Well, it'd worked. I'd fallen into his arms at the slightest hint of him wanting me. I'd been a fool, a stupid fool.
I didn't have another cup to throw so I balled my hand into a fist and smashed it into a cushion. I smashed it hard. I couldn't take back what I'd done. I couldn't reject him like he'd rejected me. All I could do was punch the stuffing out of that poor defenseless cushion.
A sob escaped me as a pummeled it but I kept punching. Punching didn't even seem enough. I stood up and kicked the wall, but that just hurt my foot.
Screw him. Who the hell did he think he was? I'd go about my night as though he'd never interrupted me. I'd still the thudding of my heart and ignore the throbbing of my pussy. I had important TV to watch and bookkeeping to do. I didn't have time in my life to worry about some weirdo rock star.
I inhaled. Breathing was important. I needed to breathe. I sat back down and stared at the TV screen. What had I been watching? I couldn't even remember.
Anger replaced the frustration inside of me. A burning anger. I wouldn't let him toy with me like that. I had a thing or two to say to that guy.
I put on my slippers and grabbed my keys. If he thought he could get with a stunt like that, he had another thing coming. I wouldn't tolerate it. Not without telling him exactly what I thought.
I might not have a baseball bat handy this time but my words would hit him harder.
I stomped the whole way around the block, arguing with myself the whole way.
I shouldn't care. I shouldn't care one little bit. Seeing me riled up like this would just feed into his stupid ego. He'd love that.
I clenched my fists and kept marching.
But I wanted to scream at him. I wanted to punch him and kick him in the nuts.
Yeah, that's what I'd do.
I reached the front of the motel before I realized I didn't know what unit was his. No one but the stayed there so I just had to look for an occupied room. I had a one in four chance of getting it right. I hoped.
Hell. What if he had another woman with him? Maybe he'd been playing with me until she turned up. I had no way of knowing. But it was too late to turn back now.
I stomped around the corner. No need to look for his room. Ethan sat on the diving board, staring into the night sky. So preoccupied, he didn't notice me walk around the pool.
I climbed the steps to the diving board, holding onto the handrails.
"What the fuck was that about?" I yelled.
He spun around, almost losing his balance but righting himself. Good. I didn't want my tirade interrupted by him almost drowning or any shit like that.
"Sophie, you shouldn't be there here."
I put my hands on my hips. "Well, where the hell should I be? You can't do..." I waved my hand in the direction of my house. "That. You can't do that and just run out."
He put his head in his hands. "I'm sorry," he said.
"Sorry doesn't cut it, buddy. What? You think I'm some stupid country girl you can toy with? Well, I've got news for you."
"I never thought that."
The diving board wobbled beneath my feet as I walked onto it.
"You can't just walk out on me after kissing me like that. Not ever. You start that shit, you finish it."
He stared at me. Stared in a way that made me self-conscious.
"I don't want to mess with you. That's why I left. I wanted to protect you. I'm no good for you, Sophie."
I huffed. "You are messing with me. This hot and cold thing is messing with me like crazy. I know you're only here for a short time. I know your reputation. But I don't fucking care. I want you. If it's just for a night or a few hours. Hell, Ethan, I know my own mind."
He stood up, still staring at me.
"You don't know, Sophie. You know nothing about me."
"I know I want you."
I took the few steps to close the distance between us. I wasn't sure if I wanted to kiss him or punch him, I only knew I wanted to be closer to him.
He grabbed for me. I paused, not wanting to play those games again.
The board wobbled. It wobbled like crazy, sending me off kilter and making my legs tremble. I stumbled to right myself, reaching out for something solid to hold onto.
Ethan.
I grabbed him. But that made us both stumble.
I screamed as we plunged into the cold water below.
Ethan
I SHOULD NEVER HAVE gone to her house but my longing made me weak. My resolve to walk away without hurting her vanished. I guess that made me a total bastard but I'd only wanted to see her smile and... that's a lie. I knew exactly what I'd wanted when I went to her door. I could tell myself I had noble reasons but there was nothing noble about my desire for her.
