"Don't."
"Just be a bit nicer, okay?"
Yeah, I could if I wanted to be caught up in her greed and manipulation. I wasn't sure how much of that I wanted to tell Alice and, before I could even start, a nurse caught up to us.
"Mr. Savage. Sorry to disturb you but I wanted to ask you a favor. I know you're busy and all that but we have a girl in our kid's ward. She's a huge fan, and I really don't think she's got much time left. She's fought hard and..."
"You want me to visit her?" I asked.
"If you could spare a few minutes." The nurse looked at me, full of pleading.
"Well, I can't disappoint a fan," I said. "Take us to her."
We followed the nurse down a long corridor while she told me about the girl. Cherry was 16 years old and had been in and out of hospital for the past few years.
"She just loves your new album," the nurse said. "She never stops playing it."
"Damn, if I'd known, I'd have bought in a signed copy."
"At least you have your photographer here," the nurse said. "You can get a few photos. It'll be good for you too. Good publicity, I mean."
I stopped walking.
"I'm not doing this for publicity. If Cherry wants a few photos then that's fine but this is not to get in the press, okay? I'm not using a sick kid to boost my image or make myself look good. I'm doing this for her."
The nurse nodded and we kept walking.
Maybe this visit wouldn't be a total waste.
Alice
WHEN WE LEFT VIVIAN'S hospital room, I was so angry with Savage. Why had he even bothered turning up to visit if he was going to be rude to her?
I could never imagine talking to my parents like that, no matter what they'd done. Even though I didn't see them that often, we were really close. He'd just been so cold.
She'd been hurt by the way he spoke to her. Couldn't he see that? The way she'd flinched at his tone of voice had really worried me.
Sure, there might've been issues in the past. Who didn't have issues with their parents growing up? But you get over that. He held grudges and that worried me. What did it say about our future? If I did something to get him angry, would he end up hating me like that?
The worry gnawed at my insides.
Then, we went to see the sick kid and Savage had been a whole different person, so kind and gentle.
He stayed with her for a long time, talking and answering all her questions.
"You're far too young to have been a fan of StarX" he said to her.
"Yeah, my mum was a fan," she told him. "She's going to be so disappointed she wasn't here."
She had a notebook beside her bed and he looked through it with her. She'd done some sketches of him.
"Wow, I think you've made me look a bit too good-looking in this one."
Cherry blushed.
"Just kidding," Savage said. "As if I could be too good-looking."
They both laughed. Her face glowed as she talked to him and he was just amazing with her. There's no way I could stay angry with him.
After a little while, Cherry got tired and we had to leave. I'd taken some photos and had promised to send them to her, so I did that before I got ready to go out.
Maybe tonight, over dinner, when Savage was more relaxed, I could find out more about the mother thing.
I put on the new dress and did my hair up in a messy bun, which was pretty much the only hairstyle I was capable of. I put on some makeup. Then I waited for Savage to come out of the bathroom.
He walked out, looking stunning in his suit. All I could think of was running my hands up his chest, under that jacket. And maybe unbuckling that belt.
"Wow, you look amazing. Me, not so much."
He walked behind me and slipped something around my neck. His fingers tickled against my skin. Then he took me over to the mirror.
"I can't wear this," I said.
An emerald choker sparkled around my neck. I assumed they were real emeralds, because Savage wouldn't bother with fakes, but that meant it was way more expensive than anything I'd ever owned.
"Why not?"
"I'll lose it or break it."
"Then I'll buy you another one," he said. "Relax. It's not like it's a test. Wear it, enjoy it. It's just a thing."
I sighed. Then I realized how ungrateful I seemed. I turned around and gave him a hug.
"Thank you," I said.
"No problem. Notice how the stones flash that angry green like your eyes?"
"My eyes aren't angry."
"Not now they aren't. But, love, you sure can be scary."
I punched him on the arm.
"When did you buy this?"
We'd been together all day. There was no way he'd been able to slip out to a jewelry store. The choker worked so well with the dress that I couldn't imagine he'd bought it any other time.
"I asked the woman at the dress store to find something appropriate. She had it sent to the hotel. I grabbed it from reception while you were in the shower."
Sneaky. Still, the necklace wasn't me. I'd told Savage he didn't have to buy me expensive presents but the glow on his face when he gave it to me proved how happy it made him.
Wow, my life really sucked when my biggest problem was my boyfriend buying me expensive gifts. I guess I just had to deal with that. I just hoped I could think of something truly awesome to give him. I didn't have much money but there had to be something.
"What are you smiling about?" Savage asked.
"Nothing. Just thinking what an awesome boyfriend you are."
"Yep, I could've told you. And things are only going to get better, love."
With that, he put his hand on the small of my back and led me out of the room.
The restaurant wasn't as fancy as I'd been expecting. I didn't know much about fancy places but I'd imagined an ornate decor with chandeliers and a million-dollar view of the city. Instead, the place was rather spartan.
"It doesn't look much but you wait until you taste the food," Savage said. "You'll think you've died and gone to heaven."
