Played (Elite PR) (16 page)

Chapter Twenty-Two

M
el was convinced she looked like a porn star. This was, by far, the most precariously filthy position she’d ever put herself in. And she rather liked it.

She took a breath to acclimate to the intense stimulation going on down below, and then summoned the courage to take a look. She almost passed out—it was that hot. If she lifted just slightly, she could catch a glimpse of Aaron’s pink tongue. Her head was swimming in lust, and she wanted more.

It was her turn.

She lowered her torso, bracing her weight on her hands as she brought herself level with Aaron’s beautiful cock. It was true that most women she knew would never put those two words together, but they had never been up close and personal with Aaron Major’s most prized possession.

“Ahh,” she cried out, as something unexpected happened. When she shifted position, her angle changed, which meant so did Aaron’s mouth. He went deeper, reaching the most pleasurable of spots. He chuckled and she felt the vibrations deep in her bones. Oh my God, she needed to hurry.

She didn’t waste any time with foreplay, but rather took him fast and hard in one swift thrust until his length hit the back of her throat. His hips almost bucked them off the bed. She did it again, but slower this time, bringing him in inch by inch, savoring his taste, his smell, and his response as she changed the speed and pressure. She studied him, recording each reaction, each move that made him crazy with desire.

And as she focused on pleasing Aaron, he was rocking her freaking world. She leaned into him as he drove his tongue deeper with each thrust.

She felt the pull low in her belly and tried to shut it down as she stroked her cowboy with her mouth and hand. She’d never felt closer to another soul, and understood what he meant about intimacy. She’d also never felt more desired, and she didn’t want this to end until they drained every ounce of pleasure from each other.

The feeling was indescribable, pure ecstasy building and building with the promise of more. The room filled with the fragrance of cedar and soap, spice and sex—a delicious combination that made her head fuzzy.

Aaron slid his hands to the inside of her legs, spreading her wider. Then he gripped her bottom and slammed her onto his mouth. He rocked her on his tongue, and there was no warning for what came next. She shattered, tensing and tightening, as he helped her ride it out in slow, rough strokes. In the very next breath, he followed her with three vicious pumps, before his release.

They stayed that way, wrapped in each other until the pleasure faded.

Aaron, tenderly, gingerly, flipped them onto their sides.

He kissed her shins, her knees, paying special attention to her thighs, hips, belly, and breasts along the way. She climbed on top of him then, and buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in that woodsy scent she adored. She knew what he meant about the intensity of this particular act. She felt it in her bones.

She got up to get them both some water, walking past her makeshift office in the kitchen, where the bold print on the planner made her heart drop.

They had less than a week left together.

T
he two of them slept like the dead that night, so the knock on the door the next morning was unwelcome. And Mel wouldn’t deny that after what they shared, she wanted time with Aaron to decompress. She’d grown to depend on him.

The man was addicting. It wasn’t only that he jumpstarted her libido. He also had this way about him that made her feel like anything was possible. She craved to see the world through his eyes, how he processed the things going on around him, and then turned them into his art. He was soothing and deep and insanely interesting. And he seemed to be enamored of her.

“I’ll get it,” she said, getting up to answer the door.

“Get rid of them,” Aaron growled. “Whoever it is.”

Jayden’s visit had left a dark cloud in his wake, and she cursed him for the wedge he drove between them. Aaron was still pissed as hell about the whole thing. And forget about the Nashville scandal. Yeah, Jayden had made it abundantly clear to the media that Aaron was in no way connected to Toby’s bad behaviors, but that didn’t mean either of them had completely forgiven their old friend. She wasn’t sure if it was what Jayden did or what it reminded him of that upset Aaron so much. But it was obvious he was in no hurry to have another guest.

Mel opened the door to a very tall and incredibly handsome younger guy. Too young for her, but something about him made her stand up and take notice.

He crinkled up his nose, and looked her over slowly. He had dark eyes…deep and penetrating just like someone else she knew. Recognition dawned. He had a thinner, lankier build, but the same unruly hair. It was Aaron’s brother. It had to be. He was at least a few years younger than she was, which made perfect sense.

“Hi, I’m Mel,” she told him. “Are you here for Aaron?” He didn’t say a word or meet her eyes again. He focused on her lips instead, then he nodded in response.

“Aaron,” Mel called behind her. “There’s someone here to see you.” She kept her hand on the door, just in case the kid wasn’t welcome. Of course, Aaron could light up a Christmas tree whenever Graham’s name came up, but he’d also been so closed-lipped about him, so she’d stopped prying.

“Well, are you going to stand there all day checking out my brother or are you going to let him in?” Aaron asked in that playful way of his.

“I wasn’t checking him out,” Mel argued.

“I’m kidding, Mel,” he teased.

