I opened the door ready to ask him how things had gone with Cindy, but before I could speak, he'd grabbed me in his arms. He squeezed me so tight, I couldn't speak.
Finally, he let go. "I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry."
I sat down on the bed, and he sat beside me.
"I'm sorry, too," I said. "I shouldn't have interfered like that in your life. It was none of my business."
He put his arm around me. "My life is your business, if you want it to be," he said.
I rested my head on his shoulder. "Still, I should think before I do things. I just cause trouble."
He laughed. "I don't think that will ever change," he said. "It's not a bad thing. I thought I could walk away from you, but my life without you isn't worth a bag of shit. It's dark and empty and forlorn. The things you do, the crazy, impulsive things, are what make you so special. No one should ever change that."
We stood for a long time, not talking, just holding each other. I could hear his heartbeat, and it seemed like mine beat in time with his. This was not going to be an easy relationship; I'd known that from the start. But I needed him so much, and he needed me.
He'd broken down that barrier to his heart, and I knew how hard that had been for him. The biggest obstacle to our lives together, even bigger than Polly's fury, had been defeated.
"How did it go after I left?" I asked him.
"We talked. We're going to catch up when the tour finishes. I'd have never spoken to her again if it weren't for you, but I should've made the effort."
I really wanted him to stop talking now and kiss me. As though he'd read my mind, he pulled me tighter to him. His lips brushed against mine as though he was scared of breaking me.
"You don't have to be so gentle," I said when he broke away.
I pushed him back on the bed and kissed him again, our bodies grinding against each other. We kept on kissing. He kissed my lips and my neck and my shoulders. I kissed him back just as much. Every kiss was like a fresh surprise, something new to discover.
I'd never have stopped kissing him if Polly hadn't knocked on my door.
"Ready, kiddo?" she called.
I groaned. "I guess," I called back.
Damn, I'd have to fix my hair and makeup before I headed out. I wasn't going to face the rest of the team looking kiss-crushed.
"There's no way we can get out of this, right?" I asked Crow. "We have to go onstage tonight?"
Even being onstage tonight paled beside the need to be touching him and kissing him and working my way around his body.
"Not unless we want to deal with Damo and Polly and thousands of angry fans."
"Yeah, Damo and the angry fans I could deal with. If you take on Polly, it's a deal."
Crow shook his head. "When we get back, we can pick up right where we left off." He marked an "X" on my neck with his finger. "That's the exact spot where I left off."
I quickly combed my hair.
"Meet me at the elevator before we go down," he said.
I straightened myself up and threw some things in a bag. When I got to the elevator, Crow walked toward me. He held out his hand.
"I'd love for you to wear this tonight," he said. It was the firecracker necklace. "I might not be good with words, but, Fay, I love you. Never, ever doubt that."
Fay
THAT NIGHT, AFTER THE show, we got right back to where we'd left off. Crow remembered exactly where he'd marked my neck. Those neck kisses sent the most delicious thrills through me. Then his kisses went lower and lower. I wanted to take off my t-shirt to give him access to more places to kiss, but I worried that that would be moving too fast.
But he grabbed the hem and raised that pesky fabric up so he could kiss my stomach. His beard tickled so much that I squirmed like crazy. His mouth covered every bit of my belly, and every kiss made me giggle.
"You're not taking this seriously," he said.
"It tickles too much."
"I can stop."
"No!"
He laughed at me. Damn it. I tried not to giggle, but I couldn't control myself. Then he moved up to my boobs, and my giggling stopped. I unhooked my bra, and he stripped it off along with my t-shirt. Finally, we were getting somewhere.
It wasn't just that things were moving faster, but that Crow didn't hold back. He didn't hold back with his kisses, and he didn't hold back with his happiness, either. That happiness flooded through him and into me.
