by K. K. Allen
We order bottles for the table and rounds of shots to be delivered, then slam the first round back. As I set down my shot glass, Wolf pulls me onto his lap on the black leather couch. The room is awash in black lights, illuminating brightly colored chalkboard art and futuristic décor. Cigar smoke wafts through the air, and everything feels like it’s vibrating as the DJ scratches and spins a techno beat.
Melanie bounces over a while later and pulls me to my feet. “Let’s dance.” She peers over my shoulder to a glaring Wolf. “Calm down, Wolfman. I’m borrowing your girl. I promise not to touch her naughty places.”
He winks at her and puckers his lips at me. “Have fun.”
Melanie leads me downstairs to the dance floor. Our bodies move to the beat, elation coming over me as the alcohol kicks in. I’m definitely buzzing. When an arm wraps around me from behind, I smile, surprised that Wolf decided to brave the crowd. Surely Crawley will not be okay with this. Neither will Rex.
When I catch Melanie’s horrified expression, fear clenches tightly in my chest. I spin around to find a familiar face grinning down at me. It’s not Wolf. The nearly black eyes staring back at me belong to the man who broke me. At least, I thought he did. It’s completely clear to me now that he didn't, because he was never the one.
Tony Rain, lead singer of Salvation Road, whose new single has somehow managed to rank pretty damn near Wolf on the charts, is right in front of me.
“Hey, sweet pea.” He’s still smiling as if I didn’t catch him fucking my best friend.
The blood begins to boil in my veins. “Get off me.” I shove him away. “What are you doing here?” I'm fuming, but I decide I don’t want to hear his answer and make a move to leave the dance floor.
“Sweet pea, stop.” He rushes after me, yanking my arm and spinning me around.
Shit, that hurt. I rub my arm, glaring at him.
“Our show was last night, and we stayed to watch Wolf. I knew you were working his tour. I wanted to see you. Didn’t you get my messages?”
Before I know what I’m doing, I throw my palm across his cheek. I wish I could hear the crack my hand makes against his skin, but the music is too loud. At least I can see the pain he suffers in response. “Get your hands off me.” I turn and walk away.
“Lyric!” he roars, coming after me again. This time he grabs my neck through my hair, and I feel a small clump of hair tear away from my scalp. It stings and then burns. What the hell? He uses his hands as a vise to turn me so we’re face-to-face. I don’t move willingly. He’s just stronger than me. And when Tony gets drunk, he loses his damn mind. But he’s never hurt me before. Not physically, anyway.
“It’s over. Between Joanna and me,” he says with a familiar slur. “It’s over.” His breath, warm and scented with bourbon, sticks to my cheek. Chills run through me at the memory of constantly needing to take care for of Tony on nights he would drown himself in alcohol … and maybe some other stuff. I never knew for sure. I remember how frequent the incidents became, and how every time I’d have to remind Tony of what happened the night before.
He finally releases my neck.
“That’s too fucking bad, Tony, because you two are meant for each other. Don’t talk to me, don’t touch me, don’t message me, don’t come near me. Get the fuck away.” I shove him with both hands, but he only teeters a little.
I growl in frustration and turn to leave again. This time I hit a wall. Or rather, I collide with Wolf’s chest. His eyes are on fire, and he's staring over my head at Tony.
Shit. No. This cannot be happening.
“She asked you to leave her alone.”
Tony’s laugh sends shivers racing up my spine. “If it isn’t the big, bad Wolf. Please don’t tell me you’re fucking my woman. I will certainly kick your ass.”
I look back at Tony, appalled at his audacity.
“You lost the right to talk to Lyric when you stuck your dick in some bimbo. Get out of here before I have you thrown out, you prick.”
Tony throws back his shaved head and laughs again. Then he reaches for my elbow and leans in. “C’mon, sweet pea. Let’s talk. I miss you, babe.”
I can feel the heat raging beneath Wolf’s shirt, and I look up, terrified of what I know is coming. It all happens in slow motion. Wolf shifts me to the side. Melanie stands there with an expression that registers disbelief. Her arms wrap around me, but she’s focused on Wolf as he balls his hand into a fist.
