At some point he was going to have to deal with the band. What that entailed rather depended on what his gut told him after he’d been away from them a while. Despite what he’d been saying to people, he had his doubts about the split. Aspects of the whole situation might suck big time, but that didn’t mean he necessarily wanted to call it quits. Black Halo was what he did. It was pretty much all he knew how to do. Maybe Ash’s suggestion could work, and changing the line-up would be enough to set things right again. Maybe it wouldn’t. Either way, they’d have to figure out where they stood with regards to contracts and future commitments.
Right – he was thinking about legal documents. That wasn’t a good sign.
How long was Dani intending to take? He was good with zips if she needed a hand, although normally he pulled them down, not up.
He supposed he ought to pull on some clothes if she wanted to go for dinner, though his appetite was only for her.
Not that he only wanted her for sex, contrary to blinking Ash’s insinuations. This was not about using her as a crutch. He wasn’t falling back on old habits. Dani just inspired him sexually.
He smiled grimly, imagining Ash’s face when he realised he’d been given the slip. Xane gave him a one-fingered salute for good measure. What the hell did Ash know anyway? He’d never had a relationship that lasted more than five hours, whereas Xane had been looking to the long term most of his life. Admittedly, he wasn’t much cop at it, but the intention was there, and maybe Dani would be the one. He liked her. She didn’t just look at him as if her were a piece of prime steak. Nor was she fixated on his fame or his money.
And no other woman had ever opted to watch him wank, rather than slip his cock between her thighs. Not that he was entirely sure if that was a good thing, given how horny he remained.
Puzzled, he scratched his head.
‘Are you all right in there?’ he called.
‘Yep. Won’t be long.’
She’d already been too long. What was she doing? And why was he forbidden to enter? He’d never been banned from his own bathroom before. Normally he only got barred from super-posh restaurants and the quarterly finance meetings his brother called for Bletchley Holdings.
To avoid slipping into thoughts about his estranged family again, Xane concentrated on picturing Dani’s endless legs. She had this cute way of swaying at the hips when she walked that resulted in a very enticing wiggle.
He scratched his chest as the image morphed to one of her legs wrapped around his waist, and his libido perked up again.
Xane formed his hand around his cock, only to withdraw it straightaway. Wrist action wasn’t going to quell his need. Only the woman on the other side of that door was going to do that. And she’d promised he could have her any way he wanted.
He did want. Like now, preferably, and in a whole variety of poses.
And if she didn’t hurry up, he really was going to pounce on her like some slathering beast the moment she walked out of there, and rip all her clothes off before he’d even had a chance to admire her in them.
‘Hurry it up, Dani. Please.’
Chapter 18
Dani spent a full minute with her back to the bathroom door trying to settle her emotions, before she crossed to the wash basin and scrubbed her face. She wasn’t sure she could do this and remain detached, much as it was a very sensible plan. She wanted him too much. He was Xane Geist, for Christ’s fucking sake! Of course she wanted to climb into bed with him and never get out. She’d be there with him now if the skin of her upper thighs and lower back wasn’t marred by rows and rows of neatly tallied lines. She had come here to share some good times with him, not to divulge her past. Nevertheless, the scars existed, each a vivid reminder of why she’d left St Agatha’s and never wanted to go back. Every refusal, every time she’d spoken out of turn, or expressed an in any way normal opinion, it’d been scored indelibly into her psyche. Her whole adolescence was inscribed onto her skin, and, worse, for too many years she’d believed that was normal.
Dani still struggled to act without fear of repercussions. Even now her insides were knotted over the possibility that she’d be found out. Nor did she want Xane to see her sins. She didn’t want anyone seeing them. Couldn’t bear the questions, the looks of pity she’d receive. In Xane’s case it’d be triply bad. Who knew how he’d react to the fact that whole rows of those neat little cuts were because of him.
Once she’d convinced herself that Xane wasn’t about to burst through the door, Dani wedged the waste bin before it as an alarm system, then stripped down to her underwear and rubbed camouflage make-up over the markings. It was clever stuff, film-grade, designed for covering birthmarks and tattoos, and virtually waterproof. Bloody expensive too, hence she only put it on when there was a chance someone might see her undressed.
