Seattle Sound Series, The Collection: Books One to Five

by Alexa Padgett

  His hand at my shoulder drifted down my spine. His arm tightened around my waist, low, just above my hips. He tipped back and we fell onto the bed.

  I sprawled over him, my hair cascading around our faces. His hand cupped my bum, weighing it, caressing it, while his thumb and forefinger plucked at my nipple. This time, he kissed my jaw, near my ear.

  I whimpered as I ran my free hand down his side. I needed more of him. I would always need him.

  He pulled me up so that my breasts were even with his mouth. When we collapsed on the bed, I lost my grip on his erection, and now my hands were splayed across his chest. I loved the soft, springy hair there, and I tangled my fingers in it, tugging just enough for him to growl.

  He toyed with one nipple, his tongue swirling around it until it hardened into a tight bud. He went to the other side, massaging my flesh. I wiggled against him, managing to straddle one of his thighs and I pressed my heated core onto his leg. We both moaned at the contact.

  “You’re so wet.”

  “I want you,” I gasped.

  He chuckled, burying his face between my breasts. “You’re going to have me, love.”

  I pushed up, off him and knelt at his feet. I pulled off his boots, his socks and then his jeans. He’d leaned up on his elbows, and I took my time scrutinizing this delicious man as I crawled back up his big, muscular body.

  “Been working out, I see.” I touched his broadened shoulders, following my hand with my lips. He shuddered as my hand, then my mouth, drifting down to the more defined muscles at his core.

  “Surfing, actually. I spend most of my free time doing that and kayaking.”

  “It’s working for you,” I purred.

  He flipped me over so I lay beneath him.

  “God. You have no idea how much I’ve wanted you like this.”

  He ran his fingertips between my breasts and over my stomach. He pressed his palm against my heat and I moaned.

  “I like this. How wet you are for me.” He kissed me, his teeth tugging on my lower lip. I bucked against his hand, wanting, needing more.

  He slid his fingers over my clitoris, and I raised my hips, splaying my legs wider. He licked his way over my lips before delving into my mouth. I kissed him back, fingers tangled in his hair.

  He pressed a finger into me and my head fell back, mouth open, as my back bowed.

  “Christ, Mila, you’re tight.”

  “Feels good. Don’t stop.”

  He found a rhythm with his finger, sliding in and out of my body, pressing forward into that spot I loved. His thumb circled the bundle of nerves.

  “Murphy,” I whimpered.

  “Here with you. Let go. I’ve got you.”

  “No, I want you with me.”

  “We have all night, Mil.” He pressed more insistently against my clit, adding a second finger to pump in and out of my body. My hips bucked wildly. The pleasure built too fast, too big. I kissed him with all that passion inside me as I pushed down his boxer briefs. Soon, I’d admire his bum in them. But right now, I wanted him inside me.

  I tugged his cock forward, but he wouldn’t stop caressing me with his fingers.

  “Murphy, I need you inside me. Please.”

  His fingers were gone and then he pressed against my entrance. He both moaned and gasped.

  “Condom,” he muttered.

  The crinkle of a foil packet, the weight of his knee next to my hip, his body covering mine. He slid inside me before I really considered the need for protection. I threw my head back and gripped his shoulders, my hips rising to press tighter to his groin. I’d missed him, missed this. He pulled out. I leaned up as he pushed into me and bit into his shoulder. He reared back but I wrapped my legs around his hips and pulled him closer.

  I teetered on the edge.

  “Christ. I’ve missed you.” He caught my lips in another kiss and I tilted my hips to accept his next thrust. Murphy was back in my body, pulsing inside me. He held himself there, pinning me to the bed with his hips. He stared down into my eyes. His face flushed, his features sharpened with lust. He pulled out once more, his eyes on the place where we joined. He pressed back into me just as slowly. He hissed and I whimpered at the sensations pulsing through me.

  One more thrust sent me over the edge. I convulsed around him, my vision going black at the edges as he continued to pump into me, milking my orgasm that seemed to go on and on and on.