He slipped his hands behind my back as he took one of my nipples in his mouth. I definitely didn't giggle while he did that. As his tongue flicked over the swollen bud, my moans became louder. I didn't know what the hell he was doing to me, but I wanted him never to stop. That sucking made my entire body into one huge molten mess. I arched my back and entangled my hands in his hair to pull him closer to me. I wrapped my legs around his waist, needing him close to me, his body rubbing against mine. I wasn't going to let him stop anytime soon. Was he planning to stop? I couldn't let him.
I pulled away. "You aren't going to stop, are you?"
He looked up at me, and the lust in his eyes almost burned me. Damn, asking him questions wasn't a smart move. He had better things to do with that mouth than talk.
"I mean, you aren't going to start this, then walk out on me?" I asked. "I don't think I could stand that. I might well implode if you do."
He propped himself up on one elbow and ran his other hand down my body until it settled between my legs. "Yeah, you might implode."
Was he laughing at me?
"You can keep your hand there," I said. "I'm pretty happy with that."
He looked pretty happy too. Again, my jeans got in the way. Well, they did until he unzipped them and slipped them down over my hips. With a few wiggles, they were on the floor.
"Your panties are soaked," he said.
"Then you'd better take them off me too," I told him. I tickled my fingers over his arms. I loved touching those arms.
"Maybe." His fingers ran over the sodden fabric. I arched my hips to him, wanting much more than that. He couldn't keep teasing me like this. It was inhumane.
I thrust myself harder against him. God, I needed him. Did he have some kind of inhuman self-control, that he could tease me like this?
"You're beautiful, Fay," he said.
For all his teasing, the look in his eyes said he wasn't going to walk away. He wanted me as much as I wanted him.
"Yeah, yeah, enough of that. Less talk, more action."
"You're also bossy."
"Hey, I've waited a lifetime for this. Oh... Oh..."
That bastard really knew how to shut me up. The way he ran his fingers under the elastic of my panties and slipped them inside--how could I talk when he was doing that?
I'd become so swollen from all his kissing and touching that when he touched my clit, I almost screamed. Then he pressed harder, and I did scream.
Even with my senses slipping away from me, I had enough hold on reality to know I didn't want anyone else on this tour hearing that scream.
I crammed my fist in my mouth.
But Crow removed my fist and kissed me, working me with his fingers the whole time. Oh, that swirly thing he did--I almost screamed again, even with his lips on mine.
I humped myself against him.
As he rubbed harder, I bit his lip. I couldn't help myself. I bit and thrashed and arched.
As he pushed me over the edge, I had no idea what I was doing. The whole world had gone purple and red and a million other colors I couldn't even describe. Holy God, I'd never known anything could feel so good.
I wanted to tell him, but I could only gasp for air. Words couldn't form in my mind. I grasped at him, digging my fingers into his shoulders before I flopped back on the bed.
"Good?" he asked.
I nodded. "Umm... good."
That was all my addled brain could manage. But, yeah, it was good. It was so far beyond good.
"I want you," I said.
Suddenly, I felt shy. I couldn'
t say the words, but I wanted him inside me. I wanted him to do all the things to me. Whatever he wanted.
"I'm not sure we should go further," he said. "You're so young."
"Shut up and fuck me," I told him, my senses coming back. "I mean it, Crow."
"You're sure?"
"God, yes. I'm legal and consenting. What more do you need?"
"Condom," he said.
Didn't he have any? I sure didn't. Why didn't I? I should've planned ahead. Then he got something out of his pocket. I heard the foil crinkle.
"Lucky," I said.
He laughed. Had he been teasing again?
"You'd better have more than one of those," I told him. "A lot more."
Then I gasped, because he'd stripped out of his clothes. A naked Crow was much better than I'd ever imagined. I'd seen his body naked in parts before, but not the whole thing.
There were so many things I wanted to do to that body. Those thighs on their own were enough to send me to heaven. I wanted to kiss those thighs and lick them. And his arms. And that stomach. Oh, man.
