by Hawkes, Cora
His hands slid around to my back and slipped under my top. His thumbs were stroking slow circles over the bare skin of my lower back. Tingles shot through me.
“Scott, what are you doing?” I looked at him with questioning eyes.
His head came down to my ear, “Shh.” He nuzzled my neck at the same time that his hand pushed into the small of my back, forcing me into him. My arms flew around his neck so I wouldn’t fall backwards.
We moved together, swaying, clinging. His hands tightened on me as his lips touched my shoulder gently. I shuddered violently and gasped. My mind went blank, the last thought being that I should stop him but it was near impossible and my willpower withered with my mind.
He had so much power over my body — it was his. It was like he knew exactly what it wanted, how to make it his. His hands slid slowly up my bare back and gripped my shoulders, the tips of his fingers dug into my skin above my collarbone. My head fell back as his lips tracked across my collarbone to the other side, then went to the dip at the bottom of my neck and kissed up to my ear. I was trembling with want. The intensity of him, together with the music spelt danger.
I never wanted this moment to end. Our bodies were melting together.
“Scott,” I heard myself moan as he played me with expertise and precision, the same way he handled his guitar. I went into oblivion where there was just me and Scott with the music cocooning us in our own heaven.
Suddenly, he moved his hands and brought them up to cup my face quickly, desperately. His eyes searched mine and the naked need in them jolted me. I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t. He was too much. He would destroy me, swallow me whole and spit me out in the morning. My eyes widened as the noise from around us came crashing back to my ears. Shit! I looked around for any sign that someone had seen us but, thankfully, no one had.
I stepped back away from him. A look of pain crossed his expression before he masked it.
“I need the bathroom.” I slipped away from him before he could say anything.
I slammed into a stall and leaned my back against the door. What was I thinking? Ad was out there somewhere. What if he had seen us? Fuck it! Scott was dangerous. I realised in that moment that I cared about him. I cared that he was sad, I wanted to take it away and make him smile, but at what cost? I brought my hands up and covered my heated face as I shook my head, I should have said no to him.
He was drunk and we were meant to be friends, nothing more. I let my hands drop. I would go back out there and stay away from him for the rest of the night. Hopefully, he would be distracted with another girl by now. A pang of jealousy streaked through me. Why did he have to be so, so… him?
Before going back out I ran my hands under the cold water until I had cooled down. I opened the door and walked straight out but my arm was seized and I was hauled sideways. Before I knew it Scott was stood in front of me.
“Why’d you run off like that?” Anger radiated from him.
“I didn’t run anywhere, I walked. I needed the bathroom.” I held his gaze.
“Don't—“ he started.
"Scott!" a girl shouted.
"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.
I looked at the redhead stomping toward us with determination in her stride, her beady eyes on Scott. I wanted to punch her in the face. Whatever was up with him, he sure as hell didn't need someone who didn't give a crap about him.
I was about to tell her to back off when Scott hauled me to him.
"Come here," he put his arm over my shoulder and hugged me to him. My heart kicked at his closeness. He put his hands either side of my waist and turned me toward him.
He was pulling me close to him, “Scott, no–”
"Just help me out here, okay? I can’t deal with her shit right now.” He whispered close to my ear and then slowly dropped his mouth down to my neck. He didn't move his mouth, he kept very still but I could feel his breath on my skin, coming in and out in shorts puffs. His hands were gripping me tightly but our bodies weren't touching. He was rigid. Like stone.
"Scott! I'm ready to go!” I heard her whiny voi kher"#0ce again.
His grip altered. He was about to move. He moved closer to me and put a leg between mine. I knew that he wanted to get rid of her so I played along. I snaked my arms around his waist slowly so she could see them. I felt him jump ever so slightly, I barely felt it.
"Fine, Scott, don't think you'll have another chance with me!" the bratty girl said in anger.
I didn't know if she was still there watching us so I stayed still until he decided to move. After a moment, I felt his forehead hit the part of me where his lips had been and I heard him sigh.
I turned my face to him then at the same time as he turned his to mine. Our noses touched together. Our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat. A shiver of pure desire ran through me.
He turned around, grabbed my hand at the same time and led me through a door near the stage. We emerged into a dimly lit hallway which was empty.
Scott pulled me close, cupped my face and looked at me for a minute. A frown tainted his handsome face as he looked as though he was at war with himself.
Another shiver ran through me and I literally froze. I was lost in his expression and I wanted him. I needed him to kiss me.
He must have seen the want in my eyes. He then lowered his head with intent in his hooded eyes.
I bit my lip, I shouldn't be doing this.
He was watching my mouth. His thumb moved from my cheek to rub along my bottom lip, pulling my lip free from my teeth. I felt heat start to lick along my skin again and I trembled slightly, I was sure he felt it.
He inhaled quickly and held his breath as he moved his hand to the back of my head and held me there.
My heart was hammering inside my chest and my lips parted on a gasp as I tried to get more oxygen into my starved lungs.
