Untamed

by MJ Carnal

  When he smiled, she laughed and left the room. He watched her go. She had broken through the walls that guarded his heart and he felt the flutter that he had tried so hard to push away. He walked to the dresser and picked up Amber’s engagement ring. Running his fingers over the diamond, he repeated the words that had become the only reality he knew. No one can hurt you if you don’t let them in.

  Chapter 6

  “Am I seeing things? Steve Wainwright is working out in my gym and not across town with the hot roommate?” Ryan laughed as he smacked him on the shoulder. “Good to see you, man.”

  “Good to see you too, West. The hot roommate has spent the past two weeks with the rock star boyfriend.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that. I know you had a thing for her.”

  “Nah. It’s cool. It’s good to have Damien back. They spent last week in Georgia so I’ve had the apartment to myself. Soul possession of the remote control. No make up all over the sink.” Steve shook his head. “We’re better off just friends.”

  “Keep telling yourself that. Friends don’t keep you warm at night.” Ryan lifted one eye brow and smirked.

  “Depends on how close a friend they are.” Kevin interrupted and they both shook their heads. “What? She was my friend and she kept my bed warm.”

  “Not helping, Merck.” Steve stepped off the elliptical.

  “Dude, she’s one of my best friends too. I think if you want her, it isn’t too late. She likes Damien but I don’t think it’s as serious as you think it is.” As Kevin walked away, he laughed. “They came back early since tomorrow is your birthday.”

  “What?” Steve called after him but Kevin kept walking. “Shit.”

  “You leaving then?” Ryan laughed as Steve shook his head yes. “See you tomorrow night. Get some sleep. Guys night is going to be out of control.”

  If being away from her the entire week was any indication of how screwed he was, Steve had no doubt that watching them together would be torture. He had missed her. His heart rate spiked every time she called. He thought about her constantly. Damien had gotten to meet her family after two weeks. That screamed serious. But what if Kevin was right? Was she not as serious about Damien as he thought? He would not get in the way if they seemed solid. He wouldn’t confuse her if he saw she really liked him. All this worrying was making him feel sick. There was only one way to find out the truth. He grabbed his keys and headed out of the gym.

  “Alright. I’ll bite. What gives?” Damien pulled Lily into his lap. “Spill it.”

  She smiled at him. “Is this weird? What we’re doing?”

  “What are we doing?” Damien’s smile fell. “I thought we were having fun.”

  “We are.” Lily sighed. “You’re ok with just this? I know I told you I wasn’t ready for any intense relationship, but I never asked you what you wanted.”

  “Baby, I’m fine with whatever you want. I don’t want a serious thing right now. Maybe never. It’s not a hardship to be in bed with you every night. You’re hot, you’re funny. You’re great Lil. I like you.” Damien nibbled at her ear. “Even if you do have that stupid mouth rule.”

  “It is not a stupid rule.” She snuggled into his chest. “I just think a kiss is really intimate. I know it may sound weird after what happened in Georgia. I’m not mad. But, for me, a kiss is a really intense thing. A kiss is full of feeling and it’s a way to tell someone that you love them. I’ve only kissed two people. Ever. It’s serious to me.”

  “And do I know either of these lucky men?” Damien held her a little closer.

  “No.” She laughed. “They were both back home.”

  “Not even lover boy Merck?” When her face scrunched up, he shook smiled. “Let’s make a deal so we can get that worry off your face. If it’s weird that we may become just ‘friends with benefits’, we’ll talk to each other. I’m not gonna lie to you. I feel something for you. I don’t know what it is. I don’t usually over analyze anything so I’m going with the flow. We go on the road in a couple weeks and it’s probably better if we keep things casual for now. Agreed?”

  She shook his hand. “Agreed. After everything that happened, will you still be my midnight booty call?”

  “I will be your anytime booty call.” Damien picked her up and was about to carry her to the bedroom when the front door opened. “Shit.”

  Steve threw his keys on the table in the foyer and stopped short when he looked up. His eyes locked with a smiling Lily, currently being held by a very aggravated Damien.

