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Chapter 10

Myrna stood next to her still-in-one-piece car, which had reached Des Moines a
full hour before the buses. Brian stood before her, plucking absently at a button
on her blouse. She stared over his shoulder, finding it difficult to look at him.
Every time she did, her heart constricted with anguish.
She hated good-byes. Especially permanent ones.
She slid a hand into her suit pocket and fingered her business card in
indecision. She knew continuing this was a mistake. It would just lead to
heartache for both of them. They’d both suffered enough in the past, she
decided. She pulled her empty hand from her pocket. No strings. For the best.
They started to speak at the same time. “I—”
“We—”
They laughed. Their eyes met. Brian drew her into his arms and kissed her
deeply, his embrace tight. Her throat was also tight. Don’t cry, Myrna. Wait
until…
She pulled away. “I had a great time with you.” She hoped she sounded
impersonal, not emotional.
“This doesn’t have to be the end.”
She ducked her head and swallowed her tears. “Yeah. It does.”
“Myrna…”
She kissed his cheek and turned to open the car door. Locked. She struggled
with the handle for a moment before realizing the keys were in her hand. Brian
stepped closer and took her shoulders in his hands.
“Myrna…”
She unlocked the door with trembling fingers. Don’t cry. Don’t cry.
She got the door open, but Brian didn’t step away. He hugged her from
behind, his arms circling her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder. “Stay,” he
whispered. “Please.”
“I can’t.”
“Then tell me when I can see you again.”
She shook her head vigorously. “Good-bye, Brian.”
She pulled away from him and climbed into the car. Its familiarity comforted
her. She closed the door and started the engine, forcing herself not to look up at
him outside her window. She drove off, making sure her face was out of sight
before she let the tears fall in hot trails down her face. From her rearview mirror,
she glimpsed Brian, hands crammed into the front pockets of his jeans as he
stared down at his feet. He took a deep breath, glanced up at her retreating car,
and then returned to the tour bus alone.
Chapter 11
Trey pounded Brian on the back. “You fucking loser, get off the bus. You aren’t
doing anyone any good sitting here drinking by yourself again.”
Brian tossed back the rest of his beer. “Shut up.”
“You know what you need? You need to get laid.”
Trey was probably right. It had been two weeks since his weekend of bliss. It
was time to forget about the amazing sex professor and move on.
“Yeah,” Brian said. “I guess so.”
“Sed’s getting a circle suck together. Maybe you should join us.”
Brian rolled his eyes at Trey. “Is that why you came over here?”
“Well, you always beat him. And he bet Eric that if he didn’t win, he’d give
up sex for a month.”
Brian laughed. Sed didn’t even bother denying his sex addiction. A month?
The man would spontaneously combust. “Yeah, I’d like to see that.”
“We’d all like to see that. He figured since you weren’t participating, he’d
win for sure.”
“I’m in.” Brian climbed to his feet, staggering slightly.
Trey wrapped Brian’s arm around his shoulders to help him walk. “You’ve
got to quit drinking so much.”
“I know.” But it dulled the pain so nicely.
His alcohol-induced buzz had started to dissipate by the time they entered the
other bus.
“Brian’s in,” Trey announced.
Eric leapt from his chair and hugged both guitarists. “Yes!” He glanced over
his shoulder at their vocalist. “You’re going down, Sed.”
“I thought we were going down,” one of six women murmured, looking
confused.
“No one invited Brian,” Sed protested.
A bombshell blonde in red lipstick shot her hand into the air. “I call Master
Sinclair.”
“Are you chicken, Sed?” Brian asked. “Afraid you’ll lose?”
Sed grabbed the nearest girl and urged her to her knees in front of his chair.
She reached for his belt buckle. “I’m ready. Are you?”
Brian sat in the captain’s chair next to Sed. The eager blonde knelt before
him. She reached for his fly, but he caught her hand.
“Who else is in?” Brian asked.
Eric, Trey and Jace sat next to each other on the leather sofa across from the
two captain’s chairs. Two girls got in a scuffle over the privilege to suck off
Trey. He put his hand on top of the winner’s head and gave the loser his sucker.
She went to sulk in the corner, licking her consolation prize.
“I’ll fuck you later, babe. Okay?” Trey called to her.
Beaming, she nodded.
“The first girl to make her guy come gets a backstage pass,” Sed said. “And
the last guy to spend his load gets bragging rights.”
“And you can’t have sex for a month,” Eric reminded him.
“That’s only if I lose.”
Zippers released, hard cocks revealed, flavored condoms rolled in place.
The blonde kneeling before Brian pulled her hand free of his and opened his
pants. She soon discovered that he wasn’t hard at all. His band mates were
waiting for him so they could get started. Just the idea of a suck circle usually
had him busting the zipper out of his pants, but the thought of this blonde chick
with her candy-red lips around his dick held no appeal. Maybe a different girl?
He glanced around the interior of the bus, but none of the congregated women
was Myrna. His heart constricted.
“I guess I’m too drunk,” he said. He zipped his pants and shoved the stunned
blonde out his way before leaving the bus.
“Brian?” Trey called after him.
“Brian’s out,” Sed said as Brian stepped off the bottom step. “Start.”
Brian walked between the buses and leaned against the back bumper. He
didn’t know how long he stood there just breathing. Ten minutes, maybe. He
knew the guys would rib him for not being able to get it up, but that wasn’t what
was really bothering him. That woman. Myrna. He couldn’t get her out of his
head.
Trey wandered out of the bus a few minutes later. He walked past where
Brian was standing, turned around and came to lean against the bus bumper
beside him.
“I guess you lost,” Brian said.
“I don’t even try to win. The real prize is having a girl working her damnedest
to make you come. Who am I to deny her a backstage pass?”
Brian grinned. “My poor girl didn’t even get the chance to try.”
“You’ve got to call her,” Trey said.
“Huh?”
Trey punched him in the arm. “Myrna, you retard. Call her.”
“I don’t have her number. Besides, she doesn’t want to see me.” He ducked
his head to stare at his boots.
“I don’t believe that for a second,” Trey said. “And you could get her number
if you really wanted to.”
He laughed. “I don’t even know her last name.”
“Where is she from?”
“Kansas City,” he said automatically, but Trey already knew that. Brian
couldn’t stop talking about her, so Trey knew more about Myrna than he could
possibly want to know.
“And she’s a professor, so she has to work at a college around there.”
“So?”
“And there are only so many human sexuality professors at those colleges.
Maybe one or two at each, right?”
He shrugged. “I guess.”
“Myrna isn’t a very common name. And even if every human sexuality
professor in the Kansas City area were named Myrna, you could still call them
all until you found her.”
“She’ll be majorly pissed if I call her,” Brian said, though hope fluttered
through his aching heart.
“So what? If she tells you off, then maybe you’ll get her out of your system,
and if she doesn’t, then we’ll get to see you happy again. Shit, the whole band is
suffering because of this funk you’re in. We need you, you know. You’re our
glue.”
Brian sighed loudly. “All right, I get it. I’ll try to find her.”
Trey rubbed his hand vigorously over Brian’s hair until Brian leaned away,
his scalp tingling.
“No need. I already have.” Trey handed Brian a piece of paper with a phone
number scrawled on it. Lefties and their scarcely legible handwriting. “Here’s
her work number. Her home phone is apparently unlisted.”
“How’d you get this?”
“Internet. Her last name is Evans, by the way. Her picture was in the faculty
directory.”
Picture? He’d have to check it out later. See if she was as beautiful as he
remembered. “When did you do this?”
“About a week ago.”
Brian scowled. “And you wait until now?”
“I thought maybe you’d get over her.”
Brian stared down at the slip of paper. “Now I just have to get up the nerve to
have my heart shredded again.”
“Don’t take too long,” Trey said. “I mean seriously. I’ve never seen you like
this. Not for this long.”
“Myrna’s different.”
Trey snorted and laughed as if they were back in the fifth grade. “You’ve got
it bad, Sinclair.”
Chapter 12
Myrna answered her office phone on its second ring. “Doctor Myrna Evans,
Psychology Department.”
“Myrna. Ah. It’s really you.”
All the blood drained from her face. “Brian?”
“It’s so good to hear your voice.”
“How did you find me?”
“Trey looked you up on the Internet by checking the faculty lists of the
universities around Kansas City. You aren’t hard to find.” He fell silent for a
moment. “Are you mad that I called?”
She couldn’t lie and pretend she was anything but delighted to hear from him.
She was disturbed that she was so easy to find. She wasn’t hiding from Brian,
but there was another man she didn’t want to find her. Ever.
“No,” she said. “I’m not mad.”
“Will you meet me somewhere?”
“What? Now? Are you in Kansas City?”
He chuckled. Her breath caught and her nipples tightened. How could the
simple sound of his laugh turn her on?
“No, I’m in Oregon for the entire weekend. More tour dates. I’ll send you a
plane ticket.”
“I can’t just drop everything and get on a plane to Oregon.”
“Why not?”
“I’m busy. I have this job, you see.” This job that was quickly going down the
tubes. She reached for the letter from the National Science Foundation and slid it
into her top desk drawer. She didn’t want to be bothered with thoughts of losing
her grant funding. Not when she had Brian Sinclair’s deep voice in her ear.
“You don’t get weekends off?”
“Most of the time.”
“Are you working this weekend?”
“Not necessarily.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She hesitated. Eh, why not? She could really use a short break from this place.
Maybe a couple of days away would clear her head and she could figure out
what to do about her current predicament. “You haven’t sent me a ticket yet.”
“Fuck,” he murmured.
Disappointment made her heart drop to her toes. “What’s wrong?”
“Oh, nothing. I’m just standing outside the stadium to get better phone
reception and have been recognized by a group of fans. Bad timing. I have a
raging hard-on, thanks to you, and can’t run very fast.”
“As long as it’s thanks to me,” she said, laughing.
Some chick squealed in the background, “Oh my God! Oh my God! It’s
Master Sinclair!”
Myrna laughed.
“Could you hold on just a minute? I’m on the phone,” he said to someone.
“Oh my God! Will you sign my tits? Please. Please. You’re soooo hot!
Where’s Sed?”
“They always want Sed,” Brian said to Myrna. “Let me get away from these
girls and I’ll call you back with your flight information.”
“Okay.”
“Great.”
“And Brian?”
“Yeah, baby?”
“Hey,” a whiny girl said in the background. “Who are you calling baby? Do
you have a girlfriend?”
Myrna shook her head. She didn’t know how he put up with it. “It’s great to
hear your voice, too.”
“I’m glad,” he said quietly. “I’ll call you back.”
He disconnected and she sat back in her office chair, listening to dead air until
the phone began to beep at her. She hung up. It had been almost a month since
they’d parted in Des Moines. She missed him and regretted not staying in
contact with him, though she hadn’t realized how much until that moment. When
the phone rang almost an hour later, She was still staring off into space with a
stupid grin on her face.
“Can you be on a plane in four hours?” Brian asked.
“Four hours? I’m still at work.”
“Well, I realize that. I did call your work number.”
She laughed. She hadn’t laughed this much in… a month. “It’s Thursday. I
have to work tomorrow.”
“Call in sick.”
“Call in sick?” She never called in sick. Not even when she was sick.
“I’m not worth a sick day?”
“I don’t know. Are you?”
He chuckled. “You sure don’t make this easy on a guy. Our concert isn’t until
Saturday night, so I thought we could spend all day tomorrow getting
reacquainted.”
Reacquainted? Yeah, they’d need at least a day. Her gaze drifted to the huge
stack of her students’ final papers. She’d been grading them when Brian had
called. One sick day wouldn’t hurt. She could finish her grading by Tuesday,
when final grades were due. “Where am I flying?”
“Portland.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
“What’s the flight number?”
“Fuck.”
“What’s wrong now?”
“I thought I had that hard-on under control. Turns out I was wrong.”
She laughed.
“God, I want you,” he whispered. “Laugh again.”
“I can’t laugh when I try.” She did laugh though, because she was incredibly
happy.
“Do you have something to write on?”
She reached for a pen. “Yeah.” She wrote down the e-ticket information he
read to her. After she hung up, she shut down her computer and locked her
office. She walked out of the office suite and stopped at the department
secretary’s desk.
“Gladys, I’m going home early. I don’t feel well.”
Gladys’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You’re sick?”
“Yeah. I probably won’t be in tomorrow either.”
“That’s too bad. I hope you feel better.”
“Thanks.”
“Oh, here’s your mail.” Gladys handed her a stack of mail.
Myrna tucked it into her purse and headed to the airport. She didn’t bother
packing any luggage. She didn’t have time. Besides, it wasn’t like she would
need clothes.
Chapter 13
Inside the cramped bathroom of the tour bus, Brian hurried through his shower.
He couldn’t wait to see Myrna. Couldn’t believe she’d agreed to come visit him.
Couldn’t think of anything but drawing her into his arms. Holding her. Touching
her. Looking at her. God, I’m a fucking moron. He knew she would break his
heart, but he didn’t care. After his shower, he hurried to the bedroom in search of
clothes.
“You could knock,” Trey said.
Brian paused in the bedroom’s doorway holding his towel around his waist.
Standing before the long dresser, Trey wrapped his arms around the thin young
man in front of him and plastered his body to the guy’s back. Trey’s hand slid up
under the hem of his new friend’s T-shirt.
The guy’s eyes widened and he caught Trey’s hands in his. “H-hey, Master
Sinclair, erm, Brian. Can I call you Brian?” Brian shrugged and the guy flushed.
“This isn’t what it looks like. I don’t like guys or anything.” He shook his head
vigorously.
“You will,” Trey murmured, inching the guy’s shirt further up his belly.
“Trey, are you molesting virgins again?” Brian grinned at his best friend’s
delight with his latest conquest.
“This one is named Mark. And you know how much I like cherries.”
Brian chuckled. He supposed that didn’t only apply to lollipops.
Trey slowly ran his tongue up Mark’s neck. Mark shuddered and turned his
head to look at Trey over his shoulder.
“You know this bedroom is mine as soon as I collect Myrna from the airport.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Trey murmured. “This won’t take more than a couple of
hours.”
Mark tensed.
Brian rolled his eyes. “I need to get dressed. I’ll be gone before you know it,
and then you two can continue doing whatever it was you were about to do.”
“Um, wait. I…” Mark untangled himself from Trey’s embrace and pulled a
piece of paper from his back pocket. He spread it across the dresser. It was a
drawing of Brian’s and Trey’s guitars crossed at the necks with Sinners’ band
logo above the V-shape. “I’m going to have this tattooed across my back and I
wanted to include your signatures under the guitars. A tribute to my favorite
guitarists.” He glanced at Trey nervously and quickly averted his gaze to settle
on Brian. “You guys rock. I absolutely idolize you. I want to be you.”
“I want to do you,” Trey said, toying with the hair at the nape of Mark’s neck.
Brian scratched his head behind his ear, deliberately staring down at the
drawing to avoid watching Trey’s actions. “Nice design,” Brian said. “Sure, I’ll
sign it. Do you want my real name or my stage name?”
Mark smiled brightly and handed him a black, fine-point pen. “Just Sinclair
would be awesome.” Mark glanced at Trey, who leaned up against his back to
stare over his shoulder at the drawing. “And Mills.” Mark swallowed. “Please.”
Brian scrawled his last name under the black guitar with white flecks. “After
you get this done, you should send a picture of your tattoo to the webmaster on
the Sinners website. There’s a fan tat page on there. Sinners Ink.”
“I’m the webmaster,” Trey murmured. “So make sure it’s a naked picture.”
Mark laughed nervously.
Brian handed the pen to Trey, but he set it on the dresser and covered his
pretty fan boy’s belly with both hands. His pinkies dipped into the waistband of
Mark’s jeans. “I’ll sign it later.”
While Brian got dressed, he tried to ignore Trey and his entertainment for the
afternoon. It turned out to be as easy as ignoring an air horn.
“You’re so sexy,” Trey murmured as he suckled and licked Mark’s neck and
ear.
“No…”
“Shhh. You are.”
A black T-shirt landed at Brian’s feet. Brian dressed faster. His zipper went
up; someone else’s zipper went down.
“Don’t like guys, huh?” Trey murmured. “Is this a rabbit in your pocket?”
“Wait,” Mark gasped. “Ohhhh.”
“Yes,” Brian yelled. “Wait until I’m gone. Please!”
Trey chuckled. Mark’s breath caught in his throat and he groaned in pleasure.
Brian grabbed his boots, socks and shirt and headed for the door, keeping his
eyes off Trey’s defilement of Mark. And then he remembered his lucky hat.
“Shit,” Brian muttered under his breath. He’d put it in the dresser. In the
drawer right in front of where Trey was stroking that guy’s cock. And rubbing.
And stroking. Slightly twisting his wrist at the tip. And…
Why was watching Trey give a hand job turning Brian on? He seriously
needed to get laid. It had been almost a month since he’d seen Myrna and he
wasn’t used to this length of abstinence. He hoped she was as sexually
uninhibited as he remembered.
Trey glanced at Brian, grinning wickedly. The green eye not obscured by his
overlong black bangs twinkled with more mischief than usual. “Need something,
bro?”
“I need to get in that drawer.” He pointed at it, his nose wrinkled.
“What’s wrong? Afraid Mark’s going to come on you?”
Actually, yes. The guy looked about ready to blow his load as Trey worked
him over with practiced ease. Mark glanced down at Trey’s hand, gasped
brokenly, and then dropped his head back on Trey’s shoulder, his eyes squeezed
shut. “Ah, God. I am gonna come. I am.”
Trey chuckled and released Mark’s cock. He then shifted his lover back
against his body so Brian could get into the drawer.
“Feel how hard I am for you?” Trey said in Mark’s ear. “That’s going in your
ass as soon as Brian clears out of here.”
Mark gasped and tried to pull away. “No, I don’t want… It will hurt. Won’t it
hurt?” He glanced over his shoulder at Trey uncertainly. Brian noticed he wasn’t
protesting very hard.
“Not the way I do it.”
“Change the sheets when you’re done.” Brian retrieved his hat from the
dresser and hurried out of the room. He finished dressing in the hall, pretending
he couldn’t hear Trey’s newest lover crying out in ecstasy on the other side of
the thin door. Brian tipped his lucky hat—a floppy, leather fedora—on his head.
He didn’t want to waste time fixing his shoulder-length hair in its usual messy,
spiked style. What he wanted to do was make Myrna’s flight arrive sooner.
“So is she on her way?” Eric asked.
Brian checked his watch. “She should be here in a couple of hours. Will you
do me a huge favor?”
“Depends on what it is.”
“Clean this place up. It’s a fucking embarrassment.”
Eric glanced around as if seeing their living conditions for the first time.
“You’re right. God, how do we live like this?”
“We’re slobs, but I doubt Myrna will appreciate having to stay here in our
filth. Do you know where Jace is? I want to borrow his bike.”
“No idea.”
Brian went in search of Jace, checking his watch excessively. He didn’t want
to be late picking her up. If necessary, he’d drive the fucking bus to the airport.
Chapter 14
The first hour of her plane ride, Myrna could think of nothing but Brian and all
the things she wanted to do to him when she saw him. The plane could not get to
Portland fast enough. Eventually, she grew tired of checking her wristwatch
every thirty seconds and sorted through her mail. Among the textbook
advertisements and interdepartmental memos, she found a letter from a funding
agency. Her last ditch grant! She’d almost missed the submission deadline and
knew it wasn’t her best work, but without research funding, the university
wouldn’t let her keep her job for long. She didn’t have tenure yet.
Myrna hesitated, afraid to open the letter. She’d applied on a whim the day
after she’d left Brian in Des Moines. She had the groupies to thank for the
inspiration. And now that she knew for sure her government-sponsored grant
would not be renewed for the following year, she didn’t just want to work on this
project as a fun summer side project. She needed this project to keep a roof over
her head. But would it make good research? Did anyone care why women
became promiscuous in the company of rock stars?
Heart hammering, she tore open the letter and scanned its contents. Score!
Full funding. Enough to get her through the summer, in any case, and hopefully
secure her faculty position for one more year.
“Yes!” she said, startling the man in the seat next to her. He snorted and fell
back to sleep.
She could use the summer months to do her field work. That would give her
the time she needed to collect data without her added teaching responsibilities.
She just needed a famous rock band to follow around for three months. Would
Sinners be willing to let her tour with them? It wouldn’t hurt to ask. It probably
would hurt if the band refused her request. She cared about them. As friends. But
if she spent every moment of the next three months with Brian, how would she
keep him at arm’s length? Did she even want to? The joy his call had incited
indicated she was more attached to the man than she’d like to think. Here she
was on an airplane to Oregon to visit him, after all.
She took a deep breath. The only reason she wanted to see Brian so badly was
because he was so good in bed. So open to suggestion. So accommodating. He
never tried to make her feel like a whore. She could be herself with him. Yeah,
that was the reason her heart rate hadn’t returned to normal since he’d called.
Holding him at arm’s length would be no problem. No problem at all.
But what if he didn’t want her to tour with his band? How would she feel if he
said no?
Maybe she should ask another band. She couldn’t put her heart on the line
again. She’d barely survived her marriage and divorce. Emotionally. Mentally.
Physically. It had literally almost killed her. She slid her hand under her hair and
absently fingered the thick scar on the back of her head. No, she never wanted to
open herself to that kind of devastation again. Not even with a great guy like
Brian. Jeremy had been great in the beginning. She couldn’t let herself forget
that.
Myrna tucked the grant letter into her purse. This news was too good to dwell
on negative possibilities. She would decide if she wanted to ask Sinners to
participate in her study at the end of the weekend. For now, she’d just enjoy her
moments with Brian and not think about real life. Or her ex-husband.
Near the end of the plane ride, she went to the bathroom and removed her
panties. She tucked them into her suit jacket pocket. A little present to get Brian
in the mood and set this rendezvous on the right track from the start. Not that
Brian ever needed help to get in the mood, but she was competing with young
girls begging him to autograph their perky tits. If she wanted to keep him
interested in her body, she’d have to surprise him occasionally. With all that
young, available pussy around him, he was sure to get bored with her in no time.
When the plane circled Mount Adams and landed in Portland, Myrna felt a
surge of nervousness. What if his opinion of her had changed since she’d last
seen him? What if that insatiable spark between them had fizzled out? What if he
wasn’t attracted to her any longer? What if—
“Nervous?” the man seated next to her asked.
She shook her head, though yes, she was nervous. She needed to get a grip.
“First time in Portland?”
“I was here a few years ago for a meeting.”
“It’s a beautiful city. I hope you enjoy yourself.”
She flushed. With Brian between her thighs, that was guaranteed. “I hope so,
too.”
When she exited the ramp onto the concourse, she glanced around for a
familiar face. Clad in leather from head to foot, including his floppy fedora,
Brian stood at the end of the ramp. She recognized him instantly despite the dark
shades he wore to disguise himself. Every concern clouding her mind vanished
the instant he smiled at her. He pushed his way through the exiting passengers
and captured her in his arms, claiming her mouth in a passionate kiss. Her knees
went weak. My God, this man could kiss. He pulled back and raked his eyes
over her.
“You look gorgeous,” he said, kissing her again.
“You look… mysterious.” She tapped the brim of his hat with her fingertips.
“It seems we have a lot of rabid fans in Portland.” He chuckled. “I’ve been
dodging them all day. Poor Sed had the shirt ripped off his back this morning.”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“So my plan to rip your shirt off isn’t very original.”
He laughed and kissed her tenderly. “I probably shouldn’t say this, but I’ve
had you on my mind non-stop all month. I really missed you.”
Her heart thudded. “I missed you, too. I didn’t realize how much until I heard
your voice.”
He stroked a stray hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “Are you
opening up possibilities between us?”
She grinned. “Sexual possibilities.”
He smiled and kissed her again. “I’ll take what I can get. Should we get your
luggage?”
“What luggage?”
“You didn’t bring anything?”
“I didn’t have time to pack.”
He grinned. Smugly. “I see.”
“I did bring you a present.” She fished the white, satin panties out of her
pocket and handed them to him. “They got so wet from thinking about you, I
took them off on the plane.”
He held them up to his nose and inhaled deeply. “Are you trying to kill me?”
he murmured. “God, Myrna.”
She chuckled.
He whispered in her ear, “Does this mean you aren’t wearing any panties
under that skirt?”
She grinned at him. “That’s what it means.”
“Christ, Myrna. You are trying to kill me!”
He took her hand, urging her forward at a run. She had a hard time keeping up
with him in her high-heels. He found a deserted concourse and tugged her
through the door of a men’s room.
“Brian? What are you doing?”
“You don’t really think I can wait until we get back to the bus, do you?”
He shoved open a stall and pulled her inside, pressing her up against the stall
door. His mouth descended on hers. His hands moved down her hips to lift her
skirt up around her waist. She shuddered when his fingers found the moist heat
between her thighs.
“You really are wet,” he said, as if awed by the discovery.
“Did you think I was making up stories for your amusement?”
Her hands moved to the fly of his leather pants, releasing his cock. When she
touched him, he drew a shaky breath through his teeth. “Abstinence is so not my
thing.”
His words didn’t have time to register before he lifted her thigh to his hip and
plunged into her body. She clung to his shoulders, groaning at the enthusiasm of
his strokes.
“Garters under a conservative gray suit, Professor?” he murmured, his fingers
running under the straps holding up her stockings. “Do you know how hot that
is?”
“I like to keep my smuttiness carefully concealed.”
“You’re not fooling me,” he whispered.
“I’m not trying to, but you’re the only one who knows.”
“That makes it even hotter.”
He held her against the door as he thrust up into her, grinding deeply as he
knew she liked it. “Brian. Brian! Oh God, Brian!”
“Shh, someone might come in,” he said. “The last thing I need is to be
arrested for public indecency.”
She tensed. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to be indecent.”
“There is nothing indecent about you, baby.” He cupped her jaw and kissed
her gently. “You scream my name all you want.”
She opened her eyes to look at him and found him still wearing his
sunglasses. She took them off and tucked them into his jacket pocket. She
wanted to see his eyes. Brown. Intense. Glazed with desire. For her.
He grinned. “Can we change positions? This is pretty hard on my back.”
“Are you getting old?”
“Yeah, I must be.”
He pulled out and guided her hands to the wall at the back of the stall. He bent
her over the toilet, not the most romantic view, and pushed her skirt up around
her waist. He buried his face in her ass and lapped at the liquid heat between her
thighs.
“Mmm,” he murmured, spreading her labia with his fingers to gain better
access. “I missed this, too.” As he licked and sucked on her flesh, he ran his
hands up and down her thighs, fascinated by the bare flesh above the tops of her
stockings. Her breathing became erratic and shaky as she neared orgasm.
He stood and leaned over her, possessing her body with his thick cock again.
She cried out as her body shook with release.
She thought she heard a door open, but didn’t care as she shifted backward to
meet his every stroke.
“God, baby, I’ve missed you. I hear it again.”
“The music?”
“Yeah, the music.”
The sound of a zipper being released came from the stall next to them. Brian
surprised her by increasing his tempo, seeking quick release. “We need to get
out of here,” he whispered into her ear. “I want to make love to you slowly. With
lots of blank paper and pens nearby.”
She wriggled her hips and he gasped.
“Do that again.”
She complied. Brian groaned.
The guy in the next stall echoed Brian’s groan and let a loud fart rip in the
toilet.
Myrna covered her mouth with her hand, trying to hold in her laughter.
Another groan, followed by splashes and then… the most horrendous smell.
Myrna gagged.
“Okay, even I can’t come under these conditions.” Brian pulled out and
forced his rigid cock into his pants. She stood and adjusted her skirt.
“Let’s go, sweetheart,” he said.
She smiled and nodded, hoping he didn’t end up with a huge case of blue
balls. Poor guy.
They exited the stall and Brian knocked on the door of the next stall.
“Someone’s in here,” a startled man’s voice said.
“Yeah, dude. I heard. You picked a horrible time to take a shit, you know.
Have a nice day.”
Myrna burst out laughing and ran to the exit, jerking open the door and
surprising a young man trying to enter.
“Excuse me,” she said.
He looked at the Men’s sign on the door and then back at Myrna with a
confused expression. Brian came to a halt behind her. The man looked even
more confused when he spotted Brian, and then a look of realization dawned on
his face.
“No, excuse me,” the man said and stepped aside so Myrna could exit the
men’s room. The guy offered Brian a high five as they passed each other in the
doorway.
“I don’t know what he’s high-fiving me about. That didn’t go as expected.”
“Hey, I came really hard, so I’m not complaining.”
He hugged her against his side as they walked toward the parking garage. “If
you’re not complaining, then I won’t either. But you owe me one.”
“I’ll make it up to you.”
He kissed her temple and put his sunglasses back on. “I have no doubt that
you will.”
Brian led her to the first floor of the parking garage. Beside the stairwell, a
large, red Harley Davidson leaned on its kickstand. He inserted a key into the
bike’s ignition and handed Myrna a spare helmet.
“A Harley Fat Boy! Sweet. I didn’t know you had a bike,” she said. “It looks
brand new.” She slid the helmet over her head and fastened the chinstrap.
“It’s not mine. Jace let me borrow it. He bought it a couple of weeks ago.”
“I’ll have to thank him. Motorcycles make me hot.”
“Is there anything that doesn’t make you hot?” He flipped up her visor and
kissed her.
She thought for a moment. “Taxes and politics?”
He laughed. “Just tell Jace you rode it without any panties on and that will be
all the thanks he’ll ever need.”
She looked down at her gray, pinstriped suit skirt and three-inch heels. “I’m
not exactly dressed for this, am I?”
He took off his leather jacket and handed it to her. “Put this on.”
She slid into the jacket and inhaled deeply through her nose. The jacket
smelled of leather and Brian—the two biggest turn-ons on Earth. She hoped it
wasn’t far to the tour bus.
His jacket was several sizes too big and draped over her hands. She could
almost wear it as a mini-dress. She zipped it up to her chin.
He smiled at her. “You look adorable.” He tapped her nose with his index
finger.
Brian crammed her purse in the small compartment under the seat. He took
off his floppy, leather hat and tried smashing it inside as well. It wouldn’t fit.
“Would you mind holding my hat while I drive?” he asked.
“Not at all.”
He handed it to her.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t pack a suitcase,” she said.
He laughed and scratched his head as he stared down at the motorcycle’s lack
of cargo space. “True. I was in such a hurry to get here, I didn’t think things
through clearly. Jace’s bike seemed more manageable than the tour bus.”
“This will be fun.” She grinned at him and then closed her visor.
Brian put on a helmet and climbed on the bike. God, he looked hot straddling
the big machine. The Harley roared to life, rumbling through Myrna’s entire
body as he revved the engine. He held her hand while she climbed up on the bike
behind him. She had to hike her skirt to the top of her thighs to sit. Her garters
showed on both sides, but there was nothing she could do about it. Brian’s hand
gripped the bare skin above her white, lace-trimmed stocking.
“I should have called a cab!” he shouted over the roaring engine.
“No, you should not have! This is great! Let’s go!”
“If you say so.”
He turned the bike out of the parking spot and, once in the exit lane, took off
like a shot. She held on tight, molding herself to his back with a satisfied sigh.
Her free hand splayed over his black T-shirt and the hard muscles of his chest
underneath. She couldn’t think of any place in the world she’d rather be at that
moment.
They exited the parking garage and took a ramp to a city street. She assumed
he avoided I-5 for her benefit. The sun settled beneath the western horizon as an
orange haze. Streetlights flickered on as they traveled a main street through the
city.
The blowing breeze made the outsides of Myrna’s thighs sting with cold, but
Brian’s hips between her thighs kept the insides plenty warm. Passing cars
slowed to gawk at them. Hanging out the windows of a compact car, a group of
young men wolf-whistled at Myrna’s exposed garters. When they honked and
waved, she waved back.
Passing women glared. She didn’t care.
Brian stopped at a stoplight. “It’s at least another fifteen miles,” he said. “Will
you be okay back there? We can stop somewhere and buy you some warmer
clothes.”
“I’m fine,” she said. “How are you?”
“I’m suffering, baby. My balls are starting to ache like you would not
believe.”
Holding his hat over his lap with one hand, she moved her other hand to his
crotch. His cock hardened instantly and his body stiffened. The light turned
green. He took off like a shot, the bike rumbling beneath them.
“Don’t speed. We might get pulled over!” she shouted. “Then it will take
longer to get there.”
He slowed down to the speed limit. Her hand continued to stroke him through
his leather pants. He took one hand off the handlebars long enough to unfasten
his fly and free his cock. Beneath the hat, Myrna’s free hand circled his hot,
engorged flesh and stroked its length steadily. The smooth skin felt like satin
beneath her fingers. She didn’t know how he managed to concentrate on driving.
Another red light.
He stopped and put his feet down on the pavement. She could barely hear his
groans of pleasure over the roar of the motorcycle as she stroked the head of his
cock faster and faster. Faster. Faster. His head fell back and his body stiffened in
front of her. Hot cum spurted between her fingers and into his hat. He revved the
engine as he cried out hoarsely.
The light turned green. Besides the occasional shudder, Brian didn’t move.
Someone behind them honked. He took several deep breaths. “Could you put
that away for me, Myr?”
“Aw, but it’s so fun to play with.” She grinned and tucked his slackening cock
back into his pants.
“Thanks, baby. I feel much better now.”
“Well, I don’t. I’m all worked up again. Are we going to sit here all day?”
He glanced up at the green light. It turned yellow. He sped forward, laughing.
“That will teach them to honk at me when I’m coming at a red light.”
“I think you’re going to have to throw this hat away,” she said, wiping her
fingers on the inner lining.
“Fuck that. I’m framing it and hanging it on the wall. Right next to my gold
album.”
By the time they reached the stadium, Myrna was shivering. She was grateful
that Brian had lent her his jacket. She’d have frozen to death if he hadn’t.
Brian circled around to the back of the stadium where a pair of silver and
black tour buses were parked. He pulled up to the side of one of the buses, shut
off the bike, and closed the fly of his pants.
“You’re cold, aren’t you?” he asked.
She couldn’t lie through chattering teeth.
His warm hand brushed against her ice-cold outer thigh. “You’re freezing!”
He helped her off the bike. She tugged her skirt down her thighs. That helped
warm her quite a bit. She took off her helmet and handed it to him. He removed
her purse from the compartment and stowed the helmet inside. He took his
helmet off as well and looked at her apologetically.
“I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. I really should have called a cab.”
She smiled and shook her head. “But I had fun. Honest.”
“Not half as much as I did.” He exchanged her purse for his hat and moved to
put it on his head.
“Wait!”
He grinned at her. “Just kidding.”
She laughed and swatted him.
“I’ll make Eric wear it. Shhhhh….” He held a finger to his lips, looking
devious. And gorgeous. She laughed as he drew her against him, holding her
close. “You’re so much fun, Myrna. Do you know that?”
She shook her head. “I’m an old lady.”
“My old lady.”
He kissed her and she forgot to deny that she was his.
The tour bus door opened. “Did you find her?” Jace called from the door.
“Nope,” Brian said. “I had to settle for this old lady I found at the airport.”
Myrna slugged Brian in the gut. “Hi, Jace. I love your motorcycle.”
“You rode it in that?” he asked, eyes wide as he took in her attire.
“She looked hot!” Brian wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her to
the bus.
“But she feels cold.”
“We’ll take care of that right now,” Brian murmured into her ear. He handed
his hat to Jace as they passed him. “Give this to Eric.”
“Your lucky hat?”
“It’s really lucky now.”
“I’ll keep it.” He started to flip it on his head, but Myrna grabbed it.
“You don’t want to wear this hat, Jace. Trust me.”
“Why not?”
Brian patted Jace’s cheek smartly. “Listen to Myrna, Jace. You’re a nice kid.
Do you have any idea how hard it is to get cum out of a lucky hat?”
His nose wrinkled. “Why is there… Never mind, I don’t want to know.”
“Brian says telling you I’m not wearing any panties is thanks enough for the
ride,” Myrna said.
Jace’s eyes widened to unnatural proportions.
“But I think I owe you a better thank you.” She kissed his cheek. He was at
least five years younger than Brian and the rest of the band. She didn’t typically
go for men who were in kindergarten when she was graduating high school. She
hoped her little kiss didn’t give him nightmares.
He swallowed hard. “You can borrow it any time, Myrna.”
“You’re sweet.”
Jace chuckled. “That’s what all the ladies think. At first.”
Brian tugged her toward the bus steps. “Don’t fall into his trap, Myrna. You
might not survive the experience.”
Myrna climbed the steep stairs and entered the bus. The visible common area
was quite roomy. And messy. A bachelor pad on wheels.
“Eric,” Brian bellowed into the cabin. “You were supposed to clean this place
up, loser.”
Eric poked his head out of a door near the end of a narrow hallway. “I’m
scrubbing the toilet, dude. Is she here already?”
Myrna set her purse on a counter and looked down at Brian’s leather jacket,
unzipping it with more concentration than required. A warm blush spread up her
face. She couldn’t bring herself to look at Eric. Would she ever be able to look at
him without getting embarrassed? He never mentioned watching Brian make
love to her. It probably wasn’t a big deal to him, but it was to her. She tugged
Brian’s jacket off and handed it to him. He tossed it onto the couch.
“She’s here!” Eric loped down the hall and grabbed Myrna in an enthusiastic
embrace, spinning her around dizzily. “You look gorgeous, Professor Sex.” He
kissed her cheeks with loud smacking sounds.
She laughed. “You’re in a good mood.”
He leaned close to her ear and whispered, “We’re all happy. Maybe Brian will
stop bitching now that you’re here. He’s been on the rag since you left.”
“I heard that, Sticks,” Brian said.
Jace closed the door and walked into the room. “Hey, Eric. Brian said you
could have his lucky hat for cleaning up the bus.”
“Cool!”
Eric squeezed past Myrna and Brian and grabbed the hat out of Jace’s hand.
He crammed it onto his head and the other three bus occupants burst out
laughing.
Eric looked from one person to the next. “What?”
“You look like an ass is all,” Brian said.
“You look cool when you wear it, but I look like an ass?”
Brian nodded with his lips pursed. “Yeah, pretty much.”
Jace fell onto the sofa, clutching his side as he laughed.
Eric jumped on him and grabbed him in a headlock. “What is so funny?”
Jace choked and struggled as he attempted to get out of Eric’s grasp.
“Do you want to die, Little Man?” Eric asked. “What are you laughing
about?”
“I’m… not laugh—” Jace gasped. “Laughing at… you.”
“You better not be.”
Eric released Jace, who sat up on the couch scowling and rubbing his red
neck. It must suck to be the youngest and smallest member of this testosteroneladen group. Myrna winked at Jace and he grinned. Behind Eric’s back, Jace
pointed at the hat repeatedly with a huge smile on his face and his tongue
hanging out.
“Where’s Sed?” Brian asked.
“He took a couple of chicks to the other bus,” Eric said.
“And you aren’t filming it?”
“I was scrubbing the toilet.”
“Right. Where’s Trey?”
“I think he took his boy toy to a tattoo parlor.”
“That leaves the bedroom free.” Brian took Myrna’s hand and tugged her to
the back of the bus. “Later, dudes. Do not disturb.”
“Don’t leave me alone with Sticks!” Jace complained.
Eric grabbed him in a headlock again. “Have fun, kiddies, I’m going to kick
Little Man’s ass now.”
“Eric,” Myrna called, as Brian opened the door at the end of the hall. “I think
that hat looks really good on you. And you know… payback is always a bitch.”
He’d probably never figure out that she was referring to having cum in his hair
as payback to that time he’d jacked-off into hers.
“What?” Eric gave her an odd look, but Brian pulled her into the tiny room
and closed the door before she could respond.
“Will Jace be okay?” she asked.
“Yeah, he’s used to us bustin’ his ass.”
She scowled. “That’s not nice.”
“Sed usually keeps Eric in check, but Jace is so grateful for this gig he takes
Eric’s crap. I think it’s because he hasn’t been with us since the beginning.”
“That shouldn’t matter. He’s a great bassist.” She shook her head. “I don’t
understand how guys think.”
“No one denies that he’s an excellent musician, but he has to earn respect as
one of the guys. No one is going to hand it to him. Until Jace kicks the shit out
of Eric, Eric will torment him. That’s just how he is.” Brian removed the clip
from Myrna’s hair, allowing the long locks to tumble free over her shoulders.
“Why are we talking about this?”
Hell, she didn’t know. She felt protective of Jace for some strange reason.
“We should talk about how cold my legs are instead.”
She stared up at him while his fingers unfastened the buttons of her suit
jacket. He kissed her temple, jaw, neck, as he brushed her jacket from her
shoulders. Her eyes drifted close. She felt warmer already.
Brian stroked her bare arms with his knuckles, his open mouth sucking the
flesh under her ear. She tugged his T-shirt out of the waistband of his pants, and
he helped her pull it off over his head. She kept her eyes closed as she explored
the hard muscles of his chest and arms with her hands. Her arms circled his
body. He drew her against him, hands stroking her back soothingly. She rested
her ear against his chest, listening to his strong, steady heartbeat. He held her
there for a long while, one hand stroking the white, satin camisole across her
back, the other gently massaging her scalp.
His heart rate picked up beneath her ear. She smiled. “What are you
thinking?”
He hugged her closer. “It’s emotional. You wouldn’t approve.”
“Don’t be that way. I want to know.”
“I’ll tell you later.” His hand moved to the zipper of her skirt. The garment
landed in a puddle at her feet. She kicked it aside.
He drew her camisole over her head, leaving her in her bra, garters, stockings,
and high heels. Her panties were still in his pocket. He took her hands and held
her arms away from her sides, stepping back so he could get a good look at her.
He grinned deviously. “You do know how to get a man in the mood,
Professor. I wondered what you had on under that conservative suit. Even better
than I imagined.”
She flushed with pleasure. “I always wonder why I buy frilly underwear when
no one ever gets to see it but me.”
“I’m seeing it. It’s very nice. Feminine. Sexy.”
He scooped her up into his arms and she gasped in surprise. Kneeling on the
bed, he crawled up the mattress, carrying her along with him. Her shoes tumbled
off the end of the bed with a clatter. He gently laid her on top of the comforter
and stretched out beside her, brushing the skin of her lower belly with the back
of his hand. She shivered.
