Stepbrother Backstage (The Hawthorne Brothers Book 3) (11 page)

I laugh along with the older women, though I can feel my
love-struck heart deflating. Is what they’re saying about Finn really true? Is
he really just some shady musician, scoring with anything that moves and
playing the occasional dive bar? That just doesn’t compute with what I’ve seen
of him so far. But then again, I’ve barely known Finn a week. Maybe once we
finally sleep together, he’ll move right onto the next girl in line? That would
kill me. I obviously don’t need a ring on my finger from every guy I sleep with,
but I like to know that I mean anything at all to them.

From the back of the bar, a clamor of cheering and raised
voices snags my attention. The crowd of patrons is surging en masse toward the
stage. Looks like the show is about to begin. I swig down the rest of my Jack
and coke, grab my camera, and let myself get swept up in the wave of bodies
heading for the stage.

The back room of the bar is in near total darkness as a
hundred people press in. I quickly lose track of Natasha and her crew—not that
I mind being free from her company. All I want to focus on now is the show…That
and not getting stepped on by any burly rock fans. I make my way toward the
edge of the space, clutching my camera as I try to stake out a square foot of
my own. Just as I’ve carved out a little space for myself, the stage lights
erupt not two feet in front of me. A huge bellowing yell goes up from the crowd
as The Few take the stage.

A wild cheer erupts from my throat as Finn steps into the
light, a black electric guitar slung across his back. It’s impossible to play
it cool, I’m way too excited. On stage, Finn’s assured bearing and direct gaze
are absolutely magnetic. I can hardly be bothered to spare a glance for any of
the other band members, so entranced am I by Finn. And you know something? I
don’t think I’m the only one who feels that way.

Blaine saunters up to the mic at center stage, looking
smugly out at the audience as his bandmates take their places. His pretentious
haircut, affected vocals, and entitled swagger are distractingly distasteful.
It’s a shame that Finn and the guys even have to share the stage with this ass
clown. Blaine grabs the microphone dramatically off its stand and signals for
Buck, the drummer, to count off.

“And away we go…” I mutter, raising my camera in
anticipation.

The band is off like a shot, rocking through their set list
as the crowd goes nuts. West coast rockers and country bros alike lose their
shit as The Few lay into track after excellent track. I keep my lens fixed
firmly on Finn Hawthorne all the while, unable to look away. From the second he
walked onstage, I could tell he was a man transformed. The defenses, the
coldness, the silence that he maintains around just about everyone in real life
as discarded once he’s on stage. Finally, I see the open, emotive, passionate
man I’ve come to know, out in the world for all to see. Maybe that’s what makes
his presence on stage so enticing. He can be an honest version of himself when
he’s playing, as honest as I know he is when we’re alone.

Finn puts every ounce of himself into the music as the band
plays on. I’m amazed, entranced by the depth of his feeling, the way he can
convey so much with a single chord. He’s an incredible guitarist—far beyond the
average power chord wailing rocker. The way his fingers move up and down the
frets and strings actually gets me
excited
. Those masterful hands know
exactly how to play me, too.

As I watch Finn’s powerful performance through my camera
lens, his brown eyes swing up and lock onto mine. His lips lift into a
secretive smile as he keeps his eyes on me, as if to remind me that even in the
midst of all these people, we still share something no one else will ever know.
Suddenly, it’s all I can do to keep myself from jumping onstage and throwing
myself into his arms. As much as I’m enjoying the show, I can’t
wait
for
the after party.

“Thank you, Montana!” Blaine roars as The Few wrap up their
set, not seeming to care that he’s shelling out clichés. “We’re The Few. You
all have a great night!”

I inch up toward the stage as the crowd cheers its approval,
taking a few final shots of the incredible scene. Natasha and her friends are
pressed up to the edge of the stage, losing their shit as The Few bid the crowd
farewell. The way they tear at their hair and all but rend their clothing,
you’d think these girls were watching The Beatles for the first time instead of
seeing The Few play yet again. It’s a bizarre performance, but hey—to each her
own.

Finn spots me at the edge of the stage as he’s swinging his
guitar onto his back. His elated, adrenaline-fueled grin widens and he strides
in my direction across the boards. Heads turn toward me as he zeroes in, and I
hear murmured voices wondering “Who is
she
?” Finn stops in front of me,
sweat beading along his muscled form. He extends his hand to me, and for a
moment I’m too stunned to take it.

“Come up here,” he growls, as if we were the only two people
in the room.

“Are you sure?”  I ask, glancing nervously around the
space.

“I’m fucking sure,” he says, eyes hard on my face.

