by R H Tucker
The elevator door dings, and when he withdraws his hand, I reach over to press a button to keep the doors open. “Can you call them?”
“No, miss. You have to leave.”
The elevator dings again, and I again keep the doors open. I know this is a private level and that the Kings are, well, the Kings, but I still roll my eyes. Sliding my phone out from my back pocket, I’m just about to text EJ when another elevator chimes. From inside, out walks EJ and the rest of his band, laughing. I thought they’d be back from their performance already, but it looks like they’re just coming from the show.
“EJ!” I call over to him. Everyone else stops and looks.
His eyes widen, and he does a double take, then back at his band. Hurrying over, he waves to the guard. “Hey, it’s okay, Jerry. She’s with me.”
Eyeing me for a moment longer, the guard waves me through, and I offer him a smile. EJ looks back at the band, who are still gaping at us. Stopping in front of me, he leans in for a kiss, but there’s a slight hesitation. When his lips meet mine, gone is all of the longing I’ve felt from him in the past.
“Uh … what are you doing here?”
Seeing that the others are still watching us, I take a deep breath. “Well, you surprised me yesterday, so I thought I’d return the favor.” He grins. “But, you need to change.”
He quirks an eyebrow. “Okay.”
When we walk over to the rest of the group, Jade smiles, and Derrik waves. “Bow-chika-bow-wow,” Maddox yells out, laughing.
“Shut up, idiot!” Jade scolds her brother, slapping his arm.
I glance up at EJ and see him shaking his head, his cheeks glowing red. We follow them into their penthouse, and thankfully, EJ keeps his arm around my shoulders. “So, what’d you have in mind?”
“I was thinking—” My words vanish. Walking into their penthouse is like walking into another building.
I’m used to our suite, where it’s charming and elegant, but it still reminds me of a regular apartment. Their penthouse is something I thought only existed in movies. Off to the side are two bowling lanes and a large basketball arcade machine. The marble floors run across the whole thing, and there is an enormous kitchen with marble countertops and an island in the center.
Past the kitchen are two large sliding glass doors, and I can see their extravagant patio area with their own personal pool and hot tub.
“This way,” EJ tells me, taking my hand. Walking down a hallway, the marble flooring continues with modern-looking, sleek, white walls with black trim for the floorboards, and geometric abstract paintings.
Entering a new room, it’s enormous. “This is your room?”
He nods. “Yep.”
“It’s almost as big as our entire suite.”
He takes a seat on his bed, looking up at me with a grinning cringe. “Sorry?”
Seeming to regain his comfort level, I take a seat next to him. Just with my hands on his black comforter, it already feels ten times softer than mine. “Life of a King, right?”
He offers me a warm smile, the same one I see when we’re by ourselves. Shouting between Derrik and Maddox erupts from out of the room. Expletives fly, then Maddox laughs, all of which causes EJ to look back at his door, regaining his composure. “So, what’s this about a surprise? It’s kind of late.”
“EJ, it’s Vegas. The city that never sleeps.”
“I think that’s New York. Vegas is Sin City.”
I lean closer, smirking. “Even better.” He bites his bottom lip, then his tongue runs over it. “Do you want to go out tonight? I was thinking we could work on getting some dirt on you.”
I try to add some flirtatiousness to my words, but something about my words cuts through our connection. He lifts his brows and gets up from the bed. “Oh. Yeah, sure.”
“If you don’t want to, we don’t have to,” I add.
“No, it’s cool.” Turning to face me, he puts his hands in his jeans pockets. “What’d you have in mind?”
Getting up, I walk over to him. “Well, do you have a leather jacket?”
My question seems to pique his interest. “Yeah?”
“Cool. And I got these for you.” Reaching into my jacket, I pull out a pair of sunglasses.
“What the?” He pulls my jacket open wider, staring at my Rockin’ Power Lizards shirt. “When’d you get this?”
I nervously bite my lip, feeling my face go red. “Oh. I, uh … bought it earlier today.”
“Is that right?” He grins, keeping his hand on my waist.
