He paused to give her time to come down from the high. He released her so his hands could continue on their journey along her body. Her skin felt electrified wherever he touched.
Her neck, her shoulders, her backside.
Her hips, her waist, her breasts.
He knew everywhere to stroke and caress to evoke the passion inside her.
Her hips soon began to move again, encouraging him to rock up and meet her. Her body was so sensitive that he soon had her right back at the brink of that peak. She tried to slow things down so they could come together, but he would have none of that. He reached between them and sped things right along for her. This time he used his hand to mute her sounds of pleasure so he could watch her.
When she could no longer support herself, he shifted them so they were on their sides, her back against the wall. He lifted her right leg and hooked it around his hip, allowing him deeper penetration. She reached up to pull him back down to her lips for another kiss, too overwhelmed to do much else. His warm hand splayed across her back, cradling her against him as he continued to plunder her. It made her feel both desired and cherished.
He brought her to orgasm again just like that. If she’d had any sanity left, she might have marveled over it.
Instead, she just accepted.
They continued to move, two parts of a whole. Her heart responded to all he was trying to convey to her, strived to convey it in return. The magnitude of it left her breathless and filled with emotion.
As though reading her thoughts, he parted from her lips and held her gaze. What she saw there brought forth everything she held in her heart for him. The tears that had threatened her before slipped past her lashes. He reached up and wiped them away with his fingertips.
“I love you, Lily,” he whispered.
“I love you too. Always.”
When he moved again, she knew he was finally ready to take his own pleasure. She wrapped her legs around him and gripped his backside with her hands, guiding him where she wanted him. His hand slid between them, making her body respond when she was sure he’d already wrung every bit of energy out of her.
The next time she crested, he was right there with her. She felt him tense, heard the strangled groan he barely contained, all while she rode out this last blast of pleasure. When he sank heavily against her, she couldn’t even be bothered to try and dislodge him.
She supposed she was lucky when he gathered enough of his senses to adjust them again so they were on their sides with her back to his front. Her heart took its sweet time slowing its pace after all of the exertion. Her eyelids grew heavy as his body warmth lulled her. The only thing keeping her from falling asleep was the mental reminder that she was naked on the other side of a flimsy curtain. She wouldn’t be sleeping until she had some clothes on.
Dane didn’t seem to have any such qualms. The sound of light snoring reached her ears.
She briefly debated waking him. The idea of sleep proved more alluring. Shrugging off her nudity, she placed her hand on Dane’s where it rested near her heart and closed her eyes.
She fell asleep with a smile on her face, thinking that she’d have to let Sydney know that she had just been initiated into the Four Times club.
* * *
Getting re-dressed after they woke involved a lot of cursing and giggling. Lily was sure the entire band was wondering what in the world they were doing. It was a miracle one of them didn’t fall right out of the bunk.
“I don’t know how the hell Keith and Xander do this,” Dane muttered as he fastened his belt while on his back.
Lily dodged his elbow before it struck her in the boob. “My guess is they don’t bother removing much clothing.”
“I suppose that might have been the wiser way to go.”
“Maybe. But I won’t trade four orgasms for ease of re-dressing.”
His dimples made an appearance. “I think that’s a record for me.”
“I know it is for me.”
They fell into silence as they finished maneuvering into their clothes. Before opening the privacy curtain, Dane brought a hand to her cheek and rubbed his thumb along her cheekbone.
“How do you want to play things for the cameras?” he asked.
She had known they needed to discuss this. That didn’t make her any happier about having to do so right after waking in his arms after such an idyllic time together.
“I can’t go around pretending to be angry towards you all the time,” she said after a moment of thought. “That would just be exhausting and it wouldn’t play out well on the show. So let’s say you swayed me with your sexual prowess. I’ll be wary and especially jealous when you flirt with fans for a while, but I won’t want to give up my Sugar Daddy so I’ll find a way to deal with it.”
He didn’t even crack a smile over her joke. “Okay.”
The despairing look on his face tugged at her. All she wanted was for him to be happy. It was the only reason she was still participating in the damn show.
She leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on his lips. “In reality, I’ll be picturing myself hunting that skank down and pounding her into dust for trying to hurt either of us,” she said.
One corner of his mouth lifted, much as she’d hoped it would. “I’d like to see that.”
“I’m sure you would.” She kept her tone causal when she asked, “Did you recognize her?”
He shook his head. “Never seen her before.”
“Will Trey or Ordinem get her information so they can investigate her?”
“I’m sure they already have.”
“Do you think she could be the female sending the e-mails to me?”
Red had confirmed the previous day that Victoria wasn’t the person responsible for sending Lily the graphically threatening e-mails. It had taken some cyber detecting to prove the e-mails had been sent immediately rather than being scheduled and then confirming Victoria’s whereabouts on those dates and times. The investigation concluded that someone else must have sent them.
Dane’s expression darkened, telling her he hadn’t considered that. “Shit. If she is and we let her go...”