  I eased back from the pleasure just in time to feel him stiffen over me. He came on a low groan, his forehead against mine. I pressed a kiss to his lips and pulled him tighter to me as he finished falling over the edge.

  22

  Murphy

  Intense. The best orgasm ever, and this woman was the reason for it.

  Much as I’d wanted to draw our coupling out, bring her to the pinnacle of pleasure multiple times before I entered her body, Mila had her own agenda. Turned out, she knew what she was doing.

  Catching my breath, I wrapped my arms around her and shifted us so we both lay on our sides. She reached up and touched my cheek, smoothing back my hair.

  The gentleness of the caress combined with the love shining from her eyes loosened something in my chest. Tears filled my eyes. I blinked, shocked. I didn’t do much in the way of emotions outside of angry, hungry, lustful, and relaxed. But this was some type of cleansing.

  I pulled her tighter to me and dropped my head to the crook of her shoulder. She smoothed her hand over my head, down my back as the tears flowed. When I pulled back, Mila wiped away the wetness from my cheeks and I returned the favor.

  Her eyes were bloodshot, the tip of her nose red. I couldn’t look any better.

  With a sigh, I slid from the bed and padded to the bathroom. After disposing of the condom, I washed my face and wet a cloth for her.

  Mila propped herself up on the pillows, the covers pulled up to her chest. Her hair, tangled and wild, spilled across her shoulders. I slipped under the sheets next to her and handed her the cloth.

  After she’d cleaned up, she snuggled against my side, her head against my shoulder. My arm wrapped tight around her waist and I breathed in the scent of her hair.

  “I always have firsts with you,” I said.

  “Hmmm?”

  “Getting weepy is new.”

  Mila laid her hand on my chest. “Getting shot at, the constant worry . . . our feelings over losing Kyle. It’s been a lot.”

  “For the first time in much too long, I’m happy and I think I have a shot at sleeping all night.” I ran my thumb across her shoulder and she stiffened, pulling away. Right. The scars. She didn’t say a word about it, but I knew she was comparing herself to the women I’d been photographed with—every air-brushed bit of perfection. She stiffened further until she was straighter than a board. Not easy to hold.

  “I want my pills,” she mumbled.

  Yep. She’d decided she came up lacking and wanted to ease the turbulent emotions pinging through her mind. Having seen how dependent other musicians came to the false calm of these types of pills, there was no way I was letting Mila have one now. “Not a good idea.”

  “I didn’t ask you if you thought I should have one. I said I wanted the bottle. I need one.”

  “You’re recovering from an addiction,” I said. We’d gone post-coital bliss into a full-blown argument in less than five minutes. If I didn’t feel so alive, I’d be angry at how quickly I’d messed up.

  “That’s your opinion,” Mila gritted.

  Anxiety drove her now, told her to pull away from me. Not happening. I rolled over, caging her in my arms. I pressed a kiss to her shoulder, the one with the scars. She tried to push me away, her cheeks flushing enough for me to know she was sensitive about the area. I kissed her again, working my way down to her breast. She hissed a breath. I lapped the space between those beautiful globes.

  She clutched me tighter, her body heating as I laved her nipple. I moved to the other side. She made those sweet sounds in the back of her throat. I re
sted my body between her legs and molded my hands to her hips, thumbs brushing over the sensitive skin on her ribs.

  I kissed a path down to her navel, delving my tongue into the small indentation there before tugging at her piercing. She moaned, her head falling back to expose the length of her smooth throat. I levered up, pressing kisses to her jawline, to her throat, running my lips over her collarbone. I savored the valley between her breasts again before heading lower.

  Mila vibrated under me, her body so primed for my loving she couldn’t remain still. Her nails scored my shoulders and she palmed my back. Her hips tilted up to meet mine, restless, needy.

  I planned to give her everything she needed. I drifted down to kiss her hip bones, the tops of her thighs, her pretty knees. I trailed my lips up the inside of her soft, smooth legs. She gasped as I hit an erogenous zone.

