Rocked Down & Out

by Clara Bayard

I grinned at him. "I know. What did you say?"

  He shrugged again, shoving his hair back out of his eyes in an expression that from anyone else would seem like false modesty, but I knew better. He really didn't think it was a big deal.

  "Come on," I wheedled, climbing carefully back into bed. "Tell me."

  "Okay, okay." He fidgeted a little and then spoke again. "I just called the guys together and told them everything. Then we pulled in Becca. She got us on the phone with the management folks in New York and they took it from there."

  I groaned. "Please, you're clearly leaving out the good parts. What exactly did you say?"

  "Um… I might have threatened to leave the tour immediately."

  I gasped.

  "And," he continued, "I wasn't the only one."

  "Who?"

  Becca giggled. "Guess."

  I glanced at her, baffled. "You?"

  "No, although I would have."

  I returned my attention to Matthew.

  He shook his head. "Rick. He was right there with me. Of course, his part was mostly swearing at everyone."

  I wondered for a moment if I hadn't experienced some brain damage when I fell. "Wait, Rick? Rick who hates me? That Rick?"

  Matthew got up and came over to stand next to me. "He doesn't hate you. Well, not any more than he hates everyone."

  "I'll have to take your word for it. Why would he do that for me?"

  Matthew shrugged and sat down on the edge of my bed. "He's been trying to be a better man. Trying to treat people better and this was a big setback for him. I think he just wanted to make amends. And avoid Julia's wrath, of course."

  I nodded at the last part. Now that made sense. Julia Clark's temper was legendary, and falling in love with Rick, the band's surly drummer, had done nothing to dampen in. "Well, I guess I have a lot of people to thank."

  Becca, after reading something on her phone, stood up. "Not today you don't, Ellie. You're on strict bed rest until tomorrow at least. I checked with your doctor and he cleared you to travel as long as you feel up to it, but only if you behave yourself."

  "But I've got a million things to do, especially if I'm not fired."

  "I don't care," she said in a tone that made me feel about seven years old. "You're staying in this room all day. No calls, no work, no thanks, nothing except rest." She smiled. "Think of it as a vacation day."

  "Fine," I said, fully intending to do whatever the hell I wanted once she left.

  "Don't worry, Becca," Matthew interjected. "I'm going to be here to make sure she follows doctor's orders."

  "You don't have to babysit me," I grumped.

  He caressed my cheek with the back of his hand. "I want to."

  That soft touch sent every inch of my body tingling and my mind spinning and it didn't have anything to do with hitting my head. I looked up into his kind eyes and nodded. "Okay."

  Becca cleared her throat to cover a laugh. "And with that, I'm off. I'll check in on you later."

  Before I could even thank her she was at the door with the phone against her ear, back in professional mode.

  Matthew took my hand in his. "So, what should we do?"

  I frowned. "Well, if I'm not allowed to leave this room that rather limits the choices."

  "Oh, there are tons of ways to entertain us in a hotel room."

  I giggled and slapped his arm. "Perv."

  Matthew's face went completely red. "Oh shit, that is not what I meant."

  Enjoying his embarrassment, I slid closer to him. "Why not?"

  "For one, you're supposed to be resting."

  "So, be gentle." I'd started out kidding to tease him, but as our gazes locked and our fingers entwined, I decided what I really needed was a sweet distraction, and he was absolutely what the doctor ordered.

  "Ellie…"

  "Don't say anything. Just kiss me and make it better."

  He leaned in and softly pressed his lips against my forehead. "Is that where it hurts?"

  "One of the places."

  "I see." He wrapped an arm around my waist and tugged me tight against him. He rubbed his cheek against mine like cats do and then inhaled deeply. "You smell amazing."

  "So do you," I whispered as every muscle in my body coiled with anticipation.

  Matthew lifted my chin with a finger and kissed just to the side of my mouth. "Does it hurt there too?"

  "Mm-hmm." My hands fisted behind his back.

  "Where else? I don't want to miss a spot."

  "Might take a while. How long do you have?"

