by Claire Adams
“Nalia?” I spun around to see Talon standing outside.
“Hey, Talon, did you need something?” I plastered a smile on my face, even as tears began to rim my eyes.
“No…no, I didn’t need anything,” he said, lighting a cigarette. “I came out here to check on you.”
“On me? Why would you do that? I’m totally fine,” I assured him, trying to keep it together and put on my most hardened expression. “You should get back in there with your fans; you're going to leave a lot of them disappointed if you don't. Go on, have fun; don't worry about me.” I waved a hand, managing a laugh, even if it sounded hollow.
He sighed and put a hand on my shoulder. “I saw your face, and I think I know you well enough by now to be able to see that you’re not fine.”
I tried to laugh it off, even as more tears formed. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Owen. With the two practically topless girls. You can't tell me that's not going to bother you on some level.” He stared me straight in the eyes and the tears finally began to roll down my cheeks.
“It’s my own fault. I’m an idiot, a stupid idiot, nothing more. I actually started feeling something for him. Even after he told me….” My voice trailed off as Talon pulled me into a strong hug, and I sniffled, hugging him back.
“Look, sometimes my brother can be an idiot just like me. It's a family trait, sadly. He cares about you, too, you know. A lot. He really does, believe me. He just got caught up in joking around with the fans.”
“By trying to lick their tits?! That's what you call 'just joking around?!’” I looked at Talon like he was nuts.
“I’m not excusing him! Fans get crazy, and, to be honest, it’s easy to get caught up in it, but I know he wasn’t going to do anything more than just humor them by playing along. Yes, I know they pulled their tits out — they want attention from us. And yeah, a lot of them want, you know, the whole package. But most are satisfied with a smile, an autograph, and maybe a flirty touch. But trust me, he's not going to go any further than that with them because of how much he likes you.”
“I shouldn’t even be here right now. Everything is organized, and you guys don’t need me to get back to the hotel. I should just go back to my room,” I sighed.
“You sure?”
“Yeah, I don’t want to stay and watch him with….” I shrugged.
Talon gave me one more strong squeeze. “It'll be all right, I promise. I know him better than anyone. He is my brother. And, he's not going to do anything stupid. Don't worry; he's not like me in that respect,” Talon gave me a playful wink intended to reassure me. I wasn’t feeling too reassured. “Anyways, we’ll meet you back at the hotel, no worries, okay?” he added.
I nodded, feeling a little sad, disappointed, numb, and angry all rolled into one. Without another word, I headed around the building to the front to hail a cab. I finally caught one and simply headed straight up to my room when I arrived back at the hotel.
I wanted to go to sleep, but I was too agitated and upset over the situation and over the fact that I cared so much. Maybe Talon was right. Maybe Owen didn’t mean anything by it. Maybe he was just posing for a picture and didn’t think something like that might hurt me. Maybe, since I lied on my resume, he assumed I’d been on tour with other bands before and knew those kinds of things happened and were simply par for the course. But if I was being honest with myself, I didn’t know what to think anymore. I felt like I was unraveling, and I needed something to calm me down.
I suddenly remembered that I had passed a piano in the lobby of the hotel earlier. Without a second thought, I slipped my shoes back on and headed downstairs.
I sat down at the pristine black bench and started playing. As I did, I started to forget everything and just focused on the music.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Owen
I felt great after the meet and greet had finished, invigorated even. The show had been a spectacular success, and we had been on fire from the very first song to the final encore. Having the fans pretty much refuse to let us go off stage until they'd heard a third encore really had felt amazing. My earlier thoughts were spot on – this was definitely turning out to be one of the best tours we'd done, if not the best ever.
Even though confidence had never been something I had an issue with, it was nice to know so many women were still attracted to me. Every man needs a little ego boost now and again.
