by K. K. Allen
Her eyes fall shut and then she kisses me. “There was ever only one viable option, Wolf.”
And I believe her.
“What are you going to do now that Crawley’s out of the picture?” Lyric frowns, and I can see there’s some guilt there, like she feels responsible for the band’s loss.
I stroke her hair, wanting to comfort her. “The label’s going to find us a new manager and fire Crawley’s ass. It’s going to be hard for him to find work after this, which is a good thing.”
Lyric nods, then furrows her brow. “I don’t understand how he knows Destiny. I mean, I guess everyone in the business knows each other to some extent. I suppose they’ve run into each other before.” She looks up at me with confused eyes. “Maybe she was trying to get backstage to see me and ran into him.”
I shrug. That’s the first thing I thought too, but it doesn’t add up. “Why my tour bus, though? Why my room? He obviously lied to Rory and Rex about why he needed to get on the bus… But why?”
Lyric sighs. “Your bus is the only one with a big bed and a door. It’s the best place to fuck, if that’s what you’re saying.”
All goes quiet. What she just said completely changes the direction of my thoughts. It wasn’t long ago that we were hiding out in the bedroom of my tour bus to fuck like sex-crazed teenagers. I loved our stolen moments, our borrowed ones, and eventually the ones that she let me own.
“Yeah, I remember that,” I say softly, unsure if now is the time to start that conversation again. My eyes drift over her silky skin, her taut stomach, and her luscious curves before I finally drag them to Lyric’s, holding her gaze intently.
As much as I want to hold on to my anger to show Lyric just how wrong she was for leaving the way she did, I also just want to forgive her and move on.
She inches closer to me, running two fingers lightly up my arm and over my shoulder until she’s rubbing the scruff on my cheek. Something twists in my chest, and I have the strong desire to lean in and capture her mouth with mine. If forgiving her for leaving is what I need to do to move on, then it might be easier than I thought.
Her forehead wrinkles with her frown. “You have my word, Wolf. You’ll never feel like that again.”
I kiss her wrinkles away, finding the need to believe her stronger than the fear that I shouldn’t. She’s still holding back from me. But for her, and to savor this moment, I’m going to let this go.
I run the tip of my nose along her jaw and then to her ear, nipping and sucking on her sensitive skin. “I’ll never get enough of you. You know that? And I don’t just mean the sex.”
She moans and nuzzles her chin into me as she slips her hand down to my throbbing cock. “Are you sure? Because I want you again.”
LYRIC
“We’re here,” I say quietly, wishing for just a few more minutes alone with Wolf.
We’re sitting in the back of the van as our driver pulls through the gate of Wolf’s vacation home—our vacation home. The moment we sat down in the car, Wolf pulled me onto his lap and we’ve been in this position ever since, talking and kissing.
I lean in, pressing my nose to his while searching his eyes. “It’s never been like this for me before, you know? No one has ever made me feel the way you do.” I kiss him again.
He swallows and nods before holding me closer. Then he nuzzles my neck with his facial scruff, making me giggle. “This is my new favorite position,” he says with a tilt of his lips. “I’ve always liked it with you on top, but this is nice. Just holding you.” He kisses me again, firm but sweet. “I don’t want to work this week. I just want you, in our bed.”
The sound of the van’s engine shutting off interrupts our moment. I have a feeling there will be a lot of interrupted moments over the next week. We ignore it and kiss again, dragging out our time together for as long as possible.
When we finally exit the van, I hear Wolf grunt. I turn. He’s shaking his right fist. “Damn, it really hurts.”
“We need to get you some more ice.” I frown.
“I’ll be fine.” He shakes his hand again and then clamps down on it with his other one. “I should probably be careful who I punch. I kind of need this hand.”
I frown. “Will you be able to play?”
“I’ve got a week of recovery time. That’s not what I’m worried about. I just can’t finger fuck you as good with my left hand.”
