A quarter to two crept up and it was time to pack it in and head back to the AHJ. Tomorrow would be a busy day, but luckily the band members could sleep in until around ten...then she was dragging them out of bed kicking and screaming. Wouldn’t be the first time.
Tracker’s was beginning to empty. The radio station finished packing up their gear, and the band looked exhausted and ready to hit their bunks. They had a day under the merch tent tomorrow. It would be a great opportunity for them to mingle with their fans, sign autographs and sell advertising merchandise.
Cece thanked the hosts of the radio station and the bar manager, before stopping by the stage to answer a text from Riley. What was he even doing awake at this hour.
Hey, how did it go? Cece couldn’t help but smile, loving that her brother was back, even if they still weren’t as close as they had been when he left. He still had a whole other life that didn’t include her and learning to adapt to it was difficult. He’d invited her to visit Willow Valley with him to meet Mrs. Calvert and eat where he’d been baking the last two years. Baking. It was difficult envisioning that, but coming back and whipping up cinnamon buns and pastries was proof enough. However, Cece wasn’t ready for that part of his past, still dealing with what felt like his betrayal at leaving her alone for years. She buried all her thoughts, she didn’t want to go down this road anymore, and texted him back. Awesome. Place packed. People loved them. She waited for his reply. Abby’s pouting up a storm about not being there. Might have to catch a flight. Abby wasn’t only Avery’s biggest fan ever, she was a huge music lover. If they did show up at the AHJ it wouldn’t be her first time. Avery would love it if you guys came. Cece on the other hand was battling with the fear of facing Abby after her drunken rambles, while she was in the middle of starting something with Avery.
Her phone vibrated in her hand. Alright, gotta go. Going swimming, Avery texted. Swimming? At two in the morning. You two are weird, she texted back, but she was full out smiling.
Cece felt a hand slip into hers and recognized the way Avery’s warm fingers felt laced between hers as they’d done all day. She’d thought he headed out with the band. There were only a few drinkers left by the bar.
Avery pressed his body lightly against her back, his solid abs grazing her back. The touch was torture to her fingers and lips that had been dying to touch him all day and evening. To touch every part of him. His other hand touched her hair, sliding the lose curls across her bare shoulder. Another new black dress from shopping in Oakston hugged her body. It would be considered sexy with one bare shoulder and one lace sleeve. However, all night the word hadn’t crossed her mind, until the soft graze of his fingers played across her skin.
“Dance with me,” he whispered in her ear, and then nibbled on her earlobe.
Dance with him? Her body wanted to turn around, grab the front of his vest and plunge her tongue into his mouth, hard and forceful. Meanwhile they had a limo of the crew and band waiting outside, overly exhausted and ready to head back to the bus.
His lips pressed below her ear. “One dance,” he promised.
What was one dance? Heavenly torture to want so much more.
His seductive presence left her struggling to nod her head, let alone give the limo one more thought and he wanted her to move her feet to the rhythm of music? How was that even possible?
Avery led her to the middle of the empty dance floor and after an initial twirl, embraced her like a lover, not a friend. Cece the manager would have pulled away, afraid of what people interpreted. There was no disguising the closeness of their bodies, firmness of their hold, or passion in their eyes. But Cece Boyd, the woman, wrapped her arms tighter and pressed her body closer.
Avery danced like he sang, with passion in his movement. Warmth journeyed from their merged bodies to their pressed faces, spinning desire between them in perfect harmony with the tune. His hand pushed solidly against her back, while the other held her hand tucked against him, kissing her knuckles. His seductive touches lead them in a soft, sexy dance that she never wanted to end.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered against her hair. “I haven’t been able to stop looking at you all night.”
He was beautiful, but she was too lost in their dance to speak. Her fingers abandoned his back to slide up his neck and dig into his hair.
“I had an amazing day with you,” he continued. “I didn’t know how I was going to spend the last five hours away from you.”
Cece felt the same way.
“Now I don’t want to climb into that limo with everyone and board a bus where I can’t touch you...like this....” His hand had moved up her back while his words distracted her. He fisted a handful of her hair at the base of her scalp, lightly tugging her head back. As he uncovered her neck, his lips kissed the same spot behind her ear.
Cece almost moaned out loud. She might have actually let the sound slip past her lips, she didn’t know for sure. Her eyes fell closed as his tongue and lips left warm patches down her neck, to her throat then back up again, stopping at her ear. She should have stopped him. Anyone could easily pull a cell phone out and click multiple pictures of their interaction with each other. Cece didn’t move as his teeth grabbed her earlobe and pulled...hard, just like the night in the games room when she’d been bent over the theater chair and his mouth came crashing against her neck, while he was thrusting inside of her at the same time and pulling her head back with another handful of hair. The memory was so hot she almost felt them skipping back there.
“Me neither,” she managed the breathless truth. She couldn’t go back to that bus. They couldn’t go back to that bus!
“That’s what I hoped you would say.” He kissed the side of her head and pulled away. “Come with me.” He broke the contact and she almost collapsed. Her body didn’t have time to give way, he kept her hand solidly locked with his, piloting her backstage.
