by Salsbury, JB
“Look at you, sexy.” He holds out a hand, and I gladly take it so he can pull me to him. With my ridiculously high heels we’re almost nose to nose. His strong arm bands around my back, pressing my front to his. He kisses the corner of my mouth to avoid smearing my bright red lipstick. “How long have you been watching me?”
I run my hands over his thick shoulders and smile. “Not long. Bethany and I got stuck on the phone with the real estate guy, talking about the location on 5th. We didn’t get off the bus until ten minutes ago.”
“Is the guy going to sell?”
“Do you really want to talk business right now?”
His gaze drops from my mouth to my throat to my cleavage that pours over my bustier. He licks his lips. “No, I don’t.”
“Good, because there’s something I wanted to talk to you about. You see”—I put my lips to his ear—“I’ve always had a groupie fantasy. Me on my knees in a dark corner backstage and a sexy rock star with his black leather pants unzipped.”
He pulls back, his arm growing tighter around me. “You have, huh?” His eyes search the green room. Jesse and Bethany are snuggled up on an overstuffed chair, Ethan and Elliot are playing Go Fish, and Ryder is Facetiming Jade. “I can’t deliver on the leather pants or a dark corner, but would denim and a bathroom do?”
A slow grin curls my lips. “Let’s go.”
A girlish giggle escapes me as he drags me to the bathroom.
“Again?” Ethan calls.
“Leave them alone,” Bethany says.
Ethan goes back to his cards. “They do this every night.”
“Jealous?” Jesse says through a smirk.
“Shit yeah!” Ethan says.
Elliot glares at him.
“Sorry,” he says to her. “Go fish.”
“What do they do in there every night?” Elliot asks.
Bethany jumps to the rescue like she does with most of Elliot’s difficult questions. “Giving your dad a pre-show massage. It helps with the stress.”
The room erupts in snickers, but they all disappear when Ben closes us into the room and goes for his belt.
Ben
Ashleigh is excellent at playing the role of groupie. It’s a stunt she pulls every night we have a show. Slipping into her tightest pants, shortest skirts, and push-up bras, she dresses up in a way that only she can. Her bright blue eyes look even lighter rimmed in black makeup, and her white-blond hair is pulled high on her head to expose the long, delicious column of her throat. Full lips painted red tempt me, but I’ve walked out of a backstage bathroom with her lipstick smeared on my face enough times to know that stuff doesn’t come off easily, so I work to avoid it.
With my lips at her neck, I mumble, “Where did you get this top?” My hands are all over it, searching for any clasp or tie to release her breasts for my mouth.
She pulls back, leaving me reaching for her with my belt open and hands empty. Her hips swing as she steps back and looks at me, panting, hard, desperate. “This is my fantasy, remember?”
I stumble back, lean against the wall, and groan at the hunger in her eyes. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.” She steps close and moves to drop to her knees, but I snag her around the waist. “Hold on.” I grab two folded towels and put them on the floor between my feet.
Her nose crinkles adorably. “That’s not something a rock star would do when receiving a blow job from a groupie.”
I shrug, kiss her softly on the lips to avoid the smearing, and grin. “Maybe not, but you’re my wife. If you insist on blowing me in the bathroom before a show, I insist you take care of those knees I love so much.”
“You love my knees?”
“What part of ‘everything about you’ do you not get? Yes, I love your knees.”
She rolls her eyes and slowly lowers herself between my feet. Ash has had her mouth on me more times than the days we’ve been married, and still when she licks her lips while pulling me free from my pants, my pulse pounds as though it’s the first time.
My wife is a master with her mouth.
I bite my lip to keep from making noise. Although all the adults know we’re up to something in here, there’s no need to confirm their assumptions. Because I know how much she loves it, I wrap her ponytail around my fist and take control. She moans around me, her throat works to swallow, and the combination punches my hips forward and I explode. Hissing through my teeth, I bite back a groan as she keeps at it until my legs nearly give out.
“That’s enough, baby,” I say gently, because if she doesn’t stop, I’m going to fall over.
She sits back on her heels and grins at me. “That was even better than I imagined it would be.”
I pull her to her feet and straight into my chest. “You say that every night.”
“It’s true every night.”
I hum and check my watch. “We still have time.”
I tuck myself back into my pants, then switch positions so Ashleigh’s back is to the wall. I noticed the zipper to her slick, plastic pants is in the back, but with thirty minutes, I don’t go right for the gold. Instead, I reach between her legs and rub her hard.
“I also have a fantasy.” I increase the pressure. “Can I show you?”
“Please.” Her breathing is heavier, her chest rising and falling faster.
I reach behind and unzip her pants, freeing up enough room for me to put my hand down the front to—I groan. “You’re not wearing anything under these.”
I feel her smile against my neck.
