by Mia Kayla
I blinked and raised both eyebrows.
Back to his hotel?
Well, Sam, what did you think was going to happen?
Did I think we’d drive around in his limo, pigging out on nuggets, and he’d drive us to our car afterward?
I shook my head through the fog. “Wow. Presumptuous, aren’t we?”
He shrugged. “This guy gets everything he dreams of.” There was no hesitation in his tone. He spoke as though it were a known fact.
“I don’t doubt that,” I said. “It looks like you’re living the dream.” I motioned to the people in the limo. “Right Chlo—” I stopped mid sentence because I had just caught my best friend riding Cofi, the drummer boy, like she was at the rodeo. Dry-humping, of course.
She still had her clothes on, but his hands were on her ass, and her fingers were threaded through his hair. Even with the jam-packed car, she did not care.
“All righty then.” I cleared my throat.
“Jealous?” Hawke whispered, thoroughly amused at my reaction.
“Actually, yes.” I sighed, feigning disappointment. “I’ve always fantasized about Cofi and me. Together. Having passionate—” I paused at Hawke’s abrupt change in his demeanor with his clenched jaw and eyes flashing with jealousy.
His arms tightened along my waist as he angled closer, and with one hand at the base of my neck, he pulled me into a kiss so fierce, I forgot where I was.
He captured my lips with possessiveness, with a want that was evident by his hard length pressing against my thigh. I might have moaned against his lips. I might have pressed my breasts against his chest. I might have opened my mouth to feel his warm tongue against mine.
After a beat, against all those warnings screaming in my head, my hands slowly moved along his firm, toned abs to his pecs, and then I slowly pushed him away. I broke our kiss, needing to find my bearings.
“How many dates?” he asked, his eyes darkening, his breathing labored. “What date will you give it up, Sunshine? I’m here tonight for another sold-out show.”
My mouth dropped, and I lightly placed one hand on his chest, just so I could continue to touch him even though the question annoyed me. His heartbeat raced against my hand.
Rock star or not, he shouldn’t assume I was like every other girl he had access to.
“Wow. You’ve got nerve.” My body tensed.
“That’s nothing I haven’t heard before.”
When I went in for another shove, he reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers. “Then, I’ll be traveling for a few weeks before we head to Europe. “How many dates?” he pressed.
When I stared longer into his eyes, the cockiness in the green slowly disappeared. I witnessed something deeper that surprised him as well because he leaned back, giving himself some room.
I swallowed. “If I say twenty dates, are you going to fly me all over the world until we hit the twentieth McDonald’s?”
“Maybe,” he admitted with a chuckle.
“Oh, you want to get in my pants that badly?” I was still annoyed but also shaken that he seemed to even care, to want me that badly.
He leaned in, his warm breath laced with the scent of cigarettes brushing against my face. “You have no idea.” And then he kissed my lips again without hesitation and without apology.
His kisses were hot and intense, making me squirm in my seat, my whole body rising in temperature.
“You taste so good,” he said through his kisses. “I can only imagine how it feels to be inside you.”
His fingers trailed under my shirt, touching the bare skin right above my hip, inching up to the middle of my back. When he unclasped my bra, I placed one hand on his chest and broke away from him.
“Sorry, you’re not getting that kind of action.” My voice shook with arousal.
I was using all my self-control not to take off my bra and toss it at his face—which I was certain happened often. The crowd in the limo was a good deterrent though.
The music died down as someone yelled from the front of the limo, “Orders! We’re almost there.”
A couple of pads of papers along with pens flew down the aisle. The lights flipped on, and there were echoes of complaints.
I welcomed the lights and the distraction and the interruption.
I rested against his chest, catching my breath.
The sooner I was out of this car, the better.
Chapter 3
Cofi’s arm was snaked around Chloe’s shoulder as we strolled with Def Deception’s whole crowd into The InterContinental Chicago hotel on Michigan Avenue. A crowd formed a red carpet line on either side of us, but the bodyguards kept the gawkers and fangirls away.
