Drop Beat (The Heartbeat Series Book 2)

by Ryleigh Sloan

  But the best time for me was spent with Gavin. He attached himself to me and wouldn’t leave my side. He even sat on my lap while we ate and occasionally snagged something off my plate. My heart warms when I think about it. I never felt so at home with anyone outside of Blair’s family before. It was a good afternoon.

  I turn to Keller. “Gavin is so stinking cute I could just snatch him up and run away with him.”

  Keller’s smile tugs at the corner, and he shoots his eyebrows up at me. “I don’t know how things run in South Africa, but that’s considered a felony over here.”

  I wave my hand. “You know what I mean. Did you see how proud he was of the crab he caught? It took Teresa quite a while to convince him to set it free. He didn’t even cry when it pinched his finger, he just said it was playing with him like a puppy.” I laugh at the memory.

  We stop at a light, and Keller leans over, snagging my bra strap from under my tank with one long finger and drags it down my arm before leaning in to kiss my shoulder.

  I press my index finger to my lips and tap. “How about one of those here?”

  Keller wastes no time—he slides a hand behind my neck and pulls me closer. His soft lips press against mine with the same heat I’ve caught in his eyes throughout the day. And I feel a delicious tingle between my legs.

  I press my head into the crook of his neck, breathing hot air on his skin. I’m surprised when his skin flashes with goose bumps. “You kiss me like that again and you’re going to find a wet spot on this leather seat of yours.”

  “Yeah?”

  I pull back and stare into his eyes. That heat in his eyes turns volcanic, and Keller pulls me to him again for another scorching kiss.

  “How long till we get back to your place?” I say against his lips.

  Keller pulls back, threading a strand of my hair through his fingers. “Twenty-five minutes. Give or take.”

  Damn that’s a long-assed time.

  “The studio is ten minutes away,” he offers, as if reading my mind.

  “That I can live with.”

  Keller chuckles and runs his thumb over my chin. The light changes to green, and he puts the car in first and drives through the intersection.

  We get to the studio in just under eight minutes. Yes, I was timing. Keller turns off the car and jumps out. Rounding the front of the car, he’s at my door before I’ve had time to grab the water bottle out his refrigerated cubby and take a sip. Damn, my mouth is suddenly bone-dry.

  He opens the door with a flourish. “Madam.”

  I giggle, undoing my safety belt. I hold on to the side bar and go to jump down, but Keller’s hands go around my waist and he lifts me down. “I’m not that short, you know?” I say while I dangle in the air.

  “Yeah, you are, but I’m not doing this because you’re short. I’m doing this so I can feel you slide down my body.”

  Well, hot damn!

  “I’ll allow it,” I wink.

  His arms go to my butt, and I wrap my legs around him, grinding into his already rigid cock. Keller hisses at the contact, and I mash my mouth against his. I feel him smirk against my lips. “Someone’s eager.”

  “Yeah, your family is pretty good foreplay.”

  He stills and so do I. Did I just say that? Damn, my filterless brain.

  “That came out wrong.”

  “I fucking hope so or this is going to be weird.”

  Keller releases me, and I slide slowly down his body, missing the feel of his bulge between my legs. He reaches for my hand and opens the door with a key dangling from his key chain. Just like before, my whole body vibrates with the feel of the room. It’s like my cells sense the magic that happens in here.

  Keller leads me to the second floor. We didn’t get this far last time, and I’m excited to see what it looks like. The second floor is much like the bottom floor, except there are individual glass booths with instruments behind the glass situated at intervals in the room. There’s also a foosball table and a TV in the corner with a game console, two bright green beanbags, and a beat-up orange couch that has seen better days but looks crazy comfy.

  I wonder if this is the couch that Sydney hated?

  I’m convinced Keller is going to lead me to the couch, and I’m almost hoping he’ll have me draped over it like the last time, but instead he guides me to a large steel door. He turns the lock and leads me outside. Keller flips on a light switch, and I gasp.