  I pressed a kiss to her lower lips and she stiffened, then immediately melted against me. Her legs splayed open as I continued to kiss her, pressing in deeper to taste more of her.

  God, she tasted sweet. I wanted to do this all night.

  Sleeping with Mila meant waking with her. Which meant hot morning sex, something I hadn’t partaken of in way too long. Much positive to be said for hot morning sex with Mila.

  Now we were in the shower, soaping each other’s bodies, lingering on our favorite places, peaking together.

  I cupped her breast, loving how it filled my hand, as I slid from her body.

  Bloody damn hell. No condom.

  “Are you on the pill?” I asked.

  Mila froze and shook her head. “No.” I watched her teeth come out to sink into her lip. She leaned back and rinsed the conditioner from her hair. When she met my gaze again, hers darkened. “It’s okay. The likelihood of me getting pregnant again is very low.”

  I pulled her close to me, needing to share in this moment. I ached for her. For us.

  “Can you tell me why?”

  “The way I miscarried. The doctor performed a D-and-C afterward, to clean out all the leftover tissue from the placenta, but the trauma . . . There’s scar tissue in my uterus.”

  I held her as she shuddered against me. “Should I be worried about catching something? Too late now that we’ve gone bare, I know.”

  “You’re the only woman I’ve slept since I was last tested.” I hoped she didn’t ask when that was—she really wouldn’t like the answer. “We do it on the reg.”

  Her shoulders stiffened and she eased from my grasp. Once again, she wasn’t ready to hear about my list of previous partners. Not that I could blame her. The idea of Mila sharing her body, let alone her passion, with someone else made me want to break things.

  She opened the shower door and grabbed a towel, wiping the water from her face before wrapping it around her head.

  I couldn’t tell her I’d never been so affected by a woman before—never reached such levels of pleasure—without Mila feeling like I compared her to them. Complete mood killer. I sighed as I reached for the knobs to turn off the spray. I weighed my choices.

  “I’d be thrilled to have a child with you. You know that, right?”

  “The baby wouldn’t replace Kyle.”

  Anger started a slow burn in my gut. “Never said a new bub would. Or could. What I meant was I’d like to be a father.”

  “Then you’ll need to find another woman.”

  My olive branch turned into a new battleground where Mila didn’t feel as though she lived up to some standard of womanhood because the choice was ripped from her body. I wrapped my towel around my waist and followed her into her bedroom. “Fine. Then we won’t have kids.”

  “You can. I can’t.”

  “There are other ways to have children.”

  “Not my children.”

  “Don’t get your back up.”

  “I’m just pointing out my shortcomings now. That way you don’t have to hear them first through the media. Might as well know you’re getting someone so damaged.”

  She’d pulled on her panties and bra. I watched her slither into leggings and a long top. I couldn’t wait to pull it off again and run my hands over her soft curves.

  “What do you want me to say?” I asked.

  “Nothing. There’s nothing you can say.”

  She walked back into the bathroom and hung up her towel. She ran her brush through her hair while I tried to figure out how to control the damage from this conversation. Being with Mila was like walking through a minefield. The other side—us, together forever—was worth the risk, but I wasn’t sure we’d both survive to get there intact.

  She managed to avoid my arms and open her bedroom door. I strode out behind her, my eyes glued to the back of her head.

  “Why can’t we talk about this?” I asked.

  Mila’d stopped and I tripped over her. I managed to catch her with one arm around her waist, the other going to my loosened towel. Noelle, Jake, and even Briar and Hayden sat in the large living room, a coffee service and multiple plates with crumbs resting around the space.

  “Too bad about the towel,” Noelle said, a twinkle in her eye. “That would have made my morning.”

  “Mil!” Alpie cried from her cage. “Hi! Love-oo.”

  “G’day,” I said, not quite catching anyone’s eye. I turned and sped into my room, closing the door just shy of a slam.

  Bloody fabulous. Mila would be even more upset that others heard our argument. I leaned back against the wood, my fingers gripped tight into the metal of the handle, and fought down the urge to destroy things. I’d just gotten her back, and I sure as shit didn’t plan to let her go again.

