Rock Me

by Raven K. Asher

  “Just give me the chance to make you feel better.” Shiloh tries again.

  “Shiloh…” I whisper.

  Having him pushing me so hard for sex was definitely a turn-off. It was actually making me angry that he kept pushing even though I had already said no twice.

  Unfortunately, he still doesn’t get it.

  He pulls me snuggly against his body while grasping my hips possessively in his hands as I push my hands against his chest.

  Without warning, he tries to kiss me, but I manage to stop him by shoving him away with all my might.

  Seconds later, a large group of photographers appears from behind cars and bushes. Mitch curses and then moves between the photographers and us so that he could keep them from getting too close.

  They begin snapping pictures of us as I turn to look at Shiloh with a glare.

  “Did you know about this? Did you know that they were hiding?” I bite out.

  “No, I didn’t.” He insists.

  The lie was written clearly in his eyes. He had known. Hell, he might have planned all of this for all that I knew.

  “Just go, Shiloh. I’m not spending the night with you while these vultures are circling.” I stress. “We’ll talk about all of this when we meet back up on the road.”

  He nods once as his jaw ticks with anger. “Fine, but I’ll call you tomorrow, okay.”

  “Okay,” I reply simply before walking away.

  I quickly slip into my room and then lean back against the door as I close my eyes and breathe in deeply.

  The stench of mold and dust fills my nose as tears begin to fill my eyes.

  Raising my hand, I cover my mouth to hold back the sob that was threatening to escape.

  If I let it out, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to stop.

  Chapter 15

  Gasping for my breath, I try to keep myself from completely falling apart. I slide down the door to sit on my butt and then pull my knees to my chest.

  Tears pour uncontrollably down my cheeks.

  Suddenly the door to my side opens, and Marshal walks into the room. He stops to look down at me for a moment.

  I open my mouth to say something to him, but the only thing that comes out is a sob.

  Marshal kneels in front of me before reaching his hand out to touch my cheek tenderly. He remains quiet as I sob over and over again while tightening my grasp around my legs.

  My entire body shakes as I cry loudly.

  “Talk to me, Chloe, why are you crying like this? Did that jerk say something to you?” Marshal questions while searching my eyes for answers.

  The only thing that I can do is shake my head.

  “God, you’re killing me, Chloe…” Marshal whispers.

  It takes every ounce of strength that I have to gain control of my sobs. When I do, I close my eyes and lean my cheek against Marshal’s hand.

  “What happened, Chloe?” Marshal presses softly.

  I reopen my eyes to look at him. “They said horrible things.”

  “Who…?” He asks.

  “…Those girls in the elevator.” I answer.

  “What did they say to you?” He then questions.

  I take a deep breath before closing my eyes. “They said that I was clueless and that no one would ever want to be with me. They said that Shiloh shouldn’t be with me and that I was ugly. They even said that I couldn’t play very well.”

  Marshal sighs as I reopen my eyes.

  “You know damn well that you can play better than most out there. There are tons of guitarists that would love to be half as talented as you are.” He insists.

  He pauses and then places his other hand on the other side of my face before continuing. “Any guy would be lucky to have you, Chloe. Honestly, most guys don’t deserve an amazing girl like you. You are far from being ugly, even with the bruises you are stunning.”

  “Russell said the same thing.” I laugh, sadly.

  “Well, he’s right,” Marshal replies while rubbing his thumb tenderly across my cheek.

  After a moment, he speaks again. “As for those girls, they only wish they could be you. They’re jealous that’s the only reason they said any of those things. You wouldn’t believe what’s been said to the guys and me.”

  He snorts. “Hell, I had a girl tell me that my piercings were disgusting.”

  His piercings were the things that I loved most about Marshal. When he had gotten the one in the center of his bottom lip, I had nearly kissed him right then and there. I had always wanted to know what it would feel like against my lips.

  Before I can stop myself, I reach up to touch the one circling his bottom lip. “I like your piercings. They make you, you.”

  A smile spreads across his lips as my fingertips linger.

  Suddenly someone knocks on the door behind me.

  Moments later, Shiloh calls out. “Chloe, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been so pushy. Please open the door so we can talk. I don’t want to leave things the way that we did.”

  Silence surrounds us as Marshal and I stare at each other.

  “Please, Chloe…” Shiloh pleads again.

  Marshal sighs while scrubbing his hand over his face. “You should talk to him. I’ll be right next door if you need me.”

  With that, he stands and then quickly exits the room while I stand up.

  I turn to face the door and then wipe my cheeks to erase the tears drying on my skin.

  After a moment, I open the door to face Shiloh.

  “Were you crying?” Shiloh whispers before placing his hands on either side of my cheeks. “I never meant to make you cry. I’m sorry, Chloe.”

  “It’s okay, Shiloh. It wasn’t your fault. I’ve been holding in my emotions, and they all came out suddenly.” I explain before continuing. “This is why I wanted to be alone tonight.”

  “Oh, well, you could have told me. I wouldn’t have cared. I would have held you while you cried if that’s what it would have taken to make you feel better.” Shiloh replies.

