Not a fun game.
She threw a careless hand towards her wardrobe and focused on the order. It was my turn for a suspicious glare. Opening the wardrobe was not a pleasant experience. If I was wearing Emily’s clothes, there’d be barely any material. Dread had taken on a very real presence, and it sat at the back of my throat, blocking my windpipe.
Yet I was pleasantly surprised by what I found.
A number of dresses hung from hangers. All of them were made from material that creased easily. Since she was living out of a suitcase, I had to wonder how she’d kept them in such good condition.
They were sensible but pretty clothes.
“Put this one on,” Emily ordered, pushing a green dress at me.
The only issue? It was body con. Like slinky, show-every-single-line body con.
I glared at her. “I’m not wearing that.”
“It’ll look amazing on you.” Her tone broke no argument, but after a month of my father’s nonsense, I was ready for her.
“I don’t feel like sucking in my stomach today, Em. I’m going with this one.” I pulled a Burgundy skater dress from another hanger and stared her down. She caved almost instantly, and I focused on getting dressed without destroying her work.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
An hour later, she led me in the side door of the venue. People rushed about prepping for the show. Emily flashed passes at a security guard and swanned off down the narrow corridor, assuming I’d follow. She stopped outside a closed black door and grinned back at me, her hand poised on the handle.
“Ready?” She seemed so excited I was surprised she hadn’t skipped down the hall.
At my nod, she threw the door open. It banged against the breeze block wall with a resounding thump. Every single person in the room startled, their eyes flying to Emily. She had strategically placed herself in front of me.
“Miss me?” She grinned, striking a pose. The room erupted in laughter. “Well, you should have, ’cause I come bearing surprises.” She stepped aside with an unnecessary flourish. The girl missed her calling. She should have gone into theatre.
“I bloody knew it!” James shouted, sounding somehow both hurt and amused.
“What? Like I was going to risk spoiling the surprise. We all know you’ve got a big mouth,” Emily said.
Ryan sat alone in a corner, nursing a glass of amber liquid. He hadn’t so much as looked up at the commotion. My man was in full-on sulk mode. He looked good enough to eat, sad face or not, even dressed in jeans and a plain t-shirt. My pulse raced all the same.
“I go to all this effort, and he can’t even bloody look up?” Emily huffed, crossing her arms as she stared at Ryan.
“He’s lost in his pity party tonight,” Jared muttered, his eyes fixed on his phone.
Emily shoved me into the room, tearing my gaze from memorising every single inch of Ryan. Silently, I approached him. He kept his head down, determined to ignore everyone.
I stopped between his knees, purposely brushing his leg with mine to grab his attention.
“Listen, love, I’m not interested,” Ryan muttered darkly.
The entire room cried with laughter. It took James calling him an idiot and Emily threatening his life to make him raise his head.
When his eyes fixed on me, it was like a balm to every single one of my worries. Beneath the shock was a deep well of love. There was sadness there too, but it faded fast.
He sprang to his feet and crushed me to his chest. His heart thundered out of control beneath my head. Mine was running a mile a minute too. I held on tight until we calmed down, breathing him in and enjoying the warmth I’d missed for five weeks.
“I missed you,” I whispered, wishing we’d been alone for this reunion. Why had I listened to Emily?
He pulled back, grinning at me like a Cheshire Cat, his hands settling on my waist. “I missed you too.”
“We know,” the room shouted. His lips twitched, but he didn’t spare them a single glance.
He traced my face with his fingers. “I can’t believe you’re here.” His voice was full of wonder. A frown ruined it. “But your dad… is he—?”
I pressed a finger to his lips. “He’s fine. Going stir crazy, threatening to cut me out of his will if I don’t give him steak, but perfectly fine. Emily’s parents are watching him just in case.”
A smile replaced his sullen expression. I’m not sure I’d ever seen him smile so much. “I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Believe it. You’ve got me for two weeks.”
“Only two weeks?”
“Hey, it’s better than nothing.”
