I pulled his t-shirt off over his head before I brought my lips down on his for a searing kiss. Then I started to kiss my way south, dragging out the process as he reacted beneath my lips, his breathing getting shallower, his back arching toward me. When I reached one of his nipples and ran the flat part of my tongue over it, he drew in a ragged breath.
“Andrew,” he breathed out, and I looked up at him. He smiled, but I could see his need behind that smile.
I smiled back at him, biting the corner of my lip as we watched each other for a few seconds. Then I reached down to massage him through his jeans again.
“Fuck, that feels good,” he said as his head fell back and he arched into my hand.
I continued my assault of his chest and stomach, licking and sucking and tasting, my hand massaging him rhythmically the whole time. When I reached the top of his jeans, I unzipped them and freed him from his boxers before covering him with my mouth and sucking him in deeply.
I’d only done what I was doing once before, and I’d been drunk, but it was surprisingly like riding a bike. Having the same equipment made it easier for me to know what he’d like. There was no guessing or fumbling and hoping I’d hit the right spot. I just knew, especially when he went rigid beneath me after a few minutes.
“Drew,” he said breathlessly. I loved hearing my nickname on his lips.
“Yeah?” I questioned, releasing him from my mouth for a few seconds.
He shook his head as he tried to catch his breath. Just the fact that I’d put him in that state made me feel powerful, so I continued to work him with my hand.
“No more or I’m going to be finished,” he cautioned.
I smiled. “Isn’t that what you want?” I asked, and he shook his head.
“Not like this . . . unless you’re not ready for more.”
I let go of him then, letting him know I didn’t want to stop where we were.
“Stand up,” he said then, and I did what he asked.
He sat up and pulled my t-shirt over my head, staring at my chest with a hungry look in his eyes.
“I forgot that your nipples are pierced. I love that,” he said, as he pulled me forward and wrapped his mouth around one of the small rings.
I started to get short of breath as he sucked and tugged and drove me out of my mind. When I finally groaned because I couldn’t take it any longer and was hard as a rock, he pulled back and smiled up at me.
“My turn,” he said as he yanked my jeans down my legs along with my boxers in one swift motion. He pulled me so I was standing between his legs, and before I knew what was happening, his mouth was around me, sucking me deep and making me feel like I was going to lose it right there in his mouth.
“Stop, stop, stop. I’m gonna come,” I warned him quickly after a few ridiculously blissful minutes. As much as I wanted him to keep going, I was glad that he pulled back.
He looked at me for a few seconds before he pulled me down so I was straddling him. My jeans were long gone, and his were around his ankles, so we were skin to skin, my hardness pressing against his, needing some kind of release. I’d been so close just seconds before.
He pulled my head down and kissed me, our tongues flirting together, our lips hungry and aggressive, as he moved his erection against mine. We climbed higher and higher together, our breath getting shallower with each movement. Finally, Cole groaned, as if it was an effort to do so, and pulled out of the kiss. I rested my forehead against his to catch my breath.
“I want more,” he breathed out. “I can’t get enough of you, but I don’t want to push this. I’ll happily finish you off with my mouth if that’s what you want.”
Holy shit, that was hot. But as much as I appreciated what he was offering for my benefit, I was well past the point where I could settle for anything less than everything with him. We’d been flirting on the phone, talking dirty and hinting at what we’d do to each other when we finally saw each other. Not to mention the fact that he’d invaded so many of my fantasies for over a year. To hold him off now would be cruel – to both of us – and I wasn’t a cruel person.
“I have condoms in my suitcase,” I told him, and he smiled.
“I was hoping you’d say that,” he said, as I slid off of his lap and retrieved two condoms from the box I’d purchased the week before along with a bottle of lube.
Cole came up behind me and threaded his arms around my waist, pulling me back against him. “Are you sure you want this?” he asked, his lips next to my ear.
I turned in his arms and put my hands on either side of his face. “I want you. I’ve wanted you for so long. This feels right.”
