Backlash (Winter's Wrath #1)

by Bianca Sommerland

  Right now, Jesse doubted Brave was thinking about Valor. Or the psycho that was stalking him. Jesse had managed to get him out of his head for a little while.

  Which was an amazing fucking accomplishment.

  He ran his tongue over the salty, slick head of Brave’s cock, pressing his hand down on Brave’s hip when he tried to thrust into his mouth. He used the flat of his tongue along the length of Brave’s dick to stimulate him, without giving in to his demands. As he worked his way down to Brave’s balls, he held his cock in a loose grip, stroking him at a languid pace until the soft groans Brave let out grew louder.

  “Fuck, Jesse. You’re killing me here!” Brave gently placed his hand on the back of Jesse’s head. “Please let me feel your fucking hot mouth. I’ve been thinking about it for the past week.”

  Jesse licked up the length of Brave’s dick, then grinned at him. “Just think. If you’d just talk to me, I’d have done it already.”

  As Jesse circled the head of Brave’s cock with his tongue, Brave’s whole body jerked. “Shit. Okay, I promise to talk to you more. I’ll talk your fucking ear off. And we can snuggle. And…damn it, name it and I’ll give it to you.”

  Chuckling, Jesse fisted his hand at the base of Brave’s dick. “If I didn’t already love you, you’d be screwed pal. That’s got to be the worst come on I’ve ever heard you use.”

  His whole body going still, Brave looked down at him. “You love me?”

  “Yes. I have for a long time.” Jesse smiled at Brave’s shocked expression. Those three words might come as a shock to some, especially since the relationship was so new. But he’d loved Brave for years. They didn’t have to be fucking for it to be real. “Don’t panic. I don’t expect you to say you love me too. Actually, if you try, I’m kicking you out of my bed.” He resumed stroking Brave’s dick so there was no question as to what he wanted to happen. “Say it when you mean it. For now, what we’ve got is good enough for me.”

  “What’s we’ve got is good.” Brave ran his hand over Jesse’s hair, pressing his eyes shut as Jesse took him in his mouth. “So fucking good.”

  Cupping Brave’s balls, one hand on Brave’s thigh, Jesse slid his mouth down as far as he could go, swirling his tongue, all his focus on driving the man completely out of his mind. He wouldn’t let the words he’d said distract him. He’d meant it when he’d said he didn’t need to hear them in return. He’d gotten what he needed from Brave so far. All he’d promised. He didn’t have to watch Brave leave the bus with random strangers. He didn’t have to worry that the man he loved was burying his feelings in random hookups, blocking out reality because it was too hard to face.

  Taking him deeper, faster, Jesse fought to ignore his own painful arousal. If Brave was any other man, he’d be fucking him by now, but he was feeling particularly selfless. He could jerk off in the shower later. This was all for Brave.

  “Stop.” Brave shuddered, so close to release, Jesse sensed the tension in his balls and along his throbbing dick. Inhaling roughly, Brave eased himself out of Jesse’s mouth and rose from the bed. “Don’t move.”

  Brave stood and grabbed something out of the pocket of his jeans. He moved behind Jesse, leaning over him as he unzipped his jeans. “I can’t wait anymore.”

  Tensing, Jesse fisted his hands on the mattress, not sure exactly how he should voice his objections. Brave’s hand wrapping around his dick made it hard to think at all, but the slick pressure against his back hole brought some clarity.

  He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to pull away. “I don’t bottom, Brave.”

  Pressing his lips to the back of Jesse’s neck, Brave spoke softly. “Have you ever?”

  “Yeah. And it was bad and we’re not discussing that now.” Jesse groaned as Brave continued jerking him off. “Fuck, don’t stop.”

  “Give me this, Jesse. I swear, you won’t regret it. I couldn’t fucking stop if I tried. You’ve got me so wrapped up in you, You’re all I can think about.” Brave’s finger pressed in deep, stretching Jesse in a way none had in a very long time. “I’m sorry if someone hurt you.”

