by Mia Caldwell
He laid the flat of his hand across my ass cheek with a resounding smack.
"Hey!" I boiled upward as the sharp pain filled me with rage. He held me down and pressed his lips to the stinging skin he had just made, kissing it tenderly, massaging and kneading the muscle. I moaned in confused desire. "What are you..." my words dissolved into moans as his tongue slid between my swollen lips, flickering around my opening.
I groaned into the bunk as his tongue delved deeper. "Holy shit," I gritted as the hot pain of the spanking dissolved into warm pleasure. I rolled my hips and he followed my lead, focusing the whole of his attention on my buzzing, needful nub. My whole body started rocking and undulating in rhythm with his lapping strokes as I rode the waves of pleasure higher and higher and....
Crack!
He laid a second smack over my other ass cheek. "Hey!" I half-screamed, half groaned. "You asshole!"
"The first was for the bite. The second was for torturing me with all this 'strictly business' nonsense. And this," he brought his hand down, and I arched my back to meet it, "is because you seem to really enjoy getting spanked."
"Dammit," I groaned. I had no idea that I liked it. It was humiliating to be treated this way, held down and spanked by an arrogant rock star, but every nerve ending in my body was singing a Hallelujah chorus right now. "Ah!" I cried as his tongue found me again.
"Jesus, you're so wet," he rumbled against my sex. "You're as nuts about me as I am about you, ain't you baby?"
"Unh," I moaned thickly. I was so close.
"See, now I know, because you didn't tell me to stop calling you baby." I could hear the triumph in his voice and as if to seal my doom, he swirled his finger once around the rim of my entrance before slipping it inside and pressing his thumb against my nub,
I exploded in a shower of fireworks, flinging my head backward and crying out. His lips crashed into mine from behind me and I came around his finger as he invaded my mouth with his tongue. I was lost now, completely at his mercy, so when he flipped me back around to face him with a question in his eyes, the only thing I could think to say was, "Condom, now."
His eyes darkened. He reached under the bunk. I squirmed in panting, Pavlovian lust when I saw that foil wrapper.
"I want to do it," I demanded, reaching for his fly. The bulge in Tanner Brock's jeans had been torturing me for weeks now. I'll be damned if I didn't get to touch it now.
"Be my guest, baby," he said.
With trembling fingers, I undid the buttons of his fly. His hips were so narrow and his silver belt buckle so heavy, that the jeans fell in a puddle onto the floor the minute I had them unfastened. I took a deep breath and pulled his boxers down.
It was every inch as glorious as I had imagined. Every one of many, many inches.
"Shit," I whispered hoarsely, and licked my lips.
"Don't praise it 'til you see what it can do," he said. With eyes as dark as twilight, he leaned into me, forcing me backwards. Then, in a motion so smooth I swore he had superpowers, he snapped the condom onto his cock, slid his fingers under my ass, lifted my hips and plunged into me with no preamble, sinking right up to the hilt.
I cried out in shock, sinking my nails into his back so hard I was sure I broke the skin.
"Still trying to hurt me, huh baby?" he panted. "Go ahead, make me bleed for you." He thrust into me, harder and deeper. I cried out, ragged and raw, every time he slammed into me. He wasn't being gentle for our first time, not by a long shot. He was rough, angry, desperate....
And exactly what I needed.
I screamed out his name, dragging my nails down his back. He had me so frenzied with need for him that I was sure I was going to dissolve and fall into oblivion. The only way I could stay whole was by clinging to him, clutching with my legs, my arms, my hands, my fingers...my teeth.
I bit down into his neck. He growled and coiled my ponytail into his fist and we moved in unison, each one making the other vulnerable.
"I want to feel you come now, Monique," he rasped against my earlobe. "God, you're so tight and hot, you need to come right now before I lose it, baby." He rolled his hips, dragging his pelvis against my swollen nub, then thrusting savagely. I shrieked, wanting to give over to that new sensation, but something inside of me was still holding back, still worried and vulnerable. If I let go with Tanner inside of me, facing me, watching me with those fathomless eyes, I would lose something of myself and I wasn't sure if I knew how to get it back.
"Dammit, Tanner," I whispered. "Don't tell me what to do."
He paused mid-thrust and cupped his hand around my throat. "Why not?" he asked, rolling his hips and dragging another moan from my ragged throat. "You're mine, aren't you?"
"No," I moaned. My desire was a tightly coiled thing in my chest, hot and filled and ready to burst wide open.
"Say you're mine, Monique. You have to be. Because I'm yours, through and through. You own me, baby. You've owned me since you first smacked me down in my driveway," He thrust shallowly now, pumping his hips as rapid as a butterfly's wings. The feeling was exquisitely painful. "Now say it."
"Fuck you."
"Say it!"
"Ah God, I'm yours, I'm yours!"