His finger traced the edge of her white, lacy bra. “So no one gets to see your
underwear?” He grinned. Smugly.
“Not recently,” she said. “Present company being the exception.”
He kissed her passionately, his hand cupping her breast over her bra. When
his mouth drew away, he whispered, “Let’s keep it that way.”
When she didn’t deny the logic of the idea, he smiled.
“Of course, the rest of your band has seen me naked,” she reminded him.
“But it didn’t mean anything.”
Her legs started to tingle as warmth sank into her flesh. She reached for the
edge of the comforter and folded it over herself.
“You’re still cold, aren’t you?”
She nodded, shivering slightly. He climbed from the bed, removed his boots
and pants, and then climbed between the sheets in his boxers and socks. He held
the covers up and she crawled beneath them with him. Brian spooned against her
back and draped a leg over hers, cocooning her in his warmth. When she
shuddered with cold, he tucked the heavy comforter under her chin.
“You’re freezing,” he whispered, his nose pressed under her ear.
“I noticed. And you’re so warm.” She snuggled closer.
His arms tightened around her. “You like me, don’t you?”
“What makes you say that?”
“When I called you this afternoon, I thought you’d just hang up on me. Those
stupid girls yelling at me to sign their tits the moment I got you on the phone.
Great timing, I thought. It took me two weeks to find the balls to call you.”
“If I had any sense, I would have hung up on you.”
“And now you’re here. Willing to drop everything and hop on a plane to see
me.”
“For entirely selfish reasons. Trust me.”
“Willing to freeze half to death and ride on a motorcycle in a skirt to be here.”
“Hey, it’s a really nice bike.”
“You like me. Admit it.”
“A little,” she said, grinning to herself.
He squeezed her closer. “Wanna go to Vegas and get married?”
She frowned. “No. Why do you keep asking me that?”
“Because I want to marry you, why else?”
“Marriage is not my idea of a good time.”
“How would you know?”
“I tried it. Didn’t like it.”
“You were married?” He leaned away from her. She glanced over her
shoulder at him.
“Yeah. I’ve been divorced for almost five years now. I’d like to keep it that
way.”
“Well, that explains a few things. He hurt you badly, didn’t he?” He stroked
her hair from her face and kissed her temple.
“Yeah, actually, he did.”
“I’d never hurt you, Myrna.”
She snorted derisively. “How many times have I heard that same old song?”
He kissed her cheek tenderly. Her jaw. “Never. No one’s heard the songs we
make together. We write them as we go. I haven’t written more than three notes
since the last time we made love.”
“Then I think it’s time to write another.”
“I agree. But I’ve got a few questions first.”
She rolled over to face him. “This sounds serious.”
“Now that I know you aren’t sleeping with any other men—”
“Well, there is BOB.”
His face fell. “Bob?”
“Yeah, but he never actually sleeps with me. Just gives me fantastic orgasms,
then I put him back in the drawer. I have to change his double A’s occasionally,
but he’s fairly low maintenance.”
His brow furrowed. “A vibrator?”
She grinned. “Multi-functional with attachments. BOB. My Battery Operated
Boyfriend.”
“God, don’t tease me like that. You ripped my heart out of my chest for a
minute there.”
“Aw, I’m sorry.” She stroked his longish, black hair from his face. “I’m not
really sleeping with anyone.”
“So you aren’t on birth control?”
“I have an IUD. Wait a minute. Is this the it’s-time-to-stop-using-condoms
conversation?”
“I keep dreaming about coming inside of you.”
“You dream about it?”
“All the time. I’m usually awake, but…”
She laughed and kissed him. He looked so hopeful as he gazed into her eyes.
“Pregnancy isn’t the only thing we have to worry about, Brian. There are STDs
—”
He leaned over her body, opened a drawer in a side table and pulled out a
piece of paper. “I’ve already been checked. See. All clear.” He held up a printout
from a clinic.
“But what if I’m not?”
His face fell. “Is that a possibility? I’ve been inside you more than once
without any protection.”
“I tested disease free at my last appointment.”
“And?”
“And I haven’t slept with anyone but you since.”
“Awesome.” He tossed the printout aside and climbed on top of her. He
worked his boxers down his thighs and lowered his head to kiss her throat.
“Brian?”
“Hmm?”
“Did you plan all this? Why did you have your test results in a drawer next to
the bed?”
He lifted his head to gaze down at her. “Myrna, you’re under my skin. I’ve
been planning for your return since the moment you left me behind in Des
Moines. I have several surprises for you, actually.”
Intrigued, she lifted an eyebrow at him. “What kind of surprises?”
“If I told you, they wouldn’t be surprises.”
“That’s true.”
“So can I come inside you?”
“There’s no reason why you can’t.”
“Yes.” Fist clenched in victory, he leaned out of the bed again, retrieving
something from the drawer. “Now for one of your surprises.”
He opened a small square package with his teeth. It looked suspiciously like a
condom. He dumped something into the palm of his hand. She stared at it,
perplexed. It wasn’t a condom. It was a pink rubber ring about the size of a
condom though. On one edge, it had a pill-shaped attachment.
“Is that…”
“A cock ring, with a special part for your enjoyment.”
She shook her head. “You don’t need it.”
He grinned wickedly and crushed the ring in his hand. It started vibrating. “I
think you’ll like this.”
He tossed the covers aside and slid the ring over his cock, all the way to the
base. He shuddered. “I like it, too.”
“Fine, we’ll try it. I just think we’re too hot for each other to need toys.”
“Are you complaining?” He rolled on top of her, a persistent hum coming
from his crotch area.
“No. I just think…”
He slid into her, backing out several times to wet himself with her juices. She
forgot about everything but the feel of him inside her. When he buried himself
completely, the vibrating attachment on the cock ring brushed against her clit.
She jerked. “Whoa.” He had the attention of every nerve ending in her body.
“Yeah, that’s what I said,” he murmured.
He quickly found a rhythm that excited them both.
She was certain his cock was engorged even larger than usual. The Beast
stretched her to her limits and the amazing gadget buzzed against her sensitive
clit with each penetrating stroke.
“Oh my,” she gasped, shuddering hard against him.
He stayed buried deep while she came, continuing to stimulate her clit until
she cried out.
“You like it?” He kissed her jaw as she continued to shudder.
Her body arched off the bed, grinding him deeper still. He pulled back and
thrust into her again. She couldn’t stop shuddering. The pleasure between her
thighs needed to be offset by something. She unhooked the front clasp of her bra
and shoved the fabric aside impatiently. Covering her breasts with her hands, she
gritted her teeth and pinched her stiff nipples as hard as she could. A little pain
balanced the pleasure nicely. She shuddered harder. He pushed one of her hands
aside and sucked her nipple into his mouth.
“Ah,” she cried.
His fingers stroked her hair gently while he tugged on her breast with his
mouth. His hard sucking felt even better than the pain she’d inflicted. She swore
his cock was still thickening. Or maybe she was more swollen than normal.
Whatever its cause, the head of his dick rubbed against her g-spot with each
thrust. She knew of female ejaculation, but had never experienced it while
making love before. Exploration with a vibrator, yes, she’d achieved it a few
times, but a man never brought her even close to the experience. Until now.
“Brian,” she whispered urgently.
He lifted his head from her breast and kissed her lips. He groaned, his teeth
clenched, lip curled. “God, this feels fantastic,” he murmured. “Skin on skin.
Warm, soft velvet all around me. I want to be inside of you forever.”
That was the difference. No condom.
“Yes,” she agreed. “Oh,” she gasped. “Brian. Brian? I think. I think I’m
gonna…”
“Just let go, baby. I’ll make you come again. You don’t have to hold back.”
“You don’t un-understand. This…”
She bore down on his cock as if trying to pee, and wasn’t disappointed. A
hard, pulsating orgasm gripped her insides. She cried out. So much different than
a clitoral orgasm. Primal in intensity. Every organ in her lower body clenched in
hard spasm, relaxed, clenched again. Fucking fantastic.
Her nails dug into his shoulders as her back arched off the bed. He held her
back with one hand until the orgasm subsided.
“What happened there?” he whispered.
When her body stopped quaking, she opened her eyes to look at his concerned
face.
“That felt different, Myrna. You okay?”
“I’m better than okay.” She grinned. “Ever hear of female ejaculation?”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “I thought that was a myth.”
She laughed brokenly, almost maniacally. “Did that feel like a myth to you?’
He grinned. “No, actually…”
“Without a condom, the head of your cock rubs my g-spot every time you pull
out and thrust inside me. It’s as if we were—”
“Made for each other.”
“Yeah.” She laughed. “Isn’t that the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever
heard?”
He scowled. “I don’t think it’s ridiculous.”
She touched his face. Such a romantic. “Why are you taking a break, Brian? I
thought you wanted to come inside me.”
“I already did.”
“You did?”
He laughed. “No, sweetheart. That was all you. Do you want to be on top for
a while? I’m getting light-headed.”
On top? When she was on top, she always came twice as often. She didn’t
know if she could handle his vibrating cock ring in that position. She was willing
to endure it for his sake, however.
“Yeah, okay.”
He pulled out slowly, wincing when he fell free of her body, and rolled onto
his back. She hadn’t just been imagining that his cock was thicker than usual.
Pulsating. The skin strained over thick veins, its head an angry purple.
“That Beast really is going to tear me in half today. No wonder you’re lightheaded.”
She sucked the head of his cock into her mouth and cradled his nuts in her
hand, massaging gently. He groaned. He shifted toward the side table drawer and
searched blindly for something. After a moment, he pressed something into her
hand. “Put that inside me.”
She examined the small object. Black. About the size of her thumb. She
released the head of his cock from her mouth and squeezed his balls until he
gasped in pain. When she released them, he groaned.
“A butt plug? You are a little kinky, aren’t you, Master Sinclair?”
He hesitated and then lifted his head to look at her. “Does it bother you? I can
put it away.” His hand extended toward her to take it back.
She rolled her eyes at him and stretched out on her belly, her face between his
legs. His body jerked when she thrust her tongue into his ass. She licked him
eagerly, wetting the area with her saliva until he dripped with the moisture from
her mouth.
“Oh God, Myr,” he gasped. “My cock is in desperate need of attention.”
She squeezed his nuts again, but ignored his engorged member, as she thrust
her tongue in and out of his ass. If she touched his cock, he’d explode, and she’d
promised him that he could come inside her—not on his own belly. When his
thighs began to tremble, she decided he’d had enough and slid the plug into his
ass. He tensed. Groaned. Shuddered. God, she wanted to ride him.
She crawled up his body and straddled his hips, guiding his rock hard cock
inside. She gritted her teeth and sank down, taking him all at once. He arched his
back and covered his eyes with the palms of his hands.
“Ah, fuck, Myrna. Fuck.”
She slid up his pole.
His back arched more. His entire body trembled. She took him deep again, the
vibrating cock ring stimulating her clit. She shuddered, rising and falling faster.
She raked her nails down his belly. He convulsed. Chanted her name. Writhed in
ecstasy. She’d never seen a guy get off so hard. It excited her beyond anything in
her experience. He began to drive himself up into her, lifting his hips up off the
mattress, as if he was unable to keep them still. He thrust. Thrust. Thrust up into
her like an animal.
Gasps and groans punctuated each thrust as they strained against each other,
both close to letting go. When her body shuddered with release, he grabbed her
hips and held her down as he came, spurting inside her, his body tense, face
contorted with pleasure.
He forgot to breathe.
She couldn’t take her eyes off him.
After a long moment, he inhaled deeply and relaxed into the bed, still
shuddering. She fell forward, collapsing on top of him. His arm wrapped around
her back.
She turned her head so she could look at him.
He panted unevenly to catch his breath, a delirious smile on his face.
“That…” he murmured, “that…”
“Was fantastic.”
“There are no words.”
“Did it live up to your expectations? Coming inside me, I mean.”
He opened his eyes. “You have to ask? I think we created our own supernova
with that explosion.”
She grinned at him. “But you didn’t hear any music that time?”
“I heard an entire symphonic orchestra.” He laughed. “I’m not sure if I can
use it. We’ll have to take it down a notch if I’m going to get any writing done for
the band.”
She lifted her head and pouted down at him. “You don’t really mean that, do
you?”
“Yeah, I do. I don’t think I can stand to come that hard more than once or
twice a day.”
She sighed. “I guess I’ll have to learn to live with it.” She ducked her head to
hide a grin and kissed his shoulder tenderly.
He rolled her onto her back and removed his hardware, tossing the items back
into the drawer. He settled down amongst the pillows and held his arms open.
“Come here, baby,” he whispered, almost asleep. “I want to hold you.”
If she wanted to keep this thing between them solely about sex, she knew she
shouldn’t indulge him, but she relented and moved into his arms. He arranged
the covers around them. Her legs were definitely warm now, but cuddling up
against him warmed more than her body. She sighed and relaxed against his
side, her head resting on his shoulder.
He kissed the top of her head and hummed a guitar riff under his breath just as
he drifted off to sleep.
She supposed she could tolerate being around this guy and his band mates for
three months. Assuming they wanted her along for the ride.
Chapter 15
Brian watched Myrna button her shirt, hiding her sexy, lace bra from his
appreciative gaze. The woman should be required to stay naked and in his bed at
all times. Covering that body was an abomination. His sleep-muddled thoughts
began to clear. Had she really just asked him to call a band meeting?
“Band meeting?” Brian asked.
“Yeah. I have something important to discuss with all of you,” she said. “Do
you think we can get everyone together for a few minutes? It won’t take long. I
promise.”
He sat up and dangled his legs over the edge of the bed. He rubbed his face
vigorously. “What time is it?”
“Seven-ish, I think.”
“Seven-ish? As in seven a.m.?” He lay back down and covered himself with
the comforter. “Come back to bed, Myrna. I haven’t seen seven a.m. in over
three years.”
“Is it too early?”
“Uh, yeah. It’s waaaay too early.”
“Go back to sleep then. What time do you all usually wake up?”
“Ten-ish. Or in Jace’s case, noon-ish.”
“Most of the day will be gone by then.” She fastened her skirt and crossed the
room to sit on the bed beside him. “I thought we were going to spend today
together.”
He grinned at her sleepily. “So why are you out of bed and dressed?”
“I was planning on taking you to breakfast, since I’m starving. I was also
hoping to pick up a toothbrush and maybe a change of clothes. I’m feeling kind
of helpless, trapped here with no provisions.”
“Ah, I’m being an insensitive prick. Gotcha.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“I’m up!” He tossed his covers aside and climbed out of bed. He hunted the
floor for clothing. He found his boxers under the edge of the bed. He slid into
them and stood at the foot of the bed, slapping his face with both palms to wake
himself up.
Myrna’s arms circled his waist from behind. She pressed her cheek against his
back and then sucked a gentle trail of kisses over his skin from one shoulder
blade to the other. He paused. Affectionate in the morning? Good to know.
When her hands flattened over his belly, he stiffened, instantly alert. Her
kisses trailed down his spine and back up. She then rested her cheek against his
back and sighed.
“If you’re trying to get me in the mood,” he said, “it’s working.”
“No, I’m not trying to seduce you. Are you awake now?”
“So that was your intention?”
“I’m sorry to have ulterior motives, Brian, but I’m starving.” Her stomach
rumbled loudly. “All I had for dinner yesterday was a mint on the airplane.”
“I invite you here and don’t even feed you dinner. I wonder if the roadies
stocked the refrigerator with anything but beer.”
He tugged her toward the door and out into the corridor. Quiet snores came
from the curtained bunks on the left side of the bus. Brian punched Trey in the
arm on his way past his bunk. Trey slapped at Brian’s head, but missed, and
immediately fell into snores again.
“I’ve known Trey since fifth grade. It’s required that I fuck with him on a
regular basis.”
She rolled her eyes at him, shaking her head slightly.
He couldn’t take his eyes off her. She had a well-fucked look about her. He
wondered how she’d talked him into leaving bed. Shouldn’t he get the chance to
bask in the accomplishment of putting that look on her face?
He forced his attention from her face and opened the small refrigerator. Some
leftover take-out containers from God-only-knew when. Cans of beer. Bottles of
beer. A half-gallon of no-longer-liquid milk. He closed the refrigerator. “This
isn’t looking good.” He opened a cabinet. An empty box of cereal to go with the
solid milk. Cherry suckers. A sock. He closed the cabinet and glanced at her
over his shoulder. “Wanna go out to eat?”
“If I want to survive the experience, I think that’s probably the best idea.”
He hugged her and kissed her temple. “We’ll borrow Jace’s bike again.”
She grinned. “I wonder if Eric is still wearing your lucky hat.”
“He probably slept in it. Assuming Jace didn’t tell him what was in it. Let’s
find you some warm clothes. As much as I enjoyed warming you up last night,
I’d feel guilty if I made you ride on the back of a bike in a skirt again.”
She followed him back to the bedroom and he offered her a pair of Jace’s
jeans and one of his own band-logo T-shirts. The jeans were loose around her
waist but snug on her hips and clung to her ass in a most beguiling fashion.
She slipped into her high-heeled shoes. “I look ridiculous.”
“You look gorgeous, as always.” He drew her against him and kissed her
passionately.
She went limp in his arms, totally submissive to his eager mouth and seeking
tongue. He eyed the bed, but decided feeding her breakfast was for the best and
drew away. “Let’s go before I toss you back into bed.”
“I wouldn’t protest much,” she murmured huskily.
Her stomach rumbled. Her eyes widened and she covered her belly with one
hand.
“But your stomach would.”
He took her hand and they made their way to the front of the bus. He handed
her Jace’s leather jacket and put on his own before retrieving the spare set of
keys from the glove compartment.
He considered a disguise. “Do you think anyone will recognize me?”
Myrna ran her fingers through his hair, looking him over carefully. “You’re a
mess, Brian. I don’t even recognize you.”
He glanced into the rearview mirror, stretching the skin on his cheek with his
fingers. “Seriously? Did I sleep on my face again?”
She chuckled. “I’m kidding. You are instantly identifiable. Let’s just go
through the first fast food drive-thru we encounter. We can come back here to
eat and avoid your rabid fans altogether.”
“Only if I can use your naked belly as my plate and drip my ketchup into your
belly button.”
She looked at him through half-lowered eyelids. “Let me tell you what I’d
rather you drip into my belly button.”
His thoughts shifted through various fluids he could introduce to her navel.
He covered her mouth with his hand. “Woman, don’t say things like that.”
Taking her by the arm, he tugged her off the bus. She stumbled on her high-heels
and he scooped her up into his arms. She laughed, hugging him around the neck
as he spun around. She looked spectacular in the early morning sunshine—
definitely worth missing three of hours sleep. He deposited her on the back of
Jace’s motorcycle and started the engine. He handed her a helmet and put on the
spare.
Myrna leaned against his back, her arms circling his waist. He covered one of
her hands with his and smiled. As much as this woman turned him on, he truly
treasured her occasional bouts of tenderness. Her free hand slid down his belly
and clutched his belt buckle. His smile broadened. So her bouts of tenderness
were extremely occasional. So what?
He drove the bike out of the parking lot and turned left in front of the expo
center, sticking to the main road.
When they drove past a super store, Myrna shouted, “Stop here!”
He pulled into the parking lot. “Why here?”
“I can get everything I need here. Drop me off at the door.”
“What about breakfast?”
“You can go get breakfast while I pick up a few necessities. It shouldn’t take
me long.”
He pulled to a stop in front of the store’s main entrance. “I’ll come with you.”
“It will be faster if we split up.”
“Are you always in such a rush?” he asked.
“I want to get back to the bus and play with ketchup.”
That convinced him. Myrna held onto his arm as she climbed from the bike.
She lifted her helmet’s visor and then ran her hands over her pockets. “Crap, I
forgot my purse.”
Brian reached for his wallet. “Here.”
He pulled out a chunk of cash and tried handing it to her. She shook her head.
“I can’t take your money.”
“Why not?”
“I just can’t. You already bought me a plane ticket and…”
She got that “I feel like a whore” look on her face that plagued her on
occasion.
“Pay me back later if it will make you feel better, but honestly, Myr, it’s not a
big deal. I’ve got plenty.”
She snatched the bills out of his hand. “I’ll pay you back.” She glanced at the
money in her hand. “There’s over a thousand dollars here! Why do you carry so
much cash?”
He shrugged. “I guess when you survive on a hundred bucks a month for
several years, you make sure it never happens again.”
She started stuffing bills back into his hand. “I don’t need this much.”
“Take it. Buy anything you want. But hurry up about it. I’ll be back with extra
ketchup packets in less than half an hour.”
She shoved the cash into the pocket of Jace’s jeans and lifted the visor on
Brian’s helmet. Their helmets cracked against each other as they sought each
other’s mouths. She laughed, kissed her fingertips and pressed them to his lips.
“I’ll hurry,” she promised.
She dashed into the store like a woman on a mission. Brian watched her until
she was safely inside and then headed for the fast food restaurant down the
street. He ordered a lot of food, not sure who would be awake when they
returned.
“Can I get some extra ketchup?” he asked the young woman at the window,
grateful that the motorcycle visor concealed his face.
“Sure. Like how much?”
“A couple of handfuls.”
She fulfilled his request and handed several bags of food out to him. He
shifted back on the bike seat to store the food in the compartment beneath it.
After returning to the super store, he parked the bike near the entrance and
waited for Myrna to come outside. People eyed him warily as they passed. Brian
cracked his knuckles, amused by the wide berth they took around his threatening
presence. About ten minutes later, Myrna emerged, carrying two large sacks.
“Have you been waiting long?” she asked breathlessly. “I tried to hurry.”
“I just got here.” He’d have waited an eternity.
She climbed onto the bike behind him, settling her purchases between their
bodies.
As they headed back to the bus, he came to loathe the shopping bags keeping
Myrna’s body from pressing against his. Once inside the bus, Myrna sped
toward the bedroom. Brian tossed a bag of food into Trey’s bunk and a second
bag into Jace’s.
“Too early for this bullshit,” Jace grumbled.
Brian thumped him on the head. “I think you mean, thank you for thinking of
my bottomless stomach, Brian.”
By the time he made it to the back bedroom, Myrna was devouring a sausage
and biscuit.
“I couldn’t wait any longer,” she explained, her mouth full as she talked.
“And what’s with all the ketchup?’ She pointed at the open sack sitting on the
long dresser.
He grinned at her crookedly. “I can’t eat hash browns without ketchup. Before
I get naked, do you want a beer?”
She pointed at her sacks of purchases. “I bought some juice.”
Brian would have liked to have a beer, but she didn’t drink and it was still
pretty early for that indulgence. “Great.”
He searched through her purchases and found several bottles of juice and a
huge bottle of chocolate syrup.
He held the chocolate syrup out to her, his head cocked to one side. “I don’t
think that milk in the fridge is drinkable.”
She was adorable when she blushed. “I wasn’t planning on using it to make
chocolate milk.”
He grinned. “Ketchup isn’t good enough for you?”
She lowered her eyes. He wondered about her sudden shyness. “I prefer
chocolate.”
“I think you’ll like ketchup, too.”
He handed her a bottle of juice and searched the take-out bag for a breakfast
sandwich. “Why are you still dressed?” he asked. “I thought you were going to
be my plate.”
She held up one finger, stuffing the last bite of her sausage and biscuit into
her mouth, and then opened her juice to take a long drink.
She fished the money he’d given her out of her pocket and handed it to him.
“I owe you a hundred and twenty bucks,” she said. He tossed the money onto the
dresser.
“Myr, you really don’t have to pay me back.”
“Why not? You don’t think I can afford to?”
He’d never seen her angry before. He liked the way her eyes narrowed and
her nostrils flared.
“I don’t know,” he teased. “You’re a teacher. You don’t make much money,
do you?”
Her mouth fell open in disbelief. “I can’t believe you just said that.”
“Are you going to hit me?” he asked hopefully.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you, naughty boy.”
His eyes dropped to her waist. “Will you use your belt?”
“I thought Jace was the one with the masochism fetish.”
He glanced up at her, surprised. “How do you know that?”
“Groupies talk.”
“Do they? And what do they say about me?”
She chuckled. “That you’re a boring, one-woman man.”
He winced.
“I only agree with that second part,” she added.
“So I’m not boring?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve always been the skeptical type and I can be hard to
convince without lots of evidence.”
He raised an eyebrow at her. “I see. So I need to prove I’m exciting.”
“I think that would be for the best.”
He looked down at the sandwich in his hand. “Can I eat first?”
“Please do.” She took another long drink of her juice and set it down on the
dresser.
She removed her shoes and belt. Jace’s jeans slid down low on her hips. She
unbuttoned the fly and let them fall to the floor. She tugged off Brian’s borrowed
T-shirt. He should wear that one on stage tonight to keep her close.
“Do I need to be completely naked to be your plate?” she asked.
He realized he was holding his sandwich in front of his open mouth, but
hadn’t taken a bite.
“Yeah. I’ve never seen a plate in underwear before.”
She unfastened her bra and tossed it aside. She pushed her breasts up with her
hands. “You know these things used to be perkier.” She looked down at the twin
globes of flesh spilling from her palms.
He didn’t understand why, but by not trying to act seductive, she was actually
turning him on more. “They’re perfect.”
Her panties joined her jeans on the floor. She glanced over her shoulder,
straining her neck to try to see her butt. “I think my ass used to be perkier, too.”
Brian bit into his sandwich, chewing slowly.
“Gravity is a woman’s worst enemy.” She looked up at him uncertainly.
He swallowed. “You’re beautiful, Myrna.”
“Does it bother you that I’m older than you are?”
“Yeah, like, what, six months older?”
“I’m thirty-five.”
He hadn’t expected her to be seven years older than him, but frankly, he
didn’t care how old she was. She was the sexiest woman he’d ever met. “You’re
in your sexual prime, Myrna. And trust me, that doesn’t bother me at all.”
“You could have any hot young woman you want—”
“Where’s this coming from?”
“Oh my God! Oh my God! It’s Master Sinclair!” Myrna squealed and
trembled from head to foot with excitement. “Oh my God! Will you sign my
tits? Please. Please. You’re soooo hot!”
He tossed his sandwich aside, grabbed a handful of ketchup packets from the
take-out bag, and tackled her to the bed. He straddled her hips to hold her down.
“Certainly, I’ll sign your tits, miss. Anything for a fan.” He opened a ketchup
packet with his teeth. She laughed uncontrollably, squirming beneath him. “Hold
still.”
She stopped squirming and looked up at him, her hazel eyes wide. He began
to write across her chest in ketchup.
“P-R,” he spelled aloud. “O-P.” He tossed the empty packet on the floor and
reached for another.
“Prop?”
“I’m not finished.”
“That tickles.” She giggled.
“E-R-T-Y.”
“What are you writing?”
He opened another packet and wrote in the middle of her belly. “O-F.” He
moved to her lower belly. “B-R.”
“Property of brrrrrrr?”
“Yeah, property of brrrrr. Exactly.” He opened another packet of ketchup and
finished his name on her belly. “Perfect. Property of Brian. I just need to dot this
i.”
He dabbed a dot of ketchup in the center of her nipple. “Damn, I missed.”
He lowered his head and licked the misplaced ketchup off. She laughed, her
fingers stealing into his hair.
“Let me try that again.” He dripped ketchup on her other nipple. “Damn my
terrible aim.”
He sucked the tangy ketchup from her nipple, loving the way the rosy peak
hardened against his tongue. He stroked the bud vigorously with the center of his
tongue until she shuddered and made that maddeningly sexy sound in the back
of her throat. His cock hardened instantly.
He was done for. Again.
He lifted his head and dribbled ketchup on her lower lip. Her tongue darted
out between her lips.
“Hold it. It’s my mess. Only fair that I clean it up.” He leaned over her and
kissed her deeply.
Her lips tasted spicy, like sausage. Which reminded him. He hadn’t finished
his breakfast. He broke away from her hungry kiss and looked down at her. “Do
you want some hash browns?”
She chuckled. “You know what I want, Brian.”
“Hash browns.” He climbed from the bed and retrieved the bag of food from
the surface of the dresser.
“I think maybe you are boring,” she teased, watching him from the bed.
He glanced at her, liking the way “Property of Brian” looked written across
her body. He wondered if he could talk her into getting a tattoo to make his
claim permanent. Climbing back onto the bed with her, he covered the ketchup
with chains of small potato rounds. When he had them spread to his satisfaction,
he lowered his head and licked one off her body.
“Yeah, hash browns are definitely boring,” he said.
She grinned at him. “I think I like being your plate.”
He chewed and swallowed his ketchup-coated hash brown. “You don’t mind
the mess?”
“I assume you’re going to clean up after yourself.”
“You have a lot of faith in my self-control.”
She traced the angle of his jaw with her finger. “I do. I bet you can resist
making love to me for at least ten minutes.”
He licked another hash brown off her chest. “You have a lot more faith in me
than I do.” He plucked a hash brown from her chest and popped it in her mouth
before slurping several more into his mouth. Ten minutes? He wished he was
buried inside her right now. He fed her several hash browns in quick succession
and made a pig of himself by eating as fast as he could. Eagerness had gotten the
better of him.
She giggled as he licked the food off her belly. “I guess you are hungry.”
“Starving!”
After they finished the hash browns, Brian lapped the remaining ketchup from
her silky skin with broad strokes of his tongue. She shuddered beneath him and
tugged at his hair.
“You’re driving me crazy,” she gasped, her head tossed back, her back
arched.
Encouraged, his tongue moved to her breast, up her shoulder, along her neck
to her ear.
He traced the outer edge of her ear with his tongue. She groaned, her fingers
tangling in his hair. He settled his body on top of hers, cursing the inventor of
clothes, and suckled her earlobe, nibbled it, sucked it again. Her thighs spread
for him and he sank between her long, shapely legs. His mouth moved to the
pulse point under her ear near her delicate jaw. She shuddered. He brushed his
hands along her arms and shoulders, delighting in the feel of her soft breasts
pressed against his chest and the heat of her sex permeating the fabric of his
jeans.
He kissed his way along her jaw to her chin and finally her mouth. She sucked
at his lips, her tongue eager against them. His cock throbbed. He leaned his hips
away from hers slightly and unfastened his pants. The Beast, as she called it,
sprang free, craving her moist heat. He knew he should take his time with her,
work her into a frenzy, make her beg him to possess her, but he could only
concentrate on the memory of how it felt to be buried inside her without a
rubber.
He took his cock in his hand and probed the hot, moist entrance to heaven.
She relaxed beneath him with a sigh. He looked into her eyes as he entered her—
languidly filling her with one achingly slow thrust. Her back arched with
pleasure, but she didn’t look away. They stared at each other, relishing the
connection between them. He slid in and out of her slowly, not wanting to find
release, just wanting to experience her. To become a physical part of her. To feel
her. To know her.
“Myrna,” he whispered.
“Brian.”
Yeah, Brian. Not Master Sinclair. Brian.
He had everything he wanted. He needed. Right here. This woman. He knew
she wouldn’t appreciate his sentimental thoughts. She didn’t want to hear that he
loved her, no matter how clearly he felt it. So he just stared into her eyes while
their bodies came together, apart, together, and swallowed his words where they
settled as a lump in his throat.
Chapter 16
Myrna rolled over, her arm landing on Brian’s flat stomach. Sheets of paper
crinkled beneath her. She smiled. He’d had a very productive day of song
writing and she’d be bow-legged for life. His arm moved to wrap around her
back, drawing her closer to his side.
“At this rate, I’ll have the entire new album written by next week.” He
paused. “Except you’re leaving in two days.”
He didn’t sound very happy about the idea. He frowned. She smiled. She
hoped the band accepted her as their tag-along. She really did want to spend
more time with Brian. He rocked her world in more than one way.
“Do you think the guys are up yet?” she asked.
He tilted his head back to look at a digital clock on the side table. “It’s two
already?” He sat up. “Yeah, I’d say they’re up.”
From the bed, he collected the sheets of music he’d composed, peeling one off
Myrna’s sticky back when she rolled over for him. She needed a shower. And
about a liter of water. She’d gotten quite a workout in the past five hours.
Treadmills had nothing on this man.
“I can’t wait to show this to Trey.” Brian held up one of the scores. The one
he’d written while fucking her hard on the floor. “He’s going to flip.”
“I can’t wait to hear it. It sounded fantastic when you were screaming it at
me.”
He beamed like a kid at Christmas. “Yeah, it’s good, I think.”
Myrna crawled from the bed, unsteady on her feet. “I still need to talk to the
band. Should I wait until after you’ve gone through all your new music with
them?”
“What do you want to talk to them about?”
“You’re included in this,” she said.
“In what?”
“I want the entire band to make the decision. So when we’re talking this over,
I don’t want you to think of me as your lover.”
“Yeah, that’s possible.” He laughed. “Not!”
He set the sheets of music on the dresser near the door and wandered around
the bed. He drew her naked body against his, hand sliding over the curve of her
ass. “So tell me what this is about.”
She kissed his jaw. “I have to talk to all of you at once,” she insisted.
He pouted. “I’m not special?”
“In this case, no.”
He sighed. “All right, I’ll call this band meeting for you.” He found his
discarded pants and slid into them, fastening them around his slim hips. “Get
dressed. I’ll be back.”
He picked up his sheets of music and left the room shirtless and barefoot.
Myrna found the bags of items she’d purchased that morning and dressed in
her new clothes. Cheap, but functional. Better than a suit. But a suit would have
made her seem more professional when she asked the band for this favor. She
searched the floor for her discarded suit and held it up, deciding if she should
change into it. It was a wrinkly mess. The door opened. Brian peeked in.
“I’ve got the guys all together. You ready to talk to us?”
She smiled, tossing her suit on the bed. She slipped on the sandals she’d
bought and searched for her purse to retrieve her grant acceptance letter. “Have
you seen my purse?”
“I think it’s by the door.”
“Right. Thanks.”
She walked past him, dropping a soft kiss at the corner of his mouth. He
closed the bedroom door and followed her. Locating her purse on a counter, she
pulled the letter from inside. “Where are they?”
Brian stared at her bare throat above the flowing, green tank she wore. “You
look hot.” A glazed look came to his eyes.
“Earth to Brian,” she said. “Your band members. Where are they?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly. “On the other bus.”
Guitar music and boisterous conversation came from the open door of the
second bus. Myrna climbed the stairs, nervous for some strange reason, and
entered the vehicle. A large group of men stood, sat, or perched in a circle
around the main room. She saw all the band members and several familiar faces
from the show in Chicago. Roadies. Trey had an acoustic guitar in his hands and
was strumming notes written across a piece of paper splattered with chocolate
syrup.
Trey stilled his guitar strings. Heads turned and all eyes fell on Myrna. She
flushed. “Hello.”
“Myrna!” Eric said, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. He was still
wearing Brian’s hat. She bit her lip so she didn’t laugh.
Her eyes moved to Sed’s face. He sat in a captain’s chair watching her. He
was undeniably the leader of this band. His presence radiated from his body like
a monarch’s. If he said no, she was certain the rest of the band would take his
side. Sed was the one she’d have to convince.
“You smell like Brian,” Eric said in her ear.
Her face hot, she pushed him away. Eric squeezed around her and sat beside
Jace on the beige leather sofa.
“So what’s this about?” Trey asked, setting his guitar on the floor at his feet.
He sat next to Jace on the sofa across from Sed. All the roadies watched her
curiously. Brian wrapped an arm around her waist and she leaned against him for
support.
She grasped the letter tighter. Why was she so nervous? She didn’t want Sed
to tell her no, that’s why. She wanted a reason to… She glanced at Brian. He
smiled gently, offering encouragement. Maybe it was better if they told her to
get lost. She’d have a much easier time not falling for their lead guitarist.
She focused on Sed. “I have a favor to ask of you.”
“Anything, Myrna.” He seemed sincere.
“I need a million dollars to pay the ransom on my kidnapped poodle,” she
said.
Sed’s jaw dropped.
She laughed. “Kidding.”
Brian burst out laughing. “Oh my God, did you see the look on his face?”
“Fuck you, Sinclair,” Sed said.
“Sorry, Sed, I couldn’t resist,” Myrna said. “You looked so serious sitting
there.”
“I respect you, Myrna,” he said, “or I did.”
Every male occupant on the bus stared at Sed with his mouth hanging open.
Myrna wasn’t sure why his statement shocked them so much, but she pressed on.
“In truth, it’s for work. My research.”
“Which part of me would you like to study?” Sed asked, grinning.
She flushed once again, flustered. The man was all alpha male. She didn’t
think a woman existed who wouldn’t react to him.
“Your groupies.”
“I didn’t know you swung that way, Myr,” Eric said. “Can I watch?”
“You want to study my groupies?” Sed asked.
“Well, not just yours.” She glanced at each member of the band in turn.
“Trey’s, Jace’s, Eric’s.” She looked up at Brian. “Brian’s.”
“I don’t get it,” Jace said.
“That’s because you don’t have any groupies,” Eric said, punching him hard
in the arm. Jace shoved him. Eric climbed to his feet, his hands balled into fists.
Myrna flinched.
“Knock it off, Eric,” Sed demanded.
Eric hesitated, glanced at Sed, and then plopped down on the sofa, his jaw
flexing as he clenched his teeth together.
“Myr, what are you asking for?” Brian asked. “Specifically. I mean why do
you need our permission to study our groupies? It’s not like they’re our
property.”
They were, in a way, but that’s one of the things she planned to study.
“Well… I was hoping I could go on tour with you for the summer.” She forced
her eyes from Brian to Sed. “I know I’ll be a burden, but I’ll try to stay out of
your way. The grant includes a stipend for the band for allowing me to travel
with you and to cover my expenses—ten thousand dollars. You can have the
entire sum.”
Sed laughed, his head thrown back, the deep sound rumbling through his
broad chest. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
Her hopes plummeted. She bit her lip and lowered her gaze. Why did her
heart feel like a big lump of ice in her chest? It wasn’t that big of a deal. She
could find another band. A less famous one that could use the money. She turned
to leave and ran into Brian’s chest.
He wrapped his arms around her and squeezed. “I say she comes with us.”
Sed’s laughter trailed off. “Well, of course she’s coming with us. She’s your
fucking muse, Brian. I just can’t believe this amazing stroke of luck. She’s
offering to pay us to help you write songs.”
She turned her head to look at Sed. “No, you’ve got it all wrong. I’m not
doing this to stay with Brian. This is for work.”
Sed grinned. “Like the reason matters. Yeah, I say you’re welcome to tour
with us. What do the rest of you say?”
Trey blew a huff of air through his lips. “Have you seen these licks Brian’s
been writing?” He swept a hand toward the stack of music on the table. “I was
prepared to kidnap her and her little dog. Yeah, she stays. Of course she stays.”
“No objection,” Jace said.
“I have one condition,” Eric said. He lifted a finger into the air.
“Whatever you’re going to ask, the answer is no,” Brian said.
“Damn.” He scowled. “But—”
“No.”
“Fine, since you insist, she’ll sleep in my bunk with me. The sacrifices I make
for this band.”
Myrna shook her head at Eric in disbelief.
Brian took her chin between his finger and thumb and lifted her face to look at
him. He searched her eyes and then lowered his head to kiss her. The grant letter
tumbled from her fingers as she clung to the skin of his bare chest. Three months
with Brian? Yeah, she might be able to handle that.
Chapter 17
“It’s just a few more days, Brian,” she said into her cell phone as she walked to
her car after work. “I have a bunch of things to take care of here first. I do have a
life, you know.”
“It’s just… I’m going crazy with missing you.”
She smiled. “I miss you, too. Thanks for the flowers, by the way.”
“Flowers?”
“Don’t play coy. They were signed, See You Soon, so it had to be you. And
how did you know gladiolas were my favorite flower?”
“I should have sent you flowers, but I can’t take credit. Who would send you
flowers?”
“They weren’t from you?” She bit her lip. Who would send her flowers? Her
parents maybe? Or one of her sisters?
“No, they weren’t from me. Is some bozo hitting on you?” He sounded more
upset than he should be.
“Nah. Probably from my parents. So, where will you be on Saturday? I should
be able to get out of town by then.” She unlocked her car and slid her laptop case
across the front seat.
“Saturday? That’s five days away!”
“Friday night? I might be able to swing that, but it doesn’t look good. I need
to pack. Get all my obligations in order. The work week doesn’t end until Friday
and final grades are due tomorrow. I’ll be up all night grading.” She smiled to
herself, knowing the reason for her being behind in her grading was on the other
end of the line. Every minute spent with that reason was worth missing out on a
night of sleep. “Be patient just a little longer. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
“I just miss you.”
“Brian, we’ve only been apart for one night.”
“I know. I know.” He sighed. “Let me check the schedule.”
She climbed into the Thunderbird and waited for Brian to speak.
“Friday. Um… We’ll be in Nebraska. Looks like Lincoln.”
“That’s about four hours from here.”
“That’s not far,” he said, an excited edge to his voice.
“What time is your show?”
“We go on at ten. We have three bands opening for us. The actual show starts
at six-thirty.”
“I’ll probably miss it, but I’ll try to get there. I will see you afterwards. I
promise.”
“Or we can skip the show, meet in Vegas and get married.”
“No, we cannot.”
“Are you sure there isn’t some guy making his move on you?”
“Good-bye, Brian.”
He sighed. “I’ll call you later.”
She flipped her phone closed and tossed it into her purse. She backed the car
out of her parking space and headed for her apartment on the north side of the
city.
Brian was already getting too close. Too clingy. She didn’t do clingy. It made
her nervous. And jealous? Jealous led to protective. And protective drove her
nuts. She liked him, probably more than she should, but she wasn’t prepared to
make a long-term commitment. And he kept bringing up this marriage thing. She
knew he was joking, but still…
Marriage? Myrna shuddered.
Chapter 18
Myrna parked her car behind the Lied Center in Lincoln, Nebraska. The
throbbing sounds of the concert rattled her dashboard. The drive had been long
and uneventful, but she was tired. Driving four hours after a full day at work and
an insane amount of packing wasn’t advisable. She climbed from the car and
headed for the end of the barrier fence. She’d just wait for the band on the bus
and send a roadie after her luggage.
A security guard in a bright yellow shirt stopped her from entering the area in
front of the waiting buses.
“I’m with the band,” Myrna told the guard. He had a six-pack stomach. The
kind produced by consuming a six-pack of beer every night.
