“Yesssss,” she hissed, as I pushed her back onto the plush leather couch. Tiny track lights in the ceiling and along the base of the seats were the only things illuminating the room. I pulled her boots off after cursing the damn laces, swearing I would buy her slip-ons before the next show. Her jeans came off in one quick tug, because I didn’t want to destroy all of her clothes.
The black lace panties were nothing more than shredded material in my hands.
“Fuck,” I growled, swiping my tongue up her heated lips. “You’re so wet for me like always.”
“Yes,” she huffed out, pushing her pussy closer to my mouth. Greedy little woman…I liked it!
I had to throw my arm over her waist to keep her still. “If you don’t quit moving, I will tie you down to this couch.” It really did no good. She was in the throes of our passion already, and I didn’t think anything I said would stop her from accepting the pleasure I was planning for her.
“Please, Taylor,” she cried out.
“You are to do as I say, Coraline,” I demanded, feeling my body tighten in response to her taste. “You’ve been away from me for too long.”
“I’ve been here,” she giggled.
“Come here,” I said, pulling her to her feet. I didn’t waste time with words. I’d dreamed about that smart little mouth around my cock for months!
Pushing her to her knees, I noticed the small smirk at the corner of her lips as I took charge. She’d told me on that island that she’d been in control of every aspect of her life, and giving up control to me was what she needed…to just let go of everything, lose control for once in her life.
Pulling my cock free, I groaned as her tiny tongue snaked out and wet her lips in a seductive swipe. She reached up and folded her fingers over the base of my cock as her eyes heated with desire. I fell back on the couch and threaded my fingers into her short black hair, pulling her toward my awaiting length.
“Take me…all of me, baby,” I demanded, watching as she swallowed my cock. “Jesus…fuck.”
“Mmmm,” she moaned, causing my balls to tighten, just begging for release. I had to squint my eyes to keep from ending this before we even got started. Her tongue danced around the head and, after several passes, I was about to come unglued.
The back of her throat tightened when she took all of me. I wanted to release in her mouth, but I held back, telling myself that I needed her pussy tonight. With each pass of her mouth, I felt my need to be buried inside her grow.
“On your knees, Cora. On the couch, and hold on to the back,” I snarled, pulling her mouth away from my cock. That was one of the hardest things I had ever done. That woman had a wickedly talented mouth, and I was an idiot to stop her, but I wanted inside her warmth.
When she was where I wanted her, I entered her in one swift movement, folding myself over her back so that I could kiss the top of her shoulder. Her heat wrapped around me, pulling me deeper inside. I drove deep, fast…slow. Every movement I made increased the mewling coming from her mouth. At one point, I had to wrap my arm around her waist to keep her from falling forward. There was no way in hell I was going to let her give out now.
“Oh, God, don’t stop. Please don’t stop, Taylor,” she chanted, pushing back to meet me thrust for thrust. Her pussy clamped down just as she cried out in release. “More…”
I didn’t stop thrusting deep, giving her what she needed…what she craved. I fought off my own release to give her what she wanted. I know it took every ounce of willpower in her body to give up the control so she could just…feel.
“Are you on the pill?” I growled, leaning in close to her ear. Her panting had subsided somewhat, but her pussy still dripped for me. “I want to come inside you. I need to know, Cora.”
“Yes,” she cried out, but not in passion. Her body stiffened and I felt my heart stop dead in my chest. “But…I was…before.”
Just as quickly as my passion rose for her, my heart exploded with pain as tears sprung forth from her eyes. But it was no use. I was too late.
My cock pulsed, emptying my seed inside her once again.
Chapter 17
Coraline
“No!” he roared, tightening his hold around my waist. What the hell was I supposed to do? He didn’t protect himself when he had me bent over. I should’ve told him. I should’ve been more responsible.
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry, Taylor,” I panicked, pushing at his large body, but I couldn’t budge him. It took all I had to keep from crawling out of my skin. Feeling him this close to me made the pain return…made my chest hurt. “Just…Just let me go!”
