by Jodie Larson
He backs us up until my ass hits the counter. “Bet they match mine. Now, I’d like to finish making our snack, so be a good girl and sit back down.”
For good measure, he smacks my ass as I walk away, leaving the sting to quench my desire. It doesn’t, not by a long shot. But, it’s what I have, so it’ll do. At least until later.
The delicious smell of melted cheese strikes me first as I open my eyes. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this relaxed. The music must have lulled me into a short catnap. It couldn’t have been more than ten minutes, but a power nap was needed. Sleep didn’t exactly find me last night. Or this morning. Not like I’m used to. But I’m not complaining. I’ll take Myles’ version of sleep deprivation any day of the week.
A plate is placed in front of me, along with a bowl of soup. I look up at Myles and smile with child-like excitement. “You remembered.”
He places his plate and bowl next to mine and pulls me close as he sits. “The first meal I ever cooked for you.”
“Cooked may be a very loose term.”
The sandwich is even sliced into four small triangles. He really did remember everything. I pick one up and dunk it in the tomato soup, savoring the flavors as they cross my tongue. A moan escapes and my eyes practically roll back into my head.
“I’ve gotten better since the first time.”
“I’ll say.” Way back when, it was Wonder Bread and Kraft Singles. Now it’s some fancy multigrain bread and what tastes like three different kinds of cheese. Definitely not American.
“You like?” Myles watches as I take another bite, the soup dripping down my chin. He wipes it up with his thumb and licks it off. A shiver runs up my spine from the sheer eroticness of the action. His thumb lingers on his lips and I can’t help but lick my own.
“Careful. You said so yourself that we need to practice and actions like that will lead us back to bed.”
His eyes take on a predatory gaze. “No, we wouldn’t want that.”
I can’t help but smile. “Then we better stick to eating and making music. Otherwise we’ll get distracted.”
Myles leans forward and brushes a fingertip down my cheek. “Later tonight, we’ll have to pick this back up.”
“Promise?”
The glint in his eyes is all the reassurance I need. So much for getting sleep tonight.
Tomorrow’s going to be a long day.
Falling into an old routine was easier than I thought it would be with Tatum. We laugh and throw food at each other, pull practical jokes on the guys then run like hell when they come after us. It’s like reliving our early-twenties all over again. No, it’s better than that because now we’re free instead of confined to my studio loft above my parents’ garage. We have hotel rooms and dressing rooms. Hell, even the random dark hallway. Tatum is freer this time around. And that’s what scares me.
Why is she so different now? Yes, learning her reason why she left was hard to hear. And I’m still mad at her for bailing rather than turning to me for strength and support. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to do when two people are in a relationship? Lean on each other when times get tough? I know I don’t need to understand her reasons because, in all honesty, losing an ovary isn’t cause enough to stay away. We had only begun talking about kids, but it was more in the abstract than immediate future. Somewhere down the line we wanted it as a possibility. Perhaps I was wrong. Maybe she wanted them sooner than I did.
The green-eyed monster of jealousy still lingers, even though I try my best to lock it away. I can tell she’s being more cautious about how she talks to the roadies, or handles interviews backstage. It hasn’t stopped her from dressing like the rest of the girls in the audience: half-naked or leaving nothing to the imagination. She’s still a performer and has to cater to the crowds. And don’t think I haven’t noticed the extra male presence lately among the screaming women. All of it reminds me of the time we spent apart and how many others there have been. I’m not claiming to be a saint, but the thought of her and someone else…
“Hey, you in there?” Her beautiful voice breaks through my thoughts. Turning to the doorway, I smile as she leans against it.
“Where’ve you been?” She was supposed to be here fifteen minutes ago. I wanted to do one more practice run of the song before we attempted to go live with it. We decided it’ll be the last of her set, that way it can act as a warm-up for me.
Tatum plops onto the couch, sprawling across the middle with her arms wide open. “Don lined up five interviews for me before the concert. Then, when you guys are playing, he lined up another three. That’s the most I’ve ever done in one night.”
