by Grace James
“Seven-year-old me would have.”
“Bitch,” he muttered good naturedly. “And just because I’m drummin’ for them, doesn’t mean I’m in Sons. I mean I am – but I’m not the real deal.” At my frown, he continued. “Come on, you work with bands, you know how they are. They’re funny things. They don’t always stick. Most musicians, they flit from band to band – at least for a while. You rarely get a band who never replace a member or who play together forever.”
I nodded. I’d seen that happen with local bands a hundred times over.
Danny raised what I was starting to think of as his ‘finger of knowledge’ again. “But you sometimes get a band where, if one member goes, the whole thing’s never the same again. That’s when you know it was THE band. You get me?”
“I guess…”
Danny took another glug of champagne, before placing the bottle on the table. “Sons of Sinners with Connor – that was THE band. That was how it was always meant to be. The four of them. Any other drummer will only ever be a stand in for Connor because, for Sons, that was the perfect line up.” He shrugged. “There’s plenty of other bands the same, like Avenged Sevenfold, or The Doors, or INXS. They go on. They get someone to fill the gap. But the original members? They’re THE band. Kane, Derren and Blake are Sons of Sinners; I’m just the stand in.
“So, when it comes to the albums, I’ll make my professional contribution and tell them what I think works best. But that row Blake and Derren had the other day? About the hook? That was all passion. It was personal. That’s what I’ll never be a part of.”
I felt bad for him, and it must have shown on my face.
“Ey, don’t get me wrong, I’m okay with that. This is my job right now and I love it, but when this gig’s over for me, I’ll get another. I’ll go back into the studio, be a session drummer again, maybe join another band – but Blake and the rest? It’s different for them. They’d still be giggin’ in dive bars in Vegas if this band hadn’t gone the distance. Sons was never a money spinner for them, it’s their life’s work. Me? I’ll drum ‘til my bones turn to dust – but this lifestyle? It’s not forever. That’s why I’ve gotta go over there –” he pointed to the center of the ballroom where a multitude of women were dancing “– and make the most of it while I’m still famous and my face is still pretty.”
I laughed as he pushed himself to his feet, grabbed up a couple more bottles of Krug, and strutted towards the dance floor.
“Have fun!” I called after him.
He turned around long enough to give me a sort of hap hazard before he nudged his way through the crowd. Within seconds it was like feeding time at the shark sanctuary – and Danny was the chum.
67
After Danny left, I decided to go get a champagne glass since I couldn’t bring myself to drink straight from the bottle in a fancy place like that. When I was half way to the bar, I heard a tinkly, southern-belle voice at my shoulder say, “Oh, hey! Amy, right?”
I turned around –
And Eva Merchant was standing right in front of me.
It felt like the gravity dropped out of the room.
If the pictures I’d seen of her were gorgeous, in person she was goddess-like. Her white-blond hair was pulled into a chunky, messy, I-just-got-out-of-bed-so-yes-I-am-actually-this-beautiful braid that hung over one shoulder. Her flawless figure was showcased in a tiny, midnight blue dress that hugged every perfect curve. Her baby blue eyes were skirted by the longest eyelashes I’d ever seen, and her skin was so pure it looked airbrushed.
A word of advice, ladies: if you ever get the opportunity to stand within a few feet of an underwear model, just don’t. Unless you have the body confidence of a…well, underwear model.
“I’m Eva,” she said with a saccharine sweet smile that revealed teeth so white they probably glowed in the dark. “Blake’s ex.” The heavy dose of self-satisfaction attached to those final two words made it clear she was looking for a reaction.
I gave her one – it just probably wasn’t the one she wanted. “You are?” I asked, putting on my best show of being surprised. “Wow, he’s never mentioned you.”
A look of shock flickered across her face, but it was instantly masked by an expression of what would’ve been pretty convincing pity if I hadn’t already seen through the mask. “Oh, God, I’m so sorry! We only broke up a few weeks ago, so I just assumed he must’ve told you about me.” She cringed like she just felt soooo bad. “Gosh, sorry!”
