Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals

by Archer, Julie

  Taking a deep breath, she slipped the garment from her shoulders. Her semi-naked reflection stared back at her. She couldn't believe how it was making her feel; totally wanton and alive. Something she rarely felt with Alik. The lift pinged for their floor. Billy hurriedly pulled the mac back over her body, propelling her towards the room with indecent speed, his hand in the small of her back.

  Billy placed the Do Not Disturb sign on the outer handle and locked the door behind them.

  “What shall I do with you now?”

  She stood there, looking around the sparsely-furnished room. There was a small double bed with what looked like a faux antique metal bedhead, a dressing table and chair, a kettle, two mugs, and the makings of tea and coffee. There wasn't a wardrobe, just hangers on hooks in the wall and behind the only other door in the room was the en suite. Basic.

  “Do you want me to beg?” she asked.

  “God, sometimes I wish I could gag you so you didn't ask stupid questions,” he said, sliding in behind her. He placed a hand over her mouth, and pushed his fingers between her lips. Involuntarily, she started to suck, twisting her tongue around his finger. His other hand unbuttoned her coat again, ripping it from her body, leaving her standing there, naked but for the stockings and the heels. Her nipples were rock hard, standing to attention.

  Billy drew away. “You are just so horny, you know that? Come here.”

  Edie moved towards him. He positioned her so she was standing at the foot of the bed. She braced herself against it with her shins. He spread her legs until they pulled uncomfortably apart and she was balancing precariously on her heels. He looped one end of the belt of her coat around the head of the bed and secured her wrists together with the other end so she was bent over, almost toppling forwards from the waist, her arms stretched out in front of her, pulled taut. She looked back at him over her shoulder, blonde hair tumbling across her back, catching sight of her own buttocks rising behind her. Her clit throbbed pleasurably as she twisted against her bonds. Billy chose to make her wait, deliberately taking his time in shedding his own clothes.

  “You're taking too long!” she said, wriggling around.

  “I could always gag you with my cock,” he said

  She made a face at him. He twisted her hair in one hand, pulling her head back, and gently slapped her arse a couple of times, before his fingers went to work on her. Within seconds, she was writhing underneath his touch, his fingers plunging in and out of her, her pussy so wet for him. When he stopped to position himself right behind her, she felt open and vulnerable. She needed something to fill the void. His cock slipped easily into her. He grasped her hips and thrust, banging right into her. Her body jolting against the bed. Edie was totally lost in the overwhelming feelings coursing through her body. She had never thought that rough sex or bondage would be her thing. She’d always thought she was far too good to debase herself like that. But it was making her come like she had never come before. And she loved it.

  As Billy thrust into her once more, she cried out for him to go harder, deeper, again.

  His hand cracked down on her bottom, causing her to squeal in excitement. The punishment made her contract around him, and she pushed back to encourage him further inside her. With a loud groan, he came. He sagged onto the bed and reached over to release Edie. She kicked off her heels, leaving on the stockings, and examined her wrists

  “How am I going to explain those to Alik?” she said, as she settled onto the bed and spooned into Billy's naked body.

  “You could always tell him that you spent the afternoon with his bandmate, tied to a bed, being fucked out of your mind,” he said.

  “Tempting, but perhaps not the best idea you've ever had.”

  “You don't want to know what ideas I've had, particularly the ones involving you,” said Billy. “I bet they would make Alik freak out.”

  Edie's mind spun as she considered the sorts of things Billy could come up with. Even now, she was squirming as Billy held her in an almost loving afterglow, the fingers of his right hand gently stroking her breast.

  “He would certainly freak out if he knew I was here with you… Ow!” Edie squealed as Billy pinched her nipple. It wasn't quite enough to distract her, though. “I told Olivia that we were seeing each other.”

  “You did what?” Billy increased the pressure on Edie's nipple and she gritted her teeth against the sharp pain. “Edie, it's just sex. I like shagging you, you're up for anything. It's easy.”

