Play Nice

by L. P. Maxa

We stayed in the dressing room drinking and telling story after story of youth gone wrong. Dash had gone from sitting across the room from me to sitting on the floor in front of me, leaning back against the chair. After my third shot of Fireball, I had let him put my legs on either side of his body. After my fifth? I let him start to rub his hands up and down my legs. When Jacks set up another round of shots Luke grabbed mine before he could hand it to me. “Oh no, no more Fireball for Lexi. Whiskey makes her too damn pleasing.”

  I laughed and held my hands up in surrender. “Lukey is right. No more Fireball. I’ll take a beer though.”

  Smith leaned down and opened the mini fridge he was sitting on. “No beer in here. We have some on the bus. They are going to politely ask us to leave this room soon anyway.”

  We filed out of the room and headed towards the back parking lot and the guys’ bus. I figured it would be opulent, but wow. It was huge, the size of a studio apartment. It was all granite counter tops and lush leather furniture. A girl could get used to this. I sat down on the couch next to Amy, who was looking a little tired. Amy was an elementary school teacher. She used to be able to party with the best of us, but now she went to bed early every night. The excitement of the show, drinking, and still being up at one o’clock in the morning was no doubt catching up with her. She closed her eyes and leaned her head against my shoulder. Luke came and lifted her into his arms. “Come on, Ams. You can sleep in my bed. I’ll take the couch.”

  She yawned. “No. I’m not tired, really. I never get to see you. We should catch a cab back to Lexi’s soon anyway.”

  Luke kissed her forehead. “No worries, Ams, we don’t pull out of here until ten tomorrow. You sleep. We’ll have breakfast together.” There was no more argument out of her.

  Smith stretched his arms over his head. “Not to sound like a giant dick, but I gotta go find some strange or I’ll never be able to fall asleep tonight.” He held his hand out to me. “It was really great to meet you, Lexi. I’ll see you in the morning?”

  I smiled as I took his hand. “Yes, sir.” He went down the steps and before the door shut I heard him call out to a guy named Chase. I could have sworn I heard him say, “Where’d you put that chick?”

  Jacks chuckled as he stood. “I’m going to uh…go with Smith. Don’t think I’m a jerk, okay?”

  I shook my head. “No judgment here, buddy. Have fun.” After Jacks left, Luke walked back into the room and sat down next to me. It was just he, I, and Dash left.

  Luke cleared his throat. “Amy is in my bunk. There is an extra one right above her. You can stay there. I have clothes if you want to change. I’ll just sleep on the couch.”

  Dash stretched his arms above his head, revealing the most delicious six-pack I’d ever seen. He had tattoos on his abs too, gnarly looking music notes. I wanted to trace them with my tongue. Whoa, I really did drink too much whiskey. “Nah man, you take the bedroom tonight. I’ll crash on the couch. I’m not ready for bed anyway. I think I’ll stay up and write some.”

  Luke’s eyebrows rose to his hairline. “Really? You aren’t going out?” Watching them volley back and forth was fun. It was like watching two beautiful lions circle a kill, each striving for dominance.

  “Not tonight man.”

  Luke threaded his fingers through mine. “You ready for bed, Lex? I can tuck you in, just like old times.”

  I leaned my head back against the couch. I knew what I should do. I should take Luke up on his offer; he’d give me jammies, tuck me in, kiss my forehead and walk away. It’s what he’d always done…well except for that once. But I wasn’t ready for bed, and I wasn’t craving safe and predictable. I wanted the sexy rock god that had been undressing me with his eyes all night. I wanted his dark piercing gaze to stay on me. I wanted his lips on mine and his hands all over my body. “You know, I think I might stay up for a bit. It’s not that late…and I have no plans tomorrow.”

  Luke stood and let out a deep breath. “Sure, yeah. I’ll just be at the end of the hall. If you need anything, anything at all.” He leaned forward, putting his hands on my cheeks, kissing my forehead. “Sweet dreams, my Little Lex.” I smiled at the nickname. When I first met him, I called him Little Luke, because he was Amy’s little brother, not because there was anything little about him. He wasn’t even that much younger than us, he was twenty-four to our twenty-seven. He’d countered “Little Luke” with “Little Lex.” After he disappeared down the hall and we heard the door click shut, Dash came over and sat next to me on the couch. He picked up the remote and turned on the large flat screen TV mounted on the wall opposite us.