I tilt my head and glare through my smile. Wolf’s idea of romance always involves fucking of some kind—not that I’m complaining. “Let’s go inside, rock star. If your hand still hurts, I’ll let you watch me finger fuck myself later tonight.”
Wolf’s narrowed lids bring a smile to my face as we approach the front door of the mansion. “You can’t say shit like that to me when I can’t keep you honest right away. I’ve got a full day at the studio.”
I shrug flirtatiously. “Sorry.”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders as we approach the house. Terese and Derrick must have heard us coming, because they step out through the front door just as we make it up the stairs. “You two back together or what?” Derrick asks.
Wolf moves me so that I’m in front of him going up the stairs. “We were never apart, dickhead.”
Derrick laughs while my insides grow warm with happiness and the boulder of unease is lifted from my stomach. I should have never doubted us. I never will again.
Chapter Thirteen
Lyric
I can hardly walk today. My muscles are screaming at me after my all-morning sexfest with Wolf. As soon as we got back to the house, we went straight to our bedroom to “take a nap.” He’s never pounded me so hard, which is surprising with his injury, but I wasn’t about to stop him. We were both sex-starved. Making up for lost time, I guess. I smile, remembering all the sweet words that came out of his mouth, along with some dirty ones, as I fill the last plate with food.
“Brunch is ready!” Terese calls into the intercom. I laughed at it when I first saw it, but the house is so big that it’s proved to be necessary. We decided to help Alice, the house cook, make a late breakfast for everyone before leaving for the studio at two this afternoon. I can’t remember the last time any of us has had a homecooked meal.
One by one, members of the band and the crew come out from their bedrooms. Apparently, everyone started partying as soon as they arrived at the house this morning. No surprise there. They deserved the downtime to just let loose, even if they will have to pay for it this afternoon.
Wolf shuffles over to me, shirtless and fresh out of the shower. He’s growling as he wraps his arms around my waist. “Don’t think I forgot how to punish you when you leave me with morning wood. We should go back to bed.”
I laugh and flip around to face him. “Are you going for a world record? Don’t you need a break?”
“Fuck no,” he growls playfully, but the intensity behind his words makes me hot. “My dick can’t behave around you. He lives for you.”
I melt a little, even though he’s talking about the stick between his legs and not him. I know Wolf loves me. “Tell your friend down there he’s confusing afternoon for morning. Honest mistake,” I tease. “And he can have me all he wants later. You guys need to eat and get to the studio.”
Wolf’s eyes light up. “You coming with us? It’s our song, babe.”
I smile as I remember the part “Dangerous Heart” played in getting us to this point. “Yes, I’ll come for a little bit, but I can’t stay. I really do have a shitload to do for Europe.”
The European tour technically doesn’t start for another two weeks, but we fly to London on Monday to rehearse the new set list. There aren’t too many changes, other the stage arrangement and some restructuring of their song order, but we need to get the jet lag out of the way before the tour. I have so much to do before we go, including confirming the bookings and making sure everyone has the right international travel documents before we fly out.
Wolf nods. “Fair enough.”
&n
bsp; With a quick kiss, he heads to the dining room to dig into his food. Everyone has a plate at this point, so I start cleaning the counters and loading the dishwasher while Alice tries to shoo me away.
“Lyric!” Wolf yells from the other room. “Get your ass in here and eat.”
I roll my eyes, start the dishwasher, and then join everyone at the table. Wolf motions for me to join him since all the seats are taken. He pulls me to his lap and feeds me scrambled eggs while kissing my arm.
I’m laughing as I chew my first bite. “Stop,” I wave away another bite. “I can feed myself.”
“Oh, shit,” Hedge calls from the other side of the room. “Not only are they back together, but they’re going to make us all sick with it.”
I laugh as Wolf tosses a piece of bread at Hedge’s head. “Don’t be a dick. We don’t need a replacement for Crawley. Well, we do, but you know what I mean. You should work on getting yourself a girl this week.”
