by SC Daiko
Instinctively, I looped my legs around his waist and pulled him deeper. “Fuck me, honey. Fuck me hard.”
“You give me all I could ever want,” he sang as he started to thrust. I knew he was close. I dug my fingers into the flesh of his back, feeling my own climax rise from my core. I came with an intensity I’d never experienced, the waves of ecstasy rippling, then I clung to him as he kissed me fiercely and emptied himself inside me.
We held onto each other for a long moment, kissing, before he rolled off me. We turned toward each other, and our foreheads touched as we gazed into each other’s eyes.
“I never thought it could be like that,” I whispered, tears of happiness trickling down my cheeks. “I’m a normal woman now. It feels amazing.”
He captured a tear with his thumb and brought it to his lips. “YOU are amazing. I’m so chuffed to have shared this journey with you.”
“I couldn’t have done it on my own. You’ve been so patient with me. Shown you are a caring man beneath your dirty rocker exterior.”
He placed his finger on my mouth. “Shush. Don’t tell anyone. I need to keep my reputation intact in front of the world.”
I trailed kisses down his face. “I know the real you, and it feels kinda good to keep you to myself.”
He pulled me into him and cupped my ass. “Ready for round two?” He slipped a finger into me from behind. And I wanted him. I wanted him again with a need that took me by surprise. “Oh, yes…”
He lifted me on top, and I straddled him, moving slowly, letting him enter me gradually as I lowered myself onto him. Ah, mmm…
I rode him, his length sliding inside me. Jesus, this is hot. I bent my head for a kiss, and our tongues danced together as our mouths meshed and my nipples pushed against his rock-hard chest. I stroked his face. My lips pulled at the soft skin of his neck and I gave him light kisses behind the ear.
Arching my spine, I closed my eyes, and threw my head back. I squirmed and grunted and rode him. Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. I felt him reach a dead end inside me, and it ached, oh, God, it ached, but it was such a nice ache I freaking loved it.
A low growl escaped his throat. “Fuck, sweetheart, if you carry on like this, I’m gonna come.”
“Yes, come for me, honey. I want you to come.” And he did. I so loved watching him climax, loved seeing the pleasure on his face as he ejaculated.
Everything drew up tight inside me, and I let out a squeal, my pussy throbbing. This second orgasm was less intense than the first, but it went on for longer, fluttering inside me. I collapsed on top of him, our skin hot and sweaty, and I felt his fingers brush gently through my hair as I pressed a kiss to his mouth. I caressed his face, my fingers trailing across the dark stubble above his cupid lip. “You’re so beautiful,” I said, pressing my cheek against his, “so beautiful when you come.”
He angled his head and a smile spread over his face. “As are you, love. As are you.”
We lay together, kissing, smoothing each other’s body. “I love that you sang lines from your song for me while we were fucking.” I chewed at my lip. “I’d so love you to play it for Axel.” I decided to come clean. “Erm, I kinda let on that you might have been writing…”
He lifted me off him, and I waited for him to turn pissy. But he didn’t. He merely laughed. “If this is how you’re gonna get your way in the future, I’d better watch out. I mean, springing shit on me after we’ve just fucked…”
My cheeks heated and I gulped. “Sorry. I kinda got carried away…”
“I love how you got carried away, sweetheart.” He pulled me in for a kiss. “Oops, think I’m about to get carried away again too.” He took my hand and placed it on his hardening dick. “Ready for round three?”
My pussy tingled, hearing his words. “I never thought this would be happening. I’m so happy I could cry.”
“Don’t cry, baby. Just lie back and enjoy yourself.”
And that’s exactly what I did.
Chapter 26
Pierce
I lay in my hammock, the sea breeze cooling me as I thought about the past week. The days had sped by…the mornings filled with activities, the afternoons spent chilling, and the nights during which Hayley and I made up for all that had gone before. Today was our last day on the island. My chest tightened with regret. This retreat had turned out to be such a safe haven. I wasn’t looking forward to our departure tomorrow, but I couldn’t hide out here forever. Couldn’t spend my time parasailing, jet skiing, scuba diving above the wrecks of World War II naval ships, and relaxing—letting the beauty, peace, and serenity of this special place wash over me—much as I’d have loved it.
