Lie to Me (Rising Star Book 1)

by Lee Piper

  The head of his cock nudges my entrance. I bite my lip, hoping like hell I don’t say something stupid. I’m guessing, “Fuck me bareback, I want your babies,” would be too soon.

  “Deep breath, darlin’.”

  I comply, the words triggering a memory from when I gave him my virginity three years ago. Blinking back a fresh wave of tears, I exhale.

  He thrusts inside. “Jesus fucking Christ.”

  Reid pauses, his breathing hard and in perfect synchronicity with my own. After a moment, his grip on my hips tightens and he moves. Really moves.

  I groan, my body poised on the verge of another orgasm. “Reid.”

  “I’ve got you, darlin’. I’ve got you.”

  “Reid, I need to—”

  “Not yet.”

  “Please, I—”

  Crack. “No.”

  Moan. Muttered curses. My body trembles and shakes, my gasps are quick and frantic. My shoulders ache, my hands burn, and a ball of tension-filled fire is on the brink of engulfing me in flames.

  Finally, after what feels like eons of sweet torture, Reid reaches in front of me and pinches my clit. “Come. Now.”

  I scream. I scream until my lungs burn and my voice is hoarse. Through the noise, I register Reid’s cry as he thrusts once, twice, three times, then empties inside me.

  Silence.

  His forehead rests between my shoulder blades, and we remain motionless for the longest time. Eventually he stands, pulling out of me before quickly disposing of the condom. When he returns to the bed, I haven’t moved. I can’t.

  Reid frees my hands. I groan, sluggishly rolling my shoulders before flexing my wrists.

  “Lie still.” His warm hands caress my body, massaging the aches that plague me.

  Throughout it all, no words are said and no promises are made. There is no pillow talk, no banter, nothing. There is, however, a realization strong enough to rock me to the core. There is no coming back from this. No man understands my body like Reid Tate. No one recognizes what I can handle and what I cannot. After all these years, he’s still the only person who knows me, who truly knows who I am.

  Internally, I groan.

  Karma is one fucked up bitch.

  “Someone got lucky last night.”

  Boiling hot coffee sears my throat. “Goddammit.”

  Amused, Jasper watches as I guzzle a glass of water. “You okay?”

  “Other than third degree burns to my larynx? Fine.”

  My brother smirks before averting his gaze and staring pointedly at Drake. I flop back in my seat, relieved.

  Drake winks but remains silent.

  “Well?” Jasper presses.

  The lead singer of Willow’s band leans back in his chair, crossing muscular arms over a broad chest. There’s no denying his shit-eating grin. “I don’t kiss and tell, man.”

  “Bullshit.” The words leave my mouth before I can chase them back.

  Jasper throws his head back, laughing. “She’s got you there, bro. You never shut up about the women you bag.” He wags his eyebrows. “Until now.”

  “What can I say?” Drake replies. “I woke up a new man.”

  “Bullshit.” This time it’s Willow who calls him out. “The waitress slipped you her number with your bacon and eggs.” She narrows her gaze. “And you’ve already programmed it into your phone.”

  “I have?” Drake pulls his cell from his pocket. “Huh. So I have.” He scratches the back of his neck, confused.

  “You operate on autopilot now?” Willow shakes her head, muttering, “Unbelievable.”

  Drake furrows his brows, tapping on his phone. Distractedly, he pushes a lock of cobalt hair from his face. With his high cheekbones, chiseled jawline, and penetrating blue eyes, the man could pass as a GQ model. Once finished, he turns his screen to Willow. “Deleted. Happy now?”

  “I will be when you get rid of the napkin in your pocket. You know, the one from the other waitress?”

  Rolling his eyes, Drake reaches into his back pocket. He pulls out a napkin with the word Natasha and a phone number scrawled underneath it. Tearing it into tiny pieces, he scatters the remains onto his empty plate. Once done, he raises an eyebrow at Willow.

  She nods, appeased. “Just looking out for you. You can’t perform at your best if you’ve got chlamydia.” Without another word, Willow digs into her omelette.

  Nudging her with my elbow, I mutter, “So much for a quiet breakfast.”

