The buzzing alarm clock wakes me from my slumber. The sound is getting louder and shriller, which causes me to sit up with a jerk. “The sound check,” I blurt as I jump out of bed.
“I know,” Alexis grumbles and gets up in a much slower fashion than I just did.
I look around, confused by the surroundings. “Why am I not in my room?”
“Because I didn’t have your key card, and I could hardly lay you down in the hallway,” he explains sleepily. “Lane brought a few of your things when I called her and asked her to help me out. They’re in the living room.”
I nod slowly. “Okay … Thank you.” Then I turn around to ask him, “Where is the bathroom?”
He points to a door. “Over there.”
“Do I still have the time to take a shower?”
He glances at his watch. “Sure. We need to leave in an hour.”
“Okay.” I walk into the living room and pick up the tote that’s sitting on the couch before hurrying back into the bedroom.
“No need to rush. I can shower in Mike’s bathroom,” Alexis says.
I stop in the bathroom’s doorway and look at him. “I’ll be done in a few minutes. I don’t need ages in the shower.”
He nods. “Still, you don’t have to hurry up for my sake.” Alexis pulls some fresh clothes from the closet. “We’ll meet back here when we’re done.”
I offer him a tiny smile and then slip into the bathroom. I take off my clothes, step into the shower, and turn on the water. Its splashing warmth does wonders for my tired body. It feels rejuvenating. I look around, searching for some kind of shower gel. “Great.” There’s only men’s shampoo in here, nothing neutral-smelling. With a sigh, I make do with what I find, lathering up and rinsing it off in quick succession.
“Honor?” Alexis’s voice asks.
Startled by his intrusion, I ask, “Yes?”
“Could you please give me my razor? It should be in the little soap dish in the shower.”
I look around and see it. “Do you really want me to touch the thing you use to shave off your pubic hair?”
“This one’s for my face, actually. I always shave in the shower.”
“Oh. One second.” I rinse my hands, grab the razor, and open the door of the shower cubicle a few inches, handing him the razor through the crack.
“Thank you.” He takes it.
“You’re welcome.” I pull the door shut again.
A few minutes later I step out of the shower and towel myself dry. I hope Lane didn’t forget a toothbrush. I wrap the towel around my body and rummage through the tote. “Thank god for well-organized friends,” I blurt happily when I find everything I need in there.
There’s a knock on the door. “Can I come in, Honor? I need a few things.”
“Yes, I’m almost done.”
Alexis enters the bathroom and does a double take when he sees me. “I thought you were done, but for some reason you’re still pretty much undressed.”
I look down at the towel that protects my body from his gaze. “Well, I still need to brush my teeth and get dressed.”
“Okay,” he drawls and steps over to the sink.
I follow him with my toothbrush. “Toothpaste?” I ask.
He hands it to me.
“Thanks.” We both start brushing our teeth, and then our eyes meet in the mirror. I lower mine quickly; I don’t want to risk anything. After all, our first sexual encounter took place in a bathroom. It’s awkward that we’re both standing here, naked underneath our towels. Didn’t he take his clothes with him to Mike’s bathroom?
When he’s done, he takes a step backwards and studies me, which makes me all fidgety and nervous. And once again, his bedroom eyes make the goosebumps rise on my skin. Damn him, and damn my emotions! “You should blow dry your hair or you’ll catch a cold on top of everything else.”
I spit out the toothpaste. “I was planning on getting one. They’re all the rage.”
“I see.”
I pick up another towel and wipe my face with it. “Do you need anything else?”
He shrugs his shoulders. “Maybe a blow to the head, so I can stop staring at you. You’re simply the most beautiful thing I have ever seen.”
Heat suffuses my cheeks in an instant. I take a deep breath. “I can go and get something really heavy, and then deal you that blow.”
He clears his throat. “Thanks.”
I turn away to pull the new clothes from the tote bag. “Do you maybe have scissors here? I need to cut off the price tags.”
“Yeah …. where is it … here.” He hands me small cuticle scissors.
I cut off the price tags and put them back into the bag, so I can pay Lane back later.
When I straighten again, I feel his warmth on my back. I hold up the scissors. “Thanks.”
Alexis takes them from my hand, and then I sense a slight draft, followed by a soft clattering sound. Did he just throw the scissors into the shower? His hands slide around my waist, meeting in front of my body, settling on my stomach. Then he presses a furtive kiss against the back of my head, just below the ear. “I’m so glad you’re alright.”
“Thanks,” I say again. My body begins to tingle, which isn’t a good sign for my reserve and resolve. But I don’t want to give into him.
“What’s wrong?”
“You’re too … close,” I reply, swallow, and pull his arms away from my belly.
When I turn around, his gaze is engrossed, far away. “I’m sorry; for a moment, I wasn’t thinking. I only wanted to be close to you.”
“Could you leave me alone for a minute though? I’d like to get dressed.”
He nods and leaves the bathroom. I breathe a sigh of relief, before turning back to the mirror to get dressed.
