Lovin' on You

by Fabiola Francisco

  Feeling brave, I kiss the part of his neck closest to my lips and feel him shudder. His arms tighten around my body. I lick him lightly and move up to his ear, grazing his lobe. I feel his breath quicken but he stays seated, his arms around me as I continue my trail.

  “I’m sorry he did that,” I whisper in his ear. “But I’m not sorry you ended up here last night.” I kiss his jaw and hook my arms around his neck. When my lips hit his, he moves me so I’m straddling him. He meets my thrusts, our tongues colliding urgently. Breathless, I look up at him and smile.

  “I really need to work,” I say playfully. He laughs and puts his forehead to mine.

  “I’m not sorry I ended up here, either.” His breath tickles my nose. “You’re amazing.” He gives me a quick peck. “Now I better go, before neither of us gets any work done.” I feel his hardness beneath me.

  Once he’s dressed, he kisses me perfectly on the lips and says, “I’ll see you tonight.”

  I spend the rest of the day with Cash on my mind.

  I’m sitting on a stool in Riot, the small bar is packed with music fans as they await their favorite guys. One, in particular, is my favorite guy. I wait for them to begin as I sip my cocktail.

  He has no idea I’m here tonight. I told him I couldn’t make it, but I wanted to surprise him. Ever since the Nathan incident, we have gotten closer. Of course, that’s probably because of the sex we had after. Being intimate with someone will do that. And, although it’s only been a week, our comfort levels are higher.

  The music begins and I smile excitedly to myself. His voice runs through me and I sit back and enjoy watching him pour his passion into the songs he writes. You could tell they love this. The fun they have while on stage is intoxicating and soon I’m singing along with the rest of the crowd. There is something about the camaraderie in the country music culture that pulls you in.

  It doesn’t take long for him to spot me in the audience, so I smile and raise my glass when he sees me. He winks and a few girls yell. I laugh at their infatuation, but then again I’m just like them. Except I get to take him home tonight.

  “You guys are amazing! Before I close out the night, I want to call a special woman up here.” He looks straight at me. Oh no, he didn’t. He knows that I’m not the one comfortable with the spotlight. I shake my head and his laugh echoes through the microphone.

  “She’s a little shy.” He winks. “Are you sure?” He asks again and I notice a few people looking at me. I’m grateful for the dim lighting to hide my blush. I’m going to kill him.

  “This one’s for you, babe,” he says with a wink and the crowd sighs. Literally, they sigh like teenage girls. I just hold my smile and listen, knowing which song is coming and sing along.

  He jumps off the small stage at the end of the song and comes right to me, kissing me openly. “Hi,” he murmurs against my lips.

  “Hi,” I breathe out.

  “I thought you couldn’t make it tonight.”

  “I thought I’d fib and surprise you instead.”

  “Naughty girl.”

  “Only for you.” I kiss him again and see that we now have an audience. “Go do your thing, and I’ll be right here, waiting for you.”

  “Nah, I’m good.”

  “Are you sure? I know you like your alone time after you sing.”

  “I’m positive. This is much better.” He squeezes my hand and orders a beer.

  “By the way, did you have to call me out?”

  “Always. I’ll always call you out when I find you.” I kiss him fast.

  “Hey, Liv!” Cole comes up to us.

  “Hey! You guys did great!” Ryder and Jason follow behind him.

  “Thanks!” They say and smile proudly.

  “Where’s Jen?” Ryder asks looking around.

  “She’s home. She had school work.”

  “Damn, I should give her a call.” I swear it looks like Ryder is missing her.

  Those two have this weird dynamic, where they’re together when they see each other, but don’t bother with doing what it takes to actually be together. I’ll admit, it does surprise me to observe that he doesn’t hit on other girls since he’s met Jen. I think he might be smitten with her and doesn’t know what to do with that.

  As the night progresses, the guys do their thing and Cash and I dance and drink. He signs a few things for fans that come up to him and poses for pictures. He has a great heart and that’s what’s capturing me the most.

