We didn’t get back to the apartment until nearly eight o’clock in the evening, which was a much later start than I wanted for my special night with Lacy.
Even worse, she wasn’t responding to any of my texts.
“She’s probably just sleeping off her cold,” Leah said. I nodded, but I didn’t think that was it.
When I got back to my room, I finally unpacked the new computer that Gay had generously, and strategically, provided. I signed on to one of my new social media sites, where I saw that Gay had followed several of the guests from the M&G from the night before.
The responses were glowing, thanking me for a wonderful night. They couldn’t wait to see me again the following week. Gay had tagged each response as a “favorite.” There were also candid photos from the shoot, including pictures from the boat, posted on a photo account where I already had over a thousand followers in the very first day.
I figured Gay had ninja’d the photos for just that reason. Each one showed a lot of skin and a come hither look I really didn’t even know I had.
Out of curiosity, I searched for Lacy. She had several accounts across most major platforms, but they were set to private.
That was my Lacy. As closely guarded as Fort Knox.
I sighed as I sent her another text. “I thought we had a date.”
She didn’t answer, so I decided I had nothing more to lose. I called her. The minute she answered I could tell she felt better. Her voice was stronger and clearer, though her tone was quiet.
“Why didn’t you answer my texts?” I asked.
“I thought you were busy,” she said.
“I’m never too busy for you,” I said. I could almost feel her soften on the other end. “Tell me you’re feeling better and I can come pick you up right now.”
“I’m feeling better,” she started.
“But?” I asked.
“It’s kind of late. It’d be a waste to get a hotel room for a few hours.”
“I don’t care if it’s five minutes. I want to be with you, Lacy.”
She hesitated and I could tell she was battling herself. “Fine,” she said finally. “I’ll text you the address.”
I hopped into the shower, slipped into my nicest shirt and jeans, and raced across town. The closer I got to her place, the rougher the neighborhoods became. Finally I pulled into a trailer park and slowed to a park next to a tiny single-wide that looked about twenty years old. I walked up the creaking wooden steps and knocked on the door.
It was opened by a thin woman with brown hair sprinkled with gray. “Yes?”
“I’m Jonah Riley. I’m here to see Lacy.”
She looked me up and down through the dirty screen door. Finally she opened to let me into the cramped living room with brown shag carpeting. “Lacy!” she screamed before she turned back to me. “She’ll be out in a minute.” She pulled the toys from the battered sofa. “Make yourself at home. Can I get you something to drink?”
There were hard lines in her face, put there from years of hard living. Her cold, dark eyes seemed to put everything through a filter of what was a threat to her existence and what wasn’t. At that moment, I couldn’t be sure where exactly I fell.
“Iced tea if you have it, ma’am,” I said with the tip of my head.
“Ma’am,” she sniffed. “Please. I’m not that old. Call me Jules.”
I reached out my hand and we shook. “Nice to meet you, Jules.”
Lacy emerged from the back hallway, holding Cody on her hip. She wore jean shorts and a button-down shirt, with her hair in pigtails. It was sexy as hell, even though I knew she wasn’t trying to be. Maybe that was why. I focused my attention on Cody. “Hey, little man. Remember me?”
“Free Bird!” Cody exclaimed, trying to flash the horns with his fingers but not quite getting it.
“That’s right,” I said as I chuckled.
He scrambled down from Lacy’s hold and raced toward the corner of the room, where he withdrew a plastic toy guitar. I sat on the couch while he proceeded to entertain me.
Lacy sat next to me as though I was some kind of dog she wasn’t sure would bite. I had the feeling the way her mother was studying both of us had something to do with that.
Jules brought me a glass of tea before she sat in a recliner near the TV, which she muted. “So I hear you’re the new big star down at the club.” She glanced me over. “Looks about right.”
“Mama,” Lacy warned.
“Please,” she sniffed again. “This boy has Gay’s fingerprints all over him.”
Her disdain was palpable. “I’m proud to be a part of the band with your daughter, Jules,” I said. “She’s really talented. I know she’s destined for great things.”
“Too bad she’ll never see them working at that club.”
“Mom,” Lacy said again, this time sharper.
“He should know who he’s working for. Haven’t you told him?”
Lacy hopped up. “We should probably go.”
I stood, placing my untouched tea on the coffee table. “It was really nice to meet you,” I told her mother. I held out my fist so Cody could knuckle me. “Great job, big man. I can’t wait for your next concert.”
The little boy giggled before he climbed into his grandmother’s lap. “When are you coming home?” she asked Lacy.
“Early,” Lacy promised.
“Good,” Jules replied as she smoothed Cody’s hair. “I have that double shift. I can’t be late.”
“I know,” she said. She reached down and kissed her mother’s head before she practically dragged me out the door. She didn’t say anything as I climbed into the cab and pulled out into the street.
“You look better,” I said as I stole occasional glances at her. There was a slight flush in her cheeks but her eyes were clear and her nose wasn’t nearly as red as Rudolph’s.
“Thanks,” she said without looking at me.
“Your mom seems nice,” I offered.
She snickered. “You don’t have to live with her.”
I cocked an eyebrow so she quickly walked back her statement.
