by Mia McAdams
“Beautiful,” he says.
He’s eyeing me, too, so I make a point to twirl and lift a foot when I’m done, pointing to a heel. Just as promised. “You like?”
His eyes blaze as he hungrily takes me in. I know he’s imagining what he wants to do to me later, and it makes me grow hot under his spell. “I approve,” he says in all seriousness.
I take a step forward and drag my hand down his chest, never pulling my eyes from his. “You look good enough to eat.” Then I slip my arms around his waist underneath his blazer. “I know this is our first date and all, but I’m really hoping you aren’t going to make me sleep alone tonight.”
His amused smile illuminates his entire face, and he leans his forehead against mine. “Oh no, babe. I have plans for you.” Then he brings his mouth against my ear. “All night.”
Shivers run through me like wildfire, but he doesn’t give me time to recover before we’re leaving my room and heading toward the elevator. The car is waiting for us at the curb. Wolf holds the door open for me, and I slide in to find a single rose waiting on the seat along with a card. I open it as Wolf steps around to the other side of the car.
Lyric,
To some, words are cheap. For us, words are everything. Here are mine:
From the moment I met you, there was something about you that would not leave me. What you sparked when your hands fell onto my chest in that elevator only ignited when our eyes met, and it’s a flame that still burns. Like one of those damn trick candles. I hope this one burns forever.
Here’s to our first date and to every moment after.
Wolf
This is why I love musicians and why I’m crazy about Wolf in particular. Well, it’s one of the many reasons. His words seep into my cracked exterior and soak my heart, turning it to mush.
I’m done reading by the time Wolf sinks into the seat beside me, and I have to restrain myself from straddling him. Instead, I reach out to hold his hand. Once our fingers are tangled together, he squeezes my hand, and I feel it again. The intense flame that burns between us. It may not have been in my plans to fall for Wolf, but it’s clear now that I never had a choice. This thing happening between us, whatever it is, is meant to be.
Wolf
She’s breathtaking. I’m not sure how I’m resisting her now, but everything about Lyric screams “take me now.” From her purple, shiny heels, to the way she’s looking at me—like she wants to jump me. The way that flowery skirt rides up her glossy thigh. Fuck me. And the way her little hand slides into mine after reading the letter—that small gesture she offers me is enough to boost my confidence. Truth be told, I need the confidence boost.
Lyric will never know it, but I’m fucking nervous. I spent the day setting up for our night, wondering if I was completely losing my mind. Not only has she hooked my heart, but she’s reeling me in without any effort at all. It’s been a week since I promised Lyric a date, and she hasn’t said a word about it. I’m not even sure she remembers, but I do. Lyric deserves more than a random night out when we can afford the time or early morning orgasms. Although she seems to really like the orgasms. Tonight, Lyric will get to experience one of my favorite places with all the bells and whistles I could think of.
Our driver parks near the back entrance of Aragon Ballroom, and the disappointment is obvious on Lyric’s face. I want to chuckle, but I decide to play with her a little. “I just need to stop here for a second. Come with me.”
She hesitates for a moment before sliding out of the seat and latching onto my hand. Rex is behind us, staying a safe distance back. He knows the plan and will ensure Lyric and I have our privacy.
As we walk, I imagine what it would be like to have her with me, just like this, every night. As my girlfriend and not my road manager. I’ll never mention the fantasy to Lyric, though. Knowing how much she loves her job, she’ll probably get pissed. Instead, I keep it to myself and take her through the backstage hallway until we’re turning down a dark and narrow passage.
We arrive at the stairwell leading to the roof when Lyric freezes in her tracks. It pulls me to a stop, and I turn toward her. She’s probably creeped out. I still haven’t told her that we’re here for our date.
I laugh and tug on her hand. “We’re not here for work. I want to take you somewhere.”
