Love on the Rocks (Love on Tour #1) (10 page)

12

Henry made a beeline for me. “Baby! I missed you so much!” he said, scooping me up and swinging me around.

Over his shoulder I looked around for Sean. “I know Henry, it’s been so long,” I said sarcastically.

When we’d arrived at the venue they’d all been busy with the meet and greet. So Mike had stashed me and my friends in a back room to wait. Now the room was filled with band members, but no Sean.

Henry put me down and gave me a serious look. “I don’t think we should be separated for that long ever again.”

I laughed at him and greeted the rest of the guys. By the time I was done, Henry was working the room, jovially greeting the parkies, and blatantly flirting with all the girls.

I looked nervously toward the door and waited. When Sean finally came in, we stared at each other as he made his way toward me. When he was close I opened up my arms and he embraced me in a hard, warm, hug.

“I feel like it’s been a month instead of two days,” he whispered in my ear.

When he backed up to look at me, his eyes were sweeping me and the area around me. “Where’s your bag?”

The truth was, my bag was still on the bus, waiting for me to decide if it would be staying, or going back to Rocky Mountain.

“I brought it.”

He looked relieved. He opened his mouth to say something else, when Henry shouted from across the room, “Hey Sean, I found the ex-boyfriend. Come here.”

I followed Sean helplessly as he made his way through the crowd toward a spot in the far corner where Henry stood, his arm slung over Melanie’s shoulder, talking to Kevin. On the way I caught Sadie’s eyes. She winked at me.

“Hey Hank, what’s up now?” Sean asked casually, as if he hadn’t just heard what Henry said. As if everyone hadn’t. The room was eerily quiet.

“This here is Kevin,” Henry said, pointing the end of his bottle of Coke at my ex.

“Hi, Sean,” Kevin said, his eyes alight with excitement.

Kevin held out his hand. Sean took it. “Nice to meet you, Kevin. So, you and Baby were an item, eh?”

I stared up at him. Since when did he talk like a Canadian? He put an arm around me possessively, but kept his gaze on Kevin. Kevin’s eyes got even bigger.

“Yeah, about a year ago now,” Kevin replied.

“Poor son of a bitch,” Henry said. “I can’t imagine anything worse that having the greatest woman on the planet slip right through your fingers.”

“Hmmm.” Sean nodded. “Agreed,” he pulled me closer.

I was pretty sure I was blushing by this point, something I rarely ever did. So I was relieved when Mike announced that the bands needed to get moving. He would be escorting us out to our designated spot on the floor. Sean pulled me along with him as he made his way to the door. We stopped in front of Mike.

“You sure about this?” Sean asked Mike.

“Sean, I have half a dozen security guys out there whose sole responsibility will be watching out for Baby and her friends. It’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” he relented.

Then he kissed the top of my head and left.

****

I stood right in front, my arms resting on the stage floor, Melanie by my side. Surrounded by security guards in a cordoned off section of the arena, me and my guests were getting the best view of the show.

Henry was, as always, amazing. It was so much better than watching from backstage. The sound, the action, even Henry himself, who walked over to touch my hand or sing directly to me several times, it was all better. I felt on top of the world. Melanie almost passed out.

During the intermission between Henry’s set and Sean’s set, Mike came and got me. He led me backstage with the promise of returning me before Sean started his performance.

“Sean said he needs to talk to you,” Mike said, pulling me into a dark hallway.

We stopped just in front of a small alcove and stood there in the middle of the hall, waiting.

“Now? He couldn’t have talked to me before the concert?” I asked.

Mike just shrugged. I could see the main hallway from where we stood, and I watched as Sean’s band went by.

“Where is he?” I asked impatiently.

Mike nodded down the hall, in the opposite direction. I followed his gaze and saw Sean approaching. As he came closer, Mike moved away from me. Before I could figure out what was happening, Sean had reached me. He pulled me into the small alcove and put my back against the wall. One arm was wrapped around my waist, the other at the back of my neck. The whole thing had taken only seconds.

I was still catching up. My arms hung at my sides, my mouth parted in surprise. It was dark. I could hear the two of us breathing. His face was right there, bent down to reach mine. I put my hands on his chest. And he kissed me.

It started out gentle, but quickly turned passionate. My hands made their way down to his waist, where I fisted them in his shirt. His right hand was in my hair, his left came around and touched my lower ribs, moving upwards, toward my breast.

And then I heard a stupid cough, Mike’s stupid cough to be exact. “Sean, it’s time, man.”

Sean pulled away from me, and reluctantly, I let him go. He said nothing. He just smiled, gave me a quick peck on the lips, and walked away.