Emboldened, I let my camera hang around my neck and place my
hand in his. With one firm tug, he’s pulled me up onto the stage. I blink in
the ferocious lights, stunned by their heat and intensity. I can’t see anything
beyond the edge of the stage, but even if I could I wouldn’t want to look
further than the gorgeous man standing right in front of me. He looks down at
me, eyes filled with red-blooded want. The sound of the cheering crowd falls
away as Finn takes my face in his hands and lowers his mouth to mine. I throw
my arms around his shoulders, opening myself to him under the blazing stage
lights. He pulls me flush against him, lifting me clear off the ground as he
kisses me, hard and deep.

Maybe everything that Natasha and her friends were saying is
true. Maybe Finn has always been a one-night-stand kind of guy, always looking
for his next muse. Maybe I don’t stand a chance at holding his attention for
more than a couple weeks, and once this trip out West is over I’ll never hear
from him again. But you know what? I don’t even care. Because this single
moment with Finn outshines any I’ve shared with another man. The brightness of
him cuts through the darkness of these past few years. Even if there’s no hope
of us staying together, we still have this moment. We still have this night.

And I intend to make the very most of it.

Chapter Six

A dozen of us are gathered in the motel parking lot, too
amped up to sleep after The Few’s set at the Bear Trap. It’s just past
midnight, but we’re keeping the party going. Finn and I sit in the bed of his
pickup truck with Buck, Gabe, and the two local girls they picked up at the
bar. I sit in front of him, nestled between his legs and resting my back
against his firm chest. Blaine sits in his Jeep with Natasha and her girls,
letting the three of them fawn all over him. He’s trying to play it cool, but I
see him look over at the pickup every few minutes, annoyed to not be getting
all
of the attention.

“Whoa…” Buck says, scrolling through my shots of the show, “These
are great, Anna.”

“Let me see,” Gabe says, grabbing the camera from Buck.
“Yeah…” he nods, checking out my photos, “For real, Anna, these are better than
anything we have. Can we buy these from you or something?”

“You don’t have to buy them,” I laugh, “I’ll just send them
to you guys.”

“But aren’t you, like, a professional photographer?” Buck
asks, raising a beer bottle to his lips, “We should pay you something.”

“It was just fun to be there tonight,” I insist, flattered
by their praise, “Seriously. This batch is on me.”

“You could absolutely charge for shots of that quality,
though,” Finn says, wrapping an arm around my waist. I can tell he’s proud of
my work, proud to have me by his side tonight. It feels so good to have a guy
be proud to have his buddies see what I can do, not just how I look. 

“If you three are done offering to toss the band’s money out
the window, could someone throw me a beer?” Blaine asks testily from the Jeep.

Gabe passes Blaine a bottle, deep in conversation with the
redhead at his side—she and Buck’s date are Sheridan students, just like Luke
and Sophie. I shake my head, dislodging any thought of my family. Tonight, I
refuse to let angry feelings toward my sisters ruin my good time. It’s just me
and Finn out here. And I have to say, I’m loving it.

I let my head fall back against Finn’s shoulder, savoring
the feeling of his muscled arms around my waist. I’ve had a fair bit to drink
tonight, and am right at the sweet spot between tipsy and trashed. I don’t even
mind the nasty looks Natasha and Blaine are throwing us. I’ll probably never
see these people after tonight anyway, if what the girls told me about Finn is
to be believed. I feel invincible, unstoppable. And all thanks to Finn.

“Do you want to go upstairs with me?” he murmurs in my ear.

I glance back at him over my shoulder, breath caught in my
throat. Though we’ve been sleeping side by side for the past few nights, this
is the first time we’ll be truly alone, away from the prying eyes of our
families. That means anything is possible, once that bedroom door closes behind
us. Anticipation kicks my pulse into high gear at the mere thought of what
tonight could hold for us.

“Absolutely,” I whisper, locking my gaze onto his.

Buck and Gabe are already occupied making out with their
dates for the evening, so Finn and I don’t even bother saying goodbye as I grab
my camera and let him lift me down from the truck bed. But a couple of busy
bodies still have questions.

“Where are you two going?” Blaine snaps as Finn and I turn
to leave.

“We’re beat,” Finn says, not turning around, “See you guys
in the morning.”

“Is it past Princess Annabel’s bedtime?” Natasha teases
meanly, throwing an arm over Blaine’s shoulders.

“That’s right,” I smile back at her, “I’m all set to have Finn
tuck me in.”

The smile evaporates from Natasha’s face as Gigi and Bex
swallow their laughter. Finn raises an eyebrow at me as we head for our motel
room.

“What was that about?” he asks.

