by Lily Graison
Seeing Christian again brought the numbing hurt racing back to the surface and the anger at him along with it. She squared her shoulders before looking him in the eye and hoped her voice didn't tremble. "Get out."
He shook his head and said, "I can't do that. Not until you let me explain."
"I don't want to hear anything you have to say. Now, get out."
"Jessi."
"Get out, Christian!" The tears started forming in her eyes with her outburst and her lips formed a tight line as she stared at him. He looked as bad as she felt. His face was pale, dark circles appeared under his eyes and a bandage was around his right hand. His clothes were rumpled and looked as if he'd slept in them and nothing had touched his soft brown locks but his fingers. His hair was a wild mass of strands standing up in every direction. You don't care. You just need him gone.
When he just stood there staring at her, she knew he wouldn't leave without being forced. She turned and walked across the room to the table by the bed and picked up the phones receiver. She'd just reached down to ring the front desk when he snatched the phone from her hand.
"Jessi, just hear me out."
"What makes you think I want to hear anything you have to say?" she asked, turning on him. "I've heard enough of your lies to last me a lifetime."
"I've never lied to you."
She laughed but nothing about the sound was amusing. "Fine. You haven't lied. I'm glad to clear that up. Now, have a good life and stay out of mine." She walked back to the door and opened it, turning her head to look at him. He was still standing in the same spot, staring at the wall. She watched him for long moments, sighing when she realized he wasn't leaving. She slammed the door and crossed her arms under her breasts and waited.
Minutes ticked by, the only sound in the room was the air blowing in from the roof vents. He turned finally, looking at her before crossing the room and stopping in front of her. No matter how hard she tried she couldn't look away from him. The pain in his eyes caused her heart to clench, until she remembered why it was there. This is his fault, she reminded herself. His pretty lies and his whore, Delilah. Just thinking of the girl made her stomach knot and churn.
"I'm sorry," he said.
She finally looked away, staring at the wall. He took a step toward her and she backed up, throwing a glance at him that must have told him more than words to keep his distance. He sighed heavily, running his left hand through his hair before she saw his shoulders droop.
"I'm not sure what lies you think I've told but I've never lied to you."
"Of course not," she said, her voice cold and exact. "You being a twenty-four year old virgin is completely believable. Most rock stars abstain from pre-marital sex. It's in all the papers."
"I didn't lie to you about that."
"So you say."
"Why would you think I lied about that?"
"Well, finding a naked woman in your bed for one," she said. "Not to mention you know a lot about the female body to be the blushing virgin you claimed to be."
"I was a virgin, Jessi, not a monk. I've done things. I just hadn't actually had sex with anyone. I wasn't completely clueless. You can't spend as much time around groupies as we do without being propositioned with something."
"You said you'd never been with anyone, Christian. To me that means nothing, no contact at all. You lied."
"Fine then. I lied. I've messed around with my fair share of girls but I'd never fucked one."
"What kind of fool do you take me for, Christian?" she yelled, turning to look at him. "Did I have gullible groupie written across my forehead? Do I look like the type of person who will believe any bullshit line they're fed?" The minute she said it she knew she was. The tears burnt hot in her eyes then and she blinked them away.
"I've been nothing but honest with you, Jessi. Believe it or not. There isn't anything I can say to make you believe me."
"Then why are you wasting my time?"
"Because."
He paused and stared at her, his gaze so intent she felt it crawl across her skin.
"Because, I love you."
Hot, stabbing pain sent spider webs of icy fingers creeping through her veins. She lost her breath and her ears were ringing. "You bastard," she said, a sob escaping her throat before she could stop it. "Get out of my room."
"I'm not leaving."
"Get out!" she screamed, reaching toward him and grabbing his arm. "Get out!"
"I'm not leaving!"
"You fucking asshole! You can't just say I love you and make it all right."
"I'm not just saying it. I do love you, Jessi, and I'm not leaving until you believe me."
