Torn to Pieces (The Boys of DownCrash #2) (new adult contemporary romance / rockstar romance) (13 page)

I started by kissing his other nipple, my lips touching, my tongue flicking, just enough to tease him and make me jump a little.  I kissed inch by inch across his chest, working to his pierced nipple, as a surge of pleasure flowed through my body.  My head fell back for a few seconds as I needed to cry out.  It told me Tatum liked me kissing his chest, teasing my way to his piercing.  When I finally got there, I ran my tongue along it gently, waiting for his reaction.  He groaned so I did it again.  On the third time, I hooked the tip of my tongue into the ring the best I could and pulled.  I didn’t have much pull on the nipple ring, but it did a number on my body.  I ended up reaching a surprisingly quick climax, my hands clawing at Tatum’s shoulders, my lips pressing tight to his chest as I moaned. 

When my climax passed, I went back to work at Tatum’s piercing.  I licked, swirling my tongue, then pressed as hard as I could.  I became obsessed with the piercing.  It was different, exotic, it screamed
bad boy rockstar
the same way tattoos did, except this was much more erotic.  I finally worked up the nerve to bite at it.  My teeth scraped the metal piercing and my nerves pinched.  It was like the nails on chalkboard kind of cringe but I fought it and bit down. 

Tatum groaned and then I started to pull. 

It was so hot until finally Tatum said, “Damn, Maggie...”

I strained my eyes to look up at him.  I realized then that he had stopped moving.

I opened my mouth and licked his nipple ring one more time.

“Sorry,” I whispered, “I wanted to taste...”

Tatum smiled and shook his head.  “Enjoy then.”

He picked up where he left off, leaving me crying his name as I struggled to bite at his piercing again.  When I finally got it, my mouth and tongue went wild.  I got so into it - the sex, the allure, the lust – that Tatum had to remind me a few times that the nipple ring was attached and that it could still hurt.  After I had my fun there, I kissed up his muscular chest and found comfort in his neck.  My arms were wrapped tight around his neck and I held on with all my might, offering myself over and over, matching his thrusts with thrusts of my own.  It didn’t take long then for Tatum to finish, his strong hands cradling my neck and back as he came, allowing me to feel the muscles of his stomach pulsing over and over.

When it was all over, our bodies tried to relax, but it was impossible for that to happen.  We managed to fit facing each other on my small couch.  The lack of space meant our bodies had to remain very close.

As we breathed heavily at each other, our eyes were... looking at everything, absorbing everything.

“This is crazy,” I finally said.

“What is?”

“You.  The drummer from DownCrash...”

Tatum smiled.  “That’s the reaction I usually get.”

“Not cool.  Is that the reaction you’re going to get when you leave?”

“No.  I would never... not with you here, waiting for me.”

“So, you’re not going to... with someone else?”

“Why would I?  I don’t want anyone else but you, Maggie.”

“What about before?”

I saw Tatum’s eyes roll.  I had him.

“Come on, tell me,” I whispered.  “I told you everything.”

“Someday,” Tatum said.

“Someone break your heart?”

“Actually, the other way around.  But I don’t want to ruin the moment with you right now.”

“Fair enough,” I said, but my mind wouldn’t let it go.

...the other way around...

Tatum had broken someone’s heart?  Sure, I guess anyone’s capable of breaking a heart or two, maybe that’s even part of the requirement of finding true love... you can’t understand how real love is until you’ve had your heart broken.  True love mends the cracks and glues the pieces back together. 

“When are you leaving?” I asked, knowing our time would have to end eventually.

“Tomorrow morning,” Tatum said.  “We want to road trip it out and have some fun.  Stop for lunch, get there early.  Set up.  Practice.  Whatever.  Kind of enjoy it all, you know?”

“And you’re staying the night?”

“Yeah.  By the time the show is over and we enjoy ourselves, it’ll be late.  So we’ll sleep in the van or the trailer, I don’t care.”

“It’s amazing,” I said.  “Chasing your dream like that.”

“I already have my dream,” Tatum said, but didn’t say what that actually meant.

“I’m actually going to miss you,” I said.  “Being with you... is fun.”

“Fun?  That’s all I get?  Fun?”

“What do you want me to say?  That I’m hopelessly addicted to you right now.  That the thought of you leaving, even for one night, makes my stomach flip over and over.  That watching you leave my apartment makes me fall for you more and more...”

Tatum kissed me.  He stole whatever else I was going to say and when he pulled away, he smiled.  “I know.  I get it.”

“You get it?”

“Trust me, Maggie, I get it.”

“Good.  Just don’t get lost on the road.”

“As long as you don’t get lost here,” Tatum said. 

“I promise,” I said as shivers ran through my body.

Always keep your promises...

“No, no,” Tatum whispered, nuzzling his lip ring against my ear.  “No promises.  Promises don’t keep.  Let’s just have words.  Words we can keep.  Forever.”

~11~

It was the kind of night where nothing would help the feeling inside the pit of my stomach.  I could have gone out, called friends, but in reality, I just wanted to sit home and relax a little.  I wanted to be alone, I wanted to think about things, and I wanted to actually relax.  I couldn’t believe my mind and body were in agreement of it, but they were. 

