Scandalous Beat (The Tempest Rock Star series Book 6)

by Michelle Mankin

  I got so close I nearly spilled before I stopped her. “Babe, I love your mouth on me,” I told her, “but I prefer to finish inside you.” She released my dick after one last lingering lick that made me shudder. Our bodies rocked together for a moment as the plane hit a bump, then I turned her around to face the small sink. Her gaze met mine in the mirror as I hastily rolled on a condom, positioned her against the counter and slid into her perfect cunt from behind.

  “Fasten your seatbelt,” I warned, digging my grip into the flesh at her hips as I pulled almost all the way out and stroked all the way back inside her again. “You’re in for a bumpy ride.” My hands alternating between grabbing her hips and squeezing her tits, her cunt tightened around me. Both of us panting, she moaned my name, and I hammered harder. I reached between her legs and strummed her clit. Primed and slippery, so close I could feel it. She took everything I gave her. We rose together reaching for the heavens, straining, seeking, sharing, succumbing, fusing our bodies, on fucking fire. Then we were there, together her, ‘oh yes, yes, yes’ in tune with my low groans. She twisted her neck around and I fastened my mouth on hers, tasting us both and swallowing the aftershocks as we slowly drifted down again, and I indulgently, languidly stroked in and out of her as we settled back toward the earth.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Miriam

  The plane had started its final descent as we exited the lavatory. Apparently we had not been as discrete as we imagined. It seemed as though all the passengers were watching us. There was a scattering of slow claps in the First Class cabin. We endured a tersely whispered reprimand from the flight attendant and more than a few suggestive comments.

  Not to mention several cell phone cameras trained on us.

  I ducked my head into King’s shoulder as he led the way. I scooted into our row latching my belt first. He slid in beside me.

  “Sorry about all that.” He gave me a sheepish look.

  “I’m not. It was worth it.”

  “We missed the inflight meal, though.”

  “We’ll grab something from a vending machine while we wait for the luggage.” A shadow suddenly fell over us. Some guy in a ball cap turned around backward had stopped in the aisle next to King. I recognized him as one of the Tempest fans we had run into earlier at the airport. He snapped a quick photo with his phone.

  King frowned.

  “Sir.” The flight attendant appeared and shooed him out of first class. “You’ll need to take your seat. We’re about to land.”

  “That happen often?” I asked Juaquin.

  “Some. Not enough that I’ve gotten used to it. Most people don’t recognize me as the drummer of Tempest outside a concert setting. But since I was on the Rock Fuck Club show I’m getting recognized a lot more often.”

  “Oh.”

  “Don’t look at me like that. It wasn’t a memorable experience. None of them before you has been. You were the one I wanted all along. The one I needed. You get that, don’t you? Without me having to say it?”

  ‘Sure.” I certainly felt that way about him, without a doubt. But it was too soon for me to make an assumption like that about my value to him. I glanced at my lap. I wasn’t ready to have a heavy conversation like this, not here and not now with everyone watching us like we were fish inside a bowl. Plus lingering concerns about Vincenzo Campanella had my stomach all jumbled. It bounced as the wheels suddenly touched down on the runway. As the plane slowed, Juaquin tucked his finger under my chin and lifted it. His eyes searched mine. “We can get into the who, what and how many details if you feel it’s necessary, Miriam.” His gaze was intense, his expression way serious. “But we don’t need to if you can believe me when I tell you that you’re the only who has ever mattered.”

  My heart latched onto his words. “Only you for me, too,” I admitted in a quiet whisper.

  “You know my track record when it comes to relationships. I haven’t had much luck holding on to the affection of those I care about. But I’m trying. Can you show me how? Can you be patient with me as I learn?” Without waiting for an answer, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to mine. Though it was a kiss I treasured, it was a brief one and underneath the joy that his words gave me unease lurked. It rose in the back of my throat as we arrived at the gate.

  Once in the terminal we followed the directional signs for baggage claim. Juaquin went to get us something to snack on while I waited for the carousel to start. I noticed the cap wearing fan who had taken the pictures on the plane watching me closely, but I forgot about him when King returned and the bags for our flight started feeding onto the rotating belt.

  “How are we getting to the hospital?” I asked after we had claimed our luggage.

  “I ordered a Lyft.”

  I nodded and lifted the handle on my bag, but King took it from me. He held out his free hand for me to hold. I liked that, liked that he was careful, considerate and protective of me. I stepped in front of him and stopped to kiss him because I could. Because I wanted to show him my appreciation. Because I knew, though I didn’t want to focus on it that my time with him might already be running out.

  I had put him in harm’s way with my boss. I feared he remained in danger no matter that Campanella had acted as though the affront were forgiven. And beyond that I would find myself in an untenable position when I returned to Vegas. Juaquin wouldn’t understand about me taking on a profession that would require me to go to bed with other men. And Campanella wouldn’t be understanding if I didn’t.

  I was the one who needed patience. I was the one likely to lose his affection, though I suspected Juaquin had been thinking of his father, Sager and maybe his brother when he had said what he had. I’d never considered that he might have felt responsible for Adrian’s death. But I knew he couldn’t have been because I knew him. He was a defender. He protected those he cared most for. He would have prevented Adrian’s death if it had been in his power. No, he had it all wrong, I decided. It was me who was unqualified to teach him anything about love.