  She jumped out of his arms and ran toward Steve. “Hi. I missed you so much.” She threw her arms around him and giggled. “It was hard to sleep without you snoring next to me.”

  Steve laughed. “I missed you too.” Looking at Damien, he continued. “Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “It’s cool. She was wondering when you’d be home. You two chat, I’ve got an early morning so I’m gonna head out to the hotel.” He kissed Lily on the top of the head and smiled. “I’ll see you on Sunday. Be careful tomorrow night. I’ve heard about those girl’s nights. Call me if you need a ride home.”

  “D.” Lily grabbed his arm on the way out. “Thank you. For everything. I had an amazing time.”

  “I did too, gorgeous.” And with a wink, he was out the door.

  With that one wink, Steve had his answer. There was more to this relationship than Kevin thought. He let the sting of that information soak in. Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked at Lily. Her cheeks were flushed and she looked genuinely happy. The most important thing in the world was her happiness and he wouldn’t get in the way of that.

  He headed to the kitchen and pulled a beer out of the fridge. He didn’t drink very often but this seemed like as good a time as any to start. No one can hurt you if you don’t let them in. No one can hurt you if you don’t let them in. Deep breath. “So, you had a good time in Georgia?”

  “It was so good to see my dad. He was so surprised. My sister was in love with Damien the second she saw him. My dad was a little freaked out by the piercings and tattoos but he ended up having a bromance with him by the end of the week. My mom wasn’t quite as forgiving about finding him and Mia but I tried to explain that we had a weird relationship. She didn’t like it. Oh, and I got to see all my cousins at dinner on Friday and …”

  Lily kept talking without taking a breath. But one sentence blared through his brain. Her mom found him and Mia what? Her voice continued through the room and she was smiling and talking so fast he was completely lost.

  “Lil.” He laughed when she took a deep breath. “There you are. Go back. Your mom found Damien and Mia doing what?”

  “Kissing. I didn’t tell you? Dad took us down to the cabin we have to do some fishing. Mom was cooking dinner and I guess she went out to the car to get something and Mia had Damien pinned up against the carport. It was pretty funny actually. Mia was so embarrassed and Damien was completely stunned. Mom was pissed. When we sat down at dinner, Mia’s face was bright red and D just sat there staring at her. My dad took him aside that night and had a long talk with him. Mia didn’t come out of her room the rest of the time we were there.” Lil tilted her head and smiled at Steve. “I hate you weren’t there.”

  “It’s good I wasn’t. I would have kicked his ass. What a douche.”

  “He’s a nice guy, Steve. He can kiss whoever he wants. I mean, it was weird it was Mia. I felt a little rejected since it was my sister. But he’s free to kiss whomever.”

  “I’m really confused.” Steve ran his hands down his face. “Are you dating him?”

  “No. Not really. I don’t know. I don’t want to date anyone. And he’s leaving in a few weeks to tour. I don’t do long distance. I figured if I needed to have sex, he’d be someone I could call.”

  Steve took a few steps toward her without thinking. When he stopped, she took the final step. They were inches apart. His breath blew across her face like a caress and she shivered. Her fingers itched to touch him.
The thundering of her heart was so loud she swore he could hear it. Noticing her pulse quicken, he ran his finger down the side of her neck.

  His voice was seductive. “Have you made that call yet?”

  “No.” She was breathless.

  He pulled her into him and took a deep breath, burying his face in her hair. “You have no idea how happy I am to hear that.”

  Without another word, Steve walked out of the kitchen and toward his bedroom. Lily was speechless. She had been fighting her feelings for him for a long time. She had refused to be the rebound girl. She had confessed her feelings to Damien, probably prompting his episode with Mia. She couldn’t lead Damien on and it had been the right thing to do. He had told her that night that it had hurt a little but deep down, he had known how she felt about him. After hours of talking that night, they had come to the conclusion that they would be friends that could call the other to fulfill whatever needs weren’t being fulfilled elsewhere.

  The buzzing of her cell phone got her attention. Looking at her screen, she noticed a text message from Steve.