She’s already slick, so I slip my fingers inside and her breath catches.
“I remember the first time I touched you here, I wondered if I’d ever get the chance to do it again.” I kiss up her jaw to her lips and pause. Adding a finger, I push in deeper and rub her the way she likes it. “I never imagined one day I’d be your husband and I’d get to touch you, taste you, and love you anytime you’d let me.”
Fuck the smeared lipstick, I can’t avoid her mouth for another second. I open my mouth, and our tongues slide together in a desperate rush. We lick, nip, and suck at each other’s mouths until we’re frenzied and I’m ready to blow off the entire show to get inside her. I’m about to suggest we do just that when her thighs clamp down around my wrist and she bites into my shoulder and moans her release.
“Shh, I’ve got you,” I say as I slowly bring her back to earth. Her eyelids are heavy, there’s red lipstick on her face, and she falls limply back against the wall. “You good?”
“That should tide me over until we’re back in the bus.”
I chuckle, kiss her hard, and slip my hand from her pants. We put ourselves back together. She does her best to fix her makeup while I unsuccessfully try to wipe lipstick from my lips and chin.
When we head out of the bathroom, all eyes come to us, and thank goodness Elliot is in the room or who knows the kind of things they’d all be saying. Jesiah’s looking at me with a smug expression, Bethany looks happy, Ethan scowls at us, and Ryder just smirks and says, “Damn, I miss my wife.”
Six months ago, those words would’ve made me think of Maggie. I would’ve tried hard not to frown, pushed the emptiness and hopelessness to the far reaches of my mind, and pretended that I didn’t feel the crushing heartbreak as if it were fresh every time.
Now?
Now, I look at the gift I’ve been given, the living, breathing gift in stilettos and a push-up bra, and all I feel is life-giving, soul-altering, eternal gratitude that Ashleigh would choose to spend her life with me.
Ethan
I’m a dick, all right. I don’t need my stupid head reminding me over and over. As if I could forget.
Do I begrudge Ben’s happiness?
Fuck yeah, I do.
Ashleigh is hot. I’m not talking everyday-girl hot. I’m talking Pamela Anderson in her prime on Baywatch hot. Or Angelina Jolie before she stole Brad Pitt hot. I’m talking sex on legs, bombshell, Victoria’s Secret model face with a Playboy body kind of hot.
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nbsp; Am I jealous I didn’t get to fuck Ashleigh before Ben swooped in and put a ring on her finger?
Yes. Yes, I am.
I tried to hook up with Ash the night of our LA show, but she wasn’t having it. She flirted, sure. Made me feel like the most attractive guy in the room. Not an easy task when Jesse’s around. I thought for sure she’d give me a shot, but nooooo. She shot me down.
Whatever, right? No hard feelings.
I swore I’d get another chance, and then boom! She’s fucking married.
Yeah, well, Ben is a lucky son of a bitch.
Ryder’s making goo-goo-gah-gah noises on the phone with his hot wife, Jesse’s licking his wife’s tonsils, and Ben’s got red lipstick on his neck and the seam of his T-shirt right over his zipper.
Some guys get all the luck.
I know his wife died and he’s had to raise Elliot alone, but I’m not in a good place for sympathy. I haven’t been touched by a woman in… twelve plus twenty-four and—thirty-eight hours! That’s damn near unheard of while on tour.
I’m horny, lonely, and sick of feeling sorry for myself.
When I finally settle down my woman is going to be so hot. The sexiest most beautiful woman in the room, even the married guys will be jealous. And I’ll be the only man who gets to call her mine.
Acknowledgments
I owe all my gratitude to you, dear reader, for picking up this book and giving my story your time and attention. I would not be able to do what I love if not for you. I humbly thank you.
Thank you to my friend Piper Reagan for reading everything I write when it is in it’s rawest form and helping me to mold it into a story. For your honesty, nitpicks, and elephant memory, I am forever grateful and in your debt.
A huge thank you to my dear friend Amanda and her eagle eyes that gave Ben and Ash a final polishing read. Seriously, is there anything you can’t do?
A huge thank you to the pastors in my life who have taught me that men of God are still human, that love and grace trump all else, and for choosing compassion over condemnation.
Thank you to my sweet family for your everlasting support. I love you.
Also by JB Salsbury
The Fighting Series
Fighting for Flight
Fighting to Forgive
Fighting to Forget
Fighting the Fall
A Father’s Fight
Fighting for Forever
Fighting Fate
Fighting for Honor
The Final Fight
Fighting Series Spin-offs
Jack & Sadie
Breaking Defenses
Stand Alone Novels
Split
Wrecked
The Mercy Series
Ghostgirl
Saint
Love, Hate, Rock-n-Roll Series
Playing by Heart
Skipped a Beat
Face the Music
