“That doesn’t mean anything. And even if it does, you and Jay can still have a nice family. Adoption, remember?”
“Yeah,” Katie sighed. “Adoption.”
“We’re getting ahead of ourselves in any case.” Maureen took Katie’s hand. “I take it you’re finally going to tell him you love him?” At Katie’s nod, she smiled. “Good. Like I said, I’m sure he loves you, too. Once you get that out of the way, then you can worry about babies. Okay?”
“Okay,” Katie mumbled. “I just hope you’re right.”
“I am. He loves you, Katie, and that’s the most important thing.”
• • •
Dark. And smelly. Those two words summed up the backstage area at the Hamburg club where Shadowed Knight was to perform. Katie and Maureen had no trouble gaining access; the lone security guard was halfway down the alley, oblivious to the comings and goings through the backstage door as he smoked a joint. Stifling their giggles, the two girls slipped into the building undetected, brushing against cartons stacked along either side of the narrow hallway.
“Man,” Katie muttered as they were forced to walk single-file. “I hope there’s not a fire.”
Maureen exhaled strongly behind her. “Well, thank you for that little bit of cheer,” she whispered. “It’s not as if I weren’t nervous enough without having to worry about being charred to death.”
Smothering a giggle, Katie reached behind her, groping for Maureen’s hand. “Sorry, Maur. I’m sure there won’t be a fire.” A block of light spilled from an open doorway ahead and Katie aimed for it. “C’mon. I’ll bet they’re in there.” As they drew closer to the door, the sound of voices reached their ears, a mix of smooth baritone from Shadowed Knight and soft feminine tones. Katie felt Maureen come to an abrupt halt behind her.
“Who the hell are they?” It didn’t take a rocket scientist to discern Maureen wasn’t referring to the familiar voices of the men.
“Groupies, I guess.” Katie turned to face her. “Don’t get your panties in a wad, though. Just because they’re hanging around doesn’t mean Nicky’s taken them up on anything. Remember, you’re the one he loves. You’re going to be his wife, for God’s sake.”
The tightness on Maureen’s face eased. “You’re right.” She nodded, a brief jerk of her head. “I shouldn’t be so quick to suspect him, should I? Just because the other chaps can’t control themselves … ” She broke off with a stricken look. “I’m sorry, Katie. I didn’t mean that Jay would … ”
“Stay cool, Maur.” Katie forced a strained smile. “Remember, Jay and I haven’t … well, he doesn’t know … You know what I mean. I’ll deal with it if there’s anything to deal with.”
Even in the uncertain light, the movement of Maureen’s throat was visible as she swallowed. “Okay. But I can’t deal with it. So, could you look? I can’t.”
With a nod, Katie tiptoed the few steps to the doorway and peeked in. The room was small and uninviting, cramped from too many people in such a tiny area. The dingy light from dim florescent fixtures washed them all in a dull yellow glow. Stuart and Adam were squashed onto a rickety-looking wooden bench, both with girls in their laps. George was leaning against the wall with a bottle in his hand talking with Walter, the band’s abrasive manager. And Nicky was perched on a small table swinging his legs as he talked with three obviously adoring girls. Katie was pleased to note he was keeping his distance, though. He couldn’t help but be charming; he was born with it. But his actions toward the girls, from what she could see, were nothing more than friendly.
Nicky’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw Katie and she hastily put a finger to her lips before pulling her head back. In a moment Nicky was out the door and in the hall. “Katie! What are you doing here?” he asked in a hushed voice. He gave her a quick hug. “Is there anything wrong? Is that why you … ”
Katie put a finger across his lips, cutting off the flow of worried questions. “I brought you a present,” she said with a smile and gestured behind her. The next moment she was thrust aside without ceremony as Nicky grabbed Maureen in a wordless hug.