  ‘The way you smell.’

  She laughed. ‘What?’

  ‘One of the things I like about you.’

  Her heart raced. She smiled as she looked back at her phone. Typing back, she sighed.‘How warm your skin is.’

  ‘Sweet dreams, Lil’

  Chapter 7

  “The birthday boy is in the house.” Mark gave him a fist bump and handed him a Jagerbomb. “Bottoms up, old man.”

  Steve laughed and chugged the shot. “What kind of torture am I in for tonight?”

  “Would we torture you on your birthday? No way.” Ryan laughed as he handed Steve another shot.

  “I’ve got this buddy that owns Xtasy and I have a little surprise for you.” Kevin laughed when Steve groaned. “Big girl panties, dude. Find some and pull em up. Let’s go.”

  “Shit.” Steve took a third shot from Ryan and threw it back. “Let’s go.”

  The ride to the club was chaos. Mark had rented a limo so no one had to drive. Why five men needed a limo that sat fourteen, he didn’t know. But the liquor kept flowing and that was all Steve cared about. Making it through a night at a strip club was enough to make him need some liquid courage. This really wasn’t his scene.

  Pulling up to the club, his heart raced. This would be interesting. In truth, he had never been to a strip club. He had dated Amber for seven years of his life and before that; his time had been spent working and studying through college. Kevin and Ryan had tried to get him to go a million times so why they chose this place, he had no idea. Chugging the last half of his beer, he took a breath and got out of the limo.

  “I got you the most amazing birthday present.” Kevin laughed so hard, it made Steve chuckle. “You are gonna want to drop to your knees and thank me. It’s that good.”

  “I’m not sure a present would ever be that good.”

  “Oh, the present.” Kevin scratched his head. “Yeah, that’s what I meant.”

  “Do you sit around and practice one liners? Or do they really just come to you that quick? That’s a gift dude.” Mark high fived Kevin and Steve rolled his eyes.

  “Mr. Merck.” The bouncer shook Kevin’s hand and ushered them into a roped off VIP section of couches near the stage. “Mr. Marconi told me to make sure you were well taken care of this evening. Chelsea will be your waitress and everything is on the house.”

  Kevin thanked the bouncer as the other men ordered drinks from a very obviously enhanced Chelsea. Steve ordered a beer and sat back. A red head was currently on stage in a bright green thong. She swung around the pole with precision and Steve shook his head. She was pretty but he couldn’t imagine ever being ok with his woman doing this. Knowing that the men were all fantasizing about her was a little uncomfortable.

  Ryan and Kevin seemed like they were in their element. Caleb was more reserved, sipping on his bourbon. Steve couldn’t help but chuckle. He’d heard the Caleb stories. He was a freak. This should be right up his alley. When his eyes reached Mark, he laughed harder. He was on his phone, no doubt talking to Sophie. Maybe the night wouldn’t be so awful after all. He hadn’t spent much time with his friends lately. That needed to change.

  “Can I get you another beer?” Chelsea stuck her chest in Steve’s face and purred. “I heard you’re the birthday boy. If I can do anything to make it a better night, don’t hesitate to ask. And baby, I do mean anything.”

  “Thank you. I’m fine right now.” He picked up his cell phone, dismissing Chelsea with a nod of his head. He typed a quick message and put his phone on the table.

  The way your hair feels like silk.

  When his phone vibrated back, he held his breath. He couldn’t help the smile that broke out on his face.

  How your voice sounds first thing in the morning.

  The club went dark and all Steve could hear was Kevin’s laugh. “You assholes are going to think I’m a god when you see this.”

  “Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Xtasy. We have a special birthday in the house tonight.” The DJ’s voice echoed through the club as spotlights near the stage came on. Dry ice began to rise from the stage floor as the music started to play. “Steve Wainwright, happy birthday, man.”

  Bruno Mars’ Gorilla blared through the club. Strobe lights flashed as the next two strippers took the stage. Steve rubbed his eyes trying to get them to adjust to the darkness. They moved in unison and he was mesmerized. It was difficult to see them with the lights flashing but he could tell the one closest to them was a brunette. He was impressed with their strength as they spun around the pole, at one point even hanging upside down with the strength of their legs.

