Driving Tempo

by Thomas, Raine

  The thought did occur to her that by acting on this uncharacteristic impulse, she was setting herself up as Sage’s rebound. She wasn’t thinking all that clearly with her love for him clouding her judgment, but time was working against her. Since it was now officially after midnight, they were only one day away from the end of the tour. From there, she had no idea when she might see Sage again.

  Yes, part of her knew she was rushing things. The rest of her didn’t care. She had never done anything crazy like this. It was time to live a little and do something she wanted regardless of the consequences.

  That was why she had gone straight to her room after that night’s concert. She wanted to prep herself for Sage. That was also why she now stood in front of his hotel room door with her heart trying to escape from her chest. She planned it so that she’d be at his door over an hour before he usually went down to meet her.

  Now that she was there, doubt tried to overtake her. She wiped her damp palms on the skirt of the body-skimming mini-dress she wore and lifted her hand to knock on the door. A movement out of the corner of her eye had her yanking her hand back down and looking over to see Garrett sauntering her way.

  Heat snuck up into her cheeks and hunkered there. She had completely forgotten about Sage’s security specialist. He was holding a sandwich and bottle of Coke. He gave her an appreciative scan. His smile was warm rather than leering.

  “Howdy,” he said, keeping his voice down in the quiet hallway. “Figured I had at least another hour before y’all met up.”

  “You know about the meetings?”

  He winked at her. “We know everything. Don’t worry, though. I know how to keep my distance and do my job.”

  She didn’t know what to say to that. Her gaze moved to Sage’s door. “Um, I was just...”

  “It’s all good,” he said when she trailed off. “I can hop over to the Ordinem suite for a while. We have eyes on the door, so I can monitor from there.”

  She instinctively looked around for cameras and didn’t see any. There were several places, like the nearby potted plants or decorative hallway bench, where she supposed devices could be hidden. The thought had her tugging awkwardly at her short skirt.

  “Um, okay,” she mumbled. “Thanks.”

  “Sure. Oh, and don’t forget there are cameras in the living area of the room. The show’s cameras. Not ours.”

  Ugh. Was that supposed to make her feel better?

  He gave her a salute with his bottle of Coke and headed to a room three doors down. “‘Night,” he said as he scanned his key card and entered the room.

  She gave him a half-wave, battling her embarrassment the entire time. How had she not guessed there would be cameras over here? It was probably unusual that there wasn’t an actual camera guy hanging out in the hallway in case anything juicy happened.

  What had she been thinking? She couldn’t do this.

  Before she could turn and flee, Sage’s door opened. His golden eyes widened slightly behind his glasses when he saw her. He gave her an even longer scan than Garrett had, his gaze lingering on the four-inch heels she wore. She watched his pupils dilate and his breath catch. That was all she needed to regain her confidence.

  “Hi,” she said softly.

  He managed to tear his gaze from her shoes. “I...uh...I thought I heard...”

  She started towards him in what she hoped was a seductive manner, making sure to brush against him as she all but pushed herself into his hotel room. He was too flustered to stop her.

  “I spoke with Garrett,” she said. “He’s giving us some privacy.”

  Sage turned and followed her into the room, allowing the door to thud closed behind him. “He is?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Tossing her small clutch onto his room’s entertainment unit, she stepped closer to him and placed her hand on his hard chest. His heart pounded heavily beneath her touch. He drew in a sharp breath when she ran her palm up and down, deliberately rubbing against his nipple piercing. She wanted to see that piercing again, wanted to tease it with her tongue. She wanted to kiss and stroke every hard inch of him.

  “He’s giving us some time alone,” she said, her voice husky. “I wanted to do something else besides talk tonight.”

  “Rosie, I—”

  She lifted a finger and placed it over his mouth to silence him. “There are all kinds of things you could say right now, Sage. But tonight is about feeling, not talking.”

