by Alexa Davis
“I’m so sorry,” I told him sincerely. “It was never meant to hurt you. I guess I just didn’t think. They want to go over the finer points of the contract, so you can get to know it before that, anyway. Nothing has been formally done without you.”
He crossed his arms over his chest, still protecting himself from me, but his face softened a little. “I just hate finding out things from other people; it makes me feel like you don’t trust me,” he told me with a brutal honesty. “I want this, and I know that we have to act quickly, but still I’d much prefer to be in the know.”
I could see how I’d made him feel unimportant, which would never, ever be my intention. “Well, they’re coming in today to record, so we can talk through things then.”
“Okay.” Michael nodded slowly, finally starting to come around. “Well, I’ll go and familiarize myself with the contract now so if it comes up, I don’t look like a total idiot.”
He was still angry at me, but it wouldn’t last. That was the great thing about my friendship with him. We would still always love each other no matter what. “Okay, I’ll set things up. You just come around when things are ready.”
As he walked off into his office, I made my way excitedly to the studio to get ready for Lila. I felt so incredibly happy to see her face again, far more than I should’ve, but I couldn’t stop my feelings. We’d already decided without needing to communicate that nothing could happen anyway, so I was pretty sure that everything would be just fine.
But then she walked in, this time dressed much more casually than before, and my heart literally skipped a beat. It was all well and good telling myself that I could remain professional around her when she wasn’t here, but whenever we were around each other, that all went flying out of the window. She was just too damn beautiful for words.
I smiled at them through gritted teeth. “Are you guys ready? Let’s get started, shall we?”
***
Things were good, and the recordings were going well... Admittedly, maybe not as great as the first time they came in, but good enough. It wasn’t Kyle; he was doing well. It was Lila. She didn’t seem to be fully in the zone today. I didn’t know if I was being distracting or if she wasn’t well, but her voice just wasn’t quite at its best.
We redid a few takes, trying to recapture the magic, but it just wasn’t happening.
“I’m sorry.” She finally sighed sadly and slumped her shoulders forward. “I haven’t been feeling too great the last few days, and I think the pressure of having everyone around me is making my voice scratchier than it needs to be.”
“You can stay, if you want?” I asked her over the mic. “You don’t need to record with Kyle – that isn’t the way that we normally do things anyway. You can stay behind and just record the lyrics. I’ll just set up the equipment and leave, too, if you like?”
She glanced happily at me, grateful to have a solution to this issue, before turning to confirm things with Kyle. He seemed as pleased by the suggestion as she was. “Why don’t you go and have a rest, get a drink?” he asked her. “I’ll finish up my bit, then you can get in here afterward.”
As she walked out the room, Michael finally came back to sit by my side. We waited for a while in silence, just listening to the magic of Kyle playing before he finally started talking. “The contract looks great.” He leaned into me with a smile, and I knew that this was his way of an apology. “I shouldn’t have freaked out so much about it. These guys are awesome, and I’m glad to have them.”
I threw my arm around him and grinned. “It’s gonna be great, you just wait and see.”
“So, are you okay finishing up here?” Michael glanced at his watch. “It’s just that I have plans with Steph...”
“That’s still going on?” I exclaimed in shock. “Really? She must be something special, huh?”
“I guess I’m just ready to settle down.” He shrugged as if that statement wasn’t huge, as if it wasn’t totally stunning coming from him. “I’ve had my fun, now I want something more. Maybe Steph is the one, maybe not, but I’m more than willing to give her a shot.”
“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine. You go.”
As he walked off, I felt all unsettled inside. Why was Michael, my playboy friend, suddenly ready to settle down? It didn’t make any sense; the world was topsy turvy. It made me reconsider everything in my life, but how was I supposed to even think about finding someone when the only person on my mind was Lila? She was the only one I could even think about – and she was the one person I needed to keep away from.
