My lids slid open. I refocused on his handsome face and saw that his lips were parted and his breathing was just as ragged as my own. Knowing that bringing me pleasure was turning him on that much made me feel as if I was the sexiest woman in the world.
Without pause, he started working on the lower half of my body running the ribbon down one leg and up the other kissing, licking, and getting so very close but never quite touching where I wanted him the most. I began to shudder with need.
“Enough.” I grabbed his hand and stopped him. He turned his head, his smoldering eyes connecting with mine. I wasn’t going to last much longer and I wanted to have my chance to touch him, too. I peered at him between my lashes. “My turn to play.” My voice was rough.
He pressed one more light kiss right on my hip bone, and then switched places with me, straightening the pillows, and folding his hands behind his head. Eyes gleaming, he grinned at me as if he was the one in charge.
“Comfortable?” I asked.
He nodded.
“Not for long,” I promised and took a surreptitious peek at the impressive length of him.
Copying his technique wherever the ribbon landed I sucked, licked, and tasted, every single glorious male inch of him without shyness because this was Bry and I loved him. He was so incredibly sexy, the salty flavor of his skin giving me a bigger buzz than alcohol ever could. I discovered that I loved teasing and working him into a frenzy just as much as he had seemed to enjoy doing with me.
Making love with Bryan was so much more than I had ever imagined it would be. He was passionate and playful, and yet so very tender. His body and its contrasts fascinated me. He was hard where I was soft. His chest was wide and smooth, his pecs defined, and his abdomen was a row of concrete ridges.
When I paused to lick the hard flat coins of his nipples, he moaned my name and grabbed the back of my head. Leaning back, it was me this time who breathlessly ordered him to open his eyes.
Grey green eyes glittering with heat, he gazed back at me through thick eyelashes. I gave him a naughty grin before strategically opening my hand and letting the ribbon drop, the length coiling right around the steely tip of him.
“Enough, imp,” he growled, grabbed me, and flipped me over onto my back. “Playtime’s over.” He kneeled between my legs and brought our bodies together in one smooth masterful motion that felt so good I hummed low in my throat.
Once we were connected and he began to move, the buildup was so quick that it was only moments before we spiraled out of control and climaxed together.
“Wakeup, Lacey,” Like being doused with ice water, War’s voice washed the memory away.
I opened my eyes, feeling disoriented.
“You were moaning in your sleep, babe.” War’s brown eyes were dancing as he smiled. “Remembering the two times earlier, huh?”
My cheeks flushed.
“Bryan, dude,” Dizzy complained. “Pay attention, man. You’re getting us killed.”
“You’re embarrassing me.” I pushed against War’s solid chest, the pressure of my fingers creasing the soft material of his powder blue tee. The close quarters and lack of privacy were clearly getting to me. “Let me out.”
“Come on, babe.” He tried to kiss my cheek, but I ducked away.
“War,” I warned.
“Oh, alright. I’m sorry, babe. It’s just I’m so glad you’re back in my life, and I had a good time with you today. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled. I shouldn’t be this upset, wouldn’t be this upset if I hadn’t been dreaming in vivid detail about what it had been like with Bryan. It made what I had with War seem almost tawdry by comparison. “I’m sorry, too. I guess I’m just stressed out about Atlanta. Let me out so I can work on my wardrobe.”
Once alone in the back of the bus, I was able to catch my breath and regain my equilibrium. I placed the outfit I planned to wear for Atlanta on the bed. Low hip hugger jeans with a little flare at the knee, a cool silver peace symbol belt, and then the lacy long sleeved midriff baring top that was really a lingerie piece. That was the part I needed to fix. In its present condition, it was completely see though.
I took out a needle and thread and started to work. After a while, I heard a lot of banging around outside the door followed by the sound of the guys playing their instruments. I picked up my stuff and wandered back to the front to join them.
Bryan’s light colored eyes searched mine for a brief moment before he looked away. I’d immediately recognized the melody he was strumming. It was the one I’d been working on after the first time we’d made love. Lucky for me he didn’t have the lyrics that went with it. If he sang those right now it would probably kill me.
Why was he doing this to me?
17
2 years ago
I smoothed a finger over her brow. She looked so peaceful while she slept.
What had I done?
I’d convinced myself last night that I loved her so intensely that it must be right. But as daylight seeped in through the blinds in her bedroom, I knew that I couldn’t hide from the glaring consequences of my actions.
A couple of soft knocks might as well have been the shots of a firing squad to my guilty conscious.
My gaze snapped to the door.
“Bryan if you’re in there,” Dizzy’s voice whispered from outside, “you need to wake up, man.”
Shit.
Carefully, I moved to the edge of the bed and pulled on the tuxedo pants I’d worn the night before. I glanced back at Lace. She held the black ribbon in one of her hands and was lying on her side, her beautiful blond hair spilled across the pillow. The sheet had fallen away from her chest.
The beautiful Cinderella without her ball gown.
Dizzy knocked again.
Time for the prince to leave.
I slid the ribbon from her grasp, tucked it in my pocket, gently pulled the sheet back up, and moved for the door, grabbing my shirt, jacket, and tie on the way.
Dizzy’s amber eyes widened when he saw me. “I hoped I was wrong.”
I shrugged. I wasn’t going to get into this with him right now.
“War’s on his way over.” Dizzy ran a hand across his face. I felt my stomach drop. “If he sees you here with her, it’s gonna be over for all of us. Ruin everything for everyone. Right when we’ve got two labels fighting over us. Never figured you were such a self-centered prick.”
Panicking, I blurted the first thing that came to mind. “War doesn’t need to know.” My stomach churned. “It was just prom. Getting laid is a rite of passage. It didn’t mean anything.”
“What is that mellow shit you’re playing?” Dizzy’s question brought my wandering thoughts back to the present. Of course he didn’t recognize it. Only Lace and I knew that melody. I’d meant it as a message. To remind her of what we had once shared. To remind her of that night that she had been mine alone.
“Yeah, man,” Sager parroted pushing his jet black hair out of his eyes before he put his pick between his lips and plugged in his bass. “What we need is some good road music.”
“‘Endless Highway.’” King banged his sticks against a practice snare pad.
“No, way.” Sager made a face. “RHCP ‘Road Trippin’.”
I snuck a peek back at Lace while King and Sager continued to argue about the merits of their choices. Her head was down, blond hair spilling over the top edge of an embroidered ivory blouse while her fingers deftly weaved a needle in and out of a scrappy piece of white fabric she held.