All Night Long

by Madelynne Ellis

  ‘What happened? How come you broke up?’

  Ash wiped a hand across his face, realising the moment she asked that he still wasn’t ready to talk about it. Maybe if he’d had a lot more to drink, like a whole bottle of Scotch and a few dozen beers.

  ‘Ash?’

  ‘It wasn’t meant to be,’ he said. ‘Hush.’ He cuddled her to his chest and relaxed on his back with her head against him. She’s why I can’t let myself fall for you. Although maybe it was already too late for that, and the fact that he was already admitting to the possibility of it happening meant he was more attached than he ought to be.

  Oh, fuck, you’re so screwed, Ash. You’re not going to forget this girl. She’s in your head, beneath your skin.

  He closed his eyes, and she also inhabited his dreams.

  Chapter Ten

  Ginny woke to a loud banging on the door and the realisation that Spook had ordered breakfast. He let the waiter in while she hid under the covers, snuggled tight against Ash’s back, so as not to be seen. She sat up when the waiter had gone. ‘There are only supposed to be two people staying in the room. I hope they don’t fine me,’ she remarked to Spook.

  ‘They saw us come up here. If there was an issue, they ought to have said so. It’s not worth worrying about.’ She watched him pull on a T-shirt. ‘We’ve had bigger sleepovers in hotel rooms. Just get Ash to deal with it, if there’s a problem. He’s good at sorting stuff like that out.’

  Sadly, she could imagine the sort of negotiating Ash did. Things involving under-the-counter dealings and screaming-orgasm sweeteners.

  She looked at his sleeping form and shook her head. Ash Gore had to be the biggest player she’d ever met, but the problem was that he didn’t appear to get a whole lot out of it, besides eternal frustration. He confused the hell out of her.

  ‘I’m not sure I’d want to ask him to do that.’

  ‘No, I suppose not. Reckon he’d do pretty much whatever you asked though.’

  ‘What?’

  Spook eyed her cagily, his shoulders hunched almost up to his ears. ‘You got him to sleep with you. That’s one for the record books. Normally, once he’s done shagging someone, they’re out the door.’

  ‘It’s my room,’ she remarked. Ash could hardly have sent her on her way.

  ‘Yes, but he didn’t have to sleep with you. He could have chosen not to, and normally he would have made that choice. He’d have gone down to the van, or slept in the bath.’

  ‘Got in with you?’ she suggested.

  ‘It’s been known,’ he said with a shrug.

  ‘So are you the guy who’s shagged him?’

  ‘’Scuse me?’

  He seemed so bewildered by the suggestion, she was persuaded that he was telling the truth. ‘But you do know about it and who it was?’ she wondered aloud.

  ‘Maybe. I’m not saying either way. He doesn’t normally fuck guys, though, if that’s what you’re thinking. His issues aren’t to do with that.’

  ‘No, that was a woman, right? His former girlfriend.’

  Spook’s eyebrows arched up into his hairline. ‘My, we did have a good old natter, didn’t we? Did he actually talk about her? Or did he just warn you off the subject?’

  ‘Not exactly. It sort of got mentioned in passing.’

  ‘No –’ Spook continued to look thoughtfully at her, while he scrubbed the soft growth of golden stubble that had grown around his jawline overnight ‘– he never discusses Connie in passing.’

  ‘That’s her name?’ Ginny asked, jumping on the piece of information and filing it. ‘Did you know her?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘How come?’

  ‘You ask a lot of questions.’

  ‘It’d be cool if you’d answer a few.’

  Spook sighed in a distinctly long-suffering way. He perched on the end of Dani’s bed and folded one leg up so that it stuck out at an angle. ‘It was before he joined the band. I met her maybe once. So, anything you want to know about her, you’ll have to ask him. Why don’t you wake him up and talk while you eat? I ordered the works.’

  He lifted up various lids, showing her the food: traditional English breakfast items, in addition to fruits, jams and cheeses, as well as a selection of pastries. ‘Ash’s favourite meal is breakfast. His least favourite subject is Connie. Marrying her with food might get you some answers, or it may get you a plate of eggs in the face. Me, I’m leaving if you’re even thinking about prodding him over his past. I’ll check on Paul. He’s in the van, right?’

