by McCoy, Katie
He responded eagerly, using his fingers to open me up to him, the tip of his tongue teasing my clit just the way I loved it. Sensation flowed through me, the heat of Dante’s body warming me from the inside out. He made me so hot, I couldn’t stand it, my orgasm just out of my reach.
I wrapped my legs around his back, my knees against either side of his head as I urged him closer. It was good but it wasn’t enough. I needed him to be rougher. I wanted more. I dug my nails into his scalp, feeling the soft slide of his hair against my palms.
He let out a growl of desire that I felt from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. He fucked me with his tongue, his hands holding my hips, tilting them towards him so I could meet his mouth.
I undulated against him, sweat breaking out along my hairline as he swirled his tongue over my clit before sliding a calloused finger inside of me. I gasped as the pleasure spread through me, his finger going deep and curling upward, finding that spot inside that only Dante could find.
My hips were moving without meaning, without sense now, my body desperate for release. All I knew was Dante and his mouth and his tongue and his hands. He added another finger, stretching me perfectly. He teased me with short, intense strokes, bringing me closer and closer to release but backing off before I could reach the edge.
I was mindless with need now, low, keening pants coming from deep with my throat. I would have been worried about getting caught if it weren’t for the roar of the crowd I could still hear in my dressing room. It was as if I was submerged in sound and sensation—lost in the pleasure that Dante was giving me.
“More,” I begged, squeezing my legs together, pulling him closer. “More, Dante, please.”
Another finger. He fucked me slowly, carefully, his tongue playing over my clit. My eyes fluttered closed as I dug my nails into Dante’s shoulders, not caring if they left a mark. He was torturing me with his mouth and fingers, why shouldn’t I attempt to return the favor?
“You ready, baby?” he asked, his breath hot against my inner thigh.
“Yes,” I breathed. “Yes!”
I felt his smile against my skin, and then he returned his mouth to my center. This time there was no teasing, no gentle touches. He kissed me like he meant it, and it wasn’t long before my release came hurtling towards me like a runaway train. I gasped as my orgasm hit, my entire body shaking as pleasure washed over me. Everything disappeared for a moment, and when I returned to earth, Dante was getting to his feet, a satisfied grin on his face as he pulled my skirt back down to my hips.
I couldn’t help noticing that his pants were looking pretty snug. Despite my body feeling like I had been rode hard and put away wet, my mouth still watered at the impressive bulge straining against Dante’s zipper.
“Hayley,” he warned, seeing the look in my eyes. “We don’t have time.”
“Don’t we?” I asked, reaching for his belt buckle.
But before I could make contact, there was a knock at my dressing room door.
“Ms. Hayes?” a voice on the other side called out. “Five minutes.”
“Thank you,” I responded, my face flushed red at the thought that a few second earlier, I probably would have been so caught up in my orgasm that I might not have even heard it.
Dante helped me off of the vanity table and smoothed my skirt down to where it was supposed to be. Then he turned me around so I was facing the mirror, his hands on my shoulders.
“You’ll do great,” he said, his face close to mine.
I looked at both of us in the mirror. We were both flushed and smiling. Happy. Knowing that it might smudge my lipstick, but not really caring, I turned and kissed him.
“Thanks,” I told him.
“For what?” he asked with a wicked smile.
“You know,” I teased, giving him a gentle nudge on the arm.
“I love you,” he told me, his face serious, his eyes twinkling.
“I love you too,” I said, so happy I could barely breathe.
“Now, go out there and knock them dead,” he said, before practically pushing me out the door.
With a grin on my face, I headed towards the side of the stage where my bandmates were waiting. We all exchanged excited smiles as we peered out of the side of the curtain to see the enormous crowd that was out there waiting. For us. It was an extraordinary feeling.
“You’re glowing,” Kara whispered into my ear as Austin walked out on stage to introduce us.
“I’ve been rethinking song-writing,” I told her. “I think I might give it a shot. But love songs, mostly.”
Kara winked at me. “Those are always the best, aren’t they?”
“Damn right they are,” I eagerly agreed.
“Now, let’s welcome to the stage a band that I love and I know you will too,” Austin was saying to a cheering crowd. “Purple Sunday!”
The performance went by in a blur. But the best kind of blur. The moment I had stepped out on stage, I forced myself to focus on the music and the microphone. I couldn’t see Dante or my friends in the front row, but I knew they were there. I was almost certain that I heard Emerson yell “that’s my sister!” at some point during the performance.
I poured everything I had into the music—even doing a few sexy shimmies when the song called for it. Sexy shimmies that were all for Dante. And I knew he’d reward me for them later. My entire body buzzed with the energy of the crowd and the lingering effects of the intense orgasm that Dante had given me backstage.
I was on top of the world.
After the show, we all went to celebrate at Rascals. The band came—even Austin and Mia stopped by for a drink—but at the end of the evening it was just the ten of us. We closed the bar early, so we could all be together.