“I’ve heard that before,” he said. “You can’t go past the barrier.”
“So I’m just supposed to wait here until the band comes out and validates my
story.”
“That’s the only way you’re getting past me.”
She sighed loudly, too tired to be patient. “Are there any roadies around?
They know me.”
“Promising roadies favors won’t get them to lie for you.”
“Ugh! I could strangle you. When does the show end?”
He checked his watch. “Forty minutes or so.”
She might as well sit in her car. “When Brian or any of the other guys blow
through here, tell him Myrna Evans is waiting in her car. And she’s not very
happy about it after driving for four hours.”
“You’re Myrna?”
“Yeah.”
“ID?”
She shuffled through her purse until she found her driver’s license. She
handed it to him. He inspected it carefully as if she were some fifteen-year-old
trying to sneak into a nightclub.
“All right,” he said finally, handing her license back to her. “That guitarist
guy kept coming out here asking if anyone had seen you before their show
started.”
She smiled. Eager to see her, was he? The guard shoved the metal fence piece
slightly so she could squeeze between two of the barriers. “Thanks for keeping
my guys safe.” She patted him on the cheek and walked the inside of the barrier
toward the building. Several fans milled near the back door, waiting for the band
to come outside. Maybe now would be a good time to do a preliminary survey
for her research.
Nothing formal. She didn’t have her survey questions set yet, but she could do
a few informal interviews to get a better idea of how to ask questions. The
hardest part about studying psychology was getting the questions worded
properly to avoid leading the subject or introducing her personal bias.
She approached a young scantily clad woman.
“Hello,” Myrna said to the woman. “Can I talk to you for a few minutes?”
“How did you get on that side?” she asked.
“I’m with the band.”
She glanced at the security guard and whispered to Myrna, “Can you get me
backstage?”
“No. Sorry. Why do you want backstage?”
“So I can meet Trey Mills. Why else?”
“He’s a great guy. Incredibly talented,” Myrna said. “What do you know
about him?”
“Uh, everything. His birthday is June 9th. He has seventeen tats and twelve
piercings. His real name is Terrance, which he hates, so he goes by Trey. His
middle name is Charles. Trey was born and raised in Los Angeles. His best
friend is Brian “Master” Sinclair, who he met when he was eleven and they
started a band called Crysys in 8th grade. He had a dog named Sparky when he
was a kid. It got hit by a car. You know their song, “Good-bye Is Not Forever?”
Trey wrote that about his dog. He—”
“Okay, you do seem to know everything about him. Why do you want to meet
him?”
“Duh. He’s Trey Mills.”
“Yes, I know who he is. Why do you want to meet him?”
“I love him. I want him. I need him.” She clutched her hands in front of her
chest and rolled her eyes for emphasis.
“And what do you hope comes from this meeting?”
She laughed. “A baby. Are you a reporter or something?”
“No, I’m just curious. So you want to have sex with Trey Mills?”
“Yeah, of course. Don’t you?”
Myrna laughed uneasily. “I have other interests. Have you had these feelings
for any other men? Study their lives in detail, think you know them, profess to
love them, and try to have intercourse with them?”
She shrugged. “Just other band members.”
“Let’s say that Trey isn’t interested in you, but Jace Seymour invites you to
the tour bus for sex, do you go?”
Her brow furrowed. “Yeah, I’d do Jace. He’s hot. He might introduce me to
Trey. A win-win situation. You know what would really be awesome? A
threesome with Trey and Master Sin—”
Myrna lifted her hand to silence her. “So how do you act toward regular men?
Ones who aren’t famous.”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you regularly engage in promiscuous sex?”
The girl stared at her for a long moment. “Are you asking if I’m easy?”
“Are you?”
“Yeah, I guess.” She shrugged. “Is there something wrong with that?”
“As long as you’re okay with it, it’s fine. Have you ever had sex with a man
you’ve just met?”
She looked puzzled, as if thinking hurt her brain. “On a first date, you mean?”
“No, I mean, some hot guy comes out of that door, walks up to you and says,
‘Let’s have sex.’ Do you go?”
She scowled. “No, that’s sick.”
“Let’s say Trey Mills comes out of that door, walks up to you and says, ‘Let’s
have sex.’ Do you go?”
“Yeah. I already said I would.”
“What’s the difference between the first guy and Trey?”
She paused and then shrugged. “I know Trey.”
“You know facts about Trey’s life, but you don’t know him. You’ve never
met him, have you?”
“I do know him,” she spat. “I love Trey. And as soon as he meets me, he’ll
love me back. Understand?”
“Yeah, I think I’m starting to understand, actually. I really appreciate your
talking to me.”
“So can you introduce me to him?”
“I’ll put in a good word for you.”
She smiled. “That would be awesome!” She pulled a tube of lip gloss from
her tiny purse and applied several coats.
Myrna talked to several other young women while she waited for Brian to
finish his show. A trend emerged among them. They all had similar attitudes.
She even found a girl in love with Brian. Talking to her was weird.
“How long have you been in love with Brian?”
“He prefers Master Sinclair, actually.” The girl rolled eyes surrounded with
far too much blue eyeliner.
Myrna knew for a fact that he didn’t, actually, but let Fan Girl think what she
would.
“Um,” the girl continued. “I saw him live a couple of years ago, before the
band got really famous. Have you seen him on stage?”
“Yeah.”
“Isn’t he sexy?”
“Yeah. He’s definitely sexy.”
“And when he fingers his guitar, like…” She wriggled her fingers in rapid
succession. “It’s like, oh my God, I want him, you know?”
“Yeah. I totally get that. How do you know you’re in love with him?”
“I think about him constantly. I have every picture of him ever taken taped to
my wall. I watch his videos in slow motion.”
Creeped out, Myrna didn’t bother suppressing a shudder. “Isn’t that
obsession, not love?”
“No, it’s definitely love. I’d do anything for him.”
She couldn’t stomach talking about Brian with obsessed fans any longer.
“Thanks for talking to me.”
“Can you hook me up with Brian?”
Fuck no. She smiled at the girl. “I don’t think he’s interested, honey.”
Maybe she should stick with studying the rest of the band’s groupies, but
avoid Brian’s.
The back door swung open. Brian emerged, steam rising from his skin as the
cool evening air hit his sweat-drenched body. He raced toward her and wrapped
her in his arms, seeking her mouth for a welcoming kiss. Camera flashes went
off. Something slammed into the back of Myrna’s head. Hard.
She jerked away from Brian, rubbing her scalp. “Ow.”
Brian looked down at her. “What’s wrong?”
“Something hit me,” she said, her eyes watery with tears. “It really hurt.”
He retrieved a black ankle boot from the ground. “Who threw this?” he
demanded, scanning the congregated fans.
Only one girl stood beyond the barrier with a matching boot on one foot and
nothing on the other. Brian approached the girl and shook the boot in her face.
She flinched. It was the same girl who had claimed to be in love with Brian
minutes before. “Did you hit my girlfriend with this?”
“Your girlfriend!” she wailed.
“Your girlfriend?” Myrna murmured.
Myrna rubbed the lump on her head, stunned more by his words than being
clobbered in the back of the head.
“I’m sorry, Master Sinclair,” the fan girl said. “I love you. I love you.”
“And you think hitting someone I care about in the back of the head will get
positive attention from me?”
“I didn’t mean to,” the girl cried, tears pouring down her cheeks. “I’m sorry.
Please don’t be mad at me.”
He shoved the boot into the young woman’s chest. “Get out of here!”
He looked at the back of Myrna’s head, fingering the lump there. She sucked
a pained breath through her teeth.
“Are you okay, baby? I think this is bleeding.” He looked down at his
fingertips for signs of blood.
The rest of the band exited the building then. Sed paused in front of Myrna,
who looked up at him, still grimacing in pain.
“What happened?” he asked.
“Some bitch hit her in the back of the head with a boot.” Brian touched the
lump on the back of her head again. She wished he would stop already.
“What is this?” Brian asked, fingering the back of her head again. “A scar?
What—”
She twisted away from him. “It’s nothing.”
“Come on, let’s get out of here,” Sed said. They ignored the group of fans
who were growing in number by the minute and went directly to the bus. Sed
told the girls following him to wait outside.
Brian directed Myrna to a seat at the dining table and treated her scrape with
peroxide from a first aid kit. The entire band was looking at her like she’d been
in a horrible accident and was expected to die at any moment.
“I’m okay,” she insisted.
“You’ve got to be more careful, Brian,” Sed said. “You know what some of
these fans are like.”
“I wasn’t thinking.” Brian tossed a wad of wet gauze on the table and kissed
Myrna on the back of the head. “I was just happy to see her.”
Sed grinned. “Yeah, I get it. But be happy to see her in private. Okay? We
don’t want her to get any death threats.”
“I don’t know how you guys deal with some of this stuff,” Myrna said.
“What stuff?” Brian asked.
“The fans. They honestly believe they know you. That chick who hit me knew
more about you than I do. They say they’re in love with you and they mean it.
It’s pretty twisted. They’ve never even met you.”
“It gets us lots of pussy.” Sed grinned.
Myrna chuckled. “I guess so.”
“Are you going to party with us, Myr?” Eric asked.
“Not tonight, Eric. I’ve had a long day. I think I just need to go to bed.”
“I agree,” Brian said.
“We’ll just leave you two lovebirds alone.” Trey grabbed Eric by the arm and
pulled him out of the bus.
“Take good care of her, Brian,” Sed said. Jace nodded. They followed Trey
and Eric out. The fans cheered their return.
“I’m really sorry about this, Myrna.”
“It’s not your fault.”
“I shouldn’t have kissed you.”
“It was worth it. What I really wanted to do was tell that girl you were mine
and she better turn her obsessive attention elsewhere.”
He smiled broadly. “You did?”
“Yeah. Will you do me a favor?”
“Anything?”
“Go wash off your eyeliner. I want to be with Brian right now. Not Master
Sinclair.”
“Can Master Sinclair have a kiss first?”
“I’m not sure. I think my boyfriend might get jealous.”
He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. She clung to his shoulders as he
plundered her mouth. When he pulled away to gaze down at her, her heart
throbbed with excitement. “You’re right, Brian is a little jealous,” he said. “But
he’s stoked that you called him your boyfriend.”
She shrugged. “Boyfriend I can handle. It’s that m-word I can’t tolerate.”
“Magical?”
“No, magical is fine. It’s that other m-word.”
“All right,” he said. “Brian promises not to ask for a massage after a show any
more, even though he really, really enjoys it and was hoping you’d indulge him
in a few minutes.”
“You know what I’m talking about. Why do you keep asking me to marry
you? It really bothers me that you joke about it.”
“Who’s joking?”
Her heart skipped a beat. “I hope you are.”
Brian lowered his gaze. “It figures the first woman I ask to marry me thinks
I’m joking.”
Her breath caught. “The first?”
“Yeah, the first. Only.”
He moved away from the table and went into the bathroom. Water splashed
into the sink. Myrna took a deep breath and climbed to her feet. She had
assumed he was the type to ask every girl he liked to marry him. Was she
honestly the first? She still didn’t want to get married—not ever—but she knew
she should be more sensitive to his feelings. He couldn’t understand why she
kept turning him down. She should probably explain it to him. She fingered the
lump on the back of her head and then the long, thick scar beside it.
She followed Brian and stood in the bathroom door, watching him scrub off
his stage makeup.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“What do you have to be sorry about?”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you. I thought… I didn’t realize you treated me
specially.”
He looked at her. “Why wouldn’t I? You are special.”
She snorted. “Brian, you could have any woman you want. There’s nothing
special about me at all.”
He shook his head in disagreement. “You sell yourself short, Myr. You’re
wonderful. And I don’t want just any woman. I want you, but I guess you’re
totally against the idea of marrying me.”
“Brian, I’m not against marrying you. I’m against marrying anyone. Besides,
we barely know each other, how could you even contemplate such a crazy idea?”
“Sometimes you just know.”
“Know what?”
“You know when it’s real. This. You and me. This is real. I’ve never had
anything that felt so real.”
“And to me it’s not real at all. It’s like a fantasy.”
He looked down at the sink. “Okay, that hurt.”
“I’m sorry.”
He looked up at her and smiled sadly. “Don’t apologize for your feelings,
Myrna.” He approached her in the doorway and touched her cheek. “I think I
know what it is. Tell me about your ex-husband.”
She flinched and turned away from him. He moved behind her and circled her
waist with his arms, drawing her up against his body. She didn’t realize she was
trembling until his steady strength settled behind her.
“I don’t like to talk about it.” Her trembling increased as flashes of memories
assailed her.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured. “You’re safe.”
Safe.
Brian did make her feel safe. And for that, she’d tell him a little so he would
understand there wasn’t anything wrong with him. It was her. “Jeremy was a
good man when I married him. He just drank sometimes, and when he was
drunk, he became a different person. At first, he got belligerent every couple of
months. And then, every couple of weeks. At the end, he was drunk every night.
He’d accuse me of things, things I’d never done, never even considered doing.
He thought I was having affairs. He was paranoid. Cruel. When I denied it, he’d
—” A broken sob cut off her words.
She dashed away her tears. Why was she crying? She hadn’t cried over
Jeremy in years. She’d left him in her past. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. But
even she recognized that as a lie. He hurt her every day.
Brian turned her around and held her against his chest.
She wrapped her arms around him, drawing on his strength. “He’d threaten
me until I admitted doing whatever he accused me of. Fucking some guy.
Touching or flirting with or even looking at some guy with too much interest.”
Myrna looked up at Brian and his face blurred behind her tears. “You have to
believe me, Brian. I never. I would never. I didn’t cheat. Not once. I never even
considered it.” Her fingers curled into his shirt.
Brian’s arms tightened around her. “I believe you.” He rubbed his lips against
the side of her head. “Did he hit you?”
She shook her head. “No, not while we were married. Strange as it sounds, I
sometimes wish he had. It would have made it easier to leave. He mostly yelled.
Made me doubt myself. Sometimes I can still hear his voice, screaming at me,
calling me a whore. If our problems had stayed between us, I might have been
able to deal with it, but Jeremy confronted several of my male coworkers and
accused them of seducing me. He even got several of their wives involved. I had
to leave my first faculty position because of it.”
“Why did you stay with him?”
“I was stupid; I kept forgiving him. He’d say, ‘I love you, Myrna. I love you. I
love you. That’s all that matters. I love you.’ I believed it for so long. I don’t
know how many second chances he earned by bastardizing those three words.
Hundreds. I can’t even stand to hear them now. Those words repulse me.
Remind me of my weakness. My stupidity. I think the worst part was, as a
psychologist, I knew what he was doing to me—I knew—and hated myself for
taking him back over and over again, but I couldn’t break the cycle. I wanted it
to work. But…”
Having already said too much, she bit her lip and fell silent.
His hand brushed over her hair and he kissed her temple. “But you left him,
right? So you’re not weak. You broke away.”
“Yeah, I finally left him, but it didn’t matter. If anything, it got worse. He
stalked me. I thought he was going to kill me. I got a restraining order. He
ignored it. They’d arrest him and he’d be out of jail almost immediately. He was
a well-respected man in the community. Wealthy. Old money. Highly educated.
Charming. Most people had no idea what he was really like. And those who did
were too afraid of his family’s affluence to do anything. After I left him, he
followed me everywhere for months; his footsteps always echoed mine. I’d often
find him standing outside my house. Watching. Leaving little love notes in
places he knew I’d find them.” She shuddered. “But because he never hurt me
physically, they wouldn’t do anything. Verbal and emotional harassment don’t
carry the same weight as physical abuse. I understand why, but it didn’t make it
easier to live through it.”
Brian stroked her back and her preferred numbness returned. Why was she
telling Brian all these things? She’d never told anyone the full extent of her
terror.
“The divorce,” she whispered. “The divorce was horrible. He refused to sign
the divorce papers, so we had to go to court and I relived the entire ordeal in
front of a judge. The accusations. The things he said to me. How he humiliated
me in front of people I wanted to respect me. Thank God the judge believed me
and pushed the divorce through, even though Jeremy contested it. The day I was
legally free of him, the day our marriage officially ended, was the best day of my
life. I never want to be trapped like that again—by the word love or the
institution of marriage.”
“So after the divorce he finally left you alone?”
She shook her head. “He refused to accept it. He kept stalking me. Continued
to refer to me as his wife. When I started dating again, he snapped. In his mind, I
was cheating on him. I’m sure Jeremy slashed my date’s tires while we were
having dinner. Then one night he broke into my apartment and waited for me to
come home. I don’t remember much of it, just waking up in the hospital two
days later.” She took his hand in hers and lifted it to the uneven ridge on the
back of her head. “This scar. He gave it to me. Hit me with the fireplace poker,
knocked me out cold, beat me within an inch of my life, and then the idiot called
an ambulance.”
“Jesus Christ.” Brian pressed his lips to her temple.
“He confessed to the whole thing and went to jail. I changed my last name,
moved, and covered my tracks, so he’d never find me again.” That’s why she’d
been so scared when Brian had found her so easily. She reminded herself that
Brian had known to look in Kansas City. Jeremy would not. He couldn’t find
her. He couldn’t. He didn’t even know her name. But the flowers… Jeremy
knew gladiolas were her favorites.
“Thank you for telling me,” he said. “I understand a few things about you that
were bugging me.”
She bugged him? “What kind of things?”
He hesitated. “I… Well, I notice you tend to freeze up for a few seconds when
we try something a little kinky.”
She flushed. “You noticed that, huh?”
“It’s like you, the real you, is this uninhibited, open, sexual being, but
something makes you feel it’s wrong. It’s not wrong, Myrna. It’s wonderful.”
“Somewhere in my head I know that, Brian, but I’m damaged.”
He squeezed her. “No. You’re perfect.” He kissed her temple again. “Perfect.”
Her breath came out in a gasp and she tried to pull away, but he tugged her
closer. “Please don’t make it impossible for me to live up to your expectations,
Brian. This is too much. Too soon. I can’t handle it. I feel… trapped. Don’t…”
Brian tilted her head back and gazed into her eyes. He kissed a stray tear from
her cheek. “I’m not that guy, Myrna. I accept you for who you are.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“I would like to kill that guy, though. Do you have his address?”
She shook her head. “I have no contact with him. I haven’t seen him in four
years.”
He held her quietly for several moments and she reveled in the feel of his
strong arms around her. So safe.
But still scary.
He tugged her back by her shoulders and stared down at her. “So I guess what
you need most from me is emotional space.”
“Yes.”
“And time.”
“And patience,” she added.
He nodded. “I’ll try to give you what you need, but it won’t be easy. I’m
pretty into you, Myrna.”
She smiled, staring into his warm brown eyes. “I’m very much into you,
Brian.”
“I guess you wouldn’t like me to use the l-word then.”
“Not unless it’s lips.” She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him
hungrily.
“Lips is a very good l-word,” he murmured.
“Yeah, so is lust.” She pulled his shirt off over his head and flicked her tongue
over his nipple. “And lick.”
“I’m particularly fond of let’s go.” He took her hand and tugged her toward
the bedroom.
She laughed, following him. “That’s two words.”
“Semantics.”
Chapter 19
Myrna crawled out of bed, slid into the discarded white sundress she found on
the floor, and stumbled toward the bathroom. They’d been driving two days
straight to play a show in Florida. The band would play an hour, and then the
crew would break down the set and be back on the road by midnight to head up
the Eastern seaboard. She honestly didn’t know how these guys maintained their
sanity. All they did was ride on a bus all day and night, constantly moving from
city to city with no time to enjoy the places they traveled.
After using the bathroom, she contemplated returning to bed, but decided
Brian would wake up and then she’d spend several hours with his slim hips
between her thighs. Not that she ever considered that a bad thing, she just had
work to do and found herself entirely too distracted to get anything done.
Myrna shoved a stack of papers to the side of the square dining table, sat in
the she-didn’t-want-to-know-why-it-was-sticky booth and booted up her
computer. Now that she’d designed an appropriate survey, she spent her
evenings interviewing groupies. Her project was moving along beyond her
wildest expectations and she had a huge backlog of data. While she waited for a
shoddy Internet connection, she sorted musical score sheets from pages of beerstained data, pulled a sucker stick off one page, and eyed a mysterious brown
spot apprehensively. The guys were slobs and had no respect for her personal
belongings. She only tolerated the mess because she didn’t feel it was her place
to correct them.
She checked her email and answered half a dozen distraught messages from
her graduate students. Myrna was working on creating a data spreadsheet when
the bus slowed and pulled to a stop. She craned her neck to peek out the heavily
tinted window on the other side of the bus. Another fast food restaurant? Gag!
Jake climbed from the driver’s seat and stretched, his mouth opening in a
wide yawn. He started when he noticed Myrna sitting at the table.
“I didn’t know anyone was awake,” he said. “Do you want some breakfast?”
“Coffee would be fantastic.”
“One coffee coming up. Make that two. I’m about to pass out.”
Jake exited the bus, leaving the door open so fresh air could circulate into the
cabin. Myrna heard the unmistakable screech of her Thunderbird’s tires next to
the bus. The roadies were abusing the hell out of her car and the miles were
adding up quickly. As convenient as it was to have a car at their disposal, she
was going to have to put it in storage. Driving the extra vehicle disrupted the
roadies’ sleep rotation, which she recognized as a safety hazard.
The bedroom door opened and Brian emerged. He blinked his eyes in the
early morning sunshine and smiled at Myrna when his gaze focused on her.
“There you are. I’ve been waiting for you to come back to bed for over an hour.”
He didn’t even try to conceal his nakedness or his rock hard cock jutting into
the space before him. This was exactly why she hadn’t returned to bed. He never
allowed her time to catch up with her work. His diversions were always
spectacular so it wasn’t as if she could say no. She didn’t want to say no. Her
body was already responding to his on some subconscious, primitive level.
She’d expected their mutual delirium to decline now that they were together
24/7, but it intensified with each day. She’d never experienced anything like this.
She was hopelessly, madly, deeply in lust.
“I was trying to get some work done,” she said.
“Are you finished now?”
“Uh…” She knew she wouldn’t be able to concentrate with images of nakedBrian burned into her retinas. “I can take a little break. Actually, we need to do
something with my car.”
His eyebrows lifted and he grinned. “Great idea. Your car. I’ll go find some
pants.”
“Wait, you misunderstood.”
He’d already disappeared back in the bedroom, however.
He emerged a few minutes later in jeans and a T-shirt. Her heart thudded in
anticipation. She climbed from the booth and went to find shoes while he used
the bathroom. At the exit, they waited for Jake to climb the bus steps with two
coffees.
“Oh, Brian, you’re up. Here, you can have my coffee.” Jake tried to hand a
cup of coffee to Brian.
“Keep it,” Brian said. “Myrna and I are taking the Thunderbird. We’ll meet
you in Tampa this evening.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Brian. You get lost in your parents’
backyard.” Jake handed Myrna her coffee.
She took a sip of coffee and made a face. Too strong and black.
“My parents’ backyard is huge. But don’t worry, we’ll get there.”
Jake shrugged. “I think Dave has the keys. I saw him get on the other bus a
minute ago.”
“Thanks, Jake. And dude, you look like shit. Why don’t you wake Sed and
have him drive for a while?”
“I’m all right. See you in Tampa.” Jake chugged his coffee and headed for the
bathroom at the back of the bus.
Brian led Myrna to the car, where she waited, sipping her bitter coffee, while
Brian retrieved the keys.
Within moments, he climbed in next to her and started the car. “Did I even tell
you good morning?”
She shook her head. “You don’t think so well when all your blood’s in your
smaller head.”
“Smaller?”
She laughed. “What I actually wanted to do with the car, before you jumped
to conclusions, was find a place to store it while I’m on tour with the band.”
“So you didn’t want to suck my cock while I drive?”
“Well, yeah, now I do, but that’s not why I mentioned the car in the first
place.”
Brian pulled out of the parking lot, leaving the tour buses behind. “It’s nice to
have the car with us. It’s handy for errands and we can get away from the guys
for a few minutes. Maybe we can get a trailer and pull it behind the moving
van.”
She smiled. “That would work perfectly.” She slid across the bench seat and
kissed him on the cheek. “The roadies will appreciate it, too. They all look like
the walking dead.”
“They’ll get some rest soon. Just ten more days on the road, then we have a
week off. You’re coming out to Los Angeles with us, right?” He took her cup of
coffee from her and took a drink. He winced, took another sip, and returned the
cup to her hand.
“Los Angeles?” she said. “I don’t think so, Brian. I can get caught up on my
work during that time. You’ve got more tour dates after your week off, don’t
you?”
“Yeah,” he said quietly.
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Shot down again.” He fashioned his hand into a gun and mimicked
shooting himself in the chest.
“Are you pouting because I have to work?”
“I don’t pout.”
Sure looked like pouting to her. “Are you whining because I have to work?”
“No, I’m whining because you’d rather work than spend a week in L.A. with
me.” Under his breath, he muttered, “Why do I always sound like the chick in
this relationship?”
“Won’t you be working on the new album anyway?”
“So?”
“So, it will do us both good to have a few days to collect our thoughts and get
some work done. I have the damnedest time concentrating when you’re near. All
this slacking bothers me.”
He took her hand and put it on his crotch. “Does that feel slack to you?”
“No one said you were slacking. You’ve been composing and putting on one
awesome show after another.” She loved to watch him when his attention was
elsewhere. She could ogle him without making her infatuation blatantly obvious.
The length of his black lashes fascinated her. When he blinked, her attention
shifted to the harsh line of his well-sculpted cheekbone covered with a light
shadow of beard.
“You’re not slacking,” he said. “You’ve been doing your survey things with
the groupies.”
“I have,” she agreed, “but collecting the data is the tip of the iceberg. I have to
analyze the data. Do statistics. Hopefully, find some interesting trends in the
results and write journal articles for publication. This project is really important
to my future and I have a lot of work to do.”
“And I interrupted your work again this morning.”
“I wish I could say it annoyed me that you’re so distracting.” She grinned and
squeezed his cock gently with the hand still in his lap. His body tensed. “I’d be
lying though.”
Myrna placed an open-mouthed kiss under his ear and gently sucked his flesh
into her mouth. His growl of approval made her nipples taut.
She unfastened his pants and found him lacking underwear. His cock sprang
free, and she wrapped her hand around the base.
“Can you drive?” she asked.
“I am driving.”
“With your cock down my throat?”
He grinned at her. “There’s only one way to find out.”
She kissed the corner of his mouth and lowered her head. She licked the
length of him, drawing her tongue over the smooth skin rhythmically and
blowing cool breaths across his flesh to draw delighted shivers from his body.
He placed a hand on the back of her head, trying to urge her to suck him into her
mouth. She resisted, wanting to tease him. She squeezed and relaxed her hand at
the base of his cock while she trailed her tongue over his flesh. He grew harder.
And harder. Myrna’s own excitement began to get the better of her. A shame to
waste something this hard in her mouth.
There was a loud honk as one of the tour buses pulled up beside them on the
four-lane highway. Myrna sucked Brian into her mouth.
“Ah God,” he cried. He hit the brakes.
Myrna jerked her head away so she didn’t bite him as he swerved off the road.
They drew to a shuddering halt on the shoulder, with two wheels on the
pavement and two in the grass. He slammed the gearshift up into park and
reached for her. “Turns out that no, I can’t drive with my cock down your
throat.”
He slid across the bench seat and pulled her to straddle his lap. His hand
moved under her sundress and pushed the crotch of her panties to one side. He
grabbed her hips, shifted her forward, and then filled her body with his. His
fingers dug into her hips as he encouraged her to ride him. The elastic of her
panties cut into her flesh each time she rose and fell, fueling her excitement.
Cars flew past them at high speed. She wondered if they could see what she
and Brian were doing in the middle of the front seat. It might make someone’s
morning commute a little more interesting.
Brian pushed the straps of her sundress from her shoulders and bared her
breasts. He bent his head to suck and lick her nipples, pushing her breasts
together as he attempted to get them both in his mouth at once.
“God, you’re hot,” he growled. He sank his teeth into her tender nipple and
her body jerked before she shuddered with release. She tightened her vaginal
muscles and rose up to excite him with fast, shallow strokes. His head fell back,
his breathing erratic.
“Myrna. Myrna. You’re going to make me come if you keep that up.”
A flash of blue and red lights in the back window caught her attention.
“You’d better hurry up about it. We’ve just been spotted by a cop.”
“Shit!”
He rearranged her top to cover her breasts and his rapidly softening cock fell
free of her body.
“You could have finished,” she said. “He’ll have to run the out-of-state plates
before he comes to talk to us.”
“I couldn’t have finished. My balls are now hiding up in my belly.”
She laughed and slid off his lap. She rearranged her panties and sat beside
him. He slid behind the wheel and fastened his pants.
“It’s not funny,” he said.
“You’re afraid of cops?”
“No, I’m afraid of jail.”
“Ah, poor baby,” she said, kissing his cheek. “I’d bail you out. Hopefully
before Big Bart made you his bitch.”
“How kind,” he said. “And who would bail you out?”
“I’m sure Sed would bail me out for a favor.”
Brian pinned her with an angry glare. “Don’t even joke about that.”
“A little cranky, now, are you? I told you that you can trust me. I have no
interest in Sed.”
“You know, that’s exactly what Angie said. And Kristie. And Jenna. And
Bethany. And Samantha. And—”
Myrna’s eyes narrowed. “You don’t have to flaunt their names. I realize
you’ve fucked a lot of girls.”
“What? Are you jealous?”
“Why would I be jealous? This thing between us isn’t serious. We’re just
having a good time.”
“Of course.” He slammed his fist into the dashboard.
There was a knock on the window.
“What?” Brian yelled at the glass. He took a deep breath and rolled down the
window. “Can I help you, officer?”
The car was still idling, but the trooper said, “Car troubles? Do you need a
tow?”
“Everything is fine, sir,” Myrna said.
Brian gripped the steering wheel. “Let me handle this,” he growled at her. He
gazed up at the police officer. “Everything is fine, sir.”
The lanky man looked Brian over carefully, his hand resting on the service
pistol at his hip. He turned his attention to Myrna, who sat demurely in her
innocent-looking, white sundress.
“Are you okay, ma’am? I heard some yelling and arguing as I approached.”
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him reassuringly.
“And why are you parked on the side of the road?”
Myrna glanced at Brian and grinned wickedly. “My companion was having a
hard time driving, so he had to pull over.”
“Have you been drinking, sir?”
“It’s seven o’clock in the morning!”
“Or using?”
“What?” Brian calmed his tone. “No, I haven’t been drinking or using drugs. I
was having a hard time concentrating for… other reasons.”
“I see.” The officer didn’t look convinced. “So you pulled over to switch
drivers?”
“Yeah,” Brian said. Myrna didn’t know Brian was capable of blushing until
that moment.
“You should do that at a rest area. It isn’t safe to park on the side of the
highway.”
“Good point,” Brian said. “Are we free to go?”
“Let me run your license, registration, and proof of insurance first. Make sure
everything checks out.”
Brian pulled his wallet from his back pocket and retrieved his driver’s license.
Myrna found the registration and insurance card in the glove box. She handed
them to Brian, who offered the paperwork to the trooper.
“California license. Missouri plates.” The officer shook his head and then
carried the documents back to his patrol car.
“He thinks I’m a shady character,” Brian said.
“You do look suspicious with all those skull and demon tattoos.”
“You don’t like my tattoos?”
“I didn’t say that. I just said—”
“I heard what you said. Tattoos are suspicious.”
“No, I said they make you look suspicious.”
“Same difference.”
“It’s not the same. At all.”
“You sure are bitchy this morning,” he muttered.
Myrna’s nostrils flared. “Excuse me. Did you just call me a bitch?”
“No, I said you were bitchy this morning.”
“Same difference.” Realizing she’d mimicked his words, she chuckled.
He grinned at her. “We should argue more often.”
“Let me guess. It’s turning you on.”
“Yeah, my balls have come out of hiding and The Beast is ready to roll.”
Her eyebrows rose suggestively. “Can I ride The Beast?”
He put his fingertips against her forehead. “You must be at least this tall to
ride The Beast.”
“Looks like I qualify.”
“Secure your belongings and keep your arms and legs around the ride at all
times.”
The trooper cleared his throat outside Brian’s window. Brian started and then
glanced up at the officer as if they’d been discussing the weather.
“Everything checks out fine,” the cop said. “You have no outstanding
warrants, Mr. Sinclair. And the car hasn’t been reported as stolen.”
Brian scowled. “You sound surprised.”
The officer laughed nervously and handed Brian his license and other papers.
“Next time, make sure you do this at a rest area.”
“A rest area?” Brian ducked his head to hide his grin. “Okay, next time we’ll
do it at a rest area.”
Myrna laughed, leaning heavily against the passenger door as she clutched her
midsection in hysterics.
“Am I missing something?” The cop scratched his head, a puzzled look on his
face.
“Nope.” Brian returned his license to his wallet. “She forgot to take her meds
again.”
Myrna slapped at him and wiped tears of mirth from the corners of her eyes.
“Thank you for checking on us, sir,” she said to the cop.
“Yeah, thanks a lot,” Brian said.
Myrna burst out laughing again. The two men stared at her as she struggled to
contain her hilarity.
“We’d better switch drivers now,” Brian said.
He slid to the center of the seat and Myrna climbed over his lap to settle
behind the wheel. She gave his crotch an appreciative squeeze beneath her skirt
as they switched places. She waved at the trooper and rolled up the window
before shifting the car out of park and easing back into traffic. Brian slid closer
and squeezed her thigh.
“Now,” Brian said, “let’s see how well you can concentrate on driving with
my head under your skirt.”
She grinned at him and took his wayward hand in hers. “Wait until we get to a
rest area. I already know I won’t be able to concentrate with any part of you
under my skirt.” She squeezed his hand. “Not this.” She lifted her hand to touch
his lips. “Or these.” She cupped his package through his pants. “And definitely
not this.”
“What about these?” He pulled his boot off and wriggled his socked toes at
her.
“Hmmmm,” she said, keeping one eye on the road. “I’m not sure about
those.”
Chapter 20
Tampa 78 miles. Brian shifted his gaze from the green road sign to his watch.
Eleven a.m.
“We’ve got plenty of time before we have to be in Tampa,” he said. “Let’s
take a detour.”
Myrna took her eyes off the road long enough to glance at him. “What kind of
a detour?”
“I don’t know. The spontaneous kind.”
“I like spontaneous detours. We have to be careful not to get lost, though. No
Master Sinclair means no Sinners show.”
“We won’t get lost. At your next opportunity, head west.”
“That won’t take us far. The Gulf of Mexico is west.”
“Exactly.”
She smiled. “West it is.”
Within ten minutes, they were off the main highway and headed west. “It
looks like it might rain,” she commented, gazing at the western horizon.
Brian scowled at the bank of black clouds rolling in from the distance. It
figured the weather wouldn’t cooperate on their first real date. He hoped he
could manage to keep his hands off her long enough to romance her a little. He
had ten days to convince her to stay with him in L.A. In order to get her to
comply, he’d need to seduce more than her body.
“Oh wow,” she said. “Look at the water. It’s gorgeous!”
“Not bad,” he said. “California has spectacular beaches.”
She glanced at him sidelong. “I suppose you mean in the Los Angeles area.”
And she was on to him already. “San Diego is better, but yeah, Los Angeles
isn’t too shabby.”
“Uh huh. I thought the beaches in California were toxic.”
“Not all of them. Have you ever been to California?”
She hesitated. “Well, no, but I’m sure I’ll get there eventually.”
Did that mean she was considering joining him? Doubtful.
They entered a small gulf town. Every sign they passed had some depiction of
a clam. Brian’s stomach rumbled. “Do you like seafood?”
“It’s okay. I’m not a fan of fish, but I love clam chowder.”
“Manhattan or New England?”
“New England. The thicker, the better.”
“Hungry?” he asked, watching little restaurants pass.
“Starved. As per usual.”
“Let’s find a place to eat.”
“Just no fast food. I think I’d rather die than eat another french fry.”
“Park over there.” He pointed to the common lot at the end of the block.
“We’ll walk until we find a good place.”
“How will we know?”
“Follow the locals.”
“Good plan.”
As soon as she pulled into the nearest parking spot, Brian climbed from the
car and hurried around to her side to open her door. He watched her try to
straighten her hair in the rearview mirror with her fingers. He liked to keep it in
that “just took a toss in the hay” style. It suited her. And him.
He opened the door and she looked up at him.
“I look like crap,” she said.
“Didn’t your mother teach you not to lie?”
“I never lie.”
“You just did.” He took her hand and helped her out of the car.
“I have eyes, you know.”
“They must not work very well. You look gorgeous. You always look
gorgeous.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles gently.
She surprised him by smiling instead of arguing. “Thank you. You’re very
good for my ego.” She stared at the ground as she walked beside him. “Even if
you are blind.”
“Are you fishing for compliments, Professor Evans?”
She pointed to her face. “Does this face look fishy to you?”
He shrugged. “It is a little scaly.”
Her mouth dropped open. “Oh really?”
“No, not really. I already told you that you were gorgeous. Everyone’s going
to wonder why you’re hanging out with a thug like me.”
“I’ll tell them I’ve been kidnapped.”
“They’ll probably believe it.”
She took his hand. He smiled, his heart warming. She could deny it all she
wanted, but he knew she cared. “What that trooper said bothered you, didn’t it?”
Actually, he hadn’t thought about that trooper since his toes had been used in
ways they’d never been used before. He shrugged. “Eh, I’m used to it.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m sorry to hear that. No one should have to tolerate
being discriminated against based on their looks.”
They paused at a street corner and waited for the traffic to thin enough for
them to cross. Brian watched the patrons entering the restaurants in the vicinity.
A construction crew, several office workers, and three well-dressed executives
entered a small eatery in the center of the block. It didn’t look fancy, so the food
must be good. Pam’s Clams. Myrna wasn’t watching the pedestrian traffic. She
was watching him again. He liked it when she couldn’t keep her eyes off him.
He pretended he didn’t notice, but she stared at him a lot.
“Pam’s Clams?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Do you want to eat there?” He tugged her into the street and they hurried
across.
“Fine with me.”
By the time they were seated, every person in the place had gawked at Brian
at least once. It was a small town, apparently not used to men with chains,
tattoos, dyed hair and leather attire. At least he wasn’t wearing his stage makeup.
Had he been drunk, he probably would have cussed them out, but Myrna’s
calming presence made it all seem unimportant.
“What sounds good?” Brian examined the small, laminated menu. Beer
sounded good to him. Beer and battered fried clams with french fries. Unlike
Myrna, he never tired of french fries.
“They have clam chowder in fresh-baked bread bowls.” She looked orgasmic
with delight.
“Is that what you want?”
“Yeah, and a salad. A huge salad. I miss vegetables.”
The waitress appeared. “What can I getcha to drink?”
“Do you have lemonade?” Myrna flipped the menu over to search for their
drink selection.
“Yeah.” She scribbled on her order pad. “What for you, doll?” she asked,
pointing the end of her pen at Brian.
“Corona. And we’re ready to order.”
He ordered for the both of them and the waitress collected their menus before
heading to the kitchen.
“We should take detours more often.” Myrna reached across the table and
lightly trailed her fingers over the back of his hand.
He smiled. “The tour bus does get pretty boring.”
“I wouldn’t know. You never give me the opportunity to get bored.”
“That’s been my plan from the beginning.”
“I’ll be in trouble when you finally get tired of me.”
“I think you’re safe for at least a century.” He linked his fingers through hers
and rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand.
“Are you always this sweet?”
His eyebrow shot up in question. “Sweet? Now there’s something I’ve never
been accused of before.”
“Really? I’m surprised. You’re so considerate and complementary and
generous.”
“Actually, that’s not typical of me. It’s only because I lo—” He caught
himself and shifted his gaze to the red-checkered vinyl tablecloth. “I like to see
you smile.” He’d almost spoken that forbidden word of hers. Had she noticed?
When she didn’t speak for a moment, he forced his gaze upward, expecting her
eyes to be watery as she thought of that other man. That bastard he despised.
What was his name? Jeremy. Myrna wasn’t teary-eyed though, she was staring
at their joined hands reflectively.
“I do seem to smile a lot when I’m with you,” she said, smiling as usual. “I
guess that means you’re charming, too.”
He chuckled. “You forgot virile and sexy.”
“No, I didn’t.”
“Are you saying I’m not—”
She glanced up at him. “I meant that I didn’t forget. It’s obvious, you know.
Goes without saying.”
“But you could say it.”
“I could.”
Their waitress returned with their drinks and Myrna’s salad. While Brian
sipped his beer, he watched her methodically move the cherry tomatoes and red
onions to the edge of her plate.
“I thought you missed vegetables.”
“I don’t like raw tomatoes. And I thought I’d skip the onions so I could make
out with the sexiest man alive after lunch without subjecting him to my death
breath.”
He grinned at her compliment. He was used to girls stroking his ego, but
when Myrna did it, it made him happy. She had such an unusual effect on him.
He didn’t try to fight it. He was ready for this and hoped she’d come around
soon. He knew he had to keep a rein on expressing these powerful emotions in
front of her. The last thing he wanted to do was scare her away.
“You want it?” She speared a tomato with her fork and offered it to him.
“If you put some dressing on it.” Can’t have vegetables without dressing.
She dipped the little tomato into her cup of ranch dressing and held it out to
him. He chewed slowly, watching her devour her salad.
“So how much data do you think you need to enter into your computer?” he
asked.
She glanced up at him, her fork halfway to her mouth. “Why do you ask?”
He was wondering how much of her time her work was going to take. “Just
curious.”
“Let’s see. I’ve been doing about twenty interviews a night, each with fortytwo questions. And there have been eight concerts, so that’s about 6,500 pieces
of data I need to enter. Give or take.”
“That’s a lot!” he sputtered. “You have to enter all that stuff by hand?”
“Well, yeah. I don’t have an assistant in my back pocket.” She laughed. “It’s
not the data entry that’s hard, anyway. It’s the statistical analysis and reporting
the results in journal articles that takes so long.”
“You’re going to be really busy, aren’t you?”
“I tried to explain that to you earlier. You seem to think I don’t want to go to
L.A. with you because I don’t want to spend time with you.”
