“You know it’s just us left here, right? Everyone else has gone home, so I have a minute, but wouldn’t you rather leave?”
“After I play you this.”
She rounded the piano and sat on the very edge of the bench, her eyes continuously darting to the door. I placed my hands on her hips, scooted her closer to me, and then brought my hands up to massage her shoulders.
“Relax. You just told me everyone was gone for the day. Besides, no one comes in here but you and Gerry while we’re here.”
Turning her head to face me, she smiled and bumped my shoulder with hers. “You’re right. What’s this you’re working on you want me to listen to?”
“A new song,” I said cautiously, suddenly feeling nervous about the next part of what I had to tell her.
Toughen the fuck up, man. It’s just Alicia. Not like you’re baring your soul to thousands of people. Strangely, it kind of felt like it might have been easier to do it that way than as intimately as I was about to.
I cleared my throat, bringing my fingers back to the keys to start playing the intro to the song. “It’s a song I’m working on. It’s, uh, it’s about you.”
Before she could react, I launched into it, acutely aware of her sitting right next me listening to every note, every word. Her body was tense when she sat down and tenser when I’d moved her closer to me, but she relaxed as she listened, and by the time I was done, her head was resting on my shoulder.
I’d written hundreds of songs, but I’d never been as nervous to hear what anyone thought of one as I was to hear Alicia’s opinion about this one. I risked a peek at her to find her gazing up at me from where her head rested on my shoulder with a slightly dazed look in her eyes.
“That’s about me?”
I swallowed past the sudden dryness in my throat, nodding. Alicia lifted her head and put her palms on my cheeks, leaning forward to brush a kiss on my lips.
CHAPTER 56
ALICIA
He wrote a song about me?
Holy shit! He wrote a song about me!
Mr. Jared Larsen, I don’t do relationships and I don’t do girlfriends wrote a song about me. Crazy, but true. It wasn’t a declaration of his undying love for me, but it was … something.
As soon as he’d told me it was about me, I knew I was going to listen to it over and over again to decipher every single syllable. Now that I’d heard it, I was tempted to take leave for the rest of the year, put it on as loud as the speakers in my apartment could go, and listen to it on repeat.
Also, I wanted to sit him down and demand he explain to me what it meant. Every. Single. Word.
But though he was opening up to me in a way I never would've thought him capable of, I could see in his eyes he wasn’t ready to talk to me about it. Just having him play me the song, as totally unexpected as it was, was enough for now. I wouldn’t push him about what it meant.
Yet …
I couldn’t stop myself from seeking some kind of reassurance from him that I wasn’t the only one feeling raw and confused about it, so I pressed my lips to his and welcomed the warmth his soft lips brought to my very soul.
Jared wasn’t good at talking about how he felt. I’d learned that much about him. Singing, he was better at. What he was best at, however, was showing. I think it was because his body allowed him to feel the things his brain didn’t always want to know or admit to him.
I needed him to show me now, more than ever, that I wasn’t alone in this. Brazen as the move was, I was so caught in the moment and enraptured by the sincerity and almost uncertainty in Jared’s words that I crawled onto his lap and straddled him. My arms hooked around his neck, and my hair formed a curtain around us as I lowered my mouth closer to his again and again.
Jared responded as I hoped he would. One hand knotted into my hair, bringing my head forward so his lips crashed to mine while his other hand went to my thigh, strong fingers digging into my flesh through my pants. Our tongues touched, stroked, caressed. He kissed me deeply, fiercely.
You’re at work! My brain screamed at me, but I didn’t put a stop to our kiss or to the madness of grinding against him in his lap right there in the studio. He was doing exactly what I needed from him. He was showing me what the song meant to him, what sharing it with me meant.
My body came alive under his touch, every nerve ending sparking with need until my clit was aching and I felt painfully empty inside. Rocking my hips against him, I could feel his need matching mine.
In a flash, Jared planted his hands under my ass and lifted me against him as he stood and carried me over to the couch. I was on my back with his weight pressing me into the soft pillows in no time.
