The elevator dings and we all step in. As we ride to the third floor, I feel my nerves in my stomach zing with anxious anticipation. This is all about to get real. Suddenly, every negative thing anyone has ever said about me—about my goals, my dreams—it fuels my assurance that I’m doing exactly what I was meant to do. Too many people who claimed to love me, who promised they would believe in me no matter what, have broken their word. My parents, Nora, a bunch of losers I’ve met along the way, they never understood how much this all meant and how hard I intended to fight for it. I’m about to prove every single one of them wrong.
This is just the beginning. I can feel it. Mountains & Men is going places.
Or we’ll fuckin’ die trying.
Once we find the suite number that matches the one on Alex’s card, we’re met with a receptionist who looks like she hates the world. I don’t think any of us are overly enthusiastic about approaching her, which turns out to be okay. Stefany rounds the corner, her focus glued to the phone in her hand, and we’re spared the unpleasant exchange with the woman behind the front desk.
Stefany looks much like she did the other day—dressed down and looking totally chill. She’s got on boots that remind me of Alex’s, dark jeans, a Guns and Roses t-shirt, and a scarf wrapped loosely around her neck. Her hair is up and out of her face, and I realize I kind of like her style.
“Stefany, hey,” I speak up, catching her attention.
“Ah, perfect! You’re here. And right on time. I love that.” She holds up one finger and finishes typing whatever she’s working on before she pockets her phone and greets us properly. I’m impressed that she remembers all of our names as she says hello, shaking each one of our hands. “Okay—I work in a little shit-hole-in-the-wall they like to call an office, so we’re going to take our meeting to the conference room. Right this way, fellas.” She starts walking and then stops abruptly, turning on her heel to face us once more. “Shit. I’m sorry. Alex, you’re so fucking outnumbered, here.”
“It’s okay,” she says with a chuckle.
“Church mouse is one of us, right, babe?” Maddox drapes his arm around her shoulders, earning him an amused smirk from Alex.
“Yeah,” she says with a nod.
“Thing is, Stefany, her pussy is off limits to any of us, which essentially makes her one of the guys. So, you’re good.”
“Good Lord. Maddox, don’t talk about my—kitty cat,” she insists, shoving her way out of Maddox’s grasp.
We all bust out laughing and I can tell that Stefany is fighting her amusement like a champ. She clears her throat, twice, and then nods over her shoulder. “God, this is going to be fun. Come on, guys.”
When we enter the conference room, there is already someone inside. He’s an older guy—I’d guess in his late forties, early fifties—and he’s wearing slacks, a dress shirt, and a tie. Our residual laugher dies down when we spot him standing upon our entrance.
“Mountains & Men, this is Brooks—Brooks, Mountains & Men.” He offers us a nod and then Stefany invites us all to take a seat. “Here’s the deal, before we talk shop, we have to do the legally binding stuff. Brooks here is an old family friend. He’s a lawyer I like to bring in sometimes when negotiating a contract. Believe me when I tell you, this is for your benefit, not mine. He’s here to answer any question that you might have.
“Something I want you to know about me—I’m sure, if you did your homework, you know I’m not the most experienced manager in the industry. I’ve been around the block, but only a couple times. Here’s what’s up, though—the last thing I want to do is cut corners to get to the level I aspire to reach. My integrity is about all I’ve got and I want us to be able to trust each other. As long as we don’t have to worry about our relationship, then we can handle all the other bullshit as it comes.
“This contract,” she continues, pointing to the stack of papers in front of Brooks, “is to be beneficial for all parties involved. I will bust my ass for you, and I want you to know that up front. I’m good at this. I’m not afraid to approach the big guns, nor am I above hounding the people who have what I need. I’ll do that for you guys. In return, I expect you to hold up your end of the bargain. Your integrity matters, too. This is about music. It’s why I got into this business and, no matter what, it’s all I care about. The money will come if you guys keep rockin’ the way you do. It’s my job to put you in front of the right audience; it’s your job to keep their attention. If we both give it our all, we both win. That being said, shall we dive into the fine print?”
