by J. S. Cooper
“What about ‘Girls Just Want to Have Fun’?” she said, her voice loud as she shouted and did a little shimmy.
“Girls just want to have fun, huh?” I watched her body moving as she sang the song out loud for me. The crowd was loud and packed, but in that moment, it felt like we were the only two people there. “Do you just want to have fun?” I called out again and a bunch of guys next to the stage hollered and high-fived each other. I watched as one tall guy in a Steelers shirt walked over to Lila and started talking to her. I frowned as I watched her smiling back at him. Was she flirting with this guy while we were having a moment?
“Yo, Carter. What’s next?” Harley hollered at me from the back of the stage.
“Let’s do some Kiss,” I said, looking away from Lila and the Steelers jerk. “‘Rock and Roll All Nite,’ all right boys?” I looked behind me and they all nodded. Bruno played a couple of chords and I counted down as I took a couple of steps back. “A one, a one, two, three, four,” I said and then began to sing my heart out. Though for some reason I wasn’t as caught up in the song as I normally was. My eyes couldn’t stop watching Lila with her new beau. She was now laughing at something he was saying as if he was the funniest person on the earth. What the hell was her problem? Was she one of those people that came out to shows to pick up guys instead of listen to music. I conveniently forgot that she’d come out to this show for me and that I was hoping that we would hook up tonight.
The crowd went crazy when we ended the last song and they began chanting the band name.
“Thanks, guys. That was Harley Driver on the drums, Bruno Smith on the bass, Lucas Hamilton on the keys and I’m Carter Stevens on guitar and vocals. We’re The Bedroom Rockers, thanks for coming out tonight and hope to see you soon. You can find us by the bar if you want to buy us a drink.” I put the microphone back in the holder and took a final bow before exiting the stage.
“Hey, man, you rock.” One of the guys that was in the group with Steelers guy approached me as soon as I walked off of the stage. “Can I get you a beer?”
“Sure.” I nodded and gave him a quick smile as I looked around the room to locate Lila. She was staring at me with a wide smile on her face and clapping her hands. I grinned at her and was about to blow her a kiss when I noticed Steelers guy was still standing there and he had his hand on her waist.
“Enjoy the show?” I walked over to Lila with a tight smile. Maybe she wasn’t feeling the same chemistry I was or maybe any man would do.
“It was absolutely amazing.” She nodded and then looked up to the guy next to her. “Didn’t you think so, Dan?” Dan? Did she know this fool?
“Dude, you were great.” He stuck his hand out to shake mine. “Me and my friends have been following you guys from the beginning. We drove in from Philly for the show tonight.”
“Cool, cool.” I shook his hand, his grip was weak. Loser. “Do you guys know each other?” I addressed Lila. All of a sudden I wasn’t so pleased that she was wearing such a revealing dress, but I knew that was hypocritical of me. I’d enjoyed ogling the tops of her breasts when I’d thought the display was for me. Now I wasn’t so happy that every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the bar was getting a glimpse of the goods.
“No, we just met tonight,” Lila said with a small smile, but her face looked unsure, as if she could sense I was pissed. “Everything okay?” She looked concerned.
“It’s fine.” I nodded. “There were some music execs here tonight. I was just thinking of the set wondering if we impressed them.”
“You guys were great.” She leaned forward and touched my arm. “Really great.”
“Glad you think so,” I said abruptly as I saw that Dan’s hand was now on her lower back. “Come with me,” I said and grabbed her hand and pulled her toward me. “Nice meeting you, Dan, but Lila and I need to chat,” I said as he stood there looking slightly dumbfounded.
“What are you doing?” She looked up at me in surprise.
“Who was that guy?” I blinked down at her, trying not to stare at her parted lips. “You know he wanted to fuck you, right?”
“What?” Her jaw dropped, and she blushed. “You don’t know that.”
“I saw how he was looking at you. He wanted to take you outside, bend you over and fuck you,” I said crudely.
