Groupie Love (A Rock Star Romance) (Love in Shades) (10 page)

Chapter 21

Mackenzie

I reach across the counter and pull a slice of gooey, cheesy Hawaiian pizza from the box.

“Uh. God,” I moan as I take a bite. “Where’d you order this from again?”

Everson grins as he slides onto the barstool opposite me and pops the lid off of his beer bottle. “That little place across from the gas station,” he takes a swallow of his drink, his fingers dancing across the ridges of his bare chest. “You like?”

For a second, I’m sure that he’s referring to his beautiful half-naked body. A smug expression takes over his face when he picks up on my confusion.

“The pizza, dirty girl. Do you like
the pizza
?” He nods his chin in the direction of the open pizza box on the counter.

I nod towards his body, looking him up and down. “I like. A whole lot.” I wink at him as I take a huge bite. He reads my innuendo and that causes him to chuckle.

I spent the morning working on my routine. Then, I made my way into town for my dance class. By the time I got back, Everson showed up and invited me to watch the band rehearse. It was awesome. My own little private concert.

Just after midnight, he kicked everyone out and now we finally have the place to ourselves.

He looks at me, the side of his mouth inching up.

“What?” I ask, feeling self-conscious. “Do I have sauce on my face?”

He chuckles as he reaches for a piece of pizza. “Nah – it’s not that.”

“What is it, then?”

“Look, I don’t want you to take this the wrong way –“

“No need to preface it. What were you gonna say?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on the countertop.

“It’s cute. The way you eat. I love that you’re not afraid of food. You’re not afraid to get messy.”

“Well, you’re the first person to ever say that. Everyone else seems to think that I’m a pig.” I laugh.

“You’re perfect. The perfect little pig.” He taps my nose with this finger.

We make small talk as we work our way through the box of pizza. When we’re done, we grab a few beers and move into the living room. We sit on the sill of the picture window, looking out to the ocean. The banter is light but there’s an undeniable sexual energy pulsing through the place.

Everson disappears out of the room and returns with his guitar tucked under his arm. I smile as he sits next to me and strums gently on the guitar.

“I like that,” I say quietly as the melody fills the silence. He doesn’t look up. He just keeps strumming away, lost in the music. “Is it for your new album?”

He nods without skipping a beat. “I want to play you something,” he says, slightly tentative.

I perk up. The lead singer of the biggest rock band in the country is about to serenade me. I’m the luckiest girl around.

A harmonic riff fills the air as Everson’s fingers dance across the strings. I feel the depth of it throughout my being. I find myself on my feet. I move into a simple arabesque then spring into a pas de chat followed by a set of bouree steps. I don’t think. I let my body guide me.

He rises to his feet as he strums the final chords of the song, the guitar hanging from the strap around his neck. My spin ends abruptly right in front of him. I reach out and run my fingers down his stubbly face. He grasps my hand, bringing the back of it to his lips.

“You’re so beautiful when you dance.” The heat of his stare steals my breath away.

“I wish you weren’t leaving tomorrow,” I blurt out, then I regret it. I don’t want to sound needy.

He doesn’t hesitate when he says, “Come with me.”

“What?”

“Come to Phoenix with me.”

“Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. I’m into you, Babes. I like hanging out with you. I don’t want our summer fling to be over just because I’m going on tour.”

My heart is doing flips in my chest.

“Come on, Babes. Live a little. Say ‘yes’.”

Every synapse in my brain is telling me that this is crazy. But I can’t say that I mind.

“Yes.”

Chapter 22

Mackenzie

“This is crazy, right Jules?” I say as I pace the floor of my bedroom. “I barely even know the guy. I can’t just drop everything and go to Phoenix with him.”

“I hate to break it to you, Mac-Mac, but you aren’t exactly doing anything groundbreaking out there in L.A. All you do is rehearse and go to the beach. It’s not like you’re trying to solve world hunger…or find a cure for halitosis.”

“I should be focusing,” I say as I stop to glare at her through my computer sitting in the middle of the bed. She’s using the CheekyChat app and her avatar is a sexy rabbit. “I came out here to focus on my dancing. Not to follow some musician around like a groupie.”

My phone buzzes on the nightstand. Incoming call from my mother. A much-needed reminder that my attention should be focused on my dancing right now. Not on some insanely-attractive rock star.
Thanks, mom
, I think to myself as I silence the call.

Julia hocks. “Dude – you make it seem like you guys are about to elope or something. It’s just one goddamned concert.”

“In
Phoenix
,” I remind her.

“Yes, in Phoenix. Why is that a big deal?”

“I should call him and cancel,” I mutter to myself.

“Why the heck are you so freaked out about this?” Julia laughs.

I hesitate to say this. “I like him…alot.”

She pauses, her eyes going wide. “You’re in love.”

“No, no. Not love,” I say quickly. “I don’t know him well enough to be in love with him…That would be crazy, right?...Right?”

