Gone for You (Sixth Street Band #1) (8 page)

She was right. It wasn’t a good idea. But I was a selfish bastard, and I wanted her in my bed. Wanted it so bad I could taste it. I figured since Lily was not like the girls I hooked up with, taking her to the museum, the ballet, and all that shit would probably satisfy her three date requirement. It was the pregame warm-up. To be followed by a night of mind-blowing sex. And then I’d be gone.

Stick to the plan.
Before I could stop myself, I leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her lips.

“It’s just dinner, Lily.” Lifting her chin with my finger, I kissed her again.

The ice blue of her eyes was melting into a clear, blue sky. Full of possibilities. She searched my face. I was asking for more than dinner.

“Ok,” she relented, looking around nervously. “But not in the dining room. Go to the bungalow, and I’ll be right behind you. I work here, Cameron.”

Nodding, I pushed the door open and wobbled to my feet. I didn’t want to open my mouth and give her a reason to change her mind.

I headed for the lobby at a good clip, ignoring the band around my chest that was tightening by the minute.

Chapter 8

I
nserting the key into the slot, I pushed open the bungalow door. Dave stood in the kitchen, preparing a tray of fruit and cheese. 

SHIT. 

“Cameron!” His smile fell away a little when he noticed my blank expression. 

“Hi, Dave.” Covering my shock with a smile, I walked toward the kitchen. “I didn’t realize…” I rubbed the back of my neck, my mind racing for something to say. Fuck it. “Dave, I’m going to need some privacy. I’ve got someone coming by.”

Recognition dawned, a smile crinkling the corners of his eyes. “Of course. Two minutes, and I’ll be out of your hair.” 

Wiping his hands on his apron, he hastily assembled the tray and placed it in the fridge while I chewed my lip. I smiled reassuringly when his eyes met mine. 

Jerking my head toward the light rap on the door, I froze. “Guess she’s early,” I said, arching a brow.

 Sauntering to the door, I swung it open, looking down at Lily with my best attempt at surprise. 

“Hey, Lily.” Resting my hand high on the doorframe, I cocked my head, motioning at Dave with my eyes. “What are you doing here?”

The term “deer in headlights” aptly described her, frozen on the doorstep with her mouth slightly open. 

“I-uh…” Her gaze shifted from me to Dave, her eyes getting wider as the seconds ticked by.

“Oh, that’s right.” Dropping my hand, I stepped aside for her to enter. “You were going to bring the itinerary for the tour. Let’s make it quick. I’m expecting…someone.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but a cute little squeak tumbled out. She cleared her throat.

“Yeah, I brought it. The itinerary. For the…thing.” She stuttered over the words as she stepped into the room. “Hi, Dave.” She waved, color washing over her porcelain skin. 

Luckily, my back was to Dave when I cringed. Lily’s was not when she mimicked the expression. 

Nodding at her, he suppressed a smile while he hurried to finish up. Dave had been around too long and had seen too much for us to fool him with our little charade. He had the same expression as when I had pumped him for information about Lily. Amused. We stood awkwardly, staring at anything but each other while he finished. 

“Mr. Knight, I’ll be leaving now.” Dave lumbered toward us with a tray of fruit rinds, wearing a jovial smile. I pulled the door open for him. “Nice to see you, Miss Tennison. When your guest arrives, Mr. Knight, ring the kitchen if you’d like to order dinner. Have a good night. Both of you.” 

Lily folded her arms over her chest, her gaze fixed on the door sliding shut. Flipping the deadbolt, I closed the distance between us. 

“You think he suspects anything?” She looked up, the wrinkle on her forehead begging me to smooth it away. 

“No, darlin’,” I lied, pulling her against me. “Besides, we haven’t done anything.”

Yet.  

Dropping my mouth to hers, I quieted her protest, threading my hands through her hair. I swallowed her soft moan, letting it echo in my chest. Lifting her off the ground, I buried my face in her neck. The tip of my tongue made a slow path across her collarbone. Her skin was sweet as honey.  