“Wow, okay,” she said, her face now looking annoyed with me. “Good to know.”
“Hey.” I stopped suddenly, knowing I was overreacting. “Sorry, I was just being protective of you. You’re my sister’s friend and I don’t want to see you getting screwed over by some jerk.”
“You don’t even know him.” She stood in front of me, her face peering up at me. I could see she was processing something in her mind and I was worried she was going to think I was too much and leave.
“Let me get you that drink I promised you,” I said quickly before she could tell me she was tired and had to leave.
“I don’t know.” She chewed on her lower lip. “It’s been a long day and I should be getting home.”
“Hey,” I said, and I pulled her toward me. “Sorry for being so crazy just now. I’m a little stressed. I’m about to quit my job and become a full-time musician and so I was really worried about how tonight was going to go. I really wanted to impress the execs, you know?” What I said was mostly true, I did want to impress the music executives, but that wasn’t why I’d acted like a jerk. For some reason I’d been really annoyed at the way Dan had been looking at and touching Lila.
“Aw, I see.” She nodded, her face thoughtful. “So you’re leaving Wall Street?”
“Yeah.” I paused as I felt her hand on my arm. “I figure now’s the time. I’m single, no kids, no responsibilities, no debts.”
“Yeah that’s true.” She smiled. “Low overhead, I guess.”
“As low as it can be for New York.” I laughed. “It helps that I don’t have a girlfriend and don’t want one. No need for expensive dinners and gifts.” I saw her face freeze, and I wondered if my honesty had turned her off. I hoped not. I didn’t want her to walk away from me, but I didn’t want to lie to her. I didn’t know what this chemistry between us was but I didn’t want a relationship. I needed to concentrate on my career as a musician. I was already behind the game when it came to the industry. I was thirty and music was a young man’s game. I didn’t have spare time or energy for the drama or time commitment it took to be in a serious relationship.
“I see,” she said and then she just laughed, and the sound shocked and surprised me. That wasn’t the response I’d been expecting. That wasn’t the response I’d gotten from any of the other ladies I’d had this conversation with before. Granted, I hadn’t really cared when they’d gotten upset.
“What’s so funny?” I frowned as she continued laughing, throwing her head back and shaking her head.
“You,” she said as she finally stopped laughing and wiped her eyes. “Don’t worry about me wanting you to take me out for fancy dinners or me having any expectations of you buying me any gifts. I don’t want a relationship with you, Carter.”
“You don’t?” My eyes narrowed. Was she trying to say she wasn’t interested in me? There was no way she had been faking it.
“No, I don’t. Frankly, I think you’d make an awful boyfriend,” she said earnestly.
“Oh?” My jaw hardened. She thought I would make a bad boyfriend?
“I don’t even know you and you’ve already shown your bossy and jealous side.” She rolled her eyes. “I couldn’t even imagine what you would be like to date.”
“I’m not bossy or jealous.” I denied her accusations. What the hell was she talking about?
“Look, let’s not argue.” She leaned in and gave me a quick kiss on the lips. “You’re not looking for a relationship and neither am I. Let’s grab a drink and then head back to my place.”
“Oh yeah?” I held the back of her head and kissed her back passionately. “You want to go back to your place?”
“Yeah, we can have
some fun.”
“Some fun?” I kissed the side of her neck.
“Yes, some fun. Girls just want to have fun, remember?” She leaned forward and trailed the tip of her tongue along my upper lip and I felt my body stiffening. “Go and get me my drink and hurry up,” she said as she pulled back. There was a devious look in her chestnut brown eyes and I growled under my breath. This woman was trouble with a capital T and I loved it.
“I’ll be right back,” I said as I hurried to the bar. I could see Harley standing next to the music execs and calling me over, but I ignored him. I couldn’t think about anything right now asides from getting Lila her drink and then going back to her place. I was excited to see just how much fun she wanted to have.
