Rock the Boat (11 page)

I’m hoping I’m one step closer to achieving that when I step out of the bathroom with only a towel slung around my waist. Only Lark’s not where I left her. She’s in my bed, underneath the blankets, waiting for me. “Are you naked?”

She nods her head once, giving me all the confirmation I need. Her eyes are closed when I reach the side of the bed. I turn off half the lights in the room, hoping it makes her a little more comfortable. “Are you ready to talk, Lark?”

Without hesitation, she opens her eyes and says, “I’ve never done anything as crazy as this in my life, but I want you, Easton. You’re all I’ve been able to think about no matter how hard I try not to. Even watching your show—”

“What about my show?”

“I saw the drum sticks and heard what you said. I even saw your expression as you said it. I can’t stop thinking about what you did to me. I want you to touch me again.”

Even though she asked for me to touch her, she doesn’t wait for me to respond. Instead, she reaches out, tugging on the corner of my towel. It falls to the floor, leaving me completely naked next to her.

While her eyes roam over my body, I slide under the sheet, my hands reaching for her body. Once we’re face to face, I look her square in the eyes so she knows how serious I am. “Take what you want, Lark. I’ll give you the rest.”

Her hand finds the back of my neck, pulling me closer to her. Our lips clash hard as she moans against my mouth, her tongue invading without an ounce of doubt. This isn’t the hesitant girl I left when I got in the shower a couple minutes ago. Whatever pep talk she gave herself while I was gone, definitely worked.

I let her take control for a few minutes, wanting her to be comfortable enough to completely let go—no pretenses, no inhibitions. This is as much her show as it is mine. Thankfully, when I reach the point of needing more than her mouth, she climbs on top of me, straddling her legs on either side of my waist.

Reaching for her hair, she pulls the elastic band out, sending strands spilling onto her shoulders and over her breasts. Her eyes penetrate mine. Her hips already rocking back and forth on their own. “What do you want, gorgeous?” I ask her, as I palm her tits in both of my hands.

Her head tips backward, her long neck completely open to me. I grab onto her hips, creating more friction as she slides her warm pussy back and forth over my dick. “All you have to do is say the words, Lark. Tell me what you want.”

“You, Easton. I want, you.”

“Hands and knees, gorgeous.”

She listens without having to be told twice, climbing off me, and getting on all fours in the center of the bed. I grab onto her hips, rubbing my dick against her perfect ass. “Shit, Lark.”

Her head falls forward between her arms, her body already quivering as she feels me—and I’m just getting started. “Are you with me?”

“Yes,” she whispers. “I’m here.”

I push her legs open a little wider before sliding two fingers into her. Her body sags, but when I hook my fingers and press my flattened palm against her clit, her body comes alive, bucking against my hand. “Ohmigod,” she groans.

I work her until she’s on the edge, but I pull my fingers out, stopping completely before she comes. A small whimper escapes her. “So greedy, Lark,” I tell her, as I massage her ass in the palms of my hands, her body still rocking like I’m already inside of her. “Are you ready for more?”

“I need it, Easton.”

I reach to the bedside table, opening the drawer, and digging around for a condom. She looks over her shoulder to see what I’m doing. Before I can even open the package, she turns around, taking it out of my hands. With her teeth, she rips the foil, her eyes never leaving mine as she does. My cock twitches from the move alone, and again when she uses her long, painted fingers to slide the rubber over me. “I gotta say, I wasn’t expecting that.”

She winks with a sly grin on her face before turning back around and bending over, her sexy ass waving around in front of me. “Fuck me, Easton.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re going to kill me if you keep talking like that.”

“You told me to take what I want. I want you.” Gone is the cautious, reserved girl who walked into my room. In my bed and under my touch, she’s come alive just as I was hoping she would.

“You have me,” I tell her, as I slowly slide into her, my eyes rolling back in my head as soon as her warmth wraps around me. I thrust into her, hard, almost pulling the entire way out before thrusting back in. She shoves her ass against me, taking back every inch she lost over and over, again.

When she’s right where I want her, it only takes one swipe over her clit before she’s gone. Her fists latch onto the pillows in front of her, her entire body rigid as she clenches me so tightly, I only pump two more times before I lose control.

We both fall on the bed next to each other. She blows out a breath, slightly moving the hair covering her face—the only sign she hasn’t completely passed out. “What just happened?” she mumbles, almost incoherently, for the second time today. “You did it again.”

“You got rocked, baby.”

Day Two on the Cruise

When I open my eyes, I have no idea what time it is. The last thing I remember is lying face down with my cheek pressed against the sheets, completely and utterly exhausted. Never in my life have I ever experienced someone like Easton. He’s as passionate in the bedroom as he is on the stage—only he’s using his body to create the melody instead of his voice. And when it all comes together, it’s like a symphony of passion.