My arms were preoccupied with multiple McDonald’s bags. I had volunteered myself and Hawke to take the bags into the hotel, giving his hands something to do other than touch my body.
Sweat formed along the inside of my palms as I walked in step with Hawke. Since our kiss, he’d been silent, reserved. I didn’t know if I had offended him by denying his advances or if he was going to try again later.
Being with Hawke, the band, and their entourage was awfully awkward. I didn’t like being the center of attention, and all eyes were zoomed in on me because I was with Hawke.
I suddenly wanted to retreat to my two-bedroom apartment that I shared with Chloe, but I couldn’t leave her and break the girl code. If she was going to get it on with Cofi, I’d stay and wait until she’d had her fun. Chloe was like a carefree bird, but I didn’t care because she was a fanatic about protection.
We strolled toward the rear of the hotel to a secluded elevator bank, and I moved to the back of the elevator as everyone piled in.
Hawke stood beside me, leaning in, his warm breath brushing my face. “You’re awfully quiet.”
“I don’t see you chatting it up.” I focused on the bright fluorescent lights above us, covered by plastic panels.
“The truth is, I’m really hungry.” His tone was softer this time without its usual flirty flair. He displayed his signature crooked smile.
I quirked an eyebrow, waiting for some sexual innuendo to come but it didn’t.
“Really.” He laughed. “I needed nuggets and fries thirty minutes ago.”
The elevator pinged and opened to a massive penthouse. My jaw nearly dropped as I took everything in. Black marble floors beckoned us forward, like an infinity pool. The room was adorned with arrangements of white hydrangeas and roses and peonies, a contrast to the black tables they sat on. A circular white leather couch that could sit twenty was centered in the room. Floor-to-ceiling windows surrounded us, giving us a wide, open view of the city below. The glimmer of the lights from the Chicago skyscrapers blinked in front of us like stars against a dark night.
“Wow.” I staggered mid step to a stop.
I had only seen the city in its finest at the top of Willis Tower, but that was in the middle of the day.
I readjusted the bags of warm food and walked closer toward one of the windows overlooking the beautiful buildings. The tiny cars looked like moving ants from this distance. Chicago was even more breathtakingly beautiful in the evening. It seemed like everything was twinkling.
“Let’s go.” Hawke held my elbow and maneuvered me toward the table in the corner. He dropped all but our two bags on top of the table and intertwined our fingers. “Get rid of the cargo. I’ve got our food.” He lifted the two bags he held.
After I dropped the food, my eyes searched the room for Chloe. “Where’s my friend?”
Music blasted through the wall speakers as the whole entourage dispersed.
“She’s fine,” Hawke said, walking us through the penthouse.
“Where are we headed?” I spotted a couple of leggy brunettes sitting on another white couch backed against the wall, but none of them were my best friend.
“We’re eating where it’s less crowded.” He winked, and his sexy, crooked smile popped on display. “My room.”
I extracted
my hand from his. “I really need to look for Chloe.”
Rock star or not, he was still a stranger, and I was in unfamiliar surroundings.
He intertwined our fingers again, tugging my hand along like I hadn’t said anything.
“Hey.” My face meant business.
I needed to know she was okay. We’d been in one too many situations before to just leave each other without checking in.
“Relax. I’ll take you to her.” He smiled, but that didn’t curb the uneasiness stirring inside me.
He led us down a hall, past a grand piano and kitchen area, further down another hall, and up some stairs. Full white hydrangeas sat on every table we passed.
He stopped at a door at the end of the hall and banged on it. “Cofi, open up.”
When no one responded, Hawke’s hit the door harder, fist closed. “Open the fuck up, man.”
The door flung open, and a shirtless Cofi stood at the doorway. “What the hell?”
I drove past him, and my eyes scanned the area. “Chloe,” I called out.
She was sitting on the couch, eating a fry. She had a humongo grin on her face, as though she was in the happiest place on earth, and she stared at Cofi as if he were Mickey Mouse.
“Can I talk to you for a second?” I asked.
