Closed Off To You (Singing Star Trilogy #1) (14 page)

“Are you serious?” I whispered.

Leaning forwards, he stuck his tongue out, ready to tease me. He ran it over my ear after moving my hair aside.

“I know I told your brother that I would stay away, but what happens on this show doesn’t need to be repeated. If you’re okay with that, of course?”

It was hard to concentrate on what he was saying when his hand unclipped my jeans and his fingers dug down into my knickers.  My breath hitched as he quickly found the spot and swirled his fingertip over my clit. How the hell did he know so much about a woman’s body?

“I don’t think this is such a good idea,” I breathed.

My head fell back against the seat and my eyes closed. The pilot announced that we were about to take off, which made the adrenaline pound through my veins even harder. Would Nathan keep touching me as we sped along?

“You’re right. It’s probably not a good idea…”

I grabbed Nathan’s hand when he went to move it away. It was a reflex action, I promise. I couldn’t let him pull away when he was about to make me orgasm on a plane. It was too much of a bucket list item. That was my excuse, anyway.

His fingers slid inside me. He moved around my opening before coming back out and pressing gently on my clitoris again.

“You don’t want me to stop, then?”

My eyes fluttered open but they were hooded. He was hitting just the right spot. His own eyes were partially covered as his breath deepened. Something passed between us as he built the pressure over the sensitive spot down below.

“Why can’t I resist you?” he whispered.

I moved my head from side to side. “Same reason I can’t resist you.”

The plane started to speed up. The runway disappeared under us. The people in the seats around us had no idea what Nathan was doing to me. They were too busy concentrating on the take off.

One of Nathan’s fingers dipped into the core of me, pressing the inside of my pussy.

“Are you ready?” he whispered in my ear.

My hair scraped against the back of the seat as I nodded. It wouldn’t take much; it was far too exciting not to be completely turned on. Nathan flicked the tip of his finger over me as he pulled out of my pussy and used most of his fingers to move in a circle over my clitoris. The tingling started low, building as his breath washed over me. He couldn’t kiss me or touch me in any other way. The movement of his hand was covered by the blanket, but the pressure built.

“Cum for me,” he whispered so quietly, I almost didn’t hear him.

I bit my lips together from the inside to stop the heavy breathing that wanted to come from me. My eyes shut tight as I concentrated on the feeling of the rising pleasure that pulsed through my clit and vibrated low in my pussy. It wouldn’t take long to burst over.

My hands balled into fists as Nathan’s finger stayed on the same spot, moving back and forth, creating the perfect friction. My stomach clenched as he leant forward slightly, breathing against my neck. I inhaled through my nose as the sweet tingling built quickly. His swirling finger stayed in perfect rhythm as it moved. The gorgeous pleasure rose, crested, and pushed me over. I bit the inside of my mouth so hard I tasted blood. My body shuddered gently against the seat.

The orgasm was quick and beautiful. Perfectly in time with the plane as it thundered down the runway and lifted into the air.

My breath started to calm as Nathan put his mouth right next to my ear. “That was so fucking hot.”

My cheeks flared with heat, worse than they already were. Pleasure still rippled through me as my body started to get back to normal. My pussy and pelvis was completely relaxed, revelling in the release. I couldn’t open my eyes, too afraid of what I would see in Nathan’s gaze. I couldn’t believe what we had just done. It really was one of the sexiest things I’d ever experienced.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

Instead of analysing, I decided to enjoy the moment. The trip was about living in the here and now. Ella always went on about how we should live in the present, so I was going to take her advice. The present felt pretty amazing.

I murmured a positive response, only opening my eyes when I felt him sit back in his seat. His hand rested between my legs, still deep within my knickers. I sat still, unsure whether he was going to remove it. I didn’t want to ruin the moment. He had just given me amazing pleasure; I couldn’t ask him to get his hand away from me.

“My turn next,” he said.

The plane started to level out, not going too high considering we were only flying to Ireland.

“Okay. I’ll do it on the way back,” I quipped.