  Ryan growled, breaking Steve’s train of thought. “What the fuck, Merck?” He rubbed his hands over his eyes and shot Kevin a look that could kill. He stood and walked toward the stage.

  Steve shrugged at Caleb and turned his attention to the stage.

  “Holy shit.” Mark started laughing. “How the hell did you pull this off?”

  Kevin didn’t say anything. He turned to stare at Steve. “What am I missing?” Steve looked between his friends and focused his attention back on the brunette that was currently being dragged off the stage by a very pissed off Ryan. When recognition hit, his jaw dropped. “Is that Layla?”

  “Wait for it.” Kevin laughed as he looked back at the performance.

  The second stripper danced from her pole to the one that had just been vacated. She turned her back to the audience, her blond hair falling like silk down her back. Steve was instantly on his feet. His jaw dropped and his pants tightened. The blond wrapped her leg around the pole, propelling her body around it and pulling her dress over her head. When she turned toward the crowd, she was in a pair of shiny boy shorts and a sequin bra that left very little to the imagination.

  “Holy shit.” Steve’s voice was barely there. He walked to the edge of the stage.

  Lily smiled at him and winked. “Happy birthday, big boy.” She giggled and took his hand. He led her down the steps.

  He pointed at the stage and then at her. “How?” He was at a loss for words.

  “Well, Kevin and I don’t only kick box. Just so happens he signed me and Layla up for a pole dancing class because they were thinking about adding a class at the gym.” She shrugged. “Did you like it?”

  He nearly choked on his tongue. “Did I like it?”

  She laughed at his stunned expression. “Good, because there’s more.”

  She led him to a couch in the corner as the music changed. She pushed him down and bit her lip. Ride by Somo came through the speakers and she ran her finger down his chest. His eyes widened.

  “What are you doing?” He whispered.

  “The dance was from Kevin. This is from me.”

  Lily straddled his lap and rolled her hips against him. He sucked air in through his teeth. She licked his neck and rolled her hips again. Grabbing the back of the couch, she pulled her body in as close
as she could, riding his lap to the beat of the song. His hands fisted against the couch and he closed his eyes to control his breathing.

  “Feel good?” Her voice was husky.

  “Jesus Christ.” He panted. “I can feel your heat through my jeans.”

  She circled her hips. “I want to try something. Just hold still.”

  He nodded his head and she leaned forward. She bit his bottom lip and pulled. He bucked his hips against her and she pulled away.

  “I’m sorry. Shit.” Steve apologized. “I almost lost it.”

  She relaxed back into his lap and rubbed her lips. That had felt amazing and she wanted to bury her tongue in his mouth. She licked her lips and Steve’s eyes shot to her mouth. As her hips began moving again, she ran her hands under his fitted tee. He moaned.

  She leaned in to whisper in his ear. “I’m soaked.” As she rode a little harder, she let her head fall back.

  He couldn’t help himself. He ran his hands up her thighs, stopping just before the edge of her boy shorts. His cock throbbed with need and he realized that this was now his favorite memory. The night a few weeks ago had been amazing. But this? This was taboo. They were in public, in a place he was not fully comfortable. But having her ride his lap, there was nowhere else he would rather be and it didn’t matter if everyone in the place was watching.

  “Can you come like this?” Lily was panting. “I’m so close.”

  Steve bit his lip as her pace increased. He was just as close and he was going to lose it, right there, in his jeans, in front of all his friends. And he didn’t give a shit. “Ride me, baby. I want to see your whole body convulse like it did the other night. I want to feel your heat. I want you soaked.”

  “Steve.” Her legs were the first to shake. “Talk to me. I want to hear your voice.”

  He leaned into her neck and bit her as he growled into her ear. “If we were at home right now, I wouldn’t be able to stop. I’m so fucking turned on right now. I’d be buried so deep, fucking the shit out of you. Fuck. You’re gonna make me come.”