Ten minutes later, I’ve blow-dried my hair, braided it, and tied it together with the hair band I always carry around my wrist. I sit down on Alexis’s bed and wait for him to tell me when to leave.
He comes in. “The others are already downstairs in the lobby. The cars will be here in twenty minutes.”
“Okay.”
Then he sits down next to me. “I don’t want to upset you again, Honor, but do you think there is a chance for me to make up for my mistakes? I don’t want this crap to stand between us forever.”
“I’m sure someday there’ll be a chance. But right now I still need some distance between us.”
He gives a curt nod. “I understand … But I still hope that ‘someday’ will be someday soon. I hardly know how to keep myself in check when I’m close to you.”
“What do you mean?” I ask, slightly puzzled.
Alexis turns to me, puts a hand on my shoulder. “This.” Then he takes my face into his hands and kisses me passionately. He pushes me backwards, and I’m practically forced to lie down. Alexis kneels next to me at first, and then between my legs, which he has spread with one move of his hand. His tongue nudges my lips, and I allow it in, acting like stupid cow that I am. Why does this man have such an irresistible allure for me?
My heart hammers in my chest, making me feel as if it might leap out of my chest any minute now. I grab at his hair, hold on to it as he rubs the bulge that has formed in his pants against my crotch, covered only by the flimsy fabric of the pants Lane bought for me. I moan when the tips of our tongues meet. Alexis strokes my cheeks, before his hands start to roam, his right cupping my breast and kneading it gently. It strains against his hand with every breath I take.
There’s a knock on the door, startling us into jumping apart with a jolt. Alexis gets up and rushes from the bedroom. I seize the opportunity to slip into my shoes and jacket.
When he returns, the smile on his lips has faded. “The car is waiting.”
“Okay.” Have we really spent fifteen minutes or more kissing? I walk past him, heading straight for the living room, yearning to get away from him. I pray that I can sit in the passenger seat this time, since I want to put as much distance between us as possible.
>
“Wait up!” Alexis calls after we’ve left the suite and I’m already marching off towards the elevators.
I stop and he catches up with me. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay; I just didn’t want to be running to the car.”
My only reaction is a curt nod.
Alright, that didn’t work out as planned. We’re sitting together in the backseat of the car, since the passenger seat was already taken. Damned security personnel! Fortunately, I can get out soon, because we’ve just entered the underground parking garage of the venue. “I think they’ll be waiting for us.”
“I hope so.”
The car stops and I get out quickly.
“I’m going to show you the way, Mr. Kingston, Miss Prescott. Upstairs, please,” the bodyguard says.
Alexis nods. “Thank you.”
Twenty minutes later, we reach the concert hall. We lost our way because of the helpful security guy. I exhale with a hiss. Impressive venue, with space for quite a few thousand people.
“There you are!” Mike calls out and waves us over to the stage. “Alexis, your guitar is ready. Honor, this mic is yours.”
I take off my jacket and walk to the assigned spot. I stand behind the microphone stand next to Charlotte, who has become more than a thorn in my flesh. I adjust the height of the stand and then give Mike a thumbs-up.
“We’re starting with ‘Without you I’ll die’,” Linden announces over his mic.
Alexis picks up his guitar, fixes the shoulder strap, and then plays the first chords. He steps closer to the microphone and begins to sing. I watch him and start tapping the rhythm on my leg as the pace increases. The voices of the others join him, and when the chorus starts, it’s our turn to sing the backing vocals. Besides Charlotte and me, there’s Trevor, a guy I haven’t really met. I mean, we say ‘hi’ and ‘bye’, but apart from that, we haven’t had a single real conversation in the almost four weeks we’ve been on tour together.
Chapter 13
After the sound check, we all sat down together and talked about tomorrow’s gig. The guys are all nervous, which they were before each concert so far. I’m nervous, too, but I don’t have their experience and routine yet. I’m always anxious I’ll screw up, and I don’t even have that many parts to sing.
Now we’re riding back to the hotel, the entire band plus Lane and me in a big SUV, while Charlotte, Trevor, and the bodyguard ride in the smaller one. We spent more than four hours in that venue. All I want now is something to eat, and then to be able to drop into bed. Joel handed me my key card and asked me about my constitution. I had to tell him over and over that I am capable of finishing this tour with them. Fortunately, the guys had my back, and managed to reassure him that it would be fine. Alexis was the most vocal in my support.
“Who’s ready to do something tonight?” Lane suddenly breaks the silence in the car.
“What do you want to do, babe?” Gavin asks. They’re sitting in the back, behind me and Alexis.
“Go out dancing. I’m getting bored of sitting in hotel bars.” She taps me on the shoulder. “What do you say, Honor, wanna go out?”
I turn around to look at her. “If you can find a club where the lights are dim, maybe. I don’t want people to see me flounder on the dance floor.” I giggle.
She laughs. “I’m sure we can find such a place. I’ll ask the front desk, I’m sure they can recommend a club.”
“Okay.”
“We had better go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow is going to be exhausting,” Linden pipes up.
