This Is Forever (10 page)

“Hey
Winter take a picture with Lola yeah?” He heard from the left and went to Lola and lifted her up, slinging his arm under her knees. They both posed and grinned and the girls started screaming “me next, me next!” Winter grinned and faked a bad back, putting Lola down. She turned and gave him a playful whack on the shoulder and everyone watching laughed. Well almost everyone.

“Hey
Wint…” he heard, and looked at the girl that said it. She was standing in front of them, having pushed her way to the front of the crowd. “Long time no see.”

“Hey Cara!” he said with a wide smile.
Cara Langford was one of their oldest long time fans, and the third girl he had ever hooked up with on tour. After her, they all kinda ran together, but he remembered her because above and beyond the hook up, he had genuinely liked her, and considered her a friend. That she was there without telling them confused him. He approached her and gave her a hug, and a kiss on the cheek. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming tonight?”

The girl, a rather plain thing compared to Lola shook her head. “Grapevine says
you’re taken this tour. True?”

Winter
looked over to where the girl was gazing, straight at Lola and then back at her. “Maybe. But we are friends and…”

Cara shook her head.
“Wouldn’t be the same. Some of us need our fix. Hope she appreciates ya.” She said and winked. “Call me if it doesn’t work out.”

He opened his mouth to say something, what he wasn’t sure but he didn’t get the chance. Cara was gone seconds later and the bus roared to life.

“Ok guys, we gotta get going! Thanks so much for coming out!” Lola said and started waving. Rhys was reluctantly let go by his fans and several girls grabbed at Winter so he gave several parting handshakes and hugs and seconds later he was bounding up the bus steps with Lola just in front of him.

“Well Lo? Did we do it right?” Rhys asked as he sunk down next to Saffron on the couch.

Lola laughed. “Oh you’re a goddamn natural Bellamy.”

Winter
laughed and wrapped himself around her from behind and then pulled her with him and he plopped into the easy chair just as Dane, their new bus driver, lurched them into motion. “And me?” he asked her softly as he nipped her earlobe.

She turned her head and grinned.
“A little stiff. I hope that wasn’t my fault.”

He arched a brow. “Funny.”

Nyx and Chandler both made it out from the back lounge area and the bathroom, respectively. Saffron frowned and looked past them. “Are we missing Tosh?”

Nyx shook her head. “He’s with Torch and
Crais and some chicks with a van. Told me he would be at the venue before sound check.”

It was Saffron’s turn to arch a brow. “And you’re not…”

Nyx cut her off. “Hardly. That ship has sailed.” She said with a wistful air. “Bigger and better.”

Lola choked. “Better maybe but if you’re going for bigger you might have to start dating sperm whales.”

Nyx rolled her eyes. “Ha ha. So who is drinking? That was one hell of a show.”

Chandler handed out
cider’s and a bottle of water for Lola. They talked and joked as the miles rolled by, and soon it was only Lola and Winter left in the main area of the bus as everyone else retired to their bunks to get a nap in before they got to the hotel.

They had moved to the mini couch, stretching out as they watched a
DVD of a cartoon series Saffron loved.

“So what season is this?” Lola asked
Winter and pulled his arm more fully around her.

“Three I think. You know we don’t get to watch a lot of TV but Saffron owned all the seasons so once we saw a few episodes of season one, we were all hooked.”

“It’s… bizarre. The candy colors suggest kids show but the subject matter is clearly adult.”

“Oh it’s totally not for kids. But
it’s awesome, and it’s good to just veg you know?”

She nodded. “
Crais is really into some show about secret service agents that save the world from artifacts or something. I haven’t been able to get into it, but when it’s on we all just zone out.”

They were
quiet a while, and soon Winter felt Lola relax into sleep. She turned and cuddled into him, and he wrapped his arms around her tighter and sighed, feeling like all was right with the world with her in his arms. He looked over at the clock on the DVD player. They still had an hour till they got to Philly. Lola nuzzled him, her warm breath soft on his throat. She curled her fingers around his shirt and murmured. “Turn the tv off baby…”

He liked that she called him baby. He reached over for the remote and flicked the
Tv off and settled into the couch further, letting the soft bumps in the road, the quiet sounds of the miles ticking by and her now all but inaudible snoring lull him into his own rest. They had time till they got to their hotel, and he wanted to be fresh as a daisy when they got there.

THIRTEEN

Lola opened her eyes to a dim gloomy space and sat up slowly, well aware that the sexy man next to her would reflexively hold her tighter if she disturbed him. He was like a Venus Fly Trap that way--- any struggle and he held on for dear life. It was one of the things she liked most about it. And god damn did she like to wake up in his arms.

Her eyes adjusted to the misty darkness and details came into stark relief. The table against the far wall, the couch between the bed and the television, the door ajar that lead to the large bathroom, the clothes that were thrown all over. They had been there less
than six hours and it looked like Winter’s bedroom back at his parents place. Well, he was always messy. Phaedra was the neat freak.

Still, it was comforting, and she sighed. As she started to ease herself off the bed
Winter held tight and she touched his arm gently. “Babe, just hitting the potty.”

He grumbled and let her go, then slid deeper into sleep. She looked down at him, smiled and then made her way towards the bathroom. Minutes later she was walking back to the bed, and
Winter was awake, lounging back on some propped up pillows with a sleepy smile on his face.