“Should we get ready to go over to the lodge?” Hayley asked from the hammock next to mine.
I checked my watch and let out a groan. Tonight, our routine would be different than all the other nights. Tonight, Hayley and I were having dinner with the others before we played a few songs to the staff, to thank them for looking after us so well. “Yeah. We’d better get a move on,” I said.
I raked my eyes over her as she swung her lovely tanned legs to the floor. At least we’d still be living together back in LA…the house she’d inherited from her dad would remain empty until she decided what to do with it. I followed her to the bathroom, and we stood under the showerhead, letting the warm water wash away the salt from our afternoon swim. If there’d been time, I would have lifted her onto my ramrod shaft, but we were already going to be late…
After tying my hair back in a pony, I put on a clean pair of shorts and a t-shirt while she slipped a white cotton dress over her head. She braided her hair loosely and tugged it forward over one shoulder...it was too hot for her to leave it down. Later, I’d unplait her cinnamon tresses and spread them over the pillow to bury my face in the silkiness and inhale her scent. Merely thinking about it made me hard again. Every time we fucked, I wondered if we’d conceived a baby. The thought of having a daughter who looked like Hayley made my heart go into freefall.
I took her hand, and we strolled along the path toward the main building, the perfume of Jasmine flowers in the adjacent gardens wafting through the air.
She tilted her head to one side. “Will you perform your song tonight, honey?”
I’d played it for Axel when we’d hung out the other morning while Hayley and Phoenix were enjoying a yoga class. He’d listened, leaning forward with his hands folded in front of him, his gaze focused.
“That’s a fucking hit,” he’d said. “One for the next album if you’ll let us have it…”
There’d never been any question of me not assigning anything I wrote to the band. We always shared the credits for the work that Axel composed. But I never thought I’d come up with anything good enough. “Of course. Awesome,” I’d responded.
“And you’ll move out from your drum throne and take center stage?”
I’d shaken my head. “Not sure about that.”
Axel had let the matter drop. But knowing him like I did—he could be persistent—I had no doubts he’d press me on the subject again.
I put my arm around Hayley as we walked up the steps to the lodge. Everyone else had arrived before us and were enjoying cocktails. We ordered our preferred drink, a non-alcoholic version of Sex on the Beach, aptly named Cuddles on the Beach instead.
Did I miss alcohol? Kind of. I’d been a drunk for years. It was hard when others around me were drinking. I missed the self-confidence it gave me, the euphoria, and the excitement. But I didn’t miss the confusion and stupor that followed. Waking up not remembering anything about the night before. It had been a form of self-harming, I realized that now. I turned to Hayley and kissed her on the cheek. She’d saved me from myself, of that I was fucking certain.
We all sat at the dining room table and enjoyed a Filipino chicken curry in coconut milk sauce, while we chatted about how much fun we’d had here in this magical place. Relaxation had definitely been the name of the game.
After dinner, Hayley g
rabbed Rosa—the smiley young lady who’d served us breakfast every morning—and sat her on a chair next to her to watch us perform. My bandmates and I had only taken acoustic guitars with us to the island, but Liam, Vanilla Sky’s drummer, accompanied us on a Bodhran, a flat Celtic hand drum. We sang a few ballads, Axel brought the house down with our well-known hit, The Alchemist, and Phoenix topped the bill with her cover of Killing Me Softly.
“Your turn now, Foxy,” Axel whispered in my ear when she’d taken her bow to thunderous applause.
“I’m not sure I’m ready…” I backed away from him.
“The first time I sang Harbor in the Storm in front of a crowd, it tore the heart out of me. Once you share your creation with the public, it’s not yours anymore. But Wolf Howls deserves to be heard.”
I shuffled my feet and nodded. “If you think it’s good enough.”
“It’s bloody fucking brilliant.”
