by Denise Marie
“Oh really, and what would that be?” She put her hands over her eyes and sighed. “Please tell me I won’t need liquid courage, my liver needs a break.”
He placed his hands over hers and guided them until they were held in place, above her head. The motion stilled her distress, but lifted her shirt. Her black panties, sheer enough to see through, didn’t distract him from her pulse racing against his hand. He ignored his body’s involuntary advance in her direction and covered her with the blanket. He couldn’t form words while imagining climbing on top of her.
She giggled as if she understood his silent behavior.
“Better. Now, the venue we are playing at tonight is a hotel/casino. What that means is we get a night off this bus.” He raised his eyebrows. “We get a private room. With a large bed. You know, to sleep in or whatever. There may even be a bucket list item I could help you with, if you’ll stay with me?”
With his hands gripped on the edge of her bed, he backed away and dropped his gaze to the floor, whispering the last few words. He acted like a teenager again, asking a girl out on their first date. Only more concerned about the nightcap rather than the date.
“Cole?”
“Yes?”
“Are you sure you will be up for it after the show?”
His laugh echoed. “Uh yeah.” He stuffed his clammy hands in his pockets and bounced on his toes. “My hand could use the break.”
Chuckles murmured from the back of the bus. Yeah, privacy would be nice for a night.
****
“I see the way you watch her.” Drew spoke under his breath so the other guys didn’t hear. Not that they would anyway over the pompous banter that always ensued during a game of hoops in their typical concealed location at the venue. Passing time. Maybe he could convince Tony to arrange for a private, high-rollers room in the casino. It’d been a while since he’d seen Brett dump a fortune.
“Cole?”
“Drop it, man.” He threw the ball up and missed.
“She’s a beautiful woman Cole, who doesn’t even know it. That alone makes her desirable, much more than what we see every day out on the road. You didn’t ever look at Alexis the way you do her. This is different. It kills me too, ya know, that she has this list. I don’t want to pry, but what is wrong with her? You said the list is real, but never said any more.”
He lowered his gaze and scuffed his shoes on the pavement. The ball hit him in the chest. He picked it up and lobbed it to Zander. The game continued, but he veered for the curb. Drew followed.
“Look.” He sat down and scrubbed his face, not sure how much information to give. He’d promised. “The list, it’s real. I gave her my word and with her, that needs to mean something. The hopelessness in her eyes when she told me was—”
He made sure no one else stood in earshot, but he could trust Drew. “After the list is done, she’s having surgery. The odds aren’t good, and it’s killing me. You’re right, she has me tied up in knots, and I don’t know what to do about it. Don’t bust my balls about it. Please.”
“Shit. I don’t know what to say, man. She’s so young, and beautiful. I’m a little jealous I didn’t get to her tweet first.”
He leaned his shoulder into Cole and they swayed. “I’m not going to say my usual don’t get attached. I think you already are. What I will say is, whatever happens we’re here for you, and that will never change. Let me know if you need my help making plans.” He elbowed him in the ribs and chuckled. “Or, if you need a break, I could take over an item or two.”
The game, like always, morphed into a full-out contact sport in front of them. “Something about that woman makes me want to give her the world. So let’s get one thing straight, I want her, for as long as I can have her. If that means I get crushed in the end, so be it. I won’t have her going into surgery feeling incomplete.” His gaze dropped to the ground. “I know that feeling all too well. It sucks.”
He stood up, and tilted his head from side to side. He needed to get his head back in the game. “I’ll let you know when I need your help, and I’m sure I will. I can’t thank you guys enough for this, and don’t think I am oblivious to her impact on everyone. I see it.”
He held out his hand and Zander passed him the ball. Swish. Back in the game.
****
The day raced by. It wouldn’t have been the end of the world if it’d dragged a little. Her stomach was in knots about which bucket-list item he had planned. With little on the agenda and lots of down time, sound check along with fan greets ended before she could blink. And already, she stood off to the side with the best view. The opening act finished their set and introduced the Scandals. She couldn’t imagine being out in this crowd, the heart of the beast. She smiled, totally a groupie.
