by Cari Quinn
He lifted Lauren up as if she was weightless and carried her to the other side of the bed, sitting down again beside the nightstand. He reached for his wallet and thumbed it open to a small picture of a laughing, beautiful girl with long, wavy dark hair and sparkling green eyes. West’s eyes.
“My baby sister,” he explained. “We’re a little over a year apart. She’s almost through with school to become a high school art teacher. She loves kids too.” He rubbed his fingers over the little piece of plastic keeping Raven safe. “I stuck around the trailer longer than I would have if not for her. I didn’t go until she was ready to move out. She really made something of herself.”
“So did you.”
When he didn’t say anything, she grabbed his chin. “You’re kidding me, right? You think what you do isn’t important? You give people happiness for the price of a ticket. You take them out of their ordinary world and give them magic, West. Fucking magic.”
“My champion,” he murmured, and she nodded fiercely.
“Always. I’ll keep saying it until you understand what I see in you.” She gripped the compass again, pulling tight. “Your sister is lucky to have you too.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed.
“What about your mother?”
“She stayed with him. I couldn’t convince her to go.”
“And they’re still together.”
He looked somewhere off in the distance she couldn’t see. “I’d assume so. I haven’t been back in a while.”
“By choice?”
“Her choice. She said it was easier if I didn’t come around anymore, stirring up trouble. So I did as she wished.”
Lauren tipped her head against his. God, how her chest ached for him. He’d been turned away from people he loved, over and over again.
Just as she had, though it was a vastly different circumstance in the case of her parents. They’d never been close in the first place. But to be rejected by his parents and then to lose his daughter…
She cupped his cheek, rubbing his stubbled jaw until his gaze shifted back to meet hers. “It’s their loss.” She pressed her lips to his, hoping he could feel every ounce of feeling she poured into the kiss. “Completely.”
He closed his hand around hers on the compass, his lips curving under hers. “You’re good for me.”
“Ditto.” She eased back and smiled. “And I’m not even talking about the orgasms. I like beating you at Goth Avenger too.”
The furrows in his forehead smoothed away. “We should see if we can play that again somewhere, if we can find it.” He brushed her hair back from her cheek. “Since you’re staying with me.”
Her mother’s ultimatum popped into her mind. Getting back into school could be the answer to everything she’d been working toward or a complete disaster. She just hadn’t fully figured out which it was yet.
If she turned away from her mother’s offer, there wouldn’t be another one forthcoming. That she knew with certainty. If she missed the deadline, she could try to get back into school on her own as she’d planned, but there were no guarantees.
There were even fewer with West.
“I’m staying,” she echoed.
At least for now.
Seventeen
With less than six hours between privacy and a bus full of cranky people looking for the same, West was more than ready to kill his entire band by the time they rolled into Los Angeles.
Denver must have felt similarly because there were no breaks. Everyone wanted to get home. Michael for obvious reasons, and Juliet had two someones waiting on her. Mal barked for early release as soon as they passed through Glendale.
Denver didn’t bother asking questions anymore. Mal never answered. He showed up on time for the bus and the venues. For him, that was more than enough to fulfill his contract with Lila. What would happen after his next six months were up was as clear as the bottom of the La Brea tarpits.
Elle was as quiet as ever. The longer they were on the road, the more animated their co-lead guitarist got. However, she seemed to be the least excited to get home.
Ryan had gotten off the bus with Mal in Glendale with barely a word to anyone. Both he and Mal went in opposite directions the moment they’d stepped off the bus. West had been so wrapped up in Lauren that he hadn’t been able to ask Ryan what the hell was up before he was sprinting away from them.
Lauren sat beside him on the couch in the main living space. She was sitting cross-legged with a borrowed iPad in her lap. She was busily typing away in one of her endless documents.
He wasn’t sure what she was writing half the time, but she was usually grinning. Personally, he didn’t want to know. Because if it was her project, it was just one more thing to remind him how short their time together was.
Taking pity on Michael, Denver dropped him off right at his building. He barely waved at them before he was off the bus like a shot.
The rest of them were dropped off at their practice space where their cars were. He left most of his shit on the bus, only taking his backpack with all his necessities. Lauren laughed when he led her to the bright green Charger.
“Seriously? Why do you need a penis car?”
He laughed. “More like this was the first stupid thing I bought when I had money. I always wanted a Charger, but I wasn’t patient about getting one, so I took the only one they had.”
“Green.”
He shrugged. “Surprisingly, I haven’t gotten a ticket.”
“I didn’t ask.”
“You wanted to.” He held open the door for her. “In you go.” He circled the car to the driver’s side and dashed off a quick text to Ryan. Before he got the key into the ignition, he got a reply.
Didn’t want to be home for the bangfest. You kids enjoy. See ya at the Roxy.
“Huh.”
“What?”
“Looks like we get the apartment to ourselves this week.” He fired up the engine and slapped it into gear. “I say we stop and get some food and hole up for the week. How’s that sound to you?”
“You and me for the entire week?”