  “But you don’t—”

  She replaced her finger with her lips. Her high heels put her in direct proximity to his mouth, making it easy for her. He tensed in surprise, then made a sound in the back of his throat like a growl. In an instant, his fingers were twined in her unbound hair, his mouth pressed against hers, his tongue thoroughly claiming her....tasting her.

  And she knew she was going to get what she wanted.

  Their mouths met again and again. Rosemary couldn’t get enough of him. She started unbuttoning his shirt between kisses, desperate to touch him. She didn’t even pause long enough to fully remove the shirt. She just parted it as the buttons were freed. When her hands made contact with his bare torso, they both moaned.

  Sage backed her up against the wall, lifting her legs so they encircled his waist. The skirt of her dress rode up enough that she felt the cool air of the room on her backside. His deft hands skimmed her thighs and hips as his tongue plundered her mouth. He issued another groan when he realized she was wearing a thong.

  His hips moved as if outside of his control, rubbing against her aching lower body. She felt how hard he was through his neatly pressed khakis. The knowledge that she had this effect on him so quickly added another powerful layer to her own arousal. She was in serious danger of combusting in his room’s entryway. She would gladly let him take her right there up against the wall.

  A stray thought momentarily worked its way free, causing her to tear herself away from his mouth. “Cameras,” she gasped.

  He stared at her blankly, his eyes glazed with passion. When she glanced around in search of the cameras Garrett had mentioned, Sage seemed to understand.

  “Shit. Bedroom.”

  He didn’t even lower her to the ground, making a beeline for the door leading to the suite’s bedroom. He paused just a foot from the doorway.

  Worried he was having second thoughts, she said, “Sage, please—”

  “Protection,” he said, still struggling for a proper breath. “Did you happen to...?”

  She wanted to smack her own forehead. Dear, Lord. How could she have forgotten that?

  When she shook her head, Sage lowered her to the ground. His eyes followed her lips as though drawn to them like a bee to a flower. He kissed her again, taking his time about it. After he pulled away this time, she had to hold onto his arms for support to keep standing.

  A resolved look came over his face. She was sure he was going to tell her they couldn’t do this. Counter-arguments formed swiftly in preparation. No one had ever made her feel like he made her feel. She wasn’t about to let that go without a fight.

  “Give me one minute,” he said.

  Curious, she followed him back to the suite’s door. She stopped it from closing as he strode purposefully into the hallway. She watched him go up to the room directly across from his and knock twice.

  A minute later, the door opened. Keith stood on the other side wearing nothing but a pair of boxer briefs. She did her best not to goggle at his impressive build. His intense blue eyes gave Sage a quick flick up and down, surely noting Sage’s unbuttoned shirt and mussed hair, and then moved briefly over Sage’s shoulder to spy Rosemary standing in the doorway. She didn’t even have time to blush or wave at him. He held up one finger and disappeared back into his room. Sage stood there, drumming his fingers on his thigh in impatience.

  He was absolutely adorable.

  It felt like an hour—but was probably thirty seconds—before Keith returned. He opened
the door and pressed an unknown number of condoms into Sage’s outstretched hand.

  “Go nuts,” was all he said before once again retreating to his room.

  Sage wore a silly grin as he turned back around. Rosemary laughed and opened the door wider, encouraging him to hurry back. He was by her side in a blink, pushing her further into the room and releasing the door to close behind them once again.

  They didn’t speak. He wove his fingers through hers and gave her a gentle tug in the direction of the bedroom. In his eyes was an expression of joy she’d never seen from him.

  She had done that, she realized as they entered the bedroom and he pulled the door closed. She was doing that. She was bringing him joy.

  It made her already full heart overflow.

  Sage pulled her over to the bed, setting the condoms and his glasses on the nightstand. He then turned to her, bringing his hands up to frame her face.

  “You’re so beautiful, Rose,” he murmured.

  The words were spoken so plainly and sincerely that emotion tangled in her throat. His thumb traced her lower lip. The sensation of it sent heat rushing through her body.

