by Amy Briggs
“It will be.” I discreetly took her hand under the table, weaving her fingers with mine. I was going to enjoy my last night with her; the calm before the storm.
“That was fun. It was nice to get out,” I said as I kicked my shoes off immediately upon entering the hotel room. Since it was a short walk, I’d worn my bright purple heels and jeans, with a simple black tank top. Those shoes were a gift from my mom; she knew purple was my favorite color.
“It was nice to get out, and the catfish was worth it,” he chuckled, taking his watch off and setting it on the nightstand. “Are you tired?”
With a devilish grin, I made my way over to him, placing my hands on his muscular chest and sliding them down his torso, before linking my fingers in the waistband of his jeans. “I’m not tired at all, actually.”
He brought his hands up to my neck, slowly running one of them up the back of my head before taking a handful of my hair in his grip, tugging slightly. He leaned closer, and his beard tickled my throat as he kissed me softly, his tongue trailing along the length of my neck.
“You’re not tired?” he whispered, continuing to hold me in place, not that I’d have fought back. His husky tone drove me wild, causing me to pull him closer, my index fingers still tucked in his waistband.
“No,” I let out in a hushed tone, completely turned on by his masculine demeanor. He was definitely the boss in the bedroom, and I fucking loved having him dominate me that way. It made me feel like a goddess. He was demanding and fierce, but gentle at the same time. He let go of my hair, and as my head fell forward, his lips crashed into mine. Every single time he kissed me felt like the first kiss of a new love. It was passionate and deep, and left me wanting more each time. He pulled me close, running his hand along my lower back, pulling me forward with a grip on my ass that almost made me yelp.
“You’re not ready for bed?” he muttered in between kisses.
“Oh, I’m ready for bed,” I replied.
Letting me go abruptly, he demanded, “Go to your room, I’ll be right behind you.” Smacking me on the ass, I squealed as I flew through the open door to my room.
Moments later, Ryan appeared in the doorway, wearing only his faded jeans and that charming smile. “You’re still dressed?” he asked.
“You weren’t gone but a minute,” I giggled.
“I want to unwrap you myself anyway,” he grinned, making his way to me. “I have an idea though.” He took my hand, leading me to the bathroom.
“What are we doing?” I was all for shower sex, but I kind of wanted to get to fucking in that big huge bed. I was antsy, and craving him desperately after pretending not to be into him all night at dinner.
Ryan turned the shower on, and as steam started to rise, he turned back to me. “I want you to watch.” He pivoted me around to face the mirror, shifting his hands to the hem of my shirt. As he pulled it up slowly, revealing my bright purple bra that matched my shoes, a chill ran through me watching him watch me in the mirror. I studied his face, his concentration, as he ran his hands down the front of my body, just barely skimming my skin with his hands. As I reached up behind me to touch him, he stopped me. “Just watch, Miranda, and tell me what you like.”
He ran his hands further down, across my belly, and I leaned back into him, my desire growing. Ryan found the waistband of my jeans, and undid the button. He slowly dragged his fingers down my legs, taking my jeans with them, removing them completely. I continued to face the mirror, simply watching. I’d never really loved my body, but watching him roam my curves was the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. My heart began to race when he ran his hand along my slit, over my matching panties, and my breath hitched.
“You’re so fucking wet, Miranda,” he said into my hair that had fallen around my shoulders. He met my gaze in the mirror with such intensity it made my heart skip a beat. Reaching around me, he ran his right hand back down between my legs, rubbing my clit gently, while his left hand pulled my bra down just enough for him to gently stroke my nipple with the pad of his thumb. The sensations overwhelmed me, causing my hips to begin rocking slightly; I was desperate for him and ready to explode.
Taking his hands off me for only a moment, he took his own pants off quickly, letting them drop in a pile below us. The hot water in the shower now filled the entire room with a thick fog, blurring the image of us in the mirror.