  “What do you want to watch, Kitten? Porn okay?”

  I rolled my eyes at the nickname, not because it was bothering me, but because I was secretly starting to love it. Which made me feel like a stupid naïve girl. “No porn, please. I can’t take it seriously. The storylines are horrible.”

  He looked me, confused. “What story lines?”

  I laughed. “Nice. I thought you wanted to write anyway?”

  Dash took my hand in his. “I do. I want to do you more though…so…no porn?”

  “For real? ‘I want to do you more?’ Gross. Try harder.” I flicked his wrist with my free hand. The word “flawed” was scrawled down his forearm in large letters.

  He smiled this cute little crooked smile. “So you’re saying there’s a chance?”

  I giggled. Dash was charming and sexy; I didn’t want to tell him no. “Look, let me just lay it all out for you. I’m not a groupie. I’m not into one-night stands. I won’t have sex with you. So if that’s what you’re looking for tonight, you might as well have followed Jacks and Smith out the door to the ass you already had lined up.” I held my hand up when he tried to argue that point. “I’m not stupid, Dash. But if you want to hang out—get to know each other a little more—I’d like that.”

  “Can we at least make out?”

  I bit my lip to keep from smiling. “Sure.”

  Chapter Four

  Dash

  Sure? She agreed to make out with me…just not fuck me. Oh well, one step at a time I suppose. That wasn’t usually my style, but Lexi was different from girls I usually went for. She was honest, direct; she didn’t seem to give two shits that I was rich and famous. It felt like when she looked at me, she saw me. She saw everything; she was so observant. Except when it came to Luke. Either she knew he loved her and she ignored it, or she was clueless when it came to him. I watched them together. I watched for signs that she was into him, that I should back off. But I saw none. Lexi cared about Luke, no doubt about it. But she didn’t look at him with lust in her eyes. “So…now? Or…?”

  She threw her head back and laughed. I liked her laugh. It was so vibrant and carefree. “Just like that? I mean, no wooing me or anything?”

  “Wooing you? I haven’t ‘wooed’ a chick since before my first record deal.” I wasn’t exaggerating. Once we signed on the dotted line, girls pretty much started throwing themselves at us.

  “Give it shot. Make me want to kiss you. You said this was our first date right? Woo me.” She smiled, and in that instant, I wanted to.

  I narrowed my eyes, pursed my lips like I was thinking really hard about what to do to make her want me to kiss her. I reached over the side of the couch and pulled out Smith’s guitar. “Come sit on my lap.” Lexi gave me what can only be described as a withering look. I rolled my eyes. “This is me wooing. Now will you please come sit on my lap?”

  She was trying not to smile—she bit her lip when she was trying to appear unaffected by something. That much I’d learned tonight. Lexi crawled into my lap. She was so damn tiny. She could sit cross-legged and there was still plenty of room for me to balance the guitar on her legs and reach it well enough to play. “Pick a song, any song.”

  She looked over her shoulder at me. Her mouth was so close it would only take me inches to touch my lips to hers. “Really?”

  “Really.”

  Lexi turned back around,
tapping her chin in contemplation. ‘“Into the Mystic,’ Van Morrison.”

  I wanted to fist bump the air. Not only could I play this song in my sleep, but it was one of my favorites. Van Morrison always seemed to soothe me, calm my nerves. “Good choice, Kitten.” I strummed the first few chords and put my mouth close to her ear as I began to sing, “We were born before the wind, also younger than the sun…” As I sang, Lexi closed her eyes. I could literally feel her body melting into mine. Huh, turns out I knew how to woo a girl after all. I finished the song and placed my hand on the instrument, quieting the final notes. Pulling her hair off her neck, I leaned forward and kissed her. Softly. The little moan that escaped her mouth made my eyes roll back in my head. “Careful, Kitten,” I kissed her again, “Too many moans like that and I’ll go from romantic to raunchy real quick.” I felt her laughter more than I heard it. “Look at me, Lexi.”

