True Loves (A Collection of Firsts)

by Michelle A. Valentine

  “Of course I would. You’re my oldest friend.”

  Noel throws his arm around me and pulls me close to his side just like old times, and I’m amazed at how natural it feels.

  12

  We pull into Dallas a little after four o’clock the next day. The bus rounds the corner toward the American Airlines Center concert hall. It’s yet another monstrously huge venue Black Falcon will no doubt fill tomorrow night. Security guards open the Authorized Personal Only gate and allow the bus through. The driver turns the bus smoothly into the back lot and then cuts the engine.

  “Whoo hoo! Two days of freedom, boys!” Trip yells as he slaps a baseball cap over his jet black hair. “Now to find me a little honey while I’m here.”

  Tyke laughs as he looks out the bus window. “That shouldn’t be a problem.”

  I follow his line of sight. A mass of fans wait outside with cameras and “We love you” signs. Most of them are women, but there are a few guys in the mix as well. The majority seem harmless, but a handful of women stick out in their scanty clothing that screams, “Fuck me!” Trip and Tyke point out a few and call dibs on certain women. Riff joins them and gives the group a careful onceover, as though he’s deciding which dessert to pick.

  I roll my eyes. Men.

  My cell phone rings, and I yank it from my back pocket. “I was just getting ready to call you.”

  “Good thing because I’m already here,” Aubrey says. “I think this is the bus you’re on.”

  I shove between the gawking men and scan the crowd. Aubrey stands to the side with her phone against her ear, wearing a pair of low-rise, cut-off shorts and a black tank top. She’s showing just enough stomach for the guys to fight over which one has dibs on the redhead.

  “I see you! I’m coming out,” I say. I take the steps two at a time and shove open the bus door.

  Aubrey pushes past security to grab me in a tight hug. “I’ve been waiting for freaking ever.” She releases me and shoves her auburn curls over her shoulder. “It’s good to see you. I’ve missed you.”

  I grab her hand. “Come on. I want you to meet the guys before they all take off on their two-day reprieve.”

  Aubrey giggles with excitement and allows me to pull her onto the bus. All three guys stop talking when we step inside. The curiosity burns in their eyes as I pull Aubrey beside me.

  “Guys, this is my closest friend, Aubrey. Aubrey, this is Black Falcon. This is Trip”—I point at him—“he’s the drummer. And this is his twin brother, Tyke—also the bass player. And last but not least—”

  “Riff.” He steps forward and shakes Aubrey’s hand as he introduces himself. His eyes glue to hers, and she giggles again. I have never seen her so unhitched and nervous. Both of her cheeks turn pink as they shake hands for an extra-lengthy time period.

  The twins seem to notice it too. Trip slaps Riff on the back. “Later, man.” Then he and Tyke go out to round up other girls.

  I clear my throat, and Aubrey lets go of Riff’s hand. “So, um, Aubrey, what do you want to do today?” I ask.

  She finally pulls her eyes away from Riff and says, “Doesn’t matter.”

  “How about we all hang out?” Riff says.

  Heavy boots clomp onto the kitchen floor. Noel is showered and looking downright sexy in tight jeans and a black T-shirt. The material clings to his chest and shows off his body perfectly. I bite my lip, and Aubrey elbows me. Damn. I glance away and hook some loose hair behind my ear. Heat creeps up my neck, and I can’t make myself look at her. I know, without a doubt, she’s got that smug I-know-you-like-him look on her face.

  “What’s going on?” Noel asks as he grabs a bottle of water from the refrigerator.

  “Noel, this is my friend Aubrey. The one I was telling you about.”

  He gives her a nod and points his attention to Riff, who hasn’t taken his eyes off my friend since she set foot on the bus. “You’re going out with these two?”

  Riff blinks a couple times as if he’s breaking out of trance. “Yeah, I mean, if they’re cool with that.”

  Before I can object, Aubrey says, “Absolutely.”

  Riff grins at her again and puts on his sunglasses while he heads for the bus door. “Awesome. Let’s get this show on the road.”

  I grab Aubrey’s arm before she follows him like a little puppy. “What the hell are you doing?”

