Tangled Mess

by Middleton, K. L.

  I watched in shock as Ransom’s fist slammed into Taylor’s face.

  “Fuck!” he hollered, doubling over.

  “Now, walk the fuck out of here,” ordered Ransom. “Or so help me, I’ll hit you so hard you’ll be crawling.”

  Taylor, whose eye was already starting to puff out, opened his mouth to respond, but then apparently changed his mind, and stormed out of the room instead.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Tiffany

  Ransom turned to me, his face still dark with anger. “The next time you invite a guy up, make sure he’s not married, or an asshole like Taylor. Tonight you obviously got a two-for-one.”

  My jaw dropped. “I didn’t invite him up to my room! He said he wanted to talk, and proceeded to follow me onto the elevator. I had no idea that he was going to try getting me into bed.”

  “Right. I find that hard to believe.”

  I stared at him in exasperation. “Frankly, I don’t care what you believe. You’ve been a total prick to me, and as far as I’m concerned, you need to haul your ass out of my room, too!”

  He took a step towards me, his eyes flashing. “Why, because Darren is on his way up?”

  I glared back at him. “No! Of course not. Anyway, shouldn’t you be downstairs with your little cupcake? Or did you just get lost on the way to another girl’s room?”

  He smiled coldly. “Do I detect a little jealousy?”

  “No!” I sputtered. “As far as I’m concerned, you can fuck whomever you want! I don’t give a crap!”

  “Is that right?” he said, staring down into my eyes, looking so arrogant I wanted to punch him in the face. “You really don’t care?”

  I clenched my fists. “No I don’t. As far as I’m concerned, you can go fuck yourself while you’re at it, too.”

  The look on his face might have frightened me if I hadn’t been so angry with him myself. “Is that right?” he asked, now breathing so hard, he reminded me of a fuming bull.

  I pointed towards the door. “Yes. Now leave. Go fuck the entire makeup crew of Icon if you want. I could care less.”

  “Liar,” he growled.

  Before I could reiterate my feelings, he pulled me into his arms and his lips crashed against mine.

  I gave in to the rush of lust that took me by surprise. Gasping, I slid my arms around his neck, and pulled him closer, my anger forgotten and replaced with hunger.

  We staggered together, his tongue in my mouth, and my fingers in his hair, pulling and tugging in desperation as I tried to get closer, without losing my balance. When his hands gripped my hips, and I could feel his hardness pressed against my stomach, the tingle between my legs became an ache. I moaned against Ransom’s mouth, and dragged him towards the bed, where we fell together.

  He sat up with me on his lap, raised my blouse over my shoulders, and tossed it aside. Then his hands slid to my breasts, squeezing, while his mouth moved to my neck.

  Grinding my pelvis against his hips, I closed my eyes and reveled in the sensation of the hardness beneath me, as well as the hot kisses on my skin.

  Ransom’s lips moved lower, and he unclasped my bra, cupping both of my breasts. He brought one to his mouth, and I moaned in pleasure as he sucked and teased it with his tongue. His other hand moved lower until he was brushing the spot between my legs with his thumb, making me whimper in pleasure.

  “Let’s get rid of these pants,” he said, rolling us over until he was on top. Soon, they, along with my panties, and his T-shirt, were quickly removed.

  I swallowed hard as he positioned himself between my legs, and then pulled my knees over his shoulders. With a wicked grin, he turned his head, and kissed my inner thigh making my legs tremble. As his lips moved closer to my heat, I grabbed onto the sheets, anticipating his mouth on my slicken folds. Instead, he stopped. “Tell me you care,” he whispered, placing a finger over my labia.

  “Yes,” I whispered back. The truth was that I cared, more than I ever wanted to admit.

  He stared up into my eyes, and then began to move his finger.

  “Oh,” I moaned as he watched my face, his eyes dark with desire. Then he slid it inside of me and lowered his mouth.

