He steps up to me, leaning over to look in my eyes. “I know you’ve had it rough lately. You’re still beautiful, Eliana, but you look… tired?” I huff, and he shrugs. “I just think you’ll feel better if you eat first. Come on. We have sandwiches, pizza, umm… cake.”
“Cake. I’ll take the cake.”
“Cake and vodka it is. Want to sit on the patio? It’s nice out, and we can talk without listening to them.” He hands me two bottles of water and laughs as Isa’s screams fill the townhouse.
“Please.”
“Through my room – private patio. We each have one.” He flips on the lights, and I smile.
“Pretty.” I sit carefully on one of the two lounges pushed together and cast in the soft light and open a bottle of water. He’s right about the water; I do need it.
“Small deck.” He shrugs, flopping down beside me, holding out a fork full of cake. “Open up, beautiful.”
Ten minutes, two bottles of water, and three pieces of cake later, Jonah cracks the seal on the vodka. He takes a sip directly from the bottle then hands it over to me.
“Thanks.” I nod, swallowing two large gulps.
“That kind of day?” He raises a brow.
“That kind of life.” I shrug.
“Yeah, I heard. I’m really sorry. How are you holding up?”
Two more gulps, and I answer, “I’m not.”
“Wanna talk about it?”
“I really don’t. Opposite, actually. I want to forget.” I chance a look his way and continue when I see genuine interest in his gaze. “I just want to be a normal girl for a night.”
“I think we can do that.” He looks around, suddenly laughing, and smacks my thigh. “We’re gonna play a little game the guys and I came up with last week… but with a fun twist. See that box of water balloons in the corner? We’re going to finish this bottle while we take those and drop them on the assholes blocking our entrance. Each direct hit earns you one Truth or Dare from the other person.” He grins, passing back the bottle, and I drink. Just like that, he’s back to the Jonah I danced with at the club, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
“Truth or Dare? Jonah, you’ve just made a huge mistake, the worst truly, because there are two things I never do. One is back down, and two is lose. I’m going to demolish you, rock star.” I get to my feet. “Bring the booze!” I call back.
“You have the booze.” He laughs stumbling over to me.
“So I do. Shit, someone drank it all.” I lift the bottle, shaking it from side to side. That went fast. Seeing his confused expression, I crack up, releasing my first real laugh in months.
“Holy shit!” The door slides open, and Nat’s head pops out. “That was you. It was Lili; I told you!” she yells back inside. “I thought you had lost your damn mind.” She looks from the tub of balloons and back to us. “Okay, I’m ‘a need to know more, just not right now. Keep making her do that.” She motions to my smile, winking at Jonah. “Fuck, I missed you, Lili.” She closes the door, leaving us alone again.
“Well, that was dramatic.” I roll my eyes.
“That’s one!” he yells.
“Cheater!”
“Nope! Now, what will it be…” he taps his chin.
“One and two!” I call back, dropping one after another, triggering rounds of curses from below. “Three, ya loser.”
“Filth and lies.” He looks over at the people below searching us out and quickly ducks back out of sight. “How in the-“
“Watch and learn, peasant.” I grin, sliding my small arm through the narrow space in the railing, lining up my shot, and dropping the balloon.
We both erupt in laughter when the balloon lands with a splash and yelling.
“What did you fill these with?” I sniff, curling my lip. “It’s rank.”
“Milk. Three days ago.” He shrugs, and I double over with laughter.
We talk for hours, always keeping it light and laughing more than I have in ages. He tells me about his tour pranks and the crazy fans and then loses it when I tell him where I left my pendant.
“You’re telling me that when they realize you are gone, they will track you but find a fluffy miniature cow instead?”
“Joey Ramone is people; he’s a duke for goodness sake. And yes, that’s exactly what they will find but with a top hat.” I smirk.
“Because he’s a duke.” Jonah nods, lifting our second bottle to his lips with a grin.
“Obviously.” I smile, taking it and drinking.
“That’s all the balloons. Who won?” He stands, offering me a hand and pulling me to my feet, but I stumble, falling into his chest.
“A tie?” I blush, looking up at him.
“Nope, I’m clearly the winner tonight.” He leans in, brushing his lips to mine, and I release a soft moan at the contact. I’ve missed feeling this connection with another person. Encouraged by my reaction, he deepens the kiss as I cling to his shirt. Drunk enough to relax and lonely enough to go with it.
He pulls back a hair, breaking the kiss, “Truth or Dare?”
“Truth.”
“Can you feel the pull too, or are you just lonely?”
“Both,” I answer honestly.
“Me, too.” He kisses my jaw then my ear, whispering, “Truth or Dare, beautiful?”
“Dare,” I breathe out, closing my eyes.
“Stay with me.”
“How long?” I wrap my arms around him, moving in closer.
“We fly out Monday for a month to record. Stay.”
“Okay.”
“Yeah?”
I nod, and he kisses me again. My legs snake around his waist when he lifts me and carries me to his bed but hesitates.
“We can stop now. Just sleep. Tell me if you aren’t ready, beautiful. Either way, I want you here, but I need to know before we-“
I kiss him passionately, pouring everything I have into him. We’re normal. We’re free. “Don’t stop until neither of us can move an inch,” I whisper.
Growling, he tosses me to the bed, grabbing the bottom of my dress and ripping it right up the center. “Fucking gorgeous.” He takes in my bare chest, breathing deeply through his nose and licking his lips. “Except this.” He reaches over, pulling my panties slowly down my legs, and tucks them into his pocket with a grin.
“I might lose this record deal because there is no way I will be done with everything I want to do to you by Monday. Maybe ever.”
He pulls his shirt over his head, tossing it to the floor, followed quickly by his pants and boxers. I gasp when he stand straight again.
“Oh, shit.” I gape at his rock hard cock. “I don’t know if you… I mean… holy fuck… Of course, the rock star had to have a giant fucking cock. You’re going to kill me with that thing.”
“Oh, we’ll fit, beautiful, and I am going to have you begging me to fuck you.” He chuckles, stroking his cock and climbing onto the bed. “You’re going to do a lot of begging… and moaning.” He runs a hand down my body and lowers his mouth to mine, rasping out, “Tonight, you’re mine,” then kisses me deeply.