You Really Got Me (Rock Star Romance #1) (21 page)

Slater sat up, shoving her hair over her shoulders with one hand and thrusting his tongue into her mouth. Her arms banded around him as their bodies frantically mated. Her hips pushed back, and he knew he’d hit the sweet spot when she gasped, started crying out and moaning, and then threw her head back, mouth open, as her inner muscles tightened around him.

His cock erupted, a blinding, scalding release that had him shouting her name.

Holy mother of God. His heart hammered, and tremors wracked his body.

Never. Anything. Like. It.

He lay back down, still holding her to him, remaining sheathed inside her. She slumped over him, her breathing harsh, erratic.

Ten days? Who were they kidding?

—

Throughout the park, on dozens of stages, bands played under a warm October sun and cloudless blue sky. Emmie breathed in the mingling scents of popcorn, grilled meat, and beer. In the vast stretches of green between the stages, groups of people tossed Frisbees, tanned, and wandered among the vendor booths.

After two weekends of watching dozens of bands, she had no doubt Snatch was the best in the entire Austin City Lights lineup. Not one of them had a lead singer as captivating, as charismatic, or as plain
hot
as Slater Vaughn.

Irwin would sign them, she had no doubt. But why wouldn’t he give her the promotion? Maybe he just needed to get that she wasn’t coming back. Hopefully, he liked her replacement—and, frankly, shifting the über-efficient office manager into her place had been a brilliant idea. It had to have made the transition seamless—making him see he didn’t need her specifically in that role.

As Snatch came to the end of its set, Emmie took in the huge crowd that’d come to see them perform. Hundreds of fans—screaming, jumping, waving—looked utterly enraptured with Slater, as he clutched his mic, knees bent, leaning back, stretching that final note out until his features flushed. He was magnificent.

And he was leaving. Tomorrow. Her chest seized up. He kept saying he didn’t want them to end, but come on.
Look at him up there
.

“Hey, girl,” a familiar voice called.

Emmie turned to find Tiana strutting toward her. “Tiana.” She pulled her friend in for a hug. “You’re here.”

“Yeah, well, guess who invited me?” She tilted her head toward the stage.

“You’re kidding? I thought you hadn’t heard from him?”

She shrugged. “I didn’t tell you because I didn’t know what to make of it, but as soon as he found out about the tour, he told me. I mean, he was standing there with Piper and everybody, and he thought about me? I was the one he wanted to tell?”

“He loves you. He really does. I see him, T. He just looks . . . sad.”

Tiana looked wistfully toward the drummer. “Yeah. I’m not sure that’s enough, you know?”

“I do know.” Emmie turned back to the stage, to watch the man who’d worshipped her body only hours ago. The man who’d held her all night long, his hands moving over her body like he couldn’t get enough. “I really know.”

“Don’t you dare do this.”

Her head snapped back to Tiana, and Emmie saw the look of warning.

“Don’t you give up on him. It’s not the same thing as me and Ben. Not even close.”

“Tiana . . .” She gestured to Slater. “Look at him. He’s . . . come on. He’s meant for this life. He shouldn’t be tied down.” If she stayed with him, he would break her heart—and it was going to hurt a thousand times worse than with Alex. Because she hadn’t felt anything close to this with her ex.

“You’re talking yourself out of it. Un-fricking-believable. Any other girl on this planet would grab hold of that man with all her might. And you’re not all in? What is the matter with you?”

“How can you even ask that? You said it yourself. He’s never broken anyone’s heart because women know not to give theirs to him.”

Tiana reached for Emmie’s chin, forced eye contact. “Yes, I said that. Because he’d never been with anybody before. But he chose you. Anyone can see it by the way he looks at you. Uh, by the fact he hasn’t been with anybody else since you moved out here. Forget what I said. It’s not true anymore.”

“No, it’s . . .” Emmie wanted to say it was an aberration. That a man like Slater couldn’t possibly want her so desperately. But reality proved otherwise. Their time together proved otherwise. Still, it couldn’t last. It just couldn’t.

Besides, pursuing a relationship was the last thing she should be thinking about. As wonderful as her time with Slater had been, the tension of unemployment pulsed with each beat of her heart.

“Emmie, you caught the hottest, most uncatchable man in the world. You better grab hold of him and hang on with your life.”

