by Terry Towers
Dylan stepped forward from the group. “We promise this isn’t goodbye, but more like until next time.”
They’d publicly announced that they were stepping back from the business the previous week and the amount of publicity they’d gotten since the announcement was unlike anything I’d ever seen before. They’d had so many requests for interviews and appearances, they could be booked up for close to two years if they wanted to be. I won’t lie; it was overwhelming for all of us, especially me, since I was in charge of juggling it all. I’d convinced them to do some of the high-profile, high-paying appearances and a Netflix special.
This wouldn’t be as bad as we anticipated.
It took another ten minutes for the band to finally make it off the stage and when they did it was a mixture of adrenaline and tears. I was both excited and heartbroken for them.
“I wish you guys would change your mind,” Salvatore said, grabbing a towel from one of the stagehands and wiping the sweat off his face and neck.
“It’s only a couple years guys,” Dylan assured him. “I think we all need it. Our music will be fresh again and a couple years won’t make us obsolete. I’m sure of it.”
“We’ll see,” Salvatore responded.
I did feel bad for Salvatore, Ethan, and Flinn, they weren’t ready for a break yet. However, they had no choice but to go along with the decision of Zack and Dylan. The band was the two leads. Without the leads there was no Hypnotic.
“It could be worse, man.” Ethan gave Salvatore a pat on the back. “Like we told the crowd it’s not goodbye, it’s until next time.”
Coming over to me, Zack placed an arm over my shoulders and pulled me tight to his side. “What do you think, baby? Was it a wild ride or what?”
It was wild. “Meeting all of you hasn’t been boring, that’s for sure.”
Flinn and Salvatore exchanged a look. They knew what was going on, or at least they suspected. I had no doubt about that, even though they hadn’t said anything about it. It really didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure things out, luckily in public we’d kept it under wraps enough that they never did figure out who the redhead in the hot tub was.
Zack directed me toward the dressing rooms, with Dylan in tow. Dylan and Zack shared one dressing room while the other three guys shared another next door. “So, what I’m thinking is that after the after-party…or maybe during, I was thinking we could have a little private celebration party.”
Heat rose to my cheeks as I looked up at Zack. “We’ll see.”
Dylan came up to the other side of me and slipped his arm around my waist. Leaning into me, he whispered into my ear, “I think that would be an excellent idea.”
A part of me was conscious of the fact that people’s eyes were on us, with me in the middle of two sexy, sweaty rockstars. But the other part of me didn’t care, because it felt damned good to have them brushing against me, giving me a hint of what was to come.
Reaching the dressing room, the guys released me and opened the door. I entered, followed by Dylan and then Zack. Zack locked the door behind us, saying, “I think it’s time for a little pre-party celebration.”
“What?” I looked down at my watch. “We’re expected to be at the after-party. The other guys will be waiting for us.”
The men approached me, correction: they stalked toward me, as if I was the prey that they were about to devour. Fire lit up between my legs, but as much as I wanted to indulge in the feeling of their rock-hard bodies against mine, I knew we couldn’t. The car to take us all to the party would be waiting, with the other band members inside. We simply didn’t have time and I had to be the voice of reason.
Taking a couple steps toward them I placed a palm on each of their chests. “No. Not now. We’ve got obligations.” I tried to keep my voice as even and as stern as possible. This was their last major obligation and they needed to make sure they took it seriously, even if it was just an after-party. The rest of the band and the people who had worked hard to make it happen all these years deserved as much.
“Fine.” Zack shrugged, beginning to strip down and tossing his clothing in the laundry basket.
“Suit yourself.” Dylan did the same.
The shower stall was clear glass with a shower head at each end of the gigantic space. Even though I tried to keep my eyes adverted to help resist temptation, I couldn’t help but sneak a peek now and again as the two men that I loved soaped up their sweaty, chiseled bodies. My pussy clenched. Maybe I should just step out of the room before my resolve crumbled.
The shower was turned off before I could make up my mind on whether I should leave or not. I breathed out a sigh of relief as the men stepped out and tied a towel around their waists. At least with them partially covered, I didn’t have to see the temptation of their dicks.
Zack strutted up to me and untied the towel, leaning into me and kissing the side of my neck. “One last chance to get a little piece of me baby before we leave.”
Oh, how I loved when he kissed my neck, it sent such delicious shivers through me.
“No.” I backed away from his tempting lips. “No, I’m good. We’ll have lots of time for that after the party.”
With a shrug, he turned, tying the towel around his waist again.
I let out a sigh of relief as the men quickly got ready. It was going to be a long night for a number of reasons and the heels I was wearing were already hurting my feet.
~*~ TT ~*~
Violet
We arrived fashionably late. While lateness bothered me no end, it was more or less expected for the guys. It was something I knew I had to grow to accept. Bodyguards were waiting at the front door to escort us inside.
“It seems so surreal,” Dylan said as we walked into the club, me in the middle of the two men, my arms linked with theirs. I felt like the most special girl in the world at this moment; how many women would have killed to trade places with me?
