“When do you want to start?” I had my pink Strat with me, and I knew Baden never went anywhere without his Squier.
“I would like to have this ready to record during Christmas break.” That was only weeks away. For us to do this, we were going to have to spend some of our travel time together. It took time to compose a good song. Coming up with the words was one thing. Next, we would have to find the melody, introduce each instrument, and where they would best suit the song.
It hit me—the bastard. Everyone was congratulating Jade and Kestrel on their recent copulation. Add in Emily’s excitement about Sapphire joining her for the remainder of her pregnancy, and it made sense that Baden knew we had plenty of room on the bus to accommodate another person.
Plus my reasoning of wanting the band to bond with no outside interference went out the window. I had no excuse for not wanting Baden to join me.
I turned in the tub to face him and flicked water in his face. “Baden, is this a roundabout way for you to tell me you expect an invitation onto the Divine Chrysalis bus?”
Chapter 39
Baden
I knew she was going to see right through my plan to finally convince her to allow me to move onto that damn bus. I was serious about the duet. It came to me as we were jamming with some of the roadies.
I wasn’t going to lie to Crystal.
“When the song came to me, it wasn’t my intention to use it for that purpose. However, the more I played around with it, the more I came to see that this should be a duet. Why give it to someone else when I’m very well acquainted with a great female lead?” I braced my hand under her knees and pulled forward until she was straddling me in the tub.
“If it gets me more one on one time with you, well, that would be a bonus.” I lifted my hips so she could feel my arousal from having her naked chest pressed to mine.
She rotates her hips, drawing a low growl out of my chest. I should have known better than to tease her. She knew how to give it right back.
“I’ve talked to Ashley and Amber, and if you can agree to a few ground rules, they would not be opposed to you moving onto our bus.” She blushed and bit her bottom lip.
“What about you, Crystal, are you opposed?” I had to be sure the decision was hers and not some obligation she thought I was owed.
“I could be convinced as to the benefits of having you at my beck and call,” she purred.
“I bet you could,” I responded by lifting her off my lap and pulling her out of the tub. I wrapped her in the plush terry robe that was placed by the bathtub before grabbing the other one for myself.
“Are you going to ravish me with the expectation that I would agree to anything you ask while I suffer from an overload of sex brain?” She walked to the bed and sat on the end, allowing her robe to gap open, showing off her mile-long legs.
I slowly approached and dropped to my knees in front of her. “No, I am going to worship every fucking inch of this beautiful body before I lay you out and make love to you until you can’t remember anything except that you are mine.”
I gently pushed her back and opened her legs to find her perfect pink pussy waiting for the attention it deserved. Winking at me was her ruby piercing. I inhaled her scent as I traced my nose along the long lines of her calf and thighs.
It had been weeks since I’d had the pleasure of her taste. I was okay with a quick fuck when the occasion arose. I had never been one to rush going down on a woman. This act required time if the end goal was to provide a mind-blowing release that ignited an orgasm. And tonight we had the time.
I was prepared to spend the night proving to Crystal why we were meant for each other. No other woman had me writing love songs, for Christ's sake. It was time to put all my chips on the table and tell Crystal that I had fallen in love with her. I was ready to give her all of me. I was no longer holding back in fear that she did not feel the same.
She would eventually. Not every relationship progressed at the same pace. Maddox was in love with Kitt from the moment he saw her in Theo’s office. We could all see it in the way he mooned over her. It took Kitt a little longer to get on board with her emotions. If Crystal needed more time to come to that conclusion, I would give it to her. But she needed to know where I stood.
I was in love, and I was never going to let her go.
The proof of my promise to worship her was apparent by the evidence I left on her milky white skin. My day old scruff left a trail on the insides of her thighs as I brought her to orgasm and drank every drop of her feminine essence. She was going to have to wear a scarf if she did not want the red blotches that marred her neck and collarbone to show how much I enjoyed having my mark on her. The love bites on the cheeks of her butt would remind her she was mine every time she sat down.
Yes, it was a very caveman thing for me to do, and I took pride in that.
I cradled her to my chest while the last glow of her latest orgasm subsided. As much as I enjoyed sex, this was my favorite part of us. The cuddling, the conversation that would follow and her opening up her heart to me.
“You do realize that the limitation of the bunks is going to prevent this sort of activity?” This was a good sign. She was discussing the logistics of how this would work.
“Just because we will be sharing a bed as small as it may be, it doesn’t mean I expect sex every night, Crystal. I know how to control myself. Do you?” I asked teasingly.
She slapped me on the chest, “Jerk. Of course, I can control myself. Mostly.”
“Mostly?” I wagged my eyebrows animatedly.
She snuggled against me and wrapped her arms around my torso. Her warmth seared me, and she would forever mark my heart.
“You said Ashley and Amber had guidelines, what would they be?” Better to get those out of the way so I could forge a path to my desired destination.
“They expect that you would not be parading around without clothing. At the very least you need to keep your junk contained at all times.”
