by Thia Finn
“Yeah, I’m about to have to go. I’m spending the night with Crew tonight. I know he’s already asleep, but I promised him we’d stay together tonight. He needs to wake up in the morning seeing I followed through.” I only prayed that I’d be the dad that Hayden was to Crew someday. He had me beat all over the place.
“Well, shit, you did it again.” Hayden almost threw the controller. “This girl’ll whoop your ass on this game, dude. Don’t let her con you into thinking she’s all girly about killing.” He laughed as he stood and made his way to the doors. “See y’all in the morning, somewhere. G’night.”
“Goodnight sore loser,” Halo called after him, laughing.
“A rematch is in our near future,” he said as the door closed.
“So, big bad rock star, you ready to get your ass kicked by a girl?” She leaned over and shoved me some with her shoulder.
“Hell yeah. I’m ready to own you with this game, girl. You don’t have what it takes to be a player like me.”
“I bet that’s right.” She gave me a funny look when she said it. I knew what she referred to, and it had nothing to do with whipping me in this combat game.
When the bus driver stepped on the bus and started it a few hours later, we were in a draw on winning. Her skills matched mine in each game we played. Not too long after we started, Chan and KeeMac came back on the bus, and she acted all innocent about the bed comments so I let it go. They proceeded to take the bed instead, so we continued to play the game a while longer.
Halo finally yawned. “I’m too tired to play another game. My mind’s wasted, and I haven’t even been drinking.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean but I’m a little too keyed up to sleep now after taking out so many bad guys. You want to watch a movie or something?”
“Sure. I’m going to change, though. You choose one.” She disappeared to the bathroom and returned shortly in little boxer shorts and a tank top, sans a bra. Shit, the girl was going to test me at every step.
“You choose, and I’ll change out of these tight-ass jeans.” I put on some basketball shorts and returned to some scary movie with only the TV screen providing lights in the room. At least it wasn’t a damn chick flick. I could do scary, especially in the dark with her.
We sat up on the couch, and she pulled a small blanket over her leaning against my arm. The sweetness of her vanilla scent assaulted me. I swear it could get me hard thinking about running my nose down her body smelling that everywhere I went.
The movie’s scary scenes caused her to hide her eyes behind the blanket or behind my arm. The longer we watched, the more she moved toward me, and the closer I wanted her. I put my arm around her tucking her into my side when her body gave a little shiver. I didn’t know if it was fear or a chill, but I didn’t really care at that point. Hell, I felt like we were in high school all over again sitting on her mom’s couch with all the lights off.
A lull in the action let us both calm down a little, and I took the chance to look down at her. Her beauty that took my breath away as a teenager, did the same thing to me now. The soft brown curls framing her gorgeous face attracted my attention to her every time, but those violet eyes captivated and held me locked away in their depths.
I couldn’t resist kissing her. I leaned down and ran my lips softly across hers in a tentative kiss to make sure. I leaned back to lose myself in those eyes, and she put her hand behind my neck and pulled me back into her. This time she parted her lips and deepened the kiss herself.
It didn’t take any time to agree to her aggressiveness. I moved my tongue along the underside of hers and wrapped mine up and around hers. She rewarded me with a low moan as I slid it slowly up one side and over the top of hers. I picked her up and sat her on my lap so I could get to her more easily. She wrapped her arms around my neck so that we were touching from hips to the chest.
Her hardened nipples hiding behind the thin material of the tank rubbed across my pecs proving our arousal for each other matched. The firm peaks begged for my attention. One hand found its way under the hem of her tank and inched upward until I had the soft mound in my palm. I squeezed slightly before I slightly pinched the pebble between my thumb and index finger.
She broke the kiss on a deep moan, and I moved to her neck stopping to pull the soft skin between my teeth and slowly bite and then soothe with my tongue. Her hips moved in a stroking motion over my rock-hard cock. With her legs spread over each side of my hips, it separated her slit and through the thin materials we both wore, the heat of her core moved up and down my length.