She pushed at his arms, hoping to throw him off balance. He didn’t budge.

“Hey, bro.” Aaron surprised her by using sign language as he spoke. “This is Melody, my publicist…and my roommate. Mel, this is my brother Graham.”

The signing caught her completely off guard. Why wouldn’t it? Aaron never mentioned his brother was hearing impaired. Not that he should have or anything, but she hated surprises.

“I see the resemblance,” she said, searching the files in her brain for American Sign Language she learned in high school. Damn him, if he’d shared this information, she could’ve been prepared.

Graham signed something after her comment, but his hands moved too fast for her to follow.

Aaron spoke for him. “He’s says he’s much better looking.”

“Nice to meet you,” Mel signed, at an embarrassingly slow pace. At least she hoped that was what she said. That brain file of hers was covered in dust.

Graham’s face pulled into a huge grin, but it was Aaron who lit up the place.

“You sign?” he asked with wide eyes.

“I took ASL in high school,” she said. “I’m very rusty.”

As it turned out, Graham got permission from his teachers to take a few extra days for his brother’s launch party. He’d come in on the Greyhound from his boarding school in Boston.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Aaron said. “I could’ve flown you here or at least picked you up from the bus station.”

“I wanted to surprise you,” Graham signed and said with a soft, clipped voice, laced with the tiniest of impediment. It was probably for her benefit, so she’d know what was going on, but he didn’t seem comfortable speaking.

“Mission accomplished.” Aaron moved to grab one of his bags from the hall. “Now get in here so you can tell me all about that fancy school of yours.”

Mel’s heart squeezed as she watched them together, and soon everything started to make sense—Aaron’s protective nature, his temporary cash flow issue… One look at him now, the way he was with his brother, and she knew he’d do anything for him. And most likely already was.

“D
ude, I didn’t know,” Graham said to his brother, using the clearest speech Aaron ever heard, and he almost fell out of his chair. His voice was deeper though, even more than it had been a few months ago, and it was pure music to Aaron’s ears.

Mel had left to pick up some bagels for breakfast, so the two of them could have the chance to catch up, and he was thankful.

“I don’t want to put you out with your woman here,” he said, and Aaron laughed. Okay, that was a little weird having his little brother comment on his woman. For all he knew, the kid had a girlfriend of his own. Really, he didn’t care what he talked about, as long as he talked. Graham’s special schooling had be the best money Aaron ever spent.

“Don’t be stupid,” he said. “She’ll stay in my bed. That spare room is yours, you know that.”

Aaron had always made a home for his brother no matter where he was. Graham had even spent some time on tour with him one summer, before things got out of control. He hated to think where he’d be without him.

“So there is something going on with the two of you?” Graham quirked a brow.

“Something.” Aaron nodded.

Graham smiled, clearly happy to with that news. “She seems…good.”

Goodness was about the highest compliment you could get from the Major boys, because they hadn’t seen much of it after their daddy died. “Don’t get all sappy on me,” Aaron joked. “I have no idea
where
it’s going or even
if
it’s going.”

Graham looked great. Healthy, muscular, like he was ready for college. He was. He’d already been accepted to a private university in Florida. Aaron couldn’t help but beam with pride over that. Graham would be the first in the family with a degree, not that there was anyone around other than Aaron to take note.

“What about you?” Aaron asked. “Anyone interest you at school?”

“There was someone,” he said. Aaron couldn’t get over how fucking amazing he sounded, but he didn’t want to make a big deal of it. He worked to keep him talking instead.

Graham rarely used his voice. Around Aaron, sure. But not many other people. Public school had been hard enough for Graham, and his speech was one more thing that made him different, one more thing for the kids to tease him about. They took his voice, and Aaron wanted to beat their little asses. He had, in fact, gotten into a few scuffles with parents on his brother’s behalf. After that, even Aaron didn’t hear from Graham much.

And there wasn’t a lot they could do about it back then. Their financial situation was always dire and unstable once his mama stopped singing. The state made sure Graham had access to education, hearing tests, and adequate hearing aids, but between his mom not really giving a shit, and their rural location, Graham missed out on the consistent therapy that would have made his life a lot easier. But since he’d been away at his new school, he’d had the best speech therapy every day, and Aaron got him the most advanced hearing aids money could buy. The change in his brother over the last year was incredible, but it’d taken a toll on Aaron’s bank account, and now there was college to consider. That was why Aaron was determined to make his music career work on a commercial level, because he needed that paycheck.

At one time, he had all the money he needed for Graham, but that fund had run dry, thanks to his mama. She had spent hundreds of thousands of dollars—of Aaron’s money—those first few years after he was signed. Lavish trips, cars, jewelry, you name it. He was partly to blame. When the money started to trickle in, he’d use it to buy his mama’s attention and affection. At least until Graham’s needs became more apparent. That’s when his brother took precedent over everything and everyone. He had no guilt over that decision.

