by Lydia Cole
I didn’t think. I didn’t think this perfect-looking embodiment of sex had any problems. I’d just thought he came packaged straight from some gift shop solely for being eye candy. Newly made. Untainted. I wanted to just hold him.
“The point is, when life throws shit at you, you can either deal with it or you can let it bring you down. Don’t let some little peon company in Timbuktu affect you that much, Angel. You and Johnny are better than them, and they know it. They’re probably grasping straws or looking for publicity because they don’t have any real talent to obtain longevity. Don’t worry about it.”
I nodded into his chest. I loved feeling his ripped body fall and rise. “You’re right. Frank’s going to take care of it.” I sighed contentedly. Hayden had made my anxiety of recent matters feel at ease. He was so calming. “So when you said it was a whole screwed up story, you weren’t joking.”
He chuckled lightly. “Not at all. Mine is screwed up, anyway. Nate had two parents and a white picket fence. Our dad got my mom pregnant, then married his mom a month later. It was a fuckin’ mess.”
“That must have been hard.”
He shrugged. “I survived.” Mentally strong as well as physical. Now, who was the one with the killer combo?
“But you have his name?”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “Mom insisted on that.”
I sighed and stood up. “Come on, Romeo. Let’s go to bed. I’ve got a long day tomorrow.”
Hayden stood up and pushed me up the stairs with his large hands on my hips. “See, now, the way you said that kind of sounds like you want me to come to bed with you.”
“Oh?” I giggled, leading him down the hall and pushing him into my room. “And would you be against that idea?”
He smiled widely, pressing me against the closed door. “Yeah…Definitely not, Angel.”
His hands gripped my hips tightly, those green eyes darkening as he hovered over my face. Finally he leaned in and laid his lips gently on mine. It wasn’t hard and rough like the night before, but it was still bursting with raw passion. I moaned and wrapped my arms around his neck. His fingers brushed under my shirt, making my skin quiver in anticipation. He deepened the kiss with a quiet moan, exploring my mouth with his magical tongue.
I moved my hands under his shirt, rubbing the tight abs that hid underneath. And in that instant, I couldn’t get enough of him. I wanted more. I wanted his hard naked body all over mine. I ripped his shirt off, then brought his lips back to mine with a sense of urgency.
Hayden smiled under my hard kiss and cupped my face, pulling me back gently. He moved his lips down my jaw line, slowing everything down again. I wasn’t complaining. His gentle kisses moved down to my neck and my legs started to shake a little. He pulled back long enough to tug my shirt over my head, and then he was back, our bodies rubbing together gently as we both gulped air in. His fingers moved down my flesh, straying from the valley between my breasts to the top of my sweat pants, and back. I was sure I was going to die from the stimulation.
“Hayden,” I whispered huskily when he bent down to kiss the tops of my breasts. “Jesus Christ, take me to bed already. I want to feel you inside me.”
With a wide smile, he picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist. “Your wish is my command,” he answered softly, taking my lips again.
I tangled my hands in his hair and squeezed the hard abdomen between my legs.
He dropped me on the bed, then pulled back and looked at me. “This is where I stop and ask you if you’re sure.” He leaned in and kissed me softly. “And you assure me that you want me more than anything. That you’d die if I didn’t.”
“Hayden,” I growled. “Enough already.”
He chuckled and removed my pants in one swift move, standing to look over me hungrily. “Last chance, doll face.”
I sat up and pulled his pants down just as fast. “Get your ass over here, now.”
“Shit.” He jumped over me and kissed me so hard, I was sure my lips were going to bruise. “Keep talking like that and I won’t be able to contain myself.” He took a breath and continued his torture of my body, content to kiss every square inch of my skin.
“Hayden,” I whined after few minutes. “Please!”
I’d never had my underwear ripped off quite so quickly. My bra was off miraculously. I hadn’t even noticed him unsnap it. His warm body connected to mine and I couldn’t suppress the loud moan. When he started to move down, I almost lost it.