Her eyes aren’t on me, though; they are fixed on a pocket of darkness beneath the stairs. I have a flashback to the first time I saw that little nook. The same night I stole the rooftop keys for the first time so that I could get away from it all. From my dad. The tour. His skanky bimbos. All of it.
After a moment, she turns to me and lets out an embarrassed laugh. “Sorry, I just remembered something. Where are you taking me?” she asks, curiously.
I wink. “To one of my all-time favorite places.”
“So, this isn’t a pit stop before our date?”
“This is our date, babe.”
Her face doesn’t give much away, so I lead her up the staircase, keeping a tight grip on her hand. The door is already unlocked, as planned. I open it and allow her to walk past me. When she does, she gasps. “Wolf,” she breathes.
I had the entire rooftop decorated with strings of white holiday lights and gas lanterns. Rose petals cover every surface, and a cloth-draped table sits in the center of it all with our dinner plates protected by silver domes. She looks around the space, taking it all in, her jaw dropped in wonder. She’s impressed.
Before she can say a word, I take her in my arms so the small of her back is pressed against my stomach. “I thought we could have a private dinner with a view before the show.” I run my nose from her cheek to the base of her neck, eliciting shivers all along her sexy body. The effect I have on her makes me hard—more so than the thought of planting myself between her thighs.
“Come.” I smirk, taking her hand again and pulling her toward the edge of the roof. I want her to understand why this is my favorite place. I want to tell her everything. I want to know everything about her. She already knows the important stuff about me. I’m hoping that maybe she’ll let me in and talk about her parents. I won’t pressure her. Never. But I want her to know it’s okay if she does want to talk about anything.
We’re a few feet from the edge of the roof when Lyric stops behind me. I can’t explain the strange feeling I get in my chest, but it’s a sense that we’ve done this before. Initially, I have a flashback to the first time I ever stepped foot onto the roof, tugging a scared girl behind me. And then Lyric’s response to the dark corner beneath the stairs hits me like a sledgehammer.
No fucking way.
I turn to face her, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. “Lyric.” I test her name to see if the same realization has hit her yet.
Her eyes flicker to mine. “Heights,” she says, reminding me.
“Fuck, babe, I thought it was just a sleeping on a bus thing,” I say, feeling instantly like shit. But only a little bit, because I’m too distracted by an old memory.
And then I pull her into my arms, just like I did when I was fifteen and—holy shit. I’m holding her close, but not like I usually do. I don’t slam her body into mine and suffocate her mouth with mine. This time, I picture myself at fifteen, trying to comfort that scared girl who was petrified of heights.
“Lyric,” I say again because there are no words for the coincidence we’ve just stumbled upon. I’m not even sure if she’s connected the dots yet, but I sure as fuck remember. At fifteen, I had a raging boner for a girl I dragged up to the rooftop because she was sad. Her dad was sending her to live with her mom, and I wanted to make her feel better. That girl was Lyric. And the man who called her away from me was Mitch fucking Cassidy. If Mitch was performing that night I might have made the connection, but he must have brought Lyric there to watch my dad’s show.
“Beowulf,” she says.
She remembers. Wait. I never told her my name. “What?”
“Beowulf,” she repeats. “Some guy was calling out that name
over and over after I left the rooftop with my dad. Is that your name?”
I nod. Shit. No one has called me that in years. “That was my dad.” I look down at her again, still dazed by the coincidence. “This is insane,” I finally say because I don’t know what other words can describe what is happening now. I still think about that girl. That girl who had to rush off like Cinderella at the stroke of midnight, except she didn’t drop a thing. There was nothing left to remember her by—just my memories.
Lyric looks up at me now. “Your dad was performing that night? That’s how you got backstage.”
I nod and swallow. “When he was with his old band. Before my mom got sick, I’d hang with him during my school breaks. He never paid me any attention, though. I hated touring with him.”
“Which is why you escaped to the roof.” She’s grinning.
I brush my finger along her cheek. “And I heard you crying.”