I watched him leave. The sides of his shirt were still bunched up where I’d clung to him. In the back of my mind it occurred to me that Sean was about to walk out on stage, in front of thousands of screaming fans, with my fist marks on the side of his t-shirt.

I leaned up against the wall behind me and tried to focus. That was, without a doubt, the single most exciting sexual moment in my life. My whole body was tingling. The man was so hot I felt like I was going to burn up.

I tried to steady myself. I would have to move eventually. I took several deep breaths. When I heard the music start I walked out of the alcove on shaky legs. Mike was waiting patiently for me.

As Mike walked me back to my friends, I couldn’t help but wonder how often he escorted girls backstage for Sean. Was this routine? Was I no different from say, Krysta?

I was trying to ponder this question when I arrived back at Melanie’s side, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t think about anything but Sean. He was larger than life up there on stage. He was about ten feet from me, bouncing around, throwing his long beautiful hair, singing into the microphone.

He had transformed from the man who pulled me to his chest as if I were a stuffed animal at night, who was insecure about whether or not I would be returning to him. Instead, I saw the man who kissed me in the alcove, making my knees weak and my heart race, the man who dominated his surroundings and could be denied nothing. I loved them both.

Sean spent even more time looking my way than Henry did. But this was normal. He did the same thing when I watched from backstage. However, he was so much closer here. It felt more intimate in many ways. There were thousands of people all around us, all looking at him, but he was looking directly at me.

When his set was over and he left the stage to get Henry for their joint encore, I turned to Melanie. I told her about our kiss.

“My God, if you aren’t gonna take him, give him to me,” she said.

“Not happening,” I told her.

We grinned at each other like fools.

Sean and Henry returned to the stage, along with Sean’s band. But they didn’t immediately break out into ‘Cold Enough,’ the song that usually started their encore. Instead Sean started strumming his acoustic guitar.

I recognized the first chords of the song, but thought I must be mistaken, until Sean started singing what I considered to be a very sexy Neil Diamond song. The song alternated between a slow chorus, which Sean sang in his rich, deep voice, and fast verses that Henry sang frantically while bouncing up and down. The song was hot, intense, and most definitely designed for getting laid.

My heart was thudding in my chest. I was sweating, and there was no denying that a warmth had spread between my legs. Sean was telling me, in a very big way, that he wanted me. I was so turned on I had to grip the stage to stay upright.

When the song ended I sent a text to Mike. I gave Melanie a quick hug. Then, with Mike’s help, I left the arena while the encore was still in full swing. We retrieved my bag from the bus and caught a taxi. Just as we were getting into the cab I saw the arena doors fly open, and the audience began to shuffle out, signaling the end of the show.

We were pulling into the parking lot of the hotel when I got a text from Sean.

Where are you?

In a taxi with Mike

Going where?!!!

To your hotel

I will be there ASAP

I smiled and tucked my phone in my pocket as the taxi came to a stop.

13

When Sean came in he dropped his bag on the floor and made his way directly to the loveseat where I was sitting. His hair was wet and loose. He must have taken a quick shower at the venue.

He sat down in the corner of the loveseat, angling toward me. He was so big that we were already touching, his knee to mine. I set my wineglass down on the table beside me.

“Did you get my message?” He asked, in a low, sexy voice.

“I sure did,” I said, hoping I sounded sexy too, but afraid I sounded scared instead.

I leaned into him. He pulled me onto his lap.

“So, did you have to practice that song?” I stroked his cheek with my hand. “Or is it something you whip out every time you have the hots for a geek?”

“Actually, I keep it in my repertoire just in case I want to seduce a sixty-year-old.”

“So, that’s your play,” I said softly, as I moved my lips toward his.

The kissing got heated fast, and I knew I had to act before I ruined my plan. So when Sean angled his head to kiss my neck, I jumped up. His look of surprise and his empty hands in mid-air were almost comical.

I was around the couch and headed for the bathroom before he reacted. “Where are you going?”

“To get ready for bed,” I called back, as I shut the bathroom door behind me.

I could hear his voice getting closer as he walked toward the back of the suite. “If you’re putting on those pajamas, I’m gonna rip them to shreds.”

I suppressed a laugh and responded in the most serious voice I could muster, “Then Henry will just have buy me new ones.”

“If he does I’ll break his face.”

I was pretty sure he was at the bed now. I heard a boot hit the ground, then another.

I looked in the mirror. This was how I’d decided to present myself to Sean, no lacey panties or high heels, no make-up or sexy hair, just me, as I am. I hoped this was what he wanted, because it was the only way he’d get me.