“No, Coraline!” he howled, using his massive arms to spin me around. I felt his essence between my legs when his now flaccid cock slipped free of my body. “You are not running from me, sweetheart. Not again.”
“I…I can’t do this,” I cried, cursing myself for putting him in this situation again. “It’s my fault. I should’ve made you wear a condom.” His beautiful green eyes searched my face. What was he looking for? I had no idea, but I couldn’t bring him any more pain. I could see the guilt resurfacing in his gaze, and I couldn’t let him hurt. I’d already done enough of that for the both of us.
“It’s my fault,” he whispered, more himself now. I knew his yelling was during the heat of the moment, but it still hurt all the same. “It’s my responsibility to protect you. I didn’t.”
“I’m…,” I began, but his inhuman wail cut me off. I looked up into his eyes and I saw pain…raw pain.
“Please, do not say you are sorry,” he snapped, pulling me flush against his chest. When he buried his face in my neck, my tears began again, and I couldn’t stop my arms from wrapping around his broad shoulders, holding his body against mine.
“It’s going to be okay, Taylor,” I murmured, placing my lips at his temple. “It’s not going to happen again.”
“You were on the pill then?” he was shocked, mumbling his question into my neck...the place he found peace.
“Yes,” I admitted. “I don’t know why…or how it happened, but it did. Maybe it was the alcohol that night, maybe it was fate, but it happened and it’s over. I have to move on. We have to move on.”
“I will never forgive myself,” he paused, shaking his head. “He…the baby probably didn’t survive because of all of my drug use. I’m tainted. It couldn’t have been your fault.”
I was stunned….completely floored at his words.
“What?” I sputtered, holding him tighter, as if I could take away his pain. “Taylor! You can’t know that!”
“But it’s the only reason I can come up with,” he stated dejectedly, pulling his face away so I could look into his watery eyes. God, his tears killed me. “You are healthy and pure and…clean.”
“It wasn’t either one of our faults, Taylor,” I said, stroking his face in comfort. When he nuzzled his cheek into my palm, I sighed in relief at his acceptance of the gesture. He was opening up to me, and even though we were half naked, covered in both of our combined fluids, we were going to have this talk. It was well past time for that.
“I should’ve been there for you, but I was selfish,” he groaned. “If I’d just answered the damn phone.”
“It’s okay,” I reassured him, letting him pick me up and carry me to the bunk. I didn’t know how he knew that the bus was still vacant, but it was. He laid me down gently and walked away, returning quickly with a washcloth. I protested when he tried to clean his seed from between my legs.
“My job,” he growled. I allowed my legs fall to the side and let him do it without another word. He turned away, and I didn’t look out to see what he was doing. It wasn’t long before he tossed our clothes, well mostly my clothes, in the corner of the bunk by my feet. Sliding in, he pulled me into his arms. “I want to know what happened, Coraline. I deserve to know everything.”
He was right. I’d kept him in the dark for far too long, and it was time that we discussed what happened with the baby. He also had to come
clean about why he didn’t answer or even call me back. It was very hard to do, but I sucked it up, starting with the night I realized I was late in getting my period.
“I ran to the store and bought a pregnancy test,” I paused, composing myself. “I took it, and when it came back positive, I went out and bought two more. When they were positive as well, I didn’t know what to do, so I called you.”
“I was in the studio that night,” he remembered, his eyes vacant while he replayed those memories in his head.
“I understand,” I sighed in defeat.
“After a few days, I was wore out from recording. The hours were long and I was focused on my work.” He rearranged me so that I was against his side in the bunk. He flipped a lamp on, flooding the area with a small amount of light.
“I was trying to not think about it,” I admitted. “I didn’t want to accept that I was pregnant.”
“The night I was going to call you back,” he cursed. “Things went to shit quick.”
“What happened?” I asked, needing to know.
