Rock Chick Reckoning

by Kristen Ashley

  I was dead asleep because, the night before, with Tex gone (and seeing as it was all my fault), I hadn’t had a wink of sleep. It didn’t help that I didn’t hear one word from Mace all night until he phoned mid-morning, said Tex was all right and that Bobby would be picking me up and taking me to Fortnum’s.

  “Mace?” My voice was husky with sleep.

  “Yeah, babe.” He was on his back and he rolled me into his side.

  His arm curled around my waist as I rested my head on his shoulder.

  “What time is it?”

  “Quarter after midnight.”

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “As far as I know,” he answered.

  “You would know?”

  His fingers gave my waist a squeeze as he said, “Yeah, I would know.”

  I rested my arm on his abs and my body relaxed into his.

  “Do you wanna talk?” I mumbled into his shoulder already halfway to dreamland.

  “If I had any energy, Kitten, I’d use it to fuck, not talk.”

  Well, one thing you could say for that, it proved Shirleen right.

  I was almost in dreamland when I muttered (not even knowing myself what I was saying), “Love you, Kai.”

  And, being so close to dreamland, I didn’t feel his body get tight when I called him for the first time by his given name.

  * * * * *

  “Kitten,” Mace said in my ear and I felt his arm tight around my waist, give me a gentle shake.

  I opened my eyes. It was morning.

  We’d shifted in the night. I was turned away from him, he was pressed to my back.

  “Stella,” Mace said, giving me a less gentle but still gentle shake and I blinked.

  “I’m awake,” I told him.

  “It’s a big day, shit to do. But before we get to it, we gotta talk.”

  It was a big day.

  It was Lee and Indy’s wedding day.

  Luckily, since I’d been invited to the wedding and the bachelorette party that was supposed to be last night, I hadn’t scheduled any gigs for the weekend.

  Unfortunately, since we were all in danger of being kidnapped and/or murdered, Lee had cancelled his bachelor party and, at the same time, cancelled Indy’s bachelorette party.

  Incidentally, just as an FYI, Lee’s party was meant to be at Lincoln’s Road House and, in a bizarre Rock Chick/Hot Bunch twist, Indy’s was scheduled to be at Smithie’s Strip Club.

  This had not gone down well. Ally went berserk when Lee had cancelled the bachelorette party that she’d spent months planning. He’d made his announcement after everyone had checked in to see with their own eyes that Tex was still breathing so everyone was around to get the news firsthand and witness the knockdown, drag out fight that ensued.

  I didn’t have any siblings but always wanted one until seeing Lee and Ally fight.

  After it went on awhile, Hank got involved, trying to be the diplomat (and failing) and then it escalated.

  Then Eddie and Indy got involved and it exploded.

  We all watched as the five of them shouted at each other about stuff that was so historical, no one knew what they were on about.

  They were yelling about some kegger Indy and Ally had masterminded in high school which, for some reason, ended with Hank, Lee, Darius and Eddie being picked up by the cops, when we learned that Hank, who had been at the University of Colorado, was nearly suspended (and he wasn’t happy about this, even years later).

  “You haven’t changed one fuckin’ bit, either of you!” Eddie shouted, pointing at them both.

  “Good!” Ally shouted back and planted her hands on her hips and I immediately saw where Mace was coming from with the hands-to-hips business.

  “Gotta tell you, beautiful, never liked the idea of you havin’ a bachelorette party. You and Ally plus the Rock Chicks equals disaster at the best of times and these are far from the best of times. I’m fuckin’ thrilled I got a reason to cancel it,” Lee said to Indy.

  Indy let out a gust of air between pursed lips and turned to me. “Tell me he did not just say that.”

  Instantly Mace was at my ear. “For fuck’s sake, don’t speak.”

  Tex boomed, “Jesus Jones but I’m glad I wasn’t whacked last night. If I was dead, I’d’ve missed this!”

  “We’ll have a party after ya’ll get back from your honeymoon,” Daisy tried to play peacemaker.

  “If you do, Jet’s not goin’,” Eddie announced.

  Uh-oh.