I wrapped my hands around her hips to stop the movement before I embarrassed myself. It felt so fucking good that I knew it wouldn’t take too much to make me blow my load like a damn teenage boy.
“If you keep doing that, I’m gonna come, Halo. It feels so fucking great.” She whined a little until I replaced my dick with my hand under her sleep shorts as I slid a finger inside her wet panties. “Ugh, Halo. You’re so damn wet, babe. God. The feel of your need makes me harder.”
With her spread open, I easily accessed her stiff, swollen clit and circled it a few times without touching it. My fingers moved down to her opening and gathered the sweet juices she had waiting for me. I carried the desire back up, causing her clit to feel slick as I again circled it. She rocked against my hand wanting me to offer more relief to her growing need.
I held back and continued slipping back and forth from her opening to circling the nub until she bit my chest where she had been sucking, licking, and tracing my tattoos with her tongue and lips. When I thought she couldn’t take it anymore, I slipped two fingers inside the hot channel while my thumb played havoc with her clit. It only took a few pumps and some pressure sweeping across her inner sweet spot as my thumb circled and pushed down on her clit. She came undone.
The sound from her throat, as she bit down on my skin just above my collarbone, made me understand how hard she came, but the honey that flowed down my fingers into my palm eluded to how badly she needed what I gave her. I felt like the king of the world at that moment. The king who needed to fuck this girl like there was no tomorrow, that is.
Her breathing finally returned to a steady pace, and I thought she might have fallen asleep on me. Instead, she sat up on her knees, pushed my shorts down freeing me. She pulled her panties to the side and slid down on my swollen hard cock. The shock must have been written all over my face. I didn’t know if we would take it this far, but she had other thoughts.
“Don’t think, Carter. Don’t speak.” She fucked me like it could be a once-in-a-lifetime gift, and I sat back and let her. I took it like a dying man knowing this would be my last time, and it was the best sex I’d had in years. I think I came as hard as she did when I fingered it out of her before, or maybe it was when I pinched her clit softly while she pumped up and down on me and cried out my name on a whispered breath. When we were done, she climbed off me and walked to the bathroom. I sat there looking down the hallway waiting for her to return up the aisle. She finally did never once looking my way. She climbed into her bunk and slid the curtain behind her leaving me staring.
What the fuck just happened? I sat on the couch asking myself that over and over until I finally climbed into my bunk and fell asleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
The bus tires whirred continuing down the road. The comfort my bunk offered me was far more than simply a place to sleep. The cocoon allowed my privacy while trying to decide how today would go. Would he be waiting outside the curtain with questions? Would he pretend nothing happened? Would he expect that to happen every night?
While I hid, I asked myself some of the same kinds of questions. What did I expect to happen now? Would we be together now? The question haunting me the most was would he pretend nothing had happened? Could I handle that? The pep talk I gave myself to suck it up and be an adult allowed me to crawl out of bed and face the day.
Chandler sat at the table eating frozen waffles drowning in syrup.
/> “Morning sunshine.” She gave me a bright smile.
I looked down at the floating bread. “That kinda makes me sick, Chandler. How do you eat stuff like that and stay so thin?”
“Yeah, I know it’s bad for me, but they taste so damn good. I could eat them every morning, but Keeton gives me shit about it so I only eat them on the road. He can’t bitch about it because they’re easy to fix. Cooking’s not really my thing.” She shoved a huge dripping hunk in her mouth.
I opened the Keurig and popped a new K-Cup inside to make myself a cup of coffee before I looked at her again. “So the guys are still asleep this late?”
“Yeah, they usually sleep in after a show. Something about this bus rocking them.”
“I figured when we woke up we’d be in Salt Lake City.”
“You’re asking the wrong person. I’m just along for the ride.” She took another bite.
“I hear ya.” We high-fived each other.
“Halo, I’m not usually one to pry into other people’s problems. I leave that for Peri.” She grinned at me. “But you and Carter? Are the two of you on the same page as far as relationships are concerned?”