To be honest, we could've stayed in bed and it'd be like going to heaven but I wasn't going to tell Savage that. His ego was bad enough.
"I know what you're thinking," he said. "It's written on your face."
"No, it isn't." But I reddened. I couldn't hide my feelings.
As we walked to our table, Savage's hand slipped from my back down to my butt.
"I like you in a dress. It makes for much easier access."
I shot him a sexy smile. Even if my jeans were far more comfortable, it did feel great to dress up for a night out. Heads turned as we walked through the place. Mostly because they recognized Savage.
We got to our table in a private room and sat down. I picked up the menu. It was one of those places with no prices listed. Probably a good thing or I'd freak out. Better not to have any idea how much we were spending.
"Ah, everything looks good."
"You sure do," Savage said.
"That does not help me with my food choices."
"Yeah, but it makes me decide what I'm eating later tonight."
"Erk, cheesy."
Even though I said that, it did make me squirm thinking about what we'd do after dinner. His knee touched mine under the table and that sent even more heat through my body. If he didn't watch himself, we wouldn't even make it through dinner.
Savage
I COULD SEE ALICE SQUIRMING in her seat. God, I loved to see her squirm. I loved knowing she was thinking about what I'd do her when we were alone. Maybe even before then.
Even fully dressed, she looked damn fine. She'd struggled a bit walking in those shoes. But hell, my blood stirred at the way her butt wiggled when she walked.
Every single guy checked her out as we walked through the restaurant and she didn't even notice.
I ordered a bottle of wine and looked through the menu. I didn't want to order anything too heavy. No point trying to get to sexy times on an overly full s
tomach. This dinner had been a romantic idea when I'd suggested it but now we were seated, I'd happily skip the food to get to the good bits.
My knee rubbed against Alice's. That stirred her up.
We got our wine and ordered our food.
"We need a toast," I said.
"Okay."
"Here's to us."
"Not very flowery. You are the one who writes the love songs, surely you can come up with something better than that?"
"Yeah, I could, but I think that says it all."
We drank up.
"So, about your mother?" she asked.
"That is probably something that will put me off my dinner. There's not a lot to tell. She's grasping and only interested in money. That's how I got into this in the first place. She saw an opportunity to make money out of me, made me audition. The rest is history."
Alice nodded.
"Still, she's your mother."
"She's never been a mother to me. She pushed me, willing to sacrifice me for any money-making opportunity. You don't want to know the details but she's not a nice person. Anyway, tell me about your family. I'd much rather hear about them."
She took a sip of her wine.
"Not much to tell, really. We're a pretty boring family. I have an older brother. Both parents alive and still married. Stock-standard suburban family really."
"That's not so common, nowadays."
"True."
"So, when am I going to meet them?"
I tried not to sound too enthusiastic but I really wanted to be an integral part of her life. She'd never mentioned meeting her parents. She hadn't even talked about them much but I wanted to do this properly.
"I guess when we get back to town." She smiled.
"Nice. I'll be on my best behavior. Promise."
Our food arrived. It was damn good too. Almost worth delaying sex for.
"This steak is literally the best thing I've ever eaten," Alice said. "And don't say it!"
"Say what?"
"You know."
I laughed. Was I that predictable? I guess I was.
As she ate, I nudged my knee between hers. She didn't look at me but her face heated. I could see the effect it had on her. She tried so hard to act like nothing was happening, so I reached under the table and grabbed her leg.
She gave a little gasp but otherwise ignored me and kept eating.
I slipped her shoe off and let it drop to the floor, then nestled her foot between my legs so she could feel my cock harden. I ran my fingers down the arch of her foot. She shuddered but still said nothing.
My nail snagged on the silk of her stocking and I tore a hole so I could touch her bare skin.
She opened her mouth but then shut it again. I bet she'd been about to protest that I'd ruined those stockings and they'd been so expensive, but then she'd thought better of it.
I tickled my fingers down her sole. She couldn't resist a squirm. Meanwhile, my cock pressed into her foot more urgently. She totally moved her foot so it rubbed against me. This evening was getting more fun by the minute.
I slipped off my shoe and put my foot between her legs. Pressing against the fabric of her panties, I could feel how wet she'd gotten.
"Take them off," I said.
She blushed and shook her head.
"Take them off." I said it so she knew I wouldn't take no for an answer.
I moved my foot, waiting for her to respond. She didn't reply but wiggled in her seat so I knew she was obeying me. I put my foot back between her legs, angling it so my big toe nudged at her slit. I wanted to see her come right there at the dinner table. I wanted to watch her try to hold in her gasps so that nobody noticed. Even though we were in a private room, only a thin wall separated us from the other customers.
She spread her legs, opening herself up to me.
"You love this, don't you?"
She didn't answer, just grinned slyly.
I moved my toe against the nub of her clit. She jumped a little and bit her bottom lip. I slid my toe around, grinding it into her.
"Stop," she gasped.
Ha, not likely.
I rubbed even harder, watching her face as she tried to hold in her pleasure. Her fingers gripped the table, her knuckles white. She'd begun to writhe against my foot when the waitress came in to clear the table.