Kyle finished up and left without any fuss, and as Lila came back into the booth, those feelings became even stronger. Thinking about my best friend settling down and finally finding “the one” had me feeling needy and desperate. I wanted someone. I liked the idea of having someone to come home to at the end of the day, someone to share everything with, someone to open up to. And I wanted it to be Lila. She was the only person I could picture in that role.
Damn it, why do I have to like the one person I can’t have?
I watched in amazement as Lila burst into song. I could still hear the illness there, the scratching in her throat, but she was powering through it all and doing a much better job without the pressure of a big audience.
This girl had what it took; that was becoming increasingly clear to me with each passing day. She was suffering, in pain, but still making it work.
At least, she was until she burst into a horrible round of coughing.
“Why don’t we leave it there for the day?” I asked through the mic. “Give it a rest until you’re feeling a little better?”
“Okay.” She looked despondent, but agreeable to my suggestion. As she slid the headphones off over her head, I felt like she was on the verge of tears. I wanted to do something to make her feel a little better, so I moved through the doors to join her in the studio room.
“You know, your brother isn’t the only piano player,” I told her with a grin. “I can play, too.” I wasn’t sure why the hell I was saying that; it wasn’t like I was anywhere near as good as Kyle. I just wanted to distract her from whatever was troubling her. “Want to see?”
“Sure.” She shrugged, acting casual. “Let’s see what you got.”
As I sat down in front of the piano, flexing my fingers, I didn’t care how much of a fool I was potentially about to make of myself. Lila’s eyes had dried up, and she was smiling again. It was all going to be worth it. I could play, even if I wasn’t as skilled as Kyle, so hopefully the noise I made wouldn’t be too painful.
I touched the keys and brought the piano to life. As my confidence grew, I turned to glance at Lila, to see how she was reacting to me, and our eyes fixed on each other. I instantly sensed danger. We were bordering on dangerous territory once more, but I couldn’t stop. This wasn’t just sexual; this was deeper than that. I felt a connection so powerful with her that I could picture a real future there.
Was I being stupid ignoring that? Was it crazy to simply bypass someone who could be the love of my life just because she was recording a few songs for me?
Oh God, this is so difficult.
I continued to play, and she moved nearer to me, swaying her hips as if she had no control over her body anymore. I was mesmerized by her, completely turned on by what she was doing, almost to the point where I couldn’t control myself anymore.
What the hell was I supposed to do? I wanted her. I already knew that she wanted me; what were we supposed to do about that?
She slid onto the keys, bumping her butt along them as she went, distracting me completely. My hands fell away. There was no way I could concentrate anymore; she was driving me insane. That body of hers was incredible, and the closer she brought it to me, the tenser I became. Lila had no idea what she was doing to me!
“What are you...” I started to ask, but I didn’t get the chance to finish that sentence.
She took my face in her hands and kissed me hard. I wasn’t expecting it, so the sensation
of our lips crashing together was utterly intense. I had bolts of powerful electricity racing through my system, and my heart was pounding so loudly I feared it might burst out from my chest. Intense chemistry flowed between our lips, bonding us even tighter. I snaked my hands around her waist, dragging her in closer to me, my insides flipping about wildly. I was almost dancing with the excitement.
It had happened. We’d finally overstepped that boundary. It wasn’t right, we both knew that, but we were addicted to one another, pulled in by a powerful magnetic force. There was no resisting it, however hard we tried.
Chapter 16 – Lila (Thursday)
Oh, my God...
I had no idea what had come over me, why I’d suddenly decided to take that bold move, but here I was kissing my boss like there was no tomorrow. Of all the bad ideas I’d ever had in my life, this was probably the worst.
But it felt like the best.
“Oh wow,” I gasped as my butt slid a little along the piano keys, making one hell of a racket. I wasn’t concerned about the noise. I wasn’t even thinking about the fact that this was a public place and anyone could walk in at any given moment. I was only concerned with the fact that Xander’s fingers were slowly, tantalizingly, moving up my body.