Not to mention, I had to face the facts: I was getting older, and damn if I didn’t feel less attractive in recent years. Damn ego. I mean, I'd stayed in shape, and my genes had gifted me with a full head of hair that showed no signs of thinning, and good, smooth skin that remained pretty damn youthful, but even with all of that, I'd began to feel as if I wasn't as attractive as I had been in my twenties. So, the attention from these star-struck groupies, well, it was nice in that regard.
Not that I’d given a lot of thought to women in the last couple of years. Mostly, I’d been working so hard and been so extremely focused on the record label, I hadn’t had time to think much about relationships or even one-night stands. Actually, I hadn’t really much cared what women thought of me until recently. And when I say “women,” I actually mean one woman in particular.
Knowing Nalia thought highly of me was more than enough for me, even with all the attention from the young, hot groupies. Something about her was so much more captivating than any of them could ever be. Speaking of…
I stopped and looked around the tour bus as I got on with the others. Where the hell was Nalia?
I walked to the back of the tour bus in search of her, but she wasn’t there, so I climbed off and headed back toward the building.
“Oh, my God! Owen, I love you!” some girl shouted and before I knew what was happening, she flung herself at me and wrapped her arms around my neck, her lips connecting with mine before I could even protest. The click of several cameras sounded before I could push her away with as much gentleness and calm demeanor as I could manage, as annoying as she was.
I was a little irritated as I walked into the building, but was focused on my search for Nalia. I’m a rock star, and stupid shit like that happened all the time. I was pretty used to it by now, but it still had a tendency to catch me off guard sometimes and get under my skin.
I walked all around the backstage area, searching everywhere, but couldn’t find her anywhere. Finally, feeling both disappointed and a little worried, I headed back to the bus. When I got on, Talon was lounging up front swigging on a beer.
“Have you seen Nalia?” I asked him, thoroughly concerned. He stared at me for a moment, and there was a look on his face I wasn’t sure how to read.
“She went back to the hotel. Wasn’t feeling well,” he said flatly. I looked at him, now more than a little confused. If I hadn't known any better, I’d say he was mad at me, but what the hell for, I didn’t have a clue. I hadn't said anything even remotely out of the way to him for days now.
Whatever it was, though, I wasn’t going to let it get me down. I was in a good mood and still feeling pumped. I went to the kitchenette on the bus and grabbed a beer, then went to the back to hang out with the other guys while the bus driver drove us back to the hotel.
When the bus stopped, I followed the others off and headed into the hotel lobby. Talon stopped abruptly in front of me, making me almost run into him. I started to say something about him being a dumb shithead, but stopped when I saw, and heard, what had made the others stop in their tracks.
Nalia was sitting at the piano in the lobby, playing one of the most beautiful renditions of “Unchained Melody” I’ve heard. Other people had stopped to listen, even some of the hotel staff had stopped doing their jobs and were simply standing there, utterly mesmerized. In fact, the whole lobby was silent except for her playing.
I walked closer until I was right behind her, my heart feeling as if it were going to burst as I watched her. She was incredibly talented. I could listen to her play
for hours.
I closed my eyes, getting lost in the beauty of the music as the notes flowed around me. Not only around me, but through me, stirring my heart and soul. I hadn’t realized I had started singing until the music suddenly stopped and she was saying something. I opened my eyes and found her facing me, a slight frown on her lips and a sad look in her eyes.
“Nalia, what’s wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing. I’m just tired,” she sighed and turned away from me. I followed after her as she got up from the piano and headed for the elevators.
“Wait, where are you going?”
She spun back around as she reached the elevator doors, something else now clearly present in her eyes. Was it anger?
“I’m just going to go to bed, all right? It's been a long day, and there's still plenty more for me to do tomorrow. So, I need a good, quiet rest. Goodnight, Owen.”
I grabbed her arm before she could turn away from me again and pulled her back against me. My heart pounded heavily in my chest, my mouth went dry. I wasn't sure what exact feelings were ripping through me, but there was definitely a tidal wave of them. “You promised me, Nalia, remember? Tonight?” I said, kissing the side of her neck. She pulled away a little and gave me an icy glare.