“How about a poker game?” Liam asked with a playful grin.
Dante shook his head. “I’m retiring from poker,” he said, putting his arm around me. “I’ve got two gyms to run, remember? And it’s going to be hard enough doing that while I’m on the road.”
I turned to face him. “On the road?” I asked.
“Oh, right.” He gave me a sheepish grin. “I’m going on tour with you, didn’t I say?”
My mouth dropped open, and Dante took that opportunity to kiss me.
“Gross!” Emerson complained, but not seriously.
“Shut up,” I told my brother with a smile before turning back to Dante. “You’re going on tour with me?”
“Is that OK?” he asked, looking adorably nervous. “I figured I can’t come for the whole time, but Bull said he’d watch my gym and there isn’t much I can do at the community space while it’s being rebuilt.” He pulled me into his arms. “Besides, I hate the idea of being apart for so long.”
“I hate it too,” I said. It had been the one thing I hadn’t been excited about regarding the tour. But this changed everything. “I would be thrilled if you came on tour.”
He kissed me again, much to Emerson’s obvious annoyance.
Snuggled up under Dante’s arm, I looked around the room, taking in the faces of all the people I loved the most. Emerson and Alex had moved away to a corner of the room for privacy, and I had a pretty good feeling that they were going to be taking their relationship to the next level soon. Emerson had unsubtly asked me my opinion on rings and the best places to buy them, so I wouldn’t be surprised if a big, honking diamond was in Alex’s future.
Kelsey was sitting on Chase’s lap at the bar, her arms wrapped around his neck. They both looked so happy and comfortable with each other that it was hard not to smile at their obvious enjoyment of each other.
Gabi and Sawyer were sitting at the other end of the bar, their heads bowed towards each other. Like, Emerson, I had a feeling that Sawyer was going to do his best to lock down his best girl sooner rather than later. After all, they had known each other since college, and it was clear that Sawyer was absolutely head over heels for Gabi.
Juliet was behind the bar mixing drinks, and I caught her gaze over
Dante’s shoulder. She gave me a wink before returning her attention to Liam who was staring at her with an expression that could only be describe as enamored.
Everyone in my life was happy and in love. And now, I could include myself in that observation.
“What are you thinking about?” Dante asked, his breath against my temple.
“Just how lucky I am,” I said, before turning to the group and raising my glass. “A toast,” I said.
Everyone lifted their own glasses.
“To love.”
“To love,” Dante echoed, and everyone responded in kind.
“To love!”
“And to family,” Dante said, before pulling me in for a kiss.
“To family,” I agreed and kissed him back. “To the Rascals!”
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1
Gemma
Do you ever wish life was more like your favorite romantic comedy—full of hot, charming guys with great hair, upbeat music montages, and a guaranteed happily-ever-after?
No crappy, mediocre dates. No painful periods (or, you know, messy bodily functions of any kind). No stress over making rent on your tiny shoebox of an apartment.
And definitely no men who seem like they’re totally into you but then ghost harder than Casper, with zero warning at all.
“Hey!” I protest, as my phone gets swiped out of my hand.
My best friend, Zoey, rolls her eyes so hard, they practically disappear into her head. “This is Chick Flick Club, not ‘Watch Gemma check her phone every ten seconds’ club.”
I glance at the TV, where our movie is already paused. Right on Jude Law’s pretty-boy face. No coincidence that the movie’s stopped right there—our other friend Eve’s lust for Jude Law is stuff of legend.
Tonight, the legend is The Holiday, because even though the holidays are months away, rom-coms and happily-ever-afters are never out of season for us. We’ll happily watch Valentine’s Day in August, or Love Actually in May. We once watched Groundhog Day on the Fourth of July.
What can I say? We know how to party hard.
I reach for the remote but Eve holds it back. Her blonde hair is up in a ponytail, and she’s dressed in a cute sundress covered with tiny poodles—a nod to her #2 passion in life, her furry friends down at the animal shelter. “Who are you waiting to call?” she asks, then brightens. “Is it a guy?”
“It was,” I sigh. “He suggested hanging out last night, but never followed up, and now he’s not replying to any of my texts.”
“Which guy?” she asks, frowning. “Austin?”
Zoe smirks. “I think you mean Orlando.”
“Boise!” They laugh.
“Dakota,” I grin, despite myself. “His name is Dakota.”
Zoey grabs a handful of her patented popcorn blend. Or if it isn’t patented, it should be. That thing is so addictive, I don’t let her leave leftovers in the house. But that’s a hazard of being BFFs with an amazing chef. “So what happened?” she asks.
“I don’t know!” I shrug helplessly. “The app matched us up, we got drinks, we went on three dates and had a really fun time, and now . . . nothing.”
