Who He Is

by S. Q. Williams

  “Oh,” was all I could manage. He was torn. He didn’t want Bentley to lose everything so he stuck through it. But sooner or later Deed could have been brutally injured, worse than now. Bentley seemed like he was going to keep hitting harder and harder the older Deed got. “What makes him so angry?” I asked.

  He shrugged, running another hand through his hair. “Don’t know. I think he had a fucked-up childhood. Saw some scars all over his back one time… It freaked me out. They were like scars from whippings. Not sure what happened, but I never wanna find out.”

  I nodded. That could be understood. Perhaps Bentley released his past aggressions on Deed. Maybe for once he felt superior to someone else and used it to his advantage. It happens.

  “Seriously, though,” Deed said, smiling softly and bringing me out of my crazy Bentley thoughts, “if there’s anything you need from me, you ask me. I owe you big time. I really didn’t know how I was going to get out of that one.”

  I smiled back. “Anytime, Deed.”

  We talked more about minor stuff like if he was going to be ready to play on Saturday and if he felt any better, and of course he was trying to man up and say he was more than ready, but by his limping, I knew he needed to heal a little more. I finished up cooking as we chatted and after the food was done, we talked over our meal and shared the bottle of wine that was in the cabinet.

  I learned a lot about Deed, which surprised me. He was hiding a burden for so long that he actually opened up to me in ways that created a better bridge for our friendship. He and Montana were similar in ways, only Montana was a bit goofier and more mindless than Deed. At least Deed thought about his picks before just dragging them onto the bus and sleeping with them.

  I cleaned up after we finished eating and Deed hopped back to the couch to continue his game. During my cleaning, Gage came in with overly eager eyes.

  As soon as he saw me, he smiled widely and rushed for me. “What are you doing tonight?” he asked.

  I grinned as he pulled me close, reeling me in. “Nothing that I know of. Why? What do you have in mind? Another party?”

  “No,” he said, which caught me by surprise. “Something much better. A surprise.”

  “Where at?”

  “It’s a surprise, Sweet Ellie,” he said, kissing my cheek. “You’ll have to come with me to find out where and what we’re doing it.”

  I kissed his cheek back, wrapping my arms around his neck. Finally, I nodded and finished up the cleaning, and Gage told me to go pack some overnight clothes. I found that odd but did so anyway, refusing to miss out on any time with him. I was even more excited when he told me to bring a few art supplies. I wasn’t sure which art supplies to bring so I went along with some paint, my sketchpad, and my drawing pencils.

  I stuffed some shorts and tank tops into my small bag, my toiletries, and even a nice outfit consisting of skinny jeans, a sheer black blouse, and the Chuck Taylor’s Gage bought me. I adored him for buying them for me. I’d even teased him and said we could be twins and match one day. I didn’t know when that “one day” would be, but I tried to look over fitting the future into our present.

  After I was all packed, I sent Ben a text telling him who I was spending my night with and he sent me a winky face along with another “be truthful and open up” reminder. I tried to not let it get to me as I tossed my bag onto my shoulder, headed for the front door of the bus, stepped out, and met Gage at Stan’s truck.

  “You all set?” he asked, taking my bag and art supplies from me and knocking on the glass of the trunk to get Stan to unlock it.

  “Yep,” I sighed. “All set.”

  After tossing in my bag, he stepped in close. “You know what I’ve just realized?” Gage asked, his nose skimming across my cheek.

  “What?” I breathed.

  “I haven’t gotten a kiss from you all day, Ellie.” His mouth hovered right above my lips. His voice had deepened and turned silky. I shivered, delighted by the nearness of his lips. It was fall, so it was a cool night in New York, but with him this close, my insides were set on fire. Warm tingles were running all over my skin.

  “How about you take one from me?” I grinned wickedly.

  He raised an eyebrow, his smile expanding. “Look how untamed you’ve become. I hope it isn’t because of me,” he teased, smirking.