He nodded. “Wanna play house with me, Lo?”
“If that means have lots of sex, then yes.”
He laughed and pulled out of the parking lot and onto Ventura Boulevard. “That is definitely what I mean.”
Shopping with Lauren had a whole different flavor than shopping with Ryan. She was very particular with certain things—shampoo, lotion, and moisturizer. But her food choices ran to surprising things like Ramen noodles, quiche, and canned ravioli.
However, they found a few cool things in the condom aisle. One didn’t even have to order their lube from nefarious sites any longer.
Their cart was full to bursting and they shared a similar mind when it came to bags and trips into the apartment. He’d rather lose circulation in his wrists and fingers than make a second trip.
He pushed the up button on his building’s elevator with the back of his hand. “Don’t get too excited. My apartment is nothing to write home about.”
“At least you have one. I’ve been relying on the kindness of Ethan for too long.”
He bit his tongue. He didn't like the idea of her going back home with that guy at all. Not when he was so obviously in love with her. Whether Lo believed it or not, she was Ethan’s end game.
West couldn’t even blame him. With every hour he was with her, she felt more and more right. In a week, she’d become as necessary as his hands and that was terrifying.
He’d never really needed anyone before.
Hell, he barely needed an apartment, and now there was this woman who made him feel way too much.
When they got to his floor, he led her down the hallway to his apartment and dropped the bags by the door. He unlocked it and pushed it open far enough to let her go inside first. “Just a word of warning. Our furniture looks more or less like we raided an old folks’ home and a garage sale an hour before it was over. You know when only the crap pieces a
re left.”
“I think maybe your grandma and mine had different furniture tastes.” Lauren rattled her plastic bags. “Just let me in already.”
She moved past him into the apartment, her eyes rounding with surprise. He looked at the place through her eyes and winced. Garage sale finds pretty much summed up the decor.
He kicked the bags in after hers and decided a distraction was in order. “However, my bed is brand new and very, very bouncy.”
She dropped her bags and pushed him against the wall.
His grunted out a laugh and hauled her up into his arms.
“What about—”
He silenced her with his lips. There was nothing in the bags that needed to go into the fridge. At least not in the next ten minutes. He needed to get back inside her. To feel her clasp around him with those soft little moans that made him so damn hard he couldn’t think straight.
They made it across the apartment and into his bedroom. When they landed on his bed, Lauren squeaked. He laughed and rolled her onto her back, pushing at her shirt. Her fingers went to his belt and there was a blizzard of clothing on his floor a moment later.
He barely had the wherewithal to grab his wallet from the floor. His brain was on one track, and one track only. Getting inside of her. The addiction was real, and he didn’t want a cure.
Lauren arched up as he flicked her bra open and her bountiful breasts sprung free. The silky warmth was silk and perfection. He sucked her nipple into his mouth and palmed her pussy. She moaned into his mouth as he slid two fingers inside her.
Clasping heat, slick as heaven. He couldn’t wait. He sheathed himself and settled into her with a long, slow thrust. He tried to be mindful of just how active they’d been, but the moment her heat surrounded him all bets were off.
He thrust into her like she was the only thing a dying man could feast on.
She wound her legs around his hips and met him thrust for thrust, groan for groan. He barely made it through the first vising grip of her pussy.
“Come with me, baby. I need that perfect pussy fisting around my cock.”
“Fuck.”
He hissed out a laugh. “Better. You can say it even without prompting.”
She dug her feet into his ass. “Fuck me.”
“Hell, yes.” He drove into her until they were both shaking. The tremors could have been hers or his. It didn’t much matter. Her scent was on his skin and they were alone. In his whole goddamn life, nothing had ever been as perfect as being with her.
“West.” Her voice was a broken groan as she held him tighter. “Yes.”
“Fuck, yes.” His entire brain melted and his arms shook, but he held still and poured himself into her. She was his—at least for this moment.
He rolled over with a grunt and dragged her on top of him. “Holy shit.”
“Were you devising this whole scenario in your head while we were shopping or something?”
“No. Not until I saw you in my space.”
“I like your initiative.”
“Me too.” He panted out a laugh. “I think I broke my dick.”
“I hope not. I have plans for that lovely appendage.”
“Damn right.” He blew out a breath. “Can we lay here for a minute though?”
“Just for a minute,” she said with equal breathlessness.
They both must have passed out because the next time he was aware of anything other than complete bliss, the room was dark. Lauren was settled beside him, and the light puffs of her breath tickled his chest hair.
His entire body was sore. He wasn’t sure how long they’d stayed in that position, but it was damn well long enough that his bladder had plans for him that included an upright position.
If he could make it.
He shifted her off him and she murmured his name, but seemed to go right back to sleep. West slipped away to take care of business and showered away the stickiness of the bus and another round of sex with his favorite maniac.
It was too late to cook, so he called in an order for Chinese as he put away the groceries. When the buzzer sounded, he ran downstairs, taking his keys and bag with him. He hadn’t checked his mail in about ten days.
