Under My Thumb (Serenade Series #1) (8 page)

“You should celebrate with your fri
ends,” he said. “But you’re mine tomorrow.”

I smiled at him, feeling the tingle in my fingers. “Deal.”

He cupped my face then gave me a quick kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Bye, Cash.”

He walked back into the auditorium while I gripped my flowers. I took another sniff before I got into the car.

“Not your boyfriend, my ass,” Desi said.

I was too happy to respond.

Chapter Twelve

♬

Cash Matthews

I had a hard-on for the entire show. The tight jeans she wore and loose top drove me wild. I imagined her in fuck-me heels and slutty lingerie. That just made it worse. But I loved listening to her even more.

Her voice was rare, truly hypnotic. When I listened to her, all the bullshit in my life disappeared. I was at peace. Calm and relaxed. I got to lean back in my chair and stare at her like a creepy stalker, my thoughts and appearance hidden in the shadows. My only complaint was everyone else in the room. I wished it were a private show.

The flowers were a good move. I could tell she liked them. I hadn’t even bought her anything expensive, but she acted like I al
ready gave her the world. Just a simple bouquet made her happy. It was clear she wasn’t materialistic. The women I normally dated cared about all the pretty things I bought them, but not Prudence.

My request for an autograph was genuine. I really did want her name on something I could keep forever.
Making her smile just made it even better. Every time her lips stretched and her perfect teeth shined, I desperately wanted her to do it again. It made me warm.

Now I was at work, daydreaming about the woman coming over tonight. I desperately wanted her in my bed, to listen to the sounds of her musical sighs as I moved inside her. Her perfect skin would be cherished with my lips, and not a single
inch would be untouched. I would bring her to a place she’d never been. Her legs would shake as I rocked her world. My distant neighbors down the beach would complain about her screams.

I shook my head when I realized I was zoning out during the table reading. These were always boring. Jay Leno seemed bored, knowing he didn’t need to rehearse twice, especially whe
n cue cards were in front of him. I couldn’t agree more. It was more of a rehearsal for the writers. He wasn’t necessary. The band practiced on their own, so that saved us some time.

The script was good so we broke for lunch. When we crossed the street, I immediately looked for Prudence’s window. My fantasy of her standing in front of the window, a small towel barely covering her soaked body, didn’t come true. Disappointed, I kept
walking.

Parker joined me a moment later. “Why did you blow of
f Cynthia last week?”

“Cynthia?”

“Seriously?” He held a plate of sushi in one hand and his chopsticks in the other.

That’s right.
That girl from the first show. The blonde with big tits.
“I was in a hurry.”

“To go backstage?”

“I told you I didn’t want to be set up.” I kept my anger back. In reality, I was extremely annoyed.

“You didn’t have to marry her.” He threw a California roll in his mouth. “She would have fucked you for a chance at the studio.”

“Which is exactly what I don’t want,” I snapped. “I can get my own dates, Parker.”

“I have yet to see that.”

“Are we girls now?” I finished my salad then put it aside. I had an intense workout regimen, and I couldn’t just eat crap from a food cart all the time, not if I wanted to make Prudence scream my name while I fucked her. I wanted her to be impressed with me, pleased by me.

Parker rolled his eyes. “Just trying to help, man.”

“Well, don’t.”

“What’s new?” His eyes were concentrated on his food, and he tried to act like he didn’t just
piss me off.

I decided to play nice. “My sister’s birthday is coming up. I have no idea what to get her.”

Parker smiled. “She’s cute.”

I glared at him.

“I’m with Lacy, remember?”

“Then
don’t eye-fuck my sister.” McKenzie was a few years younger than me, and I naturally felt the need to look out for her. She got her looks from our mom, and she was definitely a perfect 10. I had to threaten a few guys when she was in school, so I was used to men gawking at her. But that didn’t make it any easier. My brother was the same way.

“All I said was she’s cute.” He finished his plate then placed it on the grass.
“Is everything alright? You’re wound tight today.”

I was eager to be with my muse. I was sexually frustrated to the point of insanity. I never had so many hard-ons in a small period of time.
And ones that were never relieved. Prudence was the sexiest creature I’d ever seen, and I was desperate to be inside her. I was always on the edge of blowing my load. And a week was a long time to go unfulfilled.

A long time.

“I’m just having a bad day.”

“Apparently.”

♫

When I reached Prudence’s apartment that night, excitement coursed through me. I thought about her all day, eager to have her in my arms. I hoped she planned on sp
ending the night. If she held an overnight bag, I’d be ecstatic.

She opened the door and gave me her beaming smile. Every tooth was perfect
ly spaced in her mouth, and her teeth were pristine white. She could be in a toothpaste commercial. I stared at her, unaccustomed to her remarkable beauty. I’d never get used to it.

“Always punctual,” she said.

“I’m a punctual man.” I kept my hands in my pockets so I wouldn’t grab her. I wanted to wait until the door was closed.

She grabbed her purse then stepped through the door. The yellow dress she wore was slightly longer in the back than it was in the
front. It clung to her chest tightly then billowed out around her. Her heels made her ass stick out. She was dressed classy, but still looked sexy as hell. Her hair was in a loose braid that went over one shoulder. I’d never dated a girl who did her hair this way, but I loved the way it looked. I imagined grabbing it to hold on. She looked beautiful, outshining everything in her vicinity. But then my heart fell when I realized something. She didn’t bring a bag. Damn.

She locked the door then turned to me. I hid my disappointment then placed my hand on her hip. “I love that dress.” My face was pressed close to hers, invading her space.

Her breath fell on my lips. “Thank you.”

