Returning to the front of the stage was impossible. There was a wall of people sandwiched together, and the crowd was getting more rambunctious as the night went on. There was a small mosh pit between herself and the stage, so she stayed off to the side and watched the rest of the show from a safe distance.
A few songs later, Immortal Angel finished their set to the screams and cheers of the crowd. Alyssa settled at the bar with her diet coke and waited for the fans to disburse, before she attempted to make her way through them and into the back room to join Damien.
The crowd cleared sooner than expected, and she finished her drink and left the bar. Damien was already on his way toward her, but Kendall intercepted him. Shit! Kendall was going to tell Damien everything. Alyssa should have known not to trust her. She walked as quickly as possible to intervene, but Angel appeared from the back room and Kendall headed straight for him.
Alyssa tried not to sound out of breath when she approached Damien and gave him a quick hug. “Great show.”
“Where’d you go? I opened my eyes and you were gone.”
“The smoke machine was choking me, and when I tried to get back up front, it was too crowded, so I stood against the wall.” First she was spying on Damien, and now she was stretching the truth into white lies. What was she turning into? She wondered if Kendall said anything to Damien and glanced in her direction, but Kendall wasn’t talking to Angel any more. She had been pushed aside by two of his front row male groupies.
“Do you wanna help me pack up my shit so we can get outta here?”
She turned back to Damien with a soft smile. “Sure.” She wanted him out of The Quadrangle as fast as possible now that she knew the temptation of alcohol and prescription drugs were both easily accessible and within his reach.
Chapter Seventeen
Alyssa woke in Damien’s arms, but didn’t move. She kept her eyes closed and listened to his breathing, while she reflected on the show at The Quadrangle last night. She wondered if she was going to spend every weekend worrying about Damien in the bars, and how he was coping with his urges.
He stirred beneath her and stretched his arms out to the side. “You awake?”
“Yeah.” She kissed his chest and looked up at him. “Sleep OK?”
“Always, when I’m in bed with you.”
Sweet little comments like that always put a smile on her face. She rested her head on Damien’s shoulder and fingered the gully in the center of his chest. His black and grey macabre tattoos caught her eye. They all depicted either some sort of demon or skull. An elaborate graveyard scene was etched across his belly, complete with rotting corpses. It was beautifully-detailed work. She sat up on the bed and took in all of his tattoos as a whole. It painted a very dark picture, and she knew it reflected his past and the pain he kept bottled inside.
Damien placed his hands behind his head, spreading the tattoos that covered his chest. “Do you like them?”
“It’s some of the best work I’ve seen.” She kissed the mound of his chest. “This one’s my favorite.” It was a bleeding heart shaded black as coal. It was a powerful statement, but she loved the symbolism because it was the exact opposite of Damien’s true nature. He didn’t have a black heart. He had a sensitive and caring heart, but he didn’t show it to many people. He presented a hard, tough exterior to the world in order to protect his fragile emotions.
“Do you want to know why I got a black heart?”
She nodded her head, then covered the tattoo with her hand to feel the gentle beat beneath it.
“Because I used to think my heart was dead. I thought I couldn’t love anyone . . . and I didn’t think anyone could love me. I thought my heart was diseased and poisoned. I imagined it was a black rock inside my chest.”
Her brows cinched together and the corners of her mouth bowed down. It was a morbid description and tainted her love for the piece.
Damien brushed his fingers across her cheek. “That all changed when I met you. You opened my heart. It came to life and started beating the minute we met. I know what love is now because of you. I love you, Alyssa. You’re the only person I’ve ever said that to. You’re the only woman I’ve ever loved.”
He sat up so they were face to face, and he slowly moved in for a kiss. His fingers laced through her hair, and the palm of his hand gently cupped her cheek. His lips met hers with tender affection. Overwhelmed by his gentle touch and heart-rending words, moisture filled Alyssa’s eyes. She kept them closed while their mouths remained engaged in a loving and passionate kiss, and she clung to him. A tiny tear broke through and hung in the corner of her eye. When their lips parted, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and wiped away the tear. “I love you, too, Damien,” she whispered.
