by Eva Haining
“I’m giving my girl a promise that she knows I’ll deliver on tonight.” His voice drips with sex, sending a jolt of desire straight to my core.
“I’ll hold you to that, cowboy.”
“I’m counting on it. Now go. Knock ‘em dead. I’ll be right here, in-fucking-awe of you. It all starts here, Belle. Saddle up, it’s going to be one hell of a ride.”
“Only if you’re going to be around to steady me.”
“I’ve got a ring in my pocket that’s the only promise you’ll ever need, darlin’. I’m not going anywhere.”
My heart is simultaneously thumping harder than it ever has while stuttering to a grinding halt. Did I just hear him right? “Did you just propose?”
“I guess I did. I had a whole romantic gesture thing planned for later, but I just need you to know how much I want you before you walk out there, and I have to share you with the world. I’m all in. Good, bad, scary, all-consuming in love with you until we’re old and gray.”
I grab his face and pull him in for a kiss. “Is it okay if I say yes before you ‘officially’ ask me?”
“Fuck, yeah!”
“And I’m going to need you to put that ring on me before I go onstage. I want to step out there as your fiancée.” He gives me a panty-melting smile and reaches into his front pocket. I want to make a joke about thinking that bulge was a raging boner, but I don’t want to ruin the moment.
He drops down onto one knee and opens the box. “Mirabelle James, I want to change your name, girl. I’m always going to want the best for you and protect you with my life. Will you marry me?” The ring is stunning, but nothing could be more breathtaking than Knox. From the first time I saw him, I knew I wanted him. And when I got him, I realized I wanted to hold not only his pleasure but his heart—always.
“Yes!’ He slides the ring onto my finger just as Stuart emerges to see what Johnny and the boys are whooping and hollering at.
“Why aren’t you guys ready to go on?” That last word dies on his lips at the sight of Knox down on one knee.
“Are you serious right now? The label wants you single, so you go ahead and get yourself engaged. Fuck me, you don’t make this shit easy, do you?”
Johnny’s eyes lock on mine. “Remember when I said I better save it for Knox?” He smiles that devious grin of his, and I know exactly what he means. “Showtime, Blue Bell.”
Twenty-One
KNOX
Being a farm boy comes with its advantages. I could bench press a fucking horse, so one glorious, long overdue haymaker to that smarmy asshole’s jaw is child’s play. He doesn’t even see it coming. In two seconds flat, I’ve gone from being down on one knee to knocking him the fuck out. Could this day get any better?
“Holy shit! Cowboy’s got game.” Johnny is laughing his ass off as I flex my fist.
“I’d normally be opposed to any form of violence, but he really did deserve that after what he said the other day.” Belle gestures for one of the guys to check on their fallen manager.
“I get that you don’t dig violence, Blue Bell, but you have to admit, that was epic.” Johnny holds out his hand to shake Knox’s. “Welcome to the family, bro.”
Oh my God. I stare at Belle’s ring finger with a huge diamond on it, and it makes me feel pure, unadulterated joy. Twenty minutes ago, I wasn’t even sure that Belle would talk to me, let alone agree to marry me. Now, we’re engaged, Stuart is down for the count, and a stylist is manhandling Belle to fix her hair and makeup that I just messed up. To me, she looks perfect.
“It’s go-time.” Someone is shouting at them while glaring at me, but I don’t give a shit right now. My girl just said yes, even though my proposal wasn’t exactly how I planned.
I pull her in for one last kiss for luck. “Show them what you’ve got, girl.”
“Thank you for coming. I didn’t want to be in this moment without you.”
“I’ll be right here, and I’m so goddamn proud of you, Belle.”
Johnny grabs her hand and pulls her off toward the stage. She turns back, just for a second, and the smile on her face says it all. “I love you, Knox!”
“I love you, too.”
The crowd goes wild when they take to the stage and the live feed is up on all the surrounding billboards. I’ve never seen anything like it. The second she starts singing, I fall in love with her all over again.