  “Any word about how your dad’s doing?” My pitch sounded off as those thoughts tightened my throat, but he didn’t seem to notice.

  “No. They haven’t done the procedure yet. But Sager and Melinda are there with him now. So is my mom and my abuelita. Everyone he cares about,” he tacked on at the end, and my heart hurt for him that he thought he wasn’t part of that group.

  And to add to the general awkwardness, it hadn’t really hit me until that moment that our arrival together at the hospital would result in a lot of questions. What were we going to tell everyone about us?

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  King

  “Everything ok?” I asked Miriam.

  Her text notifications had been going off incessantly since we got in the car and she turned her phone off airplane mode. She had practically licked her lips raw, and I knew it wasn’t because she was turned on. She was upset about whatever was contained in those texts and nervous about seeing everyone we knew with us being together. I didn’t want to get into all of that with the Lyft driver listening. Not that Miriam was paying attention to me anyway. She might not have the airplane menu to mangle, but if the metal and glass of her phone had been malleable it would have been twisted beyond recognition by now.

  “Huh.” Her eyes were dazed. “Ok with what?”

  “You’ve been typing on that thing nonstop since you turned it back on. I just wondered if everything is ok.”

  “Yes.” She attempted a smile, but it seemed more like a grimace.

  “But why…”

  “Asshole!” The vehicle lurched sideways into the next lane. “Jackass gave me the brake treatment because he thought I was following too close.” Our Lyft driver raised his fist as he passed the car that had been in front of us. The one he’d nearly hit. Thankfully soon after that close call, we arrived at the hospital. The driver swiveled around. “I popped the latch back there.”

  “Yeah? Thanks.” I felt like popping him, but he had
gotten us there at least. I unlatched my seatbelt, exited my side, and jogged around to open Miriam’s door before grabbing our bags from the trunk. We’d have to take them with us up to my father’s room until we could sort out everything. Where we would spend the night and so forth. But there was the big matter of what to tell everyone about us. That needed to be addressed right now.

  “Miriam. Let me get that for you.” I took the handle of her roller bag, hitched the strap of my duffle higher on my shoulder and placed my hand on her lower back. Steering her into the lobby, I searched for a quiet spot to have a word with her. There wasn’t one. The airport had been practically deserted. The hospital was another matter entirely. It was the busiest hospital in Southside, teeming with people, but I managed to find a bench with no one on it at the moment. I made a beeline for it.

  “We need to stop and talk for a minute.”

  “Hermano.”

  Fuck.

  I swiveled toward the sound of Sager’s voice. His reading glasses atop his head, wearing jeans and an unremarkable tee, I couldn’t remember ever being happier to see him.

  “¡Qué rollo con el hoyo!” What’s going on? I released Miriam and moved to greet him, slapping his back just as hard as he clapped mine. It seemed like such a long ass time ago that we had parted ways with harsh words between us. “How is he? Any word?”

  “The doctor wanted to talk to everybody before they take him back.” His oak hued gaze slid to Miriam. “Hey, Juliet. Haven’t seen you in forever.”

  “Yeah, it’s been a while.” She licked her lips. “I’m sorry about that and for what’s going on with your father. I’m just here to support Juaquin. I don’t mean to intrude.” She glanced over at me, her eyes full of apology. “I’ll stay down here while you two go up.” She reached for the handle of her bag.

  “Is Blue up there with him?” I reluctantly took my eyes from her to ask my brother.

  “Yeah, man. She’s in the room with the others. Why?”

  “Then Miriam comes with.” Sager’s brow lifted at my pronouncement. The message was unmistakable. I swung my gaze to Miriam, holding out my hand. She took it without hesitation as I knew she would, but I planted a quick kiss on her lips as a thank you anyway.

  “Juaquin,” she breathed. “Are you sure? I’ll do whatever you want. But I don’t want to be a distraction with everyone already so stressed.”

  “Incredible.” Sager whistled under his breath. “You better hold onto that one tight, brother. Took you long enough to catch her, but seems like you finally did.” He turned to Miriam. “I’ve known you a long time. Known you were right for him nearly that long.”

  “We’re not…I mean we haven’t…”

  “They’ll all be glad to see you.” Sager smiled, thinking her floundering meant only that she was flustered by his words, but I worried it was something more. Had I not been clear about us? Or was she having second thoughts?

  A cell rang. Sager’s. The ringtone was familiar. Melinda’s voice singing ‘Beauty’, the song Sager had written for her. “Don’t,” he cautioned me as I rolled my eyes. “That was her doing. Not mine. You’ll find out soon enough.” He smiled at Miriam, commandeering the handle of her bag and her hand. I wanted to growl at him. Even though he was my brother, and I totally trusted him, I wanted her, every bit of her, to myself. He cast me a baiting, knowing glance over his shoulder as he headed for the elevator. Yeah, I got the message. What goes around comes around,’ he was saying. I had given him such a hard time about falling under Bluebelle’s spell. This was payback.