“Relationships? I’m not sure what you mean. Neither of us wants a relationship.” I opened the sugar and cream packs to load my coffee.
“I’ve never known him to have a girlfriend. Hell, I don’t know if he’s ever been in a long-term relationship.” Her eyes held mine until I finally looked away. Did I tell her? Why hadn’t he told them? I felt like KeeMac should’ve remembered me by now. Why didn’t he tell Chandler about us? Our previous time together must’ve not seemed important to the band. Carter kept it hidden from everyone for a reason so maybe I should, too.
“Okay, spill Halo. KeeMac’s only given me the barest of information and like I said, I’m not really nosy but I want us to be friends. I feel as though there’s a story unfolding under my nose while I’m in the dark.”
I took a deep breath. I didn’t know exactly where to start and with last night’s incredible sex, the confusion in my head screwed me up even more. I finally exhaled the air that I didn’t realize I held in.
“I’m not sure Carter wants the band to know too much. He kept the information to himself all this time. Maybe you’re asking the wrong person.”
“Uh, no. You’re the right person. He’s a dickhead most of the time when it comes to discussing feelings, just like the rest of these dumbasses. I think he’d have us believe he’s never had any. There’s a lot more to the two of you than any of us know.”
Wow, if she only knew. We both put aside our story for such a long time now. Obviously, the chemistry between us held on, though. I knew that alone couldn’t keep us together, but sex might be all either of us needed right now. Could I do just sex to fulfill a primal need? The idea of sharing him didn’t appeal to me. I wondered how he felt about sharing me with others.
When we were together before, our needs and desires ran rampant. We might have more control over carnal pleasures now. The idea needed to be given some more thought, but right now Chandler sought out some answers.
“Carter and I were in love when we were in high school. Let me rephrase that. I loved Carter in that first love sorta way. My entire being felt he made the sun rise and set. He was a grade ahead of me, and we spent his last year exploring our love and desire in every way possible. He constantly occupied my mind. I thought I did the same for him, too.” I stopped to breathe deeply. I didn’t want to make either of us uncomfortable with the rest of our story.
“He proved me wrong. Shortly after he graduated, the guys decided they needed to get out on the road and start building a following. They saved every cent they earned from the gigs they played around home during their senior year so they could live a while, and I think all of the parents kicked in some, too. Of course, their parents wanted them to get it out of their systems and go to college.
“They took off in a loaded-down van and trailer. KeeMac managed to set up gigs in bars and small venues as opening acts to begin with, but their popularity grew pretty fast. I guess you know the rest.”
“That’s a great story of the band’s history but that’s not exactly the story I wanted to hear, Halo. Where did the Carter-Halo story get sidetracked to?”
“Oh, yeah. I guess I left that part out.” My lips turned up into a brief smile.
“Pretty convenient for you, huh?” She laughed. “Sooo?”
“Damn girl for someone who doesn’t like to pry, you’re like a little bulldog.”
“Yeah, that’s me, Bulldog Chandler, throw me a bone because I know how to use it.” We both laughed.
“Better a bone than a boner,” I told her, and we laughed harder.
From the back of the bus, we both heard KeeMac yell. “I gotta boner for you, babe. Come back to bed, and you can show me what you know.”
We looked at each other and fell over laughing on the couch. The mood lightened with all the laughter, and I felt so much better.
“Guess my story will have to wait now. You’ve got a hot guy calling for your assistance.”
“Babe, you know I need you. Please don’t make me come up there and show my super power to Halo. I don’t think we’re that good of friends yet.” He sounded pathetic.
“All right. I’ll be right there and you better be thinking of how you’re going to make it worth my time. Halo and I were having girl time.” She got up and winked at me, then made her way down the hall pulling his oversized t-shirt over her head.
“Oh, babe. I know all sorts of things I can do to make you happy.” She shut the door to the bedroom behind her.