He kissed me hungrily, and I gasped, sinking my fingers into his dark hair, holding him to me. I welcomed his passionate kiss, so intense that little bolts of electricity shot through me, my nipples beading as a dull throbbing started between my legs.
Jared pushed his hips forward, his hardness pressing against me. I moaned and tightened my legs around him to bring his body closer to mine. His hands fell to the edge of my sweater, and I lifted my shoulders so he would be able to get it off. My bra hit the floor next.
Covering my breasts with his hands, I whimpered as he kneaded them. He dropped his head to my nipple and sucked one into his mouth. Clutching at the hem of his shirt, I tugged at the material, and he raised his arms and then reached to grab it at the neck and pull it over his head.
My fingers found the waistband of his jeans, and after fumbling for a second with his button, I pushed them down. He kicked them to the floor, as he did the same with mine. Heat from his inked skin seeped into mine, and my hands caressed the roped muscles in his back.
Jared slipped his hand behind my head, bringing his lips down to mine again. I kissed him back, uncontrollable desire for him rising inside me. He kissed me like I was precious to him, his movements tender and slow, almost loving despite where we were and the fact anyone could walk in on us.
It was true no one came in here when the boys were here, but it was late, and I didn’t know who might be around. The more he kissed me, though, the less I cared.
This wasn’t about anyone but us. And both of us needed this right now, so very, very much.
Jared reached for his discarded jeans and had a condom out, opened and on so fast, I nearly missed it. He thrust his tongue into my mouth as he positioned his hard cock at my opening with a tattooed hand, breaking our kiss to look into my eyes.
With a roll of his hips, eyes glued to mine, he slid through my slick folds, groaning as he entered me. Heat rocketed through me as he moved, reaching for my leg to hook it over his butt.
“Yes, Jared,” I sighed, arching my back and pressing my chest to his.
He got my message and reached for my breast with one hand, the other sliding into my hair to guide our kisses as he lowered his lips back to mine. Soft moans fell from my lips as he pinched and squeezed my nipple.
Like he couldn’t get enough of me, he groaned and tightened his hold on me while his hips increased their speed as he thrust. My hips bucked in furious motion, keeping time with Jared’s. I whimpered and writhed beneath him, devouring him as surely as he was devouring me.
He moved with steady strokes that hit me exactly where I needed them, in a rhythm as perfect as that of his song. I’d never been with a musician before Jared, but there was something to be said for his ability to keep time and his dexterity. His muscles locked as he thrust into me, stroking me higher and higher until I felt my orgasm fast approaching.
“Fuck. You’re perfect, Ally. You feel so fucking perfect.” His rasped words pushed me closer as I rocked against him, angling my hips as he reached down and pressed his thumb against my clit.
“Come for me, Alicia.” His eyes begged. His thumb rubbed circles around my clit, increasing the pressure and speed until I couldn’t hold back. I clung to his shoulders as I came, riding out the blissful storm thundering through me.
. “Jared!”
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Waves upon wave of intense pleasure crashed over me. My pussy gripped him, holding him there and sending him right over the edge with me. I felt him tense above me, and his hips jerked as his cock twitched deep inside me. He let out a long, low groan and called my name as he rode out his own orgasm.
Once our bodies stilled, he held me until neither of us was panting anymore, kissing me gently and sweetly as we caught our breath. He rolled over when our heartbeats slowed and pulled me flush against him on the couch. It was cramped, and we couldn’t really both fit lying side by side, but we managed.
“You have to put that on the album,” I whispered to Jared when my senses started coming back to me. I was afraid to raise my voice any louder than that, not quite believing we’d just done all that in the studio. “It’s going to be a hit.”
“I don’t know.” His hand was tangled in my hair, stroking the long waves almost absently. Eyes closed, he looked like he was about to fall asleep. “I just had to get it out. Wasn’t really for anyone but you to hear.”
