She moans out loudly which makes my already hard dick jump in my pants. I use the free hand I have to unfasten her shorts and pull them down with her panties. For once, I don’t take the time to appreciate the lingerie she has chosen for the day. Her body reacts to me and when my fingers find her slick entrance, she throws her face into my shoulder as I play with her. She pants in my ear when I add my second finger and her hands drop to my waistband. I don’t move to help her because I hear her getting closer with every movement of my fingers. She bites down on my neck when I rub my thumb across her clit, convulsing against my hand as she comes.
“If I don’t get inside you soon, I’m not going to be able to walk tomorrow. Please tell me it’s okay.”
“Yes,” she whispers in my ear and takes my mouth again.
Clumsily, I kick off the remainder of my clothes and hover above her. She wraps her legs around my knees when I sink into her. Our bodies collide and I want nothing more than to pound into her, making her scream my name, but I promised to be quiet. I move slowly making sure she is fully ready for me and pull my head back from her. Staring into her eyes gives me a feeling of peace and contentment. Even with a house full of people, it’s just the two of us in this moment. I glide in and out of her, feeling her stretch with every stroke. She groans softly closing her eyes and digging her nails in my back. Continuing my slow assault, I whisper how much I love her over and over, trying to make her feel exactly what I do right now. She’s everything to me and I will stop at nothing to make her the happiest woman in the world.
Making love to Raven has always been amazing, but tonight is different. I’m pledging my love. Without saying anything, we move together fluidly letting our bodies communicate. When I know I can’t hold on any longer, I tilt her hips slightly to hit her g-spot. She whimpers and bites down on her lip as she comes around me and I join her, groaning as I pour myself into her.
Sweaty and panting, I roll over and bring her up to my chest. Neither one of us moves for a few minutes, holding on tight and catching our breath.
“What was that?” she asks quietly.
“That was me professing all the love I have in my body to you and you only.”
“It was incredible. I’ve never felt as connected to you.”
“Then I did it right.”
She starts to shakes against me and I hear her snort trying to cover up her laugh. “Declan Collins, ever so humble.”
I laugh with her. We are interrupted by a banging on my door.
“Whoever you are, if you come in the room right now, I will shoot you. Even if you are my dad.” I scream at the door as Raven scrambles to find something to put on. She finally finds my shirt and runs to the bathroom. I throw on my pants and open the door to see whose ass I have to kick.
Nate’s in the hall with a shit-eating grin waiting for me to open. “Sorry to interrupt man, but Raven’s phone is blowing up. I thought she may need to check it out.” He hands me her phone and goes back down the hall.
Raven meets me back in the bed and sends a few texts to her friends she would fill them in on the details tomorrow. We watch TV until she falls asleep. Thinking back through the day, I smile knowing it couldn’t have gone any better.
*****
Loud noises from the kitchen wake me and I groan remembering we have a house full of people. Trying to push them out of my mind and go back to sleep, I reach for Raven, but her side of the bed is empty and cold. I do not like this.
I find her in the kitchen with my dad making breakfast for everyone. She hands me a cup of coffee, smiling sweetly but I give her the evil eye, letting her know I’m not happy.
My dad and Raven carry on their conversation about her upcoming school year and I join in to help with breakfast prep. Once everything is ready, she goes to wake up the three sleeping idiots in the living room.
“Dec, how’s it going?” my dad asks cautiously. I know he’s referring to my relationship status.
“It’s fine dad, she took me back and now I have to figure out a way to get re-engaged.”
“I don’t think that’ll be a problem. She’s still just as in love with you as before she left.”
“I hope so, I have a little plan in mi–” I don’t finish my sentence because Raven is squealing from the other room. I drop my mug in the sink and take off running.
“Please stop, please stop, I’m gonna pee all over you.” Raven’s pleading with my three asshole best friends. They have tag teamed her and she’s wiggling on the floor as each of them tickles a different part of her body.
“No way, babe, you’re gonna to admit how much you missed us before we stop.” Cooper tells her.
“Never, I’ll never admit it. Even if I have to clean Declan’s floor, you won’t make me.” She’s breathless now, trying to get away from them. When I see Nate’s hand on the bare skin of her stomach, my mind goes crazy.
“Motherfuckers, want to get your hands off?” I command.
Each of them moves away slowly but my tone doesn’t scare them. Cooper has the balls to kiss her on the cheek when he helps her up.
“I came to wake you guys up for breakfast, not be mauled. However, since I’m in such a good mood, you’re still welcome to eat.” She announced to them ignoring me.
They rush to the kitchen as she approaches me. “Did you wake up grumpy?”
“No, I woke up to an empty bed, which I do not like. You’re hardly wearing any clothes and now those horny idiots are probably picturing you naked.”
“Tsk, Tsk. Such a grouch. Maybe when you eat, you’ll feel better. And to let you know, these are perfectly acceptable pajamas.” She ignores my rant and kisses me on the cheek making sure to rub her nipples against my bare chest.
“Just so you know, when everyone leaves, we are going back to bed until tomorrow.”
“That’s fine sweetheart. I think we have a lot to discuss anyways. Like how you guys sand-bagged me at MJ’s yesterday and how I’m now heading to Vegas in a month.”
