And then I remembered my panties were in his pocket.
I had to stop thinking about that. I had no idea how long they’d play, and I didn’t want to be aroused that entire time. I wanted to enjoy listening to them.
So I focused on the music. The guitars played the tune I recognized but sounded different. It was cool. And Kage’s voice was lower than the original, but they had put their own spin on it. It wasn’t just a duplication—not that I would have minded. So I stood, moving to the music and enjoying it. I wasn’t full-on headbanging, but the music was hard to ignore. I caught myself singing along too, and I was looking at Kage, but I didn’t want to stare at him. I was afraid it might make him uncomfortable. So I watched the other guys in the band too, trying to focus more on their instruments, because I knew if it had been me standing and playing, I would have been unnerved having someone stare at me while I played.
When they finished the song, Kage raised his eyebrows and asked, “You like?”
I smiled big then. “Yeah!”
The guys exchanged a few words amongst themselves and launched into the next song. I listened hard, trying to see if it was a tune I recognized, but it wasn’t. I sat on the carpeted steps—carefully, because I didn’t want everyone to see my pantiless crotch—and let the music wash over me. Kage’s voice was low, smooth, and a little gritty. It was sexy. Oh, I couldn’t let myself go there…not just yet. So I also focused on the music. It was good. They were good. After several songs, I could hear a distinct style. A lot of bands starting out didn’t have a sound at first, because they were still finding their way, so they’d sound like a mishmash of their favorites, but I could hear the elements that made their band their own.
I was struggling, trying to remember what Kage had told me his band’s name was, and then I remembered—Pretty Little Lies. I still found that interesting. I wondered if it had any significance other than sounding cool.
Probably, but my mind couldn’t focus there. I was too busy enjoying the music and trying to hear all the words Kage was singing.
After over an hour of playing, I was beginning to appreciate them, and I think the guys relaxed some. They didn’t look nearly as hostile as they had before. Maybe that was because playing the music did the same for the creators as it did for the fans. Metal had always been my rock, the thing I’d turned to when my whole world was falling apart. If my mom was busy doing her irresponsible flighty thing or I’d had a friend betray a confidence or I’d felt like an outcast (which had happened all the time when I was a kid and even a teenager), I always had the music to turn to. I could let out my rage and my anger, forget my sadness, and just drown in the music. I would be better for it. I was better for it. What was funniest was it was like a hidden part of my personality. People nowadays would meet me in class and get to know me for my mind—my take on different pieces of literature or my analysis of a poem—and then they’d find out I was a metalhead inside, and they found it funny…maybe because I “cleaned up” so well. But I could (and had) analyzed many a lyric as often as I had a poem. Metal had been and would always be a huge part of my life, and when people got close, they learned that pretty quickly.
So it was no wonder that I was enjoying the guys’ practice. They had talent. I could see them going far if they decided they wanted to. Now I wanted to see them play for an audience. Could they maintain their cool in front of hundreds of screaming fans? If they could, they had it.
At that point, they played the same song four times, reworking parts and trying new things. I gathered it was their latest creation, and they’d played all the other music either as a warm up or just for me. I was glad they had. I found it interesting to see them work out the elements to this particular song. Picking up on their discussion, it sounded like it was their first time incorporating Mark’s solo into the mix. They were trying to tweak it and smooth it into the song, but Diesel and Jason had also added some new things into it. They would pause and replay sections, sometimes trying something different, other times listening again to see if it was what they wanted.
Watching them work was fascinating. It was really cool seeing the song evolve into something more. And, as I sat quietly, no doubt an eager look on my face, the guys almost forgot I was there, but when they did, the coldness was gone. They realized I was a true fan and could see how much I enjoyed their sound, and, I suppose, that made it harder for them to hold onto any animosity.
Kage must have known. Not once had he offered to smooth things over, and I suspected he had his reasons. If he’d stood up for me, he would have had a battle on his hands, especially if his friends loved Fay. They had been quite friendly the night I’d met them all, but Kage’s marriage had fallen apart since then, and I was the obvious target. So, even if there was no love loss between them and Fay, they surely saw me as a chink in their friend’s armor.
I finished the beer and just kept watching them fine-tune the song. When they played it for the last time, it sounded damn good, and I said so. I stood, careful to make sure my skirt didn’t hike up my legs, and I clapped as they ended the song, having played it all the way through with all their changes. “Wow. That was absolutely incredible. What a fantastic song.”
Kage grinned, a smile that filled his eyes. “You like it?”
“Love it. Damn, you guys are really good.”
Jason stood, stretching his neck, and laid his sticks down. “You’re just saying that. You actually want us to quit playing.”
I laughed. “No, seriously. I can’t wait to see you guys play for a crowd. I bet you get them pumped.”
Kage shrugged. “We’re still working on that.” He glanced over at Mark. “I’m getting better about it.”
Mark nodded. “He used to have to work hard at not getting sick.”
Aw. That melted my heart. My perfect Kage had a bit of a weakness. He said, “Yeah, so I suffered from a little stage fright. I got over it.”
