To-Do Him List

by Denise Marie

  “Oh God. I’m coming.”

  “Yes, you are. Holy fuck.”

  He didn’t let her ride it out long before he raised his wet hand up between her grip on the blanket and her chest. “Lick yourself. I want to taste you when I kiss you.” She dipped her chin and took his two fingers in her mouth, sucked her juices clean from his hand.

  He closed his eyes. “You’re perfect for me.”

  He tugged his hand away and scrambled behind her for his zipper. She giggled.

  “Laugh now, beautiful woman, but I’ll have you screaming louder than the music soon.”

  She stopped the second he raised her dress in the back and smoothed his length between her spread legs, rubbed his large crown through her folds.

  “Oh. Holy of all—” She couldn’t grip the railing strong enough.

  “Oh yes, baby. Watch the stage, I’ll hold the blanket. It’s gonna take all of my strength not to bend you over this rail. Let me get a rhythm going with the music.”

  Thankful for the slower song, she fixed her attention to the band, though not with the same intent as she had when they arrived. He clutched the blanket in one fist, still hidden and placed the other on her bare hip to help guide him.

  When he crouched a little behind her, for a fleeting second, she closed her eyes and thanked Taryn for the heels. Her legs shook as he nudged her entrance, still swollen from her release.

  “Mmm, I love a challenge.” He dug his fingertips into her hip and coerced his way inside with the swirl of his hips.

  She clenched her hands around the cold steel, aware of the struggle with resistance he spoke of earlier. Without his spoken admission of frayed resistance, she might’ve bent over the rail, and when he bit her shoulder, she damn near did.

  Once her body caved to his demand, he slid in and out of her with an unhurried speed. Her pulse raced; she lacked the patience required to keep their movements discreet. His shaft massaged her puckered hole at the angle he entered her, and drove her to madness. There could have been an earthquake around them, she wouldn’t have known.

  She relaxed her muscles and focused on his thrusts with the beat of the music. Her body built again with anticipation of another orgasm. So much heat radiated under the blanket she’d rip it off if it weren’t for the hundreds of people who surrounded them. Her toes curled in her high heels.

  He leaned into her ear, positioned himself closer, and slid his free hand around her front. “I’m close, baby. Let me in more. I want my cum deep inside you.”

  She couldn’t speak. His words were so erotic she floated with lust and fell in a way she didn’t want to put words to. She touched the side of her face to his and they kept their visual attention on the spectacular show in front of them. He smoothed his hand over her soft mound and down, used his fingertip to circle her swollen, aching clit. He tightened his grasp on the blanket and forced her body onto him with the other, rooted himself and held still. ‌A low whimper escaped her as he trembled, spilled his seed inside her.

  The feel of his warmth around her, in her, sent her over the edge with him. “AHHH.”

  The chorus of the song belted out but she could have sworn he whispered I love you, even over her scream and the sexual high that buzzed in her ears.

  The last chord of the song extended, faded into dead air. The crowd quieted along with it. He couldn’t have timed it better. She wouldn’t have been able to hold back if they ended before her orgasm. The band exited the stage, a break before the encore. She scanned the crowd, let go of the railing and put her hands under the blanket. Her grip closed them in tighter. He stirred inside her while the crowd of people roamed for drinks. The sexual high faded and her body stiffened. “People are going to see us.”

  “Sweetie. people are far too drunk to see, or care.” He withdrew from her body and righted himself. Before he tugged the blanket off of them, he smoothed his hands down the back of her dress, made sure she was covered.

  She faced him, leaned her lower back against the cool steel, and grabbed onto his shirt for support. She could feel her skin flush from his wicked smile, so damn proud of himself. The slight ounce of regret faded.

  He put his forehead against hers and whispered, “I love your list. I love—”

  “If you two are done getting the rest of us hot and horny, Tweedledee and Tweedledum would like to take their ladies back to the hotel and get a little too.”