He shrugged. Was he that easy to read?
“I don’t want to go to L.A. with you because I want to spend too much time
with you.”
When he tried to respond, she popped another tomato in his mouth.
“So I hope you won’t make it harder on me by getting all pouty.”
He swallowed. “I don’t pout. What if you get done with all your work early?
Will you come with me then?”
“I’ll consider it, but don’t get your heart set on it.”
“You don’t want to meet my parents?”
She paled. “Your parents?”
“You realize who my dad is, don’t you? You being a collector of guitar riffs
and all.”
“Uh.” She paused. “I don’t know any other guitarists with the last name
Sinclair.”
“He used a stage name. I can’t believe you don’t know this.” He grinned. “I’ll
give you three guesses.”
Her brow furrowed with concentration. “Is he as good as you are?”
Brian scoffed. “Better. Way better.”
She shook her head. “Now I know you’re making up stories.”
She’d eat those words after she figured it out. Brian had stood in the shadow
of a legend his entire career.
“Does he still play professionally?” she asked.
“The occasional reunion tour, but not really.”
“Leftie?”
“No.”
“Malcolm O’Neil.”
“So you did know. I wondered how you didn’t know something like that.”
She dropped her fork and stared at him in shock. “Malcolm O’Neil is your
father? Oh my God!”
If people weren’t staring at them before, they were now.
He scowled in puzzlement. “You didn’t know.”
“I was joking when I said Malcolm O’Neil. He was the only classic rock
guitarist I could think of who was better than you are.” She grabbed his hand.
“No offense.” She dropped his hand and pressed her fingers to her forehead. “I
mean, I think you’re better than he is, but…”
Brian laughed. “Calm down, Myrna. Is that enough incentive to get you to
Los Angeles? Well, they actually live in Beverly Hills.”
“I couldn’t,” she said. “I’d make a total ass of myself.”
“Like now?” He was teasing, but she glanced around the room and flushed in
embarrassment.
Their waitress delivered their lunches. “Can I get you anything else?”
Myrna clutched her chest. “A defibrillator.”
The woman’s eyes widened. “Are you having a heart attack?”
“She’s joking,” Brian assured her. “Myrna?”
“I’m joking,” she agreed, still breathless. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me
you were Malcolm O’Neil’s son.”
“You’re Malcolm O’Neil’s son?” the waitress asked. “Winged Faith’s lead
guitarist?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Brian said.
“You do sort of look like him, if you had huge sideburns and a chubbier face,”
the waitress said. “I saw them at Woodstock. That was right before they made it
big. Do you play guitar, too, doll? You have that rock star look about you.”
“A little,” Brian admitted. He hoped she didn’t make a scene. He’d been
enjoying his obscurity, even if he had been the object of curious stares.
“I’d love to stay and talk, but I’m so busy,” the waitress said. “Do you want
another beer?”
He glanced at Myrna, who was cautiously slurping steaming chowder from
her soupspoon. “Just water.”
When the waitress left, he started eating his fried clams. They were grubbin’.
Tender instead of chewy. Fried to a perfect crisp, yet not greasy. Deliciously
seasoned. “Try one of these, Myrna.” He placed one on her plate next to her
bread bowl.
She bit into the fried clam. “That is good.” She scooped some chowder on her
spoon and leaned across the table. “Careful, it’s hot.”
Her chowder was good, too. “I know how to pick ’em,” he said, grinning to
himself.
“Then how do we always end up eating fast food?”
“It’s fast.”
“Hence, the name.” She stole one of his french fries. “Now, that’s a french
fry.”
After lunch, Brian headed for the restroom. On the way back, he cornered
their waitress near the kitchen and convinced her to disclose the location of a
nice, quiet beach. He left her a nice tip, double the cost of the meal, and escorted
his lovely date back to the car.
“I’ll drive,” he said, opening the passenger door for her.
Myrna reached up and slid her fingers into the hair at the nape of his neck.
She rose up on tiptoe to claim his mouth in a searing kiss. His heart skipped a
beat when her tongue brushed against his lip. She knew how to get his blood
boiling, but he had other things in mind for their romantic beach visit.
“Thanks for lunch,” she whispered. “Are we going to Tampa now?”
“Not just yet.”
Chapter 21
Myrna leaned forward to gaze out the windshield. A gorgeous view of the Gulf
of Mexico stretched as far as the eye could see. Tall palms punctuated the
narrow strip of white sand beyond the grassy dunes. Rough waves sloshed
against the shore as the storm clouds in the distance continued to march across
the landscape. Brian had driven half an hour into the middle of nowhere, but
their venture off the beaten path had been well worth it. Here, she could imagine
they were the only two people on earth.
“How did you know about this place?” Myrna asked.
He smiled. Smugly. “I persuaded our waitress to disclose her secrets.”
She couldn’t explain the pang of jealousy that pierced her chest. “Persuaded?
Did it have anything to do with those amazing fingers of yours?”
“Not telling.”
She slapped his shoulder and then opened the door. He grabbed her and pulled
her across his lap, wedging her between his body and the steering wheel. “I just
asked her where I could find the most romantic beach in the area. She called you
a lucky girl and pinched my cheek as if she were my Great Aunt Stella.”
“I am a lucky girl,” Myrna whispered. She touched his face, staring deeply
into his eyes. She expected him to kiss her, but he didn’t. He held her gaze until
she had to look away.
“Let’s go watch the waves,” he said.
She nodded and slid from his lap.
They walked hand in hand to the beach. Brian settled on the sand and urged
her to sit between his legs in front of him. He tugged her against his chest and
rested his cheek against her hair as they gazed out at the water.
“There’s something about the ocean that feels eternal,” he murmured, his
breath tickling her ear. “I get disconnected when I don’t see it for a while.”
“I find it soothing,” she said. “Being from the Midwest, I haven’t seen the
ocean many times.”
“Then what makes you feel connected to the universe?”
She thought for a moment. “Gazing at the stars at night. You can’t really see
them well in the city. Whenever I go visit my parents in the summer, I look up at
the stars for hours.”
His hands stroked her bare arms. “Can I look up at the stars with you
sometime?”
“I would like that.”
“And meet your parents?”
“I wouldn’t like that.”
“Are you ashamed of me?”
She could tell by the tone of his voice that he was teasing, but he wasn’t far
from the truth. She wasn’t ashamed of him, but they’d be ashamed of her for
dating him. Brian wasn’t what they would consider son-in-law material, or even
boyfriend material. But they had adored Jeremy, so they obviously were poor
judges of character.
“Of course I’m not ashamed of you,” she said.
And she didn’t want to discuss her parents. She wished he would stop trying
to pry into her private life.
She kicked off her sandals and wriggled her toes into the warm sand with a
contented sigh. She reached for Brian’s left boot. “Take your boots off.” He
helped her tug it free and then the other one. She pulled his socks off and tucked
them into his boots. He drew her close to his chest again and she stroked the tops
of his bare feet with her fingertips—tracing the ridges of tendons and toying
with the light dusting of hair on the top of his foot.
“Even your feet are sexy,” she murmured.
“Is that your favorite part of me?” he asked, his low voice so close to her ear
goose bumps rose on her nape.
“You should know my favorite part of you.”
“Do you call it The Beast?”
She grinned. She figured that’s what he’d think. “No, but The Beast made the
top ten.”
“Top ten, huh?” He kissed the edge of her ear. A shiver raced down her spine.
“Is it my lips?”
She shook her head. “No, but they’re also in the top ten.”
His tongue brushed against the pulse point beneath her ear. “Tongue?”
“Nope. My top ten seems to be awfully crowded.”
He laughed and hugged her. “It’s obviously my hands.” He held them in front
of her and flexed his fingers.
“Wrong again. Good guess, though.”
“Okay, I give up,” he said.
She turned her head to look at him. “It’s your brain.”
He covered his surprise with a laugh. “Well, I can honestly say that was the
last thing I thought you’d say.”
“Why? It controls all your other parts. It’s responsible for your amazing
talent, both on the guitar and in bed.” He grinned. She’d never figure out why he
needed her to compliment him when he had groupies screaming his godliness at
the top of their lungs. “It makes you say things that make me laugh and make me
think. And it gives you that sweet, romantic streak that I try so hard to resist.
Your personality, your talent, heart, soul. What makes you, you. It’s all in that
amazing mind of yours. Don’t get me wrong. The body that carries it around is
fabulous, too.”
“I think I’m blushing.”
She turned to face him, kneeling between his thighs, and wrapped her arms
around his neck. “Is that really all it takes to make you blush?”
She kissed him tenderly. He kissed her in return but didn’t turn up the heat
like he usually did.
When she leaned back to look at him, he smiled and said, “Let’s go for a
walk.”
“Did you lock the car?”
He sighed. “You’re always so practical, Professor.”
“You mean boring.”
“Yeah, that’s what I meant.” He rolled his eyes at her and shook his head. He
stood and helped her to her feet. While she brushed the sand from her skirt, he
scooped his boots and her sandals from the sand and tossed them into the car
before locking the doors. When he returned to her side, he claimed her hand and
led her toward the angry surf. The cool wind from the approaching storm blew
Myrna’s hair against her face and her skirt tangled around her legs.
“Great day for a walk!” she called over the crashing waves. “I think we’re
going to get caught in a downpour.”
Brian glanced up at the sky. “We might.”
He kept walking, her hand tucked in his. The wet sand squished between her
toes. She curled them under with each step, liking the way it felt. A wave
washed across her feet and she danced sideways. “That’s chilly.”
“The water’s really churning. If you want to go back—”
“A crab!” Myrna bent to snatch a half-dollar-sized crab out of the sand. She
held it up by the edge of its shell to show Brian. The creature’s legs wriggled as
it tried to run away in mid-air. “Isn’t he cute?”
He chuckled. “He’s a little small to make a good meal.”
“I wouldn’t let you eat him.” She turned the crab to look it in its stalked eyes.
“Isn’t that right, Pinchy?”
“You named him?”
She carefully placed the little crab back in the sand and nudged it toward the
surf. “Run for your life, Pinchy. I’ve seen the way this man eats.”
“Hey!” Brian grabbed her from behind, his fingers digging into her ribs. She
laughed and struggled out of his grasp, taking off at a full sprint along the edge
of the water. She could hear Brian’s steps just behind her. She slowed slightly so
he could catch her. He collided with her back and she stumbled. Her arms shot
forward to catch her fall, but Brian rescued her from an impending face-plant
and scooped her up into his strong arms.
She laughed, slightly breathless, and gazed up at him.
“I almost bit the dust,” she said, “or I guess it would be sand. You rescued
me.”
“Does this make me your hero?”
“You were already my hero.”
He grinned and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right. I’ve never met a woman who
needed saving less than you do.”
“That’s not true. You’ve saved me from loneliness.” She kissed him. “And
sexual frustration.” And she hadn’t heard Jeremy’s accusations in her head for a
while now.
He chuckled. “Then you must be my hero, too.”
She kissed him again, her arms stealing around his neck, her fingers
intertwining with the long silky hairs at the nape of his neck.
“Don’t get me all worked up,” he murmured against her lips.
“Why not? We’ve got the beach all to ourselves.”
He groaned into her mouth and hugged her closer. She deepened the kiss. He
pulled away. “That’s enough of that.”
He set her to her feet and she wobbled unsteadily. He took her hand and
started walking again. She walked beside him silently, pondering his reluctance.
This wasn’t like him. Had she done something wrong?
“Have you worked up the courage to ask yet?” he asked, scooping a piece of
driftwood from the beach and flinging it into the waves.
“Huh?”
“Why I’m not rutting around on you in the sand yet?”
“Oh that. I hadn’t noticed.”
“We’re here to get to know each other better. And I don’t mean in the biblical
sense of the word. We already know each other that way. I’ve decided no sex
until after the show tonight.”
“No sex?”
“That’s right.”
“And why do you get to decide?”
He grinned. “It’s more of a personal challenge. Do you have any interest in
getting to know me at all? Personally, I mean.”
“Can’t I just Google you? Isn’t your entire life somewhere online?”
He scowled. “Probably.”
She reached up and smoothed his forehead with her fingers. “Don’t make that
face. Tell me how Sinners was formed.”
He glanced at her. “Do you want the real story or the more theatrical, online
version?”
“The real story. I can always read the online version later.”
He smiled nostalgically. “Trey and I were the outcasts of Beverly Hills.”
“You lived in Beverly Hills?”
“Yeah, my dad got rich and famous when I was a kid and Trey’s dad is a
plastic surgeon, so we lived in the Hills.”
“No shit? I never would have guessed that in a million years.”
“We didn’t really fit with the other rich kids and everyone else on the planet
hated us because we were rich. So we stuck together. We played guitar. A lot. In
eighth grade, we started a failing band—”
“Crysys.”
He chuckled. “I thought you hadn’t Googled me.”
“One of Trey’s groupies mentioned it.”
“Ah. Anyway, we got seriously heckled during a party gig in the tenth grade.
By Eric Anderson.”
“Eric Anderson?”
“He’s since changed his last name to Sticks.”
Myrna chuckled. “I always thought it was strange that a drummer had the last
name Sticks.”
“Yeah, he’s lame that way and had it legally changed. Anyway, when he
heckled us, Trey got so pissed. I honestly don’t think he’d ever been that pissed
before. He dove off the stage and tore into Eric. Trey was always fighting back
then, but this was beyond brutal. Blood everywhere. Shattered Eric’s cheekbone.
Good thing Trey’s dad is a plastic surgeon.”
“Trey?” She found that hard to believe. He didn’t seem the type to hit
someone that hard.
“Yeah, I was always breaking up his fights. I got my ass kicked more than
once because of that chip on his shoulder. He’s chilled a lot in his old age.”
“Yeah, twenty-eight is ancient.” Myrna rolled her eyes at him.
“It’s a hell of a lot older than sixteen. Anyway, after he and Eric beat each
other to a pulp at this chick’s birthday party, Trey said something like, ‘Yeah,
well, if you can do better, why don’t you prove it?’ And Eric did. He’s fucking
gifted, you know?”
“He is a great drummer,” Myrna agreed.
“That’s what he plays now, but he can play guitar, too. Bass. Piano. Sax.
Violin. Ukulele. Fuckin’ kazoo. You name it, Eric wails on it.”
“I didn’t know that.”
“And he has a fantastic voice. He sang and played bass for Crysys until Sed
found us, and then he switched to drums permanently.”
Myrna’s brow furrowed. “Why did he switch to drums?”
“He’s the best drummer in the business. And… Sed gives him an inferiority
complex.”
“Sed gives everyone an inferiority complex. The man has more self-esteem
than fifteen supermodels combined. I think he was a monarch in his past life or
something.”
“Henry the Eighth, probably.” He made a cutting motion across his throat
complete with sound effects.
Myrna laughed.
“Sed’s always been confident like that,” Brian said. “He came up to us after a
Crysys gig and insisted he was our new singer. Sixteen years old and he knew
his place on the planet. He said he’d been looking for a band to front. Told Eric
point blank that he didn’t have the star quality or looks to front a band and he
should go hide behind the drum kit.”
Myrna flinched. “That was harsh.”
“He was right. We were going nowhere. If it weren’t for Sed, we’d still be
playing birthday parties for spoiled rich girls. He had a plan, knew where he
wanted to go, how to get there, and he made it work. For all of us. Sed changed
the band’s name to Sinners and we searched for a bassist to replace Eric.”
“Jace.”
“Nope, we had a different bassist before Jace. Jace has only been with us for
two years. Our first bassist was Jon Mallory—Eric’s best friend in high school.
Unfortunately, Jon was usually too high to find the stage. If you could swallow
it, snort it, smoke it or shoot it, he’d do it. We tried to help him get through it. He
was in rehab half a dozen times, but he almost brought us all down with him, so
we had to let him go. It was hard to kick him out of the band. Just making the
decision was hard, but watching Sed tell him… Fuck. That was brutal. He was
like family, you know, especially to Eric. I feel sorry for Jace at times. He has
big shoes to fill and Eric sure doesn’t make it easy for him.”
“Drugs and alcohol mess up so many lives.” She’d probably still be married
to Jeremy if it weren’t for his drinking problem. “So how’d you find Jace?”
Brian smiled at her. “He came highly recommended by Trey’s older brother.”
He winked. “Okay, your turn.”
“My turn?”
“This isn’t a one way conversation.”
“Wait. What do you mean he came highly recommended by Trey’s older
brother? Wink. Wink. Were they lovers or something?”
Brian’s shocked expression was quickly replaced by raucous laughter. He
stopped walking and wrapped his arms around his belly as he continued to laugh.
She thought he’d fall into the sand and start rolling back and forth at any
moment.
“What is so funny?”
Brian wiped tears of mirth from his eyes. “Oh God. I needed that laugh.”
He hugged her to his side, still chuckling sporadically.
“I still don’t understand what’s so funny. Trey is gay, isn’t he? I mean he
doesn’t really look or act the part, but…”
Brian tugged her by the shoulders to face him and looked down at her. “Gay?
No, not really. Trey is more of an equal opportunity lover. His brother is
straighter than an arrow, however. And I think Jace would rather die than be
with a man. Just picturing Jace Seymour and Darren Mills together struck me as
hilarious.”
Darren Mills? Why did that name sound familiar to her?
Brian continued, “What I meant was Jace tried out for Dare’s band and they
were going to hire him, but their original bassist decided to stay after all. So
when Dare found out that we needed a bassist to replace Jon, he sent Jace our
way. We were lucky to get him. I mean, he’s good enough to get an audition
with Exodus End at the tender age of twenty-one. That’s pretty fucking
amazing.”
Myrna’s eyes widened. “Exodus End?” That’s where she knew the name
Darren Mills. Or rather, Dare Mills. Her lead-guitarist-senses tingled at full
throb.
“Please don’t tell me you’ve never heard of Exodus End.”
She grabbed him by both arms and gave him a vigorous shake. “Of course
I’ve heard of Exodus End. What planet do you think I’m from? Do you know
them? Personally?”
“Uh, yeah. Trey’s brother is their lead guitarist.”
“No shit? You’re teasing me, aren’t you?” She didn’t know why she’d never
connected Trey and Dare Mills. “Holy Toledo!”
“Holy Toledo?” He laughed at her sudden bout of fan-girlness. “Nope. Not
teasing. You know, we’re opening for Exodus End at the end of June in Las
Vegas. Maybe you’d like to meet him.”
Her heart rate accelerated. “Oh my God. I’ve died and gone to heaven. He’s
the absolute best guitarist on the planet.”
“Hey…”
Brian was pouting again. Myrna patted his cheek affectionately. “I’m sorry,
Brian, but he is.”
Brian chuckled. “You could at least pretend I’m the best while in my
presence. Especially since I have your car keys.”
“You know I think you’re awesome.”
“On second thought, I won’t introduce you to him. Not only is he a better
guitarist, he’s better looking, taller, more famous, richer. He’ll steal you away
from me.”
“Not a chance.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss him, a contemplative look sliding
into place. “Richer, you say?”
“All right, that does it.”
She squeaked in surprise when he lifted her off the ground and tossed her over
his shoulder. He gave her ass a playful swat.
“You, Miss Evans, are being very naughty today.”
“I’m always naughty.”
“True. But today’s naughtiness is poking holes in my fragile ego.”
Myrna laughed and slid her hand down the back of his pants to toy with the
smooth skin on his butt.
“None of that.” He pulled her hand out of his pants.
“Since when is your ego fragile?”
“Since I met you.”
“So is that the attraction?”
“Huh?”
“Well, I can’t help but wonder why you’re so interested in me when you can
get much better looking and younger women who jump at your every
command.”
“There are no better looking women than you. Though I admit most of my
girlfriends have been younger. Okay, all of them have been younger. I didn’t
know what I was missing.”
She slid her hand into the back of his pants again.
“What are you doing?” he asked, pulling her off his shoulder and setting her
back to her feet.
“Convincing you to let me down.” She grinned up at him mischievously. “It
worked.”
He shook his head at her. “You never do what I expect you to do.”
“Then maybe that’s the attraction.”
“Is it really so hard for you to believe that I’ve fallen for you for no reason
whatsoever?”
“There has to be a reason.”
“It’s more like there is no reason for me not to fall for you. You’re everything
I want.”
“I don’t think I’m cut out to be a rock star’s girlfriend.” It made her heart ache
to say it, but it had been weighing on her mind a lot lately. The more she talked
to Brian’s groupies, the more jealous she became. She knew he had no real
interest in them, but they were so available and she knew she wasn’t there for
him emotionally. What if he decided she wasn’t fun anymore? That he needed
more than she could give him? Would he toss her aside? And why did that
thought bother her so much anyway? It wasn’t as if they were serious.
He touched her cheek gently. “Then don’t be a rock star’s girlfriend. Be Brian
Sinclair’s girlfriend.”
“They’re one and the same. Your life is so interesting and mine is so ordinary.
Boring. I’m an over-educated farm girl from the Midwest.”
“And I’m a college dropout from the West Coast.”
“You went to college?”
“For one semester.”
“What did you study?”
“Girls, mostly.”
She poked him in the ribs. “Why did you drop out? You could have graduated
Summa Cum Laude.”
“Sinners signed a record deal.”
“Wow, that young? Did your father help you get it? He must have millions of
connections in the business.”
Brian laughed. “Here’s the thing about my dad. He never once encouraged my
music career. We cut our first album with a small independent label and went on
tour in a piece of shit van for eight months. I’ve never been hungrier in my life.
It didn’t help that Jon kept stealing our cash to feed his drug habit. When I
finally swallowed my pride and asked my dad if he could offer some support, do
you know what he said?”
“What?”
“If you really want to follow this dream, you need to suffer for it so it means
something to you if you manage to reach the top. He wouldn’t even buy me new
guitar strings. Ever try to play a solo missing your second string? Uh, yeah…
Not good.”
“Did you hate him for that?”
“Nah, I thought I did, but now I realize he was right. If you don’t have to
work for something, you just don’t appreciate it as much.”
Myrna nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I can understand that. That’s why I went
for my PhD. My parents didn’t support me when I went to college. They thought
I should get married and have kids. Stay home and raise them like a clone of my
mother. So when I was in college, I worked my ass off at odd jobs while most of
the traditional students had their tuition and bills paid by their parents. Going it
on my own really did make me appreciate it more. I worked harder to get good
grades, too. I wanted to prove I could do it.”
He hugged her. “See we do have more in common than great sex.”
“Fabulous sex.”
“Amazing sex.”
“Yeah, let’s have some of that right now.”
He squeezed her butt. “Not until after the show.”
“You know I love a challenge, right?” She closed the gap between them, her
hand cupping his half-hard cock through his pants. “I’m very determined to get
what I want.”
“Something else we have in common.” He removed her hand from his crotch.
“Will you watch the show tonight instead of interviewing the groupies?”
“Will you make it worth my while?”
“Do you have to ask?”
“Brian, I’m incredibly turned on right now.”
He groaned. “You don’t plan to make this easy on me, do you?”
“Do you have to ask?”
He stared at her for a moment, worrying his lips with his tongue. He looked
ready to pounce on her and she was more than ready to be pounced on.
“Farmer’s daughter, huh? I know nothing about farming,” he said. “What’s
that like?”
She sighed in exasperation. “You really are going to make me wait until
tonight, aren’t you?”
“Yep.”
She turned and started walking back the way they’d come. They must have
walked at least a mile down the beach. “Farming is boring,” she called over her
shoulder. “That’s all you need to know.”
He jogged to catch up with her. “You’re not going to get out of this that
easily. Tell me something about yourself.”
A rumble of thunder reverberated above. Myrna looked up at the black
clouds. “I think we should make a run for it.”
“It’s too late. We’ll never outrun it.”
The first fat rain drops splattered across Myrna’s upturned face. “We’re going
to get soaked.”
She dashed toward the car at a full run. When she reached the car, she tugged
the door handle. Locked. Brian had the keys. She turned to find him sedately
walking up the beach.
“Hurry!” The clouds opened wide and drenched her within seconds. “Brian,
hurry!”
She could see him grinning to himself as the rain plastered his hair to his head
and his shirt to the contours of his chest. He didn’t pick up his pace though. She
stood there, shivering, waiting for him to open the car. When he finally reached
her, he drew her chilled body against his, his strong hands splaying over her
back.
“Open the door.” She reached behind her to grab the door handle.
“No.” His fingers sank into the wet strands of her hair, tilting her head back.
He stared into her eyes until she released the door handle and slid her hands up
his belly and chest. He lowered his head and kissed her, his fingers easing her
dress’s zipper down. He brushed the straps of her sundress from her shoulders,
exposing her breasts to the elements. Goose bumps rose to the surface of her
skin and her nipples ached as they beaded in the chilly air. Rivulets of rain
trickled over her shoulders, between her breasts, down her belly. Brian lowered
his head and collected water from her skin with his warm tongue. His mouth
burned over her flesh.
Myrna groaned and reached for his fly. If she unleashed The Beast, she knew
he would end her torment and possess her body with his. Hopefully right there
on the cold, slick hood of her car. Before she could release the button of his
jeans, he grabbed her wrists in a steely grip and pinned her arms to her sides.
“No,” he said.
He gazed up at her, water dripping from his nose and chin.
“No?”
“That’s what I said.”
He sucked her beaded nipple into his mouth. His hot tongue rubbed against
her sensitive flesh, drawing moans of pleasure from her. She struggled to release
her wrists from his grip, wanting to bury her fingers in his hair, but he refused to
set her free. She jerked her body away from his devilish tongue, changed her
mind, and twisted to offer him her other breast.
When he didn’t immediately draw it into his mouth, she looked down at him.
His devilish grin made her heart throb.
“Do you want me to suck this one, too?” He stroked her neglected nipple with
the tip of his nose.
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
“Yes, please.”
He drew the flat of his tongue over her offered nipple and she shuddered.
“I think my work here is done.” He stood straight and released her wrists.
“Oh no it’s not.” She threw her body against his, her fingers tangling in the
wet strands of his hair, her mouth seeking his in a desperate kiss. He kissed her
in return, while drawing the bodice of her dress to cover her breasts and zipping
the garment at her back.
He pulled away all too soon. He looked up at the sky, blinking rain from his
eyes. “I don’t think this rain is going to let up any time soon.” He retrieved the
keys from his pocket and unlocked the car door. Before she could climb into the
warm, dry interior of the car, he asked, “Have you changed your mind about
going to L.A. with me yet?”
“Is that what this is about?”
“Nope. I just want you to want me really, really bad.”
“Mission accomplished.”
Chapter 22
“We’re lost,” Myrna said. “Pull over and I’ll get directions.”
“We are not lost,” Brian said. “We’re in Tampa. That does not equal lost.”
“But we’re not at the stadium and your show starts in an hour.”
“I am aware of that.”
“Then stop being so stubborn and pull into that gas station. I won’t tell them
you’re lost. I’ll nonchalantly ask them how to get to the stadium.”
“I’m not lost.” He released an exasperated breath and pulled into the gas
station. “Just buy a map.” He handed her his wallet.
She sighed. She guessed rock stars were still men. Was there a man in
existence who would admit he was lost? She hurried into the store, not caring
that her hair looked like she’d stuck her tongue in an electrical outlet. While she
purchased the map, she asked the clerk for directions.
Within minutes, she was back in the car with Brian. She handed him the map.
He started to unfold it. “What street are we on?” He glanced around as if
expecting to find an arrow labeled “you are here” nearby.
“No idea. But the clerk said you should go about eight blocks that way.” She
pointed down the street.
Brian grinned at her. “See. We weren’t too far off.”
“Then get on the interstate heading south. Take the third exit.”
“Oh…”
“Turn left and follow the signs. It’s about twenty minutes from here.
Assuming we don’t get lost again.”
“Shit.”
He backed the car and headed in the direction Myrna had indicated. By the
time they found the tour buses behind the stadium, it was nine-thirty.
They hurried up the bus steps and were confronted by Sed. “Where the fuck
have you two been? The show starts in half an hour.”
“Get out of the way. I need a shower. You can yell at me later.” Brian shoved
Sed aside and peeled his shirt off over his head as he headed for the bathroom.
“Well, hurry up!” Sed called unnecessarily.
Myrna followed Brian into the bathroom. If she was going to watch the
performance, she needed a shower, too. She had sand in unimaginable locations
and her once white dress was now a grimy shade of puce. Brian turned on the
water in the tiny shower and unfastened his pants.
“Are you going to watch?” he asked.
“I’m going to join you.”
“I don’t have time for you to join me.” Now gloriously naked, he stepped into
the shower.
“I need a shower, too. I’m filthy.”
Her dress and panties landed in a pile on top of her discarded sandals. She
stepped into the shower behind Brian, who was lathering his hair with shampoo.
She hadn’t planned on touching him, just sharing the flow of water, but when
this man was naked and within reach, she couldn’t help herself. She kissed his
shoulder and his entire body jerked.
“Myrna, please don’t. I’m already horny as hell. I don’t need to go on stage
with a hard on.”
“It’s your fault for turning me down on the beach.” She pressed a kiss to the
center of his back, the unpleasant taste of shampoo in her mouth. “And on the
hood of the car.” She kissed his other shoulder. “And inside the car.” Her hands
circled his body to slide up his belly. “And every hotel we passed for 70 miles.”
“Can I help it if my girlfriend always wants my body?” She could hear the
smile in his voice.
“Like you don’t contribute to my uncharacteristic, insatiable appetite.”
“What do you mean, uncharacteristic?”
“Do you really think I usually need hours of sex every single day? When I
have a steady lover, thirty minutes twice a week is sufficient.”
“Really?” He turned to rinse his hair, scrubbing with both arms above his
head. Her hands moved around him to massage his firm buttocks. She kissed his
collarbone.
“So do I not satisfy you, or what?” he asked.
He knew better, but that ego of his needed constant feeding. “You always
satisfy me. Now that I know how good it can be, I want you all the time.”
He grinned down at her. “I feel exactly the same way.” She didn’t believe
him, but now was not the time to call him on his fib. He had to be on stage in
twenty minutes.
They switched places so she could wash her hair while he lathered his body
with soap and insisted on rubbing the bar over her breasts and belly. They
switched places again so he could rinse his body while she finished washing.
Squeaky clean, he kissed her and left her to her own devices.
After hurrying through the rest of her shower, she wrapped a towel around her
body and rushed to the bedroom. Brian was already half dressed. She watched
him tug a T-shirt on over his head. He reached for a studded belt and laced it
through his belt loops.
“What should I wear?” she asked.
“You look damn good in that towel.” The slight growl in his voice made her
throb between her thighs. They were both worked up to a sexual frenzy. How
would she ever get through watching his entire show without pouncing on him in
front of a stadium full of fans?
She grinned. “I don’t think that’s wise.”
“Wear a shirt with buttons,” he requested. “The rest, I don’t care.” He sat on
the end of the bed to put on his socks.
“Stockings and garters?”
He glanced up. “Yeah. I like those.”
“Panties? Or should I not bother?”
With a growl, he grabbed her and tossed her onto the bed. He tugged her
towel open and sucked one breast into his mouth. The other he squeezed firmly.
The hard bulge in his pants pressed against her thigh.
“Don’t you have to be on stage in fifteen minutes?” she asked nonchalantly,
though had he taken the time to explore the neglected parts of her body, he’d
have found her hot, swollen and wet.
He lifted his head to look down at her. “You’re driving me crazy, Myrna.”
“You’ve been driving me crazy all day.”
He grinned. “I think my plan worked a little too well.” He moved from the
bed, his gaze roaming her body as he stood over her. “I’ve got to go dry my hair,
shave, and put on my stage makeup. Get dressed. And try not to look too sexy. I
have to get through the next hour without touching you. If you decide against
panties, please don’t tell me.”
She chuckled and climbed from the bed in search of clothes. She dressed as
fast as she could. She wished she hadn’t mentioned garters. They took too long
to put on. By the time she found Brian in the bathroom, he was ready to go. He
wore a red felt replica of his discarded lucky hat instead of going for the messy,
hairspray and gel look he usually sported on stage. He didn’t have time to do his
hair. The eyeliner he couldn’t do without, however. That was signature. She
wiped at a smudge under his left eye with her thumb.
“I didn’t have time to paint my nails.” He gazed at the remnants of chipped
black nail polish on his index finger.
She hugged him. He trembled against her with a typical case of preshow
jitters. “No one will notice,” she said. “I just need to do something with my hair
and face. I’ll be right out.”
“You wore a suit? You know what it does to me when you look prim and
proper.”
She grinned. “That’s why I wore it.”
He kissed her on the forehead and trotted toward the bus exit. “Don’t be late.”
“I wouldn’t miss it.”
Chapter 23
The crowd was restless and chanting, “Sinners. Sinners. Sinners,” at full volume.
As Murphy’s Law would have it, Brian needn’t have rushed so much. There was
a problem in one of the video panels behind the drum kit. Their effects
technician was working to get it back online as quickly as possible and the
crowd grew louder and more restless with each passing moment. Brian pulled
Jace aside to talk to him while they waited for the signal to go on stage.
“Can I borrow your restraints tonight?” Brian asked.
If Brian’s request surprised Jace, he didn’t show it. “Do you know how to
work them? You don’t want them too tight or too loose.”
“If I can’t figure them out, I’ll call you.”
“The suspension chain should be in the case with them. Make sure her knees
can touch the bed or you’ll hurt her shoulders.”
“I was just going to tie her down, flat on her back.”
Jace shrugged. “I guess that’s okay, but then you only have one side of her
body to work with.”
Brian glanced over his shoulder to make sure Myrna hadn’t arrived backstage
yet. Trey was rocking up and down on the balls of his feet, his energy level sky
high. Eric was twirling his sticks and pointing them at people as if he were a
gunslinger. Sed looked bored and slightly annoyed by the chick who was
hovering around him. No sign of Myrna.
“So I should restrain her arms above her head? I wondered why you put that
hook in the ceiling over the bed.”
“You’ll both get more out of the experience that way. Don’t forget to
blindfold her.”
“Blindfold her? Why?”
“So she really feels what you’re doing to her. You’ve never blindfolded her?”
Brian shook his head.
Jace massaged the silver earring in his left lobe and then the one in his right.
“You haven’t been working all of her senses then, have you?”
“What? You mean like sight and touch.”
“Yeah. Taste, smell, hearing, pain, hot, cold, vibration, pressure, smooth
texture, rough. All the senses.”
Brian felt a little strange asking a guy five years his junior for sexual advice,
but he wanted tonight to be something Myrna would never forget. “Tell me
more.”
“I suggest you blindfold her to heighten the senses she doesn’t use much. Let
her watch you jerk off and come on her, but otherwise keep her eyes covered.
And since she creams over your guitar playing, I’d get her some earphones and
make her listen to our music the entire time. Then she won’t hear what’s coming
at her either.”
Brian decided Jace knew what he was talking about. “What else?”
“Ice and candle wax. Keep her guessing on hot and cold.”
Brian felt like he should be taking notes.
“And put the shirt you wore on stage over her nose. Chicks like the scent of
their man. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, she’ll get off on it. You probably
want to bring stuff to put in her mouth. Different flavors. I’ve got some samples
in the case with my restraints, paddles, and stuff, but you’ll probably want some
extras that are specific to her.”
“Do you sit around all day and think up this shit?”
Jace grinned deviously. “Why do you think I’m so quiet all the time?”
The clicking sound of approaching high-heeled shoes drew Brian’s attention
to Myrna. Ice. Candle wax. Paddles. Blindfolds. He must have looked
suspicious, because she looked at him quizzically when she drew to a stop beside
him.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked. “And why aren’t you on
stage yet? I thought I was late.”
“Technical difficulties.”
“Okay, guys. We’ve got it fixed,” one of the roadies called.
The stadium lights went down. The crowd roared.
“I’ll see you soon,” he murmured close to Myrna’s ear. He adjusted his ear
bud so he could hear himself and the band play without going deaf in front of the
amplifier. He rushed up the stage stairs and trotted across the set to his normal
spot: stage left.
His heart thudded as it always did when his feet first touched the stage. Eric
started the first song with several taps on his cymbal followed by a drum
progression. By the time Jace entered the song with his base groove and Trey
strummed the rhythm riff, Brian’s apprehension had vanished. A purple light
bathed his body from above and he entered the song with a solo—his guitar a
familiar friend. When his solo segued into the lead riff, Sed’s voice growled in
his ear and the stage lit up all at once. He could hear the crowd roar over the
music.
He looked out at the fans, but could only see the first few rows due to the
stage lighting. A great crowd. Fists in the air, heads banging, mouths voicing the
lyrics. When the crowd was pumped up, the band was pumped up and they
always gave a better show. Too bad Brian kept getting distracted by Myrna in
his peripheral vision. He probably should have let her interview the groupies
tonight. As horny as he was, he would have had a hard time concentrating even
if she hadn’t been standing there. Trey bumped up against him to gain his
attention and nodded toward the end of the stage, opposite where Brian normally
played.
Brian nodded in agreement. Over there, he couldn’t see Myrna, but she’d still
be able to see him. He headed across the stage.
When it was time for Brian’s solo, Sed turned toward Trey, shook his head in
confusion, and located Brian to his right side. He made a gesture as if to say
“what the fuck are you doing over there,” but shrugged and moved to the back of
the stage to stand next to Jace. Trey switched Brian’s amp for him with a pedal
on the floor and entered the second half of the solo where they dueled. They met
in the middle of the stage as they did every show, strumming each other’s
guitars, which took extreme concentration. Tonight, Brian found himself facing
Myrna directly. When she raised her fist in the air and cheered for them
excitedly, he missed a long series of notes. Trey laughed at him and shook his
head. Shit! Some fan with a video cell phone was sure to post that flub on the
internet.
Brian just had to pretend she wasn’t there and he should be able to get through
the next nine songs. His plan worked fairly well until the rest of the band left the
stage so he could play his recently composed solos. The solos he’d written while
making love to Myrna. He usually tried to get the crowd pumped up at this point,
but tonight, he decided to just play. They’d either respond on their own or they
wouldn’t. Selfish of him? Maybe.
He stepped up to Sed’s mic in the center of the stage. “I’ve been writing a lot
of new music lately,” he said. “I’m going to play a little for you now. You’ll be
hearing variations of it on the new album.” He paused. “Which should be out
early next year.”
The crowd roared their enthusiasm. Brian closed his eyes and let his fingers
find their own way. He allowed his mind to drift back in time to the moment he
originally composed this solo. The memory was so distinct, he could feel
Myrna’s warmth, smell her skin, and hear her uneven breathing in his ear. It
wasn’t until he reached the end, and Trey appeared at his side, that he heard the
crowd.
“Are you trying to steal the show, Master Sinclair?” Trey asked.
Brian put his hand over the microphone. “Actually, I wish it was already
over.”
Trey grinned at him and pushed his hand aside so he could talk into the mic.
“I think Master Sinclair is more worked up than normal, don’t you? I mean,
where the fuck did that come from? Amazing.” Trey paused, his eyes scanning
the crowd. “The ladies are looking especially sexy tonight, don’t you think so,
Sinclair?”
“Lady Sinners are always sexy.”
“You know what I think he needs?” Trey said. “A couple dozen bras to work
him up even more. What do you say, Lady Sinners? Do you want to help him
out?”
“I’m good, thanks.” Brian glanced over his shoulder at Myrna. She was
laughing as the bras began to fly onto the stage. Within a minute, every size,
style and color of bra imaginable littered the stage at his feet.
Several young women, perched on the shoulders of their boyfriends, lifted
their shirts to show off their bare breasts. He hoped Myrna continued to be okay
with this. He had to play along now. Brian retrieved a red lace bra from the stage
and hung it on the end of his guitar.
Trey picked up a leopard print bra. “Who does this sexy thing belong to?” he
asked, dangling it from one finger.
A girl situated several people behind the barrier started to scream excitedly
and jump up and down. They couldn’t hear her on the stage, but her wild
gesticulations made it obvious that the bra was hers.
“Can I borrow this, sweetheart?” Trey asked. He draped it on the end of his
guitar. “You can pick it up after the show in person. I’ll help you put it back on.”
The young woman unexpectedly dipped out of sight. People in the crowd
lifted her, now unconscious, and passed her to the front of the crowd over the
barrier.
“Damn, Trey, you made her faint.”
“Sorry about that. They just can’t handle my sex appeal.” He smoothed one
eyebrow with the side of his finger.
Brian snorted with laughter. “Apparently, they’ve never seen you passed out
with your head in a toilet.”
The guys in the audience hollered their approval.
Sed appeared between them and looped an arm around each of their
shoulders. “Are you fuckers going to talk all night or are you going to play some
music?”
“I guess we can play our new dueling solo,” Brian said. “Do you want to hear
it?” he asked the crowd. “It’s up to you. We can collect bras all night as far as
I’m concerned.”
He glanced over his shoulder at Myrna again. She was still smiling at his
antics. God, he loved her. Perfect. She was absolutely perfect.
A few more bras landed on the stage. The girls flashing their breasts had the
guys in the crowd worked into a frenzy.
Brian leaned closer to Trey to speak to him without the microphone picking
up their conversation. “I hope you’re ready to play the new dueling solo live.”
He shrugged. “I wouldn’t want you to be the only one to fuck up in front of
ten thousand people tonight.”
Brian grinned at him. “Try to keep up.”
Sed hung several bras on his mic stand. “I’m saving these for later,” he said,
and then moved to the side of the stage and stood next to Myrna. Brian saw him
wrap an arm around her shoulders and plant a kiss on her temple. He also saw
her deliver a well-placed elbow to Sed’s ribs. Knowing Myrna could hold her
own against Sedric Lionheart’s libido, Brian forced his attention back to the task
at hand.
He started the solo and paused while Trey echoed him. He repeated the string
of notes an octave higher and up-tempo. Trey followed him with no problem.
Down an octave and faster. Trey still kept up without missing a note. In reverse
and faster still. Every time Trey made it through a segment, the crowd’s noise
level intensified. Faster and faster they dueled until Trey’s echoes were blending
with Brian’s lead. Trey leaned against his back and instead of dueling, they
played in harmony. When the last note rang from the speakers, the crowd
erupted into cheers.
“I guess we’ll call that a draw,” Brian said. First time ever.
“I think you need some practice, Master Sinclair. You usually smoke me in
three rounds.”