I opened the bathroom door and stepped out into the room, completely naked. Sean was, as I had deduced, sitting on the edge of the bed. He’d taken off his shoes, socks, and shirt. He stood up and was just starting to unbutton his jeans when he looked at me.

His hands fell to his sides and his mouth dropped open. He stood there for a long beat just staring at me, then he crossed the distance between us in one long stride.

He immediately wrapped me up in his arms and started kissing me. When his mouth left mine and migrated to my earlobe he whispered, “You are so beautiful.”

His hands were everywhere. I was not sure we would even get to the bed. But he must have wanted me horizontal too badly, because he cupped my ass and pulled me off the ground. I threw my legs around his waist and let him carry me to the edge of the bed. He laid me down crossways and leaned over, his powerful upper body supporting himself above me.

Sean then proceeded to touch, kiss, and suckle every part of me above the waist. I was already writhing when he dropped to his knees at the edge of the bed, parted my thighs, and went to work with his tongue.

My orgasm was quick, violent, and left me in a daze. I couldn’t move, except to angle my head so I could watch as Sean stood up and took off his jeans and boxers. I was still reveling in the view when he bent over me, putting his hands beneath my back and shoulders, and scooted me around on the bed. He gently placed my head on a pillow and crawled in with me.

I managed to find my arms and legs again. And now that my energy was back, I was ravenous. I pushed on Sean’s chest. I was not able to move him on my own, of course, but he knew what I wanted and laid back. I crawled on top of him, straddling his hips. I wasted a little time kissing his lips, face, and neck before I moved so that he was at the entrance to my body. I looked down at him. His breath was fast, his eyes wide.

“There are condoms in my bag,” he said.

I shifted a little, making him groan and squeeze his eyes shut.

“I wish we didn’t need one,” I said.

“I swear I’m clean. I even have paperwork.”

I wriggled again, he groaned again. We were so close now.

“Me too, and I’m on the pill,” I whispered.

Sean let out a long breath. “It’s up to you, Baby. It’s all up to you.”

I moved.

****

I lay draped across Sean as if he were a very comfy couch. He stroked my hair.

“That was my first time,” he said.

My head shot up and I stared at him.

“Without a condom.” He grinned.

“In your whole life?”

“Yes, I’m very responsible.”

I laughed and kissed his chest. “Well, was it worth the wait?”

Sean pulled me up so that our lips were close together. “You were worth the wait, Baby.”

He kissed me. But I didn’t want to be distracted. I pulled away.

“How long were you waiting?” I asked.

“Since I saw you at that diner in Searchlight.”

This floored me. “Really?”

He nodded. “I realize however, that at that point you had eyes for Hank.”

“Maybe, maybe not. It doesn’t matter now though, does it? You’re the only one I want, Sean.”

“Thank God for that.”

****

I woke up to a knock at the door. I was pretty sure that this time Mike would not survive. By the time I pried my eyes open Sean was already at the door, wearing only his boxers. He had it opened a crack. I could hear what he was saying pretty well, but Mike’s words were mumbled.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Sean said. “Find another way.”

Mike said something and Sean responded. “Yeah, we could do that. You know my conditions.” There was a pause. “Okay, make it happen.” Sean shut the door. Then, after a second, he opened it again and called out, “Mike. Thank you.”

When he crawled back into bed I threw myself into his arms. “What was that all about?”

“We are not getting on that goddamn bus,” he murmured, as he started a trail of kisses along my neck.

“Agreed. But how do we get to St. Louis?”

“Airplane. Mike will have it all set up for us.”

“So we’re staying here?” I asked, my hand trailing down his abdomen.

“Yep, we have until tomorrow afternoon. Whatever will we do?” He whispered against my neck.

I leapt back. “You could take me to the Natural History Museum!”

Sean pulled me back to him. “Okay. Later.”

****

A small part of my brain found the time to worry that the fire department was going to come busting through the door in response to my ecstatic screams. The rest of me could have cared less.

My cries died out and I slumped onto Sean’s massive chest, spent. “Good God.”

“You must have really liked the museum,” he murmured.

“Mmmm, I sure did.” I rolled off him and cuddled into his side. “I thought at first it would be a pain going to the museum with you.”

“A pain?”

“Yeah, with all the people crawling all over you all the time. And it
was
pretty bad at first.”

We’d spent a little time in the main part of the museum, and we were not left alone. The other patrons recognized Sean immediately, and several of them walked up to talk to him.

“But then?”

“But then we got the back room tour. God, that was awesome.”

