by S. A. Price
She had a point. “You know what I mean.”
She nodded. “Nope.” She snuggled closer and he bit back a groan, his erection pressed against her mound now, and he could feel the heat of her through his jeans. “You know what they say Winter,” she whispered, “Slow and steady wins the race.”
“So that’s how you wanna go? Normally you scream at me to go faster and harder.”
She pulled her hand out of his pocket and pinched his back and he yelped.
“Fresh.”
“Lo, I don’t know how to just be your friend.”
She shrugged. “That doesn’t matter. What does is that we have this time to reconnect right? So we will, but slowly.”
He nodded. “Fair enough. But,” he tipped her head up to look at him, and leaned down and kissed her softly. “There’s going to be a lot of that, just so you know.”
She kissed him back, grabbing the lip piercing between her teeth and tugged softly. “Not a problem. You know, I can’t wait to feel this,” she rubbed her bottom lip against the little piece of jewelry, “in other places.”
Winter growled. “You really are trying to kill me. Seriously, you call that slow?”
She stepped back and shook her head. “No, I call that keeping you desperate to have me.”
Winter gave her a smirk and pulled her to him, his hand going from her arm to her ass. He gave her a squeeze. “Desperate to have you? Lo desperation is only for a man that doesn’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. I do, and it’s silhouetting the sexiest woman I have ever seen in the shortest fucking shorts imaginable.” He palmed her ass cheek again and bit his bottom lip. “Sweet Jesus you really are in need of a spanking.”
She shivered and he arched a brow. “I’ll remember that love.” He said and pulled away, but not before giving her ass another squeeze. “I think it would be kinda hot having you play tonight with my palm print red and livid on that stunning ass, but that’s for another night. Now, I have sound check. Meet me later?”
She licked her lips and nodded. “I’m going to hold you to that Winter.” She said as he turned and walked towards the stage proper.
“Hold what?”
“A proper spanking. Text me when you’re done.”
He turned back to her to say something, what he wasn’t sure and she was already walking the other way, towards the communal tents. He chuckled to himself and shook his head. He wasn’t sure what really brought about this change of heart, but he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She wanted to go slow? Well he was going to try his hardest to ensure she was begging him for every little naughty thing she wanted him to do by week’s end.
And on the other hand, getting to know her again was going to be a good thing. She was right, they were both two different people now, life apart changing them, molding them. Maybe this was better. Maybe Lola and he could have a lasting actual relationship now. A little older, a little wiser, mistakes made and learned from.
Yes, he decided, things would work out fine for them. He was willing to put in the effort, and apparently so was she.
EIGHT
First night of a tour was always hectic, and this tour was doubly so. With two major headliners, the carnival and the press, the down time was so minute that Lola could barely stop to pee before she was being texted or whisked away to do something else. And that was before their set.
True to what she asked, Winter had texted her, and she had texted back, several times, between their parting and before her band has gone on. The last one from him had her pretty sure the pretense of friendship had completely gone out the window.
Countdown till I scoop you up and carry you back to the hotel. Have a good set, I’ll be watching from the side.
The set of the first show went well, no issues, no concerns, and no internal indigestion, what she called the feeling of Shesha trying to bubble to the surface while she was on her endorphin high singing. The barrier was holding really well, and she thanked Xxieda with every breath she took.
True to his word, Winter stood on the side of the stage, his eyes rapt to her. She played coy, watching at key moments, during key words. She was flirting, true, and he was eating it up.
Their set flew by and soon she was skipping off stage towards Winter, who stood there amidst his band members, and several other VIP guests. The guests swarmed her, congratulating her on a good show, and swarmed the rest of the band. She made it through in mere seconds, to stand toe to toe with him.
“Loved your set.” She said and cocked her head. The Shades set was powerful and she fell in love all over again with their music, more so now with the new stuff. She liked the morose songs, but the newer stuff, the stuff that screamed life, that rekindled the love affair.
“Yours too. Encore?” he asked and leaned in, running his lips across her cheek.
She nodded.
“Then get your ass out there we have plans.”
“You think so?”
He nodded. “After a fashion.” He smirked. “Cover?” he ask of the song they were about to do. Stanton and Toro were running back on stage with the rest of the guys.
“Eat your heart out.” She said and turned back towards the stage.
The lights went back up and she stood there, her mic in her hands and broke into one of the two cover’s they did, the one they did the longest, a sultry sexy version of Tainted Love. She looked over at him as she breathed out the title words, and licked her lips. Winter winked at her.
It was only fair she tease him while on stage, he was staring at her with so much heat in his eyes she couldn’t keep the fluttery feeling filling her core away. He knew what looking at her like that did to her.
The song ended and the crowd went wild. Lola grinned. “Thank you for coming out! Don’t forget, the carnival is open for another hour! See you out there!”
Once again the crowd exploded in applause and the stage went dark. She and the rest of the bad walked off, toward their waiting friends and fans. For them, the night was really just starting, and she had no idea what Winter was considering.