Before returning to his exploration of my body, he ran his hand over the mirror in front of us, clearing the steam, exposing our bodies again in full view. I watched as he nuzzled into my shoulder, planting kisses as he brushed across it. I observed the care he took as he slid the strap of my bra down, clearing a path for his kisses. I shuddered as he pulled me toward him, slightly bending me over the counter. I could feel his hardness rubbing against me from behind, making me even wetter with need.
As my breaths became more labored, I kept my eyes fixed on him. He met my gaze in the mirror briefly, lifting his head to watch me as he slid my panties down to my ankles. I continued to stare at him, my mouth slightly open in awe at his meticulous actions. I couldn’t see him slide the condom on, but I knew that’s what he was doing, setting my heart rate at full throttle with anticipation.
I was practically panting with need, when he finally bent me a bit further over the counter, causing me to place a hand on the mirror in front of us to steady myself. He lined himself up to my entrance, gently sliding inside of me, causing me to moan out loud with him.
“Fuck, Ryan,” I breathed out, as he slowly rocked himself inside me from behind, leaning back slightly and watching us in the mirror.
He groaned loudly, gripping my hips tightly, his thrusts becoming harder. I closed my eyes, relishing the feeling of his cock filling me, giving me what my body craved so badly. “Open your eyes, Miranda,” he demanded, penetrating me so deeply that I began to pant audibly. I looked up at his order, meeting his gaze, and the animal desire he displayed caused my climax to stir up, making its way to my core. “I want you to watch. I want you to see how beautiful you are when I make you come.” As he increased his rhythm, I glued my eyes to his reflection until I couldn’t control myself any longer, screaming his name out with my release.
“Ryan! Oh my God,” I cried out, shaking uncontrollably while he continued his pummeling of my pussy, coming behind me. His grasp on my hips was almost painful as he came, fucking me so hard that I was pressed up against the counter in the bathroom, both hands on the mirror so I wouldn’t fall, not that his grasp on me would have allowed it.
“Fuck, Miranda!” he called out as he lessened his hold on me, letting pleasure take over.
As we came down together, I caught my breath, moving my hands from the mirror to the counter, while he carefully slid out of my throbbing pussy. I turned around to face him in the steam-filled room, reaching up for a kiss.
“Jesus Christ, Ryan,” I whispered.
“You do things to me, Miranda.” He wrapped his arms around me, holding me close. “I can’t fucking control it.” Still out of breath himself, he kissed me again passionately, stealing my breath away.
“Why would you even want to?” I asked.
“I’m addicted to you,” he confessed, appearing almost ashamed of it.
I brought my hand to his face, softly stroking his beard. “That’s not a bad thing,” I whispered as I gently brought my lips to his for a sweet kiss.
He brought his hands to meet mine, pulling me toward the shower. “Join me,” he quietly demanded as he backed toward the large shower.
Which I did. In our private world of sexual rapture and whatever emotional bond that had clearly formed between us, we spent most of the night tasting and exploring every inch of each other until the soft light of morning formed outside the window. It was then when we finally rested, wrapped up in each other completely.
Last night with Miranda was like a dream I didn’t want to wake up from, and the moment my eyes opened, the pain of anxiety overtook me. It was the day everything was going to fall
apart, and the looming dread of confessing to Miranda’s father was almost more than I could bear. I let her sleep a bit longer than me simply so I could take her in, mentally photographing her for posterity. I’d never be the same after protecting her.
Our entourage arrived at the venue without issue. No notes; nothing out of the ordinary. I let Miranda know I had some phone calls to make for work so she wouldn’t miss me in the small audience watching sound check.
“Is everything alright?” she asked me sweetly, scrutinizing my face. She could see something wasn’t right, and my best efforts couldn’t hide my despair.
“Of course it is. I’ll be here when you’re done. Go get ’em tiger,” I teased her, eliciting a smile. Since we were surrounded by the band, roadies, and some straggling employees of the venue, I wasn’t able to kiss her goodbye, which was all I could think of. Once she was safely out onstage rehearsing, I walked to the front of the venue, pacing the parking lot before making the call.