The minute I said it, my orgasm broke free, shattering the fragile bonds that held it together and exploding outward into a fireball of pleasure that coursed through me. I screamed and cursed as I burned up from the inside out, panting against his skin as tears came to my eyes. I had never been more confused, more vulnerable, and yet more complete than I was right now.
"That's right, now look at me with those eyes. I want to see you." Tanner's breath was coming in short, shallow gasps. When I opened my eyes and saw him staring at me, his face contorted and he let out an animal sound. Burying his face into my neck, he came with a roar, spending himself furiously inside of me with a thrust so savage I felt he would break me in half. I screamed, clutching his hair in my fists, and we shuddered out the last vestiges of pleasure, milking each other for everything we had left to give.
After a long, ragged breath, he lifted his head. He pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, then my temple, my cheek and then the corner of my mouth. I cupped his face in my hands and kissed him unreservedly.
It was all over.
I was completely lost.
Chapter Nineteen
Tanner
A cramped bunk on a smelly tour bus was not the venue I had pictured for my first time with Monique Williams. If I'd been up to my normal standards of game, there would have been rose petals, a warm bath, candles...maybe the London fucking Symphony orchestra. But as I may have mentioned, everything about her had me all off kilter.
Her naked body was curved into mine, fitting so neatly against me it was like she was made to be here in this space. I snaked my fingers around her and pulled her even closer, relishing these few moments of silence. I knew they wouldn't last.
"Baby?"
"Hmm?" She sounded like she was falling asleep.
"Much as it pains me to say so, we need to get dressed."
Her whole body went stiff. "Oh God, your band." She sat up in a panic.
I had to chuckle. "Don't worry about them, they're not going anywhere without me."
"They totally know what we did!"
I cocked my head at her. "They can wait," I said, carefully.
She pressed her lips together and looked down. "Because they're used to this, right? You've made them wait outside your tour bus...how many times now, Tanner?"
Oh shit, here she goes. I grabbed her wrist and yanked her back down to the bunk. "Stop this," I growled at her, silencing her protests with a long, deep kiss. "How many different ways do you want me to tell you I'm crazy about you?"
She pulled back from the kiss, her eyes lingering closed for a moment, then her lips curved into a smile. "I'm going to need a few more times," she purred.
The blood rushed right back down to my groin. Jesus, I had just gone, but here I was ready for this woman all over again
. "You want me to tell you with my words?" I murmured into her neck, "or..." I slid down off the bunk and knelt between her legs, "my mouth?"
She gasped and giggled. "Words will do for now. I'm starting to feel bad for your band."
"Then words it is. Here you go: I'm fucking crazy about you, Monique," I said sincerely. "There, now how many more times after that?"
"Keep talking, I'll let you know," she grinned.
I watched her dress the rest of the way, feeling wistful when those round dark orbs disappeared back into her bra. When everything was back into place, she turned and faced me. "Everything look okay?" she asked, smoothing her hands over her hips.
"Honestly, I'm not sure why you bothered," I said grumpily. "Once we get to the hotel, I'm just getting you naked again."
"Are you now?" she said archly, grabbing her camera. "Well until then, I've got work to do." She turned around fast, and the flash blinded me,
"Hey, I wasn't ready!"
"Candid behind the scenes shots, those are what I'm here to get," Monique declared. "Believe it or not, I didn't plan on coming here to get in your pants."
I slung my arm around her shoulders and kissed her head. "Just an on the job perk, then," I said, inhaling deeply.
Then I opened the door.
Now, I was expecting the hooting laughter that greeted us. But Monique was definitely not. She shrank behind me, and even though I couldn't see her in the dark of the parking lot, I knew she was staring daggers at my bandmates.
God bless my giant goofball of a bassist. "I'm Jimmy," the big doof grinned his puppy dog grin and reached out towards her camera. "You're a photographer? That's so cool, can I see that?"
"Oh god, no, if you value your camera at all, don't let Butterfingers over here touch it," Carter said drily.
"No one touches my camera but me," Monique said, lifting her chin. "Now all of you, smile!"
Just like that she had us all in line. Literally. We lined up, arms slung around each other and Monique fired off a few blinding flashes that had us all swearing and rubbing our eyes. "Now, I need a few shots inside the bus," she directed, waving her hands.
The boys trouped in through the door, as compliant as kindergarteners lining up for their teacher. She snapped away, completely focused on her work now.
It was breathtaking.
The hotel was only a short ride away, just long enough to share a few shots and a few laughs. I held her close the whole while, and she grumbled a few times that I was making it hard for her to do her job.
Well fuck that shit. I finally had Monique Williams in my arms, and now that I did, I wasn't about to let her go.
Chapter Twenty
Monique
I had a very nice expense account all ready to pay for my hotel room. But when I pulled out the card to pay, Tanner made a threatening noise.
"Can't I at least pretend?" I whispered to him. "For my boss's sake?"