  She shrugs. “He’s hot and seems into me. What’s the problem?”

  There really isn’t one. I just don’t want her to get crushed by an asshole like Riff. “Nothing, I guess. Just be cautious. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Aubrey kisses my cheek. “I’m a big girl. I’m just here to have a good time, not get married. I know what I’m doing.”

  I throw my arms around her neck and hug her. “Of course. Have a good time.”

  She grins before she follows Riff out the door. I watch through the bus window as she meets up with him, and he holds out his hand as though they’ve known each other for years before they head toward the Escalade.

  “Huh? Well, that was unexpected,” Noel says and gulps down the rest of his water.

  “Tell me about it.”

  The four of us pile into the SUV and go to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant. Riff and Aubrey sit next to each other, a little too close for my liking. Noel seems unfazed by the new pair as he sits back with his arms stretched out along the back of the booth. We fall into easy conversation, telling Riff and Aubrey about some of the fun we had when we were in school.

  “Sounds like you two were quite the pair back then,” Aubrey says, sipping her margarita.

  I smile at Noel. “Yeah, we were great friends back in the day.”

  Noel cocks his head to the side and gazes down at me. “Friend, huh? Ouch. That’s all I was to you?”

  I smack his shoulder—not hard enough to really hurt. “You know what I mean.”

  “Damn.” He rubs his right bicep and leans his back against the booth. “See you still pack a hell of a punch. Haven’t seen you throw a shot like that since you fought Jessica Cranbee over a Barbie doll back in fourth grade. Remember that?”

  I laugh as I rest my elbows on the table and take a drink of my margarita. “Yeah. That girl was always such a bitch, wasn’t she?”

  “She was.” He bumps my shoulder with his. “But she never messed with you again. I think you were the only girl in our class she didn’t scare the shit out of.”

  I smile at Noel. “Yeah, I don’t get that. Why do people have to be mean?” The words are practically my size seven shoes shoved square in my mouth. Who am I to talk about being mean? Maybe it’s not the right time to bring this up, but after six margaritas, I can’t stop myself. “Look, Noel, the way we ended things…I’m sorry.”

  He takes a strand of my brown hair and twirls it. “Water under the bridge. Let’s not ruin a perfect night with something we can’t change.”

  By the time we’re on our eighth round of margaritas, I’m feeling pretty good. Even my toes are tingling. We don’t bring up the topic of our breakup anymore. We just drink and tell funny stories. Even the tension between Noel and Riff seems lighter. After we finish gorging ourselves with drinks and food, Noel pays the bill. Once I’m outside, the liquor hits hard. I stumble in the parking lot as we head toward the SUV.

  Noel wraps his arms around me and pulls me against him so I don’t topple over. “Easy there, lightweight. You all right?”

  I embrace the closeness between us and throw my arms around his waist. “I’m good. Just starting to feel a little tired…and drunk.”

  Noel chuckles. “That’s what happens when you stand up after hammering, what, nine margaritas? Shit hits you fast.”

  I shake my head. “Eight.”

  Aubrey and Riff slide into the middle row together, which means Noel and I have to share a seat. Mike shuts us inside, and I giggle as Noel and I climb into the third row. “Does he go everywhere with you?”

  “Who? Mike?”

&nbs
p; I nod, and my head feels very heavy. Noel’s shoulder looks awfully comfortable. It’s crossing the line, but so is drinking to the point of intoxication with a client. The responsible part of my brain screams at me not to do it, but the drunken, tired side tells me to go for it. I curl into him and lay my head half on his chest and shoulder. He sighs contently and wraps his arm around me while resting his cheek on the top of my head.

  Being wrapped in his embrace again actually feels pretty nice.

  He strokes my hair a couple times, and I close my eyes at the softness of his touch. “Yeah, he does. Mike’s a good guy. Maybe even my best friend. We spend a lot of time together.”

  I snuggle in tighter and lay my arm across his lap. “That’s nice.” I’m completely comfortable lying against Noel’s toned chest. It’s probably the margaritas, but I feel the urge to kiss him. We’ve had such a good time all night. Kissing him almost feels like the right thing to do because I want him to know how much fun I had with the sweet version of him. Physical shows of emotion were the only kind Noel ever really understood.