“It was nice to wake without that murderous little bastard eating my hair.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m sure.”

He patted his chest. “Come on. We got hours still till we gotta be anywhere.
Unless you have to work?”

She shook her head as she slipped into bed and cuddled up to him, placing her head on his chest, her ear just over his heart. She was always comforted by the sound. He told her once that it beat only for her, and in her girlish need for the perfect guy, she swooned over his words. Now she realized the absurdity of it.

“We have the entire day. I take it you have designs on staying in this bed the entire time?”

“Normally I would say yes but we are in Philly.”

She looked up to him. “So?”

“Rodin Museum.”

Of course. Winter wasn’t a huge fan of art in general, but he liked the sculptor. It would make sense that he wanted to go to the small building on the parkway  and check it out, though she knew he had been there before. “This little excursion planned for two?” she asked and kissed the skin above his nipple.

“Yep, though only if Nat comes with me.”

“I think that can be arranged.” She murmured and snuggled closer. “When does the museum open?”

“A couple hours yet.”
He said and yawned. “Another hour or so of sleep is in the cards, yeah?”

She nodded as much as she could with her head placement and closed her eyes, letting herself drift off to the sound of his body humming, and the beat of his heart like a metronome.

She woke some time later to Winter’s hand caressing her side. They had moved positions in their sleep, though she was still facing him, her head was just under his chin now. 

“Umm.
I feel like I have been sleeping a few minutes.”

She felt him chuckle. “Try almost three hours. I swear the one thing I hate about tour is the sleep deprivation.”

She nipped his collarbone. “It sucks.” She agreed.

“You feel like breakfast? Then we can go exploring?”

“Why not?” She pulled away from him and stretched, her cami riding up on her torso.

Winter
, now propped up on his arm, watched her move, hunger growing in his eyes. She smirked at him and arched, just to see his eyes bug outta his head. She loved that he was so into her, lustful when it came to her body. She shivered as he reached out his resting hand and traced the peacock feather tattoos on the lower part of her belly. The calloused pads of his fingers always sent sensation zinging to the deeper recesses of her body.

She had
marveled at how good he was being. They had stumbled into the room a little before four in the morning, bleary and focused on a soft bed and oblivion. But even in their half sleepy state he was seducing her, peeling her out of her clothes, kissing her softly as he told her she was so beautiful. And then he let her go to the bathroom, to get ready for bed. She had emerged not ten minutes later in her boxers and cami top, to see him just rifling through his bag to grab his own toiletries. He had kissed her chastely and then was gone into the bathroom. She had spied the bed, seen that he pulled back the covers for her, propped the pillows up. Gods, the man knew exactly how to melt her heart.

He had joined her in the bed soon after, fresh from the shower, boxers riding low on his hips.
He had pulled her close, whispered to her that he was never sleeping without her again and kissed her, but that was the extent of his seduction. She had expected to be woken by his attentions, kisses and touches and possibly some naughtiness, but he had surprised her.

“I love when you look at me like that.” She said
softly and closed her eyes to enjoy the final moments of her stretch.

“Like what?” he asked and let his fingertips skitter higher.

“Like you think I’m a treasured thing.”

“You are a treasure to me Nat. Always have been.”

She opened her eyes and smiled at him. “I need a shower.”

“You want company?” he asked and leaned in and kissed the skin just below her clavicle.

She arched a brow and Winter grinned. “Nat, when I have you again, it won’t be a quickie in a shower. I plan to decimate you, leave you boneless, panting and swearing to the skies, brokering no argument.”

“About?”

“The fact that I own your body, heart and soul.”

Her heart did a little flip flop and her libido, well…

He kissed her once more and pushed back. “Go shower, I’ll order breakfast, then we can go for a walk around the city.”

She nodded and slipped out of bed. “When are we supposed to be at the venue?”

“Not till almost six tonight. We have plenty of time to see the sights.”

Her shower was relaxing, and she indulged, luxuriating in the steam and the hot water
. To have the time to do this was a luxury in her world, especially while on tour, so she reveled in it.

“Hey breakfast will be here in about five,” she heard from the doorway.

She rinsed off the soap she had on her chest and legs and then turned off the water, the din in the room silencing till all she heard was her breaths, and the breaths of her lover who was still standing by the door.

Groping for a towel she exited the
stall and looked up quickly as Winter sucked in a breath.

“What?”

“You are always so fucking hot fresh from the shower.”

She laughed. “You think
I’m hot all the time.”

He nodded and moved forward, cutting a swath through the steam to reach her in several strides.
One minute he was looking her over, the next he had lifted her up and was kissing a path down her throat as he sat her on the counter.

“
Winter we only have five minutes…” she gasped as he nudged the towel away and lipped her stiffening nipple.

“More than enough time for what I have
in mind.” He murmured around her flesh.

“
What’s that? Cuz If I’m not mistaken you have never been that fast.”

“No,” he agreed and looked up to her. “But you have.”

The look in his eyes was pure possession. She licked her bottom lip and he grinned at her. Then he proceeded to make his way south, peppering kisses, nips and bites along her flesh. She was half reclined on the countertop seconds later, her shoulders supported by the mirror behind her. She looked down the length of her body, watched as Winter ran is tongue along the long stem of one of the feather tattoos that trailed down to the junction of her thighs.

She squirmed as he parted her thighs, blew a hot breath out to tickle her. “So fucking beautiful…” he groaned and leaned in.