  He kissed the tip of my nose and stayed there so I could feel his breath on my face as he spoke. "As long as you want me."

  "That could be a long time."

  He smiled and kissed my cheek. "Good." His hands slid up my arms, leaving goosebumps in their wake. "Where next."

  I pressed a finger to my slightly parted lips, and he was so close my skin grazed his.

  Matthew's tongue darted out and licked my finger, making both of us laugh. Once the moment had passed he cupped my face between his hands, every long, slim finger gentle but firm against the sides of my head. He pulled me forward and kissed me softly on the lips.

  As my eyes drifted shut the image of his big hazel eyes boring deep into me was burned on the inside of my lids. With a sigh I returned the kiss, and pushed still closer to him.

  He held my face tighter and deepened the kiss, spreading my lips enough to slip his tongue inside the heat of my mouth. He tasted like citrus and salt, like the perfect margarita.

  I considered asking if he'd had one, but then one of his hands slipped down over my shoulder, and then grazed the side of my breast and I didn't have any questions at all. Moaning softly into his mouth I dug my fingers into his back, relishing the feeling of the lean cords of muscle that bunched and flexed there.

  Matthew broke off the kiss and licked my lips, then my chin, then my neck before fitting his mouth against the spot where my pulse was pounding. He lapped at my skin and tanged a hand in my hair, holding us so close I could feel his heart beating against my body.

  When he spoke, his voice was rough like the feeling of his guitar-callused fingers on my skin. "The last time I kissed you, you ran away."

  I chuckled briefly, breathlessly. "I'm not allowed to leave this room all day, remember?"

  He ran his hand down my back to rest on my butt. "You're stuck with me, then?"

  "There is nowhere else I'd rather be on this earth." It was trite and ridiculous, but entirely true. That realization scared me, but only for a moment.

  As if he knew my mind was wandering to negative things, Matthew refocused me on what mattered, as his lips and tongue traced down over the neckline of my shirt and to the spot where just a hint of cleavage peeked out. His lightly stubbled cheek against the tender flesh of my chest was insanely erotic.

  I arched my back into him and he palmed my ass, squeezing lightly to keep me in place. As if anything could have made me want to draw away from this perfect moment.

  Matthew was gently licking me, his tongue sliding under my shirt to rasp over the lace of my bra.

  I groaned and yanked his head up to kiss his mouth. That sweet, soft sensual mouth. Tired of gentle teasing, I told him with my kisses that I wanted more. Wanted all. Our tongues tangled and twisted and tasted as our hands roamed each other. There was no shyness or awkwardness that so often comes with a new partner. Even with the desperate need to touch as much as possible, our limbs and lips worked in perfect harmony, giving and taking, advancing and retreating in just the right way to propel each heated moment into the next.

  A million years passed and I wanted a million more to just feel his body against mine, but as he shifted me to wrap my legs around his hips, I felt the throbbing length of him under his jeans and decided there was much more to explore.

  With both hands under my ass to grind me against him, Matthew bit down lightly on my lower lip. It didn't hurt, but the sharp sensation sent my excitement soaring. As if there was
a direct link from my mouth to my core, I moaned with pleasure.

  The sound triggered something primal in him and he let out a sound somewhere between a purr and a growl before flipping us both over in an impressive show of strength so that he was stretched out across the bed and I straddled his slim hips, nestled snugly against the bulge of his cock, that beautiful big cock I could imagine every inch of when I closed my eyes.

  Desperate for more I slid my hands under his shirt, digging my fingers into the firm, warm plane of his stomach. I kissed him hard, sucking and nibbling.

  One of Matthew's hands mimicked my motion, but continued up until he reached my nipple, pebbled tight inside my bra. As his finger grazed the sensitive tip, I felt everything go blurry. It was a welcome sensation at first, but then the headache I'd pretty much forgotten about came back like an ice pick to my skull.

  I yelped from the sudden pain and froze.

  Shaking off the haze of desire, Matthew sat us up again quickly, and then winced as I groaned. "Sorry. You okay?"

  "Head hurts," I said through gritted teeth.