Tears blurred her vision. Tiana didn’t understand. “We just got together. Five minutes before he goes on a national tour. Don’t you think two weeks down the road he’s going to forget what it felt like to be alone with me in the house all day?” Under the covers, in the shower, in the backseat of his car? That intensity, that passion, existed only there. “How long is he going to turn down all that’s offered to him night after night, day after day? I’ve seen it, Tiana. I’ve seen the girls in hotel lobbies, outside hotel rooms, inside hotel rooms. They get on the tour bus and wait outside the doors of the venue. They’re everywhere, and they don’t take no for an answer.” Just ask Alex. Her dad. How long before Slater succumbed to the temptation?

“Okay. So? You fell for a musician. Deal with it. God, do you think if Ben said he wanted to be with me—in spite of everything you just said—that I’d turn him away? Hell, no. If he said he wanted to be with me, I’d give him everything I’ve got. Why wouldn’t I? If you don’t put your whole heart in, what do you expect to get back? Besides, are you really going to let him go that easily? He wants
you
. He chooses
you
.”

Emmie’s heart cracked open, expanded. God, how she needed to hear this. “I know that, Tiana. I do. And when I’m alone with him, I’m right there with you. I believe him. I believe in us. But when I see him onstage . . . God, he’s just . . .”

Tiana scowled. “Every woman’s fantasy. You’re right. So, how lucky are you? That man up there rocking the house? Wants you. You’re crazy to let him go.” Her features softened and then she smiled, gave Emmie a hug. “If it doesn’t work out . . . that’ll suck. But isn’t it worse spending the rest of your life wondering what might have happened if you’d had the guts to try?”

Ouch
. Emmie didn’t like to hear that she was a coward.

“Listen, I’ve got to get back to my friends, but Emmie, seriously? Go all in. You’d be a fool to do anything less.”

They hugged, and Tiana disappeared into the screaming crowd.

Emmie looked up to find the band just leaving the stage. Good, she didn’t want to think about it anymore. Time to meet the reporters and critics she’d invited to the show.

Heading for the cordoned-off area behind the stage, she flashed her backstage pass to the polo-wearing bouncer. The guys hadn’t arrived yet, so she made her way through the crowd, gathering the press and critics. As soon as she caught sight of Derek, she led them over to him, letting him work his magic.

Then, she excused herself, wondering if she could find Slater in the crush. He was probably surrounded by his fans. She’d give him time to do his thing.

But then she saw him. Impossible to miss, of course, thanks to his height and presence, not to mention the people gathering around him. He looked like a rock star. She smiled. If only his dad could see him right then. He’d be proud. She’d have to be sure to tell Slater, so he’d feel the impact of what he’d achieved.

While he moved through the crowd giving everyone the individual attention they craved, she knew him well enough to sense his tension. He kept scanning the crowd.

Looking for her. Happiness rushed her, hard and fast. She had to get to him.

Just then a rustle of activity drew her attention. Piper Lee and her entourage cut through the crowd, heading straight for Slater. The look on Piper’s face—good God—it was filled with such focus, such purpose.

Piper got to him first, threw her arms around his neck like a girlfriend would do. She swayed with him side to side, building up speed until they rocked hard enough to throw them both off balance. The people around them laughed.

They looked great together. They looked like a couple, no doubt about it.

Reporters gathered around, photographers elbowing in for the right shot.

Jealousy started to dig its talons into Emmie’s heart, until a stronger, clearer voice rang through. And it said,
Hell, no
. Slater wanted
her
, not Piper.

At that very moment Slater’s gaze shifted, locking with Emmie’s. And the look on his face? It was nothing like the practiced look he’d given Piper. That was the look he gave his fans.

The look he was giving Emmie? God, it set firecrackers off in her chest.

Her heart pounded fast and hard, and her face felt like it would split from smiling so widely. He pushed away from Piper, and then he was right there before Emmie. She flung herself at him. His knees bent as he cupped her ass and lifted her.

Her arms and legs banded around him, her hands clasped behind his damp neck, and their mouths found each other. She kissed him with all the joy and desire in her heart. When the kiss turned carnal, she pulled away. “You were fantastic. Amazing. I’m so proud of you.”

“Words later. Kisses now.”