“You guys don’t have to join us. Honor and I could do a girls’ night for a change. I’m worried that I’m slowly mutating into a guy anyway, after spending so much time with you,” Lane counters with a grin.
“Yeah, go ahead and make it a ladies’ night,” he smirks.
“Hey! Do I get a say in this? I want to go out with my girlfriend,” Gavin complains.
“I’m in. I’m sick of staring at the walls of my suite,” Alexis seconds that.
“That makes four of us.”
“Count me in,” Mike and Azer add simultaneously.
“That leaves the head of the band, our very own Mr. Spoilsport,” Alexis takes a dig at Linden.
Linden turns around in the passenger seat and looks at him with a raised eyebrow. “I’m not going to stay at the hotel on my own.”
Lane claps her hands excitedly. “Then let’s all go and have fun, right after we’ve had dinner.”
“Why not have dinner together, too?” Mike asks. “Have you noticed that we never end up at the same restaurant at the same time?”
I grin at him. “Because your biological clock has gone off the rocker.”
“Ha! Says the woman I caught by the snack machine way past midnight,” he triumphs.
The others laugh.
“I was hungry for M&Ms, and that machine was the only place I could get them from,” I defend myself between giggles. “But you were the one who emptied the entire stash of Snickers bars from that thing.”
“Tattletale,” he teases me.
“That’s what you are.” I stick out my tongue at him and then lean back in my seat.
Alexis is still wearing a smirk when he looks at me. “Very interesting to hear about your nighttime adventures in the hotel hallways.”
“Well, hunger really makes me reckless, you know.”
“And aggressive. She all but tore my hand off when I took one piece of candy from her bag,” Mike exaggerates.
“You took an entire handful out of that small bag!” I cry.
“But I paid hush chocolate afterwards!”
It feels good to kid around and be at ease with them, but I’m looking forward to being back in New York and sleeping in my own bed.
“Are you done yet? I want to go out dancing tonight, and you already took ages to get ready. Guys, it’s almost ten; let’s get going,” Lane rushes Gavin and Azer, who are still eating.
I’m watching the recurring spectacle of them devouring huge portions of food, despite their athletic build, or maybe because of it?
“I’m going outside for a smoke,” Alexis announces, stands up from his chair and then taps me on the shoulder. “You wanna come?”
“Uh … okay.” I put my napkin on the table and get up as well.
“We’ll be outside in a few minutes,” Linden says.
“We’ll wait there for you,” Alexis replies as he takes my hand, but I pull it away. “Sorry.”
“Let’s go, or you won’t have time for a whole cigarette.” I nod in the direction of the exit, before heading out.
He follows me. “You were very good today. At the sound check, I mean.”
“Could you even hear me? I’m surprised, since your instruments are always so loud.”
“We all wear headphones, just like you,” he smirks.
“Yeah, but even with those, I only ever hear you guys sing.”
“I can pick out your voice every single time.”
“Okay.”
We step outside and inhale the night air. Alexis offers me a cigarette, but I refuse. “You stopped smoking?”
“I only do it from time to time. I’m not in the mood now,” I explain with a smile.
He nods and lights up. “I should give it up, too.”
“Why did you start in the first place?”
He sighs. “It was something I used to do when I was feeling down. It was something to hold on to.”
I lean against the wall behind me, “And now you can’t stop?”
He shakes his head as he exhales the smoke. “No.”
“Damned addiction, huh?”
“I guess you could say so.” His sensual lips curve into a smile, but that quickly fades again. “I’m sorry about what happened earlier. I blindsided you again, even though I didn’t want to do that anymore. I didn’t think before I acted; spur of the moment.”
I look into his eyes. “There are worse things, Lex. I’m not mad. If I hadn’t wanted it,
it wouldn’t have happened.”
His face falls. “Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.”
“Would you push me away if I tried again?” he asks in a rough voice.
“Right now, yes.”
He swallows and nods. “Even I would push myself away if I were you. But all I can think of is how I can possibly win you over.”
“Why don’t you come up with something original?” I wink at him and glance at the hotel entrance, hoping that the others will join us soon. I’m freezing my ass off.
“What would be original?”
I look up at him again. “You’re a creative person, I’m sure you can manage to think of something.”
He squints at me, not sure how to take my words. “I think I might already have an idea or two.”
“I’ll wait and see.”
“Good strategy.” Alexis leans down and breathes a kiss on my forehead. “I hope you’re going to like my surprise.”
“Well, we’ll see.”
He takes my hand. “You’re cold.”
“A little, yes.”
He pulls me into an embrace, and I don’t resist. His body exudes warmth, so I accept this closeness, even though it is dangerous. It makes me vulnerable, and that is exactly what he has taken advantage of before. I don’t know if it’s wrong or right to always remind myself of his faults. I shouldn’t hold it against him, since we were both single and had an agreement. I’m excited to see what he will do to win me over. And as I said before, I want to be conquered, wooed, courted. I put my cheek against his chest.
Alexis: In love with a rockstar (The Hamptons Series Book 2) Page 21