“My ass?” she squawks.
“Your ass.”
“I. Um. I don’t know.” She laughs on a shaky breath. “I’ve never really thought about that before. The whole vaginal penetration and breaking of the hymen thing always sort of stole the show.”
“We’ll work up to it then.”
“Maybe with some toys first?”
A growl rips from my throat as my cock jerks right into the object of my immediate fantasy. “You want toys, Maia? I can definitely get us some fucking toys.”
“I’ve always been curious about them.”
“What else are you curious about?”
“Lots of things. I’m inexperienced, remember.”
“I’m happy to teach you and show you whatever you want to know, darlin’. It would be my pleasure and then some. Literally.”
“I had a feeling you’d say that.” She giggles, wiggling against me again, and my heart jerks in my chest at her smile.
Did you mean it, Maia? Do you really love me?
“Tell me something no one knows about you,” I ask, changing our mood instantly from fun and sexy to serious and possibly sad. The serious is because that’s just how Maia seems to roll when it comes to things no one knows about her. The sad because that’s just how I seem to roll lately.
But for some reason, our words last night have set me off on a collision course with needing more from her. More in every way, and though I feel like I already know so much that there is to know about Maia Angelo, I know I’m missing a shit ton more. My fingers glide gently along the curve of her ribs down the dip of her waist and back up the rise of her hips.
She is so sexy I don’t know how to fathom it.
Or where to start with my hands.
“I used to wish upon the first star I saw every evening. It wasn’t until I left for college that I stopped.”
I smile at the way her hope never seemed to fizzle, even when her life was real shit. Many would have given up a million times over. Accepted what was being dealt because it’s easier than fighting. But not Maia Alice Angelo. My lips press into the soft skin just beneath her jaw. “What did you wish for?”
“Lots of different things,” she says in a tone that tells me she doesn’t want to answer.
“Why did you stop?”
“I don’t know. I got my first big wish which was to get into college and leave. After that I felt a bit greedy wishing for more. Once I had to leave school and came out to California, you couldn’t exactly see the stars in the night sky so well and by that point, I was too angry to wish for much.”
Oh Maia. I kiss her again, holding her a little tighter against me.
“You next.”
“Something no one knows about me?” She nods her head. “Okay. Let me think.” There’s likely a lot people don’t know about me. Even the guys. “I love what I do, but I hate being famous.”
She laughs. “I already knew that.”
“You did?”
She nods her head, laughing harder. “Everyone knows that, Keith. You drive a Ford truck. You wear jeans and T-shirts unless you’re forced to go somewhere nice and every time you slip on nice pants or nice shoes, you grimace at them. You force a smile whenever someone tries to take your picture. You live in a house that is so anti-Hollywood and you don’t have an ounce of entitled in you. All you guys are like that actually. You and Jasper the most though.”
I run a hand back through my hair that’s messily flopping down on my face. “Maybe that was too easy then. Alright, I have one that will knock your socks off, but it’s true so you can’t judge.”
“Oh. Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“The best quick snap decision I ever made was to lie to the nurse in the hospital and tell them I was your fiancé so I could stay with you.”
She sucks in a rush of air, as I knew she would.
“You’re not serious? That was your best decision?”
“And the smartest was when I forced you to move in with me and become the band’s PA.”
“You don’t mean that.”
I brush her hair back from her face, staring down at her from above. “I do. Look at all the amazing sex I’m getting out of that deal.” She smacks me, and I laugh, planting a trail of kisses along her skin from the tip of her shoulder up to the base of her ear. “All joking aside, I mean it. I’m so happy you’re living with me and working for us. Best thing I ever did.”
“And no one else knows this?”
I grin, running my nose up her ear and whispering, “Now you do. But don’t tell anyone, okay? It’s our secret.”
She sighs, reaching back and running her hands along my stubbled jaw and into my hair. Her dark eyes are calm and peaceful, content even, as I angle over her, propped up by my elbow. It’s not a look you see on her face often. She typically has an arsenal of unrest built up inside of her.
But not right now.
Right now, she’s so beautifully happy here in my arms with my sweet words floating in her brain. The sight of her like this seems to lighten me further. More of my own darkness dissipating, being burned off with the morning sun.
Maybe there’s hope for us after all? Maybe we can make this insanity work?
Leaning down, I kiss her, my lips spreading hers and my tongue diving in, needing the contact of her warm, sweet mouth. Needing her touch and taste and heat. Just needing her.
My fingers graze down her face, along her neck and over her collarbone. As I’m about to cup one supple breast and make her moan my name, there’s a knock on my door. “You’ve got one-hour asshole,” Henry barks. “And next time pick up your phones, so we know you’re not dead.”
“I guess it’s later than we thought.” Maia giggles, rolling back over to face me.
I lift the sheets and stare down at the glory hidden beneath and groan.
“I want too many hours naked in a bed with you.”
“How about we start that plan in San Fran. We’ve got all night, right? You don’t play until tomorrow.”
“Darlin’ there is no amount of time that will satisfy my desire for you.” I plant a kiss on her lips and then get out of bed because if I continue kissing her the way I want to; we’ll miss that flight for sure.
She rolls over, taking the sheet with her and sitting facing the window with her back to me. Picking up her phone from the nightstand where it was plugged in, I hear her exhale a heavy sigh.
“What? What is it?” I ask, while quickly finish packing up the last of my things and grabbing what I’ll need for a shower.
Her head rolls over her shoulder, catching my eye briefly before turning back to her phone. “My father,” she says, the ire in her voice unmistakable. “He called last night during the show, leaving a voice message saying he wants to talk. He called again this morning.”
“Did he leave another message?”
She shakes her head but otherwise doesn’t answer.
“Are you going to call him back?”
Another heavy sigh. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. The only time he’s ever acknowledged my existence was when I inherited that twenty grand. He was pissed I used it for college and didn’t give it to him. We had a conversation before I left for LA and let’s just say it didn’t go well. Lots of angry words were shared by both of us.”