I thought maybe I could kiss her, just kiss her. Maybe play a little. If I didn't go all the way, I wouldn't win the bet. But when I touched her, I knew that would never ben possible.
I wanted Sophie. I wanted her so much my body ached. She made my palms sweat and my heart boom and got me more nervous than I'd ever been with a woman. Within a few days, she'd pushed every other thought out of my head.
This bet had been a joke but the joke ended up being on me because when she'd returned my kiss, she'd made me the happiest man alive.
But even a bastard like me had his limits. I couldn't spend one night with her and walk away. That would break her heart. Not mine. I was fine. I could survive a one-night stand. But she was worth so much more.
When I returned to the hotel, I didn't go inside. I sat on that diving board staring at her house again. I'd wanted to tell her about the song but I had to forget about it. Forget the whole stupid song altogether. I couldn't put that out in the world. The song felt like a lie.
My heart skipped a beat when her angry voice cut through the silence. Luckily none of the guys were back yet. There was just the two of us.
I tried, a pitiful attempt to dissuade her. She'd kept at me. She said she wanted me and the words buzzed through my body.
She wanted me.
Of course, her kiss had said that. Her body had said it, too. But when she said it with her words, I thrilled like this was my first time.
She wore those stupid unicorn slippers and just seeing her legs in those slippers almost ripped away any resolve I had.
I stood up, not knowing what to do. The right thing or the thing every nerve in my body told me to do.
Before I could decide, the two of us fell into the pool.
Ice cold water froze my body, stung my eyes, went up my nose. I stupidly tried to breathe but I just gulped in more.
I didn't let go of her as we sunk through the water. I clung to her and she clung to me, the water pushing us together, sinking deeper and deeper.
Bubbles flew from her mouth until my lips found hers. Sinking deeper, I kissed her. Lightly. Our mouths barely touching. Being underwater made the kiss seem magical, like it was not of this world. Our bodies rubbed together, weightless.
My foot touched the bottom of the pool and I kicked off.
As my head resurfaced, I laughed. Sophie still clung to me, laughing too. I wiped the wet hair from her face.
Then I kissed her again. She tasted of chlorine and so did I.
What the hell had I been thinking? This gorgeous woman wanted me. And I wanted her. My body tingled when she was near. She drove me to do crazy things. Why should I try to resist her?
Water dripped into my eyes but I couldn't stop kissing her.
I'd been lying to myself. I hadn't been protecting Sophie. I'd been protecting myself. I couldn't imagine being able to leave this woman once I'd tasted her. Sex with emotions involved... that scared the hell out of me.
Eventually, we stopped kissing and got out of the pool. I took her by the hand and led her to my motel unit.
She laughed as I towel dried her hair, the light catching her eyes and making them sparkle. Or maybe that was lust.
"Are you sure about this?" I whispered.
She nodded, then bit
her lip. "I'm sure."
"You really should get out of those wet clothes."
Stripping every bit of clothing from her body then kissing her gorgeous skin, oh yeah, the thought almost drove me over the edge. But, before that, I kissed her again.
A noise outside froze me mid-kiss.
We both put our heads on the side, listening.
It'd only been something blowing in the wind but we couldn't stay here. Not with the guys coming back any minute. I didn't want them around her. I didn't want them hearing us together or seeing her leave or sniggering about that stupid bet.
Damn it. I wanted to throw her on the bed and go way beyond just kissing. My cock screamed at me to take her right now. I wasn't a patient man.
No. We had to leave.
I wrapped the towel around her then looked at the sopping, bedraggled unicorns on her feet and grabbed a pair of sandals from the wardrobe.
She raised her eyebrows. "Sandals? Is that some kink?"
"We're going to your place. This motel has paper thin walls. I'm not risking those losers overhearing us."
