by L. P. Maxa
“Yeah,” she continued, “he didn’t want to get special treatment because his dad is more famous than Brad Pitt.” She waggled her eyebrows. “Mason’s real down to earth. He was raised on a ranch in South Texas, and he worked cattle for a summer job. He donates more money than he keeps. And once a week he sends fresh flowers to his stepmom because she’s the only mother he’s ever really known, and he says he has a lot of birthdays and Mother’s Days to make up for.”
The patio was silent for a bit. Then Jacks narrowed his eyes at his girlfriend. “How do you know so much about this kid?”
She let out an irritated sigh. “He’s our artist. We should all know these things about him. The girls and I did the research, we put in the time to get to know him. To ask him questions. Wasn’t that the problem with the label before? No one knew the artists or their bands. The old management just assumed these asinine things about you guys, right? Maybe I’m naïve, but I thought that’s what we were hoping to avoid with Riffraff.”
I handed our sleepy daughter to her dad and started the slow clap.
***
Later that night Dash and I were sitting side by side on our large gray sectional watching some Drug Inc. documentary. In my mind Dash had done every drug known to man because he was a rock star and rock stars did a lot of drugs. In reality, when it came to the Devil’s Share, there was more booze on the bus than there ever were drugs. Either way, whenever we watched shows like this I tended to ask a million questions, and it never failed to irritate him and crack me up.
“Did that ever happen to you? Do you have scars I haven’t seen?”
“What?” He shifted to the side so he could look at me.
“Krokodil. Did you ever get the rotting flesh thing going on?” I schooled my expression to one of honest curiosity.
“I never did Krokodil. Are you kidding me right now?” Dash shook his head and looked back to the TV.
I nodded thoughtfully. “What about Jacks or Smith? Did they? I know Lukey would never do something like that. But Krokodil sounds right up Smith’s alley.”
“Lexi. None of us ever did that drug. None of us ever did half the drugs you think we did.” He gestured to the TV where a woman was showing us the effects the drug had on her body. “I don’t even think that particular drug was around during our heyday.” He sighed. “I swear I don’t know why I sit down and watch this show with you every week.”
I snuggled into his chest. “Because you love me.” Speaking of love, I reached my foot out and scratched Dagger’s belly. My very first baby, my first love.
Dash kissed the top of my head. “That and the only time I get to see you is after Halen goes to bed. You’ve been working nonstop for the last four months.”
I wrapped my arms around his middle, squeezing him tightly. “I know, babe. And I’m sorry. It’s just been crazy trying to get the art department up and running. Things will slow down soon.” I had been working a lot. My job was important to me, and I wanted to make sure I did it well. Dash and the guys had taken their positions at the record label as part of their semi-retirement. They weren’t making music, they weren’t performing. They were coasting, and loving it.
“The wedding is in less than two weeks and then it’s just you and me in Greece.” Our honeymoon was going to be more expensive than our wedding. We splurged. We’d never taken a vacation together so we wanted to go all out. We rented the most amazing house on the cliffs overlooking the Aegean, which had a private chef and chauffeur, not to mention we rented a private jet to fly us to and from Greece.
“Yeah well, I keep thinking you’ll balk at being away from Halen for ten days and cancel the whole thing.” I could feel him smiling against the top of my head.
“I won’t. I promise.” If anything, I would just tack on a nanny and take Halen with us. That exact thought had crossed my mind more than once. I’d never really been away from her. And although she would be here at the compound with our whole family taking turns watching her, I was still freaking out.
“You better not. We’ve got to get working on baby number two.”
“Mmm-hmm.” I laid my head back on his chest and turned the TV back up. I didn’t want to talk about baby number two, not right now. Not when we were having a nice relaxing moment together.
I’d told Dash we could wait a year, but now a year was up.
And I wasn’t ready.
Chapter Three
Jacks
“Hey, Buttercup, you need to feed Crash before you get in bed please.” I moved to the side when I heard Landry dig in the dog’s large stainless steel food bin ’cause, as expected, big boy came running around the corner, full speed ahead without bothering to look where he was going. Eventually, he slammed into the wall behind his food bowl and starting eating like I hadn’t fed him this morning. We used to have a large a painting on that wall. It fell down so many times I had to move it. “That dog is a holy terror. Remind me again why I wanted a puppy so bad?”
B came down the stairs, her laptop open and in her hands. “Landry loves him more than almost anything in this world, and he feels the same about her. It’s hard not to adore him.” She sat her computer down on the kitchen counter and climbed on a barstool. “I need to finalize the menu for Dash and Lexi’s wedding then get a press release ready for Mason’s tour now that all the graphics are in. Landry is going to spend the night at her friend Daphne’s tomorrow so we don’t have to get a sitter for the gala. Did you get your tux dry-cleaned?”
I took in then let out a deep breath, and put my hands on my hips with what I was sure was a confused look on my face. “That was a lot of information. Can we break it down?”
She turned and smiled at me over her shoulder. “I’m finalizing the menu for Dash and Lex’s wedding.”
“Why? Isn’t that Dash’s job? Or heaven forbid, Lexi’s? It’s their wedding, not yours.” I crossed the room and sat down next to my woman, spinning her stool so that I could sandwich her legs with mine.