“You sure you don’t want someone else?”
I felt a little wounded at her words but pulled her back to me once more. “Hell no. Why would I possibly want anyone but you? Not a chance. Never,” I whispered in her ear.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Nalia
The elevator dinged, and Owen pulled me inside with him.
“Come here, beautiful,” he muttered in a gruff, sexy voice, drawing me against him.
I still felt a little upset and more than a little jealous about the incident with the groupies earlier, but also suspected I was being ridiculous. We had agreed not to get too attached, and we were just having fun. Why was I worrying and not just living a little? I was young, I was supposed to be living it up, not taking things so seriously. I relaxed against him, and Owen groaned in my ear, pushing his hips against me, letting me feel that he was already a little hard. I turned my face to him, and he kissed me deeply, making me moan into his mouth.
“Mmm, God, you’re so sexy. All I’ve wanted was alone time with you for days,” he whispered, running his hands over my hips. “I've waited so long for this, too long. It's been driving me out of my mind.”
I didn’t say anything back, but I leaned back against him, pressing my ass against the growing bulge in his jeans. He pressed gentle kisses to my neck and slipped one hand over my ass, letting his fingers slip between my thighs.
“I want to lay you down on the bed, kiss every inch of your body,” he moaned, his fingers starting to rub over my panties. I couldn’t stop a moan escaping from my lips.
The elevator dinged again, and this time it opened on our floor. He led me out, forcing me against the wall and surprising me with a deep, passionate kiss. I put my arms around him, and he lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist.
Maybe I had been all wrong about what happened earlier. Maybe all it had been was a stupid pose for some bimbos’ Instagram accounts. It had bothered me, but maybe that was just a part of the rock star life that I wasn’t used to, and it really had meant nothing to Owen at all. The way he was acting now, it seemed like those girls were the furthest thing from his mind.
After a moment, he lowered me back to the floor and fumbled with his card key for a few seconds before finally getting the door to the penthouse open. He led me to his room, stopping every now and then to kiss me as we went. Once we were in his room, he backed me up to the bed and laid me down, kissing me again, his tongue flicking against mine.
“Nalia, I want you. Only you,” he said to me in the gruff, low voice that made heat pool low in my belly. I pulled him harder into a kiss, massaging my tongue against his as I rolled over so that I was lying on him.
His hands cupped my face tenderly, sweetly, threatening to make me melt in ways I wasn’t emotionally ready for, so I took one of his hands off my face and slid it down to my breast. He groaned into my mouth, dropping his free hand down to my other breast, massaging them both. His touch felt like drops of pure fire on my body. It soon made me want him even more. When his hand slipped down on my stomach, and started to head even further south I grabbed it, giving him a smile.
“No.”
His brow arched high. “No? Are you fucking kidding me?”
I shook my head and leaned against him, allowing my breasts to flatten against his chest. His hardness was pressed in the V of my thighs, the thought of what was about to happen was nearly driving me crazy with need. “I want to do this.”
His lips flattened into a thin line, and he dropped his hands from my body, folding them behind his head. “Go ahead. Do your worst, then. Let's see what you've got, Nalia.”
I gave him a cat-like smile and sat back up, grabbing the end of my shirt and pulling it over my head, throwing it on the floor beside the bed. Tonight, I wanted him writhing under my touch, begging for me to finish. I wanted to be the one in charge this time. My bra went next, and I heard the swift intake of his breath as his eyes feasted on my bare breasts, the fire simmering in their deep blue depths.
True to his word, though, he didn’t move or try to take charge of the situation. I smiled, pleased with his obedience, and promptly grabbed the edge of his shirt, slowly and achingly revealing his washboard stomach. “Take it off,” I instructed in a tone that suggested there would be no compromise on this.