“True. The video calls were interesting, but I prefer having you in my arms.” Then he leaned toward me.
The kiss started out slow, soft and sweet. But the pressure soon built, making me sway towards him. The room faded away, leaving just us two. Five weeks apart had definitely not doused the flames. Something clenched low in my stomach, and I pressed my thighs together, trying to apply the pressure I needed without straddling him in a room full of people.
“Please get a bloody room,” someone groaned.
“Good idea.” Ryan tapped my hip, tilting his head towards the door.
My brows furrowed. He wasn’t serious, was he?
Catching my hand, he led me out of the green room at a clipped pace. I laughed.
“Ryan, where are we going?”
Without a word, he wrenched open a metal door and ushered me inside. I stopped dead in the middle of what looked like a supply cupboard. It was a narrow space with a metal shelving unit loaded down with cleaning supplies on one wall and nothing on the other.
I spun around to face him as the door snicked shut behind him. He advanced on me, his eyes dark with heat, trained on me alone with an intensity that flipped my stomach. Heat pooled low. He reached for me, hauling me tight against his body, the heat of him a blanket I never wanted to take off.
My gaze jumped to the door. I could hear people wandering around outside, going about their mid-show checks.
“You’re mad,” I laughed. “What if someone hears?”
Ryan chuckled. “They won’t. These walls are breeze block. Besides, they’re too focused on doing their jobs to wonder why you’re screaming my name.”
I snorted. “Haven’t lost that confidence, I see.”
He pressed his forehead to mine. “It’ll be painful, but I’ll stop if you want.”
My hands caressed Ryan’s chest, travelling up and into his hair. Just the feel of him pressed against me unravelled the tension I’d been holding for weeks. It seemed like torture to wait until after the show when we could ease the ache now.
Did I really care if someone heard?
With a grip on his nape, I pulled his head to mine, moulding our lips together. The first brush made me gasp. I’d never get tired of that feeling, of sparks jolting between us.
The soft kiss quickly turned ferocious, need snapping our patience. Our hands roamed, tugging at fabric. Ryan’s fingers dragged up my thigh, bunching my dress at my waist. I tore his t-shirt off over his head. He pushed my underwear aside. Need pulsed between my thighs. Drawing this out wasn’t an option – for far too many reasons. My breath stuttered when his fingers dipped into me. I moaned at the contact, my head falling back.
“You’re so wet.” He groaned. “How am I meant to get on stage knowing you’re waiting for me like this?”
His clever fingers built the pressure until words escaped me. If he wanted an answer, he’d have to wait. The only sounds I was capable of were gasps and moans. I came quickly, five weeks without him winding me tight.
“Need you inside me now,” I begged.
He groaned, his eyes darkening with heat. “Happily.”
His hands dragged up my dressed torso, and I arched into his touch, wishing there were no barriers between us. But time. We had none of it. He found my hard nipples through the fabric, teasing another moan from my lips while I fumbled at the button on his
jeans.
As soon as I had his zipper open, I shoved his jeans and boxers down, freeing his hard cock. His eyes fell shut on a blissed-out groan as I stroked him from base to tip.
“If you keep doing that, Red, we’ll never get out of here.”
“Aw, has the music man lost his control?” I asked, my voice dripping with pure satisfaction.
Ryan’s eyes snapped open. With a hard grip on my hip, he pulled me forward until our bodies pressed tightly together and our lips mashed. His hardness pressed against my stomach. Not where I wanted him.
“Condom,” Ryan grunted against my lips.
“What about it?”
He pulled back, a pained look on his face. “I don’t have one.”
Understanding, I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed myself tighter to him. “It’s fine, I got the pill after you left.”
Surprise flickered in his gaze. “Are you sure?”
It would be the first time for me, so it was kind of a big deal. I’d never wanted to go bare with anyone. It had always been too much of a risk. But this wasn’t just anyone. This was Ryan and I trusted him.
I nodded.