  * * *

  Miriam

  All eyes swung toward us when we entered the room. I recognized them all, though it had been some time since I had seen most of them. A family like my own, albeit larger and included a mother and a father. The addictive affection Juaquin lavished on me came from his mom, a diminutive Hispanic woman, her love for both her children burning brightly in her gaze. Grey haired Abuelita, wheelchair bound yet radiating grace and wisdom. Melinda, a pretty girl with long black hair and an unfocused gaze that somehow located Sager. She went straight to him though she couldn’t see him. And King’s father, Raúl, intimidatingly handsome like his son. Eyes that were the same gold shade as King’s passed over me dismissively.

  “Juaquin!” he barked, struggling to sit up in the hospital bed. “¿Por qué estás aquí?” Why are you here? His stern brow dipped in displeasure. “I told you everything is fine.”

  “Everything’s not fine,” Juaquin spat back “You’re in a hospital are you not? You’re probably having chest pain at this very moment. You think I don’t recognize the signs, but I do. Your skin’s like ash. You have those brackets around your mouth that you get whenever you push yourself too hard. You should have heeded the doctors warning. You should have…”

  “Enough!” Raúl snapped, though his voice wasn’t as loud as it had been a moment before. He clutched the front of his hospital gown.

  “No,” King disagreed. “Someone needs to stand up to you and tell you how it is. You’re too stubborn for your own good. Too prideful.” The heartbeats on the monitor bleeped faster as the tension between the two escalated. “If you had gone to the specialist like I told you to…

  “Cállate!” Shut up. “Vosotros dos.” Both of you. King’s mother, María, shook her head sadly, tears of frustration brimming that all could see.

  “Madre, perdóname.” Juaquin reached for her, taking her into his arms, stroking her hair and murmuring a soothing endearment in Spanish.

  “See? You’ve upset your mother.” His father’s eyes flashed with irritation. “You shouldn’t be here. You have obligations. Attend to them.”

  Juaquin’s mother made a noise that sounded like a protest, leaving her son’s embrace to lay a hand of caution on her husband’s arm.

  “What’s more important than my own father’s health?” Juaquin returned. “Why do you have to fight me at every turn?” His expression was raw, his gaze pleading. “Why can’t you just accept the help I offer?” The underlying question was much deeper. Why can’t you love me for who I am? I had asked myself the same thing way back when about my own father. I hated seeing Juaquin like this with his. My fingers balling into fists, I moved closer to him.

  “I already had everything I needed here before you arrived.”

  King’s body jerked as if he had taken a bullet like the one that had killed his brother. “Then I’ll rectify the situation for you. Remove from your presence the son who displeases you.” The arm movements that punctuated his statements were agitated. “The son who lived only to continually disappoint you.” Spinning around, King nearly knocked me over. He grabbed me by the shoulders. Everything happened too quickly for me to wipe the look of empathy from my expression that I knew he wouldn’t appreciate at that moment. Not a guy like Juaquin. Not when he was feeling so vulnerable.

  “I should’ve left you back in Vegas.” I drew in a breath, taking that angry comment straight to the center of my chest watching him with eyes that rapidly filled as he strode from the room.

  The silence left behind had an icy edge. But somehow, I managed to make my frozen body move. I had my hand on the door when her rubber wheels bumped into me.

  “Mi nieto did not mean those harsh words. Old wounds yet to heal remain between my son and my grandson. Juaquin is too much like his father. They hurt. They lash out. They say things they do not intend. They make a reality of what they most fear. Losing each other.” She reached for the hand that was clenched by my side and squeezed it. “Go bring him back. I think he will listen to you. You might be the only one who can get through to him,” she added as I shook my head. “The rest of us have certainly tried. I know he roars like a lion with a thorn in his paw. But you are no timid mouse. Talk to him. Help Juaquin to see reason. Help him bridge the gap of pride that keeps the two of them apart.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  King

  I heard her soft footfalls and her sweet peachy scent filled my lungs, bu
t even without those cues I would have felt her approach. My senses had become that attuned to her.

  “I shouldn’t have snapped at you.” My head drooped, the crimson panes in the stained glass window above casting its bloody accusations down on me. “I’ve screwed this up with you already. You should go. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.” I clasped the hands I had twisted together on the back of the pew tighter and felt the prayer bench under my knees groan beneath me as I shifted my weight. I waited for her to retreat, counting the heartbeats that would mark the end of my time with her.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  “Juaquin,” she whispered, dropping down on her knees beside me. A stripper queen and the king who was one in name only. We made for an odd pair inside the hospital chapel. “I could go, but I could never truly leave you.”

  I glanced at her and discovered only sincerity within the depths of her beautiful grey-green eyes.

  “Forgive me.”

  “I already have,” she returned. My heart blazing gratitude back at her, I unclasped my hands and covered both of hers with one of mine.

  “I don’t know what to do anymore,” I admitted. “He doesn’t listen. I’ll never be who he wants me to be. I should just stop trying.”

  “If that’s what you think is best.”

  “You sound like you don’t think it is.”

  “It’s not my decision to make.” A shadow crossed her face. “Although I made one like you’re talking about with my own father during the last summer he came back to live with us.”