“Lex has been swamped this week trying to get everything ready for this album and tour launch. It’s the first one put together by the Austin branch of Riffraff. It’s a big deal. We all agreed to help pitch in these last couple of weeks. And this menu, which is a masterpiece I might add, is my last bridesmaid task.” She pounded the enter key on her laptop. “Next?”
“Press releases are pretty self-explanatory. And those actually are your job, so we can skip that one. Now, why is Landry spending the night at Daphne’s?” I started to rub my palms up and down B’s thighs, moving closer to her pussy every time.
“The gala.”
“What gala?” I was pretty sure I would have remembered if we had a gala to go to, especially one where I had to wear a tux. I’d have been bitching about it for the last seven days no doubt if I knew.
“The gala for the charity for abused women and children. The one Harlow’s mom is involved in. We got the invitation to it over a month ago. We were all sitting here, on the back patio. Remember? Landry liked the gold embossed writing and she asked Lexi if that was what her wedding invitations would look like?” I shook my head and she rolled her eyes. “Then Lexi and Dash got into that argument because Lexi forgot that they needed to send out wedding invitations?”
I nodded. “Oh yeah. I remember that night. Everyone left early and Landry went to spend the night at Luke and Harlow’s house.” I patted the countertop in front of us. “I fucked you right here.” I tapped the side of my head. “I’m a steel trap.”
B snorted. “You’re a steel trap when it comes to drama and sex. Everything else goes in one ear and out the other.” She got up and walked over to the hall closet. “Which is why I took the liberty of getting your tux dry-cleaned for you.” She tossed it to me.
“And who the hell forgets to send out wedding invitations?” Lexi was not the bride we all expected her to be. This wedding was for sure not a priority for her. And we could all tell how bummed Dash was about it.
“A women who is helping
run a music label, with an artist about to launch a new tour? A women who has a baby and a fiancé and a million things on her mind daily that have nothing to do with frilly details like gold embossed wedding invitations?”
I held my hands up, defense style. “Hey, all I’m saying is that it’s odd to forget wedding invitations. I know Lexi is busy, we’re all busy. Why am I getting the devil doll tone?” I smiled when B rolled her eyes at the term. I’d coined it one night on the promo tour when a groupie asked if she could see my massive cock. Bryan. Went. Off. So, baby doll turned into devil doll. I thought it was cute. She didn’t.
“You want to see devil doll come out, love?” Her hands were on her hips.
I shook my head. “No ma’am.”
She nodded once. “Didn’t think so.” She turned on her heel and headed up the stairs.
“Where are you going? I thought maybe we could, you know, get in the hot tub and—”
She called over her shoulder, not bothering to slow her stride. “This morning you promised Landry you would watch the second Harry Potter movie with her. Remember?”
I jumped to my feet, running after her. “Yeah. Of course I remember.”
Apparently my mind was less steel trap and more sand shifter.
Chapter Four
Bryan
I smiled, leaning against Landry’s bedroom door while I watched Jacks tuck her in under her pink polka dot sheets and then sweetly tap her adorable little button nose. He patted the bed. “Come on, Crash.”
Crash climbed on, one long limb at a time and then curled into a ball at the foot of her bed. Her king-sized bed. We had to get one large enough for Crash to fit on too.
When we moved into the Texas house, Landry had nightmares for a bit. Her therapist said it was normal, she was just reacting to yet another change of location in her life. We’d asked her if she would feel safer having Crash in bed with her. Six months later? That dog crawled in beside her when she got in and didn’t move until she woke up in the morning. It was literally the only time he was still.
I crossed the room and kissed her forehead. “’Night, sweet girl.”
“’Night, Momma.”
I melted. I melted every time she chose to call me Momma. Which wasn’t all the time. She was more comfortable saying it when we were alone. Hey, I’d take it when I could get it.
Landry’s bio mom, Emily, had completed rehab and was living in a whole new town in a halfway house. We still got letters from her every week, but the phone calls were getting farther apart. She hadn’t asked to visit Landry yet either.
Jacks put his arm around my neck and walked with me out of Landry’s room, down the stairs to our master suite on the bottom floor.
“So. Doll. About that hot tub…”
I snorted. “Fine. Fire it up.” He clapped his hands together like a little kid and walked out the large folding glass doors that led to our private courtyard. It wasn’t on the house plans originally; Jacks added it as a surprise for me after we moved in. It was crazy how creative you had to be to have sex when you had kids in your house nonstop. Four ten-foot concrete walls, an outdoor shower, an in-ground hot tub, and Japanese serenity garden. I loved it. I pulled my hair up on the top of my head and tossed my clothes on the floor.
“Come here, baby.” Jacks held his hand out, helping me step in and positioning himself behind me. “Hey, you want to tell me the reason you got so defensive earlier?”
I shrugged and leaned my head back against his shoulder while he ran his hands all over my body. “I don’t know. I guess I just don’t want you to think that just because someone isn’t a crazy involved bride it means the wedding doesn’t matter. I’m not super girly. I doubt I’ll lose my shit over flower arrangements.”