Hedge lets out a loud laugh. “I can have a girl whenever I want, shitface. You remember what that’s like?” He winks at Wolf, making my stomach unfurl. “I’m not looking to settle down anytime soon like you, chumps.”
Lorraine stands up with her plate. “I’m with Hedge. Nothing wrong with being single. We’re still young. And sexy as hell.” She grins, then tosses Wolf a look. “It wasn’t that long ago we were all single.” She looks at me and winks. “No offense.”
I turn to catch Wolf’s hard expression. I’m not oblivious of his past, but I don’t want to imagine Wolf as the ladies’ man everyone talks about. He’s never given me any reason to believe he’s anything but devoted to me.
Wolf’s eyes catch mine, and his expression softens. I lean in to kiss his cheek, and then I move to his ear. “I love you,” I whisper.
His skin bristles beneath my mouth. He doesn’t return my words, but before I know it, Wolf has me in his arms and is carrying me out of the dining room.
“You can eat later,” he growls.
I giggle the entire way as he carries me to the bedroom and throws me onto the bed.
The moment we enter the recording studio, I feel the same sense of familiarity as when we walked into the Aragon in Chicago last month. The rich, dark brown walls and sleek wood floors that lead to the reception desk scream money and class. This studio is one I frequented a lot as a child, and although the décor has changed since then, the feeling of importance remains. The feeling that any artist who walks through these doors has made it.
A dark-skinned woman with light brown eyes and long, black braids greets us from the other side of the room. I don’t recognize her, but I’m not sure there are many people I would recognize here anymore. “Ah! Right on time,” she says warmly. “Great to see you all again.”
Handshakes and warm hugs are exchanged energetically before Wolf brings me forward to introduce us. “Vana, this is my girlfriend, Lyric. Lyric, meet our sound engineer, Ivana. But you can call her Vana. We all do.”
Vana’s kind eyes twinkle with familiarity. It’s clear she knows who I am, but she doesn’t say anything about it. “Very pleased to meet you, Lyric. We’ve got a great setup in the studio, so you girls will be plenty comfortable.” She glances between Terese, Misty, and me. “And help yourself to anything in the green room. Drinks, snacks, a game of ping pong.”
Terese latches onto me and nudges my side at the words ping pong. “You and me, Lyric. What do you say?”
I grin at her. “You are so on.”
Excitement rushes through me as Vana leads us down the wide halls of the studios. Gold and platinum records decorate the walls alongside signed photos of the high-profile names that have recorded in this space. I know exactly where to find the photos and platinum records of Mitch Cassidy—next to Studio Blue, his favorite to record in.
To my surprise, it’s same one Vana is taking us to.
The layout of the room is exactly as I remember, but just like the lobby, everything else has changed. A large, white leather couch takes up the entire back wall, and a curved window separates us from the audio booth where the boys will spend the rest of their day. Instruments and microphones are set up in the center of the room on a burgundy and black rug.
Wolf’s stage crew is already taking charge, switching out the studio equipment for the band’s guitars and microphones. The drum kit remains, but Derrick’s sticks get placed on his stool.
As the guys begin to strategize their day, memories of great times with my father flood my mind in an unstoppable rush. It’s overwhelming, and all of it is exacerbated by what Doug told me. My father is in town, and he’ll be at the studio. He wants to see me.
As a kid, the studio was my favorite place to visit. My dad would sit smack in the center of the room, lost in his music, but somehow he would always catch my eye through the heavy glass and wink at me before each take. All I did was sit and listen, but it was enough to feel as if I was part of every creation. Besides, he used to call me his muse.
With acoustics streaming from all angles of the room, the sound always had a magical effect on me, as if the sound bounced off the walls and hit me directly in the chest. It was one of the many reasons that made it so easy for me to fall in love with music.
