The Devil's Tattoo (20 page)

"Why not?"

"You know why."

"Sorry," I shrugged. "You've lost me."

He wound a hand into the hair at the nape of my neck and pulled me
roughly towards him, his lips crushing against mine, sliding his tongue deep
into my mouth. Just as abruptly, he pulled away.

"That's why," he said through a heavy breath.

"No funny business on the bus," I gasped.

"This is a G rated bus," Dee called from the seat in
front, making everyone laugh and whistle. Bob thumped a fist down on the horn
and we collapsed into each other, unable to control our laughter.

So, this was what being happy was like. It was a nice feeling and
I hoped it was going to stick around for a while.

CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE

ZOE

We had a show that night in a country town in Victoria. The venue
was small, but nice. It had a good layout, the bar along the side, a small
stage and a large open area. There was no barrier from the crowd as some larger
places had, and the stage itself only came up to my waist as I stood looking up
at it. Intimate shows like this one were fast becoming my
favourite
.
I didn't know how those huge stadium bands did it, to be honest. They were so
separated from the people who'd come to see
them,
it
must feel at least a little alienating.

Playing at a place like this was like playing with everyone, not
playing at them. It was the way I liked it.

I found myself liking going out into the venue afterwards and talking
to people. I couldn't pinpoint the moment my attitude had changed, but I didn't
want it to change back. After so long hiding away, I felt like I was coming up
for fresh air. Dee had helped me, but Will had sealed the deal.

And the way he treated me made me feel amazing. He really had been
telling the truth when he said he'd do anything for me. As each hour passed, I
didn't know why I'd been so afraid. Still, it was early days and that honeymoon
period was still well underway. I hoped that it would never end. The happy ever
afters
didn't and I wanted this to be one of those.

Will had consumed me so fast
,
it took my breath away
. I couldn't
fathom how it was possible, but it was. This was reality. My past was gone and
only my future remained.

I never understood when people said they couldn't stop looking at
their partners. How the whole world dropped away and only they existed. I could
never see it. Right now, I got it. I stood in the middle of the venue,
watching as
Will
leant over the bar, talking to the
owner of the place. I wondered if the guys were annoyed at me for ignoring them
so much. It wasn't like I meant to do it. I couldn't help it.

"Do you need a tissue to wipe up the drool on your
chin?" Dee whispered in my ear, making me jump.

"He really does have a nice ass, don't you think?"

To my amusement, he almost choked. "Ugh, Zoe. I'm straight. I
don't look at other guys
asses
." He feigned
throwing up, but stopped suddenly, elbowing me sharply. "Uh oh."

"Uh oh, what?" I frowned.

"Blonde shorty shorts zeroing in on your man."

As
Will
waited for the bartender to pour
his drinks, I watched as the girl
Dee'd
noticed
sidled up towards him. My eyes narrowed as jealousy flared up inside me. She
was a typical young girl and one of the ones who he would have flirted with
before me. Even though he'd said he'd done it to make me jealous, it was still
his type. I wasn't his type, but I broke the
mould
.

"Well, if this isn't a test, I don't know what it is,"
Dee
said, waiting beside me.

She started talking to Will, leaning towards him, obviously
flirting. When he smiled at her, I felt the jealous beast inside me rear her
ugly head. Dee threaded his arm through mine, stopping me from going over and
doing something stupid. It reminded me of that night at the pub in the middle
of nowhere, when Will had almost got himself into a fight over some guy trying
to chat me up at the bar. I'd ripped strips off of him for doing it, so if I
ran over there now, how much of a hypocrite would I be?

He leant away slightly and said something to her and her
expression seemed to fall. Picking up the drinks that the bartender set in
front of him, he turned away and walked back towards us.

"That's all the confirmation you need, Hot Legs," Dee
planted a kiss on my forehead and wandered off.

Will strode across the room, aiming straight for me, a hungry
smile on his face.

"She looked disappointed," I smirked as he handed me my
drink.

"Too bad," he said, wrapping an arm around my waist.
"I'm taken by this tough, tattooed rock goddess."

"Really? Do I know her?"

"Shut up," he laughed, kissing me lightly on the lips.

"I understand now," I said and took a sip of my drink.

"Understand what?"

"When you almost thumped that guy who was trying to crack
onto me."

His eyes narrowed, but his lips twitched, signaling he was finding
this funny. "You'd protect me from aggressive groupies?"

"
Will
."

"You told me off. Big time. Should I be telling you
off?"

"I wasn't yours then," I said, threading my fingers
through his. "But now you're mine."

"Oh, I see how it is." Leaning down, he caught my lips
in a kiss, teasing me with the tip of his tongue.

"Mine," I said as he pulled away.

With a smirk, he let his lips trail along my flushed cheeks,
stepping into me.

"What do I keep telling you guys about public places?"
Dee exclaimed, pretending to stick his fingers down his throat.

With a laugh, I downed the rest of my drink and murmured into
Will's ear, "
Wanna
blow this popcorn
stand?"

He grinned wickedly at me and replied, "Thought you'd never
ask."

We were staying at a motel at the edge of town near the highway.
It wasn't the Ritz, and it smelled a little of old
moth balls
,
but it was nice enough for a night. We had a separate room, one queen bed,
which was just two king sized singles pushed together and a lovely floral
doona
that matched the curtains, a tiny bathroom and the
stock standard electric kettle with the cheap no-name tea bags.

