“What?” She finally sets her phone down and looks at me. “Is that true?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
She rolls her eyes at me. “What do you want, Madden? I’m not feeling up to playing any games right now. Especially after what you just pulled out there. I told you to stop and you kept dancing.”
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. But I’m not sorry about making you feel good, Nat. You deserve more attention than you get.”
“How do you know what kind of attention I do and don’t get?” she asks angrily. “Your brother isn’t as neglectful with me as you might think.”
“Come on. I’ve never seen my brother touch you. Does he even grab your ass like I did out there? Because it’s a beautiful fucking ass and deserves to be grabbed and bit and whatever else you want done to it.” I shouldn’t have said what I just did, but I can’t help myself right now. Maybe I had a few too many drinks too, because more unwanted words spill out. “My hands would be all over it twenty-four-seven if you were mine. Probably my tongue too.”
She swallows nervously and clears her throat. “He touches my ass plenty.” It’s a lie and even she knows it. Her nervous expression gives her away. “Your brother knows what he’s doing with me. In fact, sex with him is the best sex I’ve ever had.”
Not sure why that last part annoys me, but it does. “Because you haven’t had me,” I say with confidence. “But enough about my brother for tonight. We’re both a little tipsy and need some downtime. I already told the others we’re going to spend some time alone in the hot tub. We can talk for a while. About anything you want.”
With my eyes on hers, I yank my shirt over my head and toss it aside with a smirk. “Undress.”
“Undress?” she questions. “You mean change?”
I laugh as I kick my jeans aside and adjust my boxer briefs. “Your underwear is fine. I’ve already seen you in them. Besides, your bathing suit is more revealing.”
“I’m wearing a thong,” she mutters. “It’s definitely more revealing than my bathing suit.”
“Do you feel like changing back into your bathing suit?”
She shakes her head. “Not really.”
“Then wear your underwear. No one’s going to see you but me.” I cover my eyes. “Here. I’ll even cover my eyes while you strip if you want.”
“Fine. Throw me that clean towel over there.”
I smile and throw her the towel she asked for. “Let me know when I can look.”
“You can look,” she says a few moments later.
I remove my hand to see her wrapped in the fluffy white towel. “Looks good on you,” I joke. “Sexiest towel I’ve ever seen.”
She cracks a smile. “Shut your face before I change my mind and go to bed instead.”
“I’ll behave the rest of the night. I promise.”
She hesitates for a moment, before following me through the cabin and out the side door that leads to the hot tub. There’s a small deck around it which gives us some much-needed privacy.
I know it’s been a long day of pretending for Natalie, and I need to do my best not to wear her out or piss her off too much before this trip is over. Plus, I need some time away from Alana anyway. I don’t think I can take her eyes on me any more tonight.
“So what do you want to talk about?” I ask after we’re both settled on opposite sides of the hot tub. “The hotel? My brother? I’m all ears.”
“I pretty much hate my job, so I’d rather not talk about that right now.”
“Fair enough.” I place my locked hands behind my head and get comfortable. “So my brother it is. How did you meet?”
“He never told you?”
I shake my head. “We don’t usually talk about things like that.”
“We met at Beggie’s—the diner he was supposed to meet me for lunch at yesterday. He was taking a lunch break from the office that day and I had just gotten done with my shift at the hotel. I overheard him cussing at someone on the phone and laughed at his seriousness.”
“And then he came over to give you a piece of his mind?”
“Yup. Told me to mind my own business. When I told him to fuck off, he took a seat instead and apologized for his confrontation.”
“Sounds like him. Always with that stick up his ass.”
She tries not to laugh at the last part, but I catch her up before she wipes her smile away and crosses her arms. “What next?”
“How many times have you seen me in concert?”
“What makes you think I’ve seen you in concert?”
“You have at least once.” I smile at the way her cheeks flush. “Did you really think I didn’t notice you in the crowd? A few months after you started dating my brother—we hadn’t met yet actually—you showed up at that concert we put on in LA. It was a smaller venue than usual, and you caught my eye in the front of the crowd. I didn’t know who you were at the time, but I recognized you the moment my brother introduced us for the first time.”
“You noticed me that night?” she asks softly. “How? There had to be close to three hundred people there that night.”
“And none of them stood out but you,” I admit. “The girl with the mahogany hair that disappeared rather quickly. I looked for you for like two songs before I finally realized you probably left. Was I right?”
She hesitates before nodding.
“Why did you leave?”
“The truth?”
“The truth…”
“I couldn’t stop staring at my boyfriend’s brother and it made me feel guilty. That mixed with the emotions you possessed while you sang was too intense for me and I had to get out of there.”
“Kind of like tonight?” I say, pushing more boundaries. “I saw the look in your eyes before you walked away, Nat.” I add when she doesn’t respond quick enough. “It’s okay to feel that way. Most girls do, and that’s not me being cocky. Music is supposed to make you feel that way. It’s supposed to make you feel something. That’s why I love doing it.”
“Why does it make me feel guilty then? Like I’m doing something wrong?”
“Do you want to do something wrong?”