Her eyes close and she leans into my palm, releasing a sigh. “That fauxhawk was so sexy.”
Her words throw me. She just lightened what could have been a very serious conversation.
I laugh. “I still style it like that sometimes.”
She grins and slides two palms against the sides of my head. “I would love to see that. Do it for me?”
She has no clue that I would do anything for her. “I think that can be arranged.” And then I have to ask. “What happened after you left to live with your mom?”
Lyric shrugs, trying to act nonchalant like Lyric does but failing this time. “Destiny Lane was busy. My mom wasn’t ever there. I can count on two hands how many times I saw her before I graduated from high school and moved to Seattle.”
“What? How is that possible? Who took care of you?”
“Deloris,” Lyric responds sourly. “The nanny. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have a nanny when you’re a teenager? Everyone thought Deloris was my mother, though. I guess it was easier that way since she was the one who picked me up from school and took me to the doctors and stuff.” She rolls her eyes and then laughs. “Anyway, I thought about your fauxhawk for a long time after that night.”
I chuckle. “I totally would have shoved my tongue down your throat if your dad hadn’t interrupted us.” When her face lights up, I lean in and touch her nose with mine. “I’m trying desperately hard not to shove my tongue down your throat right now, but it’s our first date. I can’t kiss you until it’s over. And then I promise I won’t stop kissing you until I have you against a wall. I just have to pick one.”
I look up and pretend to have an internal debate about wall options. There are few to choose from and they all surround the rooftop door, but the debate is pointless since I’ve already chosen the one I want to see her convulse against.
Lyric slides her hands around my waist, links them together, and stares up into my eyes. “Deal.”
We somehow manage to keep our hands off each other through dinner, but the moment we’re done eating, I pull her to her feet and wrap my arms around her. “Dance with me,” I say. My entire being is filled with desire, and I know she can hear it in my voice, not that I’m trying to hide it. I want her. I always want Lyric, but tonight is different. After staring at her all night and listening to every word she spoke, my attraction for her has only deepened.
She returns my embrace, and we sway to the light rock music playing from the wireless speaker on our table. When she looks up at me with those sage-colored eyes, I get lost for second, and then I’m unable to hold back another second. My lips find hers and I’m memorizing them, devouring them, until our bodies can’t get any closer. I pick her up, and she wraps her legs around my waist. I palm her bare ass cheeks beneath her skirt and push my cock into her heat, but I’m blocked by her panties and my jeans. Lyric always wears the sexiest underwear, but right now, I just want to tear them off.
The chosen wall is a few feet away, so I walk her to it and place her back against it as promised. I always make good on my promises. She puts more of her sexy noises in my mouth, and I grind into her again, more eagerly than before.
“Can we just pretend I walked you home and gave you a sweet, good-night kiss? Because I really want to sink into your sweet pussy right now.”
“Since you asked so nicely.” Her lips curl up into a smile. “Hell yes.”
I stand her up just to slip her panties from her and steal a lick along the line of wetness forming between her folds. For a second, I consider throwing a leg over my shoulder and mouth-fucking her pussy into oblivion, but this time, the need is too great to be inside of her.
I make quick work of my jeans, pushing them down with my underwear so they’re wrapped around my ankles. With her skirt hiked up, it’s an effortless lift and I’m palming her ass again as she wraps her legs around me. I’d rather her be naked, but I won’t risk it, knowing there’s already a good chance we can be seen by neighboring windows. I press her backward so she’s flush against the brick, my body protecting her from sight. If anyone is going to see anything, it’ll be my ass, and I couldn’t care less if anyone gets an eyeful of that.
My dick is already positioned perfectly to take her, although I still have to manage to put a condom on. Damn it.
“Wolf,” she says, and I’m terrified—terrified that she wants to wait until we’re in our hotel room in private. My dick flinches, as if readying itself for the pain to follow her rejection. But when she speaks, she pants. “No mercy. Give it to me hard.”