  “Sorry,” she mouths. “I thought they’d be too hung over to come.”

  Reid is silent.

  Without meaning to, my gaze rests on him. He’s sitting opposite me; his faded blue T-shirt doing a craptastic job of covering wide shoulders and pronounced pecs. The material is stretched so tightly, I can see the outline of his nipple ring. My mouth waters. I’m like Pavlov’s dog with that thing. Surreptitiously wiping the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand, I shift my focus to my plate.

  “Well?”

  I look at my brother. Glancing around the table, I discover three pairs of eyes fixed on me. One pair is still staring at his coffee. “Well, what?”

  Jasper rolls his eyes. “I said, where did you get to last night?”

  “Yeah,” Drake adds, unhelpful as always. “You disappeared on us at Hoptical Illusion. Tobias was pissed.”

  I massage my temples, frustrated when it does nothing to ease my throbbing head. Reid was right—I should have taken the water when he offered it last night. Turns out, too much beer and sexy times makes Shiloh hung over as hell.

  And horny.

  Oh boy, am I horny.

  Grimacing, I attempt to wave off my not-so-subtle departure as unimportant. Sadly, no one is buying it.

  “Well?”

  “Bloody hell, Jasper.” I glare at him. “You’re worse than a Stepford wife. Get the hell out of my business.”

  “You totally got laid.”

  “What?” I’m surprised the glass in my hand doesn’t shatter. Lord knows the resonant frequency was high enough.

  The table erupts into laughter. I hate them all.

  Drake wipes away a tear. “You totally got boned.”

  “Who even says that? You’re disgusting.”

  Drake ignores my outburst. “How would you rate the lucky man? What would you give him out of ten? Assuming one means he needed an air traffic controller to find your pussy and ten means he’s Fabio’s spawn.”

  “You cannot be serious.”

  “Oh, but he is.” There’s a devilish glint in Jasper’s eye. I don’t trust it, not one bit. “What score, sis?”

  I try to catch Willow’s eye, only she’s too busy giggling into her breakfast to be of any help. “You all suck. I’m not rating anything.”

  “Why not?”

  The table is silent as all eyes turn to Reid. I swallow. Damn, I need to record his voice and have it on repeat. The low, smooth tenor sends frenzied tingles up and down my spine. Clearly they’re as confused as I am.

  It takes a minute to get my shit together. And then another because I want to make him wait. “Now you speak?” Husky. I’m so flipping obvious.

  The corner of Reid’s mouth twitches, but other than that, his features remain schooled. It takes everything I have not to launch myself across the table and dry hump his leg. In my defense, he looks mighty fine in those jeans.

  “Well, this is awkward.” I roll the empty glass in my fingers. “I mean, if I give the guy a low score, he’ll have a performance complex for the rest of his life.”

  “Though it could be well deserved.” Willow grins.

  I smile back, her previous reticence forgiven. “True.”

  There’s a distinct growl.

  “But on the other hand, if I give him a high score—”

  “Which he could have earned,” Drake interjects, his gaze darting between Reid and me.

  Inclining my head, I nod. “Maybe. But if I do that, he’ll get an inflated ego, won’t he? It’s a lose-lose situation, guys.�
�� Tapping my chin, I muse, “Maybe I should give him a five?”

  “A five?” Reid’s expression is murderous.

  “Yeah.” I smirk. “It’s a solid number, halfway between terrible and mind-blowing. There’s no shame in that, surely?”

  “I wouldn’t know,” Reid growls.

  “No?”

  Jasper’s smile is wide. “I’d be a ten for sure.”

  Willow snorts.

  “What about you, Drake?” my brother asks.

  “Can I score higher than a ten?” The boys give each other a high five while I throw up a little in my mouth.

  Willow scrunches her nose in distaste. “I’m done here.” She places some cash on the table and stands. “What about you, Shiloh?”

  Purposely avoiding Reid’s gaze, I pull some money from my pocket and place it next to my plate. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

  After smacking my brother upside the head and nodding to Drake, I follow Willow out of the café.

  Once we’re on the sidewalk, she holds up her keys. “Do you want a lift to Rising Star?”