  “Don’t…” Hell, Jesse wasn’t even sure what he was asking. He didn’t want to talk about the fucked up shit in his past. Which was bad. He couldn’t expect Brave to open up to him without doing the same. He moaned as Brave pushed in even further. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “You can.” Brave replaced his fingers with his dick. The thick head pushed in, and it wasn’t the pain that had Jesse bowing his head and resisting the urge to strike out. He was trapped in a time when he had been young and stupid. When he’d trusted the wrong people.

  Moans and deep thrusts. Hands on him that felt so good, he’d be stupid to object. Everything had been fuzzy then, but it wasn’t now. This was Brave. Brave cared about him and he was here by choice.

  His jaw hardened at Brave pounded into him. He could tell Brave knew what he was doing. He angled his dick to hit the right spot. He bit into Jesse’s shoulder while stroking his dick, holding back for so long, Jesse sensed he was waiting until Jesse joined him in the mind-numbing peak of climax.

  Holding him close, Brave whispered in his ear. “You’re not the only one who knows when someone is fucked up. Forget everything, Jesse. Feel what I’m doing to you. You’re fucking mine. And I won’t give up until you know it.”

  The grip on his dick tightened. Brave twisted his hand in Jesse’s hair and Jesse panted as all his senses turned to the surge of pleasure rushing through him. He pressed his face into the mattress to muffle a shout as he came.

  Brave let out a soft, satisfied moan, picking up speed until the sound of flesh slapping flesh filled the room. Both their bodies were slick with sweat. Fingers digging into Jesse’s hips, Brave let out a low growl and slammed in one last time.

  After he pulled out, Jesse straightened and headed to the bathroom. He wasn’t ready to ‘cuddle’. He started the shower and let the hot water hit him. But unlike the last time he’d let someone do this to him, he stayed on his goddamn feet. And he didn’t shed one fucking tear.

  By the time he returned to the bedroom, he was feeling like himself again. But he still didn’t want to talk. And thankfully, Brave looked too tired for a conversation anyway. When he dropped onto the bed, Brave took off to clean up.

  He wasn’t sure when Brave got in bed, because he was already asleep. But when he woke up, Brave was pressed up against him, one arm over his chest, with his head on Jesse’s shoulder.

  With a sleepy smile on his lips, Jesse pressed a soft kiss on Brave’s temple. Yeah, things had been a little weird for him for a minute, but that would pass. He’d managed to pull Brave in a little closer. If things between them were gonna work out, they’d both have to work through some shit.

  Hopefully Brave would start sharing more of his issues so Jesse could help him get past them. And at some point, maybe Jesse would be able to do the same.

  Closing his eyes, he heard his phone buzz. Tempted to ignore it, he stared at the ceiling, loving how comfortable this was. They wouldn’t get a lot of time to just relax together. The band was still on tour.

  And Jesse was still technically working.

  He quietly moved to the rolling chair in front of the desk, then answered his phone.

  “Do you know where Brave is? Malakai told me what happened last night.” Cole sounded more irritated than usual. Or maybe it was concern. It was hard to tell. “I went to the police station, but they have nothing. One actually told me I should make sure it wasn’t a fucking prank. If he’s not with you, then we need to find him. If something happened—”

  “He’s with me.” Jesse wasn’t going to dissect Cole’s motives. He might just be keeping track of his investment, but maybe not. “He didn’t sleep. No one knows where I’m staying, so he was able to crash for a bit.”

  “Good idea. He awake yet?”

  “No, he just fell asleep. Why?”

  There was silence on the other line. Then a heavy sigh. “
Band meeting. I figured we could all get together for a late lunch. Then take off for LA tonight.”

  One look at Brave and Jesse shook his head, even though Cole couldn’t see him. None of the guys slept very well on the road and they hadn’t even had one full day without a goddamn show yet. Cole might be a great manager, but he was going to burn them all out if he didn’t give them some downtime.

  “The crew’s scattered today, Cole. We’ve been on the road for weeks and they were looking forward to Vegas. How about breaking the news to them that we’re cutting their downtime short early tomorrow?”

  “Not a single one of them will be up before noon.” Cole cursed softly. “Get the bus gassed up and ready to go right after the meeting. And tell your boys if they’re not ready to roll out by 2:00, we’re leaving without them and I ain’t paying for shit.”