“Oh shit,” she says loud enough so that I can hear it. The club music is blaring, but as people around us notice Wolf and Tony standing inches apart, death stares on max intensity, a small crowd begins to form. Wolf is oblivious to everything but Tony. His lips curl, and then he cocks his arm back. Tony is so drunk he doesn’t even know what’s about to happen to him. He stands there, grinning, like he’s not about to lose his teeth.
“I heard you loved pussy, but I never thought you’d lap up my seconds.” Tony’s tongue shoots out to lick his bottom lip while his eyes scroll my body. It’s an obvious move to antagonize Wolf, and it works.
Wolf’s fist shoots forward, connecting with Tony’s cheek in a mean right hook. Blood sprays everywhere. Wolf steps forward, wrapping his thick fingers around Tony’s neck and bringing his face in close. “Lyric’s mine now, asshole. You hear that? You come near her again, I’ll rip your tiny fucking dick off.”
A wave ripples through the crowd as security pushes their way through. Rex gets to us first and pulls Wolf away. I step forward and wrap my arms around Wolf, my heart pounding wildly in my chest.
We watch as Rex grabs a stumbling Tony by the arms. When he’s got him locked and ready to hand him over to security, he looks at Wolf, and nods toward the exit. “Go.” His voice is as deep as the bass that bumps from the speakers, but we hear him loud and clear.
“Babe, let’s go,” I urge, squeezing his arm.
Wolf hesitates, his expression still set on kill mode, so I slip my hand into his and tug. “Wolf.” My plea seems to break through to him this time and his eyes soften when he looks at me.
With a final look tossed in Tony’s direction, he squeezes my hand. “Let’s go.”
I sigh with relief and we’re moving toward the back entrance so fast, all I see are blurred faces as we pass.
Our driver is in the van on his phone when we exit the club. He sees us and puts it away as if he already knows we need to get the fuck out of here.
Wolf climbs in first and goes to the back of the van. He pulls me in, wrapping one arm around my shoulders and placing the other one on my upper thigh. His fingers dig in and his head falls into my hair, causing my pulse to quicken.
Neither of us speaks at first, and I know he’s still riled up from the fight. But I think I’m more concerned about what Wolf might be thinking. I’ve never seen him act like that before. So … vicious.
My face falls when I see the swelling redness of his knuckles. “Baby, I am so sorry.”
Wolf lifts his head, looking at me incredulously. “What? Why are you sorry? I went crazy cage fighter on your ex-boyfriend back there. Aren’t you pissed at me?”
“No.” Pressure starts to build in the back of my throat and a pinch of heat forms behind my eyes. “He’s an asshole. He was an ass when we dated, but I didn’t see it at first. By the time I started getting glimpses of who he really is, I didn’t really care anymore.”
“I can’t believe you dated that prick. He fucking grabbed you by the neck, Lyric. Did he pull that shit when you were together?”
My eyes widen as they blur. “No. Never.”
Wolf’s eyes narrow. “But you loved him.”
I shake my head without hesitation. “No.” I cringe, knowing this is the time to lay it all out there. “I mean, we were together for two years.” Wolf’s expression dims, and I physically ache from his disappointment. I remove my seatbelt and crawl into his lap, straddle him, and use my palms to turn his face toward mine. We lock eyes and I pull in a big breath. “I couldn’t have loved
him. It’s impossible…”
Fuck. Should I even say it?
“How is it impossible?” he asks, emotion building in his voice.
One deep breath later, I respond, “I didn’t feel this way about him.” I swallow. “The way I feel about you.”
It happens in an instant. Wolf’s chest expands, his eyes go soft, and his mouth captures mine. I mold to his body as his arms encase me tighter. And then he steals my breath, my heart, and my soul, all in one telling kiss. If there was any inkling of a question left whether pursuing something more with Wolf was right or wrong, this moment answers it.
When we finally part I have to fight against my nervous breathing to speak. “Wolf?” I ask, desperate to hear him say he feels the same.
“Not until we’re in our room,” he whispers in between kisses. “When I say it, I want to be inside you.”
