I take a step off the bus and my smile spreads wide. As crazy as all of this is, it’s also exciting. I wave as I make my way to the venue doors, stopping every few feet to sign something or take a picture. The amount of black and green hair in the crowd makes me laugh. I pull out my own phone and take a video to send to Daniel.
“Say hi to Daniel!” I tell the crowd of girls who all have the same hair color as me. They scream it loud and add on some waves, jumps, and squeals. I end the video and wave to them. “Thanks for coming! See you in there!” I hurry into the building and send him the video.
I’m shown to my dressing room and my phone chimes. I look down at the message to see Whoa! That’s a lot of green hair!
I laugh. Want me to send a few of them home for you?
Hahahaha, no way. I don’t want a clone. I want the real thing. Counting the days.
Me too. Miss you.
I drop my phone onto the table and lie down on the couch. Van sticks his head through the open door. “Sound check in an hour.”
I wave, not bothering to reply. I take a little nap before sound check, then after we’re done, I get ready for the show. I take a shower, do my hair and makeup, and get dressed.
After what feels like forever, it’s time for the show to start. We go out on stage and the crowd comes alive. There’s screaming and jumping—including people throwing things on stage like stuffed animals, flowers, and I think even some panties. I hope those are meant for the guys. We play our single first, and the crowd goes wild. They all know the lyrics to the song and they sing it like they wrote it themselves. It really makes my heart warm to see the impression our little band has left on these people. We play the song that will be our next single, and while they don’t know this one yet, that doesn’t stop them from rocking out. The third song’s a bit slower and it’s more for the couples. Something comes over me and I step up to the mic.
“This song goes out to a very special guy who’s at home waiting for me. Miss you, Daniel.” Somehow, I know he’ll see it.
We’re only back on the bus for a few minutes when I retire to my room to give him a call.
“Hi, beautiful,” he answers.
“Did you see it?” I ask, sure that it’s already been uploaded somewhere.
“I saw the whole thing. I streamed it.”
Thank God for modern technology. “And?”
“And I miss you too. The song was great, but you do realize that won’t put the rumors to rest, right?”
“Fuck the rumors. I don’t mind if you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind as long as they stay out of my office,” he laughs out.
“Six days and counting,” I remind him.
“I can’t wait.”
The week passes by slowly, but as the bus pulls back up to the place I left Daniel behind, butterflies in my stomach take flight. The bus comes to a stop and the doors open. I waste no time in running out. Daniel is parked about 100 feet away. He opens the door and climbs out, and I take off running to him. I jump into his arms and breathe him in, burning that scent into my memory.
He hugs me close. “God, I’ve missed having you in my arms.”
“I’ve missed being in your arms,” I reply, pulling back enough to clearly see his handsome face. He places me on my feet and his hands come up to cup my cheeks. He pulls my lips to his, kissing me passionately. It’s hard but slow and lingering.
“All right, lovebirds,” Van says, walking up to us with my bags in his hands. “Save it for when you get home.” He sets the bags down at my feet and Daniel and I finally pull away.
“I’ll see you in a couple of days I’m sure,” Van says, pulling me in for a hug.
“I’m sure the record label will be throwing us another party soon for the album release,” I say, pulling away.
Daniel bends down and grabs my bags.
“Take care of her, man,” Van says, taking a step back.
“You know I will,” Daniel replies, pulling me back to his car.
He puts my things in the trunk and takes his seat behind the wheel. He looks over at me with a smile. “I can’t believe you’re really here sitting next to me again.”
I place my hand on his jaw. “Well, believe it, ‘cause you’re stuck with me for a few weeks until we leave again.”
“Let’s not talk about you leaving again,” he breathes out, pulling me in for another long, delicious kiss.
Sixteen
Daniel
Having her back feels surreal. It’s like she’s been beside me this whole time—that these last few weeks didn’t even exist. Having her here feels like being a kid on Christmas morning and finally unwrapping that one thing you wanted more than anything. All the phone calls, FaceTime talks, and text messages didn’t do it justice. Now, I can touch her and feel her soft skin against mine. I can breathe in her sweet scent of jasmine and vanilla. But best of all, I can kiss her, and she tastes like watermelon on a hot, sunny day. The moment we walk into her apartment, I drop her bags on the floor and pull her against me. She wraps her arms and legs around me and kisses me like I’m the air she’s been living without. Now, she can finally breathe.
I push her back against the door, slamming it closed with the action. She works on removing my shirt while I lock the door she’s pressed against. She rips the T-shirt over my head and tosses it to the floor. She breaks our kiss as she rests her head against the door, her eyes taking in my naked chest and stomach. She licks her lips in the cutest way. “God, I’ve missed you, and I’m going to make sure I kiss every single one of these hard muscles I’ve missed.” She comes forward, pressing her lips to my collarbone. “Take me to bed, Daniel.”
“My pleasure,” I say, holding her against me as I walk us to her bedroom. We fall onto the mattress and we’re immediately wrapped up in each other. I kiss every inch of flesh I can as I pull off her clothes. She gets impatient and flips us over, kissing her way down my chest, ribs, and stomach. Her hand finds its way into my pants and it wraps around me. I take in a hissing breath when she touches me. With her free hand, she pulls my jeans down my hips, allowing me to spring free. She looks at me from beneath her lashes and licks her lips. I wish I could take a picture of the way she’s looking at me right now. It’s sexy as fuck and something I always want to remember.
The moment she opens her mouth and takes me deep inside, I want to explode. Every muscle tenses as my hands move up to fist in her hair. She’s not holding back either. She’s going for gold. “Slow down, baby,” I practically beg, but she only takes me further. I think my eyes roll to the back of my head and my lungs forget how to work.
“Fuck, Luna. You have to stop,” I manage to get out, but all she does is dig her nails into my thighs like she’ll claw me to death if I try to stop her. She takes me in further and further until I’m not even sure how she’s doing it. My release builds to new heights and bubbles over the surface. A loud moan rips out of me as I spill myself into her mouth. She sucks up every last drop and continues to suck even after I’ve given her all I have to give. My head falls back and my back arches upward.