“We’ll discuss anything you want, please help me get these fools out of here.”
*****
It seemed like hours, but everyone has finally left. Cooper confirmed our next month’s schedule with The Steamroom, and we have all access to the stage tomorrow for practice before we play on Thursday night. Jay called and Raven agrees to meet him tomorrow to discuss the websites before handing the blog over to Kelly, and they discuss the marketing for the iHeartRadio appearance.
Raven talks to her girlfriends and parents forever, filling them in on the newest updates. I finally make her hang up with the promise of a night out. So much for going back to bed all day. I make dinner plans and text everyone we know together not to call us unless it’s an emergency. With Raven starting school next week, I need all the time I can with her before our lives get crazy.
Chapter 15
Charlie...Oh Charlie
Raven
I fear looking at my phone because I know I’ll have to get up and get ready for the day. I have to meet Charlie for lunch but really don’t want to get out of bed. Declan moves against me, and his morning erection pressing into my back sets my body on fire.
Last night was another emotional rollercoaster. After we got home from dinner, I made him explain to me how he wrote “Surviving.” I suspect he skipped over some of the details, but hearing the pain and hurt he was in made my heart ache. He held me close when I cried, soothing me to calm down.
From previous conversations with Mike, Declan knew what song MJ Labels wanted to debut. They all discussed it and decided I had to agree since it was so personal. There really wasn’t an explanation about how I ended up going to Vegas. Declan told me he wouldn’t go without me and the guys knew that. He was surprised they may get to perform, but wasn’t surprised about Sayge attending the event. Jay had been pushing for it all summer. From what I could tell, Jay had been working very hard and the results were starting to show. Mike and he worked well together, and Mike had no problem with his lack of
experience.
After we covered all my questions, Declan took me to bed where I took my time making-up for leaving him in bed alone that morning.
“Good morning, beautiful, did you sleep okay?” he whispers while kissing a path from my ear to my shoulder.
“I did, what about you?”
“Sure did, want me to show you what I dreamt about?” His fingertips rub over my nipples which react immediately.
“Baby, I wish, but we have to get up. I have to meet Charlie in an hour and you have to get to The Steamroom.”
“Shit, I don’t want to get out of bed today. Will you meet me after your lunch?”
“I can’t I have to meet with Jay.”
“I’ll have him meet you at the bar. He needs to be there anyway to bring us the travel itineraries for Vegas.”
“Okay, but I do need to go home today. I promised dinner with your sisters and I need to get some stuff done.”
“Can’t you rearrange for tomorrow? I really wanted to spend the whole day in bed tomorrow and it’s much easier to be naked here.”
“Nope, we can do bedroom day on Friday. Tonight’s my place and then we can come back here tomorrow after the show.”
He’s not happy about my compromise but agrees. Then we take a shower together to save time. I’m still fifteen minutes late.
Charlie is waiting for me when I get to the restaurant. She jumps up and swallows me in her arms, repeating her apology in my ear over and over.
When I get a look at her face, she has tears in her eyes. “Calm down, and tell me what’s going on. You’re not exactly the crying type”
The waiter interrupts us in greeting, and we both go ahead and order since we have the menu memorized. Once he delivers our drinks, I turn back to her waiting on her to explain.
“Raven, I was so out of line. About everything, Blake, Finn, Declan, all of it. I want to blame it on the alcohol but that’s not an excuse. Actually, I don’t think I was that drunk. But I was jealous.”
“What the hell do you have to be jealous of? It can’t be me because I’ve made some really stupid decisions the last few months.”
“Maybe, but Declan adores you. I want that. I want that with Blake and I thought if I forced you to invite him so he could apologize, it may make us closer.”
“I’m not sure I follow your logic. That sounds crazy to me.”
“It sounds crazy to me too once I say it out loud. The thing is I’m sure you’ve heard the stories from this summer. I was only around for a few shows, but at times it was pathetic. The first few weeks, Declan held a lot of animosity towards the guys. Blake begged me to get a hold of you so you would talk to Declan and I refused. After Ella’s birthday, things started to change. I could tell he was holding back and I tried everything to get him to talk to me. We still had great times, but there was a sort of shield around him. So I thought if I could get him invited to your welcome home party, he would open back up to me.”
“Charlie...Oh Charlie, this was not about you. This was about me and each of them individually. The weekend of Ella’s birthday is when they all found out Finn was with me in Europe. Declan knew, but didn’t share with the others. From what I’ve learned, it was shortly after that things turned around for everyone.”
“Yeah, it did, but I still feel a wall up between us and I don’t know what to do. I want what you and Declan and Abbi and Jimi have. All those guys love you. Hell, you even had to approve the first track they wanted to use. Blake never talks to me about the band business. Whereas, Declan won’t make a decision without you. And, the reason I went so ballistic about Declan chasing Finn off is because Declan is so protective and alpha-badass about you. I had no right to say the things I did. Again, I chalk it up to jealousy.”
“Are you saying you want Blake to be protective and alpha-badass about you? That doesn’t sound like your style.”