“Betsy, give me two of your best cocktails, stat,” I said as I called her over to me. One of the best things about being a musician meant I never had to wait at the bar for a drink and the other patrons didn’t get mad because they knew you were with the band and expected you to get treated like an A-lister. Even though I wasn’t an A-Lister in anyone’s eyes, it felt nice to have some perks.
“Sweet or strong?” Betsy said as she walked over to me, leaving the guy she was serving mid-pour. I grinned at her; Betsy was my girl.
“Both.”
“Who’s the girl?” she asked me curiously as she grabbed two glasses and a bottle of vodka.
“My date for the night.”
“Your date?” Her jaw dropped, and I laughed. “I’ve never heard you refer to them as your date before.”
“I’m not a philistine, Betsy.” I rolled my eyes at her. “It’s not like we’re getting married. She’s just a girl I met that wants to have some fun.”
“Of course.” Betsy just shook her head. “God forbid they want something more.”
“Women know what they’re getting with me.” I reached over and rubbed her hand. “You should be happy that I’m one of the honest guys out there.”
“Yeah, I’m so happy,” she said as she shook a stainless steel mixer and got ready to pour it.
“Have a great evening, Betsy.” I pulled a twenty-dollar bill and left it on the bar for her as a tip. The drinks were free for the musicians, but I always made sure to tip the bartenders well. It made them happy and ensured we had a continuing good relationship.
“Thanks, Carter.” She beamed and tucked the twenty into her bra. “I hope you have a great night.” She winked at me as she handed me the two drinks and I just took them and nodded. She was not the only one that was hoping I had a great night. I was hoping it was going to be a lot more than just great.
Lila
“Shape of You”
“You want to get out of here?” Carter whispered into my ear, his breath warm against my skin.
“Yes.” I nodded as I quickly downed the rest of the delicious cocktail he had bought me. I could see Dan and his friends staring at us from a couple of feet away and I just smiled at him. I’d been surprised when Dan had come up to me during Carter’s set. He’d been a good-looking jock looking type and if I wasn’t here with Carter, I would definitely have spent a couple of minutes trying to get to know him better. However, I had eyes for no one but Carter right now. Even though he was fast proving to be a bit of a jerk. Well, not a jerk exactly, but a bit overbearing. I was finding it hard to read him. He seemed so sweet, but also a little bit egotistical. I couldn’t believe that he’d found it necessary to tell me he didn’t want anything. Like he thought I wanted him so badly. He’d been shocked when I’d started laughing. I hadn’t been able to believe how arrogant he was, like he thought he was God’s gift to women. Granted he was sexy as fuck and he had a raspy beautiful voice that had given me chills when he’d performed tonight. Not that I was going to tell him that. His head was big enough as it was.
“My place or yours?”
“Do you mean Danielle’s place or yours?” I smiled at him teasingly. “And definitely mine, I would feel weird hooking up in your sisters bed.”
“Who says it has to be in the bed?” He winked.
“The first time has to be in the bed.” I winked back at him and he growled before he leaned in to kiss me. His lips were firm against mine and his fingers pressed into the back of my waist as he kissed me hard and passionately. I felt his hands running up my back and to my hair as his fingers ran through my locks.
“I want you, Lila,” he growled as he pulled me into him so that my body was pressed into his. I melted against him and kissed him back. I’d never felt this immediate and complete sexual attraction to anyone before in my life. I’d always wondered what it would be like to just submit to my physical wants and tonight I was just going to do it. I hadn’t lied to Carter when I’d said I just want to have fun. I did. I mean, yeah I ultimately wanted a relationship, but I wasn’t going to stop myself from just living my life. So what if he didn’t want a relationship? I didn’t even know if he would make a good boyfriend. Just because I was attracted to him didn’t mean that he had potential to be the love of my life. I’d dated too many losers in the past and I was not going to succumb to the idea that lust meant love anymore. Carter Stevens was hot. There was no denying that. Carter Stevens turned me on. There was no denying that. I wanted Carter Stevens to show me all the things he could do to me that would make me a true believer, and I didn’t care what else came of it. I was allowed to have some fun and enjoy some good sex. And I wasn’t going to feel badly about it.