“Oh, my God.” His mouth was everywhere; all over my neck, on my jawline, kissing my earlobes. I could barely even think with all the sensations tearing right through me.
A hunger was growing inside of me with each passing second. Every time his fingers brushed electricity past my skin, every time his mouth sent flutters of excitement everywhere, each time his eyes met mine and that intense heat flowed... I felt like I was about to tear him apart with my teeth. I was slowly losing all control.
As he fisted the material of my top, clearly feeling as needy as me, my nipples hardened under the soft, silky material. All the fantasies that I’d been having in the back of my mind, all the feelings I’d been trying to hide were all crashing to the surface like a tsunami of waves. Maybe this would ruin things for me and Kyle. Maybe not. I hoped not, but I just couldn’t stop myself. I wasn’t thinking straight anymore. All my brain wanted was Xander. Whatever the consequences.
I sucked in air desperately, trying to get buckets of it into my lungs as the top half of me became very bare. The top that I’d agonizingly picked out earlier at home was strewn to one side, and Xander was flickering his eyes over my pale, bare skin like it was the Holy Grail or something. He wanted me – bad – it was written all over his face, and that made me feel much sexier than I ever had before.
“You’re beautiful,” he gasped loudly, before placing sweet kisses along my neckline once more. I couldn’t help but believe his words because he spoke them with such conviction. I’d never seen myself as anything other than plain before, but as I tossed my head back, exposing more skin to him, allowing my hair to flow out wildly behind me, I felt like a goddess.
Then his soft lips became sharper nibbles, which I found myself enjoying, as well. It was unexpected, but in the best way possible.
His fingers expertly unhooked my bra, the material floating away, my breasts claimed by his mouth in a heartbeat. His lips, his tongue, his teeth... I couldn’t take it anymore. I slid right off the piano without even realizing and straight onto his lap. Xander didn’t miss a beat. He grabbed me and kissed me hard, pressing himself against me.
I could feel him, all of him, his thick, throbbing erection, and my God, I wanted it. I panted loudly, my breaths becoming intensely ragged as heat spread throughout my body. I ached, I pulsated, and I could feel a wetness growing. I was so far past the point of no return that there was no turning back. I wanted him, if I didn’t have him I might just die, so I squealed with excitement when he lifted me up.
“Where are you taking me?” I giggled happily into his mouth, but he didn’t need to answer me because my butt soon crashed against the top of the piano. It seemed like we weren’t going anywhere; we were staying right here.
Xander unzipped my jeans and wiggled them down. I shifted myself about to help him, eager to be naked. Although when I was sitting there on display for him in only a simply pair of cotton panties, I couldn’t help but notice that I was the only one flashing anything.
“This isn’t fair,” I insisted, tugging at his pants. “Why don’t I get to see anything of you?”
“You want to see me?” He smirked, his lips curling upward in happiness while he took a step back. “Fine, you can see me.”
He grabbed his shirt and yanked it open, allowing the buttons to rip all the way down as he did. I clapped my hands over my mouth in stunned silence, which only grew as I finally got to see the muscles that lay beneath. I had a feeling that he was the sort of man who worked out. I had guessed he had a decent set of abs, but my God, his body was breathtaking. “They good enough for you?”
I didn’t answer. I simply wiggled my finger and indicated for him to come closer. As he moved seductively in my direction, he allowed his pants to fall, leaving us both in just our underwear. Somehow, I felt totally exposed and vulnerable, yet that small bit of material left was too much.
We kissed passionately, pressing our bodies tightly together, allowing us to feel even more of one another. And as our lips moved in unison, his fingers teased the edge of my underwear and the top of my thighs. I had shivers tearing through my body, thundering up and down, causing me to cling even harder to him. I rocked my hips closer, trying my best to tell him exactly what I needed. Thankfully, he seemed to get my meaning because his gorgeous, silky fingers started to trickle up and down my slit.
