by Anna Edwards
“Spent? But you seem careful with money. I mean your old wardrobe suggests to me you’re not extravagant.”
She shakes her head again. “No, it wasn’t me. I live with my mom. She has problems.” Zoey shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath. “Please, you can’t tell anyone this…she’s an alcoholic. Has been since I can remember. She spends money on alcohol faster than I can earn it. I was completely stupid and left my bank card at home. She got hold of it and withdrew all the money from my account to pay for her addiction. I now have to try to find five hundred dollars to pay for the water bill as well as put a stop on the card so she can’t withdraw any more money. She’s also fired the person I’d hired to look after her.” Zoey starts to cry again.
I reach over to the nightstand beside the bed and pull out a box of tissues. Grabbing one, I use it to wipe her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Tate. You guys have been wonderful, especially today, but I’m going to have to go home. I can’t leave her on her own anymore. Everything is just such a big mess. I know Fred is going to fire me for leaving this post, but I don’t know what else to do.”
I’m struggling to take in everything she’s telling me. She’s suffering the same pain I felt when I watched Heidi disappear into the realm of the drug that consumed her. Zoey’s mom’s vice is alcohol. My sister’s was heroin. No wonder anything worldly seems strange to Zoey. This situation is something she’s grown up with—it hasn’t happened recently. She’s probably been looking after her mother most of her life. I want to wrap her in my arms and tell her everything will be all right, but I know only too well the power of addiction and the chaos it can cause. The darkness, heartbreak, and the overwhelming feeling of helplessness.
“I don’t see why you have to leave. I can pay the bill for you, and we can find a different person to look after your mom. Would she consider rehab? Is it something you’ve explored before?”
Zoey pushes me away from her and looks at me like I’m an alien.
“You can’t pay the bill, and rehab didn’t help. I’ve tried so many times. The only thing I can do is go back to Seattle and try to figure out how to pay the water company. Maybe I’ll be lucky enough to get a new job straight away.”
“Doing what? The only way you’ll make that kind of money fast is by becoming a prostitute.”
Zoey slaps me hard across the face. I admit I partly deserved it for the prostitute comment, but the truth is, it would be the only way she could get money quickly. It sounds very much like she’s exhausted all other legal avenues.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that,” she quickly apologizes when she realizes what she’s done, but I grab her hand and place her fingers against my lips.
“Hush, I’m sorry for my comment. But I can tell you now, Zoey Danson, I’m not going to let you leave this tour, this bus, even this bedroom until you agree to let me help you. I can see from the look in your eyes and your demeanor this is something you’ve always had to deal with on your own, but you have me now. I won’t let you fight it alone anymore and neither will the other guys. The second you stepped on the bus and gave us hell, you became one of us. So, will you let me pay the bill? Then we can find someone else to look after your mother if she doesn’t like the person she got rid of.”
The tears start again as Zoey breaks down in my arms. I can feel the relief washing over her now she’s finally getting some help. I’m glad I’m the one able to give it to her.
Eventually, she stops crying, and I hand her a few more tissues to dry her eyes with. Then getting to my feet, I reach into my jeans pocket and find my wallet. I take my credit card out and give it to her.
“Are there any other bills you need to pay?”
She shakes her head. “No, it was the only one I hadn’t paid in advance of going away.”
“Okay, phone the water company and get the bill paid. I’ll go and get us both a drink and come straight back. They may need me to authorize the payment as it’s not your credit card.”
Zoey nods. “Tate, thank you for this. I don’t know how soon I’ll be able to repay you, but I will.”
“You don’t have to, it’s okay. I’ve got more in my bank account than I can spend in my lifetime, and I want to help.”
“All right, but I have to do something in return…” She hesitates, thinking about what she can do to repay me. I don’t need anything from her, though, and I won’t accept whatever she proposes. “I know. I can do your chores on the schedule. I’ll do them for the rest of the tour. You won’t have to clean the toilets.” Okay, maybe I will accept that offer. I’m not keen on doing any of those chores.