  I laughed as he chuckled, and soon our lips met. Fire sparked throughout my entire body, trailing down to my toes and causing them to curl. I breathed in his fresh, masculine cologne and sank my fingernails into his shirt, gripping onto him, never wanting to let go. There was urgency between us. It grew as he licked the curve of my upper lip and grinned devilishly behind it. I brought his tongue to my mouth, coaxing it with a few moans and delightful groans. He nibbled at my lower lip, his hand sneaking from my waist to my breast. He swallowed my next moan and I panted as he started kissing my neck. But then a loud horn beeped, snapping us out of our eager, fervent kiss.

  “You have time for that later, you two!” Stan yelled out his window. “Get your asses in this truck. I ain’t got all night!”

  I giggled, glancing over my shoulder. Smirking, Gage smoothed his crumpled black T-shirt and then grabbed my hand, walking around to the passenger door behind Stan. “Sorry, Stan,” Gage said, laughing as he opened the door and allowed me in first.

  Stan only chuckled, cranking the car.

  As soon as Gage was in the car, Stan pulled out of the parking lot and we were off to my “surprise” destination.

  The hotel where Gage and I were dropped off was way more than luxurious. Tower after tower, lights over lights. It was beautiful and stood out next to the New York harbor. Of course Gage had to be fancy and go with the penthouse suite. As the elevator opened, I marveled at the scenery before me.

  A spacious living room with a leather couch. Candles lit in every corner. A wide window took up one side of the room, and I rushed for it to gaze out. We were right beside the Atlantic Ocean. The water rippled and a few yachts and boats were parked near the shore. I gasped, completely in awe, and then heat smoldered my backside. Warm lips touched my neck and fire ran from my throat to my toes.

  “You like it?” he asked, pulling my hair back to kiss the back of my neck. I smiled, realizing he meant his question in more ways than one. He moved in closer and my stomach pressed against the glass. His masculine scent filled my lungs and I breathed him in, lacing my fingers through his.

  “This was sweet of you, Gage,” I whispered.

  He slowly stopped kissing me, pulling his hand away to grab mine and spin me around. “You think this is all?” he asked, a large smile on his face.

  I looked around, frowning. “What’s wrong with it? I love it.”

  He chuckled. “You’re adorable, Ellie. This is only the warm-up. We have bigger plans for tonight.” He kissed my cheek before pulling away from me and going for my bag. Making his way toward me, he smiled and handed it to me. “Go get changed. I know how you like to look ‘presentable’”—he made quotation marks with his fingers—“as you put it.”

  I smiled, clutching my bag. “I do. And I’m glad you know it.”

  Gage tenderly kissed me on the lips before letting me go.

  When I’d satisfied myself with how I looked and how I braided my hair to the side, I stepped out. He was waiting for me on the sofa, strumming his guitar. He heard me and looked up, smiling adorably. “You ready?”

  “Yeah,” I murmured.

  He stood from the sofa, strapped his guitar around him, took my hand, and we were on our way.

  Gage and I filled up on Italian food and wine. We laughed a lot and talked just enough. We flirted and held hands. Hugged and kissed. I was having so much fun and trying my hardest to block out my time limit with him. There were moments when I thought about it and it literally hurt my heart.

  I hated it.

  We strolled the city, gazing up at the high towers and twinkling lights. The stars were bright and seemed closer than normal. The streets wer
e calm but somewhat busy. A few taxis were still raiding the streets, but it was soothing, especially having Gage by my side, hand-in-hand. We’d even passed a few people who knew Gage right on the spot and he autographed a few things for them. I was glad it was a group of calm teenagers. I don’t think I could have handled girls revealing their tits that night. It would have killed my entire mood.

  After Gage took a few goofy pictures with his fans, he hugged some of them and then came back to me. His smile stretched as he opened his arms wide and circled them around my waist. He kissed my cheek repeatedly, and I giggled, begging him to stop.

  We continued our walk, hearing the occasional flickers and clicks of cameras. I thought about flipping some of them off, but Gage told me to act like they weren’t even there. After a while, it became easier because he would steal away my attention, but it still aggravated me because we had no privacy whatsoever.

  “I wanna take you somewhere,” Gage said, smiling down at me.