“Fuck, Lily, you’re sweet,” I groaned. “So fucking sweet.”

She hooked her leg around mine, and my cock stirred when our hips met. She pressed against me, a silent assent that stilled my heart. Before I had time to think, I swept her in my arms and carried her toward the bedroom.  

She searched my face when I slid her down my body and onto the bed. Leaning over, I untied the laces of my boots, kicking them to the side. The sight of her had me in a near frenzy. I pulled the t-shirt over my head and unbuttoned my jeans. Giving her a smile, I pulled out my wallet and dug out a condom, throwing it on the bed. She snapped her head around, looking at the foil package then back to me. 

Sliding my zipper down, I let my jeans fall to the floor and dropped to my knees in front of her. 

“I think you’ve got too many clothes on, darlin’.” I reached down to slip the Converse off her feet. “Let’s see what we can do about that. Lay back for me.” 

I stilled when she hesitated, bringing her hand to my face. Her lips were parted, as if to ask me something.

“You okay?” I rose to eye level, leaning into her touch.

“Fine,” she murmured, dragging my lips to hers for a slow kiss.

Breaking away, she lowered herself to the mattress, never taking her eyes off me. I stared at her, fingering the button of her jeans for a second before popping it open. Tugging at her zipper, I finally chanced a peek at the smooth skin of her stomach. I leaned forward and planted a soft kiss just below her belly button. And I was gone. Gone for her.

I pulled off her jeans with a couple of tugs, and her hand clamped down on mine when I reached for her panties. Slipping out of my grasp, she moved to the head of the bed.

“Come here.” She reached out a hand for me, pulling me toward her when I grabbed it.

Positioning myself on top of her, I ground my cock into her thigh. My mouth came down hard on hers, tangling our tongues in a fury. I devoured her, my desire to get close,
closer
, driving me to distraction.

Breaking our connection abruptly, she brought her hand to my face. “What’s your hurry, Cameron?”

The question hung between us as I stared down at her. “I...” 

Before I could finish, she pulled me to her, pressing a soft kiss on my bottom lip. There was no frenzy. No promise of wild abandon. Just a lingering taste of honey, and her fingers in my hair. Sliding her tongue between my lips, she rolled it over mine in a gentle wave. 

The tension that built behind the kiss sent pulses of electricity shooting through me. It was the sweetest kind of torture. The kind that you couldn’t satisfy. Not in weeks. Or months. 

Or two days. 

I rolled on my back, the thought sobering me like a bucket of cold water. Lily froze beside me. Reaching down, I found her hand, lacing our fingers as the weight of it settled on me.

“I didn’t want you to stop,” she said quietly. “Just slow down.”

“I’m not stopping, baby. Just catching my breath.”

I bit my lip at the endearment and the sentiment behind it. 

Rising to her knees beside me, she looked down on me with hesitation. It had been years since I’d seen anything resembling hesitation on a woman’s face. Every woman I’d been with knew what she was getting. Or whom they were getting. Cameron Knight. For an hour, maybe longer. No expectations, no repeat performances. It was a song I knew as well as any I played on stage. But Lily stripped that away. It was Cameron Noble she saw. 

Finding the hem of her shirt, she pulled it over her head. Pebbled nipples strained against the gauzy fabric of her lavender bra. She wasn’t wearing fuck-me lingerie. Or even a push up bra. She hadn’t cajoled her way backstage or onto my tour bus. 

I was a selfish prick for playing this game, and even more selfish for what I was about to do. 

Pulling her toward me, I kissed her softly.  “You’re beautiful, Lily,” I murmured against her mouth. I wanted her to feel the words, the rush of breath when I said them. “Stay with me tonight.” 

My heart sank when she pulled away. Her leaving was the best thing. At least one of us had the self-control to realize it. 

Standing, she looked over her shoulder at me. “Can you help me with this?” Turning her face to the wall, she gathered her hair to one side.