"Like I'm supposed to believe you were a twenty-four year old virgin?"
"What? Only women are supposed to have morals? Men can't possibly want anything other than to fuck every slut that offers it to him? I wasn't raised that way, Jessi. I wasn't going to share myself with just some random girl when I knew you were out there, waiting. I waited for you. For the one woman in the whole world I knew was special enough."
He grabbed her, holding her flailing arms and she snapped. The anger, the heartbreaking pain and gut wrenching loss tore through her until she was crying hysterically as she tried to break from his grasp. He was yelling at her to listen and she didn't hear anything but the blood rushing past her ears.
They struggled against the other, each trying to be heard and it was too much. His hold on her was fierce, his voice beating against the exterior of her control and she lashed out, raising a hand and struck out at him.
The slap landed on the side of his face, his head turning to the side with impact and he let go of her. Jessi gasped, both hands rising to cover her mouth as she stared at him in horror, his cheek already turning red. Her tears doubled, her stomach turned and she shook her head before backing up, stopping when her back hit the wall.
Christian's eyes watered from the sting. He wasn't sure what stung more though. The thought of her slapping him or her thinking he'd lied to her and wouldn't believe otherwise.
He turned his head to look at her. She was leaning against the wall, hands over her mouth, crying. His heart broke all over again, then. He reached out for her, pulling her to him and for once, she didn't fight him. Her arms wound around his waist and he held her as she cried. When her sobs quieted to small sniffles, he tightened his hold on her and kissed the top of her head.
"I never lied to you," he whispered against her hair. "About anything." He sighed and laid his cheek against the top of her head. He held her while trying to figure out where to start. Nothing he said would make her trust him or believe him.
"Why was Delilah in your room?"
He was startled at her question but answered. "I don't know other than the obvious," he said. "I didn't know she was there. I was just as shocked to see her as you were. You won't ever see her again. None of us will. I told Curt if I did, I'd walk. I'd quit the band and not look back."
She lifted her head and looked up at him. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes bloodshot and puffy. He wiped her cheeks dry and laid his forehead against hers. "I never lied to you," he said. "Everything I've told you was true. and I do love you. I have from the moment I saw you."
"Christian."
"Don't throw what we have away, Jessi. It's too new to just toss away. Please. Just give me a chance. Give us a chance. I want you more than I've ever wanted anything and I'll give it all up if that's what you want. The band, the fame, the money."
Her eyes widened slightly and he smiled. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you."
Neither said anything for a long while. Jessi laid her head on his shoulder and Christian couldn't have been happier. She wasn't trying to kick him out and seemed content to let him hold her. He ran his fingers through her hair, placing soft kisses on her head until she sighed heavily.
"I'm so tired," she said.
"I know. I'm sorry."
She ran her hands up the length of his back, squeezing him to
her. "Will you stay with me? Just hold me tonight?"
He could have cried but smiled instead, burying his face in her hair. "I'll stay with you as long as you let me," he said, raising his head to look at her. "Forever if you'd like."
Her eyes filled with tenderness before she leaned in and kissed him. It was a small brushing of lips but it was the best kiss he'd ever had. It warmed him clean to the toes and made his heart race. When she pulled away from him and gave him a tiny smile, he watched her walk to the bed and pull the blankets back.
She crawled into the bed in her clothes and watched him before saying, "Come here." He crossed the room and kicked off his shoes, crawling under the blankets with her and pulling her to him.
His eyes closed with a sigh, his fingers fisting in her hair. "I love you."
She snuggled in closer to him. "I believe you," she said. "About everything."
Nine
Jessi sat in one of the lounge chairs at the villa and watched Devin and Holly in the pool. The entire day seemed like a dream as she thought back over it all. The wedding early that morning went off without a hitch and Jessi was happy her friend had found the love of her life. All anyone had to do was look at Joan to see how happy she was and for once, she didn't envy her.