Scars concealed, Dani shimmied her way into the dress she’d picked out. The hem of the full skirt sat an inch or two above her knee, while the neckline scooped low at the front, making a display of the upper curve of her breasts. Considering the simplicity of the cut, it settled over her body in a particularly flattering way. It certainly emphasised her assets, in addition to giving her an air of sophistication she hadn’t previously felt. Dressed like this, with her hair in an up-do, maybe she wouldn’t be recognised. She didn’t look or feel like herself.
Xane rapped his knuckles against the door. ‘Are you ever coming out of there?’
‘I’m ready,’ Dani announced, giving herself a last once-over in the mirror before she stepped back into the bedroom. ‘What do you think?’
She expected to find Xane still lying naked on the bed, but he’d dressed. He wore a deep-dyed black shirt tucked into a pair of perfectly tailored trousers. Dani made a second sweep of his face, to ascertain it was actually him. The abundance of silver jewellery and his cascade of shiny black hair confirmed it. Dani’s fingers curled with the urge to run her fingers through that rakish sweep. She smiled. ‘I didn’t know you owned a shirt.’ Let alone one made of silk and so obviously handmade. ‘You look … wow! Kind of amazing, in fact.’
He chuckled at the compliment. ‘You look pretty good yourself.’ He made a motion with his hand, indicating she should turn.
Dani performed a pirouette.
‘Very, very nice.’ He held out his hand to her. ‘Of course, it just makes me want to unzip you.’
‘Do you ever think of anything besides sex?’
‘Only when I’m thinking about music.’
‘Ah.’ She pressed her index finger across her lips. ‘And you don’t want to go there right now, am I right?’
‘Hm,’ he dipped his head to one side. ‘I reckon you might inspire a song or two.’
‘Flatterer.’
‘Let’s go to bed.’
She shook her head. ‘I’m all dressed up. Let’s eat.’
* * *
Xane took her to a friendly bijou restaurant overlooking the shore that specialised in serving fresh local produce. Dani spotted a photograph of him behind the bar with his arms around two scantily clad ladies. ‘We’re not going to keep tripping over your exes, are we?’ she ribbed him gently, as they sauntered along the seafront after the meal. She felt more relaxed away from the hotel room, without the spectre of nakedness looming over her, despite the increased risk of being spotted. Although, seriously, how many people of her acquaintance were likely to be hanging out in Monte Carlo at night? ‘You don’t have to pretend you’re some kind of saint. I realise you’ve probably bedded enough women to fill a stadium.’
‘Perhaps not quite that many, but there’ve been a few,’ Xane admitted. He squeezed her hand. ‘I’m not Ash, though. I don’t hump everything that offers.’
‘Ooh, selective.’ She laughed, giggly after two bottles of wine.
‘I selected you, didn’t I?’ He grabbed her from behind and entwined his arms around her waist in order to swing her in a circle. ‘And how many partners have you had? Less than I can count on one hand?’
> ‘I’m ultra, ultra selective.’ Dani looped her hands behind his neck, letting him know she’d chosen him, before she tugged him down so that their lips met. Every time he kissed her, it fired up her blood to near boiling point. Maybe this wouldn’t and couldn’t last, given who he was and how their lives were worlds apart, but for now Xane Geist was hers and she was enjoying it.
Funny how, earlier, she’d been worried about getting her heart bruised, while now her libido had taken charge she was more concerned with making use of Xane’s extraordinary talents. After all, she thought, wondering if she was channelling Ginny, what was the point in having a rock star if you weren’t going to rock out with him?
Xane hugged her close to his chest. He kissed her slowly, waltzing his tongue against hers until she was jelly-legged and breathless. ‘I want you,’ he whispered into her ear. ‘I want to possess you until we both ache too much to move. I want to suck you, lick you. I want your hands all over my body, and to hear you screaming out my name as you beg for more. I’d like to see you tied up while naked, and so aroused that you come even while you’re fighting to restrain yourself.’