  I gasped in delight as his tongue began to move along with his finger, teasing and demanding. After only a few seconds, my lower stomach tightened and the fluttery tingle between my legs grew until it exploded into an orgasm that had me crying out in unbelievable ecstasy.

  “That’s it, baby,” he whispered, still flicking his tongue on my sex. “God, that turns me on.”

  Just then, someone started knocking on the door.

  His head shot up and we stared at each other in the darkness.

  “Tiffany?”

  It was Darren.

  Ransom’s face darkened. He sat up.

  Sighing, I turned to get out of bed, but he apparently had other ideas. He grabbed me around the waist, and pulled me onto his lap. Pushing the side of my hair away from my neck, he licked below my ear. “Where are you going? I’m not quite through with you,” he whispered.

  “Tiffany?” hollered Darren. “I could have sworn that I heard you screaming. Are you okay?”

  “Uh, I’m getting ready for bed!” I yelled. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Ransom pushed me forward, until I was on my knees, and then kneeled behind me. “I’m fine,” I answered as he unzipped his jeans, and rubbed his hardness against my backside.

  “You sure? You sound funny.”

  “Yes,” I replied in a husky voice. “Don’t worry about me.”

  “Well, okay. Goodnight.”

  “Goodnight.”

  “Oh, baby,” whispered Ransom, running his hand down my back. “God, I’ve missed you.”

  Tears sprang to my eyes as he replaced his hand with his lips, kissing me tenderly. “I missed you, too.”

  “I’ve never wanted anyone like you before,” he said, pulling my hair over my shoulder. He leaned forward and kissed my neck. “You’re all I ever think about. Us together. You in my arms.”

  “Me too,” I whispered, turning my head.

  He brushed my lips with his and then straightened up. “I can’t wait anymore. I’ve been dreaming about his for weeks.”

  I spread my legs wider. “Then quit dreaming.”

  He grabbed my hips, positioned himself, and then plunged into me from behind, both of us moaning in pleasure. As he began to move in and out, I closed my eyes and reveled in the sweet sensation of what it was like to be filled by Ransom. Panting, I opened my eyes back up and glanced over my shoulder at the determined look on his face. It made me quiver.

  Our eyes locked, Ransom bit his lower lip, wrapped my hair around his fist, and thrust into me even harder.

  “Yes,” I panted as his hips moved faster and the pressure began to build in my pelvis.

  He leaned forward and brought his hand to my sex, rubbing my sweet spot again. Within seconds,

  I cried out as another orgasm, this time from somewhere deep inside, took me by surprise.

  Ransom gasped, and shuddered against me as my pelvic muscles contracted around him. After both of our orgasms settled, he pulled out and held me in his arms.

  I closed my eyes and smiled.

  I was in heaven.

  I was with the only man I wanted to be with.

  I was also leaking something between my legs.

  I stiffened up. “Ransom?”

  He kissed my temple. “Yeah.”

  “Uh, did you use a condom?”

  He didn’t answer.

  I turned around. “I could get pregnant, you know, among other things.”

  He grazed his lower lip with his teeth and smiled. “Could you just imagine the talent in our child?”

  I scowled. “This isn’t funny. I’m way too young to be a mother. Plus, you’re not exactly father material.”

  He looked hurt. “What do you mean?”

  I got out of bed, and ran a hand
through my hair, forgetting about my nakedness. “This is insane. What in the hell were we thinking. What in the hell were you thinking?”

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was too caught up in the moment to think about a condom.”

  “You must be carrying a condom in your wallet. I mean, what were you going to do with ‘Red’?”

  He looked confused. “Red?”

  “The girl in the bar? The one with the big…”

  He stared at my chest. “Tits?”

  I glanced down, and my cheeks turned red. “Yes,” I replied, grabbing the blanket from the bed. “The girl who was showing more skin than a newborn.”

  Ransom laughed. “She’s married to one of my band members. There’s nothing going on between us, Taffy.”

  “Well, rumor has it that you’re screwing two girls. Two hair-dressers,” I sniffed.

