“The things I want to do with you, Starshine.” His voice was quiet, the words gruff. My tummy clenched, heat spreading through me. My eyes flicked to the door. It was ajar, a sliver of light shining inside. From my position, I could see just down the bus, but no one would be able to see inside the bedroom without coming much closer.
“Tell me you’re mine.” Rafe’s eyes were as black as night, streaked with flashes of silver-gray. He looked deadly. Dark and dangerous.
He looked like he wanted to eat me alive.
“I’m yours,” I breathed, gasping as he fluttered a single finger down the column of my neck. It lingered on the neckline of my t-shirt.
“I like seeing our name on you.” Rafe’s finger slipped to the printed heart and he slowly, painstakingly, traced each word.
Black.
Hearts.
Still.
Beat.
My heart crashed in my chest, overwhelming me in the best kind of way. I was trapped. Pinned in place by eyes so intense, so filled with torment and emotion, I could hardly breathe.
“You’re mine, Starshine. Not his. Not the bands. Mine.” Rafe’s hand fanned out as he dragged it down my stomach, all the way to the apex of my thighs. He pressed his palm against me, eliciting a breathy moan from me.
“I shouldn’t do this,” he said, his voice thick with desire. “I shouldn’t slip my hands inside and feel how wet you are for me. But I can’t stop myself. You own me, Eva,” his hand dipped inside my leggings, “you’ve owned me ever since the first day I laid eyes on you.” His fingers found their way into my panties, sliding between my wetness.
I bit my lip to stifle the moan building. It felt too good. My legs quivered, but Rafe was right there to hold me up as he slowly worked two fingers inside me.
“More,” I whisper-cried in the darkness, letting my head fall back against the wall. There was a gentle thud and both of us froze. A beat passed and another. Rafe watched me, his gaze hard and possessive as he began to move his fingers again. Curling and stroking. He didn’t kiss me. He didn’t speak or whisper dirty words into my ear. He showed me with his touch, communicated with his eyes, what he felt.
My skin grew hot, my breaths coming in short sharp bursts as Rafe took me to the brink. “I’m goin’ to...” I smashed my lips together, trying to swallow the cries as heavy waves of pleasure washed over me.
Rafe leaned in, dragging his tongue up my neck and kissing me. “You look so fucking good like this.” He bought his fingers to his lips and sucked them clean. “You taste good too.”
My legs buckled again. He was so different like this. Dominant and dirty, and in complete control of me. My body.
I pressed my head to his shoulder, trying to catch my breath. “Is this the part where you leave me?” It was unfair of me to ask him, but the words spilled from my lips without warning.
“I wish it could be different.” He sighed deeply.
“Rafe, I—”
“Dream of me, Eva. Dream of me right there beside you, holding you.”
I nodded, swallowing over the lump in my throat.
Slowly, Rafe eased away from me, his eyes full of regret. “Sleep tight, Starshine.” He pressed a kiss to my head before ducking out of the room.
As if he hadn’t just rocked my world.
As if he hadn’t just stolen the final piece of my heart and taken it with him.
The smell of burning woke me up. “What the...?” I pushed the covers off, pulled on my leggings and went to see what on earth was happening.
“Morning, Angel.” Hudson grinned as he pushed what I assumed was supposed to be bacon around a pan.
“What are you doin’?”
“Well, I was trying to make you breakfast, but I’m guessing from the way your lip is curled in disgust, I shouldn’t have bothered.”
“I think you killed the bacon.” I smothered a laugh, moving closer. “Are there pancakes?”
“Of course there are... Damon, is there pancake mix?” he yelled over his shoulder, and Damon came padding out of the bathroom, a towel hanging low on his waist.
I quickly looked away, and they both chuckled. “We forget how sweet and innocent you are. Morning, Eva.”
“Good mornin’, Damon.” I gave him a warm smile, keeping my eyes on his face. “Hudson killed the bacon.”
“Nah,” he reached into the pan plucking a piece out. “The crispier the better. Pancake mix should be in the cabinet.” He motioned above our heads.
“Thanks. Where’s Letty?”
“Morning briefing with the other assistants.”
“So we’re already in Nevada?”
“Crossed the border about an hour ago. Duke wanted to make a pit stop, refuel and stock up on supplies. We won’t hit Vegas for another hour or so. This one,” he nodded toward Hudson, “thought he’d try his hand at making breakfast.”
“I think we can rustle up somethin’ between the two of us.”
“See, I knew you’d come in handy.” Hudson smirked.
“Where are Levi and Rafe?”
“Levi is still sleeping and Rafe is... actually, I have no idea where Rafe is. He probably went to stretch his legs. Why do you ask?”
“No reason.” I busied myself with searching for the pancake mix.
“How was the bed?”
“It was fine... better than the bunks.” I felt their eyes burning into me, and heat spread up my neck.
Just then the door opened and Rafe appeared. “Hey,” he said. “I thought I smelled bacon.”
“We’re makin’ breakfast.” I met his eyes, fighting a smile.
“How did you sleep?” It was an innocent enough question, but I knew he wasn’t talking about whether I’d found the bed comfortable or not.
“Good, real good,” I replied, my cheeks flushing.
“You two are—”
“What the fuck is that smell?” Levi came out of the other bedroom, rubbing his face. His hair was sticking up at all angles, his eyelids heavy with sleep.
“We’re makin’ breakfast,” I said for the second time. “Hungry?”
“Fuck, yes. I could eat a cow.”
“We don’t have cow, but we do have extra crispy bacon and I’m about to make pancakes.”
“Hell, yeah.” Levi slumped down on the bench. He seemed unusually tired, as if he was recovering from a big night out. But we’d stayed in and had all fallen asleep.
“Is Levi okay?” I whispered to Hudson as we worked side by side to make breakfast.
He glanced back to where his friend sat. “Sometimes he gets like this. One minute he can be as high as a kite and the next, he’s barely awake. He’ll be okay though.”
“I hope there’s enough for one more.” Letty’s voice filtered down the bus and seconds later she appeared, bright-eyed and well-rested.
“I have a surprise for you.” She homed in on me.
“You have a fresh packet of bacon?” I asked earning me a nudge in the ribs from Hudson. Our laughter filled the bus.
“Nope. But how’s this?” A slow grin spread over her face. “Molly is flying in to see the show tonight.”