“Oh, she was giving me a hard time before. About being here
with you,” I tell him reluctantly, not wanting to bother with silly made-up
dramas.

“Why does she care?” Finn asks, holding my hand as we ascend
the outdoor wooden staircase to the motel’s second floor.

“Um, because she wants to get all over this,” I laugh, gesturing
to Finn’s incredible body.

“Oh. Seriously?” he asks, uninterested.

“Come on. You have to have known that,” I insist.

“I mean, I don’t really give that kind of thing much
attention,” he shrugs.

“What, sex?” I ask daringly.

“Sex with people who only care about the slightest hint of
fame rubbing off on them,” he replies without missing a beat, “I really
couldn’t be less interested in that shit.”

“Huh…” I reply, as we reach the door to our room.

“You don’t sound too convinced,” he observes, turning to face
me.

“No, it’s just…Not what I’ve been hearing, is all,” I tell
him, blushing.

“Tell you what,” he says, his voice dipping low as he takes
a step toward me, “Why don’t you forget whatever it is you’ve heard about me
and let me
show
you what I’m all about.”

“That, uh, sounds good to me…” I murmur, resting my hands on
his hard chest. I can feel his heart racing in time with mine. Holy shit…this
is really happening.

“Fucking right it sounds good,” he grins, letting his hands
slide down over the rise of my ass, “Now just wait until you see how good it
feels
.”

I swallow a moan as Finn pulls my hips forward, letting me
feel how hard he’s already become. I grind my hips gently, loving the feel of
his cock pressed urgently against my eager body. I lift my lips to his neck,
kissing along his throat as he unlocks our motel room door. For the second time
tonight, I feel my feet lift off the ground as Finn carries me across the
threshold, slamming the door tightly behind us.

A gasp catches in my throat as Finn slams me up against the
closed door, bringing his mouth firmly to mine. I wrap my long legs around his
tapered waist, shuddering blissfully as I feel his cock against that aching
place between my legs. Finn holds me pinned against the door as he kisses me deeply,
letting his tongue sweep expertly against mine. Pushing up my tight crop top
and strapless bra, Finn groans as he catches my bare tits in his hands. He
lowers his lips hungrily, taking my hard nipple into his mouth and sucking
hard. I let an excited cry escape my lips. No need to keep quiet here—and thank
god. I don’t think I could if I tried.

“Finn,” I gasp, catching his scruffy face in my hands.

“What is it, Anna?” he growls, searching my soul with his
bottomless brown eyes.

“Just to be clear,” I breathe, “I want this to be the
night.”

“The night?” he grins, running his hands down my sides.

“Yes, the night,” I tell him, “The night we finally fuck
like we’ve been wanting to since the first time we saw each other.”

His eyes flash brilliantly as he takes in my words. I swear,
I feel him grow harder against me as they sink into his lustful mind. Without
another word, Finn pulls me to him, swings me around, and carries me clear
across the room. I let myself fall back against the bed, raking my fingers through
his hair as he lowers himself to me.

“I love how you tell me exactly what you want,” he growls,
nipping at my neck as he grinds against me.

“Yeah?” I breathe.

“Fuck yeah.”

“Then I want you to undress me,” I tell him, back arching as
he runs his hands along my torso. “I want to be totally naked beneath you.”

Finn pulls me into his lap so that I’m straddling him, his
throbbing, staggering cock pressed firmly against me. With strong, sure hands,
he guides my arms up over my head and lifts off my tight white crop top. One
flick of his wrist sends my bra clasp flying open, and the garment falls away.
He lifts off his own tee shirt, tossing it across the motel room. His cut
muscles are clearly defined, even in the darkness. Finn runs his hands along my
bare torso, cupping my breasts as I shove my hands through my tousled hair.

“You are so fucking sexy, Anna…” Finn breathes, pushing me
firmly onto my back. I gasp as he pins me down, laying his forearm across my
collarbone. “Do you like that?”

“God, yes…” I tell him, lifting my hips to his. “You can be
a little rough with me, Finn. I’m not as fragile as I look.”

With one hand, he pops open the button of my high-waisted
cutoff jeans. His lips trail down my bare skin, between my breasts, down along
the smooth plane of my stomach. He tugs down my shorts, grabbing hold of my
waist as he kisses along the sharp rise of my hip bone. In nothing but my
panties, I lie beneath him on the motel bed. The delicious sensation of his
lips on my skin sends a warm, throbbing need shooting through my body,
emanating from my eager sex.

“I’ve been craving the feel of you,” Finn growls, running
two fingers beneath the elastic band of my panties. “You’re like a fucking
drug, you know that?”

