She was a well known, well-respected DJ, and overlapping into her time would not have gone over well. We wanted to keep our relationship with this club on good terms. And we certainly did not want to come off as amateurs not knowing any better.
Worse would be if we appeared too cocky like our time was worth more than the following act. It was a fine line, and we were going to adhere to it.
The minute the last one of us entered the dressing room, we hugged each other squealing and dancing around like a bunch of adolescents at a sleepover.
I could feel his eyes on me without looking at the door. His scent wafted across the room, seeking me out like a homing beacon.
“Get it all out now, ladies,” he chuckled. “We need you cool and confident for the press, not acting like prepubescent teenagers.”
The low rumble of his husky voice gave me goosebumps. I gravitated towards him and inhaled good and deep. I couldn’t wait to get him alone. He looked as delicious as he smelled.
The only thing standing in my way was the busty bartender who not too discreetly passed him her number.
Had he made plans with her?
Chapter 17
Baden
I took the opportunity to watch the girls revel in their success. Theo congratulated me on making them a cohesive group. The credit belonged to them. Each came with their own level of talent.
Experience taught them to put egos aside.
What happened on that stage was nothing short of magic. There would be no doubt in anyone's mind that these girls earned their place in the upcoming tour.
My job working with them should have been over. As Theo said, they were holding out. I was going to have them back in the studio Monday morning. Fun and Burn were going to be added to the album.
The songs were out there now. There was no need for Emily to be afraid of David hearing them.
I reminded the girls they only had half an hour before the press conference. Unless they wanted to go out there looking like they had run a marathon, they might want to do a quick change.
The guys and I always brought a fresh t-shirt with us. Most of the time it was because we had lost ours at some point during the show. A combination of physical exertion and hot stage lights had us peeling them off for relief.
The ladies in the audience often appreciated the act.
Performing on stage without a shirt was acceptable. Parading around during the press conference and meet and greets, not so much. Unlike their male counterparts, these ladies did not have the option of going shirtless on stage.
“We are a little sweaty,” Ashley declared, “and smelly,” she snickered after sniffing Jade and pinching her nose in mock disgust.
“Five women and one dressing room.” It was Jade’s turn to wrinkle her nose like she smelled something putrid. “We may have to negotiate these terms,” she added.
“Here's the plan, girls,” Crystal spoke up. “Jade, since you actually have to put some clothes on, take the dressing room.”
They all looked at Jade in her barely-there sports bra and boy shorts and giggled. What the fuck was with all the giggling? When the guys would come off stage after a performance, we were high on adrenaline. It was nothing to pick a groupie and fuck the energy out afterward.
My latest project would be waiting in the wings. They knew what was expected, what I needed.
I guess the endorphin high for men differed from those of the female persuasion. The ladies were downright giddy with excitement.
“The rest of us do need to fix our hair and makeup, though.” Crystal pointed at me. “Baden, stand watch while we commandeer the public washroom.” With that, she grabbed her bag as I watched them strut down the hall.
I had my doubts we were going to make it to the green room where the press was congregating on time.
My experience with women told me it was going to take more than half an hour for them to be comfortable with the way they looked knowing they were meeting the press.
I was wrong.
Jade stepped out of the dressing room ten minutes later. A black nylon sarong was wrapped around her body and tied at the neck. It left her long legs, shoulders, and toned arms exposed. The faux hawk she sported on stage was held secure with the hair glue I’d seen her use.
Except for mascara and lip gloss, she cleared her face of any residual stage makeup. She looked stunning. The press was going to love her. Her beauty was timeless in an Audrey Hepburn sort of way.
Five minutes later, the rest of the women emerged looking every bit as stunning.
Each had removed the excess stage makeup needed not to look washed out under the unforgiving lights.
Like Jade, a fresh coat of mascara and lip gloss was all that was needed. Each one had a natural beauty. Ashley and Amber opted to pull their long platinum hair into a loose braid. Sapphire’s short pixie cut always looked messy, like she just got out of bed.
When Crystal emerged, my mouth went dry. Gone was the over the top corset. In its place, a black t-shirt similar to what the other girls had on. It too was blinged out in crystals. PERFECT PITCH was scrawled across her ample chest.
She kept her hip-hugging denim that accentuated her lean, long frame down to her black boots. I remembered how they encased her firm, heart-shaped ass.
Also missing were the blue contacts. Crystal's colorless eyes were surrounded in a smoky hue. Cat eyeliner done to perfection. Red pouty lips completed the look.
I didn’t bother to try to adjust my raging hard-on. I would not be at the table for this press conference. No one was going to be looking at me. No one except the breathtaking beauty whose allure and presence was bound to attract attention.
I ushered everyone to the green room with plenty of time to spare. I held Crystal back and whispered in her ear, “Is it everything you dreamed of?”
Her tongue languished across her bottom lip before worrying it between her toothpaste commercial perfect teeth. “Almost.”
“Almost?” What could be missing?