“Maybe we’ll have to start calling you Master Mills.”
Trey grinned. “I’ll beat you one of these days.”
Half the crowd was chanting, “Mills. Mills. Mills. Mills.” The other half
chanted, “Master Sinclair. Master Sinclair.”
Eric’s pounding bass drum reminded them to get on with the rest of the show.
When Jace returned to the stage, he snitched several bras from the floor to
decorate the neck of his bass.
Trey had taken Brian’s mind off Myrna, but seeing Jace reminded him what
he’d be doing in less than thirty minutes. In the future, he’d make sure to make
love to her before a stage performance, not after. His entire body ached.
Through the next six songs, Brian was glad his fingers knew the music,
because his head just wasn’t in it. He scarcely moved from a three-by-three foot
area of the stage. He crossed the stage occasionally to switch out his amps with
the foot pedals on the floor in front of his regular location, but his usual
showmanship was nonexistent. Strangely, Jace took up his slack. No hiding out
by the drum kit for him tonight. He even talked into the mic at one point. The
crowd loved it. Trey and Sed teased him for stepping out of his shell and he
flushed, but Brian just played what he was supposed to.
When the final note of the last song rang out, Brian tossed his pick into the
crowd and headed for backstage. He handed his guitar to a random roadie,
plucked the ear buds from his ears, and grabbed Myrna. She gasped in surprise
when he slammed her against the side of a speaker and covered her mouth with
his. He filled one hand with her soft, full breast. The other slid under her skirt to
find the bare skin of her thigh above her lace-topped stocking. He pressed his
cock, hard as stone, against her mound.
“Horny much, Brian?” Trey called as he passed them. “Jesus Christ, dude.”
Brian removed his hand from Myrna’s thigh long enough to flip off Trey.
Trey pressed up against Brian’s back. “Don’t offer if you don’t plan to put
out,” he said in his ear and gave its lobe a playful nip.
Brian elbowed Trey in the gut and he backed off. Brian tore his mouth from
Myrna’s and looked down at her flushed skin. Her glazed eyes. Swollen lips. She
looked as turned on as he felt. They needed to get to the bus. Stat.
“Great show, Jace,” Eric said as the two of them passed.
Brian glanced over his shoulder. Jace was grinning ear-to-ear. “Thanks.”
“Someone else seemed to have their head up their ass tonight.” Eric swiveled
his head to glare at Brian. “Yeah, I mean you.”
“I think his head was up something else,” Trey said. “Myrna, you need to
escort Master Sinclair to the nearest bedroom before he humiliates himself and
comes down his leg in front of his friends.”
Myrna grasped the hand Brian had squeezing her thigh and squirmed from
between his body and the speaker. “Follow me.”
Jace caught his arm. “Should I stop by in about ten minutes?”
Brian nodded slightly and pulled free of Jace’s grip to follow Myrna to the
tour bus. She ran most of the way. He scarcely got the bedroom door closed
before she was against him, kissing him feverishly.
His plans to make love to her evaporated. He could only think of one thing.
He had to thrust into her body. Bury his cock in her slick, warm flesh. He
couldn’t wait. She must have been of the same mind. Her hands were already
releasing the fly of his jeans. When his cock sprang free of his pants, she gripped
it in one hand and shuddered violently.
“Oh God, Brian. Do me hard. Please.”
She didn’t need to beg, but he liked it. He backed her into the bed and she
tumbled backward. They both struggled to get her skirt up. He scarcely
comprehended that she had opted against panties, and only found himself
grateful that it made it easier for him to find her. She spread her legs wide,
resting on her elbows to arch her back.
He guided his cock into her body, filling her with one violent, deep thrust. Her
entire body spasmed as she came. Hard.
“Oh God. Oh God!” she screamed. She continued to shudder as he began to
withdraw and thrust into her as hard as he could. He would follow her to bliss
soon. The urgency to spill his seed inside her was already building.
His breath hitched unexpectedly. He was closer than he thought. He didn’t
have time to delight in his build-up toward release. His body stiffened and he
erupted inside her. He rocked against her with a startled cry as he came, and then
collapsed on top of her. He trembled uncontrollably for several moments as he
attempted to catch his breath.
“Jesus, I’m sorry, Myrna. Was that even thirty seconds?”
She touched his cheek tenderly and kissed him. “You never last long after a
show.”
“Yeah, but that had to be some kind of world record.”
She shook her head. “You lasted longer than I did. I came as soon as you put
it in.”
He chuckled. “You always make me feel better. Even when I’m terrible.”
She knocked his hat off his head and buried her fingers in his hair. “I
wouldn’t say you were terrible. Just too excited before you started, but you can
make it up to me. We’ll try it again from the beginning.”
Before she could kiss him, there was a timid knock at the door. Jace. Brian
smiled.
“I plan to make it up to you all night,” he said. “I hope you’re ready.”
“For what?”
“A special surprise.”
He pulled out of her body, tucked his cock in his pants and fastened his jeans.
He admired her exposed thighs for a moment before tugging her skirt down to
cover her.
Jace knocked again and Brian went to answer the door. Jace carried a huge
suitcase into the room, set it on the floor and opened it. He pulled out a chain.
“I’ll set this up for you,” Jace said. “It’s important to get the length right.”
Brian glanced at Myrna. Her eyes were wide as she stretched her neck to peer
into the suitcase.
“Don’t worry, honey. I don’t think he’ll use half that stuff,” Jace said to her.
Her frightened gaze moved to Brian. “What are you going to do?”
“Ask you to trust me.”
“I do trust you.”
Jace climbed up on the bed. “Kneel right here, Myrna.”
She looked at the chain in Jace’s hand. “What are you going to do?”
“Nothing.”
She turned her attention back to Brian. “What are you going to do, then?”
“It’s a surprise,” Brian said. “But I promise you’ll like it. Jace is just helping
me set it up, that’s all.”
She hesitated, and then went to kneel beside Jace in the center of the bed.
“Lift your hands above your head.”
She obeyed.
“A little higher.”
Jace fastened the chain to a hook in the ceiling and then whispered something
to her that Brian couldn’t hear. She looked slightly less pale when she lowered
her arms to her sides. Jace hopped off the bed and returned to Brian’s side.
From his suitcase, Jace pulled a pair of leather cuffs that were lined with
fleece. “Make sure you leave enough room for blood flow, and take her arms
down from the hook occasionally or she’ll lose circulation to her hands.” Brian
was surprised by how much experience Jace had with this stuff. Jace retrieved a
gag—a leather strap with a rubber ball—from his case of wicked delights.
“When she starts crying and begging, you’ll probably want to gag her so you
don’t give in to her pleas.”
Brian wasn’t going to gag her. “Crying and begging?”
“She’ll break eventually and be submissive to you forever.”
He glanced at Myrna, who was staring up at the chain and chewing a
fingernail. “I like her not submissive.”
“Your loss.” Jace pulled a candle out of the case and lit it. He set it on the
dresser and pulled a second candle from the case. “Make sure you blow it out
and let the melted wax cool a little before you pour it on her. You don’t want to
burn her skin. You should probably avoid the flails. If you don’t know what
you’re doing, you’ll draw blood, but there are some paddles in here somewhere.”
He rummaged around in the case. There were all kinds of things in there that
Brian didn’t recognize.
“I’m starting to think there’s more to this than I realized.”
“Don’t be afraid to experiment, but be careful not to damage her trust. If she
starts freaking out, you should stop what you’re doing and do something you
know she likes for a while. Push her, but not too hard. You guys haven’t been
together very long.”
Brian took a deep breath and nodded.
“Once you get her bound, blindfolded, and unable to hear anything but the
music in her ears…” He pulled an MP3 player out of his pocket and pressed it
into Brian’s free hand. “…call for me and I’ll show you some techniques. She’ll
never know I’m there.”
“I’ll call you if I need you.”
Jace winked at him and called to Myrna, “Have fun.”
Brian showed Jace to the door, closing it behind him, and then headed for the
bed, hoping Myrna was as open-minded as he thought she was.
Chapter 24
Wary, Myrna watched Brian approach the bed. Her eyes moved to the camelcolored leather restraints in his hand and then to the chain suspended from the
ceiling above her. She’d never been restrained before. She was pretty sure she
wasn’t going to like it. She was, however, open to new experiences and willing
to experiment with Brian.
“Before you start,” she said, “I want you to promise me you’ll stop if I ask
you to.”
“Jace said I should gag you when that happens.”
Her eyes widened and her heart began to race.
“But I’m not Jace,” Brian continued. “I’ll stop if you ask me to stop. Do you
trust me?”
She hesitated, her eyes dropping to the restraints again. “I think so.”
He walked around the edge of the bed and placed the restraints and an MP3
player on the nightstand. Empty handed, he crawled onto the bed with her. They
knelt in the center of the mattress, facing each other.
He took her hands in his and stared into her eyes. He still had his stage
makeup on, which reminded her how sexy he’d looked wailing on his guitar
earlier. He seemed to realize she needed a moment to collect herself. Her heart
rate slowly returned to normal as they stared at each other silently. She leaned
forward to kiss him. He took it as a signal to begin his latest assault on her
senses and turned her chaste kiss into something deep and passionate. Her heart
rate picked up again, but not from anxiety.
He unbuttoned her suit jacket and pushed the garment from her shoulders. His
fingers worked at the buttons of her blouse, unfastening the first two before he
lost patience and ripped it apart at the chest. He squeezed her breasts in his
palms and then unfastened her bra’s front clasp. His mouth moved to her jaw,
her throat, her ear. The fact that he was still so worked up surprised her. He
jerked her blouse and bra from her body and tossed the garments aside.
Brian removed her skirt next, followed by her garter belt and stockings. When
he had her entirely naked, he reached for the restraints. Her apprehension
returned. Maybe this wasn’t the best idea. He could do anything to her and she
wouldn’t be able to fight back.
“Are you okay?” After much fumbling, he got the first cuff fastened. “Is it too
tight?”
She shook her head. “Brian, I’m not sure about this.”
The fastening of the second cuff didn’t take him as long. “About what?”
“Being restrained.”
“I thought you trusted me.”
“I do.”
“And I thought you liked to try new things.”
“I do.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
She took a deep breath and released it slowly. “No problem.”
“Good.” He pecked her on the lips, then stood and pulled her arms up over her
head. He hooked the chain between her wrists to the chain Jace had suspended
from the ceiling. Her knees touched the bed, but she couldn’t rest her buttocks
on her heels. Brian jumped off the bed and stared at her.
“You look really sexy.” He reached behind her head and released the clip
holding her hair in a loose knot. The long strands were still damp from her
earlier shower and felt chilly against her bare shoulders and back. Brian
carefully arranged a strand over her shoulder to encircle her breast. When his
fingers brushed against her nipple, her hands, suspended far above her head,
clenched.
Brian retrieved something from Jace’s open case and returned to her side to
slide a thick, black mask over her eyes.
She twisted her head to the side trying to avoid being blindfolded. “Don’t.”
“Everything will be okay.” His face disappeared from view as he slid the
blindfold in place. “God, that looks sexy, too. I’m starting to think I’m going to
enjoy this as much as you will.”
Myrna wasn’t sure she was going to enjoy this at all. She didn’t like to feel
helpless and that’s exactly how being restrained and blindfolded made her feel.
Next, he put something in her ears. The sound of Sinners music filled her
head. He pulled one of the ear buds out of her ear. “Is that too loud?”
“No. I like it loud.”
He kissed her lovingly. “I won’t hurt you.” He slapped her bare ass and she
flinched. “Much.”
He put the ear bud back into her ear. She waited, her heart thudding with
apprehension. What did he plan to do to her? She couldn’t see him or hear him
or touch him. And she had glimpsed some of the instruments of torture in Jace’s
case.
Something warm and damp draped across her shoulders and around her neck
under her chin. The scent of Brian’s body assailed her. She groaned and
burrowed her nose in his sweat-damp T-shirt. His fingers brushed against her
lower back and her body jerked. Deprived of sight, her other senses were
heightened. His guitar playing had never sounded so exciting, his scent drove her
to distraction, and the gentle brush of his fingers fired a hundred pleasure sensors
in her skin. Knowing she couldn’t touch him made her want to touch him that
much more. Maybe she was going to like this game after all.
Something brushed across the underside of her breast. Soft. Light. A feather?
She concentrated on sensation, trying to understand what she felt. The feather
brushed along her rib cage, down her belly and then up the other side. She
shuddered, a soft groan erupting from between her lips. Something clamped
down hard on her nipple, bordering on pain, but definitely pleasurable. Now the
other nipple. Her body trembled as the gentle brush of the feather contrasted
with the pinching pain centered at both nipples. Clothespins?
The pinching device on her left nipple was removed, leaving it tender and
aroused. Brian soothed the ache with his lips and tongue. She groaned and
tugged on the restraints above her head. “Please, the other now.”
He moved away and clamped her left nipple again. She gasped in frustration.
Something cool and smooth moved across her back between her shoulder blades.
A piece of fabric? Satin maybe. The smooth material moved down her spine and
over her buttock. A sharp sting assaulted her other ass cheek. She cried out in
surprise. He spanked her again. Not with his hand. She decided he had a paddle.
She wondered how he was able to remove objects from the case so fast. She
started to suspect they weren’t alone. But who?
“Jace?” she whispered suspiciously.
Brian moved behind her, the length of his body pressing against hers. She
could feel his naked chest against her back and the rough fabric of his jeans
against her buttocks. He pulled an ear bud out of her ear. “It’s just me. Are you
still okay?”
“Yeah. This is exciting. Don’t stop yet.”
“I won’t until you tell me to.”
He replaced her ear bud and released her nipples from their harsh pinching. A
few seconds later, something cold and wet brushed against both nipples. Water
dripped down the underside of her breasts as the ice melted between his fingers
and her skin. He rubbed a frigid trail down her body, circling her navel and then
moving further down. When he brushed the hot swollen flesh between her legs,
she shuddered against him. He stimulated her clit only briefly before sliding the
ice cube inside her vagina with his fingers. Her thighs clamped over his hand,
holding it in place.
A moment later he spanked her with the paddle and, surprised, she released
his hand. He left the ice inside her and backed away. Cool water dripped down
her inner thigh as the ice melted. Something hot burned a trail over her lower
back.
“Ah!” she gasped, twisting away from the heat. It was very hot but didn’t
burn for long. The smell of paraffin alerted her to his current antics. A second
splash of hot wax dripped over her thigh.
The bus rocked forward. They were on the road again. She wondered
fleetingly if anyone had found her car, but lost the thought as another piece of
ice trailed over her skin, beside the hardening wax on her thigh. Brian’s thumb
touched her chin. When she opened her mouth, he put something on her tongue.
A sweet square of chocolate melted in her mouth. She turned her head to inhale
Brian’s scent on the T-shirt still draped over her shoulders. One of Brian’s best
solos now played in her ear.
She protested when he tugged the ear bud out of her ear again. She enjoyed
being completely immersed in the man’s musical genius.
“Are your arms getting tired?” he asked, his low voice next to her ear. His
breath stirred the fine hairs resting against her neck and she shuddered.
Actually, she couldn’t feel her fingers, but she didn’t much care. “If I say yes,
will you stop?”
“Do you want me to stop?”
She shook her head vigorously. “Not at all.”
His soft chuckle caused goose bumps to rise on her skin. She was so aware of
him that everything he did was a turn on.
“I was just going to take your arms down for a few minutes so you can rest
them. I don’t plan on stopping until the sun comes up.”
“Okay.”
He wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her to rise off her knees. The
chain suspending her hands above her head came free.
“Lie on your belly.”
Disoriented, she felt the mattress in front of her with her hands so she didn’t
do a face plant off the end of the bed. When she was lying face down, he pulled
her right arm out to the side and fastened it down by the restraint cuff.
“I’m not going anywhere,” she said.
He secured her other arm, and then clamped something around her ankle. She
tried to lift her leg, but could scarcely move it. He secured her other leg, so she
lay spread eagle on her stomach without an inch of play in any of her restraints.
“Uh, Brian,” she said, her heart drumming with a mixture of excitement and
fear. “I can’t move.”
“That’s the idea.” He returned the ear bud to her ear.
He left her like that for what seemed like an eon, her nerves suspended on a
knife’s edge. She turned her face into his sweaty shirt, still tangled around her
neck. She breathed in his scent and wriggled her hips, squirming to try to
alleviate the throbbing between her thighs. There was a sharp sting on her
buttocks and she went still, panting for no good reason.
The mattress sagged beside her. She could sense him near her left side even
though he wasn’t touching her.
Something wet trickled down the center of her back.
She tensed.
He spanked her.
She gasped. Forced herself to relax.
His hands moved across her back to spread the liquid into her skin. The heels
of his palms massaged her muscles while his fingers gently caressed her. He
started at her shoulders and worked his way down slowly. When he reached her
lower back, he straddled her thighs. She could feel the crinkly hairs of his legs
brush the backs of hers. Was he naked? Did that mean he would take her soon?
God, she hoped so. His hands moved lower, over her buttocks. After her
spanking, his hands massaging her ass felt amazing. His thumbs brushed against
her anus with each circular motion. She could feel the animal-like sounds
coming from her throat, but she could scarcely hear them over the music.
She fought her arm restraints, straining towards him, lifting her hips off the
bed as high as she could in the hopes that he’d penetrate her. Her muscles felt
like warm butter, making the unrelenting ache between her thighs unbearable.
He stopped massaging her. The sting of the paddle on her soothed ass cheek
was a total shock to her system. She couldn’t take any more of this.
“Please, Brian,” she sobbed. “Please take me. Please.”
He moved away. The mattress rose beneath her as he left the bed.
“No! Don’t leave me like this, you jerk!”
She fought her restraints until she exhausted herself and fell still, breathing
hard from her fruitless exertions. He returned to her then, sitting on the backs of
her thighs. She could feel his rock hard cock resting against the crack of her ass.
So it turned him on to torture her, did it? See if she ever let him fuck her again
after this was over. Or better yet, she’d give him the same treatment and see how
he liked it.
Probably not half as much as she did.
She groaned.
His hands trailed lightly over the skin of her back. From what she could
decipher, he wore two different gloves. One hand was smooth as satin as it
brushed over her skin, the other rougher, more like a loofah sponge. His
dichotomous gloves moved rapidly over her back and sides. A much different
stimulation than his soothing massage. Invigorating. Maddening. When his
hands dipped under her body to caress her hipbones and belly, she shuddered
violently.
“Ah God, you’re driving me insane,” she said.
She felt his lips against her shoulder and then he began to rub his cock up and
down the crack of her ass while he stroked her skin—smooth touch one side,
rough on the other. She dug her toes into the mattress and rocked with him,
wishing he’d stop teasing her and just thrust into her. She was so hot and wet,
she knew she’d come the second he claimed her.
“Put it inside me,” she pleaded. “Just for a minute.”
He moved away again.
She growled in frustration. A moment later, islands of cold spotted across her
back. Ice again. But this time he just set the little cubes in various locations and
left them there to melt. He placed them down the backs of her thighs, knees and
calves as well, and then took a cube and ran it down the crack of her ass, rubbed
it over her anus, around her vaginal opening, and finally her clit. He slid it inside
her, pushing it deep with his finger. He repeated the treatment with a second ice
cube, and a third. Those still resting on her skin formed cool pools and dripped
water down her sides and the center of her back. The ice inside of her was
melting as well and dripping cold liquid over her hot, swollen clit. He
unexpectedly shifted between her legs and then filled her with one savage thrust.
She cried out. “Oh God yes, thank you,” she panted. “Thank you.”
He thrust into her more shallowly, once, twice, three times and then pulled
out. A gush of cold water bathed her aching genitals. She shuddered. He thrust
into her again and rested his face on her back, rubbing it against her as if trying
to control himself. He pulled out again and left the bed.
“Okay, Brian, we can finish now. Let me loose.”
She felt one arm restraint come loose from the bed and then the other. She
rose up to her knees and reached for him. He surprised her by fastening her
wrists together again and stretching them above her head to hook her to the
ceiling.
“I said let me loose. You promised you would if I asked.”
He put something minty in her mouth and then pulled the blindfold up to her
forehead. She blinked against the bright light in the room. She’d had no idea
every light in the room was on. When her eyes adjusted, she decided she might
climax from just looking at him in his present condition. His eyes were glazed,
hair sticking to the side of his face with sweat. He knelt in front of her on the
bed, his engorged cock jutting out between them. She spread her legs as much as
she could, seeing as they were still restrained to the bed at the ankle. She
wrapped her hands around the chain and pulled her knees off the bed. This
would be an exciting position. She couldn’t wait for him to thrust up inside her.
He filled the palm of his hand with oil and rubbed it over his cock from base
to tip. Apparently, he didn’t realize she was already dripping wet.
He continued to caress his cock, base to tip, tip to base, base to tip. Faster
now. She couldn’t stop watching as he stroked himself. The throb between her
thighs was painful. Agonizing. She released the chain and drew her legs closer
together, squirming as she tried to stimulate her clit and give herself some much
needed relief. It was no use.
Her gaze shifted to his face. His head was tilted back, mouth open, expression
taut with impending release. His chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.
His hand moved faster now. Faster over the head of his cock. Faster. He
tensed and shuddered as he came—three glorious spurts splashed over her belly
and chest. It had to be the hottest thing she’d ever seen in her life. A spasm
clenched her insides with a less-than-satisfying orgasm of her own.
Brian sat there for a moment, collecting his breath, and then leaned forward.
He licked the cum from her belly and then rose up to kiss her deeply. She licked
his tongue, greedy for the taste of him. He lowered her blindfold again.
“Brian?” she whispered when he broke their kiss.
He tugged the ear bud out of her ear. “Yeah, baby?”
“If I wanted to restrain you, would you let me?”
He chuckled. “You know I would. Do you want to switch places now?”
She smiled. Jeremy would have never even considered allowing her to have
total control. Brian was so different than that frigid bastard. That Brian would be
willing to submit to her without any hesitation had her thinking of all sorts of
things she wanted to do to him. But for now, she wanted him to continue. She
was enjoying this far too much to want it to end just yet. “Maybe tomorrow.”
“I’ll look forward to it,” he growled into her ear and then settled the ear bud
back in place.
Chapter 25
The bus lurched to a sudden halt, sending empty beer cans scuttling over
Myrna’s sandals. Something thick and gooey spilled from one of the cans and
trickled between her toes. She retched and jumped from the bench, slipping with
her first step and sticking to the floor on her second. She’d had enough! She
stomped over to where the guys sat perched on a pile of dirty clothes playing a
video game in the living area. There was a sofa under that mountain of filth
somewhere.
Myrna planted her fists on her hips and glanced from one band member to the
next. “All right, guys. Some things need to change around here.”
Four pairs of eyes turned toward Brian. Control your chick, they seemed to
say.
She pointed to her foot. “Would someone like to tell me what just dripped out
of a beer can onto my foot?”
“A loogie?” Trey guessed.
“As in phlegm?” Myra sputtered. “Oh. My. God.”
Brian tossed her a dirty shirt, which smelled like ass, and she used it to wipe
the slimy mess off her foot. It wouldn’t surprise her to see one of the guys
wearing that very shirt the next day.
“This place is disgusting,” she said. “The five of you are going to clean this
bus from top to bottom and it’s going to stay clean or I’m going to smother every
last one of you in your sleep.” She kicked a beer can out of her path.
“Myr—” Sed began.
She lifted her hand to silence him. “We’re going to start with that disgusting
refrigerator. All that moldy takeout food has to go. And then I’m going shopping
for some real food. I am sick of fast food.”
At the mention of food, the guys’ expressions shifted from abject horror to
mild interest.
“Real food?” Jace whispered, as if they were speaking a foreign language
he’d never heard.
“Yeah, real food. Meat, vegetables, pasta, fruit, liquid milk. I don’t mind
cooking for all of you, and the roadies too, but you guys will clean this bus and
keep it clean. I can’t live like this anymore.”
“Yes, mommy,” Eric said. “Will you spank my tushie if I’m a bad boy?”
He stood, turned around, and presented his butt to her.
“I’ll only spank your tushie,if you’re a good boy, Eric Sticks,” she said,
“which I think is pretty much never.”
Eric’s lower lip protruded in an exaggerated pout.
She pulled a black garbage bag out of a drawer and tossed it at Jace. He
caught it, blinking hard as he always did when something surprised him.
“Everything goes,” she said.
“Except the beer,” Sed said.
“Put your beer on the other bus. Keep your party pigsty over there. Over here,
we’ll have a peaceful, clean home.”
“This is bullshit,” Sed said. He looked at Brian. “Dude…”
“I think it’s a good idea,” Brian said.
“Me, too,” said Trey. “Will you spank me if I’m good, Myrna?”
She smiled at him. “You’re always good, Trey.”
Everyone laughed at her false statement, except Jace. Jace was already
braving the refrigerator. Without a hazmat suit. He tossed things in the garbage
bag without even looking at them. Sed rescued the beer, setting bottles and cans
all along the stained and cluttered counter.
Myrna touched Sed’s arm. “I hope you don’t mind me bossing your boys
around.”
He grinned crookedly, showing a dimple. She’d forgotten he had dimples. He
didn’t smile that broadly often. “They do miss their mommies sometimes. I’d
love a home cooked meal, to be honest.”
“Then you get to pick the first one. Assuming I can cook it.”
“Pork chops,” he said.
“And mashed potatoes!” Trey called, helping Jace empty the refrigerator. He
opened the freezer, cringed and closed it again.
“Asparagus?” Eric asked hopefully.
“Yeah, asparagus sounds excellent,” Sed agreed.
“That I can do. I’m going shopping. Who wants to come?”
All five men lined up in front of her. She grinned, deciding they probably just
wanted to get out of cleaning. “My car is a coupe, guys. I only have room for
one. The rest of you stay here and clean out that refrigerator. Come on, Brian.”
“Why does Brian automatically get to go?” Eric complained.
“I’m her boyfriend. Duh.”
“We can take my bike,” Jace offered. “I’ll follow.”
“I’ll ride with you,” Trey said to Jace.
“And Myrna can sit on my lap in the car.” Eric snagged her around the waist
and tugged her against his side. “I won’t mind.”
“I’m not fuckin’ staying here by myself.” Sed slammed the refrigerator door.
The five of them stared at her like puppies at a pound desperate to be adopted.
Pick me. Pick me!
Like she could say no to any of them. “Fine. We’ll find a way to fit, but when
we get back, you’re cleaning. All of you.” Her eyes drifted over her companions.
They’d stand out more than usual in this podunk town. “Do you think you all
need disguises? Otherwise we’ll have to fight off fans.”
“We’re in The-Middle-of-Nowhere, Wyoming,” Trey said.
“This town has like, twelve hundred people,” Eric said. “And I think most of
them live in the old folks’ home.”
“What? You don’t think the elderly listen to metal?” Myrna asked.
“We’ll take a chance,” Trey said.
Trey settled on the back of Jace’s motorcycle. The rest of the guys crammed
themselves into Myrna’s little Thunderbird.
With Brian driving, Eric sitting in the middle, and Sed on the passenger side,
Myrna was forced to sit partially on Sed and Eric’s laps. She spent most of the
short drive moving Eric’s hands from inappropriate locations. Sed thumped him
upside the head on occasion. “Will you leave her alone?”
“I hope we don’t get pulled over,” Myrna said. “We look like a group of thugs
on our way to rob a bank.”
Brian laughed. “Yeah. Except our getaway car is frickin’ pink and worth more
than Sed’s dental work.”
Sed grinned like a shark to show off his perfect teeth.
They found a family-owned grocery store near the edge of town. Brian pulled
into the parking lot and Jace’s bike rumbled in after them.
Eric grabbed Myrna in a tight embrace on his lap, while Sed unfolded his 6
foot 4 frame from the little car. Brian climbed from the driver’s seat and offered
a hand to Myrna to help her out of the car.
“We’re good, thanks,” Eric said, squeezing her closer. “See you when you get
back.”
Myrna slid a hand up Eric’s neck into his black hair. He had the craziest
haircut she’d ever seen. It was long on one side and down the back, yet shaved to
stubble on the other side. A ridge of spikes along the top separated the stubble
from the long strands. The finger-thick lock that curled around his throat
changed color on occasion. Today it was a deep blue. A week ago, it had been
crimson red. His hair suited him, she supposed, but he should sue his hairstylist.
As her fingers intertwined in the long strands at the nape of his neck, he glanced
down at her, his eyes wide in surprise.
“Yeah, you guys go on ahead,” she said, staring up into Eric’s pale blue eyes
and running her tongue over her lips. “Eric and I are going to stay in the car and
make out.”
His grip on her slackened as he lowered his head to-
“Psyche!” She shoved him away, before squirming out of his lap.
“Dude,” Eric complained. “That was so not cool.”
“Yeah,” Brian agreed. He helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around
her back. “No one says ‘psyche’ anymore.”
“Well, I’m old,” Myrna said. “I can’t help my lack of cool.”
As soon as they entered the store, a thin, nervous-looking man started
following them through the aisles. Myrna supposed rock stars looked like
shoplifters. She smiled reassuringly at the little man and he turned to fiddle with
the stock on the shelves.
Eric moved to stand next to the store clerk. He stroked his chin as he
examined the condiments. “Brian’s woman thinks we need to eat better,” he said
to the guy. “That attractive, normal-looking babe over there. See her?”
The manager glanced at Myrna. He nodded slightly and returned to his
unnecessary shelf tidying.
“Anyway,” Eric continued. “I’m pretty sure she’s going to make us eat salad.
Do you like salad?”
“I guess.”
Eric clapped him on the shoulder. The man flinched. “Great! I assume you’re
a salad dressing expert, since you keep rearranging these bottles. So, what
dressing would you recommend to a bunch of derelicts like us?” He grabbed the
man’s nametag and leaned unnecessarily close to read it. “Kevin.”
“Eric,” Sed said. “Leave the guy alone.”
“Why? I assumed Kevin wanted to offer some customer service to his
customers. That’s why you’re following us around, right, Kevin?”
The man brushed Eric’s hand from his shoulder. “Raspberry Vinaigrette is
good.”
“Do we look like the kind of guys who’d eat Raspberry Vinaigrette salad
dressing?” Eric asked.
Kevin glanced from one band member to the next. “Uh…”
Myrna grabbed Eric by the ear. “The answer to that question is: Shut up,
Eric.”
“Ow!” Eric protested.
“I like Raspberry Vinaigrette,” Trey said. He put a bottle of dressing in the
cart. “Do they make anything cherry-flavored?”
Kevin shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
Trey took his sucker out of his mouth and pointed it at him. “Well, they
should.”
“Cherry salad dressing? Disgusting,” Brian said, his nose wrinkled. “Ranch is
best.”
Jace selected several bottles of creamy dressing and put them in the cart
without a word.
Eric grabbed Myrna’s wrist to pull her pinching fingers from his ear. “My
point is, Kevin,” he said, “we don’t need a babysitter. Thanks.”
Sed was at the end of the aisle looking at spices. “Hey, Myrna, do you know
how to make lemon-pepper chicken?”
“Sure do,” she called to him. She pulled her arm from Eric’s grip and went to
help Sed pick out spices. The other guys followed her with Jace pushing the cart.
Apparently, Jace had been grocery shopping before. Without any prompting, he
added things to the cart that Myrna would have chosen herself.
“Get some jalapeños,” Eric said to Jace, who’d just added a jar of dill pickles
to the cart. “I’ll make us some omelets.”
“You’ll make yourself an omelet,” Brian said. “Your cooking is worse than
Trey’s.”
“Is it my fault you don’t like cherries?” Trey said.
“No one likes cherries in stir fry.”
“I do.”
Myrna rubbed Trey’s head, messing up his hair. “I’ll bake you a cherry pie,
sweetie. Would you like that?”
He hugged her against his side and kissed her temple. “I love you. Brian, I
love your woman.”
Brian smiled slightly, but didn’t look at Myrna when he said, “Don’t we all?”
They didn’t lose their tail as they wound through the aisles, but Kevin was a
little less obvious about following them. He watched them from one aisle over.
The store had an excellent butcher who produced choice cuts of fresh meat.
“We’ll have to clean out the freezer when we get back,” Myrna said. “I can’t
pass up this meat.”
“The freezer is highly toxic,” Trey said. “Can’t we just throw out the whole
refrigerator and get a new one?”
“Yeah, let’s do that,” Jace agreed. He was tossing T-bones into the cart as if
they were having a buy-one-get-ten-free steak sale.
“Sheesh, Jace, are you hungry?” Myrna asked.
“There are fourteen of us.”
“Good point. Get ground beef. I’ll make chili.”
“Do you really want to be trapped on a tour bus with a bunch of guys who’ve
consumed large quantities of chili beans?” Brian asked.
Myrna laughed. “Another good point. Okay, I’ll make lasagna instead.
Tomorrow.”
“Now you’re talking.” Brian kissed her temple. “I love Italian food.”
“Make sure you get enough pork chops, Jace,” Sed insisted. “I’ll eat like three
or seven of them.”
They made a second trip through the store for things she’d need for lasagna.
By the time they finished, two carts were full to the top.
“I’m not sure all of this will fit in my car,” Myrna said. For a small car, the
Thunderbird had a good-sized trunk, but their carts looked like they were
stocking up to start their own mobile grocery store.
“We’ll make it fit,” Brian said. “Or load Eric up like a pack mule.”
“Uh, no,” Eric said.
Jace started unloading the cart onto the conveyer belt. Myrna had a hard time
accepting what the groupies said about him. A sadomasochist? He was always
such a sweetheart. Quiet. Shy. Gentle. If she hadn’t seen what he kept in his
suitcase with her own eyes, she’d never have believed it. He didn’t even attempt
to look like a natural blond. Platinum hair, dark beard stubble, dark brows. It was
cute though. Myrna couldn’t put her finger on why. With that baby face of his,
he looked like the requisite tough guy of a boy band, not a member of a metal
band.
Jace must have felt her stare, because he glanced up, his brown eyes
inquisitive. “What?”
She shook her head. “Nothing.” She handed him a package of Italian sausage.
He placed it on the conveyer belt.
“God, I want a cigarette,” Trey said, eyeing the locked case behind the
counter. He fidgeted with the zipper on his sleeve repeatedly before cleaning out
an entire display of cherry suckers and dumping them on the checkout stand.
Myrna squeezed his elbow in encouragement and moved around Jace to the
cashier.
“Did you find everything you needed?” the young woman asked as she
dragged products over the scanner.
“I think so.” Myrna looked at the two cartfuls of groceries being unloaded by
an assembly line of rock stars. She smiled to herself. “I hope so.”
A blood-curdling scream emitted from the back of the growing line. Sed’s
body suddenly careened into Eric’s. Brian steadied them.
“Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God!” a high-pitched voice squealed from
about the level of Sed’s belly button. A young girl, no older than thirteen, had
almost knocked Sed to the floor with her exuberance. “Oh Sed, I love you. I love
you!”
“So much for the retirement community theory,” Jace said as he continued to
unload the cart.
Sed glanced at Eric with wide eyes. Eric shrugged.
Sed patted the girl’s head uncomfortably. “Hello there. I think you have me
confused with someone else.”
“I’d know you anywhere,” she insisted. “You’re Sedric Lionheart. The lead
singer of Sinners.”
Sed winced. The rest of the people in line started craning their necks, trying to
glimpse the rock stars in their midst.
Sed bent and whispered something in the girl’s ear. Her face lit up and she
nodded. She hugged him and returned to the back of the line, bouncing on the
balls of her feet excitedly. Her entire body trembled from head to foot.
“What in the hell did you tell her?” Eric said under his breath. “She’s a child,
Sed. I hope you didn’t—”
Sed punched him in the arm. Hard. “Have some faith in me, fuckhead.”
Another line opened, and the very young fan girl rushed to the front of the
second line, knocking an elderly lady sideways in her haste. The girl kept her
eyes on Sed the entire time the cashier rang up her small purchase. She paid and
then rushed out of the store. She stood in front of the glass doors peering in at
them from outside.
“What did you say to her?” Brian asked.
“I just told her if she was quiet, I’d autograph my shirt for her outside the
store. What kind of sick bastard do you think I am?”
“You don’t want me to answer that,” Eric said.
“Sticks, you’re asking for a serious ass whippin’,” Sed said.
Brian presented his stack of cash to pay and they pushed the carts of sacked
groceries to the car. Sed’s little shadow followed them, chattering excitedly.
While the rest of them loaded the trunk, Sed removed his leather jacket and plain
white T-shirt. He put his jacket back on and borrowed a pen from Myrna. He
signed his shirt before handing it over to the girl. She lifted it to her nose and
inhaled, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Sed ran a hand over his shorn
hair, looking very uncomfortable about the entire situation.
“Can I get the band’s autographs, too?” the girl asked.
“Of course!” Sed said, taking the shirt back and passing it around until each
band member had signed it.
The trunk was full to bursting with groceries, but they managed to get it shut
on the third try. After returning to their vehicles, Brian drove out of the parking
lot, with Jace following on his bike. The young fan waved good-bye to them,
clutching Sed’s shirt to her narrow chest.
“Fuck, what a disaster. I’m glad you guys signed the shirt, too. I didn’t think
of what that would look like when I told her that she could have it. What was I
thinking?” Sed said. “I could just picture her daddy showing up outside the tour
bus with a shotgun.”
“It was completely innocent,” Myrna said.
“Yeah, but if your thirteen-year-old daughter comes home with some man’s
shirt, you wouldn’t think it was innocent. You’d want to shoot him in the back.”
“I suppose that would look bad,” Myrna agreed.
“I guess when you say you’d give your fans the shirt off your back, you aren’t
exaggerating,” Brian said.
They laughed. Sed’s body relaxed, though he kept checking the side mirror
for signs of an angry daddy with a shotgun.
Brian pulled up beside the tour bus and put the car in park. “Last one out of
the car has to do all the laundry.”
“I don’t do laundry,” Sed grumbled. Before the words were out of his mouth,
Brian had already leapt from the car and Eric scrambled out after him.
Sed grabbed Myrna around the waist and refused to release her. “I won’t be
the last one out of this car. I don’t do laundry.”
“Then get one of your groupies to do it for you. I’m not doing it.”
He buried a hand in her hair and tugged her head back to stare down into her
eyes. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
Myrna leaned against the door, which opened unexpectedly. She clung to
Sed’s bare chest with her fingertips to keep from tumbling to the asphalt on her
head.
Brian’s angry face appeared upside down above her. “What the fuck are you
two doing?”
Sed’s arms wrapped around Myrna’s body. “What does it look like?” His lips
brushed over her jaw. “Oh yeah, Myrna. Yeah. Don’t stop now, baby.”
“I can’t believe this.” Brian tore his gaze from Sed long enough to glare at
Myrna. “I leave you two alone for ten seconds and you’re already—”
“You think I’m cheating on you?” Myrna sputtered.
She crawled over Sed’s massive body and out of the car, landing gracelessly
on the ground at Brian’s feet.
“You’ve got your hands all over his naked chest, all submissive in his arms
and he’s kissing you. What do you expect me to think?”
Myrna scrambled to her feet and shook her head at him. “I can’t fucking
believe this, Brian. You’re just like my ex-husband.”
When he reached for her, she shoved him aside and stormed away.

**

Still reeling from an eyeful he’d thought he’d never have to see again (Sed with
his hands all over a woman he cared about), Brian watched Myrna stomp up the
bus stairs. He couldn’t believe she’d compared him to her psychotic ex-husband.
Did she really think he was like that asshole?
Inside the bus Eric called, “Hey, Myrna, Jace said he’ll clean the fridge all by
himself. So you can get started cooking those pork chops. I rescued my special
cinnamon and dill rub from the garbage.” A loud crash of cookware followed.
“Don’t cry. You don’t have to use it if you don’t want to.”
Brian started after Myrna, but Sed grabbed his arm. “Dude, learn to take a
joke.”
“A joke?”
“Yeah, I was just playing around. Teasing her. Myrna and I weren’t doing
anything. She’s not like those other bimbos you called girlfriends. You can trust
her.”
“I did trust her. And then you… you were touching her, and looking at her,
and your lips, and her hands, and… she wasn’t even trying to stop you…” His
eyes landed on Sed’s bare chest. “Go put on a goddamned shirt, Sed!”
Brian took a deep breath. He knew he had overreacted, but he also knew what
Sed was like. He turned good girls bad. But Myrna wasn’t a girl. She was a
woman. Somewhere inside, he knew she would never betray him with Sed. She
wasn’t like the others. It wasn’t her he didn’t trust. It was Sed. “Shit. I’ve got to
go talk to her.”
Brian found her in the living area with Jace and Eric, stuffing dirty clothes
into a garbage bag. She had a streak of mascara under one eye. He hadn’t meant
to make her cry.
“Myrna, I didn’t mean to accuse you—”
“Go help Trey unload the car, Brian. I don’t want to talk about this right
now.” He touched her arm and she flinched away from him. “Don’t even think
about touching me.”
“Sed told me there was nothing going on.”
“So you’ll believe Sed, but automatically think the worst of me?”
“No, I just… it looked like… Sed’s done this to me so many times, and…” He
rubbed his forehead. He couldn’t concentrate. The thought of losing her ate the
inside of his chest raw.
Eric grabbed Myrna and shoved her against Brian’s chest. “Kiss and make
up.”
“I think he should squirm a little longer,” Myrna said, but she didn’t move
away. Not even when Brian’s arms crept up to circle her back. “He knows how
much I hate being falsely accused of cheating.”
“I never actually accused… But I shouldn’t have even thought it. I’m sorry,
okay?”
“Okay.”
He breathed a sigh of relief. “Okay?”
“Yeah, I overreacted. A little.”
Brian kissed her forehead and squeezed her tighter, inching her body toward
the bedroom. “Can we go make up now?”
She laughed and hugged him. “We need to go get this laundry done.”
“We could always make up on the washing machine at the laundromat.”
She leaned back and looked up at him, adventure sparkling in her gorgeous,
green-flecked eyes. “Yeah, we could.”
God, he loved this woman. If Sed touched her again, he would kill him.
Chapter 26
Myrna shook her head at Brian. “We’ve been through this a hundred times. I’m
not staying in L.A. with you.”