“Oh really? Eight is the most you’ve done in a night?” Sarcasm and humor, my two favorite things. Her face contorts from confusion to frustration.
“Why must you make everything an innuendo? For your information, no, I’ve never done eight in a night. You would have remembered if I did.”
“And why would I remember? It’s not like I was at your mom’s place keeping track of you.”
She jerks her head back as if I slapped her. “Are you serious?”
“Do I look like I’m kidding?”
Maybe that was a bit far, but this is eating me up inside. The thought of other guys touching her, feeling my Tatum, enjoying her in ways that only I am, drives me crazy.
Tatum stands and closes the distance between us, crawling onto my lap and placing her hands on either side of my face. “Where is this coming from? Why are you trying to hurt me? I thought we’ve moved past this.”
The coil of tension starts to ease as she runs her fingers through my hair. She always knew how to calm me down. “I don’t know. Guess I had too much time to think.”
Her blond hair falls over her shoulder as she presses her forehead against mine. The smell of her perfume floats around me, relaxing me even more. If there’s one thing I’m glad of, it’s that she never changed this. It’s my favorite. There were a few times I thought I could bring a groupie back to my room, until I got a whiff of what she was wearing. As soon as it hit my nostrils, I knew it was a no-go.
“You’re being silly.” She tries to kiss me, but I move away. “What?”
I run my hands up her mostly bare back. “Is this what you’re wearing?”
Leaning back, Tatum braces herself against my arms. “Really? You want to pick this fight?”
I push her off and take a few steps away. The tension returns, turning most of my muscles into stone. “Looks like it. Would it kill you to wear a whole shirt?”
Normally I like her style of clothes. When we’re in the privacy of our rooms. But this bandana thing she has on is being held together by two flimsy strings on her back. One quick tug or motion and she’d be naked from the waist up. Let’s not even discuss the low-rise leather pants barely covering the necessary parts.
Tatum crosses her arms with a scowl. “It’s not like I enjoy wearing this crap. You think I want to look like a hooker? How often do you see me in this stuff? Only on stage. I have to play a part. Do you think people want to see me in my t-shirts and ratted jeans, or my BoHo maxi dresses? No, of course not. They want edgy, stylish, and sexy.” She shakes her hair, making it even bigger. “Honestly, this isn’t me. In all the years we’ve known each other, have you ever seen me like this?”
“Maybe you changed. I’ve heard Cali does that to people. When you get around all the fakeness and plastic parts, it makes you want to follow suit.”
Throwing her hands in the air, she grunts. “God, you’re so frustrating. What is your problem? You don’t like the top? Here,” she strips it off and tosses it at my head, “you keep it.”
It’s hard to think when you’re staring at the perfect set of naked breasts. Those tight, pert nipples are begging to be licked and twisted. Either she’s cold, or she’s turned on. When I look up, dark desire floats in her eyes, giving her away. She likes this little game.
A knock comes to the door and I quickly move to cover her bod
y. Thank God her back was facing the right direction or I’d have to kill someone. Though Terri is the least of my worries. She’s harmless.
The smile on Terri’s face fades slightly as she looks from Tatum’s bare back to my hands wrapped around her, finally meeting my eyes. “Um, this is your five-minute warning. Time to start heading to the stage.” She lingers in the doorway, pleading with me to say something.
“Thanks, we’ll be there.” Not what she was expecting. She’s new to the tour and has been following me like a lost puppy for a couple weeks now. It’s cute, to a point. It hasn’t reached creepy yet, so I ignore her poorly executed attempts at getting my attention. She hasn’t taken the hint, so I harden my voice to get my point across. “You can go now. And shut the door behind you.”
Terri does as requested and I release Tatum, who is as red as a tomato. “Oh, my God. I can’t believe that just happened.”
I laugh and help her put the scrap of material back on her body. “Serves you right for getting naked in my dressing room.”