  I sigh and try to block out the thought. We aren’t kids anymore. Kissing him while I’m tipsy will lead to other things. I know my body well enough when it comes to Noel Falcon. It has a hard time resisting his touch.

  Aubrey and Riff lean into each other and kiss right in front of us. Noel’s fingers stop running through my hair and slide down my back. They stop at the hem of shirt and trace the skin on the small of my back. My breath catches, and his chest moves a little quicker. Seeing something so intimate while so close to him ignites a fire in my stomach. I bring my hand up to the neck of his shirt and run my finger along his exposed flesh. The fingers on my back slip inside my jeans, and his other hand finds my chin and tips it up toward him. Noel’s hooded eyes stare into mine, and something in me stirs. For the first time since being here, I think about giving in to his attempt to kiss me. His thumb traces my bottom lip, and I close my eyes.

  Noel leans into me and presses his lips to my forehead. I slump against him a little, and he chuckles. “I want to kiss you, but I know once I start, I won’t be able to control myself.”

  I swallow, knowing he’s right. In this perfect moment, I just might let him do all the things he’s been threatening to do to my body. I start to pull away, but Noel doesn’t loosen his hold. I turn my head and watch my friend make out with a rock star. I sure hope she knows what she’s doing.

  We arrive back at the bus, and all I can think about is going to bed. I need to get some distance between Noel and me before things get out of hand. Liquor courses through my veins, and I know I won’t make proper judgment calls around him. I trudge back into the bedroom and search for a T-shirt to change into.

  Aubrey follows me. “Aren’t you going over to the hotel with the rest of the band?”

  I shake my head. “I’m tired. All I can think about is sleeping.”

  She studies me. “Sleeping? After the way you were flirting with Noel, you want to go to sleep?”

  I shrug and pretend that Noel and I didn’t just have a moment in the backseat. “Yes? What’s so wrong with that?”

  She bites her lip. “You two have this whole connection thing vibing between you. Aren’t you the least big curious what it can turn into?”

  “No. This is business. It can’t be anything more than that. You know that.”

  She hugs me. “I love you, but sometimes you need to loosen up and say, ‘Fuck the rules.’ A job isn’t everything. Live a little, you know.”

  I laugh and try to divert her attention. “Like you are with Riff?”

  Aubrey blushes. “I can’t help it. I’ve always thought he was the cutest in this band. Gah! He’s a really good kisser, too.”

  I plug my ears. “I so don’t need to hear these details.”

  She pulls my hands down and laughs. “Trust me, by this time tomorrow, I’ll have more details about Riff than how he kisses.”

  I smack her arm. “Go then, and slut around, if you must.”

  She winks at me. “Oh, that’s a definite must.” I roll my eyes as she darts out the door toward a night she’ll brag about for months.

  Great.

  I change as quickly as I can and turn to get into bed just as Noel opens the door without knocking. I scowl at him. “I could’ve been naked.”

  He grins. “I was sort of hoping for that.”

  “Men,” I grumble as I slide into bed.

  He chuckles as he closes the door and pulls off his shirt. I turn my back to him to give him some privacy. The springs groan as he gets into bed next to me and shuts off the lights.

  “Aren’t you going to the hotel tonight?” I ask.

  “Wasn’t planning on it. Besides, I was kind of hoping you wanted to cuddle some more.”

  I roll over and face him. Even in the dark, his magnetism doesn’t escape me. I fight the urge to trace his stubbly jaw to find out what it feels like. If I do that, it’ll all be over. The boundaries I’ve established will go right out the window, yet I can’t force myself to turn away. The energy flowing between us in this small, dark room is powerful. I bite my bottom lip, practically tasting the lust in the air. Noel caresses my cheek with his thumb. I should tell him to stop, but the fire in his touch makes my body crave more. His eyes roam over me. I study every inch of his face. It’s so beautiful. The look in his eyes shows hope, but I’m not sure sleeping with him is a good choice. I can’t let him think I’m like all of his random groupies. I want more than causal sex, which sounds completely selfish considering I’m the one who left him. I really have no right to demand anything of him.

