Love Hard (Anything But Mine Book 2)

by Barbara Justice

  As the bus pulled away from the diner, Meg, Sky, Becky and Jack retreated to the back lounge of the bus, where they watched a movie. When it was over, Becky and Jack said goodnight and settled into Jack’s bunk.

  Meg turned to Sky, and asked, “Should we turn in as well?”

  “There’s nothing I’d rather do,” Sky said with a grin. “I can’t wait to get my hands on you tonight.”

  “But how are we going to…I mean, won’t everyone hear us?”

  “Nah,” Sky said as he pulled her into his bunk and closed the curtain. He whispered in her ear just what he planned on doing to her.

  Her body stiffened. “What are you talking about? What’s ‘Hawaiian sex’?”

  He burst out laughing. “I didn’t say ‘Hawaiian sex’. I said ‘quiet sex’.”

  Meg joined him in his laughter. “We’re going to have to call it a luau from now on.”

  “Yeah, baby,” he said as he slipped his hand underneath her camisole and massaged her breasts. “We’re gonna have a luau tonight.” He pushed her yoga pants down, and slipped his fingers between her legs. “Jesus, you’re already drenched.”

  Meg gasped, as a low moan escaped her lips. “And you’re rock hard,” she said, as she slipped her hands inside his sweatpants. “I need you inside me.”

  “Shh…,” Sky whispered in her ear as he tossed his sweatpants aside and finished removing Meg’s clothes. He grabbed a condom, found her opening, and slipped himself inside her an inch at a time. “My God, Meg, you feel so good.”

  He began to move slowly within her, torturing her with his fingers while his manhood filled her completely. “I need you to come for me, to come around me,” he said, as he increased the pressure on her most sensitive spot.

  His touch sent her over the edge, and she began to cry out, but Sky clamped his free hand over her mouth to muffle her sounds of ecstasy. “Remember, we have to be quiet,” he said. When she nodded her head, he removed his hand from her mouth.

  “It feels so good, though,” she whispered into his ear. “I don’t know how much more I can take.”

  He thrust hard into her, and said, “You can take it, ‘cause you love it.” He pushed himself into her again and again, until he felt her begin to lose control. “Come around me, Meg. I need to feel you.”

  Meg’s breathing became shallow, and her body began to quiver and shake as waves of pleasure overtook her. She started to scream again, but Sky pressed his hand over her mouth just as she was losing control and her body contracted in strong pulses around his manhood.

  As she climaxed, Sky pushed himself deeper and deeper inside her. “Jesus, Meg, you’re so hot,” he said, as his body stiffened and he found his release. He collapsed on top of her, but didn’t withdraw from inside her, not wanting to lose their connection. He gently brushed her disheveled hair away from her face, and looked deep into her vivid green eyes. “I’ve never felt anything like that. No one has ever made me feel the way you do.”

  The following day, Sky suggested they get away from the venue for a couple of hours. “Let me take you on a tour of Atlanta,” he said, before disappearing inside the trailer that was hitched to the back of the bus. He reappeared a few minutes later, and handed Meg a mint green helmet.

  She was confused. “What’s this?”

  “I got you a helmet so you can ride on the back of my motorcycle.” When she didn’t say anything, he added, “It’s green, to match your gorgeous eyes.”

  “But…I’ve never ridden on a motorcycle before.”

  “Nothin’ to it. All you have to do is relax, and hold on tight to me,” he said, as he took her hand and led her towards his motorcycle. He climbed onboard and strapped his helmet on, but Meg hesitated. “You’re not scared, are you?”

  She hung her head, ashamed to admit that she was terrified. “I just keep picturing you lying in the roadway, unconscious.”

  “Baby,” Sky said, as he dismounted the motorcycle and took Meg in his arms. “That’s the only accident I’ve ever had, and only because there were leaves on the ground covering up the big pothole I hit. I promise we’ll go slow, and that I’ll be careful.”