Turning her back on the reunion, Katie looked into the room again, biting her lip. Her eyes scanned the area until she found what she was looking for; Jay was in the far corner, slumped in a folding chair with his eyes closed. He’d propped his feet on another chair, his ankles crossed. His arms were folded across his chest and there was a pained frown on his face. A blonde girl wearing a tie-dyed dress was sitting on a stool behind him, running her fingers through his hair and crooning in his ear. As Katie watched, Jay grimaced and jerked his head away from the girl’s touch. Katie shook her head. She knew better than to touch his hair after he’d gotten ready to perform. It was evident Miss Tie-Dye hadn’t picked up on the fact he was highly annoyed at her ministrations.
Katie entered the room in silence. She was amazed no one seemed to take any notice of her presence. No one, that is, except the girl playing with Jay’s hair who looked at Katie with an expression of hostility.
Ignoring the Glare of Death, Katie swung her foot over Jay’s outstretched legs and lowered herself to his lap. “Aren’t you enjoying yourself?”
Jay’s eyes popped open at the sound of her voice, staring at her in amazement. As she settled herself, he began to recover and smiled. “I am now.” He pushed himself upright and swung his feet off the chair. Sliding his arms around her waist, he buried his face in her neck with a groan. “God, you smell so good.”
Katie sighed as his hands found the bare flesh between her shirt and the waistband of her jeans. Before she could reply, she was interrupted by a rapid flood of German from Fraulein Tie-Dye. Katie didn’t understand the words, but the tone of “Get your fucking hands off him, bitch, I was here first” sounded the same in any language. Katie lifted her eyebrows and shrugged. The only German she knew was Guten Morgen, but she didn’t think the other girl would appreciate such a mistimed salutation. “Mine,” she said, not knowing how else to get her point across.
Jay kissed her neck with a loud smack before raising his head. He shook his hair back from his face and looked her straight in the eye. “Damn right I am.” His hands tightened on her waist.
Out of the corner of her eye, Katie noticed the other girl flounce off in a huff. It barely registered, though, since all her available brain cells were busy trying to ascertain whether or not she’d heard what she thought. Her heart was stuttering in small, jerky beats as if it couldn’t decide whether to race in happiness or squeeze up in fear. Her face grew numb and her hands tingled; she’d forgotten to breathe and was close to passing out. She drew in a ragged breath, dispelling some of the fog in her head. Looking into Jay’s eyes, she probed the hazel depths for some hint of amusement, some clue he was joking. No trace of laughter was there, though, just the same quiet intensity as always, along with a questioning look — the same look that had been there the week before he’d left.
“Let’s go!”
Katie jumped as Walter’s voice boomed behind her. Turning her head, she saw the wiry little manager standing at the door and the confusion in her brain lifted enough for her to wonder how such a full-throated roar could come from a man so scrawny. “Let’s go, lads,” he repeated, clapping his hands together like a schoolteacher with a room full of kindergartners. “It’s show time!”
Katie turned back to Jay, thinking she should respond even if it was just to ask what the hell he’d meant. She parted her lips to speak, but was again interrupted by Walter.
“Shake it, Jay. It’s time to go.”
Jay sighed and shifted his gaze over Katie’s shoulder. “Coming.” He slid her off his lap and, rising to his feet, hooked his arm around her neck.
The white satin of Jay’s shirt was cool under Katie’s arm as she slipped it around his waist. She glanced over at the girls who had been chatting up Nicky and noticed Fraulein Tie-Dye had joined them. As she caught sight of the petulant looks aimed her way, her mind whispered, “Mine.” She’d said it
and he’d agreed. He was hers, this tall, lean, gorgeous man with his arm around her neck. Hers, this man those other girls wanted so badly. Making up its mind on the matter, her heart began to race, flooding her bloodstream with waves of happiness that made every nerve ending sing. Jay Carey was fucking hers!
“If it’s not too much trouble,” Walter’s voice dripped with sarcasm, “do you think you might be persuaded to join the rest of the band, Mr. Carey?”
“Don’t sweat it,” Jay told him. “They can’t start without me, after all.” Giving Katie another squeeze, he brushed his lips across her hair and turned her toward the door. The look of irritation on Walter’s face dissolved into surprise as he noticed who was with Jay.
“Katie?” Walter gaped at her like she’d materialized out of thin air. “Where the hell did you come from?”
