Stand (Black Addiction Book 3) (20 page)

Though I probably shouldn’t have worried. While the school I taught at liked to radiate a super-conservative image, the parents were well equipped at dealing with celebrities. Some even had their own claims to fame, while others who happened to be single parents sometimes dabbled in the TMZ end of the pool.

Even the other staff seemed surprisingly okay with it, their attitude ranging from a polite indifference to an enthusiastic interest. Lots of closet Black Addiction fans as it turned out. Who knew?

And when he took me home, it was to his bed. The hours of being so close and wanting him made the sweet release even more delicious. It didn’t stop the craving though, my body seeking his out through the night. Not that he seemed to mind, his husky laugh filling my ears as he moved his hands over me.

It’s where I fell asleep and where I woke up, the smile on my face threatening to split my face apart as his arms gripped me tighter.

He didn’t need to worry though; I wasn’t going anywhere.

***

It was funny really.

Not just ironic but laugh out loud funny, that while I had been busy keeping Max at arm’s length I was starting to feel something more. Or maybe there was no starting about anything, and I felt that way the whole time. I’d been too caught up with my master plan of not being together that I couldn’t see I was falling in love with him. That deep down, I’d always been in love with him and that was why I couldn’t stay away.

It was silly. None of it really made sense, we were both so different from when we first met, and yet the core attraction couldn’t be denied. And it wasn’t just sex. As much as I knew that body of his would do wonderful things to mine, I wanted more than just the nights with him.

Could he actually be my forever?

This whole time right under my nose and now I’d finally woken up?

It was Saturday when it I finally hit me. It honestly felt like I’d been in a dream this whole time, and now I was suddenly seeing clearly.

The day had started normal. Shower sex—which was normal when you woke up with Max Reynolds—and then I went back to my apartment to kill my roommate.

We’d had a good couple of years, so I was honestly going to be sad to see her go, but unfortunately vendettas must be exacted. What I hadn’t counted on was my revenge was going to have to be chilled for a while, Jules having already left for the day.

Well, that sucked. And more so because I wasn’t sure if I should kiss her for pushing me and Max closer, or watch her bleed slowly for forcing my hand. The emotions fluctuated wildly so I couldn’t be sure which was the one we were ultimately going to go with. I guess we were both going to be surprised.

So, there was that. My murderous rampage—or tearful, heartfelt thanks, it really was a coin toss—was postponed. Which gave me the day to fill until Max’s gig.

Sure, I could have gone upstairs again and been with him, but I wanted to wait. Why? Maybe it was because I was overwhelmed. Wondering if he felt what I had been feeling. Or if I was on the ledge on my own.

The day passed slowly, which was great—insert sarcasm. It gave me so much time to obsess.

Obsess and worry.

Also panic, there was that too.

So, by the time I finally made it to his gig, I was just a big ball of nerves. Which was stupid because of all the things I should be feeling, nervous shouldn’t be one of them. Try explaining that to my amygdala. Emotion center my ass, mine was currently the
freaking the fuck out
center.

Jules was still AWOL, promising to meet me at the venue in an earlier text message but had yet to show. Which made it so much worse; yelling at her would at least take the edge off things. It was actually really inconsiderate to be honest, after all this was all about me.

Then the wait was finally over.

Having played two gigs under pseudonyms, people had started to catch on. Most had already guessed that
Sleight of Hand
was really Black Addiction. Worst kept secret in town. Not that it mattered, the crowd still went crazy the minute the first note blew out of the speakers.

It was while I was in the middle of the mayhem that I had my moment of clarity. Max
was
my forever.

As I looked at him on that stage, the years flashed by in memories. Every year, each hour, each minute—and I couldn’t think of one single reason why he couldn’t be.

Nothing.

We made sense.

He caught my eye and winked, completely unaware of my revelation, his mouth at the mike as he sang back up with Rus. I recognized the song; it was one of their older ones and I had been there when they first played it.

Angie sung the chorus.
“And if this should end tomorrow, it will be worth it all the same. Because I would rather have one night with you, than a lifetime without pain.”

And I suddenly couldn’t breathe.

I’d heard those lyrics a hundred times before, and they’d never meant as much as they did at that moment.

I loved him.

I’d always loved him.

And even if it didn’t last forever, there would never be a moment I’d regret it.

I loved playing.

I loved the feeling I got when I plugged in and let go—the music, the way it flowed through me—it was the greatest high. But knowing there was someone waiting for you when you got off that stage, amplified it all by a million.

“Hey, beautiful.” My mouth was on her the minute it got close enough. “You enjoy the show?”

“Always.” She snuggled up closer, my arms pulling her in tight.

Fans made their way to the bar, the band standing around shooting the breeze. No matter how many platinum albums lined our walls we’d never forget where we’d come from and kicking it at a grassroots level was where we were most comfortable.

Of course, just because I was conversing with others it didn’t mean my hands left Beth. Nope, not a fucking chance, the weight of her body against mine made me feel invincible. There were some concessions I just wasn’t willing to make; not touching her was at the top of that list.

