up and I don’t want it keeping us awake.

  He nods and pulls his shirt over his head.

  My mouth goes dry. Damn, he’s ripped. Does he work out or was that from playing music? Lean, but finely formed. Even though my body is still recovering from what it just experienced, it starts heating up all over again.

  Maybe I won’t let him leave my apartment, ever.

  Okay, that was a little stalkerish and scary. I think there have been movies made about people who just had the same thought process as me.

  Damn, I must be really tired. Of course, I have been up for almost twenty-four hours and yesterday was a long ass day.

  This is also weird. I’ve never asked a guy to spend the night before, though technically, it’s almost day. When Kelly and I were having sex, we were just hoping we didn’t get caught and were never in bed with each other over half an hour.

  Why am I so suddenly awkward? I just had sex with him, though technically I was never naked and he didn’t see any part of me. Maybe that’s it. “Excuse me.” I duck into the large closet at the back of the loft and pull out some pajama shorts and a t-shirt and quickly change.

  Christian is already in bed when I come back out. The covers are pulled up to his waist. His jeans, boxers and socks are with his shirt on a chair.

  He looks me up and down and the side of his mouth quirks. “Should I have left my boxers on?”

  My face starts to burn. “I’ve never like, actually, slept with someone before.” Damn, my face is going to go up in flames. “And, you haven’t seen me naked and then there is fire.”

  “Fire?”

  “Yeah. I’ve always been paranoid of there being a fire and I’m naked and have to run out of the building. It’s a nightmare I had when I was in a dorm in college, so I can’t sleep naked.”

  He just laughs and pulls back the covers. “Get in bed, Bethany.”

  A little giddiness bubbles up inside and I crawl into the bed and flip off the lamp. Before I’m settled, his arm is around me, pulling me close until we are spooning, then his hand cups my breasts. “After we’ve rested, I’ll make sure these get the attention they deserve since I neglected them earlier.

  Just his words and his warm breath on my neck cause my nipples to harden. He pinches one. “Good, I’m glad you’re as eager as I am, now get some sleep.” He kisses my shoulder. “We’re going to need to be well-rested for later.”

  13

  Should I wake Bethany or just lay here in peace. I’ve never slept with a girl before. I’ve been in bed with a girl before, but I’ve never slept with one. Sure, I’ve had relationships but they never lasted long and I never spent the night with any of them. Not that Bethany and I actually have a relationship yet, but damn it’s nice to have her curled around me. Her head on my chest and leg over my thighs. At one time I wondered what it would be like to sleep with someone, but also thought that it may be uncomfortable. I remember having to share a bed when I was younger and getting pushed and kicked, sometimes hit, by the person who was sound asleep next to me. Bethany doesn’t sleep like that, thank goodness. No, she is all warm, soft and cuddly.

  Here I thought Alex liking to sleep with Kelsey was more about sex, and the same for Dylan and Mary, but it’s more than that. A lot more. There is something about not waking up alone and I like it, a lot.

  However, I have no idea what time it is. We went to bed around five this morning, but those blackout curtains Bethany pulled really do block out all light. If there wasn’t just a little peeking in at the top above the curtain rod, I’d think it was still the middle of the night.

  How long have we slept. How long can I stay here? The plane to Las Vegas leaves at one tomorrow, but I packed everything, except the essentials yesterday. My thoughts had been that if things went good at the Poison Apple that maybe Bethany would want to hang out today too, and I didn’t want to have my day tied up packing. What I do have to pack, what is left, will take fifteen minutes, so I really don’t need to do a damn thing today but just lay here with Bethany.

  A smile pulls at my lips. Not leaving bed at all sounded really nice.

  Louie would like Bethany. I’ve never taken a girl to meet him before and Bethany is the first person I’ve ever wanted to, but it will have to wait until I get back because Bee Bee’s isn’t open on Sunday or Monday.