“I’ve heard it, and I loved it.” I really, really did. Though it was about me, it wasn’t like I was named in the song or anything. No one would know but us.
Plus, as much I needed it recorded for selfish reasons, it really was a brilliant, beautiful song, and the fans were going to lose their shit over it. “It could be a bonus track. I could use it for promotional purposes. It would do great.”
He was quiet for so long, I had to look up at him to check if he’d fallen asleep. His eyes weren’t closed anymore. They were wide open, focused on something on the ceiling. Nodding as he tore them away from the ceiling to look at me, I saw a spark of something unfamiliar in his eyes before he agreed. “Okay. We’ll record the song for the album, but only because you want it there.”
CHAPTER 57
JARED
"And that, gentlemen, is how it's done." I turned to the others, standing behind me and grinned like a madman. Down to the last man, the band looked to be as proud as I was. Four smug, satisfied faces grinned back at me.
We were in the studio to record the last portion of the album. The smooth streak we’d hit with recording after we got back to work had continued through to the last note. Not even Dominic complained or accused anyone of not taking it seriously enough.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think this is going to be our best one yet."
"Hell, yeah!" Matt cheered and high fived Nick beside him. He flipped his fringe off his forehead and tilted his head. "Make room on the mantles boys. We might not have been aiming for it, but I predict a couple of awards in our future."
Dom raked his shoulder-length hair back and held it at the nape of his neck, still grinning as he shook his head. "What's that saying about counting your chickens before they’ve hatched?"
Nick gasped and pointed at the floor. "One, two, three."
“It’s that you’re not supposed to count them yet.” Caleb laughed into an eye roll and set his guitar down. "Whatever. We did a good job. Let's leave it there. Anyone for a water?"
Hands shot up, and Caleb walked to the mini fridge in the corner to pull out five water bottles, passing them around the room.
In the past, that fridge held beer, and the studio lackeys would have been carrying in buckets of champagne to celebrate by now, but though we were still planning on celebrating having finished the album, I'd requested they hold back on anything alcoholic.
No one complained, requested a beer, or asked when the champagne was getting here. So far, so good on their promise to stand by Caleb.
I twisted the cap off my water bottle and chugged its contents down, the ice-cold liquid burning my throat, but I was too thirsty to slow down. Small beads of sweat rolled from my forehead past my temples and from my neck down my back.
The energy in the room while we recorded the last few songs was electric, and I'd put everything I had into keeping it that way, thus the sweat despite the air conditioning blasting in the studio. The others were as shiny as I was, a sign we'd all given it our best. People could say what they wanted about us, but when we really got into it, there was no stopping us.
Caleb rolled his water bottle across his forehead and walked to me.
Music, not ours, started playing in the studio as the small celebration we would be having with the few people we'd worked closely with on the album kicked off. Our sound guys and a few others came in to exchange handshakes and back slaps, helping themselves to drinks as they started talking to the others.
I was about to go and join them when Caleb cleared his throat beside me. "I know you're responsible for the dry party were having."
"It's not dry. There's water and soda." I pointed out the obvious, staring him down.
A short laugh burst from him. "Not what I meant, and you know it."
Lifting one of my shoulders in a shrug, I drained the last bit of my water. "Things seem to be going well for us even without the constant flow of alcohol. Thought we should try it out a little while longer."
He nodded thoughtfully, squinting his eyes as they darted to mine in a sidelong glance. "Just so you know, I wouldn't have fallen off the wagon just because there was alcohol around. Plus, the doc said to take it easy for a while, not forever. It's been almost a month, pretty sure that's more than he was expecting."
"Gee thanks, Dr. Larsen. Why didn't you invite me when you graduated from medical school?" Sarcasm dripped from my words. I wasn't trying to be an asshole—for once. I was just worried about my brother, and while I knew one beer wouldn't kill him, I didn't want him to dip his toe into the water without consulting his doctor.