  We walk hand in hand, our arms extended as I balance on the edge of the sidewalk. Cash pulls me into him and then twirls me. His lips touch mine briefly before we continue to stroll through Downtown Nashville. We had dinner at a steakhouse and decided to walk over to a bar not far from the restaurant. The evening is nice and Cash’s hand in mine adds a little extra something special to my night.

  “That looks so good,” I say as we pass an ice cream shop.

  “Do you want some?” Cash looks over at me with amusement. I had just told him I had eaten way too much.

  “No, too full, still.” I rub my belly and he laughs.

  “How about we share one?”

  “What about drinks?” I am looking forward to sitting in a quiet corner with him as we sip on drinks.

  “We’ll have those too.” He kisses my forehead and walks into the ice cream shop, ordering a cone with pistachio and chocolate chip ice cream. He just smiles at me, taking the initiative to order two flavors without asking me.

  “You’re lucky I love both of those,” I say when he hands me the cone.

  “Who doesn’t love pistachio and chocolate chip?” He asks as if I’m insane.

  “Jen actually hates chocolate.”

  “That’s ridiculous.”

  “She does,” I shrug.

  “Are you one of those girls that will let me drizzle chocolate on her and lick it off?” His eyes turn mischievous and I giggle. He licks the ice cream I’m holding and then holds me close.

  “One of those girls? How many have you attempted that with?”

  “I can proudly say none. Although, I’m not sure my friends would tell me to be proud about that.”

  “Well, I like that answer.” I kiss him and taste the sweetness from the ice cream on his lips.

  “So that means you’ll let me?” He smiles wickedly.

  “We’ll see, superstar.”

  After a few more steps, Cash pulls me in for a hug but then begins to move in a circle. He hums in my ear what I assume is a new song, leaving the words out, and leads us in a slow dance. I feel the ice cream drip down my hand but ignore it. Nothing will ruin this moment. I place my head on his chest and just feel him around me. When he’s done, he dips me and kisses me. I laugh into his mouth almost dropping the cone.

  “You woo me.”

  “I’d do anything to see that smile.”

  I kiss his cheek. “Thank you. Do you want anymore?” I hold up the half eaten, half melted, ice cream and scrunch up my face in question.

  “No,” he chuckles. I throw it in the garbage on the sidewalk and he grabs my hands, licking one finger where the ice cream dripped. My breathing hitches at his unexpected action. His eyes gaze into mine as he removes the finger from his mouth and plants a kiss on my lips. “Delicious. How about we get a drink now?”

  I nod and let him lead me. Everything Cash does is purposeful and sexy. If any other guy would have licked my finger, I would have gagged and never spoken to him again. But, Cash did it so carefully, so deliberately, that it turned me on a bit. I also know what else that tongue can do, and boy would I love to feel it on me right now. Instead, he insists on drinks. This must be his idea of foreplay.

  We get a cozy table in the corner of the bar and order drinks. I stick to whiskey and soda and Cash goes with his usual beer.

  “Are you excited about Tyler’s concert?” I ask him.

  “I am. We were hesitant at first, because of his drinking reputation, but he seems to be over that stage.” He shrugs. “It�
��s a good thing. Not just for us, but for him, as well.” It amazes me how centered Cash always is.

  “I’m glad. He puts on a great show and has a huge following. Well, you know that.” Obviously he knows that; he’s in the business.

  He grabs my hand and squeezes. “Thanks.” I smile warmly. This man is slowly sneaking into my heart. I never thought so, but he is. “Now, tell me what you’re working on.”

  I go into detail about my recent projects. “The hospital loved what I did and hired me for a few more things they needed rushed, so that’s my priority right now. Then I have smaller projects.” Cash listens attentively and comments every so often. Warmth rises up my neck and face when he tells me how impressed he is with my dedication.

  I show him a preview of one of my designs on my phone and it’s cute to see him admire it. He’s the one with a huge future ahead of him and he’s in awe over my simple design. The support from him is so appreciated.