When she pulled away to look at him, he had the most serene smile on his face. “Let’s stay in bed today.” He snuggled into the covers and patted the spot next to him.
She threw herself into his arms. “I haven’t stayed in bed all day since I had the flu when I was a teenager.”
He looked into her eyes, still wearing a blissful smile, and traced a trail from her neck to her collarbone with his lips. “We both have a heart tattooed on our chest, only yours is red.”
She looked down at the tattoo that spread from shoulder to shoulder. “I got this two years ago when I turned 21.”
“What does it mean?”
“It’s not easy for me to let people in. I’m a loner, like I told you when we first met. I don’t have close relationships. I have friends, but they’re more like acquaintances. I guard my heart. I keep it under lock and key.” She looked down at the tattoo again. “When I turned 21, I wanted to change, so I tattooed my heart outside my body and gave it wings to set it free.”
“Did it?”
“No.” She smiled and shrugged. “That’s just the way I am. A tattoo isn’t going to change who I am. I love it, though.” She placed one hand over her red heart tattoo and one hand over Damien’s black heart tattoo. “It makes me feel connected to you. We’re both alike in a lot of ways, you know.”
He nodded. “I know. I felt it right away. You hesitate to show your emotions, but you speak your mind. Like me. There aren’t many people I can be myself around. I’m comfortable with you. Safe.”
“You’ll always be safe with me.” She kissed his neck and eyed the demons that collared him. “Why did you get these tattooed around your neck?” She knew the answer was about his past, and she was trying to coax him into talking about it. He hadn’t said anything more about his childhood since he bore his soul a few weeks ago.
“I don’t want to talk about them.” He kissed her shoulder. “Why this little butterfly?” He took her hand, and his lips moved to the inside of her wrist. “Why this little skeleton with a top hat?”
She smiled. “I love that little guy. He reminds me of me.”
He glided the back of his hand over her cheek. “Because your skin is like porcelain?”
She gazed back at him and sighed. It was hard to believe that he held so much pain inside of him, yet he could be so sweet and romantic. “You’re amazing, Damien. I don’t know what goes on in your head half the time, but you’re a good man, with a good heart, and you make me happy.”
“You make me happy, too. Happier than I’ve ever been. Happier than I thought possible.”
She settled into his shoulder. “I’m always here for you, if you ever want to talk. You know that, right?”
“I know, but I don’t want to talk about sad stuff today. Today’s about you and me.” He kissed the butterfly on her shoulder and the skeleton on her wrist. “You never told me what these little tattoos mean.”
She remembered each tattoo like she had just gotten them yesterday. She looked at the funny skeleton on her wrist. “I just thought this guy was goofy. He’s being silly, but trying to be refined by wearing a fancy top hot. He’s not fooling anyone, though. Everyone can see he’s just a skeleton. The top hat didn’t change who he is.”
&nb
sp; A crooked smile spread across Damien’s lips. “That’s pretty deep for a little dancing skeleton.” He tickled her shoulder. “And why this butterfly?”
“Same reason for the heart with the wings. It’s just another symbol to represent opening up and breaking free.” She settled back in Damien’s arms and sighed. It was the perfect day, filled with relaxation and laughter. She lifted her head from Damien’s shoulder and gazed up at him, but he was staring at one of her gargoyle statues. “Do you like him? That’s Goliath.”
“You name your statues?”
“Yeah. I’ve been collecting them since I was a kid. Some girls like dolls. I liked gargoyles.” He was trying not to laugh, so she poked him in the ribs. “Don’t make fun of me.”
“You’re too damn cute to make fun of.”
She stood up on the bed and took Goliath off the shelf. He was a menacing cross between a dragon and a bat, with huge fangs, pointed ears, long talons, and a wide wingspan.