  He slid out from beneath me and settled me back against the pillows. "Where's the prescription the hospital gave you?"

  I waved my hand in the general direction of the bedside table without opening my eyes.

  Seconds later Matthew slipped a pill between my lips and held out a glass for me to wash it down with.

  The cool water seemed to help a bit too. I smiled and opened my eyes. "Thanks. And… sorry."

  He sat down next to me, draping an arm over my shoulder. "For what?"

  "Killing the mood."

  He shrugged. "How long do those take to work?"

  "Not long."

  He nuzzled gently at my neck and held my hand. "I can wait."

  I sighed. "You have the patience of a saint."

  He laughed and slid a finger down between my breasts. "Nothing saintly about me, I promise. What I'd like to do with you requires alertness and full attention. Not to mention plenty of stamina."

  I giggled and then grimaced from a flash of pain. "You're full of surprises, Matthew Daniels."

  "You ain't seen nothing yet, Ellie Martin."

  Three

  Matthew ended up having to be a lot more patient than either of us expected. He stretched out next to me on the bed, spooning against my back as I rolled onto my side hoping it would help my headache. He kissed my shoulder and settled in, rubbing my back absently. I thought of a million things I wanted to tell him and ask him, but instead I just let his touch soothe me to sleep.

  When I woke up my head felt a lot better, the stabbing pain having retreated to just a dull throb. Matthew was snoring softly into my ear, his arms and legs entwined with mine. It was so intimate that it scared me, but only for a moment. I ordered my asshole of a brain to shut up and sighed softly, sinking back into Matthew's embrace. Minutes passed and I couldn't remember the last time I felt so cared for. It had been a while, and almost certainly involved Steven.

  A tear threatened to spill from my closed eyes as I thought about my foster brother. His professional betrayal felt like so much more. Part of me thought I was over-reacting, but then I remembered Matthew's face, and everyone else when they found out Steven had leaked that private footage. Footage I swore we'd delete. It was a violation of their trust, and mine, and that was the one thing I couldn't forgive Steven for. We were supposed to be a team forever and now I couldn't imagine trusting him again, which hurt my heart so much I could barely breathe.

  I was so engrossed in my own thoughts that I hadn't noticed the snoring stopped. Only when Matthew's arms tightened around me did I realize he was awake.

  "Hey," he muttered sleepily. "You okay?"

  "Yeah." I rolled over gingerly so I could see his face. "Feeling a bit better. Did I wake you?"

  "Mmm-hmm, but I don't mind. I figured your headache must have gone away. You were thinking very loudly." He poked me gently on the end of my nose.

  "Sorry. But… I don't think that's actually possible."

  "It is, believe me. I could practically hear the gears turning."

  I laughed softly. "Yeah, okay. You got me." I ran my fingers through his hair. "Go back to sleep if you want."

  "Nah, I'm good." He gave me a peck on the lips. "I'm in a band, a few minutes of sleep is all I ever need."

  It was then that I remembered he'd played a show last night, stayed up to help get my job back and then come to check on me instead of going to bed. I didn't have the words to thank him for all of it. "I guess this is a really shitty date, huh? Pain meds and a long nap."

  He smiled. "I've had worst, I promise you." His hand stroked my cheek. "And any time I get to spend with you is awesome, no matter what we're doing."

  "That's sweet," I said. And it was. Super cheesy, but somehow I didn't mind. "But hopefully we won't be hanging out in any more hospitals. That was not so awesome."

  "Good point." He peeked over me at the clock. "Damn, it's late. We slept for hours. You must be hungry."

  "Kind of. Some guy ate all my snacks earlier." I grinned. In truth I was hungry, but nothing in the world would've made me want to get out of bed.

  Matthew sat up and brushed my hair back. "I'll order us a feast. I'm an expert at room service."

  "Expert? Isn't it just picking from a menu? I don't see how that qualifies as something you can be an expert at."

  "Ha. I'll show you." He snagged the menu and flipped through the pages, a fake studious expression on his face. He tapped his chin with a finger and sighed dramatically.