Stuart starts groaning as someone helps him to his feet. I’m sure he has one hell of a headache now, so the booming music will be hurting. “Is your fist made of steel? What the hell?”
“Remember the pain you’re feeling right now. If you ever say anything even close to disrespecting my future wife, I won’t stop at one punch.”
“Loud and clear, farm boy.”
“You’re going to have to stop calling me that. It pisses me off, and I already dislike you.”
“Duly noted.”
I’m drawn to the sound of Belle singing my name, and my annoyance with Stuart dissipates. Everything fades into the background, leaving only her. When the last chord rings out into the open air of Manhattan, the roar of the crowd is astounding.
Belle addresses the entire city with a resounding hello.
“Thanks for joining us here at Radio City. Today marks the release of our first single from our debut album, Knoxville Stole My Heart.” There’s wild applause, including mine. She’s breathtaking, and her confidence is so sexy I can barely hide the hard-on she’s giving me right now.
“She’s stunning,” I say the words aloud, speaking to no one in particular.
“My inspiration for this song is standing backstage right now, and I’m not going to lie, he just made playing this particular song a whole lot more meaningful.”
“She’s not going to do it. Tell me she’s not about to announce…” Before Stuart can finish his sentence, my girl does exactly what he told her not to, and I’ve got the biggest shit-eating grin on my face.
“He just asked me to marry him, and I said, hell yeah!” The crowd cheers and begins to chant.
“Knoxville. Knoxville. Knoxville.”
Stuart changes his tune pretty quickly when he realizes that the crowd is lapping it up. “Get out there.”
“What?” He’s got to be joking. “Isn’t this what you’ve been trying to avoid?”
“Yeah, but Belle doesn’t take orders from any man.”
“True.”
“They’re loving it. Give the people what they want.”
I point blank refuse until I hear Belle calling my name.
“Knox, could you come on out here for just a minute?” Her voice is so playful, and it turns me on. I can’t go out there and be on those huge screens with a chubby. “My rugged cowboy might need a little encouragement.”
“We want Knox,” the crowd chants over and over.
Stuart just about shoves me onto the stage, and I can’t believe I’m doing this.
The second she locks eyes on me, her smile hits me like a ten-ton weight. “There you are. Come over here and let these fine people see why I wrote a song for you.” Then, she turns back to the crowd. “He’s hot, right?” The women in the crowd start whistling and screaming. It’s really disconcerting.
Emboldened by the way she focuses her attention on me as I stride to her side, I pull her in for a kiss, and the uproar from the street below is insane. I’ve been at football games that were quiet by comparison.
“I think they approve.”
“As long as you do, that’s all that matters. Now can I go back to watching you perform?”
“Don’t go far. I like knowing your eyes are on me.” She bites her bottom lip, gazing at me with hunger in her eyes as if I’m the only person around for miles.
Johnny breaks the spell with a well-placed quip. “Can you lovebirds keep the PDA, PG? Some of us have a new album to promote. I’m sure these guys would like to hear another song. Am I right, Manhattan?” The cheers are deafening.
“You better give the people w
hat they want,” I whisper in her ear, letting my lips caress her cheek.
“Will you give me what I want later?”
“Are you kidding me? I’m going to ride you so hard you won’t be able to sit down tomorrow.” The heat in her eyes is so beautiful. She looks at me like I’m the only man in the world, and it floors me every time. Even now, at the biggest moment of her life, she gives me her full attention.
“Sitting is overrated anyway,” she says with a conspiratorial wink.
“Now, get back to work.” I give her one last kiss and stride off the stage like the cat that got the cream.
As the music plays and Belle starts singing to roaring applause, my heart is fit to burst out of my chest. That’s my girl. Nothing has gone as I’d planned the past few days, but that’s life. One thing I do know is that I’m going to marry that beautiful, talented woman out there and love her every day for the rest of my life.
