Driving Tempo

by Raine Thomas

  As they passed the bathroom, Archer smelled freshly used shampoo and realized Rosemary must have used the room’s shower after her workout. He didn’t see her anywhere.

  He followed Ryan over to the bedroom. The double doors leading into it were both open. They paused in the room’s entryway and studied the huge bed.

  The thick white comforter had been kicked to the floor. Lily was tangled in the sheets and lying on her side, her sleep tank riding up to bare the dip where her hip met her waist. Part of her bow and arrow tattoo peeked at him. The boy shorts she wore left her shapely legs exposed.

  Rosemary had climbed back into the bed and was now sleeping beside her sister, facing her. She wore an outfit similar to Lily’s. Their heads were bowed close to each other, light and dark red hair spilling across the white bedding. The resemblance between them had never been more apparent. He could see how people mistook them for twins.

  “Isn’t this supposed to be every guy’s fantasy?” he joked.

  “Not every guy’s,” Ryan said.

  Archer started to issue a pithy reply and then considered the specialist’s tone. Instead of speaking, he just stared at Ryan. He saw the truth in Ryan’s steady gaze.

  “Oh,” he said at last. “You’re...”

  Ryan’s mouth curved up. “Gay? Yes.”

  “Oh,” Archer said again, knowing he sounded like an idiot. “Does Lily know?”

  “Yes.”

  “How long has she known?”

  “Since we first met.”

  Archer’s eyes narrowed. “Is that so?”

  He thought of all the times he had grouched to Lily about her being around Ryan so much. She damn well could have said something then. He had a feeling she hadn’t told him so she could be amused by his reactions. He’d have to get her back for that.

  Another thought had him shifting uncomfortably and looking again at Ryan.

  “You’re thinking of the many times you’ve walked around me wearing little to no clothing now, right?” Ryan asked.

  “No,” Archer lied.

  Ryan smiled. “I prefer blondes. Nice ink, though.”

  Rosemary stirred, saving Archer from having to come up with a response to that. He gave Ryan a sharp look to let him know he didn’t appreciate having been left in the dark about his sexual preferences and then headed into the bedroom over to Lily’s side of the bed.

  “Good morning, Lily Momilly,” he said loudly, jumping onto the bed hard enough to have Lily rising and falling with a soft thud.

  She groaned. “Gonna kill you.”

  Rosemary’s eyes opened. She looked instantly alert.

  “And on that note,” she said, rolling over and climbing off the other side of the bed. “I’m outta here.”

  “Sorry I didn’t think to bring you coffee or anything,” Archer apologized. “I’ll grab you something in the lobby when we go down.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” she said as she rummaged in the suitcase beside the bed. “Thanks for the thought.”

  Lily grabbed her pillow and tugged it over head. “Go away. All of you. Unless you prefer a slow, violent death.”

  Rosemary lifted her eyebrows over Lily’s growled words. She hurried out of the room with the clothes she had pulled out of her suitcase, either eager to get moving or taking Lily’s threat more seriously than Archer or Ryan did.

  “The bus is leaving soon,” Archer said. “And this latte isn’t getting any warmer. Besides, we need to discuss what you’ve been keeping from me.”

  Lily groaned again. “Too early,” she said, the words muffled. “And you’re not supposed to know about Ramón. That’s why he’s my secret lover.”

  Archer reached over and grabbed her side, making her yelp and toss the pillow so she could defend her ticklish spots. She zeroed a death glare at him, but the effect was ruined by her maniacal bedhead.

  “Let’s go, future wife,” he coaxed, trying out the term Noelle had used earlier. “Times a-tickin’.”

  Lily’s ire eased visibly at the title. “Fine,” she sighed. “Gimme.”

  He started to hold the cup and bakery bag towards her extended hands, then deliberately paused. “Don’t I at least get a thank-you kiss?”

  “This for now, better one after teeth brushing,” she said, leaning forward and pressing her lips briefly against his.