Jesus. He hoped the mailman was still delivering.
He traded cash for food and stuffed the tightly packed roll of letters and advertisements into his bag. Just in time too, because there was a love note from his mail carrier that he was going to halt mail in three days if it wasn’t picked up.
He ran back to the elevator and got back up to his apartment in time to find Lauren wandering out of his room with only his shirt on. He could certainly get used to this kind of visitor.
Maybe even longer than a visit.
He swallowed down that thought and held up the takeout bag. “I wasn’t sure what to get, so I got a little bit of everything.”
“Thank God. I’m famished.”
They fell on the food like starving people.
Worse, he wasn’t just hungry for food, but for more of this. Just a normal life with someone who might be a little bit crazy for some people, but felt exactly right for him.
Each hour they spent together bled into the next. All of them moving way too fast.
The next few days were more of the same. Food, sex, laughter, and so much perfection he was afraid to tip the scales in either direction. He let the status quo lead him through the days and nights until the Roxy show.
Every day, he became a little more desperate than the one before.
He wanted this perfection to last.
And it scared the living shit out of him.
Eighteen
“So you’re awfully smiley tonight,” Denver commented, nudging Lauren’s arm. “Liking the life of domesticity with our resident wild man?”
“Is that what you call him?” Lauren snorted and peeled the corner of the label off her bottle of Bud. She was trying all sorts of new things lately.
Beer, however, would not be added into her repertoire. It smelled like piss and tasted worse. Denver was nursing hers like a lover, cradling it to her chest. It was her one and only of the night, so she had to make it count. In fact, it was rare for her to even enter the band’s venue, but she’d left a couple security guys guarding the bus. Since this particular show was for charity, she was entitled, she’d said.
Lauren happened to agree. Not that she would’ve argued with her if she hadn’t. Denver could kick her ass without breaking one of her fabulous nails.
But the truth was, she probably was pretty smiley. The last week she’d spent with West had been great. Hardly any awkward moments. No petty squabbles over chores like she sometimes had with Ethan. True, she was a houseguest more than a permanent resident, but it had been so easy to see how she could be there longer-term. They just fit somehow. It didn’t make sense. They shouldn’t have. But whatever angles they had—and boy, they both had some—managed to slide easily against each other rather than cause friction. At least so far.
“Yeah, it’s been good.” When Denver pointed at her ear, unable to hear her from the growing voices of the crowd just before showtime, Lauren leaned closer. “You should come over tomorrow. We’re going to play tag team video games. Ry will probably be there. Maybe you can convince him not to ghost again?”
Denver rolled her eyes. “Yeah, right. Like I can convince that boy of anything these days.” A frown played around her generous mouth before she pursed her lips and deftly changed the subject. “Besides, sure that’s all you want to tag team, New Experiences Girl? I’m not a freak.” Denver bopped her head back and forth to the sounds of the final soundcheck on stage. “Well, not like that. Solo style is my deal.”
“Solo, meaning masturbation?” Lauren asked, apparently a bit too loudly since the people in front of them turned back to give them a look. She smiled at the big dude with the Mohawk. “Sorry. Cyndi Lauper knew what she was about.”
“Oh, Lord, really?” Denver tugged on her arm and flashed the guy a “drop dead” expre
ssion that made him swivel back around without a word. “Lesson number twelve hundred—do not mention juicing the cube when a strange guy is eyeing you.”
“Juicing the cube? Is yours a square shape? Mine is not.”
Denver shook her head. “I’m gonna need more alcohol for this.” She took another sip from her bottle and smiled at Tristan, one of Juliet’s guys, on her opposite side. ”If she asks you any questions about threesomes, just smile and nod.”
The guy in front of them turned back again and waggled his brows at Lauren. “I can tell you all about threesomes, sweetness.”
“Yeah, you’re probably not going to want to not do that. Her guy gets a little possessive.”
Big dude glanced at Tristan on Denver’s other side. “That one? Love the slick clothes, man.”
“I’ll pass your appreciation on to my tailor.” Tristan raised a brow and came to stand on Lauren’s other side, casually tossing an arm around her shoulders. She shot him a side-eye but he was concentrating on Big Dude. “Yes, this is my love muffin.”
Lauren snorted, belatedly hiding her beer in front of her face so she couldn’t see Big Dude’s reaction to that statement. But he turned back around and she leaned in close to whisper to Tristan. “Thank you.”
“No problem. Gotta represent for my man West while he’s occupied.” Tristan grinned and squeezed her shoulder before letting go.
Lauren smiled, soaking in the warmth of belonging to someone, no matter how temporarily. It felt nice to be someone’s girl. To be known that way so it was just an accepted fact. “I don’t suppose you’d tell me how the threesome thing works?” she questioned close to Tris’s ear.
Tristan just chuckled. “I think you can figure out most of it on your own.”
“Oh, I don’t mean sexually, though I have some questions there too, but you know, there’s porn.”
Tristan just chuckled again, not responding, but it didn’t matter because now she had happy thoughts of adult movies in her head.