Racing to Rhapsody: A Rhapsody Novel

by Selena Laurence

  “Okay, thanks,” I say before she drifts away. “Sorry about that.” I look at Jason, and his eyes have gone dark, his mouth twisted into a vague semblance of a smile.

  “Well, I see you made your choice then,” he bites out. “I always wondered which it would be.”

  I look at him, trying to understand why he seems so bitter. “I’m not sure I know what you’re saying, Jase.”

  He snorts in disgust. “Sure you do.” He tips his head in the direction that Shannon walked.

  “Jase, it’s been a lot of years. It was nice to see you. Thanks for stopping by.” I stand and put out my hand clearly communicating that it’s time for him to move on. He shakes it reluctantly.

  “I’ll never understand someone like you, Dez,” he says, his voice harsh.

  I pull my hand back, trying to maintain my cool. He turns to go, and I get a spike of anger that I can’t smother. “For your information, I didn’t make a choice—at least not the one you think I did. I don’t need to make that choice. I chose a person, and I’d choose her no matter what package she came in.”

  As he walks away I realize that it’s true. At some point in the last three years I chose Shannon, or she was chosen for me, I’m not really sure which. And at forty thousand feet the universe showed me that I’d made the right choice.

  Now if only she’ll choose me back.

  Shannon

  I watch the guy who was monopolizing Dez’s attention walk away and sigh. I should be ashamed, and I am—sort of. I could see, even from twenty feet away, that the guy was interested in Dez for a lot more than an autograph. There was that same heat in his eyes that the guy in the coffee shop had. I hate it. It makes me more jealous than another woman would for reasons I can’t even begin to fathom.

  I have no right to be jealous of anyone—male or female. But where Dez is concerned I don’t seem to have much self-control, as evidenced by how I spent my time racing across the Atlantic last night.

  I close my eyes and lean against the nearest wall. Images of Dez naked and sweaty in the tiny airplane bathroom flash behind my eyes. His skin is a pale bronze, silky and smooth, his muscles lean but defined, his abs and pecs cut so perfectly he looks like a statue.

  I remember the way his full lips slid over my skin, his tongue wrapping around my nipples until I thought I might come from that alone. Then a loud noise startles me and my eyes pop open. I realize I’ve been standing in the middle of a public venue full of thousands of people, having sex fantasies about Dez Takimoto. I wave my hand in front of my face fanning myself to cool my cheeks.

  “Your boy’s reeling in all sorts today,” sleazy Romeo says as he appears next to me.

  My upper lip curls in disgust. “What are you doing here? I thought we managed to ditch you in Miami?”

  He chuckles. “Where would be the fun in that? Then I couldn’t see Dez over there getting all the attention of teen girls and the gay guys.”

  I stare at him stony-faced for a beat. “You’re a pig, you know that?”

  “Aw, sweetheart. Does it bother you? Having to compete with all those pretty boys I hear Dez likes?”

  My heart plunges to my feet. “What? I don’t…Dez and I aren’t…”

  Romeo’s face goes blank. “Oh please, Shannon. It’s written all over your face. Has been for weeks. Plus, that was my regular flight crew that served you on the trip over last night. Candace said you and Dez had a joint bathroom break that lasted nearly forty-five minutes. That’s a hell of a lot of toothbrushing.”

  His horrible cockiness helps me bolster my game face, and I toss my hair as I sneer at him. “You need better sources. And a new hobby. A decent personality wouldn’t hurt either. Now, why don’t you run along. If you hurry you can probably get one of Dez’s cast-off groupies. They’re all vulnerable after seeing him, so they might not notice what an asshole you are.”

  He chucks me on the chin and I jerk back to avoid his touch.

  “Just remember, when you’re tired of trying to figure out whether you need to be jealous of the girls or the boys, I’ll be here. Ready to serve, and wholly devoted to you and those of your persuasion. With me, you know exactly what you’re getting, sweetheart.”

