I averted my eyes. When I glanced up again, Ian was gone. Damon was staring at me. Even though I was inside the office and he was out in the hallway, I took a step back, nervous, wondering what he was going to do. Wondering if he was upset with me again.
Damon tilted his head, giving me a thoughtful look, not glaring or glowering like he usually did when I was around. Instead, he lifted his chin up in acknowledgment.
Thank you, he mouthed.
My shoulders slumped in relief, no longer tense. I nodded back at him.
The corners of Damon's lips quirked up briefly as he walked away to join his twin.
Chapter Thirty
I walked out of the Etude building, intending to take public transit home. I hadn't expected to see Ian's expensive Spider Venom, or whatever, parked out front. I certainly hadn't expected to see Ian waiting for me. He leaned casually against the passenger side door, shades covering his eyes.
I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, unsure how he was going to greet me. I'd gone behind his back to August. Everything had worked out in the end, though. Would Ian see it that way?
"Need a ride?" was all he said.
I bit my lip, but nodded. Ian opened the door for me. I slid in, clutching my bag nervously.
He didn't say anything as he drove. I snuck glances at him, but he didn't look my way.
After several minutes I realized we weren't going in the right direction.
"You missed the turn off," I said with a questioning tone.
"We're not going to your place."
"Oh."
Surely Ian couldn't be upset with me if he were taking me to his place.
"I want us to be able to talk in private," he added.
Oh.
My heart sank. I slumped back in my seat. Maybe he wanted to yell at me without anyone overhearing.
We made it up to his condo in silence. I fidgeted, taking off my shoes, putting my bag on an end table, checking my phone, all to avoid him. When I finally couldn't put it off anymore, I lifted my gaze to his. I found myself staring into narrowed, brilliant green eyes.
"Why?" he said simply.
"Because I was worried about you."
"I told you not to worry."
"I couldn't stand by and do nothing. If something else had happened, if you'd gotten seriously hurt, I'd never be able to forgive myself."
His mouth was twisted. He was upset with me. "Nothing else was going to happen."
"You said the whole twins thing made it worse. Now you don't have to worry about that. We all talked about it. Your brother agreed. No more Damian. You'll just be Ian and Damon Drake."
He stared at me silently for several long moments, before flopping onto the sofa with a heavy thump.
"I know I said The Twins thing bothered me. But I don't know if…"
I understood immediately. I went to him, tucking myself next to his side. "You don't know if you can just be Ian anymore?"
He nodded hesitantly. "We've been Damian for so long. I don't know who Ian is anymore."
I threw my arms around his neck. "I know who Ian is."
"What if just Ian isn't enough?"
"You are enough. You're not your brother, Ian. You're different. You're your own person. Even if no one else can see it, I can."
Ian brought his hands to my face, cupping my cheeks. "You're the only one who does."
"Soon everyone else will, too."
He leaned forward to rest his forehead against mine. "You know why I agreed to a fling?"
"Because you wanted me."
His lips curved upward. "That, too. But the real reason? I wanted time to prove myself to you."
"Prove what?"
He looked into my eyes. "I wasn't lying when I said you were special."
My heart clenched. Before, I'd brushed his words off. I'd thought they were just something he said to all the girls.
"It's like I said," he continued. "I don't want you to just be another notch on my bedpost. I thought, this girl is the first person to see me. To really see me. I thought maybe, we could have something real." Ian searched my eyes. I don't know what he saw in them, but he leaned backwards, closing his eyes and thumping his head against the wall. "You don't believe me. Damian's reputation makes you doubt whether I'm telling the truth or giving you a line."
I swallowed hard. I wanted to believe his words. I did.
He cracked open one eye. "You know, I don't even sleep with that many girls."
"What do you mean?" I asked, taken aback.
"All that stuff in the media about The Twins. It's almost all my brother. But since no one can tell the difference, they think we're both sleeping around."
"Ian, I've seen you flirt with anything that walks."