  “Where?” I asked curiously.

  His eyes softened and he pecked my lips with his before flagging down a taxi. We climbed in and he leaned forward to whisper something to the driver. I couldn’t make it out, but the driver nodded and Gage handed him a two hundred-dollar tip. The driver gratefully accepted it and pulled off quickly.

  I snuggled up to Gage, wrapping my arms around him and enjoying his warmth. He always felt good against me. I enjoyed his forehead kisses during the ride, his arm casually draped around me. I didn’t think he noticed, but I would always catch him staring and he’d smile at me as if he never had been. It was sweet. Innocent. Cute. I adored him.

  Finally the taxi slowed down and we arrived at our destination. The driver thanked Gage for his tip, but Gage shrugged it off as if it were no big deal. Gripping my hand, he shut the door behind us and as soon as we turned around, I was struck with awe. I didn’t know where we were, but the street was long and bright posters were everywhere. Lights of various colors shone for miles, bringing even more attention to the area. A few people walked by, some calling for a taxi and some enjoying the scenery just as much as I was.

  “Where are we now?” I asked.

  “Times Square,” he murmured in my ear. My skin buzzed as he placed a hand on the small of my back. “Come on,” he said, cocking his head to his left. We walked hand-in-hand down the street until he took a turn and we came across an area filled with bench seats. A few people were already sitting—a man reading a newspaper, a woman with a book and a cup of coffee. There were a few others around doing pretty much the same thing. Even a few couples were cuddled up.

  “Gage,” I whispered.

  I looked at him and he smiled. “I wanted to do something here. My mom used to talk about it non-stop when I was a kid. It was always her dream to come to Times Square… just to sing to me.”

  I smiled, taking a seat on the front row. He sat beside me, grinning boyishly. He then pulled his guitar around him, setting it on his lap and adjusting his fingers along the strings. “You’re going to sing?” I asked, excited.

  “Mmhmm,” he nodded. He looked down, focusing on his acoustic guitar. It was black, but the strings were blue. On the bottom was the band’s name and Gage’s was printed right above it in cursive. I figured it must have been custom made just for him. “You remember the song I was writing the other morning with Roy?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  “Can I sing it to you? You’ll be the first to hear it.”

  I blushed ridiculously. “Of course, Gage. I’d love to hear.”

  He smirked, taking a brief glance into my eyes before focusing on his guitar again and clearing his throat. As he strummed, a few people walking by slowed down, wanting a good show. Some gasped, recognizing the stunning man with the guitar, and held still, ready for him to sing.

  I watched the way his lips moved—absorbed the way his deep, silky voice filled me up and sent me on a high I’d never felt before. Each word was soft, caring. His voice made it much more intoxicating for me. It was lovely—he was lovely. He was singing from the depths of his soul. Sometimes he’d get higher; sometimes he’d get lower. Either way, I was thrilled by it. The final lyrics he sang were words I knew I would never forget for as long as I lived:

  She was a single dove, a beauty,

  A miraculous love, truly,

  A new addiction I’d fight for,

  My addiction, perhaps my heart and more.

  I couldn’t resist the urge. I couldn’t stop myself from allowing my fingers to crawl beneath Gage’s shirt as we reached the very top floor in the elevator. Our eyes locked, intensity burned through us, and as soon as we reached our hotel door and he unlocked it, he dropped his guitar and took me in his arms.

  He kissed me fiercely, deeply… passionately. I’d never felt a kiss so strong, and as much as I wanted to think nothing of it, I couldn’t help it. I embraced it, drowned in his lips, his body. He cupped my face as we stumbled our way toward the nearest landing. My back gently landed on one of the sofas and he climbed on top of me. I stared up as he stared into my eyes, his hard, intense, and longing as he gazed at me. I saw something behind his eyes, but I couldn’t figure out what it was. It can’t be love. We weren’t… were we?

  The glass window was open wide revealing the high moon shining down on us. I looked at him again and he smiled. “I’m thinking, since we have all night, maybe we should take things slow,” he murmured.