“You can get your work done while we’re rehearsing and in the recording
studio,” he said. “And we have a music video shoot in a couple of days. You can
use that entire day to work.”
Lounging on his back in one of the curtained bunks, Brian trailed his fingers
lightly over her bare shoulder, tracing the spaghetti strap of her satin nightgown.
She lay on his belly, her folded arms on his chest and her chin resting on her
interlaced fingers. She stared up at his face, which was mostly concealed in
shadows, contemplating her options. He’d been wearing her down for almost a
week, and as much as she wanted to have fun with him, she knew she had to use
this opportunity to get caught up on her work.
“You know if I stay, I’ll want to watch everything you do. You’re too much
of a distraction. Besides, it’s only a week. It won’t kill us to be apart for seven
days.”
“We’ve been together almost every moment of every day for three weeks.
Seven days apart will feel like an eternity.”
“You know what they say. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
“If my heart grows any fonder, it’s going to hop out of my chest and into
yours.”
She melted. She scooted up his body to kiss him. “That’s the sweetest thing
anyone’s ever said to me.”
“It sounds sort of fatal,” he murmured.
“Then I don’t want your heart to grow any fonder.” She kissed him again and
rolled toward the wall.
“Don’t think just because you’re being stubborn you’ll get out of meeting my
parents,” he said. “They’ll be at the show tomorrow night.”
She sat up, her head inches from crashing into the ceiling. “What?”
“They always come to our show in L.A. Trey’s parents. Sed’s parents. They’ll
probably all be there. It’s like an elementary school Christmas program all over
again.”
“Do they know about me?” she asked, her voice uncharacteristically squeaky.
“Yeah, they know. Mom’s a great ear when I’m bummed out. And believe
me, that entire month I didn’t see you after Des Moines qualified.”
“What did you tell her?” When he opened his mouth to speak, she covered it
with her hand. “Wait. I don’t want to know.”
She squirmed over his body and dropped out of the bunk. He caught her arm.
“Where are you going?”
“I need a drink.” She turned and found Eric, Sed, and Jace staring at her from
the spotlessly clean living area where they sat watching TV. She instinctively
tugged her baby doll nightgown down her thighs to make sure everything was
covered and went directly to the refrigerator. Unfortunately, what she wanted
was on the other bus.
“Why isn’t there any alcohol on this bus?” she yelled and slammed the
refrigerator door.
The guys on the sofa laughed at her dilemma.
“I don’t know, Myr,” Sed called. “Why is that?”
Eric climbed to his feet, swaying slightly as the bus decelerated and then sped
back up. He stopped next to her, reached into his leather vest and withdrew a
silver flask. “Tequila?” He opened the flask and extended it toward her. The
fumes made her eyes cross.
“You mean To-Kill-Ya?” She snatched the flask out of his hand and took a
long drink. She sputtered and coughed, her eyes watering, stomach protesting.
She handed the flask back to him, shaking her head with her eyes closed. “That
is some nasty stuff.”
“The drunker you get, the better it tastes.” He took a swig and recapped it.
Brian appeared at her elbow. “You’re drinking?”
“So?”
“I really don’t get why meeting my parents is such a big deal.”
“Brian’s mom is a total MILF,” Eric said. “And his dad is a living legend.
Brian’s parents are way cool.”
“I’m sure they are, but meeting his parents would suggest Brian and I are
pretty serious.”
“Yeah, so?” Eric said.
“So that gives the wrong message. Brian and I are—”
“Just having a good time,” Brian finished her sentence.
“Exactly,” she said. “Thank you.”
“If you don’t like parents, you can ‘just have a good time’ with me,” Eric
said. “I don’t have any parents.”
“You don’t?”
He shook his head. “I’m a product of the fine state of California’s foster care
program.”
She gave Eric a warm hug. He tugged her closer, his jaw resting against her
hair. “I love sympathy hugs,” he murmured, and then his hands slid over her
satin nightgown from her lower back to her ass.
She elbowed her way out of his grip. “Is it possible for you not to cop a feel
when I’m within reach?”
“I take opportunities when they present themselves.”
She glanced at Brian, who was scowling at her.
“Don’t get mad at me,” she said, “that was him.”
“Why do you get to call all the shots in this relationship?” he asked.
“Huh?”
“Because you’re pussy-whipped.” Eric retreated to the living area before
Brian took out his frustration on him.
“I’m always the one compromising what I want,” Brian said, his voice raised
in anger.
“I compromise.”
“That’s bullshit, Myrna. Name one thing you’ve done that you didn’t want to
do. One compromise you made because I asked you.”
“I’m always putting off work I need to do for you.”
“I don’t ask you to.”
“Yes, you do. All the time. As soon as I start working, you show up wanting
sex.”
“You can say no. I don’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.”
“And how would you react if I said no?”
“I’m not sure. I’ve never had to deal with that situation.”
Myrna was stunned speechless. Was he insinuating what she thought he was?
“That’s because Myrna is dick-whipped.” Eric hid behind a sofa pillow.
“Well, what compromises have you made?” Myrna countered, unable to argue
his logic. She didn’t ever say no to him. She didn’t want to.
“This entire relationship is a compromise for me.”
Sed increased the volume of the TV.
Brian talked louder. “I want to tell you how I feel. I want this to be serious. I
want to introduce you to my parents. I want this to be permanent and about more
than sex. I know this is hard for you, but it’s hard for me, too. Don’t you get
that? I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.”
“Then don’t take it,” she said. “Walk away.” She flicked her hands at him as
if showing him the door.
She never expected him to turn his back and close himself in the bedroom.
Her first instinct was to chase after him. That’s what she wanted to do, but she
knew she couldn’t do that. She had to stick to her guns or things would get
serious between them and she didn’t want that. Right? No, that would be
horrible. Then he’d start with the stupid marriage proposals again.
“You really blew it this time, Myr,” Eric called over the blaring TV.
“Shut up, Eric.” She stood there indecisively for a moment, wondering why
she felt like crying. If this “thing” didn’t work out between her and Brian, it was
for the best. Right? Yeah, for the best.
She dashed a tear from the corner of her eye and settled into the booth around
the dining table. She sat on the opposite side she usually did, with her back to the
living area and facing the bedroom. She didn’t want the distraction of the guys
watching TV while she entered her stupid data into her stupid spreadsheet. At
least, that’s what she told herself as she booted up her stupid computer with one
eye on the bedroom door.
Chapter 27
Around three in the morning, Brian stumbled out of the bedroom in search of the
bathroom. He hadn’t been asleep long. His brain wouldn’t shut up long enough
for him to drift off, and then Trey kept cuddling up against him, which made for
unpleasant sleeping arrangements. He paused in the doorway. Myrna had fallen
asleep at her computer, her head resting on a stack of questionnaires. The others
on the bus had retired to their bunks. He didn’t know why he should care if she
was uncomfortable sleeping on her ever-important work. She obviously didn’t
give a shit about him or his feelings. She hadn’t even tried to make up with him
after their argument. He had to come to terms with the fact that she only wanted
him for one thing. And he didn’t think he could settle for that any more.
After he finished in the bathroom, he headed back for bed. His conscience
getting the better of him, he went to the booth and drew Myrna towards him.
He’d just toss her in the empty bunk so she didn’t wake up with a huge crick in
her neck.
“No,” she groaned, still asleep. “Gotta get this data entered so I can stay with
Brian in L.A.”
He smiled and kissed her temple. Yeah, she obviously didn’t care about him
at all. He just had to be patient with her. It was just so hard to have everything he
wanted pressed against him but not be able to claim her as his forever.
He lifted Myrna and carried her past the empty bunk and into the bedroom.
He laid her on the bed next to Trey and climbed in on her other side.
“Slumber party,” Trey murmured and snuggled up against Myrna. Mr.
Cuddles was a total bed hog. But was it really necessary for him to massage
Myrna’s breast like that? Brian thought not. He grabbed Trey’s finger and bent it
back until he cried out in pain.
Myrna scowled in her sleep.
“Hands off, Mills.”
Trey sighed heavily and rolled onto his other side. “Party pooper.”
Chapter 28
Myrna opened her eyes and blinked in the bright morning sunshine. When her
eyes adjusted to the light, she found Brian sleeping beside her. She wasn’t sure
how she ended up in bed with him, but she was grateful to find him so close. It
made it easier to apologize. She should have done it last night.
She lifted her hand to touch his face.
His eyes fluttered open and he smiled. “Good morning, beautiful.”
“Oh Brian,” she murmured, her eyes strangely watery. “I’m sorry about last
night. And I’m sorry I’m not more available for you. You’re always so good to
me and I just can’t bring myself to…” She shook her head. “But I do want to
compromise. So if you still want me to stay with you in L.A., I promise to hang
around a couple of days and do anything you want before I go home to get
caught up on work. How does that sound?”
He kissed her nose and smiled. “Like a compromise.”
“I’ll try to be better about finding middle ground.”
“And I’ll try to be more patient.”
“That biblical Job guy ain’t got nothing on you, sweetie.” She stroked his hair
from his cheek. “I don’t know how you put up with me.”
“I think you do,” he said, “but I’ve been forbidden to say it.”
Her heart thrummed in her chest and she covered his lips with her fingertips
before he let that blasted l-word slip.
A hard, warm body plastered itself to Myrna’s back. She stiffened and held
her breath. They weren’t alone? Within seconds, the man had splayed his hand
over her belly, intertwined his bare legs with hers and buried his face in her
neck.
Brian chuckled. “Mr. Cuddles strikes again.”
“Soft,” Trey murmured in her ear. He snuggled closer.
Just Trey. She emitted her held breath and relaxed. Trey snuggled closer still.
“Don’t let him smother you,” Brian advised.
“I don’t think I can move.”
“Shhhh,” Trey murmured, his nose pressed behind her ear. “Sleeping.”
Brian chuckled and shook his head. “You might as well go back to sleep. He
won’t move for a while.”
Myrna wasn’t sure how anyone could be expected to sleep when sandwiched
between two sexy guitarists.
Chapter 29
Why was she so nervous? They were just parents. Yes, one of them was
Malcolm O’Neil, but that shouldn’t make her tummy flutter or her palms sweat.
“Are you okay?” Brian asked.
“Fine,” she squeaked.
“Don’t be nervous. They’ll love you.”
The mood backstage was more sedate than usual, with scarcely a scantily clad
woman to be found. Brian opened the dressing room door and ushered Myrna
inside. The instant Brian stepped into the room, a stunning woman grabbed him
in a crushing hug and kissed him square on the mouth.
“Excuse me,” Myrna said crossly.
“Mom,” Brian gasped. “Can’t breathe.”
“I don’t see you for two months and you greet me with ‘can’t breathe’?”
He gave his mom a hug that lifted her feet off the ground. She laughed.
“Put your mother down,” a deep voice said behind Myrna.
She turned and looked up at Malcolm O’Neil. Her heart did a somersault in
her chest. She’d been afraid of this. She gaped up at him like a fish out of water
—her throat trying to produce sounds, her mouth opening and closing
sporadically. Brian’s arm slid around Myrna’s shoulders reassuringly.
“Well, this is her,” Brian said. “This is Myrna.”
“She looks normal,” Malcolm said suspiciously. He looked normal, too,
which surprised Myrna for some reason. Shouldn’t rock legends glow with
greatness?
“Don’t mind him,” Brian’s mom said. “He’s forgotten his manners. I’m Claire
Sinclair. Yes, you can laugh. I didn’t realize how stupid my name would be
when I agreed to marry Malcolm. I had no idea his last name wasn’t O’Neil until
I saw his real name on the marriage license.”
“You never asked,” Malcolm said.
Myrna didn’t dare laugh at Claire’s name. The woman intimidated the hell out
of her. She had supermodel looks and a star quality that threw Midwestern-farmgirl Myrna for a loop. Claire had to be close to fifty and she looked spectacular.
Not a single wrinkle marred her perfect skin, nor was there a gray hair to be
found in her silky, brown hair. If Myrna had met her on the street, she’d have
thought her thirty-five. Tops. It seemed biologically impossible for her to be
Brian’s mother. He had her high, sculpted cheekbones, but they looked more like
siblings than mother and son.
“Are you adopted?” Myrna sputtered at Brian.
His eyebrows drew together. “Huh?”
“I don’t mean that as an insult.” Yeah, great thing to say the first time you
meet your boyfriend’s mother. “I mean, you look amazing, Mrs. Sinclair. It
seems impossible that you’d have a twenty-eight year-old son.”
Mrs. Sinclair beamed. “You’re a dear for saying so.” She took Myrna’s elbow
and drew her away from her husband and son. “Please, call me Claire. Now, tell
me all about yourself. Brian says you’re a doctor.”
“Well, not a physician. A professor.”
“Yes, he told me as much, but he won’t tell me what your degree is in. I’m
dying to know.”
What little respect she’d garnered by being a doctor was about to be thrown to
the wayside. “I… er… well… the thing is…”
Brian appeared at her elbow. “I’ve got to go get ready for the show. Sorry to
abandon you. I’ll take you both to a late dinner or something. Dad, too.”
Myrna used her eyes to plead with him to rescue her, but he just smiled at her,
obviously pleased that she got along with his mother.
“We’ll be fine, dear,” Claire said. “Break a leg or whatever I’m supposed to
say to wish you luck.”
Myrna watched Brian head for the shower room, longing to follow him. And
not because he was about to get naked.
“Well, Myrna?” Claire continued. “Are you going to tell me? What’s your
degree in?”
Eric magically appeared at Myrna’s side. Either that or she had been too
distracted to notice his approach. “She’s a certified human sexuality professor.”
Claire laughed. “Well, that would explain Brian’s fascination with her.”
Ouch.
“So you’re like Doctor Ruth. Only younger, taller, and more attractive,”
Claire said.
“No, Doctor Ruth is a Sex Psychiatrist,” Myrna clarified. “I don’t treat people
for sexual dysfunction.”
“Well, that’s a relief,” Malcolm said behind her, his booming voice making
her jump. “I thought maybe my boy had some problems he didn’t see fit to
share.”
“No, no problems.” Myrna’s face flamed.
“And trust her, she would know,” Eric said.
He laughed. Claire laughed. Malcolm laughed. But Myrna didn’t laugh. She
was too busy looking for a rock to crawl under.
“Doctor Myrna’s on tour with us because she’s studying the sexual behavior
of our groupies,” Eric added.
Claire stopped laughing. “Ugh,” she said. “Groupies. How do you stand
them?” She wrapped an arm around her husband’s waist and looked up at him.
“I hated your groupies.”
“They hated you, too,” he said and kissed her passionately. She clung to him
as if he’d stolen her senses. If he kissed anything like his son did, Myrna was
certain Claire had completely lost her senses. Myrna’s face flamed even hotter at
her errant thoughts. These were Brian’s parents. His parents.
Mind out of the gutter, Myrna.
When Claire and Malcolm drew apart, Malcolm looked down at Myrna. It
was strange to look up at an older, not quite as gorgeous, version of her
boyfriend. “So what have you learned about Brian’s groupies?”
“They’re all madly in love with his stage persona,” she said.
“But you’re madly in love with the real person,” Malcolm said. Myrna felt the
blood drain from her face. “That’s why I married Claire. She knew the real me
and loved me anyway.”
Claire grinned up at him mischievously. “What makes you so sure?”
“Excuse me,” Myrna said. “I need to… erm… use the restroom.”
She fled to the shower room, not realizing how it must look until she’d
already entered and found herself in the company of not only naked-Brian, but
also naked-Sed and naked-Trey. She caught a glimpse of three very nice, very
white asses before she diverted her gaze and scanned the room for a bathroom
stall. Urinal? No can do.
“Don’t mind me,” she said, locating a stall in the corner. She let herself in and
locked the door behind her. She stood there trying to collect her scattered wits.
What exactly had Brian told his parents about her? Madly in love? She’d never
been madly in love with anyone.
“You okay in there?” Brian asked from the other side of the stall door.
“Did you tell your father I was madly in love with you?”
“Uh… No, of course not.”
“Don’t lie to me, Brian Sinclair.” She opened the stall door. He stood there in
his towel, water clinging to his skin, looking as irresistible as ever. Madly in lust.
Yeah, she’d admit to that.
“I’m not lying. Are you hiding?”
She laughed. It sounded false even to her own ears. “Of course I’m not
hiding.”
“Trying to get a glimpse of the band naked?”
“Yeah, that’s what I was doing.”
“So, who said what?”
She could tell his patience was wearing thin. “Your father said I was madly in
love with you.” She rolled her eyes.
“Maybe he was just calling it like he saw it.” He put his hands on his hips, a
challenge in his eyes.
“What did you tell them?”
“I didn’t tell them anything.” He sighed, all the fight going out of him.
“Because apparently there’s nothing to tell.” He turned and walked toward the
dressing area.
She lifted a hand toward his retreating back. Trey approached, one towel
around his waist, another in his hands as he dried his hair. He dropped the
second towel around his shoulders. Trey usually had this devil-may-care
expression on his face, so Myrna didn’t quite know what do when confronted by
this serious version of party boy.
“I try to stay out of this because it’s none of my business,” he said, “but you
need to realize a few things, Myrna. Brian won’t say anything.”
“About what?”
“About his parents.”
Her brow arched in question.
“It’s hard to understand what it’s like for Brian. To grow up in the shadow of
a great and be destined for the same career. Brian has always tried to prove
himself to his father, and the man scarcely validates him as a musician. I don’t
think Malcolm realizes how that affects his son. Brian works his ass off to show
his father he’s worthy of his approval, but it doesn’t matter. He’ll always fall
short in Malcolm’s eyes. And Brian’s mother?” Trey rolled his eyes. “She’s got
her plastic surgeon on fuckin’ speed dial. I know because my father handles her
wrinkle catastrophes. All she cares about is herself and how great she looks.”
Myrna shook her head. “She obviously loves her son.”
“Yeah, now that he’s famous. She completely ignored Brian as a kid. She was
too concerned about Kara’s blossoming beauty. Do you know who Kara is?
Brian’s little sister.”
“Brian told me she died.”
Trey nodded, a deep sadness in his eyes. “When Kara died, Claire’s
competition for best-looking in the family was gone. I think she was relieved
that her daughter would never surpass her in the modeling world. And Malcolm
is the same way with Brian. It’s strange to watch. And it eats Brian alive. He
always makes excuses for the man.”
“Aren’t parents happy when their children are more successful than they are?”
“These aren’t normal parents, Myrna. We’re talking about a pair of highly
successful people beyond their prime. Now the reason I’m even bringing up
Brian’s family baggage, at risk of a serious ass whippin’, is because Brian saw
fit to introduce you to his parents. That’s a big deal for him, you know. He’s
never opened a relationship to criticism from them. He identified you as being
worthy of their approval. Approval even he can’t seem to obtain.”
“You mean he’s never introduced a romantic interest to his parents before?”
He nodded. “Yeah.”
“Well, why didn’t you just say that?”
“Because if I called you his ‘romantic interest,’” he said, using finger quotes,
“you’d probably go hide in the bathroom again.”
“I wasn’t hiding.”
“Yeah, uh-huh, okay. Myrna, you really shouldn’t blow this thing with Brian.
There will come a time when that fortified wall of yours will turn him away. I
mean a guy can only take so much abuse.”
She scowled at him.
“Lucky for you, he’s a glutton for punishment.” Trey grinned. He paused and
ran a finger along one eyebrow. “And he doesn’t like guys.”
Myrna’s eyes widened. Was Trey implying what she thought he was
implying?
Trey laughed. “I’m kidding, Myrna.”
“Trey, you better get dressed,” Sed said. He leaned against the stall partition
next to Myrna.
“If you tolerated his parents tonight, it would mean a lot to him, Myrna,” Trey
said.
Myrna nodded. She’d pretend to be Brian’s doting girlfriend for his parents’
sake, but he’d owe her one. Trey winked at her and headed for the dressing area.
“What were you two discussing?” Sed asked. “Looked serious.”
“Parents.”
Sed sighed. “Mine didn’t show up. Both of them had to work.” He leaned
closer to her and grinned. “So all those squats I’ve been doing have really been
paying off, huh?”
“What?”
“Don’t tell me you didn’t check out my ass when I was in the shower. You’d
be lying.”
She snorted with laughter. “Yeah, Sed. I can’t stop thinking about it.
Thoughts of your perfect ass will consume my every waking moment, interrupt
my dreams and send me into an insatiable lust even Brian won’t be able to
satisfy.”
“I could offer my assistance.” He ran his fingers over her lapel, his eyes
trained on her neckline.
“Only if you want to lose some teeth,” she said, brandishing a fist at him.
He laughed. “You know it turns me on when you play hard to get.”
“Try impossible to get.” She patted his recently shaved cheek and headed
toward the locker room exit, hoping Brian’s parents wouldn’t notice that she’d
just spent twenty minutes in the locker room with their son and two other guys.
She found Claire laughing hysterically with Eric. Claire wiped tears from the
corner of her eye and gave Eric a heartfelt squeeze. “I’m going to adopt you one
of these days.”
“If you adopt me, I can’t marry you,” he said, grinning ear to ear.
“Hey, wait until I’m dead before you start hitting on her,” Malcolm said,
drawing his wife away from Eric and against his side.
Claire started when she noticed Myrna standing at her elbow. “Oh, you’re
back,” she said. “So, how did you meet my son?”
Myrna wondered if Brian had already told her. She knew better than to get
caught in a lie, but if Brian had already lied about it, then he’d be the one who
looked bad. She smiled, deciding to be as vague as possible.
“I met him in a hotel lounge. I was at a conference for work and he…” Why
had the band been in the hotel that night instead of staying on the tour bus?
“…was staying in the hotel suite the concert venue provided free of charge,”
Eric supplied. “Nothing better than a long bath after being on the road for a
month.”
At Eric’s mention of the hotel bath, Myrna’s lungs stopped functioning.
Claire giggled.
“I hear you,” Malcolm said.
Myrna decided it would be better if she asked the questions. “So I assume the
two of you have seen Sinners in concert before. They put on a fantastic live
show, don’t they? The best.”
Eric beamed at Myrna’s compliment and shifted from Claire’s to Myrna’s
side. Myrna hoped he didn’t start with the perpetual fondling. She glanced up at
him and found him behaving himself for a change. Claire didn’t look too pleased
to have lost Eric’s undivided attention. Trey obviously understood this woman
quite well. Myrna made a note to never look more attractive than Brian’s mother
while in her presence.
“We’ve seen them quite a few times,” Malcolm said. “They sound a hell of a
lot better than they did when they were making noise out in the garage as
teenagers.”
Claire giggled again and patted her husband’s chest. “They were awful,
weren’t they?”
“And now they’re one of the most popular and talented bands out there,”
Myrna said, still smiling.
Eric touched the small of Myrna’s back, as if trying to protect her from
impending doom.
“Just because you’re popular doesn’t mean you’re talented,” Malcolm said,
scowling.
If Myrna had a cotton swab, she would have cleaned out her ears. He didn’t
really just say that, did he? Eric’s fingers gripped the back of her jacket. Was he
trying to keep her from jumping Brian’s father and kicking the shit out of him?
Probably a good move on Eric’s part.
“They just don’t make music like they used to,” Malcolm added.
“Thank God,” Myrna grumbled.
“I mean Sed doesn’t even sing,” Malcolm said. “He just screams and growls.”
Eric’s fingers gripped Myrna’s jacket even tighter.
“And Brian solos constantly,” Malcolm continued, the furrow in his brow
deepening. “He wouldn’t know a good riff if it bit him in the ass.”
“Malcolm…” Claire said in warning, but she was grinning to herself in
agreement.
“And why in the hell do you need three bass drums, Sticks?” Malcolm asked.
“You only have two feet. And fourteen cymbals? I mean really. What’s the
point?”
“Different sounds,” Eric said quietly.
“You’re a fuckin’ drummer. Your job is to keep the beat, not make different
sounds.”
“Eric is the best drummer in the business,” Myrna said, her blood pressure sky
high. “Sed has a beautiful voice and Brian’s solos are amazing!”
“Yeah, well, it sounds like a bunch of noise. It ain’t music.”
“What the hell do you know, you washed-up has-been?” Myrna sputtered.
“Why don’t you step off your self-erected pedestal and offer your son some
support? You don’t want him to succeed, do you? He thinks you want him to
appreciate his success, but in reality, you didn’t want him to surpass you. Too
late, O’Neil. He already has.”
“Did you just call me a ‘has-been’?” Malcolm asked.
She doubted he’d heard anything else she’d said. The important stuff about
his son had apparently bounced off his overly large ego. Frustrated to the limits
of her tolerance, she shoved Eric away and spun on her heel. Sed, who was
standing directly behind her, caught her by the shoulders to steady her. And
beside Sed stood Trey and… Brian.
Shit!
From Brian’s stunned expression, she gathered he’d overheard her tirade.
“I’m sorry.” She ducked her head so she didn’t have to see his face. What was
she thinking? Calling a rock legend—Brian’s father—a washed-up has-been. To
his face. She wouldn’t take it back though. She’d meant every word. “We’ll talk
later, Brian. I’ll go wait on the bus.” Maybe she could think of the right thing to
say in the interim. She was at a complete loss at the moment.
“Why?” Brian asked.
“You heard what she called me,” Malcolm bellowed.
“I also heard what you said.” Emotion made Brian’s voice waver, but Myrna
still couldn’t garner the courage to look at him. “If you don’t want to be here,
you should leave.”
Malcolm grunted.
“Is it that hard for you to be proud of him?” Trey asked.
“Trey, stay out of this,” Brian said. “He doesn’t have to support everything I
do.”
“But he should,” Myrna murmured. She wondered how it was possible to
produce words with her entire foot in her mouth.
“You don’t want to watch the show either?” Brian asked Myrna.
“Of course I want to watch the show.”
“I never said I didn’t want to be here,” Malcolm added.
“It’s settled then. Everyone has to suffer through my solos for the next hour.”
Myrna reached for Brian’s hand, but he threw her off and stalked out of the
dressing room. Before she could start after him, Trey caught her arm. “Thanks
for saying something,” he whispered. “He’d have kicked my ass for that.”
“I should have kept my mouth shut.” Now she had to fix things. She didn’t
want to be remembered as Brian’s crazy ex-girlfriend who’d called Malcolm
O’Neil a has-been.
Trey grinned. “You just showed how much you care. Brian will be stoked
when he cools down and realizes it.”
“I don’t think he’s stoked that I made an ass of myself in front of his parents.”
She glanced at Malcolm and Claire who were talking with their heads close
together as they followed Eric out of the dressing room.
“The name-calling was a bit much,” Trey said.
“And who instigated the entire thing?” She jabbed Trey in the chest with her
finger. “You. I wouldn’t have gone off if you hadn’t alerted me to the situation.”
“I’ve been wanting to tell off Brian’s father for years.”
Trey started after the rest of the group and Myrna followed, her mind racing.
“How can I make this up to him?”
“Do you want my honest opinion?” Trey asked.
“No, Trey, I want you to lie to me.”
He grinned at her crookedly. “If you can get Malcolm to admit Brian is a
great guitarist, I think he’ll forgive you.”
“That should be easy enough. All he has to do is listen to Brian play.”
“Good luck with that.”
“Do you think I can talk Malcolm into joining Brian on stage while he’s
soloing in the middle of the show?”
“Doubtful.” Trey paused and took her by the arm, a thoughtful expression on
his face. “Unless…”
“Unless what?”
“Maybe if the band plays a tribute to Winged Faith. Malcolm’s problem is
he’s stuck in the seventies. He’s an amazing musician but refuses to change,
which puts him out of a job.”
“That might work. Does the band know any Winged Faith songs?”
Trey’s eyebrow arched. “Do you really have to ask? Every band knows every
Winged Faith song ever written.”
She chuckled. “True.” Problem was, she doubted that Malcolm would agree
to any suggestion she made. She squared her shoulders. She just wouldn’t take
no for an answer.
Trey laughed and tugged her into motion again.
She glanced up at him. “What?”
“The look of determination on your face. Papa Sinclair won’t know what hit
him.” He hugged her against his side.
When they entered the backstage area, Myrna and Trey went in opposite
directions. She spotted Brian near the stairs behind the stage. He always had
preshow jitters, but tonight he looked physically ill.
She considered going to talk to him, but figured she’d probably make things
worse and he didn’t need the added anxiety right before their set. Trey, now
equipped with his yellow and black guitar, approached Brian and pounded him
on the back vigorously. He leaned close and said something in Brian’s ear. Brian
smiled, seeming to relax slightly, and whispered something back.
Trey was so good to Brian. She loved Trey for it and was jealous of him at the
same time. She didn’t quite understand that jealousy part. Trey had always been
there for Brian. She should be happy that he had that kind of friend. And in a
way she was. In another way, she wished she was the one who Brian depended
on.
Brian’s eyes met hers across a sea of sound equipment. He sucked his top lip
into his mouth and lowered his eyes to inspect his shoes. Her heart twisted and
tears prickled her eyes.
He couldn’t even look at her.
Was this the end? God, she hoped not.
But even if he never forgave her, she wanted to patch things up between him
and his father. She’d put her psychology degree into full operational mode.
She continued around the stage, hurting more than she should. Why did she
care if Brian no longer wanted to be with her? She never expected him to be a
permanent fixture in her life, but this was too soon. She wasn’t ready to give him
up. Their three months weren’t over. She still had six more weeks of data to
collect for her project.
Myrna stood next to Malcolm on the floor to the side of the stage. He had his
arms crossed over his chest and a look of tried patience on his face. Myrna bit
her tongue and turned her attention to the stage. A camera crew stood ready to
film a live video the band would be releasing soon. They’d chosen their
hometown for the video because the crowd was guaranteed to be pumped up.
When the stadium lights went down, the roar of the crowd was so deafening
Myrna covered her ears with both hands.
Knock ’em dead, guys.
The curtain dropped and blinding white streams of fireworks fell behind the
stage. The brilliant light-curtain silhouetted Brian, who stood on a platform
behind and above the drum kit wailing on the intro to “Gates of Hell.” Myrna’s
heart thudded with a mixture of pride and anticipation. Claire clapped excitedly.
Malcolm didn’t move a muscle. The crowd erupted in chaos.
Plumes of fire shot into the air on either side of the drum kit the instant the
rest of the band joined Brian. The crowd screamed their approval.
Sed’s low growl started to build. Myrna didn’t see him at first, but based on
their enthusiastic reaction, the fans obviously did. Then she saw what had them
so excited. Sed rose from the floor, center stage, the low rumble of his voice
increasing in intensity as a platform lifted him. When the platform hit flush with
the stage, Sed leapt onto a raised, circular stage section that jutted out toward the
crowd. Red and blue fountains of sparks shot up around him on all sides,
concealing him in a circle of colorful light. As soon as the display went dark, he
started singing the lyrics.
The pyrotechnics display impressed Myrna with its perfect synchronicity to
the song. The crew had outdone themselves for the live recording.
“Show offs,” Malcolm grumbled.
Myrna suppressed the urge to kick him in the shins.
As the song’s solo approached, Brian worked his way down from the platform
behind the drums toward the circular outset at center stage. Sed moved back and
Brian took his place. During his solo, a ring of fire surrounded his feet. As if he
were playing for the devil himself, the flames licked higher and higher as the
music built, until she could only see his silhouette. Myrna’s heart squeezed with
anxiety. Being surrounded by all those flames must be hot, and if something
went wrong…
But the fire died at the end of the solo and Brian stepped back onto the main
stage unharmed.
“Wasn’t that cool, baby?” Claire shouted.
Malcolm shrugged.
Myrna suppressed the urge to kick him in the ass.
When the song ended, the crowd yelled their approval.
“Good evening, Los Angeles!” Sed screamed into the mic. “Are you ready to
rock?” He held the mic out toward the crowd. When they weren’t loud enough to
satisfy him, he screamed, “I said, are you ready to mother fuckin’ rock?” He
punctuated his final words with exaggerated nods of his head and thrust his
microphone toward the audience. The crowd responded with greater enthusiasm.
Claire cringed. “Does he have to cuss like that?”
“Small vocabulary,” Malcolm commented, grinning to himself.
Myrna suppressed the urge to kick him in the stomach.
Sed continued on stage, “The hometown crowd looks beautiful from where I
stand. What do you think, Jace?” He grabbed Jace in a headlock and pulled him
to the front of the stage.
“Craziest fuckers on the planet,” Jace said quietly into Sed’s microphone.
Myrna grinned. He was so damn cute. Some girl in the audience yelled, “I
love you, Jace!”
Myrna could see the blush spread up his face from where she stood. “I love
you, too.”
“Oh hell, no,” Sed growled. “I don’t get any love?” He spread his arms wide,
inviting adulation.
Thousands of women professed their love for Sed at the top of their lungs. He
grinned like a shark.
“That’s more like it,” he said. “As you know, we’re filming the concert
tonight, so are you going to raise the roof?”
Yeah, they were. He sure knew how to get them pumped up. Myrna covered
her ears to protect them from the roar of the crowd.
“Cuz our producer thought we should film this in fuckin’ Canada.”
Rounds of boos from the audience.
“That’s what I said. Now, don’t make me look bad. I stuck up for you guys. I
said no one knows how to rock harder than L.A. What do you say, Master
Sinclair?”
“I don’t know, Sed,” Brian said into his microphone, stage left. “Remember
the last time we were up North? Those fans are pretty fuckin’ insane.” He
paused for the crowd’s negative response. “But I think they were just trying to
keep warm.” He rubbed his arms as if cold and hopped up and down like an
overly excited fan. Eric drummed a buh-dum-bumb to accompany Brian’s
attempt at comedy.
Myrna laughed along with everyone else. Except Malcolm. His jaw twitched
as he ground his teeth together.
Myrna suppressed the urge to kick him in the throat.
What in the hell was Malcolm’s problem? He seemed to be making an effort
to not enjoy himself. Claire had wandered off to chatter with a roadie and the
lead singer of one of the opening bands, who obviously didn’t realize he was
hitting on Brian Sinclair’s mother. Claire didn’t seem to care that her son easily
kept ten thousand people entertained with his talent and charm. She paid him no
mind.
No wonder Brian desperately needed love and Myrna’s constant approval.
Stupid parents. Myrna had the strangest desire to just hug Brian. Hold him. Tell
him how wonderful he was. How his father’s approval didn’t matter. He had the
approval of hundreds of thousands of fans, but she knew that wouldn’t fill that
hole in him she hadn’t recognized until this evening. Only one thing would fill
that.
“You know what you should do,” Myrna said to Malcolm as nonchalantly as
she could muster. “You should get up there and show these kids where their
guitar heroes got their influence.”
He glanced at her, but quickly covered his look of interest with annoyance.
“Why are you talking to me?”
Myrna suppressed the urge to kick him in the teeth.
She shrugged. “Well, if you can’t…”
He grunted, the arms crossed over his chest tightening until his biceps strained
the sleeves of his T-shirt. “There’s a difference between can’t and won’t.”
“The outcome is the same.”
The band started the next song. Myrna watched with her usual enthusiasm,
pretending to ignore Malcolm, who tapped his toe occasionally and shifted his
hands into his pockets during Brian’s solo. This might be easier than she
thought. He wanted to be up there with Brian. She knew he did. So why was he
holding back? And why did he find it necessary to belittle not only Brian, but his
entire band?
The majority of the crowd was a mosh pit—bodies ricocheting off each other
in chaos. When the song ended, the audience surged toward the barrier as
individuals tried to situate themselves closer to the stage.
“Wild crowd tonight,” Myrna commented. “Ever had a crowd like this one?”
Malcolm snorted. “Ever heard of Woodstock?”
“Oh yeah, you played there when Winged Faith was first starting out. That
was what? Forty years ago?”
He scowled. “Yeah, I guess it has been that long. Best four days of my life.”
“I’m betting the days your children were born were right up there with them.”
“I was on tour in Cleveland when Brian was born. New Orleans with Kara.”
“That must’ve been hard. Being on the road and missing your children’s
births.”
“Being on the road all the time is hard. I missed a lot. But not being on the
road is harder.”
“You could get a little taste of that back tonight. I’m sure Brian would love to
play a tribute to Winged Faith with you on stage. He said so himself.” Forgive
me for lying, Brian.
Malcolm’s brow furrowed with what Myrna hoped was consideration. He
glanced at his wife, who had found several more men to add to her entourage.
Myrna counted two drummers, a bassist, and a guitarist, in addition to the lead
singer and roadie. Malcolm rolled his eyes, removed his hands from his pockets
and crossed his arms again.
She could tell he wanted to be on stage, but apparently he needed more
pushing. “I need to apologize to you for calling you a—”
He lifted a hand to silence her. “Do you always talk this much?” he asked.
“You must drive Brian insane.”
She laughed. “No, I talk a lot when I’m nervous.”
He looked at her. Really looked at her for the first time. “Why are you
nervous?”
“I’m in the presence of one of the original guitar greats. I don’t think anyone
could make me more nervous. Unless Jimi Hendrix rose from the grave and
stood beside me.”
“A Jimi Hendrix zombie would make everyone nervous.” They laughed,
continuing to talk loudly because the next song had started on stage.
“Did you meet Hendrix at Woodstock?”
Malcolm shook his head. “I watched him, though. That man could play.”
“Brian’s one of a kind, but I hear Hendrix’s influence in his sound. And
yours.”
“Mine? He doesn’t play anything like me.”
“Sure he does. Listen to him. It’s your style with embellishments.”
“Lots of embellishments,” he said, but he listened. Myrna suspected this was
the first time Malcolm had actually heard Brian play. She watched Malcolm’s
expression change from indifference, to disbelief, to interest, and finally pride.
“He does sound a lot like me,” he murmured. He glanced at Myrna. “With
embellishments.”
“The fans love his soloing style, but without the sensual undercurrents that he
borrowed from you, he’d sound flat.”
“Look at him go. I could never keep up with him. He has crazy fast fingers.”
Myrna flushed and averted her gaze. “Yeah.”
When the song ended after a particularly embellished guitar outro, Malcolm
clapped and thrust a fist in the air. “That’s the way to play it, son,” he shouted.
Myrna wished she’d gotten that on tape. She almost had him. Just a little more
pushing and she knew she could talk Malcolm into joining Brian on stage. She’d
better hurry though, because she only had the span of two songs to convince
him.
Chapter 30
Brian chugged half a bottle of water and returned to the stage. The rest of the
band got a ten-minute break in the middle of the show. He was not so lucky. Or
perhaps he was the lucky one who got the entire stage and thirty thousand fans
all to himself. He approached the microphone on the ego riser at the center of the
stage.
“It appears I’ve been deserted again,” he said. He glanced at the side of the
stage. The audience that mattered to him had disappeared, too. No Myrna. No
Dad. At least his mom was there. She waved at him from the crew of men
surrounding her. Nothing new there.
Myrna’s absence unsettled him the most. Had he been too hard on her? He
should have talked to her before the show. Let her know he wasn’t too upset
about her calling his father a has-been.
“I was going to play the first riff I ever learned for you tonight, but—”
“He never could play it right,” his dad’s voice interrupted from backstage.
The unmistakable riff of Winged Faith’s hit song “Mystic” blared through the
speakers as Malcolm O’Neil headed across the stage in Brian’s direction. Dad
was playing on Sinners’ stage. Too stunned to find his guitar, much less play it,
Brian stared at him in disbelief.
“Close your mouth, son. You’ll swallow a fly.”
Brian snapped his jaws together, a smile spreading across his face until his
cheeks hurt.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our surprise special guest, Malcolm O’Neil of
Winged Faith,” Sed’s voice announced from behind the scenes.
The crowd cheered and Malcolm grinned. “Well, are we going to play them a
song, or are we going to stand up here looking stupid all night?”
Brian’s answer was to play the intro to “Mystic” with a few dozen extra notes
per measure.
“I told you he never played it right,” Malcolm said into the mic, but he
grinned instead of scowling.
“Just spicing it up a little, old man.”
Malcolm laughed.
They played the intro together, Malcolm in the traditional style and Brian with
his additions. The crowd ate up every moment. When Eric and Jace joined them
after the intro, Brian spun around, startled. Sed sang the opening verse so
perfectly, Brian doubted even his father could tell the difference from the
original. And then Brian spotted Trey and Myrna standing backstage by the
amplifiers. Both of them looked entirely too pleased with themselves, laughing
and hugging each other excitedly. So Myrna hadn’t deserted him and he
suspected she had something to do with his father’s change of heart. He turned
back to the crowd, playing beside his father, his heart full to bursting. He
wondered if Myrna knew how much this meant to him. Probably, but he’d tell
her anyway.
The song ended much too soon. His dad handed his borrowed guitar over to
Trey. Before he left the stage, Dad grabbed Brian by both ears and touched his
forehead to his. “I’m proud of you, son. I don’t think I’ve ever told you that.”
“I’m proud to be your son, Dad.”
Dad grinned and released him. “That woman of yours is relentless.”
Brian grinned. “Pretty terrific, isn’t she?”
“Don’t let her get away.”
“Not a chance.”
Malcolm took a bow and trotted off the stage. Brian saw his mother launch
herself into his dad’s arms and kiss him passionately, her entourage of attentive
males entirely forgotten.
Brian decided they’d skip those dinner plans he’d made earlier. Mom and Dad
looked like they needed some alone time, and God knew he wanted to express
his gratitude to Myrna.
Chapter 31
Myrna waited for Brian to unlock the front door of his apartment. She didn’t
know what to expect when he pushed the door open, but a large, tastefully
decorated foyer and expansive, clean, and comfortable living area would not
have been her first guess.
“What do you think?” he asked, looking at her with that approval-please
expression she’d come to recognize.
“It’s great, Brian.” She kissed his jaw and crossed the threshold. “I love it.
Did you decorate it yourself?”
He laughed. “No. Sed had a thing with an interior decorator for a while. She
maxed out his credit card, but we got great digs at his expense. If you think this
is nice, you should see his place. It’s amazing.”
Myrna set her purse on a marble-topped, cherry table next to the front door
and ventured further inside. Brian dropped their suitcases inside the door and
locked it behind him. The furniture was heavy and inviting. Neat and masculine.
Dark woods contrasted with sage green, taupe, and ivory upholstery. Matching
pillows, rugs, and abstract artwork tied everything together. She could picture
Brian enjoying the soothing colors, but the décor didn’t seem to fit his
roommate’s style at all. And the place was spotless.