He gave me a small smile. "I never said I didn't use my charm to get my own way. But it's almost always Damon who's getting blowjobs backstage and taking girls back to the tour bus." He met my eyes. "I don't want you thinking I'm going to cheat on you or leave you for someone else. I don't do that kind of thing."
My heart melted in my chest a little at his reassurance.
"I have something to show you." Ian stood from the sofa and held out his hand. "Will you come?"
I hesitated for a moment before taking his hand.
Ian brought me to a room that housed a small recording studio.
"I was sort of lying in that interview." He sat me on a chair, facing him, only inches away. Our knees almost touched. He slung a guitar strap over his shoulder. An acoustic guitar, not electric. He played with the strap, adjusting it, and fiddled with the tuning before letting out a self conscious laugh.
"I don't know why I'm so nervous," he confessed.
"Did you write your own song for the album?" I guessed.
"Kind of. I wrote a song, at least. It's not going to be on the album. I wasn't going to show it to anyone. But…" he trailed off, piercing me with his gaze. "I think it might help you understand."
He put pick to strings and began to sing.
I knew how well he played, but I hadn't known Ian could sing as well. It was different from Noah. Not as gravely, not as passionate and fiery. His voice was softer. Steady yet sensual, like a slow burn.
It's all a masquerade
Can't stand the pressure
I need an escape
Need to run for shelter
I was so entranced with his voice, I wasn't paying attention to the words at first. Then their meaning drifted in.
Your searching eyes
They see what's real
What's hiding inside
I knew exactly what those words meant. My heart ached for Ian.
It was all a masquerade
Until our bodies joined together
Simply speak my name
And I'll promise you forever
My heart pounded in my chest. Was I reading him right? The meaning behind those words… was it wishful thinking?
The song ended with one final note. Ian slowly lifted his head, coming out of his trance. He met my stare, flicking his gaze from one eye to another, examining me.
I bit my lip.
I didn't want to get hurt again. I didn't want Ian to break my heart.
But as I looked at him, breathing soft, shallow breaths, seeing the longing on his face, I finally understood.
I was the one with the power to break his.
I had to let go. I had to trust. I couldn't let the past get in the way of my future.
I leaned forward and cupped Ian's cheeks, like he had mine. He parted his lips to speak. I took advantage and pressed my mouth to his in a sweet kiss. He held his breath, not moving. I pulled back and met his eyes. His face lit up, flickering between hope and wonder.
"I believe you, Ian."
Chapter Thirty-One
As soon as I said those words, the hopeful look on Ian's face eased into relief. His eyes closed. He let out a shaky breath. When he opened them again there was no hint of softness in that brilliant gold-flecked green. Rel
ief had been replaced by a heated yearning, a deep longing that I knew was reflected in my own. He brought a hand to my cheek, stroking the line of my jaw. He pressed a gentle kiss to my lips.
My eyes fluttered closed. His hands stroked down my neck, along my shoulders, tracing my collarbone. He made his way back up, caressing my skin the whole way. He buried his fingers in my hair and tilted my head, angling it for a deeper kiss.
The breathy moan that left my mouth was almost embarrassing. My body always responded to his so quickly. I always gave in to him.
He seemed to love it though. Loved knowing how much he affected me. He crushed my body to his, leaving not a hairsbreadth between us. His lips left mine to kiss a path down my neck, to the hollow of my throat. He kissed and sucked, dipping his tongue in and out of the small indentation, mimicking the act he'd done to me so many times already.
The memory of his tongue dipping into other, more intimate places, had me trembling, anticipation and need racing through me.
He cupped my breasts, thumbs brushing back and forth against my nipples. They peaked in arousal. He bent down, bringing his mouth to my chest. He lightly nibbled on one stiff nub through the thin fabric of my dress. I shivered as a spike of heat went to the apex of my thighs.
