by Ruby Rowe
“That’s not the way to get me to stop wearing this outfit.”
I draw my head back. “You’d let me spank you?”
“I don’t think there’s much I wouldn’t let you do to me.”
“Baby, don’t open up that can of worms. I don’t know if I could close it.” Removing my cock from deep inside her, I lower Apple to the floor and remove the condom. They’re an extra pain in situations like this one.
“I like making you happy,” she says.
Kissing her rosy lips, I toss the condom in a garbage can by the door.
“Simply being with you makes me happy, but there’s one thing that you could do for me. Would you mind going on the pill?”
“I don’t mind trying them.”
Smiling, I bring her in for a hug. “It would be a way for me to have a first with you. I’ve never had sex without a condom.”
“Seriously? Then I’m getting on them right away. I’ll call my gynecologist’s office first thing Monday morning.”
She pulls away, and her enthusiastic smile and round eyes make me chuckle. I squeeze her ass beneath her skirt.
“You know … if it makes you that happy to give me firsts, you could let me tap this ass.”
“Tripp!” I catch her surprised expression before she buries her face against my chest. “You haven’t done that?”
“No. I could’ve over the years, but I figured I’d save it for someone special.” Stepping back, I grasp her chin. “Baby, I’m not trying to pressure you. It seemed like the perfect moment to joke about it.”
“I assumed you’d done it. I’d be willing to as long as it’s in a bed and not on the bus.”
“I wasn’t expecting you to be so open to the idea since you’re still new to sex.”
“I trust you, and so far, everything we’ve done has felt phenomenal.”
“I agree, and with you, it’s all felt like the first time to me. Come on. I have a surprise for you on the bus.”
“Oh, right. You haven’t given me my surprise yet.” She claps and straightens her skirt. “I can’t wait to see what it is.”
Olivia
Zain’s being impatient as I get to know his bandmates in the common area of the bus. Like no one’s around, he keeps skimming his nose up my neck and running his hand up and down my thigh.
“I heard your dad’s a congressman,” Faith says. “What does he think about you being on tour with us?”
“I was vague when I told my parents about it. They know I’m traveling with Apple to make her clothes, but I didn’t elaborate. I’m sure they’re conducting their investigation on the band now, and I’ll be hearing from them soon.” I giggle.
“Thank fuck your laugh is tolerable.” She shoots a look to the back of Aiden’s head. “The last new girl to join us was annoying. I can’t wait to see what kind of clothes you design for Apple. I may hire you myself, if you’re interested.”
“Don’t steal her yet,” Apple says as she and Tripp enter the room.
“I’m not. I have to see that she won’t fuck up your shit first.” Faith winks at me to let me know she’s only joking.
“Tripp has a surprise for me. He wanted to give it to me in private, but I wanted you all to see. He promised it wasn’t X-rated.”
Smiling bashfully, Tripp pulls a set of keys out of his pocket and holds them up in front of Apple.
“These are keys to our new vacation home.”
“You bought us a house?”
“Not just any house. I bought a certain house in Atlanta, Georgia. I’ve had a rush remodel done, and you and I are going there after the Miami show.”
“Tripp, that’s the sweetest gift ever! Thank you.” She jumps, and he grabs her as she wraps her legs around his body. Thankfully, she’s changed out of her skirt, or we’d be getting a show.
“You’re welcome, baby.”
“Now I know why you’ve been so secretive lately.”
“I couldn’t let anyone else buy that house. I was going to surprise you when we got there, but I couldn’t wait.”
“What’s so special about this place?” Zain asks as Tripp lowers Apple to her feet.
Turning to us, she blushes. “It’s a house he took me to while we were in Atlanta. That’s all you need to know.”
“Oh, gross. I remember that ordeal.”
“You should. Tripp had you in a headlock on this very floor.”
“Hey, I got a jab in.” Zain looks at me. “Don’t believe everything they say about me because only 99.9% of it is true.”
Everyone laughs while Apple hugs Tripp again. How much they love each other is evident. It’s as if they’re inside a glowing bubble made of magnificent, shimmering colors. I don’t know how, but I see it encasing them.
“Let’s go to my bunk,” Zain whispers. I pull my eyes away from the happy couple and look at him.
“I feel weird being alone in there with you.”
“No one will think twice about it.”
“But the bunks are in such close proximity.”
“We’ve got to break you in to the life, babe. Hey, everyone. Would you find it weirder if Olivia slept in my bunk or in her own?”
“Her own,” each of them says over top of one another.
“See, Butterfly. You have nothing to worry about.”
“Listen to him,” Faith says. “Prudes aren’t allowed on the road with us.”
“All right.” I barely get the words out before Zain’s hand is in mine, dragging me behind him.
“Night, slayers,” he calls out before closing the bunk door.
“I have to brush my teeth and take my makeup off first,” I say.
“Don’t be long, and you can undress in my bunk.” Winking, Zain pulls the curtain back. Once I find my toiletry bag and go through my nightly routine, I head back to join him.
I don’t know why I’m a nervous wreck, but I am. I know we’re going to fool around, and it feels like it’s happening for the first time.