He kissed my hips, then the insides of my thighs. Finally, his tongue found its way to my core and I let out a yelp. He started slowly, teasing me, playing with my nub. When I started to buck against him, he moved and hovered above me. “You’re so fucking beautiful, Angel.â€� He kissed me on my mouth and as his tongue explored mine, I could feel his hard cock enter me. He filled me completely. The simple feeling of him inside of me sent me tearing through the most amazing orgasm I’d ever experienced.
He froze, face tight as he tried to control himself. Once my moans died down, he started to thrust. My teeth started to tingle and stars danced in front of my eyes. I matched him as he increased speed and force, wanting nothing more than to take everything he had to offer and give back just as much. His breathing started to get ragged and I pulled him as far I could into me, relishing in the look on his face as his body began to convulse. I moaned as I could feel the warmth explode inside, filling me up with him.
“Hayden, I want you all over me,� I said as I grabbed his large cock. There was so much of him, and it sent me over the edge again, seeing his look of pure pleasure, as he came all over my clit and my stomach.
Hayden laid his head between my breasts, breathing heavily and slick with sweat. It felt so good feeling sticky against him.
I rubbed his head absently, eyes drooping in a contended exhaustion. After a minute, he pulled out of me and rearranged us in bed, pulling the covers over our still naked bodies.
I flipped him onto his back and laid my head on his chest, listening to his still rapid heartbeat. “Tell me about the girl that broke your heart.”
He chuckled quietly, rubbing my back in a soothing motion. “What are you talking about?”
“Everyone has someone. You know all about Connor. Now, I want to know yours.”
He sighed and grabbed my leg, pulling my knee up to his waist so he could rub my thigh. It took him a few minutes to launch into the story, and he talked slowly and quietly when he did. “Samantha Thomas. She lived down the road from me since we were in diapers. We started dating junior year of high school. We had it all planned out. It was together forever. Then, senior year came around and she started applying to colleges.
“I was really getting into music and I’d never had any intention to go to college, anyway. I figured I’d just follow her wherever she went. But, then I met Ben and started playing with him. He was pretty rooted in Phoenix. I enlisted Nate and not long after that, Grant. She ended up going to Yale and I couldn’t bring myself to leave the guys. We said we’d stay together, but it didn’t work.
“I remember the night she finally called me to tell me she’d met someone and she wanted to do the right thing and break it off with me first. I wanted to drive up there and kick this guy’s ass.” He sighed again, then kissed the top of my head. “Why are you making me relive this ancient history?”
“I want to know everything about you,” I answered quietly.
“Go to sleep, babe.’ You can ask me more embarrassing stories another day.”
***
When my alarm went off in the morning, I reached over Hayden and silenced it. He chuckled as I pushed myself up.
“What’s funny?” I asked, throwing his T-shirt over my head.
“I’ve never been woken up by D-cup boobs in the face before.” He grabbed the fabric of his shirt and pulled me over him. “Good morning,” he said, laying a soft kiss on me.
I smiled, lips still touch
ing his. “It’s C-cup and morning to you,” I whispered back. “You coming to the studio today?”
“Sure. If I go back to the hotel now, the guys will rag me all day.”
I grabbed his arm and pulled him up. “Well, then, you’ll need a shower.”
By the time we made our way downstairs, Johnny was already gone. I snatched a set of keys from the table by the door and dragged Hayden to the garage.
“You’re driving?” He asked, a hint of concern in his voice. It was a valid question. I usually had a car waiting for me to bring me to the studio. I loved to drive, though.
“Is there a problem with that?” I stepped into the garage and flipped on the light switch, turning to watch his mouth drop open.
“Nope. None at all.” He moved down the steps and admired my collection. “Holy shit. This is a like a shrine to Chevy.”
I had to smile. Johnny was a bit of a Corvette buff. We had seven in all, one for each model. My favorite was the newest one. I had to drag Hayden away and push him into the passenger seat so we could go.