  It’s absolutely gorgeous out here. The three levels of the studio all look so different. I love the energy of the work space, but this is something else. It looks like it’s been laid out by an interior designer and is nothing at all like I’d expect from the guys.

  Lanterns cast a dim glow on the bamboo plants placed along the wall. There’s also Asian-style furniture and fairy lights strung over the crossbeams. It looks beautifully romantic, but that may just be my weeping vag talking.

  I walk over to the water wall and run my fingers through it. The water is ice-cold but does nothing to cool the heat pulsing off me. I turn to face Keller.

  “It’s beautiful up here.”

  “Maddie, take off your clothes for me.”

  Keller’s voice carries across the roof from where he’s standing, hip resting on the back of the patio couch, arms crossed over his chest.

  My eyebrows shoot up. “Oh, so this time I can undress myself?” I tease.

  “If I do it, there will be nothing for you to put back on for the ride home.”

  Well, shit!

  Keller perches on the back of the chair, his hands clutching the wood on either side of him in a vise grip as I take my clothes off. I don’t tease him like I should. I want him inside me so badly right now there’s no time for games. I fling my top to the side and work on my shorts. Unbuttoning them and sliding them down my legs, I kick them to the side.

  With my tank and shorts off, I do a little twirl in the lingerie he bought me. “What do you think?”

  “I think you’re fucking exquisite.” He saunters over to me, each step measured and controlled. My chest rises and falls as I watch his predator-like stride. “I’ll take it from here.”

  He stops in front of me, his finger tracing the lace of the bra. There’s something about the way his eyes light up when he sees me in the lingerie that makes wetness pool between my thighs.

  “Keller, I’d like you to fuck me now.”

  His eyes dart up to mine, and he smirks. “Always so impatient. We’ve got all night, Maddie.”

  He flicks open the front clasp of my bra and immediately latches his hot mouth onto my nipple. I throw my head back and unabashedly press my chest against his face.

  “Oh God.”

  Keller drops to his knees, gazing up at me and starts lowering my panties. “Fair warning, Maddie. I’m about to eat you out, so no karate moves tonight, okay?”

  My cheeks heat at the memory of kicking Keller in the nose last time.

  “Keller?”

  “Maddie, I don’t want us to get lost in our heads tonight.” He slides the matching panties down my legs. “I need you to get lost in me. I need to get lost in you.” Something flashes over Keller’s face, and there’s a desperation in his tone that has a tiny glint of something flicker deep in my belly, but I push it down. My imagination is probably getting the better of me.

  “No, it’s not that. I want to suck you while you lick me.”

  Without a word, he stands and heads over to the patio furniture. Grabbing the cushions off the chairs, he lays them on the floor, then undresses and lies down on them.

  Holy mother of Adonis, he looks better than I remembered. “Aww, is the big tough drummer afraid to get his back scratched on the hard floor?”

  “No, the big tough drummer wants to make sure your knees don’t get scratched up while you suck me off. C’mere.”

  Well, fuck! I think I just dripped onto the wooden deck.

  I walk over to Keller and straddle his delicious abs, my back to him. His hands go to my wai
st, and he guides me up his body until I’m hovering over his face. I waste no time in lowering my pussy onto his lips. The first sweep of his tongue up my slit makes me cry out.

  Damn, I’m so ready to come.

  I lower my mouth onto Keller’s cock, his hips jerk and his thigh muscles bunch, and a surge runs through me. I love the power that comes from making this guy come undone.

  Each time I take Keller to the back of my throat, he alternates between sucking my clit and licking my pussy. My hips start moving of their own accord, and I bob my mouth faster and faster, keeping time with him. When he slides his fingers into my soaked pussy, I mash myself onto his face. I don’t think he can breathe, but I can’t stop myself. I’m so damn close and getting closer still as he devours me. My eyes water as I take him deeper, my hand stroking him every time I pop back to the head of his cock. Keller scoops up my juices, and I feel his pinkie slide gently into my hole. The feeling is out of this world as my thighs clamp around his head and his own thighs start shaking.