“Someone knocked on the door, and when I answered, my dealer was standing there. He said he had some coke and wanted me to have first dibs. He actually tossed a small baggie at me and told me I could try some, on the house. He was trying to pressure me into buying a shitload of it and I told him to get the fuck out and never come back. Every time I’ve replay the memory of that man standing on my doorstep, all I want to do is call a realtor and have my house sold before I finish with the tour. I can’t live there any longer, Cora, and I have a feeling I’m going to make that call sooner, rather than later.”
“What happened after that?” I kept going, hoping to hell he didn’t keep the stuff his dealer offered.
“I called my sponsor. I was too wound up to answer your call. I…I didn’t want you to hear me like that. I didn’t want you knowing that I almost failed.”
“But you didn’t,” I said, squeezing his hand for support.
“No, I didn’t,” he replied, shaking his head at the memory. “I packed a bag as fast as I could, locked up the house, and ran to get help.”
“I’d called you the next day, too,” I told him, wanting to know what happened with him. I believed him when he said that he had gone to his sponsor’s house, but somehow, I had to hear the story to make it real in my head.
“I turned off my phone for a few days, and when I turned it on, I saw the missed calls, Cora,” he promised, looking deep into my eyes. “I wanted so desperately to call you, but I wasn’t in a good spot…my desires for a high were too intense. I didn’t want any of that to touch you. I didn’t want you around me when I was like that.”
“It hurt,” I admitted. “I’m not going to lie, Taylor. It wounded me. I tried to call you that evening, too, and got nothing.”
“I was back at the studio,” he answered honestly. I had no reason to not believe him. No, Taylor Vaughn wouldn’t do anything to hurt me…at least not again. “I was in the studio for a week.”
“And then I stopped calling,” I finished, feeling the knot of tears build in my chest. God that hurt.
“By then, I was not myself, Cora,” he continued, “I had to stay where I could get the help I needed. I wanted so badly to get high. You don’t understand the cravings of an addiction. It’s like you will die without the high. Your body aches and begs and pleads with your mind…just one more time. Just one more line of coke. That’ll be the last time we ever do it. That’s what my mind kept playing over and over in my head. I had to get help before I saw you again. I couldn’t bring my problems to you and your cousin’s band. It was something I had to do, but if I’d known…”
“No,” I interrupted, stopping him with a finger to his soft lips. “I wouldn’t have let you come to my side if you needed help that badly, Taylor. I don’t hate you. I don’t blame you. I had Kane and Delilah. They helped me through it.”
“But it should’ve been me,” he said, pulling me closer to his chest. When I wrapped my arms across the wide expanse of his shoulders, I felt them shake with the silent sobs tearing away at his heart. “It should’ve been me there to hold you when you needed me the most.”
“But you’re here now,” I pleaded, closing my eyes. “You’re here now, Taylor, and that’s all I need.”
We stayed like that for what seemed like hours. I’d felt so torn, so confused. I wanted to hate him when he wouldn’t answer my calls, but I’d forgiven him. He was struggling with something that was just as important. The whole issue needed to be put to rest, and I had to find a way to get him to forgive himself for not being there for me.
“I would’ve been happy for the baby,” he paused, taking a deep breath. “I would’ve loved the little angel, Cora. I just wanted you to know that.”
“Thank you,” I sighed. “I know you would have.”
“I still wonder…” he began, but I cut him off.
“We can’t sit here and conjure up all of these what-ifs, Taylor,” I said, biting my cheek to keep from crying again. I’d done enough of that to last a lifetime. “We have to move forward.”
“I’m just now processing the things you’ve had some time to work through,” he explained, placing his large hand on my stomach. “It’s going to take me a bit to mourn.”
“I’m so sorry,” I replied, burying my face against his warm chest. He shivered when my lips made contact with his skin.
“I will never fail you again,” he vowed, pushing himself up so that he could rest on his elbow and look into my eyes. “I promise you.”