This is how all music should be heard. There’s nothing like tuning out the whole world, leaving nothing but the music humming through your body and soul. I swallow back the emotion in my throat. The memories of this place are so vivid, and it’s like that same little girl who would squeal with pride for her father has come alive within me and is ready to experience it all over again.
Wolf must notice something in my expression because he pulls me into his arms and searches my eyes with his. “You okay?”
I nod quickly, not wanting to make this day about me. It’s hard not to be anxious, though. “I’m perfect.” I lift up onto my toes and give him a peck on the lips. “Kill it, baby.”
He winks and pats my ass. “You know I will.”
The guys enter the large, soundproof room and take their places, ready to go to work. I smile when Wolf removes his shoes. My dad used to do the exact same thing, and of course as a kid I always followed his lead. On the occasions he would let me join him in the music box, as I used to call it, I would toss off my flip flops and adjust the mic, like it was something I did every day. Like I was pop star going to work, ready to record my next hit.
Giggling, I sink into the couch with the girls, all of our attention on our boys, ready for what we know will be an epic session.
“How long have you and Stryder been together?” Terese asks Misty while we wait.
“Since high school,” she responds in her usual bubbly tone.
Wait, what? My head snaps to the right to join the conversation. “I didn’t know that.” I knew they’d been together a while, but high school? That means they’ve been together for at least six years now. That’s incredible.
“You’re like an old married couple by now,” Terese teases.
Misty giggles. “Not exactly. We broke up for a couple years when the guys started touring. We’d see each other still, but the long distance thing doesn’t work for us.” Her eyes move to the studio glass where Stryder is placing a guitar strap around his shoulders. “I prefer traveling with him.”
Terese has a thoughtful expression on her face, and I wonder if she’s thinking about her future with Derrick. They haven’t been together very long, but I’ve seen the way they are around each other, so I don’t think she’s getting ahead of herself. She has one week with him, and then what happens? Will they try to make the long distance thing work out?
A sound through the speakers steals our attention. It’s time. I take in deep breath, bracing myself for the familiar sounds of the studio.
And it’s so much better than I was ready for.
The moment the guys start to play, the sound fills my body. Fills my soul. It’s like I’m hovering above it all, soaking it in. The emotions are heavy, especially when Wolf’s voice filters through the spe
akers. But almost as soon as it began, the tranquility of the sound is broken up by Wolf’s cussing.
“Shit. I’m sorry,” he apologizes while removing his guitar. “I need more rest on this hand. Can we get a backup to play guitar on this, Vana?”
I cringe. He should have been icing his hand all morning instead of trying to set yet another record for most orgasms in a row.
The engineer calls someone on the phone, and in minutes they have a guitarist standing in for Wolf. The guys immediately go back to work, deep in the zone.
My phone buzzes the entire morning, but I ignore it for the sake of the band. Nothing could take me away from this sound. Not even ping pong—not that Terese requests a game. She might be more glued to her spot on the couch than I am.
I let myself stay until the band takes a longer break to go over some takes with Vana. It doesn’t look like the guys are going anywhere soon, and I need to work. Not wanting to disturb them, I shoot Wolf a quick text message telling him I’m going back to the house, say bye to the girls, and then sneak out the door.
When I’m in the quiet hallway, I finally look at my phone. All numbers I’ve never seen before, and one new voicemail. I press play and cautiously place the phone to my ear.
“Hey, sweet pea.” My stomach lurches into my throat at Tony’s familiar, gravely tone that grates on my ears.
Isn’t Doug supposed to be babysitting him? Why is he calling me?
“Jesus,” he says with a frustrated breath. “I got a new number. Wanted you to have it—in case you wanted to talk.” There’s silence between heavy breaths. “Look, I’m sorry for being a dick the other night. I fucked up hard. But dammit, Lyric. Two years together. I was going to marry you. Joanna was… Shit, Joanna was a mistake, and you know that. I’m not even sure how it happened. But it’s over, and we can fix this. I know we can. You can’t just throw it all away—and for Wolf, of all people? Just—just call me back.”