Christian had spent every passing minute with her since their talk the day before, going so far as to crashing Joan's wedding, much to everyone's surprise. The bride and groom didn't mind. They had a celebrity as a wedding guest, which guaranteed them a spot in the society page of their hometown newspapers. They couldn't have been more excited if they'd invited him personally.
The reception was an affair she wouldn't soon forget. Between every female guest trying to persuade Christian to dance with them and his adamant demands that she lay her camera down and join him in the fun, it had been a day filled with laughs and excitement.
There was still some underlying tension between them. Too much had happened in a short amount of time for there not to be but she knew it would pass. It would just take time. Time she wasn't sure they would have.
"What are you thinking about so hard?"
She smiled and looked over at him. "Everything." A shadow of doubt passed over his features and she reached for his hand, squeezing it.
"Are you sure you want to be here?" he asked.
"Yes. These are your friends."
"They're yours too, if you let them be."
"I know," she said. "I just feel weird."
"Why? Your not the one who ran bare assed naked in front of all of them."
She laughed. "I'm kind of sorry I missed seeing that."
"Well, if you had stopped running from me, you wouldn't have."
A shadow blotted out the sun and Jessi looked up, smiling as Roxy grabbed one of the chairs around the table and pulled it out. She sat and leaned back, looking toward the pool. "I think we need to liven this party up a bit. What do you think?"
"How do you propose we do that?" Christian asked. "I've had enough of groupies to last me a lifetime."
"Not groupies," Roxy said. She turned her head and looked at Jessi. "What about your friends from the wedding. Think they'd want to party with rock stars?"
Jessi grinned. "Oh, they'd love it."
"Great. Go call them and put your bathing suit on. I'll meet you in the pool."
Roxy stood and walked away, heading straight for Holly. She watched the two girls talk a few minutes before she turned her head toward Christian. "So, want to help me put on my bathing suit?"
His face turned red and the smile he gave her caused things low in her belly to tighten. "Only if you return the favor," he said. "I'm crippled now, you know." He held up his still bandaged hand and waved it in front of her.
"I think I can manage. Let's go."
He followed her to the cottage, shutting the door behind him. It was like deja vu seeing him stand there by the door. This was how it all started. How she'd lost her heart to a shy, quiet bass player from Kansas.
She smiled and walked to him, lifting the bottom of his shirt. "Do you think anyone would notice if we went missing for a while?"
"Probably not," he said, grinning. "What do you have in mind?"
Her fingers danced across his stomach before crawling up his chest. She fingered his nipples, watching his eyes flutter closed. "I let you in my bed last night and you didn't even touch me."
He stared at her and tilted his head slightly. "We'd just had a fight. I didn't think you'd want me touching you."
She smiled and shook her head. "Don't you know make-up sex is the main reason people fight?"
"So, you got mad at me just so you could have sex with me?" He laughed. "I'm not seeing the logic here. All you have to do is ask."
"It's not any fun to ask for sex."
"I'll disagree. I had a damn good time the first time I asked you."
She popped the button on his jeans and unzipped them, reaching inside the fabric to find him already hard. "So, I should ask first?"
He groaned and said, "I think you just did."
He kissed her, forcing her lips open with his thrusting tongue. Her grip on his cock tightened, his strangled moan all the answer she needed. He leaned back and whispered, "Please tell me you're going to come on the road with me."
She smiled and slid his jeans down over his hips. "I'll let you know after you've sent me screaming to orgasm."
"Well, prepare to wake half of Vegas."
She looked up, running her hands over his thighs until his eyes fluttered. "Then I guess you already have your answer."
The End
Wicked: Sweet Temptation
(The Wicked Series #4)
by
Lily Graison
One
Faith Weston was going to hell. She knew it with every new breath as her gaze feasted on the one man who was an immoral danger to her soul. In one week he’d completely ruined her. She lusted for him until her body burned with need, was green with envy when another woman even looked his way and thought of at least a dozen ways to exact her revenge on those brave enough to speak to him in her presence. She’d greedily kept him locked in his room, feeding her gluttonous appetite on his body and spent hours doing nothing but lying about letting him have his way with her. Only her pride kept her from letting anyone know about it.
