“Fancy that,” I say dryly.
Micah looks at Alexis. “So how did she do on tour? We’ve only heard Honey’s version of events.”
Alexis frowns at my nickname. “She did really well. I guess you could say better than the rest of us, because she hung in there no matter what happened, even after she collapsed one night.”
Krys and Micah look at me in shock. “Why did you leave out that little detail, Honey?” Krys wants to know.
I sigh. “Because it was only a brief dizzy spell, nothing serious. I’m here, and I’m fine.”
She nods, but I can see that she’s not satisfied with my explanation.
“I didn’t want to worry you guys after the fact. That was weeks ago, anyway.”
Alexis clears his throat. “I’m sorry; I didn’t know Honor had kept that bit from you.”
“Well, at least you mentioned it now,” Micah says. “And at least we know she has you at her side now, taking care of her.”
Alexis nods in agreement. “I won’t let her out of sight when I’m with her.”
I snort. “Guys, come on. I was simply very upset and then had a dizzy spell. Nothing else happened, and I’m a big girl, so stop treating me like a toddler,” I demand, though I can’t help smiling at their endearing concern for me.
“Okay, mom,” Krys replies with a smirk.
We spend the evening with lots of tequila, some glasses of coke for variety, good conversation, and even a little dancing. I’m still as bad as ever, despite the full day Lane invested in teaching me a few steps and moves.
The following day – I have no idea whether it’s morning, lunchtime, or afternoon – I wake up with the hangover from hell.
“Good morning, sunshine!” Alexis calls out as he steps into my bedroom.
“Oh god, please don’t scream at me like that,” I whine in a hoarse whisper.
He laughs, which sounds like a sledgehammer pounding my head. “If you can drink, you can also deal with the noise.”
“If you can drink, you can also be irritable and ask for peace and quiet, because your headache is killing you.”
“You shouldn’t have had so much to drink,” he comments in a hushed voice.
“I know.”
He comes over and hands me a plastic bottle. “Here, drink that. It helps.”
“What is it?”
“Gatorade. I always drink that to cure a hangover. You’ll feel much better in a few minutes.” He strokes my cheek. “You’re still hot, even when you’re hungover.”
The corner of my mouth twitches. “Thank you.”
“Drink. Breakfast is waiting for you in the kitchen.”
“Please, no hair of the dog for me,” I groan.
“No, just the typical hangover cure. Pickled herring, dill pickles, stuff like that.” He sounds perfectly serious, so I stare at him in disbelief.
“That is disgusting. I couldn’t eat any of that.”
He grins. “Just kidding, Twinkie. I made scrambled eggs, bacon and toast. But you need to get up and come eat, or it’ll get cold.”
I drink a large sip from the bottle, then hand it back to him and crawl out of bed. I feel wobbly and my head is spinning. Jesus, how much did I drink? I stopped counting at some point, but I vow never to drink that much again.
After struggling into a pair of sweatpants and a top, I slouch into the kitchen where Alexis is already sitting at the table. “There you are.”
I mumble something and sit down opposite him. When the greasy smell of bacon hits my nostrils, I fight the gagging reflex.
“Are you okay?”
I nod frantically. “Yeah, I just need a moment to get used to the smell.”
“Okay.” He chuckles and digs into his food. “Coffee’s in the pot, and the Gatorade is still right there in front of you if you need more.”
“Thank you, Lex.”
We proceed to have breakfast together, though I don’t eat a lot. I’m still fighting my hangover-induced nausea. I decide to ask Jo to stop serving me alcohol after I had a certain number of shots.
After a while, Alexis gives me a thoughtful look. “Spencer talked to me about your demo.”
I swallow. “If he didn’t like it, I don’t want to know.”
He runs a hand through his gelled hair. “No, he was very … positive.”
“Really?”
He nods gravely. “Yep. He said he’ll get back to you once they’re looking for a new female singer. Right now, they don’t build up new singers, but focus on the ones they have.”
I lean back and process the information. “Wow.”
“He also said that if you’re interested in writing more songs, he’d be happy to look at your drafts and ideas. He really liked your demo, and the song. He wants to buy it.”
“Buy it? For whom?” I ask.
“For Taylor Johnson, brand-new shooting star.”
My jaw drops. “Are you kidding me?”
“Nope.”
I exhale in disbelief. “Did he make an offer?”
“He did, and it’s a really good offer, but you’d have to sell them the rights to the song, too.”
“Oh. Too bad then; I don’t transfer or sell the rights to my songs.”
He nods again. “I wouldn’t do that either.”
“So, you don’t transfer the rights when you write a song for the band?”
Alexis shakes his head. “No, because that’s a clause in our contract: If we write the songs ourselves, at least seventy-five percent of them, we keep the rights.”
“Okay, that’s good.”
“You should try to make sure to add such a clause, too, if someone offers you a record contract.”
“Yeah, if … let’s wait and see what happens.”
“Right. You still have every option.”
I set down the fork and drink the rest of the Gatorade. He’s right, I’m feeling a little better already. Electrolytes for the win! “I think I’m going to take a bath. That should do the trick.”