“Agreed. It’s not like I want anyone staring at my junk in the first place, except you.” I was going to have to invest in some sweat shorts for sleeping.
“No threesomes or I guess foursomes in this case,” she said, and with a straight face to boot.
“What the fuck, Crystal? What are you telling these girls about our sex lives?” I was shocked they would make such a ridiculous accusation.
Unable to suppress her pleasure at my expense, Crystal elaborated. “What Amber officially asked was if you were going to expect this to turn into some kinky harem situation.”
“Amber? Sweet, innocent, passive Amber?” It couldn’t be.
“Yes, sweet, innocent Amber. She’s read the stories about how you and Maddox behaved on your last tour. You told me that neither of you did anything to dispel the rumors that alluded to the fact that you shared groupies. What did you expect her to think?”
“I don’t know, but not that.” It was correct that Maddox and I had to explain to Kitt and Crystal the situation that led to the rumors. Our immaturity at the time left us believing there were worse things written about us.
“Junk encased and no harems, that’s about it.” Crystal concluded.
If I was not as in love with this woman as I was, I might take offense to her taking enjoyment out of my discomfort.
I let out a loud grunt and thought about the situation. It was kind of funny. Okay, thinking about the look on Amber's cherub face and wide innocent eyes as she asked Crystal about becoming a member of my harem was hilarious.
“Am I to assume you set both Ashley and Amber straight on the fact that I do not share and have not shared a woman with my brother or any other man?” I hope to hell she didn’t expect me to do it. I didn’t think I could keep a straight face, and that would not go over well.
“Of course, I did. Amber was embarrassed, and I told her it was not her fault. She was not the only one to make assumptions based on stories in a tabloid.” Crystal and her family were aware of h
ow easy it was to have your life exploited for all the wrong reasons.
“Is it settled, then? Do I get to move over to the Divine Chrysalis bus when we check out of Toronto?” I held my breath waiting for the only answer that I saw as acceptable.
“Yes, Baden, I would very much like to spend my evenings cuddling with you. Even if it’s on a cramped bunk at the back of the bus.” She was glowing as she accepted our fate.
“I love you, Crystal. I am in love with you.” I pulled her in for a soul-searing kiss. I was going to scramble her brain with happy endorphins before I let her reply.
I released her mouth and stared into her lust-filled eyes. I was prepared to tell her I could wait until she caught up to me.
“I love you too, Baden,” she confessed in a whisper.
I claimed her mouth and did not let her come up for air until I was positive she was not going to change her mind. I had hoped she felt as strongly for me as I did her. Her affirmation loosened the tightness that had taken up residence in my chest.
She loved me.
“I’m going to show you how much I love you, Crystal. Then tomorrow we are going to move all my shit over to the Divine Chrysalis bus. I’m not waiting a moment longer than needed to show everyone what I had always known. We belong together. We are better together. And then you and I are going to kill the fuck out of this love song.”
I was the happiest I have ever remembered. It was time for me to bring Crystal home for an old fashioned Dogger Sunday dinner. Mom and Pops were going to love her. We had three weeks left on tour. With our busy schedules, there was no way I was going to be able to fly us across the country for Sunday dinner and not interrupt the tour.
Christmas was our next break.
Was it fair of me to ask Crystal to dump her family at Christmas to meet mine?
Chapter 40
Crystal
The grey sky called for rain, and the long drive to our new location had me wanting to snuggle against Baden under the covers of our bed and sleep the day away.
Instead, I found myself curled up on one end of the sofa on the bus working with Baden on our love song. It should have been easy. We were in love, but why we could not project those emotions into this song was beyond me.
We should have handed it off to Sapphire last week like I suggested after another frustrating session and getting no further ahead. Baden insisted we could do this.
I was beginning to have my doubts.
“There’s not enough angst,” Amber commented from the kitchen where she was throwing a variety of chopped up vegetables in a pot on the stovetop.
Baden quirked an eyebrow. I simply shrugged.
“Every great love song involved someone getting their hearts broken and finding that one person who puts it back together. Hence angst.” I thought over what Amber had said. Maybe she had a point.
Baden and I understood angst. We both admitted to having our hearts broken. It was a long time ago, and now we were in relationship bliss.
“Country songs sing about heartbreak and angst,” Baden smirked bitterly. “This song is about passion, love, and commitment.”
Ashley joined in the conversation as she sat on the armchair across from us. “The song sounds too country, but the words don’t match.” She pulled her Gibson on her lap and began to demonstrate.
“You’re playing it in C, F, and G, a classic mistake with love songs.” She took the notebook off the table between us and began to play. “Let’s try something more old school rock and add some common progressions from the key of D and the key of G. On the riff add in D-G-A. D-Bm-G-A. G-C-D.”
I sat with my mouth gaped open like a guppie.
“There was never anything wrong with the words, just the melody,” Ashley placed her guitar down gently, reached for the stub of a pencil sitting on the table and began to add her notes in the margin. “Here you go,” she handed the book back to Baden with a satisfied smile.