She patted herself down and pulled out her keys. "Thankfully they didn't fall out of my pocket in the pool."
The husky tone of her voice fueled my desire. It dripped with her need for me even if her words didn't.
The two of us ran through the streets, her sandals thudding on the sidewalk. A car drove by and she pulled me into the bushes to hide from their gaze, wrapping me in her arms. I took that as a chance to explore her body further. She tried pushing my hands away but she squirmed, giggling under my touch.
As the car lights disappeared, we ran again. She fumbled with the lock to her door, as though her hands didn't work properly in her haste.
"Now get those wet clothes off," I said, pulling the towel from around her.
I did enjoy the way the t-shirt clung to her body, outlining her breasts and emphasizing the hardness of her nipples but that was way more clothing than I wanted.
She laughed as I peeled that t-shirt from her body. The fabric clung to her skin but a small obstacle like that wouldn't stop me, it only slowed me down. As I lifted it, I licked at her nipples, my tongue lightly flicking the hardness.
She moaned and flung the t-shirt away. The sounds this woman made drove me crazy. I wound my arms around her waist as she arched her back,
Leaning my head against the softness of her belly, I drank in the smell, the chlorine smell mixing with her the scent of flowers that always embraced her skin and the wonderful smell of her arousal. Everything about her so perfect and right.
"Are you sniffing me?"
I laughed. Was that so weird when she smelled so good?
Sophie
WHEN I WOKE UP THE next morning, Ethan was still in bed beside me.
"Do we have to go to the markets again?" he asked.
He'd said "we" and that, coupled with the stupid grin on his face, made my heart go crazy. Hell, how did a man wake up looking so good? And smelling so good?
"Not today," I said. "We got enough stock to last a few days."
His grin widened and he grabbed my arm. "Well, you can come back to bed then."
I hadn't exactly left the bed, I'd just sat up.
"I still have to work," I told him. "I can't ditch all my responsibilities."
He looked at his watch. "Surely you have a bit of time."
Even if I didn't, he pulled me down so that my head rested in the crook of his arm. Maybe I didn't need to rush.
"Are you going into the studio today?" I asked.
He nodded.
I held my breath. I'd have to get in the shower soon and he'd leave and this night would shatter into pieces as though it'd never existed.
But right now, I almost purred like a kitten as I rested my cheek on the hard muscle of his chest and he ran his fingers through my hair.
"What are you doing after work?" he asked.
"Nothing." I never did anything after work except watch TV and sleep. I didn't exactly have a busy social life.
"I'll pick you up and we can go to dinner."
The smart thing would be to end this now. To let Ethan walk away. My fingers toyed with the edge of the sheet. I wasn't sure I could do the smart thing even though every minute I spent with him would make it harder when the end came.
"I'll cook dinner." The words came out before I could stop myself.
He leaned over me, his face beaming. "Really? That would be the best."
Janice had been right. The man really did want a home-cooked meal. I had no idea what I'd cook for him. I bet he was used to fancy restaurants and gourmet chefs.
"What do you want to eat?" I asked then sucked in my breath as his fingers traced circles down my belly.
"Steak. Most definitely steak. Plain food is best."
Steak I could do. I had no problem with that at all. But, before I could answer, his lips met mine, his kiss hungry and urgent.
I pulled away.
"Really, I have to shower and get ready for work."
I got up and walked to the bathroom. He followed me. I turned and arched my brow.
"Hey, I have to shower too," he said.
I couldn't argue with that. Especially when we got in the shower and he began lapping at the water drops trickling down my body.
"I like you wet." He looked up at my face. "And I like you blushing."
I couldn't answer, not with the things his tongue did to me.
That shower took way longer than any shower I'd ever taken before. I'd never known it was possible to enjoy a shower so much. I'd never known that a man could do the things that Ethan did. Before him, it'd only been fumbling and awkwardness.