As the door closed behind him, Will sighed, sliding his thumbs
into the belt loops of my jeans. "Alone at last," he breathed,
tugging me towards him.

My arms snaked around his neck, coaxing his lips towards mine.

"That was a great gig tonight," he murmured.

"It was okay," I shrugged, lying through my teeth. It
had been an amazing gig.

"Only okay?"

"Well, I can think of better things."

"Like what?" His lips brushed against mine, teasing.

"This is up there."

"Really?" He walked me backwards until my back hit
the wall and his lips crashed into mine, devouring. His hard on pressed into my
stomach and that going slow business we'd talked about the other night seemed
insane. It took more strength to stop than it did to keep going. And after
witnessing him brush off that girl for me, I wanted to keep going.

Will buried his hands in my hair, holding me steady as he kissed
me with such consuming
passion,
I let out a deep moan
into his mouth. I wanted all of him. Now.

He pulled back, gazing into my eyes, breathing heavily. "God,
Zoe. You set me on fire."

I didn't reply, instead pushing up his t-shirt, wanting to feel
his skin.

"I thought you wanted to take it slow?" he asked.

I shook my head, biting my lower lip, my fingers curling into his
t-shirt.

His jaw tensed and I knew he was struggling with it. He was afraid
of pushing me after that day after the pool. "Are you sure?"

"
Yes
."

It was all he needed to hear and he pressed into the length of my
body against the wall, running a hand up my neck and into my hair, lips against
my jaw.

"Take it off," I ordered, pulling at his t-shirt and he
grabbed the back of it, pulling the annoying material over his head, messing up
his hair. How could we go
slow
when he was just as
turned on as I was? I could feel the evidence pressing into me through his
jeans.

I ran a hand up his chest and traced the edges of the tattoo that
was etched there, running a thumb around his nipple. When he drew in a sharp
breath, I bit my bottom lip, arching myself forward.

Slowly, he undid each button of my shirt, climbing steadily until
he reached the top and the material parted, exposing the skin underneath.
Easing it from my shoulders, it dropped to the floor, his fingers skimming the
straps of the black pinstriped bra I'd decided to wear that day, knocking one
from my shoulder.

Will didn't utter one
word,
the only
sound was our
laboured
breathing as we slowly
undressed each other. Pushing off the wall, I lifted a hand behind me and undid
the clasp of my bra, letting the straps fall from my shoulders, freeing my
breasts. His eyes left mine, raking across me, his thumbs brushing
underneath the curve, finding their way towards my already hard nipples. When
he pinched them tightly, his
mouth coved
mine,
stifling a sharp gasp.

"Zoe," he murmured.

I reached for the button on his jeans, hooking a thumb underneath
the waistband, but he had other ideas. Turning me around, he held me back
against the length of his body, hands running down my stomach and into my own
jeans, underneath my underwear. His other
hand flipped open
the button and the zipper opened allowing better access.

When his fingers brushed against my clit and down between my legs,
a strangled gasp escaped my lips and I spread my legs.

"Fuck," he groaned into my ear, his breath hot against
my neck. "You're so wet."

"For you," I whispered, my hand sliding over his,
pushing his palm harder against my clit, but he pulled back, leaving me
hanging.

"Not yet." He pushed my jeans down and they fell around
my knees along with my underwear and I kicked them off. I was totally naked,
but it felt right.

Turning around, I unbuttoned his dark grey jeans, shoving my hands
down the back, over his ass, pulling them off, freeing him.

His nose skimmed down my neck and he trailed soft kisses along my
shoulder, his hand pressing into my back, holding my body against his. We were
skin on skin, standing together, our hands feeling every part of each other.

Will walked me backwards towards the bed until the back of my
knees hit the edge and I was on my back, exposed. His eyes ran the entire
length of me as if he was committing every inch to his memory before lowering,
pressing his weight into me.

"When I first saw you, I wanted to know you," he
murmured, sucking my nipple into his mouth. "When you first spoke to me, I
wanted to kiss you." He dragged his teeth against the sensitive skin,
earning himself a gasp. "When you first touched me, I wanted you to be
mine." He pressed his hard length against my clit, making me squirm
against him.

"Will," I moaned, rolling my hips up into his, wanting
to sate the ache deep inside me.

"Tell me what you want," he said, lips against my neck.

I was suddenly shy despite the position we were currently in. No
one had ever asked what I wanted during sex before. I wasn't sure.

I wrapped my legs around his waist, opening myself up to him
fully, my hands pressing into his ass.
I grinded against him,
wanting him inside me.

"You have to tell me," he dragged his teeth against the
skin of my neck.

I had nothing to lose right now, other than the one thing I wanted
most. "I want to know you. I want to kiss you. I want to touch you. I want
to feel you inside me.
All
of you.
Only
you."

A tortured moan escaped his lips and his eyes met mine.
"Shit, Zoe. You can't say stuff like that to me."

"Why not?"

"Because I won't last two seconds and I want to make love to
you all night."

A shiver ran down my spine and he felt it, moving against me.
"
Will
."

"Don't worry," he reached over to the bedside table
where he'd flung his bag, "I want to be in the same place. I can't wait to
feel you around me."