He wasn’t even anxious as I weaved through traffic. It wasn’t fair to drive a Corvette slow. They needed speed. I parked behind the building and walked through the back doors, getting looks from everyone when I showed up with Hayden in tow.
Johnny was in his office, as expected. I plopped into a chair and tossed the keys onto his desk. “Four more songs!”
He nodded at me, flipping through something. “Your album is going to be out before we expected.” He realized Hayden was with me when he finally looked up and smiled knowingly. “Oh. Good morning.”
Hayden’s cheeks tinted ever so slightly. It had to be weird for him, Johnny being so casual about the fact that we spent the night together. “Morning.”
“Mr. Gold,” Cindy’s voice called on the intercom. “Your first appointment is here.”
“Thanks, Cindy. Send her in.”
I sat up and smiled. “There’s a band playing at Fowler’s tonight that I’ve heard good things about. I think I’ll go check them out.”
Johnny raised an eyebrow at me. “Don’t overdo it, Lu-Lu. You’ve got enough on your plate right now.”
I rolled my eyes and motioned to his messy desk. “And you don’t? Please, Johnny. I was built just like you, remember?”
“Fair enough,” he said with a smile. “But take someone with you. Fowler’s is on a bad side of town.”
A short, shy brunette walked into the office, looked around wide eyed, and stuttered.
Johnny stood and smiled. “Ms. Tully. Nice to finally meet you. I’m sure you know my daughter, Lucy. And this is Hayden Harris, a member of the band Reluctant Angel.”
“Oh…um…hi.” She blushed as she shook Hayden’s hand. “I’m Tiffany.”
Tiffany Tully. I turned back at Johnny with narrowed eyes. She better not be some idiotic cheerleader with pop in her veins. Johnny just shook his head at me, so I grabbed Hayden and pulled him out of the office, mumbling about having a meeting of my own.
“Tiffany Tully,” Hayden mused as I dragged him down the hallway. “That sounds like a porn star name.”
I stopped and doubled over in laughter. When I finally collected myself, I wrapped my arm through his and directed him to the booth where my people were waiting. “You just made my day.”
“That’s my goal in life,” he assured me. “And my edict is to make your night.â€�
Chapter Six
I walked into the recording room, still smiling widely with my arm wrapped in Hayden’s. I directed that smile at the members of my band, blowing all of them kisses through the glass as I set myself up. I pushed the chair back and moved it toward Hayden. I didn’t sit while I was recording.
“All righty, my lovelies,” I said into the intercom. “Perfection first. Then, if we can get through that one today, we’ll jump into The Lies.”
Billie was bobbing her head as I spoke, but stuck a drumstick in the air as soon as I stopped.
“Yes, Billie?” I asked with a smile.
“Yes, I, um, have a question for the cute little guy there with the green eyes.”
“Hayden,” I told her as he raised an eyebrow.
“Right, that one.” She leaned forward and lowered her voice, as if that would keep everyone from hearing her. “So, on a scale of one to ten, how filthy is Lucy in bed?”
The confusion in Hayden’s face quickly morphed into a smug smile. He didn’t feel the need to answer that one.
I rolled my eyes. “She rolls her eyes a lot, doesn’t she?� Hayden asked the others. I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Can we get to work, now?”
Much to my surprise, Jack didn’t seem fazed by the whole thing. He nailed every single note of Perfection. I had to go back twice for Vernon, who had obviously had a little too much to drink the night before. Billie literally stood up and kicked the wall at one point because she kept screwing up one particular section of the song.
“Take ten,” I called over the intercom.
Everyone filed out, but Billie stayed in the back of the room, eying her drum set. I moved into the room and sat on her chair, getting between the drums and her evil glare.
“Take a breath, Billie. It’s a fucking hard part.”
“I know. I wrote it.”
I grabbed her hands and pulled her down into my lap. “Your mother didn’t hug you enough as a child, did she?”
She chuckled, laying her head on my shoulder. “I’m having an off day.”