  “I needed to do it on my own.” I lie.

  In reality, I hadn’t been able to face my feelings on my own. I had needed Marshal. I had needed him to reassure me that I was worth more than I thought.

  He made me actually believe that I was beautiful.

  Russell and Shiloh may have said it to me multiple times, but Marshal made me believe it. The way that he looked at me made me believe his words.

  “Do you want me to hold you for the rest of the night?” Shiloh asks softly.

  I nod. “That sounds nice, Shiloh.”

  “Yes, it does,” Shiloh replies before pushing me back.

  As soon as he’s in the room, he closes the door with his foot before reaching back to lock it. Once the lock is clicked into place, he places his hand against my cheek again.

  He searches my eyes before leaning close to brush his lips across mine.

  Our kiss is nothing more than a tender moment.

  It was exactly what I had needed, but at the same time, it felt so wrong.

  Leaning back, Shiloh sighs. “Why don’t you grab a shower and I’ll grab my bag from the bus. Once you’re done, we’ll lie down together and watch a few movies until we fall asleep.”

  “Does that sound alright?” He asks.

  I nod and then smile. “That sounds perfect.”

  “Good, now go before I decide to follow you into the shower.” Shiloh teases as he pushes me towards the bathroom.

  I quickly go inside and close the door before I begin to strip down.

  A few moments later, the door to the room opens and then closes.

  I glance at the mirror for a brief moment before slipping into the shower. I turn the water on and then adjust the temperature until it’s just right.

  Closing my eyes, I sigh happily as the warm water washes away all of my troubles.

  I already felt ten pounds lighter, and now that I had talked to Marshal, things didn’t seem so tense between us. On top of that, Shiloh and I weren�
�t parting on bad terms either.

  “Chloe, is everything alright? Do you need anything?” Shiloh suddenly questions.

  I peek out from behind the curtain as Shiloh opens the door slightly.

  His brow rises as a grin spreads across his lips. “Do you need me to scrub your back?”

  I snort and shake my head. “You are too much.”

  Before I could lose my nerve, I crook my finger towards him. “You don’t have to scrub my back, but I wouldn’t mind if you joined me.”

  For a moment, his eyes widen with surprise before he quickly begins stripping out of his clothing.

  A few seconds later, he climbs into the shower with me.

  I glance down at the bandage on his side before raising my brow. “Should you even be in here with that?”

  “No, but it doesn’t matter. I’ll just change the bandage as soon as we get out.” He replies before reaching out to pull me closer.

  I nod and then bite my lip as he smiles. “You are just as beautiful as I expected you to be.”

  “Oh, so you thought about this moment, huh?” I tease.

  He surprises me by nodding. “Many times…”

  I laugh. “What else have you been imagining?”

  “Lots of things…” He replies cryptically before pressing his lips against mine.

  Within seconds the kiss turns into something much wilder while his hands roam across my skin before coming to rest against my breasts.

  I pant for my next breath while reaching back to shut off the water. Once it’s off, Shiloh lifts me into his arms before carrying me out of the shower.

  He stops to place me down on my feet before grabbing two towels.

  We quickly dry off before joining our lips together again. I couldn’t get enough of him touching me, and even though my mind was screaming for me to stop, my body didn’t want to.

  Once again, Shiloh lifts me into his arms before carrying me into the room.

  He lays me down on the bed before pulling away slightly to search my eyes. “Are you sure that you’re ready for this?”

  I nod while biting my lip.

  “You can stop me at any time, okay.” He then stresses.

  “Just shut up and kiss me,” I demand before reaching behind his head to pull his lips back down to mine.

  Moments later, we get tangled together in the blankets as we share our bodies with each other.

  ****

  “Babe, wake up…” Shiloh whispers softly while shaking me lightly.

  I groan and then open my eyes to look up at him as he gazes down at me. He was fully clothed, and the sun was just beginning to light up the room.

  “Is it time already?” I pout.

  He nods. “Yes, it is. I really don’t want to go, but Andy has been messaging me nonstop for the last half-hour. I can’t keep him and the band waiting any longer.”

  Groaning again, I grab his shirt to pull his lips down against mine.

  We had spent the entire night getting to know each other in ways that only two lovers could. Being with him had been so much different than being with Russell.

  After a few moments, Shiloh pulls back. “I should stop before I decide to get back into bed with you.”

  “You should get back into bed.” I insist.

  He shakes his head. “The guys would kill me. We need to get ready for tonight.”

  “Fine…” I huff out.

  Shiloh chuckles and then stands up straight before rubbing his hand over his face. “Don’t be like that. We’ll see each other later after the show, and I’ll make this up to you until I have to leave.”

  “You better,” I reply.

  “I will.” He promises.

  Sighing softly, he grabs his bag before moving towards the door. He stops with his hand on the doorknob. After a moment, he turns and opens the door before walking outside.

  I release a slow breath and then smile while closing my eyes again.

  Seconds later, I drift off into a deep and peaceful sleep.

  Chapter 16

  “Chloe, wake up and answer the door, Sweetheart,” Russell calls out abruptly, waking me from my sleep and one hell of a dream.