She raises an eyebrow. “Pretty sure this is my dressing room. You share one with the other guys.”
“Yours is better. It smells like you. Ours smells like…Pax.”
That gets a laugh from her, lighting her face up. The tension lines around her eyes ease and I can’t help running my hand down her cheek and grabbing the back of her neck. A soft gasp escapes before smashing our mouths together. Her warm breath mingles with mine and I push the envelope further with my tongue. Wrapping her arms around my neck, I pick her up and circle her legs around my waist, holding her by her ass. She moans, bringing my dick to life.
“We need to go,” she says, finally breaking away. But I don’t want to move. Her body is too warm and inviting.
“Can’t we just say fuck the concert and stay back here?”
She laughs and wiggles free from my grasp. “There might be a coup if we tried that. And Kade would probably beat your ass and send me home.”
“Hmm, I don’t need an ass beating just yet. Probably in our best interest to get out there and give the people what they want.”
“Probably.”
Another knock sounds, only this time it’s more forceful. “If you two are fucking in there, I’m going to be pissed.” Kade’s angry voice booms through the door. We laugh.
Tatum opens the door to a very pissed off Kade. “We’re not, just getting ready to leave.”
“Terri said she found you two half-naked together, so I figured I needed to step in.”
Fucking loud mouth. “Just getting ready. Now, if you quit blocking the doorway, we’ll be on our way.”
Kade moves to the side, half-amused and still pissed off. He grabs me by the arm. Tatum pauses, but I wave her away. After she’s out of earshot, he starts in on me.
“You can’t keep doing this. I’m happy you two found each other again. It’s been a hell of a lot nicer this last week with you two getting along. But this shit can’t happen. When we’re working, that’s all we’re doing. You don’t see me and Adrienne doing this shit. Keep it in your pants.”
What the fuck? “Where do you come off being this self-righteous? Do I need to remind you of all the shit you and Adrienne put us through when you first started dating? How many rehearsals were you at but not mentally attending? And do you think it’s going to get easier once this baby arrives? Get off your high horse and shut the fuck up. Don’t tell me how to live my life.”
Kade jabs a finger into my chest. “Look, I’m just calling it as I see it. Don’t start this.”
“This is rich coming from you. Wasn’t this your big master plan? Getting us together under the guise of the tour? You wanted this so don’t cry foul once you got your way.”
He gets right in my face. “Just watch it. Remember, the band comes first.”
“I’ll remember that when Adrienne is around and you’re not here.”
“My priorities are solid. Yours, I’m not so sure. There’s something eating at you, I can see it. You put on this happy show, but I know when you’re wearing a mask.” He pauses. “You still haven’t forgiven her.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I try to brush past him, but he keeps me in my spot.
“What are you doing? Don’t drag her around if you haven’t forgiven her.”
I press the heels of my palms into my eyes and groan. “I’m working on it. It’s a process, all right? I know what I’m doing.”
Kade places a hand on my shoulder. “Look, you’re my brother and I’ve got your back. But she’s like my sister and I will protect her from everything, including you. Don’t hurt her.”
Scoffing, I push him aside. “Did you forget she’s the one who left last time, not me? Perhaps you should have this talk with her instead. She has the history of bailing and leaving a trail of destruction in her wake.”
Before Kade has the chance to respond, I turn and walk quickly to the stage. How dare he assume he knows me. He doesn’t know what I’m thinking or what our relationship is. If you could call it one. Okay, so I still harbor some resentment toward her. That doesn’t mean I don’t like her. It just means I don’t fully trust her. We need time to figure this out. Besides, what’s the point of going all in when she’s only here for another few weeks? Maybe she’ll get picked up again when the tour resumes, or maybe they’ll bring Melissa back. Who knows. All I know is right now, I’m enjoying this little bit of peace I’ve found. I’ll deal with the consequences later.