“Everyone has off days. We can leave it for now and go on to The Lies, then come back another day. It’s not like we have to do it all right now.” I stroked her messy black hair. “Besides, I’ve decided that you’re taking too much of my thunder with your amazing drum skills. We’re just going to have to cut some of that shit out.”
“We’re not cutting a damn thing out.” She laughed, though, and that was my whole point.
“If my opinion counts,” a deep voice called over the intercom. “I think you’re making it harder than it has to be.”
We both looked up and saw Grant standing in the room, smiling at us.
“And as much as I like to see two chicks rubbing up on each other,” he continued, “I think I could help you play with it a little.”
I left them to work out the details of the drumming and directed Hayden toward the kitchen.
“I think Grant likes her,” he said as we walked.
A sound escaped me that sounded like a snort mixed with a laugh. “Billie doesn’t like penises.”
“That’s what I told him. He didn’t believe me.”
“Well, I guess he’ll find out the hard way.”
After our short break, we headed back for the recording room. As we passed the third room, though, I heard music coming out. I stopped and listened at the unfamiliar soprano voice, eyes narrow as I tried to figure out who it was. Finally, I gave in and stuck my head in the door. Johnny was sitting there, wearing a wide smile. Tiffany Tully was behind the glass, eyes closed, singing something soft and sad.
I glared at Johnny. “This is not rock.”
“This is an audition, Lu-Lu. Now, sit down and listen to her voice.”
I stayed, but I didn’t sit. I leaned back against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. I had to admit that she did have a really pretty voice. But, I didn’t see her sound fitting in here. She didn’t fit in her. She fit in some playboy mansion.
When Tiffany finished and opened her eyes, her cheeks glowed with embarrassment. “Oh. Lucy.”
I just gave her a slight wave and walked closer to Johnny, making sure the intercom wasn’t on. “It’s not Gold, Johnny.”
“We have to put a band together for her,” he said, ignoring me.
“Johnny,” I whined.
“Her range is so wide…” He sat back, studying her as he rubbed his chin. He flicked the intercom on and gave her a wide smile. “Come on out, Tiff.”
Tiffany stepped
out of the room, hands rubbing together in anxiety.
Johnny gave her his award-winning smile. “You have an amazing voice. Now, we just have to put together a band.”
Her eyes widened and her hands sprung up to cover her mouth. “Really,” she squeaked. She actually squeaked. Like a fucking mouse. “You want me?”
“Why don’t you walk with me and we can talk about a contract?” He put his arm around her shoulders and directed her out of the room.
I stood there, arms crossed, eyes narrowed, breathing deeply. I had nothing against the girl, really, I just didn’t like the idea of Johnny giving in to a pretty face when she wasn’t in the least bit rocker material. I didn’t do pop. And I hoped Johnny wasn’t moving that way. And I hoped he wasn’t moving in her way.
Jack opened the door after a second and leaned against it, watching me boil. “Johnny said you might need some help containing yourself.” Great. Just what I needed. More frustration.
“Did you see Ms. Tully?” I spit out her name like it killed me.
“Jealous?” Jack asked with a smile.
My mouth popped open. “Certainly not. Why would I be jealous?”
“It’s been awhile since we’ve had another female vocalist around here. And she’s pretty hot.” Of course he found her hot. Guys like Connor found any girl with fake breasts, fake hair, and fake nails, hot.
“That’s not the reason I’m upset. Did you hear her?”
He nodded. “She’s good,” he said slowly. “But very different from our sound.”
“Exactly!” I threw my hands in the air. “That’s not Gold Records. She needs to go sign with someone else!”
“Why are you so worried? Would you rather Johnny brought in some woman that sings exactly like you?”
I huffed, but he had a point. She certainly wouldn’t be any competition. As I stood there, trying to rein my emotions back in, I let myself go back to the song I’d just heard her sing. It was sad. My music was mostly angry. She had a soft look to her, with her wavy brown hair and deep brown eyes. Her petite body fit right in with the sound and the lyrics.
With a sigh, I gave in. “Fine. She’s fuckin’ ace. But that doesn’t mean I have to like her.”