“I don’t think she is,” she said, brushing her fingers lightly over his cheek. “The person sending the e-mails surely wants to be anonymous or they wouldn’t be trying so hard to keep their identity a secret. Why would she suddenly interject herself into our lives and the show like this?”
“I assume Ordinem is exploring that. I’ll check with Red.”
“Okay. I hope they find out who she is and why she did that.”
“I’m sure they will. People like her just want attention. She’s probably harmless.”
“Claiming that you had unprotected sex with her last night isn’t exactly harmless,” she muttered. When she saw his face fall, she patted his hand. “Anyway, let Ordinem figure it out. I’ve got more important things to deal with right now.”
“Yeah? What’s on your plate?”
She fiddled with one of the buttons on his shirt. “Well...Christopher offered me a full-time position and he’s waiting for my response regarding whether or not I want to take it.”
He stilled. “What? When did this happen?”
“A little while ago,” she said, battling guilt about keeping it from him. “I wanted some time to think about it. I’m sorry I didn’t mention it to you sooner.”
His expression ranged from thrilled to thoughtful. “I don’t blame Christopher for trying but this isn’t what you want to do, Lily.”
She should have known that he would come to that conclusion. He knew her better than anyone and he always had her best interests at heart. Why had she worried that he would try to convince her to stay with him and the band without considering her personal goals?
“It isn’t what I planned to do,” she clarified. “But, Dane, this job has offered me more opportunities than I ever dreamed. I’ve decided that doing this full time will help me in my other goals rather than hold me back.”
&nbs
p; “Really?”
She nodded. He tilted his head and studied her in the probing way he used to determine what she was thinking or feeling.
“So you’ve made up your mind?” he asked eventually.
“I did. Rosemary helped me talk it through. I’m going to take it.”
Dane’s answering smile hit her right in the heart. He looked so freaking excited. It made her feel even guiltier for not sharing this with him before now. She had just been so torn and hadn’t wanted him swaying her decision. If she had taken this job at his urging and then come to regret it, she might have resented him. Making this decision largely on her own put her mind and conscience at ease.
“You’re sure?” he asked.
“Yes. I’ve decided to start using a pen name for my non-band writing. I don’t want my role with The Void to influence my career any more than I want our relationship influencing it.”
“That’s a great idea.”
“It was Rosemary’s.”
He smiled. “Sounds like it was a good thing you two had that time together then. Did you decide on the name you’re going to use?”
She flushed, suddenly nervous about what he’d think of her choice. “Well, Rosemary suggested my middle name, Anne, for the first name. Apparently a lot of authors use their mother’s maiden name for their pen surname, but that’s not going to happen. So anyway, I thought I’d use Anne L. Archer.”
His gaze was intent on her face. “You want to use my last name?”
“I...yes.”
“Lily.”
The word was little more than a whisper. He once again reached up to frame the side of her face with his hand. The look in his eyes made her heart feel close to bursting.
“I can’t tell you how much that means to me,” he said, leaning forward and pressing his lips to hers. “That you’d make me a part of the most important thing in your life...”
“You’re the most important thing in my life,” she corrected. “The moment Rosemary and I hit upon the name, it felt right. You and I have always supported each other in our goals and dreams. This is a tangible way to represent it.”
“You’ve made me unbelievably happy,” he said, “both because you’ll still be working with the band after the tour and for taking my name as your own. Thank you.”
“Of course. I love you.”
“Yeah, you do. Sucker.”
She elbowed him. He grinned and leaned forward to give her another kiss.
“I love you too,” he said. “Now let’s go share the news with everyone before you change your mind.”
Chapter Eighteen
“God, you should have seen it,” Nikki laughed. “Lily was so pissed. It went exactly according to plan.”
Regina was sitting with Nikki in the front of Suddenly Something’s tour bus on the drive to Omaha. She took a drink from the bottle of water in her hand and wished it was something stronger. Thank God she had thought to turn off the cameras before starting this conversation.
Dealing with Nikki was getting more and more wearing on her nerves. She suspected that Nikki’s recent behavior was heavily influenced by drugs. She saw the evidence in Nikki’s glazed eyes, often hyper, abrupt movements, and mood swings. Regina had been exposed to her share of drug use throughout her years in the music industry. She knew little good could come of it.
Of even more concern was the unhealthy fixation Nikki had developed for The Void...with Archer and Lily Montgomery in particular. Regina had caught Nikki following Lily around several times, always staying out of sight of her security team. Just the day before, Regina had spotted Nikki standing at a hotel window staring down at the pool. When Regina had looked out the window herself and saw The Void’s poolside dinner gathering, she had forced Nikki to accompany her to a restaurant away from the hotel.
Anything to divert the young woman’s obsession.
“Shannon was more than happy to help,” Nikki went on now, twisting a strand of her platinum blonde hair around her finger. “When I found out she was pregnant, I knew that was just the right twist to throw in. We’ll get at least nine months of content from that one confrontation. Everyone will think she’s pregnant with Archer’s child.”