Sucking in a breath, I tap on the wood frame by his curtain. Z opens it and smiles. He had a shower earlier, and his bunk has captured his clean, ocean scent that reminds me of the bay and the smell of saltwater. I get in and lie on my side, facing him.
“I’m still ecstatic that you’re here,” he says.
“I’m happy, too. In a way, it doesn’t seem real.”
Slowly, he leans in and kisses me. His tongue communicates his thoughts like braille, and with his hand at the small of my back, he brings me closer and presses his stiff cock against my pelvis.
“Feel real yet?” he whispers against my lips.
“It’s starting to,” I reply.
He caresses my breast...
“How about now?”
“You’re getting warmer.”
“Take off your shorts.”
My mouth dries up like the Mojave Desert, and I’m not surprised since the moisture seems to have collected between my legs instead. Shifting to my back, I lift my butt and remove my shorts and panties.
Wasting no time, Zain fingers me and sucks on my neck.
“You’re going to come while your moans tell my bandmates all about it. Just don’t make Harry drive off the road.”
“You’re impossible.”
“Impossible to resist, so relax, and give in to me.” Curving his finger, he presses on the most sensitive spot. God, is that the G-spot? I can’t help but whimper as he pumps whatever it is. The feeling is foreign but unbelievably good. Lifting my top, Z hums his approval from my lack of a bra.
“You’re going to come. Then, I’m going to taste those juices before I sink right into your soaked pussy. Once we’re finished, you’re going to tell me all the things I haven’t had a chance to learn about you.”
“That could take a while,” I say breathlessly.
“Now that you’re with me, we have loads of time.”
Zain
“We both had nannies. That’s one thing we have in common,” I say to Liv as she lies beside
me after our mind-blowing sex.
“My nannie taught me to sew.”
“All of mine slept with my dad.”
I laugh as Liv’s eyes widen. “Are you serious?”
“Yep. I went through a lot of them.”
“Weren’t your parents married then?”
“Yeah. From the time my mom got pregnant, Dad told her he’d never be apart from me. After a few years, Mom didn’t want to be on the road all the time, so I had nannies while she stayed home. Dad would sleep with them while he was blitzed, and then he’d have to find new ones.”
“Didn’t that make it hard to bond with them?”
“I learned not to get attached. It wasn’t hard since they also had to tutor me. I hated when they made me put my guitar down and do schoolwork.”
“I only had one nanny, and we were so close. I thought the world of Caroline and was devastated when my mom broke the news to me that she’d died in a car accident. I was twelve and didn’t even go to the funeral. Gwendolyn said it would be too hard for me, but I think the closure would’ve helped.”
“That’s sad.”
“Sewing gives me a way to honor her memory.”
“Who else have you looked up to?”
Lowering her gaze, she shakes her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Why is that?”
“Because it’s the people I haven’t looked up to who have taught me the most.”
“Fuck, Liv.” Lifting her chin, I see the tears swimming in her eyes. They shine and only remind me of how her irises look like the honey I mix with my booze to help my throat before I sing. “I’m sorry you’ve been surrounded by so many assholes.”
“Hey, the silver lining is that it helps me appreciate the great people in my life.”
“I haven’t even met the bad ones, and I already hate them for hurting you. You deserve happiness.”
She cups my cheek. “So do you. What makes Zain happy?”
“The gorgeous, curvy blonde in front of him.”
“You’re sweet. Did you talk to your bandmates about how discreet we need to be?”
I smirk. “Yeah, but only because I knew you’d ask. They’d never tell anyone we’re together unless I’d already announced it to the world.”
“It’s so cool that you have a circle of friends you can trust.”
“I guess so.”
Olivia touches my forehead. “This frown line isn’t convincing me.”
“They wouldn’t tell my personal business, but that doesn’t mean they respect me. Nathan was a self-absorbed asshole who treated them like shit, yet every day, I feel like I fall short in filling his shoes.” Running a hand through my hair, I exhale a breath of frustration. “It is what it is and doesn’t really matter.”
“I think it does matter to you.”
“I’m a big boy and can handle being the odd one out.” Sitting up, I find my xannies in my backpack and pop a couple with my bottled water. “Need a drink before we crash?”
“I’m good.”
Lying down, I pat my chest. “Come here. Let’s try this thing called sleeping. I suck at it, but I want to do it with you.”
She settles against my body, and feeling her warmth calms me right down. “I’m damn happy you’re here, but I hope you don’t feel like Apple pressured you to come.”
“The reason I practically leaped from your car the day you left Danville was because I was sad that I couldn’t go with you. I’m thrilled Apple thought of an excuse for me. She’s helping make my dreams come true.”
I lift my head enough to kiss the top of Olivia’s. Other than how my guitar feels in my hands, nothing else has ever felt more right than having this woman in my arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
Olivia
Against my better judgment, I let my head fall to the side so Zain can kiss my neck. He’s been playing with my hair as we sit sideways on the couch in the back lounge while on our way to Miami.