Fighting through the embarrassment of him liking my shirt, I slide the sunglasses over his face. “You should wear these tonight?”
“Tonight? Inside, too?”
I nod. “And we’re fixing your hair.”
“What’s wrong with my hair?” He runs his hand through it, pushing it to the side.
“Nothing’s wrong with it. But you want grit, right?” He stares at me, then shrugs. “So, we’re just gonna switch it up a little.”
After ruffling up his hair a bit, he’s wearing the sunglasses, and he has a dark brown leather jacket that actually adds some sex appeal to him. I’ve always thought he was cute, but the ensemble put all together pushes him past cute. He could definitely hold up if measured against his brother or Maddox.
Walking into the VIP section of a new club atop the Rio hotel, I keep my hand locked with his, and lean closer to tell him, “You look sexy, EJ.”
He grins at me. “Must be the arm candy I have.”
It makes me giggle, but more importantly, it draws me to him again. Every time he forgets everything else and just reacts how he normally would without overthinking things, I always feel like that’s the real EJ.
He adjusts the sunglasses on him. “The glasses make it a little harder to see.”
“It’s the cost of looking good, EJ. Like high heels.”
“You never wear high heels.”
“Nope. But that’s just because I’m not trying to impress anyone.”
He laughs. “Nice.”
A waitress comes over to us as soon as we take a seat. “What can we get for you, Mr. Tyler?”
I’m a little surprised since we didn’t make reservations, so no one knew he was coming. He glances over at me and mouths, King, then smirks. “What should we get?” he asks.
I offer the waitress a smile. It seems like I can order whatever I want without being questioned, so I take advantage. “Two Jack and Cokes, and two tequila shots with lime and salt.”
As expected, she nods without hesitation. EJ, on the other hand, lifts a brow. “Um …”
His worried mien springs a giggle out of me. Leaning closer, I press my lips against his ear. “The King of Nice is gonna get a little dirty tonight.”
13
EJ
You would think being a rock star, I’ve encountered all kinds of different versions of drinks, shots, and bartender specials. And I have. Only they’ve never been for me.
It’s not that I’m averse to drinking, but I generally just get a Sprite or a bottle of water, and hang back, watching Maddox make a fool of himself. It usually leads to making fun of him the next day.
The waitress comes back and sets down the drinks in front of us, and I look over at Skye, who smiles. Then she pulls out her phone.
“Okay, King, time to let loose for the night.”
Her playful attitude brings a laugh out of me. “And how do we do that?”
“Lick,” she says, shoving her hand in my face.
Unsure what I’m supposed to do, I stick my tongue out, and she runs the spot between her thumb and index finger over my tongue, then pulls it back and sprinkles salt over it. She licks the same spot with the salt, then smiles at me. Raising her shot glass, she gives me a salute with it, then downs her drink. My eyes widen, impressed, and then she bites into her lime slice.
Licking her lips, she grins and leans closer to me. “Your turn,” she says against my ear.
Staring at the
shot glass in front of me, she pulls out her phone and starts recording. Taking my hand, my nerves immediately disappear, and my heart starts racing. She’s holding her phone in front, recording us, but her eyes never leave mine as she licks the same spot on my hand that I licked on hers.
“Salt,” she tells me, and I follow her direction, almost mesmerized. “Lick.” Still enthralled, I stick to her orders and lick the salt from my skin. “Shot.” Her orders force a smile out of me, and I down the drink, which instantly gets me coughing.
“Lime, lime, lime,” she urges, putting the lime in my hand.
Still struggling with the shot, I bite on the lime and cringe, letting out a groan, making her laugh. She holds the phone up to me. “Maddox, eat your heart out. EJ’s the King of Vegas tonight.”
She starts laughing again, and her comment forces one out of me. Taking her phone out of her hand, I set it on the table and lean over to kiss her. I know I’m not drunk. I took the shot thirty seconds ago, but I feel drunk. I feel woozy and warm and a little less nervous and a lot more confident. All the ways I feel when she’s around.