It wasn’t my intention to spend the night, but when Easton passed out next to me, I stayed a little longer. As I watched him sleep with his face nestled against the cotton pillow case and his long eyelashes splayed across his cheek, I couldn’t help wondering what was powerful enough to land him on this ship. It’s not a bad job, but it’s like he demoted himself—permanently.

I remember the tabloids had a field day with the band’s disappearance, printing one crazy story after another. But no matter what theory they came up with, nobody knew the truth of what actually happened. Midnight Fate kept their private lives extremely private, leaving behind very few clues. Now that Easton’s turned up, parts of me wants to crack the code.

I can’t do much of anything until I find my clothes, so I slide out of bed with the sheet wrapped around me, tiptoeing around the room in search of them. When I come up empty handed, I pick up one of Easton’s T-shirts draped across the arm of the couch, and slide it over my head.

Once I’m mostly covered, I walk over to the sliding door and press my hands against the cool glass. Easton’s leaning on the balcony railing, the tan skin of his back glistening in the early morning sunshine. I knew he had ink on his arms and chest, but the large cross in the center of his spine with wings stretched across each shoulder blade, is a surprise. It’s like an angel’s soaring out of his soul.

Drawn to him, I slide the door open as quietly as I can. Before I realize what I’m doing, I trace my finger down the center of the cross and over the curve of one of the wings. He tenses and slowly turns around, gripping my wrist in his hand.

My eyes find his ocean blues and I don’t expect to see so much anguish in them. Even though we spent the night together, he’s looking at me like I have no right to touch him this morning—and maybe I don’t. What happened between us was yesterday and this is a brand new day. Still, the distance he’s suddenly placed between us stings. “I’m sorry. It’s beautiful.”

He stares a few seconds longer before taking me in from head to toe. “Nice shirt.”

I glance at the black tee covering me, the logo of another band stamped across my chest. “I can’t find my clothes. If you tell me where you put them, I’ll be out of your way in five minutes.”

“Is that why you came out here?”

“Partially—you weren’t in bed when I woke up. I wasn’t planning on staying all night, but I guess I fell asleep.” What happened between us may have been a day old, but even this morning, I want him to touch me—whether it be a morning kiss or a simple hug. Anything to prove he doesn’t regret being with me. I don’t want to be his mistake.

He must come to terms with whatever he’s battling because he reaches out, hooking his finger between the collar of my shirt and my neck, pulling me closer to him. Willingly, I move forward, my arms wrapping around his waist. He pulls my right arm away from his body, shoving my hand down the front of him until my fingers are resting on his dick. “Is this what you were looking for?”

Disgusted by his bold move, I pull my hand away from him. “Why are you being like this?”

“Like what? Isn’t that why you stayed?”

“No, Easton. That’s not why I stayed.” I try to put myself in his shoes, imagining what it would be like to have women wanting you for all the wrong reasons. I could see myself second guessing every person I was with, questioning their motives and misinterpreting what they wanted. I’m slowly learning actions will speak louder than words with Easton, so I take the same hand and cup his jaw, staring him straight in the eyes as I tell him, “I was looking for this.”

His stubble is rough against my skin, but I love the way it feels. I’ve never been interested in a guy with facial hair or ink, yet here I am, insanely attracted and completely spellbound.

“You don’t want me?” he questions, skeptically. He seems baffled I could want his company more than his body. Another quality that makes him more of a mystery.

“I do want you, Easton, but there’s a lot more to be attracted to than your body or your band.” I remove my hand from his face, taking a deep breath before I say this next part, hoping he doesn’t reject me or get upset. “We’ve gotten acquainted in the bedroom, but if you’re up for it, I’d like to get to know the rest of you—outside of the bedroom.”

“Why?”

“I think we owe it to the two people who set us up—to see if there’s anything real between us worth pursuing.” My chest is tight and it would be easier to end it there, but I don’t want him to think I’m doing it to make someone else happy. That would be a lie. “And because I’d like it,” I whisper.

After I’m honest with him, his eyes finally soften. I can’t blame him for having his guard up. I’ve been skeptical since Noelle made me take the test. But I’m here for six more days, and I won’t be able to stop thinking about him until I get off the ship.

“What are you doing today?”

I shrug my shoulders. “Noelle has a beach date with Lincoln, so I haven’t thought too much about it yet. You?”

He smirks, “Are you asking or telling?”

I walked right into that one. “I’m not saying we won’t end up back in your bed, but we would have a better chance of having an actual conversation if we weren’t in your room.”

“This went from nothing to something pretty fast.”

“It doesn’t have to be anything. No expectations, remember?”

“No expectations,” he whispers, before wrapping his arms around me and resting his chin on the top of my head. He doesn’t give me an answer one way or another, so I wait for him to say the words.

The words never come, so I step back, realizing he really isn’t looking for anything other than a hook-up. He doesn’t even want to try. He’s all tattoos and rock and roll, while I’m sweaters and Starbucks. We don’t look like a perfect match—we look like opposites.