His head came closer and he rested his forehead against mine. His eyes slipped closed and he inhaled deeply. “Emma,” my name was a whisper of need from his lips, which were so close to mine. "Your beauty goes so much deeper than your skin." He shook his head, "I don't want to taint that goodness in you but I…" he swallowed.
Goodness? If only he knew. I wasn't good, I could be very bad when I was pushed far enough. "Scott, you're seeing something that isn't really there. You barely know me. What makes you think I'm so good?"
"What makes you think you're not?" he growled.
I closed my eyes. I was trembling. I wanted him to kiss me so much and I knew that I needed my head checking for thinking it. My lips felt dry and I had an urge to poke my tongue out to moisten them. As my tongue came out it came into contact with his lips.
He groaned, his grip on me tightened and he slid his tongu klids lipe along my upper lip before his lips met mine.
His kiss was gentle, barely there, testing. Our breaths mingled in short bursts as our kiss went deeper so did my need for him. His tongue slipped into my mouth and slowly, firmly, stroked me. I moaned low in my throat. Scott increased his pressure and his hands went down to my butt. Heat licked through me as an ache began, the dull throb of desire telling me to surrender all, right here and now.
Scott ripped himself away from my lips and buried his head in my neck again. His chest was moving up and down rapidly.
He groaned and squeezed my butt harder, pushing me into him more. “Shit!" He groaned into my neck, sending little vibrations through me. "I want you so bad.”
He was all over me; his hands on my ass was undoing me in ways that would stay with me forever. I knew why girls went crazy for him, why they couldn't resist him. He was sex on legs. I felt as though he needed me now, that his life depended on him having me.
Our kiss was exquisite, the best I had ever had and I wanted it again and again. Oh, god! What the hell am I doing? I had to stop this now and I needed to get away from him otherwise I would be in his bed within the hour. I had taken too much of him today and — I hardened up — he was so good at getting girls into his bed that he'd tel
l them anything that they wanted to hear. I bet he'd used that line loads of times before. He doesn't think much about our friendship if he was willing to ruin it over one night in the sack with me and it pissed me off.
“Scott, stop. You've had way too much to drink and you're so going to regret saying all this in the morning.” I put my hands up to his chest to gently ease him away.
He lifted his h
ead, a frown marring his beautiful features, “Is that what you think?”
A door slammed somewhere in the distance and he dropped his hands suddenly and tucked them into his front pockets. I ignored the loneliness that swept though me and turned my head in the direction of the door. But I could feel scott’s gaze glued to me, studying me.
ƀ
Chapter Eleven
The guys of From Under were walking toward us, laughing and joking.
“Goddamn! She’s hot!” I heard one of them say.
“Oh, baby!” another said with a whistle while the other two just stared.
I forced a smile and looked away quickly.
“Hey, man, what's up?” one of the quiet guys with messy blonde hair said in a deep voice.
“Not a lot,” Scott replied and then looked at me. “This is Emma, Ashley's cousin.”
He nodded to the first guy, “Emma, that’s Alan. He‘s our bass guitarist.”
Alan had a dark crew cut and dark brown eyes that had a wicked gleam in them.
“Hey, baby,” he said with a grin and a wink.
“Hello, Alan,” I said with a s nlids widmile.
“Whoa! British?” and “You never said anything about her being British?” came from them.
I forced my smile and turned to Scott who was doing the same, his eyes telling me that it wasn't over.
Scott nodded to the next one, “That’s Bone, our drummer,” Bone had thick, dirty blonde, wavy hair down to his shoulders, twinkling hazel eyes and an easy smile.
Bone lifted a hand in salute and nodded, “Hey, good-looking.”
“This is Jason, he’s on the guitar,” Jason was beach blonde with messy hair and coffee-coloured eyes.
“Yo!” he said in greeting.
“And Mike, our technician.” Mike had short light brown hair with the brightest aquamarine eyes I had ever seen on a guy.
"Hi there," was his welcome.
Bone came forward and took my arm, “Come and have a drink with us, Darlin'”
We all went into a room which was a lot like a living room with sofas, a TV, table and chairs, and a kitchenette.
I chose to sit on the sofa and Scott made sure he sat next to me, with Bone on my other side.
"Aw, you coulda sat on my lap, baby," Alan feigned hurt and I smiled.
"Shut up, Al," Scott scowled.
"Jeez, Scott, lighten the fuck up, dude." Alan winked at me again.
I tried to hide my smirk, I'd have to watch myself around Alan.
I glanced at Scott from under my lashes and my coy gaze clashed with his. He had his eyes on me and his gaze held mine. I wasn't looking forward to us being alone again. I didn't want to face what had just happened and I couldn't blame Scott because I had wanted it too but it niggled at how little he thought of our friendship. Maybe we weren't such good friends after all, maybe all this time he had been building up to get me into his bed. Shut up! I doubted he would go that far to get someone in his bed when he had a different girl every night.