Mark said, “In all fairness, yeah, you did. You’re getting good at pumping them up now.”
I got a little closer. “Well, maybe I could help with that.”
“How?”
“It always helps to have an enthusiastic audience.”
Diesel was deadpan when he said, “You gonna lift your shirt and show us your tits from the crowd?”
I felt my face fall and I was about to decide to try laughing. It was a joke, right? But then I saw a shadow cross Kage’s face and he said, “Don’t be a dick, Diesel.”
Diesel shrugged, lifting up his guitar to pull the strap off, and said, “Just fuckin’ around.”
Kage didn’t say anything else, but I saw his jaw clench. That made me feel a lot better. Maybe he wouldn’t force his friends to like me, but they didn’t dare act like assholes to me.
The guys packed up their equipment, but Jason left the drum kit. It made sense. Why would he want to haul the drums back and forth? He looked like he didn’t need much practice, although I was sure he probably had something set up at home too.
Kage and I walked up the stairs in the middle of them. He didn’t touch me, but I could sense his closeness. I knew he was feeling the way I was, that he knew it would be better to keep his hands to himself. We’d just scored a small victory with his friends. They were beginning to accept me again and we didn’t want to push it. Flaunting in their faces that Kage and I were undeniably smitten with each other would be a bad move.
After the guys left and Mark said he was going to watch the WWE show he’d saved on DVR, Kage led me to his bedroom. He paused in his doorway. “I gotta take a leak. Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be right back.”
Oh. Make myself comfortable? Well, I needed to pay him back for that incredible orgasm he’d given me earlier in the evening. Hmm. And he still had my panties in his pocket. I decided then to take my blouse off after removing my coat. He’d get to see my lacey black bra (the twin companion to the panties he’d kept), but I’d leave a little mystery. The next question: did I want to sprawl on the bed, invitin
g him to ravish me, or something else?
I looked around the room. It was obvious that Kage was a temporary guest. There were several boxes in the corner next to a black upright piano against one wall. There was a double bed and an old dresser with a mirror but no other frills. This room was likely a spare bedroom for guests, Kage being the most recent one. As I assessed my environment, I heard Mark’s TV in the other room, the roar of the crowd turned up loud.
He probably knew what his friend and I would be up to.
I moved the boxes off the dresser. Granted, I didn’t know much about Mark, but he hadn’t seemed like a sentimental guy, and yet this dresser spoke volumes. It was old and it didn’t go with any other décor in his house. Everything else the man owned was modern and as new as possible. This dresser, I knew, was older than I was. It wasn’t in bad shape, but it was not modern.
The wood was dark and polished. It was beautiful, and as I ran my hand over its top, I knew exactly how I would greet Kage when he walked in the door. I hoped he was ready, because I certainly was.
Chapter Eighteen
I’D DECIDED HOW to greet my man just in time. I placed my elbows on the dresser, then rested my chin on both my fists and turned my head to face the door. I made sure my ass was sticking out. Kage opened the door and the noise from the living room rushed through until he closed it, muffling it once more.
I heard the click of the door as it closed and I grinned at him. He raised his eyebrows and took two steps toward me. I ran my hand down my side and over my ass, then back up, pulling my skirt up with my hand. “Oh, hell,” he said, closing the gap.
I turned around to kiss him, but I was fumbling with the button on his jeans. “I want you to fuck me right here.”
He brought his lips to mine and said, “My thoughts exactly.” His lips moved to my neck while his fingers pulled down the bra strap on my left shoulder. His lips were warm, but not as hot as my body, and I needed to feel him inside me once more. He moved his hand to my hair, running his fingers through it, pulling it away from my ear, and then I felt his breath against my skin. His voice was almost a growl when he said, “I’m going to turn you around. I want to take you the way you offered.”
By that point, my hand was stroking his cock and I knew he was as desperate as I was. “That was the idea.” His hand was now behind my neck and he turned me to face him.
He kissed me hard and then turned me around before I could fully register what he’d done. He was like a dangerous animal, ruled only by instinct, and it turned me on just as much as the sweet side of him did. He ran his hand up my thigh from my knee to the crease in my leg, not to excite me but to spread me a little farther apart. His other hand pushed my skirt up and I felt him inside me in seconds. I felt the fullness of his swollen cock more at that angle than I had before in all our lovemaking, and his hands on my hips felt possessive and needy. I looked at him through the mirror. His eyes were closed, a pained expression on his face, but then he opened them and looked at me. He almost smiled and slowed down his tempo. Had I ruined the moment for him? I gritted my teeth and said, “Fuck me, baby. Fuck me hard.” He ran his hands up my sides and over my breasts, squeezing them, and there was nothing gentle about his touch. I closed my eyes then as I felt him begin his assault again. It felt good until I opened my eyes and saw myself in the mirror again. That, coupled with the knowledge that Mark was on the other side of the wall, ruined any chance I had of pleasure. But that was okay. Kage had made me feel unbelievably incredible earlier, and this moment was for him. So I adjusted the angle of my ass a little, hoping it would make it better for him, and I kept my eyes closed so he wouldn’t see any of the weird shit I was thinking. I knew my face would telegraph it.
