by Sydney Snow
Languidly lying cuddled in his arms on my narrow bed, I wondered what the future would hold for us. We hadn’t really talked about any of that. Did he still want me to move in with him? Or, did he want to take things slower, after everything that had happened.
I only knew I wanted to be with him, wherever he was. “Are you awake?” I whispered, softly.
“Barely,” he muttered. “You wore me out last night.”
I laughed. “I wore you out? Right. It’s a good thing you were able to go buy more condoms or we would’ve been in trouble.”
“Yes, we would’ve, because there was no way I was stopping.” His hand slid up my bare stomach to my chest and he fondled me, squeezing lightly.
Sighing, I close my eyes for a few seconds to relish his playing. “I’m sorry I didn’t ask earlier, but I was a little preoccupied. You said you were here on business. What for?”
“An agent came to see us play in Seattle. His label wants to sign us. They brought all of us down here to show us around their studio and to discuss particulars.”
Rolling over so I could face him, I hugged him tightly. “Caleb! That’s wonderful news! I’m so happy for you!”
He sighed, embracing me back and kissing my neck. “I’m not. I don’t want to do this without you. Come with me to the meeting today and let them hear you sing with us. You were the whole reason we got the look in the first place.”
“I was?” I asked, surprised by that.
“Yeah. He said someone had called and told him about Fringe, and you in particular.”
“It sounds like you didn’t need my help. I’ve always said you were good enough to front the band, but you wouldn’t listen to me.”
He shrugged. “It never really was my thing. Guitar has always been my first love.”
“I thought I was your first love,” I teased, kissing him lightly, and he laughed.
“You are. My first and only love. You know what I mean.”
His words made my heart soar and I kissed him again. “What time is the meeting?”
“This afternoon, at three.”
“Hmmm. So that leaves us plenty of time for some more fun.” My hand drifted between us, down across his abs, dipping lower and finding him ready.
Groaning as I wrapped my fingers around him and stroked his full, hard length, he began lightly thrusting his hips in time with my movements. “I think I may have created a nymphomaniac.”
“Are you complaining?”
“Not even in the slightest. I love feeling your hands all over me. And when you took me in your mouth—well, let’s just say I’ll be happy to let you do that any time you want.”
“You liked that did you?” I asked with a wicked smile.
“More than you could possibly know.”
“Well, then let me entertain you again. Pushing him on his back, I made my way down his body and slid my lips around him.
“I think I’ve died and gone to heaven,” he rasped out, grabbing fistfuls of my hair. I didn’t reply, eager to continue pleasing him. He was too big for me to take all of him in my mouth, so I continued to use my hand around the base, doubling the action, as I locked gazes with him.
“That’s one of the most beautiful sights I’ve ever seen,” he said, staring at me sultrily. “I could get used to waking up to this every day.” He groaned closing his eyes as he rocked his hips lightly, thrusting to meet me. “Oh, that feels so good, baby.”
I continued to work him over, loving every moan that escaped him and knowing I was bringing him such pleasure.
“Anna,” he bit out, his voice growing harsher. “Come sit on me now.”
Removing my mouth, I moved to straddle him. “We need a condom.”
“Trust me this time, please. I promise I won’t go inside you.”
I hesitated for a moment, before relenting. I would trust him like he asked. He positioned himself and slowly I sank down, allowing my body to stretch and accommodate him. He felt so huge and foreign inside me, but yet, as if he belonged there too. “Wow. This feels even better without a condom,” I said beginning to move.
“Yes, it does.” He groaned again, grabbing my hips and helping me along. “We need to get you on the pill. Then we can have sex like this all the time.” His eyes drifted over me. “I may have lied. This might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. I love the way your pretty, pert boobs bounce when you’re riding me.”
I laughed. “Face it. It doesn’t matter what position I’m in, if it involves sex, it’s going to be your favorite.”
Grinning, he continued to fix his gaze on me. “You’re probably right. I love looking at anything that has a part of me inside a part of you.” His thrust grew harder. “You turn me on so much.”
“Likewise,” I replied, moaning when his hands slid up higher to pinch me, shooting hot sensations straight to where he penetrated me. Instantly, I felt the waves already building inside me. “Caleb,” I said, tossing my head backward, my long hair swaying across the small of my back.
His hands cupped my butt, helping me continue to move. “That’s it. Ride it out, baby.”
Successive moans escaped me as I shattered, falling over the edge as he continued to move inside of me. His expression was determined, mouth clenched, forehead furrowed as he fought to contain his own release. Grabbing my shoulders he rolled me onto my back, pumping into me heavily before giving a loud shout. Withdrawing quickly, he came onto my stomach and I reached down to continue stroking him until he quit thrusting into my hand.
Staring at his climax on my belly, he took my hand and traced it through the creamy liquid, holding it up for me to see. “And you were worried you wouldn’t please me,” he said. “Here’s your proof. How many times have I done this with you now?”
I couldn’t help my giggle. “I lost count,” I confessed.
Smiling, he leaned over and lightly kissed my lips. “I didn’t wear a condom because we’ve used the entire box. Trust me when I say, you please me just fine.”