I look on in awe, wondering how she can be up there without a lick of nerves and perform with such effortless ease. The crowd is hungry for more, even after they’ve played another five songs, which is a great sign. This single is going to be big, and I can’t believe she wrote it about me.
When they come offstage, they’re accosted by journalists, but Belle keeps her eyes on me the entire time with such a cute, goofy grin on her face. The second they’re finished, she grabs my hand and pulls me toward her dressing room. Stuart is about to open his mouth—his swollen and bruised mouth—but he thinks better of it and turns his attention to the rest of the band.
“Where are we going?”
“Dressing room.”
“Don’t you speak in full sentences now that you’re a big star?” She quickens her pace without forming anything even close to coherent.
“Sex. Now.”
“I assume this door has a lock?” I ask as she drags me inside. Then I realize that I don’t fucking care. A herd of wild mustangs could come through this joint right now, and I’d still strip her naked and go to town.
“Lose the clothes, cowboy.” She presses my back against the wall, taking charge, and I’m more than happy to let her. She looks killer in her stage gear, and she’s frantically unbuckling my belt and ripping open the fly of my jeans.
“Girl, slow down, we’ve got the rest of our lives to get naked.”
“You just proposed when I didn’t think you were even going to come here. I just rode such a high out there, and now I want to ride you. Are you going to turn me down?” She runs her hand under the waistband of my boxer shorts, caressing my already hard cock.
“Have I ever turned you down?”
“No, and it’s got to be written into our wedding vows that you can never say no.” Just hearing her talking about wedding vows amps me up even more. I’m done letting her be in the driver’s seat of this ride.
“I’ve got you covered, girl, but now, you’re going to let me take the reins.” I love to see the spark of desire in her eyes and a hint of disappointment when I remove her hand from my cock and lead her over to the couch on the other side of the room. She’s greedy for it, and it’s hot as hell.
I take a seat before fixing my gaze on her pretty pink mouth.
“Unbutton my shirt, Belle.” She does as I ask without hesitation, letting her hand roam down my chest toward the happy trail before sliding her hand back inside my boxers.
“I want you so bad, Knox.”
“Then get on your knees and taste me.” Her breath becomes labored, the rise and fall of her chest giving away just how turned on she is. She doesn’t break eye contact as she drops to her knees between my thighs. I stretch my arms out along the back of the couch, enthralled as she pulls my jeans and boxers just low enough for my erection to spring free.
Wrapping her hand around the base of my cock, I see her engagement ring sparkling on her finger. It’s so fucking hot to watch her as she darts her tongue out to lick the length of me before taking the tip into her mouth and letting me thrust as deep as she can take me. Fuck! Her mouth feels so soft, warm, and inviting as she starts working me. Damn, she’s good. That mouth of hers wasn’t just made for music, it was made for sin—for me.
“Holy shit. Calm it down a little, darlin’. I plan to come deep inside you, and I don’t mean your mouth.” She looks up at me through hooded lashes, and I can’t contain a primal groan as she takes me so deeply I can barely stand it—it feels so fucking good.
There’s something about having her pleasure me this way that’s so stunning. When I hear her soft mewling sounds vibrate against my skin, I watch in awe, desperately trying not to come in a heartbeat. She looks so damn beautiful. Any guy would tell you a generic blow job is amazing, but when the mouth in question is someone you love, it’s even better. As I watch Belle enjoy pleasuring me so much, it’s damn near stratospheric.
“Fuck!” I have to take a moment to compose myself before I fuck her mouth to completion. It takes everything in me to pull out of her mouth. As she sits back on her heels, she looks every bit the rock star, and I’m not ashamed to admit I want to claim her even more at this moment. It’s archaic to feel any kind of ownership over her body and her pleasure, and yet she has complete control over every fiber of my being. She owns me. I’m lassoed and hogtied by her.
“I want to see you, Belle. Take off your clothes. Actually, don’t.” She looks confused until I finish my sentence. “I’m going to take them off for you. You’re not partial to your panties, are you? Because I plan on ripping them off with my teeth.”