“Deal.” I smirk.
I leave Zoey to contact the water company, and I head to the kitchen to make a quick call of my own. I arrange for someone to search for a new babysitter for her mother—one that won’t allow themselves to be fired without a fight. I don’t want Zoey to worry about anything while she’s here looking after us. This is a massive opportunity for her, and I won’t let whatever issues her mother has ruin it for her.
When I return to Zoey with a couple of glasses of water, she holds the phone out to me.
“They just want you to confirm a few details, and then it’s all right to use your card.”
Placing the glasses down, I take the phone and confirm my identity to the person on the other end of the line before handing the phone back to Zoey. When the call is completed, she hangs up and lets out a long sigh of relief.
“Thank you again. I didn’t know what I was going to do.”
“It’s all right. We all have skeletons in our closets that threaten to engulf us at times. Just promise me if anything like this happens again, you’ll let me know. I want to help you.”
“I will. You have my word.”
Zoey goes up on her tiptoes and presses a kiss to my cheek.
“Thank you.”
We both freeze, her lips close to mine. A heat burns between us, and I know it won’t be tempered down until I taste her. Moving my head slightly to the side, I kiss her mouth. She tastes of the lemonade she was drinking earlier, but it’s mixed with something sweeter—it’s her natural taste, and it’s all woman. An urgent need grows within me, and I start to devour her mouth. Zoey responds, and any hesitancy disappears as we move toward the bed.
Suddenly, she pulls away from me.
“We shouldn’t,” she whimpers.
“We should. We’re consenting adults, and I’ve been hot for you since the second you walked on the bus.”
“I thought you were a jerk.”
“Probably true.”
I press another kiss to her lips, but she pushes me away again with a hard shove to my chest.
“Tate, I’m not doing this because you loaned me the money—I’m doing it because I want to.”
“I know. If for one instant I thought this was about the loan, I’d be out of this room.”
Our lips meet again, but this time they don’t part. Our mouths and tongues dance together in a passionate exchange of emotion and longing as we fall on to the bed. I wasn’t joking about wanting Zoey the second she ascended the stairs to the bus. I think my mind just took a while to catch up with my dick.
I’m hard and desperately need skin on skin contact with Zoey. I’m not going to pressure her, though. By her own admission, she’s not experienced, and I don’t want to scare her off. She may think we’re about to have sex, but I won’t initiate anything while she’s vulnerable. It will happen eventually, but for now, I just want to give her a moment of pleasure to relax her after the stress her mother has put her through.
“You said you’ve never been down on a guy. Have you ever had someone go down on you?”
She shakes her head. “No, my sexual experience was pretty much a quick fumble in the dark. It wasn’t anything special, and I’ve never had an orgasm that I haven’t given myself.”
I let out a loud groan of desire.
“What?” Zoey questions in confusion.
“Just thi
nking about you making yourself come. I’d like to see that.”
“I swear all you guys are way too sexually charged.” She rolls her eyes.
“Guilty. It’s catching as well, so be careful,” I tease and nibble at the edge of her jaw. “Anyway, you’ve never had someone go down on you?”
“No.”
“That’s about to change.”
I bunch her leather skirt up around her hips, being careful not to tear the fabric. I could easily afford another, but something tells me Zoey would be upset if this one got ruined.
“Tate, what are you doing?” Zoey squirms underneath me as I rip the panties from her body. Okay, I’m too impatient to be careful with them.
“Getting access to where I want.”
I part her legs and get my first view of her pussy. She’s neatly trimmed but not devoid of all her hair like most of the women who throw themselves at the band. I like it. A bit of natural. Inhaling deeply, I can smell her arousal.
“Damn, you smell good.” I take another breath, and when I look at Zoey, her cheeks are bright red. “What?”
“You’re sniffing my pussy. Isn’t it all fishy and stuff?”
I can’t help laughing.