  “I also got an email from an author that needs branding. I’ve never worked with anyone in that field, but it could be fun.”

  “That’s cool.” He’s never once asked if I would be better off working for someone again, instead of busting my behind just to get my name out there and gain new clients. He’s naturally supportive. Maybe because he understands what it is like to go after your dream. When I had mentioned the idea of freelance to Nathan, he tried to name all the cons of going off on my own and all the pros of staying with my old employer. I can’t help but notice the difference.

  We order another round of drinks and Cash sits back, relaxed. His normally combed hair is messier today from running his hand through it and his plaid shirt is begging to be undone.

  “When is the concert?” I run my foot along his leg and smile when his eyes widen.

  Breathing in slowly, he responds. “Two and a half weeks. We need to finish perfecting some songs and clean up our sound a bit. You’re coming, right? I told you I had a ticket for you.”

  I smile, my foot slowly moving, as his finger draws circles on my palm. “I’ll be there.” I can’t turn down that puppy dog face. I’m so screwed when it comes to him. Cash taps his fingers on the table, following the beat of the Tim McGraw song playing and I smile. “Who’s your favorite singer?” I can’t believe I haven’t asked him this yet.

  “Hands down, Kenny Chesney. How about you?”

  “Tim.” I point up, as if he were standing above us, to signal the song.

  “He’s good. I met him once. Great guy.”

  “Really? That must have been amazing!”

  Cash laughs at my excitement as I lean forward on my elbows, resting my chin on the top of my hands. “Tell me about it.”

  He goes into details about how he met Tim McGraw at a meet and greet here in Nashville before one of his shows. This was before he decided to make his songwriting public or even become a singer.

  “What was your favorite thing to do as a child?” He asks. When he sees my surprised face, he laughs. “I want to know everything about you.”

  “You’re cheesy,” I tease. He shrugs in response. “I used to love going up to the lake with my parents. We would swim and fish. My dad had a pontoon in the marina at Percy Priest Lake. I spent most of my summers there. It was so tranquil.”

  “I love Percy Priest Lake. I camped there a few times with my brothers.”

  “Yeah, it’s great.”

  We finish our drinks and head home. The feel of Cash’s hands intimately grazing me all night is doing a number on me, and I can’t wait to feel them in other parts of my body.

  As he drives back to my place, his pinky barely touches my hand and I shiver. I look over at him and see he’s focusing on the street in front of him but has a shit-eating grin. Two can play this game.

  I slowly move my left arm and run my fingers, whisper soft, over his thigh. His leg twitches a bit and I hold back my laughter. I repeat the action. He quickly looks at me from the corner of his eye. Biting down my smile, sit back. That should do the trick.

  Suddenly, he’s pulling over on the side of the road. I look at him with wide eyes. He puts the car in park and gets out. What the hell is he doing? My door opens quickly and his body pins me to the seat. He kisses me passionately, his tongue thrusting into my mouth when I moan. His hands tug at my hair, the combination of pain and pleasure spiking through me.

  Once he’s done, he pulls back, leaving me wanting more. “Think about that the rest of the way home.” He closes the door and jumps back in the driver’s seat, leaving me dumbfounded.

  I guess he’s a better player at this game. Although, I’d bet my life his erection is hurting right now. Silence fills the car the rest of the way back and tension builds.

  “You’re amazing,” Cash says, as his lips run down my neck to the top of my chest.

  He undressed me as soon as we made it up to my room. He takes a nipple between his lips and I bow off the bed. His hand moves between my legs, and his fingers pleasure me to the brink of orgasm. I pull his body down to mine and kiss him feverishly. I need more than his fingers. I need him. I reach down, running my fingers over his hardness before wrapping my hand around him and giving him pleasure.

  I shove him, so he’s on his back and kiss him again. Then, I move down his body and take him in my mouth. I run my tongue along his length and suck his tip before taking all of him in my mouth. His groans tell me he’s enjoying this, and I keep on going until he pulls me by the sides of my shoulders.

