by Lisa Lewis
“Tom, what’s wrong? Are you all right? Can I do anything to help?” Beth had no clue what was going on in his mind, and she was worried. She laid a hand on his arm, gently shaking it to gain his attention.
•
Tom jumped at Bethany’s touch. He didn’t realize he’d put himself so deep into a trance that he’d blocked out her presence. Of course, her presence was why he’d needed to meditate in the first place.
He put a hand over Beth’s where it rested on his bare forearm. He could feel her touch all the way down to his toes. Instead of patting her hand, reassuring her that he was all right, he began caressing it. Running his fingers over her smooth skin and finally entwining their fingers together. He lifted her hand to his mouth and gave it a soft kiss.
“I’m okay, Beth. I just blocked out way too much that time.”
She narrowed her eyes, still looking unsure. “‘That time?’ What do you mean? This happens to you a lot?” Her grip tightened around his hand, out of worry or fear he wasn’t sure.
“Don’t worry, it’s nothing serious. It’s not a medical condition or anything. It’s just something I picked up in yoga class,” he explained.
“You take yoga classes? And you drink milk with dinner, too. Are you a fitness nut or something?” Bethany looked a little uncomfortable at the thought.
“God, no,” he said. “The yoga is something I did back in college. A girl I liked was into that stuff, and I kind of joined in order to impress her. Stupid, huh?”
She gave an exaggerated nod. “Oh, yeah. Pretty lame. I wouldn’t have expected you to do something like that. She must have been really special.”
Tom thought he detected a bit of jealousy in Beth’s tone, and it encouraged him. He lifted her hand for another quick kiss, then said, “Actually, she wasn’t all that great. We ended up going on a couple of dates but that was it. The chemistry just wasn’t there between us. After the first couple weeks of yoga we weren’t together anymore, but I found I really liked the sessions. Even though I never took another yoga class after that, I still use a few of the techniques I learned then.”
“And that’s what you were doing before? A yoga exercise?”
Tom nodded. “Yeah. I guess you can call it quasi-meditating. I’ve sort of trained myself to block out the environment when I need to really focus on something. In college I used it to study during our neighbors’ loud parties, and I’ve been able to use it when I’m writing lyrics and music, too. It helps me to stay in control of myself, stay on task.”
Beth wore a look of bewilderment. “So why do it now? What was distracting you so much that you felt you had to zone out to la-la land?”
She honestly had no clue how alluring she was, how hard he was trying to stick to his word. No pressure, no rushing their relationship. That’s what he’d told her, and that’s what he intended to do. But she was waiting for an answer, and he figured he might as well lay it on the line.
“You were distracting me. I had to meditate in order to keep my hands off you.”
•
Beth’s jaw dropped open in astonishment, and her hand went lax within Tom’s grip. He couldn’t be serious. “What the hell are you talking about? Didn’t we just agree to spend time together, get to know each other?”
“Yeah, but we agreed to take it slow. I have no right to pressure you, and I didn’t want to push you into a lot of physical stuff right off the bat.”
Beth couldn’t believe the integrity of the man. Or it could be stupidity. She wasn’t quite sure yet. “Well, I certainly didn’t plan to have sex with you tonight, for Christ’s sake, but a few more kisses wouldn’t frighten me. Going slow does not require that you put yourself into a catatonic state!”
Tom looked at her with a doubtful expression. “So I can kiss you again? You won’t be offended? Or feel pressured?”
She actually wished at that moment that Tom wasn’t such a nice guy. She was going to bash his head in if he didn’t stop pussyfooting around.
“You’d better kiss me. And after all this discussion about it, it better be good!”
Tom grinned and stretched over the center console of the truck. “I’ll do my best.”
He cupped her chin in his wide hand, his grin fading away as he stared into her eyes. Beth waited with anticipation. Finally he dropped his liquid chocolate gaze to her lips and slowly lowered his mouth to hers.