He kissed me long and deep. “Good, because I couldn’t think of anything else during the plane ride here besides being with you.”
I swallowed hard, knowing I’d been thinking the same thing for days, weeks, months.
“It’s been a while,” I cautioned.
He smoothed my hair back from my face. “I know. I’ll go easy on you. I promise. It’ll be good.”
He slowly walked us back to the bed and laid me down beneath him. I closed my eyes then and let him take control, let him make me feel and let the sweet relief wash over me when he slid into me a few seconds later.
“You okay?” he asked, and I opened my eyes to look at him.
The feeling was foreign, but not unwelcome, and after a few moments, as he started to move slowly, I remembered just how amazing it was with him. The initial pain ebbed and turned into something mind-numbingly wonderful, more intense and more gratifying than anything I’d ever experienced. I wasn’t sure why I’d fought this for so long.
As he continued to move, he hovered just above me, his weight balanced on his forearms, and he brought his lips to mine, kissing me sweetly and covering my moans with his mouth as he slowly brought us both to the brink and eventually pushed us right over. As I came, I wrapped my arms around his back, holding him against me, relishing in the closeness and the sheer intimacy of the moment.
I knew then that this was always how it was supposed to be. Sure, I’d enjoyed being with women, but it had never felt like this. I’d never felt like I wholly wanted to be connected to another person in so many ways. I’d never felt like I fit with anyone else so well, like our bodies were made for each other. And I couldn’t imagine it any other way.
He followed me a few seconds later, growling out my name as he came, then his whole body went slack as he let his head fall into the curve of my neck, his lips landing on the sensitive skin there. I could feel his pounding heart against my chest and his warm breath against my neck as I held him against me, never wanting to let him go. We stayed just like that for countless minutes as our heart rates slowed and our breathing returned to normal.
When I finally released him, he pulled out and rolled onto his back for a few seconds while he discarded the condom. Then he turned onto his side and his arms eased me back against his chest, our legs tangled together, his forehead resting against the back of my neck, and I found a new type of calm that came from just being in his arms.
“You okay, babe?” he asked as we lay together, the sheets a twisted mess around us.
He pressed sweet kisses on my shoulders and neck, letting me know without words that he was feeling what I was. This wasn’t just physical. It was so much more, and I don’t think either of us ever saw it coming.
“I’m great,” I sighed as his lips landed on my shoulder blade and stayed there for a few seconds. Then I felt him smile against my skin.
“Good,” he said, his lips teasing me as his arms tightened around my middle. “I love being with you.”
I started to respond, but my stomach chose that moment to growl, breaking up the sweet moment. Stupid stomach.
“I guess that’s your way of telling me you actually wanted dinner earlier,” he said, chuckling but only holding me tighter against him as if he wasn’t ready to get up.
“I guess so,” I said, not really wanting to get up either.
> “We should probably shower,” he suggested, and I groaned.
I really didn’t want to move, but we were both sweaty and sticky from where I’d come between us and he’d collapsed on top of me. I honestly didn’t care. I was so comfortable lying there all blissed out and completely sated. I was relaxed, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt that way. For as wrong as so many people in my life would view what we’d just done, it didn’t feel anything but right to me.
“Come on,” he said, sitting up. He ran his hand along my bare ass. “I’ll show you how fun showers with me can be.”
I turned to face him, and he took the opportunity to kiss me again.
“You do realize what’s going to happen, don’t you?” I said when he finally pulled back.
“What?” he asked skeptically, probably thinking I was going to freak out on him again.
“You’re going to take such good care of me this weekend that I’m not going to be able to think about anything else after you leave.”
He shrugged and smiled as he stood and faced me. “That’s the point. I know you’re going to have temptations, and I want you to think about me and not those other guys who’ll see you up on stage and want to get in your pants. They can’t have you. Neither can the girls for that matter.”