She reached into my pocket and pulled out the napkin with the phone number on it. I must not have tucked it all the way in if Crystal noticed it.
She crumpled it up and stuck it in the drink I had been holding.
“Your busty friend might be getting off at one,” she hissed, “but you will be too busy getting me off.” She sauntered away with an exaggerated sway of her hips to the table set up for the press conference and took her seat.
Theo had booked us into the Marriott. We had adjoining suites making communication and traveling as a group a smooth transition. I knew I wanted Crystal to myself. I took the initiative to book myself a private room down the hall and away from prying eyes and ears.
I had not defined what was growing between Crystal and me. The chemistry was off the charts. Our interests were on par as well as our warped sense of humor.
Getting to know her this past month working together had to be some of the best days I’d had in a very long time.
The fact that we had only had sex twice was what was messing with my head. As much as the sex with Crystal was off charts, I found myself enjoying her company, her wit. I was getting to know her as a person, a colleague.
Not a project. Not someone who needed to be treated with kid gloves until they were trained. She was experienced and understood the rules of the game.
Was I becoming tired of the game? Not only was I not fucking Crystal every night, but I also wasn’t fucking anyone. Maybe it was time to change the rules. I made them; I could damn well break them.
It was time to learn what rules Crystal played by and which ones she would be willing to break.
Which ones would she be willing to let me break with her?
Chapter 18
Crystal
When Theo arranged our performance, he booked the top floor of the Marriott for the Bentley team.
I couldn’t get to the hotel fast enough. I made it very clear to Jade our room was hers for the evening. She and Kestrel, Brackis
h’s lead singer, had been eye-fucking each other all night. I had no doubt he was going to end up in her room.
I quickly said my goodbyes to the girls after the meet and greet and got one of the security guys Theo hired to take me back to the hotel.
I took my time in the shower. I needed to rid myself of all the different odors that had been clinging to my clothes and body. I always traveled with my own toiletries. Finding products that did not irritate my overly sensitive skin has proven to be a challenge.
You could find almost anything online if you look hard enough. I was in contact with an herbalist who was excited to work with me. She said she was going to enjoy finding a solution to the unique challenges I presented. It took a few tries, but she found a formula that worked for me.
The science behind her product was that the essential oils worked with the individual’s natural body oils to create a unique blend. The subtle hint of strawberries would always be an underlying scent. But when mixed with my pheromones, well, the way Baden reacted to it spoke for itself.
I towel-dried my hair and ran a brush through it to detangle any stray ends.
I dug through my luggage, searching for my sexy pink lace bodysuit. For all my protesting, my mind knew I was going to need this.
I slipped into my comfortable silk lounging pants in cotton candy pink. I paired it with a Hello Kitty tank top. I was not going to do the walk of shame half-naked.
There was no shame in spending the night with Baden. I would proudly walk back to my room in the morning. That didn’t mean I was brazen enough to do it in my underwear. Especially not in front of the entire Bentley crew.
I knocked once, and the door to Baden’s room flung open.
He took the time to drink me in from top to bottom.
“Interesting choice.” He smiled and licked his lips in approval.
He stepped aside before closing the door and leaned his back against it. I noticed his hair was damp from his shower. He stood leaning with hooded lust-filled eyes. I watched a drop of water slide down his naked torso, beyond his happy trail, finding refuge beneath the waistband of his sweatpants.
“What?” I stood defensively. “Were you expecting a Victoria’s Secret fashion show?”
“No,” he answered too quickly. “Okay, maybe,” he shrugged unapologetically.
He stalked towards me. He slipped his long talented fingers beneath the strap of my Hello Kitty tank top, toying with it. “I’m sure I can work with this,” he seductively drawled with a cocky grin.
I pushed him away, playfully.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint the famous Bad Dog, now would I?” The question was rhetorical. Of course, he was going to get a show. I wasn’t letting this sexy as fuck bodysuit go unnoticed.
I ran my hand along the hem of my tank top. Very slowly, I raised it and peeled it off. I heard the air escape his lungs. I kept my eyes on him, knowing he would not chance to lose the connection by looking away.
Next, I dropped my lounging pants and kicked them aside.
I tilted my head and licked my lips in that tantalizing way porn stars did. I was silently asking if he liked what he saw.
I didn’t have to wait long for my answer.
He was on me in seconds.
Which was about how long it took for him to undress us both and have us both naked on the bed.
“Whoa, slow down there, big boy, we’ve got all night,” I panted at his exuberance.
He stopped and gazed down at me quizzically. “You’re staying the night?”
Chapter 19
Baden
Had I heard her correctly? Did she plan on spending the night? I was shocked. Given what had transpired the last two times we had sex, I thought it was going to take nothing short of a miracle for me to convince her not to leave once we’d had our fill of each other.
“Fuck, I shouldn’t have assumed that was what you had planned.” She backpedaled before reaching for my cock. “Fast and hard?”
I pulled away.
“Wow… now it’s your turn to slow down.” I was not going to let this moment turn into something that both of us were going to regret.