She exhales loudly. “L’amour ne s’explique pas, mon amie.”
Love doesn’t explain itself, my friend.

I chuckle. “Has Paris turned you into a beret-wearing, baguette-eating hopeless romantic?”

“Something like that, I guess.” She pushes a sigh. “Stop trying to be a good girl, Mac. It doesn’t suit you. It’s inauthentic and it’s no good for your blood pressure. Come on, let that bad girl free. I miss her. It’s like I moved to Paris and you turned into a stiff.”

“
You
seem to be forgetting that I majorly fucked up my life. I lost focus. Started partying my ass off and totally missed the boat on my application to Joffrey.”

“That was a fluke,” she assures me. “You’re the best dancer I know.”

I think back to Everson’s invitation to go to Phoenix with him. “This is all crazy,” I groan. “Crazy. He’s a rock star, Julia. Beautiful women throw themselves at him everyday. Do you honestly think that he and I could have something real?”

She sighs dramatically. “Don’t be pissed just because he gets mad groupie love. Even Prince Charming had to work his way through a throng of groupies before he could find his Cinderella. Don’t turn down your invitation to the ball, Mac-Mac.”

“Sweet analogy, Jules, but c’mon…” I say skeptically.

“Mackenzie, go with him. He’s the hottest musician on the planet. He could have any girl he wants. And he wants
you
. Stop overthinking this. It’s just one concert stop. Go with him. Go make some memories.”

Chapter 23

Mackenzie

Everson chats with a few of the roadies hanging around in the parking lot as he slides his duffle bag and my overnight bag into the cargo bin under the belly of the bus. Then, he’s got one hand wrapped around the neck of his guitar and the other clasped around my wrist. He turns and flashes me a smile as we climb onto the tour bus.

“Ohmygod! I’m so happy you’re here!” Claudie accosts me with a giant hug, swaying me from side to side. “This bus is testosterone city and I’m
so
happy to have another female on board.” I can hear the rest of the band goofing around somewhere at the back of the bus before I even see them.

I laugh, returning her hug. “I’m only around for one stop,” I remind her. “Didn’t Everson tell you?”

The band performs in Phoenix tomorrow night. Everson explained to me that we left L.A. a bit in advance so that they can set-up and do sound-check and all the other stuff that bands have to do before they perform for a stadium of 20 000 fans. We’ll be spending the night at a hotel so that everyone gets a good night’s sleep to start fresh tomorrow.

Claudie’s face drops a bit as she skirts around me and sticks her head out the door. “Oh, he told me.” Then her voice drops as she mutters to herself, “but you’ll want to stay. Trust me.”

“What was that?” I ask tilting my head towards her.

She gives me a broad smile. “Nothing. Let’s just enjoy our time while you’re around.”

“Yeah – I’m super excited,” I say despite the knot in my stomach. I’m still not 100% confident in my decision to accompany Everson to Phoenix. I mean, I barely know him and I don’t know the rest of the band at all. They’ve been doing their best to put me at ease, but I guess my guard is still up. That’s normal, I suppose.

Everson gives me a quick tour of the bus. The fully-stocked kitchenette, the crammed bunk area, the stunning entertainment lounge. Everything is sleek, modern and brand-spanking-new but seriously crowded.

The other guys are playing video games in the entertainment section while Everson helps me get set up in the guest bunk.

Before long, we’re out on the open road, traveling towards Phoenix. I perch up on the stool in the kitchenette while Claudie makes us ham and cheese sandwiches, animatedly telling me stories about the band’s last tour. The girl is hilarious and extremely spirited.

Everson sits in the lounge at the front of the bus, giant headphones on, scribbling away in a notepad. I assume that he’s working on one of the songs the band will be recording on the days when they aren’t performing. Every now and then, he glances at me, his eyes sliding over my face before his pen starts moving furiously against the paper.

When Claudie excuses her self to make a phone call, I traipse over to where he’s sitting and slide into his lap. “What are you writing?” I ask, giving him a curious look.

“Lyrics,” he says vaguely, flipping the notepad shut.

Now, I’m really interested. I probe some more. “About…?”

He smiles bashfully and hesitates before he says, “You.”

I feel my face heat up. “Me?”

He looks straight at me, so much intensity on his face. “Yes, you. You’re my muse.”

He makes the confession so matter-of-factly, but still it has an indescribable effect on me. The fact that he’s found something in me worth writing about takes my breath away. I kiss him chastely on the lips and I can feel the agitation building between my legs. There’s nothing chaste about what I want to do to him once the bus stops in Phoenix and we check into the hotel for the night.

Chapter 24

Mackenzie

I flick on the lights as Everson drops his guitar case and our bags near the door. He ambles over and plops down in the center of the king-sized bed, his legs hanging over the side of the mattress. “I’m exhausted,” he groans, flinging his arm over his face to block out the light.