  She made good on her promise, walking up to him after she had gotten ready for the day and kissing him thoroughly. The taste and scent of her had his entire body reacting. It felt like they had been apart for weeks rather than just a day. If they weren’t so pressed for time, he’d carry her back into the bedroom.

  “You know, we had the bus cleaned,” he said when they parted.

  Her bewitching eyes were focused on his lips. “You did?”

  “Yep. You really haven’t been on tour with a rock band if you haven’t had sex on the bus.”

  Her lips twitched. “Is that so?”

  “Mmhmm.”

  “Maybe I need to ride along to Omaha with you then,” she said, trailing her finger along his chest.

  He had to adjust his stance over her easy agreement. “You mean that?”

  “Yeah. Come on. We’re keeping everyone waiting.”

  Their hands slid together naturally as they exited the room and joined Ryan, Trey, and Duff in the hallway. The House of Archer team was getting an early start, Archer noted.

  Rosemary had already gone downstairs to get some breakfast for the road, so the five of them headed to the elevators. It was still early enough that the hallways were quiet.

  As they neared the room Archer had used last night, he noticed a tall brunette looking at the door as though waiting for it to open. She glanced over when she heard them approach. A smile spread across her face as she spotted him. He assumed she was a fan who had managed to figure out which room was his. Maybe she had seen him enter or leave it earlier.

  “Oh, there you are, Dane,” she said.

  He frowned over the familiar form of address. Very few people called him by his given name. He tried and failed to place her face.

  She took a couple of steps towards them as they approached. Trey stopped her from getting too close. Her eyes widened and shifted from the bodyguard back to Archer.

  “Wait a minute...what’s going on, Dane? You said last night that you weren’t engaged anymore. You swore to me.”

  He wished such a ploy for attention shocked him, but it didn’t. It pissed him off, especially when he felt Lily stiffen beside him.

  “Give it a rest,” he snapped, not even looking at the woman as they passed.

  “You bastard!” she cried, shoving against Trey. “The joke’s on you. I only said I was on birth control. When you see me again in nine months, you’ll know why!”

  Archer’s jaw ached from restraining the urge to shout back at the crazy woman. They didn’t need to make even more of a scene. As it was, a couple of doors opened and people looked to see what the fuss was about while he and Lily waited for the elevator. He was keenly aware of the House of Archer camera aimed at him.

  When Lily deliberately pulled her hand from his, he wasn’t sure whether it was because she actually believed the woman or for effect with the show. Either way, his heart contorted in his chest.

  “You’ll regret this!” the woman screamed as Trey led her in the opposite direction. “I thought you loved me!”

  Mercifully, the elevator arrived and they climbed inside. Archer didn’t have to act uncertain for the camera as he looked down at Lily in the ensuing silence. She stood with her arms crossed, her gaze on the lit numbers above the doors and her fingers digging deeply into her forearms.

  “Lily?” he prodded, hoping she’d show him some sign to alleviate his gathering concern.

  “We’ll discuss this later,” she said.

  Her teeth were set, making the words harsh and angry. He felt sweat gathering on his brow even though he knew she was playing it up for the show.

  She had to be.r />
  “She was lying. I’ve never seen her before in my life.” Even as he said the words, he felt like a cliché.

  “Sure.” She shook her head with a bitter laugh. “Planned a night for me to have some time with the girls, huh? Yeah, right.”

  God, she sounded so genuinely upset. Surely she didn’t think he would be unfaithful to her. Did she?

  By the time they finally headed out to the tour bus, he was going out of his mind with the need to talk to her. She barely looked at him, giving him the cold shoulder while the cameras continued to film.

  Right then, he hated those cameras. Sure, they were getting plenty of ratings-grabbing content for the show, a show that was finally propelling his career where he wanted it. But just what were those ratings going to cost him?