I wasn’t sure it was the right moment to tell him that I didn’t think I’d ever want another girl again. But then again, I couldn’t imagine wanting another guy either. I didn’t want to scare him, though, and we were still so new. For now I would keep what I was feeling, which I was pretty sure was as close to love as it could get, wrapped up inside until I knew for sure it was okay to say it.
“What guys are you talking about?” I questioned, laughing lightly as he reached out and took my hand, pulling me to my feet.
“The ones in the Andrew Bryce Fan Club,” he said casually as he threaded our fingers together.
“The what?”
I knew he was just teasing me.
His eyes narrowed, but he looked completely serious. “What? You haven’t seen it?”
“No,” I said, hoping he was just messing with me. “What are you talking about?”
He reached for his pants on the floor and pulled his phone out. Then he opened the Internet browser and went to a webpage that was sure as shit dedicated to me.
“No fucking way,” I said, grabbing the phone from him. How the hell did I not know about that?
“You’ve got about two hundred fans, and a decent number of them are guys. They’re the ones I’m worried about.”
“Yeah, but they probably just like our music. I am a pretty kick-ass guitar player,” I joked as I flipped through the site that had pictures of me, a bio and other random facts that I wondered how anyone knew. Apparently my favorite food was pepperoni pizza – yeah, not too far off, I was an only child – that was true, and my sexuality was questionable.
Questionable?!
I looked up at Cole. “My sexuality is questionable? Seriously?”
He looked back at me with an amused look on his face. “Uh, weren’t you recently questioning it yourself?”
“Yeah, but – but I can do that,” I spluttered. “It’s me.”
He grinned. “It seems like the outside world has also weighed in. You’re pretty, babe. Sorry, but it’s true. Everyone else sees it too.”
“You’re pretty too,” I countered, and he laughed.
Cole was pretty in more of a sexy, smoldering, masculine, Bradley Cooper kind of way. I knew my features were softer. I’d always known that, but I’d never thought of myself as pretty. I liked to think I was too bad ass for that, but quite honestly, who was I kidding. I was shy and liked to hide behind my guitar. It was why I could never really be a successful solo artist. I didn’t shine on stage like Zack did. I couldn’t command an audience. Or maybe I could, I thought as I started to immerse myself more in the fan page where a few hundred people were singing my praises.
“Some people might consider me pretty, but I also don’t have a website dedicated to me that has a chat room where people talk about whether or not I’m gay because of my dark, thick eyelashes, beautiful blue eyes and full red lips,” Cole said, sounding like he was reciting something he’d read.
“Tell me you’re joking,” I said, as I looked up and met his gaze.
“Click on the message boards,” he said, gesturing to the phone.
I did, and sure as shit there was a post with the exact words he’d just read. They were written by a guy named Pierce who went on to say what he’d like to do to me since he just knew if we ever met I’d totally go for him.
“I would totally not go for you, Pierce,” I said out loud, slightly outraged at the nerve of some people. I really hoped my mother hadn’t seen that comment.
“He’s taken,” Cole said without question, apparently talking to Pierce too. “Back off, you greedy bitches.”
“Greedy bitches?” I questioned, as I laughed at the tension that had been broken. He was good at that.
He shrugged. “I was exercising my inner gayness, dramatizing things up. Shit, I don’t know,” he said chuckling. “But I’d tell that to that Pierce guy, or any other guy, if they ever hit on you. I’m serious. They can’t have you.”
I couldn’t help falling for him just a little more at hearing him say that. It was hot, but it also gave me hope that maybe his feelings weren’t that far off from mine.
“I don’t want them,” I said, meeting his gaze. “I want you.”
“I know. I just wanted to hear you say it,” he said, grinning at me.
“This is insane, you know?” I said, looking back down at the phone. “That I have fans, that there’s a website dedicated to my awesomeness.”
Yeah, so maybe it was going to my head just a bit.