“How do you keep it so clean? Doesn’t Trey live here with you?” She was
constantly on top of Trey to pick up after himself on the bus. She couldn’t
imagine his behavior being much different at home.
“Maid service, baby.”
“Ah, that explains everything.”
She turned to find him standing directly behind her. “Thank you,” he
murmured, taking both her hands in his and staring into her eyes with sincerity.
“You’re welcome,” she said, “but what are you thanking me for?”
“For what you did with my dad.”
She smiled and squeezed his hands. “I was just trying to make up for insulting
him and for hurting you. I don’t know why I got so mad when he criticized you
and the band.”
“I think I know why.” He kissed her tenderly.
“I guess I’m just a fan girl, after all.”
The front door opened. “Honey, I’m home,” Trey called and tossed his keys
on the table beside the door.
A tall brunette with big boobs, bigger hair and an almost nonexistent skirt
followed Trey into the apartment. She scowled when her eyes landed on Myrna.
“When you said Brian would be here, you didn’t say anything about him
having a woman with him,” she said to Trey.
“Hey, Carly,” Brian murmured. Myrna’s head snapped up to look at him. He
knew this…this woman? Was she an old girlfriend of his? Brian toyed with the
button at the top of Myrna’s suit jacket, his face red and body tense as he stared
at his fiddling fingers.
“I didn’t say he wouldn’t have a woman with him,” Trey pointed out.
“I was hoping to be involved in one of your famous threesomes tonight,”
Carly said, “but everyone knows Brian doesn’t cheat.”
Famous threesomes? Myrna’s eyes widened and her breath caught.
Brian’s hands moved to cover Myrna’s ears. “Will you get her out of here?
We were having a moment,” Brian’s muffled voice carried through his hands.
Trey said something Myrna couldn’t make out. Carly grinned brazenly,
grabbed Trey’s belt buckle and led him down the hallway. As soon as the
bedroom door closed, Brian dropped his hands.
“Sorry you had to see that.”
“Famous threesomes?” she sputtered.
“Really sorry you heard that.” He turned and headed toward the kitchen off to
the side of the main living room. “Are you hungry?”
She trailed after him, stumbling over the edge of an area rug because she
wasn’t watching where she was going. “Don’t change the subject, Brian.”
“I’m starved. There should be something in here to eat. Wanda knew we’d be
home tonight and she’s always good about stocking up for our return.”
He opened the refrigerator and leaned inside.
“Did Carly mean… that you and Trey and… and a…” She swallowed. “…a
woman have…” She touched her cheeks with cool fingertips. Why was her face
so hot? “H-have…?”
“Fucked like maniacs?” He tossed a store-bought package of refrigerated
tortellini onto the counter. “Yep, that’s what she meant. Red sauce or white?”
Myrna leaned heavily against the breakfast bar. “A threesome?”
“Myrna, calm down. It was just sex. All in the past. No big deal.” He tossed a
plastic tub on the counter next to the pasta. “I think red sauce sounds better.”
She’d never been involved in anything even remotely as exciting as a
threesome. “Have you done that often?” she asked, her voice at least two pitches
higher than usual.
Brian shrugged. “Not recently. Trey and I used to share everything. And I do
mean everything. We’ve grown up a lot in the past couple of years.”
“Damn,” she muttered under her breath.
Brian dropped a pan. It clattered across the floor, but he didn’t retrieve it. He
gaped at her instead. “Did you just say ‘damn’?”
Her eyes widened and she shook her head vigorously. “No.” She smoothed
her skirt, licked her lips, and lowered her gaze to the floor. “I said pan. You
dropped your pan.”
“I dropped it after you said damn.”
Her flushed face flamed several degrees hotter. “Oh.”
His boots entered her line of sight. “Would you be open to something like
that?”
Her eyes darted to his face and then back to his boots. “I don’t know.”
“I’m sure Trey would go for it.”
She could scarcely hear him over the blood rushing through her ears.
He touched her chin and when she found her courage, she looked up at him.
“We’d make you feel real good,” he murmured. His hands slid over the curve of
her ass and he tugged her closer. “Real good.”
He seemed as turned on by the idea as she was. And she was at full throttle.
“Wouldn’t it make things weird between us?” she asked.
“Between us?”
“Me. You. Trey. All of us?”
“It doesn’t have to. Trey never equates sex with emotion or conquest. He’d
think of it as nothing but a good time. Otherwise, I wouldn’t let him touch you.”
He brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “I’ll let you think about it. No
pressure.”
She nodded. She already knew she wanted to do it, but she was afraid that
Brian would think poorly of her. My God, this would make her the biggest
whore on the planet. I love to fuck you, baby, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to
fuck your best friend at the same time.
“I prefer red sauce, too,” she said absently.
He burst out laughing, and then bent to pick up the pan he’d dropped. He went
to the sink and filled it with water before setting it on the stove. “Talk about
subject change. Red sauce it is.”
Myrna continued to lean against the counter. She watched Brian burn his
fingers several times before she took over the cooking. Seriously, the man
couldn’t even boil water without causing himself harm. He sat on a stool on the
other side of the breakfast bar and watched her cook with a giddy expression.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked him finally.
“You’re in my home. Cooking on my stove.”
“If you ask me to get barefoot and pregnant and put on a frilly apron, I’m
going to clobber you.”
“You can wear shoes.”
She rolled her eyes at him. “Why, thank you. How generous.”
“Vegas is only a four hour drive from here, you know.”
She brandished a slotted spoon at him. “Don’t go there, Brian.”
“Or you could just move in with me.”
“I have this job I’m rather attached to and I’ve heard the commute from Los
Angeles to Kansas City is a killer.”
“You could retire.”
“Retire?” She gaped at him. “I’m thirty-five years old. How do you expect me
to support myself?”
“I’ll support you.”
“I told you not to go there, Brian. You’re going there.”
“Then I’ll move in with you. When I’m not on tour or in the recording studio,
I’ll call Kansas City my home.”
“Okay, you totally went there.”
“Is it so wrong that I want to be with you?”
No, it was wrong that she was starting to agree with him, which she knew was
a huge mistake. “This week apart will do us both good.”
He dropped his head to the counter and rubbed his face over its surface.
“Don’t say that. I already miss you and you aren’t even gone yet.”
She sighed and turned off the pan of pasta. Why did he always have to be so
sweet to her? He was making it awfully fucking hard for her to keep him at
arm’s length.
“Do you have a colander?” she asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“A strainer. To drain the pasta.”
“There you go, changing the subject again.”
“Would you prefer I leave? I’m feeling very crowded by you at the moment.”
He sighed heavily. “In the second drawer, next to the refrigerator.”
Silence hung between them as she finished fixing the meal. He eventually
climbed from his stool and set two plates and sets of silverware on the breakfast
bar.
“Will Trey and Carly join us?” She glanced at him. He was pouting again.
“Doubtful.”
When they sat down to eat, she took his hand. “You know my job is important
to me, don’t you?”
“I just wish I was important to you.”
Her heart twanged. “I never said you weren’t important to me. That’s not why
I need this week away from you. I have to do well with this research project,
Brian. If I don’t publish some compelling results by the end of the summer, I’m
not going to have a job for much longer.”
“What? Why didn’t you say something?”
“I’m not proud of the position I’m in. I don’t really like doing research in the
first place, but I love to teach. I wouldn’t trade that part of my job for anything.”
She sighed. “The University requires I bring in a certain amount of outside
funding to keep my job and I lost my big grant a couple of months ago. I don’t
have tenure yet. That means I have to make myself financially valuable to the
University or they’ll let me go. This summer side project is enough to keep me
there for another year, hopefully, but I don’t know what I’m going to do after
that. I don’t want to give this job up. I worked too hard to get where I am to
throw in the towel now. That’s why as much as I love having fun with you and
spending time with you, I’ve got to get my work done. Do you understand?”
“Yeah, I think I get it. By pressuring you, I’m pushing you away.”
“Exactly.”
He squeezed her hand and smiled. “I’m glad you told me, Myrna. I feel a little
better about you being gone for a whole week.”
She released his hand and picked up her fork. It felt good to confide in him.
She didn’t have anyone in her life to share her worries with. It was nice in an
unexpected way. “Maybe I’ll get caught up with my work faster than I ever
thought possible and come back early.”
He grinned hopefully. “Yeah?”
She shrugged and took a bite of her tortellini. “We’ll see.”
“So do you want to arrange that threesome with Trey before you go or when
you return?” He winked at her.
She paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. She wasn’t sure how she
could be calm when she said, “Surprise me.”
Chapter 32
With a sleepy grin, Myrna stretched her arms over her head and rolled over to
spoon against Brian’s back. She had to be on a plane in twelve hours, but the last
thing she wanted to do this morning was climb out of bed.
She rubbed her hands over his belly, her lips caressing his shoulder. They had
a couple of hours to say a proper good-bye and she was planning to fill every
minute with pleasure. He shuddered as her hands trailed up his chest, her fingers
bumping over the hoop in his left nipple.
Her eyes flipped open. Nipple ring?
“Don’t stop now,” Trey murmured drowsily. “Feels nice.”
Instantly wide awake, Myrna sat up. She jerked up the sheet to cover her bare
breasts. “What are you doing here?”
“I invited him,” Brian said from the opposite side of the bed.
“Slumber party.” Trey’s eyes drifted closed.
Myrna scooted closer to Brian, her heart hammering. Brian had her flat on her
back beneath him in seconds. “Trey’s tired. We’ll start without him.”
He linked their hands together on either side of her head and kissed her until
her rigid body began to relax.
“I’m not that tired.” Trey’s hand slid across Myrna’s belly and she tensed
again. “Save some of that for me,” he murmured.
Soft lips brushed her shoulder.
She tore her mouth from Brian’s and looked at Trey. His emerald green eyes
met hers unflinchingly.
“You okay?” Brian asked her. “If you’ve changed your mind, we can stop.”
Trey’s hand slid up her side, drawing a trail of gooseflesh in its wake. He
cupped her breast, his thumb brushing over her pebbled nipple. Her eyes drifted
closed with pleasure.
“I don’t think it’s her who will have a problem with this,” Trey said to Brian.
“I’m more worried about you. You are not allowed to hate me for this.”
“We’ve done this before, Trey. Did I ever have a problem then?”
“But you really lo—” Trey took a deep breath. “You really care about
Myrna.”
“And I trust her. I know she won’t cheat on me behind my back.”
She smiled and reached up to trace his brow with her fingertips. “You’re
right. I wouldn’t.”
“But cheating to your face is fine?” Trey asked.
“This isn’t cheating,” Myrna said. “It’s a mutually agreed upon sexual
experience. But if you don’t want to join us, you can leave.”
“Oh, I want to join you. I’m more than willing to fuck your brains out. I just
don’t want something as meaningless as hot, dirty sex to damage my friendship
with Brian.”
Brian chuckled. “Told you he was perfect for this kind of thing.”
Funny how Trey was the one most concerned about the possible repercussions
of their encounter. Myrna would just have to convince him that she wanted this,
and Brian wanted this, so it was okay for him to want it, too. She wriggled out
from under Brian and tackled Trey to the mattress on his back. She was
surprised to find he was wearing his jeans under the covers. He really was
reluctant.
She slid her hands up his chest. The glint of metal caught her eye. She
lowered her head and sucked his silver nipple ring into her mouth. A sound of
tormented protest escaped the back of his throat.
“Myr, what are you doing?” Trey whispered.
She sucked harder, her tongue flicking the ring in her mouth. He drew a
breath through his teeth and covered his eyes with his hands. “Please, don’t.”
The back of her hand scraped against his belly as she reached for his belt
buckle. He shuddered and squirmed sideways out of her grasp. He pointed at her
for emphasis. “No, Myrna. You don’t want to do this.”
“Oh, but I do.” After unfastening his belt buckle, she unbuttoned his fly and
jerked his pants down his thighs. His cock stood at rigid attention. “And
apparently, so do you.”
Trey looked over at Brian, who was lounging on his side with his head
propped up on his hand watching them.
“Dude, I can’t help it,” Trey said. “It has a mind of its own.”
“Hey, it’s completely understandable,” Brian said calmly. He wrapped his
free hand around his own stiff cock. “I’m hard as a rock just watching her molest
you.”
Watching her be naughty turned Brian on? How would he react if she sucked
Trey’s cock?
She slid down Trey’s body until the visual evidence of his excitement was at
eye level. His shaft was uncommonly long, but lean. She wasn’t sure if she could
swallow him, but she was willing to try.
“W-wait, Myrna,” Trey gasped.
She took him into her mouth, deep into the back of her throat. She swallowed.
Trey groaned. She sucked him gently, paying attention to his reactions to
determine how he liked to be pleasured. Brian placed a hand on her forehead and
eased her back off Trey’s cock until he fell free of her mouth. Trey sucked a
breath through his teeth.
She looked up at Brian, feeling uncertain of her actions. “Should I not have
done that?”
“That’s not it. I want some attention, too.”
Her gaze shifted to The Beast and she smiled. “I didn’t mean to ignore you,
big guy.” She shifted on the bed and took Brian’s thick cock into her mouth. She
held the base of his shaft while she sucked him with the rapid technique she
knew he liked best. She soon had him gasping in excitement.
She heard the sound of Trey’s belt buckle being fastened behind her. He
unwrapped a cherry sucker and slurped it into his mouth. The mattress sagged as
he moved to leave. Brian grabbed his arm.
“My woman wants you to fuck her, Trey. Are you going to give her what she
wants, or not?” He sank his fingers into her hair, panting in pleasure as she
continued to work the head of his cock with her lips and tongue. “I mean look at
her. Maybe you can say no to her, but I can’t. I can’t deny her anything.”
“You’re seriously asking me to bang Myrna?” Trey asked.
Out of the corner of her eye, Myrna caught sight of him clutching his crotch.
“No, not bang her. We’re going to make love to her. Together.”
“Are you stoned, Brian?” Trey said. “You will never forgive me for this. I
know you won’t.”
“No, I’m not stoned.” He leaned close to Trey and whispered something into
his ear.
Trey leaned back and stared at Brian for a long moment. He shrugged. “Well,
if you’re sure.” He unfastened his belt buckle again and stripped himself naked.
Caught in a moment of indecision, Myrna’s heart thudded with apprehension.
Could she really go through with this? She released Brian’s cock and he gasped
brokenly. Rising to her knees, she knelt before Trey and stared into his seductive
green eyes. The man was sexy, no doubt about it. He removed his sucker from
his mouth and rubbed it over her nipple. He then lowered his head to remove the
sticky residue with his tongue. Myrna’s hands went to his silky hair,
simultaneously trying to push him away and hold him to her throbbing breast.
Brian spooned up against her back, his hands sliding down her belly and hips,
his hard cock pressed firmly into the crack of her ass.
Something harder than a tongue flicked against her nipple. Myrna gasped in
surprise. She’d forgotten Trey had his tongue pierced. And God, it felt good.
She relaxed against Brian’s body, concentrating on the feel of Trey’s eager
tongue flicking over her nipple. “Do you have magic fingers like Master
Sinclair, Trey?” she asked in a low voice.
Trey glanced up at her with sultry green eyes, part of his right eye obscured
by his long bangs. He grinned crookedly. “Would you like to find out?”
“Brian can make me come in under ten seconds. Let’s see what you can do.”
“Ten seconds, huh?” Trey said. “With just his fingers?”
“You don’t believe her?” Brian asked.
“Ten seconds? No, I don’t.” He lifted his head and glanced down at his watch.
“Go for it. I’ll time you.”
Brian’s hand slid down the middle of her body to the swollen flesh between
her thighs. She gripped his thighs and leaned against his shoulder as his fingers
sought her clit in the nest of curls.
“Wait a minute,” Trey said. “She could be faking.”
“I never fake an orgasm.”
“So she says.” Trey’s hand touched the inside of her thigh. “May I?”
She nodded slightly and Trey slid two fingers inside her. She tensed. Brian
kissed her neck. “Relax,” he murmured. “It’s okay.”
It was difficult to relax knowing it was Trey’s fingers curled inside her. He
twisted his hand and she shuddered.
“You ready?” Brian whispered into her ear.
She bit her lip and nodded. Trey twisted his fingers the other direction. Her
mouth fell open and she gasped.
“I think I can make her come by just twisting my fingers,” Trey said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Brian said. “Ten seconds.”
Trey looked at his watch again. “Go.”
Brian’s fingers rubbed her clit with his practiced pressure and rhythm. Within
a dozen strokes, Myrna shuddered and cried out, clinging to Brian’s thighs. Her
pussy convulsed rhythmically around Trey’s fingers.
“Jesus. That was like eight seconds,” Trey said. He twisted his fingers again
and Myrna’s legs buckled. He slid his fingers from her body and added them to
his mouth with his sucker. “Mmmmm. Does she always taste this good?”
“Oh, yeah.”
“No wonder you’re always in bed with her. I never realized she was this hot.
Sed doesn’t know, does he?”
“No and you’d better not tell him.”
“I need to lie down,” Myrna murmured.
Brian guided her trembling body down until she was lying on her back. She
covered her face with her hands. She really was a whore. She’d loved having
Trey’s fingers up her cunt while Brian stroked her clit until she’d cried out with
sexual release. Jeremy had been so right about her. She felt sick to her stomach.
A pair of lips kissed the inside of her thigh. Too soft to be Brian’s lips.
Trey’s? She kept her hands over her face. Could she allow Trey to have his way
with her without permanent trauma to her psyche?
The soft lips kissed their way up her thigh until they reached the top of her
leg. Something probed her ever-eager hole. Not his fingers or his tongue. His
sucker? Don’t, she thought. He dipped his candy inside her rhythmically and
sucked her clit into his mouth. Her fingers curled into her forehead. I can’t do
this. He rubbed her clit with the stud piercing in the flat of his tongue until she
began to tremble. Can’t do this. She gasped. Oh yes, that’s the spot. Lick it, Trey.
I want your mouth on me. I like it. Trey removed his cherry sucker from her
pussy and replaced it with his tongue. He wriggled and twirled his tongue, and
then thrust it into her deeply. She’d never been eaten out quite like this before.
She shuddered. If Brian had an uncommon talent with his fingers, then Trey’s
had to be with his tongue.
“God, that feels good,” she whimpered.
The mattress sagged beside her. Brian straddled her chest and leaned over her.
She moved her hands from her eyes. His cock bounced against her chin. “Suck
me?”
She opened her mouth wide and he slid inside. She sealed her lips around him
and he thrust into her throat, holding onto the headboard for support so he didn’t
choke her. She kept the suction tight and let him carry the rhythm. Her
concentration was more on what Trey was doing to every part he could reach
between her quivering thighs with his devilish tongue.
Trey stimulated her with his cherry sucker again, and then spread her ass
cheeks with both hands and tongued her asshole. She squirmed. God, that felt
good, too. Was it possible to have an orgasm just by having your ass licked?
Ripples of delight pulsated through her empty pussy. Her clit throbbed with
neglect. Maybe just the anticipation could send her over the edge. “Mmmm.”
She lost concentration and gagged on Brian’s cock. Brian pulled back.
“You okay?” Brian asked, stroking her hair.
She nodded. Brian thrust forward again, pulled back, thrust forward deep into
her throat. Trey’s tongue writhed inside her back entrance. She tensed. She
relaxed only when he withdrew his tongue altogether.
“God, you have a tight little ass, Myrna. Can I fuck it?”
She made a sound around Brian’s thrusting cock that must have sounded like
agreement, though she wasn’t sure it was. Trey moved around the bed to a side
table drawer that contained Brian’s favorite toys. From the corner of her eye, she
watched Trey grab a tube of lube and a heavily ridged condom from the
collection. Her eyes widened in protest.
Brian pulled out of her mouth and sat on the bed beside her. He urged Myrna
onto her stomach and offered his jutting cock to her again. “Like this,
sweetheart. Give Trey some room to do his thing.”
His thing? What thing?
Her heart thudded in her chest.
Just don’t think about what Trey was going to do. Concentrate on Brian.
Myrna rested on her elbows, leaned over Brian’s lap and took him deep into
her throat. She had better control in this position and could indulge him with
other things she knew he liked. Her fingers stroked his asshole, teasing him with
promises of penetration. Her head bobbed up and down over the head of his
cock. Brian’s fingers tangled in the long strands of her hair as he groaned in
encouragement.
Trey’s hands gripped Myrna’s hips and lifted her onto her knees. His thigh
eased between her legs, widening her stance. He continued to arrange her body
as he wanted it—her knees far apart, her back arched downward. He inserted a
slippery finger into her ass, wetting her passage with some sort of warming
lubricant. He added another finger, stretching her in various directions in
preparation for his penetration. She got the feeling he did this often. More lube.
More stretching and probing.
As if she wasn’t already nervous enough.
She released Brian from her mouth. “Just put it in already.”
Trey slapped her ass. She winced. “I’ll put it in when I’m good and ready,” he
said. Which was apparently that moment. He eased into her body. Heat flooded
her core.
“Oh,” she whimpered. She experienced no painful burning sensation as he slid
deep into her ass. Paused. Pushed deeper. He gave her time to adjust, pressing
forward a little at a time. Even when she’d accepted every inch of him and he
rotated his hips to open her wider, it didn’t hurt at all. Trey’s cock wasn’t as
thick as Brian’s and he obviously had a lot of practice in this technique. His
angle of penetration was perfection. She rocked back against him with a groan.
“Do you like that?” Brian asked.
She expected him to start taking notes or something.
Trey pulled back and she shuddered. He took her deep again. Dear God, yes.
His thrusts became rhythmic, the heavy ribs on the condom further stimulating
her throbbing flesh.
“Yeah,” she gasped. “He’s good at it. Oh.”
“That’s because he’s been done that way himself.” Brian chuckled.
Myrna expected Trey to protest Brian’s barb, but he said, “Fucked by the
best.”
Trey’s rhythm was constant. Unrelenting. Myrna took Brian’s cock back into
her mouth and matched Trey’s thrusts with the movement of her head and
tongue. Trey skimmed his hands up her back, down her back, over her ass, down
the backs of her thighs, and then stroked the same path in reverse. She
shuddered. His fingertips slid up the fronts of her thighs, the protrusions of her
hipbones, her belly, breasts, and back again. The sides of her body next.
Returning to her back. Every inch of her skin was alive with stimulation. The
light pressure of his fingertips over her flesh never wavered. Each thrust
matched his last perfectly. Trey Mills was all about perfection. And when she
became accustomed to his perfect synchrony, he slapped her ass again. The
unexpected jolt to her system made her tense.
“Ow,” Brian protested.
She released him from her mouth. “Did I bite you?”
“Yeah. You’ve never bitten me before. You’re having a hard time
concentrating, aren’t you?”
She looked up at him. “I’m sorry.”
He touched her face. She’d try harder to pay attention to what she was doing.
She ran her tongue around the head of his cock and drew him inside her mouth
again. She pressed his legs further apart so she could massage his balls with the
palm of her hand and rub his sensitive hole with two fingertips. Brian’s head fell
back against the headboard with a loud thunk. He grabbed her hair in both fists
as she sucked him deep, her tongue working against the underside of his cock all
the way down and then all the way back up. She could tell he approved of her
renewed concentration by the punctuated gasps coming from the back of his
throat.
Trey leaned over her, his sweat dripping over the surface of her back. “You
should see his face, Myrna. I think he’s about to blow the back of your head
off.”
Myrna reached between her legs and brushed her fingertips over Trey’s sack.
He gasped and lost his perfect rhythm altogether. He stayed buried deep so she
could reach him. She massaged Trey’s balls with one hand and Brian’s with the
other. The combined gasps of the two men drove her to distraction. She rubbed
her wrist against her clit while she fondled Trey, seeking sexual release. God,
she ached. Her pussy was so empty.
“So who’s gonna let go first?” Trey asked, biting into his sucker with a loud
crunch. “I think I can outlast Brian.”
“You aren’t even moving anymore. Let her suck you and see how long you
last. God, woman! Just put your fingers inside. Quit teasing me.”
She complied, sliding two fingers deep. He cried out hoarsely.
“She’s doing some amazing stuff with my nuts,” Trey said. “If I move, I’m
pretty sure she’ll stop.”
Myrna lifted her head. “What about me?” she whispered. “I want you inside
me, Brian. Please. I need your thick cock buried deep…”
Trey pulled out, making Myrna moan. “Let’s switch then.”
“Do you want to ride me, sweetheart?” Brian asked.
“God, yes.” And if that made her a whore, so be it.
Brian slid down the bed to lie flat on his back between her thighs. She
grabbed his cock and guided it into her aching pussy, taking him deep and fast.
Rubbing that itch deep inside that only he could satisfy. Her head fell back as
she pounded into him, vocalizing her pleasure in the back of her throat.
Trey drew a breath between his teeth. “God, that sound she makes…”
“…is so fuckin’ hot,” Brian finished Trey’s sentence.
Trey touched the back of Myrna’s head and she opened her eyes to look at
him. He was standing on the bed in front of her. He’d removed the condom and
his long cock stood at attention, glistening before her.
“Suck him, Myrna,” Brian encouraged, looking up at them. “I can see
everything from here.”
“Did you ever think you’d be lying there looking up at your best friend’s
sack? How’s the view?” Trey chuckled.
Myrna leaned forward and sucked Trey into her mouth. He’d coated his cock
with one of Brian’s flavored lotions and tasted like sweet coconut. She slurped
him deep and he cursed under his breath.
“That’s it, baby. Teach him a lesson for being such a smart ass,” Brian said.
“Yeah, teach me a lesson, Professor.”
Brian wrapped his hands around her hips to help her raise and lower herself
on his cock. She found it hard to concentrate on pleasuring Trey and herself at
the same time. She placed a hand on Trey’s sweat-slick belly and pulled away.
He grunted in protest as she abandoned him. She lowered her head, resting her
forehead against Brian’s temple. Her hand ran down Trey’s thigh as she
whispered into Brian’s ear, “Tell me what you want me to do to him. I’ll do
anything you say.”
“Anything?”
She turned her head to look at Brian. He was grinning deviously.
“You’re really okay with this?” she asked.
“Why wouldn’t I be? It was my idea.”
“You don’t think I’m a whore?”
He laughed. “Why would I think that? You’re a gift from heaven as far as I’m
concerned.”
Myrna glanced up a Trey. “Yeah, I’ll do anything you tell me to,” she
whispered into Brian’s ear.
“What are you two plotting?” Trey asked, grabbing Myrna’s hand that was
still resting on his thigh. He shifted her hand to his cock and used it to stroke his
flesh, twisting her wrist slightly each time her hand rubbed over his swollen
head. “Please don’t tell me you changed your mind and now you’re going to toss
me out in the hallway with a horrible case of blue balls.”
“You know I wouldn’t do that to you, buddy,” Brian said and laughed
maniacally.
“On second thought…” Trey took a step sideways.
Myrna’s hand tightened on Trey’s cock and he stopped. She looked up at him.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
“Just trying to keep personal injury to a minimum.”
“I won’t hurt you, Trey,” she promised, sitting up.
“Unless I tell her to.”
“Huh?” Trey gasped.
“Move him a little to the left,” Brian said.
Myrna’s hands moved to Trey’s hips and she shifted him to the left.
“Wait, I—”
“Put your hand on his chest and shove him against the wall. Don’t let him
give you any lip,” Brian instructed.
Myrna shoved Trey against the wall. He hit his head with a loud thud. “Hey!”
he protested.
“Grab his nuts and tell him to shut up.”
She grabbed Trey’s balls and he cried out in pain.
“Easy,” Brian said.
Her grip loosened slightly. “Shut up.” She felt like she had a little devil on her
shoulder, whispering naughty instructions to her.
“Yes, ma’am,” Trey squeaked.
“Lick the head of his dick.”
Her tongue darted from between her lips, wrapping around the head of Trey’s
cock. He shuddered violently.
“Don’t give him much. Lick one side along the rim, over and over again. I
want you to drive him crazy. Go.”
She did exactly as Brian instructed. Trey groaned in protest. Within a minute,
Trey was rocking on the balls of his feet, just like he did when the music
overtook him on stage.
Brian laughed. “Tell her what you want, Trey.”
“Suck me,” he growled between clenched teeth. “Please.”
She glanced down at Brian for instructions and he shook his head.
“Put two fingers in his ass and do that thing you do to me sometimes.”
“What thing?” Trey asked suspiciously.
She grinned. “You’re very generous with your friends, sweetheart,” she
murmured.
She slid her index and middle fingers into Brian’s mouth to wet them and then
reached between Trey’s legs and shoved them inside his body.
Trey gasped brokenly. “Oh yeah. You know I like that.”
She searched inside him until she found her target and stroked the swollen
gland persistently. Trey grabbed her hair in both fists and directed his cock into
her mouth. His cries of ecstasy encouraged her to suck him hard while she
continued to stimulate him with her fingers.
Brian grabbed her wrist and eased her fingers from Trey’s body. She released
his cock as well and glanced down at Brian for further instructions.
“Leave him for a minute,” Brian said. “Ride me until you come, and if he’s
quiet, I’ll tell you to suck him off. Maybe.”
Still trembling from the pleasure she’d given him, Trey groaned in protest. He
wrapped his hand around the head of his cock and flinched.
“If he’s quiet,” Brian repeated. “And doesn’t touch himself.”
Trey’s brow furrowed. “Fu…” He bit his lip. He shifted both hands to his hips
and stood there waiting for Myrna to make her next move.
She grinned down at her devious lover, rising and falling over him now.
Brian’s fingers worked her clit, driving her mad with desire. Her head fell back
as her cries grew louder and louder with each thrust.
“Shit,” Trey muttered. “I’m supposed to just stand here and watch you two
fuck while I get nothing?”
Myrna lifted her head to glare at Trey. “You already had yours. And you’re
supposed to be quiet,” she said, and shoved him against the wall. “You broke my
concentration. Now I have to start over.”
Brian gasped in pleasure. She looked down to find him writhing on the brink
of orgasm. She slapped him across the face. “Don’t you dare let go. Not yet. I’m
not finished with you.”
He caught her wrist before she slapped him again. “You’re getting awfully
bossy.” He looked up at Trey and nodded. Trey hopped off the bed.
Brian grabbed her around the waist and rolled their entwined bodies onto their
sides. She gasped as his cock rammed into her. He lifted her left leg to rest
around his waist. Trey spooned up against her back. She stiffened.
“Relax,” Trey whispered into her ear.
He probed her back entrance with the head of his cock and then he was inside
her.
Both of them were inside her. Oh. So gloriously filled.
They began to move. Brian thrusting into her, while Trey pulled out. Brian
pulled out, while Trey thrust inside. Her senses were so overwhelmed that she
couldn’t do anything but cling to Brian’s chest and gasp for air, her head tilted
back and pressing into Trey’s shoulder.
“Are you okay?” Brian whispered into her ear.
“Yes,” she gasped. “Yes. Yes, oh God, yes! Yes! Fuck me. Fill me. Both of
you. I love it. I love it!” She saw stars when she came, but they didn’t let her
recover. They switched to thrusting into her and pulling out in unison.
Trey’s body convulsed behind her. “God, Brian, your cock is driving me
crazy.”
“Yeah,” Brian agreed. “I feel you moving inside her. Feels so good.” His
breath caught. “Faster, Trey. Stay with me.”
Myrna turned her head to look at them. They lay facing each other, staring
into each other’s eyes over her shoulder. She’d seen this intensity between them
on stage before, this connection, but was surprised to see it here. Brian closed his
eyes. Still matching Brian’s thrusts, Trey leaned forward and kissed him on the
mouth.
Myrna’s eyes widened.
Trey’s tongue probed Brian’s lips.
Brian opened his mouth and Trey plunged his tongue inside. Trey’s hand
moved to the back of Brian’s head to hold him still as he kissed him. He sucked
Brian’s lips passionately, his thrusts into Myrna’s body growing increasingly
vigorous as his excitement got the better of him and he lost their synchronicity.
Trey watched Brian the entire time he kissed him, his eyes glistening with
unexpected tears. After a moment, he squeezed his eyes shut, his kiss shifting
from passionate to desperate.
Myrna lay there, too stunned to do anything but gawk.
Oh my God. Trey loved Brian. She knew it for a certainty. Trey loved Brian.
Loved him.
The urge to scratch out his eyes overwhelmed her. Did Brian realize this?
Myrna didn’t think Brian even realized that Trey was kissing him. He’d gone
into that muse trance mode that struck him completely unaware on occasion.
After a moment, Brian twisted his head to the side, breaking the kiss. Trey’s
head dropped to rest against the side of Myrna’s face. He cupped Brian’s jaw
with such tenderness, Myrna’s fist clinched. She knew Brian didn’t love Trey.
Not that way. He couldn’t. Brian was hers. Only hers.
Trey panted with exertion, pumped into her deeply twice and then shuddered
with a startled cry as he found release. “Brian,” he gasped. “Brian.”
Brian hadn’t moved for several minutes. He opened his eyes, but they were
glazed over with that far off look he got when he was completely inside his own
head. “Do you hear it?” he whispered.
Myrna smiled. She knocked Trey’s hand aside and stroked back the strands of
hair sticking to Brian’s sweaty face. “Yeah, baby. I hear it. Let it come.”
Trey lifted his head, listening intently. “I don’t hear anything.”
“Go get something to write on,” she said to Trey. And leave us alone. He’s
mine.
“What? He didn’t finish, did he? I wanted to watch him come. He always
looks so hot when he lets go.”
“He’ll be out of it like that for a while. Go get something to write on. Trust
me, you’re going to want to write this one down.”
“Thanks for sharing Brian with me this morning, Myrna. He’s been distancing
himself from me lately.” Trey kissed her temple affectionately and pulled out.
Uh, no. She was not sharing Brian with him. As exciting and pleasurable as
they had made this encounter for her, she much preferred having Brian all to
herself. Brian was hers. Only hers. And she wanted to keep it that way.
Trey searched the room noisily for something to write on, but Myrna scarcely
noticed. She was too busy coming to terms with the idea that she wasn’t just
hopelessly, madly, deeply in lust with Brian “Master” Sinclair. She might
actually love him. An idea that did not sit well with her.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Brian asked her, much more alert than
he’d been a few moments before.
“Like what?”
“Like you have a bad taste in your mouth.” Brian licked his lips, his brows
drawing together in confusion. “And why do my lips taste like cherry?” He lifted
his head to glare at Trey. “Did you kiss me again?”
Again?
Trey chuckled uneasily. “Of course not.” He tossed a pen and pad of paper
onto the bed and fled the room. The door closed behind him securely. He hadn’t
even bothered to take his clothes with him.
Brian looked at Myrna. “He kissed me, didn’t he?”
“Maybe.”
“I’m going to go kick his ass now. Excuse me.” He backed away, his cock
falling free of her body.
Myrna wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want you to go.” She
nuzzled her face against his neck. She could never remember feeling this
emotionally attached to anyone. Why did knowing that someone else loved
Brian make her want him for herself even more?
“He knows better.”
“Are you and Trey more than friends?” she asked, her heart thudding. Please
say no. Please.
Brian stopped trying to pull away and went entirely still. “I’m not sure how to
answer that question.”
“Are you lovers?”
He hesitated for far too long. Myrna felt sick to her stomach. Not because it
was Trey that Brian shared an intimate relationship with, but because she and
Brian weren’t as exclusive as she had led herself to believe.
“I know I’m going to regret telling you this.” He took a deep breath and
avoided her gaze when he said, “Trey and I experimented with each other in
high school.”
“High school?” she said breathlessly.
“Yeah. It was only once.” He squeezed his eyes shut. “Okay, twice. I fucked
him twice. But we got it out of our systems and we never did it again.” He
buried his face in her neck. “I disgust you now, don’t I? I should never have told
you.”
“I’m not disgusted,” she whispered. Relieved. Yes, that’s what she was
feeling. And happy that he trusted her enough to tell her something that personal.
He lifted his head to look at her, his eyes wide with surprise. “You’re not?”
“No. It’s fine. It’s all in the past. Right?”
“Yeah, of course. I don’t even like to think about it.” He stared into her eyes
for a long moment and then pressed his lips to hers. “I can’t believe you’re cool
with this. You’re too good to be true.”
He showed his appreciation with deep, all-encompassing kisses and questing
hands. She encouraged his attention, knowing that even though Brian was well
over his brief attraction to Trey, Trey was in no way ready to give up on Brian.
Chapter 33
Myrna set her stack of data on the coffee table between her laptop and cup of
chamomile tea and answered her cell phone. Didn’t he realize it was 11 o’clock
at night in her time zone?
“Hello?”
“I miss you,” Brian murmured. “Did I wake you?”
She smiled. She missed him, too, but had been getting a lot of work done
since she’d returned home. She was almost caught up. Her guilt trip for
abandoning her work to enjoy Brian was starting to wane. Just a little. Maybe
she could return to him sooner than she’d imagined. “No, I’m still working. How
did the music video shoot go today?”
“I’m in all of five shots. Sed’s a total camera hog. The rest of us were bored.”
She heard the slur in his voice.
“And so you drank all day,” she guessed.
“We were bored.”
“I’m going to let you go.”
“Why?”
“Because I’m working.” And I can’t stand the sound of your voice when
you’re drunk.
“Is that really why?”
“Call me back tomorrow,” she said. “When you’re sober.”
“Myrna?”
She hung up. She sighed and picked up her data. She’d only typed in one
number when the phone rang again. She considered not answering, but finally
picked up.
“Brian, I don’t want to talk to you right now.”
“Who’s Brian?”
Myrna’s blood turned cold. Her throat closed off.
Jeremy.
She couldn’t breathe, much less speak. How had he gotten her phone number?
She’d been careful to keep it unlisted and had given it to very few people.
“Who’s Brian?” he repeated.
Her only reply was a gasp. Paralyzed with fear, she couldn’t move. Or think.
“Is he the reason you’ve been away from your apartment for over three
weeks?”
How did he know she’d been away? Was he watching her again?
“Are you fucking him?”
“How did you get this number?” she asked around the lump in her throat.
“Are you fucking him? I’ll kill him. No one touches you but me. Do you
understand? You’re my wife. You belong to me.”
“Jeremy, we’re divorced. And in case you forgot, I still have that restraining
order.”
“Are you going to call the cops? Go ahead. They don’t know where I am, but
I’ll see you real soon, sugar.” He disconnected.
Myrna tossed the cell phone across the couch as if it had transformed into a
snake. She jumped to her feet, lowered the blinds at all the windows and jerked
the drapes closed. She checked to make sure the front door was locked. Bolted.
Chained. She looked in the closets. Checked under the bed and behind doors. In
the kitchen cabinets. The refrigerator. She was alone. Too alone for comfort. She
picked up her cell phone and locked herself in the bathroom.
When she closed the door, the shower curtain billowed. Myrna dialed 911 and
held her thumb over Send as she approached the bathtub. Heart thudding, she
grabbed the curtain and jerked it back.
Empty.
Her shoulders sagged with relief. She sat on the edge of the bathtub with her
back against the cold, tile wall so she could see the entire room. Jeremy might
have learned to teleport since she’d last seen him.
She called Brian.
He answered on the second ring. “Oh, so now you want to talk to me.”
She could hear a lot of noise in the background. Loud music. Conversation.
Laughter. Clinking glasses. She was scared out of her wits and he was partying
like, well, a rock star. The jerk.
“J-Jeremy called,” she whispered.
“What? I can’t hear you,” he shouted.
The noises in the background changed rapidly. He must be on the move
toward an exit, or some place a little more quiet.
“Say it again,” he said.
“J-Jeremy called.” She wiped at an annoying tear with the back of her hand.
What did tears get you? Nothing. They sure didn’t make a drunk stop accusing
you of being a filthy whore.
“Your ex-husband? I thought you had no contact with him. Why did he call
you?”
“He wanted to know where I’ve been for the last three weeks,” she whispered.
She couldn’t seem to talk any louder. As if Jeremy might overhear her.
“He’s stalking you again,” Brian said with a certainty. “Do you have someone
who can stay with you until I get there?”
“No, I didn’t call you to get you to come here. He said he was going to kill
you.”
“He said that? How does he even know about me?”
“Don’t come here.”
“Then you come here. Immediately.”
There was a thump in the apartment next door and Myrna jumped.
It was bad enough that she had to live in fear, but she refused to put Brian at
risk. If she went to him, or he came to her, she knew Jeremy would hurt him.
She swallowed and took a deep breath, hoping she sounded confident when she
said, “Don’t be ridiculous. I have a ton of work to do. He’s just being a jerk. I’ll
be fine. I know he won’t bother me again. I reminded him that I have a
restraining order. If he comes near me, all I have to do is call the police and
they’ll arrest him.”
“Yeah, okay. I’ll just sit around here for a week and hope your psychotic
stalker of an ex-husband leaves you alone.”
“Brian—”
“I’ll be there as soon as I can. Do you want me to stay on the phone with
you?”
“That’s not really necessar… For a little while.”
“Tell me about your day,” he said. She could hear the bar noises in the
background again. “Hey, Phil,” he called to someone, “call me a cab, will you?”
“You’re leaving already, Brian?” some annoyed-sounding woman said. “We
just got this party started.”
“You’re not telling me about your day,” Brian said to Myrna.
“What do you want to know?”
“Everything. Start from the moment you opened your eyes.”
“Shouldn’t I start from the moment I rolled over in bed and tried to find you,
but you weren’t there?”
“Yeah, start with that.” She could hear the smile in his voice.
She told him all about her day. Every moment, including what Jeremy had
said to her on the phone. Brian kept her talking on his cab ride to the airport,
while he booked a flight at the ticket counter, and the entire time he waited for
his flight. She felt safer just having him on the other end of the line. She
eventually let herself out of the bathroom and crawled into bed with her phone.
She left all the lights in the apartment on, however. She didn’t think she could
handle darkness.
“My battery is going dead,” he said. “I’ll keep talking as long as I can. My
plane is boarding soon.”
“I’m sorry to be a pest, Brian.”
“You’re not a pest.”
She didn’t realize she was on the verge of tears until they started to fall. “I
shouldn’t have called you. And I shouldn’t let you come here,” she whispered,
and sniffed her nose. “Jeremy might hurt you.”