  He folded his arms across his chest. “At the moment, I’m only screwing one, and she’s making a fool out of herself.”

  My jaw dropped. “Making a fool out of myself?”

  “Look, I haven’t had sex with anyone since you.”

  I nodded towards the alarm clock. “That’s good because you haven’t left the room yet, and it’s only been five minutes.”

  Ransom chuckled.

  “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

  He got out of bed and then reached for me. “Would you chill out?”

  I slapped his hand away. “I can’t do this, Ransom. I keep picturing you with other women. You have this horrible reputation and… and you haven’t called me or… tried seeing me,” I said, raising my chin.

  “So? That was then, before I fell for you, Taffy. And yeah, I’ve wanted to see you, but you told me to stay away.”

  He had me there.

  “You’ve never listened to me before, though,” I replied. “When I asked you to stay away.”

  He sighed. “Listen, the night of the funeral, I snuck out of my condo and went to the reception, to surprise you, but I saw you leaving with that blonde guy.” He scratched his head and frowned. “What can I say, it really pissed me off.”

  “Julian?”

  He shrugged. “I have no idea what his name was. I saw him giving you a piggy-back ride, and you enjoying yourself. I figured, you’d already forgotten about me.”

  “Julian is just a friend, and he’s… gay.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Gay?”

  “Yes. Gay.”

  He groaned. “Fuck.”

  I grinned. “Were you jealous?”

  He grabbed me around the waist and pulled me into his arms. “Yes. I was ready to jump out of my car, and beat the fuck out of him.”

  “I’m glad that you didn’t. Julian is a really nice guy. He spent several months volunteering at a mission. I think you’d have secured a spot in Hell after doing something that bad.”

  He snorted. “Babe, my spot is already reserved. When you’ve sinned as much as I have, redemption isn’t in the cards anymore.”

  I scowled. “First of all, don’t get me started on that. There’s always hope and you can turn your life around. Second, you’ve got to stop trying to control my life.”

  His eyes widened innocently. “Control your life?”

  “Yes. What do you call trying to get me kicked off of Icon?”

  “I call it saving your ass from making a bad mistake,” he replied with a smug smile.

  I pushed him away. “Dammit, aren’t you ever going to give up?”

  “I’m trying to save you from Icon, a different kind of hell.”

  I groaned. “God, I’m an adult. I should be able to make my own decisions.”

  “That’s what I thought, too. Haven’t you noticed how controlling these bastards are? You’re basically locked in your room; you can’t speak with anyone outside of the show. You can’t have a damn beer without getting a permission slip. Tiffany, this is just a glimpse of what you’ll be subjected to if you win this show.

  “Fine, but let me decide what I want! Quit trying to put up road-blocks, and making me feel like a failure on stage.” My eyes filled with tears. “You have no idea how much that hurt today. Here, I thought I did a pretty good job, singing one of your songs, and you crushed me, Ransom.”

  His eyes softened. “I’m sorry…”

  “Well, then stop this! I mean, did you even like how we performed?”

  He smiled. “Hell, I couldn’t have sang it better myself.”

  I slugged him. “Then tell me! Make me feel proud, like I accomplished something! All I wanted was to see you nod or give me the thumbs up. Maybe even to say ‘good job’, Tiffany. Instead you made me feel like a total loser. It was humiliating.”

  He stepped closer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just want to save you from-”

  I shoved him backwards. “You’re a broken record, Ransom. Look, it’s obvious that I can’t win this fight with you.”

  “Then let’s not fight. I’ll help you get a record deal with someone else. I have connections. I can hook you up.”

  “That’s just it. I don’t want your help. I want to do this on my own. I want to know that it was my voice that landed me a record deal, not because I know you.”

  “They wouldn’t sign you unless they thought you’re talented, anyway.” He stared down at me. “Come on Tiffany, let’s just pack our stuff and forget Icon. Sonia has found a way for me to get out of my contracts so that I can walk away, clean and clear. I’m going to start fresh, see if I can convince my old band members to take me back. Write my own music, make my own decisions, and get my life back.” He smiled. “I want you with me.”

