Tatum looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
“He was right there for me,” I teased.
“Really?”
“Don’t worry, I took good care of her,” Logan said.
“Fuck you,” Tatum said.
I saw the jealousy and I had to laugh. I never saw Logan open up like this before and I never saw Tatum get so worked up.
“Wow, he’s easy to crack,” Logan said. “He must really like you, Maggie.”
“More like love her,” Tripp called out.
“Okay. Practice is over,” Tatum said. “Everyone... out.”
Tripp looked at Tatum. “I live here. I own the place.”
“You live in the house, so go there.”
Tripp stood and closed his notebook.
I guess I wasn’t going to get to see a DownCrash practice after all.
Logan unplugged his bass and put it away. Tripp went to Scarlett and they embraced each other like two love stricken kids, Scarlett on her toes, her hands around Tripp’s neck. Kissing like crazy.
“Get a room,” Tatum called out.
“Good idea,” Tripp said.
I looked at Scarlett and smiled. She was blushing but I understood it. How that touch felt, how that embrace felt, how it all felt. To be wrapped up and lost in love.
“Make sure you text your hot friend soon,” Logan said. “In case she’s in trouble.”
“Worried so much, huh?” I asked.
“Well, I hate to see a pretty girl in need.” Logan looked at Tatum and raised an eyebrow. “That’s why I gave you ride home last night, Maggie.”
Tatum lifted a drumstick, ready to throw it. “Dude...”
“I’m out,” Logan said and finally left.
I looked back at Tatum. “I never heard Logan talk so much before.”
“Well, he got a good news phone call yesterday, before the show.”
“Oh yeah?”
Tatum nodded. “His grandfather beat cancer.”
I looked back to the closed door. “Wow. I had no idea.”
“He didn’t talk about it too much,” Tatum said. “It was scary for a little while there with the chemo treatments and all that. Logan’s grandfather is an important man to Logan, and to the band.”
“Wow,” I whispered again.
“Yeah. So tell me about this ride home last night...”
“Well,” I said. “I asked Logan to help me. And he did. Took me home. Kissed me. Felt me up. He’s aggressive.”
Tatum dropped his drumsticks and his lip started to curl. “What the fuck...?”
“I’m kidding,” I said. “I had no way home last night.”
“You didn’t?”
I shook my head. “Derreck had a car, I didn’t.”
“And he was drinking? And he made you leave?”
I nodded. “I figured I’d walk home.”
“Why didn’t you tell me? Christ, I would have taken you home.”
“What about Carrie?”
“Who cares?” Tatum bellowed. “I would have taken care of it.”
“Okay. Tatum, relax. I saw Logan and he drove me home.”
“I don’t care. Something could have happened to you. What if... Danny or someone showed up? Or someone followed you home...”
I walked to Tatum and wrapped my arms around him. I squeezed him as tight as I could, listening to his heart race, feeling the hard skin of his muscles. I took a deep breath, inhaling everything about him.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I made it home and I’m fine.”
I looked up at Tatum as he looked at me. “Did Derreck come home?”
I nodded, ready to face the uncomfortable subject. “He passed out on the floor and puked.”
“So he didn’t try touching you?”
“No.”
“Did you talk to him?”
I froze for a second and swallowed. “I’m so sorry, Tatum.”
“What happened?”
“When I woke up, Derreck was gone. I forgot he had work. Even still I didn’t think he’d wake up and go to work. But he did.”
Tatum growled and then touched my hair. “It’s okay. You’ll talk to him. I thought about it too. I want to be there when you do it. Just in case.”
“No,” I said. “That’ll make it so much worse...”
“Good. Maybe it’ll get the message across then. Maybe he’ll understand that this is not some fucking high school game anymore.” Tatum held something back. He bit on his lip ring hard and watched it pull as though he was going to tear it out.
“What else did you have to say?” I whispered.
“Nothing,” he said. “Nothing. Just...”
“Tell me.”