Relief quickly overtook his expression. His kiss was hard, uncontrolled, and I mirrored him. He guided me towards the shelving unit until my back bumped against the metal, rattling the entire thing. He lifted my leg, resting it in the crook of his arm. His cock pressed at my entrance, and I started panting. I tilted my hips, urging him on.
We had minutes maybe before he had to be on stage. Urgency beat at me.
He filled me, stretching me in delicious ways. Heat rushed through me, sweet friction stealing my breath as he worked into me. He rocked against me, watchful at first, but the pace quickly turned frantic when I moaned his name.
Bottles clattered to the ground as the unit shook. The whole thing could fall over and I wasn’t sure we’d care. I was so close.
Without warning, Ryan bent down, caught my other leg with his free hand and lifted me. My hands gripped the shelves, holding me up as he drove into me again. The changed angle blew my mind.
The need to grab hold of him shot through me, but I shut it down hard. I didn’t need another concussion. Especially one I didn’t want to explain to my father.
He surged into me, and my head fell back against the metal, my eyes falling shut, lost to the lightning skittering along my nerves. My underwear cut into my thigh; the pressure couldn’t dull the ache. With each pass he ground against my clit, driving me higher, until I fell over the edge. He groaned his release moments later, his breath tickling my neck as he buried his head against me. When he lifted his face, my breath stilled and my heart ached. This felt different to every other time.
We were both slicked with sweat, our eyes on fire with spent desire and adrenaline. I’d just had sex in a storage cupboard, and the thought of someone catching us had only heightened it. What the fuck?
“That,” Ryan panted, “was incredible.” He brushed my hair back, a gentle smile curving his lips. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
My heart skipped a beat at the tenderness in his eyes. I’d die happy if I got to see that look for the rest of my life.
Beneath it all, the fire hadn’t dulled. It still burned in his gaze, needing more. I swayed towards him, my lips reaching for his as his head dipped. He was already hardening again inside me.
Bang.
We broke apart, both of us incapable of keeping grins off our faces.
“It’s time,” Matt shouted through the door, battering it again for good measure.
Ryan’s face slackened. He reluctantly lowered me to the ground. “You’re going to watch at the side of the stage, right?” he asked, smoothing my dress down.
“Of course,” I smiled, leaning up on my toes to kiss his cheek. “I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.”
We scrambled to right our clothes, but it wasn’t fast enough for Matt. He slammed his fist against the door again. “Don’t make me come in there.”
I sniggered. “How many times has he had to do that to Jared?”
Moisture trickled down my leg and my eyes widened. That was a first. I spotted an open box of blue roll on the floor. Okay, so maybe the cleaning cupboard was a genius idea.
“Ready?” Ryan asked once I was clean. I nodded, catching his offered hand.
The noise in the hall rushed in as we opened the door. Jared and James were shouting, chanting. They bounced down the corridor, psyching each other up, while everyone else followed at a more sedate pace. We could have found our way with nothing but the sound of Jared and James chanting “Rhiannon” at the top of their lungs.
We reached the stage to the sound of the strains of a guitar.
“Who’s excited for Rhiannon?” The support act yelled. The crowd screamed so loud my ears rang.
Ryan’s smile almost split his face. Excitement vibrated from him. Dan and James could barely stand still as the roadies handed them their guitars. And Jared, well, he hadn’t stopped bouncing; having a pair of sticks in his hands changed nothing.
“Yeah, we love them too. You’ve been amazing tonight, Rome. This is our last song. We’re The Candlemakers, and this song is called ‘Our December’.”
As the band launched into their last number, Ryan swooped towards me for another kiss. Excitement and happiness radiated from him in waves. It was contagious. I laughed.
Then, minutes later, the sound dropped and the stage darkened. For a moment, we were in our own world, and I relaxed into Ryan while he ravished my mouth.
Ryan broke the kiss as Matt tapped him on the shoulder. “Get ready,” he whispered as the boys from The Candlemakers rushed off stage. They greeted Dan, James and Jared with sweaty hugs and high fives, while mindlessly handing off their instruments to waiting roadies.
