Strings

by Emma Lea

  Her legs wrapped around his waist and she pulled him deeper, arching her neck and moaning with relief. This was what she craved. Him inside her, filling up all her empty, achy places. He nibbled her neck and she gripped his shoulder, careful not to poke the scar. He thrust into her and she felt herself tightening around him. It never took long for her to reach climax with him. He knew exactly what she liked and when they were both as desperate as they were tonight, the first one was always a freebie. They would do slow next time, but right now she needed him hard and fast. She clung to him as her body gathered itself and then she came, crying out, his name loud on her lips, He followed her over, biting down on her shoulder as he pumped his seed inside her. He panted against her neck and she ran her hands through his hair.

  “I love you Nadine Court,” he whispered against her skin.

  “I love you Gabe Rousso,” she whispered back.

  Without pulling out, he lifted her from the vanity and stepped into the bath. He sank down so that she was straddling him, the hot water covering them both and lapping the edge of the tub. She felt him harden inside her and she grinned.

  “Already?” she asked.

  “Always,” he said with an answering grin.

  Epilogue

  Vanessa walked into the dressing room and stopped short when she saw Carson.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “Waiting for Stevie,” he said.

  “She’s still with Nate,” Vanessa said, a warning in her voice.

  Carson sighed. “I know,” he said. “I’m not here because of that. I’m over her.”

  Vanessa gave him a sarcastic smirk. “Sure you are.”

  She walked over to the drinks table and grabbed a water bottle out of the tub of ice. She had escaped the madness of backstage so she could have some quiet time by herself before the after party started in earnest. She knew Nadine had already left with Gabe and Stevie was with Nate greeting some of the fans. Jace was no doubt going over the tech with the sound and lighting team and probably wouldn’t even make it to the party. She wouldn’t be here either except that she had nowhere else to go.

  “It’s true,” Carson said, standing up and walking over to her. He stood close to her. Close enough that she could feel the heat of his body through his ever-present suit.

  “Then why are you here?’ she asked and hated that her voice had gone breathy with his nearness. She had always had a bit of a crush on the good-looking senator, but it had always been like any other celebrity crush where there was no possibility of them ever actually returning the feeling.

  “I need some advice,” he said as he lifted a finger and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

  “I’m good at giving advice,” she said, her eyes dropping to his lips. She really shouldn’t be imagining what they would feel like if she were to kiss him. Carson was Stevie’s ex and there were rules about that stuff. But he was standing so close and his lips were right there. She bit the corner of her lip and Carson made a dark sound in the back of his throat.

  “Don’t do that,” he said, his voice rough. It skittered over her skin leaving goosebumps in its wake.

  She looked up at him through her eyelashes and watched as his eyes darkened. Was he closer now than he was before? He really was a big man and he made her feel tiny and feminine by comparison.

  He reached up with his thumb and pulled her lip from between her teeth. He rubbed his thumb along her lip and she parted her lips, sucking his thumb into her mouth. He dropped his head so that their foreheads touched and he ran his nose along hers.

  She didn’t know what had gotten into her, but she would be damned if she stopped now. It didn’t matter that this was probably the most ill-advised thing in the entire world, she wanted it and she was going to take it. Vanessa very rarely went after what she wanted. She was more of the sit back and wait kind of girl, but not tonight. Tonight she was restless and needy and Carson was exactly what she needed to scratch that itch.

  She let go of his thumb and tilted her head, brushing her lips across his. Electricity zipped between them from the light touch and she felt it right down to her core. Her body quivered with need and she pressed her mouth against his, demanding more. His arms wrapped around her and pulled her against his hard body and they both groaned with the contact. He deepened the kiss, his tongue sliding against hers as he explored her mouth. Her fingers threaded through his hair and she rubbed herself against him like a cat.

  “You wanna get out of here,” he said against her mouth before kissing her again.

  “What about Stevie?’ she asked, taking a breath and leaning back to look up at him.

  “I can speak to her some other time,” he said. “Right now I have a better use for my mouth.”

  He kissed her again and she clung to him. She could feel the hard length of his erection through his suit pants and something about that turned her on. The always put together and proper senator was hot for her and that gave her a little thrill.

  “Let’s go,” she said. “Wait. Where are we going?’

  “I have a car and a hotel room,” he said, not letting her go.

  “Perfect,” she said, grinning up at him.

  He kissed her again and then led her out of the room. They managed to escape the backstage area without running into anybody that might ask questions. He let her get into the backseat of the car first and then followed her in, pulling her against him so he could kiss her once more. They explored each other’s mouths as the car drove towards the hotel. Vanessa was delirious with desire and her hands tried to find a way beneath his suit and tie to get to skin.

  “Patience,” he murmured against her lips.

  She growled and he laughed before nipping her neck.

  “We’ll be there soon enough,” he said, “and then you can do whatever you like to me.”

  “That sounds perfect,” she said, pressing her breast against his arm as she kissed him again.