Gentle fingers trailed down my sides to my hips, to the hem of my dress. Ian bunched it up to my waist, exposing my panties. One knee nudged between my legs. The rough scratch of his jeans against my inner thighs sent heat flooding through me. I couldn't help but grind down against him. The friction against my most sensitive spot had me reeling. An ache flared up between my legs.
He slipped underneath the elastic of my panties. I gasped as he brushed lightly against my clit. He avoided it, continuing his search until he found my already wet folds. I moaned as two fingers stroked the valley between my thighs.
"Already so wet." He sounded inordinately pleased with himself. "Can't wait to bury myself inside you."
His knee nudged me, encouraging me to part my legs further, allowing him more access. I did so, using me hands on his shoulders to keep my balance.
Those questing fingers spread me open and teased at my entrance. A single finger stroked in circles until I was bucking my hips, trying to get closer, trying to get more.
"Please," I breathed.
With a satisfied hum, Ian plunged his finger inside me. I choked out a gasp, fingers digging into the firm muscles of his shoulders. He slid in and out, rough, calloused skin rasping against my inner walls. I clenched down, pulsing around him.
He continued thrusting in and out, going faster and faster, matching the speed of my increasingly heavy breaths. I threw my head back, getting close.
He withdrew his fingers. I moaned in disappointment.
"I want you to come on my tongue."
I nearly came from those words alone.
He unzipped the back of my dress, letting it fall to the floor. A quick snap of fingers and my bra followed. He hooked his fingers in my panties and pulled them down as he knelt before me on the floor. I stepped out of them and he sent them flying. Spreading my legs wider, he leaned forward until he was inches away from me, until I could feel his warm breath on me.
He buried his face between my thighs and placed a soft kiss right above my clit. My stomach muscles clenched. He slowly dragged his tongue up between my folds. He was slow, but deliberate, licking me in just the right places, in just the right way. He continued like that, licking up and down. He knew exactly what to do to make me tremble, to make me moan. But still it wasn't enough. He wasn't paying attention to where I needed him the most.
I ground against him, rocking back and forth. He stilled me with his hands on my hips, slowing my movements, making me accept his slow pace. I whined and tugged at his hair. He let out a deep chuckle, but didn't speed up. He continued his slow, leisurely exploration of my folds.
Eventually he had enough of licking. He spread my folds with his thumbs and delved inside me as deep as he could go, dipping his tongue in and out. My legs shook as I clung to him, barely able to keep standing. The onslaught continued, repeating the motion over and over, until I was nearly mad with pleasure.
He retreated from my entrance, licking another line up my slit. Finally, his tongue reached my clit. Using the tip of his tongue he circled it, teasing and playing, until I was a panting, squirming mess. Grasping at his soft hair, I pulled him closer.
With no warning, he sucked my clit into his mouth. I cried out and tightened my grip in his hair, urging him on. That deft tongue licked and stroked, that talented mouth sucked and caressed at length. I bucked my hips, but he wouldn't go any faster, wouldn't give in to my demands to speed up.
His hands traveled up my body. He reached my nipples. Using a thumb and forefinger he tweaked them, pinching lightly. The sensation sent pleasure straight to my core. My insides throbbed and pulsed, the ache almost enough to send me over the edge.
"Ian…" I choked out his name, unable to form words, unable to plead for more.
He understood what I needed.
He slipped two fingers into me and crooked them forward, hitting a spot inside me that made stars explode across my vision. I inhaled sharply, throat closing up, not able to make a single sound as I reached my peak. My limbs trembled with the force of it. Only the grip of his hand on my hip and my hands clinging to his shoulders kept me upright.
He continued licking and sucking, easing me through it, until it was almost painful.
"S-stop. Stop." I gasped, pulling at his hair. "It's too much."
He stood, wrapping his arms around me and holding me close.
His hard length dug into my hip. He still wore his shirt and jeans. My mouth almost watered, knowing what was hidden beneath that dark denim.
"You're overdressed," I told him.