He kissed my neck and then put his lips against my ear. “Are you saying you want to get married, B?”
I laughed. “Not exactly. Why?”
“I love you more than anything, well, except for Landry of course.”
I smiled. “Of course.”
“I guess proposing never really crossed my mind because to me, it’s already a done deal. You’re it for me, baby. I’m not going anywhere and I don’t need a piece of paper to convince me otherwise.”
I turned in his arms, straddling his waist. “I completely agree.” I leaned forward and kissed his jawline. “The only thing is…me adopting Landry would be a lot easier if we were married.”
I felt him go still in my arms. “What?”
I grinned at the awe in his voice. I pulled back, turning so that I could look into his eyes. “I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I mean, she’s already ours. I don’t need documents to feel like her mom, but it would be nice to make it official.”
He put his hands on my face, gazing deep into my eyes. “Marry me, baby doll.”
“Okay.” I nodded my head, knowing my smile was beaming. He brought me toward him again, and our mouths moved together. So in sync, so in love. So in lust with each other.
Never, not for one single second, did I ever get the urge to run. There was a reason that I hadn’t stuck around in any of my past relationships, and that reason was kissing me senseless. I had found him. I wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of my life being with Jacks, and with Landry. They were my whole world.
Jacks grabbed me by the hips, lifting me up slightly so that I could position myself over his cock. “I love you, B.” He lowered me, filling me completely. “Now, ride me.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck, our bodies stayed completely pressed together. Not an inch of space between us. Every time with Jacks was just like the first. I’d never not want him. He kept his hands on my hips, making me keep my rhythm slow and steady.
“You feel so good, baby doll. So tight, so perfect.” He leaned his head back against the side of the tub, his lips parted. “Just like that.”
I leaned forward too, pressing my chest against his and putting my mouth next to his ear. He loved to hear how hot he made me, my moans. I started riding him faster, bringing me so close to my release.
I sat down hard, and keeping him fully inside me, I threw my head back with his name on my lips as I came.
Chapter Five
Luke
“Hey, Pix?”
“Yeah, kid?”
I took a step back, studying the tux hanging on the back of my closet door. “Why is my tux out?”
“We have that charity gala tonight,” Lo called from our bathroom where she was currently taking a shower. “Are you getting in here or not?”
I let out a long sigh and walked toward her with my head hung down. I hated having to wear a tux. It was my least favorite item of clothing.
I tossed my shirt on the floor and let my drawstring pants fall to my feet. I stepped out of them and into the massive glass shower with my fiancée. “Did I know about this event?”
She leaned back against me, her hair tickling my nose. “Yes you did. The invitation has been on our fridge for over a month and the details have been on our calendar. It’s the battered women and children charity.”
“Oh yeah, you’re right, I remember. I didn’t realize it was a black tie thing.” I grabbed her loofa and her favorite soap, lathering it up then running it all over her wet skin.
“It’s a super fancy one, the tickets were a grand a piece.”
“So we’re paying $8,000 to attend a charity dinner? Why couldn’t we just give the $8,000 to the charity as a donation?” I never understood this whole classy function in the name of charity thing. Seemed to me the organization would just rather have the cash.
“There is a silent auction. They’re hoping our $8,000 table will bring in another $20,000 in auction items.” She put her hands on my thighs, scraping her nails down my skin the way she knew I liked.
“Do we know what’s up for bid?” I handed her the loofa, turning so she could wash my back.
“Trips, jewelry, art. The usual.” She scrubbed my back and then rinsed it clean. “Riffraff is a m
ajor benefactor. This charity is important to my mom.”
“So, our $8,000 table has to turn into $20,000 worth of donations?” I spun around again, grabbed her waist and brought her up against me. She wrapped her legs around my waist, putting my cock right where it wanted to be.
“Yep, if not more.” She leaned forward and kissed me sweetly. “It’s a good cause. Maybe we can bid on a honeymoon?”
“Honeymoon? Don’t we need a wedding first?” We’d had no time to even think of picking a date since we got engaged. RiffRaff was our baby right now and it took up most of our time. Although an actual baby would be awesome; and we weren’t being careful with birth control.
“Do we though? What if we just picked a honeymoon destination and eloped as soon as we got there?”
I pulled back, my eyes wide. “Really? For real? Because as much as I would love to skip the chaos of yet another rock and roll royalty wedding, your mom would be devastated if she didn’t get to see her little boy walk down the aisle.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you mean her little girl?”
“Nope.” I grinned. “I mean her little boy, I mean me. You? You’re kind of spacey and offbeat, she probably figures you’d want to elope. But me? She knows I’d never do anything like that to her.” I grabbed my dick and slid her tight body down until she was fully seated. “Now. No more mom talk, yeah?” She nodded her head, her mouth open, already panting. “Touch me, Pix.” She ran her nails roughly down my back. I arched into her, my head falling back. “That’s my girl.” I backed up a few steps, letting the stone wall help me hold her. I reached down and turned on another shower head, this aiming hot water directly at us. She put her mouth to my neck, biting lightly. I chuckled. “You know I want it harder than that, Pix.”