“Do you want me to join you?”
I rise from the chair and look down at him. “Absolutely.”
“Let me clear the table real fast, then I’ll come in after you.”
“I can help.”
Twenty minutes later, we’re both in the tub. My back is against his stomach, and my eyes are closed. I’m glad that I have a wide corner bathtub, because otherwise we wouldn’t have fit comfortably.
He keeps breathing feather-light kisses onto the top of my head and wringing out the sponge over my breasts. “Are you feeling better yet?”
“I’m feeling better since I’ve brushed my teeth,” I admit with a grin.
“Great.” He teases my nipples with the sponge. “Would you come back to the Hamptons with me today?”
“Do you have to go back, or do you want to?”
“I want to go back, because at the moment I prefer the peace and quiet there. New York is just so busy and noisy.”
“Yeah, I’m coming with you,” I whisper. “I’ve been feeling lonely, all alone in front of the TV every night.”
“Well …” He strokes my cheek. “We could change that.”
I open my eyes, tilt my head back, and look up at him. “What do you mean?”
“Move in with me.”
I swallow. “Don’t you think that would be a little fast?” I’m touched that he wants to have me near him, but I’m also afraid that we might feel boxed in, or choked by the constant closeness.
“No, I don’t. I love you and I would love to have you near me all the time. You just said you’re lonely here without me, so it’s only logical to move in together.”
“I don’t want us to box each other in.”
“You could keep this apartment as a retreat.”
“But how would I commute between New York and the Hamptons?”
“I could always give you my car if you needed to leave.”
“Lex, I really don’t want to rush this.”
“Why not?
We’re still young, so why not risk it? You don’t have to live in a room with me; you could take Gavin’s old room again. And you’d be close to Lane, Quinn and Amira. You like them, don’t you? Thally’s going to move in soon, too, unless Linden finds a house of his own … something we could do as well, by the way. There are a few really nice properties up for sale that I know of. But yeah, only if you want to.”
“Okay, okay, okay … let’s bring you back down to earth, Mr. Kingston,” I say sternly. Then I pull away from him, turn around, and sit down opposite him. “You’re going too fast here. Let’s go back and forth and visit each other for a while longer, okay? Until we’re really sure.”
“So you mean you’d spend a week with me there, then I’d come here again to spend a week with you, and then we’d go on tour?” he asks.
I nod, although it does sound like a pain in the butt, going back and forth all the time. “I really don’t want to lose this apartment. It took me forever to find something affordable that’s bigger than a shoebox.”
“Then let’s keep it. We can always come here if we’re in the mood for the city. We’d live together anyway, visiting each other in our respective homes, and going on tour together. We can just as well move in together.”
His argument is sound. I sigh. “Okay.”
“You don’t exactly sound thrilled.”
I smile at him. “I just need a moment to get used to the idea of moving in with you that quickly.”
“I’ll admit that I need to ask the others, too, since we own the house together,” he smirks.
I laugh out loud and move closer, lying down on top of him. I can feel his stiffening cock against my belly. “So you chose to shock me with your idea first, before even asking your friends?”
“I wanted to make sure you’re okay with it first. Maybe we are rushing it, and maybe things will go wrong, but at least we’ll have tried and were proven wrong, Twinkie.” He kisses the tip of my nose. “Plus, I’m sure the guys will be fine with it. They all like you, and Mike will be happy to have someone else to talk to besides us all the time.”
“Alright, let’s see what they say,” I reply softly before putting my lips on his.
Alexis pulls me closer, and his erection glides down between my labia. He moans when my tongue enters his mouth. He receives it longingly, and I realize that I have no idea whether anything happened between us last night, after we got home. I was probably too drunk.
I spread my legs and kneel over him without breaking our kiss, which is no easy feat. He directs me on top of his hard cock. Alexis wraps his hand around it and rubs the tip against my cleft. I moan into his mouth, stroke his chest, and tease his nipples with my thumbs. Then he enters me. I start to move with him, which fortunately is possible without flooding my entire bathroom. Alexis sets a quicker pace, pulling me down hard on his cock. He sits up straighter, and I wrap my arms around him. Then he breaks the kiss, pushes me backwards a little, and sucks my nipple between his lips, teasing them with gentle nips.
I hiss whenever he bites down a little harder, but I love the electric shocks this sends right into my pussy. “Lex, I don’t think I can last much longer,” I moan impatiently, because he thrusts into me at a perfect angle, hitting the spot that makes me race towards another shattering climax.
He lifts me off him and demands huskily: “Turn around and hold on to the edge of the tub.”
I do as he says, and he quickly enters me from behind. It’s hard and fast, just the way I’ve come to like it. The knuckles on my hands turn white, I’m holding on so tight, and my moans echo off the tiles.
“Come for me, Honor!”
I lose myself in a vortex of colors and fireworks, reaching my climax with a cry of abandon.
His thrusts come harder and faster until he spends himself in several hot spurts. His own cry of lust and satisfaction is louder than ever. Then he pulls out of me and sits back, pulling me along with him. I lie back and close my eyes, waiting for my heartbeat to slow down again, and he kisses my temple. “This never gets old,” he murmurs.