“I know,” I whispered, cupping his face. “I know.”
Chapter 18
Taylor
After the show that night, she fell asleep in my arms. I watched her with the small amount of light filtering through the half drawn curtain. Her long lashes were resting delicately on her cheekbones. Those soft lips I craved were pushed out into a sleepy pout. It took everything I had not to wake her up with my lips pressed to hers.
The night was met with dreams of babies with dark hair and beautiful hazel eyes. The morning also came too early, and thankfully, the bus was still moving. This meant that we hadn’t quite made it to the next stop.
I slid carefully out of the bunk and made my way to the front sitting area where Ace was nursing a hot cup of coffee. He flipped through the channels on the television, cursing when he found nothing of interest to watch.
“How did last night go?” he probed. “Is Coraline okay?”
“She’s fine,” I sighed, placing my face in my hands; my elbows rested on my knees. “We talked. She told me everything and I told her why I never called her.”
“Are you two good?” he wondered.
“Yeah,” I nodded, looking up into my best friend’s eyes. I saw concern and understanding, something that I needed desperately. “We are going to be okay.”
Braxton stumbled out, heading straight for the coffee pot. He grumbled out something that sounded like good morning, and took a seat at the small table that sat three. Cash followed not long afterward.
It was another hour before I decided to wake up Coraline. If I didn’t, she’d sleep all damn day. We’d learned this on the European tour just a few weeks ago. That woman could sleep a full twenty-four hours if she had the opportunity.
“Good morning, baby,” I crooned, sliding into the bunk. She was curled up like a kitten with her back facing me. She batted at my hand, but I wasn’t going to let her push me away. She’d done enough of that over the past few months. “Come on, Cora. You’re late for work.”
“Work?” she choked out, sputtering as she pushed me back. I fell on my ass in the aisle and my full-bellied laugh brought everyone over to see what the hell was going on. “Am I late?”
“No,” I laughed. “But it got you up.”
“You asshole!” she ranted, using her pillow to knock me upside the head. “I was sleeping!”
“I want you up,” I declared, more playfully than anything else.
“Go. Awa
y,” she cursed.
“I think you need a shower,” I stated, climbing to my feet. I raised a brow in her direction.
“You wouldn’t!” she squeaked, backing into the bunk as far as she could go. “Taylor Vaughn, you’d better not!”
“You know I will,” I teased, reaching inside for her arm. She twisted and turned, laughing loudly as I reached for any body part I could grab. When I snagged her ankle, she called me names again, but her laugh was what made me finally admit that I truly loved Coraline Maddox.
In fact, the thought stunned me so deeply that I immediately released her and climbed inside the bunk, plastering my body close to hers. My lips found the only heaven I knew…buried in her sweet neck. Her contented sigh drew me in and captured my heart.
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, feeling my mood shift drastically. It wasn’t what she thought. No, it was nothing like that at all. I wasn’t having a moment…no, I was falling in love.
“Nothing, baby,” I smiled. “Nothing at all.”
“Are you two going to giggle all damn morning?” Ace called out, kicking my ass with his bare foot as he walked by the bunks. “Or are we going to grab something to eat?”
The bus stopped at a diner and we all piled inside, ordering a large breakfast. Cora took a seat next to me, her phone ringing as soon as we’d placed our order. Her cousin was calling to check in and to let her know that he’d just talked to the detective in Phoenix. We’d been so wrapped up in touring overseas that we’d forgotten all about the hired help who’d beaten her up in the back of the venue just a month ago.
“Doug is still on the loose, and Kane is worried,” she filled me in, after hanging up the phone.
“We are not going to let anything happen to you,” I vowed. “You just need to stay with someone. Don’t be wandering off by yourself.”
“Like Doug will be able to find me,” she shrugged, waving her hand out to the side as if this was no big deal. “I doubt he will come around anyway.”
Fatal Desires (Fatal Cross Live! Book 1) Page 11