It was time to bite the bullet. I dialed his number, waiting for an answer. “Mr. Royal? It’s Ryan King.”
“Ryan! How are you? I told you to call me Mark. How are my girls?” he asked cheerfully.
“Well sir, there’s a bit of a situation I need to discuss with you,” I began.
“This sounds serious. What is it son?”
“Uh, well, as you know from my reports, we had an incident yesterday, with a package showing up. The police have been involved, but as usual, we have no real leads. She’s been with me most of the time, so physically she’s not been harmed or approached, and I expect that won’t change,” I said, avoiding the inevitable.
“Okay, all that was in your report, which you know I read as soon as you send along. There must be something else going on for you to call me. Has something else happened?” I could hear the concern in his voice.
“Well sir, I’m not sure how to say this. But, I’ve… uh… well, I’ll just spit it out. I’ve developed personal feelings for your daughter. For Miranda. And it wouldn’t be right for me not to inform you of this, as an employee of yours,” I confessed, running my hand feverishly through my hair as I continued to pace outside.
Silence fell over the line. “Sir, are you still there?”
Mr. Royal started laughing, taking me completely off guard. “Oh yes, son, I’m still here. So, all the close quarters did you in?”
“I.. uh.. Yeah, I suppose it did, sir, I’m sorry. And I understand if you would like to end my contract, of course. I can make arrangements for one of my employees to take over, if you still want to use our services for protection.” I tried to present a professional reply, feeling like a huge fucking asshole.
“So, let me ask you, Ryan, how does Miranda feel about you?” he asked thoughtfully.
“Well sir, I think she feels the same way. I’m not sure, though. You see, we’ve been spending a lot of… time… together,” I replied, hoping he wouldn’t ask me to elaborate.
“I see, I see,” he said. There was a lengthy pause that felt like an hour. “Ryan, are you in love with my daughter?”
A swell in my chest formed, and without hesitation, I replied, “Yes sir, I am.” Nervously running my free hand over my beard, I awaited the ass chewing that was sure to come, while still wishing I could have kept all of this to myself.
Laughing again, Mr. Royal surprised me completely. “Ryan, I could have predicted this happening. I’m not at all surprised.”
“You’re not?” I asked, completely shocked.
“No, I’m not. I’m not a foolish man, Ryan. I know my daughters. You’re most likely exactly what my Miranda has needed in her life. Now, that being said, this does pose a bit of a problem for your cover, now doesn’t it?”
“Yes sir, it does.”
“Professionally, what is your recommendation?” he asked me, which I didn’t expect. “Do your feelings impact your ability to protect my daughter?”
Contemplating the most appropriate and honest answer, I stated, “My feelings for Miranda don’t impact my ability to protect her. I think that, at some point, she needs to be told who I really am though, and I’m not entirely certain how well received that will be.”
“Oh, I can assure you that it will be poorly received,” he chuckled. “In all fairness to you, Ryan, I think that it should be left to you when she should be told at this point. You’re already out there with her, and have developed a… kinship, we’ll call it. And with the perpetrator still on the loose, I think the need for her to be protected has not changed.”
“You’re not mad?” I asked.
“Mad? No. How could I be mad? I put you in close quarters with my daughter, who is an amazing and beautiful soul. I could have placed wagers on it happening. In fact, my wife was surprised you hadn’t made this phone call sooner.” I could hear the smile in his voice over the phone.
Completely reeling, I let a chuckle escape as well. “Sir, I promise you, as long as she is with me, she is safe. I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“I believe you, son,” he replied.
“I’d like to have one of my colleagues join us in San Francisco somehow, to be safe. I’ll send you his information, and if you’re amenable to it, the Little Queens will finish out the tour with both of us. I cannot be everywhere at once, and the addition of his skills to the job may help us find the stalker and put that issue to rest sooner.”
“That’s fine with me. You let me know how you decide to present this to the girls. I assume you’ll be figuring out how to tell Miranda who you really are sooner rather than later?”