Regina’s grip tightened on her water bottle, making the plastic creak. “Nikki, your friend isn’t some hardened criminal who knows how to withstand an interrogation. It won’t take The Void’s security team longer than an hour to investigate her and discover that you put her up to this. They’ll know everything from the name of the guy who impregnated her to her blood type before we even reach Omaha. You’ll be lucky if they don’t slap you with a lawsuit.”
Nikki’s bloodshot eyes narrowed. “You’re lying.”
“You know I’m not,” Regina snapped. “If you had given this idea even half a moment’s thought, you would have come to this conclusion yourself.”
At first it seemed that Nikki was about to issue one of her angry outbursts. Something passed over her face before she did. She swallowed whatever she’d been about to say and sank back into her seat.
“I just thought it would help the show,” she muttered.
Regina’s own anger eased a fraction as she gauged Nikki’s sincerity. She knew Nikki wanted the show to succeed as much as she did. Still, this particular act had been more motivated by Nikki’s jealousy, something that absolutely couldn’t happen again.
“From now on you need to bring these ideas to me first,” Regina said levelly. “I can help you fine-tune them so you don’t end up prosecuted.”
Nikki’s lip curled briefly before she gave a jerky shrug. “Whatever. If you’d tell me what you’re planning, I wouldn’t be as tempted to do things on my own.”
Regina withheld a sigh. Of course Nikki had to deflect the blame for her actions.
“If I told you, it wouldn’t come off genuinely on camera when it happens,” she explained for at least the fifth time.
“I’m a great actress,” Nikki argued. “Just ask Mal. He thinks he’s great in bed.”
Used to Nikki’s crassness, Regina didn’t even bother to acknowledge the statement.
Good actress or not, Nikki couldn’t know of Regina’s plans. There were people involved that had a great deal to lose, people who were close enough to The Void to have a serious impact on the future of the band and House of Archer. She wouldn’t risk revealing such carefully crafted plans to someone as unstable as Nikki.
Still, Nikki had her uses.
“The tour ends in two weeks,” Regina said. “Before then, I plan to approach Christopher Donahue with an idea that will keep Suddenly Something connected to The Void for a while longer.”
“What kind of plan?”
“A business arrangement.”
Nikki slammed her hand down on top of the metal table between them, making Regina jump enough that water escaped the bottle in her hand. “Quit being so fucking vague! I’m sick of putting myself out there for this band and being kept in the dark.”
Regina’s pulse raced in response to the outburst. Her temper fired.
“This has nothing to do with you, Nikki,” she said in a frigid voice. “If and when I decide I can trust you enough to implement any of my ideas, I’ll fill you in.”
“Trust me?” Nikki sputtered. “I haven’t shared a thing, not even that I’m your—”
“I’m not talking about running your mouth about your true role here,” Regina interrupted. “I’m talking about your recent decisions made while under the influence. Your judgment is compromised. I never know what you’re going to do next.”
Nikki sat back in her seat and stared at Regina with glittering eyes. “That’s right. You don’t. And this communication thing works two ways, Regina. I’ll just keep the plans I’ve been making to myself and we’ll see where the cards fall.”
Before Regina could reply, Nikki shoved herself to her feet and sauntered back towards the bunks. Regina stared down the corridor at her retreating back, fighting the unease that threatened to claw at her.
Just how unhinged had Nikki become?
More to the point, was there anything Regina could do to stop the train wreck this would become with Nikki trying to seize control?
* * *
“Thanks for all of your hard work over there, Mon,” Rosemary said into her cell phone.
“You know I got your back, girl,” her best friend replied. “You and Lily are all set for your vendor appointments when you get to L.A. The invitation order is standing by for word on the venue and timing, and I’ve been working on gathering addresses so we can send them out ASAP. Archer’s mother has been a real blessing there. That woman knows everyone in Hollywood, hand to God.”
Rosemary smiled, tucking her phone against her ear with her shoulder so she could file her nails. “We got lucky there. This is hands-down going to be the biggest event we’ve ever planned.”
“No kidding. I’m almost glad we don’t have more time to plan it. We’d be stressed out spazzes the entire time.”
“Truth.”
“Where are you again?”
Blowing fine dust from her nails, Rosemary replied, “Omaha. We’re waiting for the concert to start.”
“Girl, is The Void right there with you?”
Rosemary laughed over Monique’s whispered question. Her friend was still star-struck, which was saying something since she not only lived in L.A. but encountered a number of musical artists in her relationship with Fernando. It would be interesting to see how Monique behaved when she actually met the band.
“No, I’ve got you all to myself. They’re in their green room. Lily and Sydney went over there too.”
“Uh-huh. Gettin’ some rocker lovin’?”
“If they’re lucky.”
“Mmm-mmm. I need to find Nando. My engines are firing on all cylinders right now.”
“TMI, Mon.” Putting her nail file back in her phone wallet, Rosemary stood and crossed over to the full-length mirror on the side of the room to double-check her appearance. “I’ve been trying to reach him to thank him for airing and promoting ‘Not Mine’ like he did. He’s not responding to my calls or texts.”
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