I pulled the covers back. “Get in and make yourself comfortable,” I urged her. She slipped beneath the pristine white sheets on the bed. I slid in beside her and pulled her against my side.
I kissed the top of her head. “First, let me start with confirming that I do indeed want you to spend the night in my bed.” I glanced down to find her blushing. It amazed me at times how innocent she appeared. It also thrilled me that I could make her blush.
“I’m sorry if my question caught you off guard.” I paused before continuing. How was I going to explain my confusion without sounding condescending or judgmental?
“The last two times we did this, you didn’t exactly give off a lot of feels, if you know what I mean.” Fuck, I hoped I was relaying my message properly.
“Oh,” she buried her face in my chest. “Well, yeah. I guess I can understand why you would ask.”
She looked up at me. “The last two times were a spur of the moment hookup. I wanted tonight to be something more. I’m not asking for a relationship,” she was too quick to add. “But, I thought we could do more than a quick pump and dump.”
“Damn, girl, you’ve got a way with words.” I was not going to let her off the hook that easily. “Pump and dump, really?” I took her hand and placed it on my chest above my heart. “That shit hurts, babe. Am I a piece of meat to you?” I feigned righteous indignation.
She faked a pout. “Okay, maybe the pump and dump was more your brother’s style, but don’t you dare try and sell me the innocent act, Bad Dog.” Oh yeah, she went there. That was the second time she had thrown my old moniker at me.
Why had we thought those nicknames were the best thing that could have happened to us?
Now I remembered. We were young and newly discovered and would do anything our old label told us to make it to the top. And we did.
She was also correct in the assumption that I was not innocent. Did I go through groupies the way the other guys in the band had?
No.
I’d be lying if I said I never succumbed to the temptations thrown my way. It wasn’t my usual preference, but I wasn’t some saint, either.
I flipped her on her back and hovered above her, being careful not to crush her slender frame under my weight. I nudged her knees open and settled between her thighs.
I lowered my lips to her ear and nipped lightly.
Her pale skin flushed.
Heat targeted my groin. I ground my erection against her mound.
“Hmmm, I see the hard portion of the evening decided to make an appearance,” she teased as she raised her hips.
“Fuck,” I growled as I lifted myself enough to lose contact with her. “I’m ready to blow,” I panted like a dog in heat. Essentially, living up to the name Bad Dog.
“You’re not the only one on edge, big boy.” She palmed my cock. I was positive I was going to come all over her smooth, delicate hand. “I didn’t get my obligatory backstage fuck to release the adrenaline after our performance.”
It took all my concentration to hold back the imminent geyser about to erupt. I would visit that comment about the backstage fuck later.
“Hard and fast for now?” she asked breathlessly. “We’ll do the feels later.”
I grunted in agreement. She felt amazing. Her hands were soft and warm. I had not had any sexual release since our time together at the McMansion. Not even at my own hands.
After being with Crystal, she continually occupied my thoughts every waking moment. No one riled me up the way she had. I would have agreed to walk through hell barefoot if she asked me to right now.
As she predicted, my release was fast and hard.
I still saw stars when I felt the warm washcloth cleaning the mess of my cum on my stomach.
“You might want to invest in a cock ring, you know, for future endeavors.” She pointed
to my flatulent cock as I sighed in contentment.
A hand-job had never done me in that fast. I took pride in my stamina and self-control. Something I lacked around this beautiful, intoxicating woman.
I watched her saunter back to the bathroom to discard the washcloth. She returned to the bed and nuzzled under the blankets, making herself comfortable. I pulled her into my side.
“Why do I lose all control when I’m with you?” I asked as we lay facing each other.
She smiled sweetly and bit her bottom lip. “Hmmm, that sounds suspiciously like an excuse for your lack of stamina.”
“Not an excuse.” I tucked a stray hair that had fallen into her face behind her ears. “Just stating a fact.” I ran my hands down her delicate face. “You know my reputation,” I smirked. “Can you honestly say you were expecting that to happen?”
“From your reputation and our previous encounters, I would have to say no. But I did warn you that it was going to be hard and fast. You were hard; I was fast,” she laughed.
“Is it time for the feels?” I wanted her to open up to me. Up until this point, all of our interactions had primarily been about work. The two occasions that weren’t she left no room for conversation.
“Okay, I feel like you owe me an orgasm.” I watch a slow grin plastered across her face.
“Oh, I definitely owe you, but not until we figure out what’s going on between us.” I was unsure about how to approach the subject. I didn’t know what I was feeling, but I knew something was happening.
I couldn’t wait to start my day because I knew I would be spending it with her. She always appeared to enjoy my company, as well. There were times we butted heads about creativity, but that happened with all good artists.
She let out an exasperated groan before sitting up against the headboard and wrapping the sheet around her body to cover her nakedness.
“I dated a musician once. It didn’t end well. I’ve avoided making that mistake twice.” Her tone wasn’t bitter, but there was an underlying sadness about it.
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