  He leaned towards her. She met him halfway. Their tongues once again joined in their erotic dance. She basked in the taste of him, so tantalizing and masculine and sexy as hell. Her hands once again enjoyed roaming over his delectable body, nudging the unbuttoned shirt from his shoulders until it fell to the floor.

  She indulged herself, breaking away from his kiss to trail her lips along the strong line of his jaw, the tender side of his neck where his pulse thundered, and the taut planes of his tattooed chest. She lowered herself onto the mattress, putting her head level with his nipple piercing. Her tongue ran along the thin metal bar, teasing him with small flicks and nips with her teeth. The sounds he made in the back of his throat told her how much he loved that. She decided to take it to another level, using one hand to stroke the hard length of him through his pants until he was thrusting against her palm.

  After a few minutes of enduring her sexual torment, he pulled her roughly back to her feet and once again captured her mouth. The kiss was hot. Heavy. Urgent. She felt his fingers trailing to the neckline of her halter style dress. He found the end of the string in the single bow holding it in place and slowly pulled it until the bow fully unraveled.

  Rosemary didn’t stop kissing him as he guided the top down to her waist. His talented hands cupped her breasts. His fingers brushed against her sensitive nipples, generating a moan of frantic need in the back of her throat.

  Pleasure blended exquisitely with pain. Her body begged for relief even as it craved more of Sage’s attentive teasing. She never wanted him to stop.

  She didn’t register when he negotiated her dress the rest of the way along her body, but when he eased her back onto the bed she wore only her shoes and thong. Somehow, he’d even managed to tug the comforter down so they could lie on the sheets.

  The heat in his eyes when he paused to look down at her made her feel like the sexiest being he’d ever seen. He looked like he wanted to feast on her for days.

  That random thought had her stopping him as he started to lean in for another kiss. She saw his confusion. She tried to keep this moment of vulnerability from her expression. He didn’t need to know about her neurosis right that moment, but there was one thing she definitely had to ask of him before things continued.

  “Promise me something?” she asked.

  “Of course,” he said, brushing a stray hair from her eyes. “What is it?”

  Taking a deep breath, she blurted, “Promise me this won’t be the only time we have sex.”

  If he thought the request odd or hilarious, he didn’t show it. His smile was tender and understanding.

  “Are you kidding?” he said, glancing over at the nightstand. “I count eight condoms over there. There’s no way we’re not using every last one of them.”

  She laughed. His answer was all the reassurance she needed. Yes, she’d made mistakes with guys in the past, but this time would be different.

  This time she was with the man she loved.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Sage thought he understood Rosemary’s concern. Rock stars didn’t exactly have stellar reputations in the commitment department. His band mates had all had their share of one-night stands over the years. But not only was he not like that, he knew Rosemary wasn’t either. They had learned that much about each other by now.

  A woman was allowed to have her moments of doubt. He was happy to reassure her. He sure as hell hadn’t gone into that evening expecting to have sex with her, but now that they’d started down that path he fully intended for both of them to enjoy every minute of it.

  He’d deal with his own doubt later.

  This night was now about Rosemary. It was about the way she made him feel, about how he wanted to make her feel. He wanted her to know how much she meant to him...how wonderful he thought she was.

  So he set about showing her. He edged her back onto the mattress until they were both settled comfortably, her with her head on his pillow and her high-heeled legs wrapped around him—and, God, was that ever hot—and him braced above her. Although his body raged at him to hurry things along, he refused to do so. This first time between them had to be unforgettable.

  He kissed her, slowly and seductively, then with more aggression. Her hands did their best to drive him wild, stroking him everywhere she could reach. He vaguely heard the sound of his belt buckle coming unfastened but didn’t fully register her goal until she had his pants unfastened and her hand slid into his boxer briefs. The feel of her hand gripping him had him bucking against her.