  I sit up while clutching the blankets against my chest just before the door swings open.

  Russell rushes inside before stopping as his brow rises in question. “Why haven’t you answered any of our calls or texts? You had us all worried.”

  “Why didn’t Marshal just knock on his door?” I ask while motioning towards the one he had used the last time that he had ended up in my room.

  “Marshal came over to stay at my house last night,” Russell replies. “Didn’t he tell you?”

  I shake my head. “No, but I was kind of occupied.”

  “Did you and Shiloh…?” Russell trails off.

  “What does it look like, Russ?” I reply while motioning towards myself absently.

  “That explains why Marshal came to the house all ticked off,” Russell mutters while glancing away from me.

  “Whatever…I had a great night and no one is going to take that away from me.” I reply.

  Russell snorts before looking at me in question. “So, was he any better than being with me?”

  “Seriously…?” I laugh.

  He nods. “Yeah, I want to know what I’m up against.”

  I laugh for a moment before answering him. “You have nothing to worry about. Being with Shiloh was completely different than being with you.”

  “How so…?” Russell pushes.

  “I don’t know, Russ. Do I really have to explain it all to you?” I reply.

  “I’m just curious,” Russell replies before continuing. “Did he kiss you the way that I do? Did he whisper into your ear? Did he make sure that you were satisfied before stopping?”

  I sigh roughly before answering his questions. “No, he didn’t really kiss me that way, and no, he didn’t whisper into my ear, but I was more than satisfied.”

  Russell nods for a moment before scrubbing his hand over his face. “So, in other words, you had sex; random, meaningless, sex.”

  I look at him in confusion.

  “We make love; what you did with him was just for fun.” He breathes out, clearing up that confusion.

  “Oh…” I whisper.

  All at once, I wanted to take the night back. It didn’t seem so special now that I was thinking about it. Not once had Shiloh even said my name while we were together.

  I felt dirty.

  “I wouldn’t stress over it too much, Sweetheart. Most guys don’t even know how to make love to a woman. They just sleep around for the fun of it and never think twice about what it might mean to the girl.” Russell states gently.

  “How many women have you been with?” I ask with a light laugh.

  For a moment, Russell bows his head before looking up at me. “It’s only ever been you, Chloe. I’ve never been with anyone else. I’ve made out and messed around with a lot of girls, but I never let it get to the point of having sex. I never wanted meaningless sex with some random girl.”

  “It was always worth waiting for you.” He adds.

  “Really…?” I press.

  He nods in response.

  “I had no idea.” I breathe out.

  “Well, it’s not something that I wanted everyone to know,” Russell replies before a cocky smirk crosses his lips. “I have a reputation to keep, you know.”

  I snort and then sigh. “I’m beginning to think that I made a mistake with Shiloh. I didn’t really want to sleep with him, but I gave in. I just wanted to escape everything for a few minutes.”

  “That’s why most people end up having sex, Chloe. If you didn’t want it, you would have stopped Shiloh.” Russell replies. “As I said before, don’t let it bother you.”

  He then raises his brow. “Did you at least enjoy yourself?”

  I nod. “I did.”

  “Good; then that’s all that matters.” He insists.

  Still, I couldn’t get what he ha
d said out of my mind. It made me question my entire relationship with Shiloh. We hadn’t been together long enough, and he had pushed for sex pretty quickly.

  I had known Russell for years before we ever got intimately involved.

  I never wanted to be one of those girls who just jumped in bed with any random guy.

  “Anyway, you should get dressed. We’ve got a lot to do to get ready for tonight’s show.” Russell states before clapping his hands together.

  I wait for him to leave the room, but he doesn’t. His eyes do light up with mischievous intent as he gazes at me.

  “Don’t even think about it, Russ,” I state sternly before pointing towards the door. “Go, before I’m forced to kick your ass.”

  He pouts dramatically before suddenly rushing forward. He yanks the blankets away from my body before running for the door.

  Just before he leaves, the second door opens, and Marshal walks in.

  His eyes widen with shock before he quickly covers them with his hand.

  “What the hell are you two doing?” He questions.

  “I was just about to leave.” Russell answers.

  I jump up from the bed and toss a pillow at him without caring that I was on full display for Russell. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen my bare body before.

  Russell barks out in laughter as the pillow hits Marshal.

  He lowers his hand to look at me with a raised brow. “Seriously…?”

  “I meant to hit Russell,” I reply while trying to cover myself with my hands.

  Marshal nods absently before sighing. “You need to get dressed, Chloe. Mickie wants us on the bus in ten minutes.”

  Without another word, he exits the room, shutting the door behind him.

  “I’ll go.” Russell laughs as I grab the pillow from the floor and hold it up threateningly.

  With that, he quickly opens the door and then rushes out of the room, shutting the door behind him with a solid thud.

  Once the door is locked, I step back until the backs of my legs hit the bed before I sit down on the edge. I glance back at the messy sheets and then sigh roughly.

  I close my eyes and then lean my elbows against my knees before placing my face in my hands.