“We can’t,” he breathed, pausing to nibble at my bottom lip. The water rinsed away the remaining soap as we stood there, holding each other so close that we were almost under each other’s skin.
“I know,” I blushed, realizing I was wrapped around him like a tramp. When I tried to lower my leg, he growled something and turned me sideways, pressing my back against the wall. His fingers found their way between my legs and I threw my head back as he brought me to orgasm right there in the shower.
Eventually, the water started to run cold. We’d been in there for a very long time, but it felt like no time at all.
“I want you to rest tonight,” he ordered, wrapping a large towel around my body. I used another one for my long hair. I made a hasty braid to keep it from tangling and followed him out to the bed. We never dressed. He pulled me into his arms as soon as we laid down and I fell asleep content. I didn’t want to ever let him go.
Chapter 18
Ace
A small noise roused me from sleep. I listened for a moment, but didn’t hear anything else. The moment I drifted back off, I heard it again. A second later, Presley jerked in her sleep, a choking sob coming from her lips. I immediately wrapped my arms tighter around her body, using my thumbs to stroke her back. She calmed and her breathing evened out enough to tell me that she was asleep again.
Nightmares.
Garrison had sat me down before the break and explained things to me. He knew that she wouldn’t come right out and tell me everything. Her father had abused her from the time she was a small girl. When she became a young teenager, he would choke her just to the point of death, reminding her that he was capable of ending her life at any moment. I’d forced back the rage I’d felt and promised I wouldn’t upset her with my newfound knowledge of her past. I didn’t want that for Presley. I wanted to make her happy, but I also knew I had to keep an eye on her.
It was common for Presley to have nightmares, even more so when her parents contacted her. Namely… her father. I didn’t remember her checking her phone, unless it was when I was unpacking my bag earlier while she was supposedly resting on the couch. Remembering back, she was awake when I walked into the room, but her smile blinded me and I hadn’t noticed anything wrong.
Maybe it was from our talk in the shower?
Fuck! Whatever the reason, I didn’t want her to feel frightened in my home.
As I slept, I held her. I spent the entire night with some part of our bodies touching. Every time she moved away, I would pull her closer to my chest. It wasn’t hard for me to admit that I needed her touch just as much. For once in my life, I had something warm and tangible in my arms that I wanted to call mine.
This woman unhinged me, made me feel, and made me want to be better. I had everything… except a loving woman to call my own… to spoil… to love.
Love? Was that even possible for me? I was never home. Hell, Presley was never home either. How could it even work? We’d never see each other.
As I tossed and turned all night, I couldn’t find the answer I was seeking.
I must’ve fallen into a deep sleep in the early hours of the morning, because when I woke up, the clock read after eleven. I moved my hand to the left and found warm flesh. My body curled around hers, my fingers softly brushing the braid over her shoulder so that I could press my lips to her soft skin.
“Good morning,” I mumbled against her neck. Her scent alone was as addicting as any one of the numerous drugs I’d tried in my thirty years.
“Morning,” she hummed, stretching and arching in such a way that I tucked my arm under her back and rolled her over onto my chest.
“Mmm, no,” she complained. “Morning…coffee…wake up.” I tilted my head back and laughed, gaining a sour look from her squinted eyes.
She let out a weary sigh and tucked her face beneath my chin. I felt her lips touch my neck, causing a shiver to roll up my arms.
“Want me to get you a cup of coffee?” I chuckled.
“Cream and sugar,” she mumbled, rolling to her side. The sheet tangled around her legs, pulling it down to expose her long back and the top swell of her perfectly rounded ass. My eyes traced her curves and I felt myself harden. I needed to get up and make her a cup of coffee. I also needed to take a cold fucking shower. Instead, I grabbed a clean pair of jeans and pulled it up over my erection.
I set up the coffee maker in the kitchen, scooping out the needed grounds. I listened to the gurgling of the machine as I thumbed through my mail. Thankfully, everything was paid online and I didn’t have any late notices. If it wasn’t for my friend and sponsor, Brett, I wouldn’t even have food in the house. That reminded me, I needed to call him sometime during the day. My eyes flickered back down the hallway where she was sleeping.
Maybe I could send him a text?
Grabbing my phone, I did exactly that. My message was short and sweet and to the point.
Home. Doing great. I’ll call. Have company.
I sent it with a silly smiley face, sticking out its tongue. He replied with a thumbs up and that was that. He knew what my hidden message meant and he also knew that he would be the first call I made if things got bad.
I poured a cup of fresh coffee for Presley and one for myself. After I attempted to make hers per her mumbled request, I walked into the bedroom, setting her cup beside the bed.
“Wake up,” I said, nudging her hand over so that I could sit down. My heart lurched when her beautiful blue eyes came open and focused on my face. She smiled and scooted up in the bed, drawing the sheet up around her naked breasts. I was a little disappointed she didn’t let the material fall. She took the cup I offered and brought it to her lips.
“This is good.” She hummed, taking another sip of coffee.
“Drink your coffee,” I ordered, smiling at her scowl. “We have things to do today.”
“Like?” she asked.