  He eased himself back, forcing her to release him. He saw her bewilderment until he began kissing his way down her body. Then she issued the sweetest sigh of pleasure. It had him smiling as he did his best to kiss all of the beautiful freckles he found decorating her fair skin. In the back of his mind, he registered where he kissed that got the best reactions from her. He wanted to know how to make her lose all control.

  Her legs remained hooked over his shoulders as he finally reached his goal. The scent of her arousal had his body throbbing in response. He wanted nothing more than to make her his.

  First, he was going to make her come. Hard.

  He ran a finger along the scrap of lace covering her. He easily felt how hot she was. It gave him a remarkable amount of male satisfaction to know she wanted him as much as he wanted her.

  Easing the lace to the side, he dipped his head and tasted her, running his tongue over her. Both of them issued low groans. She was utterly magnificent.

  Instinct took over. He teased her, running his tongue up and down her soft flesh, diving inside for a more intimate sample of her alluring flavor, and circling her mercilessly. The sounds she made were practically incoherent.

  He slid a finger inside her. Then two. Her hips lifted against his hand and mouth, desperate for more. Desperate for release.

  Eventually even he couldn’t take it anymore. He slowly thrust his fingers into her tight, welcoming body as he used his tongue exactly where she wanted him to.

  “Sage!” she cried.

  Her body spasmed, squeezing his fingers again and again as she came. He used his tongue to ease her body through the orgasm, suckling gently to draw out her pleasure.

  When he finally lifted his head to look at her, she was limp as a noodle. Her mysterious forest green eyes nearly glowed with feminine satiation. The look of wonder on her face once again hit his male pride in just the right spot.

  He rose from the bed long enough to remove the rest of his clothes. Rosemary wiggled out of her thong and leaned over to tear one of the condoms from the strip. He watched as she sat up and opened the condom. Before she put it on him, she leaned forward and took him into her mouth.

  “Oh, God,” he said hoarsely. “Rose.”

  The hot, wet feel of her mouth and tongue nearly did him in. She ran her tongue up and down his length, circ
ling the tip and licking at him like he was a delicious dessert. Her hand joined in, squeezing him and stroking him as she drew him deep into her mouth. She was surely trying to kill him.

  She must have known he couldn’t take much more teasing. She released him, licking her lips as she slowly rolled the condom onto him.

  It was the lip-licking that snapped his tether.

  He gave her a nudge that sent her backward. Then he grabbed her legs, lifted them from behind her knees to tug her hips towards him, and thrust into her while he was still standing beside the bed. She let out a startled gasp that swiftly transitioned into the sound of ecstasy as he eased out of her and thrust hard again. Then again. He leaned forward, allowing her to place her legs over his shoulders so he could penetrate even deeper.

  He wasn’t gentle. He wasn’t making romantic love to her like he’d planned. He was fucking her like a stallion in heat.

  And it was the most glorious thing he’d ever done in his entire life.

  Her enthusiastic cries of pleasure spurred him on. His fingers dug into the mattress beside her hips as though it might help him get a grip on his sanity. He knew he should be touching her, teasing her, doing whatever it took to make her come again. But his brain had become disconnected from his body. Overwhelming pleasure warred with primal instinct. This moment was all about finally claiming Rosemary as his.

  He wasn’t expecting it when she once again shouted his name and he felt another orgasm rip through her. The strong, pounding climax gripped him so tight that he came instantly, an explosive, mind-altering release unlike anything he’d ever experienced. It left him heaving for breath and shaking like a newborn baby as he tried not to collapse to the floor.

  Rosemary reached up and encircled him with her arms, drawing him onto the bed beside her. He fought to get his breathing under control as she held him and placed a tender kiss on his forehead.

  Holy shit, was all his brain could manage.

  So many thoughts and feelings ran through his mind as he lay there in Rosemary’s arms. He didn’t even know where to begin. But even someone as relatively inexperienced as him knew the best place to start after having sex.