  The car came to a stop and Vanessa sat demurely back in her seat as the door was opened. Carson got out and then held out his hand to her. She ignored it and crawled out herself, heading into the hotel without a backwards glance. She didn’t know what had gotten into her, but she liked this new assertive Vanessa. At least for tonight, anyway.

  Carson palmed her ass as they got into the elevator and squeezed. She jumped involuntarily and he grinned down at her wolfishly. Oh God. She thought she could handle him when they were back in the dressing room, but looking at him now she wondered if she had bitten off more than she could chew. Not that she cared. It had been a long time since she had felt this fluttering in her stomach. The fact that it was her band mate’s ex and a senator were two complications that she refused to acknowledge. All she could think of right now was getting naked with him and rubbing against him until she exploded. Oh yeah. That’s exactly what she wanted.

  Getting Vanessa Court naked and underneath him had not been the plan when he went to see Stevie tonight. Sex had been the furthest thing from his mind until she had walked into the dressing room in her short little skirt that barely covered her perfect ass and the little spandex top that cupped her sweet breasts. His job had robbed practically all the joy out of his life and it had been too long since he had been able to satisfy the needs of his body. Which was the only excuse he could think of for why the quietest member of Stevie’s band had him so hot and bothered. And hard. Oh God, he was so hard.

  He pressed her back against the elevator wall, not caring that there might be security videos filming the whole thing. He just wanted to feel her against his body. Taste her lips again. Her hands threaded through his hair as she tugged his mouth down to meet hers and her body arched into his. She rubbed herself against him and he had to bite back a groan of satisfaction with the contact. He was hella glad that he had sneaked away from his staff tonight and no one knew where he was. That meant no interruptions. He already had his phone turned off and he didn’t care if world war three started, nothing was goin
g to come between him and naked time with Vanessa.

  The elevator dinged and the doors whooshed open. He grabbed her hand and tugged her out into the hall, looking up to get his bearings before heading to his suite. The door was barely closed before she was on him again, not that he was complaining. He’d come to find Stevie because he needed to talk about a situation he’d found himself in, but this was a much better use of his time. His life could wait for just one night while he indulged in a little fantasy with a very sexy woman.

  Her busy hands slid up his chest and over his shoulders, pushing his suit coat off. He let it fall to the ground completely unconcerned about wrinkles. They were connected at the lips, but their hands fumbled with each other’s clothes as he kept them moving towards the bedroom. He managed to get her skirt undone and she wiggled her hips enough that it dropped to the ground leaving her in little boy shorts that shouldn’t have been sexy but were. She had his tie off and was working on the buttons of his shirt by the time they hit the bedroom. The top few buttons were done and it was enough for him to pull the shirt up over his head. He took his undershirt with it, leaving his chest bare. She made a small sound in the back of her throat that had his cock straining against the zipper of his pants.

  “Off,” he said, tugging at her tight top.

  She grabbed the hem and peeled it up over her head. No bra. She hadn’t been wearing a bra underneath it and Carson couldn’t help but groan at the sight of her naked breasts. They weren’t big but they were perfect. Plump and perky, their nipples hard little raspberries begging for his mouth. He dropped to his knees and sucked one tight tip between his lips. She gripped his hair as he suckled her and threw her head back in abandon letting out a satisfied moan that had him practically panting. He switched to the other breast, sucking the nipple firmly as his fingers continued to explore her body. He slipped his hands under the waistband of her boy shorts and tugged them down. They got caught on the cowboy boots she was wearing and they laughed as she struggled to kick them off.

  Finally she was naked and he was still on his knees before her. He pushed her backwards onto the bed and she went willingly. He shouldered his way between her thighs, opening them up to expose her intimate parts to his greedy eyes. He dipped his head and ran his nose along the crease of her thigh. Her hands went to his head and pushed him away.

  ‘I’m all sweaty,” she said, her voice a breathless whisper. “I should shower before you do that.”

  “No,” he said and lowered his head.

  He didn’t care about the sweat that had dried on her body. He liked it. He liked the musky scent of her and the tangy sweet scent of her arousal. He licked her slit. One long swipe of his tongue and she collapsed back on the bed with a groan. God, she tasted good. He did it again, gathering the wetness of her arousal on his tongue and dragging it up over her hard little clit. She rocked her hips into his face and he couldn’t help but grin. There was nothing better than a willing, responsive woman. Vanessa was exactly what he needed tonight.

  He continued to lap at her and gently slid first one finger and then a second into her. He growled at how tight she was, imagining how it would feel to slide his thick cock into her. Her internal muscles clamped down on his fingers, drawing him in and her hips bucked with need. He sucked on her clit, pulling his fingers out and then pressing back into her. Her thighs clamped down around his ears and her fingers gripped his hair. He didn’t care if he was bald by the end of tonight from her pulling every strand of hair from his head. This was heaven, right here between her legs and he didn’t plan on going anywhere any time soon.

  “More,” she cried out, her voice husky.

