No Strings Attached

by Hilary Storm

  “Okay. Thanks.” Her voice is even softer than normal and I almost don’t hear her reply.

  With the condom in hand, I exit the room only to find a mic right outside the door and Taron sitting on the large speaker laughing his ass off.

  The irony of the situation makes me smile until I hear the sound of Lilly’s sniffling blaring through the speaker. I charge straight to the cord attached to the wall, providing the electricity for Taron’s fucking amusement. The cord flies across the room from the force of my aggression as I yank it out of the fucking wall.

  What an ass. The urge to put him in his place is overridden by my respect for Lilly.

  “Damn, boy. Slappin’ that ass in high volume! Your girl of the day sure enjoyed your moves.”

  “Fuck off, Taron.”

  “Oh, come on! That shit was great! I amplified your sex sounds throughout the whole fucking room! How does it feel to have an audience listening in?” He continues to laugh. Damn, it takes every bit of control not to throw this right back at him and tell him it was Lilly, the girl he considers his fucking 'cousin', that I just had screaming my name. That would shut his ass up.

  “Hopefully you learned something, you sick bastard.” I choose to bite my tongue and just take what he dishes out. There is no way I’m telling him who just got me off twice in record time. Fuck. How am I going to deal with her every day?

  Lilly

  No regrets. No strings attached.

  Just raw sex that is long overdue and better than I dreamed possible. He knows how to melt a girl and turn her into someone she hardly recognizes. He made me feel so good, and I know it's something he has experience doing. His contact list of hookup girls is longer than my entire friend list. Now I understand why girls come back for more. Once you have a taste of this man, you want more. No matter what agreements or non-committed understandings you have to make. No strings attached? No problem, just give it to me like you did last time.

  Nothing like my legs going weak on me after he finished working me over. Luke is sexy as hell—I knew it would be that good with him. I start to relive what just happened, knowing it'll probably be one of the few times he'll actually hook up with me before I become too attached, if it's not already too late for that. I've spent a year working with him and watching him. We were just as explosive as I thought we would be. I also know he isn't interested in any type of relationship with me.

  The realization of what I've just done to my heart begins to wash over me. How can I spend time with him like I have to and not want more with him? How will I handle him hooking up with another girl?

  My entire body feels empty now that he's walked out. I let the tears fall as I start to search for my clothes. Knowing I can't talk to anyone about this, and trying to figure out how to act like my world wasn't just flipped upside down, is just a little too much for me to handle right now. The only light I have is from my cell phone; luckily this room is small enough that this works.

  I find my panties just as I hear the door knob turn. I freeze in position, hoping that whoever it is doesn't flip on the light. His voice travels right through me.

  "Just want to make sure you can get out of here without anyone seeing you." I don't get a chance to respond before he is right up next to me again. "And to say that we aren't finished here. Consider that foreplay for what I have planned for you." His breath hits my ear as his words burn through me. Can he get any sexier?

  Waiting for his next move is excruciating. I want him to touch me, but it has to be what he wants to do. I've seen him get irritated with the girls always nagging for more attention. Luke is an ‘in the moment’ kind of guy, and if he isn't feeling it, then it won't be happening.

  Finally, he runs his hands down my arms, sending chills over me again. "When did you get so damn sexy? I can't keep my fucking hands off of you tonight." He has my mind in so much chaos that I choose not to say a word and just relish this moment.

  "I want to spend the night with you in your hotel room."

  "Okay." My quiet voice stops his hands from roaming even further across my skin. His touch almost burns me and his fingers grip my hips as he pulls me against him.

  "Feel what you do to me." Does he think I could miss it? Luke is definitely not lacking in that department. I push back against him to encourage him even more and listen to his breath hitch. We move together just enough to tease us both.

  Luke has no idea how much I'm into him. If he did, none of this would be happening. He would keep a major distance from me if he knew my heart is already falling for him. I know him well enough to know this, so I have to keep my true feelings inside and just see where all of this goes.

  "Feel what you do to me." I pull his hand lower until he is rubbing my piercing. His laughter fills my ear and I let go of his hand. He doesn't remove it, but instead continues my torture.

  "Aren't you a naughty one? If people only knew the real you." I know what he's saying. I hold back in life. He makes me want to live and take chances. I don't know what it is about him that makes me feel like I can be as expressive as I want, but I can with everything except my true feelings for him.

  "I'm glad you find humor in me trying to be sexy."

  "Trying? There's no trying. You've nailed sexy and I can't wait to see more." I bend over to get my jeans and grab one of the hotel key cards out of the pocket. Turning to face him, I reach and put my hand in his back pocket, leaving the card behind when I pull my hand out. I don't miss the opportunity to squeeze his ass in the process.

  "You have my key. If you want to see more, then you know where to find me." I can literally feel his smile when he pulls me in for a kiss.

  "Let me leave the room first. I'll distract the guys again so you can exit without anyone seeing you. They'll have my ass if they find out it's you in here."

  "Okay. Thanks." I start to pull my jeans on. He pulls away while I finish dressing, and then with one last kiss, he turns and walks toward the door.