  The guys haven’t even met Louie and I’m not really sure why. Maybe it’s because I didn’t want to explain, even though they know about Louie, and that I hang out at the club sometimes. But, Louie is also mine. The dad who stepped up when I needed one. Not just guidance, but saved my ass. Louie, Johnny, all of them saved me and I’ll never be able to repay that debt.

  Maybe I’ve never introduced them because it’s a private thing. Between Baxter, college and then living with the guys as soon as we escaped dorm living, there’s been very little privacy in my life, except for when I’m in my own room. Which isn’t a bad thing. Not at all. Those guys are my family, the girls too, but everyone needs something that is theirs. Something more than my music.

  Louie, Johnny and the rest have asked why I don’t bring my friends around and I never really had an answer. It’s not like I’m ashamed of anyone because both are family in a different way.

  Maybe I will set up a meet. I’ll take the guys to Bee Bee’s when I get back from the tour. The girls too, and if luck is on my side, that will include Scarlett. She’s the only reason I’m going on this damn tour and I hope to hell I find her.

  Bethany rolls away from me and stretches, the t-shirt pulling tight across her boobs. I haven’t even seen or kissed them and we’ve already had sex. Something I need to immediately rectify.

  She opens one eye and looks at me as if she’s checking to see if I’m awake or something. Not really sure, but Bethany is rumpled, her hair everywhere and so damned cute. “Morning.”

  “Was I sleeping all over you?”

  “Yep.”

  Her cheeks turn pink. “Sorry. I usually hug a pillow.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about, I rather like it.”

  “Me too.” She grins, then rolls further away.

  “Hey, come back.” I pull her to me. “I’m not ready to get out of bed yet.” I’ve been hard since I woke and her leg across my hips didn’t help matters any. Plus, those boobs haven’t received any attention yet.

  “Gotta pee,” she whispers as if it’s something embarrassing.

  Actually, I do to. I just didn’t want to get up.

  And, maybe she’s not a morning sex person. Or, maybe she doesn’t want to have sex again, which would suck because I sure as hell do.

  I let her go and she rolls out of the other side of the bed and heads to where the top o
f the stairs are. When she pulls back the curtain we both flinch and cover our eyes. Damn it’s bright out. “What time is it?”

  “No clue, but after eleven at least.” She heads down the stairs and I pull myself from the bed and pull on my boxers and jeans. Bethany got out of bed too fast to want to return to it, which kind of bums me out.

  After following her down the stairs, I head to the kitchen and grab a bottle of water out of the fridge, hoping she doesn’t mind.

  Maybe she wants me to leave. Did she just ask me to stay because of the sudden sex and she was tired?

  Are there regrets this morning.

  I hope to hell not because I have absolutely no regrets. None. Nada, Zilch. My only regret is that I’m leaving on that fucking music tour tomorrow. But, that’s not for the music or the band. That is simply to find Scarlett and will be worth being away if I can bring her home where she belongs.

  Sleeping curled around Christian was so much better than the body pillow I usually have. Ever since I was little I’ve had to sleep around something. First it was a teddy bear, then a pillow, then bigger pillow, until I found a body pillow. It feels like some kind of graduation from pillow to Christian and that pillow is not going to be the same again.

  Damn I didn’t want to get out of bed, but my bladder was protesting enough that I didn’t have a choice. I would have much rather stayed and maybe had sex again. Christian was hard, even if it was just morning wood, but I wouldn’t have minded experiencing that again. Except, my bladder would have complained even louder than it already was.

  When I come out he’s standing in the kitchen drinking a bottle of water.

  “Coffee?” Is he going to stay or bolt? Please don’t bolt.

  “Coffee would be awesome.”

  Not bolting. Whew!

  Christian ducks into the bathroom as I grab the coffee then carefully measure out enough for a full pot. I don’t know how much he drinks, but I’ll drink half of it on my own. When my phone rings, I grab it from my purse and check to see who it is. Mary Robins is lit up at the top of the screen.