  I swallowed but nodded my head anyway. He grabbed my hand, pulling me off the sofa and leading the way across the penthouse. I noticed the candles weren’t melted. They looked like they’d just been lit. “Who was here?” I asked, smiling up at him.

  “I have my ways,” he said, taking note of the candles but still walking for the bedroom.

  I smirked, remembering he had to make a phone call before we got back. He laced our fingers as we stepped into the bedroom. It was huge. A French window was above the king-sized bed against the north wall. A flat-screen TV was hung on the wall opposite the bed and two large dressers were against the east wall. The carpet was a light tan and looked extremely soft.

  “Let’s do something you love to do,” Gage said, smiling.

  I tilted my head. “What do you mean?”

  “Paint… draw. Anything.” He grinned, squeezing my hand.

  I grinned back, nodding my head and going for my art supplies. I was thrilled he wanted to do the thing I loved most, with me. It was always a dream of mine—to paint with someone I really liked, so I eagerly gathered my things and rushed back to the room.

  Gage was sitting on the edge of the bed, his shoes beside his feet and his head back, his hands planted behind him on the bed. The way he was leaning back gave definition to his chest beneath his shirt. I could make out the ripples, the lines and muscles. I wanted to hop on top of him and lick his entire body, but I held off, especially as he smiled innocently at me, making my thought process take an extremely wicked turn.

  “So what are we doing?” he asked.

  “Let’s paint,” I said, taking out a few sheets of paper. I pulled the paint out of the bag and told Gage to get some water for us. We sat on the floor after Gage spread out some newspapers and for the most part, painting with him was fun. We giggled as we painted our own silly pictures. He painted some odd-looking bird and named it Sweet Ellie. I laughed at it and then he took a look at mine. I’d painted conjoining hearts, one blue and one red. His smile faltered a little bit as he looked from the painting to my eyes, but in an instant, he smiled warmly again.

  Some paint from my brush splattered onto his arm and he declared war, swearing I did it on purpose. I laughed, begging him not to get paint on me (mainly in my hair), but of course he didn’t listen. He didn’t get it in my hair, but he did paint a thin purple line on my cheek. I placed my brush against the tip of his nose, leaving a bold green dot. His nose wiggled as he smeared it with his arm, chuckling, and then tackled me softly, nuzzling his nose in my neck.

  “What do you say t
o a bath?” he whispered, taking my paintbrush from me and pulling me by the arm to help me sit upright. I looked down at the various colors of paint on me and agreed.

  He took my hand, helping me to my feet and leading the way toward the bathroom. His walk was so seductive, so sexy, and I didn’t think he realized it. His shoulders moved in swift but smooth movements. His hips swayed just enough to make me want to grab them and pull him against me. Ugh… he was just too damn beautiful.

  As we stepped into the bathroom, the first thing I saw was the large Jacuzzi tub against one of the creamy walls. The wall behind it had a tall arched window above, revealing the enormous towers of New York City nearby. A few candles were set on the edge of the tub, flickering across the bathroom walls and creating a completely romantic atmosphere. I gazed in complete awe, taking in the off-white marble counters, the matching marble floors, the shower in the corner wall that had glass doors almost like the shower of the FireNine tour bus. I blushed, remembering the event that took place because of that shower.

  Gage reached around me, kissing my neck tenderly. He circled his arms around my waist, reaching for the hem of my shirt. I allowed him to do what he wanted. We only had a few more days and I had a great night with him. Why not top it off with something steamy?

  It wasn’t until after he’d pulled my shirt over my head and tugged his off that I realized how quiet it’d gotten. Not that I minded; it just wasn’t expected from him. I turned slowly to look into his eyes. He was already staring at me, his head tilted, eyes full of fire and passion. My eyes lowered to his chiseled upper half. I slowly ran the palms of my hands down his chest and he inhaled softly. He then nuzzled my neck and I giggled as his eyes softened and he kissed the tip of my nose.

  His gaze then hardened a bit as he reached for the button of my jeans and slid them down my legs. I kicked them off and did the same for him. He smirked, standing before me in black boxers.