I almost chuckled to myself, because Bri could get incredibly bossy and probably could stop me if she really wanted to, but I had ways of distracting her. Hopefully starting right here in the limo. We had nothing to do and nowhere to be tonight, so I’d told the driver to drive around until I told him to stop. She and I had a room at the Hotel del Coronado, one of my favorites in the San Diego area, and then we’d move to the hotel where the rest of the band was staying tomorrow.
“Hi.” Bri slid into the car when the driver opened the door for her and planted her lips on mine before I could even present her with the flowers.
“Well, hey there, mocha venti macchiato.”
“Mmm.” She kissed me again, her tongue sliding into my mouth, hands in my hair, practically straddling me before the limo even started moving.
“Miss me, little girl?” I teased.
“Uh huh.” She’d already shed her light denim jacket and I realized all she had on was some kind of corset thing. And no bra. And my sweet Brianna never went braless outside of the house.
“Who are you and where’s my Bri?” I murmured, pulling her up against me so her crotch rested against my erection.
“She sent me instead. Thought you needed Bri 2.0 tonight.”
“Fuck, I need something, baby.” I kissed her back, flowers and champagne forgotten as we wiggled out of our clothes. It wasn’t until I was inside of her, torsos pressed together, her forehead against mine that we could find our voices again.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Hey, baby.”
“Did you miss me?”
“So much.”
Her eyes closed and she sighed. “I swear to God, I thought I would combust if you weren’t inside of me immediately. I hope we’re not going somewhere close to the airport.”
“Driver has strict instructions to drive until I tell him to stop.”
“You’re a mind reader.” She nibbled on my lower lip. “Fuck me, Declan.”
“Don’t have to ask me twice, Red.” I grabbed her by the hips and we went at it like it had been years instead of fifteen days. By the time we got off, we were breathing hard and I was pretty sure I had deep scratches on my biceps from where she’d clawed at me, but I didn’t care.
My girl was here, we were sated and relaxed, and she was curled against my chest, which was our favorite position. Neither of us spoke until she finally stirred.
“I think my leg fell asleep,” she whispered, chuckling.
“Sorry.” I dug out some tissues and handed them to her so she could clean up a little and then we got dressed. She pulled on her jeans and turned her back to me, asking me to zip up her corset.
“That’s the hottest thing I’ve ever seen you in,” I told her.
“I wanted to look a little sexier on this trip,” she said softly. “Not for you, but for me. So I wouldn’t feel out of place. I know you don’t care, but I do.”
“That’s fine, babe. I just want you to be happy. Speaking of which,” I reached for the flowers that had wound up on the floor.
“Oh, Declan, they’re beautiful.” She held them against her face and breathed in. “Thank you.”
“I have my very favorite champagne in the world chilling. If you want a sip, just to try it, I’d like that, but you don’t have to. I can save it and drink it with the guys one night.”
“No, I want to try it,” I said. “I don’t know that I’ll ever be a drinker, but trying stuff isn’t a bad thing and I’m not going to live in fear of a sip or two anymore.”
“Well, there’s one more thing before the champagne.” I pulled out the jeweler’s box and handed it to her.
“What is this?” she asked, slowly opening it. Her eyes widened. “Oh my god, these are exquisite. Declan, why did you do this? I don’t need jewelry or—”
“You do. I need to be able to buy the woman I love gifts. I know it makes you a little uncomfortable, but you saying no all the time makes me uncomfortable, so I thought about a compromise. I get to spoil you sometimes, without complaints on your part, and you keep me from going overboard.”
“Have I told you lately how much I love you?” she whispered, pulling out the earrings and sliding them into her ear lobes.
“You did, but I wouldn’t mind hearing it again.”
27
Brianna
* * *
I hadn’t realized the extent of my need for Declan until the driver opened the door to the limo and I saw him. Even now that we’d been together twenty-four hours and had more sex than two sane people had a right to, I wanted him. Not just sexually, but in every way. The way he held me after we made love was almost as magical as the orgasms he gave, and the way he breathed “good morning” when we woke up made me smile.
And I was finally going to get to see him live. I’d watched videos online and seen rehearsals in person, but this was different. This was my first rock concert. It seemed silly to be excited over something I’d done dozens of times, but it had never been my boyfriend onstage. Or one of the biggest names in rock and roll.
“Love you,” he whispered before lightly kissing me and bounding onto the stage to get into his seat behind the drums as the lights went down.
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Noah asked, coming up behind me.
I was on the side of the stage, no more than ten feet away from the band, but hidden by a stack of amps and a bunch of other equipment.
“It is,” I agreed, nodding.
“Got your ear plugs in?”
I chuckled. “I do.”
“I didn’t wear mine the first night and I couldn’t hear for two days.”
“Declan warned me.”
“Well, get ready to rock, sis, ‘cause here they go!” Noah took off to do whatever it was he did and I watched the band getting ready in the darkness. There was just enough light backstage for them to see where they were, but the curtain was down and the audience couldn’t see anything at all. They were chanting “Nobody’s Fool” though, so they were excited. And so was I.
Avon had arrived a little while ago and came to stand beside me.
“It never gets old,” she yelled over the music the venue was playing.
“It’s my first time,” I admitted.
She nodded. “They’re so good. I love coming to shows. I’m going to miss this part of it when it’s over.” She looked a little wistful. She knew that I knew the relationship with Ford wasn’t real, so we spoke freely about it when it was just us, and I suddenly felt bad for her.
“Does it have to be over?” I asked, looking at her.
She smiled. “As much as I’d like to say no, it does. I’ve been in the closet my whole life professionally and that doesn’t change just because I met a nice guy.”
“But you’re good together,” I protested.
“This is one time I wish I could be straight because you’re right—Ford is lovely. I like him. He makes me laugh and is very protective when we’re out in public and my fans get aggressive. I don’t even need a bodyguard when I’m with him, which is nice. But—” She cut off as Stu hit the first notes of the first song and the lights came up.