  They jumped when Drew slapped him on the back. His interruption was indeed perfect this time. She didn’t want him to finish that sentence. “Wait. You knew what we were doing?” She forced him back a little so she could see Drew.

  Drew picked the blanket up off the ground and stuffed it into the backpack. “Sweetheart. It may not have been obvious from the front, but we could see him fucking you from behind. It was hot, and besides, your screams weren’t well timed to the music.” He kissed her forehead and returned to the other guys with a cocky swagger.

  All the heat in her body rose to her face.

  Cole put his arm over her shoulder and guided her to the door. “He was wrong about one thing, you know.”

  Not able to respond to his statement until the small crowd cleared, along with her head, she ignored him. He led the way, which was nice, because she held his waist for support. Her legs wobbled like limp noodles.

  When the others proceeded through the door ahead of them, he closed it and pinned her back to the cold glass. He held her face in his hands and kissed her for all to see. She surrendered to his demand, fisted his shirt in her hands as if her world would fall out from under her if she didn’t. To some extent, it would. Hoots and hollers sounded from outside as well as from the inside. People stared now.

  He broke away first. “Fucking isn’t how I would describe what just happened between us.”

  The heat of his words drifted across her lips. Left her without a comeback.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Dear Diary,

  Nothing could extinguish the fire that consumed me…

  Cole sat on the edge of the bed and his knee bounced. The mirror he stared at on the wall reflected the closed door that kept her from him. The sound of water as it filled the tub calmed him somewhat. She deserved the alone time after all they’d done tonight, but the closer they got to the end of her list, the closer he got to losing her.

  He rubbed his chest. The quiet room and the feelings held inside suffocated him. He scribbled a quick note and placed it on the table, in case she wasn’t long in the tub. Drew crashed in the room next door, and never rejected an opportunity to set him straight.

  He banged on Drew’s door.

  Drew whipped it open and shook his head. “You have a beautiful woman next door and you’re here with me? You have issues, man.” He trudged back to the bed, sprawled out, and switched off the TV. He lay against the propped-up pillow and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting.

  Cole dragged a chair up to the bed and sat. His knees vibrated with a similar turbulence to his heart, so he stretched his legs out on top of the bed, crossed at the ankles.

  Drew laughed when his foot twitched instead. “Give it up man, it’s a lost cause.”

  He scrubbed his face and sighed. “I’m screwed.”

  Drew chuckled and raised his eyebrows. “Well I hope so, that’s what you brought her here for, isn’t it?”

  He planted his feet on the floor. He didn’t need this. “Fuck you. Thanks a lot, man.” Bent forward, tempted to leave, he slumped with his elbows on his knees and stared at the diamond pattern in the carpet.

  “Ahem.” He lifted his head to Drew, who held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll stop. Sorry.”

  He put his feet back up where he could control his nerves, but his throat tightened. He couldn’t control everything.

  “I love her.”

  “I know.”

  He stared down at his hands while he cracked his knuckles. The slight sting was a welcome distraction from all of the pleasure he’d experienced in the last seve
ral days. Never did he think he would be overwhelmed with it or need a break. He scrubbed his hands through his hair, broke loose the stiff strands. “It’s only been six days—”

  “Love doesn’t come with a manual. You can’t explain or predict it.” Drew got up and made his way to the fridge and like on all the other difficult days, chose the hard stuff. It was a quick fix, disguised the problem much like a Band-Aid. He poured the tiny bottles of Jack in glasses and handed one over on his way back to the bed. They held their glasses out but didn’t say anything, just tipped their heads back and swallowed.

  “Thanks.” He swirled the empty glass around and swallowed again, hard. “I’m gonna lose her.”

  “Yes, you are.” Drew set his glass down on the nightstand beside him. “It’s not easy losing someone you have a strong connection with. I can’t change this, make it what you want. I can tell you, you are blessed to have this opportunity with her. Don’t take it for granted.”

  He shifted his gaze to the window, at the darkened sky that offered nothing more than a blank slate for troubled minds.