  I cover him with a condom and straddle him, guiding my body over his until he’s all the way inside of me. We move together, chasing our release.

  “What sign are you?” I’m cuddled into Cash’s body, blissfully satisfied.

  “Sign?”

  “Yeah. Your zodiac sign?”

  “I don’t know. I think I’m a Gemini.”

  “What day is your birthday?”

  “June 15th,” he responds.

  “Yup, definitely a Gemini. I’m a Pisces. Supposedly we aren’t compatible.” I look up at him and shrug with raised eyebrows.

  “I don’t know much about zodiac signs, but this tells me we’re more than compatible.” He pushes his hips into me and I feel him hardening. I giggle.

  “Yeah, that part of you definitely thinks we’re compatible,” I tease.

  “Not just that part, babe.” I feel butterflies all over at the sound of that. I love when relationships are new and little things get those butterflies going rampant within you. When you heat at the thought of seeing that person again or the memory of a kiss. It’s so refreshing and exciting.

  I run my fingers down his cheek, enjoying the way his short beard scratches my fingers. I lean up and kiss him softly. “We’re more than compatible,” I whisper. His arms tighten around me and I fall asleep.

  “No way!” Jen calls from across the room.

  “Don’t be a sore loser, babe.” Ryder winks at her.

  “I’m not being a sore loser, but he didn’t flip the cup, he just placed it with his hand. That’s cheating!”

  “Look at it this way, you’re getting flip cup training from pros. When you go to your college parties, you’ll have experience,” Jason tells her.

  “No way she’s going to college parties without me,” Ryder growls and we all laugh.

  “Why would I want that, when I have you?” She walks up to Ryder and kisses him. He grabs her butt and deepens the kiss.

  “Get a room!” Cash yells from beside me.

  A few of us came to Jason’s house to hang out and have some drinks. They all started playing flip cup about thirty minutes ago and Cash and I have laughed our asses off watching them.

  “Next is beer pong. Are you any good at that?” Jason teases Jen. She’s the youngest in the group, and the guys treat her like a little sister. Well, except for Ryder. I wish I didn’t have to watch how Ryder thinks of her when they make out. Those two have no shame when it comes to public displays of affection.

  “You want another beer?” Cash a
sks me as he stands.

  “Please. If I need to watch those two grope each other, I am going to do it while drinking.” He laughs and leans down to kiss me before grabbing us two more beers in the kitchen.

  “Hey Liv, I was wondering if you would check out our album’s new cover. You know, give us your professional input.” Cole sits next to me. They are updating their look for their first album, to make it more marketable.

  “Sure. Send it to me anytime.”

  “Thanks. How’s it going with Romeo?” I laugh. The guys all mock Cash for his emotional side. He wears his heart on his sleeve and isn’t afraid to show it.

  “Great.” I smile at him.

  “I’m glad. He needs someone good, like you.” I just smile back at him, accepting the compliment. I know Cash has been single for a long time and he has never been one to jump into bed with someone he hardly knows. That’s not to say he doesn’t have a few notches on his bedpost, but sleeping around isn’t his thing and I’m grateful for that.

  “Here you go.” Cash hands me a beer and sits back down. “Are you going to play beer pong?” He asks Cole.

  “Nah, I’ll let those guys give it a go. No need to embarrass anyone.” He smiles smugly.

  “You’re not that great.”

  “I lost to you once, and I blame your ridiculously long arms and past basketball experience.”

  “You didn’t just lose. I obliterated you.”

  “Show off.”

  Cash laughs loudly and shrugs.

  “If it makes you feel better, Cole, I totally kicked his ass at mini golf,” I confide.

  “You got your ass kicked by a girl? You disappoint me, Knight,” Cole mocks him.

  “She’s ridiculously good. I think she goes in her free time and plays the rounds.”

  “I do not! I just have good aim.” I raise an eyebrow at him. They both laugh and Cash pulls me into his side.