“She’s great, don’t get me wrong. But she’s… a force of nature sometimes.”
I grinned. “Sounds like someone else I know,” I teased. Finally she smiled. “There it is,” I said as I took her hand in mine. Despite the lateness of the hour, I still drove to the hotel where I had already made reservations. We were barely through the door of our room before I took her into my arms and kissed her hard.
It was like taking the first breath after being held underwater. “I’ve been waiting for this all weekend,” I muttered against her mouth as I unbuttoned her shirt.
“Jonah,” she said as she pulled away.
Immediately I was confused. “What’s wrong?”
“We should order some food or something,” she said as she moved into the room, grabbing the room service menu from the table by the window overlooking the Colorado River.
I walked up behind her, placing my hands on her shoulders as I rubbed myself against her luscious backside. “Whatever you want,” I said as I kissed the curve of her neck. I wanted her so bad I thought I might split in two.
She took a deep, ragged breath as I kissed the sensitive area around her ear. She had difficulty finding her voice. “They have appetizers if you’re not that hungry,” she offered softly in that rasp I loved so much.
“I’m starving,” I growled against her ear as I slipped my arms around her, my hands cupping each breast. She gasped but then she inched away.
“I’m surprised,” she muttered. “After your buffet last night.”
That stopped me cold. “What does that mean?”
Her eyes met mine. “I saw the photos, Jonah.”
“So?”
“So it looked like you were having a great time.”
“I was,” I said without apology. “I did. But what does that have to do with us?” She rolled her eyes and walked away to stare out the window. “Lacy,” I
said in a firmer voice.
She sighed before she turned to me. “I’ve been down this road before, Jonah. I know how it ends.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “You mind filling me in? Since you seem to have figured out our whole relationship without me.” She said nothing. “So was this a date or some kind of a goodbye?”
She looked away. I had my answer. And it pissed me off.
“Let me get this straight. Because some other asshole screwed you over, you’re not even going to give me a chance. Is that it?”
Her eyes flashed at me. “Not just some asshole. The asshole. It started this same way. He invited me to perform in his band. He thought I had ‘it.’ That I could be a star. Meanwhile I played backup while he got to soak up the spotlight. And Gay was right there the whole way, making sure he got the opportunities I didn’t.”
“Why would she do that?” I asked.
Her eyebrow cocked. “You don’t believe me?”
“I didn’t say that,” I corrected at once. “But it is in her best interest for you to do well. Why would she play favorites?”
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me, as if she was trying to piece together a puzzle. Finally she looked away. “Because I’m a harder sell, that’s why.”
It echoed what Gay had said to me. It didn’t make sense when she had said it, and it didn’t make any sense when Lacy repeated it. “Why are you a hard sell?”
“Because I won’t play the game,” she said. “I don’t care to wear slutty outfits or flirt with all the boys in the crowd. I just want to sing, get paid and go home. That’s it. I never wanted to be famous, Jonah. That’s not my scene. Fame changes people. When the people around you stop telling you no, it’s that much easier to stop telling that to yourself. So it’s no holds barred. Real life rules don’t apply. Look at us. We’re reduced to some booty call in a hotel because it would hurt your brand new image as a bad boy to be seen with a steady companion. At least one who isn’t somehow more famous than you.” My eyes narrowed as she went on. “You know that’s why you’ve gotten all this recognition right? It’s because of Ariel Acardi and Jasper Carrington.”
That immediately rubbed me the wrong way. “Gee. And I thought it had something to do with me being talented.”
“That’s not what I mean,” she snapped.
“Then what do you mean?” I snapped back.
“You’re not an artist, Jonah. You’re a paper doll that Gay can dress up, or strip down, just to fill her club.”
My heart dropped as I stared at her. Was this really what she thought of me?
“I see,” I gritted through clenched teeth. I buttoned my shirt, which had come unbuttoned when I tried to seduce her. It was clear that was no longer on the agenda. At least she had the decency to look chagrined and turned away.
“I’m sorry,” she finally said. “I’ll pay you back for the room.”
“I don’t care about the fucking room.”
“Then what do you care about?”
I stomped over to stand almost nose to nose with her. “I cared about spending some time with the Lacy I thought I knew, not this cold-hearted bitch that comes out to play every time your pride gets a little wounded.”
There was a resounding crack throughout the room as her hand flew at my face, slapping me hard before I could stop her. “Do it again,” I dared, before I breathed “bitch,” to seal the deal.
Her other hand raised but I caught it. I curled her arm easily behind her back, bringing us face to face. It was frustratingly familiar. “Is this some kind of fucking foreplay with you, lady?” I said under my breath as I studied her eyes.
“You’re an asshole,” she hissed.
“Then why are you here with me?” I asked as I held her even closer. As mad as I was, she still felt like heaven in my arms. That body… that fire… all I wanted to do was throw her on that bed and make her mine. It wasn’t just a fight with her anymore. It was a fight for us. “If I’m some talentless hack, some witless paper doll, why did you come here? To rub my nose in it, like some dog that pissed on the carpet?”
“No!” she denied instantly.
“Then tell me,” I commanded softly.
