by Ali Parker
I anchored her with my mouth and my hands and hung onto her as she thrashed and rode out her orgasm. Waiting until she’d stilled completely, I crawled my way up her body with a wide grin on my face.
“Touch you properly like that?” I asked, echoing her words before kissing her deeply. Kelly never complained when I kissed her after going down on her. It was one of the many ways she surprised me, and I fucking loved it.
She nodded weakly, though I could see she was far from sated. Yet another thing I couldn’t get enough of in her was that her need for me was as insatiable as mine for her. True to my suspicions, her hands were tugging at the string of my pants, and she was hooking her fingers down into them and pushing them down before I could move.
“Yes, like that, but now like this.” Her legs wrapped around my hips, and she shifted so my cock was positioned at her entrance. I edged forward slightly, hissing when my head got coated in her juices. I barely managed to pull back, but I did.
“Like that.”
She bit into her lower lip and nodded, raising her hips. “Yes.”
I repeated the tease over and over again, going just a little bit deeper each time but pulling back until she cried out my name and I couldn’t stand it anymore. Sinking all the way into her, her walls were gripping at me so tightly and she was so fucking wet and smooth that it felt like I’d died and gone to heaven.
She met every thrust with equal fervor, fucking me with as raw and primal a need as my own. I lost myself in our rhythm, taking my cues from Kelly’s body until she came for me twice more. Her last orgasm was so intense that I had no choice but to follow her over the edge, my entire body quivering from the strength of my release.
Bliss. Pure fucking bliss washed over me as I came so goddamned hard inside her that I collapsed on top of her when it was over, only remembering that I was probably crushing her and rolling off when she nudged at my ribs.
Kelly and I lay hand in hand on my mattress, panting as we tried to catch our breath and staring up at my pressed white ceiling. I’d been pleasantly surprised to see that she’d come over. Then I’d remembered that I had to tell her about Allie being here earlier, and a sense of foreboding that I didn’t like had settled over me.
I was fully aware of the fact that I shouldn’t have given a fuck what Kelly had to say about my having had another woman over, but there’d been a pit in my stomach and a dryness in my mouth that I unfortunately couldn’t say had been caused by the bottle I’d climbed into after Allie left.
She’d surprised me yet again when she took my confession as calmly as she had, my heart thundering in my chest as I watched her process and then, miraculously, accept it without any yelling or tears. It was more evidence that she wasn’t quite like any other woman I’d ever known, and I was even more intrigued by her than I had been before.
When I’d kissed her, it was because I couldn’t fucking not do it. She’d somehow crawled into my head, and the way she was looking at me? I probably shouldn’t have done it, but fuck.
Kelly was lost in her own thoughts when I turned my head to face her, a strange expression on her face when her green eyes flitted to mine. “Have you mentioned me to anyone else? Told anyone about us?”
What the hell? “No, I haven’t. You mentioned me?”
“Nope,” she admitted, her eyes drifting back to the ceiling. “It probably wouldn’t look good if I admitted that I was sleeping with a guy I’m doing a story on. People would question my integrity. Etcetera, etcetera. You know how it goes.”
Boy, did I know how it went. Dom’s speech was only too fresh in my mind to forget. “Yeah, it’s probably for the best if we don’t tell anyone what’s going on.”
“Agreed,” she said, and we lapsed into an easy silence.
It was a relief to know that she hadn’t told anyone either, though I wondered why that was. If the sex didn’t mean anything, then I shouldn’t have cared who knew. Maybe it was because I was just worried about Jared and Alicia being annoyed, or maybe it was something else.
The unmistakable reality was I’d developed some sort of feelings for Kelly. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have cared what she or anyone else thought, and I would’ve fucked Allie. The only reason I could think of why I hadn’t been able to go through with it after Allie left was that I felt something for Kelly.
That thought was what had driven me to climb into that bottle before she arrived, because while just about nothing in the world scared me, that one thought scared me shitless. I’d made that mistake before, and it was one I had no intention of repeating.
Chapter 16
Kelly
It was the first performance of the Imperial Inspection tour, and Destitute was kicking it off in Los Angeles. The opening acts were good, but the crowd was getting more reckless and restless waiting for the headliners to take the stage.
A long catwalk split the stadium into halves almost to the middle, and screens were set up on either side of the stage and intermittently throughout the audience. I was seated on the left of the stage, almost right up front in a dedicated press “cage” that Alicia had organized. It was a great view, and I couldn’t wait for the show to start.
A hush fell over the audience when the lights on stage went dark after the last opening act. Then a roaring chant started for Destitute. Figures could be seen on stage moving things into their proper places for the guys to take the stage, and then a fog machine clouded the area with misty wisps of smoke.
At the same time, explosions, flashes, smoke, flames, fireworks, and other pyrotechnic-driven effects started up all over the stage, and the intro to one of Destitute’s most popular songs from the new album started playing.
The audience went wild, screaming so loudly that I was sure I would be deaf by the time the night was done. Even my colleagues in the press box went nuts. Lighters and glow sticks were lit in the audience, and the crowd started singing along to the song that was playing as Destitute ran out.