  I put the guitar on the couch next to us and she turned around in my lap. I guided her hips until she was straddling me. I cupped her face in my hands. “What is it about you? You make me want to be better, be different.”

  She closed her eyes and smiled. “I’m thoroughly wooed. Now kiss me.”

  “Yes ma’am.” I kissed her. I kissed her like a man kissing a woman, not like a rock star kissing an easy lay. I paid attention; I noticed what made her shiver, what made her slowly grind her body against mine. She liked it when I tugged her hair, when I nipped her lower lip. We made out on the couch for what felt like hours. Just kissing and touching. I didn’t push her and she didn’t hold me back. It was perfection and I—

  “Whoa, sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  Damn. I pulled back and opened my eyes. The dim light from the room was almost too much. That’s how long I had been lost in Lexi. Jacks was back, looking thoroughly fucked. Oddly enough, I wasn’t jealous. “Where’s Smith?”

  “He’s right behind me. Don’t worry. I didn’t leave him. Wouldn’t make that mistake twice.” Jacks rolled his eyes, grabbed a bottle of water and then lay on the floor. His long body was almost too big for the small space. “So, you two seem to be getting along.”

  Lexi climbed off my lap. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

  I grinned at her tone, playful and curious. I reached for her tanned legs and pulled them into my lap. The little shorts she was wearing would be my undoing. I began to rub her exposed skin. “Well, Jacks, did you?”

  Jacks put his hands behind his head, “Of course I did. Did you?”

  I looked over at Lexi, wanting to see her reaction to Jacks’s question. He meant no harm by it, but would she get all pissy with what he was implying?

  She threw a pillow at his head and laughed. “I did…Dash might still be looking for more.”

  I shook my head. “Only if you’re the one offering, Kitten.” She bit her lower lip again.

  Smith walked in, closing and locking the door behind him. “That was the worst head I’ve ever had. Ever.” He stopped short when he saw Lexi was still up with us. “Oh, uh, I’m sorry. I thought— Sorry, Lexi.”

  She just laughed. “No worries, buddy. Sorry you had bad head, nothing worse than that, right?”

  Smith stuck out his lower lip and sat on the floor next to Lexi. “No, there really isn’t.” He laid his head on the couch, rubbing his dirty blond hair against her hand like a dog.

  She rolled her eyes and started rubbing his head, “Aw poor little rock star.”

  This girl was perfect. She was sexy and beautiful, nothing offended her, she liked Van Morrison…I mean, holy hell. I got to my feet and reached for her hand.

  “Come on, Kitten, bed time.”

  “Noooooooooo! Let her rub my head some more. I’ve had a bad night, man.”

  I flicked Smith on the forehead. “Suck it up, sailor. You and I both know that bad head is better than no head. I don’t feel bad for you. We’re going to bed.”

  Jacks snickered. “Together? Better keep it down. You know how bitchy Luke gets when other people’s sex wakes him up. He threw my box of condoms out the window last time I made that mistake.”

  Chapter Five

  Lexi

  I was letting this gorgeous man lead me down the hall, to a bed that he wanted to share? I had nearly given in while we were making out on the couch. Jacks walked in just in time. Would I be able to say no when we were lying all tangled together and alone?

  Dash opened a drawer from a dresser built into the hallway. “Jacks’s clothes would no doubt fit you better, but the idea of seeing you in his t-shirt makes me see red. Here is one of mine. I’d give you bottoms to wear…but I just really don’t wanna.” He smiled that cute crooked smile, the one that made my knees feel weak.

  I took the clothes and went into the bathroom to change. It was larger than I expected it to be, with a full size shower and double vanity. Man, these guys had some money. I wondered if they owned this bus or rented it for the tour. When I came out Dash was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, brow furrowed. “What’s with the face?”

  He shrugged. “Just wondering if I was going to be able to sleep next to you without trying to get in your pants.”

  I leaned against the opposite wall, mirroring his posture. “And?”

  Dash straightened and took my hand, pulling me against his chest. “It’ll be hard. But I’ll do it, because I’m not ready to let you go.” He leaned down and placed a soft, chaste kiss on my lips.