  “You didn’t answer any of your messages yesterday after the news reported you and Mila were shot at. We were worried,” Jake said.

  Kevin walked by and dropped my phone into my hand. I winced at the number of texts and messages from my mum.

  “Mum upset?”

  “Beside herself, mate. It’s sorted now, though. I let her know you were alive once I showed up here.”

  “And that would be?”

  Jake rubbed a hand over his tired eyes but glanced down at his watch. “’Bout a half hour ago. I called Hayden to let him know I was in Seattle. He and Briar said they’d meet me here. Noelle was arguing with one of the guards in the lobby, but I remembered her from the show, so I brought her up with me.”

  I typed out a message to let Mum know I was sorry for worrying her and to let her know I’d been with Mila.

  “Who’s with Mum?”

  “Ben.”

  I nodded.

  Her response: Good. Please call me soon.

  I inhaled Mila’s scent as I pulled her into my lap. She relaxed against me, giving over her trust. A sight better than good, this.

  “Glad as I am to have you here, Jake, I’m surprised. Both by you and Hayden.” I dipped my head, “Briar,” I said.

  She smiled back, those blue eyes dancing as she watched me squirm. “Hayden’s here on official record label business. They want you out in the spotlight as soon as possible so they can coattail off your new level of fame. You’re even hotter than Hayden was when he left me in Seattle in June.”

  “Are you bloody kidding me? I’m not putting any of you at risk so the label can make some more bucks.”

  Hayden leaned back, a smug expression on his face. “I knew you were still in there, Ets. Glad to see the real human emerging. Wasn’t a fan of the troll.”

  “Piss off,” I said. “You are not doing anything with me. No crowds, no performances, nada.”

  “That’s a bit of a struggle, mate. The label’s put it out that we’ll be at the charity event,” Jake said. “The label hired some private firm to watch us and also to prowl through the crowd. I guess even with the huge price tag they’re still expecting to make some serious coin. Harry said something about broadcasting it on pay-per-view. They moved the venue to something bigger and it’s going to live stream for a fee.”

  Jake leaned forward. “People are going to pay to h
ear you sing, and if the telly’s good, maybe get shot.”

  “Shut it, Jake,” Hayden said. “No one’s getting shot. This isn’t a game.”

  “Just trying to lighten the mood,” Jake said, scowling.

  “Jordan’s still out there, still trying to hurt Mila,” I said.

  “And you,” she replied.

  “The label pulled out its lawyers. They’re making this happen,” Hayden said. “We didn’t get a say.”

  I growled. I wanted to stand and pace. Instead, I pulled Mila even tighter to me. When she didn’t take another breath, I loosened my grip.

  “How about we have a cuppa?” she said, turning to lay her palm against my cheek. “Some brekkie. Then we can discuss this more.”

  “Right. Fine,” I grumbled. I caught Jake’s smirk from the corner of my eye. The little bastard knew I liked Mila taking charge, handling me. I always had.

  “I’ll get it for you,” Noelle said. She’d been strangely quiet this whole time but Mila appeared happier for her presence.

  Noelle came back in a few minutes later with another coffee set and a pile of pastries. Reluctantly, I let go of Mila, who slid onto the cushion in the same chair, making me inordinately pleased she didn’t try to go to another chair. She leaned forward and prepared us each a coffee, handing me the first mug, with just one sugar. I didn’t know why, but the fact she remembered how I liked my coffee brought a lump to my throat that I worked to swallow down before I could take a sip.

  Mila stood and embraced Noelle. “I’m glad to see you,” she said.

  “And I’m glad to see you took my advice,” Noelle’s laughing eyes darted to me. Ah, so she’d wanted us back together. Interesting.

  “Murphy and I are—”

  “Together,” I snapped.

  “Always the romantic,” Jake sighed.

  “Rack off.”

  “And there’s the Ets we all know and love,” Hayden said. “Seriously, mate, we need to do some planning. The logistics of putting this together without Flip are staggering.”

  “He stayed in Sydney with Cynthia and the baby,” Jake said.