Jared took the stage by storm, a vision in tight leather flinging his microphone into the air to spin and catching it again as he ran the length of the catwalk. The others appeared after him with less theatrics but with as much energy and anticipation lining their features.
“How’s it going Los Angeleeeeeees?” Jared roared into his mic to deafening cheers by the crowd. Thousands of people yelled back at him, some holding signs with messages addressed to every member of the band. The signs varied from the meek, like “Welcome back boys!”, to others that were slightly more disturbing and ranging from encouraging the guys to spit on them, to get naked, and a few others that made me cringe.
Destitute launched right into their first song, and the band was on fire from there on out. Jared, as always, took some time in between to work up the crowd, read some of the signs, and interact with fans who’d written in about their birthdays.
Caleb and the others would chime in from time to time, all teasing smiles and slightly smudged eyeliner. Watching Caleb up there on that stage, it was hard to believe that I actually knew him. Even harder to believe that I’d touched him, seen him naked, had had conversations with him that he didn’t have with anyone else.
He was the impossible dream up there, yet I knew him so much better than that now. I knew that there was so much more to him than any of these people in the audience could ever even imagine. Caleb’s fingers flew across the fretboard, and his eyes closed as he concentrated, or his tongue popped out when he was teasing the crowd with Jared.
The Larsen boys played off each other perfectly, and it was really time Caleb got more credit for how much he actually did up there with Jared. To my surprise, when Jared read a sign out loud addressed to Caleb, asking him to sign the fan’s back, the guys got him up on stage, and Caleb autographed the man’s back.
Song after song, Destitute smashed it. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric, and from the snippets of conversation I was hearing from those around me, the reviews the band was going to be getting were going to be fantastic.
All in all, it was a great performance to start off the tour.
In the end, they did a three-song encore, and the crowd still couldn’t get enough of them. After the last song, I headed backstage to capture some reactions. My press pass got me past the burly security guards who were having a hell of a time keeping fans out of the inner sanctum.
Fighting my way through an army of fans, press, roadies, and others whose roles I could not identify, I finally made it to where Alicia was standing with the band. Before I even got to them, I could tell that they were pumped up and full of energy about the performance.
Jared had a sweaty arm slung around Alicia’s shoulders, but she didn’t seem to mind as she chatted a mile a minute to all those standing around her.
There were people everywhere, talking and laughing and popping champagne. It looked like a monster of a party was getting started backstage. The guys were all dripping with sweat and were peeling off their shirts and being handed new ones, but they all looked exceptionally happy.
Even Caleb. It was unusual for him to seem so genuinely carefree and ecstatic. Even when we were spending time alone together, he was always very passionate, but he hadn’t struck me as being particularly happy.
“Little Diamond!” Matt exclaimed when I drew closer to them, being the first to spot me.
“Congrats, that was epic,” I told them honestly. “You guys did a great job.”
A chorus of “Thanks, Kelly” went up, and Alicia gave me a quick squeeze before jumping back into work mode. There were hordes of reporters trying to get interviews with the band, and Alicia waved at me, then sent Matt and Nick off to a male blogger I recognized who was waiting for them. When they were settled where she needed them, she guided Jared and Dom to another reporter, leaving only Caleb behind, presumably so I could interview him.
Our gazes caught, and Caleb’s eyes didn’t leave mine for a second as I closed the last few yards between us.
“Hey,” he said, tugging his clean shirt over his head to conceal those drool-worthy abs. Although it meant I couldn’t see them, I found myself relieved that that also meant that none of the other women in here could ogle him either.
“Hey, yourself.” I grinned, itching to reach for his hand and to rise up onto my tiptoes to kiss him, but since we’d agreed on keeping this between us, I did neither of those things. “Have you got a second?”
Caleb nodded and jerked his head to a hallway that seemed to contain dressing rooms and other side rooms. “Sure thing. Let’s go.”
As soon as the door to the side room closed behind us, I was in Caleb’s arms and finally able to say hi properly. I leaned up onto my toes, my hands on the sides of his neck for balance, and kissed him like I’d been wanting to all day.
His arms closed around my waist as he held me to him, and he kissed me back as deeply. For a few long minutes, we stayed like that. Caleb smelled of sweat and smoke and pyrotechnics, but it made for a heady combination.
The stubble on the underside of his jaw scraped my palms, and he tasted like the energy drink I’d seen him toss into the trash when I spotted the band earlier. His hands dropped to my ass, and he pulled me roughly toward him, releasing a low groan in the back of his throat.
We kissed until I was breathless and wanting, but knowing that now was not time made me break the kiss and step back a little, smiling up at him. “Congratulations, you gorgeous, talented man! The show was incredible. What a way to kick off the tour.”
“Thanks. It did go pretty fucking awesomely well.” He pulled me back into his arms and grinned down at me. “Jared sure brought it, didn’t he? Don’t think there’ll be any more rumors about him, or us, losing any edge after that.”
“No, I don’t think so. But he wasn’t the only one who brought it. You were breathtaking up there. I could watch you every night.”