  Edie was stung by Billy's words as much as the physical ache in her chest. She struggled to extricate herself from his grasp, but his other hand grabbed her wrist. She knew that she was falling for him, despite her protestations. She knew that she wouldn't let just anyone do the things to her that he had done.

  “How do you know she won’t say anything to Caro? They are best friends after all.”

  “I guess I just have to trust her.” Edie gasped as Billy let her go, the breath coming out of her in a rush. “And is it really so bad that I might be interested in you a bit more than just a quick fuck?”

  Billy laughed. “Get real, Edie, that's all we've done; sucking and fucking. We're hardly stepping out together.” His quaint turn of phrase appealed to her.

  “What if we were? Would it be that awful?” It was then that Edie knew she wanted more than just the physical stuff with Billy. He was very different to Alik, more attentive to her at least, and he excited her.

  Billy pushed her onto her back, looming over her, his dark eyes boring into hers. “I don't think it would be awful at all, it just depends how badly you want it.”

  She grabbed one of his hands and pulled it between her legs, letting him feel how wet she was again. “Oh, I want it, Billy, I want you.” All thoughts of Alik were banished from her mind as Billy started working his magic again. As wrong as she knew it was, she gave herself up to the sensations running through her body.

  Chapter Forty

  After the not-so-unexpected drama of Poppy's hen weekend, Caro was glad to have something else to focus on apart from the opening of The Indigo Lounge, and moving into her new house was a welcome distraction.

  She'd spent a lot of time over the previous weeks choosing furniture and bedding and other household essentials, and her credit card was groaning under the weight of it all. The last couple of days had been a whirlwind of activity as she coordinated various delivery drivers and arranged everything where she wanted it, before changing her mind an hour or so later and moving things around herself. A last-minute decision to have a house-warming party had created even more chaos, and she was now arranging shop-bought party food into bowls and making sure there was enough beer in the new fridge.

  “How many people are you expecting?” Jonny asked, swiping a handful of crisps from one of the bowls on the kitchen table. “You've got enough here for a small army.” He'd been there all afternoon, ostensibly to "help", but had spent most of the time sprawled out on the sofa watching music videos.

  Caro ran a hand through her hair, wondering if there was time for her to jump in the shower before everyone arrived. “Everyone” included Alik. She had avoided him since their last near-miss at The Pit, and had simply texted him and Edie an invite for this evening. She had butterflies in her stomach thinking of him here, in the house that he had helped her choose.

  “Just making sure we don't run out of anything,” she said. She decided there was time to freshen up, and went to the bathroom. As she stripped off and dived under the large rainfall shower head, she remembered Alik commenting that it was big enough for two, and an image of his naked body crept into her head. Shaking it from her mind, she quickly lathered shampoo over her head, hearing Jonny call up the stairs that Olivia and Nic had arrived already. She hurriedly finished her shower, roughly towel-drying her hair, and picked out a pair of black skinny jeans and a simple blue and white patterned top. Shoving her feet into a pair of espadrilles, she quickly applied a layer of tinted moisturiser, mascara, and a slick of pink lip gl
oss. There wasn't time to dry her hair properly, so she grabbed a band from the drawer and pulled it up in a messy bun, tendrils escaping round her face.

  “You look hot,” said Jonny as she came into the kitchen. He slipped his arms around her waist and nuzzled her neck.

  “Thank you,” replied Caro. It wasn't often that Jonny complimented her.

  Olivia passed her a bottle of champagne. “For the stock.”

  Caro gratefully accepted it and added it to the stash that was already chilling in the fridge. She got a cold bottle and passed it to Jonny to do the honours. He duly obliged and passed out glasses to the four of them.

  “Cheers!” said Olivia. “To your new home and the future success of The Indigo Lounge!”

  * * *

  Alik and Edie arrived hand in hand, some time after everyone else. Alik remembered the last time he'd been at the house, when Caro had first seen it. Now fully-furnished in Caro's style, it looked even better than it had back then. There was a mix of modern and vintage furniture, depending on which room you were in, and it suited her perfectly. Tightening his grip on Edie's hand, he went into the kitchen, where Nic and Olivia were chatting.