‘Yeah? That’s a lot of things.’ She couldn’t keep the stupid smirk off her face. ‘Shouldn’t we get back to the hotel? We’ll get arrested if we try any of that out here.’
‘Hm,’ he agreed, though he seemed to be more focused on seating her bottom against his loins than on walking anywhere. ‘Then again it seems such a shame to waste such a beautiful night.’
Shocked, Dani strained her neck trying to catch a glimpse of his face to work out whether he was being serious. Surely he was as keen as she on maintaining a low profile. However, judging by the way his burgeoning erection kept on stroking along the crease of her bottom, he was prepared to overlook that if it meant getting her closer a little sooner.
‘Xane, we can’t. Not here. We’re too exposed.’ The palm tree they stood beneath offered a few paltry shadows, nothing deep enough to hide one person in, let alone two.
‘Can’t?’ His mouth lingered over her pulse point. ‘Didn’t anybody ever tell you there’s no such thing?’
He hugged her closer, so that the sweet scent of his aftershave mingled with her perfume. She couldn’t help succumbing to his will. It might be asking for trouble allowing his hands to wander all over her body in a public place, but she couldn’t deny there was a certain satisfaction in it too. It was like he was stamping his mark all over her, proclaiming her as his, to anyone who happened by. Thankfully, there wasn’t another soul in sight.
To their right white boats bobbed up and down in their moorings, while to the fore the ocean stretched out like a vast jewelled blanket. Only from the rear could anyone approach on foot, and they’d hear whoever was coming long before they were close.
‘Ever done it out of doors before?’
‘Never.’
‘What about indoors?’
‘I’m not a virgin.’
‘I just thought I’d better check.’ He drew closer so there was no space between them and her legs became so tangled around his that she had to brace herself against the railings to stop herself falling. His hands roved over the front of her dress to cradle the swell of her breasts.
Dani’s pulse raced. If they were seen …
‘It’ll look like we’re hugging one another.’ Xane put a hand beneath her skirt, and proceeded to tickle the space between her stocking top and the leg of her panties.
‘Xane!’ She gulped down an unsteady breath as he wriggled a finger inside her knickers and into her heat.
‘Does this excite you?’ he asked, while nibbling the shell of her ear. ‘It really fucking excites me.’
Her sex was already molten and the brush of his fingertips against her clit made her wetter still. Dani squirmed, unsure if she wanted to encourage his exploration or divert his attention until they could get back to the hotel. All it would take was for one bitter old prude to climb off one of those boats, and they’d both make tomorrow’s news. XANE ROCKS IT HARD IN MONACO, the headline would proclaim in gaudy red letters.
There’d be no avoiding the repercussions once the witches at St Agatha’s saw that.
‘Here,’ he said. ‘Right now. I want you. No more teasing. No more waiting.’
‘Did you bring something?’ she asked nervously, while her hips swayed back and forth in time with Xane’s rhythm. He slid two fingers over her clit again, concentrating on making that little nubbin stand proud.
Xane’s breath whistled between his teeth. ‘Certainly did.’ His touch left her for a moment as he dug out the condom. ‘Take off your knickers.’
Really, they were seriously doing this? They were going to make love for the first time out in the open? Ginny would be proud of her.
Nervousness made her grin as she surreptitiously wriggled out of her underwear and kicked the black panties to one side, while Xane dealt with his belt buckle and zip. Unlike her he’d gone commando. His long thick cock poked rudely out from between the edges of his fly. Dani watched him roll on a condom, wishing she knew how to put one on with her mouth.
‘Face the ocean,’ he instructed. ‘And lean forward a little.’
Starlight glistened on the water as Xane snuggled up to her rear again. He lifted the back of her skirt so his naked flesh kissed the skin of her bottom. From the front, he plunged two long fingers into her swollen pussy. Dani shuddered, then rocked against the intrusion.
‘Whoa, are you always this tight?’
‘Yeah, I guess.’
He twisted his wrist and brought his thumb into play against her clit again, making the whole of her sex throb and clench.