“Where are we going?” she asked, when the curtain fell behind them and they were alone.
Avery gathered her in his arms again...she was loving this hold more each time. He kissed her. Expecting it to be rough and hard to match his hair grabbing, teeth nibbling foreplay on the dance floor, she was surprised by his softness. His tongue dipped deeper into her mouth in an enticing, slow, gentle way that had her craving more.
When he finally pulled up he said, “I want to spend time with you, alone.”
She smiled at him, still lost in a kiss so gentle and yet so damn hot that her panties were wet and waiting for him. “Me too.”
“We can’t do that on the bus and after tomorrow we aren’t going to get a chance until Oakston.”
He was right. Tomorrow the band was basically booked until Sunday night.
“I don’t think I can stay away from you that long,” he said.
“I sense that you have a plan,” she said with hope.
“I don’t want to give you the wrong idea...” He had stopped kissing her and his face grew serious. He was so sweet. “I don’t want you to feel pressured...”
Cece wrapped her hands up around his neck and played with his short hair, waiting for whatever he was taking his time in telling her. “Okay. I don’t have the wrong idea and I don’t feel pressured, but I am dying to know what you have planned.” She gave him a quick peck on his lips, then pulled back to listen.
“There is an apartment above us that is fully furnished...”
Cece tilted her head at the ceiling then grinned back down at him. She liked where this was going. “And...”
“And...I have a key.”
Privacy. He got them privacy.
“I sent the limo back to the bus without us. We can catch a cab back to the festival now or...we can catch a cab back in the morning.”
Privacy!
The secret she harbored was not enough of a deterrent in comparison to how breathtaking an evening with Avery promised. Tonight, she wanted Avery McAdams and he wanted her. When they were back in Oakston and life was settled down, and priva
cy readily available, then she would tell him her secret. If he had to walk away, she would be prepared. Tonight, she would do no more thinking about what was holding them back, because she was living in the now. Right now.
Cece kissed him. “Tomorrow,” she breathed against his lips.
Chapter Fifteen
AVERY HADN’T KNOWN what to expect from Cece after sending away the limo and offering her a room for privacy. At worst he’d thought she might punch him in the stomach and yell she wasn’t his call girl. At best he hadn’t expected her to take over his mouth with her hard, hot, kisses, all the way up the stairs and slam him against the door...before he even had the opportunity to pull the key out of his pocket.
Cece was delicious...hot...spellbinding. One hand gripped the back of her head as she plunged deeper and deeper into his mouth. The curves of her sexy body rubbed hard against him and her hands tightly gripped the front of his vest. Her little fingers seemed to love that position. Avery’s free hand roamed over every part of her body through the tight black material, wanting to rip it away and feel flesh on flesh. But he also wanted to clarify they didn’t have to make love tonight. He wanted to. It was impossible not to want to with her hands tugging his shirt from his pants and slipping underneath. Her touch sizzled his abs and she spent extra time touching his skin...flesh on flesh.
They had to get out of the hallway.
Avery pulled his mouth away and his head fell back leaning against the door. Quick, loud, pants of appreciation came from his lips.
Cece wasn’t finished. Before he could suggest getting the key and going into the apartment, her moistened lips kissed his neck. As if the touch wasn’t enough, her hand grabbed the other side of his neck, and rammed his throat against her mouth harder.
Avery closed his eyes. At the top of his shirt he felt her fingers begin to undo the buttons.
They had to go inside.
Cece didn’t race down his shirt quickly unbuttoning it, instead after every button her lips found the skin underneath and she ravished the area with her lips and tongue, leaving hot territorial conquest. She continued gradually all the way down his front and after the last button, he felt her hands on the buckle of his pants...unlatching it.
“Cece?”
“Mmm-hmm...”
He opened his eyes. She was kneeling on her knees, smiling up at him with her bottom lip caught between her teeth and her hands on his buckle looking deviously sexy as all hell. Damn woman, there was that hellfire he’d met in the games room.
Avery needed her lips. He grabbed her hands and pulled her back to her feet swapping positions and pressing her back against the door.
Cece laughed and he caught the sound in his mouth, swallowing the amusement and replacing it with passion. His hands moved from under her arms, slowly up her arms absorbing every feel of her skin. When his hands reached her hands, he wrapped them around his neck taking extra long to travel back down her arms. He pressed the length of his body against her, taking in the feel of her voluptuous breasts against his chest. His hands slid down her sides, up her back and still it was all on top of material...and still he hadn’t made it clear this wasn’t what he expected. Although he wasn’t complaining. Their passion was incredible. It had been since the moment they saw each other.
Avery pulled away again. He didn’t want to and it took all his strength. “We should go inside,” he said quickly, before she could distract him with a kiss, or extra grind, or even just the way her fingers were playing with the hair at the base of his neck.
Cece licked his lips and grinned at him, but he saw in her face he’d hit a button. “We probably should. You’re on your way to fame and there’s a camera in every cell phone.”
Would he have to think about that now? Yes, he would.