I’m tired too but I’m more interested in taking pleasure from his body than I am in sleep. I crawl on top of him and lower my lips to his.

“Mmm…What are you doing?” he grumbles against my lips. His eyes stay closed, but I feel his erection growing beneath me.

“Giving you something to dream about,” I purr as I undo his belt.

He moans coarsely and tries to sit up, his hand fisting my ass. “Well, two can play that game, Babes.”

I laugh. “No, no, no. I’m in charge tonight. I get to make you feel good.” I lay my hand flat against his chest and push him back onto the mattress.

He doesn’t protest. “I like the sound of that,” he growls low in his throat.

I drop to my knees between his legs. I waste no time peeling his pants and briefs off of his body. The now-familiar scent of him invades my senses, spurring me on.

I take his long, heavy shaft in my hand and stroke it slowly. He exhales deeply and I see his body relax, as if it just shed a hundred pounds of baggage. I lick him, soft and slow, taking the time to appreciate every ridge of his solid column.

He exhales sharply, his hand raking through his hair. “That’s good, Babes,” he hisses through clenched teeth. “So good.”

“I haven’t shown you ‘good’ yet, baby,” I whisper against his flesh. I suck the wide crown into my mouth using gentle suction, giving it some tender affection before I pull the rest of him in, inch by inch.

He hisses again. “Baby…”

I smile to myself as I wrap my fingers around the root of his cock and offer leisurely pumps. My tongue circles the spongy tip of his cock again and again as my lips tighten around him.

“Fuck baby – those lips,” he pants as he grabs the sheets into his fists. “Those lips are magic.”

I take that as encouragement to slide him deeper down my throat. My eyes stay riveted to him, fascinated by his reactions. I moan softly as my mouth caresses him. I’m growing wetter by the second.

Everson groans, his spine bowing off of the mattress as both of his hands slide into my hair. “Don’t you stop, Mackenzie. Don’t you stop.” My eyes water when I take him as deep as I can. He roars into the air and his hips begin to thrust in time with the bobbing of my head.

I suck faster and faster, my pace frantic. I’m so wet right now I can feel the moisture in my lace panties. We’re both so, so out of control.

His voice comes out raspy and strained. “I’m – I’m – Mackenzie – I.”

He’s about to explode all over my tongue, between my lips, down my throat. Excitement builds in me as his body tenses and tremors. I seal my mouth tightly around him, one hand cups his balls while the other pumps the base of his cock.

“Fucking shit,” he roars, his fingers wrapped tight around the roots of my hair. I take him deep, so deep he hits the back of my throat.

And he erupts, spewing hot, saltiness into my mouth. My eyes burn but I drink it down like a champ.

“Ugh!” His head falls back against the sheets. He’s spent.

I climb up next to him and he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me to him. He kisses me hard and greedy. I kiss him back with just as much enthusiasm.

We’re both breathless when I pull away. The scent of my arousal heats the air.

“Did sucking my cock make you wet, Mackenzie?” Everson’s low, hungry groan sends tingles up my spine. My breath hitches at the question and a new flood of desire pours out of my core.

I’m about to be dehydrated.

“Put your hand in your panties and tell me how wet you are.” His voice cracks with need.

I swallow hard as I slide my hand under the waistband of my underwear, running my fingers along the feverish, slick flesh. I moan at the contact.

“Bring those fingers over here,” Everson drawls, his accent thickening as his arousal builds. I move closer to him and run the pads of my fingers across his lips. His tongue darts out greedily to taste me.

His growl echoes through the room. “Mackenzie, sit that sweet pussy on my face.

I quickly pull off my leggings and climb over him till my pussy hovers over his lips.

“Sit,” he says, desire mixed with impatience evident in his tone.

I hesitate for a fraction of a second before his hand comes down hard on my ass.

“Sit that pretty pussy on my face, Mackenzie,” he orders. “Don’t make me tell you again. The combination of the command in his voice and the sting on my skin makes my nipples ache. My legs tremble as I lower myself slowly over Everson’s waiting mouth.

His tongue flicks out, hot and silky against my seam. “Oh god,” I cry out. He swipes back and forth, so eager, so ready to please me. His palms are hot against my hips, holding me firmly in place.

His lips clasp around my clit and pull and suck till I’m rocking back and forth against his mouth, pulling my own hair because it feels so good.

He pulls my nipples between his fingers, twisting and twirling them before his hands squeeze my breast with what I can only describe as a rough tenderness. “It’s so…yes…so…more, please…” The words burble past my lips.

And when his tongue parts my folds, sliding deep into my entrance, that’s when my hips buck, that’s when my eyes roll into the back of my head, that’s when I come with an ear-piercing, glass-shattering howl.

That’s when I know that Everson Coal has ruined me for every other man.

“Everson?” I whisper sweetly against his strong, muscular chest.

“Yeh, Babes.”

A conceited edge slides into my voice. “You might want to write a song about
that
!”