  After he oozes off I give myself a good talking to, reminding myself that for whatever reason, Dez seems into me, and after last night, I certainly can’t argue about being into him. We’re starting something, we’ll see where it goes. It’s as simple as that. But when I watch Dez surrounded by fans, his beautiful smile lighting up the place, my heart skitters, dread flowing through me, because all I can think is—how will I ever be enough for a man like him?

  Dez

  We’ve been awake for most of the last thirty-six hours when Carson, Shannon and I finally get to check into a London hotel and crash. We got off of the plane and had to go straight to the event, spending the next four-plus hours signing CDs, posters, boobs, and magazines. My head is so fuzzy from lack of sleep now I can hardly see the elevator we’re in.

  “I’m on six,” Carson says pressing his button. “How about you?”

  I take a look at my keycard. “Ten,” I say before he presses it for me.

  “I’m on seven,” Shannon offers and Carson pushes the button for her floor as well.

  “Damn.” He sighs and leans back against the wall. “I didn’t know it was possible to be this tired.”

  “I’m afraid I won’t be able to go to sleep my body clock is so confused,” Shannon adds.

  “Yeah, I got some sleep on the plane last night, but it was in these two-hour chunks. Two hours, then I’d wake up for a while. Another two hours, wake up again. It really sucked.”

  “Candace didn’t keep you entertained when you woke up?” I ask, teasing him about the flight attendant who seemed to be very interested in him.

  He blushes. Carson, and Topher, our bass player, are brothers, and though they’re both quiet guys, they’re very different. Carson’s sort of the shy teddy bear of the group, tall and lanky, with dark hair and big gray eyes that all the girls go gaga over. Topher on the other hand is a true loner, just a few steps short of surly, and reluctant to share even the most superficial parts of himself. Their father was a cop who was killed in the line of duty and it affected them each in very different ways.

  “She was a fan—of the music,” Carson mutters.

  “Dude, she was a fan of you.”

  “Leave him alone,” Shannon says grinning. She reaches out and pinches his cheek. “He’s my good boy. You don’t need to encourage him to bang groupies. We’ve got enough of that going on.”

  Carson rolls his eyes at Shannon, blushing even harder.

  “Uh, hate to break it to you, but our boy here isn’t quite as good as you think. He may not be following in Garrett’s footsteps, something I think we can all be grateful for, but Carson has his fair share of groupie get-togethers.”

  I laugh as Shannon holds her hands over her ears and starts humming loudly so she won’t have to hear about Carson’s escapades.

  “Jesus,” Cason mutters as the car comes to his floor and the doors slide open. “Not a moment too soon.”

  Shannon grins at him and waves as he exits the car.

  “See you tomorrow afternoon, dude,” I say, giving him a smile. He rolls his eyes and nods.

  When the doors close again I shift my attention to Shannon.

  “So, seventh floor, huh?” I ask, slowly crowding her into the corner of the car.

  “Yeah.” Her voice sounds strangled as I pin her against the wall and let my hands start to wander over the landscape of her figure.

  “That’s funny, because I’m on ten.”

  I dip my head and run my nose along her neck. She gasps and writhes beneath me.

  “Why’s that funny?” Her voice is raspy and needy.

  “Because I sort of figured you’d be in my bed, but you say you’re on seven, and I’m on ten.”

  She puts her palms on my jaw and holds me still so we’re gazing directly at one a
nother.

  “Are we doing this?” she asks. “For real?”

  “Are we?” I return. Because I’ve been all in since I made the decision to pursue her, so it’s really about whether she’s ready or not.

  She nods slowly. “But you have to know, I’ve never really done this. There are guys I’ve…I don’t know, been fuck buddies with I guess. But I’m not really girlfriend material.”

  I kiss her softly on her perfect plush lips. “And I’m not really labeling material. Call us whatever you want. All that matters is that you and I know what this means, and to me it means a hell of a lot more than fucking.”

  She smiles softly, then nods, and we crush our lips together, flesh sinking into flesh, both of us moaning at the intensity of arousal that rockets through us. In the back of my mind I hear the doors ding, slide open, and then close again. The elevator continues its journey upwards as Shannon’s tongue finds mine and we tangle in a glorious match of wills.