Cole stepped forward and looped his arm around my waist, pulling me to him. “You are pretty awesome, Andrew Bryce. I’m just glad I’m the guy who gets to see it up close and personal.”
He kissed me long and deep. Then he pulled back, his eyes boring into mine in such an intense and intimate way. Then he grinned as if he didn’t want to let things get so intense so fast.
“Besides, it’s kind of a turn on to know that other people want you,” he said, his hand sliding down over my hip.
I rolled my eyes, but I was thinking the same thing. Knowing that Cole had chosen me over Haden was kind of a rush. But I decided not to bring that up, not knowing if it was a taboo subject or anything.
“Who’d have thought that when Shannon picked you up last summer that we’d end up here?” he asked, a smirk on his lips.
“Not me,” I told him honestly. “I thought I was hooking up with her and her hot female friend. I never expected you.”
“I know,” he said, as he leaned forward and kissed the spot right below my ear. “I knew from the minute I walked into that room that you’d never done anything like what we were asking you to do, but I could also tell you wanted it. You were intrigued.”
His warm breath tickled my skin and made me flush from head to toe, which he could probably feel since we were pressed against each other and still completely naked.
“Yeah, I was. As soon as I saw you, it was like something happened to me, and I couldn’t pull away.”
“I felt the same thing,” he told me as he lowered his lips to the hollow of my throat. “You were so beautiful and sexy, but there was something else I couldn’t explain. I just wanted to be with you. I never thought we’d end up here, but I’m so glad we did. And I never thought I’d have my ex to thank for hooking me up with one of the most incredible people I’ve ever known.” He lifted his head to look at me then. “You’re really special, Andrew. I hope you know that. And you’re special to me.”
My cheeks were practically on fire, I was blushing so much. I took a deep breath, feeling like I needed to reciprocate in some way to let him know how I was feeling. “I – I don’t know what’s happening with us, but you’ve made me happier in the past wee
k than I’ve been in years, Cole. Thank you for surprising me tonight. It made what had been a really shitty week into something so great.”
He kissed me then, and I knew there wasn’t anything else left to say. Anything I might have been inclined to share would have to wait, which was probably for the best anyway. The last thing I wanted to do was scare him off, not when I’d just gotten exactly what I’d wanted.
He closed the kiss a few seconds later and pulled back to smile at me. I smiled back, so much excitement and pure elation coursing through me.
“Why don’t we shower and then order dinner?” I said softly. “I’m starving.”
I took his hand in mine and turned to head toward the shower, not waiting for his response.
“Just wait until I’m done with you,” he murmured from behind me, and I turned and grinned at him.
He smiled back, and I realized that it had been a long time since I’d been that happy and felt like my life was so complete. It was a foreign feeling, but it felt so great. I’d forgo eating altogether if it meant I got to continue to be that happy with a guy like him.
Chapter Seventeen
Zack
“That was Satellite by Rise Against. Awesome track. And speaking of awesome, we’ve got Liar’s Edge in the studio this morning. They’re in town recording their new album, Devil’s Countdown, and I think we’ve convinced them to play a few songs live for us this morning, am I right?”
I looked back at Jonathan who was standing outside the studio next to Emily watching us. He nodded and held up one finger. He’d let us do one song, but that was it. Emily had told him that the radio station had asked if we’d play acoustically, and she thought it’d be great to show the fans who’d never heard us play live what they were missing.
She’d been on Twitter last night drumming up the buzz that we’d be on the radio that morning in Charlotte. I sometimes felt like she spent half her life on the Internet these days, but it really was the best way to reach as many fans as possible. She had all of us constantly tweeting about band stuff, while she was the mastermind behind @Liar’sEdgeBand, the Liar’s Edge Facebook page, our Instagram page, and what went up on Liar’s Edge.com. It was very different from when we’d first started out and only had a small website.
Broken Fairytales Series Box Set (Broken Fairytales, Buried Castles, Shattered Crowns) Page 80