  She hesitated a moment more, before agreeing. “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Meg kept her arms wrapped tightly around Sky’s torso as he drove them around Atlanta, pointing out the sights. Once she acclimated herself to the feel of the motorcycle, she began to relax, and enjoy the exhilaration of the wind whipping through her long hair as they rode around the city. When Sky pulled over and parked the motorcycle, Meg was surprised at the disappointment she felt.

  “Why are we stopping?”

  “Didn’t I promise you that I’d take you out for a nice salad today? Becky told me this place has some of the best salads in Atlanta,” he said, gesturing towards a nearby restaurant.

  Meg’s face lit up. “You remembered?”

  “Of course,” Sky said, as he placed his arm around her shoulders and steered her into the restaurant, where they were seated in a corner booth. After they placed their order, he said, “You know, Meg, when I make a promise, I keep it. My word is important to me. I don’t make promises I don’t intend to keep.”

  When they finished eating, Sky paid the bill and glanced at his watch. “Gotta get back for sound check,” he said. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” Meg said, as she stood and followed Sky out of the restaurant. She swung her leg over the motorcycle with a new-found confidence and wrapped her arms around Sky as he drove them back to the venue.

  When they arrived at the venue, Meg pulled Sky in for a deep kiss. “Thank you for today,” she said between kisses. “I loved every minute of our time together.”

  “Me too, baby,” he said. “Why don’t you shower and get ready for tonight while we take care of sound check? I’ll meet you back here at the bus in a little bit.”

  Meg boarded the bus just as Becky was getting out of the shower. By the time they finished blowing their hair dry and dressing, the band members were back from sound check and were taking turns bathing.

  “Let’s stay back here,” Becky said, as she drew the heavy curtain to the back lounge closed. “This way they can walk around in their underwear and get dressed without feeling self-conscious.” She opened a small built-in refrigerator and pulled out a beer. “Want one?”

  “Sure. Thanks,” Meg replied before taking a sip. “That hits the spot.” She sat down opposite Becky at the built-in table, and asked, “So, what happens next?”

  “Mac will tell us when it’s time to go. Then we’ll all walk together backstage to where the meet and greet will take place. The guys will take photos with the fans, and after they finish they’ll huddle up and say a prayer, and then they’ll take the stage.”

  “And we can watch?”

  Becky took another sip of beer. “Yup. We can be there the whole time, and we get to watch the show from the side of the stage, just like you did back in Tampa.”

  The curtain slid back, and Jack stuck his head in. “Sorry to break up your hen party, but Mac says it’s time to go.”

  Becky followed Jack, and Meg caught up with Sky, and the two couples held hands as they followed the rest of the band through the stage door at the rear of the concert venue. As they passed the fans lined up to meet them, Meg was overwhelmed by the screams and cameras being stuck in her face. “Does this happen every time?” she asked Sky.

  “It happens, but not usually like this,” he said. He moved his mouth to her ear, and said, “I think it’s because of you.”

  Meg froze in place. “Me? Why?”

  “Because we’ve been in the news, and a lot of the fans now know that you’re my girlfriend. There’s a great deal of interest in you.” Sky grabbed her by the hand and led her to the area where Jarrod, the Johnson Bishop tour photographer, had set up his tripod. “Stay here,” he said. “I’ve gotta do my thing.” He gave her a deep, lingering kiss before taking his place next to Jack in front of a large screen with the Johnson Bishop Band logo.
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  Meg joined Becky, watching as Sky and Jack posed for photos with fans for over an hour. She was surprised when a few of the fans, mostly younger girls, approached Becky and asked her for her autograph, or for fashion advice, or to get their picture taken with her. “Does this happen to you a lot?”

  “Yeah. Jack and I are pretty open about our relationship on social media. We post a lot of photos, and the fans feel as though they’re our friends. I try to be as friendly as I can to them, because happy fans are supportive fans.”

  Meg raised her eyebrows. “It must be weird not having any privacy.”

  “We only let them see what we want them to see,” Becky said, before posing for a photo with two giggling teenage girls. After the girls moved on, she continued, “You’ll get the hang of it. It will be easier for the fans to accept you if you accept them. They’re part of the package.”