“Yes sir, I think once we get out of this God forsaken town, she and I will need to have a talk. We’re in San Diego next, and that seems like as good a place as any to end the charade, and come clean,” I said.
“Well, you have my blessing, not that you need it. You’re adults, capable of making your own decisions. And you also have my permission to let her know that her mother and I were behind the charade from the beginning. I can only guess that Carmen has figured all of this out by now?” he inquired.
“Yes sir,” I confirmed. “She and I have developed an understanding.”
Laughing heartily, he replied, “That’s not surprising at all. She’s a pistol, that Carmen. But she knows what’s best, deep down.”
“Yes sir, she does,” I agreed.
“Alright, well I have no intention of firing you, Ryan. I think my daughter is safer with you than without you, and that’s good enough for me. As for you two, I’ll leave you to work that out for yourselves.”
“Thank you, sir. I won’t disappoint you,” I replied, grateful I’d live to spend another day with my queen.
“I have no doubts,” he replied, letting me go back to the venue with a fresh perspective.
Relieved, I watched the rest of their sound check with a full heart. I was in love with Miranda Royal. If only she knew how I felt. The next forty-eight hours would tell whether or not we’d be able to get through her learning of my deceit. I suspected that, regardless of why I misrepresented myself, she would be fucking furious with me, and I just hoped I’d be able to weather the storm and keep her in my life.
I couldn’t have been happier to be getting the hell out of New Orleans. When you’re young, you think it’s the coolest city. The all-night partying, the old world vibe that the city gives off. But after the surprise left for me at the hotel, coupled with the fact that I no longer enjoyed partying all night long, I couldn’t wait to get to San Diego. It was a two-day drive, and while we had the option to fly if we wanted, Carmen and I enjoyed the bus. The plan was to get to California, hit San Diego and San Francisco, go up the coast to Portland and Seattle, then back down to the south west and Texas before finishing up the tour back home in Nashville.
Unfortunately for my libido that had been awakened by my time with Ryan, it would be two long days of not sleeping together, and stealing glances from across the bus, and nothing but idle chitchat. I did some writing of my own, playing a fe
w snippets of new songs for him and Carmen, who had softened her tone with him significantly. Whatever they talked about in New Orleans must have eased her reservations about his time with us, and she seemed to appreciate his company as well.
By the time we finally arrived in sunny San Diego, I couldn’t get off the bus fast enough. Not only was I tired of being in such a small space, San Diego is warm, sunny, and known for their beaches. I wanted to stretch my legs and go for a walk along the water.
“Are you even going to check in?” Carmen asked, laughing.
“If I must,” I sighed, taking in a huge breath of the sea air.
“Well, it would certainly be easier now than later,” she giggled. “Your love of California continues to baffle me. The people here are so weird.”
“They’re weird because they’re happy!” I exclaimed. “If we lived in weather like this, you’d be much less salty, sister,” I teased her.
“Perhaps, but my salty attitude keeps us balanced. Besides, you’re my sister, you have to love me exactly as I am.”
Throwing my arms around her in front of the hotel, I said in a singsong voice, “I love my sister no matter what, day or night, salty attitude, or the occasional sweet.”
“Oh, for fucks sake, get off me.” She tried to shrug me off, but I only held on tighter. I was feeling silly and happy, and she was going be a part of it, whether she liked it or not.
“Ryan, would you like to join me and my cranky little sister for fish tacos down by the beach?” I asked joyfully.
Laughing at me, his sexy beard shining in the sun, he replied, “I’d be honored to accompany you beautiful ladies for some lunch. Shall we get ourselves checked in?”
“Yes, we should, let’s be quick about it. It’s beautiful out here and I want to enjoy it!” I exclaimed. We had all started to walk off, when Marty stopped me quickly. “You guys go ahead, I’ll be right there.”
“Just wanted to remind you that this is the stop where we have a guy coming to clean the buses. So if there’s anything in there you want, have someone grab it for you, okay?”