Her smile momentarily slipped, and her eyebrows pinched together. “Why? Is something the matter?” Her eyes flew immediately to Hawke, a shoot-to-kill look crossing her features. Superstar or not, if he stepped out of bounds, there was no doubt that Chloe would kick his ass to the next country, travel to that country, and kick his ass to the next one.
“No.” I shook my head. “I just need to ask you something.”
She stood and tilted her head toward the bathroom where I trailed behind her and shut the door, locking us in.
She flipped to face me, her eyes hard. “Did Hawke try something?” She shook her head and elaborated, “Something you’re not comfortable with?”
“No, not at all. That’s not it.” My eyes moved to the shut door. “You didn’t tell me where you were going.”
Why did it feel like Hawke and Cofi were listening beyond the door?
She slapped her head. “I’m sorry. Ugh. My brain is mush from being around that muscled hunk.” She stuck out her pinkie. “Never again. I’m sorry.”
I wrapped my finger against hers, feeling much more at ease after our girlie pinkie promise. “It’s okay.” I shoved down memories of our past, one where she had gotten so drunk that I’d had to step into the situation when a jerky guy had overstepped his boundaries while she wasn’t of sound mind. Since then, we’d promised that we’d never get that wasted, and we’d know where each other was at all times. “Are we staying long?”
“Good God, I hope so.” Her voice rang with excitement, taking on a dreamy tone. “I hope he’s not a one-minute man. You can totally leave if you want to, but I’m going to hook up with that sexy bod.” She licked her lips and glanced at herself in the mirror. With one finger, she rubbed below each eye, fixing her eyeliner. “And I’m going to tell the world that I hooked up with Cofi Cole, the hottest drummer from Def Deception.” She batted her eyelashes with exaggeration.
“He’s the only drummer of DD, dummy.” I rolled my eyes. “And I’m not leaving you. I’ll just hang out till you’re done.”
“But, girlfriend”—she gave me a amused look—“little drummer boy could last all night. I’m officially releasing you from your girlfriend obligations.” She pointed at the door. “How about Hot Hawkey?”
I jerked my head back and assessed her face. “What about him?”
“He’s hot, hot, hot for you, baby.” She flicked her index finger against my arm. “You need to let loose with the sexiest man alive. Seriously? I get the drummer, but you…you, Samantha Sunshine…get the lead.”
“Please.” I averted my gaze. “Not going to happen.”
She squinted her eyes and placed one hand on her hip. “Why the hell not? Are you planning on getting married tomorrow?”
“Of course not.”
“Listen, I know you’re not into the temporary-fling thing.”
I could read the pity in her eyes. Pity for a girl who hadn’t had action or satisfaction in over three years.
“You’ve lived your life, acting as a parent to your own parent. You moved here for a reason, Sam. To get away. To start over. To forget.” She placed both hands on my shoulders and leaned in, speaking softer, firmer, clearer, “But you’re twenty-three, Sam. We’re in the prime of our lives and out of school. This is the time to let loose, girlie pie, before we’re stuck with one dick for eternity. Don’t think too heavily on this. Just have fun.”
When she pulled me in close, I tightly wrapped my arms around her. Chloe had the emotional makeup of a man; she could separate the emotional and physical whereas I, on the other hand, could not. And, yeah, my childhood had been a rocky one. I had come to Chicago to forget and move on, but I had also moved to Chicago to work as a sous pastry chef and to apply to culinary school. I couldn’t let anyone or anything deter me from achieving my goals.
Boom, boom, boom.
The door shook behind me.
“Time’s up. We want to join in on the girl fun.” Cofi’s voice filtered through the door.
Boom, boom, boom.
Chloe kissed my cheek and squeezed my hand. “Don’t overthink this, okay? If anything, just be safe.”
I stepped to the side, so she could get to the door. Her hand lingered on the knob before she said, “Have fun, Sam. You’re in your twenties only once. And I’ll text you, so you won’t worry. Do you have cab money to get home?”
I nodded.
She threw the door open and tossed her wavy caramel locks over her shoulder. “We’re right here,” she said, mid flip.