  I shake my head. “Thanks, but we don’t need to be there for a couple of hours. Reckon I’m gonna head to the beach. Fresh air and all.”

  She nods. “No problem. We still on for tonight?”

  “Tonight?”

  “Don’t you remember?”

  I shake my head. It hurts.

  “The boys came up with the idea at Hoptical Illusion. We’re heading out again. It’ll be our last hurrah before the competition really heats up.”

  A wave of nausea rolls through me, and it’s not from drinking too much last night. “Can I let you know?”

  “Sure.” Willow smiles. “See you.” With a wave, she leaves.

  Half an hour later, I’m sitting on a large weathered rock, taking in the vista before me. The ocean is calm. The turquoise water lazily laps the shoreline, the sparkling sunlight shimmering off its surface. Thankfully, I can soak up a healthy dose of vitamin D without wanting to hurl. It’s the little things in life that matter.

  Footsteps approach from behind me. “A five?”

  I’d bet my Fender, Reid’s face is a picture of calm. However, underneath, a storm is brewing. Licking suddenly dry lips, I refuse to avert my gaze from the ocean. “Knew you wouldn’t be able to let it go. You always were a perfectionist.”

  Tendrils of my long hair are swept to one side and goose bumps appear on my exposed shoulder. I shiver.

  Reid leans in close, whispering, “Was it a five when my fingers thrust inside your wet pussy?”

  My eyes drift shut.

  “Was it a five when my mouth worshipped your clit?”

  I bite my bottom lip.

  “Was it a five when you begged me, over and over again, to let you come?” He takes my earlobe between his teeth, biting it.

  Moaning, I arch my back, raising my arms above my head and wrapping them around his neck. He’s too far away. I need him closer. Reid cups my heavy breasts, ignoring the fact we’re outside in broad daylight. Thankfully, this part of the beach is relatively quiet.

  “Well?” He pushes them up and together.

  I whimper. “You were never a five. Never.”

  Reid kisses the top of my shoulder before releasing me. I sense him stepping back. “I must have been in the past.”

  Scrambling to my feet, I spin around to face him. “What?”

  Tension radiates off his ridiculously cut body. I blink. It’s absurd how even when he’s pissed, I can’t stop ogling his muscles. Strong hands clench and unclench by his sides.

  Raising my chin, I glare at him. “Are you kidding me right now? Is this your idea of a sick joke?” Trembling with rage, I step forward. “That night meant everything to me. Everything. I gave you my virginity, for fuck’s sake. You think I would do that with just anyone?”

  Crossing his arms, he shrugs. “You’re the one who left, remember? I’d barely pulled out and you were gone.”

  “You’re talking shit.”

  “Then why did I wake up in an empty bed?” His booming voice echoes off the rocks. “You promised me forever but didn’t even last the night.”

  Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath. It does nothing to calm me down and sweet fuck all to stop the painful memory. Contrary to what Reid thinks, I didn’t leave straight away. No. When he fell asleep, I remained nestled in his arms. My fingers traced his lips and skimmed the line of his jaw. I even marveled at the way his dark eyelashes contrasted against his soft skin. I stayed for hours, damn it, memorizing every feature on his stupidly perfect face. It was the last time I’d ever let myself touch him.

  Reid’s voice is harsh. “There was no note, no message, no motherfucking phone call. You blocked my number and didn’t answer the door when I came to your house. You cut me out of your life without a single word.” His gaze narrows. “Without a fuckin’ reason.”

  “No reason?” My voice is incredulous. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  His jaw ticks.

  “I did it for you.” Fisted hands perch on my hips. “Do you remember whose idea it was to go to that concert?”

  Silence.

  “Mine.” I step closer. “Do you remember whose idea it was to push our way into the mosh pit?”

  Silence.

  “Mine.” I shift forward again. “Do you remember becoming separated when the crowd surged forward? When four innocent victims were crushed to death? When all hell broke loose?”

  Silence.

  “I put you in danger! I did that!” My voice catches. I hate it. “It’s like I’m fucking cursed.”

  “Your parents’ death wasn’t your fault.”