Ryan nodded, and a roadie approached with a shiny red guitar.
“If I haven’t said it already, thank you for coming,” Ryan told me as he draped the guitar strap over his shoulders. Then he kissed my hand and stepped away.
The crowd were chanting for Rhiannon, and the stage manager decided enough was enough. The lights dropped again, and the filler sound faded out to an upbeat intro track. Jared, James and Dan filed onto the stage, taking up their positions, while Ryan held back. His eyes fixed on some point at the other side of the stage.
Jared came in with a drumbeat and Ryan joined them to even more screams. They dived straight into “Burning Up” and ran down the set list while Ryan chatted intermittently to the crowd. I’d seen him perform so many times, but the energy here was different. It definitely wasn’t because Emily stood at my side, dancing and singing along to every single song. The crowd was the biggest I’d seen at a Rhiannon gig, and they were all singing along and bouncing on their feet. I let it invade my bloodstream, and for a moment, I could understand why Ryan loved this.
My phone vibrated about half an hour in, and I begrudgingly tore my eyes from Ryan to check it. I couldn’t make myself ignore it. What if it was my dad?
KylieOnTop tagged you in a post.
Who the hell is KylieOnTop?
Curious, I unlocked my phone and tapped on the notification. The image loaded slowly. As the pixels cleared, my heart plummeted.
An image of some black-haired girl lip-locking with Ryan filled my screen.
My body froze as my eyes glued themselves to the picture. Is it hot in here? Pressure burnt in my face.
Ryan’s lovely voice faded out, and all I could hear was the ringing in my ears.
A box flipped open in my head and every insecurity I’d ever had flooded me. Almost ten years of emotional damage slapped me in the face.
And I just had him inside me without a condom. Did he sleep with her? What if he didn’t use a condom and she…
I must have gasped or something because before I could get a grip and shove it all back, Emily was shaking me.
I met her concerned gaze and the crack widened.
I need to get out. Air. I need
air.
Turning away from her, I stumbled towards the side-stage exit. Matt’s eyes narrowed as I passed. He’d be happy to be rid of me, at least.
I raced down the corridor, my face flushed and my breath laboured, desperate to be free of the building before I broke. I would not cry in front of these people.
Emily’s heels clattered along behind me, gaining speed. If I weren’t staving off heartbreak, I’d have been impressed. Running in the heels she favoured was not an easy task.
The back door was in sight. She snagged my wrist and spun me around, gripping my shoulders to stop my escape.
“What. Is. Wrong. With. You?” she said, her breath coming in quick spurts.
I didn’t trust my voice, so I held up the phone. She stared at it, confused.
Then her eyes widened as it clicked.
“That’s not possible,” she said, shock and confusion warring in her tone.
“Pictures don’t lie, Em.”
She frowned. “Sometimes they do. If he’d cheated, I’d know.”
I loved her faith in others, but right then, it wasn’t what I needed. I shook my head and tried to back away. I was holding back the tears, but it wouldn’t last, and I wanted to be well on my way to the airport before I lost it.
Emily tightened her hold. “No, Alys. I’m serious. I’ve spent the last month with these guys. They can’t keep shit that big from me.”
I shook her off.
“You’re also my best friend. Why would you think any of them would tell you something like this?” My laugh was bitter. “Face it, Em. You’re a fan girl. They could be high and you’d still think they were saints. You’re not the perfect judge of their characters.”
Her eyes narrowed, the surprise getting the better of her before she locked it down. I could see her mind working overtime, trying to find a way out, but there wasn’t one.
What if she’d known the entire time? She was right. She had spent a lot of time with them. The girl had enough time to snap a picture. How was it possible Emily would have missed something like that?
“Were you there?” I murmured, dread deepening my voice.
She shook her head, but it didn’t ease the sickening feeling in my stomach.
Chasing Alys Page 27