Damien took the statue from her and studied it. “I’ve been looking for the right gargoyle.” He turned the statue over and examined it closely. “I think I like this guy. Is it OK if Spyder sketches him and tattoos him on my back?”
Damien’s back was a blank canvas. She’d asked him about it once, and he had said he had an elaborate piece planned. He had said he was just waiting to find the right artwork. She was honored. “My Goliath? On your back? I would love that, Damien! My mother gave him to me for my tenth birthday.”
He was hiding a laugh again. “I can’t believe your mother gave you a gargoyle statue for your tenth birthday.”
“It’s art, and gargoyles have a rich history. They were used to ward off evil and to act as guardians of the church. My mother explained all that to me. I just thought they were cool.”
“I didn’t know about the church thing, but I knew they were symbols to ward off evil. That’s why I want it. I want it to protect me from the devils that haunt me. I want to move on and leave that shit behind.”
She thought it was perfect. “I think that’s a great idea, Damien.” She was about to lie back down on his shoulder, but remembered about the toy. “I picked up a little something for you the other day.”
Damien tilted his head affectionately in her direction. “You bought me a present?”
“Uh-huh, but it’s really for the both of us.” She leaned over the side of the bed and reached into the top drawer of her nightstand. The first thing she threw on the bed was a condom.
Damien picked it up and turned it over between his fingers. “Thanks, but I got dozens of these.”
“That’s not your present, silly.” She handed him a small, brown paper bag. She had been meaning to give him the toy for almost a week, but had always been too caught up in the moment to slow things down long enough to retrieve it.
He sat up with excitement and greedily stuffed his hand into the bag, tearing the seam in his haste. He removed the small plastic box and examined it closely. His smile indicated he was pleased. “It’s a cock ring.”
“Not just an ordinary cock ring.” She took it out of the box to show him. “It’s a vibrating cock ring. You see this little nub right here?” She fingered the protrusion. “It’s gonna hit me right in the clit. I already sanitized it, so it’s ready to go.”
He snatched it out of her hand, and his eyes fell on it with a hunger. Still clutching the cock ring in his fist, he grabbed her by the waist and threw her down on the bed. His mouth covered hers with an intensity that made her body respond with impatience. She grinded her hips against his erection. It was so stiff it threatened to skewer her lower abdomen, and she wanted it inside her wearing the new toy.
He nibbled on her neck while his hand traveled under her tank top and over her breast. His finger accidentally caught her nipple ring and tugged on the piercing harder than expected. She gasped and jumped at the sudden rush of pain, but it was followed by a hot shot of pleasure that made her nipple harden.
“I’m sorry. Did I hurt you?” Damien cupped her breast and studied her face with love and concern.
“Just a little, but it also got me excited.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Remorse was heavy behind his soft brown eyes. His emotions always stirred Alyssa’s heart and left her yearning to either comfort him or fuck him senseless. Right now it was a mixture of both.
He slipped her tank top over her head, put his lips to her breast and placed a gentle apologetic kiss on her nipple. The tenderness in which his tongue played with the ring, and the softness of his hand as it caressed her breast, took Alyssa by surprise. It brought her arousal to a higher level. She wanted him to put his teeth to the ring and nibble on it the way he usually did, so she tried to press his face closer and force her breast into his mouth, but he resisted. He lightly sucked the tip of her breast, nursing it with a soft suction.
Her blood was pumping at the slow, intricate movements of Damien’s mouth and hands. She pushed against his shoulders to roll him onto his back, but he didn’t budge. His tongue slid across her body and landed on her other breast, repeating the same gentle suckling. It was a slow erotic torture. She pushed on his shoulders again, determined to straddle him and satiate the burning need between her legs, but he was an immovable rock.
“Stop fighting,” he whispered against her breast.
“I need it rougher, Damien.” She moaned while she rubbed her crotch against his cock. “You’re killing me.”
He brought his lips up to her neck. “Let me love you, for once. Lay back and relax.”
“But I like pleasuring you.” She sunk her teeth into his shoulder. “And I like being in charge.”