I look around at my mates, replaying her words in my head.
This is about music.
I’m greener than fucking spring grass when it comes to the big leagues of music, but I know I like what she’s about. At the end of the day, she’s our guide, but it’s our music that brought us here and it’s our music that will keep us going. Sounds to me like she gets that. I, for one, am ready to sign this shit now, but I know we have to be smarter than that.
When Knox offers me a shrug and a nod, I know that means his reservations are waning. Derrick murmurs that he’s in, followed by JJ, Maddox, and then Alex. Stefany looks to me, a hopeful expression on her face, and a smirk tugs at my lips.
“Let’s do this.”
I’VE READ THE same page four times. At this point, I’m not even sure why I’m reading it. Clearly, I’m far too distracted to digest a single word. I should just call him…
I haven’t heard from Sage since this morning, when he and the band left for Denver. I know that he’s probably had a lot going on today, but I expected to hear from him by now. It’s almost nine o’clock. Up until about an hour ago, I was doing a pretty good job of distracting myself from his silence. I worked late. I threw something edible together for dinner. I cleaned the kitchen. I got ready for bed. I even braided my hair, a rarity for me, just to give my hands something to do other than check my phone.
It’s not that I’m worried. Not exactly. Something tells me that if he wasn’t alright, I would have heard from Violet by now, and I haven’t. It’s just that he always sends me texts or calls me throughout the day. Even in the very beginning, when I swore we couldn’t see each other, he was annoyingly good at letting me know whenever I was on his mind. I didn’t think that I was the kind of woman who needed that. Perhaps I’m still not—but his break in routine has me feeling restless.
I cannot say why I haven’t just called him myself. Honestly, I’m not sure that I’m that kind of girlfriend—the kind that checks in on her boyfriend’s whereabouts. Then again, it’s been a long time since I’ve been with anyone. I suppose I have no idea what kind of woman I am in situations such as these.
I pick up my phone, turning it over in my hands as I ponder my next move. I don’t know why I’m thinking about this so much. I need to get out of my head. I know the longer I wander around in my thoughts, the closer I’ll get to the possibility that this may in fact be my reality in a few weeks. Perhaps being on the road will make it difficult for us to catch each other at a time when we’re both available. What if we go days without speaking? What if—
“Fucking hell,” I mutter, tossing my phone onto the coffee table.
What is wrong with me?
What is happening to me?
One day? I can’t go one day without speaking to him?
For Christ’s sake, I need to get my shit together.
I jump, startled when a knock sounds at my door. I look down at myself, wondering if I’m in any state to answer. I’m in a pair of sweatpants that hang low on my hips, and a spaghetti-strap tank top. I’m not wearing any underthings, but my nipples aren’t hard—a bonus, seeing as how the hair that hangs down my chest is twisted up and useless in the event that I need to hide anything.
My quick assessment ends with me standing to peer through the peephole, and my stomach flutters at the sight of him, relief making me far more happy than it should. When I open the door, Sage is leaning on his shoulder, propped up against the doorframe. He li
fts his head, bringing his eyes to meet mine, and a tired smirk tugs at his lips.
“Hey, doll face.”
My nipples turn into hard peaks at the sound of his voice. In this moment, I understand exactly what kind of woman I am—I’m the kind of woman who needs to hear the rich, alluring, sexy tone of my man’s voice. It’s what drew me to him in the first place. It’s part of who we are.
I sigh softly, my shoulders relaxing for the first time in hours as I rest my head against the door.
“What’s wrong, Millicent?” he asks, reaching up to run the backs of his fingers down my cheek.
“I missed your voice, today.” The words come out automatically, but I know as soon as I’ve said them that I don’t regret my honesty.
“Yeah?” I nod my response and he takes a step closer to me. “Is that all you missed?” He slides his arm around my waist and gently pulls me against him. I go willingly, circling my arms around his neck.
“No,” I answer as I exhale.
“What else d’you miss, baby?”
I lift myself up on my tiptoes, amused but not surprised that he’s fishing for the details of my longing. My arrogant little shit. “Just shut up and kiss me, Sage.”