  “What?” Jet, who had been keeping herself removed, asked.

  “Roxie either,” Hank threw down.

  Uh-oh again!

  “Sorry?” Roxie’s eyes narrowed.

  “Oh my,” Lana, standing beside me, breathed.

  “You’re not goin’,” Eddie repeated to Jet.

  “You heard me,” Hank said to Roxie.

  “They scare me,” Chloe, who was on the other side of Lana, whispered. “But still, I think those boys might want to quit while they’re ahead.”

  They didn’t hear Chloe and were on such a tear, without remorse, Eddie and Hank dragged Jet and Roxie into the fight and it degenerated to the point where I feared the roof would blow off Fortnum’s.

  “Quiet!” Darius all of a sudden shouted and everyone went quiet and looked at him. “Jesus, you never learn do you?” he asked the warriors.

  Then he turned and pointed at Mace. “He knows.” He turned to Vance and pointed. “He knows.” Then he turned to Jules and said, “She knows too. And you all know I fuckin’ know. You gotta learn, life’s too damn short for this shit.”

  He got up close to Indy and Lee and snapped, “You two’ve been in love since you were kids, tomorrow, you’re gettin’ married and today you’re fightin’ about what? What’re you fightin’ about?” Lee’s face got tight and Indy looked at her feet while Darius went on, “Eddie’s right and he’s wrong, it ain’t just Indy and Ally who’ve never changed. It’s all you all.” His finger circled the lot of them as he continued, “How fuckin’ lucky are you, even with all the shit that’s gone down, that you haven’t learned what we’ve learned?” he asked, throwing his arm around the room and ending with his fist thumping his chest. “Rejoice, for fuck’s sake,” After that, Darius turned to Tex and said, “Good to see you’re alive, big man.” Then he turned on his boot and he was gone.

  “He scares me too,” Chloe mumbled.

  I stifled a giggle.

  Indy bit her lip and turned to Lee. “Can we chat, um… privately?”

  Lee’s face went soft, his arm went around her shoulders and they disappeared into the books.

  So did Hank and Roxie, Eddie and Jet.

  Ally looked at everyone else. “So, I’m an idiot. This isn’t news,” she announced.

  “Well! Thus ends another white people fight,” Shirleen declared.

  “You!” Tex boomed and he was pointing at Lana. “And you!” His finger moved to Chloe. “Learn quick, it ain’t ever borin’ around here.”

  “I’m getting that,” Lana replied and, luckily, her mouth was twitching.

  Things calmed down after that. The men went off to do whatever it was they did and the women, Tod and Stevie, Duke and Tex hung around Fortnum’s chatting, gossiping and doing the minor changes they had to do so that Lana and Chloe could come to the wedding.

  “Oh we couldn’t,” Chloe protested. “We barely know you.”

  To which Indy replied with a smile, “Family’s family and, like it or not, the minute you got on that plane, you became family.”

  This was sweet as all get out and Lana and Chloe thought so too.

  Instead of a bachelorette party, we had pizza delivered and Tod and Stevie ran out and got beer. We ate pizza and drank beer at Fortnum’s, the chatting and gossip degenerated to sex talk but since Mace’s Moms were there, I kept silent on that particular subject. They were not used to drinking beer at altitude and did not. Chloe, I learned, had been married to a guy named Ben for five years. It was cle
ar he was a good guy (in a lot of different ways). Lana was single and, apparently, enjoyed her status.

  After awhile, the sex talk downshifted to game after game of Yahtzee.

  We sipped beer, shared and played Yahtzee until, at around ten, our escorts arrived to take us home.

  I snuggled back into Mace’s body and mumbled, “I have to get to The Castle. I’m not a bridesmaid but I’m invited to the pre-wedding festivities.”

  “You’ll get there after we talk and after we fuck. First, the talk,” Mace replied and I noticed two things right off the bat.

  One was that he was being bossy.

  The other was that he sounded serious.

  Very serious.

  This made me get tense (instead of angry at him for being bossy) and I turned to face at him.

  I tilted my head back to look at him and I saw he was definitely serious.