Her mouth opens as if she’s about to speak, but the side door opening has me pulling her across the hot tub and into my lap.
“Hey, guys.” Jess pops her head around the privacy wall so she can see us. “Just wanted to make sure you’re feeling better, Natalie. Madden said you needed to cool off because you had a little too much to drink. Sorry if I made yours too strong.”
“I’m fine,” Natalie confirms. “Just needed a few minutes to calm down and gather my thoughts.”
“Nothing wrong with that, hon. Especially when you have, well… you know who to deal with. You don’t know any of us very well and I’m sure it’s not easy being here.” She pauses for a second to smile when I kiss Natalie’s neck to comfort her. “But I’m glad you came. Even if Alana is freaking out on me every chance she gets. I’m not going to pretend I don’t like you just because she doesn’t. So just know that I do and so does everyone else, Alana excluded, of course. But that can’t be helped.”
“Thanks for checking on her.” I should’ve known she would, because that’s how Jess is. “And thanks for being supportive, Jess.”
“Always. We just brought out some blankets to lay around the fire and hang out. No one is really drinking or talking much anymore. I grabbed an extra blanket in case you want to join us after the hot tub.”
“Thanks, Jess. That was nice of you,” Natalie says from my lap, where my arms are tightly wrapped around her waist. “Sounds like a good idea.”
“Okay, good!” Jess offers a friendly smile before turning around when Alana calls her name from inside. “I better go before Alana comes out here looking for me. I know she’s dying for an excuse to come spy on the two of you.”
“Are you wanting to join them?” I ask once we’re alone. “All it’ll require is me cuddling you on the blanket. Yo
u can pretend I’m my brother if it helps. We don’t even have to talk.”
She looks as if she wants to say something, but instead, she just nods and moves out of my lap. “Yeah. Cuddling by the fire sounds nice.”
That’s something we both can agree on.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Natalie
I haven’t been able to stop thinking about mine and Madden’s conversation in the hot tub since we climbed out and changed into dry clothes. The fact that he noticed me before his brother introduced us has been on my mind since the moment he admitted it.
Out of all the women at the concert that night, I stood out to him. He noticed me and even looked for me when I disappeared. That’s going to screw with my head for a long time after this trip is over. I hate it, but it will.
Madden is first to take a seat on the empty blanket, before he grabs my hand to pull me down to him. I’m not surprised when he immediately guides me between his legs and wraps me up in his arms. What I am surprised by is how good it feels to be held by him. If I’m being honest, I don’t think his brother has ever held me like this before.
His arms and legs wrapped around me make me feel so warm and protected. A fire isn’t needed right now; just him.
“You comfortable?” he asks quietly.
I nod. “Very, actually.”
He smiles against my cheek, before whispering, “I’ve always been good at cuddling. You can borrow me anytime after this trip is over, as long as it’s in bed.”
I pinch his arm playfully. “Ha. Ha. Always with the jokes. Do they ever get old?”
“Not really. You should know this by now.”
I sort of do. He’s always been the playful type. Just in a different way than this weekend.
“Is it bad that I’m already tired?” Jess yawns from her place in Jake’s arms. “It feels like it’s close to two a.m. already. I think I’m getting old.”
“It’s barely nine,” Walker points out. “It’s probably from playing volleyball. Plus, we all stayed up late as shit last night.” He rolls over on his back and locks his fingers behind his head. His eyes land on me. “I could go all night long. I don’t get tired.”
“That’s a fucking lie,” Seth says on a laugh. “That’s not what Nicole said last Summer.”
“Fuck off,” Walker mutters in response to Seth, pulling his eyes from me suddenly. I wonder if it’s because of Madden. Whatever the reason, I’m thankful. “I was so drunk I could barely walk. She’s lucky she got the ten pumps she did before I passed out on top of her. I guarantee they were the best ten pumps of her life.”
“Fuck that noise,” Riley adds. “She ended up in my bed two weeks later, and unlike you, I lasted more than ten pumps, brother.”
“Sounds like a lucky girl,” Alana mumbles. “I bet neither one of you losers made love to her all night, or made sure her needs were met first. Men like you two don’t put women first in the bedroom. You’re too fixated on pleasing yourselves and just expect her to come before you.” Her attention turns to Madden and my cheeks burn hot from realizing that she’s most likely comparing them to him. “I’ve only met one man who could completely satisfy me in the bedroom. I don’t expect anyone to ever compare.”
I feel Madden’s arms tighten around me, and that’s enough to turn my attention away from Alana before she catches me staring at her. My face feels tight, so I’m guessing the look on my face right now isn’t a good one. I wear my emotions more times than not.
“Soooo…” Jess clears her throat to change the subject. “Are you staying with your brother for a bit before you go back to being a famous rock star or what?”
My heart pounds with anticipation as I wait for Madden’s response. A part of me hopes he says yes, while the other part knows I should hope he says no.
“Nah, not with my brother. I’m going to stay with Nat at her place for a few days before heading back to the wild life. I want some alone time to take care of her before I leave again…” He squeezes my hip, making my heart flutter. “I have a lot to make up for from being gone so much. After this, she’s mine for a few days. Just the two of us, alone, with no distractions.”