  He grabbed his jacket and checked himself over in the mirror. Raised his collar and smoothed his hair before returning to the breakfast trolley, snatching a slice of toast and coating it in honey. ‘Later,’ he muttered, heading for the door.

  ‘Take your time,’ Ginny called after him. The room had to be vacated by eleven but she intended to hold on to Ash until then.

  Spook paused on the threshold. ‘I’ll give you an hour. Tell him –’ Spook gestured towards Ash with his half-chewed toast ‘– to be ready. Ash was the last to see Xane, and I reckon he knows where he’s hiding.’

  ‘I think he’d have said.’

  ‘An hour.’ Spook closed the door.

  Ginny scowled at the wood, no longer so enamoured of Black Halo’s rhythm guitarist. ‘Sure, I’ll be the bearer of bad news – not.’ As if she was going to waste the last hour she had with Ash by having him dwell on the situation with Xane. It was bad enough that it was niggling away in the background, along with the fact that her roomie was still AWOL.

  Feeling horribly responsible, Ginny checked her phone for messages. There was still nothing from Dani, and attempting to call her resulted in being passed to voicemail again. Her roommate obviously either had turned her phone off or was currently occupying an area with lousy connection coverage. If she wasn’t back by the time Spook returned to collect Ash, Ginny was going to have to start phoning around their friends and mobilising a search party. Seriously, girl, she cursed, where the fuck are you? You never stay out. I’m the one who pulls that sort of dumb stunt, and even I have the sense to tell people where I am and who I’m with. Plus, you’re so gonna kick yourself if you miss out on meeting these guys.

  All right, now Ash. She had a whole hour to cure the itch he roused inside of her. It was never going to be enough, she knew that, but what were the actual chances of getting him to agree to anything else? A big fat zero, that’s what. He’d made it pretty clear he was a one-dance-only kind of guy. Still, no harm in trying.

  You need to pitch this right, girl, she told herself as she hurried to the bathroom. He was almost certainly immune to heartfelt pleas and theatrics, both of which had to be routine for him. Really, to stand any chance, she needed him to be the one doing the chasing.

  She’d slept in her make-up, never a good thing, but at least she hadn’t woken with panda eyes. She used the toilet and quickly brushed her teeth before returning to the bedroom to wrestle a vest and a fresh pair of panties out of her suitcase. Only then, clothed enough to cover her modesty but far from dressed, did she attempt to wake Ash by wafting a mug of coffee under his nose.

  ‘Morning. Hope you’re hungry,’ she said when he eventually squinted up at her. Ash’s eyeliner had smeared. A broad streak formed a stripe across the bridge of his nose and one cheek.

  ‘Coffee?’ He quirked one brow, nose simultaneously wrinkling. ‘Never mind that, where’s the good-morning kiss?’

  ‘You can have one of those too.’ She leaned over the mug to brush her lips gently against his.

  Ash groaned. ‘Goddammit, woman, put down the cup and kiss me properly. You weren’t this chaste last night. Why aren’t you still naked in bed with me, rubbing your cute arse up against my morning woody?’

  ‘Now, now.’ She tapped him on the nose. ‘No need to be crude this early in the morning. A little bird told me you like a hearty breakfast.’

  ‘You mean Spook told you.’ He sat up and took the mug from her, only to put it to on
e side immediately. He drew her against his body so he could rub his face against her cleavage. ‘I can think of a million reasons why I should be crude this early, but they all boil down to one.’

  Ginny ran her fingers through his hair. She’d like to experience all of those million reasons, but for that to be possible he had to be prepared to give a little of himself up into her keeping. She brushed a stray strand of his jet-black hair behind his ear before tracing the edge of the lobe and his row of piercings.

  Ash groaned and parted his lips. ‘Climb on board,’ he encouraged, tugging her closer. ‘Let’s keep on living the dream.’

  ‘It’s getting cold.’ She wriggled out of his grasp. ‘We should eat before you start working up any more of an appetite.’ She lifted a couple of lids, so the aroma of hot food drifted towards him. She heard his stomach grumble. Ash rubbed his belly but his attention seemed firmly fastened on her rather than on satisfying any other sort of appetite.

  ‘What’s up? Don’t you love me this morning, Ginny?’