Her eyes darted between mine until I saw tears form at the edges. Finally she said, “I wanted you to prove it wasn’t true. That you’re not him.”
It was the most honest thing she had ever said. “You want proof?” I said before I lifted her in my arms and tossed her onto the bed. I followed her down, pinning her to the mattress with my body. “Here’s your proof.” I crushed her mouth under mine for a punishing kiss that would silence any of her doubts. I held her arms above her head with one hand as I buried my face into the soft curve of her neck. Any protests dissolved into moans as I rimmed the edge of her earlobe with my tongue. My other hand slipped up her torso under her shirt, stopping short under her bra.
If she wanted more, by God, she was going to have to tell me. I kissed my way across her chest until I was tugging away each button with my teeth. The soft cotton material fell open, revealing her lacy bra underneath. I trailed my tongue across her bared skin, without ever touching the places that arched for my hungry mouth.
“Jonah,” she whimpered, so I crawled back up her body to face her.
“What?” I demanded. “What do you want from me?” My eyes caught hers as I searched for the answer. She tried to look away but I grabbed her chin and forced her to face me. “Tell me,” I repeated.
Her eyes searched mine. Those dark, beautiful eyes weren’t that far different than her mother’s. She was still evaluating if I was a threat. I released my firm hold to cup her face, my thumb brushing against her swollen mouth. I kissed her softly, my eyes locked with hers, until I lifted away.
“I want you,” she finally admitted in a hoarse whisper. “God help me, I want you.”
I slid my hand up under her bra to cup her full breast. Her eyes fluttered shut. When I brushed my thumb across the erect nipple, she gasped out loud. I kissed her again, but even softer this time, taking my time to explore her mouth with my tongue and savor the sweet, intoxicating whiskey of her kiss.
“I’m not Tony Paul,” I told her as I lifted away. “I’m not going to break your heart, Lacy.”
She shook her head. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep, Jonah. One day you will have to choose.”
I slipped her bra from her body and latched onto the hardened peak of her breast with my mouth until she cried out underneath me. I unzipped her jeans, slipping my hand in under her panties, between her legs, toying with her with my finger until she was writhing against me, speechless with need. Slowly I peeled her clothes away until she was naked in my arms. I kissed my way down her body until I disappeared between her legs, which trembled as they parted. I dove in between those luscious lips and savored the taste of her on my tongue. Her fingers grasped the bedcovers as I licked her slowly and deliberately, opening her with my fingers and sucking her clit into my mouth. Within minutes she was coming hard, crying out as she shuddered all around me.
I tore off my shirt as I rose in between her legs. She watched between half-closed eyes as I unzipped my pants and stepped out of the snug denim, kicking it free. I fit myself in between her legs as I planted a kiss on her lips. As I pulled away I forced her to look into my eyes. “You’re my drug, Lacy. Every day when I wake up, I’m possessed by the thought of you. Nothing even comes close to competing. Not the fame. Not the girls in the audience. It’s a hopeless addiction I take one day at a time. Any day I can, I choose you,” I said before I thrust into her. She cried out before she locked her legs around me. I lost myself in her kiss as I drove myself into her with force and purpose. I wanted each thrust to drive away any doubts she may have had that I could want anyone else. She was screaming by the time she came a second time. I wound my hands in her hair as I raced toward the finish line. I wanted to explode in her. I wanted to feel each and every muscle in her velvet pussy clamp down all around me while I came. “Tell me
you want it,” I begged in a gruff voice that didn’t even sound like it belonged to me.
“I want it,” she echoed obediently. “I want you. Jonah.”
That was all it took. I emptied myself in her with a triumphant cry. I held it for a heartbeat or two afterwards before I collapsed on top of her. “God damn, baby,” I muttered against her ear. “You make me crazy. You know that, right?”
She nodded as she caressed my face with her hand. “About as crazy as I get when I see you with other girls.”
I brushed her hair from her face. “And you know what I’m thinking whenever I’m with those girls?” I asked. She shook her head. “I’m wishing they were you.” She rewarded me with a kiss and I wrapped her tightly in my arms.
19: Leather and Lace
The rest of the week followed the same pattern as the week before. Lacy and I rehearsed every single night for hours on the phone. Part of it was because I missed her so bad I couldn’t bear one night to go by without talking to her, without hearing her voice. The other part of that was that really wanted to polish my skill as a performer. Her comment about my being a paper doll lingered in my ear, which forced me to raise my own game. I challenged myself as a guitarist but mostly as a vocalist. I had something to prove… to myself, to Lacy and to Gaynell. I knew that the opportunities coming my way were leveraged heavily on my being at the right place at the right time and having the right look.
In order to make this a career, I needed the goods to back all that up.
Most importantly I wanted Lacy to know that there was some middle ground, that someone could work hard and still play the game with some degree of integrity. Yes, I took most of the advice Gaynell gave me on things that had nothing to do with the technical skill of playing or singing, but only because she was the one who knew how to get things done so that I could play and sing for a lot more money. If it benefited me, and mostly my family, then what was the harm?
Southern Rocker Boy (Southern Rockers Book 1) Page 18