“How could it happen? How could you let it happen?”
My hands opened and I stepped back. The pain that shot through me was hard to explain. Like a shot of truth and betrayal all in one question.
“I’m sorry,” Tatum said. “I shouldn’t have said it.”
“This is all my fault, like I said before,” I said. “That’s why I told you to leave. So you didn’t have to deal with this. With me.”
“But I want to deal with you,” Tatum said. “I want you today, tomorrow, and for the rest of my life. I just want you to be strong and understand how much you’re worth. I don’t want you to get lost in rumors and fucking promises.”
I swallowed. “He scares me, okay? And it’s a fear that started when I was younger. When my mother remarried, I felt abandoned. He was there. He promised me...”
“Fine,” Tatum said. “Fine. I get that. But now I’m promising you this, Maggie.” Tatum put his hands around my waist and pulled me to him. “I’m going to make sure he’s gone. All promises are going to be shattered because they weren’t real promises.”
“What if he doesn’t leave?”
“We call the cops,” Tatum said. “It’s your apartment.”
“And if he comes back?”
“He doesn’t know where I live. You stay with me until it blows over. Nothing will happen to you.”
I put my face into Tatum’s chest and groaned. “I’m sorry I got you into this.”
“You didn’t get me into a thing. I’d chase you across the world if it meant proving to you how much I care. Just because some punk from high school shows up doesn’t mean you should give up the rest of your life, okay?”
I nodded. “Okay.”
“Promise?” Tatum teased.
“I hate you.”
“No you don’t.”
“I know.”
I moved to my toes and forced my lips to Tatum’s. As we kissed, I pushed at him, wanting him, to take me somewhere, anywhere, and just have me. When Tatum broke the kiss I saw him look around the garage, breathing heavily, looking for a spot.
“There,” I whispered and pointed.
Tatum followed my finger and looked back at me confused. “What?”
“The drum set,” I whispered. “Do it there.”
“You want me to... on a drum set?”
“Yes.”
“We can’t. It’ll fall over.”
“Play for me then.”
“Play for you? What? A song?”
“Just play drums.”
“Maggie, what the fuck are you doing to me?” He looked down and I didn’t need to look down to know he was rock hard. I don’t know what got into me. Something clicked and I wanted to do something wild.
“Just listen to me,” I said. “Play the drums. I want to see you play by yourself.”
“Maggie...”
“I’ll make it worth your time,” I said as I walked to the front of the drums.
Tatum took his place behind the kit and stood holding a pair of drumsticks.
“I don’t do private shows, normally,” Tatum said, trying to be sexy.
“Yeah? Well, you’ll start once you see what I’m going to do to you...”
~21~
Tatum sat and started kicking the bass drum. He held a steady beat an
d started slow, adding the snare, finally the hi-hats. He added fills when needed, hitting the cymbals and tom-toms, from left to right. I patiently waited to make my move, waiting for Tatum to get lost in the drums. It didn’t take long before he started focusing on the drums more than me. That was fine, that’s what I wanted from him. He started to play faster, adding more beats, more hits, trying different things with the fills, sometimes sounding good, sometimes sounding off speed. None of it mattered and maybe that was the real fun of it for Tatum. It wasn’t practice. It wasn’t a song to perfect. It wasn’t a concert with paying fans.
It was just messing around.
I looked over my shoulder and saw the door to the garage remained unlocked. I thought about locking it, but again, I felt adventurous. I started to picture Tripp or Logan walking into the garage while Tatum and I did what I had in mind.
It turned me on as did the sight of sweat forming along Tatum’s hairline.
I lifted my shirt and took it off, holding it in my right hand. Tatum missed his snare hit. His eyes were wide and I smiled.
“Keep going,” I yelled. “Don’t stop.”
I dropped the shirt to the floor and went for the button on my pants. I opened my pants and teased Tatum as I slipped a finger into my panties, only feeling the smoothness of my body, but I played it off as though I were touching something much more sensual. I wiggled my hips as my jeans fell down. I stepped from them with one foot and kicked with the other. They hit the bass drum and stopped there.