“If it did, we’d have a big problem,” I whisper. “We’d be doing something wrong.”
“No more mistakes.”
I shake my head to agree with him. “No more mistakes.”
Chapter 17
“And you’re really fine with letting me drive your car?” I check with Alexis for the umpteenth time, even though he’s patiently holding out the keys for me to grab.
“Didn’t I just say so?” he answers. “I don’t feel like driving, Twinkie.”
I finally take the keys from him. “But you’re not allowed to criticize my driving.”
“I won’t, unless you have a lead foot like Thally.”
“Who knows?”
We get into the car, and I stretch my legs with a frown on my face. “How tall are you?”
“Six foot six, why?”
“Because I can’t reach the gas,” I smirk.
“Oh. Wait a second.” Alexis leans over and adjusts the driver’s seat for me. “Is that better?”
“A little more, please.”
He pushes is forward even further, until I can finally reach the pedals without straining my feet. “Better?”
“Now it’s perfect, thanks.” I kiss him quickly on the chin before starting the engine. “And you’re really sure?”
“Now the seat is adjusted to your size; now you’re driving.”
I take a deep breath and steer the car out of the driveway and into the street. “I’ve never driven a battleship like this before.”
“It still has the same four wheels as a compact car.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Come on, it’s not rocket science, Twinkie.”
When we’ve reached the highway and I’m sure that I can handle the powerful engine, I place my hand on top of his.
Alexis intertwines his fingers with mine. “Why did you decide to take me back? And why did you fall in love with me?”
I glance at him. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t?”
“Well, I do. I took you back, because …” I sigh. “If I love someone, I accept him as he is, with his history, his past and his present. I take everything or nothing, because everyone makes mistakes. Some more and some less, but we all screw up sometimes. I think we both have our history, and we’re not always proud of it, but it made us who we are. And because I fell in love with you head over heels … I wanted you to be my man.”
He leans over and kisses my cheek. “That’s a great way to put it.”
“Your turn now.”
“Because of you.”
I raise an eyebrow, which he notices even though I look straight ahead, watching the road and the traffic.
“You’re always yourself, and you don’t try to be someone else to fit in or please anyone. You kicked my ass when you didn’t like my behavior, something nobody else would do, except for the guys sometimes. You made me laugh and you listened to me … You were my light when I was lost in the dark.”
“Oh,” I say, touched by his words.
“And the better I got to know you, the harder I fell for you.”
I squeeze his hand. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Twinkie.”
“We need to talk about that nickname again though,” I reply dryly.
“You don’t like it?”
“I don’t know if it really suits me.”
“I do. It suits you very well.”
“That means that I won’t get rid of it anymore, does it?”
“Exactly.”
I shake my head and smile, exhaling with a hiss. “Alright, then let me think about one for you, too.”
“I liked it when you called me Hero.”
“Gotcha. Hero it is.”
I park the car in the mansion’s spacious garage. Alexis gets out and I follow him. When I hand him back the keys, he opens the trunk. I only brought a small overnight bag, since I’m staying for the weeken
d. We’re planning to go back to the city on Saturday, at least in case we can’t find peace and quiet out here.
Alexis grabs my bag, puts an arm around me, and leads me into the house. “Guys, I’m back!”
Azer enters the kitchen. “Why are you only mentioning yourself, even though you clearly brought a guest?”
“Because I can,” he counters.
“Hi, Azer.” I pull away from Alexis and greet his friend with a quick hug.
“Hey.” He smiles at me and cocks an eyebrow. “Did he drag you here at gunpoint?”
“No, I came of my own free will.”
“That’s your own fault then. Mrs. Cunnings will be happy to hear that she can force-feed another unsuspecting houseguest,” he smirks.
I grin at him. “It’s a good thing I don’t let anyone force-feed me.”
“She will try to fatten you up like a goose. You just wait and watch.”
“Ugh,” is all I say to that.
Alexis joins us and they do some kind of bro-handshake. “Don’t scare my girlfriend, dude.”
“Mrs. Cunnings has never forced me to eat anything; I’m not scared,” I giggle.
“Where is the rest of the gang?” Alexis wants to know.
“Downstairs. They’re writing new material. And Lane has come up with a new choreography for the video. We’ll be shaking our hips with a bunch of professional dancers again.”
He rolls his eyes. “I hate it when she does that.”
“Well, she’s the choreographer; she gets to decide how to make us suffer.”
“It’s all Gavin’s fault.”
“Come on, dude, we’ll look absolutely fly.”
“Yeah, probably. But I’m still glad that this is the last clip that will feature us busting a move. I want to go back to playing straight-up rock’n’roll.”
“We’ll be dancing from time to time. Don’t forget that we’ll have to put out some pop songs to make Joel happy.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Alexis gripes and then looks at me. “Shall we put your stuff into your room and then say hello to the others?”
“Okay.”
Azer grabs my hand. “You can bring her things up there, but I’m going to take her downstairs with me.”
Alexis: In love with a rockstar (The Hamptons Series Book 2) Page 27