  Cole sighed, put his feet on the ground, and leaned forward with his elbows to his knees. Held them down. He had considered the fact that her focus on Drew’s tattoo earlier would bring up the past. “I won’t. Sorry, man. I know this must be stirring up all kinds of shit for you. I wasn’t thinking. Thank you for the support. It has meant the world to me. Finding the missing piece in your life—” He scrubbed his face again with his hand, but couldn’t finish.

  “We’re flying in to St. Louis tomorrow and meeting Derek at the bus. Flight’s earlier than you wanted, ten a.m. We fly out again the morning after, Cole, for New York. Have you told her yet?”

  He shook his head. He’d offered to make her dreams come true, not throw his own baggage at her. “Not tonight. I better get back to her. She’s probably out of the tub by now.” He set his empty glass down on the dresser and left without confirming the possible heartache his best friend drowned in once again. Drew would want him to go for it while he could. It’s what friends did.

  He dragged his feet on the carpet; the retreat back to the room was quiet, as it should be. They were rich rock stars who could afford to book an entire hotel floor, and life on the outside portrayed perfection; only a select few had insight to the real troubles they carried within them.

  He stood at the door. The green light flashed, but he couldn’t remove the key let alone open the door to what he’d just admitted to Drew, and himself. He should tell her, but maybe he didn’t have to. There were only five items left on her list, nothing he couldn’t manage in twenty-four hours. Then, she’d leave him. Why add stress she didn’t need? It’s not like he and Alexis were together, not the couple people read about.

  He opened the door to silence. The bathroom door remained closed, and his gaze dropped to the light that shined out the bottom. He placed his hand on his stomach, but his feet wouldn’t budge. “You okay, baby?” Her shuffle, now loud enough to hear, calmed him. Somewhat.

  She opened the door and ambled about the bathroom with renewed energy. Moisture from the steam coated her skin, exposed around the towel tucked snug at her breasts. She’d washed away her makeup. Even natural, she was beautiful.

  “Four in one day Cole, I don’t think I can fly a plane tonight. I don’t want my list to endanger others.” With a contented smile, she wrapped him in a hug.

  He lowered his chin to her head and closed his eyes. From her tightened embrace, she could sense something weighed him down. When did it get this way? Not that he cared to complain, but really, how could two people be so right for each other that confessions weren’t necessary.

  He forced a laugh and steered her toward the king-sized bed with his arm around her shoulders and of course, leaned in to get a glimpse down her towel. She slapped him in the stomach. He stuck his bottom lip out and rubbed the sting away. “No planes tonight, baby.” He drew the blankets back. “Get comfortable while I go shower. TV, booze, room service, whatever your little heart desires.”

  ****

  He didn’t pin her to the mattress and peel her towel off with his teeth. Granted, they’d had an eventful day and when she lowered into the tub, she was sore, the best kind of sore. She sat on the bed where he directed. The towel squeezed around her but he didn’t respond, just fixed the sheets and covered her legs, kissed her forehead, and left.

  She traced the fold in the towel above her breast with her fingertips. Her gaze in the mirror followed its path. She scanned her body but the image before her, at some point, changed. The woman in the mirror displayed confidence, experience, passion.

  Grief still lingered under the surface but it no longer hurt. Fate brought her Cole. A man, who gave her his all and did it with a natural charm, didn’t change who he was for her. Time with him changed her in ways she hadn’t imagined. She sat up on her knees, tugged at the towel and held it out to the side, dropped it.

  Her reflection in the mirror had altered. The parts of her body she once cringed at now appeared beautiful, as if she were gazing through his eyes. She admired herself and sighed with more contentment than she’d ever allowed herself to experience. The soft mattress hugged her curves as she laid back and relaxed with her newfound freedom, without covers.

  The lamp on his side of the bed gave off a subtle yellow glow while she lay there, fixated on the ceiling. Her life and her body had come alive the last several days with the Scandals. Each detail so engrained in her memory, just thinking about it brought every sensation to the surface.