“Maggie,” Tatum called out. “What are you doing?”
I bit my lip and reached behind to the clasp of my bra. My hands were actually shaking I was so nervous. It was far from the first time I was taking my bra off in front of another guy but something about it being Tatum made me wonder if anyone else had done this. And if so, would I be just as good? I wanted to be better, the best.
I unhooked my bra and let it fall forward. When it fell off my chest, Tatum missed another drum beat and his mouth fell open. I held the bra in my right hand and stood there, topless in front of Tatum’s drum set. I was just about in the same spot where Tripp normally stood which made me smile because I hoped from there on out when Tatum looked at Tripp he would picture me topless.
I walked towards the drums and gently placed my bra between the two toms and ran a finger along the cymbal. Just for show, I licked my finger as I continued walking around the drums towards Tatum. When I stood next to the hi-hats, he finally stopped playing.
“I can’t do this,” he said. “Not with you naked.”
“I’m not naked,” I said and pointed to my panties.
“I can fix that,” Tatum said.
He reached for me and I smacked his hand away.
“I want you, right there,” I said.
Tatum looked down and then back at me. “On the seat?”
“Yes. Right now.”
I stepped again, working my way between Tatum and the drums. Tatum dropped his drumsticks and reached for my sides. He positioned me directly in front of him and thanks to his tall height and my slight shortness, my breasts were perfect level for him. Just like before, he quickly went to work, putting his lip ring to good use, teasing my nipples, one at a time, until they were hard and I was moaning, begging for him.
He started to kiss below my breasts and that’s when I lost all my control. My left hand touched between his legs, gripping him. I pulled at his belt, fighting with it for a few seconds before he took over and stood from the drum throne.
“I need this off,” I said as I grabbed the bottom of his shirt.
I watched his sweaty, sexy, nipple pierced perfect body appear before my eyes. With his shirt off, he went back to his pants, dropping them. I took care of his boxers then, making sure my nails were hard against his skin as I pushed them down. When he popped free, I groaned and quickly clawed at his chest, wanting him to sit back down.
Tatum listened and I came at him, my legs spread, my body more than ready for him.
“Oh, fuck,” he whispered as I bent my knees.
“Yes,” I whispered back.
I felt the tip of his erection touch me and my body shuddered and clenched up. The pleasure soared through me thinking about Tatum fucking me in the bathroom, and in my apartment.
His hands were on my hips, strong but still gentle.
He guided me down some more, allowing my body to get used to his thick size. I opened for him, accepted him, and squeezed against him.
As he let out a long groan, I started to lower myself some more. Tatum’s hands then squeezed hard and pulled, bringing my body down to his. In a matter of a second, he was completely inside me. My mouth fell open and Tatum kissed me, bringing one of his hands to the back of my head, helping me to remember how to kiss. My body was frozen by the pleasure.
Tatum bucked his body up and I groaned. My feet found balance and I pushed with my legs, lifting myself. As I stood, Tatum almost exited me. My body shook and tightened against him. His hands then touched my breasts, cupping them. I stared down at him with hopeless eyes. The events of our entire lives felt like they were all coming together in one set moment.
I moved back down on Tatum and slowly worked into a motion, lifting and lowering, enjoying all his body had to offer. Tatum matched my movements with thrusts. His right hand traveled down my body to my side, just above my hip. His left hand cupped under my breast, squeezing tight, his thumb sometimes teasing my nipple.
The sex became hotter as it grew faster. We balanced ourselves to ensure we didn’t fall off the drum throne and into the drum set. Each time I was reminded that we were fucking on Tatum’s drum throne and basically against his drum set, it made the pleasure and fantasy all that much more real.