Caleb smirked and smacked my ass lightly. “Oh wait, it’s a good thing you’re going to be watching us most nights then.”
I stuck the tip of my tongue out a him, smiling wide. “I can’t wait. You guys have set the bar insanely high. It’s going to be a tough one to beat.”
I could’ve been imagining it, but I could’ve sworn that his chest expanded a little bit. Confidence oozed from his every pore in a way most men wouldn’t have be able to pull off, wearing skinny leather pants and black eyeliner smudged underneath his smoldering eyes.
“We’ll beat it. You’ll see.”
“I don’t doubt it. You guys were electric up there. I really think that this tour, combined with how successful the album release was, are going to put things over the top for you. Well done. I’m really proud of you, Caleb.”
The corners of his mouth dropped, and he suddenly looked a whole lot less happy. I was puzzled until I remembered what he’d told me during our first interview about the lobsters, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why he was suddenly so sullen.
He was unhappy about my comment about the levels of success I thought they were going to reach. I knew how he felt about getting too big, how certain he was that it wasn’t going to last, but he should’ve been enjoying it while it lasted. It was unimaginable to me how someone whose dreams were coming true could be so negative about it.
It was time to quit beating around the bush. I had to ask him about it point blank. “There are thousands of bands around the world who would give absolutely anything to be in your position right now. Why does success bother you so much?”
Caleb clenched his jaw, and a spark in his eyes went out. “Because success has led to sacrifice for me.”
“That might be a part of it, Caleb. But it’s just a small part of it. I don’t think you know anymore what it actually is that you want.”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about. You don’t know what I’ve sacrificed to be here. Maybe I don’t know what I want anymore, but that’s not your problem, is it?” Gone was warm, excited Caleb with his eager lips from minutes ago. I barely recognized the man standing in front of me now.
“It could be. If you want me to, I’m willing to be there at your side and to help you figure it out. I could be there for you.”
Eyes narrowing, he crossed his arms defensively, raised an eyebrow, and shot me a challenging look. “Oh really? You’re willing to stand by my side, are you? Tell me Kelly, would you give up your job if it came to that? How long would you actually be by my side?”
I was so shocked by his mocking tone and sudden hostility that I couldn’t immediately come up with an answer. Caleb took my silence as my answer and shoved his hands deep into his pockets, brows drawn together.
“That’s what I thought. I think you’ve got the wrong idea. I don’t need you to be there for me or to stay at my side. I don’t need your help. You’re just another notch on my bed post. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Each word that he spat out felt like he was slapping me with it. It made me so damn angry that I was thrown out of my speechless daze, rage coloring my cheeks and making a blob form in my tummy. “That’s not fair, Caleb. Don’t—”
“Hate to be the one that has to break it to you, but life’s not fair.” Caleb gave me a last, long look, twisted the doorknob so violently that I thought it might come off, and stormed out without another word.
I stood there, stunned and completely unable to comprehend what the hell had just happened. One second, Caleb was kissing me like the ship was going down, and the next, he was storming out without so much as a backward glance.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Caleb’s force of nature had finally caught up with me. Had the lightning struck? Was the storm really gone?
It sure looked like it.
Tears started streaming down my face as the realization hit home, and the next thing I knew, I was locking myself in so that no one could find me like this, and I cried and cried. All the while wondering how I’d allowed myself to fall for a guy like that.
Chapter 17
Caleb
The L.A. shows had been killer the last
couple of nights, and I was trying to catch up on sleep before we headed out on the rest of the tour. Lounging by my pool, I had a cold beer and a new album by one of my favorite lesser known bands loaded up to listen to.
It was a clear day, and I could see all the way to the ocean, the sun beating down on my skin when I moved out from underneath the umbrella I’d pulled my lounger under. I was settling in for the long haul when I heard my front door slam.
There was only one person with a key to get into my place without my opening for them.
Jared was here. Of all people.
Seconds later, he was stepping out onto the deck and sliding his sunglasses from his forehead to his eyes as he squinted into the bright sunlight outside from inside the living room.
He was smiling like a crazy person, heading right to the bar. “Few more days and we’re hitting the road for our next tour spot. Life’s good, ain’t it, little bro?”
“Don’t call me that,” I grumbled, getting up and joining him at the bar. I longingly glanced at my earphones, ready to blast some awesome music, but I knew that Jared hadn’t just dropped by. Whatever reason had brought him here, he wasn’t leaving until it’d been dealt with. Which meant my music was waiting until we were done, as was my nap.
He uncapped a beer, took a long swallow, and then turned to me. “But you are my little bro.” Jared smirked. “Why are you so grumpy? Did you miss the aforementioned bit about life being good?”
“I’m not grumpy. I just wasn’t in the mood for company. My life was good… until you got here. If you’re referring to the tour, you know how I feel about all that.”
“You telling me you weren’t amped after these last few shows? They’ve been the fucking bomb, and we haven’t even left L.A. yet. Loosen up, Caleb. Enjoy the ride a bit, you know?”