  “Fuuuck, Maddie. I’m going to come.”

  I suck him harder, pumping my fist at a furious rate as he latches his mouth onto my clit again. I ride his face, rubbing my slick pussy against his tongue while his finger fills up my most intimate place, and he shoots his hot cum to the back of my throat. I don’t stop sucking as I swallow every last drop of his pleasure. My own orgasm rips through me, and I call out his name. He flattens his tongue, allowing me to take just what I need from him while his fingers curl and tease the sweet spot deep inside me.

  When my body stops trembling with pleasure, I realize I’ve gone limp and am pretty much sprawled across Keller’s face. I move an inch, giving him a bit more breathing room.

  “I’m sorry, that’s all I can manage for now,” I pant.

  I don’t know where he gets the strength from, but Keller manages to flip me around so I’m lying on my back with him towering over me.

  “I think we have some snacks in the fridge. We need to get your strength up. I’m not done with you yet.”

  I lean onto my elbows. “You can’t seriously be ready for more.”

  My gaze flicks to his cock. Nope, not ready.

  Keller kisses me. “Not yet, but give me five and I will be.”

  “Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  Keller smirks as he stands to head to the fridge. “You’ll see.” He winks.

  We share a bar of dark chocolate and drink beers, neither one of us putting our clothes on. You’d think I’d be shy, but I’m not. It is so easy to be with Keller. After his earlier mood, he seemed fine, so I probably imagined it.

  Keller’s eyes rove my body, and it isn’t long before he takes the beer out of my hand and places it next to the chair, out of the way. The guy’s a quick study. I’m so clumsy I’ll probably knock it over and inadvertently slice his dick off.

  I shudder. That would be a total loss for humanity.

  My stomach sinks at the thought. I don’t want to think of anyone else getting the benefit of Keller’s magical dick.

  His kiss takes all the negative thoughts and buries them under flames of fire. I need to stay in the moment.

  It’s all I’ve got.

  Twenty-One – Wedding

  Maddie

  “No! No!”

  I wake to the sound of Keller thrashing around in bed, his body slick with sweat. I was told you should never wake someone from a night terror, but the more anguished his cries get, the harder it is for me to sit back and watch him. He bows off the bed, and I reach for his arm. His hand grips my wrist painfully, and he sits up, gasping for air.

  “Hey, hey, it’s okay. It was just a bad dream.”

  Keller releases my wrist the moment he realizes he has it in a death grip and flings the covers back. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he lowers his head into his hands, gulping in each breath. I scoot over to him, placing my hands on his sweat-soaked back, but he shrugs me off. Standing, he walks to the window overlooking the pool where we’ve spent countless hours lazing around and doing other fun stuff.

  I pull the sheet closer around my body, feeling the sting of rejection I shouldn’t take personally but do. My gaze moves to Keller. His beautiful body glimmers in the moonlight, the muscles in his back taught from tension.

  “Wanna talk about it?” I ask.

  “No.”

  His tone cracks like a whip, and I feel myself recoil even though I don’t physically move.

  “I’m a good listener,” I coax, wanting to go to him, but feeling like it will probably be best to stay where I am and give him some space. Keller looks tight enough to snap.

  “Obviously not, since I just told you I don’t want to talk about it and you still keep fucking pushing,” he retorts.

  This time I do move. I drop the sheet and pad naked into the bathroom, closing the door as tears prick my eyes. I should probably start getting ready to head over to Blair’s for hair and makeup anyway, but I can’t let Keller see I’m emotional.

  While I set the water to the perfect temperature and step in the shower, I try not to take his words to heart. He’s obviously not okay, but this isn’t the first time Keller’s shut down on me. The last two weeks have been heavenly. I’ve been working on the cake, which came out a million times better than I expected. Everything has exceeded my expectations. I thought I’d be rushed and stressed, but the team Dean and Blair hired to help me have been phenomenal. Last night, we put the finishing touches on the entrées, and the team is in this morning putting the filet mignon with green beans for the mains together. But since I’m the maid of honor, I’ve been banned from the kitchen for today.