His hands slowly worked their way further down my body until he touched my ass. There he held tight and started to guide me. He took control. I gripped his shoulders, feeling the rock hard muscles and hung on the best I could. I leaned forward, letting my tender breasts touch his face. Together, we moaned and grunted. A few times when Tatum moved his foot, he hit the hi-hat peddle or the bass drum pedal, and thuds echoed in the garage for a few seconds. They were always quickly swallowed up and replaced by the sounds of our bodies coming together.
When Tatum took his hands from my ass, he moved up my back, his hands spread, pushing, making sure I knew how strong he was. My back arched as I rocked my body, keeping Tatum deep inside me. I every inch of intense definition. One of Tatum’s hands slid its way to my hair. His fingers ran along my scalp and he forced me to look down at him.
“Kiss me,” he said. “Kiss me like we’re never going to kiss each other again.”
That’s all I needed to hear.
My lips touched Tatum’s for a second before our tongues were touching. As I moved up and down on him again, the kiss continued, becoming sloppy but sexy. We tasted each other’s mouths and heavy breaths.
I managed to mutter, “Fuck...” and Tatum returned it with the same.
My body ached in every possible place, the pleasure building on top of itself, over and over.
Tatum’s hands began a super tight grip, one hand on the back of my head, the other still on my back. I felt him thrusting up as hard as he could, everything thickening.
“Yes,” I whispered into Tatum’s mouth. “Yes, please...”
I came down on Tatum and held, moving in all directions. It took all of two seconds before Tatum finished. I was breathless. Our lips were touching, but we weren’t kissing. I felt lost in time, trapped in a world where Tatum held me and pleasured me every second of every day for the rest of my life.
Tatum smiled first and used the tip of his tongue to lick around my lips.
“That was perfect.”
I looked down at our connected bodies. “It still is perfect.”
“Fuck, Maggie... I’m in love with you.”
I put my hands to Tatum’s face. My thumb flicked along his lip ring, never wanting the moment to end.
“T
atum... I love yo...”
A horrible thud hit the garage. It sounded like a boulder crashed into it.
I jumped up, stood there for a few seconds, and stared at Tatum.
“What was that?” I asked.
The sound came again, just as loud as before.
This time it had a voice with it. A voice I never thought I’d hear anywhere near the garage where DownCrash practiced.
“Maggie! Open the fucking door!”
“Derreck,” I whispered as my legs gave way.
~22~
Tatum caught me and looked me dead in the eyes.
“Maggie, listen to me right now. This is it. This is where this all ends, right now. Get dressed fast. I’m right here. We’ll take care of it.”
Tatum fixed himself and dressed as I did the same. I couldn’t remember a time I dressed so fast in all my life. I kept looking at Tatum, wanting to protest his decision to confront Derreck together. But what choice did I have? Derreck had somehow followed me or found me. I was caught red handed so to say. My body still lingered with Tatum’s touch and when he put his arm around me, he pulled me tight.
“This is bad,” I said. “This is really bad.”
“No, it’s not,” Tatum said. “This is something that should have been done a long time ago.”
Derreck continued to pound on the door. I thought I would be the one to answer the door, to give Derreck a second to at least see me and then go from there. But Tatum wouldn’t have it. He used his right arm to protect me, to hold me back. He opened the door and Derreck all but stumbled into the garage. Tatum put his left hand to Derreck’s chest and pushed him back.
“Whoa, take it easy,” Tatum said.
“Who the fuck are you?” Derreck growled. He looked and saw me. “Maggie? What are you doing here?”
“Derreck, it’s time to go,” Tatum said. “For good. Okay?”
I saw the look Derreck gave Tatum. Derreck wasn’t one to get into fights with guys bigger than him, he preferred to throw his hands around at women, but the way Derreck looked at Tatum, I knew he wanted to kill him. And again, this wasn’t high school Derreck. This was ripped, tan, and pissed off Derreck. I didn’t know what he was capable of.
Torn to Pieces (The Boys of DownCrash #2) (new adult contemporary romance / rockstar romance) Page 15