  ‘You won’t let me love you,’ she replied, instantly regretting it, but, dammit, they needed a bit of honesty between them. The fact was that because of some inconsiderate bitch in his past she was going to be denied the chance of a mere second date. That’s all she wanted, a chance to see him again. They didn’t have to swear undying love to one another or fashion promises neither meant to keep. She just liked the guy, and when she liked someone she endeavoured to spend time with them.

  Ginny turned away from Ash. She took a seat and selected a pastry. It didn’t matter than she had no appetite. What was important here was going through the motions: lift, bite, chew. Sit down, Ash. Engage in a dialogue with me.

  Ash watched her, his eyes ablaze. ‘What is there to eat? It must be good if you’ve more of an appetite for it than you have for me. What’s up? Have I dire morning breath?’ He tested the theory by cupping his had before his face and exhaling. ‘Or is hot loving strictly an after-dark affair for you?’

  ‘Your breath smells fine,’ she reassured him, ignoring his other remarks. He didn’t need to know that her panties were damp just from the sight of him, all dishevelled, with bed-hair and stubble. He looked scrumptious, and far more appetising than the lukewarm croissant that was halfway to her mouth. She returned the pastry to the plate untasted. ‘Come and join me.’

  Ash remained in bed, though he did turn his head to peer around the room. ‘Where is Spook?’ he asked. It suddenly seemed to have dawned on him that his bandmate wasn’t present.

  ‘He went to check on Rock Giant. Said he’d be back in an hour.’

  A smile immediately stretched across Ash’s face. ‘Thank you, Spook,’ he muttered. He hopped out of bed immediately and came striding towards her.

  Ginny’s jaw dropped. Fuck! He looked good naked. All sinewy and snake-hipped, with his washboard abs and the little snake slithering across his skin. Not to mention the fact that the bit about having a morning woody hadn’t been a joke. He was virtually at full mast. Her fingers curled involuntarily as she imagined the steely heat of him filling her palm. She snatched up her cup and gulped a mouthful of the scalding liquid to stop herself succumbing to the urge.

  ‘What?’ he asked, grinning unapologetically, when she spluttered. ‘Someone gave me nice dreams. You can’t blame me for waking up excited.’

  ‘Just sit down, will you.’ She tossed him a napkin to put over his lap. ‘Let’s at least try to be civilised.’

  ‘I think you must be mistaking me for some other guy.’ He shook his head, clearly perplexed, but sat down anyway. As there was only one chair, he perched on the end of the rumpled bed they’d shared.

  Ginny passed him a plate, and for a minute or two they enjoyed some companionable silence as he filled it with food. He was partway through a second slice of bacon when he stopped long enough to waggle his fork at her. ‘You know, I didn’t have you pegged as cruel, not based on how generous you were last night.’

  ‘How is enjoying breakfast with you cruel?’

  ‘Because you know I’d rather be eating you.’

  She shook her head. ‘Food first, then we can discuss the possibility of round two.’

  ‘Round two? Babe, we’re onto round six or seven by my counting.’

  Ginny shook her head. ‘No. We agreed to share a night together, so the whole of it was one thing. Round two would be another night.’

  ‘Or morning,’ he said around a mouthful of eggs. ‘It’s not night any more, so round two could be right now. It should be right now. In fact, as soon as I’ve finished this …’

  ‘No,’ Ginny insisted. Why was this proving so difficult? Why couldn’t he see the value in what they had? ‘You set the price too high, remember. There’s no way I’m doing that in daylight. In fact, ever.’

  Ash’s eyebrows bunched together as if he couldn’t recall setting a price at all. Eventually, though, a smile eroded the creases across his brow, as he apparently stumbled on the memory. ‘Is that what’s rumpling your panties? Gin, considering how sweet your tootsie is, I’m totally open to negotiating a different deal.’

  ‘Are you?’ She said, trying not to sound interested. It didn’t help that his voice sounded all husky this morning, and the sound crawled across her senses, lighting up nerve-endings in erogenous zones she hadn’t previously known existed. ‘How different?’

  Ash put down his knife and fork and leaned over the table towards her. ‘Whatever you want, sweetpea, just name it.’