  Meg’s stomach began to churn. It never occurred to me that the fans wouldn’t accept me, she thought as she watched a tall redhead fan with skin-tight jeans and cleavage spilling out of her tank top drape herself over Sky like a second skin. The redhead tried to kiss Sky, but he put his hands up and shook his head, before pointing in Meg’s direction. As she was leaving the photo op area, the woman glared at Meg and stuck the middle finger of her left hand out at her. Similar scenarios repeated during the course of the meet and greet session, and each time a woman was rejected by Sky, Meg was the target of dirty looks or nasty comments.

  When the last of the fans had cleared the backstage area, Sky pulled Meg in for a kiss. “I know you saw some of the girls come on to me. I’m sorry about that. I need you to know that you’re my girl, my only girl. Are you okay?”

  “Yeah, I guess,” Meg said, not wanting to admit that she was a little shaken up by the animosity of some of the fans. “Becky thinks we should embrace the fans, and let them in a little on our relationship, the way she and Jack do.”

  Sky wrinkled his brows. “Are you sure? Do you really want to give up your privacy?”

  “I think that ship sailed when our photo was in every tabloid and gossip rag last week. If we put a photo or two out on social media, then at least we can control what is out there.”

  “Once it’s out there, we can’t take it back.”

  Meg nodded her head. “I know. But there are going to be photos out there anyway, even from tonight. You said yourself that everyone was taking pictures of us as we walked in.”

  “Yeah, you’re right. But I want to roll this out slowly,” he said, running his hands through his hair. He called out to the photographer. “Hey, Jarrod? Can you get some photos of Meg and me, using my phone?” He turned to Meg, and said, “Just act natural, and let me take the lead. Pretend Jarrod isn’t even here. Let’s see how these come out.”

  Sky took her by the hand and led her away from Jarrod, before stopping and kissing her on the top of her head. He ran his fingers through her hair, caressed her cheek, and tilted her chin up so he could kiss her on the lips.

  They were interrupted when Mac called out, “Showtime, Sky!”

  “Come on,” Sky said, pulling Meg by the hand and into the circle where the band said a quick prayer before downing a shot of Jack Daniels. They kissed, and he said, “Follow Becky. I’ll see you after the show.”

  Meg joined Becky at the side of the stage, where they danced and swayed to the music. The last time I saw them perform seems like it was in a different life. It was just a month ago, but it certainly was a different me back then. Everything’s changed. She watched as Sky and Jack took seats on stools halfway through their set and sang their smash hit “When I Met You”. After they finished the song, Meg’s heart skipped a beat when Sky blew a kiss at her. God help me, she thought. I don’t want to fall in love with you. I don’t want my heart broken again.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The following morning, Meg woke up early and managed to ease herself out of the bunk without waking Sky. She tip-toed towards the front of the bus and greeted Paul, before retreating to the back lounge, where she made herself a cup of coffee and settled into a seat to savor the quiet before everyone else woke up.

  She thought back to the previous night, when she and Sky looked at the photos Jarrod took of them, and picked out one where they were holding hands and looking into each other’s eyes. Sky posted the photo to his Instagram and Twitter accounts, and tagged Meg with the caption “Thank God for my beautiful guardian angel”. I guess its official, now that it’s out on social media. I’m Sky Johnson’s girlfriend.

  While she took another sip of her coffee, she noticed her phone begin to vibrate, and picked it up from the charging station where she had left it overnight. “Hey, Susan,” she whispered to her friend. “What’s up?”

  “Did I wake you?”

  “No, but I’m on the bus with the band. Everyone else is still asleep.”

  “Listen, I don’t know how to tell you this…,” Susan’s voice trailed off. “Have you been online this morning?”

  “No. I just picked up my phone when you called. Why?”

  “Umm…Sky posted a photo of the two of you last night. It’s sort of gone viral.”

  “Viral? What do you mean?”

  “If you haven’t seen the comments on Instagram or Twitter, then don’t read them.”

  Meg broke out in a sweat and thought she was going to vomit. “What do they say?”

  “Basically, it’s a lot of jealous girls making mean comments because you’re with Sky,” Susan said. “I’m rallying a bunch of our friends to tell the haters to back off, but it’s gotten ugly already.”