“Believe me, Zoey, your pussy smells of nothing other than desire and need. It wants my tongue to lap at your juices and delve deep inside you until you come on my face. That is exactly what I’m going to do.”
Zoey tries to shut her legs, but I hold them wide apart, keeping her open and on display to me.
“Tate!”
“Get used to it. I’ve got a dirty mouth, and it wants you.”
Doing just as I promised, I lower my mouth to her pussy. I trace my tongue along her slit, stimulating all the sensitive flesh at the apex of her thighs. I find her clit and flick at the nub, and Zoey arches off the bed like she’s just been electrocuted.
“Fuck,” she moans.
Her hands grasp hold of my head, and her fingers ruffle my hair as she draws me closer into her. I dip my tongue inside her, tasting and exploring as I go. My fingers rub at her clit in tiny circles, soft in pressure at first before getting harder and harder.
“More,” Zoey whimpers and pulls me even harder into her body.
I love it. She’s letting go, and I’m the first person to witness this. Her life is tightly controlled. I see it now, but I’m going to unwind her like a piece of coiled rope and show her just how beautiful everything can be. I increase the pressure of my fingers before exchanging them for my tongue again. I delve one finger inside her and then another, stretching her wide. My dick is painfully hard in my jeans. Okay, scrap the no sex thing I was talking about—I’m ready, and so is she. I want to be inside her body, joining us together, so we never come apart. Maybe I could sing on stage with Zoey sitting on my lap. Would the audience notice, I wonder?
Zoey’s body tightens, her pussy clamps down on my fingers inside her, and she’s comes with her clit pulsating against my tongue. She’s screaming my name as her whole body undulates in waves of ecstasy. Eventually, she stills and collapses down on the bed. Her breathing is ragged, and her body is covered in a fine layer of moisture.
“Is that what a good orgasm feels like?” she utters dreamily.
“Yes, and there are plenty more where that one came from, so relax while I divest myself of my jeans.”
“I don’t think I could move if I tried.” Zoey laughs. I slide up her body and press a kiss to her lips. She’ll be able to taste herself on me, and when I pull back, she circles her tongue around her lips. “You’re right, I taste of desire and need.”
“Told you.”
A hammering comes on the bedroom door, and Zoey quickly grabs the sheets and pulls them over her.
“Hey, asshole. You skipped out without paying. Get your butt out here, so I can kick it,” Cameron yells through the door.
“Fuck off,” I shout back.
“What are you up to in there? Is Zoey in there with you? We couldn’t find her,” Liam then asks.
I put my head in my hands, frustrated at their sudden appearance. Zoey looks at me guiltily and bites her lip, which does nothing to placate my rock-hard dick.
They try the door handle next, and I have to dash across the room to stop them from getting in. Zoey doesn’t need them perving on her after her first non-self-administered orgasm.
“I’ll go and sort them out. You get some rest. We fly to London in a few days, and we’ll be staying in hotels while we’re in Europe. While we’re there, I plan to finish what we’ve started, so don’t think this is it, Zoey. You’re mine now. No getting away from me. I can be very persistent.”
Chapter 13
Zoey
#ICouldBeQueenOfBuckingham PalaceAlthoughImNotSureAboutTheCorgies
The limousine makes its way through the streets of London, and I have my nose pressed against the glass of the window taking in all the sights. It’s a place I’ve only read about, dreamed about. I can’t believe I’m here.
Tate and the rest of the band are sleeping after the long flight. I managed to get a few hours of sleep on the plane, but being on a private jet and zooming far away from home was too exciting. I’ve never been on a plane before, and this one had a private bedroom with a real bed and shower. The food was amazing too. I admit I wasn’t sure about the turbulence—it’s not something I’m keen to experience again, but the jet’s on hand for the rest of the tour, so I probably can’t avoid it. It’s how we’ll be traveling between different countries. This whole experience is nuts, completely and utterly crazy.