I was laughing when I opened my eyes. My gaze clashed with his, but he looked serious. Did he think it was going to be that simple? It was easier for him to make me cum on a plane than it was to do it the other way around. He wasn’t exactly tiny; anyone would be able to see his cock pitching up the blanket.

“I think people might see,” I whispered.

The seatbelt sign beeped off. Nathan didn’t move his hand until I reached under the blanket and stroked his arm. It was an affectionate touch, but he quickly pulled away. I glanced at him, not letting him see how his quick reaction made me feel. He really couldn’t commit to anything. He wasn’t used to intimacy.

“Don’t panic, I don’t want to marry you,” I muttered.

He looked out of the window as his hand travelled back under the blanket and squeezed my thigh. “We have a really bad habit of ruining things quickly. I’ve had fun on this trip so far, let’s keep it that way.”

He was right. I was sick of being on the defensive with him. The moment was fun; it was time to embrace it.

Chapter Twelve

I had never been so nervous in my whole life. My stomach had never rolled so much either.

The singing coach sat in front of us, scrutinising our every move. She was a pleasant woman but very strict. We had only met her half an hour ago. She was already putting us through our paces. I didn’t dare tell her that singing hadn’t been our main objective and passion since we were kids. If she knew the truth, she might have chucked us out. That’s how we felt, anyway.

“So when did you started singing?” she enquired.

I glanced at Lizzie and Ella. They both quickly shook their heads, knowing what I had on my mind. The reply I thought of was typical: That I started singing not long after I could talk. You know, like most children do. Instead, I let Ella and Lizzie answer first. I had to come up with a good answer. One that would convince the lady that I liked to sing. Which was true. I did like to sing.

“And you, Melissa?”

I had a new plan. To tell the truth. Ella was always going on about telling the truth. “To be honest…”

Ella shook her head behind the coach. She ran her hand over her throat, suggesting that she might cut my throat if I was brutally honest. What happened to telling the truth? She seemed to have double standards now.

“…I can’t remember. I’ve loved singing my whole life.” I tried not to cringe at the fakeness of my answer. Maybe it was time to start appreciating the opportunity we had, instead of constantly thinking of it as a burden.

“This is an amazing chance for you. I want you girls to work as hard as you can to get yourself into really good shape. You’re good singers, don’t get me wrong. But, you can be better. A lot better.”

Her nasally voice contradicted the sound that came out of her mouth when she showed us how it should be done. She was a brilliant singer, much better than any of us.

“We’ll work hard, we promise.” Lizzie fidgeted in her seat.

“You know the rules. You have three songs that you picked at the beginning of the contest. At each stage, you’ll sing two songs, and the audience will pick their favourite one. You’ll then rotate another song to replace the one that got the least votes.” She paused and raised her eyebrows. “If you get through, of course. Each week, you’ll repeat one song and sing a new one. The person or group with the least votes each Saturday, will leave the show.”

Natasha. That was her name. It had eluded me for the last half-hour, but as she gestured with her hands, I remembered.

The seat was hard against my butt. I longed for my comfy work chair, currently sitting against my desk, alone. I enjoyed my solitude. Living alone made it easier to get on with what I needed to do.

“I’ll leave you to rehearse now. I’ll be back in a while to check on how it’s going.” Natasha left us, almost tripping over her bag as she attempted to get away quickly.

Every person involved with the show rushed. They had to get styling organised. Stage lights. Choreography. Travel plans. Arena updates and contestant mentoring. So much went into the huge television production. And there we were, little pawns, singing in a room.

“Do you think she noticed how disinterested Melissa was?” Lizzie asked Ella.

“Don’t say that. I am interested. I’m just not used to it, that’s all. It’s all very new, isn’t it? You don’t get to see all this when you watch shows on telly. You just see the glamour and glitz of it all. It looks like we’re going to have to work bloody hard. I can do that.” I got to my feet and rubbed my sore arse.

Ella stood and put a hand on each of our shoulders. “This is it. Time to make our bucket list worthwhile. This trip will cover so many different things on our list of what to do before we’re forty. We’re not that far from it now, you know.”