I moved to the side of the bed, pushing to my feet. “With what?” 

My hands hovered above her shoulders before I gave in, resting them on her smooth skin.

“With my bra. It’s a little tricky.” After a few seconds, she turned to face me. “If you’re going to make love to me, I’d prefer to have all my clothes off.” While looking into my eyes, she slid her panties over her hips, letting them fall to the floor. “If you just want to fuck, I guess we can leave it on.”

Chapter 9

P
ulling her toward me, my hands were in her hair, tilting her head back so I could devour her mouth. She didn’t hesitate, locking her arms around my neck and moaning when I scored my teeth along her bottom lip.

“Turn around, baby.”

Dropping her arms to her sides, she kept her eyes closed, turning in my arms. I ran my hands up her taut stomach, skimming the underside of her breasts with my thumbs.

It was my decision. My choice. There was a part of me that wanted to bend her over and make her moan, with a clear understanding that this was as far as it would go. When the sun came up tomorrow or the next day, I’d be nothing but a memory.

For that reason alone, I couldn’t do it. Even if it was only two days, I never wanted her to forget me. Because I sure as shit could never forget her.

Stepping back, I pushed her hair over her shoulder, my fingers fumbling with the two small hooks that fastened her bra. I worked it one way and then the other, but it wouldn’t budge. Giving up, I raked a hand through my hair.

“I can’t figure this fucking thing out. I’m about to rip it off.”

Lily’s shoulders quaked, her throaty laugh filling the room.

“It’s not funny.” Crushing her back to my chest, I growled in her ear, “I was making a grand gesture.”

Turning, she held my gaze while she reached behind her and unfastened the hooks with ease. She slid the lavender straps off her shoulders, holding the strip of fabric at her side. I had her on her back on the bed before it hit the ground.

“So beautiful.” As I swirled my tongue over one nipple, it hardened to a stiff peak, while I rolled the other between my fingers. She arched off the bed, groaning loudly when I grazed the tender tip with my teeth.

I moved down her stomach, planting kisses as I went. Dropping to my knees on the floor, I pulled her to the end of the bed. Propped on her elbows, she widened her eyes in near panic.

“Cameron,” she said breathlessly, her chest heaving, “you can’t…I’ve never…” She slammed her knees shut like a vice.

I swallowed hard, while my heart skipped a beat. No way.

“Baby, you’re not…” The word clogged in my throat.

Her eyes grew wider. “No!” She sat bolt upright. “I’m twenty-three years old; I’m not a virgin. I’ve just never…nobody’s ever done that.” Turning her face away, her cheeks flushed crimson.

She was serious.

“What?” The shock rocked me back on my heels. “I mean…how?”

Crossing her arms over her chest, she lifted her chin. “My ex-boyfriend…he just didn’t, ok?”

Too many years of discussing sex openly—what I wanted, what a girl wanted to give me— had destroyed any filter that might have existed.

“So none of your boyfriends…” I furrowed my brow. “
Ever?
”

What kind of idiots had she been dating?

“There’s only been one. We met in high school.” She hugged herself tighter at the admission. “He left…I mean, we broke up when I left the business program and switched to art.”

My hand moved to her leg, rubbing the back of her calf absently.

“You were a business major?”

“Yes,” she sighed, clasping her hands in her lap. “I was in the business program. But I hated it.”

Defeat was written all over her. Chase had studied business at Stanford. He was the smartest guy I knew, but he had crawled into a hole and studied his ass off to get the degree.

“Was it hard?” Grabbing her hands, I pulled her to the floor, settling her on my lap. “My brother went to business school. He said it was a bitch.”

“It wasn’t hard.” She sighed again. “Telling my parents? That was hard. I’ve always been a disappointment. But dropping out was more than they could deal with. We’ve only spoken a few times in the last two years.”

She looked lost. And the urge to comfort her was strong. Too strong to resist. Pulling her to my chest, I let my hand run down the length of her hair.