Reckless Abandon (31 page)

“Kiss me,” she pleads in a breathy tone when I’m struck stupid by her perfect nipples in that lace bra. She holds my head in her hands with her thumbs just behind my ears. I grab her hips and force her down on me as my tongue licks her from her collarbone to her ear. She groans again, and I can’t hold back any longer.

“We gotta go upstairs.” I hate to pause this moment, but who keeps condoms in a studio?

Ember nods and slides off my lap, leaving her shirt on the floor as she makes a break for the stairs. I chuckle as she runs up the stairs, slapping her ass as we pass through my living room. I take the stairs two at a time as I pass her, heading to the second floor. She snickers just low enough that I know I wasn’t meant to hear it.

We crash into my room, and I lift her into my arms as she instinctively wraps her legs around my waist. I want to be inside her so bad I feel like I’m going to burst through my jeans. I set her on the bed and start to undo my belt. She slaps my hand away and does it herself. When my jeans slide to the floor, I kick off my shoes and step out of my pants all at once. That left goddamn eyebrow of hers shoots sky-high as she toys with the waistband of my boxer briefs.

I place my hands over hers, guiding them down. “Ember ...”

She bites her lip as she pulls my boxer briefs down, sighing through her teeth. Just as I lean forward to push her on the bed, her hands dig into my hips, stopping me. Ember’s tongue dances across her lips for a second, and before I know it, her mouth is on my dick. I nearly lose my balance and have to grip her shoulders for balance.

“Holy shit,” I half-growl through clenched teeth. Her tongue swirls greedily around me, while she slowly moves her head forward and back.

“Mmm,” she hums as her hand holds me in place. I’m going to lose it standing right here if she keeps that up.

I force myself to say the word, “Stop.” I push on her shoulders slightly. “This isn’t going to last very long if you keep doing that, and I want to be inside you. Get up on the bed.”

She grins a wicked grin, cheeks flushed under my command. I take no time unzipping and pulling off each one of her boots while she unbuttons and unzips her jeans. As I toss her second boot to the floor, she has her jeans halfway down her thighs. I want to crack a joke at her eagerness, but it’s not funny. I want it just as bad. I help her pull her jeans and panties—Jesus, her panties match her bra—down her legs, and throw them to the floor.

“Bo ...” she calls out after I’ve rolled on the condom.

I hover over her, staring into her gorgeous green eyes. “I love you,” I say as I slide into her. She moans low and long in response.

She. Feels. Amazing.

I pull out just as slowly as I went in. I grin as she squirms beneath me. Ember roots her feet onto the mattress and lifts her hips, forcing me back into her. She digs her fingertips into my biceps.

“Don’t stop,” she begs.

My tongue finds the silky skin beneath her breast. I lick it feverishly, feeling her pulse quicken beneath my lips. I could stay inside her forever; she drives me numb and makes me feel absolutely everything all at once.

“More,” she moans into my ear.

Before laying her head back down, Ember’s lips capture my earlobe, sending shivers down my neck and arm.

“Damn,” I groan.

“Roll over,” she suddenly commands.

Reluctantly, I pull out of her and quickly flip to my back. She grabs the base of my dick as she straddles me, her eyes teasing. I think she’s going to start slow, but she slides down on me hard. Her insides shock me like a million lightning bolts.

“November...ah ...”

“God, I love it when you say my name.” She leans back and rests her hands on my thighs as she finds her rhythm.

I grab her hips, admiring her perfectly shaped landing strip. She sits up, takes my wrists, and leans forward, planting my hands on the pillow behind me. Ember’s breathless mouth lands on mine, her lips swollen with desire.

“Don’t move,” she instructs as she pulls away.

She shifts a little, so she’s squatting with me still inside her. Her feet are on either side of my hips, and she starts riding the hell out of me.

Her eyes squeeze shut as she throws her head back. “Ahh.”

I’m under her control, and I have the best view in the house as I watch her breasts heave against her heavy breathing. Need takes over and I reach down, pushing her knees out so her feet give way and I’m as deep in her as I can go.

“You don’t move,” I say with as much authority as I can manage.

Her chest collapses onto mine as I grab her tight ass and anchor my feet into the mattress. I thrust into her as hard and fast as I can, making her moan loudly into my neck. I catch a whiff of her perfume from the back of her neck and it drives me near insane. I lift her off me and roll her onto her back. Her hair falls carelessly over her breasts. She’s a goddamn dream.

Pushing faster, I lower my mouth to hers. Her sweet tongue takes over my mouth as I take over her body. She lets go of my arms and claws at the sheets as she arches her back. She’s so damn close, I can feel it. Pulling my mouth away, I suck on one of her nipples.

“Oh my God ...” she wails, her voice growing hoarse.

I suck hard, pushing deeper and faster inside of her until her entire body clenches around me like a fist and she screams my name. I can’t hold it in. I bury my face between her breasts to keep from biting her nipple too hard as I come harder than I ever have in my life. I stay inside her as we make out deep and hard, holding onto each other as tight as we can.

“I love you,” she whispers between shortened breaths. I kiss her breasts once more before pulling out of her. “That was amazing, Bo.”

“You’re amazing.”

Ember props herself up on her elbows and rolls her neck side to side. I watch goosebumps pop up along her skin. I tug her into me and shimmy under the sheets.

“So,” she asks, propping her chin on my pecs, “what now?” I smile and kiss the top of her head.

“Everything.”

* * *

Dawn breaks, as I lay awake, watching Ember sleep. I’ve been sitting here playing with her gorgeous hair for hours, listening to her breathe as her soft cheek presses against my chest.

“Mmm.” She shifts slightly, nuzzling her chin closer to mine. Her lips seek mine before she opens her eyes, and I happily kiss her back.