“Best concert ever!” My head pounds, aching from the two solid hours of screaming fans and music pumped directly into my ear. And Tatum’s overly loud voice isn’t helping any.
“Yep.” All I want right now is a beer and my bed. Maybe ten hours of uninterrupted sleep as well. There’s a better chance of the former happening than the latter. As I grab a can out of the mini fridge, Tatum strips down – which doesn’t take long since she was barely wearing anything to begin with – and goes to start her nighttime ritual. This will buy me at least ten minutes of peace.
The crowd went wild tonight when I joined Tatum on stage. Definitely not something I was expecting. What was more surprising was they sang along with us. Ten thousand people singing in unison as Tatum and I looked at each other and played. I thought she’d be nervous, that maybe this would be a one-time thing. After the crowd’s response, Don said it’s going to be a permanent addition so we need to start thinking of more songs to perform. Hell, Kade even suggested bringing her in to do backup for a couple of our songs.
This makes me believe she’s not going anywhere once this tour is over. I know we have six months until our next one since the label wants us in the studio, but with all of this change, I have to think of the long run. And she seems to be in it. I’m not sure what to think of it. Not yet.
Pounding the beer and tossing the can in the trash, I strip down and climb into bed. The darkness is my friend tonight, until Tatum opens the door, blinding me and reigniting the drum beat in my head.
“Shut off the light.” It’s harsher than I intend, but right now I just want darkness.
She snaps the light off and crawls in behind me. Her cold fingers run over my shoulders before traveling down the length of my arm.
“Are you okay?” She presses a light kiss to my shoulder and molds into my body.
I blow out a breath. “Yeah, just a headache.”
“Anything I can do?” I barely hear her voice. It’s like she talking directly into the pillow or she’s all the way across the room.
“No,” I say, bringing our joined hands up to kiss her knuckles. As mad as I am, with her body curled next to mine, it’s hard to stay upset. Her sheer presence alone calms me in ways no one else can. Her heart beats a slow and steady rhythm against my back. The quiet breaths in my ear as I slow mine to match hers lull me into complete relaxation. Everything falls away as sleep takes over.
“Morning,” a cheerful voice says above me.
My eyelids feel weighted and a desert
has taken over my mouth. Somehow I manage to open my eyes. Muted light attempts to stream in through the cracks of the curtains, but there’s just enough to see Tatum’s smiling face as I roll over to greet her.
“Hey.” I scratch at my unshaven face and stretch my arms above my head. “What time is it?”
She looks at the clock next to her. “Around seven. Figured you’d want to get up.”
Seven? We don’t leave for another two hours. “Why didn’t you let me sleep until eight? I really could have used another hour.”
Confusion masks her features. “You said you wanted to get up at seven so we could have coffee downstairs before we left.”
Groaning, I roll back over. “Yeah, well, I change my mind. Wake me in an hour.”
I try shutting my eyes, blocking out the hurt in her voice as she tells me she’s going to shower. It’s not her fault I’m in a shitty mood. I’m still trying to get used to having her around all the time. It’s a tough adjustment. Being accountable to only myself was easier. Get up and go when I wanted, never having to answer or wait for anyone.
But she’s not just anyone. She’s Tatum. Something I still need to work out in my head. She’s not a groupie I took back to my room to use and discard. This is the girl who knows my ins and outs, who watched me aspire to become famous one day and supported me as we started playing little gigs around town. She’s also the owner of a piece of my heart. Even though it’s been broken into several pieces, the non-blackened ones belong to her. It took years to close the holes from the damage she caused. I don’t apologize for how I fixed myself. If it took several women who didn’t mind spreading their legs for me, then so be it.
The running water distracts me, followed by Tatum’s sultry voice as she sings along with the song coming from her phone. Curiosity gets the best of me and before I know it, I’m watching the show from the open bathroom door. Tatum has her back to me, but she’s completely in the zone, dancing away and singing along while washing her hair. The white suds distract me as I watch them slide down her back, over her ass, before disappearing down the drain.