He stood there, waiting, flanked by several people, including the two girls he showed her on the phone the night before. She tried hard to keep the disappointment out of her face, praying that they were just stopping to say hi and that was it. She smiled, and she could feel how tight it was, but prayed no one else could see her discomfort in the situation.
“Hey.” He said and grinned. “Kick ass set. You guys have gotten insanely better than before.”
She nodded. They were kick ass when she was having a good night; something that she realized would be every night from now on, as long as the barrier held.
“I suppose I will be saying the same thing of you guys tomorrow?” she teased. She didn’t have a chance to see the Shades set, as she was doing an interview and then she had to do her vocal warm ups.
“Damn right, Rhys is a man possessed these days.” Winter grinned. “Lo, have you met Stoli and Gatsby?”
Lola smiled at the two extremely hot girls. “In passing the other night.” She inclined her head. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Gatsby nodded. “I know we have hung out with Stanton a few times but I have to tell you, your voice is liquid sex.”
Lola blushed. “Um, thank you?”
Stoli laughed. “Take it for the compliment Lola, Gatsby doesn’t often give them.” She winked. “We just wanted to say hi. We have to meet Stanton in a few.” She turned to Winter and hugged him. “Thanks for the passes hun, seriously you guys kick ass.”
Winter nodded. “You guys still going to do the Vegas show?”
Gatsby nodded. “We are there for work the same week so we are going to stay and hangout, Cool?”
Winter nodded. “I’ll make sure you guys get AA.”
“You are the best!” Gastby hugged him too. “It was so nice to meet you Lola, maybe in Vegas we can have lunch or something?”
Lola, a little confused at what was happening just nodded.
“Well that’s us off then,” Stoli said and grabbed Gatsby’s hand. “Have a great night you two.”
She was still standing there confused when the girls walked away and Winter approached her. “You ok?”
She looked at him. “I’m just not used to groupies being cool, or even nice.”
Winter laughed and slung his arm around her shoulder. “They aren’t groupies. Groupies talk. Groupies make it known what they do. Stoli and Gatsby are collectors. And they are nice, I mean like actually nice girls. Yeah they are deviants and what have you, but they are genuinely nice girls. They don’t hold grudges and they don’t get jealous. Good time girls I believe Rhys’ dad would call them.”
“Does Stanton know this?”
He nodded. “When given the choice on groupies or collectors, collectors every time.”
They were walking back towards the buses, people around them watching them curiously. Lola was surprised they didn’t get stopped, but then Winter’s gait brokered no interference.
They made it back to the band area quickly and she noticed that for the most part they were alone. “While I would love to have this conversation on collectors and groupies, I think it will have to be at a later date. What time is it?”
Winter looked at his cell. “Quarter after eleven.”
She frowned. Fifteen minutes till she had to be at the after party tent for the VIPs. Not much time at all. She sighed. “I gotta get changed. Not a shot in hell am I going for pictures sweaty like this.”
“I happen to like it. But you’re probably right. You might wanna reapply that lip gloss too.”
She cut her eyes at him. “Why? That shit lasts forever.”
Winter smirked and grabbed her, twirled her to him and kissed her hard. She squeaked, and opened to his insistent tongue. She tasted the soda he had drank, the distinct flavor or dr. pepper, and something sweeter, raspberry, swam on the edges of her taste buds.
He ended the kiss and pulled back grinning. “That’s why. Go. I’ll wait here.”
She arched a brow. “Not going to invite yourself on the bus to watch me?”
He shook his head. “We are taking it slow, remember? Go. Quick.” He winked and settled into a lawn chair and pulled his phone out and she heard the distinct sounds of Angry Birds.
She was quick, changing into a short skirt, new thigh highs, boots, a t-shirt she knew Rhys would get a kick out of, and reapplied her eye liner and lip gloss. Not ten minutes later she was bounding out of the bus with a grin on her face. Winter looked up and saw her and laughed.
“Where the hell did you find a ‘Rubber Duckie you’re the one’ shirt in your size?”
She rolled her eyes. “I still wear a kids extra large Winter.”
He grinned. “Still trying to figure out how the hell you stuff those perfect tits in there. You must be magic.”
“Of course I am. Come on.”
The carnival was in full swing, the booths filled with people. Not one was empty, which was a really good thing. The record companies had set up freebie tents for stickers and pins, some interactive games sponsored by two of the big gaming console companies, games that both bands had given songs to be on the soundtracks for.
The Thirteen Shades of Red song was on a new skateboarding game, and as Lola and Winter passed that tent, she saw the lines to try it, almost 6 weeks early, were huge. Winter had grinned. “Still haven’t played it yet.”
“Don’t you guys have it in the bus?” she asked. The game they were featured on, a dark, faerie tale themed game, had come to them with not only the game and console, but an outfit for Lola to wear should she want to, the full sound track and some other cool posters and such.
Winter nodded to her question. “We got some big package from the company. I know Tosh and Chand were playing it already but I have yet to.”
She inclined her head and gripped his hand harder, to pull him through the thickening throng of people towards, their destination, the large black and white striped circus tent at the far end of the grounds. The line was long to get in, but they bypassed showing their laminates, and hurried towards the back side of the tent where both bands were already hanging out waiting for the kids to be let in.