“I know you do.” He placed a hard, possessive kiss on her mouth. “That’s what makes it so exciting. We constantly battle for the upper hand.”
He took her arms and pinned them to the mattress. His body weighed her down, and she tried to wiggle out from underneath him, but he was too heavy. She couldn’t move. A devilish laugh escaped her lips. “You’re going to pay for this.”
“I hope so, but not today. Today you’re gonna pay.” He placed a small kiss on her neck and gave her a harsh bite. “Is that what you want? Is that the way you like it? Is that rough enough?”
She jumped at the unexpected force after he had just exhibited such a gentle touch. Her breath left her lungs, and she couldn’t vocalize more than a moan that she hoped sounded like ‘fuck, yeah’.
His mouth returned to her breast, while his hands still pinned her arms to the bed. He took her entire nipple between his teeth and clamped down on it with a sucking motion.
“Harder,” she murmured.
He ground his teeth together with enough pressure to make her gasp. Although he bit her nipple, the pressure was in between her legs, pulsing behind her clit. She was so turned on she thought she might come from the friction alone. His mouth assaulted her other nipple in the same way – grinding his teeth against the metal ring and scissoring the point of her breast between his teeth. She felt like she was floating above the mattress and every cell in her body was being fed with an electrical current. Euphoria made her draw in deep breaths and exhale slow, long sighs. She wasn’t trying to fight him anymore. She went limp and let him love her in this new erotic spin on their lovemaking.
He straddled her with his knees on either side of her ribcage, and his cock landed between her breasts. His large hands pushed them together so they sandwiched his cock like a hot dog between two buns. He ground his erection up and down between the full mounds of her breasts. The palms of his hands pressed against her swollen and raw nipples. It was an erotic burn that sent impulses to her soaking wet pussy. Every time his cock slid up, she tried to grab it in her mouth, but he’d pull it away before she could taste it. He was teasing her. He knew she wanted to suck that gorgeous hunk of meat, and he held it just beyond her reach. He was killing her with anticipation today, and she let out a painful whimper. “I need you inside me. I want you to fuck me, Damien. Don’t make me beg.”
“All you had to do was ask.” He slid down between her legs, leaving a nice little dollop of his juice between her breasts, and slipped on a condom and the cock ring.
“Did you turn it on?”
He searched for a button and a beautiful hum filled the room. Damien’s eyes rolled up into his head for a brief second, and he took a deep breath. “Fuck! That feels good.”
He was engorged, and his cock looked like a giant sausage. “Is it too tight?”
“It’s perfectly tight.” He was still on his knees, enjoying the sensation, and it made her yearn for him. She never wanted to be penetrated so badly. She wanted something inside her – not just anything – she wanted his cock and that titillating vibrating ring to pleasure the both of them at the same time. She bolted upright and tried to grab his cock, but he blocked her hands and pushed her down on the bed. He crawled up her body until he was lying parallel on top of her. “Still trying to run the show?”
“If you don’t hurry up and fuck me, I’m going to straddle the bedpost.”
His gaze drifted down toward the footboard, and his mouth fell ajar.
She could see the mental images forming inside his head. “I’m kidding.”
Disappointment spread across his face. “Too bad.” He plunged his cock deep inside her without warning.
A low growl erupted from Alyssa’s throat as if she were harpooned, but it was a cry of ecstasy. She wondered if depriving her of physical contact was his plan all along, just to drive her insane. The sudden fullness of her body, accompanied by the intense vibration of the cock ring, put her on the verge of coming as soon as he entered her. The nub on the ring made contact exactly where it was supposed to and sent a blast of heat through her crotch.
Damien ground his hips in a circle. He kept his body pressed against her so the vibrating point of the cock ring was stuck on her clit. It was pulsating and pushing sensations through her body that made her tremble.
Damien gently rocked his hips. “Is this how you want it? Nice and slow?”
Punk Rock Resurrection Page 15