“I can take care of that stupid prick. Don’t worry about me. Keep yourself
safe until I get there. You know, if you go to sleep now, I’ll be there when you
wake up.”
She nodded as if he could see her. She was exhausted. Mentally drained.
“Thank you for being there for me.”
“Think nothing of it. You know I lo—”
The phone disconnected. His battery must’ve died. Not wanting Jeremy to
have the opportunity to call her again, she shut off her phone. Tomorrow she’d
get the number changed.
But how? How had Jeremy found her? She’d been so careful.
Chapter 34
The sound of the door buzzer pulled Myrna from a listless sleep. It took her a
moment to remember she was home, not on the tour bus.
The buzzer sounded again. A few stray rays of sunshine filtered around the
edges of her bedroom curtains. Morning already? Myrna stumbled from bed, still
in the clothes she’d worn the day before.
The buzzer sounded again. Several times in a row. Loud knocking followed.
Brian! He’d made it.
“I’m coming,” she called as she hurried toward the door.
She unlocked it and pulled it open, a bright smile on her face. It faded
instantly.
“Good morning, darling,” Jeremy greeted. His bright blue eyes raked over her
body from head to toe. “Did you sleep in your clothes last night, sweetheart?
You’re a mess.”
He wasn’t. Deeply tanned, blond, tall, athletic, and handsome, he looked like
a walking advertisement for a country club. Her mouth worked at producing
words but nothing came out. Her entire body had gone numb. She couldn’t
move.
“Here, I brought you flowers. I know how you like the frivolous things.” He
shoved a huge bouquet of mixed flowers into her chest. She caught them
automatically. He edged his tall, lithe body into her apartment and closed the
door. “I told you I’d see you soon. Why do you look so stunned?”
“Leave!” she managed to bellow.
“You’re not happy to see me?”
“Of course I’m not happy to see you. Get out of my apartment!”
He lifted his hand to touch her check and she whimpered in fear.
He dropped his hand, his blond brows drawn together with concern. “I’m not
going to hurt you, darling. I don’t drink anymore. See? Smell my breath.”
The minty scent of his mouthwash bathed her face. She flinched. She couldn’t
help it. She was terrified of him. “That’s not the point, Jeremy. You aren’t
supposed to come within three hundred yards of me. If you don’t leave by the
count of three, I’m calling the cops.”
“Myrna, just hear me out.”
“One.”
“I realize what a jerk I was and I’ve come to ask for your forgiveness.”
“Two.”
“I’ve been through treatment, Myrna. The thought that we can be together
again is all the reason I need to stay sober for the rest of my life.”
“Three.” Myrna tossed the flowers on the floor and turned to search for her
phone. She remembered that she’d fallen asleep with it against her chest the
night before. She hurried toward her bedroom to retrieve it.
“Wait.” Jeremy followed her into the living room. The sound of his footsteps
behind her made her heart race. She covered the back of her head with one hand
and walked sideways so she could keep an eye on him. She wouldn’t put it past
him to clobber her over the head the second she turned her back.
“Just give me a chance. Please, Myrna. Listen to me.” His strong fingers
gripped her arm.
She froze, trembling uncontrollably. She couldn’t catch her breath. “How did
you find me, Jeremy?” she said, gasping. “How? I did everything right.”
He chuckled. “That part was easy. There aren’t many ’57 Thunderbirds
registered in this state.”
Of course. Her car. How could she have been so stupid?
“Why are you shaking? I said I wouldn’t hurt you. Don’t be afraid.”
“Don’t be afraid? Don’t be afraid!” She turned and shoved him with both
hands. “You put me in the hospital, you crazy son-of-a-bitch. You almost killed
me.”
“That wasn’t me, baby. It wasn’t. I was drunk and you were cheating on me
with that gas station attendant. I lost control. But I won’t slip again. I promise.
I’ll never hurt you again. Never.”
Gas station attendant? What the fuck was he talking about? She’d never
dated a gas station attendant. She didn’t even know a gas station attendant.
“I’m not that man anymore. Remember that charming man you fell in love
with?” He smiled and she could almost remember the man she’d married, but
she remembered a face twisted in rage and a pair of hard fists much more
vividly.
“He’s back. I,” he continued, pressing a hand to his chest, “I’m back and we
can go back, Myrna. Back to the way things were at the beginning. You’d like
that, wouldn’t you? I never meant to hurt you, sweetheart. You have to believe
me. I’m better now. I’ve changed. I love you. So much. I do. I love you. You
believe that, don’t you?”
Her stomach churned at the sound of those three little words slithering from
between his lying lips. Nothing had changed. This was exactly like every other
time he’d talked her into taking him back. Well, one thing had changed. She had.
She knew real love with a good man. Brian had showed her the difference. She
shook her head at Jeremy. “Even if I did believe you, and I don’t, it wouldn’t
matter. I don’t love you. I have a new boyfriend. One who respects me and treats
me well. He doesn’t think I’m a whore or falsely accuse me of cheating on him.”
Jeremy’s eyes hardened and his upper lip curled. A thrill of fear raced down
her spine. As she suspected, the darkness in him was carefully veiled behind his
lies and attempted manipulations.
After several seconds, Jeremy relaxed and smiled. “Oh, yes. Brian.”
“Do I know you?” Brian asked from the open front door.
Chapter 35
Brian was still groggy from the long flight, but he didn’t think he was
hallucinating. There was something intimate between Myrna and this guy who
had his hand wrapped around her arm.
The tall man turned and his eyes widened. “This has to be a joke, Myrna.
Your new boyfriend is a thug?”
“He’s not a thug,” she whispered. “He’s perfect.”
“Am I interrupting something?” Brian asked, his brows raised in question.
Myrna’s hands clenched into fists. Her entire body was shaking. He could see
it from halfway across the room. Something wasn’t right here. Who was this
guy? And why was he touching Myrna with such familiarity? Had she actually
been in such a hurry to return to Kansas City so she could rendezvous with some
secret lover of hers? She’d known he was on his way. Surely she wasn’t stupid
enough to get caught this easily.
“You can leave, thug. My wife and I are getting back together.” The man
wrapped an arm around Myrna’s shoulders and tucked her against his side. His
lips brushed her temple.
Brian’s heart slammed into his chest. “Wife?” Brian sputtered.
This was Jeremy? This handsome, clean-cut man was the evil son-of-a-bitch
who had damaged Myrna so severely she couldn’t stand the sound of the word
love? It couldn’t be. Brian was certain Jeremy had curved horns, thick red skin,
glowing eyes, and cloven hooves. This guy, who belonged on a Christmas card
dressed in a reindeer sweater surrounded by his doting wife, 2.5 kids, and his
faithful golden retriever, could not be Jeremy. Not possible. Besides, weren’t
they divorced?
Myrna shook her head and opened her mouth, but didn’t produce a sound.
Brian had never seen her look so pale. He decided she wasn’t freaked out
because he’d caught her in the act with some good-looking man. She was
terrified. But Brian was here now. He wouldn’t let this asshole hurt her again.
Not physically. Not emotionally. Not psychologically. Brian wouldn’t give him
the chance.
“So you’re Jeremy,” Brian said, easing further into the apartment. No sudden
movements. There was no telling what this crazy bastard was capable of.
Jeremy smiled and tossed his blond head with a self-satisfied grin on his
perfect face. “She told you about me, did she?”
“Oh yeah, she told me all about you.” Brian’s rage simmered beneath the
surface, but he knew he had to keep it restrained. His first instinct was to pound
the shit out of this guy, but he didn’t want to scare Myrna. Brian didn’t want her
to think he was anything like this prick.
Jeremy trailed his fingers up and down Myrna’s upper arm as he waited for
Brian to make his move. Myrna stood frozen at his side, looking nauseous with
anxiety. When Jeremy eased her closer, she whimpered.
Brian’s rage erupted. “Get your fucking hands off her.” He crossed the room
in three strides, his fisted hands raised in threat.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!” Jeremy said, bike-pedaling backwards
and shifting Myrna in front of his body for protection. “I know you thugs settle
your differences with violence, but civilized men—”
“You’re about to find out how violent this thug can get, you piece-of-shit
pansy. I told you to get your fucking hands off Myrna. I mean now.”
Jeremy dropped his hands from Myrna’s shoulders.
Emitting a gasp of relief, she took a step toward Brian. He opened his arms to
draw her near, but Jeremy grabbed her again. She flinched as if he’d struck her.
Brian’s heart thudded faster. His eyes narrowed. “I warned you, asshole,” he
said. “Now I’m going to kick your ass.”
Brian advanced on Jeremy, but before he could land a blow, Myrna stepped
between them and lifted her hands to stop him. “No, Brian. Don’t hit him.”
Brian’s eyes widened. She was defending him? How could she defend him?
Maybe what Jeremy had said about them getting back together had been the
truth. He certainly looked the part of her husband—attractive , clean-cut,
wealthy, and well-educated. Perfect manners. Perfect face. Perfect body.
Everything Myrna deserved in a husband. Certainly a more practical choice than
Brian. Even he couldn’t deny that reality.
Brian shook his head at his thoughts. No. Jeremy didn’t deserve her. He had
hurt her in every way imaginable. She didn’t need someone who looked proper
standing beside her. She needed someone who supported her and let her be
herself. She needed Brian, dammit, even if she wouldn’t admit it.
“I’m not just going to hit him,” Brian said. “I’m going to beat the shit out of
him.”
“No, please don’t.”
Brian could not believe that she was still trying to protect the jerk. Was she
mental? “Why not? He deserves it.”
“Because,” she said, looking up at him with concern in her pretty, hazel eyes,
“you’ll hurt your hands.” She grabbed a tall, crystal vase off a nearby end table
and shoved it into his chest. “Use this instead.”
Brian grinned and lifted the vase in one hand, testing its weight. “You sure?
This is a really nice vase. It’s also heavy. Potentially lethal.” He glanced at
Jeremy, satisfied to see fear in his eyes. Brian shifted his gaze to the flowers
littering the floor by the door. “And you have some nice flowers over there that
someone—not me, once again—delivered personally…”
Myrna careened into Brian as Jeremy shoved her out of the way. Jeremy
sprinted toward the front door, but Brian grabbed him by the collar of his baby
blue polo shirt before he could get out into the corridor. “Where do you think
you’re going?” Brian shut the door with his foot.
“Let me go!”
“I don’t think you understand. I have a serious beef with you, dude. And I
very much want to cause you permanent harm.”
“I’m going to go call the police,” Myrna said. “He’s not supposed to be
anywhere near me.”
Brian was glad to see her confidence returning. He’d scarcely recognized her
when he first arrived. “Great idea. I’ll keep this guy occupied until they get
here.”
As soon as she disappeared into a room at the back of her apartment, Jeremy
took a wild swing at Brian. Brian ducked. In his youth, he had been in more
fights than he could count and it was obvious that this wuss had never squared
off with a man. No, he was the type of coward who hit women and kicked
puppies.
Jeremy struggled against Brian’s hold on the back of his collar. “Get your
hands off me, you filthy thug. If you so much as scratch me, my father will have
you put away for the rest of your life.”
“You’re going to tell your daddy on me? You’re even more pathetic than I
realized.” Brian jerked him away from the door and shoved him into a wingback
chair. “Have a seat while we wait for your handcuffs to be delivered.”
When Jeremy tried to get up, Brian put a fist in his face.
“Now listen to me, you son-of-a-bitch, the only thing preventing me from
tearing your head off and pissing down your neck hole is realizing what a mess
your blood would make on Myrna’s carpet. So you just sit there calmly or I
might do something you won’t live long enough to regret.” Talking trash usually
did the trick with this type of coward, but Brian would be more than happy to
turn his threats into reality. He would take great pleasure in rearranging this
guy’s overly handsome face.
“I really don’t understand why you have it out for me. If it’s because I called
you a thug, then I apologize for that.”
Jeremy oozed charm from every pore, but Brian wasn’t buying it. “I don’t
care what you think of me, you arrogant ass. You hit a woman. My woman. You
are on the top of my shit list.”
“I don’t know where you got your information. I would never hit a woman.
Especially not Myrna. I love her.” He closed his eyes and shuddered with
tormented ecstasy. “Oh God, I love you, Myrna. I love you so much.”
Brian’s nose wrinkled and the skin on the back of his neck crawled. This guy
was five brewskies short of a six pack. “No wonder she hates that word.”
Jeremy opened his eyes, a cold grin spreading across his face. Creepy. Make
that six brewskies short.
“She’s never said it to you, has she?” Jeremy chuckled with an odd
merriment. “And she never will. She won’t tell you she loves you, because she
still loves me. I own her heart forever. I made sure of it. She’ll always be mine.
Eternally. I ruined her for all other men. And I did it on purpose.” Jeremy
lowered his chin, and stared up at Brian with icy blue eyes. “Thug.”
Myrna came back into the room with her cell phone in her hand. “They’re on
their way.”
Jeremy launched himself out of his chair and shoved Brian backward with
both hands. Brian stumbled, regained his footing, and headed after him. He
should never have let his guard down. Jeremy yanked the door open. Brian thrust
his arm in front of him to stop his progress. Sneering maliciously, Jeremy
slammed the door. On Brian’s hand.
“Ow! Fuck.” Brian cradled his crushed hand against his chest.
“You idiot,” Myrna yelled and jumped on Jeremy’s back.
Her knees digging into Jeremy’s sides to keep herself clinging to his body,
she repeatedly slapped him on the head with both hands. “You stupid, stupid,
stupid, stupid—”
“Ow, Myrna, that hurts. Stop it,” Jeremy complained.
She continued to slap him, punctuating her blows with, “Stupid, stupid,
stupid, stupid, stupid.”
Brian watched, strangely amused by her tirade. Jeremy tried to dislodge her
from his back, but she had him in a leg lock he had no hope of escaping.
Brian’s left hand was already so swollen that he couldn’t make a proper fist.
He hoped to God it wasn’t broken. But seeing Myrna slap the shit out of Jeremy
in retaliation? Totally worth it.
Jeremy covered his head with his arms to try to block her continued flatpalmed slaps.
“I hate you,” she bellowed. “I hate you. I hate you.” When the tears started
flowing, Brian couldn’t stand there and watch anymore. He touched the center of
her back and she hesitated. She turned her head to look at him, tears streaming
down her face and dripping off her jaw.
“It’s okay, baby,” he murmured. “Come here.”
She fell into his embrace, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs
around his waist. She sobbed against his shoulder, drenching his shirt in seconds.
He stroked her back and rubbed his lips against her hair. “It’s okay. I’m here.
I’ve got you. Shh.”
Finally free, Jeremy yanked the door open and found two police officers
standing on the threshold.
“Are you Jeremy Condaroy?” one of the officers asked.
“No, but thank God you’re here. You arrived just in time,” Jeremy said.
“That’s him. Right there.” He pointed at Brian.
Chapter 36
Myrna didn’t understand what was happening. Why was she being pulled from
Brian’s steady and comforting embrace? Why were two police officers wrestling
Brian to the floor and handcuffing him? Why had they let Jeremy walk casually
out of the apartment?
“What is going on?” she screamed.
“It’s okay, ma’am. We’ve got him,” one of the police officers said, and then
he started to recite Miranda rights to Brian.
“Why are you arresting my boyfriend?”
The two cops looked at her in confusion.
“I’m not the guy you’re looking for,” Brian said, still face-down on the floor.
“You let him get away.”
The officers looked at Myrna as if they didn’t believe what Brian was saying
and needed her verification to proceed.
“That’s Brian Sinclair, not Jeremy Condaroy,” Myrna said. “Jeremy is a tall,
prudish, blond man.”
“Shit!” said one of the officers and he took off out of the apartment and down
the corridor. “Freeze,” he yelled, his footsteps carrying down the hall. “I said
freeze. I’m going to taser you if you don’t stop.”
The younger of the two officers hesitated, looking down at Brian with a giddy
sort of expression. “Brian Sinclair. The lead guitarist of Sinners?”
“Be a fan boy later,” Myrna said. “That dickhead you let escape broke Brian’s
hand. Are you just going to let him get away?”
The officer’s eyebrows drew together. “I’ll take him down,” he said and
headed after his partner.
The sound of electrical crackling carried down the hallway, followed by a
yelp of pain.
“Heh, I think they got him.” Brian smiled. “I hope it fucking hurts, you
asshole!” he called.
Myrna helped Brian sit up, but there wasn’t anything she could do about the
cuffs holding his hands together behind his back.
“I’m so sorry about all this.” She knelt in front of him and touched his face.
“No big deal. I’ve been arrested before.”
Her heart skipped a beat. “You have? For what?”
“Fighting. I used to be a hotheaded little snot.”
She chuckled. “Somehow I totally believe that.” She circled around his body
and leaned close to examine his hand. It was horribly bruised and swollen. She
couldn’t tell if it was broken and didn’t want to hurt him by examining it too
rigorously. “How’s your hand? Do you think it’s broken?”
“I can’t tell. But it doesn’t matter. What’s important is that you’re safe.”
He was so sweet. If Jeremy had caused permanent damage to Brian’s hand,
Myrna would never forgive herself. “I’ll go get you some ice.” She started to rise
from the floor but he leaned against her.
“No, stay with me.”
She stared unseeingly at his shoulder. “I should never have called you.”
“What? You can’t be serious, Myrna. I don’t even want to think of what could
have happened if you’d been here alone with that guy. He’s a total nutcase. How
is he out on the streets?”
“Parole. His father has friends in high places.”
“Maybe this time they’ll keep him locked up. He obviously hasn’t learned his
lesson.”
Myrna rubbed her forehead, a feeling of helplessness washing over her. “I
guess I need to change my name again. Move to a new city. Start over. God, I’m
sick of this. I’m sick of him controlling my life.”
“Fuck him, Myrna.”
Myrna stiffened, the very idea filling her with dread. And nausea.
“I don’t mean literally.” Brian shook his head at her. “He’s the one with
issues. You shouldn’t have to hide in fear because someone beat him with a
crazy stick.”
“Sometimes it’s easier to hide.”
“Since when are you the kind of person who takes the easy way out?”
She knew she wouldn’t be able to explain it in a way that he’d understand.
She didn’t really understand it herself. Jeremy knew her every button and he
pushed them all repeatedly, without hesitation. “There’s just something about
him, Brian. He gets to me.”
“I know, sweetheart. You do whatever you need to do to feel safe.” He shifted
so his shoulder pressed against hers. “I’d really like to hug you right now, but
I’m sort of stuck.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head on his shoulder. “I
do like you restrained from time to time, but not like this.”
“You’re going to let me stay here with you in Kansas City until we go back
on tour, aren’t you? I obviously can’t record with my hand all jacked up.”
“I’d rather go back to L.A. with you. I don’t know if I can stomach being in
this apartment right now.” She glanced around. Yeah, Jeremy’s presence was
fouling up the entire place. Forget finding the focus to work on her research.
She’d never be able to sleep, much less concentrate.
“If you’re really set on changing your name, you’re more than welcome to
mine.”
She covered his mouth with one hand. “Don’t you dare suggest Vegas again.”
The younger of the police officers entered the front door. “Well, we have him
in custody,” he said. “Let me get you out of those handcuffs, Master Sinclair.”
Myrna moved aside and the officer squatted behind Brian to unlock his cuffs.
As soon as he was free, Brian cradled his left hand against his chest. He tried to
disguise his wince of pain with a smile of gratitude, but he wasn’t fooling
Myrna. His fingers were already black and blue. She needed to get him to the
emergency room and have his hand X-rayed.
“I hope there was some police brutality involved in that arrest,” Brian said.
The officer winked. “Maybe a little. I feel stupid asking this, but I’m a huge
fan of yours. Can I have your autograph?”
“Yeah, no problem.” Brian climbed to his feet.
While Brian signed an autograph with his uninjured right hand, the officer
talked to Myrna. “We probably have enough to keep your ex-husband
incarcerated until he goes back to court—the idiot removed his house arrest
ankle bracelet, is hundreds of miles outside his perimeter, and violated a
restraining order—but I suggest you press additional charges against him. The
more we have against this guy, the easier it will be to keep him locked up.”
She glanced at Brian, who was pushing on the knuckles of his injured hand
and scowling. “I need to take Brian to the hospital and get his hand checked out.
Can I press charges later?”
“Um, yeah. Just go downtown and file a complaint as soon as possible.
Sinclair should press charges, too.”
“I will definitely press charges,” Brian said. “I’m even considering making
some shit up.”
Chapter 37
A week later, sitting amongst a pile of dirty laundry and empty beer cans on the
pigsty bus, Brian entered into a pentatonic scale progression and Trey echoed
him two notes behind.
When they reached the end of the riff, Sed said, “Yeah, I like that. Eric, what
do you have?”
“It’s hard to compose when your drum kit is locked in a truck, dude.” He
tapped his sticks on the side of the refrigerator beside him. “That’s the beat I
hear, but without my cymbals and my bass drums and…” He sighed and shook
his head.
“We really need to find some studio time,” Brian said. “When’s our next
break?” Because of Brian’s injured hand, their last break had been a complete
bust. His hand hadn’t been broken, but the swelling had kept him from playing
for almost a week. All the recording they’d planned to do in the studio had been
a complete wash. They hadn’t been forced to cancel tour dates, but Brian knew
last night’s performance had been less than stellar on his part.
“We’ve got another week on the road, and then two weeks off at the end of
June,” Sed said. “We’ll get some recording done then. For now, we’ll just keep
writing so we’re ready when the time comes.”
“As often as Sinclair gets laid, we’ll have enough guitar music for ten
albums,” Trey said around his sucker.
Jace thumped Brian on the back. “You need to start composing bass riffs, too.
I can’t keep up.”
Brian glanced at Jace over his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll give it a try.”
“Where’s your lady love, anyway?” Sed asked.
“She’s on the other bus working on her research stuff,” Brian said. “She said
we’re too distracting and she’s never going to get it done if she doesn’t hide
from us for a couple of hours.”
“So that’s why we’re having a session on the pigsty bus. That woman knows
how to get exactly what she wants, doesn’t she?” Trey chuckled. “No wonder
Brian’s in love.”
Jace thumped Brian on the back again.
“Too bad the feeling isn’t mutual,” Brian muttered under his breath. He
reached for a sheet of music from the stack on the table. This one had splatters of
chocolate syrup all over it. Recalling what he’d been doing when this gem had
come to him, he grinned to himself.
“What do you mean, it isn’t mutual?” Trey asked. “You stormed the castle
and saved her from the evil dragon. And no woman would put up with five slobs
for five weeks for the sake of research. She loves you, man. She wouldn’t be
here if she didn’t love you.”
Brian snorted. “Try convincing her of that. She’s just here to work.”
“Who cares if she loves him?” Eric said. “She fucks him well, keeps the bus
clean, and cooks us meals. As far as I’m concerned, no one loses in this game.”
Sed shoved Eric off the counter onto the floor. “Don’t talk about Myrna like
that, you prick.”
Eric climbed to his feet and shoved Sed, before retreating to the other side of
the bus and sitting next to Trey at the dining room table. “I don’t mean any
disrespect. She’s a great woman. I just mean, if she doesn’t want to admit that
she loves Brian, what’s the big deal?”
“It’s nice to hear it,” Sed murmured to the floor. He glanced up at Brian and
smiled. “You’d like to hear her say it, wouldn’t you?”
Brian shrugged. “Neither one of us has said it.”
“You haven’t told her?” Trey asked. “Dummy. She’s probably one of those
chicks who refuses to say it first.”
Brian shook his head. “She forbids it. You’ve heard her. When anyone asks
her about us, she just laughs and says it’s nothing serious. We’re just having a
good time.”
“No one believes that, Brian,” Trey said. “You don’t believe it, do you?”
Maybe. “Just drop it, okay?”
“That woman has got you by the balls, Brian,” Jace said.
Brian glanced up at him and laughed. “Yeah, but the way she grips them—
hard enough to get my attention, but not so hard that I want to get away—feels
so good.”
Eric commenced to banging his head on the table.
Maybe he did need to tell her how he felt and to hell with her barriers. What’s
the worst that could happen?
She could leave.
His stomach plummeted.
He’d wait a while longer.
Brian shook the chocolate splattered sheet music at Trey. “I think this solo fits
well with that last riff.”
Trey offered him a sad little smile. “Okay, then. Let’s hear it.”
Chapter 38
Myrna entered more numbers into the spreadsheet on her computer. Her survey
gave consistent, reliable data and showed two strong behavioral trends among
the groupies. She had no doubt that this research was going to save her entire
career. And if it didn’t, it wasn’t the end of the world. She’d started working on
a proposal for a nonfiction book guaranteed to be a bestseller.
“I hope you’re smiling like that because you’re thinking about me,” Brian
said.
She glanced up from the computer screen. She hadn’t heard him enter the bus.
He kissed her cheek and slid into the booth across from her.
Her smile brightened. “I’m always thinking about you.”
There was a clatter near the front of the bus as Trey entered. “Myrna,” he
said, “look what I’ve got.”
“Cherry suckers?” she guessed.
“Fresh shrimp. One of the roadies bought them. Will you make some shrimp
scampi?” He set the bag on the table and gave her his puppy dog look. The one
he knew she couldn’t resist. “Pwease.”
She smiled at him and nodded. “After I finish entering this data.” She started
typing in the next row of numbers.
“You mean, after I finish entering you,” Brian said.
She glanced up from her computer screen. Brian gave her that other look she
couldn’t resist. That “get naked immediately” look. She saved her file and closed
the laptop, stuffing the stack of papers under the computer. “Sorry, Trey. Brian
wins.”
“But I’m starving.”
“We’ll be finished in an hour or two,” Brian said.
“Or four,” Myrna said.
“Or four.” Brian slid out of the booth and extended his hand toward Myrna.
“Four hours? I’ll die by then.” He took Brian’s vacated seat and peered into
the fishy-smelling bag.
“I’m sure you can find something to eat in the fridge.” Myrna slid from the
booth, took Brian’s hand and glanced back at Trey. “What did you guys do with
yourselves before I joined the tour?”
“We were barely alive,” Trey said. “Drowning in our own filth.
Malnourished. Scrawny. Anemic. On our last limb.” He stretched out a hand
toward her, his head collapsing on the table as he played dead.
She chuckled. “You poor babies.”
Brian tugged her toward the bedroom. “You’re too good to us.”
“I like taking care of you guys. You’ve all become important to me over the
past month.”
“Even Eric?”
She laughed. “Yes, even Eric.”
“You’re important to all of us, too,” he said. “I can’t remember the last time
we felt so… settled.”
Settled? Ugh. “I’m a drag, aren’t I?”
Brian tugged her through the bedroom door and pulled her against his body,
kissing her hungrily. He kicked the door closed.
“Not a drag,” he murmured. “You’re wonderful. Like I said, too good for the
likes of us.”
She kissed the corner of his mouth. “Your lies are good for my ego.”
“I’d never lie to you,” he whispered, his lips trailing lightly over the skin of
her cheek to her ear. He drew her earlobe into his mouth, pressing it against his
upper teeth with his tongue. Her breath caught. She forgot about everything but
him.
His hands moved to the buttons of her shirt, releasing them one at a time as
his tongue rubbed the sensitive spot behind her ear. Her fingers curled into his
hard chest as she swayed against him.
He brushed her shirt off her shoulders and moved his mouth to her collarbone,
kissing her skin gently. So gently it made her want to cry.
“Brian?” she whispered.
He lifted his head to look at her. “Hmm?”
“You’re being tender.”
“You don’t like it?”
“I didn’t say that. I just wondered what brought it on all of a sudden.”
He grinned. “Jace needs bass music. I have to slow it down a little.”
She placed her hands on his face and rose on tiptoes to kiss his lips. “Is that
all? I thought maybe you had something to tell me.”
His brows drew together. He swallowed hard and fixed his gaze on her
forehead. “Like what?”
“You’ve thought up something kinky and figured you’d better soften me up
before springing your trap.”
“You think I have a one track mind.” He sighed and shook his head slightly.
“Sometimes I think this is hopeless.”
Her heart thudded painfully in her chest. Ever since they’d returned from
Kansas City, he’d been acting strangely. Like he wanted to break up with her or
something. And after being so rudely introduced to Myrna’s past baggage, who
could blame him? But it wasn’t something she could change. Jeremy had left a
big impact on her life whether Brian liked it or not. “I don’t know what you want
from me, Brian.”
“Yes, you do. That’s why it scares you when I’m tender with you.”
So this wasn’t about her past. This was about their future. “I’m not scared.”
But she was. Terrified. Mostly because she couldn’t picture a future without him
in it.
“Can you let me be tender without making it into a joke?”
“I’m not making it into a joke.”
He quirked an eyebrow at her. “You’re not?”
“I’ll be quiet.”
“Just stop thinking so much and feel,” he said. “And I don’t mean your body.
I know you feel me with your body. I mean here.” He placed three fingertips on
her chest over her heart. “I don’t think you ever listen to what’s going on in
here.”
“I lis—”
He covered her mouth with his fingertips. “Shhh.”
Something had changed in him. She could see it in his eyes. He looked…
desperate.
“Bri—”
“Shhh.”
“But—”
“Shhh.”
She nodded. He removed his fingers from her mouth. She bit her lip. He
stared down at her, obviously struggling with words. She waited for him to say
something, but he lowered his head and kissed her instead. His feelings of
desperation came through in his kiss as well.
“Just love me, Myrna,” he whispered against her lips. “Please.”
She turned her head to break his kiss. “What did you say?”
He stared over her head, swallowing several times. “Make love to me, Myrna.
Please.”
That’s not what he’d said, but she could accept his amended words. She
couldn’t accept his original plea. The look on his face as he struggled to conceal
his emotions made her heart ache. She touched his face and his gaze shifted to
hers. “Tenderly. That’s what you need, right?”
He nodded slightly. She nodded, too, tears prickling her eyes. She would have
given anything to have met Brian before Jeremy. Then it wouldn’t be so
goddamned hard to uncover what she concealed in her heart and accept what
was in his.
They undressed each other slowly until they stood before each other naked,
both excited and soothed. Her hands slid over the warm skin of his chest. Her
lips followed in their wake.
“This is when you sweep me up into your arms and carry me to bed,” he said.
She laughed. “Hey, I’m trying to be serious.”
“Who said I wasn’t being serious?” He grinned down at her, and then gasped
as she wrapped her arms around his waist and lifted his feet several inches off
the floor. She took a couple of steps and dumped him on the bed. He laughed,
covering his eyes with his hands. His laughter warmed her heart. It was one of
the many things she loved, erm, liked about this man.
“Sorry, I kind of flubbed that one. I need to work out more. Puny biceps.” She
climbed onto the bed beside him, urging him to scoot up toward the headboard.
“And this is the part where I rub rose petals over your skin, right?”
“I think we’re fresh out of rose petals.”
“Close your eyes.” She loosened her hair from the clip holding it in place at
the back of her head. He closed his eyes. She leaned over him and trailed her
long, thick hair over his belly. “Imagine this is rose petals.”
“I like knowing what it really is better. Wrap it around my cock.”
“We’re being tender, Brian, remember?”
“That’s not tender?”
“Tenderness doesn’t involve your cock at all and especially not wrapping my
hair around it.”
His eyes flipped open. “You’re kidding!”
She covered his lips with her fingers. “Shhh. Close your eyes.”
He hesitated for a moment and then obeyed.
“I’m going to touch every inch of you,” she whispered. “Kiss every inch.”
He grabbed his half-hard cock and stroked it from base to tip. “All ten? Give
me a minute. He’s not quite ready yet.”
She laughed. “Now who’s making jokes?”
He winked at her. “Sorry. I’ll behave.”
Her feather light touches began with his left hand. The bruises had faded and
the swelling had gone down, but she would never forget that terrifying wait for
his X-ray results. She’d been convinced that he’d never play guitar again and it
would have been all her fault.
She trailed her fingers over the palm of his hand, the thick calluses on his
fingertips, and back to his palm. His fingers curled involuntarily.
Involving her lips now, she kissed his palm while moving her tender touch to
his wrist and up his forearm. She sucked his ring finger into her mouth and he
groaned. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw his cock twitch in response. She
withdrew his finger from her mouth and kissed her way to the inside of his wrist.
Extending her arm, she continued to stroke his skin as she kissed her way up
the inside of his forearm to the inner surface of his elbow. Her questing fingers
found the crisp hairs surrounding his nipple. She teased the hairs, her middle
finger brushing against his nipple as she sucked on the inside of his elbow.
She loved touching him, experiencing his body in slow motion, but soon she
was craving his intoxicating touch. She shifted her body so her breast was
positioned in his hand. He squeezed gently.
Her nipple strained against his palm, desiring more rigorous attention.
When he relaxed his hold, she moved up his arm again, kissing a trail over his
hard biceps toward his shoulder, dragging her hardened nipple over the inside of
his forearm. Her belly clenched with need. Being tender with him was really
turning her on.
Her hand slid across his chest as her mouth found his throat.
“Brian,” she murmured, her kisses becoming less tender, more excited as she
worked her way up the side of his neck to his ear. She plunged her tongue into
his ear and his body jerked.
He chuckled. “Are you getting worked up already, baby?”
“You do this to me, Brian. Only you.” She kissed a trail along the hard angle
of his cheekbone and found his mouth. She shifted her body so that his hand was
between her thighs. He didn’t move his fingers to touch her though he must feel
her heat, her moisture, her need.
“Touch me,” she panted into his mouth.
When he didn’t comply, she tugged her mouth away from his and reached
between her legs, guiding his fingers into her body. She rocked her hips against
his hand, burying his fingers deeper.
“You’re just not very good at this tenderness stuff, are you?”
She looked down at him and cringed. She’d lost her intent in her own
excitement. “I’m sorry.”
“I’m not going to pretend I don’t like that I turn you on so much you shove
my fingers inside your body. It’s hot.” He twisted his hand slightly and she
shuddered. He pulled his hand away. “Finish what you were doing. I’ll fuck you
good and hard when you’re finished. That’s what you want, isn’t it?”
“Yes, hard. And fast. Gentle. Slow. I want it all as long as it involves your
neglected cock.”
But she couldn’t neglect it any longer. She turned and slid down the length of
his body, belly-to-belly but upside down. She took his shaft in her hand and
licked its head.
“Mmmmm,” he murmured.
He grabbed her hips and lifted his head to rub his chin against her clit. She
gasped and sucked him into her mouth. His tongue traced the emptiness at her
core, drawing her attention to the vacant feeling inside until she couldn’t
concentrate on anything else.
She had to have him. Needed what he gave her. What she could never get
enough of. Him.
She released his cock from her mouth and slid down his body, straddling his
hips. She didn’t turn to face him, but guided his cock into her body backwards
and sank down, driving him deep.
Whore, Jeremy’s voice whispered through her thoughts.
She hesitated. Brian gasped and tilted his hips to drive himself deeper still.
His fingers ran down the center of her back and she arched backward, her long
hair trailing over his chest.
You like that, don’t you, whore?
“Yeah,” she whispered. “Feels good.”
Brian shifted beneath her and she glanced over her shoulder to find him
propped up on his elbows, gazing down where their bodies were joined. She
smiled and reached down to massage his balls gently. She rode him slowly,
trying to remember he wanted tenderness from her.
He slid a finger up her ass and she gasped, pausing as he plunged it in and out
of her several times. “Oh,” she gasped.
“Do you like that?”
“Yeah.”
Filthy whore.
She rubbed her ear against her shoulder, hoping to silence Jeremy’s everpresent criticism. Brian pulled his finger out and she heard the side table drawer
open, followed by the hum of a vibrator. He placed a hand on her back to ease
her upward and then carefully slid a slender vibrator up her ass. She shuddered.
“Ah,” he gasped, his head dropping back to the bed. “I can feel it inside you,
vibrating against my cock.”
She glanced at him over her shoulder. He was biting his lip, his head tilted
back in sensual abandon. “Does it feel good?”
“Oh yeah,” he gasped. His belly clenched as his back arched in ecstasy. “Ride
me, sweetheart. Oh God, don’t sit still.”
“I want to watch your face.”
His cock fell free of her body as she turned to face him. He grabbed her hips
eagerly as she took him inside again. The vibrator drove her crazy. She rode him
fast, rubbing his cock up and down the vibration with each penetration. It felt
amazing, but watching his response was far more stimulating. He gripped the
bedclothes beneath him, writhing in time to her movement.
He grabbed her hips to still her. “God, baby. We have to take that out or I’m
going to explode. Like, immediately.”
She took his wrists and pinned them to either side of his head. She began to
rise and fall over him again, moving fast to drive him over the brink. She cried
out as an orgasm shook her unexpectedly.
“Oh wow,” she gasped.
She released Brian’s wrist and pressed her fingers against her clit to try to
calm herself so she could finish him. She rode him even faster, until he was
calling her name each time their bodies came together. A muscle in his cheek
began to twitch. It always twitched when he was close. Almost, baby. Just let go.
There was nothing sexier than watching this man come, and though she’d seen it
dozens of times, she never tired of it.
He’s a whore, too, Jeremy’s voice said.
Yeah, he was. And she wouldn’t want him any other way.
Brian’s head tilted back, eyes squeezed shut, lips parted. He gasped. His face
contorted with ecstasy and then his entire body went rigid. He shuddered, crying
out hoarsely, as his fingers gripped the covers beneath him.
Perfect. The man was perfect. Perfect for her. And she loved him.
She loved him.
She did.
How could she not?
She needed to tell him.
Needed to say it. I love you, Brian. Her heart stuttered and then raced. Perhaps
she’d find the courage to tell him tomorrow.
Or next year.
Brian’s body relaxed, but he began to twitch uncontrollably. He lifted her
away by her hips. “That’s a bit much,” he whispered. “I can’t stand it.”
She giggled and removed the vibrator from her body. “I think you liked it.”
“I liked it too much.” He reached for a score sheet and jotted down a single
line of chords. “Jace will be pleased with our naughtiness.” He tossed the music
aside and drew her against his body.
“Not as pleased as I am.”
“God, that was fucking fantastic, wasn’t it?”
She nodded in agreement.
He kissed her tenderly, stroking her bare arm. “Now I’m sleepy,” he
murmured.
“Take a nap. I’ll be here when you wake up. We’ll try that tenderness thing
again.” She smiled. “I’ll get it right eventually, though it might take me a few
hundred attempts.”
He chuckled sleepily and tucked her body against his. “Practice makes
perfect, baby.”
She lay there listening to him breathe as she blinked languidly.
“I love you, Myrna,” he whispered, just before he drifted off to sleep. “I really
do… love… you…”
Her breath caught. He loved her? Somehow, she knew he did, but until he’d
said the words, it hadn’t felt real.
Her heart lodged in her throat, Myrna watched Brian sleep for several
minutes. She touched his face tenderly and kissed his cheek. Maybe she could
say it while he was asleep. Just to try out the words for the first time. “I love
you, too,” she whispered.
His eyes flipped open.
He was awake? Shit. Shit! Now there was no taking it back.
His smile spread ear-to-ear. He looked as giddy as one of his fan girls. “Did
you just say that you love me?”
She opened her mouth to deny it, but nodded instead. “I think I’ve been
waiting for you to tell me,” she whispered, “and I was too afraid to say it first.”
“You’ve been waiting for me to say it?”
“Maybe. I don’t know. I just realized…”
He laughed and kissed her gently with tears in his eyes. “I was afraid I’d
chase you away by telling you.”
“Ten minutes ago, you probably would have. But that was then. This is now.”
He hugged her against him. “Ah Myrna, I think I’ve loved you since I took
my first breath.” He rubbed his lips against her forehead.
She tried swallowing her emotion, but it did no good. Her throat closed off.
“I’m sorry it took me so long to recognize it,” she said breathlessly. “To say it.”
“If you were really sorry, you’d say it again.” He cupped her cheek and
leaned back to look her in the eyes. His thumb brushed across her lower lip.
She took a deep breath. “I love you, Brian. Master Sinclair. Brian… I love
you.” She squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them again, her heart
thudding in her chest. “I love you so much it terrifies me.”
He leaned forward and kissed her deeply. “Don’t be afraid, Myr. I love you
more than I could ever put into words, but I won’t fail you. I promise. This love,
our love, is forever.”
Forever with Brian? Yeah, she might be able to handle that.
She smiled, her fears dissipating. She trusted this man with her heart.
Completely.
“You know,” he said, “we’ll be in Nevada for a show next week. Wanna go to
Vegas and get married?”
Staring into her future’s eyes, she grinned at him. Butterfly wings fluttered
around her buoyant heart. “I thought you’d never ask.”
Acknowledgments
I honestly can’t imagine a world without music, and if such a world exists, I
wouldn’t want to live there. So I offer heartfelt thanks to the hundreds of
musicians who fill my world with magnificent, creative sound. I don’t think I
could get through a day if I didn’t have music to touch my heart and soul in
some way.
I’d like to thank my family for being understanding and patient when I’m in
“the writing zone” and for never giving up on me or my dream. Their unending
support and faith in my ability means more than they’ll ever know. Sean, you’ll
always be my favorite guitar hero.
I’d like to thank my second readers, Sherilyn Winrose, Judi Fennell, and Kat
Sheridan, for offering their excellent, professional opinions and advice on this
work. How many times did you read this manuscript, Sherilyn? I think you know
it better than I do. And Judi, what can I say? You know the craft inside, outside,
upside down and are always generous with that knowledge.
Kudos to my online writing group, The Writin’ Wombats. It’s been fun and
sometimes heartbreaking to share our hardships and triumphs as both authors
and friends over the years. I wouldn’t be where I am today without their
knowledge, help, support, and occasional kicks in the pants. I raise a toast to our
continued success and offer a virtual hug to any who are struggling.
Major thanks to my agent Jennifer Schober, who gets me through the business
side of this and keeps me grounded. Trust me, I need that.
Finally, I’d like to thank my sensational editor Deb Werksman, her everhelpful associate, Susie Benton, and all the folks at Sourcebooks who believed in
a debut writer enough to give her a chance to live her dream.
About the Author
Raised on hard rock music from the cradle, Olivia Cunning attended her first
Styx concert at age six and fell instantly in love with live music. She’s been
known to travel over a thousand miles just to see a favorite band in concert. She
discovered her second love, romantic fiction, as a teen—first, voraciously
reading steamy romance novels and then penning her own. She currently lives in
Nebraska.