Chapter Twenty-Three

W
hen Mel came back to the apartment with the bagels, Aaron was on the couch playing his guitar, while Graham sat on the floor with his hand resting on the back of the instrument. She assumed it was his way of listening to the music. It was beautiful.

“That’s my favorite,” Graham signed and spoke in that quiet voice of his, and Mel told him she agreed. It was easily the best song on the album. She was impressed how well he knew his brother’s music.

“Come on now.” Mel stood where Graham could see her lips. “Time to eat.”

The three of them sat in the living room that morning, drinking coffee, eating bagels, and listening to Aaron play. She couldn’t think of a better way to spend the day.

But when her phone went off, and she caught the caller ID, her stomach dropped, shooting her mood all to hell.

“Everything okay?” Aaron asked.

“Fine,” she lied. “Just something I have to take care of right quick.”

It was a text message from Teddy. Since she never responded to his email, he decided to take a new approach. Surprisingly, she was ready to answer.

Okay
, she replied.

She went back into the room to rejoin Aaron and Graham, but couldn’t fully be in the moment, not with her meeting with Teddy at the forefront of her mind. And that really pissed her off.

M
el had been burning the midnight oil in the final days leading up to the launch, and it had Aaron worried. He hated to see her working so hard on his behalf, but he knew she was under the gun, too.

She needed her former title reinstated before she went home. Not that anyone would necessarily find out about the demotion. Though who knew—he’d lived in many small towns and there were always a few people stirring the pot and bringing up business that wasn’t their own.

Aaron had a mind to call Miranda himself, but Mel would be mortified, and he couldn’t do that to his girl.

His girl.

Shoot, he wasn’t looking forward to her leaving. It killed him just thinking about it. That’s why he was hoping she’d take the evening and come out with him and Graham.

He bought three tickets to the Brave’s game, just in case.

While they waited for her to come home, Graham took residence in the best spot in the living room, as he always did. Man, it felt good to have him there. He was watching some celebrity game show with the closed captioning turned on, laughing along with the obnoxious host and yelling out the answers, beating the buzzer each time.

“Dude, once your album hits, you totally have to do this show,” he said.

Aaron did a jerk-off motion with his hand. Being around his brother always brought back the idiocies of adolescence.

But when Mel walked in, he stopped immediately. Everything about her made him want to be a better man.

“How are the Major boys this fine evening?”

“We’re getting ready for the Braves game,” Graham said. “You in?”

“Oh, that sounds perfect,” she said, depositing her computer bag at the campaign headquarters. Now that was something Aaron wasn’t going to miss, he couldn’t wait to get that shit off his table. “We could order some fried chicken from Kenny’s. It’d be heaven.”

“No, darlin’,” Aaron interrupted her. “I’ve got tickets for all of us. So go get changed—it’s a seven ten game time, and we can eat at the stadium.”

“I can’t.” She hung her head. “I was going to wait to tell you, but I have a few things to add to the campaign.”

“No. No more.” He was adamant. “We can’t handle any more. Just look at this calendar for fucks’ sake.”

“Don’t worry,” she said, scribbling some new items down. “This is all me. Miranda left me a message today, the warm soul that she is, and baring any disasters at the launch, I will have my old job reinstated.”

“Oh, honey, that’s great news.” He picked her up and squeezed, unable to contain himself, and they both seemed to melt into each other. Graham cleared his throat from the other room—little prick.

Still, he was thrilled she was going to see the fruit of her labor. And this way, she had choices. She could even stay in Atlanta if she wanted to. It was something he tried not to think about, but now it was a real possibility.

“There’s just one other thing I need to do,” Mel added.

Of course there was. It seemed to be Miranda’s way. “What is it?”

“Warm up your label. We’d like a testimonial from them, and Rita’s been keeping me at a bus-length distance.”

“What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because that’s not your job to handle it. It’s mine. Miranda knows that, and knowing her, it’s some kind of test. I have to learn to play in the sandbox with the big boys and girls.”

“Is that another Frankieism?” He hadn’t forgotten her drunken diatribe the night of her eviction, after she’d attended the Frankie Finch seminar.

She smiled. “You bet your ass it is. You guys go have fun. And I’ll just work on the label stuff while you’re out.”

Graham laughed at the stupid game show and it was such an amazing sound. He and Mel looked over at him at the same time, just as the show’s host asked, “Next question for the win: what’s something that looks better on a woman than a man?”

And before he could beg Mel one more time to come with them, she ran out to the living room and signed “boobs” before the game show buzzer went off. Graham laughed again, so hard Aaron thought he might have peed himself.

Leave it to Mel—it was the number one answer.