The guys paced, fiddled with drumsticks or guitar picks, and in general, appeared skittish. “Do you guys get nervous before a show, after all these years?”
“Yes,” they answered in unison.
She laughed so hard tears formed in her eyes. She loved these guys. Her back stiffened. She glimpsed at their expressions to find out if that had come out of her mouth. The girls used that word a lot last night while texting. Must be that.
“Get walking, guys.”
She jumped and glared at the man who yelled right behind her.
Brett, Zander, and Drew climbed the stairs first. Her eyes widened and her mouth formed a silent O when the three men kissed her on the cheek as they passed, like some kind of good luck charm. The wall of ice she’d worked so hard to build the night before melted a little. She spun on her toes with a smile, knowing who would be next and lost the ability to talk.
Engulfed in his heated embrace, he ignored the second cue to get his ass out on stage and kissed her as if tomorrow would never come. She’d have fallen into a puddle of lust if he hadn’t held on so tight. His body was firm against hers but his lips were soft, warm. He broke away, but still held on and displayed the most adorable dimples.
“Well, this is a first for me.”
She stared at him until he nudged his very hardened length into her.
“Usually the hard-on doesn’t come until after the show.” He tore himself away and winked on his way to the stairs. With his fist in the air, he ran on stage as if he’d just won over more than the fans. Her heart beat in rhythm with their chants because he had.
She replaced his arms with hers and stared in adoration. The group of men she’d come to care for motivated people and had created boisterous commotion in a room quiet only hours ago. Never in her life had she imagined standing backstage, with a lanyard around her neck that named her as a special part of the band. And also with bragging rights from experience, able to say she preferred the real men behind those instruments.
They played the crowd with a skill that convinced every woman and man they were doing a private performance just for them. It worked just as well on her. He sang rough, and with an edge. But when he started their newest single “Dazed,” the slower melody of his voice would melt the panties off any woman. Her eyes widened, but her smile faded as he extended his arm, and caught a large red bra before it hit him in the face. He held it up to the crowd and their excitement increased. She tightened her arms around herself, and leaned up on tiptoe to see around the speaker. The owner of said bra beamed at him. Her fists clenched and an instant hair-pulling altercation entered her mind.
She stalked over to the wall, out of view, and dug out her phone. She needed to get her head on straight.
Ok Ladies, am I doing the right thing? He wants me to spend the night with him at the hotel after tonight’s show to work on…. the list. Plus, some blonde well-endowed woman, by a talented surgeon nonetheless, just whipped her bra on stage at him and well…should I really be feeling the need drag her off by her hair?
Send.
She tapped her phone on her thigh and huffed. The usual commotion backstage held her attention. The girls were mindful of keeping their phones close while she was away, but it didn’t compare to
having them there with her. Her phone vibrated in her hand, ring tones being useless when the guys were loud enough to make the floor pulse beneath her.
I am dying to know what he is like in the sack so if you don’t give me details after, I may take you out by your hair. It’s just a performance for the crowd. Taryn
If what I’ve heard is true…. I’m jealous of you. You have spent a lot of time with them. Feelings will come with that sweetie. Don’t read too much into it or you won’t enjoy yourself. Katherine
If you can manage Kindergarten kids, you can handle groupies. Immature, needy, have a lot to learn…. ring a bell? Abigail
She put her phone back in her pocket and the tightness in her chest eased; the girls were right. She inhaled deep to avoid tears, not wanting to be too hypersensitive about the loss of time with them while she pursued her list.
She paced. When the encore ended, she stopped with her back to the stage. The crowd went wild and more bras were sure to be thrown. The first hard smack on her ass startled her. Unlike the sweet kisses she reveled in pre-show, she now imagined herself with a reddened behind as each man landed a blow and laughed on their way by.