  Ginny’s heart fluttered like crazy. Heat washed over her skin. When he said things like that, looked at her the way he was doing right now, like she was the most precious thing in the universe, then she was almost taken in by his words, but he wasn’t being honest, and deep down she knew it.

  ‘Whatever I want?’ she repeated. ‘Don’t say it unless you mean it. And Ash, I know you don’t.’ He was just after a recap before he took his leave of her for ever.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ He snatched the napkin from his lap and stood.

  Ginny deliberately averted her gaze. She watched the napkin float to earth instead.

  ‘How much evidence do you need, woman?’ He stood right in front of her, so it was impossible to ignore that thing. With it bobbing about in front of her face it was almost impossible to think. She looked up pleadingly at him, wishing that somehow he’d understand why she was taking this line, because, honestly, it would be so easy to accept what was on offer, live in the moment and not think about the future – but for that one niggling fact that she liked him enough to want to see him again.

  She wet her lips and chewed on her words for a moment. ‘But what happens when Spook comes back? Is that going to be it? Will you just up and leave?’

  He scowled. ‘’Course not. I’m not a fucking caveman. I never short-change anyone.’

  That wasn’t what she’d meant. She’d never imagined he’d pull out halfway through and leg it. Unless maybe there was a gun pointing at his head, or a whole array of news cameras. Oh, to hell with pussyfooting. ‘Ash,’ she said, standing too, so that she was on something approaching eye level with him, instead of groin level. ‘I just want to know if you’re going to see me again, after you’ve screwed my brains out for an hour?’

  He took an immediate step backwards, screwed his face up as he looked at her, then closed the gap again as he took hold of her arm. ‘Babe, didn’t we already agree this? Next time I’m in the area –’

  ‘Which could be next week or never,’ she said, cutting him off. ‘What you’re really saying to me is “Let’s fuck and pretend a bit longer.” You’ve no intention of seeing me again, admit it.’

  Agitated, he shoved his hands into his hair so that he pulled the silky black strands into knots. To his credit he didn’t deny it. ‘You didn’t have a problem with that last night.’ He began to pace.

  ‘I didn’t say I had a problem with it now, only that I want you to be honest about it.’

  ‘Yeah, right, ’cause if I s
ay, “Sure, this is totally a one-night-stand only,” you’re totally going to jump into bed with me and get jiggy.’

  ‘Why do you even want that?’ she asked, forcing herself to stay calm, though her blood was running far too hot and her head was pounding. ‘Think about it, Ash. Spook’s told me you don’t normally sleep over, let alone suggest an encore the next morning. Why do you want one with me? Is that not reason enough to consider meeting up again another day? It’s not as if I’m begging you for something formal.’

  He didn’t precisely shake his head; it was more of a nervous twitch. He took yet another pace backwards. ‘We’re mid-tour, moving around a lot. I don’t know what my timetable is. I can’t make that sort of commitment.’

  What sort of commitment? She was only asking for the equivalent of meeting up with a friend for after-work drinks.

  ‘Ash, your current tour ends tonight, assuming the gig even goes ahead. The band broke up, remember?’ Perhaps it wasn’t a great idea to remind him of that fact, but she wasn’t accepting crap excuses.

  ‘Yeah, that’s right. I have Xane to find, and we need to patch things up. I’m going to be really tied up.’ While he certainly sounded frantic, there was an undercurrent of sadness in his voice too. ‘I don’t want to agree to something and then have to blow you off. It wouldn’t be fair.’

  ‘I’m not trying to get my claws into you,’ she said, trying to soothe his panic. ‘I’m just saying, let’s actually do the dinner-and-a-movie thing. Set a time and a date, meet up, have a good time. There’s a connection between us, Ash – will it really kill you to consider the possibility of exploring it? Don’t pretend. Don’t lie to yourself. I know you can feel it.’

  He laughed, but there was no humour in it, only bitterness. A line of perspiration formed on his brow and he irritably rubbed it away. ‘You blew my flippin’ brains out. Of course there’s a connection.’

  ‘So?’

  ‘So …’

  He grabbed hold of her and pulled her hard against his abs, so that his flesh was glued to her body. Even through her vest, his heat seared her. Despite his high emotions, he remained hard, so that his erection lined up with her pelvis as he crushed her to his body. ‘Stop talking, Ginny. Stop demanding things I can’t give.’