He was driving into me hard, so no matter how weird I was feeling, my breath was coming out in pants and huffs. He stopped again, though, and ran his hands down my back, giving me shivers. I inhaled a deep breath.
He pulled out and I thought that was odd, because I knew he was close but hadn’t come. But he grabbed me around the waist and turned me around, then lifted me up so my ass was hanging off the edge of the dresser.
His mouth consumed mine in a deep kiss as he slammed into me and I gasped around his mouth. Oh, my God, he was beyond incredible. He felt better than he had a right to. Holy shit. I didn’t realize until moments later that I was vocalizing these sentiments, but I did when I glanced at him and saw the look on his face—half a smile before his eyes fluttered, and I knew he was super close. I hadn’t known how close I was, though, and an orgasm took me by surprise, making my legs quiver and tighten around him as he sucked air in through his teeth, resisting his release until he couldn’t any longer.
It might sound weird to you, but it was the little things like that that made me feel like Kage and I belonged together. Forever. Because rarely had I experienced that kind of union with a guy. It felt like we were meant to be.
* * *
We lay in bed, his hand brushing my upper arm up and down. I wasn’t sleepy, but I knew Kage was getting drowsy. He had to work early in the morning, and I knew I needed to sleep too, because I had to catch my ride in with him. Unlike him, though, I could get up right before we left and shower after I got home.
My head rested on his chest and I ran my hand up and down his bare flesh underneath the sheet. I stayed quiet, because I didn’t want to keep him up. Of course, I didn’t know how he could sleep with the raucous sounds of wrestling vibrating into his room anyway. I felt a little relieved by the television noises, though, because I started believing maybe Mark hadn’t heard the sounds of our lovemaking through the walls.
I closed my eyes, deciding that maybe I could sleep if I wasn’t looking around the room. Instead, my mind wavered between thoughts of the sexy man slumbering beside me and the paper I had to write the following morning. My mind finally started to quiet when I heard Kage mumble. “Jessica, you awake?”
I fluttered my eyelids. “Mmm-hmm.”
His hand had been resting on my arm, but he moved it to my hair and stroked the length of it. “I guess it’s a little fuckin’ late, but I suppose I need to ask you if you’re on birth control.”
Oh, hell. I hadn’t even thought about that. To me, condoms were just extra protection as well as a precaution against the nasty shit some guys carried on their dicks. I hadn’t worried about Kage. As scary as it was on occasion, I trusted him. Sometimes, I trusted him in spite of my insecurities and doubts and fears; other times, like now—when I was in his arms and wrapped in his love—trust came easily. Yes, I’d been on the pill since I’d become sexually active in high school. A lot of my friends hadn’t bothered; some had been on the fast track to pregnancy and I suspected they were already divorced—at least, those who’d managed to marry. Some of them had moved in with the baby daddy and a couple others hadn’t had the opportunity. I saw that as just another way to trap myself at home. I’d desperately needed to escape, and a baby would have ruined that. So, stupidly enough, the first time I’d had sex, I hadn’t been on the pill and the asshole who’d fucked me hadn’t used a condom. He’d pulled out and come on my stomach. And I’d prayed and prayed—even though I wasn’t much of a religious girl—until my period came. That experience had scared me so much that I was on the pill less than two months later…and while I’d been late taking the occasional pill, I’d been faithful overall about doing it. No way was I going to become a mother on accident.
I shifted so I could look at him. I rolled over a bit and rested my chin on my hand, still laying on his chest. Suddenly, I felt playful. Kage and I had been so serious about each other that we hadn’t teased much in a joking way, and I felt a little devilish. I gasped and made my eyes wide. “Oh, shit. Birth control? What do you mean?” His eyes popped open and I could see the shock on them. I started laughing, but then I felt bad that I’d made him panic. “It’s okay. I’m on the pill.”
“Shit, woman. You gave me a heart attack.” He grabbed my hands and rolled me over on my back. He
kissed me then and I felt endorphins rushing through my body followed by adrenaline, because I wanted to feel him inside me again. I could never get enough of him.
I stroked his cheek with my hand. He had tiny dark whiskers poking out that I knew he’d remove the next morning, but for now, they made him look even sexier, and, combined with the look in his eyes, maybe even a little dangerous. God, I loved when he looked that way. “I’m sorry, baby. I swear—you have nothing to worry about. I’m on the pill and have been for a long time.” Oh, God…I hoped that didn’t make me sound like a huge slut. It was true, though, and, as usual, I wanted to be honest with him.
“Just for that, I think I need to fuck you hard again.”
I sucked in a deep breath and I know my eyes grew wide. “Holy hell. I wish you would. I wish you would never stop.”
Lucky me. He kept his promise. After that, I had no problems falling asleep, even as the ten o’clock news blared into the bedroom relentlessly.
Be Careful What You Wish For Page 12