Avery dug the key out and let them into the open, fully furnished apartment. A small kitchen with a contemporary metal table and chairs were to one side. A leather sofa set was set casually around metal side tables, which defined the living room. Large poster-size abstract paintings lined the brick walls, the colors coordinating with the area rugs on the hardwood floor. The bed area was only divided by panels of art hung from the ceiling on the far side of the room.
Cece let his hand go, moving across the living room to the extra large window overlooking the city streets. They were in the older part of the city and high enough to see the tops of the other businesses and look down at the streetlight-lit old brick businesses.
“This is beautiful.” she said.
Avery locked the door before joining her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder, enjoying the effortless way her body snuggled against his side. “So are you,” he said into her wavy hair, then kissed the top of her head.
She snuggled closer and he felt the weight of her exhaustion against him.
“Cece?”
“Yes?” Even her voice sounded drained.
“I didn’t want to go back to the bus and not be able to touch you, hold you and there was no way in hell I would be able to go to sleep knowing you were only a bunk away.”
“Me neither...”
“But I also didn’t bring you here with the expectation or assumption that we are going to...”
“Make love...” Her soft voice sounded amused by the words and she tilted her head, tugging his heart with her sweet smile, but it was laced with exhaustion.
“I don’t want to rush you.”
“What if I want to be rushed?”
Was she serious? When her eyes were drooping and his arms were holding her up?
“You would only have to ask once. But you wouldn’t be confused about our status when you walked out the door.”
Her nose crinkled in the cute way it had when she was drunk. This was so much better. Sober and tired, but they were together because they wanted to be and nothing was blocking either of them.
“Our status?” she asked. She almost looked amused again at the phrase.
“Yes. I don’t want any confusion about us. I don’t want you leaving here thinking you’re not the woman I want to be with or that there’s anything worrying me about us.”
Her smile faltered and he felt her stiffen against him. “I’m worried,” she said.
“I know you are.” He kissed her cute little nose.
“And you’re not?”
“Not at all. I’m more worried about you convincing yourself we aren’t going to work because of whatever went down with you and Rusty.”
More tension built up in her body and she was no longer leaning against him for support, but supporting her independence. When she stepped back and out of his arms, he let her. When she looked at him with confusion on her face, he touched her cheek. And when her eyes closed for a brief second he knew they could talk through this.
Avery wasn’t like Drew who hid behind his feelings and emotions. Avery could express himself in words and lyrics. Cece however was exactly like Drew. She built a sound barrier around her that was difficult to get through.
When Cece opened her eyes and he continued to caress her cheek with his thumb, she took his hand away, but she didn’t let it go.
“It’s not just about Rusty and me,” she said. “It’s about you and your career. People will talk.”
“People always talk.” He was from Willow Valley where there was a chattering group of gossiping old ladies that sat at Mrs. Calvert’s diner for a habitual talk fest...about everyone else’s lives, all day, every day. He was also the son of the widowed drunk, so he was used to the talk. To be perfectly honest, he never really cared what other people had to say about him. Until they walked in his shoes, they didn’t really know what his life was. It was the same rules for him. He had a hard time judging people, until he understood where they were coming from.
“People will judge you,” she said.
“They can judge until the day they die.”
When they were still together ten years...twenty years...a lifetime from now, everyone around them could still talk because it
wouldn’t change his feelings for her.
Cece let go of his hand to find the window sill and sat against it with her back to the city. “I have been in this business my whole life. You are new to this industry and behind the scenes.”
He leaned on the edge beside her.
“Cece I like you...a lot.” He couldn’t just come out and tell her he loved her. That would chase her away fast. “I’ve never felt this way about a woman before. I want to move forward with you and I’m not talking about just sex. I want to date, make it public and not hide. I don’t want to hide with you.” He was tired of hiding. “What do you want?” he asked, needing to know they were on the same page. She couldn’t deny the attraction, but he needed to know it as more than that.
Her eyes had followed through his words with a glimmer of joy, despite her thin lips, but when it was her turn to answer, she looked away. Her eyes fell to the floor.
“It’s not that easy Avery.”
“Fine. Tell me your feelings.”
She smiled up at him. “I love how you do that. Take such definition of a word. If I can’t tell you what I want then you ask me to tell you how I feel. Making love isn’t the same as having sex.” She looked away again. “I like you too. A lot. And if I wasn’t your manager I would want everything you want.”
“What’s holding you back Cece? What’s scaring you? Explain it to me. Make me understand.”
“There’s so much.” A low chuckle escaped her. “I don’t even know where to begin and now?” She looked up at him. “When you got us a room and we could spend the night making love, holding each other, kissing, touching...” She reached out and stroked his vest then pulled away quickly. “Instead of talking.”
Making love to her when she was full of reservations, that didn’t sound very appealing to Avery. He wanted her fully into this the next time he lay her on a bed.
He nudged her side. “Let’s write lyrics.”
Confusion filtered her face. “What?”
“Feelings, emotions, talking...it’s where lyrics come from.”
Lakeshore Lyrics: The McAdams Sisters (By The Lake Series Book 5) Page 13