Caleb heaved an exasperated breath and dragged his fingers through his dark hair, shooting me a look that said, “I’m not a damn child.” I ignored it. He was, and always would be, my kid brother. “I would’ve invited you, but I didn’t think it was appropriate for me to invite people to Doc Hansen’s graduation.”
Doctor Hansen was his treating physician back in New York. “You’ve spoken to him?”
“Of course, I have. I’m not an idiot, and I don’t have a death wish. As much as you don’t want me to become a statistic of the lifestyle, I don’t want to become one. I’ve been checking in with his office. He also referred me to someone here.”
“I didn’t know.” Pride and irritation mingled inside me. I was proud he’d been keeping in touch with the doctor but annoyed he hadn’t told me. “Here I’ve been stressing my ass off about you, and you couldn’t even tell me you’ve talked to the good doctor?”
It was his turn to shrug as he rocked back on his heels and pretended to check my ass was still there. “Seems you didn’t stress it off. Also, I’m a big boy now. I can take care of myself, check in with my medical providers by myself, that kind of thing.”
Grinding my teeth together, I tried to temper my irritation. He was right, of course. “Point taken.”
He exhaled a sigh of relief and nudged my shoulder with his. “Good. Now, can we focus on celebrating what we’ve done here? We managed to finish a kick-ass album just about on schedule in spite of all our setbacks. I think that calls for a day without worrying.”
“Fine,” I agreed. The mood in the studio was jovial and celebratory. Someone cranked the music.
I hadn’t been aware that I had a protective bone in my body until very recently. I wasn’t going to let that one bone I discovered when it came to Caleb and Alicia ruin the day for me. Tossing my empty water bottle into the trash basket, I decided to let go of my annoyance. If the doc was happy with Caleb, who was I to argue?
I would continue to keep a close eye on him, but I also had to trust he wanted to and could keep himself alive. “You want to go join the others?”
“Not yet,” he said. “You have any idea what the plans are for us from here? I know we were going to go on tour a couple of weeks after wrapping up in the studio, but is that still the plan?”
“As far as I know.” Gerry was back at work, but we’d been concentrating on recording
the last few songs on the album, and he was doing whatever it was he did. I hadn’t spoken to him much. “Last I heard, it was going to take about a month for the album to be finished, and then we’ll probably take it on tour.”
“Same shit, different day?” He smiled, the easy, joyous expression from earlier creeping back into his expression.
I nodded. “Think so. Just with a better album than the ones we’ve toured so far.”
Smirking, he agreed. “Yeah, it is.”
“I’ll talk to Gerry and Alicia later and find out what the plans are.” Album promo, more social media stuff, and tons of build-up before the album dropped and our tour kicked off probably, but like Caleb, I wanted to know for sure what was happening.
“Let me know?” Caleb asked, veering toward where Nick was chatting with one of the sound techs, and Dom was listening to something being played through earphones by another.
“I will.”
We hung out in the studio for another hour before the guys all started making plans to move the party somewhere else. Nick’s house, unless they changed their minds on the way. I declined the invite, wanting to get to Gerry’s office before I left. I would check in with the band later, but I was riding the high from our successful finish in a different way than I usually did.
Today, I wanted to be part of the planning and the work that still had to go into finishing off the album. I also wanted to know the game plan and psych myself up for it. For probably the first time since getting into this life, the celebration wasn’t about the party for me. It was in the work.
Fucking weird, but I was rolling with it. It felt right
Taking the concrete stairs to Gerry’s studio office two at a time, I jogged up to see him. His door was open, and I heard his voice echoing down the hallway before I got to it. I’d been worried about him after his talk about retirement and how we didn’t need him, but it sounded now like he was back to his old self.
The office he kept here was smaller than his main office, but his presence in it was the same. Sitting in a wingback chair in the corner, he had a file open on his lap and was firing off questions to someone who was sitting with their back to me, dwarfed by the enormous leather chairs Gerry favored.
My One and Only: A Bad Boy Secret Baby Second Chance Romance Page 91