One perfect week playing consort to a rock star and she couldn’t tell a single soul.
She watched him talk with a group of women on the other side of the pool and plotted ways to expose the bimbos for the fake tarts they were. Of course, they would probably think the exact same thing about her and they wouldn’t be far off. She had barely given a token protest the first time Mick tried to kiss her four days ago and once the alcohol came out, her clothes fell off. He’d sent her screaming toward ecstasy in a matter of minutes and he’d become a drug she couldn’t get enough of. Mick Sheppard, drummer for the band Wicked, was the one her daddy had warned her about. The kind of man that sinks his claws into you and nothing you do will break his hold. She believed her daddy now. Mick Sheppard was a dangerous man.
But damn her soul if she still didn’t want him.
He looked across the pool at her, the tip of his tongue sliding past his lips enough to flash the silver stud pierced through it and her knees went weak. He grinned and she knew her panties would be soaked clean through before the night was over.
“Did he just… wiggle his tongue at you?”
Faith jumped, startled, when someone touched her arm and spoke. She glanced up, smiling at Joan, the woman responsible for her even being in Vegas to begin with.
“That’s the drummer for the band, isn’t it?” Joan asked.
“Yes. That’s Mick.”
“Well, he hasn’t taken his eyes off of you for the last fifteen minutes.”
Faith tore her gaze from Mick and looked over at her friend. Why Joan was even at the band’s party was a mystery. The woman hadn’t been married six hours yet but instead of being locked inside her room with her brid
egroom, she was partying with rock stars. “He likes to shock people,” she said. “And nothing shocks you more than a sexual overture.”
“I think it’s more than that,” Joan said, grinning. “He’s still watching you.”
Faith glanced back at him, biting her cheek to keep from smiling. There were no less than six women surrounding him, all talking at once, and he was just standing there nursing a beer while his gaze bore into her. She shivered just thinking about what was going through his mind. “He’s just trying to get a reaction out of me.”
“If the look on your face is any indication, he’s succeeding.”
Faith grinned. “Don’t you have a honeymoon to go to?”
“Yes. I just came to tell you bye and to thank you again for coming out here to share my wedding day with me.”
“I wouldn’t have been anywhere else,” Faith said. “You and Jessi are the best girlfriends I could have ever asked for.”
“Ah, don’t make me cry,” Joan said. “I’ve done enough of that today as it is.”
“You’re supposed to cry at your wedding.”
“Yes, but Michael is starting to get worried. He thinks I regret marrying him now.”
Faith laughed. “Well, don’t keep standing here talking to me. Take that new husband of yours up to your room and show him exactly how wrong he is.”
“Will do, hon.” Joan hugged her and Faith smiled as she watched her walk away before turning her head, searching out Mick. He was halfway across the pool deck, headed straight for her.
Her stomach clenched delightfully and her skin heated at the look in his eyes. She knew exactly what he wanted and Lord help her, she was going to give it to him.
“Meet me in my room,” he said, not missing a step as he walked past her. She watched him saunter into the main building and round the corner before disappearing out of sight. Since the day she left Georgia the week before, she knew this trip would change her life and boy had it ever. The bright lights and dazzling lifestyle was such a far cry from the tiny blip on the map that she came from. It was every bit as mesmerizing as she thought it would be and hooking up with a rock star had just been a bonus. She hated to give it all up. Especially Mick. Since meeting him the day she arrived in Vegas, she hadn’t been able to think of anything else. Her best friend, Jessi, after introducing Mick to her had told her to watch herself. That Mick wasn’t her type. How wrong her friend was. Mick was exactly her type. What girl could pass up a bad boy, especially one as wicked as Mick Sheppard?