She breaks away from me, running her thumb over my lips. Picking up her mixed drink, she raises it and motions for me to take mine.
Following suit, I lift my glass to her. “What are we toasting to?”
Narrowing her eyes, a sliver of a grin forms over her lips. “To us.”
Tapping her glass to mine, I don’t know what she means by that. Does she mean to us like our plan? To our night tonight? To us just having fun? Or … does she mean us? Like, us us.
I shake the thought from my head. The same one that’s been rattling inside more lately. There is no us. This is a plan. This is a means to an end that we both want.
“To us,” I repeat and take a sip of my drink, trying to block out the feelings that keep building up inside. Tonight’s about getting dirty and sullying the name of the King of Nice.
Something light floats across my face. My eyes crack open, and I see the twenty-foot-wide window across my room, the sun already shining brightly over Las Vegas. Attempting to open both eyes, I feel a pulsing in my head.
“Ow.” I cringe, grabbing my temple. “So that’s what a hangover feels like.”
“Yeah, you never really get used to them.”
My head snaps to the side, and I instantly cringe again. “Whoa! Ow, ow, ow.” Skye giggles. “Skye … what … what are you doing here?”
“You wouldn’t let me leave,” she replies, laughing again, then snuggling closer.
“Yeah, b-but … you’re here. In my bed.”
“EJ, you act like you’ve never had a girl in your bed.” She laughs. I try to laugh, too, but it comes out almost like a groan. “I know you’re not like, super experienced or anything, but … I mean, you’ve had a girl in your bed, right?”
“Uh …”
“EJ? A girl. Not plural. A. One. You’re a rock star in the hottest band in the world. You’re not lying here next to me, telling me I’m the first girl to spend the night in your bed.” She’s staring at me. I don’t make eye contact with her, but I know she is. And I feel like the biggest loser now that she’s put it that way. “Are you …”
Letting out a long breath, I stare up at my ceiling. It’s gonna be two weeks. Two weeks of being around her, and though most of last night is a blur, I still liked being around her. And I’ve more than liked being with her since we’ve started this thing. But what am I doing? She can pull off the lie we’re trying to tell, but there’s no way I can.
“You can go,” I whisper. “Thanks for thinking of this plan and everything, but … I am what I am.”
I feel the bed move. Looking over at her, I discover she’s on her elbows staring at me. “What does that mean?”
I let out a defeated chuckle. “Skye, I’m the King of Nice for a reason. What other eighteen-year-old rock star, teen idol virgin do you know?”
“You’re … you’re serious?” I glance over at her and nod. “EJ, it’s not that big of a deal.”
“Says the girl who just couldn’t believe it.”
She laughs, somehow easing the tension I’m feeling. “Okay, yes, it is a little surprising, but now that the shock has worn off—”
“Not helping.”
“But it’s really not that big of a deal. Seriously.” Keeping her eyes on me, I nervously chew my lip, but thankfully she seems okay with it. “If someone gets put off just because you haven’t had sex before, then they aren’t worth having sex with.”
She doesn’t move away. Turning to my side to face her, I feel that calmness around her. “Since we’re on touchy subjects … There’s something I’ve been wondering and haven’t really known how to bring it up.”
“Okay?”
“How in the world did you ever get labeled a heartbreaker?”
She frowns. “I’m not a heartbreaker.”
“No. I know. It’s just …” I lean a little closer. “You’re, like, one of the coolest people I’ve ever met.”
She looks a little taken aback from my words. A small grin forms over her lips, and she chews on her thumbnail.
“Those other guys are asses if they never saw what I see. They’re also blind.”
Edging closer to her, my nose grazes hers. I still smell the perfume on her from last night. After the VIP club, we took a car and visited a second one. Then a third one. I’m a little nervous to check my social media and see what I put out there, but I had fun. Well, at least from what I can remember. And it wasn’t because I was out partying like Maddox, but because I was with her.
Her hand floats over my shoulder, and her fingers on my skin bring a new realization. I look down at myself. “Uh … where’s my shirt?”