  Wow. That was definitely not the response I thought I’d get. I was expecting something cocky or sarcastic or even a proposition. Sweet honesty was a shock, one more defense down. “All right, where are we sleeping, Casanova?”

  Dash reached above my head and pulled back a curtain revealing a twin size bed. It looked comfy enough, with nice sized pillows and a fluffy down comforter. But it was small, and it was going to be a hella tight fit. Dash had his self-control all straightened out, but what about mine? “That’s a really small bed.”

  Dash patted the mattress, gesturing for me to climb in first. “We’ll fit, trust me. We’ll just have to spoon.” I slapped his hand away when he tried to help me up by palming my ass.

  I climbed in and turned on my side facing him. “I take it you know we’ll fit from experience. So the big bad rocker likes to cuddle?”

  He settled his head on the pillow and placed his hand on my hip. “I knew that we’d fit because I never let girls stay the night when I’m in one of the bunks. This big bad rocker doesn’t cuddle, ever.”

  I ran my fingers down his arm, tracing the words “every saint has a past and every sinner has a future.” “What makes me special?”

  Dash reached around my hip and grabbed my ass, bringing his body closer to mine. “Everything? Nothing? I wish I knew. But you are, you know, special.” Call me naïve, but something in his eyes made me believe him. He fused his mouth to mine and our tongues danced to their own song. His hands were everywhere and I fucking loved it. I fisted mine in his hair and guided his mouth to my neck. On his own accord he moved even lower and took my breast in his mouth. Everything he did to me felt so good, so fucking perfect. I felt him pull back and when I opened my eyes, he was staring at me. The desire in his gaze made my breath hitch.

  “We need to stop. I would love to keep kissing you, but we need to stop. I want you too much.” He rested his forehead against mine. “Turn around.” I did as I was told and was rewarded when his body pressed against mine. Every part of him was holding every part of me. How was I supposed to walk away from this in the morning? We had only made out, and I knew I would dream about him every night for the next year. He ruined me for any other man. I had never felt so desired, so wanted, so special. Dash’s hand snaked its way around my hips until his bare hand was resting on my stomach and then he whispered, “Good night, Kitten.”

  Chapter Six

  Dash

  Her breathing had evened out, she was asleep, and I was still wide-awake. I ran my fingers lightly down her body, rubbing her bare legs from calf
to hip. I don’t know where the will power to stop came from, nor did I know where the desire to simply sleep next to this girl came from. Maybe the same place? I loved that she had crawled into bed wearing my t-shirt and some cute boy shorts panties. I loved that she didn’t try to cover up or hide herself from me. Lexi was comfortable in her own skin, confident, and it was so damn sexy. I hadn’t slept next to a girl like this since I was a kid. It was either drunken sex and then passed out cold, or drunken sex and me kicking a girl off the bus. I hadn’t lied; I didn’t do overnights unless I was in the big bed in the back of the bus. I didn’t cuddle. I was a fucking rock star. Lexi shifted in her sleep. Her ass rubbed against my dick. Holy hell it was going to be long night.

  ***

  I woke up with my body plastered over Lexi’s. We weren’t just cuddling; I was wrapped around her like a fucking anaconda. I brushed a piece of hair off her face and kissed her nose. “Wake up, Kitten.” She swatted at me and let out an angry groan. “Whoa, I take it you aren’t a morning person?” I ran my finger across her jaw.

  She repeated the swat and groan maneuver, then turned and faced the wall. She wiggled her sexy little body back against mine and mumbled, “What time is it? Why are you awake?”

  I checked my watch and then buried my face in her hair, inhaling deeply. “It’s six-thirty, and I’m awake because I have a ragging case of blue balls.” I hissed when she rubbed her ass against me. “That’s not nice, Kitten. I said I’d behave last night. I didn’t say anything about this morning.”

  She flipped back over, burying her head under my chin. “If I promise to play nice will you let me go back to sleep?”

  “Maybe…” How nice was she talking? My breath caught in my chest when I felt her hand slide between our bodies and grip my cock. “Kitten? What are you doing?”