Baden placed the book between us, and I gave a nod. The music flowed between us organically and as naturally as if we had written it ourselves. The changes were subtle but made an enormous impact on the finished product.
We had ourselves a love song.
“I’m going to let Theo know we will be performing this at the fundraiser for the community center.” He jumped up and headed for the bed where we had both left our cell phones to avoid being interrupted during our creative process.
“Wait, Baden, I never agreed to perform at the fundraiser,” I blurted. We had been asked to volunteer an hour at the community center where Shelby’s parents were involved. I never delved too deep into the personal lives of the other band members. Whatever reason Theo had for agreeing to assist Shelby’s parents had nothing to do with me.
“Christmas Eve is a big deal at my house. It’s when our entire family gets together and celebrates Christmas. We exchange gifts, have a turkey dinner and go to midnight mass.”
Ashley and Amber made their way to my side, waiting for Baden’s response.
“None of you are going to be there?” He glared at each of us. I did not care for the tone in which he was speaking.
“It’s not like Theo didn’t get enough acts to fill all the spots,” Ashley answered, straightening her back. She was not going to let Baden guilt trip us about not giving up our precious family time to help underprivileged kids.
“Baden,” Amber soothed, “it’s tradition, and Keith is going to be coming home,” she reasoned.
Baden returned and scooted the girls over so he could sit beside me. “I guess we should have discussed what our plans were for Christmas break.” He smiled, seemingly embarrassed by his previous tone.
It was my turn to be embarrassed. “I assumed you would be spending it with your family and then we would spend a few days together at the McMansion before we have to be in New York for our New Year’s Times Square performance.”
“We’re going to let the two of you work this out,” Amber pulled on Ashley’s arm, giving Baden and me some alone time.
“We’ve been living in our own little bubble, and it’s been great.” I didn’t want him to think I regretted going down his road with him. However, the last three months had been a whirlwind of cities and shows and life on the road. Our lives were not going to look like this after the tour.
These were the final few days before Christmas break. We were scheduled to arrive in Vancouver early Friday morning. We would perform Friday and Saturday. Theo and his wife Sabrina were going to be on-site for the final show of our North American tour.
We were saying goodbye to many of the people we had come to think of as family. Not all the roadies were making the trip to Europe with us. There were many facets to how the back end of the music industry worked, and I could not even begin to wrap my head around the logistics involved.
Baden made it clear that he was in this relationship for the long haul. It was about time we had the meet the parents talk.
“For all the times we have spent together, we never talked about our past or our future. We have been living in the moment. Our communication skills suck.” It killed me to admit that Baden and I knew very little of each other. The personal information couples shared during the dating process; we skipped right over all of it.
“We have plenty of time to get to know each other, Crystal. I’ll do better, I swear,” Baden promised. “By the end of the next leg of the tour, I’ll know how old you were when you stopped wearing your hair in pigtails to when you had your braces removed.”
I snickered at his proclamation. “It’s not like I bothered asking you about how you spent your childhood,” I admitted. “I know your parents are still together and as you know, so are mine. I know you have a brother, and you’ve met my cousins.”
“I know a good place to start,” he laced his hands in mine and kissed the top of my head. “Sing with me at the fundraiser. I’ll have Theo slate us as the first act. Then, if you agree, I would love to spend Christmas Eve with you and your traditional
family.” He tipped my chin so our eyes met.
“I think that is a wonderful idea. I’m not sure how my father is going to feel about me sneaking a boy into my childhood bedroom.” It wasn’t a genuine concern. After Baden and I came out as a couple, my father had called me to confirm the rumors. He had been on my case about bringing Baden around. Our schedules had been so busy I never took the effort to make that happen.
“What about spending time with your family, Baden?” I was flattered that he was willing to give up time with his family to appease me, but it didn’t sit right with me.
“Would you be up for a drive Christmas day to come with me to celebrate Dogger style?” The hope in his eyes made my heart melt.
“I think that is a very reasonable compromise.” I placed a chaste kiss on his lips. “Then you can sneak me up to your childhood bedroom.”
“Now that I can arrange,” the seductive growl made me clench my thighs. “I’ll make that call to Theo and get the ball rolling, then you and I are going to practice our song.” He headed down the hallway towards our bed.
“You can come out, it’s all clear,” I shouted to Ashley and Amber. Amber scurried over to the stove and stirred the stew she had simmering. We took turns planning and making meals. We each had our specialty, and it was nice not worrying about when we would find the next rest stop that had a diner. Take out was also becoming monotonous.
Baden returned, cell phone in hand. “I want to apologize.” He looked at Ashley and Amber. “I swore that I would never do anything that would cause anyone enough discomfort that they had to leave the room, and with you two, I did that.” If I didn’t already love this man, I would have fallen knowing he cared about how his actions affect those around him. He was an arrogant, cocky, rock star. He could also be sweet, funny, and humble.
Rock Gods: Baden Page 21