But I'd do all that later, because my gaze had moved to his cock, and if I'd wanted him before, I'd become a desperate mess now.
I reached out to stroke it, feeling it quiver beneath my touch. Oh, that felt nice. I wanted to keep touching it, but he'd rolled the condom on. The slimy latex covered the velvety skin.
He lowered himself on top of me, close enough for me to kiss his neck, where the skin was all salty and sweet. He balanced on his elbows, his hands stroking my face.
Then he edged his cock, not quite entering me, just teasing my entrance. This teasing thing had gone way too far. I raised myself up to him, trying to drive him in farther, but he retreated. He wasn't going to let me control this, no matter what.
I hooked my leg around him, not letting him get too far away.
He inhaled, then edged himself in deeper. I cried out, half in pain from the size of him and half in pleasure.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes! Don't stop."
He moved slowly inside me, still teasing. I moved with him, trying to slow my urging to match his. The pain ceased as he filled me, leaving only pleasure. So much pleasure.
The gentle thrusting became more urgent.
Even though I'd hated that Crow wanted to go slow, this felt so right. It was so much more than just sex. I didn't know where I ended and Crow started. The two of us blurred together into one.
My love for Crow swelled as I reached the peak of pleasure with him. He looked into my eyes, and all the feelings contained in that look overwhelmed me. That look pushed me over the edge, into freefalling. I clung to him, and as he shuddered into his own climax, he clung to me too.
No matter what anyone had said about him being too broken, too dark, I'd been right. We were right. One perfect unit, stronger and better together than apart.
Fay
CROW AND I STOOD HAND in hand, waiting for the others in the lobby. It was our last night in Paris. The show tonight would be crazy, but for now, everything else had disappeared around me, and my whole world was Crow. I'd barely gotten any sleep, but that didn't matter. Sleep seemed a waste of time when I could be with him, talking and touching and just being.
"Barcelona next," Crow said. "Do you have a list of things to do there?"
"Sure do," I said with a grin. "You know it."
Exploring new cities with Crow was so much fun, but exploring Crow was even more fun. Lucky for me, I could do both.
When I dragged my gaze from Crow, I noticed Elijah grinning at me. He gave me a thumbs-up, then turned back to Rose. Wow, this tour was turning into a love-fest.
I had little attention for Elijah, though. Not with Crow this close. Our loving glances were interrupted by Fartstard.
"Where the hell are Damo and Polly?" he asked. "Have you seen them?"
I shook my head. I'd been so wrapped up in Crow, I hadn't noticed they weren't around. If anyone was going to be late, it wouldn't be Damo.
"Are you sure he didn't head over to the arena earlier?" I asked.
"Nope. And he's not answering his phone. Matt and Fiona aren't here, either. If people don't get their shit together, this tour will go to hell. And I'll be the one who gets the blame."
I doubted that, since the public didn't even know he existed.
Elijah and Jax had no idea where the others were, either.
"Maybe they went sightseeing and lost track of time." Even though I said it, I knew Damo didn't lose track of time.
"He's not answering his phone, either," Fartstard said.
A sheen of sweat covered Fartstard's face, and he kept rubbing his nose. Even if we normally got to the arena with plenty of time to spare, Fartstard was feeling the stress.
"I'll run over and ask the desk clerk if they've gone out," I said. "It's not like them to sleep in or anything."
I hadn't been down to breakfast, so I couldn't say if they'd been there.
Before I could reach the desk, Damo and Polly got out of the elevator. Fartstard approached them, then stopped dead in his tracks. The look on Damo's face would stop anyone. He'd gone pale, and he looked just plain terrible.
He gathered us all around him.
"I just got a call," he said. "Fiona and Matt have been in a crash. Both of them are in hospital."
My stomach clenched. Just when I'd been thinking about how happy everyone was.
"Shit," Elijah said, rubbing the back of his neck. "Are they going to be okay?"
Damo nodded, looking at Elijah. "I think so. Matt only had minor injuries, but they want to keep him in overnight. Fiona, they aren't so sure about."