“Your wish is my command, babe.”
I snake a condom on as fast as physically possible, ensure she’s ready—which she is—and slide into her. With her back propped up against the wall, I support her head with one palm and her ass with the other.
Every stroke of my tongue in her mouth comes with a powerful thrust. And then I separate our mouths to look down. Her skirt hides my view so I maneuver it a little, folding it up into her waistband. And fucking hell. There it is. I’m going to blow so fast. Massive amounts of control are needed as I slow down my movements and watch every inch of my cock disappear between her folds. My stomach muscles tighten as I pull out just as slowly as I entered. Her juices are wrapped around my hard dick, shimmering in the light from above us. When I push back into her, she moans, telling me I’ve hit a homerun. It’s too much.
Lifting my eyes from the show below, I take my hand from her head and unbutton her jacket, exposing her plump breasts. Every bit of Lyric is so damn beautiful. I plant my face between her tits, close my eyes, and resume my powerful thrusts into her.
Usually I can control these situations. I can aim and shoot at my target with perfection, but not tonight. I’m inside her, but the build-up isn’t in my control; it’s my control that’s lacking because I’m practically blinded by Lyric’s insane beauty and sexual dominance. She’s pinned against the wall, her arms are around my neck, and she’s kissing me with as much abandon as I’m kissing her—but when she starts grinding, she weakens my thrusts. I let her have control.
I’m so attuned to Lyric’s wants and needs; it goes against everything I’ve ever believed in when it came to meshing sex with feelings. My badass rocker image is most definitely in question, but for Lyric, I’ll make the sacrifice.
She tugs at my hair, and I send myself deeper into her until I’m seeing stars. She calls my name and I call hers back as my final thrusts bring us both unraveling into each other.
Lyric
We can’t get enough of each other. For the month, we lock ourselves in rooms when we’re not working and flirt from across open spaces when we are. It’s not all about the sex, either, which is the most surprising part. We’re writing together. Sometimes we’re naked and teasing each other while we scribble in our notebooks, but we’re productive about it. He’s taken a few of the songs to the guys, and they get riled up each time. I can almost feel their itch to get back into the practice studio to hear how it all sounds.
And that’s why I have a surprise for them.
We arrive at th
e Los Angeles venue earlier than normal this morning. The East Coast leg of the tour is over, and we’re wrapping up the final few shows in California. As we near the venue, I catch a glimpse of Salvation Road posters hanging from the surrounding fence. Tony’s band. My ex. It doesn’t bother me like it would have a month ago. In fact, it makes me giddy to know that loser didn’t get the best of me. Wolf has all of me, good and bad, and it’s all damn perfect. Ignoring the remaining posters with Tony’s face on them, I focus on the surprise I have in store for the guys.
I disregard the grumbles from the band and dodge Wolf’s paws, which are clawing at me to come back to bed. “Who says you get to change the schedule on us? This is supposed to be morning sex time,” Wolf growls. “Look at this.” He strokes his massive erection furiously.
I just laugh. “Not now, babe. Get up and meet us outside. I’ll take care of you later.”
He mutters something, but I’m already out the door and meeting Crawley at the bottom of the bus steps. He’s the only one who knows what I’ve been up to. Somewhere along the way, he realized there was nothing he could do about the relationship brewing between Wolf and me, and although I know he’s pissed about it, he’s backed off. I’m still not even sure what to call it, but our attraction for each other is completely out in the open. It’s hard to hide intense bus sex. Everyone’s just happy we have a private room instead of a bunk.
Wolf is the last one off the bus, a sour look on his face, but he approaches me anyway, moves around me and wraps his arms around me from behind. “This better be worth the ice water I just had to toss on my dick.”
My eyes go wide as I look back at him, and I just can’t help it. I burst into laughter and spin around. Reaching up on my tiptoes, I kiss his nose and smile. “I promise it will be. Come.”