It was even better than it’d been before. Beth closed her eyes in ecstasy as Tom’s lips gently moved over hers. She enjoyed his easy pace for a few moments but soon wanted more. She eagerly opened to him, thrusting her tongue into his mouth, wanting to explore every bit of him.
He was absolutely the best kisser she’d ever encountered in her life. Not that she’d kissed all that many guys, but the few she’d let go that far had nothing on Tom. He was amazing, bringing her blood to a raging boil with every swipe of his tongue inside her mouth, every nip of his perfect teeth on her swollen lips.
Tom pulled back, breathing heavily. “Are you okay?”
Beth nodded shakily, panting. “I’m great.”
She pulled his head back down to hers, digging her fingers into his hair. She placed soft kisses over his stubbly chin and cheeks, caressing his scalp all the while. Then she zeroed in on his gorgeous mouth again, desperate for the feel of his kiss.
Tom groaned deep in his chest and roughly pulled her over the center console and onto his lap. He fumbled under the seat for levers, finally succeeding in sliding his seat all the way back and into a reclining position. Beth readjusted her long legs, folding them up behind her so that she straddled Tom’s hips on the narrow seat. It wasn’t exactly a comfortable position, but she was willing to endure it if it meant continuing to kiss him.
She leaned over him, smoothing her fingers over the masculine contours of his chest. Firm yet not overly muscular. Perfect. But she needed to feel him without the interference of a cloth barrier. Grabbing the hem of his polo shirt, Beth tugged it up under his armpits. She could see a light dusting of dark hair in the center of his chest, extending outward to sprinkle around his small male nipples. Using the dim lights of the parking lot to guide her, she leaned down to suck on one. It sprang to erectness beneath her tongue.
Tom let out another groan, entwining his long fingers into her hair, pressing her tighter against his chest. She caressed his other nipple, using her fingertips to draw circles around it and gently tug on its tip. Apparently she’d found a very sensitive area. She switched the positions of her hand and mouth, wanting to give each nub equal attention.
After a few moments Tom pulled her head away, making her groan this time. He gave her a quick kiss and then sat her up straight, away from him. “Turnabout is fair play.”
He tugged the straps of her sundress off her shoulders. Beth knew a brief moment of insecurity but it passed as soon as Tom pushed down the fitted bodice of her dress. The parking lot was practically empty and the truck had tinted windows. No one could see them even if they walked right next to the vehicle.
“Beautiful.” He filled his hands with her breasts, cupping them with tenderness. He grazed her nipples with his thumbs, quickly making them taut. Beth shivered in reaction, having never felt this turned on so easily. Not even with Eric, when she’d thought she loved him.
Beth immediately slammed the door shut on any thought of that man. He was no longer in her life, thank God. Tom was here now, and he deserved every bit of her concentration.
“Come here,” he murmured hoarsely. “I want to taste you.”
He wrapped his arms around her back, gently drawing her down. He took a hardened nipple into his hot mouth, making her cry out in shock. It felt so damn good. He licked her breasts over and over again with his rough tongue, alternating with gentle nips and tugs of his fingers—just as she had done to him. Obviously he enjoyed doing it as much as she had.
Her long blonde hair flowed around his head, tangling in her fingers as they delved into his thick, dark locks. She had to hold onto him somehow b
ecause she felt like she was going to fly off into the night sky. She needed to keep herself grounded.
Perhaps the large erection pressing against her inner thighs could serve as a lightning rod.
Tom lifted his face from her breasts, setting her back so he could look into her eyes. “We have to stop.”
Beth uttered a sound of disgust. “Why? What’s the problem now?”
She was seriously getting irritated at the games he was playing. Did he want her or not? His body was saying yes but his mouth kept contradicting that message.
“We don’t have any condoms and we’re in the middle of a public parking lot. Not to mention the fact that you just told me ten minutes ago that you weren’t going to have sex with me tonight. I’m not willing to rush you into something you’d regret in the morning, no matter how much you think you want it right now.”