He made every cell in my body come alive, tiny little explosions mirroring the earth-shattering ones that ripped through me.
I slumped against the shower wall, exhausted and grinning as the water went cold.
"See you tonight," he said as he left, and followed that up with a panty wetting wink.
Damn the man. He was too much for me to handle.
"What's with the smile?" Janice asked when I arrived at work. Then she nudged me.
"I'm allowed to smile," I said. And I sure wasn't about to discuss my sex life with her.
"That's no regular smile," she said. "That's an 'I just got laid' smile and I want to know the details. It's only fair."
Luckily, before she went any further, the bell on the door dinged. An early customer. Seemed it'd be another busy day.
I took a break after the lunchtime rush to run out and buy a couple of steaks and some vegetables for dinner. Plain, he'd said, but I didn't want dinner to be too plain. A basic steak was one thing but a couple of good side dishes would make all the difference.
Around mid-afternoon, two girls came into the store. I recognized them from being a few years below me at school. The two of them kept nudging each other and staring at me then giggling. I'd gotten used to that and had to keep telling myself that if I wanted the store to get out of debt, I'd need to put up with it.
"What does he see in her?" one of them said in a loud whisper. A whisper she obviously meant me to hear.
The other one shrugged and they giggled again.
"Must be slumming it. Wants a change from all those gorgeous models he dates."
The two of them left without buying anything.
"Ignore them," Janice said. "They're idiots."
They might be idiots but they were right. What did he see in me? I sure wasn't a model type, not beautiful, not even pretty. It wouldn't have surprised me if Ethan didn't bother turning up tonight.
Janice came over and snatched the arrangement I'd been working on out of my hands.
"I'll look after this," she said. "You're getting all upset and the flowers can tell."
"What does he see in me?" I asked her. "I'm short and a bit dumpy and no beauty."
"You're a good girl," Janice said.
I laughed. "Rock stars don't date good girls. They want wild girls with le
gs that go on forever and perfect hair."
I couldn't even remember the last time I'd styled my hair. I never fussed about my looks, never saw the point of it.
"A man might get tired of wild girls. He seems like a good boy under that surface."
"That surface is pretty damn perfect," I said with a sigh.
"You've got a beautiful smile and lovely eyes," Janice said. "And you have sparks, like Mrs. Carruthers said. Don't worry about those bitchy girls. The heart wants what the heart wants, and I'd put good money on his heart wanting you."
Of course, Janice had to say that but still, I felt reassured. No matter why he wanted to be with me, he obviously did or he wouldn't be hanging around.
I cleaned up and went into the back room to put on lipstick and do my hair. When I came back out, Ethan leaned on the counter. He gave a low whistle.
As I walked toward him, he handed me a bunch of roses.
"I wasn't sure if they'd be appropriate," he said. "You might be sick of flowers."
My heart skipped a beat. I wasn't sick of flowers. No one ever gave me flowers. Ever. Not that I had a string of admirers but most people assumed I wouldn't want them.
"Let's go," he said, putting his hand on the small of my back and leading me out of the store.
Ethan
I SNUCK GLANCES AT her while I drove. She was going to cook me a steak. Steak and Sophie, I couldn't think of a better way to spend the night.
"Eyes on the road."
Shit, she'd caught me looking at her. I leaned over to kiss her cheek but she gave me a playful push.
"This might be a quiet street but I don't want anyone seeing us," she said.
"They'll see you sitting in my car and they'll see me going to your house and..."
"Yeah, I get the picture but let's not add fuel to the fire. And there will be fire. There already is a burning inferno of gossip. On the plus side, business is booming at the store."
She smiled and there was no way I could keep my eyes on the road when she looked like that.
"You might even say it's blooming," I said, and she punched me on the arm for my bad joke.
"Hey, that's my guitar playing arm," I said.
"I thought you were the singer."
Rock Mayhem: 8 Complete Rock Star Romance Novels Page 91