She giggles. “On the elevator ride up, you spilled the water bottle that I was giving you to try and sober you up a little on yourself.”
I reach under my blanket. “Did I spill it on my pants, too?”
More giggling. “Well … I just figured you didn’t want to sleep in jeans.”
I should be weirded out or annoyed or even uncomfortable. But I’m not. Leaning back toward her, there’s no hint of awkwardness that I might normally be feeling, especially under my wardrobe situation. I inch closer, keeping my gaze locked on those dark brown eyes of hers. Her tongue slides over her bottom lip, and her hand comes up, her fingers running across my cheek. This feels like a line we shouldn’t cross. Kissing is one thing. An incredible, amazing one thing, but still … we’re under our rules, even if the kissing feels like it’s right. But here, lying in my bed, she stares back at me, and I run my hand along her arm.
Then we’re kissing.
Does kissing in a bed, in nothing but your underwear, usually amp up your body more than usual? Because that’s exactly what’s happening. I feel fingers slide over more parts of my skin, and I don’t know if she moves me or I move her, but we’re rolling over in the bed. My lips roam from hers, down her chin and along her jaw. She pulls my face back and slides her tongue over my lips again.
Rolling over to the other side of the bed, she keeps her lips moving, skimming up to my ear. She takes a small bite, and it’s enough to almost release a growl. Taking in her irresistible scent that I’m growing more addicted to, something that reminds me of flowers and the ocean, I connect our lips again. My hand runs down her arm and slides under her shirt, crossing over her hip. My lips slide lower down her neck when my door swings open.
“EJ-BJ, hurry up, fool!” Maddox calls out, sticking his head in the room. “We got that interview at the radio—”
“What! Nothing! This is nothing. Maddox, knock, man! This isn’t—get out, you idiot!”
He doesn’t get out. “All right! The King of Nice finally gets some.”
My jaw drops, and I see one of my shoes next to the bed. Reaching down, I grab it and fling it at the door. He slams it shut just in time for the shoe to hit the door. “Bow-chika-bow-wow,” I hear him call out in the hallway.
Clenching my eyes s
hut, I lie back down, shaking my head in disbelief—thoroughly embarrassed, no matter what I was feeling minutes ago. This is beyond humiliating. Then I hear the giggling.
“Yeah, thanks. That helps so much.”
“EJ,” she replies, drawing closer to me. “Don’t listen to him. Maddox is just … Maddox.” I glance over at her. “Seriously. And besides, he didn’t see all of the fun the King of Nice had last night.”
Right. Last night. Her words should ease the embarrassment. They have before. But they don’t. This is all part of the plan. I can’t think making out with her in my bed is anything more than collateral damage. Maybe not damage, but dividends. We’re doing this for a reason.
“Right,” I try to sound as calm as I can. “Yeah. Thanks again. Last night was fun.” Swinging my legs off the bed, I glance over my shoulder. “So, um, I guess we’re gonna be getting out of here soon for a few interviews.”
“Oh.”
“You can stay if you want, or—”
“Oh, no. I’ll just head back to my suite. Um, did you want me to text you later?”
“Yeah, sure. That sounds good.”
Maybe I should feel weird getting out of bed in nothing but my boxers, but I’m not. I just want to get to the bathroom, splash water on my face, and realign my thoughts about everything. This is all part of the plan.
Opening my door up, I glance over my shoulder at her. She watches me curiously. “Thanks again.”
14
Skye
I’m prepared to receive teasing looks or hear Maddox make some kind of joke, but as I make my way out of their penthouse, I don’t see any of them. My stomach is in knots, standing in the elevator, heading down to my room. Last night was fun, and EJ definitely loosened up as the night went along, but it wasn’t until we were heading back to his room that things got … weird. And this morning, I feel they’re even stranger.
I fully planned on going back to my place, after making sure EJ got into his apartment okay. I was the designated walker, as it were, so I definitely didn’t have as much to drink as him, and I was fine with that. It was great having fun with him as he loosened up more and more.