  My breath, feeling adventurous, headed up the Inca Trail.

  “Is something wrong?” I asked.

  “You said you’d seen the papers.”

  “What?”

  “You said, the other night, backstage, that you’d seen the papers.”

  I blinked. “Yeah? And?”

  “If you saw the papers, when I told you about Tiny, you already knew everything.”

  I was confused. “Are you angry about that?”

  “Yes and no.”

  “What’s the ‘yes’ part?” I asked hesitantly.

  “You stood there as I told the story, actin’ like you didn’t know.”

  “Well, I didn’t know all of it.”

  “I know the part you didn’t know, no one knows but the men. But you acted like you didn’t know any of it.”

  “There were other parts I didn’t know,” I tried.

  “You acted like you didn’t know any of it,” he repeated.

  “Mace –”

  His arm went around me, he pulled me close and tipped his chin down further so his face was in mine. “Kitten, this is gonna work, you don’t lie to me. Ever. Got me?”

  I blinked again.

  Now hang on a second.

  “These are pretty extreme circumstances,” I defended myself.

  “Yeah, that’s the ‘no’ part and why I’m lettin’ you get away with bringin’ Mom and Chloe here without talkin’ to me about it.”

  I blinked.

  Yes, again!

  Letting me get away with…

  “Mace –”

  He interrupted me. “We’re done talkin’ about this. I said what I had to say. I think you get me.”

  Oh, I got him all right.

  He made to move into me but I scooted away and got out of bed. I stood at the side in my panties and tank, put my hands to my hips and glared at him.

  I was pissed way the hell off.

  I’d gone through emotional hell to do what I did.

  And he…

  He…

  “I never thought I’d say this in my whole effing life but how dare you!” I screeched.

  Juno got to her belly and woofed.

  Mace got up on an elbow and his eyes narrowed.

  “Get back in bed,” Mace growled.

  “Fuck off!” I snapped.

  “Get back in the fuckin’ bed,” Mace clipped back.

  “Don’t tell me what to do, Kai Mason.”

  “That’s another thing,” his voice rumbled with anger, “you don’t call me Kai.”

  “In about three seconds, you don’t back down, I’m never gonna call you anything,” I retorted then I moved to flounce away (I must admit, as embarrassing as it was, I was definitely going to flounce).

  Before I got even a step, his fingers wrapped around my wrist, he gave a sharp tug and I was back in bed, Mace on top of me. Juno woofed again and quickly exited the bed.

  “Don’t you walk away from me,” he rumbled.

  “I’ll do what I want.”

  “We got a disagreement, we talk and work it out. You don’t fuckin’ walk away.”

  “For your information, Kai, we’re not disagreeing, we’re fighting.”

  “Okay, Stella, we get in a fight, we talk and work it out. I repeat, you do not fuckin’ walk away.”

  “And I repeat, I’ll do what I effing well want!”

  He looked furious, furious enough to explode but instead, his head slanted and he kissed me.

  It was a hot kiss. Fuelled by the fight and such an intense kiss, we were all over each other. Hands and mouths everywhere, the anger turned to something else entirely and I liked it a lot.

  He tore down my underwear as I pulled off my tank. Luckily, he was already naked.

  Then his lips were on my belly, his hands spreading my legs then his mouth was right where I needed it.

  He was good at this. If I had to rank his talents, oral sex was arguably top of the list. Therefore, he had me squirming and panting under him in no time.

  Then he came up over me. I thought he’d enter me but he didn’t. His hand moved to cup me between my legs but that was it. No finger action, no movement, just holding me there. His mouth was at my throat.

  “What do you want?” he asked there.

  I didn’t hesitate, couldn’t, I was in a state.

  “I want you to fuck me,” I breathed.

  “Beg,” he ordered and my eyes, which had been closed, flew open.

  “No.”

  His head came up, his eyes captured mine and his fingers, finally, did a swirl.

  Then one slid inside then out then back in.

  While he was doing this, he repeated, “Beg me, Kitten.”

  “No,” I repeated but it was still breathy.

  His hand kept moving.