It turned out the curator of the dinosaur exhibit was a huge fan. He took us deep into the bowels of the museum. We saw amazing things. I held onto Sean’s hand as we were led through some of the museum’s best-kept secrets. It was a naturalist nerd’s dream come true.

“I guess you are handy sometimes.”

Sean pulled me closer and whispered into my ear, “You’re not leaving me now.”

“No way,” I mumbled.

“I was so scared that I’d wake up one morning and you’d be gone.”

I propped my head up on my arm so I could see him. “I almost did leave once.”

“In Albuquerque?”

“Yes, but not for the reason you think. The night of the concert, when you were talking to Krysta behind the bus and I was sitting there listening to Mike make reservations for me for my own hotel room, I decided that if I spent that night alone I would leave in the morning. I probably would have just snuck out, without even a note. I didn’t recognize it as jealously at the time, but that’s what it was.”

“Even after you promised.”

I kissed his neck in apology.

“It’s a little hard for me to swallow that you thought I’d just ditch you for Krysta. Surely, you realized by then that I wanted you.”

“I most certainly did not,” I protested. “I was on that bus from the beginning thinking that the one thing I could count on was that neither you nor Henry was attracted to me. I did think maybe Mike might be attracted to me.” I laughed. “So clearly I was wrong on multiple counts.”

Sean didn’t laugh. He stared at me long and hard. “Okay, I admit that I’m not exactly a demonstrative guy. But Hank was pretty obvious about it.”

“I thought he was joking!”

“Not until Austin.”

“What?” I felt confused. My entire worldview was on its head.

“Hank is actually pretty observant. He figured out that I had feelings for you and he confronted me about it. Anyway, I admitted that I was into you. That’s all it takes between us. We don’t play games. Now he just flirts with you to irritate me.”

“So, that whole time I believed that there was no way either of you would ever have a thing for me, you
both
found me attractive?” I sounded incredulous, even to myself.

“Don’t tell me that now you realize you could have Hank you’re rethinking your choice?”

“Hell no. I’m just surprised, very surprised.”

Sean pulled me up and turned us so that we were lying on our sides, face to face. “Here’s what I don’t get. You are one of the most confident women I have ever met. You claim that you still have to ‘find yourself,’ but the truth is, few people in this world know who they are as well as you do. Your self-assurance, it shines, it is so striking, and everyone can see it.” He paused and kissed the tip of my nose. “So how does a woman like that have low self-esteem about how hot she is? It makes absolutely no sense to me.”

“Maybe it’s time I tell you the story of my tattoo.”

“Please.”

“When I was younger I didn’t have a ton of boyfriends. I also didn’t particularly care about that. Boys asked me out. I turned down the ones I wasn’t interested in, said yes to a few. I asked a couple out, some turned me down, too. None of it had much effect on me. Then, when I was a junior in college I fell for the teaching assistant in my Biology lab.”

“We were together for two years,” I continued. “I thought he was ‘the one.’ We got along well. We liked to do the same things. But we didn’t have a very passionate love life,” I confessed. “Something I am only just now fully realizing.”

I grinned at Sean. “But I thought we were happy. Then one day he dumped me, totally out of the blue. He said that he was only with me while he was waiting for something better to come along, and he’d found her. When I expressed my complete surprise at this, he told me that I should have known better. I was not hot or passionate enough to hold anyone’s interest for long.”

It was hard to admit the painful things Brynn had said to me back then. Sean’s expression was a combination of sadness and anger. I could understand the emotion well.

“What an asshole,” he finally said.

“Yeah, he was an asshole. And for the first time I let someone else’s opinion of me really affect me. I got depressed. I started to question everything I knew about myself. And when I came out the other side, I felt like I’d grown. The tree was a gift to myself.”

“It’s beautiful,” he whispered. “Just like you.”

“The thing I’m ashamed of is that I carried some of what I felt after that with me. There was just something I couldn’t quite shake off. And I feel it even now, right now. I’m looking at you, Sean, and I see a work of art in human form. And here I am next to you…”

“And you’re perfect.”

“That’s not how I see it.”

“How do you see it?”

“I don’t know how to explain it.”

“Start from the top,” he suggested.

“Okay, my hair.”

“What about it?” He pulled a few strands gently through his fingers.

“Not blonde.”

“I’m so over that.”

“It’s kind of boring, thin, and flat.”

“Hmm, see I think it’s soft and shiny. I love to touch it. I’ve never been so happy touching a woman’s hair in all my life. What else you got?”

“My face, make-up free and kind of plain.”

He touched my cheek. “Touchable, and perfect just the way it is.”

“Boobs,” I said. “Little.”

He cupped one. “Perfect.” His thumb slid across my nipple.