I shiver went through me. I didn't want to think about Fiona being injured.
"Can I go to the hospital and see her?" I asked. "I want to do something."
Damo screwed up his face. "I'm heading there now. You guys can do your run-through first, and we'll go later." He turned to Elijah and Crow. "You guys come with me. We have to change the set list for tonight so we can go on without Matt, and we can work that out on the way. I'm not sure if she can have visitors, but I'll organize flowers from everyone."
Damo kept shaking his head. The rest of us turned somber and stared into space for a while. On this tour, we'd become family. We looked out for each other. Fiona had kept to herself, but she was as much a vital part of that family as anyone else.
She'd be okay. She had to be okay. Even though she looked frail, she had a toughness in her.
I held Crow tight before he headed off. In this life, you don't know what's going to happen. You have to treasure every moment of happiness you can. I made a promise to myself that I'd always do that. What I had with Crow was a miracle, and I'd work hard every day of my life to make sure it stayed that way.
WILDE FREAK
Matty
"SHIT, LOOK AT THE TIME," I said.
Fiona and I had been so entranced by sightseeing in Paris, that I'd totally lost track. It was our last day here on the tour before we moved on, and we both had lists a mile long of things we wanted to see. We'd been to art galleries and to museums and all around, but it still seemed we'd hardly make a dent in that list. I guessed that meant we'd have to come back to Paris some other time.
"We're not going to make it to the hotel in time," Fiona said. "Maybe you should meet them at the arena."
I considered that for a moment. All my gear was at the arena, but I wanted to get changed. Going onstage in casual sightseeing clothes wouldn't cut it. These khaki shorts definitely didn't say rocker.
"We'll grab a cab," I said. "We'll be cutting it fine, but that's going to be the fastest way back to the hotel."
"I can cab it back to the hotel and grab what you need," Fiona said. "That might be the best option."
She was right, of course, but I wanted to enjoy every last minute of our time together in Paris. It was only a cab ride, but it'd be the two of us alone in the back of that cab, riding through one of the most beautiful cities in the
world.
I jumped out onto the road and had no trouble flagging down a cab. It'd take thirty minutes to get to the hotel, at the most. I'd have time to grab a change of clothes and meet the others to go to the arena.
"We're in a hurry," I told the driver. "There's an extra fifty in it if you make good time."
I wasn't sure if he understood English, but he nodded and shot out into traffic. The guy definitely understood money.
I put my arm around Fiona and pulled her close to me. She rested her head on my shoulder. Then I got out my phone and went through the pictures we'd taken during the day.
"This one is great," I said, holding up a shot of her in front of the Eiffel Tower. "I might make it my phone background."
She took my phone and zoomed the photo. "Erk, no. I look terrible. Delete it."
She said that about every photo. Not just the photos I took, but professional modeling shoots too. She could never see her beauty.
"You look gorgeous," I said. I looked at the photo again. Everything about her in that photo made my heart buzz. The way the wind blew her hair across her face, the crinkles around her eyes as she laughed, the way she leaned forward as though something slightly off-camera held her interest. I'd seen a million of her modeling shoots, but she always looked unapproachable and distant in them. I much preferred my snapshot with her looking real.
The city sped by. The way this guy drove, I'd get the hotel with time to spare. He cut down a narrow back street, totally avoiding a jammed intersection.
Fiona kept staring at the photo. "My face looks a bit blotchy, and that angle makes my shoulders look broad."
I laughed. "It's a snapshot, not a professional shoot. You look like you're having fun, and that's what I want to remember. I love the way you laugh."
"I have wrinkles. Look at them." She slumped back against the seat. "My modeling days are over."
"I thought they were over anyway."
She sighed. "I don't want to go back to it, but still, it'd be nice to have the option if ever I needed to."
Rock Mayhem: 8 Complete Rock Star Romance Novels Page 73