  When the elevator chimes again my fuzzy brain reminds me that a hotel suite waits outside those doors, and I want nothing more than to get this woman into a big, soft bed.

  I pull away reluctantly, looking at her hazy green eyes. There are circles under them, and I know that the chances of us getting an orgasm in before we both collapse from exhaustion are slim to no damn way. But I’m willing to give it a shot.

  I pull her behind me into the room. It’s a good thing she agreed to come to my suite since I told the bell stand to deliver her bags here anyway.

  “Is that my suitcase?” she asks as we shut the door and flick on the lights.

  “Looks like it,” I answer smiling.

  She backhands me on the chest and laughs. “You’re pretty cocky.”

  I cup her head in one hand while I put the other on her waist and draw her close. “No, just hopeful.” I nibble her earlobe. “The Mile High Club was pretty spectacular, I was hoping to see if things went as well here at sea level.”

  “Mmm,” she groans. “I’m pretty confident they will.”

  “Good. Let’s go find out.”

  I lead her to the bedroom and slowly, carefully strip her down until I’m gazing at her pale, smooth skin in the bit of light that’s leaking into the bedroom from the adjacent bathroom.

  “I hate to say this right now,” she groans. “But I feel so grimy and disgusting. It’s hard to be sexy after wearing the same clothes for a couple of days straight.”

  Dez

  “All right, baby,” I tell her, brushing her hair off of her face and kissing her cheek. “Whatever you want.”

  Before she can say a thing I scoop her up, carrying her toward the shower.

  “Dez!” she yelps. “What the hell are you doing?”

  “Getting you cleaned up of course.” I set her down in the bathroom and reach into the shower to turn on the water. “That’s what you wanted, right?”

  When I turn back to her she’s standing there, arms crossed under those spectacular breasts, plumping them up and pushing them out. I can’t help myself, I palm one as I lean in and kiss along her shoulder. I feel her lips turn up in a smile as I kiss across from one cheek to the other. “You’re so obedient,” she tells me with that sparkle in her eyes that I know means trouble.

  I undress, then lead her into the steamy shower stall, and position her under the warm stream of water. She tips her head back in ecstasy, the water cascading down her darkened fiery hair. I move my lips and hands down her back, making sure to spend ample time licking and gently biting her perfect ass. I have no idea when she finds time to work out given her schedule, but this ass could not possibly be the result of good genes only.

  When I’m on my knees I move around to her front and grasp both her hips in my hands. She looks down at me, her green eyes somber. With our gazes locked, I give one long, slow lick to her sex, making sure to press hard across her clit.

  “Ah,” she gasps, her hands darting out and landing on my shoulders.

  I lick again, using one hand to part her folds while I hold her steady with the other. When I begin to suck and lick in earnest she trembles, leaning her head against the wall behind her. I try to slow down enough to catalog the sensations. Shannon’s slick skin under my tongue, her soft cries in my ears, the hot water that pours over my back and shoulders. The scent of her arousal and the strawberry body wash she must use. It’s erotic, it’s sensual, and it’s like a stolen moment in time that I never want to forget.

  “So close,” she gasps, and I slide three fingers inside of her as I flick her clit with my tongue. She comes apart, and it’s my name on her lips. I may have just glimpsed heaven, and it’s the most amazing thing I’ve ever felt. Better than my own orgasm, being the cause of hers makes me feel like I’ve found the keys to the deepest secret in the universe. And it’s mine. All mine.

  Thirty minutes later we’re both dried off, Shannon’s reciprocated my attentions, and I’ve fed her from the mini bar. With her long hair still damp, I lead her back to the bed and slide the hotel bathrobe from her shoulders before shucking mine as well. I scoop her up and she giggles briefly, a sound that’s so unusual for her, but feels so right it almost brings tears to my eyes. Because for all the passion that Shannon exudes, it’s rarely passionate joy, and that is where I yearn to take her.