“Oh, don’t worry about it,” I told her, making sure that I put on my biggest smile because – again – I was sure that was the last thing she wanted to see. “Anyway, it was nice to meet you. Excuse me, I’m just going to get a drink.” I started to move past her towards the bar, but she called out after me.
“Okay, I admit it, I kinda see it.”
I sighed.
So close!
When I turned back around to face her, I saw that she’d planted her hands on her hips and her facade of friendliness had slipped a little. “See what?” I asked, even though I was certain I’d regret it.
“Lacey was right, you do look a little like me.” She paused and dropped her gaze, very deliberately, to my boobs – which definitely didn’t compare to the coconuts she had going on. “Well, apart from the obvious, that is,” she added.
Bitch!
“Oh, are you and Lacey friends?” I asked, thinking that it would explain why Lacey was less than warm to me when I met her earlier.
Eva smiled that big fake smile again. “Only besties. She’s actually the one who introduced me to Blake in the first place.”
Of course she did.
I bit my lips between my teeth and nodded as politely as I could. “Okay, well I’m going to go get that dr–”
Eva interrupted me. “Ugh, wait, I just have to say it. I’d never forgive myself if I didn’t.”
I raised my eyebrows questioningly.
“Blake isn’t someone you should trust.” She let the words hang in the air as if she’d just told me something ground breaking. When I didn’t react at all she said, “Are you going to make me spell it out?”
“I think you should.”
She let out a sigh as that expression of pity came back full force. “Gosh, I hate to be the one to tell you this, especially because everyone is saying you two have history or whatever – so I get that this is going to be hard to hear.” Her expression turned imploring. But it was so transparent. “He’s bad news, Amy. You must’ve seen the stories. He exploits women. And he’s…he’s violent.” She flapped a hand in front of her face, fighting off the non-existent tears that were absolutely not threatening to fall from her eyes. “Believe me…I know,” she choked out. “I lived it.”
Oh, PLEASE.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to claw her eyes right out of her head. Somehow, I forced my anger down, not wanting to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d gotten to me. Instead, I managed to feign boredom. “Feel better now you’ve warned me off?” I asked.
She pressed a hand to her chest, looking horrified. “It’s not about me feeling better!”
And the Oscar goes to…not you.
“Then what’s it about? Making me doubt him? Or making me mad at him? Because if that’s it, you should give up now.”
Her voice took on a venomous edge, “Didn’t you hear a word I just said? He’s danger–”
“Do not finish that sentence,” I snapped. Screw hiding my anger. This bitch could have it. “You can insult me all you want, I really don’t care. If a woman as beautiful as you are needs to do that to feel better about herself, then all I feel for you is pity – but I won’t listen to you make up bullshit about my boyfriend.”
“Oh, Amy, come on! Boyfriend?! We both know he’ll be on to someone else next week. If you know anything about him at all, you’ll know he doesn’t do commitment.”
“Oh, Eva,” I started, mimicking her. “If he’s so awful, then why do you care?”
Her lips pressed
together, so thin and white that she almost looked like one of those keychain voodoo dolls. “He treats women like sex toys and then moves on to the next one without a care in the world! He’s not who you think he is!”
Well, now it was getting laughable.
“Actually, he’s exactly who I think he is. Yes, he’s been with a lot of women, and no, that’s not his best quality – but do you know what his best quality is? He doesn’t lie. He’d never promise something he wasn’t willing to give – so if you expected something more from him, then that’s on you.” Eva scoffed, but I didn’t pause. I was on a roll. “And for you to say he was ‘violent’? Towards you?” I shook my head. “Blake’s loyal and protective, and when something really matters to him, he’d do anything to defend it. If you were ever really with him, you’d know that. If you were ever really his, you’d know that the last thing he’d ever do would be to raise a hand to any woman, let alone one he cares about.”