  “Bullshit. They wouldn’t have been on the road if it hadn’t been for me.” When I shake my head, hair falls into my eyes. No cares given. “And I’ll never forgive myself. Not for what happened to them and not for what almost happened to you. Never.”

  Reid is so close, his breath warms my face.

  Straightening my shoulders, I refuse to drown in his gaze. “You have every right to hate me, but trust me when I tell you, I hate myself more.” After taking a deep, steadying breath, I exhale. “I’ve got to go. I’ll see you later.”

  With a heavy heart, I begin the long walk to Rising Star.

  Tobias is setting up his drums when I finally make it to the rehearsal studio. “Hey.”

  “Hey.”

  He doesn’t look up. Something is off. Thinking back over the past twenty-four hours, I can’t think of anything that would have caused this epic cold front.

  “You all right?”

  Tobias shrugs.

  Yep, he’s freezing me out. I’m surprised my ears haven’t fallen off from frostbite.

  “Okay.” I draw out the word, lengthening the two syllables until something other than tension fills the loaded silence. With hands on my hips, I face him. “Wanna tell me what’s got your panties in a twist?”

  Silence.

  “Tobias?”

  More silence.

  Shaking my head, I grumble, “This conversation isn’t finished. You’re not going radio silent on me again.” Stomping to the corner of the room, I yank my mic out of its steel case.

  Tobias must be stewing on whatever crawled up his ass because whenever he overthinks, he turns silent. It’s the silence that worries me.

  Before his suicide attempt, he was quiet and withdrawn. It was as though he shut down all communication with those closest to him. I still kick myself for not trying harder. For not staying with him, night and day, until he opened up about what was troubling him. But I didn’t. I left my best friend to himself, thinking he would come back to me when he was good and ready. Rookie mistake.

  I’m so lost in my thoughts, I don’t even notice Reid. However, when I turn, he is there. “What are you doing?”

  At my exclamation, both men glance up from Tobias’s phone.

  No one says a word.

  My gaze darts from the phone to my best friend. He’s scowling. My ey
es then travel to Reid. Something flickers in his silver depths then disappears. I hate not knowing what it is. Lust? Anger? Disappointment? No idea.

  “Well?” Snappish. Nailed it.

  Tobias finally speaks. “What does it look like? I asked Reid here so I could get his opinion on the latest drum fills tutorial.” He narrows his gaze. “You got a problem with that?”

  “No, of course not.” I huff. “Why would I mind? I’d have to give half a shit first and I don’t. Hell, I don’t even give a quarter of a shit, not even the tiniest of plops in his royal highness’s ceramic throne.” Words fall out my mouth one cataclysm at a time. Why my brain continuously chooses to hit abort mission, I’ll never know.

  “How about we go over this later, Tobias?” Reid slaps my best friend on the shoulder and gives him a smile before striding to the door.

  Tobias exhales, scrubbing one hand down his face. “Yeah, sure. Later.”

  Reid reaches for the doorknob.

  “Wait,” I call. He pauses, his back to me, and my voice becomes traitorously soft. “Will I see you before our next performance?”

  The room is quiet. The tension intensifies, as though we’re all waiting for something, but I’m not sure what. If it’s my intelligence, we might be waiting a while.

  After what feels like forever, Reid nods. It is the tiniest of movements, but I notice. He then leaves without a word.

  The moment the door closes, Tobias rounds on me. “Fucking hell, Shiloh.”

  “What?”

  “I told you not to fall for the guy.”

  Taking a decided step back, I stare at him incredulously. “Are you on crack? Is this some really bad high? Half an hour ago, you had me in the freezer, and now you’re dragging me over hot coals? What the hell is your problem?”

  Tobias gestures to the door. “What was that all about?”

  “I already told you, he’s helping me out.” I stop. It all suddenly falls into place. “You sneaky bastard.” Stalking toward my soon-to-be ex-best friend, I growl, “Tobias Richard Thackery, did you set up that meet-and-greet on purpose?”

  He doesn’t deny it. Instead, a stubborn expression crosses his face. It’s the one that makes me want to throat-punch him. “I’m not blind. I know you both left together last night, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened after.”