“I want you too.” I put my hands on the crook of his neck and ran my fingers through his hair. I breathed him in deeply, he smelled like a combination of sweat and aftershave and it was thoroughly intoxicating. “I want you,” I murmured against his lips as I lightly ran my finger along his jawline and pulled him down to me a little bit more.
I could feel his hands running down my back and then he pulled away and started laughing, shaking his head as he took my hands into his.
“What’s so funny?” I blinked at him confused.
“We need to stop or I’m not going to be responsible for my actions.” He pressed his hand into the small of my back. “Let’s go.”
“Okay.” I nodded, eager to leave. “We can take the C train I think.”
“We’re not taking the train baby, we’re going to Uber.” He growled at me. “I don’t have time to waste with the MTA.” His fingers squeezed my ass and I about melted. “Just hold on a second, I have to grab my gear, okay?”
“Okay.” I nodded as I licked my lips and ran my hands down the front of my dress to smooth it down.
“Don’t move,” he said as he stared at my lips. “And don’t go talking to any strange men.” He cracked a smile, but his face looked serious as his eyes gazed into mine. I wasn’t sure if I should feel happy that he didn’t want me speaking to other guys or annoyed that he thought he could be so possessive when I owed him nothing. I decided to ignore it and as he walked away, I pulled my lip gloss out of my handbag and reapplied it quickly.
“Which way to your bedroom?” He groaned as we stumbled through my front door. He was unbuttoning his shirt as I slipped my high heels off and slammed the door shut.
“Do you want to check on Frosty first?” I giggled as he threw his shirt on the ground.
“Frosty’s fast asleep dreaming of a big juicy steak,” he said as he shook his head and I watched as he unbuckled the top of his jeans. “Come here, sexy.” He grabbed a hold of my hands and pulled me toward him and then he buried his head between my breasts and kissed my chest. “I’ve been wanting to do this since I saw you in that sexy dress.” His fingers reached up and started moving the thin straps of my dress down. My breath caught as his fingers grazed my skin, making me tremble with sweet anticipation for what was going to come next.
“Oh yeah?” I said and my hands reached to his jeans and undid the zipper. “I’ve been wanting to do this all night as well,” I said and then pulled his jeans down. He stepped back from me and pulled them off completely so that he was just standing there in a pair of black boxer b
riefs, his manhood very evidently excited to see me.
“Come here,” he said and then motioned for me to lift my arms up. He reached down to the hem at the bottom of my dress and pulled it up in one swift movement. When it got to my hips I had to wiggle around a little bit as it was a bit tight on me and I felt a little bit self-conscious that it didn’t slide off easily, but then I saw the look of desire on his face, and I realized that he hadn’t noticed or didn’t care that the dress didn’t fit me that well. As he pulled the dress over my fingertips and threw it to the ground, he started to whistle and lick his lips like some sort of hungry wolf. “Are you a Victoria’s secret model and didn’t tell me?” he said as he ran his fingers down my stomach gently.
He stared at my naked body and his eyes were dark and veiled as he looked back at me. “Bedroom?” He grunted and I took his hand and led him toward my room. As soon as we reached my door, he grabbed me, pulled me into his arms and carried me to the bed. He dropped me onto the mattress and then jumped up next to me quickly.
His mouth quickly found mine and we started kissing passionately, our bodies intertwining as our legs linked together. My breasts crushed against his chest and his light splattering of hairs tickled my nipples. I moaned against his lips as his fingers found their way between my legs and rubbed me gently. I squirmed underneath his touch and he groaned into my ear. His hands continued to play with me and my body felt like it was on fire. I reached down to touch his hardness and he clutched me to him tighter. His cock felt like it was thick and long and I was excited to see it in the flesh. I pushed him so that he was lying flat on his back and then I scrambled to make my way on top of him so that I was straddling him. His hardness was between my legs now and I moved back and forth gently as I looked down at him.