  “Thanks, Susan,” she said, as she looked up and saw Sky. He was grim-faced and holding his cell phone as he slid into the seat opposite her. “I’ve got to go.”

  “I’d say good morning, but I’m not sure it is,” Sky said. “My phone has completely blown up.”

  “That was my friend Susan. She said our photo went viral. I haven’t looked yet.”

  “Don’t,” said Jack, as he and Becky entered the back lounge and joined them at the table. “It’s ugly.”

  “That’s the same word my friend Susan just used,” Meg said. Ugly.”

  Becky reached out and squeezed Meg’s hand. “I think we need to strategize and come up with a joint message. It should come from you, Sky,” she said, turning to look at him. “Then we should all post it on our own accounts.”

  “What should it say?”

  “Well, we should probably talk to the p.r. people at our record label first,” Jack said, staring at Sky.

  “I don’t think so,” Becky interjected. “This isn’t a business matter, it’s a personal matter. Sky should speak from the heart, let the so-called fans know that Meg saved his life and that she matters a great deal to him, that she is a person with feelings, and hurting her is the same as hurting him.”

  “I like that,” Sky said. “Let’s write that down, then work on getting the language just right.”

  Meg sat listening in disbelief, as if the person and the life that Sky, Jack and Becky were discussing wasn’t hers. She silently sipped her coffee, but it did nothing to warm the chill she felt deep inside her body. What the hell have I gotten myself into? She tapped on her phone’s Instagram app, looked at her own profile page, and all color drained from her face. “Yesterday I had, give or take, around a hundred followers. This morning I have a little over three thousand.”

  “The same thing happened to me when Jack and I first went public,” Becky said. “I have around 50,000 followers now.”

  “I’m sorry, baby,” Sky said. “I shouldn’t have let us go public so soon.”

  “It’s not your fault. I thought it would be a good idea after the way some of the fans reacted to me last night. I didn’t realize I’d make it worse, not better.”

  Within the hour, Sky posted a new photo of him and Meg, with a caption that made it clear he was upset with the “haters”, and that Meg was responsible for saving his life. Becky and Jack shared the post, as
did the other band members.

  Beau popped his head into the back lounge of the bus, and spoke for the rest of the band. “We’ve got your back, Meg. You’re part of the family now.”

  Just before they pulled into Birmingham, Mac came into the back lounge and announced that the television show Inside Access wanted to do an interview with Sky. “It’s probably about the social media shit storm earlier today,” he said. “Do you want to do it, or should I tell them you’re not doing interviews this weekend?”

  “I’ll do it,” Sky replied. “But I want Jack to be there too.”

  “All right. I’ll set it up for right before meet and greet.”

  That evening, Jack and Sky sat down on stools and exchanged glances and a nod as the camera began rolling. The interview began with the usual questions about the tour and the new album scheduled to drop later that year. Then the reporter, Hannah Winters, turned to Sky, and said, “So it looks like you’ve been bitten by the love bug, Sky. Is it true that you have a girlfriend, and she’s out here on tour with you?”

  Sky grinned and nodded his head. “It’s true, Hannah. I’m lucky that I met a wonderful woman not too long ago who turned out to be my guardian angel. Her name is Meg, and she literally saved my life.”

  “Literally? What do you mean by that?”

  “Well,” Sky said with a sigh. “As you know, I had a bad motorcycle accident a couple of weeks ago, and she was one of the nurses who responded with the medevac unit. If it wasn’t for her taking care of me both on the flight to the hospital, and then afterwards, I might not be alive today.”

  “You caused quite a stir on social media when you posted some photos last night and earlier today. Is she the mystery woman you’ve been seen with around Nashville?”

  “Yes, she is. Meg’s the only woman in my life.” He looked directly in the camera, and said, “My ‘himbo’ days are over, Hannah. And I hope my fans are happy for me, and for us.”

  As the interview concluded, Becky squeezed Meg’s hand. They had listened to Sky and Jack answer the reporter’s questions from behind a curtain backstage at the concert venue, and both breathed a sigh of relief when it was over.