Eva’s hands clenched at her sides as her mouth worked, “I don’t – you –”
“What?” I goaded. “Do you finally feel like telling the truth? Do you even remember what it is?”
“I already told the truth about him!” she raged.
I copied her look of completely fake pity that she’d used earlier. “No, you didn’t. Because the truth is that whatever you think you and Blake had, it was ninety-nine percent fantasy – but that one percent? The one percent that was real? You’re never going to be able to get that out of your head.”
Insert a ‘drop the mic’ GIF here because, to this day, that was probably the best burn I’ve ever achieved.
I didn’t even feel a little bad when Eva’s face crumpled as she turned away and stormed through the ballroom towards the bathrooms.
“Holy freaking shit, Amy! That was awesome!” Hayley screeched from a few feet away. I hadn’t even noticed her there, what with the red mist and all.
Releasing a slightly shaky breath, I admitted, “My palms are sweating.”
Hayley burst out laughing and pulled me towards the bar, shouting, “Tequila!”
68
“What did that bitch say to you?” Blake’s voice rumbled in my ear as his big hand settled on the nape of my neck.
I looked over my shoulder to see him frowning down at me from where he was leaning over the back of the couch that Hayley and I had migrated to with our drinks.
I waved away his question. “Nothing important.”
He gave me a look. “Tell me.”
“Blake, it was nothi–”
“Don’t make me ask Hayley.”
I glanced at Hayley, who was valiantly trying to hide a smile.
“Oh, God,” I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Go for it.”
Blake propped his elbows on the back of the couch as Hayley, very animatedly, relayed the whole Eva showdown almost word for word. When she got to the end, Blake’s eyes were burning into mine. The expression on his face was somewhere between anger and…something I couldn’t identify.
“C’mon,” he said gruffly, walking around the couch and taking my hand, pulling me to my feet.
“Where –”
“Just come with me.” He started to tug me through the throng of people in the ballroom.
“Where are we going?”
He didn’t answer, just kept pulling me along behind him, his hand tight around mine.
I started to get annoyed. “Blake, what the –”
He whirled to face me, dipping his head to look me right in the eye. “I just need you to come with me, okay?” His other hand gripped my hip, pulling me to him. “‘Cause if I don’t get you alone in the next ten seconds, I’m just gonna fuck you right here in front of everyone.”
I blinked my surprise as heat started to pool in my core at the dark need in his voice. “I – I thought you were mad.”
“Oh, I am. But I don’t think I’ve ever been this hard in my fucking life.”
He took my hand in his and pressed it to the front of his jeans as he tightened his hold on my hip, pressing us together – oh yeah, he was packing steel alright.
My mouth dropped open a little as I looked up at him. “Me telling your ex to screw off turns you on?!”
He sank a hand into the back of my hair as his eyes took on a new intensity. “No one’s ever fought my corner before, Princess. No one’s ever done what you did tonight. And I already told you, she’s not my fucking ex.” He didn’t give me chance to reply before he mashed our lips together. His kiss was fierce, demanding and dominating – but it only lasted a few moments before he pulled back and took my hand again.
That time, when he tugged me behind him through the crush of dancers, I didn’t fight him.
Blake guided me through a service door at the end of the room into a brightly lit hallway. There were a couple of women, probably from housekeeping based on their outfits, folding linens a few dozen yards ahead of us. They stared at us in surprise as Blake raised a hand in a familiar wave – like he was supposed to be there – and then turned us down another hallway that branched left from the main one.
As we hurried past a metal door marked ‘Store’, Blake skidded to a halt and then tested the handle. When it opened, he shoved inside, dragging me in behind him and closing the door quickly.
We stood in a small, narrow room with shelves on one side, full of paper towels and cleaning products. The other side of the room was bare cinder block.
“We can’t –” I started, but I didn’t get chance to finish before Blake’s lips were on mine as he walked me backwards against the wall.