  “Lane.” The way he says my name makes my toes curl. “I’m still crazy over you. I know it’s been a while, but it feels like just yesterday when you walked out of my life. When you left me, I was so empty. There was a huge, gaping hole in my heart no one could fill. I tried to get over you, I really did, but you were always there. Every woman I kissed was you.”

  My heart clenches at his words. He’s pretty much laid all his cards out for me to see. I’ll admit there is something between us, and it’s strong, but I’m not sure if it’s purely a sexual thing. I can’t chance my career on such a crazy risk. I sigh. We can’t rush this.

  “Noel, we have to stay professional. I work for you now. How’s it going to look if I sleep with you? Who’ll take me seriously? Diana’s encouraged me to do whatever it takes to keep you happy, but if I sleep with you, we’ll step over a line we shouldn’t—at least while I work for you.”

  He leans in closer, his lips inches from my face. “So quit. I’ll take care of you. You don’t need to work as long as you’re with me. I’ll take care of everything you need.”

  “You don’t get it. This job is my dream. If I sleep with you and things go bad, not only will I lose you, but I’ll lose my dream as well.”

  He frowns. “This project means that much to you? It isn’t just about getting close to me?”

  I shake my head, pull his fingers away from my face, and lace mine with his. “No. I mean, at first it was just the job. But now, after this, I can’t kid myself. There’s still something between us…”

  “But?” he prompts.

  “We can’t act on it. Things have to go slow. Maybe after Diana sees I can actually do this, she’ll take me seriously. Once that happens, maybe we can give us a shot.”

  Noel traces my lips with his finger. “I don’t think I can live without at least kissing these. How about we make another deal?”

  I tilt my head. Noel always has some sort of scheme brewing. Before he has a chance to set the terms, I come up with my own that I can live with while getting this project done. “How about for every kiss I give you, I get ten minutes of uninterrupted time working on the charity?”

  Noel smiles at me. “Sure, I’ll agree to that. But I warn you, if you kiss me like you mean it too much, I won’t promise to hold off.”

  A fierce blush spreads all over my face.

  “How about we start wi
th one right now?” he asks.

  Before I can answer, Noel pulls my lips to his. The warmth of his mouth is so familiar. I close my eyes and shut off my brain. Nothing else matters but the here and now. This kiss—the one I’ve been reliving in my mind for years—is finally happening. My lips part, and his tongue finds mine, swirling around in a well-practiced routine. A sound of intense need catches in the back of his throat, and I press my body against his.

  His hand slips under my shirt and brushes the skin on the small of my back. I shiver. The feel of his skin floods me with desire. I can’t remember ever wanting Noel as badly as I do now. Maybe it’s because I know what I’ve been missing, or maybe it’s because he’s turned into an incredibly attractive man. Either way, he’s the only thing in the world that I want right now, and I can’t get close enough.

  My hand flies into Noel’s hair as he slides his hand down the length of my body. His fingers dig into my thigh before he hitches my leg around his hip. He pushes his pelvis into mine, and all that separates us are a couple of thin pieces of fabric. His erection strains against his boxers—Noel wants this just as much as I do. He trails kisses across my jaw. I toss my head back and arch my chest into him.

  “Oh God, Lane. You smell fucking amazing.”

  A shudder rips through his body as I moan in his ear. I pull back. All I can focus on are his blue eyes, alive with intense need. He wants me to say I need him, that I want him to take me. But I can’t do that. We have to slow down.

  I push him back a little. “Wait a second. We agreed to only kiss.”

  “You can’t kiss me like that and not expect me to get turned on.”

  I turn away from him and blush.

  Noel pulls my face toward him. “Don’t. Don’t be ashamed. It’s incredibly sexy when you let yourself go like that. I never knew you had that in you.”

  “People change. I have grown up a little. I’m not that same silly, naïve girl you knew in high school.”

  He grins. “Well, I liked her too, you know. But this version of you is downright fuckable.”

  My face heats up and I roll away from him. Noel sits up and pushes off the bed before