I shook my head and gave a little laugh. Those two obviously knew how to make this work. Why couldn’t I figure it out? I laid my head on the back of the couch and closed my eyes but a noise captured my attention. Gunner and Carter argued over the next turn in the bathroom. Once they got that settled they both stumbled to the front.
“I need a Coke. Looks like someone’s been hitting my stash pretty hard already.” Carter stared at the contents of the fridge.
“Get out of my way, dickwad. Coffee is calling my name. One of these days you’re going to grow up and drink an adult breakfast drink instead of pure sugar that’s eating your insides with every drink.”
“Speak for yourself. Coffee is no better for you, and you damn well know it, asshat.” Carter slammed the fridge with his foot while he screwed the lid off the cold drink. He put it to his lips and drank about half the bottle. “Ahhh. That’s fucking good, right there.”
I watched the two as they leaned against the counter, Carter drinking and Gunner waiting on his to finish brewing.
“Hayden tells me the two of you have combined your efforts on writing, and the tunes you’re producing are fantastic. I’d like to hear’em sometime.” Gunner’s lips turned up on the ends in an almost smile.
“Yes, the longer we play together, the more our sound improves. Cash’s very excited about it, too. Our crowds get larger at each concert, so I guess our music is attracting attention.” I kept my eyes on Gunner while I spoke.
“Hayden’s a gifted musician and a helluva great kid. I hope this move takes you both to the next level in your careers.”
“Yeah, me too. He’s been awesome to work with. I can only see our music taking off from here.” I smiled at Gunner, glad to see him willing to give me a chance to prove myself.
“Stick with Cash, little girl. He’ll make damn sure you both leap to stardom. He’s got an ear for talent.” The coffee finished, and he turned to add several scoops of sugar to the mug.
“I wondered about that. Didn’t AD start with Cash? Why did y’all leave him?”
“We didn’t leave him; he left us. Once he knew we’d made it, he passed the day-to-day operations to Peri so he could pursue more new acts. It’s really his specialty. Don’t think he doesn’t keep an eye on our numbers. He takes it all in.”
“But it’s wonderful that he’s talented enough to do that. It’
s like he has his finger in the pie for every band.” This caused both men to almost spit what they were drinking.
Carter coughed and said, “Yeah, sweets, he does like his finger in a lot of pies. He hasn’t found the perfect fucking pie yet, but he keeps trying them out.”
I threw the couch pillow at his head. “You’re so damn vulgar, Carter.”
“Hey, it wasn’t only me. Gunner thought the same thing.” Gunner doubled over laughing at me.
“Yeah, but he didn’t make a gross comment about it.” Gunner’s laugh boomed through the bus.
“Only ‘cause I couldn’t catch my breath long enough to do so,” Gunner finally added.
When their obnoxious guffawing finally calmed down, Gunner sat down beside me on the couch, and Carter took his Cocoa Puffs to the table and poured a huge bowl. Carter pulled out his phone and started surfing on it while he shoveled the chocolate sugar into his mouth. This effectively cut off the conversation with him, which suited me fine.
“Where were you playing when Cash found you?” Gunner asked.
“I played some small bars in Austin. A friend of a friend heard me play and recommended me to his dad who owned a little bar and grill in south Austin. He let me audition to play a couple of nights a week for tips. I didn’t make much, but I got to play and that’s all I wanted to do. I started getting a small following. When summer rolled around, another bar with an outdoor venue called and offered me three nights a week and paid me. Couldn’t turn it down.”
“Lots of bands get a start exactly like that.”
“Yeah, one evening Cash came in and left me his card. I didn’t think too much about it. But when he returned the next week, I started asking around about him and found out he was someone important. I dug his card out and gave him a call. He arranged for me to meet up with Hayden, and here I am on the bus with Assured Distraction. Seems like it was destiny.”
A sound came from Carter’s area. I couldn’t decide what he meant by it. I never mentioned him when I told my story. I had no reason to. Gunner met me several times at their first shows, so he knew some of our history. I suppose my disappearance from their gigs answered his questions as to my importance in Carter’s life.