“She walked right through the bleedin’ door with me, that’s where she came from.” Maureen’s voice caused Walter to spin in her direction. “Fat lot of good it did you to hire that crack security team, right?”
“Bloody hell! They let you in?” Walter grinned at Maureen as they resumed their habitual exchange of friendly insults they’d been trading since the day they met. Katie felt Jay’s body shake with suppressed laughter as they walked toward the stage. Mounting the rickety steps, they stopped behind the stacks of amps next to Jay’s guitars, tuned and waiting for the show. Tommy, the sole member of the road crew, met Jay with the Gibson and handed it over, murmuring a surprised greeting to Katie. She stood aside and watched Jay settle the strap across his shoulder and around his neck as Tommy plugged in the cord. Jay’s dark hair fell over his face as he looked down at the guitar, positioning it where he wanted it on his hip, his left hand gripping the neck. He took several deep breaths and Katie recognized the signs of him gearing up to take the stage. A thrill shot through her at the sight; tall, lean and sexy, his long black hair curling around his face and that axe slung across his body.
Adam and George had already ambled onto the small stage and were met with roars of approval by the club patrons. The sound pulled Jay out of his ruminations. He looked at Katie through the cascading curls of his hair and slid his hand behind her head. He pulled her forward and kissed her as the noise level from the crowd intensified with the appearance of Nicky and Stuart.
Knowing he was about to leave her both physically and emotionally for the next two hours, Katie felt compelled to maintain the connection she had to him at that moment. “Play something for me tonight.” Her whisper against his lips had been soft, but she knew he heard it when she felt his mouth curve upward against hers.
She was enveloped in the intoxicating veil of his hair as he leaned forward and his gentle laughter tickled her ear. “Everything I play is for you.” His lips brushed across her earlobe and she heard him clearly when he breathed, “Mine.” Katie opened her eyes when she felt him release her and saw only the glow from his shirt as he stepped out under the lights onstage.
“Katie?” Maureen’s voice came from somewhere behind her and she turned toward it. “Oh, there you are.” Maureen took her arm. “Can we see from here, d’you think?”
“What?” With supreme effort, Katie marshaled the whirling thoughts in her head, pushing them aside until she had the leisure to attend to them. She shook her head. “No, let’s get closer.” The two girls took up a position where they’d be out of the way, but would still have a commanding view of the stage. Jay looked up at George and silently counted out the beat. And the room exploded with rock and roll.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Gooseflesh pebbled Katie’s skin as she stepped from the warm cocoon of the tub into the cool bathroom. Her toes snuggled in the bathmat, reluctant to leave it and come into contact with the cold tile floor. The water dripping from her wet hair onto her bare buttocks spurred her to action and she dashed across the room to pull a towel from the rack over the toilet. Bending forward, she wrapped it around her hair, then grabbed another towel and blotted the moisture from her body.
Dry, she dropped the towel and squirted Crest onto her toothbrush. As she brushed her teeth, she inspected herself in the mirror for damage.
Jay had been particularly amorous the night before and Katie was surprised her neck and shoulders weren’t covered with marks where he’d sucked and nibbled. Moving the toothbrush to her back teeth, she waggled her eyebrows at her mirror image. Jay was quite skilled to do the things he did without leaving evidence behind.
She rinsed her mouth and removed the towel from her head. Bending forward, Katie began pulling her fingers through her damp hair, loosening any tangles she came across. Absorbed in tracking down stray knots, she was startled when she felt warm hands slide over her bare rump.
“I can’t begin to tell you how fetching you look.” Jay’s voice was as soft as the skimming of his hands over her buttocks and hips.
Katie’s hands stilled as she looked into the mirror. Jay’s reflection smiled at her and his hands slid up her body to cup her breasts. Her breath caught as he teased her nipples, bringing them to tight, hard points. He pressed his body against hers and she could feel his erection, hot and hard, pressing against the smooth skin of her ass. Meeting his eyes, she shook her head.
“I know,” he said, nodding slightly. “I won’t.”
Relieved he remembered one of the few restrictions she’d placed on sex, Katie relaxed and leaned back against him, flares of pleasure traveling from her nipples through her body.