She pinched his nipple and kissed him, hard, and I blinked at the heat of their interaction.
He lifted her from her butt, and her legs wrapped around his waist as he walked them back into the room.
All righty then. I don’t want to rain on her mating match.
Chloe had changed and peed in front of me with no problem. I wasn’t ready for our relationship to jump to a whole other level. I’d be blinded for life.
Hawke intertwined our fingers again. “I’m hungry, Sunshine. Let’s eat.”
I let him lead me down the hall and up the stairs to another room. I wondered how many rooms they could fit in the penthouse suite.
When the double doors opened, I knew that Hawke had the master bedroom. The bed spanned half of the room. The pillows alone looked like they could swallow me whole. More floor-to-ceiling windows encompassed another wall. The room was big enough to have a full sitting room, center table, couch, love seat, and recliner. A massive television was hung on the wall.
Oh, the things that money could buy.
He dropped the McDonald’s bags on the center table in front of the TV and plopped on the couch. “Shit, I’m starving.”
I dropped my purse on the couch. When I sat next to him, my stomach grumbled at the smell of and sight of fries. “I’m sure you could’ve ordered anything. Room service if you wanted,” I pointed out, still surprised that he was slumming it with me and my McDonald’s.
He shrugged. “I haven’t had Mickey Dee’s in forever.” He took out the box of fries, flattened the bag and dumped the fries on top of it. “And, right now, this greasy shit will hit the spot.”
He grabbed the remote and turned on the TV. The news showed on the big screen. He opened packets of ketchup and mayo, and I made a face when he twirled his fingers to mix the two sauces. I watched red and white blend into a light pink.
He dipped his fries into the mixture and stuffed them in his mouth. Then, he nodded in my direction. “What are you waiting for? Eat.”
“I’m observing. I could do a whole documentary on how the rich and famous eat.”
He dipped the fries into the sauce and stretched his hand toward my mouth. “Open up for me, Sunshine.
” His voice was teasingly sexy.
“Nah, I don’t think so.” I cringed. “Ketchup and mayo? Not my thing.”
“Don’t knock it before you’ve tried it,” he shot back, faking offense. “You have to try everything at least once.” He angled closer, pushing the fries toward my mouth. “Take it.”
His eyes darkened when I opened my mouth, and he slowly pressed the fries between my lips. The move was methodical and deliberate, and it was the most sensual thing. I shifted in my seat, chewed, and ducked my head into my pile of food. I felt his eyes on me the whole time.
I opened my box of nuggets and the small tub of honey-mustard sauce.
“Here.” He extended another fry dipped in his ketchup-mayo concoction and placed it against my lips.
I opened for him and took the fry into my mouth, slower this time, our eyes never breaking contact. He surprised me when he leaned over and kissed my lips. Just a quick kiss, but nonetheless, the kiss packed a pleasurable punch.
When he pulled back, I read pure lust in his green eyes.
“I’m hungry for something other than fries now.” He licked his lips and focused on mine.
Seconds ticked by, and heat spread from my toes to my chest before reaching the tips of my ears.
“Me, too,” I said, my tone seductive and silky, as I tore a piece of chicken within my fingers. “Nuggets. I’m hungry for nuggets,” I said. I chomped on the nugget, chewing on it like I hadn’t eaten in days. Nervousness bubbled in my chest, so I took a different approach, going for unattractive.
A small smile crept up his face as a deep chuckle escaped him. “Funny, Sunshine.” He reached for my waist and tugged me toward him. Easily lifting my body, he set me on his lap in a straddling position, as he had done in the club—except, now, no one was watching, no one could stop us, no one would know.
I breathed him in as my heart pitter-pattered in my chest, like a timed bomb ready to explode.
Hawke was the epitome of a rock star. From his tight jeans to his fitted white tee to the way his hair was wavy and wild. He was dark and dangerous, intimidating yet enticing.
He threaded his fingers through my hair and tugged, exposing my neck. When his warm tongue licked a path up the side of my neck, I released an uninhibited moan.