“Oh my God, it’s Big Ben,” I scream as the limousine passes the Houses of Parliament. “I want to hear it ring.”
Austin shifts in his seat and opens one eye. “The bell inside is Big Ben, and it’s not ringing at the moment due to repairs. You’ll have to come back in a few years.”
I let out a huff of disappointment. This will probably be my only chance to visit London, and I won’t even get to hear Big Ben. That sucks!
“I’ll bring you back again when it’s ringing.” Tate says, despite still having his eyes shut.
He wraps an arm around me and pulls me close to him. We’ve not spoken much since he went down on me. Things have been a little crazy with the tour the last few days and now flying to London. I know they’re tired from the traveling. I’ve not pushed him on what happened between us, and he’s not pushed me. However, any chance he gets to touch me, he does, just like now with his arm around me. It’s a protective gesture and one the other guys seem to understand as me being his. It’s what Tate said to me the other day, and I like it.
I’m still not sure what it all means, and I’m concerned about what’s happening with my mother. She’s informed me she has a new person looking after her, and they’re really getting along. I’m happy about that, especially as she didn’t sound drunk for the first time in a long while when I spoke to her. But I know Tate organized this person, and I can’t help worrying about how I’m going to pay him back for all his generosity. I will someday, but for now, I have a job to do, and I’m going to focus on that. Especially as it means I get to explore London.
“Buckingham Palace,” I scream, this time at the top of my voice, and all four of the band members wake up with a start. “Can we stop, please?” I beg them all.
“It’s just a big building. You’ll see loads more while we’re here.”
“It’s not that—it’s where the Queen lives. Meghan, Harry, Kate, and William all visit there. It’s where they all stand on the balcony and wave to the public. Please I just want to take a closer look.”
Cameron bangs on the glass of the divide between us and the driver, and the driver lowers the glass.
“Can you stop here?”
“Here, sir?”
“Please, Miss Danson wants to get a selfie in front of Buckingham Palace for her social media.”
“It’s a little difficult, sir. The police might not be entirely happy about it.”
“Just do it,” Tat
e growls and pulls me closer to him.
“I’ll distract the police.” Austin laughs. “I’m sure they’ll be interested in some good old Irish jokes.”
“Just don’t get arrested. I don’t want to have to do a selfie of you in prison stripes,” I plead.
“Damn it.” Austin slaps his thigh as the driver pulls the vehicle to a halt.
We all jump out as a policeman approaches the limousine. Austin and the driver try to tell him we’ll only be a few minutes while Tate, Cameron, Liam, and I head toward the gates to take a picture.
“I know the flag being flown means something.” I point to where the flag is flying high above the palace.
“It means the Queen is home,” Tate replies, and I squeal a little, thinking the Queen of England could be gazing out of a window at this very moment and staring at me.
“Oh my God.” I wave like an idiot and check all the windows, looking for a wave back.
“Nerd,” Cameron responds, and then rolls his eyes as a couple of passersby recognize the band and approach them for autographs. “We’ve got this. You and Tate take the photograph. We won’t have long before a riot starts if word gets out we’re here.” Cameron drags Liam over to where a group of excited girls has gathered.
I raise my phone up and take a few snaps. Then quickly opening up a text message, I send one off to my mother. She asked to see a picture of Buckingham Palace when I found it. A few seconds later, the phone rings. It’s my mom, and I answer it, worrying something is wrong.
“You’re at Buckingham Palace. What’s it like? Is it big? Can you see the Queen?” she fires off a load of questions at me, and I find myself feeling excited all over again. I can tell by her voice she’s sober even though it must be late evening in Seattle.
“It’s amazing, Mom. London is so vibrant. I can see the big red buses and the black cabs. We passed Big Ben, and Tate promised me he’s going to take me on the London Eye later. I’ll get a great view of everything.”
“You’re so lucky. I’m proud of you for doing this. Enjoy every moment, my darling, and send me all the pictures. I want to live vicariously through you. Embrace everything.”