“Your backside must be a very pretty shade of red. I’ll take it easy on you, for now,” he murmured from behind and held her hips while he pressed his sweaty body against her back, still hard everywhere. She trembled.
“You’re shaking. Are you okay? Do you need a doctor?” He spun her around; concern filled his eyes.
Up on tiptoe, and only a breath away from his lips, she whispered back. “Cole. I’m really nervous about later, that’s all. Although, if you are a good boy, I’ll let you play doctor and examine me to make sure.”
His hands, still at her waist, tightened. He inched them up and her top rose as well. A low groan passed his lips. He stroked her soft, bare flesh and leaned into her lips but still didn’t follow through. “You’re killing me, sweetheart.”
The heat of his breath hit hers and she fisted his sweaty T-shirt. Her gaze scanned his and all sorts of images that excited her, entered her mind. Cole on his knees in front of her, licking her swollen nub. On his back in bed while she rode him, touching herself and driving him insane. Better yet, his strong hand down the front of her pants right now, stroking that spot.
His laugh wrenched her from a fantasy unfinished. “Why Isabelle, do tell what wicked little dreams you’re having right now?” The bulge in the front of his pants touched her abdomen.
“Not little at all.” Before she had time to think or talk herself out of it, she smoothed her hands up his chest and laced them behind his neck. She closed the slight gap between them and licked his lip with the tip of her tongue. The salty taste of him added to her hunger, to have him in ways she’d never had anyone.
It didn’t cross her mind people might have been nearby. She needed him. Every time he deepened the contact, she wiggled away, set the pace. It wasn’t difficult to figure out he usually got his own way sexually, that he dominated his prey. Not this time.
His eyes drifted closed and he gripped her while she kissed him, with only enough pressure to feel her lips, but not satisfy. When she broke their contact, they both panted, fought the urge to go further. He traced a line along her jaw with his finger and stared into her eyes.
For the first time since meeting him, his experience with intimacy sparked her curiosity. What was his life like before her? The corner of her mouth rose. Did he fight dirty or was he always a charmer? She brushed her thighs together, imagined an argument with him, which she’d win. Would he apologize to her, up against a wall?
“Damn. There’s an after party in Brett’s room that I was going to ask you to, but I don’t know if I can even make it to the shower without ripping your clothes off.”
A sound. If she had to guess, Drew coughed in the distance. She giggled, “I would love to go to the party. Go take a cold shower.” She unlaced her fingers, dropped them to his ass, and yanked him in tight. The bold action stirred his arousal. “You don’t dare take care of that in the shower. That is mine.”
He squeezed his eyes shut tight and muttered something a lot like Lord, help me.
****
He jabbed at the button for the elevator to descend, now, and counted in his head with the numbers as they reversed.
“This VIP fan stuff is nothing you haven’t seen already. It’d bore you. Really, you won’t miss anything. We’re just gonna shower, get it over with, and come find ya. Feel free to get the party started for us.” He slowed his nervous ramble and stuffed his hands into his back pockets, as if he wasn’t trying to get rid of her, even though, he was. The elevator he nudged her into closed, and he let his stressed shoulders drop.
He distracted her from certain parts of their life; didn’t know if what they had could stand the test. The other guys would invite ladies of choice back to the room with them, and the fans they were on their way to meet…well, played along with it. He didn’t want to expose her to the kind of behavior he now believed was immature, that they exhibited in order to maintain their image.
Maybe the reason for the mood swings before her? He loved to sing rock music, but the image grew tiresome and this VIP experience, no different than the others. Women fondled him, and he smiled for pictures. He adored his fans; even the ones without restraint were a little entertaining. But she waited for him, and no amount of cleavage or grabby hands sparked his desire or attention. He could only imagine what the pictures the fans took were going to turn out like.
****
He hit the elevator button that would take them to the top floor and to her. The number increased overhead and he stuffed his hands in his pockets. Female giggles from behind drew his gaze to the reflections on the walls. The men held beautiful women, one in each arm, except him. He shook his head and chuckled. That would have been his reflection not long ago, and it now seemed like a thing of the past, which didn’t bother him in the least.