Axel spread his arms. “Guys, we have a special treat for you tonight. Foxy has written a song, and it’s so amazing I think it’ll be our next hit. I only just heard it the other day and I think you’ll love it.”
The resort staff whooped and whistled, and I caught Hayley gazing at me, her eyes glowing with love and pride. It felt weird to have everyone staring at me, felt weird not to be hiding inside the steel tank of my drum kit. But I stepped forward and said, “This song is dedicated to Hayley Wilson, who will soon become my wife.” I took a deep breath, released it, and then opened my throat to sing.
When I’d gotten to the end, everyone leaped to their feet, cheering and clapping. I choked up with emotion, bowed and thanked them, and then looked around for Hayley.
She ran up to me, the smiley server girl in tow. “Rosa would like a selfie with you, honey. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” I obliged, lowering my face to Rosa’s height so that she could snap a couple of pics.
I put my arm around Hayley and led her away from the throng. “Let’s go back to the cottage. Spend some time alone together. We can pack in the morning. We’re not leaving the island until after lunch.”
We’d barely left the building before we were kissing. “I’m so proud of you,” she told me between kisses.
“As I am of you.” I held her close. “Always remember that, sweetheart. I love you so much.”
The following morning, we sat on our veranda, waiting for Rosa to serve us breakfast. But she didn’t appear. I was about to put a call through to Bryan, the resort manager, to ask what was going down, when I spotted him walking along the path toward us, accompanied by Jake.
Something wasn’t right, I thought to myself, my muscles tensing. “Where’s Rosa?”
“I’ve had to sack her.” Bryan’s face wore a pained expression. “She broke the terms of her contract by sharing the selfie she took with you last night on Twitter, and now it’s trending.”
“Jesus. Fuck,” I groaned. “I hope she didn’t say where it was that the picture was taken and that we were leaving today?”
Jake grimaced. “She did.”
“Shit…” I leaned forward and put my head in my hands.
Hayley got up from her chair, came and placed her arm around my shoulder. “Oh, honey…”
“I know you all think I’m crazy to be so concerned about Danilo Ramos, a dude I haven’t seen for over ten years. But you didn’t know him like I did. He was put away on my evidence, he’ll have made a point of finding that out. And he isn’t the forgiving type.”
“Sounds like a psycho,” Jake scowled.
“I’m so sorry.” Bryan’s face had turned pale under his tropical tan. “I remember his name, now. It was big news in the Philippines at the time. I had no idea you were involved with him.”
“It was kept secret,” I explained.
“I’ll call the airplane charter company. See if we can leave earlier.” Jake placed his hand on my arm and gave it a squeeze. “If Ramos is in the Philippines, he’s not necessarily nearby. It would be difficult for him to travel to this part of the country so fast, even if he did read about your location on Twitter.”
Finally, Jake was taking my concerns seriously. “Hayley and I will pack straight away.” I shot her a glance. “We’ll meet you at the lodge.”
We all ate a rushed brunch before departing. Adrenaline had taken my appetite, and Hayley just picked at her omelet. It was horrible to be leaving the island with a sour taste in my mouth. Our vacation had been idyllic, and it was a fucking shame it had to end like this.
A feeling of dread had settled in my stomach, so sharp it was like a physical pain. Alcohol would numb it, and I was tempted. Fuck, how I was tempted. But I wouldn’t do that to Hayley. Wouldn’t do it to myself. Every muscle in my body had turned rigid, and I walked stiffly with my arm around her while we walked down the pier to the waiting boats.
The salty wind whipping the hair back from our faces, we set off across the ocean toward the larger touristy island which boasted a regional airfield. Our Riva speedboat left a massive white wake in the blue water behind us. Hayley nestled into my side as we sat at the stern with Joe, Jake, Rhys, and Zach. The rest of our party were in the second boat, speeding alongside.
I tried to reason with myself. Told myself all would be well. I said as much to Hayley. I didn’t want her to be scared. The ride took well over an hour, but SUVs were already waiting at the busy harbor to take us to the airport—Jake’s organization skills were second to none—and soon we were pulling up in the designated drop off spot.