  During the day, when I was working on the cake, Blair would come by and I could tell she was feeling guilty about not being able to spend the evenings with me. So when Keller suggested I come stay at his place, I agreed and it took the load off Blair. We spent the evenings watching movies, playing board games, and fucking a lot. But whenever questions ran along a more personal vein, Keller would clam up and shut down. Then he’d use sex as a distraction.

  Maybe I’m just tired—the last few nights I haven’t been able to sleep very well. I head back to South Africa in a week, and I don’t know what’s going to happen between Keller and me when I do. Obviously we can’t keep up a long-distance relationship—that would never work, and Keller hasn’t even hinted at one—but will we still be friends?

  The bathroom door opens, and moments later I feel Keller’s cool body press against my warm one, and he breathes into my neck. “I’m sorry I was a dick.”

  I turn to face him, resting my palms on his chest. “I’m sorry I pushed.”

  “I need to fuck you.”

  I need this too, so I reach down and palm his hard cock.

  “Not here. The bed.”

  “Okay.” I nod, something stirring in the pit of my belly.

  Keller carries me out of the shower and lays me on the bed. He dips his head to kiss me, and all the turmoil I see brewing in his eyes pours into the kiss. It feels desperate and sad, and maybe like a goodbye, and tears track down into my already wet hair.

  Thankfully it’s dark so Keller can’t see.

  “Maddie, are you on the pill?”

  I blink at the question. “Yes.”

  “I need all of you. To be inside you with no barriers. I’m clean; I get tested all the time. Can I have you?”

  “Yes,” I reply, needing this as much as he does.

  Keller pushes inside me. I expect his thrusts to be as desperate as his kisses, but they aren’t. There’s a sweetness to the way he takes me, and if this wasn’t Keller we’re talking about, I’d even go so far as to say he was making love to me. But he doesn’t do that. He takes. He fucks.

  He doesn’t give more.

  I swallow the lump down and focus on the present, not on what I’m about to lose. Because I know in this moment that nothing between Keller and I will be permanent. I lose everything in my life.

  It’s onl
y a matter of time.

  ♫

  I arrive at the wedding venue with two minutes to spare, my hair still dripping wet from the second shower I’ve taken today. Blair gives me a knowing look when she sees my disheveled appearance.

  “Keller wouldn’t let you go, huh?”

  The same treacherous tears that have plagued me more times in the last six weeks than they have in my entire life threaten to well up because I know he’s going to do just that. He’s going to let me go.

  I shoot Blair what I hope is a cocky grin. “You know it.”

  “I had the same problem with Dean. I barely made it here, but Julie worked her magic.” Blair indicates with her head to the back door where I presume Julie, the hairstylist, is currently having a smoke break.

  “I see that. Your hair’s gorgeous.” Blair’s blonde hair falls in soft curls down her back, and Julie has it swept back in a navy-blue princess clip.

  Julie walks in the door and heads to the sink to wash her hands.

  “Oh hey, Julie, this is my friend Maddie.”

  “Not another one,” she groans. “If you had the same problem Blair here had with getting out of bed, I need to launch the deadbeat I’m with and trade him for a guy that can’t get enough of me.”

  “Amen to that,” Blair announces and reaches for her champagne.

  “Ooh, bubbly!” I exclaim. There’s nothing like a good flute of bubbly to chase the blues away.

  We spend the next few hours getting primped and primed, and our hair and makeup expertly done, while we chat. Julie can’t believe that a pop star like Blair wouldn’t have a rocking Hollywood bachelorette party with all the bells and whistles, but that’s not Blair’s style. Blair’s not a party animal by any means, so keeping it more intimate was definitely more in tune with her style, and besides all that, it gave her more time to spend with her family.