  His lips came to mine and he whispered, “Beg me, babe.”

  I was no match for his hand which I was thinking was as talented as his mouth.

  Therefore, I whispered back, “Please, Mace, fuck me.”

  His hand stilled and my mind went blank.

  “Say it again.”

  I said it again.

  I no sooner finished the words than his body disappeared.

  Before I could figure out where he went, he whipped me to my belly. I looked at him over my shoulder and he was on his knees between my legs. The minute his eyes caught mine, he lifted up my hips and slammed into me.

  Effing hell.

  It was heaven.

  My head jerked back and I moaned, “Yes.”

  His hands at my hips, he drove in again and again. Just as I was about to explode, he pulled out and I groaned in protest.

  He fell to his back and moved me over him.

  “Mace…” I breathed against his mouth but he was jerking my legs at the knees so I was straddling him. He pushed me up, entering me at the same time.

  I looked down at him.

  Lordy, but he was beautiful.

  “Now, Kitten, you fuck me,” he demanded, his voice thick.

  Without hesitation, I did.

  As hard as I could, as rough as I could and as fast as I could.

  I threw my head back with my climax and he whipped me on my back and finished by driving in deep, making my second orgasm ride the wave of the first.

  When he was done, I took his weight and he kept moving inside me, gently pressing his hips between my legs while I purred.

  Finally, he stopped and he did something with his body, his weight still on me but I wasn’t taking all of it. One of his hands was stroking my side from hip nearly to armpit.

  His face was in my neck.

  “I like fightin’ with you, babe,” he told my neck.

  Oh dear.

  He was gonna piss me off.

  “Don’t piss me off,” I told the ceiling.

  His head came up, my eyes shifted to him and he was grinning at me. “We should have fought a lot more a year ago. Would’ve never left you.”

  Now, I was getting pissed off so I decided to share.

  “Erm… you’re pissing me off,” I warned him.

  “G
onna pick a fight with you every day,” he informed me.

  “Mace –”

  His face came closer and my head pushed back into the bed but it didn’t get very far and his mouth touched mine.

  “Forgot how much I like you on your knees,” he muttered against my mouth. “Your heart-shaped ass right there for me.”

  “Mace –” I tried again.

  “I’m beginning to change my mind,” he told me conversationally, his mouth moving from mine to my jaw. “Pretty soon, you’ll be famous. Everyone’ll want what I got right here.” His hips moved again, as he was still inside me and I was tender, I let out an involuntary short, rough purr. His hand moved up my side from my hip and in, cupping my breast. “But it’s mine,” he whispered against my cheek and then his mouth moved to my ear. “All, fuckin’, mine.”

  Even though I liked what he was saying, like, a lot, I still felt it important to stay on target.

  Therefore, I informed him, “I’m not done being mad at you.”

  His head came up and he was still grinning. “I’m all right with that.”

  It was safe to say I wasn’t getting pissed anymore. I was there.

  I gave him a hearty shove, we disengaged and he rolled to his back but I got the distinct feeling (and that pissed me off too) that he let me get away with this. I was rolling the other way when he caught me at the hips and whipped me around so I was on top of him.

  I pushed up but he kept me pinned with both arms tight around my waist, his long legs tangling with mine.

  “Talk to me,” he demanded but he said this with his face soft and his voice low and I’d never been a match for that combo so I did.

  “The Rock Chicks intervened. That morning when Shirleen shot that guy. They were worried that we were over and they decided to tell me what happened to Caitlin. I tried to stop them but before I could do that, they told me about her hand.”

  Mace’s arms got tighter but I kept talking.

  “When I heard that, I got sick, as in, literally. Straight to the toilet and then no more eggs benedict.”

  I watched him flinch and when he was done, I saw his eyes had grown warm.

  “Kitten,” he mumbled but I shook my head to let him know I wasn’t done.

  “I knew you’d tell me but I had to be strong for you. When you told me, I couldn’t lose it, make something that needed to be about you about me. So I talked Duke into telling me the whole story. He didn’t want to but he did. After he told me, they gave me the papers.”