Tom waited for Beth’s reaction. She sat, looking down at his handsome face, feeling how turned on he still was. How turned on they both still were.
But he was right. They weren’t prepared for practicing safe sex, and making love with Tom for the first time in the middle of the Megaplex of Fun’s parking lot really wasn’t appropriate. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t have tried harder to seduce him if they’d been in a more secluded area. Once she’d given herself permission to pursue a relationship with Tom, albeit a short-term one, she was willing to go for it wholeheartedly.
Beth leaned down to give Tom one last, lingering kiss before moving back to the passenger seat. Shaking the kinks out of her cramped legs, she admitted, “You’re right. This isn’t the time or the place. We got a little carried away.”
She glanced over to Tom, only to see his gaze fixed upon her quivering breasts. She hadn’t straightened her sundress and the motions of her shifting legs made her upper body move, too. She froze in place, her desire swiftly rising again.
But Tom shook himself out of his lust-induced fog and readjusted his seat to the proper positions for driving. Then he reached across the console to pull her dress into place. He tugged his own shirt down and let out a deep breath, resting his forearms against the steering wheel.
“I guess we can agree we’ve got some awesome chemistry.” He turned to her and continued, “We’ve just gotta find the right conditions for letting the fireworks happen.”
He reached over and tugged on her hand, bringing it to his mouth for an affectionate smack. “But that won’t be tonight, darlin’, so we should probably get back to the auditorium. It’s pretty late now and tomorrow will be another long day.”
He placed her palm on his firm thigh then released her hand to start the truck. While her pulse slowly returned to normal, Beth continued to watch Tom’s face as he maneuvered out of the parking lot and onto the main road. He was so confident in everything he did. Driving, playing golf, performing on stage, making love. When she’d asked him earlier if he was a fitness nut, she’d been very afraid his answer would be yes. That would have taken him one step closer to perfection. And someone as messed up as she was couldn’t be involved with someone who was near perfect.
•
He was a basket case. He couldn’t believe he’d lost control of the situation so quickly. He honestly hadn’t meant for things to go that far.
Tom surreptitiously glanced at Bethany out of the corner of his eye, not wanting her to get self-conscious. But he couldn’t stop looking at her. She was so beautiful. And passionate. He could still taste the intensity of her kisses.
Right now she was looking out the side window, probably trying to pull herself together. Just like he was.
Her hand remained on his thigh, burning him with its heat. Periodically it would clench at his flesh through his khakis. He wondered what thoughts still remained in her mind to make that happen.
Trying to stay focused on the road in front of him, Tom reflected upon how different Beth was from other women he’d known. His last long-term relationship had ended almost a year ago, when Marissa claimed she’d had it with him. She wasn’t going to waste her life, sitting by while he played at being a bigshot country singer.
Marissa hadn’t understood that performing was Tom’s dream—one he intended to make come true on a larger scale. He didn’t sing in clubs on the weekends because it was a frivolous hobby or an easy way to get laid. It made him happy. It made him feel like he was on top of the world, watching as people enjoyed the music he composed and played.
He had met Marissa in Savannah when she’d caught Roadhouse’s performance one evening. A mutual friend had introduced them, and they hit it off right away. At first she’d loved the idea that her boyfriend was in a band, probably because she was able to get into clubs at no charge and usually enjoyed free drinks, too. But gradually, over the year and a half they were together, the novelty had worn off. Marissa had grown weary of watching Tom perform every weekend in local, and sometimes not so local, clubs.
She nagged at Tom to take time off from performing so they could have a real vacation together, or at least a real date. And when that tactic didn’t work, she tried to convince his father to increase his hours at the family store. She figured if he worked a lot in the hardware store during the week he’d need time off on the weekend to recuperate. Preferably with her.
That didn’t work either.
Tom’s father had refused her request. And his father had told Tom of Marissa’s attempt to interfere with his work schedule. That revelation had led to their first big argument, and the relationship hadn’t lasted long afterward.