  “Sounds like a plan, Boss.” Jesse ended the call, then sent out a text to the rest of the stage crew. His men weren’t slackers, so they’d be at the fucking bus on time. Cole even suggesting they’d flake out pissed him off. He kept the tone of the text simple. Plans changed. Extra work meant extra cash. They still got their per diem on days off, for food and stuff, but it was nothing compared to the wage on a workday.

  Yeah, some roadies blew their money on booze, drugs, and women, but the ones he kept around had family back home—ex-wives and kids sometimes—or shit they were saving up for. Point was, they’d appreciate the extra money.

  But Brave wasn’t the only one who needed more sleep. Putting his guys on the road after they’d been partying all night would be dangerous.

  Cole had probably figured that, which was why he hadn’t bitched too much. Him putting off the meeting was interesting though. He usually just talked to Brave about the schedule, or any crazy way he’d come up to promote them. Jesse could count on one hand the amount of times he’d gotten the whole band together to discuss anything besides them completely screwing the pooch.

  So this was important. Not important enough to rush, but maybe he should ask around and see if Brave needed to go have a chat with his manager sooner rather than later.

  If anyone would know, it would be Alder. Jesse hadn’t heard from him since he’d taken off with that girl. The man wouldn’t bother answering his phone if he was busy, but he always got back to his texts. Within an hour or so.

  Unless it was Jesse.

  Jesse sent the text, keeping it light so Alder wouldn’t think the worst.

  Jesse: Hey, kid. Got a minute?

  Less than a minute passed before the little dots formed in the green bubble. Alder was typing.

  Alder: Not if you’re gonna call me ‘kid’, asshole.

  Snorting, Jesse continued typing.

  Jesse: Sorry, honey. You still with that chick? She was really into you.

  Alder: No…she had stuff to take care of. But she’s cool.

  Jesse: Just cool? She blew off Brave to be with you. That must have felt good.

  The little dots started moving. Then stopped, like Alder had suddenly changed his mind about whatever he’d started to say. There was nothing for a few minutes.

  Alder: I kinda hate you when you say shit like that. You think I want what Brave has? By the time he’s done with his toys, they’re broken. Been like that since we were kids.

  Ouch. Jesse was pretty sure Alder didn’t mean to include him as one of Brave’s ‘toys’, but he couldn’t help wondering. Alder always assumed the worst of his brother.

  His phone buzzed as another text came in.

  Alder: That came out wrong. Sorry.

  Jesse: So you don’t think he’s playing me?

  Another long pause.

  Alder: So, about the girl. Don’t tell anyone, but she’s coming on tour with us. Fucking media is creaming over pictures of us. Cole was gonna have a meeting to talk to the band about her.

  Jesse: He mentioned a meeting. I asked if we could do it tomorrow.

  Alder: LOL. Yeah, and I bet he got bitchy, but agreed, right?

  Jesse: Yep

  Alder: She has a photo shoot. Her agent wants her there for the meeting. Cole was going to do it without her, but now he has no choice.

  Well, that explained that. Jesse grinned at the thought of Cole dealing with a model’s agent. The agent seemed like the type of woman who wouldn’t take his shit. And if Jesse could get that impression after just a text from Alder, he couldn’t wait to meet her.

  Cole delaying a band meeting for anyone was huge.

  Jesse: So are you gonna see her tonight?

  Alder: No. Cole’s got me doing two interviews with some bloggers. And her agent has all kinds of stuff for Danica to do before we head out. I swear, it’s like they’re trying to keep us apart until we’re on the damn bus.

  Could be. Jesse tapped his fingers on his knee, thinking over how he could help Alder with the cock-blocking duo. He wasn’t sure what the agent’s angle was, but Cole probably considered the woman a distraction. Yeah, he wanted the guys seen with girls, but that was for public appeal. Relationships didn’t last long on the road, whether the chick trailed after her man or waited for him at home.

  Getting to know someone while trapped on a bus for hours could put a strain on the best of friends. It could tear a band apart if they didn’t make time for themselves. Unless Danica was of a special breed of women, she would get tired of the guys after the first few hours.

  Jesse: Did you tell her he’s probably trying to scare her off?

  Alder: Why the fuck would he do that? He’s got all kinds of plans for her!