  I don't hear anyone, so I open the door in time to catch him walking down the hall. His swagger reminds me why it's so easy to fall for him. He's just a confident guy who knows how to have fun. I wish I had his confidence, but it's something I'm working on. I wait until he turns the corner before I look behind me.

  "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" That would be Ivy's voice causing my instant panic. I turn to see both of the girls and just know Ivy and Eaven will see it on my face instantly.

  "What do you mean?"

  "Bullshit! Don't even try to hide the fact that your hair is fucked. You look fucked. Not to mention the way you were looking at him walk away. We know what's going on." I decide not to even try to deny it. I just smile.

  "I don't kiss and tell."

  'What about fuck and tell?" Leave it up to Ivy to get right down to the details. Eaven smacks Ivy's arm after she asks me. We all start laughing and I want to tell them, but I can't. Luke is related to Eaven and that would be terrible for her, not to mention I need this to stay on the down low until I decide if it's worth telling the Walkers.

  "Not that, either."

  "Oh! Thank God! I don't want to hear about my cousin."

  "He's not my cousin! I want to know once and for all if he's as hung as he acts like he is." Ivy's stance is that of someone impatiently waiting to be answered. My smile hasn't fallen and I realize how much I've missed these girls.

  "Well? Spill it! I want to know if Luke is the Mandingo he thinks he is."

  "Ivy, I'm going to hurt you if she describes details. I don't want to know."

  "Then walk away, Ev. We have business to discuss here." I watch the two of them interact and actually feel a ping of jealousy at how close they are. These two have been through so much together and have always been there for each other. There's no doubt if trouble were to find one of them that the other would jump in immediately to help. I've never had a bond like that with another female.

  My closest friends growing up were the Walkers. Our families lived close and the g
uys have always felt the need to take care of me. It’s never gone beyond a brotherly love from any of them, but there have been times that I've had to call one of them to help me out of a situation.

  They've referred to me as a cousin for years, but the reality is... we aren't even related. Their protective nature probably stems from the first time I met them. They walked up on a kid from our grade school harassing me one day. Needless to say, when they were finished with him, I never had any other problems growing up. It was very well known that if you mess with Lilly, the Walkers will unleash hell all over your ass.

  I bring my attention back to the girls and see them both looking at me like I'm crazy.

  "Are you trying to avoid the question?" Ivy keeps pressing while Eaven starts to walk off. I decide to have a little fun with the girls and I may as well enjoy the banter while I can.

  "Let's just say he probably wasn't exaggerating."

  "OH MY GOD. I can hear you! Seriously!" Ev begins to walk faster away from us. Ivy sends me a little wink while looking proud as hell. I'm not sure if she's pleased that I gave up a few details or the fact that he's as hung as she expected.

  "Don't worry, we'll keep this from the guys until you have a chance to see if there's something to announce."

  "I appreciate it. We're just having fun and I don't need the added stress from anyone else blowing this out of control." She leans in for a hug and pulls me in tight.

  "I didn't get a chance to tell you thanks for helping with the nursery. It turned out perfect and I love it. I know you had a huge part in finishing it up."

  "Of course. I enjoyed helping Taron out."

  "It was so nice to come home from the hospital to the nursery being ready!"

  "Speaking of which, where is that cutie?"

  "She's with her daddy. I just finished feeding her and he wanted to show her off to the rest of the crew that hasn't seen her yet."

  "This show tonight will be loud for her."

  "Oh, don't worry. Taron has everything covered. He bought her some ear muffs to buff out some of the sound and also has a room for me to use if I need to feed her or slip away. He's kind of out of control with his protecting us, but I love him for it."

  "Awww. You can tell he loves her."

  "Yes. I couldn't have picked a better dad for her." I watch her face falter just a bit and I'm curious why.

  "Are you happy, Ivy?" She looks stunned at my question. I can see her wheels turning as I wait for her answer.

  "Yes, I'm happy. I love him and he's a great father to Heaven."

  "Okay. I was just making sure."

  "I really do love him. I'm just trying to figure out how our forever will turn out before I jump all the way in."

  "Sometimes you have to jump before you can see the clear picture." My words hit her and she looks over at Taron walking toward us. I know these two are meant for each other—there’s no doubt to anyone that knows them. I guess I'll wait like the rest of the world to see how it all turns out.

  "Hey, baby." Taron moves in for a kiss from Ivy, not even caring that I'm standing right here. I want what they have. Why should I remain single and never get to have this with someone?

  Chapter Three

  Luke

  I've seriously fucked up. It's about time to go on stage and I have to pull my shit together and act normal. Lilly's boldness just has me surprised and I have to say that I'm genuinely intrigued. What else will she be up for? If the closet incident was any indication, I'm sure it will only get better.

  I should stay away, but I don't plan to until we've had a little more fun. I pull out my guitar and begin tuning it when Talon walks up.

  "I heard you on the big speakers. Luke, remember we have the girls here. Try to keep your skanks away from them." Damn it. This is going to be torture. At least he's not being a complete ass like Taron was.