It was a rare occasion when everyone had made it to the show. Ali was there; Rusty’s arms locked around her while they chilled at the bar. Both of them relaxed and happy as they chatted with Angie and Jason. Jas wasn’t so relaxed, his focus completely on his woman as he contributed to the conversation. If Angie hadn’t already told us she was in the family way, the dude’s protective vibe would have been a huge tip off.

And not to be outdone with the PDAs was my BFF and his wife, Joey and Kenzie were lip locked oblivious to who was watching. The rare night away from baby duties being put to good use as they
enjoyed
each other’s company.

“How long do you want to stick around?” I whispered into Beth’s ear, my quota for chit-chat met about twenty minutes ago.

“You got a date?” She laughed, her hands reaching up to where my arms had wrapped around her chest. “Somewhere you need to be?”

“Yeah, actually.” I kept my voice low, the conversation tight between us. “In you.”

Well that got her attention, her body stiffening against me. And that wasn’t the only thing getting hard. My dick was ready to make good on that promise.

“There somewhere we can go to make that happen?” Her eyes lit up as she bit her lip seductively.

Yep, now it was
her
who had
my
attention.

“You feeling nostalgic?” Big-ass grin spread across my face as I considered the possibilities.

It had been a while since I’d had backstage sex. A long while. Firstly, because it was completely cliché; I preferred to get a girl home and take my time with it. And secondly, because I wasn’t particularly interested in having a photo of my junk on the internet, the chance of some asshole with a camera phone capturing
the moment
almost guaranteed.

But in the early days I had most definitely partaken in the rite of passage, Beth more than just a willing participant.

“Some things haven’t changed.” Her hand wandered down to my ass. Well, I guess some things hadn’t.

“Follow me.” I grabbed Beth’s hand, ready to ditch the crowd.

One thing was for sure, it had been a whole lot easier to sneak away the last time I’d done this. Every two steps we took, someone wanted to stop and have a conversation. No one even seemed to notice the bulge in my pants, advertising the hard-on that was begging for attention, each passing minute stretching my ability to be polite.

“Through here.” My hand pushed open the door that led to the backstage area, thankfully spitting us out into a deserted hall.

The other differentiating factor from my last foray into club sex was that this particular establishment didn’t really have a band room. It hadn’t been a big deal with us, happy to chill in the hallway until we went on stage but it was a big fucking deal now. The lack of privacy threatening to derail our plans.

“This is the best I can do.” The area that stored the road cases, only partially exposed. As long as no one decided to get curious, it would do fine. The alternative of waiting, no longer an option as she slung her arms around my neck.

“I want you, Max.” Her lips moved to my throat. “Not just for tonight.” Her mouth getting busy while her hands fisted the bottom of my shirt. “I want you. I want all of you this time.”

“You’ve had all of me
every
time.” My mouth moved to hers. “This time, I’m not letting go.”

I meant it too, my hands on her desperate as I lifted her on a case, my feet staying planted on the ground.

“Touch me,” she begged, the words struggling to get out of our fused mouths as my fingers moved under her dress. And she didn’t have to tell me twice.

I hadn’t fully appreciated the outfit she was wearing until now; the loose fitting dress, falling off her shoulders was cinched in at the waist, the fabric underneath giving me easy access.

And while I got busy exploring, she did the same, her fingers undoing my belt and pulling down the zip of my jeans as my thumb played at the edge of her panties.

“These need to go.” The panties were off her body and shoved into my pocket just before she wrenched down my jeans. My boxers not far behind, shoved down below my hips as my fingers plunged in deep.

“Yes.” She arched her back, moving against my hand as my thumb circled. My fingers were coated in her honey as she gripped my dick hard.

The long slow slide of her fingers pumped my length, my balls drawing up tight with every pass. It kept me on a knife-edge, wanting to blow my load but refusing to let it end.

Every single part of me wanted her—my mouth, my hand and my cock—her pussy gripping my fingers so tight, my dick was getting jealous.

I should have made her come.

Let her ride my hand or my mouth until she screamed out my name, but I wasn’t feeling either patient or polite as my fingers unpeeled hers from my cock and I pushed inside of her. No warning. Just a hard thrust of my hips giving her all I had as her heels bit into my ass.

“That’s it, sweetheart.” I felt her contract around me, my mouth kissing her neck while my hands kept us steady. Her tits heaved up and down as the top of her dress gave a little, the lace of her bra peeking out from under.

I didn’t stop, pistoning into her with firm, hard strokes while my lips sucked hard against the lace, her nipples hardening underneath as I struggled not to bite through the fabric.

I wanted it off, all of it. I wanted her naked, stretched out under me so I could watch her. Or on top as she rode me, that would do too. Not that I was giving up what I had now for either of those options, our hips finding a rhythm as we gained speed.

“Max.” Her nails dug into my skin, the marks they’d leave on my shoulders not a fucking problem for me as I sucked on her nipple harder. “I’m going to come.”