Wolf is determined to make good on all his promises today.
He enters me, bare for the first time, thanks to my newly acquired birth control. His breath is heavy and staggered as he leans down to brush his lips against mine. A sweet kiss with a hint of playfulness that only promises dirty things to come.
One hand cups my head while the other lifts my leg, placing it over his shoulder. And then he presses against the back of my thigh as his girth sinks deeper.
My head is spinning through an endless, hazy cloud. I can feel all of him. Moving through me. Skin to skin. I’ve never gone bare before, and I can tell by the way that he’s seated that he hasn’t either. His lids squeeze shut and he breathes through his nose.
When he finally opens his eyes, they burn into mine with an intensity that should scare me, but I’m done being scared. I’m ready to love.
“I love you,” he says while my fingers rake through his hair. My throat tightens and my eyes water. He smiles. “So fucking much it makes my heart hurt and my head spin. But if this ache in my chest comes from loving you, then I’ll take it.”
And then he begins to move.
Those words and the fullness of him rocking into me makes my entire body tingle. Everything is sensitive.
“I want this,” he says each word in between each thrust. “I want us.” Then he leans in and kisses my ear before dragging his nose down the side of my neck and speaking softly. “Jesus, say something.” He chuckles air.
I cup his chin, brushing against his cheek with my thumb, my other hand digging into his neck. “I want us too,” I promise. “I love you too.” I smile. “So fucking much.”
He groans, his movements more powerful with each thrust. Each one makes my heart race a little faster and my toes curl a little more. I’m taking all of him, feeling his naked flesh plunge and slide against mine. It’s the most incredible feeling in the world. And now I know this is what he meant when he promised to fuck me crazy-hard. Wolf doesn’t lie.
The hint of another orgasm simmers through me, a slight buzz at first, but then the intensity grows. He feels it. He gives me that knowing smile before flipping me onto my chest. In one quick motion, he lifts my hips and enters me again, not wasting a second. The buzz takes me to the edge, and I’m only moments away from spiraling out of control.
“Wolf,” I warn, pleading with him over my shoulder.
His eyes shoot to mine like a rabid dog in the wild, finding his long-awaited prey. His face lights up and he leans over my back, sliding one hand around until it’s on my clit.
“Come, baby. All over my cock.” He kisses my back. “You can do it.”
I tremble at his words. The sensation shoots from my core like a starburst, reaching every tip of my body.
“Good girl,” he coos in my ear, then nips at my shoulder. “You ready for me?”
I nod, distracted as I ride out my release.
He maneuvers me so that I’m facing him again without ever pulling out. Then he leans forward, taking my mouth in his.
On his last thrust before he empties his everything into me, he looks me in the eyes. “I fucking love you, baby.”
My hand goes to his heart, wanting to feel every beat as he fills me.
“I fucking love you too.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Wolf
I once was a man who feared repeat sexual encounters. And then Lyric Cassidy walked into my life. Now I’m a man all too willing to open an on-demand orgasm factory for his girlfriend.
Like my music, she’s become my craving. My obsession. I can’t get enough. So when that douchebag, Tony, showed up at the club and put his unwelcome paws on her, I had to stake my claim. Lyric is mine, and I want to be hers. There’s simply no one else that can satisfy my needs because she created them, and there’s nothing I want more than to protect her from any more heartbreak. She deserves the world, and I want to give it to her.
Last night in the car, I was fuming. Not just because I all but punched a hole through Tony’s face, but because Lyric was once wrapped up in a relationship with him. What was she thinking? He’s a no-good punk. To be honest, for a second I wondered if she fell for me for the same reasons. Bad boy rocker with an ugly ego. I’m all those things, too, but after just one taste of Lyric, I couldn’t imagine fucking her over. Ever.
And then she told me she loved me. I could hear the words on her breath before she spoke them, and I probed her, wanting to hear her say it. I’ve never wanted to hear those words from a woman before. But the moment I thought the words might slip from Lyric’s lips, there was nothing I wanted more.