With one quick motion he flung his shirt over his head. Small indentations on his shoulders revealed where my nails has bitten into his skin, even through his thin t-shirt.
I ran my hands up and down, enjoying the warmth of those firm muscles under my fingers. I pressed a soft kiss to the center of his chest. That familiar spicy scent, something utterly masculine, made my head swim.
I wanted more of that scent. I wanted to surround myself with it. I wanted to taste it on my tongue.
I reached for the zipper on his pants. I slowly unzipped it and I lowered myself to the ground in front of him. My eyes met his as I pulled him out. His eyes burned with an inner fire as I took him in my hand.
"You gonna wrap those sweet lips around me?"
I let out a shuddering breath as I nodded.
His fingers sifted through the strands of my hair, pushing it back from my face. I leaned forward and sucked the tip into my mouth. He groaned softly, the grip in my hair tightening. I swirled my tongue around the tip, enjoying the taste of him. I closed my eyes and let out a soft moan. The vibrations went through his cock. He let out a choked sound.
"Do that again," he demanded.
I did, moaning around his cock, wanton and adoring. He groaned, sounding almost overwhelmed. I slid him further into my mouth, moaning the entire way. I made a firm circle with my lips, letting the head pop in and out, sucking on the withdrawal and licking as he slid back in.
He tugged on my hair, pulling me closer. I bobbed my head forward, taking more of him, until he reached the back of my mouth. I almost gagged, but suppressed it. He cursed again.
"Can you take me deeper, sweetness?" His voice held a hint of dark lust. "Can you take me all the way down?"
I met his eyes, my mouth still full of his cock. I nodded once. I closed my eyes again and slid down his stiff length, my lips wet and slick, making for an easy passage. Easy, until he reached my throat. I stopped short.
"Take a deep breath, sweetheart," he encouraged, stroking my hair softly.
I inhaled slowly. His hand on the back of my head urged me on. I took him deep, deeper than I ever had. His length slide along my tongue, the smooth skin of it a wonderful texture agai
nst my tongue. I concentrated on breathing shallowly, trying not to cough. Finally my nose touched his abdomen, until his cockhead was all the way down.
"Shit," he grunted. "Can't fucking believe you took my entire cock."
His hand fisted my hair, keeping me there, keeping his cock buried inside my throat for long moments. I fought not to gag, taking shallow breaths.
He tugged me back, until the tip popped out of my mouth. I took a shuddering gasp of air. I looked up through my lashes to meet his gaze.
"You taste so good," I breathed.
His eyes blazed, turning dark. He urged me forward again. I opened my mouth, letting his cock slid along my tongue, until he hit the back of my throat again. I struggled to relax the muscles, wanting him deeper. He pulled me back up, then down again, making me take him. I let him control the pace, using my lips and tongue to lick and suck whenever I could, and letting my throat relax and take him inside whenever he reached its depths.
Finally, his cock twitched and throbbed against my tongue. I knew he was close. I forced myself to take him all the way, clamping my mouth down around him and swallowing.
"Fuck!" he cursed out loud and fisted my hair in his hand. Warm, wet liquid filled my mouth, hitting the back of my throat. I savored the taste, drinking all of him down.
When he finally began to soften I pulled back. I took him in my hand and used my tongue to clean him, getting every last drop.
The grip on my hair loosed. Gentle fingers caressed my cheeks, thumbs stroking the underside of my jaw.
"Thank you," he whispered.
I stood and threw my arms around him. "There's no need to thank me. I love tasting you."
He buried his face in my neck. "I meant, thank you for believing me."
"I'm sorry it took me so long."
"I don't blame you." He let out a rueful laugh. "The Twins have a reputation."
I shook my head. "No. It wasn't that. Or, it wasn't just that. I—" I paused, wondering how much to tell him. I pulled back and met his eyes. "I got hurt, once. It almost destroyed me."
Hard Rock Fling: A Rock Star Romance Page 18