Why do I like the sound of that?
I swallow, my mouth suddenly feeling dry.
“Lucky you!” Jess grins at me. “You’re dating probably the most loyal and loving rock star to walk this earth. You’re a lucky woman. I hope you know that.”
“I do.” I smile and rest my head on Madden’s chest. When he grabs my throat and pulls my head back so his lips hover over mine, I stop breathing for a moment.
“Say that again,” he whispers against my lips. “Tell me you’re lucky to be mine.”
“I’m lucky to be yours, Madden.” My eyes meet his, and for a second, I almost believe my own lie.
“Good. Because I’m keeping you.”
“Turn that up,” Alana mutters to Riley who is holding the remote for the music. She’s sitting on the same blanket as him, so when he doesn’t move fast enough for her, she grabs the remote and does it herself. “There… much better.” She shoots Madden a hateful look before leaning against Riley’s shoulder to keep warm.
Everyone’s quiet for a while after, just sitting around enjoying the warmth of the fire, few words spoken here and there. I have to admit that I’m enjoying the simplicity of the night. I expected every night to be nothing but a party, but it’s not like that with this group of friends and I’m thankful. This is exactly what I’d like to have with Logan and our friends back home. I crave it.
“You warm enough?” Madden whispers against my ear. Without giving me a chance to answer, his entire body is wrapped around mine, holding me closer than before. I couldn’t move away if I wanted to. “There… much better.”
“I was fine,” I say quietly. “If you hold me any tighter, you’re going to suffocate me.” But I like it. He just doesn’t need to know that.
“Then I’ll just have to resuscitate you. I’m good at mouth to mouth.” There’s slight humor in his voice, mixed with a bit of seriousness. I swallow, wondering if that’s his way of letting me know he wants to kiss me again.
We’ve already done too much kissing and there’s still a few days to get through. Avoiding kissing him as much as possible for the remainder of the trip is what I need to be doing. Kissing him gets more confusing for me each time it happens.
“I’ll take my chances.”
“Is that right?” He flips us over so that his body is pinning me to the blanket. “And why is that? My mouth getting to you, Nat?”
I suck in a breath when his hard body lowers to lay in between my legs. I don’t have to look to know that eyes are on us, which also means that Madden is most likely going to take this position to his advantage. “Like I said before… no.”
He positions his weight on one elbow, moving his free hand to caress my cheek as he lowers his mouth to just right above mine. “I think we need to test that out.” When I shake my head, he whispers. “Everyone’s watching us. Let me treat you like my girl.”
“You said cuddling,” I point out. “Not making out.”
“Plans change.” I close my eyes when his finger moves to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “It’s all for show, Nat. If you can’t handle that then clearly you lied about my mouth having no effect on you.”
I can’t let him believe that, so I wrap my arm around his neck and yank him to me, my lips instantly parting for his. The softness of them mixed with the little growl he releases has me pulling him closer and playing my part. Although, at this point, I can’t tell if it’s just for show or partially due to the liquor I’ve consumed tonight. If it was just for show, then why I do feel slightly guilty? Logan agreed to this, I remind myself.
That reminder has me holding onto him even after his tongue dips into my mouth, causing my heart to jumpstart. He tastes of whiskey, cigarettes, and everything I crave right now.
“Holy fuck, Nat,” he breathes when finally breaking the kiss. “Either you’
re really good at acting or you’re beginning to enjoy my mouth on yours. Which is it?”
“Stop talking and get off of me,” I say quietly.
He rolls off me and immediately pulls me back into his arms, his warm, hard body surrounding every inch of me. He’s giving me something I’ve craved from his brother since we started dating, and for that, I’m angry at him. Angry that this is pretend and angry that when I get back home, I’ll go back to not having this.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Madden
Everyone’s been lost in the music, just drinking and relaxing for the last hour, and here I am still thinking about the way Natalie tasted. I expected her to reject my tongue, but instead, her kiss became needy as if she wanted it just as much as I did.
It’s been fucking with my head since the moment I pulled away. I wanted to keep going and I almost did, but then I had to remind myself that Natalie isn’t my girl. She’s Logan’s. I knew I’d have to twist the rules a little, but when I first told myself that, I didn’t realize just how much I’d like it.
“Anyone need anything from inside?” Jess says, breaking the silence as she stands up.
“No, I’m good,” Alana says from Riley’s arms where she’s been trying to make me jealous and failing. “I think I’m about to call it a night and watch some TV.” Her attention is on me when she stands, and the fact that I don’t react to her pointing out she’s about to be alone has her expression falling. “I’ll be inside if anyone needs me.”
“Anyone else?” Jess questions.
“Nah.” I stand and reach for Natalie’s hand, pulling her to her feet. “We’re going to take a walk.”
“We are?” she asks once we’re alone, headed for the woods. “In the dark?”
“What’s wrong with the dark?” I smile and pull her to me when she hesitates. “I’ll keep you safe if that’s what you’re worried about.”
Reckless Rock Star (Cocky Hero Club) Page 15