The guys had paid to have their favorite nightclub shut its doors to the public and use it for their private party. Though to say it was private was a stretch; there were other musicians, music moguls, friends and family of the band, and lots of press. It was turning out to be one of the biggest music events of the year, with invitations being highly sought after.
“I know,” Zack agreed; there was a wistful look in his eyes as we entered the club and he scanned the crowd that was already there. “I figured we’d be old and gray before we stopped.”
“We’re not over. Just to be continued.” Dylan corrected.
To be continued…. Yes, I liked that way of putting it.
We’d barely gotten through the front doors when we were bombarded with photographers. Though unlike the photographers who were normally harassing us, they were given fair warning that if they were too intrusive they would be removed from the after-party. And that was the last thing they wanted.
As the cameras began to flash, I attempted to scurry away, but Dylan grabbed my hand, pulling me back into the picture with the full band. “You’re just as important to this band as any of us. You should be in the pictures,” he whispered in my ear.
I smiled at the cameras as I whispered back, “They still haven’t figured out the mystery tub girl. Isn’t this tempting fate?”
“Probably.” He gave me a sexy, heart-stopping smile and wink. “Just have fun, Violet. It doesn’t matter at this point anyhow, does it?”
Taking a deep breath in, I slowly released it and accepted my fate. This came part and parcel with the job; I needed to get used to it. Once the photographers got their shots and began to wander off to take photos of the other guys, we were able to move forward to mingle. Flinn, Ethan, and Salvatore broke off from the three of us, disappearing into the crowd.
It wasn’t long before I spotted Carter and Alyssa, or they spotted us. Either way they were rapidly approaching. Alyssa knew who the mystery woman was, but swore she’d keep her mouth shut. To my knowledge she’d done as promised.
“Violet, my
dear. It’s been too long.” Carter immediately gave me a rare hug, then proceeded to shake hands with Dylan and Zack.
“It has. I’m sorry I haven’t been checking in regularly, but—”
Carter put his hand up, stopping my babbling from continuing. “I understand. This has been a crazy turn of events. It’s not every day one of the greatest bands in the world retires.”
“Not retired, just taking a break,” Zack interjected.
“Either way. It’s been big news and that’s a lot of work juggling the press and trying to keep things on the down-low.”
I swear to God my heart stopped beating for a moment. “Umm. I don’t know…” I looked from Zack on my left to Dylan at my right side. My gaze then zeroed in on Alyssa who shook her head, mouthing not me.
“No need to try and lie your way out of it. Do you honestly think I wouldn’t recognize you, even if the video was from behind…? And without clothing…”
My face began to burn. Carter was like a father to me and the thought of him watching what equated to a porn movie of me with Zack made me want to curl up into a ball and die from embarrassment.
“Look, Carter...”
Carter put his hand up, stopping me before I could begin to babble. “It doesn’t matter, Violet. I wish you’d been straight with me from the beginning, but it doesn’t really matter.”
I sighed and nodded. “I’m sorry. I’d just taken on the band and I know it’s not exactly professional.”
“What’s done is done. Maybe a break away is what everyone needs. It’s been a long road and sometimes a band needs a break to remain fresh and relevant. As long as the break isn’t too long, it might be the best thing you could have ever done for your careers.”
Carter looked me straight in the eye. “Can we talk for a minute? Privately?”
My anxiety jumped back up as I looked at both guys, who nodded their support and then smiled. “Of course.” Stepping away from the guys and Alyssa, I followed Carter to a private corner of the club and sat down at a two-person table across from him.
He didn’t wait to jump right into what was on his mind. “Are you sure this is what you want? I can assign you a new group.”
“Yes, I can still manage the guys’ careers as they take a break.”
“What about personally? Are you sure this is what you want? It’ll be hard to come back to a career in the business after leaving to be with Zack Wyatt.”
“It’s not just Zack…” I cringed on the inside, unsure of how he’d take that bit of information.
He sat back in the chair and sighed, “Shit.”
“It works, Carter. It really does.”
He looked unconvinced. “There’s so many ways this can go wrong.”
“But it won’t. I’m in love with them. And they’re just as in love with me. This isn’t a decision I’ve taken lightly; none of us have taken this lightly.”
“And how are you planning on releasing this information to the press?”
“I’ve got some ideas, but for now it’s no one else’s business but our own. When we decide it’s time to announce something, we will. Maybe we can start a new trend?” I joked, attempting to lighten the mood.
Carter’s expression remained unreadable for a moment before a smile broke out onto his face and he gave his head a shake. “You’re twenty-eight years old. I can’t tell you what to do, all I can say is if this is what makes you happy, then I’m behind you.” He grabbed my hands across the table and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Just promise me if anything goes wrong or not the way you’d envisioned you’ll call me. I can assign you new clients and you can move on.”
“I will. I promise.”
“Excellent.” His expression took on a sad look despite the smile on his lips. “Good luck to you sweetheart. I really mean it.”