  He fucked her with his fingers and lapped at her with his tongue. She ground her sweet pussy against his face and he hummed with approval. Her breath hitched and she tightened even more around his fingers. He curled them inside her, searching for that spot and then she bucked uncontrollably as she came, flooding his fingers and mouth. He brought her down slowly and then stood to his feet, stripping his pants off and sheathing himself in a condom. He crawled between her legs as she shuffled herself back up the bed. Then she reached for him and pulled him down, kissing him greedily. His cock found her entrance and he pushed in slowly, relishing the tight squeeze. She panted and arched under him and he dropped his head to her neck, breathing in her scent and tasting the salty sweetness of her skin.

  When he was fully seated inside her, he paused and allowed her body to adjust to his size. He lifted his head to look down at her and he found her blue eyes watching him. The pupils were blown wide and her lips were flushed and swollen from their kisses. She bit her lip again now and he pulsed his cock inside her causing her eyes to roll back and her mouth to open. He kissed her then and she rocked her hips against his, drawing him deeper still. He groaned as he pulled out slowly and then slammed back into her.

  “Oh God yes!” she cried out as he did it again.

  His control slipped as her body responded to him. She wound her legs around his hips and matched his hard, punishing rhythm. God, she felt good. Her fingers dug into his shoulders as her heels pressed into his ass. She was wrapped around him like a damned spider monkey and he loved every fucking inch of it. His balls burned with the need to come, but he held back, waiting for her. She bit down on his shoulder and her body tightened. He slammed into her again and again until she was crying out his name. He felt the flutters of her orgasm as it started and he couldn’t hold back his own. He pushed into her, straining, as his body spasmed and he came like a fucking racehorse.

  He collapsed on top of her, almost blacking out, but keeping his head enough that he didn’t crush her with his weight. She hadn’t let go of him, her arms and legs still wrapped around him as her core throbbed, grasping his dick over and over again. He could die right here and he wouldn’t even care. Eventually her limbs loosened enough for him to roll off her. He quickly dealt with the condom, wrapping it in a tissue, and then rolled back over and pulled her into his body. He wasn’t a cuddler, but he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet. She didn’t seem to mind as she curled into him and burrowed her face into the crook of his neck. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. His eyes were heavy and he let them close. Just a quick forty winks and then they were going to do that again. Several times again until he got her out of his system and then he might be able to think straight and make the decisions he needed to about his career. But he wouldn’t think about it now. Right now he would relax in the fucking after glow of really spectacular sex.

  The next time he opened his eyes he grinned and reached for Vanessa, but she was gone and the sheets were cool. He sat up and listened, hoping she had just gone to the bathroom, but the suite was still and quiet. He slumped back against the pillows and covered his eyes with his arm. Shit. She’d left and he felt like an asshole because he’d fallen asleep on her. Plus his body was already hard in anticipation of having her again. He really was an asshole. He sighed and let his eyes close again. It was just another thing he would have to deal with in the morning along with the fact that he might be losing his career before he ever really had it.

  Want to know when the next Music & Lyrics book is available?

  Sign up for the Music & Lyrics New Release Newsletter by clicking HERE

  Acknowledgments

  This story came like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere. I had struggled so much to write first Rock Star and the Songbird that I was hesitant to start another story in the same universe. Kathryn and Brooke both told me that they needed to know more about the Court family background and I knew that the best way to tell that was through the sibling’s own experiences. When I sat down and started to think about Nadine and what had driven her to be so reckless, the story just appeared in my mind. Gabe was the perfect person to put her broken pieces back together and I loved the two of them as a couple.

  Gas-lighting is a real thing. I had to truncate the timeline in order to keep it within the book’s scope, but I think that Nadine’s ins
ecurities about her own mind helped Mandy/Jeanie get inside her head. In basic terms, gas-lighting is to manipulate someone by psychological means until they start doubting their own sanity. It was fascinating research and yet terrifying at the same time.

  I know some of you are probably wondering WTF! when it comes to Carson and Vanessa. It was probably half-way through the story that Vanessa started whispering in my ear. Although more implied than actually written on the page, Carson had been with Stevie for a long time which was when Vanessa first met him. She had a bit of a crush on him, but she never would’ve acted on it, not while he was with Stevie. Their chance encounter at the end of Strings was a matter of kismet. They were both in need of company and there was obvious attraction, so… I can’t wait to write their story!

  As I write this acknowledgements page, I am about to head off on a vacation with my husband. In a few days we will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary. It seems like a lifetime but also like no time at all has passed. We have traveled some rough roads in the years we’ve been together, but he is and will always be the man who holds my heart. There is a little bit of him in every one of my heroes, just as there is a little bit of me in every one of my heroines. He has very much been my Gabe in times of crisis and I know I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without him in my life. Love you babe.

  Thanks as always go to Kathryn and Brooke. Writing a book can sometimes be a lonely process but these two women who have come into my life make it that little bit less lonely. They both challenge me to do better and call me out when I take the lazy way out. It makes me a better author and for that I am truly grateful to both of them.