“It’s a good color on you.”

She didn’t blush. That was a first. “Thanks.” She eyed my chest. The shirt I wore was tight on my torso, showing the muscles I worked so hard on. “You look nice too.”

I knew she was complimenting my body, not my clothes. But that was fine with me. This was the first time she saw me in jeans and a shirt, but I knew she wasn’t disappointed. “Are you forgetting anything?” That was my subtle hint for her to grab some extra clothes.

Please bring a bag. Please.

“No.”

I stopped myself from growling. “Okay.” I grabbed her hand and led her back to the limo. Her hand was small in mine. I noticed she didn’t have any nails. They were filed down to the tip. I wanted to feel them dig into my back when she screamed. But I guess that wasn’t going to happen. She’d probably satisfy me anyway. I knew her long legs would.

Once we were in the limo, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
That was a dead giveaway she was nervous. Which could be a good or a bad thing. I grabbed her hand and held it on my thigh.

“How was your day?”

“It was good. I got to rest my voice.”

She wouldn’t be resting it tonight if I had my way. “Warm water and lemon always works.”

She smiled. “That’s what I did.” Her fingers moved within mine, caressing me. I wanted to feel her fingers touch me everywhere. “Does your driver always use a limo? It seems difficult to maneuver in the city.”

“No. I just want to impress you.”

“You’ve succeeded.”

Good. And I planned to impress he
r even more later tonight.

“How was your day?” she asked.

It wasn’t my favorite topic. Work was stressful, and I constantly had a hard-on from my musician. “Fine.”

“You don’t say much.”

“I don’t have much to say.” I leaned closer to her. “And I’d rather hear you speak. Your voice is beautiful.”

“You’re such a gentle
man.”

Ha. If only she knew.
“Only with beautiful and delicate things.”

“I’m not delicate,” she said automatically.

Her defensive response told me she was. I wondered why but it didn’t feel appropriate to ask.

“Where do you live?”

“In Malibu.”

“Where’s that?”

I forgot she didn’t know the area well. She didn’t even know the country. “It’s by the beach.”

Her eyes lit up. “You live close to the ocean?”

I smirked, feeling my cockiness come out. “I live on it.”

“You have a beach house?” she asked incredulously.

“Yep.”

“Wow. You really must have some lucrative clients.”

Since I promised I wouldn’t lie to her from this point on, I didn’t respond. I just hoped she didn’t ask me anymore about work. If she did, I’d have to come clean, which I really didn’t want to do. Because this girl turned my world upside down.

But I loved every damn second of it.

“When’s your next show?”

“In a few days.”

“You have a lot lined up?”

She nodded. “We aren’t wasting our time while we’re here.”

“And what do you hope to achieve?”

“They hope to get a record deal.”

“They?” It seemed like she didn’t care either way.

“The rest of the band.”

“You seem doubtful.”

“Because I am.” There was no sadness in her eyes. “We’ve been in this band for three years. We’ve played all over Europe
with no success, and LA will be no different. If success hasn’t happened by now, it won’t happen ever.”

I was shocked she thought this. They were an amazing and talented band, and I wasn’t just saying that. Though, I admit she had the most talent. Someone was bound to notice them, especially since Prudence was so gorgeous. Through ads and shows alone, she’d bring them substantial revenue. “You really don’t think that, right?”

“I know it.”

“Then why did you come all the way here to pursue it?”

She shrugged. “It’s important to the rest of the band. I’m not going to ruin their hope.”

I was starting to realize how selfless this girl was. It was a rare find, and somehow made me more attracted to her than I already was.

“So, what’s your plan for life? If being a musician isn’t going to work out.”

She sighed, clearly saddened by the question. “I’ll have to put my degree to use.”

My eyes widened.
Her degree?
“You went to college?”

She smiled. “Why is that surprising?”

It wasn’t. I just didn’t realize how old she was. I was in my late twenties, and I assumed she just turned twenty. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-three.”

“You’re older than you look.”

She rolled her eyes. “I get that all the time.”

I chuckled. “It’ll pay off later.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-seven.”

She nodded. “That’s what I assumed.”

“You like older men?” I gave her a smoldering look.

“I like you.”

Good response.

The driver pulled into my driveway. I didn’t wait for him to open the door and got out myself. I took my gorgeous date by the hand and hel
ped her out. When we approached the front door, she stilled.

“You live here?”

My pride started to glow. “Home sweet home.” My neighbors were at least sixty feet away, so I had more privacy than most. The house was brown with white pillars and a white door. The two story house had plenty of space for me. I didn’t need much more than that. “Wait until you see it on the inside.”

When we entered, she looked around, her eyes wide. “Wow.” She looked at the full kitchen with granite countertops, the
wide living room with a large TV mounted on the wall, and the balcony that overlooked the ocean. “This is beautiful.”

I smirked
, glad I impressed my musician. I opened the French doors to the patio, and the sound of the ocean immediately reached inside. The window blew through her hair slightly, pulling it from her face. The glow of the sunset touched her cheeks, highlighting them. I was transfixed for a moment.

God, she was beautiful.

She stepped outside and looked at the furniture. A short staircase led to the sand below. She noticed the hammock to the left. It’s where I read the newspaper on Sunday morning. That seemed to catch her eye the most. “This is cool.”

“Take a seat.” I grabbed both side
s and held it steady for her.

“I’ll fall on my ass,” she said with a laugh.

I climbed in with grace, used to the unusual rocking of the fabric, then pulled her on top of me. We swayed slightly before we stopped moving. She giggled on top of me then got comfortable. Her head moved to my chest, and her arm hooked around my waist.