Chapter 21
Dylan
She’d been talking with Carter for quite some time, her expression serious the entire time. It made me nervous. What if he was talking her out of giving the relationship a try? What if he’d given her a million reasons why a relationship between the three of us would spell nothing but disaster and she agreed with him? The time she spent talking to Carter, with me watching helplessly from across the room was one of the most stressful of my life. I didn’t care if I had her to myself or had to share her, the main thing was that she was in my bed, in my heart, and in my life.
“What do you think they’re talking about?” Zack asked. I could see the stress in his expression as well. I’d never seen Zack in love before, it was unique and made my decision that we should share her all the more valid. Who said a woman couldn’t love two men fully and completely?
“I don’t know. Her career I imagine.”
“Yeah. She’s staying with us though. It’s not like she’ll leave us, no matter how much he offers her.” Despite his definite answer, I could still hear the hesitation in his voice.
“Of course.”
The conversation between Carter and Violet ended with them both standing and him giving her a friendly hug. A minute later she was making her way back through the crowd toward us. She was so damned beautiful, wearing a low-cut red dress that hugged her curves to perfection.
“How’d it go?” Zack asked as she approached.
Violet smiled, a happy twinkle in her eyes. “It went very well actually. He just told me if I wanted a new group or assignment just ask and wished me luck.”
Zack and I released a sigh of relief in unison, and the mood immediately lightened up.
Looking around, it seemed as though everyone here was having a great time. It was nice to see all the road crew and people we’d worked with for years—over a decade for a select few—laughing, drinking and having a great time. It felt like the end of an era for us, and in some ways it was. The plan was two years, but who really knew what was in store for us all in two years’ time. Life had a way of throwing you a curveball when you least expected it.
“You look amazing, by the way,” Zack commented giving Violet a very blatant look up and down.
Just seeing Zack eyeing her made my dick jump. I had to say there was something very intoxicating about watching my woman with another man. I wouldn’t have the same reaction if it was someone else, but with Zack it was okay. It was more than okay really.
She blushed as she caught her lower lip between her teeth, looking up at first Zack and then me through her thick lashes. “Thank you. You two look pretty good yourselves.”
A shiver raced down my spine to put my dick on alert. What I wouldn’t do to bend her over a table and make love—correction: fuck her senseless. It wouldn’t be about love tonight, it would be about fast, hard fucking.
Glancing over at Zack I could see the hunger in his eyes, telling me he was thinking the exact same thing.
“Come with me,” Zack said to Violet, grabbing her arm. “Dylan and I have something important we need to discuss with you, in private.”
Great minds think alike. The club was crowded and the last thing we needed was to be seen by the press, but at the same time, the idea of getting caught was exhilarating.
The three of us slowly weaved our way through the crowds. Not making eye contact with anyone we passed in an attempt to discreetly find a quiet place. The place we eventually ended up was in the private room that we would normally claim for ourselves each time we came to the club, that had a one-way window where we could see out, but no one on the other side could see in. It was perfect.
Closing the door behind us, I was dismayed to see that the lock was broken. “Shit,” I muttered under my breath. Looking back to the other two, I discovered they were already in a heated embrace, their hands frantically exploring each other’s bodies.
“The lock is busted.”
Zack ended the kiss and looked at me, giving me a shrug. “So what? No one is coming back here.”
“It’ll be fine,” Violet added, giving me a sexy smile and crooking her finger at me. “Get over here, lover.”
<
br /> Chuckling, I forgot everything about the door and made my way to her. Grabbing her waist, I spun her around to face me and lowered my lips to hers in a kiss that was fueled by the passion that was building within me.
“Now, tell me how we’re supposed to do this?” I asked, cocking a brow up at her and looking at the only available surface, the circular table.
Zack stepped up behind her and lowered his lips to her neck, she closed her eyes and tilted her head to the side, giving Zack better access to the tender flesh. As his lips kissed the length of her neck, his fingers grasped the zip at the back of her dress and slowly began to pull it down. The bodice of her dress loosened around her breasts.
Opening her eyes, Violet caught her lower lip between her teeth, eyeing me as if she was about to devour me and replied, “You’re a creative boy. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
Adrenaline surged through me, my dick becoming rigid and ready for action. Looking out onto the dance floor through the one-way mirror, I grinned. Perhaps they were right, this was a perfect place.
Grabbing the bottom of my t-shirt, I pulled the shirt up and over my head, tossing it onto the back of a vacant chair.
“Baby, come here.” Grabbing my hand she pulled me close to her as Zack pushed the dress down her shoulders. She released my hand to allow the fabric to slip down her arms and off. The dress fell to the floor, puddling at her feet, leaving her in her black lace bra and matching panties.
Reaching out to me again she grabbed the waistband of my jeans and pulled me to her, swiftly undoing the fly. As she worked the button and zip I looked down, watching her. Zack undid her strapless bra; the garment fell to the floor onto the dress. He slipped his hands around her torso and cupped her beautiful breasts, pinching her nipples between his thumb and index fingers.
She moaned softly, finishing up with my jeans and pushing them down. My jeans and underwear soon joined the increasing pile of clothing on the floor.