Jay lowered his lips to her ear, but kept his eyes glued to their reflection. One hand left her breast and moved downward with purpose, coming to rest between her legs. Katie drew in a long, slow breath as his lean fingers stroked the nub of flesh there. She shivered with bliss.
“Do you like watching me play with you?” he whispered, his breath warm against her ear. “Do you like seeing what my hands are doing to you?”
She nodded, her lower lip caught between her teeth. The sight of Jay’s fingers moving between her legs, combined with the exquisite pleasure they caused, was an incredible turn-on. It was the first time she’d ever looked into a mirror when a man made love to her; it was one of the most erotic things she’d ever experienced.
Jay rested his cheek against hers. His other hand left her breast and slid behind her, stoking the skin of her back as it moved lower. It slid between her legs, reached forward, and found the hot, wet, aching center of her desire. One finger, then two, slipped inside and Katie arched her back. His eyes smiled into hers as he slid a third finger inside and began moving them in and out, creating a delicious friction. “How does this make you feel?” The fingers of his other hand increased their rhythm, his eyes still locked on hers, watching her cheeks flush and small beads of perspiration break out on her upper lip.
“Oh, Christ, Jay,” she gasped, unable to tear her gaze from his.
“Like that, do you?” He groaned when her muscles gripped his hand. “Oh, yes, you like that. Are you almost there, Katie?” His lips skimmed her ear. “Are you ready? Do you want more?”
A soft sound came from between her parted lips, her hips moving in rhythm with his hands, his words searing some part of her mind that she hadn’t known existed, a part that wanted to surrender completely with no restraints.
Jay’s reflection smiled that slow, beautiful smile, the one that always drove her crazy, as he removed a hand from between her legs. His hand glided up her body and pressed between her shoulder blades; a gentle pressure that urged her to lean forward.
Grasping the edge of the counter, she bent over the sink, the white tiles cool beneath her fingers. There were still tiny bubbles from the toothpaste foaming near the drain and she watched them pop and dissipate as Jay slid his hands to her hips. She felt the warmth of his thighs against hers as he slipped into her with a muffled moan.
He smoothed her hair from her face, gathering it behind her head. He wrapped the damp length of it around one hand, and with a tug that was gentle but at the same time brooked no resistance, p
ulled her head up until she was again looking into the mirror.
“Watch, Katie,” he said, his eyes on hers. His other hand was between her legs again, rubbing, stroking, teasing. He filled her with each thrust, the pressure inside her building higher with each stroke until it exploded, and she threw her head back as she cried out.
Breathing hard, Jay slid his hands over her smooth buttocks, his thumbs spreading her open, moving lower to stroke the tight, stretched point where they were joined. He kept his head lowered and his hair fell over his face, obscuring everything but his mouth and chin from Katie’s view. She knew he was watching what he was doing to her and the thought of his eyes on her as he pumped in and out of her made her tremble.
“Not fair.”
She wasn’t aware she’d spoken aloud until she saw the smile curve his lips before he lifted his eyes to hers. He arched a brow. “No?”
“No.”
A small smile still on his face, Jay pulled out of her. “Come here, then,” he said, his hands on her shoulders turning her to face him. He bent his head and kissed her as he grasped her around the waist, lifting her to the countertop. The tiles were cool against her skin as Jay spread her legs wider, pulled her forward and slid into her again. “Now, he whispered, cupping a hand behind her head. “Now you can watch all you want.”
Resisting the gentle pressure, Katie kept her head up, her eyes on his face. “It’s you I want to watch.”
Jay’s lips parted and the look in his eyes softened. His hands lowered to her hips and pulled her firmly against him, making her gasp. Moving with a slow, steady rhythm, he smiled into her eyes. “Your eyes get dark as emeralds when I make love to you, did you know that?” One hand rose to brush her cheek. “Christ, look at you, Katie. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful in my life.”
His words caused a shudder to pass through her and she bit her lip at the small sound of pleasure he made as her flesh clutched at his. “Keep talking to me,” she whispered.
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