“Relax. I know the guy who owns this place,” he said with a smirk before he shoved his hand up under my dress. His eyes widened. “No panties, Princess?”
I smiled slowly, shaking my head.
“Fuck,” he muttered. “You been like this all day?”
I nodded again. “You just tear them off me anyway.”
He skimmed a finger through my slick heat to ease it inside of me and started to pump slowly in and out. My hands clawed at his neck as my hips jerked forwards.
God, HOW does he always hit just the right spot?
He slipped another finger inside me and rolled his thumb over my clit, making me moan as liquid fire rippled through me. Moving my hands to his back, I bunched the cotton of his shirt in my hands and tried to tug it upwards. “Off…now,” I gasped.
He smirked again as he reached behind his head and pulled it up and off before tossing it to the floor. Then his right hand moved back between my legs as his left hand squeezed and shaped my breasts. “Shit, no bra either,” he rumbled as he dipped his head to bite my nipples through the fabric of my dress.
Soon, we were grabbing at each other’s bodies in a fever.
I pulled at his belt, scrabbled at his button fly, and pushed his boxers down so that his cock jutted out, scorching hot and rigid in my hands. I curled my fingers around him, making him groan as I started to rub him, using two hands to cover almost all of him, the pad of my right thumb massaging his slick head on every upstroke.
Abruptly, he took a step back and grabbed my ass with both hands, hauling me into the air so that I could wrap my legs around his waist. Then he was pushing me back against the wall, the cool, rough surface chilling my shoulders as he pinned me there with his hips.
Our eyes met and locked…and then everything slowed…
The tips of his fingers teased over my lips, my clit, my ass, as the slippery head of his cock glided through my wetness and pushed inside. Slowly. Agonizingly slowly.
My mouth dropped open in a silent scream as his jaw tightened.
He withdrew before he was even half way inside, then pushed back in – further this time, until he was buried to the root.
He held my gaze in his. I was encompassed in the depths of his sapphire eyes, swimming in them, in him, as he made love to me, as we just connected – in a cold, gloomy store room of all places.
But it didn’t matter where we were.
We we
re lost in each other.
Blake’s fingers kept tickling over me, along the cleft of my ass, my groin, the sensitive skin between my opening – where his cock was filling me, over and over – and my ass.
“I love you,” he murmured. “Fuck, I love you so much.”
“I love you, too,” I told him, hoping he could see it in my eyes the way I could see it in his.
I buried my hands in the back of his hair, squeezing tight as the sensations of his huge cock inside me and his skilled fingers skimming over me made my vision blur. My fingers clenched even tighter as his hot mouth tugged at my earlobe and then moved lower, his teeth skimming over my pulse.
The first clench in my core made my whole body go rigid, my shoulders scraped over the coarseness of the exposed cinder block as my body bowed against his, my legs clamping around him, pulling him into me. I let out a high-pitched whimper – and then caught myself, putting the back of my hand over my mouth and biting down as the orgasmic wave started to crest.
Blake upped his pace, locking his mouth on my neck, muting his groans by sucking hard on my tender skin as he ploughed his cock into me.
The sharp pain, and knowing that he was claiming me, so that everyone would see when we walked out of there…for some reason, that sent me over the edge.
I couldn’t contain my scream.
Blake’s hands stopped their gentle caresses as he dug his fingers into the flesh of my ass and drove me against the wall with the force of his thrusts. The huge muscles of his chest and shoulders bunched as he buried his face in my neck and followed me into the abyss.
69
As we made our way back through the mass of bodies gyrating on the dancefloor, I was relieved to see that I wasn’t the only one who looked a little sweaty. The only difference was that my glow was of the ‘just screwed’ variety, whereas everyone else’s was from dancing their asses off.
I had my arm around Blake’s hips, my hand in the back pocket of his jeans, and he had his arm around my shoulders, my neck in the crook of his elbow. As we walked, he kept dipping his head to nuzzle my neck, dropping kisses over the small purple bruise he’d branded me with.