  Chapter Seventeen

  Lily struggled against the impulse to reassure Dane. She knew him better than anyone. She knew he was worried that she doubted his fidelity, that her love for him might somehow be damaged by what that conniving female had tried to pull. The idea of that hurt her as much as it was surely hurting him.

  She knew that Dane had deep-seated insecurities. To anyone else, those insecurities might seem outlandish. He had been successful with most things he tried throughout his life, from the time he became a famous child actor at the age of seven to the release of “Not Mine.” But there had also been a few notable failures along the way, such as his first flop of a solo album and getting overlooked for a few big movie roles that he’d pursued. Those failures were amplified for someone as in the spotlight as he was. The press had been brutal, feeding upon his inherent self-doubt.

  Lily knew that he relied on her to help bring him back up when he felt this way. She couldn’t do that now.

  There was no telling what the female hoped to achieve through her transparent scheme. Lily assumed she wanted her fifteen minutes of fame and she intended to get it by appearing on the show. It chafed to think that the woman was going to get it, but Lily knew this type of content was too enticing to try and suppress.

  Conflict drove House of Archer. Conflict between her and Dane made the ratings soar. Something like this would drive them through the roof.

  So she did her best to envision Dane with that woman. It kept her expression and attitude where it needed to be while in front of the cameras. She also avoided Dane’s gaze and his touch, knowing she’d break character if she didn’t.

  She considered riding in the chartered car that she, Rosemary, and Sydney sometimes used and skipping the bus in a further show of pique, but that would just be cruel. This had gone on long enough to appease the show’s producers.

  Well, nearly long enough.

  When they reached the bus, she waited for Ordinem to give the all-clear to board and then turned to face the rest of the band, Christopher, and Sydney. “I need a minute in private with Mr. Archer here, okay?”

  Since she was supposed to be a diva, she didn’t wait for a response. She turned and marched onto the bus, hiding a smile when she heard Xander mutter about the world revolving around her. All of The Void’s members had been coached to say such things when the cameras were rolling.

  “A minute, Roscoe?” she said to the driver after she and Dane boarded.

  “Sure thing, Miss Lily,” the grizzled driver said, rising and disembarking.

  Lily closed the door behind him before turning to face Dane. Odds were that the cameras on the bus were operating. She was more concerned about the one in Duff’s hand still filming them through the bus’s window. Neither she nor Dane was currently miked. What mattered now wasn’t what was said so much as what the cameras captured.

  On that thought, she walked right up to Dane and drove her finger into his chest. “Let’s make this look good since we’re still on camera,” she said in a low voice, doing her best to convey outrage through her expression and body language. “And let’s get something straight. Of course I know she’s a lying bitch. She looked right at me the first time she called you Dane. She’s lucky Trey got to her before I did. This is all for the damn show, so get out of your head. You should know better than to doubt me and my love for you.”

  If she hadn’t been staring right into his face, she would have missed the relief that flashed in his deep brown eyes. “I’m sorry,” he said, reaching out and grasping her shoulders as though trying to reason with her. “I keep underestimating your acting abilities.”

  “Well I had a good teacher,” she said, shrugging off his touch and giving him a light shove. She saw him press his lips together to stop a smile. “He’d better take his own advice right now if he wants this to come off well on camera.”

  That had him tossing his hands in an exasperated gesture. “How’s that? Better?”

  “That’s more like the Archer I know and love,” she said, jabbing her finger in the air to convey temper. “Now I need to touch you, so give me a desperate kiss that I’ll fend off before I go wait for you in your bunk.”

  He didn’t hesitate, stepping closer and pulling her hard against him. A gasp escaped her over the genuine heedlessness behind the action. She brought her arms up as though to put some distance between them. Her plan was working brilliantly.

  Then he kissed her.

  Every other thought fled. Her lips instantly parted to allow him entrance. His tongue swept in, meeting the eager thrusts of her own. Desire shot through her, overwhelming all of her senses. Her heart threatened to spring out of her chest. Her hands went from balled fists against Dane’s chest to gripping his shirt to keep him as close to her as possible. A moan of stark need escaped her.