"Everything okay here?" the waitress asked.
"Yes, thanks."
I didn't take my eyes off Alice's face. She was so close to coming, I could tell. She tried to hold it in. I wondered if I should be a total bastard and make her come before the waitress left.
"Do you want to see the dessert menu?"
"No," Alice almost screamed.
I laughed as the waitress left our room. Poor, tortured Alice. I didn't even have to move once we were alone again. She pressed herself forward, grabbing my foot and using me to bring herself to climax. That was so fucking hot, I wanted to bend her over the table and fuck her right here.
"I think we should leave," she said.
She wasn't wrong.
Alice
WE BARELY MADE IT BACK to the hotel. I couldn't keep my hands off Savage in the cab ride home, then we were all over each other in the elevator. When it stopped at our floor, he scooped me up and carried me to our room.
You'd think with all the sex we had, we'd get used to each other, but my need for him just intensified.
He threw me onto the bed.
"You should've seen your face when that waitress came to clear the table," he said.
"Bastard."
"Hey, it's not my fault."
I could think of a whole bunch of ways it was his fault but I wasn't about to argue. Not when he started kissing me so urgently.
Then he stopped.
"And I was the one who had to walk out of there with a stinking great boner in my pants."
It was my turn to laugh.
"Maybe we should just eat in our room from now on, since we can't be trusted out in public."
He trailed kisses down my neck, forcing soft moans from my lips, and I totally forgot anything else I wanted to say. I loved being with him. Why had I ever thought going on that stupid Molloy tour would be a good idea?
His kisses had just reached my cleavage when his phone rang.
He ignored it.
"Maybe you should answer that," I said. "It might be something about your mother."
He rolled his eyes.
"I mean it, even the most routine operations can have complications."
He sighed but grabbed his phone.
Someone started talking on the other end. It sounded serious. I hoped nothing was wrong with his mother. He nodded a few times, his shoulders slumping, then he walked out onto the balcony and closed the door behind him. I didn't want to pry but something upset him, something he didn't want to share with me.
I'd hoped that we'd grown close enough to have no secrets between us but that wasn't true. I got up and started tidying things around the room. We needed to pack before we took off in the morning.
I glanced outside a few times. He paced the balcony, as though the small space couldn't contain his feelings. Secrets. I guess I'd been just as guilty, not wanting to tell him about Molloy, in case it caused trouble. But I'd done that for his benefit, wanting to spare him. This whole relationship thing was so unfamiliar to me. All my previous relationships now seemed like a joke compared to this all-consuming love.
Sometimes, I wondered if it was possible to love someone as much as I loved Savage and still stay intact. The two of us needed each other just to survive. That scared the bejesus out of me.
It didn't take me long to get all my stuff organised, since I didn't actually own much. I didn't want to touch Savage's stuff, in case it seemed like I was prying, but I had nothing left to do.
When he came back inside, I asked him what was wrong.
"Nothing. Nothing at all. Just some boring business talk."
He smiled.
I wanted to ask him mo
re but he sat down on the sofa and turned on the TV. No going back to bed? What the hell was happening with him?
I didn't know whether to push him or leave him alone. He was obviously in no mood for sex, and I'd never seen that before. It had to be pretty dire.
Savage
IT WAS GARY ON THE phone and the news wasn't good.
"Molloy is pressing charges."
"Bastard. I should've beaten him harder."
"That's the kind of attitude that gets you in trouble."
Through the glass door, I watched Alice pottering around our room. If Molloy pressed charges, I wouldn't be able to keep this hidden from her. She'd get dragged into things, no matter what I did to protect her. Even worse, she'd find out the whole thing with my mother was a ruse.
"Offer him money. Offer him whatever."
"I have. No dice."
"There has to be dice."
The dude was crazy in the head. He'd been at fault, yet he wanted to draw things out like this. It beat me how people like that thought.
"We've got the photos of you with your mother leaked to a few sites. At least if it goes to court, you're covered for that."
"So long as no one checks the dates."
"We've got that covered too. The main thing is not to stress. Keep your cool, keep on with the tour and hopefully this will all wash over."
It was easy for Gary to say that. He only had himself to worry about. Suddenly, I felt very tired. I had the most gorgeous woman in the world waiting for me but all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and sleep. I had all the problems and no solutions. Gary said he'd get a lawyer onto it. I wasn't sure why he'd waited so long to do that.
"And there might be a bit of push back on social media when this becomes public knowledge. Do not engage. Whatever happens, do not engage. I'll get a publicist onto damage control. In fact, I think you should delete all social media from your phone to avoid the temptation."
"Yep. Consider it done. The main thing is to keep this from Alice."
I'd told him that enough times but I wanted to make sure that I hammered it into his head. Gary could be blind to things that didn't suit his agenda. Hell, the man was a huge improvement on some of the dodgy managers I'd had in my time but he was still a manager. His job wasn't protecting anything but his bottom line.
Rock Mayhem: 8 Complete Rock Star Romance Novels Page 22