I’m between his legs, resting against his chest. I’m trying to design an outfit for Apple, and I say trying because Zain’s making it impossible.
“As amazing as your mouth and hands feel, I can’t concentrate when you’re touching me.”
“But I like watching you draw, and I have to be close to you to do that. If I’m close to your body, it’s impossible to resist you, which means it’s not my fault that I’m touching you.”
I laugh against his chest. “Your charm is manipulating, but I don’t think it’s in your control.”
“See, not my fault. Why don’t you only pretend to work for Apple? That way, I can have you all to myself.”
“I love to design and sew, and this is a huge opportunity to make a name for myself.” I strain my head back to see his face. “Don’t you want that for me?”
He exhales dramatically. “Of course.”
“Once I have my supplies, I’ll mostly work while we’re at the venues. People will see us interacting less that way, too. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of you in the green room. Someone outside of the band is going to notice.”
“Sit up. We need to talk about the cheating bastard.”
Sighing, I do what he says and face him.
“What information is he using against you?”
“All I feel comfortable sharing is that it’s something personal about my brother.”
“Is it the fact he’s gay?”
“How do you know that?”
“I could tell from the way he looked at me when we met.”
“I don’t understand.”
“All men size each other up, but there are only two ways it’s conspicuous. One is when a man feels the need to appear tougher. I mean, it’s hard to miss a guy who’s puffing out his chest, flexing or glaring. The second way is when a guy finds another man attractive. I’m not saying Landon’s into me. I’m only saying his gaze lingered long enough to relay his thoughts.”
“He was just starstruck.”
“I meet male fans every day. I can tell the difference.”
“I can’t believe you figured it out in a matter of minutes.”
“It’s probably because Nash is gay. He doesn’t mind if people find out, but he doesn’t go around advertising it. Anyway, for years, I’ve watched the way he looks at guys he finds attractive and the way they look at him if they feel the same.”
“Your buff bodyguard is gay?”
“Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Pointing at me, he winks. “Only by their dirty gaze.”
Looking down at my sketch pad, I fold and unfold the corner of the page.
“Since you know that Landon’s gay, I’ll tell you the rest. Ken must be friends with a guy my brother attends college with. That, or he hired one to seduce Landon. Somehow, he managed to get photos of my brother in intimate positions with another man, if you know what I mean.”
“Damn. That’s bad.”
“I only saw part of one photo, but it was enough to know they’re graphic. My brother hasn’t come out publicly and has no desire to anytime soon. If those images leak, it’ll be a scandal for him and our family. I can’t let that happen.”
“Isn’t Ken tight with your dad?”
“Yes, but he’s confident he won’t have to leak them since I always do what I’m told. Knowing him, he already has a plan to make the scandal work in his favor if he’s forced to.”
“Wouldn’t your family believe you over him?”
“It’s shameful to admit, but my parents care more about success, power and money than they do about Landon and me. Even if they doubted Ken, they’d pretend they didn’t.”
“You said you recorded him admitting the truth. Tell him you’ll go public with the recording if he outs your brother. Surely, he’d choose being single over the alternative.”
“I plan to do that today. I wasn’t going to tell you until after I called him because I didn’t want you to worry about it. I may have broken a California law by recording Ken, but if so, he’d have to share the tape to have
me prosecuted. I don’t think there’s any way this could backfire on me.”
“You finally have the upper hand. Use it. Then, this will be settled. I can’t stand knowing he thinks you’re his.”
I squeeze Zain’s hand. “I’m not his, and even our family and friends will know that soon.”
“Have I told you I’m happy you’re here?”
“Only about a dozen times.”
“That’s not enough.” Cradling my face, Zain gives me a soft kiss. “I’m happy you’re here, Butterfly.”
“So am I.”
***
“Ken, hi,” I say.
“Hi. How’s it going on the road?”
“Listen, you’re not going to like what I have to say, so I’m going to get right to it.”
He sighs. “I thought we were past all the bullshit, Olivia.”
“We will be shortly.”
“I’m still at the office. Let me go into the conference room.” Sitting at the back of the bus, I bite my nail. The band’s in the venue, and Harry’s asleep in his bunk, so it’s too quiet. Only my harsh breaths are keeping me company.
“All right. What’s the problem?”
“I recorded you the last time I was at your place.”
“What do you mean?”
“I had a recorder in my purse. I have on tape how you’re with Aaron and blackmailed me. I’m telling my parents we’re no longer engaged, and you’re going to accept it and move on. If you don’t and leak those damn photos, I will share the recording.”
“You’re lying. You don’t have the courage to do something like that.”
“You’re wrong, and don’t go trashing my condo to find the tape. It’s not there.”
“You fucked up, Olivia, and I’ll be sure you regret this.”
“The only regret I’m going to have is the years I wasted on your lying, cheating, conniving ass.”
He doesn’t reply. “Hello. Ken.” Realizing he hung up on me, I squeeze my phone. I’m starting to hate that man.
His threats mean nothing since there’s no way he can get around this. Thinking of what Blair and Zain would say right now, I smile. I finally have the cheating bastard by the balls.