"Who wants beer?" Bone asked and everyone apart from me and Scott answered.
"Scott, beer?"
Scott glanced sideways briefly to Bone but brought his gaze right back to mine. "Yeah, Emma’ll have one too."
I was going to need it if he kept his gaze locked together with mine like that. I couldn't take this anymore. I wished he would just stop, stop the tension between us. I needed a breather but I had to stay to have at least one drink with them.
"She had the best ass I ever seen, man." Alan was boasting.
"Man, I saw that ho," Bone started as he put an opened beer in front of me. "She was all ass, tits and teeth, man. What the fuck do you see in girls like that?"
"He likes dumb girls, that way they don't give a fuck if he's got a small wiener!" Jason said quietly and then burst out laughing with Bone.
"Fuck you!" Alan said chuckling. "At least I can get a nice piece of ass."
I took a swig of my beer and tried to see the funny side of their banter but I really couldn't if I tried.
"Whatever, pretty boy," Jason sniggered and flipped him off. "You're a slut."
"And I love being one," Alan's eye twinkled as he spoke. "Speaking of sluts," he looked to Scott, "where's your rid sre'"lee for the night, or is that rides?"
My stomach tightened as Alan and Bone chuckled. I didn't want to hear about Scott's rides, I didn't want to think about him with a girl at all right now because, I hated admitting it to myself but, it made me feel things that I had no right to feel. My niggling annoyance with him escalated.
He looked at me then and I looked away quickly. I couldn't even fake a smile for him.
I lifted the bottle to my lips and swigged until it was gone.
I couldn't look at Scott, I didn't want my anger with him to show. He may think it's funny to play with someone's feeling like that but I didn't. All my life I had been centred on a man just like Scott. Maybe I should flirt with one of these guys just to show him that I didn't just do that for him?
I leaned slightly closer to Bone, "Why do they call you Bone?" I asked as I smiled up at him.
His eyebrows raised and he smiled. "I've had the name since I was eleven and fell from a tree."
I frowned trying to get why falling from a tree would give him that nickname.
"I broke my elbow and some of my bone was sticking out."
I cringed as he rolled his sleeve up.
"See? I had to have surgery to put it right, a ton of stitches and a lot of physio." He showed me a large scar that ran from just above his elbow right down to halfway down his forearm.
"Ouch," I cringed and held my hand up to touch it. The baby soft scar tissue was bumpy and soft at the same time, "Does it still hurt?"
"Nah, aches sometimes when its cold but I'm a big boy, I can handle it," he beamed at me as I rolled his sleeve back down for him.
"I've never broken anything, but I have got a big scar on my hand where I had stitches, look."
He took my hand and examined my palm.
"I got it when I was seven."
Bone ran his finger up and down the scar gently.
"I was trying to climb over a metal mesh fence and fell catching it on a sharp bit on the way down."
He bent his head then and kissed my palm, his stubble tickled me and a giggle escaped my lips.
He looked up. "You even laugh attractively." He grinned wickedly and then frowned as he looked over my shoulder.
I turned around to see what it was and Scott was looking daggers at me. I couldn't have cared less.
Scott stood, “I have to get home early."
Everyone believed him but me. I knew he was lying.
He grabbed my hand and started yanking roughly me towards the door.
“See you guys!" I waved as I was literally dragged through the door.
He pulled me up the corridor and out the back entrance of Macy's into an alley without saying a word or looking back at me.
I yanked my hand out of his. This had gone too far. Who did he think he was, dragging me around?
"What is your problem, Scott?" I asked heatedly crossing my arms.
He crossed his arms too and looked at me, his jaw te se, ournsing, his eyes narrowed, "You are, Emma!" he uncrossed his arms and strode towards me but stopped abruptly a foot away.
"What have I done?" I hadn't done anything wrong that I could think of, well maybe apart from flirting with Bone purposely. "Please tell me because I really don't know what's wrong with you tonight," I was getting madder.
"You were flirting with Bone!” He poin
ted an accusing, threatening finger at me, "You don't need to be giving guys like him encouragement."
"No, Scott, don't make this about Bone when we both know it isn't." My voice was rising. I went forward and pointed my finger into his chest, hard. "You have been acting weird all night so don't say this is about Bone! And don't fucking talk to me like you own me because you don't and you never will!" I finished and I was panting in anger and frustration.
His face changed as I said the last words and his face fell slightly. I remembered the anguished look on his face on stage, some of my anger started to drain away.
I sighed. "Scott," I made my voice softer, "why are you being like this? I don't want to fight with you."
He studied me for a still moment, "You wanna know what's wrong with me?" his voice was tight as both his hands came up to grip my upper arms.
"Yes."
He seemed to be warring with his own head as he walked me backwards until my back slammed against a wall. He was looking down at me darkly, his jaw clenched and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his as I saw different emotions flicker through them. Anger, pain, want, need and something else that was an alien look for him, then back to anger.