“Grocery shopping,” I said, standing up from the bed. I walked over to my closet and grabbed a long sleeved gray shirt, pulling it over my head before returning to the side of the bed to grab my cup of coffee.
She laughed and shook her head, watching me over the top of her cup. I didn’t wait for her to get out of the bed, leaving the room to give her time to get up and dressed. I smiled all the way back through the living room.
I was checking my messages when I sensed her enter the room. When my eyes raised, my breath froze in my lungs. She was dressed in a tight pair of leggings with a long sweater that hung at points at her side. The color matched her wine colored lips and her hair hung in messy curls around her shoulders.
“Jesus, you’re beautiful,” I said, stalking her. “I think we need to forget the store and stay home.”
“Ace,” she warned, taking a step back. “You said we had things to do today.”
“I know,” I growled, reaching out for her hand. Her body molded perfectly against my chest when I tangled my hand in her long, brown hair. The fist I made kept her in place for my assault on her mouth. When we both pulled away, I was panting and her lips were swollen from my need.
“Let’s go before I change my mind,” I grumbled, adjusting my cock to a more comfortable position.
Presley laughed and followed me to the garage door. I’d only had her once, but I wanted her again…and again.
We spent the morning pushing a cart around the store, grabbing only the few things we would need. She laughed at me several times throughout our trip.
“You’re very domesticated,” she pointed out, then giggled, jumping when I poked her side.
“Do you not grocery shop in New York?” I asked, eyeing her from the side.
“I’m never home,” she said with a shrug. “I usually eat out.”
I pushed the cart ahead and tried to ignore the stares from the few men who were in the place on a Sunday morning, probably shopping so their wives could relax at home. I glared at a few of them when their eyes stayed on Presley too long.
She didn’t comment on my b
ehavior, but she did hook her arm through mine as we moved about the store. We only bought enough for the few days we’d be at my house. Presley wouldn’t let me buy her anything special, but I did grab a pint of ice cream in a flavor I’d seen her eating one afternoon when I’d stepped over to their bus.
“I didn’t need any ice cream,” she frowned.
“My treat, don’t argue,” I scolded. She giggled and followed me out of the store.
We made it back to my house just in time for an afternoon rainstorm to darken the skies. The tall trees in my back yard swayed with the strong winds. We parked in the garage and took the bags inside. Presley helped me put away the few items we’d bought at the store.
“Grab a spoon,” I said, nodding toward the drawer. I held the ice cream in my hand like a silent offering, waiting until she reached for it before pulling it out of her reach.
“You’re mean,” she pouted, crossing her arms over her breasts. “You know that’s my favorite.”
“Mint Chocolate Chip?” I teased, walking backwards into the living room. “I figured you for a Rocky Road girl.”
“Eww,” she cringed, crinkling her tiny nose. “I hate marshmallows.”
“That’s good to know,” I said, taking a few more steps away from her. I laughed loudly when she narrowed her eyes. A spark hit them; a moment of mischievous thought flashed across her face.
“Where are you going?” she smirked. “I have the spoon.”
“Oh, baby,” I smiled. “I don’t need the spoon.”
“Really?” she teased, walking toward me. I laughed when she pushed me down on the couch, straddling my lap. My cock instantly responded when she scooted so close I could feel the heat of her pussy through my jeans. “I’d like to see how you plan to eat that ice cream… my ice cream, with no spoon.”
In one swift movement, I removed the lid and swiped my finger through the cold dessert and pressed a small amount to her lips, leaning forward to remove it with my tongue. “Just like that, baby.”
“Mmm,” she replied, swiping her own finger through the cold ice cream, adding a dollop across my lips. She repeated what I’d done with a slow, sultry pass of her tongue.
“Fuck the ice cream,” I snarled, dropping the carton to the floor. Presley squealed when I wrapped my arm around her waist and twisted our bodies so that she was underneath me. My lips found hers and I silenced her with my tongue.
I didn’t pull back until she was panting for breath. I could devour her lips every moment of the day for the rest of my life. She’d opened up to me and I felt my heart ache for more of her laughter, more of her smiles, more of everything from this beautiful woman in my arms.
My lips laid a path over her jaw and onto her neck. I stopped there to nibble at her ear, smiling when she moaned out my name. Her nails dug into my shoulders, urging me to keep going.
“Ace, please?” she begged.
“I told you to never beg me,” I mumbled against her throat. My hands gathered her sweater up as I impatiently pushed it over her head. She wiggled underneath me, struggling to get it off her arms. I pulled the cups of her black bra down, leaving them underneath her breasts and letting the material push them up higher for my assault.
I traced one nipple with my tongue, reaching for the discarded ice cream. She gasped when I ran my cold finger over her nipple, watching as it puckered. My mouth soothed away any coldness left from my treat. By the time I’d given the other breast the same attention, she was squirming underneath me.
“I need you,” she growled. “Don’t make me beg.”
“Never,” I replied, standing up from the couch. She took my outstretched hand and let me pull her into the bedroom. It sucked that my condoms were in the side table drawer, because I would’ve taken her right there on the couch.