This morning, I’m drinking her in. The sunlight streaming through the window shines on her where she lies wrapped in the sheets, looking like an angel. My angel. She stirs slightly. I know that stir. She’s waking up, but she’s too comfortable to open her eyes.
I’m about to crawl under the covers to give her something pleasant to lift the morning fog when someone pounds on the door.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
What the fuck? The urge to rip someone’s head off for startling Lyric overcomes me. The pounding starts again before I can jump out of bed. There’s a muffled voice on the other side. “God dammit, open the goddamn door!”
The unsolicited disturbance is Crawley. I grab my shorts and try not to trip putting them on as I shuffle to the door. I look back at Lyric, who seems to be getting more uncomfortable by the second. She rolls over and pulls a pillow over her head. I yank the door open, but only a few inches.
“What the hell do you want? Lyric’s still sleeping.”
Crawley’s face says it all. He’s pissed, and it only takes me two seconds to guess why. He shoves his phone in at me. Tony’s bloodied face stares back at me. I look away.
“We have a problem on our hands, Chapman. Your girlfriend seems to be causing more trouble than she’s worth. She’s going to cost you this tour if you’re not careful.”
Ignoring the phone, I step in the hallway. I narrow my eyes and get right into Crawley’s face. We’re the same height and size, so he doesn’t back down, but he needs to remember who tells who what to do around here. “Watch your mouth, Crawley. I have no problem tossing your ass if you keep up this shit. Lyric isn’t causing problems. You, on the other hand—”
Crawley shakes his head, cutting me off. His face turns beet red. “You’re not listening to me. I care about your career, Wolf, because it’s my career, too. And right now, you’ve got your dick in la la land. You need to eject yourself, no pun intended, from whatever this is before it blows up in your face.” He shoves his phone at me again, showing me there’s more than the one photo. “We’ve got a PR nightmare on our hands. Get dressed and let’s go deal with this shit. Leave your girlfriend here.”
The picture that lights up on Crawley’s phone now is a classic photo of my Hulk face just as my fist made impact with Tony’s cheek. It’s a badass picture. You can even see the trail of spit as it leaves Tony’s mouth.
Crawley slides his finger across the screen so I can see the next photo. One by one, the pictures tell a story of how I messed up Tony’s face over a woman.
And the headlines are worse. Somehow, in my effort to protect Lyric from her asshole ex-boyfriend, I became a madman who tried to steal Tony’s girlfriend and then beat him to a bloody pump. Tony’s girlfriend.
“These stories are shit. None of this is true. Tony was hurting Lyric. You should have seen the way he grabbed her, Crawley. I was protecting my girl.”
Crawley yanks his phone back and shoves it in his back pocket. “Look, I don’t care if you revealed yourself as Batman and saved the fucking planet last night. We’ve got to get on the phone with PR and get us a story quick. And the tour company wants to speak with Lyric.”
Anger radiates through me as I stare back at Crawley. “Why?”
“She’s off the tour. We can’t afford to have her mess this up for us.”
I glare at him. “She’s not leaving. Your ass is going home before she does. I mean it. You’ve been with us for as long as we’ve been around, but I don’t give a shit what anyone says. This is my tour, and she’s staying.”
“They’ll fire her if she stays. It’s not my call. The articles aren’t just about you, Wolf. They’re about her, too.”
“I don’t give a fuck about the articles,” I yell. “None of it’s true. You can’t just fire someone because the tabloids and paparazzi made shit up. This is my tour. When the fuck did you start thinking you could trump my decisions?”
Crawley taps his finger on my chest, and I’m seconds away from latching on and breaking it. Who the hell does he think he is? “You pay me to make these decisions. You may have forgotten that, but I’m doing what you hired me to do. I have a stake in all of this, too, and you better believe I’ll watch out for what’s mine.
“You wanted me to protect the girl’s secret? Well, those lyrics may be legally yours now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t leak who signed them over to us. That small detail was left out of the contract, and Lyric obviously has something to hide. Unless you both want that secret exposed, I suggest you start following my lead.”
I ball my fists at my sides. Prick. “Are you blackmailing me, Crawley?”