His tongue licked into her mouth, and he kissed her like nothing else mattered on this earth but fusing his body with hers. She melted into him, her body throbbing with need and want.

“Let’s go home.” His mouth pressed against her cheek.

She laughed, resting her head on his shoulder. “You have work to do.”

“The guys can do it. We have to go home.”

She loosened her hold on him, lowered her legs, and he set her down. Touching his cheek, she said, “You’re amazing.”

“I can amaze you better at home. Let’s go.” He reached for her hand, and she felt the urgency, the energy coursing through him.

“
After
you do your thing. Now come and meet everyone I had to convince to come see you today.”

He cupped her ass and gave it a squeeze. “Fine. Twenty minutes, and that’s it. Then we go home.”

“You’re a rock star. Get used to it.”

“Emily?” Piper came up beside them.

Oh, come
on.
Enough already. “Hey, Piper. It’s
Emmie
, actually. So, what did you think of the show?”

“Fantastic.” Piper rubbed Slater’s arm. “Our guy’s got it going
on
.”

Our
guy? Really?

Derek and the others joined them, and Piper gave them all hearty hugs. “You guys rocked the park.”

Emmie watched them, loving their excitement, smiling as they all talked over each other, reliving highlights. She loved them. Loved them like family. Slater’s arm around her waist tightened. Her signal to move things along.

She turned to Piper. “All right, I’m going to steal these guys away for a little bit. They’ve got some press to do.”

“Absolutely.” Piper gazed up at Slater. “Get out there and make me look good.” She tilted her head toward Emmie. “The more press they get, the better I look. So thank you for arranging it for them today.” She leaned in, scrunching her nose. “You’re just a little spitfire, aren’t you?”

The smile on Emmie’s face froze. Had she just been belittled? But, no, not possible. Piper was complimenting her. But . . .
spitfire
?

“Emmie’s the best,” Derek said.

Okay, yeah, Piper
had
belittled her. Or Derek wouldn’t have jumped to her defense.

“She’s our girl.” Ben threw an arm around her shoulder and tugged her close.

“And our house mom,” Pete said. “She feeds us.”

“True story,” Cooper said. “Never had it better in my life.”

“Yeah, and she raised our street cred when she got rid of the pubic hair on Pete’s head,” Ben said.

Pete punched him.

“Hey.” Ben rubbed his arm.

Tugging on Pete’s dreads, Derek said, “Em’s our stylist, too.”

Emmie couldn’t have felt closer to the guys than she did just then, as they rallied around to make her shine in front of Piper. She felt all warm and fuzzy inside. But a quick glance to Piper had Emmie’s breath catching in her throat. Gone was the sexy smile and carefree expression. The hard look in Piper’s eyes made Emmie’s stomach clench.

The look vanished in a flash, and just like that Piper’s breezy demeanor returned. “Well, aren’t you the shit? What are these boys going to do without you? I can’t say I’ve ever seen a bunch of hard-ass rockers eating out of someone’s hand before.” She gave Emmie a fist bump. “You’re so good I should steal you away. What do you say, want to come work for me?”

Wow. Okay. She wasn’t going to react to Piper’s attempts to make her look like the hired help. Too much was at stake. This tour had the power to make Snatch a household name. Keeping her smile in place, she said, “Let’s get you guys in front of the press.”

Piper stepped in front of her. “I’ll take them.” Her arm slid through Slater’s. “It’ll pack more punch if I’m there.”

Emmie wouldn’t look at the guys. Didn’t want to see their reaction—their pity. Her face hurt with the strain of holding on to her smile. “Lead the way.”

Slater clutched her hand, giving it a squeeze, but Emmie pulled away from him, taking a few steps back. The whole situation annoyed her. Not only wasn’t she used to being treated with such disrespect, but she hated that she had to put up with it for the sake of the band. They needed this tour to go well. It was the start of everything for them.

Piper glanced over her shoulder, her dark hair spilling all over Slater’s arm. “Oh, hey, Em.”

Em
. Now she was Em. ’Cause they were so close now. What a manipulator.

“Since we added them so late to the tour, we couldn’t book them into all our same hotels.” Her brow lifted encouragingly. “Maybe you can look into that? I like to keep my guys nice and close.”

Was that a threat? Did Piper just insinuate Slater was hers and she’d keep him close? Hot burning rage churned in Emmie’s gut.