Marissa had tried to smother Tom’s feelings of happiness and fulfillment. She tried to take away his freedom to pursue his dream in life. And he refused to give up his dream for any woman.
Tom glanced at Bethany one more time as they neared the Macon City Auditorium. Now she was looking straight ahead through the windshield.
“Hey, are you okay? You’ve been awfully quiet.”
She turned and gave him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. I guess all the excitement and adrenaline from today suddenly wore off. I feel like I’ve been hit by a ton of bricks.”
“Don’t worry. We’re almost back to our home away from home.”
Tom parked the SUV in its assigned spot and turned off the engine. He left the vehicle and walked around to meet Beth as she stepped out. Then he escorted her back to the RV she shared with Liz and Hannah. The only light visible inside was the small kitchenette bulb she’d left on over the sink. It cast a faint glow over Beth’s features as Tom stopped outside the door.
“I had a really great time tonight,” he said. He raised a hand to trail his fingertips over her soft cheek, loving the feel of her.
Beth’s wide eyes stared up at him. “I did, too. I can’t wait to see where things go from here.”
Her tone wasn’t the least bit teasing. It was just honest enthusiasm that he heard, tempting him to sample her lips one last time before he retired to his lonely bed.
“Things are only going to get better, sweetheart. No doubt about it.”
Tom lowered his lips to Beth’s. What was meant to be a gentle good night kiss quickly flared into a passionate engagement of lips, teeth, and tongues. Hands tangled in hair while mouths converged in an endless quest to sate their hunger for each other.
“Oh, sorry guys. We didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“Yeah, we’ll just slip inside and pull the curtains. Then you can continue as you were.”
Tom slowly lifted his head and unwrapped Beth’s hair from his fingers. He looked over to where Liz and Hannah stood a few feet away.
“That’s okay, ladies. We were just saying good night anyway.” He stepped away from Beth but caught her hands as they slowly slid down his chest. She still looked a bit distracted from their kiss.
“Okay, Tom. If you say so. But I don’t think anyone’s ever told me good night in quite that way.” Hannah wiggled her eyebrows at him and beamed a huge grin as she and Liz made their way past to enter the RV.
“That’s pro
bably because you didn’t stop talking long enough to give him a chance!” The redhead stuck her tongue out at him in reply before closing the door, leaving Tom and Beth alone once again.
“I like them. They’re really nice. And they sing beautifully, too.”
Tom returned his gaze to Bethany, who was now looking extremely tired again. He leaned down to give her a quick peck, intentionally not letting his lips linger. He didn’t want to risk having their kiss interrupted for the third time in one night.
“Yeah, they’re both great. Roadhouse was lucky to find them. But that’s enough talk. I think it’s time you finally got to bed for the evening.” Tom clarified his words. “To sleep, I mean.”
Beth offered a weary smile. “I knew what you meant.”
“Okay, then. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well.”
Tom allowed one last brush of their lips before turning Beth toward the door. He watched as she pulled it open and stepped inside, glancing back to wish him a final farewell. “Good night, Tom.”
The door closed and Tom was alone. Slowly he walked back to the band’s motor home, softly whistling all the while.
Chapter Five
Beth stood near the stage of the Macon City Auditorium, watching as the members of Roadhouse proceeded through their pre-concert sound check. As she looked on, Tom strummed a few chords on a midnight blue electric guitar. Then he adjusted some knobs on the attached amplifier and tried the melody again.
His long fingers moving over the instrument’s strings evoked memories of how those hands had felt running over her body last night. What a fantastic evening it had been. After she’d made her decision to pursue a brief relationship with Tom, it’d felt like a giant weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She finally had a distraction to keep her mind off the crazy jumble her life had become in the last few months.
And what a distraction he was.
Dressed in his usual casual stage attire of T-shirt and jeans, Tom looked scrumptious. And not only was he hot-looking, but he could make the sweetest music she had ever heard.