“Oh, shit,” I gasped as he drove further into me. He was exploring my heat, feeling my wetness, and from the way his whole body was trembling, it felt good to him. “Oh, God, I need more.” I wanted to feel him inside me, I wanted to know what it’d feel like to ride Xander, but he wasn’t there yet. Instead, he thumbed my clit until I felt like I was about to explode.
Just as I felt like the pressure was about to consume me entirely, he stepped backward, leaving me cold and alone. I opened and closed my mouth a few times, trying to say something, but I wasn’t quite sure what.
Luckily, before I managed to make a fool out of myself, he reached down and tugged a condom from his pocket, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at me. It was almost as if he was asking me if I was fully ready for this, if I was prepared to take the next step. I bit down on my lip and nodded slowly. There was no stopping me now.
As he rolled the condom over his thick length, I finally braved a glanced down at it. When I saw what was coming my way, my eyes widened in surprise. He was huge, bigger than I’d ever seen before, and I had no idea how I was going to handle it.
I was excited, though, and eager to find out.
He moved back between my legs, and I could feel him there, teasing my entrance. I tried to shift forward, to slide him into me, but I had no control in this position. Xander had all the power and I quite liked that. I liked giving myself over to him – it felt right.
Finally, he shifted his hips slightly backward and slammed himself into me. The sound that flew from my mouth was like a battle cry, guttural, like nothing I’d ever heard myself make before. My heart was pumping powerfully through my whole body, my mind racing, that powerful wave building all over again. I was losing it. Xander was consuming me, and it was all I’d ever wanted.
“Fuck...” I screamed as the bliss swallowed me whole. I dug my nails into his shoulders, needing him to hold me as I buckled and crumbled. The waves kept coming and coming, shattering me. It was the most powerful, intense orgasm I’d ever felt, and I never wanted it to end...
“Wow,” I panted into his shoulders as I tried to get my breath back. “Wow, that was...”
“Something else, I know,” he agreed, nestling into me. The moment was sweet and tender. I felt like we were building a bond as we held each other. It was almost as wonderful as having sex with him had been.
I wasn’t the sort for a one-night stand. I didn’t know w
hat the standard protocol was, but it didn’t feel like it was hugging for ages. Still, I wasn’t complaining; it felt nice. I didn’t want to let him go, but we had to.
Xander pulled back and stared into my eyes, causing us both to burst into slightly awkward giggles. What we’d just done was so wrong. I couldn’t believe I’d risked everything for one moment of fun, yet it didn’t feel as bad as I thought it would. I wasn’t instantly filled with regret and shame. I didn’t feel totally humiliated that my boss had seen me naked. Somehow, Xander still had me feeling quite comfortable.
“You okay?” he asked as he reached down to grab his clothes.
“Yep.” I took his lead and jumped down to grab my own clothing. Usually, this was a part of the night I found embarrassing. I hated the scrabble for something, anything, to cover my body, but now I was too distracted by Xander and his gorgeous body to care about my own. He was easily the hottest man I’d ever been with, and I wanted to savor every second. “Yeah, I’m good.”
“Would you like a ride home?” This didn’t even feel like a way to get rid of me. It seemed like he was just being nice to me. “My car’s parked outside.”
“That would be awesome, thank you.” There was a pregnant pause in the air, and for some reason I felt the need to fill it. “I’m... I’m sorry about my voice today. I haven’t been well, but if we ever come back again, I’ll make sure it’s well rested.” I wasn’t sure if I was overstepping the mark, but I did want to know where our future lay.
“Why don’t you come in on Monday?” He shrugged casually with a smile, clearly not as worried about my future as I was. Of course, he wouldn’t fire me for sleeping with him; he didn’t seem like that at all. “If you’re up to it, record some more then.”
“That would be wonderful, thank you.” I couldn’t keep the huge grin from my face. I was so incredibly happy. “I appreciate it.”