  She had no idea how long the kiss went on, but when he eventually pulled away from her, she let out a soft whimper. Her gaze settled on his mouth as his forehead touched hers.

  “I thought you were supposed to fend me off,” he said in a husky voice.

  Her brain slowly registered the words. “Change of plans,” she replied. “Now you’re a ruthless player who uses sex as a distraction.”

  “Ooo...role playing. Sounds naughty.”

  Clamping down on a laugh, she finally pushed away from him. “Too bad I’m onto your wicked ways. Now let everyone else on the bus and come finish what you started.”

  She deliberately rubbed against him as she shoved past him and stormed down the aisle. His low growl followed her. She was certain the camera outside the bus did too. She kept her irritated expression until she was out of view. The moment she was, she dropped the ruse and climbed into Dane’s bunk.

  Up until that moment, she’d been certain she’d never have sex with him here. The small sleeping space was separated from the rest of the passengers by just a heavy accordion-style drapery panel. Now, the idea of it had her breath coming faster in anticipation as she waited for Dane to join her.

  Thank God he didn’t take long. In fact, he returned to her so quickly that she guessed he had merely opened the bus’s doors and high-tailed it after her to the bunks. There was no doubt in her mind that everyone knew what was about to happen.

  She didn’t care.

  She shifted onto her side against the back wall of the bunk to give him room. He settled down next to her and slid the privacy panel closed, encasing them in their intimate cocoon.

  He found her in the darkness, his fingers trailing along the side of her face to the back of her neck where they twined in her unbound hair. “There’s only one rule when it comes to bunk sex,” he said quietly.

  “What’s that?”

  “Silence.”

  Her lips curved. “Something of an expert, are you?”

  “Believe it or not, I’ve never done this myself, but I’ve been an unwilling audience member before. Take my word on it.”

  She choked on a laugh. “All right.”

  They didn’t speak after that. Lily allowed his hand to guide her face closer to his. Their kiss resumed where it left off.

  Then she was lost...lost to the sensation of Dane’s kiss, lost to the seduction of his touch, lost to the d
eep, unbreakable love they shared.

  They undressed each other with care, both because the small quarters called for it and out of the tenderness the moment seemed to demand. Though they both knew the mysterious woman from earlier had been lying, the resulting strain she had caused between them, even if only for the show, had left a very real mark on them both. This was as much about healing and love as it was passion and desire.

  No one—nothing—would come between them.

  She lay on top of him, their naked bodies damp with perspiration, and watched him in the shadows of their cocoon as she took him inside her. The tendons in his neck went taut as he restrained himself from voicing his satisfaction over that. She bit her lip for the same reason, fighting back a moan as he filled her.

  When they were fully joined, she leaned down and captured his mouth again. Their tongues met in a deep, languid kiss. She braced herself on one arm and stroked his hard body with her free hand, teasing him mercilessly. He gave her equal measure, his deft touch swiftly driving her to the brink.

  He began to move, just the slightest lift of his hips. Once. Twice. Again. Her hips rolled to match his tortuous pace.

  Every movement had pleasure building, beat by exquisite beat. Her body tightened in delicious anticipation of the release only Dane could bring her...complete fulfillment that would satisfy her both in body and in soul.

  He coerced her body one purposeful thrust at a time until she hung on a precipice between acute agony and indescribable bliss. The inability to voice her pleasure added to its intensity. She felt hot tears gathering in her eyes over the power of it. Dane wove his fingers with hers, providing her the handhold she needed to finally let go.

  One more thrust propelled her over. Her body gripped him tight as rapture pounded through her.

  Her unstoppable cry of release was muffled by his lips, but he didn’t stop kissing her. It was as though he was addicted to the taste of her. His unrelenting desire for her stirred her as much as his touch.