As much as I loved hearing it, it was unnecessary, her body telling me everything I needed to know as her pussy clamped around my dick before the explosion of tiny pulses moved down my shaft. Even if I’d wanted to, I couldn’t hold out, my body continuing to move as it pumped into her hard. The wave rolling through me so overwhelming, I had to grip the road case she was sitting on so I didn’t lose balance.

“Just like old times.” I laughed, my mouth moving back to her lips. “But I’m still going to have you in bed when I get you home. We’re not even close to being done.”

“Good, because I meant what I said.” Her arms wrapped around me, as she looked me in the eye. “I want all of you, Max. I’m in love with you.”

To say I’d imagined the moment I finally told a woman I loved her very differently, would be a lie. Truth is I’d only ever had one thought about it, that the woman on the receiving end would be Beth. I didn’t care that it wasn’t over a candlelit dinner, or watching the sunset—the two of us finally coming to our senses was as special as it got.

If she wanted grand gestures with flowers and jewelry, I’d give her that too, but one thing was for fucking sure, I wasn’t waiting a single moment longer not telling her how I felt.

“I’ve loved you for as long as I can remember.” I brushed the hair from her face. “I just wasn’t smart enough to tell you. I love you, Beth. I’ve always loved you.”

It honestly pissed me off that I’d waited so long, so much time wasted while we tried to find ourselves. But as angry as it made me, I couldn’t hate the process entirely. That we were here, finally together was worth every last kiss we’d ever had. All of them fucking history as I vowed to never make the same mistake again.

“Take me home, Max.” Beth smiled, seeing her happy making me feel like a fucking gladiator.

“Anything you ask, sweetheart.” I slowly pulled out, needing to get us both clothed and out of the club ASAP.

I didn’t even give a shit I had barely spoken to the band since getting off stage. They’d live. My only concern was giving my girl exactly what she’d asked, which lucky for me was exactly what I wanted too. The two of us, out of here.

“Whoa!” The noise reverberated off the walls, our private sanctuary breeched. “They weren’t kidding. You’re huge.”

Enter Jules, her timing fucking perfect—or not as the case may be—to see me standing with my dick in my hand. Her eyes peeled back to maximum capacity as she openly stared.

“Jules!” Beth pushed down her dress covering up what little had been showing. She didn’t need to worry though; Jules had been too busy looking at my dick to notice she had also been flashing skin. “What the hell?”

“As you were people, don’t let me disturb you.” She waved her hands around, big-ass grin on her face.

“Peep show’s over.” I pulled up my boxers, the fabric covering my dick doing little to convince her apparently, her eyes still glued to my junk. “And you shouldn’t be back here.” My jeans were next on the redress.

“Yeah, well considering what the two of you were doing—” Her hands flying back and forth between Beth and I. “— I wouldn’t say anyone is in a position to throw stones.”

“So you’ve seen it.” Beth jumped off the road case her feet landing heavily on the floor. “I hope you sleep better for knowing.” And call me crazy, but she didn’t sound anywhere near as pissed as I’d assumed. Can’t say I’d be so cool with it if the situation was reversed; no one was getting the pleasure of seeing her naked if I had anything to do with it.

“Oh, I will. That’s freaking impressive, Beth.” The conversation continued, apparently my participation not needed. “I can’t believe you held out on me.”

“I can’t believe you came back here.” Beth planted her hands on her hips. “We need to set some serious boundaries, probably starting with not staring at my boyfriend’s dick.”

“I wasn’t staring, my eyes were blinded. Like an eclipse.” Jules unsuccessfully tried to hide her smirk.

“Um hello?” I waved, everything tucked away. “You ladies realize I’m still here right? Both me and my cock.”

I wasn’t embarrassed. Couldn’t give a fuck. And not that I wanted the bastard to have its own Tumblr account, but I couldn’t give a rat’s ass who saw my dick.

“Well yeah, it’s not like that equipment of yours could ever
not
be noticed.” Jules raised her hands, taking a step back. “No wonder micro penis left you wanting, how did you get
that
all the way in?”

Hold on. Talking up my dick was one thing and not that I had any intention of pulling it out and giving everyone a refresher, but it was what it was. She’d seen it, big deal. But who the hell was this other cock—word choice completely intentional—we were talking about? And yes, I knew how fucking conceited that made me sound and I still didn’t give a shit.

“Who the fuck is micro penis?” I waited, not really sure I wanted to know.

“The gym guy.” Beth added, looking at me expectantly like those words should mean something.

“Nope, still don’t know who we’re talking about.”

“The guy from the restaurant.” Beth’s final explanation filled in the blanks.

Bingo. Now that asshole, I knew. And I wasn’t sure if I should be annoyed that he and his cock were getting a mention or freaking ecstatic that it had earned him the name micro penis. I was purposely avoiding the fact that he’d slept with her; the thought of him even touching her making my skin itch. I wouldn’t be that asshole, the possessive meathead who was delusional in thinking she wouldn’t have been with other guys. But it wasn’t something that I wanted in my mental space right about now. Clearly it hadn’t gone well, and thank fuck for that silver lining.