  “Evening, guys,” he said. “Great place, isn't it?”

  “You should know that more than the rest of us, mate,” said Nic. “After all, you helped her choose it.”

  Edie gave Alik a sideways look. “What does he mean, you helped her choose it?”

  “Alik didn't tell you about his house-hunting expedition with Caro?” asked Nic.

  “No, he didn't.” Edie's tone was cool. “When was this?”

  Alik rolled his eyes at Nic. Although he hadn't deliberately chosen to keep this from Edie, it hadn't been something he was prepared to shout about. “Ages ago. Olivia couldn't go with her, I think there was some crisis at The Magpie you needed her for, and Nic had meetings at the club. We didn't think it was safe for her to go alone.”

  “It was a house viewing, Alik, not a war zone,” said Edie, pouting.

  “You're seriously that bothered about it? It's not like I hooked up with her in a hotel or anything.”

  “Who's hooked up in a hotel?” said Billy, joining the group. He had his arm around a young girl with bleached-blonde hair and a micro skirt. “Alright, Edie?” He leaned across Alik and kissed Edie on both cheeks, which wasn't a Billy thing to do at all. “Guys,” he said, acknowledging the others.

  Alik felt Edie stiffen beside him. “You'll definitely be at The Indigo Lounge tomorrow for rehearsal?”

  Billy looked at the girl he was with. “As long as I don't get distracted by this one.” He ran a hand across her arse, then playfully slapped it while she giggled in response. “We should go and mingle.” And the pair were gone.

  “He's a piece of work, isn't he?” said Alik, shaking his head.

  Nic nodded in agreement. “He certainly gets through them. I don't know what a woman would see in a man-slut like that.”

  Alik looked between Edie and Olivia. “Ladies, any thoughts on that?”

  Edie shuddered. “Urgh, I don't know how any woman would let herself be sweet-talked by him. I mean, he doesn't exactly look... clean.”

  Alik laughed. “I just hope he gets himself tested regularly. I bet Parker wouldn't want to be hit with a bill for an STI.”

  * * *

  Edie cornered Olivia in the garden. She'd been trying to keep her distance from Billy, but it was proving difficult. When he'd kissed her in front of Alik, she had felt her nipples hardening and her crotch spasming. It had been a couple of days since their hotel meeting and she needed to see him again. But first, she needed to speak to Olivia.

  “Have you said anything about me and Billy?” she said, checking there was no-one in earshot to hear her.

  “To who? Edie, I'm not going to tell Alik if that's what you're worried about. I thought you did a good job of covering yourself earlier.”

  Edie sighed in relief. She had hoped that her attraction to Billy wasn't obvious, but she couldn't be sure if anyone else would notice her treacherous body reacting. “Thank you for not saying anything.”

  “I don't like it, Edie. I don't like keeping your secrets.”

  “I know, and I'm sorry. I'm not about to dump Billy.”

  “Why not, Edie? Alik's your boyfriend, not Billy.” Olivia was, as ever, the voice of reason. “You need to think about what you're doing. And not leave me in the middle of things. Look, I'm going to find Nic. Why don't you come with me and spend some time with Alik?”

  “I will, just give me a minute.”

  Edie went inside and headed upstairs towards the bathroom. She needed some time to think. She found herself standing by the window in Caro's bedroom, staring out over the canal.

  “What are you doing up here?” Billy asked, making her jump.

  She turned slowly, uncurling her body, the danger of the situation turning her on. “Just thought I'd check out the view. You can see right across the city from here.” She glanced around behind Billy. “Where's your little tramp anyway? Shouldn't you be with her?”

  Billy laughed, a low, throaty sound. “Oh, she's here alright.”

  Edie's mouth fell open.