  “I’m really happy for you, Ransom.” I sighed. “But, I’ve invested so much in this already. Let me just finish up the contest. If I win, you can help me find a lawyer who will negotiate my contract.”

  “It’s not that easy.”

  “It might be.”

  Ransom’s cell phone began to ring. He reached down and picked it up. “It’s Sonia. I’ve got to call her back and find out what she’s learned from our lawyer.”

  I nodded. “Okay.”

  He leaned over and kissed me on the lips. “I swear, I’ll bring condoms next time. Scout’s honor.”

  I laughed. “You’d better.”

  He pulled on his clothes while I grabbed my robe from the closet. When he was finished, he sat me on his knee. “I’m sorry about the judging. I swear to God, I’ve never wanted to hurt you. I’ve only wanted what was best.”

  “It’s not up to you to find out what’s best for me,” I said. “You have to let me figure it out.”

  He put his lips against my forehead and whispered. “I know.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Tiffany

  Somehow, both Darren and I made it to the next round on Icon. We were interviewed together on the show the following day, by Taylor, who acted like nothing had happened. When the interview was finished, he pulled me aside, and apologized.

  “I’m so sorry about last night,” he said quietly. “I’d been drinking and… to be honest, I really feel sick about the whole thing.”

  I didn’t say anything. Something about the look in his eyes didn’t hold true to his words.

  He sighed. “You’re not going to mention this to Remy, are you?”

  Disgusted, I shook my head, and walked away.

  Ransom snuck back to my hotel several times during the following week after practice. We spent most of the time in bed, and when we weren’t making love, we played cards, talked about our families, and made up lyrics for new songs.

  “I had no idea that you didn’t write any of the songs on your albums,” I said, after swallowing a forkful of Lomein. “I just assumed that since you used to write all of your old stuff back in high school, that you’d written the new stuff, too.”

  “No. I wasn’t allowed to contribute any of my stuff,” he said, tapping his pencil against the notepad.

  “What happened to your old music?”

&nbs
p; “I’m assuming it’s where I left most of it- in my old bedroom. Unless mom packed it away.”

  “Speaking of which, have you talked to Remy?”

  His face darkened. “Actually, I tried talking to her about Taylor, but as usual, she refused listen. She thinks that I hate the bastard so much, I’d make up anything.”

  “Do you hate him?”

  He smirked. “What do you think?”

  “Well, I can’t believe that she thinks you’re lying. Wait until the show is over and I’m actually able to talk to her. She’ll have to listen to the both of us.”

  “I hope she kicks his ass to the curb,” he said. “And I get to watch.”

  “Me too.”

  He leaned over and kissed my nose. “I’m liking that even more. You and me. Together.”

  I smiled.

  He leaned back. “If you win Icon, you’ll be traveling quite a bit.”

  I shrugged. “I know.”

  “It’s not as glamorous as you may think. I mean for a guy, it’s not really that bad.”

  “What’s the difference?”

  He chuckled. “I don’t think I have to spell it out for you.”

  I smirked. “Oh, you mean because of the partying and loose, skanky women?”

  “You could say that.”

  “I’m sure that there are many female artists who enjoy partying and loose men while on the road.”

  “Just for the record, all men are loose, babe.”

  My eyebrow arched. “Is that right?”

  He burst out laughing. “But not all men are available.”

  “That’s better.”

  “So, have you decided if you’re going through with the song tonight?”

  “Why wouldn’t I?” I asked, surprised.

  He leaned forward. “Because you were thinking about quitting the show?”

  I clucked my tongue. “You just don’t give up, do you?”

  “Nope.”

  “Are you going to vote ‘no’ tonight?”

  “If you’re horrible, obviously I’m going to vote ‘no’.”

  “I’m serious.”

  His smile fell. “I’m serious too.”