  With Shannon I feel more deeply than I knew was possible, and I want her to feel happiness that deeply with me. I want to hear the unbridled joy in her voice, see the pure bliss in her eyes. I want to be the one who makes her the happiest she’s ever been.

  As I lie on the bed and look down at her, I can’t help but smile. “I could listen to you laugh all day.”

  She rolls her eyes, but she’s still grinning. “I’m not one of those giggly girls,” she mutters.

  I stroke her hair and position her head on my shoulder as I get comfortable, because they’re going to have to get an earth mover to pry me out of this bed before tomorrow afternoon. She lays her arm across my chest, her thumb stroking over my nipple idly.

  “I think I just made you a giggly girl—more than once,” I remind her. She laughs again and my heart soars. “Now, sleep, baby.” I close my eyes, at peace in a way I’ve never been before. I knew Shannon and I would be something exceptional, but even my foresight couldn’t show me how exceptional. And as my mind drifts off in the cool dark of the hotel room, I know that I could relive this night on repeat for a very long time.

  Shannon

  Something delicious and warm is between my legs and I moan and grind, an ache working its way through my core. An answering moan pulls me into greater consciousness, and I reach down, to touch whatever is making me feel so hot and restless. I meet up with soft strands of hair and realize that Dez has his head between my thighs and is working me over like nobody’s business.

  “Fuck,” I hiss as my eyes open and I blink at the bright light of day. It takes me a moment to remember where I am—a hotel room in Berlin—but then I don’t even care because Dez’s tongue is inside of me and his thumb is circling my clit and I’m…

  “Oh! Oh God, Dez!” I cry out as waves of hot, sweet release flow through me.

  “Mmm,” Dez murmurs as he gives me a couple of long licks before popping up and climbing up my torso.

  “Good Lord,” I pant, trying to catch my breath.

  “Good morning.” His voice is rough and sleepy as he kisses me softly on the lips.

  “You know how to wake a girl up,” I joke as he rolls off of me and collapses on his back.

  “Figured if I make myself useful it’ll be harder for you to get rid of me.”

  I prop myself up on one elbow looking down at him. “And what about me? How do I make myself useful enough that you won’t get rid of me?”

  I hear the rawness in my own voice, and wish I hadn’t said anything the moment the words leave my mouth.

  He blinks at me a couple of times before gently pushing a strand of hair out of my face. “Where did that come from?”

  I close my eyes becaus
e it’s too hard to look at him while having a conversation like this.

  Dez and I have only been doing whatever it is we’re doing for a few days. I still hardly know how it got to this point, where it feels so natural, so permanent. But can I really dump my insecurities on him so soon? I have no idea if what I’m feeling is appropriate to where we are.

  “Shannon,” his voice breaks through my internal angst. “Tell me what’s going on. No secrets, okay? Whatever it is, we’ll talk it out. It’ll be fine.”

  I nod, biting my lip to ground myself. We lie side by side, and he takes my hand in his, holding it gently, no other contact or pressure.

  “There’s something that scares me—about you.”

  “Okay.”

  His thumb strokes over my knuckles, feather-light and so sweet.

  “I’ve never been jealous with someone. Maybe it’s because I didn’t care, I don’t know, but I’ve always figured if someone wanted to be with me they would be and if they didn’t want to be then that was their issue, not mine. But with you—”

  A car outside the windows honks loudly, and a door down the hall slams shut. I need to get this out before something else interrupts and I have to carry it around inside longer, like a weight that’s dragging down my soul.

  “It’s the guys.” I clear my throat. “The guys you’ve been with. It’s not…” I feel him stiffen next to me. “It’s not that I care that you’ve been with men. Not in that way. It’s that I can’t compete. With other women I feel confident. I understand women, I know what they’re like, what their appeal is to a man. I just get it, the whole thing. But with guys? How can I possibly compete with these guys who want you? I see them Dez. The one at the signing in London who talked to you for so long? I saw the way he looked at you, and I saw him. He was stylish and sexy, and he was a guy. I don’t have a dick!”