“I’m sorry, Gems.” Eve squeezes me sympathetically.
I try not to feel rejected. “I thought he liked me. We got along well enough. I thought maybe . . . it could really be something.”
“Awww.”
“Hmmm.” Zoey doesn’t sound so sympathetic.
I turn. “What?”
“Nothing, just . . . three dates? And you didn’t fuck him?”
“Our third date was mini golf!” I protest. “I wasn’t exactly going to bang him in the middle of the windmill challenge.”
“But after?” Zoey prods. “No, ‘want to come up for coffee?’ No, ‘Wow, I have this bookshelf that needs moving.’ No, ‘wanna fuck?’ ”
“I don’t move that fast!” I protest, giggling. “We’re not all voracious sex queens.”
“Why, thank you.” Zoey mimics a royal wave. I laugh.
“Seriously, what’s with this arbitrary third date thing, anyway?” I argue. “Maybe I need more time to warm up to a guy.”
“So there were no sparks?” Eve frowns.
“There was . . . spark potential?” I decide.
But even an old-fashioned romantic like Eve has zero time for that. “Then she’s right. If you weren’t feeling it enough, you must have known something was up. So, why do you care if he ghosted you?”
“I don’t know . . .” I pause. “Just because I wasn’t sold on him, it doesn’t mean I didn’t want him to fall madly in love with me!”
They both look at me and burst out laughing.
“OK, that sounds pretty weird,” I laugh along. “But seriously, I’m never going to get laid again! I’m done with the apps and online things. I’m tired of meeting the great-on-paper guys who end up being mediocre.”
“Or married,” Zoey agrees.
“Or have a secret fetish for girls dressed up in bear costumes,” Eve adds.
“That’s right!” Zoey snorts. “I’d forgotten about Phil the Furry!”
“I wish I could!” Eve shudders. “You know, he keeps texting me, asking for pictures of all the shelter dogs. I feel like he’s asking me to send him porn!”
“Eww!”
My laughter fades. “So what are we supposed to do?” I ask, lying back on the couch. “How are we supposed to find someone we actually have chemistry with, in person?”
“Go old school?” Zoey suggests.
“How?” Eve wonders. “Everyone in this town walks around staring at their phone all day. There was a cute guy in line by me at the coffee shop the other day. I kept trying to catch his eye, but he was just swiping on Tinder the whole time!”
“Maybe we should try something active,” I suggest, thinking hard. “Rock climbing?”
“You’re pretty much guaranteed to meet cut guys rock climbing,” Zoey says. “But it’s hard work. Sweaty hard work.”
I remember what a mess I look like after working out. “OK, so maybe not rock climbing but something outdoorsy. Maybe . . . surfing . . . ?”
“Shark attacks,” Eve says immediately.
“Hiking?”
Zoey smirks. “You’re not exactly the outdoorsy type, Gemma. Remember that camping disaster a few years back?”
Eve laughs.
“Not funny!” I cry. “Getting trapped in that outhouse was the worst! I was stuck in there for like, an hour.”
“You don’t have to hike th
e mountains to get outdoorsy,” Zoey suggests with a mischievous look. “You could always go trap Bigfoot.”
“Umm, nope.”
Bigfoot, aka my neighbor, Zach, the hairy man-whore across the hall. He moved in a few months ago, and ever since, he’s paraded woman after woman to his lair.
Zoe is still smirking. “You could do worse. Men like that generally know what they’re doing. Lots of practice and all.” She waggles her eyebrows.
“Please,” I groan. “Not if he was the last man on earth. And I use the term ‘man’ loosely. That guy makes Bigfoot look like he’s been manscaped. And when he’s not ‘entertaining’ all his lady friends? The guy sits around playing video games all day! I don’t need a bigfoot and I definitely don’t need one who doesn’t have a job. I’m broke enough on my own, thank you very much.”
“You could just get a dog,” Eve suggests. “You can’t get better loyalty and friendship than that.”
“That’s not all there is in life, Evie,” I say gently.
“You’re right.” Eve leans over and refills my wine glass. “That’s why God invented grapes.”
“And vibrators,” Zoey quips.
We all laugh.
“Start the movie, Evie,” Zoey decides. “If we can’t have real boyfriends, we may as well live vicariously through movies. I mean, seriously, take Jude Law here.” She points her glass at the screen. “Horrible in real life, but I’d break a few laws to bang the shit out of him.”
“Your puns are seriously awful,” Eve giggles. “Not like you take time away from work for dating. Something tells me the only thing you’ve banged lately is your toes against the counter on your food truck.”
“Wait.” Zoey gives her a sideways look. “Do you have a secret camera in my kitchen?”
“Why?” she teases back, “So I can catch you singing along to your Avril Lavigne mixtape from high school?”
“Avril was an underrated songwriter.” Zoey sticks her tongue out.
“Sure thing, skaterboy.”