  She startled when the light clicked off and the bed dipped beside her. When did he come out of the bathroom? His fresh-showered scent on the other hand, that stole her attention. She inhaled deep. She loved his soap, how the scent of it changed when they got all sweaty. Like hard work and him.

  “It’s late. We have to head out in the morning.” He settled in beside her and she curled up into the crook of his arm. “I hoped we could explore a little before leaving but the only flight we could get leaves at ten a.m.”

  She snuggled in closer, leaned her bare hip into him, and twined her legs with his.

  “Isabelle? What’s on your mind?”

  “What did Drew mean earlier, that you could tell me?”

  He squeezed her and a tidal wave of sorrow crashed in on her with his embrace. “It’s important this stay with us, important to him. Only people close to Drew know, and he wants to keep it that way.”

  “Okay.” That kind of privacy she could relate to.

  “Drew is a twin.”

  “Huh?”

  He chuckled and kissed her forehead. “Yep. Had a twin sister.”

  She traced her palm down his arm until she found his hand to grab onto. His sympathetic grip eased the instant distress. Had?

  “She died at birth. He was born first, loud and wailing. She was stillborn.”

  “Oh that’s terrible.”

  “Yes, it is. His parents have come to terms with it, had more children. He—” He took a deep breath. “Has always felt the loss, like a part of him died with her. He’s missing someone he never had the pleasure to know. He says he feels some type of twin vibe that’s out of reach, if that makes any sense. He has a picture in his wallet, carries it everywhere. Him and his sister in Kate’s arms, that’s his mom. They look like they are sleeping, peaceful. Only, he is the one truly asleep.”

  A tear slid down her cheek, onto his chest. She hurt as if she’d been smacked in the face. She cursed God, or whoever, that she wasn’t going to get to live a full life and Drew’s sister didn’t get the chance to live a single day. “My heart breaks for him.”

  “He’s okay, honey, just gets down from time to time. His birthday is the toughest, but we do what we can to help him through it.” Her head bounced on his chest when he laughed. “He’s gotten used to our extreme ways of distraction. You know, strip joints, drunken stupors, sex clubs—” He squeezed her again. “Bungee jumping. He’s okay, really.”

 
She put her arm over his abdomen and hugged, tight. “Thank you for telling me.”

  He squeezed her back and kissed the top of her head. “You’re welcome. Now get some sleep. It’s quite late and we have to get up early.”

  ****

  The red numbers glowed 6:00. She lay on her side and stared at the clock as they changed. A bout of nausea woke her an hour ago, and her body rebelled against the quiet slumber the medicine most often induced. His contented breath and spectacular chest, at rest, soothed the anger that would’ve consumed her on another day.

  Her gaze roamed the length of his body, and many times, she neared his skin with her hand, but made a fist and retreated. The sheet just covered the large bulge below his waist. A glow from the early sunrise shined through the edges of the curtains. It illuminated the room enough to make his tattoos and well-cut muscles drool worthy. She bit her lip and scanned the room several times. She could write in her journal but temptation consumed her.

  She lifted the sheet and stared at his face, he didn’t stir. Without too much of a jostle, she slid underneath, down to his impressive erection. She grinned. Was this the typical male morning thing, or was she in his dreams?

  She leaned over his body, braced her hands on the bed at his sides and lowered her mouth over him, swallowed him in deep. Her cheeks indented as she sucked him hard on the way up, his taste an instant addiction.

  “Oh God. Isabelle.”

  A cool breeze hit her when he whipped the sheet off. She grabbed his shaft in her hand and stroked in sync with her mouth.

  “Fuck.”

  The bed sheets tightened under her when he gripped them. The corners of her mouth rose around him and she grazed his skin with her teeth. She followed the path of his well-cut body with her gaze and moaned around his girth when the V at his waist caught her attention.

  With her eyes closed, she lowered down his length until her lips brushed against her hand, tightened around his base. His engorged crown touched the back of her throat. He smoothed his hands over her hair and gave a gentle thrust with his hips. She swallowed.