  I laughed, and was happy to discover it didn't make my head hurt more. "Want some spectacles for that performance, professor?"

  "Hush. I have to concentrate." He hid his face behind the menu, but not before I noticed he was trying not to laugh too.

  "Sorry." I pulled myself up into a sitting position and rested my elbows on my knees. "Uh, I hate to interrupt, but is this food coming today? Should you be looking for tomorrow's breakfast instead?"

  Matthew waggled a finger at me. "Keep making jokes. You're going to eat your words."

  I rolled my eyes, smiling. "At least I'll get to eat something." Any hunger I was feeling fell far down on my list of priorities. Sitting here with Matthew, just being silly was a revelation. Is this how normal people feel? Able to ignore the sadness and anger of a past that haunts them, able to just enjoy a good time with a wonderful person? If so, I was all in for being normal, as much as I could ever be.

  Finally, Matthew set the menu down on his lap and reached for the phone.

  "Hey, you're not going to tell me what you picked?"

  "No. Your punishment for doubting me is you have to wait and see what I order."

  "But what if I don't like what you choose?"

  He shrugged, eyes twinkling. "You will."

  I groaned. "Yuck. Rock star ego."

  He laughed and pressed a button on the phone. After a few seconds he started rattling off a list of foods. Enough for a small army. I couldn't even catch everything he asked for between the massive list and extensive customizations for every item.

  "Are we having a party?" I asked after he eventually hung up.

  "Huh?"

  "You ordered a zillion things. If we're having everyone in the hotel over for lunch I'm going to need to at least brush my teeth."

  Matthew sucked air through his teeth. "Yeah, I was going to mention something about your breath…"

  "Dick!" I yelped, tossing a pillow at him.

  He caught it and grinned. After dropping the pillow on the floor he slid back next to me. "I'm kidding, your breath is fine. And the food is going to be great. Trust me."

  I looked up into his eyes and smiled. "I do trust you."

  *

  While we waited for the food I turned on the television and ran to the bathroom. I planned to just pee, but even though we were joking, I figured it couldn't hurt to actually brush my teeth. And my hair. As I stood in front of the mirror, I wondered who this girl
was looking back at me. It was a cliché, but I barely recognized myself. I was still pale, but there was a bright blush of red across my cheeks and a light in my eyes I'd never seen before.

  When I went back out into the bedroom Matthew was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at something on hid phone, frowning.

  "Everything okay," I asked.

  He glanced up and a smile spread across his face. "It is now."

  I laughed. "You're so cheesy."

  "Yep." He reached a hand out. "Come here."

  I went to him and he pulled me down next to him, draping an arm over my shoulder. He turned his head and kissed my cheek. I returned it, but on the lips.

  "Mm, minty-fresh," he murmured.

  "Didn't want my breath to ruin your appetite."

  He chuckled. "Impossible." He rubbed the back of my neck gently. "How's the headache?"

  "Pretty much gone."

  "Glad to hear it. Eating should help."

  At the moment, food was the last thing on my mind. Now that it didn't feel like my skull was about to explode anymore, the feel of his touch reignited my desire. "It'll probably take hours for them to make all that shit you ordered."

  "You mean the delicious selection of food I chose for us?"

  "Yeah, that shit."

  He rolled his eyes. "No respect for the skills."

  I couldn't tear my eyes away from his mouth. "I have the utmost respect for all of your skills, I assure you."

  Whether it was the look on my face or the low husky tone of my voice, he raised an eyebrow as he realized I wasn't talking about food anymore. "Ellie, you're supposed to be resting."

  "I am," I said, sliding a hand over his thigh.

  "Uh-huh." His fingers closed over mine, stopping them. "Come on, get back in bed."

  "Not your most romantic line, but I'm glad we're on the same page," I replied.

  "I didn't mean it like that."

  "I know." Frowning, I let go of him and scooched back on the bed before stretching out. I blew out a harsh breath of frustration.

  In an instant he was kneeling on the bed next to be, holding my hand. "What happened? More pain?"

  "No, I just…"

  "What?"

  "I don't want you to be my nurse, Matthew."