“Morning, Beautiful,” I speak onto her lips.

She opens her eyes. “I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you, too.”

“Don’t go anywhere.” She tightens her grip around my waist.

“This is my house,” I chuckle, “where would I go?”

Ember yawns before snuggling back down on my chest. “I mean ever.”

She falls back asleep and I’m left in the most perfect silence in existence.

Ember

“I wish you didn’t have to go today,” Bo says, nuzzling into my neck while I pour coffee.

“Mmm, I know, but, I only have two days of work this week before taking the rest of the week to help Monica’s mom prepare for the wedding on Saturday. Man, I can’t believe it’s already here.” I turn and give him a quick kiss before sitting at the table with my coffee.

Bo sits across from me with a suddenly serious look on his face.

“Adrian called me.”

I clear my throat. “Yeah? When?”

“A few days after Rae’s funeral. He expressed his condolences, and then made a sizable donation to DROP.”

“That was nice of him. I haven’t heard from him since we broke up.”

“Seriously?” Bo’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Seriously.”

“He asked how you were doing when he called. He said he knew you and Rae were close—” Bo struggles through the sentence. This is the most we’ve talked about Rae since she died.

“Mmhmm.” I drink down some of the warm coffee.

“Do you want to talk about what happened between the two of you?” He sits back and crosses his arms with a cautious grin on his face.

“Eh, I happened. He happened. He’s not a bad guy, we were just all wrong for each other.” I don’t need to force my indifferent tone. Adrian made it clear he didn’t want me in his life in any capacity when I left his apartment three months ago. My heart made it clear long before that. Out I’ve stayed. “And,” I add, “you know...you.”

A full smile takes over his face. “Fair enough.”

“Can I ask what happened with you and Ainsley? Apart from the night of the concert...I still don’t want to know about that.”

Bo rolls his eyes and gives me a heavy sigh. “Nothing of consequence happened with Ainsley, November. She was there ...” He shrugs.

“Fair enough.” I mock with a smile.

“And,” he teases, “you.”

“You’re good, Cavanaugh.”

“Also, your parents sent me a really nice card.” He smiles.

I smile. “They didn’t tell me that.”

Bo leans forward and places his elbows on the table. “When’s the last time you talked to them?”

I shrug. “A couple weeks, I guess? They’re writing songs for their album, recording, you know ...”

“Call your parents, November.” His eyes are sad. I nod.

“I will.”

I stand and walk over to Bo, who suddenly looks grey. Cautiously placing one hand on his shoulder, I breathe a sigh of relief when he leans into it.

“You OK?” I ask softly.

“Yeah,” he sighs, “I just...sometimes I get these moments where I feel it all at once, you know? My parents...Rae...everything. Sorry—”

“Don’t apologize, Bo. Rae just died,” I choke up as I continue, “it’s going to take a lot of time.”

“She loved the shit out of you, November.”

“I know,” I smile, “I loved the shit out of her, too.”

“Nice cuff, by the way,” he teases, rubbing the leather around my wrist.

“Hey, your drunk ass left it at my place, finder’s keepers. Do you want it back?”

“No. Rae got it for me for my birthday a few years ago. She’d love that you’re wearing it.”

Jesus.

“Are you sure?” I ask, suddenly uncomfortable.

Bo turns, kisses my wrist, and looks up at me with his absurdly beautiful blues.

“I’m sure.”

A few minutes later I’m standing at my car, delaying leaving. Last night and this morning were wonderful—everything I always wanted for Bo and me. Now, I have to slip back into real life and hope this wasn’t a fluke.

“Hey, dream girl.” He snaps his fingers to pull me away from my daydream. I smile, thinking about him calling me that when we’d only known each other for a few days. I was lost in a daydream then, too.

“Sorry, just a busy week ahead. Hey,” I bite my lower lip and smile, “do you wanna be my plus one for Josh and Mon’s wedding?”

Bo reaches for my waist and pulls me roughly to his body, laughing.

“I’ll be your plus one for a hell of a lot more than Josh and Monica’s wedding, November.”

* * *

The phone rings six times while I twist the cuff around my wrist.

Damn landlines without answering machines ...

“Blue Seed Studios, this is Willow.”

Of course it is.

“Hi, this is November Harris, I’m wondering if you’ve seen my—”

“November Blue?”

“Um, yes?” Isn’t it funny, when someone sounds overly enthusiastic you start to question yourself?

“Willow. Willow Shaw!”

“Hi Willow. Oh my gosh, how are you?”

Willow Shaw is the daughter of two of my parents’ bandmates, Solstice and Michael. Yeah. Michael Shaw. Bet his parents didn’t see Solstice coming from a mile away. Anyway, even though the band was largely apart when we came along, our parents still traveled a lot together. Willow and I spent a good part of our childhood as the only constant for each other. I haven’t heard from her since my freshman year of high school.

“Excellent. Holy shit, yeah, your parents are in the studio, I’ll go get them. Hey, when are you coming out here? Your parents have gone on and on about your voice, you’ve got to jam with us.”

As irritated as I would have been a few months ago by her voice and her general enthusiasm, she invigorates me somehow.

“Soon, I hope. That’s what I’m actually calling to talk to them about.” I can’t keep the smile off my face.

“Sweet, I’ll go get your parents.”

After a few seconds, my mom picks up. “Hey you!”

“Hey Mom.” My lip quivers instantly.

“What’s the matter, Ember?”

Breathe.

“I was hoping to come out and see you guys soon.”

“You want to come to San Diego?” Her cautious optimism makes me giggle.

“Yes. And, I’m calling you Mom from now on. It’s just something I need to do. Pass the message along to Dad, would you?”