He grins at me before he presses his lips against mine. The second our mouths touch, every cell in my body comes alive. I hold him tighter, needing him closer, and I tell him all he could wish to know with my tongue. He reciprocates my affection in kind, keeping himself in control as he kisses me slowly, deeply, lovingly.
I adore him.
I pull away from him with a start when I hear a door slam shut. I recognize the sound, knowing that someone just entered the building, and I’m reminded that we’re still half in, half out of my apartment. The interruption was probably for the best. My body is still on hiatus after yesterday and I don’t want it, or him, getting any ideas.
“Will you come in? Tell me about your day?”
“Mmmhmmm,” he answers with a hum before he scoops me off of my feet and into his arms, cradling me against his chest. “Get the door, baby doll. Hit the lights.”
I do as he says, locking us in and shrouding us in darkness. He then carries me all the way to my room, depositing me into my bed. I watch as he turns on my lamp and begins stripping off his clothing. I start to question him, but the words don’t make it past my lips—I’m too entranced by the sight of him. I don’t have a single tattoo, but I love each one of his. He wears them well; so well, that I have to remind my body that his body is off limits tonight.
“Sage—”
“I’m not here for sex, Millie,” he interrupts me as he kicks off his shoes and steps out of his jeans. “But I am staying. Though, you probably should keep those clothes on so I don’t go breaking any promises.”
I giggle, because apparently he makes me do that, and then pull back the covers and slip between the sheets. He joins me, stretching out on his side and propping his head up with his fist as he wraps his arm around me and pulls me close. I prop my head up, too, and he leans in for a quick kiss before he speaks.
“Baby, today was incredible. Absolutely incredible. Stefany is great. I think she’s exactly who the band needs. I mean, she saw us Saturday and today, after we worked out the terms of our partnership, she told us that she’d been on the phone since she left The Brew, trying to get us studio time. She wants us to record an EP before we go on tour. Can you believe that?”
“That’s amazing,” I tell him, my eyes dancing around his face. He’s lit up with excitement and it makes me want to get lost in him. I’ve never been in awe of someone as much as I’m in awe of him right now. His dream is everything to him and it’s on the precipice of coming true. I have no idea what that feels like—no idea what it’s like to hold onto a dream, to fight for it, to bask in the possibilities of it.
I rest my hand against his chest, wishing to be closer to him, closer to this joy. As if he can read my mind, he hooks his leg over mine, smirking at me as we tangle our legs together.
“She managed to get us a few hours on Saturday for our first session. We have to leave at the ass crack of dawn, but I don’t care. I seriously cannot wait to hear what we sound like when we’re professionally mixed. I mean, JJ is pretty damn good, but equipment is everything.”
“How long will you have in the studio?”
“A couple hours. Do you want to come?”
I balk at his idea, surprised that he would even ask me. “Is that—is that allowed?”
“I’m sure JJ will bring Vi,” he replies with a shrug. “I want you there. Say you’ll come.”
“Okay,” I say with a nod. “I’ll come.”
He smirks at me before he presses his lips against mine. I follow his lead when he doesn’t pull away, but instead pins me beneath him. My fingers find their way into his hair as his tongue seeks entrance into my mouth. The weight of him on top of me is welcome, and when I feel him grow hard between my legs, I can’t silence the soft moan that escapes my throat.
“Fuck,” he murmurs against my lips. He rubs himself against me and it’s like my sweatpants don’t exist. I gasp, my grip tightening in his hair. “Damn, Millie, you’re something else, you know that?”
“Hmm?” I manage. I can hardly think as he rubs himself against me once more.
“You see me,” he whispers. I stare into his eyes, searching for meaning and coming up short. “I’ve never been with someone who gets me like you do. I’ve never been with someone who believes in me like you do. You’re my best girl, Millicent.” He grinds against me again and I can no longer resist.
“Sage, baby, I want you,” I murmur.
“I promised—”
“Take me slow. Make me come like only you can. Please?”
“For you?” he mutters, kissing his way down my neck. “Anything.”