“You please me too,” I replied, and he kissed me, again. Seeing the love in his eyes and the way he looked at me made me feel more beautiful than I’d ever felt in my life. “I love you, Caleb.”
“I love you too, Anna. So much.”
***
Standing in the elevator, I gripped Caleb’s arm nervously, wondering if my being here with him was going to upset anyone.
“Do you think they have cameras in this thing?” Caleb asked absently. “I’ve never done it in an elevator before.”
“You haven’t?” I asked. “I have to say that surprises me.”
Glancing over at me, he chuckled. “The ride in my elevator to the loft isn’t long enough; plus, I get a little anxious about one of my neighbors stepping on and catching me in the middle of the act.”
“Oh, I see, but you’re willing to do it now, on the way to meet record executives that might be signing you?”
“Sure. They expect it of musicians. Shoot, I bet this elevator has seen lots of sex.”
“Ew!” I stepped away from the wall, eyeing it suspiciously.
Caleb laughed loudly. “I’m sure it gets cleaned regularly, Anna.”
Before I could reply, the doors swished open, revealing people I knew very well.
“Anna!” Stix called and I rushed to hug him before moving to do the same with Rick and Riley.
“I’ve missed you all so much!” I exclaimed, happy to see them.
“We’ve missed you too,” Riley spoke, hugging me tightly. Releasing me, he glanced between Caleb and me. “Are you back for good?”
I nodded. “Yes. Caleb and I managed to work things out.”
“It’s about time,” Stix grumbled. “Caleb has been an ass since you’ve been gone. It’s like living with the Grim Reaper.”
“That bad?” I asked, casting a glance at Caleb as I slipped my hand into his.
“Pretty much,” he replied, not refuting the comment.
“Hello, gentlemen.” A female voic
e interrupted and we all turned to see a very shapely blonde enter the lobby. Her eyes landed on me as well. “Excuse me. I see I missed someone. Are you by chance Anna?”
“Yes, I am,” I replied in surprise, extending my hand to shake hers. “Wonderful! Stone told me that Caleb was going to try to bring you too. I’m glad you’re here.”
“Stone?” I asked, unfamiliar with the name. “Stone Hensley. He’s the agent that went to Seattle to see Fringe play; and he is the one responsible for bringing them here to LA. You’ll meet him shortly. My name is Bailey Fuentes. Why don’t you all follow me, please?”
Leaving the sleek, minimally decorated lobby, we passed through some frosted glass double doors into a long hallway that maintained the black and white office theme. As we walked, bold red splashes of color began to appear and soon it was everywhere—on abstract paintings and the floor. It was a cool effect, but reminded me of blood. That was a bit creepy.
Bailey led us past several offices which, I assumed because it was the weekend, were empty, and then through another set of large double glass doors. This hallway was decorated in gold records with artists’ pictures underneath them. I was overwhelmed as I recognized many great names. These people were the real deal, obviously. I couldn’t believe they were interested in adding Fringe to their mix. It all seemed so surreal.
“In here, please,” Bailey said, holding the door open to a large conference room. “Have a seat and Stone will be right with you. Can I get you anything to drink? Water, coffee, juice?”
“I’ll take a water,” I said my mouth suddenly feeling dry.
“Anyone else?” she asked, but all the guys declined. “Okay, then. I’ll be right back.”
“This place is insane,” Stix said as soon as she was gone. “Did you see all those gold records?”
“Ours will be up there too, someday,” Caleb said with a grin.
“Heck yeah!” Riley said, high fiving his brother. Seating ourselves all together on the nearest side of the table, we waited for Stone.
Before long, Bailey reappeared with a notepad in her hand and a bottle of water. She handed the water to me just as the door opened, revealing a young looking man, in his late twenties, dressed in casual attire.
“Fringe!” he called out in a friendly manner, reaching over to bump fists with some of the guys and I couldn’t help smiling at his demeanor. He seemed very laid back. “And this must be our lovely, Miss Anna. I’m so glad Caleb convinced you to join us. Any chance I could get you to sing for me while you’re here?”
“I’d be happy to,” I replied, shaking his hand.
“Perfect! Okay, then. Here’s the deal. I’m going to take you down to the studio and have you guys play a few of your numbers for me while I record you for a demo track to play for some of the other executives and my colleagues who are out of the office today. We’ll also tour you around our facility and tell you about some of the things we do as a company and what we expect of our musicians. We have a couple artists in studio today, who’ve agreed to share with you some of their experiences while working with us. If you like what you see, we’ll draw up a contract. You’ll need to get yourselves a contract lawyer you trust to go over everything with you and make sure all is fair, before signing. If there’s something you don’t agree with, let us know and we can try to negotiate a satisfactory deal. That way everyone ends up happy. How does that sound?”
“Sounds pretty great to me,” Caleb said, grinning happily. He was like a little boy at Christmas it made me want to kiss him.
“Awesome,” Stone replied. “Then let’s head to the studio and see if we can’t make some music together.”
“Do you have your instruments?” I asked, shooting a worried glance at Caleb as everyone stood and began filing out.