  "I'll work on that." Keeping it short and simple is the best way around this. I try to stay focused on my warm-up when Lilly walks in. She struts over to her case and I have to watch her ass the whole time—there’s just no way around it. She isn't making eye contact with me and I have to give her credit for her performance. If I didn't know what she had just done, I'd never guess.

  Talon's grumble followed by an insane amount of noise from his set distracts me. I purposely don't look over at him, knowing that was meant for me. I walk over to her just as she starts to play. We have a pre-show ritual and I lead us straight into it. We always work the crowd together. She is amazing when it comes to this. Her demeanor on stage is pretty much like I just had the privilege of witnessing in person. She has no problem putting on a show for the fans. Her moves catch my eye every show and I love how she can match me while we play. She's a badass and there really aren’t very many guitarists I would say that about.

  Her smile when I reach her tells me she's as ready as I am to be back on stage. It's been a while since we've been on the road. The court battles that Ivy and Taron have been fighting have taken every ounce of attention from the whole Walker family. Lilly and I have done a few shows together at some small venues, but for the most part we focused on the new record. Tonight we will encore three of our new songs and we're all itching to step out on stage again.

  I enjoy hanging with Lilly. It seems we're constantly together, working or trying to plan something for the band. She works hard and so do I, even though it may seem that I'm all play. This gig means a lot to me and I want it to work just as much as the others do.

  We begin to move our equipment onto the stage and work with the crew to set up the final prep before the show. Lilly moves offstage and my desire to follow her is pissing me off. I resist the urge and choose to watch instead. She moves to stand with Ivy and Ev. I look up at Eaven and see her staring me down like I'm in trouble. I flash a smile and look away, knowing I'm going to be hearing from her soon.

  I move backstage to wait for show time. The sound of the music from the other band begins and I start to watch her. She looks so carefree with her hands in the air and her hips moving with the music. I want more than anything to bump right up behind her and feel her every move.

  She glances my way and I let her see me watching her. This only encourages her to dance even sexier. She's still standing with the girls, but she's behind them while they watch the show from the side.

  Her hip movements are going to be the death of me.

  Lilly

  I know he's watching me—I can feel it. His stare always does something to me. If he doesn't stop, I'm going to walk back there and attack him while everyone watches.

  If he's going to stare like this, I may as well give him a show. Adding a little more rotation to my sway, I really start to get into the music. I feel strong arms come around me and pull me backward into all over hardness. I'd know these arms anywhere.

  I don't stop dancing; I even grind a little harder back into him intentionally. My heels make me the perfect height to make this work to my advantage. We move together, not caring who's watching. I turn to face him and wrap my arms around his neck. He moves his hands down my back and over my ass.

  He tries to say something in my ear, but the music is too loud for me to hear it. His lips brush across my ear and I lean my head to the side to prevent the chills from rising again.

  I continue to move against him, but he doesn't really join in. I feel someone brush up against me. Ivy moves in, along with Eaven, and they both begin to dance near Luke and me. I have a feeling they are trying to make this situation seem less than it really is.

  I have to love these girls for trying to keep everything calm even when Luke and I are about to combust. Unfortunately, I'm going to have to have a talk with the Walkers real soon about Luke. It's not like we'll be in a relationship or anything, but I want to be able to be comfortable around him. I'm sure shit will hit the fan when they find out I'm good with just having fun with Luke.

  I watch Luke's face while the music continues. His smirk is ridiculously sexy, making me ready to feel his mout
h on me again. Being this close to him is affecting me more than I'd like to admit. My movements against his body seem to be amusing him and I love watching his reactions. His playful expression tells me he's enjoying himself.

  The song ends so I stop moving. He pulls me in close at the hips and I pull my face away from his a little. I pull my bottom lip between my teeth and his eyes move to my lips. He watches them closely and it seems so bold to be this close.

  The next song comes on and I notice Talon moving toward us. I pull my arms away from Luke before Talon gets too close to us. Standing close to him for the remainder of the songs before we take the stage is a challenge. My mind is filled with what I want to do with him. You wouldn't think we'd just gone at it not that long ago. I've been attracted to him for almost a year now. Having a sample of what he's like has just made this worse.

  We start to take the stage and he leans in to my ear before I begin to play "Let me see you shake that ass. Tease me with it and remind me what I will be hitting tonight."

  "You seem pretty sure of yourself."

  "You know it's happening." Hell yes it's happening. I wouldn't miss it for anything right now. He has me hot and bothered, knowing what I have to look forward to.

  Talon starts playing the beat on the drums in the spotlight, drawing all the screams in the crowd. Luke and I meet in the center of the dark stage, back to back, and begin our thunderous intro before Taron moves out into the light. Looking out into the crowd, I see the faces of the fans that are so happy to see us again. This is what it's all about. These people genuinely missed us. It feels great to be a part of this group of talented guys.

  We begin the show with an encore presentation of one of our new songs and it goes over insanely well. This is the song Talon changed up late in the recording, adding the flare it needed. With Taron's voice and our thunder, there is no way this song isn’t going to be a huge hit.