“Quickie?” Toro asked and raised a brow.
Lola shot him a look and he threw his hands up. “Just kidding pumpkin. Now are we ready to do this?”
The meet and greet lasted almost two hours. Alcohol flowed from the bars set up around them, cameras flashed as pictures were taken, and conversations were copious. By the time they were finished with the event, the fans were still there, still talking, trying to garner an invite to the afterhours spots and hangouts. Lola and Winter had slipped out quickly, sighing as soon as they were behind the tent, in the Band only area.
“Please tell me we don’t have to do this every night.” He mumbled and rolled his shoulders.
He had been nonstop from the second the tent opened talking to girls, taking pictures, signing boobs and other bodily place. Thankfully the New York chapter of Feathers weren’t in attendance, and even more lucky, he knew he wouldn’t have to worry about any of his past conquests. Aside from Stoli and Gatsby, New York on the whole was devoid of his hookups. He frowned. “My hand is going to cramp and I won’t be able to play.”
Lola laughed. “Oh poor you. Poor baby! Signing some boobage too much for you?”
He frowned again. “When I would much rather be doing other things? Yes.”
“And this changed when? As I recall you never short changed the fans, and I as hear it a lot of them get the premium experience.”
Winter cut eyes at her. “Jealous?”
She shook her head. “Not in the least. Just making a point. This is our job Winter, and as much as I would like to not have to deal with this part of it, because oh god those guys stink, I do because it keeps the bank account full.”
“You sound like Saffron.”
She nodded. “We have a similar outlook on this.”
He shrugged. “So what now?”
Lola grinned and turned to him. “I seem to recall you mentioning a hotel room and peeling me outta my clothes?”
Winter laughed. “Thought we were going slow.”
She cocked her head. “Ok so a rain check on that. What else?”
Winter stretched and popped his shoulder. “I could use a shower, though I think everyone is going back for an afterhours at the W.”
“That sounds exhausting. I think it’s a shower and bed for me.”
“Fine idea. You planning on doing it alone?”
“Didn’t we just say we were going slow?”
Winter pulled her to him and kissed her forehead. “We are. Individual showers, pajamas and some shitty movie on the pay per view. Your room?”
She nodded. She still had a decent amount of her stuff there and wasn’t checking out for another night. “If you can behave yourself.”
Winter gave her a sexy smirk. “I guarantee nothing.”
NINE
Her suite was just as it was when he left the night before, except the snacks and random popcorn was cleaned up. The lights were low, leaving the monochromatic room a study in shadow and light, the darker blobs of the suede couch and furniture gave the white and grey pillows a stark relief. It was a black and white picture, turned on its head with the entrance of her, wearing a bright red shirt, her hair a riot with color and density.
She dropped her bag, bent and unzipped her boots. Winter stopped himself from moving closer, stopped himself from running his hands up the backs of her thighs. Not that he couldn’t see them, the skirt she was wearing was tiny, and she wasn’t bending from her knees. When she turned her head and grinned at him and shook his head.
“Dirty fucking trick Lo.” He said and dropped his messenger bag on the nearest chair and walked forward. She turned to him and he caught her wrapping his arms around her waist and kissed her, long and slow. She melted into him, and ended the kiss on a sigh.
“You wann
a hit the shower first or should I?”
“If I had my choice it would be neither and I would carry you in there right now, but we are going slow right? So you hit the shower first, I’ll see what’s available on the pay per view cool?”
She kissed him again softly and was gone, slipped through the door to the bathroom. He grinned as she locked it. Guess she really meant they were taking it slow.
He settled in on the couch, busying himself with figuring out what they were going to watch. There wasn’t much on there he hadn’t seen, but then again when you’re on the road as much as Shades was, movies became life’s blood to stave off monotony.
He heard the door unlatch and turned to see her walk through, fresh from the shower, hair down and towel dried, face clean of all her makeup, in a pair of boxer shorts and a white tank top, and his mouth went dry.
Sweet shit on a shingle, she was so fucking perfect. And he loved her with all her war paint, her defenses against the world, but seeing her like this, stripped down to the woman she woke up to in the morning, always made his heart hurt, because that was the woman he was in love with. The real woman. The woman Lola was when she was with those she trusted.
“I was wondering when Natasha would make an appearance.” He said to her as he levered himself of the couch. It wasn’t often she let the world see the person she was without all the glitter and glam, and as much as Winter liked Lola, he loved Natasha more. Lola was the bold brash girl he had a hard on for all the time, but Natasha was the girl he loved with what was left of his soul. That he got both of them in the sexy little package was a bonus.
He approached her and grinned. “I missed you.” He pulled her into his embrace and held her, hugging her to him, reveling in the feel of her, her heat, and the scent of her fresh from the shower.
She giggled and sighed. “It’s not often I get to be Nat,” she said softly, “Though I do enjoy when I do. Like it more when your involved too.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Well don’t go anywhere. It’s my turn in the shower, and then its movie time.” He pulled away and cocked his head. “I don’t suppose Natasha wants to strip me of all my clothes?”