“I hope so.” He grinned. “The guys were supposed to bring everything over from the hotel this morning, except for the drums and keyboards. They are providing those. We left ours in Seattle.”
“Oh, all right. I was worried for a second. I know you prefer your own guitars.”
“It’s all taken care of, baby.” Placing an arm around my shoulder, he squeezed me tightly. “All you’ve got to do is open those pipes and sing. Let everyone in the place know who the real rockstar of this group is.”
“That’s you,” I argued. “This band wouldn’t exist without you.”
“That may be, but you’re the one who truly makes us shine—the icing on the cake so to speak.” His eyes drifted over me. “Mmm, icing. That might be something fun to try later.”
Cheeks heating furiously, I elbowed him in the ribs. “And you called me a nympho.”
He laughed. “There’s nothing wrong with that. I’m really looking forward to a repeat performance tonight, truth be told.”
Sighing, I shook my head. “You really are going to be the death of me. I can tell already.”
He laughed again, squeezing me harder, but our playful banter was cut off as we entered the elevator with everyone else.
Doing my best to be attentive to Stone as he described several things about the music business, I couldn’t help but let my mind wander back to last night and this morning. The way I’d felt wrapped in Caleb’s arms had been magical. I loved him so much. I never wanted to be without him again. I knew this whole band thing had the potential to change our lives significantly, but none of it really mattered to me. The only thing I wanted was to be with him. He was the one thing that made my life complete. Being without him for all these weeks had proven that.
Stepping off the elevator, we followed Stone into a small studio space. I didn’t know why, but for some reason it was much smaller than I’d thought it would be. The instruments were all set up and ready to go.
“Caleb,” Stone said, from where he stood behind a glass partition next to the sound board. “You said you wrote a new song. Let’s hear it.”
“We haven’t had much time to perfect it yet, so it’s still pretty rough,” he responded.
“That’s okay. Do it anyway. Then, when you’re finished, do one with Anna.”
Caleb nodded and I took a seat on a stool in the corner to listen to the new song. The intro was smooth and as soon as Caleb opened his mouth, I knew this song was about what he’d been going through with me.
The color drains away, my life begins to ebb,
Only I can’t really die, because I’m trapped inside my head.
Mistakes are looming large,
Widening into ugly scars,
But I don’t know how to stop the
Bleeding …
It’s running out of me
For all the world to see
This can’t end happily,
Because I just keep
Bleeding…
It’s a loss of my soul,
And the one I want to hold,
I’ll regret this till I’m old,
I’m bleed, bleed, bleed, bleeding
Tears filled my eyes as the sorrowful words of his heartbreak hit me. I felt selfish, having only considered my own pain when I ran, and not what he was going through.
Time is not my friend, it drags on so slow,
Everyday a reminder, of what I’ll never know.
The look inside your eyes,
Shows the horror of my lies,
But I don’t know how to stop the
Bleeding…
My thoughts ran together as he began the chorus anew. It was as if I could hear the pain leaking out of him. Pain I wanted to prevent from ever happening, again. His voice bled into the refrain, catching my attention once more.
Is there any hope?
An escape from purgatory.
Can I somehow make amends?
Get a chance to try again.
Or is this all that’s left?
This dead ache inside of me.
Staring at my blood red sins,
For the rest of eternity
I don’t know how to stop the
Bleeding…
As soon as the song faded out I stood, not waiting for anyone to say it was okay. Making my way to Caleb, I threw my arms around him and kissed him hard. “I’m so sorry I left you. It was wrong. Please forgive me,” I whispered against his mouth.
“There’s nothing to forgive,” he replied, pushing his guitar out of the way so he could drag me closer to him. “You’re here now. That’s all that matters.” He kissed me again and the rest of the guys started whooping and clapping.
“It’s about time,” Stix said, and we broke apart laughing.
Everything was going to be okay now. Caleb and I were together. We could deal with whatever the world had in store for us.
Chapter Thirty
Caleb-
“Ladies and gentleman,” the announcer called. “I now present to you the number one band rockin’ the planet these days . . . Fringe!” The sold out crowd roared its approval as we ran out onto the stage, taking our places.
“Hello, Las Vegas!” Anna yelled into the microphone and the screams grew louder as Stix pounded out the drumbeat to start our first song, Something Beautiful.
Anna’s crystal voice filled the stadium and thousands of voices joined her, singing along to the music. Fists were pumping into the air as people danced up front, surging toward the railing in their bid to get closer. Big, burly bouncers and bodyguards pushed back, attempting to keep the wild crowd in order.
The bass thumped loudly, making the stage floor vibrate beneath my feet. I loved the way it felt and how the music rumbled through my body, as if I was one with it. I briefly wondered if the others felt the same way I did.
Recording in the studio was something I loved; but nothing beat performing in front of thousands. It was a surreal experience to watch other people get so worked up over the music I had written, acting as if it were their own words from their own souls.
Bright lights swooshed over the stage, temporarily blinding me before turning in another direction. The stadium glittered with camera flashes as we rocked the house, and I felt the adrenaline race through my blood at the response of our fans.