  Billy smirked. “I've got a use for that.” He abruptly grabbed her and pulled her into the walk-in wardrobe, closing the door behind them and pushing Edie against it, so she was trapped. Her breath was already coming in short gasps as one of his hands encircled her wrists and drew them up and over her head. The other pushed up the short skirt of her dress, exposing her lacy knickers. His fingers traced the crease at the top of her thigh and she shifted her legs apart slightly, pushing herself towards him.

  “Patience,” he whispered in her ear.

  “Billy...please...” The heat between her legs increased as his fingers gently stroked her.

  “Oh, babe, what I wouldn't do for a quickie here, but we need to be quiet. We couldn't have Caro or Alik finding us, could we?” He silenced her with a kiss, his tongue probing the inside of her mouth before pulling her dress back down and releasing her, her arms falling limply to her sides.

  Billy looked her squarely in the eye. “This is getting dangerous. Every time I'm near you, I want you, I need to be inside you. Then I remember you're with him.” He spat out the last word. “I think you're right, we should be together. One day.”

  Billy barged past her, leaving Edie staring after him.

  * * *

  It was close to two in the morning when Olivia and Nic, the last people remaining, left. Caro closed the door behind them, went into the living room, and dropped down onto the sofa.

  “Jesus,” she said. “I guess that's a bit of a dry run for The Indigo Lounge then.”

  Jonny appeared with two more glasses of champagne. “Get this down you,” he said. “You really have been the hostess with the most-est this evening.” He had clearly been indulging in something that night, his pupils were huge and he was slurring his words a little.

  Caro reached eagerly for the glass. It had been a fantastic evening, reacquainting herself with some old North Ridge faces and enjoying chatting with her guests. Just like the early days at The Roca Bar. She briefly thought of Mariella and wondered what her friend was doing now. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she somehow managed to miss her mouth and spill most of the champagne down her front, causing her top to cling to her. “Shit!”

  Jonny placed his own glass on the table and sat down beside her. “Here, let me help you with that.”

  He reached over and hooked the garment over her head, revealing her voluptuous breasts. His hand trailed across their dampness, his thumb brushing across her nipple as he reached around to unhook her bra. Caro let out a sigh as he continued to torment her relentlessly, their bodies intertwining as they got into a more comfortable position. He replaced his thumb with his mouth, alternately flicking his tongue and sucking, driving her towards the edge. She wriggled out of her jeans and knickers, feeling the cool leather of the sofa directly on her skin a
s Jonny shed his own clothes, his lithe body on top of hers. Wanting a release, Caro reached down and took Jonny's cock in her hand, guiding him towards her.

  “Wait,” he said, scrabbling for his jeans and taking a condom out of his wallet. He rolled it on and resumed his position, sliding gently into Caro.

  She grabbed his neck and pulled him towards her, wanting him to be more forceful, wanting him to take control, much like Alik had. She tried to banish the thought from her mind. She was with Jonny and he was here now. She had to forget about Alik.

  Chapter Forty-One

  Alik had gone to The Vegas to see Dagger Drawn play the night before The Indigo Lounge opening. He was close friends with Ben, the lead singer, and the two bands had often supported each other on out of town gigs. Edie had told him she was doing something with Minty and that she wouldn't be back until much later. The regulars at The Vegas barely batted an eyelid as he sat at the bar, watching the band, waiting for Ben to finish so they could catch up for a beer.

  Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jonny Tyler at the other end of the bar. He was with a girl, likely a student given her approximate age and dress. Jonny had his arm around her and was whispering something in her ear that was clearly the funniest thing in the world based on her reaction. He tried to ignore it, but their actions got more amorous and he watched as Jonny went in for the kiss, while groping her arse. Within seconds, there were tongues.

  Alik slid off his stool and walked over to them. He grabbed Jonny's jacket and pulled him off the girl.

  “Hey, what do you think you're doing?” the girl said.

  “Go and buy yourself a drink, sweetheart, I need a chat with Jonny.” He pushed a ten pound note at her, still keeping a hold of Jonny's coat.