“Gladly,” he agreed, pulling the shirt the rest of the way and throwing it off to the side. His hand reached for me, and I mimicked the arched brow he’d given me, forcing him to put his hands back where they had been above his head.
“Not yet,” I scolded him. “I told you, I'm the one in charge here.”
“Damn,” he answered, his breath ragged. “Are you trying to kill me, Nalia? Shit, I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out like this!”
I didn’t answer. Instead, I simply smiled at him – a lustful, flirtatious smile that I could see had the effect of driving him even wilder. I kept my eyes locked into his as I ran my hands over his chest, marveling at the way he was built — so powerful, muscles so hard and chiseled, without an ounce of flab anywhere on him. He really was close to perfect. And this body was mine, all mine for the whole night.
Leaning down, I trailed kisses along his chest, right above his heart. Silently, I considered what I was doing as a thought suddenly entered my mind. It had been an unconscious action, but I guess I had just wanted to be close to his heart. He probably wouldn’t understand the meaning, and I wasn’t so sure I fully understood what was going on, either, but tonight, it didn’t matter. Tonight, we were just going to lose ourselves in the moment.
I allowed my tongue to trace a trail over his pecs, slowly tasting the saltiness of his skin as it moved over it. He didn’t flinch, but I could hear the change in his breathing, feel the strain of him against his jeans. When I reached his belly button, I allowed myself to slide with tantalizing slowness down his body, my fingers working on the button of his fly.
“Nalia,” he warned as I flicked it open and pulled down his zipper.
I looked up and gave him a stern shake of my head. “No talking, Owen. Don’t forget, I’m the one in charge here,” I murmured. “Now, do as I tell you and raise your hips.”
His expression was stormy, but he did as I instructed so I could pull his jeans down over his hips and to his ankles, sliding back up to free him from his boxers. He was pulsating against my hand, hot, swollen, and as hard as a rock. I ran my thumb over the tip, causing him to jerk ever so slightly beneath my touch. He was ready and so was I.
“What do you want?” I asked softly, looking up at him. His eyes were hungry, his jaw clenched tightly as he stared at me.
“I want you.”
“How badly?”
“Like I’ve never wanted anyone before in my life. Please
, Nalia, you’re killing me.”
I squeezed him gently, earning a groan in response, knowing that I couldn’t last much longer myself. But I was determined. He wasn't going to get me just yet. I wanted to drag the experience out a little more.
It didn’t matter that I wanted it as badly as he did, I was enjoying the feeling of control. I caressed the head of his long, powerful member with gentle fingertips, and he shuddered and moaned at the pleasure it brought.
“Jesus, Nalia,” he uttered as I began to stroke his shaft up and down in a gentle rhythm. It wasn’t easy to maintain the feather light touch, only just brushing my hand over it when I wanted to wrap my fingers around his hard length and have my way with him. He twisted and turned, gasping loudly with ecstasy.
“Are you ready, Owen?” I purred.
“Are you kidding? Damn, Nalia, I can't hold on for another fucking minute! I need you. Now. So fucking badly.”
I wiggled out of my skirt and panties and slid up his body, rubbing his hard planes against my already heated skin. “I won’t make you suffer for too much longer. You've been a good boy, and you deserve a reward, I think.”
“Thank God,” he breathed as I brushed my lips over his. “How long before I can touch you? You don't understand how bad you're torturing me right now.”
“Soon,” I promised, sliding back down again, my stomach gliding over his. God, he was so hard. Moisture pooled between my thighs in anticipation. Reaching into the back pocket of his jeans, I located the ever-present condom and opened it, pulling out the slim rubber before reaching for him again. He groaned and hit his head against the headboard, his hands clenching the sheets as I pressed my lips to his bulging tip before sliding the condom over him.
The anticipation was building and becoming far too intense to hold out for much longer. I rose up on my knees and positioned myself above him, looking him directly in his eyes. “Do you know who you are fucking tonight?”