‘If we get arrested, will you bail me?’ she asked, only half joking.
‘I can hardly shag you senseless if you’re locked up and I’m not. Are you ready for me, Dani?’
The hastiness of his words told her the answer he needed to hear was yes. Xane was excited; aroused enough to want to get in her without delay.
‘Do it.’ She sucked in a lungful of air, held it, waiting.
They’d come close to this moment before, but he’d not yet been inside her, and it was killing her waiting.
‘Ah, Dani, can you feel how hard I am for you?’ He leaned into her, using his fingers to guide the way ‘You’re so small, sweetheart.’ His thumb resumed its dance across her clit. ‘You’re going to kill me every time. I don’t think I’m going to hold this long.’
‘Whatever you need,’ she encouraged, so eager for him it was impossible to keep still, despite her misgivings over their location.
The tip of his cock sat right at her entrance. Between her thighs was a sopping wet mess. She was so ripe she could smell the scent of her own arousal.
Xane encouraged her to spread her legs a little wider, and then he was there, pushing his way inside her in incremental little jerks.
Damn. He hardly moved at first, but he filled her impossibly well.
She needed him to move more, so she’d relax a little and loosen up. He seemed to be filling up the whole of her. When he did pull back and then push, it stole her breath.
Dani leaned forward over the railing, so that it supported some of her weight. Thus positioned, she soared over the ocean, while making the angles less tight. Xane slid a fraction deeper on the next thrust, then deeper still. When he upped the pace and went at it hard, it damn near drove her crazy. Her whole nervous system lit with fire. She sucked him in, and cried out each time he withdrew.
Penetration had never been like this before. It’d always seemed faintly seedy and a bit dull, though the guys seemed to get a lot out of all that uncouth grunting that accompanied their jackhammer-like thrusts.
Xane didn’t take her like that. Sure, her bottom smacked against his loins, making more noise than was probably wise, but the slide of his cock seemed to hit something on her inside that made her fizz like a shaken-up bottle of cola.
She wished she could turn around and face him. Cling to him. Scratch her nails down
his back. Later, she promised herself. Later, she’d allow herself to do that.
‘Are you with me, Dani?’ His movements became erratic, shallow and then deep, followed by a frenzy of quick strokes that he mimicked with his thumb, jerking it back and forth over her clit. Oh, yes, she was definitely with him, her body locked into a rapid ascent.
My God, he was making her come. Her muscles pulled at him. Her teeth tore at her lower lip as she tried to hold in the sounds his solid pounding caused her to make. She’d never come with a man inside her before. Had half convinced herself it would never happen.
‘Oh, God! I’m there.’ Her orgasm bubbled and popped. She came around his cock, clutching onto him with every muscle in her body. Her coming set Xane alight too.
‘Oh, fuck, yes,’ he crowed. ‘Oh, you sweet, sweet thing. That’s so good. Grip me, honey. That’s right.’ He went off, his pulse firing at rocket speed, and his hips glued to her bottom.
For several heartbeats afterwards, Dani could neither move nor catch her breath. Her fingers remained locked around the railing, while her body continued to twitch in time with Xane’s. They were both damp and sweat-soaked, and radiating more heat than even the sea breeze could cool.
When his spent cock slipped from her, she felt the loss keenly.
‘Hotel,’ Xane insisted. ‘Right now, because I need to do that again.’
She totally did too, only she never got to say it, because at that moment a bright white flash blinded them both. Oh, shit! she thought, as the glow of happiness inside her shrivelled up and died.
Chapter 19
Xane’s first instinct was to cover his face, his second to turn away from the source of his current blindness. Bright pink blotches rowed across his field of vision. He knew he hadn’t been especially circumspect in hiding his whereabouts, but he hadn’t reckoned on being set upon this quickly. He side-stepped in order to shield Dani from their view, and thus allowed her to straighten her clothing. She still seemed disorientated. His fist curled, ready to punch whoever had cheated her of a post-orgasmic cuddle. Talk about bad timing. They could have given them another few minutes of bonding here, but then the press weren’t exactly known for their tact.
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