He punched the button again. Drew scoffed at him in the mirrored walls, so he raised his hand over his shoulder, and gave him the finger with a glare he couldn’t maintain. When the elevator stopped, the doors opened, and he rushed out. The people who came and went from Brett’s room forced his stride to lengthen, more so when several attractive, normal men paraded in.
“Great selection in there tonight, boss man.” After quick handshakes with backslapping hugs, he passed the bodyguards and drilled his way through the crowd in Brett’s room. As usual, obscenities were hollered by the crew and several other people. There was never a shortage of praise for the Scandals.
He punched his fist to his palm when he couldn’t find her. The beautiful blonde who stared out the window while every man in the room ogled her, twirled around and smiled. She lowered her gaze to the floor. He let his arms drop to his sides.
Wow.
Someone tugged at his shoulder from behind. “I totally dug the schoolteacher getup, but damn. She can rock me anytime.” Zander bumped into his side and passed him. He slapped the idiot on the back of the head, but he didn’t flinch, just rubbed his head and laughed.
Every little inch of fabric on her, just covered the parts he hadn’t seen yet. He pursued her with slow determined steps. She stood tall in heels, wearing a ripped denim mini skirt that showed off her long, creamy-white legs. What caught his attention the most was the black halter tied around her neck and lower back. The closer he got, the more his heart pounded. Two perky little peaks appeared, hard, and there was only one reason for such a great view—no bra. He raised his eyebrows and adjusted the front of his pants a few steps away, letting her know she affected him in ways he would show her soon. A pink hue formed on her pale, white cheeks. “Isabelle.”
“Cole.”
“Can I get you a drink? A sweater, perhaps?”
Her gaze lowered to the silky black material before returning to him, with a twinkle in her eye.
“I changed, I hope you don’t mind. I would love a drink, and I can assure you, I’
m not cold.”
He threw his head back and laughed at the innocence in her eyes, accompanied by a confidence he hadn’t seen before. He mumbled and strolled away, a little more uncomfortable in his swagger to get her a drink. Yeah, this was going to be a fun night.
****
Glued to her side, he checked his watch often. Men showered her with attention, and it drove him nuts. The laser-beam glares he gave them didn’t sway their decision to approach her.
“Relax buddy, she’s going back to your room tonight.” Brett put his arm around her. With his gaze on Cole’s scowl, he snuggled her in closer and grinned. The three he could trust with her didn’t bother him; the other barbarians in the room were a different story.
He crossed his arms, and huffed with annoyance when she strolled away under Brett’s arm, composed with that same wicked grin. He came on strong, yes, but couldn’t stop it in time. Did she need space from him?
He spun to face the floor to ceiling windows and leaned his forehead against the cold glass. His warm breath fogged the city lights outside. When he circled back to the crowded room, she stood still at the bedroom door, her jaw dropped in the cutest form of shock. It didn’t take much to imagine what took place in that room; it could make a dead person’s heart race.
He sauntered over to the bar, and without delay, received a shot of Jack Daniels. The pretty bartender hired for the evening had, on past occasions, made for a rather interesting evening, but not tonight. He leaned back with his elbows on the bar and surveyed the room.
Pride swelled in him when Drew shook his head with a smile at a man who held out an object and swayed off balance. They had a pact about drugs—do them and you’re out.
Drew didn’t make a scene out of it, just passed the man and made his way over to the bedroom. He hugged Isabelle from behind. She touched his arm with her hand and leaned into his words. Her gaze dropped to the floor and a blush covered her skin when he whispered in her ear. He didn’t linger, or pressure her, just chuckled and moseyed into the room.
The sudden temptation to make the rose-colored hue that Drew started, deepen, overwhelmed him. He shoved away from the bar. Her need for distance drove her away earlier, but he decided she’d had enough.