She stands and steps between my legs. “I’m yours, Thomas Knox.” When I think she can’t get any sexier, she says something like that, and I’m floored all over again.
“You can keep the heels on, but everything else has got to go.” I watch as a thrill of anticipation courses through her in a physical shudder. I stay seated, running my hands up between her legs, making my way to the fly of her jeans. I’m struggling to draw this out. I want to savor how fucking transcendent she was on stage and how confident she is as she stands before me.
“If you want me to lose the jeans, you’re going to have to let me take the boots off.”
“You’re putting them back on after I discard your pants on the floor. They’re too damn sexy to waste.” She doesn’t bat an eyelid before kicking her boots off and swiftly divesting herself of her clothes. Then, without hesitation, she slides her feet back into her sexy-as-hell boots and stands before me with that come-hither look in her eyes. Fuck me. I don’t think I’m going to be able to draw this out as long as I’d like.
“You look annoyed, Knox. Is my nakedness not working for you?” she says with a coy grin on her face. She knows damn well what she’s doing to me.
“I could fuck you right now, and all it would take is ten of the best.”
“Ten of the best? What the hell does that mean?” She lets her fingers roam her body, teasing me and driving me wild as I struggle to form a sentence.
“Ten rock-hard thrusts would be all it takes for me to shoot my load. You look so goddamn sexy right now.” Her eyes darken with desire as she stands before me, straddling my lap, letting me see her in all her breathtaking glory.
“I’ll take ten, twenty, a hundred. But there’s something else I want you to do first.” She slides her hand between her legs, tracing circles around her clit before holding her fingers out to me. Holy shit, she’s hot. I suck one of her fingers into my mouth, the taste of her arousal heavy on my tongue. She fists her hand in my hair and guides my mouth to where she wants me. It’s hotter than a honeymoon hotel.
I steady myself, gripping her ass as she writhes against me. Kissing her with the same fervor I give her mouth, I let my tongue explore, loving the way her body responds to my touch.
“Oh God, Knox. Right there.”
“You like that?” I let my words vibrate against her skin before taking in a sharp, cooling breath. It has the desired effect, her grip on my hair tightening as she struggles to remain standing.
“D
on’t stop.”
“I couldn’t, even if I wanted to. You’re fucking addictive, Belle.” I grab one of her legs, lifting it to drape over my shoulder, holding her weight as she moves to grip my shoulders. “That’s it, girl. Open up for me. Let me see how wet you are.” I can’t hold back or be gentle. I want her so fucking badly, my cock aches to be inside her. I lick, suck, and tease her until she’s on the brink of orgasm, halting for just a moment—long enough to let her set the pace.
Belle writhes against my tongue, circling her hips as she holds onto me, fucking my mouth until she crashes over the edge, screaming my name with no regard for where we are or who might hear. “Knox!” My name on her lips is all the melody I need. I groan with satisfaction, turned on beyond all reason as she ruts wildly against me, riding the aftershocks of her orgasm until she spirals out of control once more.
When I can’t contain my desire any longer, I reluctantly pull back, ready to be inside her. I’m up off the couch in seconds, lifting her into my arms. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”
My mouth descends on hers as she does as I ask. She’s on me like a spider monkey as I back her up against the nearest wall. Positioning myself at her entrance, I take her in one sharp thrust, and a guttural growl escapes me.
“Jesus Christ! You feel so fucking good, Belle.” This isn’t the tender embrace of a newly engaged couple. This is a hard, fast, and frenzied fuck. Belle and I connected physically before the emotional side of it came into play, so it only seems fitting that we celebrate this milestone in the same manner we started. Every fiber of my being is consumed by the sensation of her lips on mine and the way our bodies come together, skin to skin, her curves soft against the hard lines of my torso.
I don’t try to think about random shit to draw this out like I normally would. Tonight, I can’t focus on anything other than Belle—on chasing my release and tearing a third from her.