I removed my shirt and reached for the button on my jeans. My eyes hardened looking at her own remaining clothes. She didn’t need my words to tell her to undress. She slid her jeans and panties off, tossing them at the end of the bed.
“Take off your bra and lay back,” I ordered. “Leave your ass at the edge of the bed.”
She blushed, but didn’t reply, doing as I had told her. I sheathed myself and wrapped my hand around her small ankle, lifting it so that I could stand between her legs. I leaned over and took her lips as I slid my finger between her legs.
“You’re wet for me,” I said, teasing her opening with the tip of my finger. Damn, I wanted inside her, but I wasn’t going to rut into her like a horny teenager, finishing before she ever got started.
“You gotta fuck me, Ace,” she growled, needing my touch.
“Shhh,” I cooed. “Not yet, baby.”
I wanted her there. I wanted her to the point that she would explode the moment I sank my cock inside her. I needed her with me, because I wasn’t sure how long I would last once I was inside her sweet heat again.
“Damn it, Ace,” she barked. My girl was a hellcat.
I guided myself to her opening, smiling when she moaned again. Her body accepted my cock as soon as I pushed forward. Her legs anchored around my back, her hands latching onto my forearms. My hands folded over her thick hips, and our eyes locked as I thrust slowly.
“Come for me, Presley,” I said, releasing her hip. My thumb found her clit, rubbing it in time with my thrusts. “Come on.”
She exploded underneath me, begging for more… begging for all of me.
Like I’d told her before, she didn’t need to beg me for anything, because she already had everything that I was.
My thoughts faded away as I pushed inside her, watching as her eyes glazed over with her desire. She was my only thought… the only thing in my eyes.
For there would never be another woman who made me forget about all of the bad I’d experienced in my life. It was Presley who I wanted to become addicted to for the rest of my days here on Earth.
Chapter 19
Presley
The plane landed in Rapid City early on the morning of the show. The buses were already at the venue waiting for us to arrive. My band mates were on their way in from their trips home and my crew was already in place. Ace said that Taylor and Coraline were already back from their trip home, and the other two guys would be there later in the morning.
When the cab dropped us at the location, I hurried onto my bus and stored my clean clothes in my bunk. I didn’t want to lose any time with Ace. We’d been inseparable for the past five days and, as childish as I sounded, I didn’t want to let him go. Who gave a rat’s ass that I was acting like a teenager? I sure as hell didn’t.
“It’s me,” he called out, walking up the steps on the bus. I smiled warmly at how he’d let me know he was there. I had always been easily startled. It was something that I didn’t think I would ever overcome. When you were ambushed by a drunken abuser for the first nineteen years of your life, it was something that stuck with you.
“Hey,” he hushed, pulling me against his chest. “Where did you go just now?”
“Ahh,” I laughed. “Just my mind getting away from me.”
“You okay?” he asked, not pushing me for details. That was something I was extremely grateful for when he was around. Ace didn’t push me like the guys did when I would sink into my own mind.
“I’m better than okay,” I said, resting my head on his shoulder. “Can we practice? We haven’t sang all week.”
“No, we haven’t,” he teased, running his hands down my side to cup my ass. “We’ve been too busy.”
“Come on, Ace,” I smiled, pulling away. “I’ll grab my guitar.”
I walked to the back of our bus, sliding open the door to our storage area. Inside was my old acoustic guitar along with most of the guys’ instruments and gear. When I returned, Ace held out his hand for my case.
“I want to play your song.” He smiled at me. “I want to hear you sing one that you never play live.”
“Which one?” I asked, frowning. I couldn’t even come up with a song that he may eve
n have heard. Unless he’d gone through all of our songs online.
He just smiled in that sexy way that made my knees weak, pulled out my guitar, and took a seat on the couch. He strummed the instrument a few times, testing it in his capable hands. I had a moment of panic because I’d never let anyone touch my guitar. It had been my only possession once when I was down on my luck and between gigs. I loved that old guitar and took care of it like it was my child, but seeing it in Ace’s hands put me at ease because he touched it like he caressed me…softly and tenderly.
I smiled brightly as he started playing one of my slower songs. It was a love song that I’d written years ago. In fact, it was the first single Witch’s Spawn ever released. “You Need to Hear This” was about a man who realized that the broken woman of his dreams was his eternal soul mate. The man wrote her a letter, bearing his soul.
I swayed to the music, tapping my thigh as I sang. I closed my eyes as I moved around the bus, dancing to the sound of Ace playing my guitar and my own voice. As soon as the song ended, Ace set my guitar carefully back into its case and stood from his seat.
“Dance with me?” Ace asked, wrapping an arm around my waist.
“But we don’t have any music.”
“We don’t need music, Presley,” he whispered, taking my hand. I rested my head on his shoulder and let him move to whatever sound he had in his head. The silence was deafening, but the way we moved ensured that both of us heard the same beautiful music while our bodies moved as one.
We danced for several minutes. Ace would occasionally spin me around before recapturing my body, pulling me against his chest so I could rest my cheek against his heart. If there was any doubt in my mind about loving this man, his actions put that to rest.
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