“Shit no, but Declan does it because he loves you so much. I want Blake to show his own form of badass to me. If he starts with half the shit Declan does with you, I’ll have to kick him in the balls.” Charlie laughs shaking her head.
“Have you tried talking to Blake? You know, telling him how you feel. You are kind of abrasive and he may not know how to show you his feelings. Maybe you should start with that.”
“You’re right. I’ll talk to him.”
“Are you coming to The Steamroom tomorrow night? I think we’re all going early if you want to join us. Abbi has to work so she’s offered to drive and I’ll spend the night at Declan’s if you want to crash in my room.”
“Yeah, I’ll come with y’all. This is my last week of freedom. I start at MJ on Monday morning.”
“Oh, yeah, tell me about your new position.”
For the remainder of lunch, Charlie and I catch up about her new job, and I tell her about Finn’s job and decision to stay in France. I skip over the whole Finn and Raven thing because Robbie is right, Finn is proud and I don’t need to share our story with anyone else.
I encourage her to talk to Blake regarding all the upcoming events and I also warn her about the lifestyle. Band Bunnies are not fun and I have personal experience with them. Hence Sami. After a few hours we leave to and make plans to meet at my house tomorrow night.
When I get to The Steamroom, there’s a crowd of people watching Sayge rehearse. Jay is at a table so I go to him first and unload my laptop and notes. He looks up at me with sadness in his eyes.
“Hey, Raven, thanks for meeting me here.”
“No problem, Declan pretty much insisted we get together here instead of your offices.”
“Yeah, he told me as much. He’s not too keen on letting you out of his sight right now. Especially with me.”
I shrug not letting him get to me. I’ve let it go. With everything else going on, I can’t hold a grudge against Jay for trying to do what he was told. His disloyalty to me may be hard to digest, but he was looking out for Sayge.
“Jay, let’s move on. Yes, you hurt my feelings, but I know you why you did it. I’ve got too much on my plate right now to harbor resentment. We have a lot to look forward to in the next few months and I don’t plan on tip-toeing around you. Declan respects you way too much, and we both have Sayge’s best interest at heart.”
He lets out a breath shaking his head. When he looks at me his face is relaxed. “You don’t know how much I needed to hear that. I am sorry for what happened, but I’m even sorrier for losing our friendship. Declan has made it clear to me, you are his number one. I will never fuck up like that again. The only thing I want is their success. And it will be hard if I’m breathing through a tube because you leave again.”
“I’m back for good, now let’s get started. First off, let’s discuss how much control Kelly has over the website. I don’t want to sound like a jealous bitch, but she was not happy with my presence and I think we should keep an eye on her. For some reason I have a bad feeling. I don’t trust her.”
Jay agrees and we spend the next hour outlining the changes to the media sites and the updating schedule. Because of our high speed timing, I found a group to recommend to MJ to handle any merchandise orders and confirmed we could link out purchase page to their online system. Then we make notes on who exactly handled each site. The guys took over the Twitter mostly, so I would update Facebook and the blog, and Kelly had the whole website for now.
Declan joins us and orders a beer for everyone declaring work time is over. He plucks me from my stool and seats us in the booth with me on his lap. The crowd has lessened, and I find out they are the employees invited to watch today since they are working tomorrow night. No one approaches us as we talk about the upcoming weeks and go over our travel schedule for Vegas. Kelly was able to get us into the Hard Rock with daily passes to the MGM.
Declan has a shit-fit when he sees she booked suites which means we have to share space. He picks up the phone to cuss her out but I stop the call and explain maybe it was her only choice. We can question her later.
&n
bsp; I get ready to leave because I still have to stop by the grocery store. Declan tries to come with me, but I insist he stays and make him promise to give me a few hours alone with Abbi and Ella. Even though he is unhappy about it, he agrees.
“I’ll be there soon. Once we finalize tomorrow night’s set I’m outta here. So get the gossip out of the way fast.” He yells as I walk away.
*****
“So let me get this straight, Charlie cusses you out, makes you cry, insults my brother, and you get her a job?” Abbi asks me.
“Yep, we talked through it today. Believe it or not, I understand a little of where she was coming from.” I answer and sip my wine.
It is just the three of us tonight for dinner. Declan got caught up with some old friends at the bar so I put his leftovers in the fridge. So far we discussed my trip in more detail, the upcoming trip to Vegas, and my fight with Charlie. I purposely shut them down when they tried to talk about the tour this summer. I explained that I had enough details from Declan and Charlie and unless they wanted to tell me something awesome that I didn’t already know, it was a closed subject.
Even though our conversation was light and fun, I felt the elephant in the room.
“I know y’all know about Finn, and it’s alright to talk about him.”
Ella twirls her glass nervously but looks at me. “Rave, we know what your leaving did to Dec, and in a way we feel responsible. We should have told him how much you were hurting, but we wanted to stay out of it. Abbi and I wanted you both to be happy and are thrilled you walked back in that door together. But how far did it go with Finn?”
“It didn’t go. Finn is one of my best friends. I don’t want to go into specific details because they are private. But what Finn and I shared will always be special to me and to him too. In the end, he pushed me right back here to Declan. He supports me one hundred percent.”
Surviving Page 11