Joe jumped out and did a risk assessment. We got out of our vehicle and grabbed our luggage, then made our way toward the entrance of the terminal building.
Oh, fuck. Word had clearly spread.
A crowd of tourists had gathered by the taxi rank. Someone shouted, “It’s them!” Like they were one person, the mass ran toward us, surrounded us, and started shouting excitedly. I made out some of the demands. “Sign my t-shirt!” “Let me get a picture with you!” “I love you, Pierce. I’m your biggest fan.”
The group pushed and shoved, separating Hayley and me from the others. I saw Mike hustle them into the departure area, but Joe must still have been caught up in the ruckus.
Without warning, the hair on the back of my neck prickled.
I heard Ramos before I even saw him. I’d recognize his voice anywhere. “Pierce Fox. You’re gonna pay for what you did…”
A flash of silver glinted off the raised knife.
I maneuvered Hayley behind me and grabbed his arm.
The crowd of people fell back, suddenly silent.
Pure hatred shone on Danilo’s face. Spit flew out of the corner of his mouth, and the whites of his eyes blazed.
I struggled with him as he tried to stab me, and I swallowed down the bile that had risen from my gut.
“Stop!” Hayley’s voice shrilled.
She came out from behind me and pushed her way between us. “Leave him alone, you bastard,” she spat.
The knife twisted in Ramos’ hands.
My pulse thudded painfully.
It was like history was repeating itself. Hayley crumpled to the ground, and I threw myself on top of her, covering her body with mine.
Shit! Shit! Shit!
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Ramos raise the knife again to bring it down on me. My skin turned clammy. There was nothing I could do but wait for the blade to fall. If I moved away from Hayley, he would kill her as well.
“Oh no you don’t!” I heard Joe shout. Finally, he’d managed to get to us.
I swiveled my gaze toward him. He grabbed the knife from Danilo, but the fucker tried to wrestle it off him.
Holy fucking shit!
A gasp came from the crowd, followed by the sound of pounding feet.
Mike had appeared on the scene.
A shot rang out and Ramos toppled over. A gurgling noise came from him, and he turned to face me before the light faded from his eyes.
I lifted myself off Hayley, smoothed the loose tresses ba
ck from her face. She blinked and tried to sit up.
I touched my hand to the side of her heart-shaped face. “Are you okay, sweetheart? I’ve got you. You’re safe now.”
She stared at me, like she had no clue who I was. In shock, probably.
A wail of sirens came from the distance, and I heard the thud of feet running as the airport police belted toward us.
Too little, too late.
Jake ran up and stepped in front of us to deal with the fallout. My bandmates appeared and formed a circle around Hayley and me.
“I’m afraid our departure has to be delayed a little,” Jake said through gritted teeth. He touched a hand to his pocket. “Just need to grease a few palms and then we can be on our way.”
Out of the blue, I felt Hayley shaking. I lifted her chin and made strong eye contact. “Don’t be scared, honey. It’s over. Ramos will never bother us again.”
Her face had turned white and her teeth were chattering. “I’ve just remembered what happened to me when I was a kid.” She bent over. “I think I’m gonna be sick…”
In a beat, I’d picked her up. I ran with her into the terminal building, sweat trickling down the back of my neck, shouting at people in my path to get out of my fucking way.
Chapter 27
Hayley – Sixteen Years Ago
Logan and Tyler are being mean. They won’t let me play on the tire swing in the back yard with them. They say I’m too little, but I’m not. I’m eight, only a year younger than them. My cousins are twins and they look so alike I’m never sure which one is which. They both have red hair and freckles on their noses like me. Auntie Lisa is Dad’s sister, and her hair is brown. So is Dad’s. He says we got our carrot tops from his mom. I always tell him I’m not a carrot top— I hate carrots, push them to the side of the plate every time we have them for supper—and he laughs and ruffles my bangs, calling me his ginger girl…which is even worse, I think.