  Jesse: For her. But not for the two of you.

  Alder: Shit. I gotta talk to her. Her agent is some kind of dragon lady. Just as bad as Cole, so I’m sure she’ll get it.

  Jesse: I’ll leave you alone so you can call her then. Good luck.

  Moving to set aside his phone and check the area for somewhere he could get decent coffee, Jesse was surprised when his phone buzzed again. He frowned as he picked it up and read Alder’s last text.

  Alder: I forgot to get her phone number.

  Loser. Jesse shook his head, grinning as he called Alder, tired of typing. “Are you serious?”

  “Yeah. Shit, I gotta go. Cole just came out and gave me a dirty look. I’m supposed to start the interview. Not sure why he doesn’t have Brave doing this. I’m not that interesting.”

  “It’s your handsome mug that gave the media a hard-on, pal.” Jesse leaned back in the desk chair, picturing how red Alder’s face must be with all the attention he was getting. He was fine with fans, cool on stage, but reporters annoyed the hell out of him. Whatever answers they managed to squeeze out of him were usually delivered with a scowl. Good thing Cole was just parading him in front of bloggers. For now.

  “I guess I’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see her.” Alder let out a rough, frustrated groan. “With the guys. And her agent and Cole not giving us a fucking minute alone.”

  Poor kid. Jesse sat forward, lowering his voice when he saw Brave stir in the bed. “Or you tell me where she’s staying and I give her your number. You two should have breakfast and show up at the meeting together. That will throw everyone off.”

  “You wouldn’t mind?”

  “Wouldn’t have offered if I did.” Jesse grabbed the pen and pad on the desk and quickly jotted down the girl’s name and room number. Her hotel wasn’t far. He could be there and back in less than an hour, but just in case he wrote Brave a short note saying he’d be back soon with coffee. “And Alder, can you do me a favor?”

  “Sure, man. Anything.”

  “Smile for at least one picture?” He didn’t see that happening, but Cole might get off Alder’s case if he played nice. “Even a sarcastic smile. It won’t hurt, I promise.”

  Alder snorted. Then hung up.

  I’ll take that as a no. Jesse chuckled, then shoved his feet into his worn, black Vans and headed out. He took the band’s van, hoping it wouldn’t be too hard to find parking at the hotel. As luck would have it, the
re was a sign up restricting hotel parking to guests only. And those waiting for valet clogged up both lanes.

  Squeezing past the congestion, Jesse maneuvered back onto a side street, finding a place to park about a block away. By the time he’d reached the hotel, he felt like he’d aged ten years. Running on just a few hours sleep wasn’t as easy as it had been in his twenties.

  If this doesn’t prove I love the man… Jesse quickly made his way across the casino floor, toward the elevators for the North tower.

  When he reached the right room, he knocked on the door, hoping the girl wouldn’t be too weirded out if he asked he for a glass of water. If she was even here.

  A thought that hadn’t occurred to him until right this moment. Damn it, Alder had mentioned a photo shoot. This whole trip was probably a waste of time.

  “Damn it, Sophie, I asked for fifteen minutes! It’s been five!” The door swung open and an angry young woman in a bathrobe stepped right in his face. Her eyes went wide. “Oh shit, I’m sorry, I thought—”

  “You should really check who’s at the door before you answer.” Jesse tried to keep his eyes on her face and not let them drift down the where the huge robe was gaping over the swell of her breasts. He gave her his friendliest smile. “Are you Danica?”

  She backed up, partially closing the door, her eyes narrowing. “Yes. Can I help you?”

  “Jesse Vaughn. I’m one of the roadies with Winter’s Wrath.” That didn’t get her opening the door. Smart chick. “Alder mentioned you guys didn’t exchange phone numbers. I offered to come give you his so you can meet for breakfast or something.”

  Her face brightened and she let out a light laugh. “He’s such a dork. Give me a minute to get dressed? I…uh…” She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth. “Would you think I was a bitch if I asked you to stay there?”

  “Not at all. Can you bring me some water when you come back though? It’s dusty outside and I had to park down the street.”

  “Sure thing. I swear, I won’t take long.” And with that, she shut the door in his face.