“MILLIE. MILLIE, WAKE up, baby doll.” I groan, appreciative of the sound of my wake-up call, and totally unappreciative of its intent. “Up, Millicent!” He throws back his covers and smacks my ass. I furrow my brow, my eyes still closed as I whine in protest. “If you want to shower, it’s now or never. I waited until everyone else was finished. So, see, you can’t be a grump.”
“Oh, god. Remind me why I agreed to go with you today?”
“Because you were looking to take advantage of your girlfriend privileges. Behind the scenes with Mountains & Men—lesser women might bitch slap a chick for your coveted invitation.”
I roll my eyes, but he can’t see me do it behind my lids. I don’t remember what time we went to bed last night, but it wasn’t nearly early enough to condone waking up before the sun is in the sky on a Saturday morning.
“Dammit, Millie,” he begins to say when I don’t move a muscle. “I just want you to know, when you have only ten minutes to shower, that you brought this on yourself.”
For a second I imagine that my grumbling has rewarded me the equivalent of a nine-minute snooze, but then I feel the bed dip at my feet. Before I know it, I’m on my back, my legs are spread, and his warm, wet tongue is being drug along my slit. When he reaches my sensitive nub, he gently grazes his teeth over the bud, and my body responds instantly, making me slick with arousal.
“Oh, fuck,” I breathe, my eyes shooting open as I look down at the man working diligently to rouse me from my slumber with an orgasm.
He grunts, curling his arms around my thighs as he thrusts his tongue inside of me. He feels sensational—the heat of his breath, the firmness of his tongue, the perfection of his calculated movements as he travels between my entrance and my sweet spot. He sucks. He licks. He nibbles. He repeats.
I reach down and grip a fistful of his damp hair, unable to stop myself from bucking my hips. “Sage—Sage, shit, Sage.” My need to speak supersedes my ability to find any words. I call his name repeatedly, unable to conjure up anything else as the fog of sleep dissipates and haze of lust takes its place.
When he shoves two fingers inside of my center, hooking the tips as he pumps in and out of me,
kissing the inside of my thigh, my back bows away from the bed.
“Come for me, baby,” he hums against my skin.
“Mmhmm,” I sigh, grabbing at his sheets, nodding my understanding. “Don’t stop! I’m almost—” Before I can finish my sentence, a wave of euphoric pleasure spreads all over my body. I can feel it as my pussy tightens around his fingers and he wraps his lips around my clit once more, sucking until my orgasm has subsided.
When he pulls away from me, he dips his fingers into his mouth as he stares into my eyes. He’s not wearing his glasses at the moment, and my view of his beautiful, icy blue irises on his dangerously handsome face makes it nearly impossible to catch my breath.
“Now?” he asks, leaning over me. “Now will you get in the shower?”
A lazy smile tugs at my lips. “Yes,” I whisper.
“Good,” he smacks a kiss against my mouth before he stands. “We gotta jet in half an hour. Move that sexy, little ass, doll face. We can’t be late and I’m not leaving you behind.”
IT’S FIVE MINUTES ’til eight when I turn off the Audi and hop out of the driver’s seat. Millie—decidedly more awake and fully aware of my hyped-up mood—doesn’t waste a second before stepping out after me.
Earlier, after I devoured her sweet pussy, she had only thirty minutes to get showered and dressed. I know girls who have spent a lot longer getting ready and none of them look as gorgeous as my woman does right now. Her long, damp, light brown hair is pilled in a knot on top of her head, leaving her positively kissable neck on display. She’s got on a pair of flats; tight, well-worn, dark-wash jeans that hug her long-ass legs; a plain white T that reminds me of her bitable tits and her petite waist; and an oversized, maroon cardigan that hangs down to her knees. Even though I swear she doesn’t need it, she managed to find time to put on a little makeup, too. Watching her walk toward me makes me want to pull her into my arms and never let her go. She’s sexy as fuck, and she’s all mine.
Pussy whipped. That’s what I am—totally pussy whipped.
Worthy of the Harmony (Mountains & Men Book 2) Page 18