She was right. I shook my whole body, letting go of all the worries and fears. My mind was set. It was about bloody time I cheered up.

“I know what I’m going to do.” I jumped up and down, clapping my hands.

My friends glanced at each other, their eyebrows raised. “And what’s that?”

It was funny how my friends didn’t trust me as much as they should. Why did they doubt me?

“Every time we sing together, and I mean every time, I’m going to pretend that we’re in front of my TV doing karaoke. Having a laugh, having fun.”

Lizzie giggled and started to jump up and down with me. “I’m not sure we really need to do this.” She gestured to our stupid movements. “We can just pretend to jump up and down. We’re in our thirties, you know.”

I instantly stopped moving. She was right. If Natasha, the vocal coach, caught us jumping up and down, she might not take us so seriously.

“Are we going to stand here all day, or are we going to sing?” Ella put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.

In unison, Lizzie and I copied her posture, and stared at her. She refused to move, knowing that we would get the better of her if she did. Instead, she opened her mouth and started to sing. Lizzie instantly fell into the song with her. I immediately followed.

We stood there, with our hands on our hips, practicing the songs that we had chosen. Taking on the advice Natasha had given us.

“Very good!” Natasha walked back into the room, clapping as she came. “I stood outside all along. I heard everything.”

We sat in our seats, hanging our heads. If she had heard everything, she would have heard what we’d said before we started singing. That probably wasn’t a good thing. I wrung my hands together as she came to stand in front of us.

“Melissa’s right. It’s not that easy. It looks glamorous on the television, but its hard work. It’s good that she was honest with you. Now you can work as a team and decide what you want to do together. I can already tell that you’re amazing friends, which really helps. However, this is a competition. Time to get your fighting heads on. I always suggest that you don’t get too close to the other contestants. Not because you’re horrible people. Not because they’re not amazing. But because you’re here to win. You need to be hungry for it. If you’re not hungry for it, you might as well go home now.”

Natasha commanded respect. Her whole presence was big and powerful. She knew the business. She knew the television show. She knew who had potential to win, and she probably already knew who the winner would be. Just by looking at the audition tapes.

“I want you to go away and practice your songs. In between rehearsing, I want you to really feel it in your gut. How much you want this. How much you need this. How much you want to show the world that you’re not just the novelty act. You know you can do it.” Natasha grinned at us.

I hadn’t liked her at first, but she had won me over. As she stood in her power, I was in awe. I had never seen a woman so in tune with herself. She radiated confidence. I wanted to be like that. But, I wasn’t.

“We’ll do that. Come on,” Lizzie said, getting to her feet.

None of us were as confident as the vocal coach. I hadn’t noticed how powerful she was before she had gone out of the room. Had she played herself down so that she could hear what we would say when she left?

“Thank you,” I said as I left the room, not quite able to take my eyes off the powerhouse of a woman.

She placed her hands on her curvy hips, nodding once as she acknowledged me. I wanted to be like her. So solid in myself that I didn’t care what anyone else thought.

“That was like getting told off by a schoolteacher,” Lizzie muttered as we made our way down the hall towards the living area. I took a deep breath as I prepared myself to take Natasha’s advice.

Nathan came out of the bathroom door just as we passed. He ploughed straight into Lizzie, apologising instantly. His arms went to her shoulders to steady her. My stomach rolled as he ran one hand down the top of her arm before he pulled away. Why did he touch her like that? Was he attracted to her?

“How did it go?” he asked.

Lizzie and Ella started to explain what had happened. He would meet the formidable Natasha in a couple of hours. Would he find her attractive, too? She wasn’t exactly the most beautiful woman in the world, but something about her made her magnetic. Even I could see that.

“And what about you? Are you enjoying it, yet?” Nathan stared straight at me.

I blinked up at him, not expecting his direct attention in front of the others. He had a habit of talking to us as a group, instead of focusing on me. My tongue flicked out to wet my lips.