“Well, why don’t you go ahead and get your fix?” I smile,
letting my knees fall open.

He pulls himself to kneeling, brown eyes gleaming with want
as he whips open his belt buckle and tugs down his jeans. I can see the outline
of his massive member straining against the fabric of his briefs.
Instinctively, I sit up and reach for him—but he catches me by the wrists.
Blinking up at him in the low light, I feel my words fall away in the face of
his powerful lust.

“Let me touch you first, Anna,” he breathes, easing me back
against the bed.

I nod silently, overcome by his ardent need. Never before
has a man looked at me with such profound admiration, such unquenchable thirst.
I realize, all of a sudden, that this night with Finn isn’t going to be like
anything I’ve ever experienced before. I’ve put myself entirely in his
hands…and that’s OK. I trust him. I want him. I…

“Oh…” I breathe, my head falling back against the mattress
as Finn pushes back against my knees and kisses along my inner thigh. I can
feel his warm breath against the thin cotton of my panties, the warm wetness
already blooming there. His eyes flick up to meet mine as a grin lifts the
corner of his lips. Slowly, he brings his teeth down on the band of my panties
and tugs them down over the rise of my ass as his hands grip my thighs.

My body buzzes with electric anticipation as I lie entirely
naked before Finn. His brown eyes drink in the sight of me, roving from my
freckled shoulders, over my modest breasts, all the way down to that most
intimate of places between my trembling legs. He spreads my legs wide, opening
me even further as my chest rises and falls like mad. His gaze on my slick sex
is as pronounced as a stroking hand. I swear, I could come from the sheer force
of his longing.

Just as I fear I may lose it with anticipation, Finn presses
two firm fingers to my wet slit, running them along the length of me. A deep
shudder moves through my body at his first, light touch. It isn’t the first
time I’ve felt Finn’s hands on me—but knowing that I’ll finally feel
all
of him there tonight gives every touch the weight of certainty.

“You’re so wet,” Finn groans, leaning down to take my nipple
in his mouth as his strokes part my silky flesh.

“That’s just what you do to me,” I gasp, arching my back as
he closes his teeth around my nipple, just hard enough to hit the sweet spot
between pleasure and pain.

My words trail off into a low moan as he slides those strong
fingers inside of me, pressing against that delicious spot where I love to feel
him most. Bursts of sensation light up all over me as he thrusts his fingers
deep inside, sucking hard on first one nipple, then the other. I can’t tell
where one sensation starts and the next begins—I only know that there’s a deep,
searing, blissful pressure mounting inside of me with every passing moment.

All at once, Finn pulls his mouth away from my breasts. The
momently longing for the feel of his lips around my nipples is obliterated when
he lowers his mouth to my throbbing sex. Spreading me wide open, he trails his
expert tongue all along the sopping wet length of my slit, zeroing in on my
tight, hard clit. I cry out as he presses against that raw nerve, writhing
beneath him as unbearably sweet pleasure cuts straight through me.

“Too much?” he asks, his words vibrating against my intimate
flesh.

“No. It’s perfect,” I gasp, burying my hands in his dark
blonde hair, “Keep going.”

With a wide grin, he lowers his mouth once more, slipping
his fingers back inside of me as he teases my clit with his tongue. Wild,
uninhibited sounds rise from my throat as the doubled sensation sets my head to
spinning. His fingers pulse against my g-spot as he works my clit with the tip
of his tongue—lightly flicking it, tracing long circles with just the right
amount of force, keeping my body guessing at every turn.

“Finn…Finn, I’m gonna come,” I whisper, my knees trembling
wildly.

“Do it,” he growls, looking up at me with wild need, “I want
to taste you, Anna.”

My eyes go wide as Finn bears down on me, my vision going
blurry as his masterful touch sends a rolling wave of pleasure crashing through
my core. With a wild spasm, that forceful sensation erupts through every inch
of me, filling me up with hot, blissful sensation. My hips buck wildly as I
ride the crashing sweep of pleasure. I clutch onto Finn’s shoulders to keep
from falling off the face of the earth. As the wave peaks and recedes, it
leaves me leveled in its path, lying back against the bed as I try to catch my
breath. Finn lays down beside me, pulling my back against his chest and
wrapping his arms around me.

“That…That was…” I gasp.

“I know,” he murmurs, kissing along my neck.

“How did you—?”

“I just know you, Anna,” he says, his voice low and ragged
as he runs a hand along my hand, “I know how to give you what you need.”

“What I need now,” I whisper, laying my hand on his sharp
jaw as I glance at him over my shoulder, “Is for you to fuck me, Finn.”