He grumbled something incoherent and snaked his arm around my waist. He hadn't stopped touching me since the bus; an arm around my shoulder, a hand on my ass, a quick press of his lips on my temple. He seemed like a man on a mission to touch every part of my body.
The thought made desire flow down in a painful rush.
"It's him, I swear it's him." The woman's voice floated across the lobby, shrill and insistent and more than a little drunk.
"Tanner, we gotta move," Leo rumbled. The big bodyguard squinted at the deranged looking fan and his fingers moved down to his belt. With a sinking feeling in my stomach, I realized he was carrying a gun...and he was willing to use it.
The woman stumbling towards us had a slightly unhinged look about her. "Ohmahgawwwd, Tanner, I love you, I wrote to you, did you get my email? Tanner, please..."
"Move. Now." Leo shoved us both. The rest of the band had instinctively tightened into a protective circle around us, sweeping me along with them as they rushed to the private elevator to the penthouse.
When the door closed. Tanner let out a sharp exhale and squeezed me. I must have made a frightened noise, because he dropped his arm like he was afraid of hurting me. I missed his touch instantly.
"That shouldn't have happened, Leo," Tanner barked.
"You're right," Leo sounded grim. "Should have called and checked in before hand. First night out on the road. I'll get the kinks worked out right away."
Tanner made an angry sound and the rest of the band all hung their heads and shuffled their feet like the were kids stuck between mommy and daddy's fight. "I don't think of these things," Tanner finally said with a sigh. "You know I'm no good at thinkin' about threats."
"Yeah I know," Leo said, steel in his voice. "That's why you're gonna put me in an early grave. Hold up, I'll handle this." His cell phone was jammed in his ear with a white knuckled grip.
"She was just some drunk chick," I ventured, not understanding what the emergency was. "Why are we talking like it's your funeral?"
The awkward silence that stretched out was only interrupted by the ding of the elevator doors. The rest of the band tromped grimly into the presidential suite, but I hung back, mouth gaping.
The skyline winked below us in a galaxy of twinkling lights. We were up so high that the air felt thinner up here. I felt like I was on a mountaintop, or flying in an airplane looking down at the ant-like people below. It was the kind of rarefied, rich world that ordinary people very seldom see.
And it felt all wrong.
I walked into the glass and chrome suite with a feeling of trepidation that it took me several moments to understand. I searched for Tanner, and finally spied him sitting on the edge of the very modern, very uncomfortable looking couch that snaked its way through the center of the space.
The room was all sharp angles and monochromatic color. There was no warmth, no personality, no comfort to be seen. It was all pure artifice, meant for show.
Tanner Brock didn't belong here at all.
I went to him. He looked up at me and smiled his warm smile, but it looked tired. Whatever had happened in the lobby had taken all the wind from his sails.
"Welcome to the Presidential Suite," Tanner said, stroking my thigh.
"Are you going to trash it now?" I teased. "Isn't that what rock stars do?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Ma'am, I'm a good country boy from Texas whose mama would tan his hide if she knew he trashed anything." He leaned back and squirmed a little on the torture device of a couch. "No, we mostly just shoot the shit a bit and go to bed."
That seemed to be the case. The guys had all tromped off to their respective rooms off the main living area. Carter's door was already closed. I could see Blake inside his room, pacing the floor with his phone in his ear. Tanner saw where I was looking and leaned forward again. "He's got a brand new daughter," he explained.
"Aw," I smiled. "You guys are so wholesome, it hurts."
"That's intentional," Tanner shrugged. "I already did the rock-star thing. That life's....not for me."
There was a sense of sad finality in his words that made me want to touch him. I reached out and rested my hand on his tanned forearm, just letting him know I was here. His skin was warm and as I brushed my fingertips lightly along the crisp hairs, I could feel each taut rope of muscle that lived underneath. I rested my hand on his and leaned awkwardly onto his shoulder.
"You're more comfortable than this couch," I complained, trying and failing to find a comfortable place to put my body.
Tanner laughed his deep, rich laugh. "I've stayed here before, and I know one thing that's comfortable in this room." He turned and fixed me with that deep blue stare.
"Let me guess," I teased. "The bed?"
He grinned and stood up, holding out his hand. "Ever slept on a cloud before?" he asked.
I allowed myself to be hauled to my feet. "Ooh," I said, stretching. "A cloud sounds real good right now."
"You know what sounds better?" he asked, his lips against my neck.
"Absolutely nothing?"
"Hush, w
oman, you're killing my mood here." He closed his fingers possessively around my wrist and led me into the biggest of the attached rooms. I caught a glimpse of Leo, standing like a sentry at the elevator, his gun on full display, and I shivered a little.
But when I saw Tanner's plan, the shivers were for a different reason. The massive room was dominated with a huge tub set on a marble slab a step up from the rest of the floor. Tanner was already leaning over the edge, testing the running water with his elbow. When he saw me, frozen to the spot in the middle of the room, he moved towards me with fire in his eyes.