“I just made up my mind to start appreciating this opportunity,” I muttered.

My whole body hummed as he took a step towards me and offered his hand to high-five.

“Good on you.” He gestured with his hand.

I high-fived him, completely baffled at his weird show of friendship. That’s what we were though, wasn’t it? Friends. With benefits.

“You want to get some lunch?” He stepped back and asked the group.

The others quickly agreed, not giving me a chance to refuse. I wondered if I would ever get to the point where I felt comfortable around him socially. Not constantly worrying about whether or not my friends were analysing Nathan’s behaviour with me.

They knew everything that had happened between us. Well, almost everything. I hadn’t let them know about the plane incident. They wouldn’t appreciate knowing what had happened only a few yards away from them.

“Are you cooking?” I asked Nathan.

He was about to turn away, but he paused. “I can cook very well. Not today, though. Today, we go and explore the surrounding area.”

His deep voice became even lower as he put on a show. He exclaimed with his hands, gesturing towards the front door. The others giggled as he spun his feet and marched away. We followed, like good little girls.

“He’s so good looking, Melissa. You’re lucky.” Lizzie elbowed me when I snorted.

“How am I lucky?”

It wasn’t lucky liking someone when all they wanted was one thing. Although, maybe it was lucky that he wanted me for that one thing. Especially when there were plenty of pretty women around.

I frowned when Nathan looked into the living area and waved at the young group from the auditions. They all whinged when they asked if they could come, but he kindly refused. Did he not fancy any of them? He had his pick of most of the women in the house.

There were a few other males that were attractive. We had already scoped out the group and realised we were too old for them. Not that we should be checking them out. We had a competition to prepare for.

“You’re lucky because you get to… You know…” Lizzie gestured at Nathan as he held the door open for us.

The others went through first, leaving me to go last. Nathan ran his hand down my arm, the way he had with Lizzie, as I passed him. I glanced up, swallowing hard. The corner of his lips formed a dimple. That bloody dimple.

“Where are you taking us?” Ella asked Nathan, linking her arm through his to drag him away.

My back went stiff as my friend commanded his attention. It wasn’t like her to want to talk so directly to a man. Especially not Nathan. That was more Lizzie’s style.

“Don’t worry about that,” Lizzie said. “She didn’t see what just passed between you. If she did, she would never have interfered.”

Sometimes, just sometimes, friends could be a pain in the arse. I watched Ella and Nathan walk ahead of us as we wandered down the road. A couple of cars passed, but it wasn’t too busy. We hadn’t had much chance to see the city. It was twenty-four hours in, and we should still be rehearsing.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

It was worth a try. It didn’t work. Lizzie sighed loudly enough for the others to turn and check that she was okay. She smiled apologetically when her gaze shot between me and Nathan. He must have noticed because his eyes quickly dropped before he turned back to Ella.

“He seems…unavailable…” Lizzie muttered.

Rows of shops came into view. I was glad of the distraction as we decided what we would have to eat. The others were still ahead. I was unable to hear what they were talking about. Not that I needed to know, it was none of my business.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I said to Lizzie. “We need to focus on the competition and all I can do is think about...”

Lizzie’s smile was kind; she knew me well. She had seen me agonise over the men that came in and out of my life. Nathan was nothing new.

“You like him. There’s nothing wrong with that. He seems to like you…”

Her sentence trailed off as the others stopped in front of a cafe. Nathan opened the door and let us through again. This time, he didn’t make any physical contact with any of us. Ah, how it felt to be single in your early thirties!

“I just need to get something. I’m going to pop to the shop next door,” Lizzie exclaimed as I took a seat.

Ella jumped up, joining Lizzie as they both rushed out of the cafe. Nathan watched after them before sitting in the seat directly opposite me.

“Favourite childhood film,” I said as he opened his mouth.

His strong jaw stayed open as he frowned at me. “Okay. Good conversation starter.”

My shoulders relaxed as I smiled. I didn’t want to be so serious. It wasn’t really me. I had no idea why I had taken up that persona with Nathan.