When I saw the menu for the local Chinese restaurant hanging on the side of the fridge with a neon pink flip-flop magnet, my night officially became full.  I could have dinner delivered and literally not have to leave my apartment.  It was the first time since moving into the place that I had a night alone and stayed in.  That normally didn’t seem so pathetic, but it actually was considering what the alternatives were and what I used to do to get out of the house for a night. 

Sitting on the couch, I channel surfed and settled on a
chick flick
on one of the movie networks.  I didn’t know the movie and I didn’t care to really watch it.  All that mattered was that it would end happily.  Guy and girl would find out they were meant for each other and roll the credits. 

Of course, after ordering food and settling down with a glass of wine, I thought about Tatum.  How could I not?  I was sitting on the couch, the same spot where I had been sitting the night before when he... well, you know.  When his tongue came to life.  When his mouth did things in places I could have only fantasized about. 

It was perfect.

Tatum was perfect.

Things were feeling perfect.

I couldn’t help myself as I texted Tatum a picture of the couch.

Wish you were here...

I didn’t think he’d reply, but when my phone went off and it was from Tatum, I actually cried out in happiness.  Talk about hopeless puppy dog love.

Wish you were here...

He replied with the same text, but then a few seconds later a picture came through. 

It was a picture of Tatum’s drum set, set up, with the lights from the stage shining on it.  The multi-colored lights reflecting off the golden cymbals made it look so damn cool.  Part of me wished I was there, but I couldn’t interfere like that. 

I wrote back to Tatum.

You wish I was on your drums?  lol

Tatum wrote back a minute later.

Well, not on the drums... but on the drum throne...

My cheeks started to turn red.  Was that a sexual comment?

My answer came when my cell phone vibrated again.  It was a picture of the drum throne, close up.  Then a message from Tatum.

It would work better if I sat there... then you could sit on top of me...  ;)

My mouth fell open.  My body warmed and all the right spots started to ache for Tatum. 

Hundreds of miles away and he could still turn me on.

I saw myself climbing on top of Tatum, his pants undone, straddling him on a drum throne...

My phone vibrated again.

Just thought I’d give you something to think about.

I smiled then groaned.  I hated being turned on like this.

I wrote back to Tatum, knowing it would probably one of our last texts.  He had to play soon.

Thanks for teasing me.  Just make sure you come back to me.  I’ll be waiting.  :)

I put my phone down and one last message popped up.

Don’t worry.  I’ll be coming soon enough.  :)

I laughed and reached for my wine.  I sat back on the couch and felt alive.  It felt okay to be alive too.  Being near Tatum had me thinking about my future.  Maybe I could finish up this semester and seriously consider taking more hours and more responsibility at my job.  Hell, if they wanted me to take it over... to buy it... that would be a nice future, wouldn’t it?  Running my own business, watching Tatum and DownCrash kick ass every night.  My smile started to fade as I thought about Tatum’s life beyond college.  Maybe that’s why the band was out on the show.  They needed to be away, to find more fans, to find a bigger stage.  Then again, that opened a hundred doors all by itself. 

Everything right inside me started to feel wrong and the wine wasn’t helping.  Not at all.  I tried getting into the movie, but that didn’t work.  I put my head back and closed my eyes.  My stomach rumbled and the wine sloshing around didn’t help matters.

“Where’s the food?” I asked, as though someone would magically show up and give me an answer to any and all my questions. 

The knock at my door came a minute later and I jumped.  It surprised me but it also excited me. 

I needed food.

Anymore wine without food and it would have been a bad situation.

The knock came again.

“Hold on,” I yelled as I ran to the kitchen to get the money on the counter. 

I unlocked the door and opened it, holding a twenty in my left hand.  The smile on my face from imagining the taste of the chicken and broccoli I had ordered was gone a second later when two fingers took the twenty out of my hand.

“Thanks, I can use it.  Mind if I come in?”

I opened my mouth, maybe to protest, maybe to scream, but nothing happened.

“Never mind,” the voice said, “I don’t have to ask, do I?  You made me a promise... and we always keep our promises, don’t we?”

As he stepped into my apartment, everything slowed.  The hell of my past had suddenly stepped into the present. 

When he stopped walking and turned, he smiled.

It was the same smile that sucked me in back in high school, the same smile he gave me before and after he punished me. 

It was him.

Derreck – my abusive ex – was really here.

~12~

I tried to close the door and a hand was there, keeping the door open.  I turned, wide eyed, to find the delivery driver standing with a bag of food.  He repeated my phone number and address and I nodded, still in shock. 

He named the cost but I didn’t hear it.  I wanted to tackle the man, steal his keys, and drive to Springsford to find Tatum.  Then again, what would that do?  Did I really need to drag Tatum into this?  I looked over my shoulder and Derreck stepped towards the door.  I felt his right hand touch my right side and I cringed.  I gasped as Derreck held out the twenty.

“Here you go,” Derreck said, smiling. 

That fake smile.

That fake face.

That fake everything.

The delivery driver handed me the bag of food and then started to dig in his pocket for change.

“No,” Derreck said, “you keep it.  Have a good night.  First time I’ve seen my girlfriend in a while.  Looking forward to tonight.”

Derreck winked and the delivery driver nodded.  He didn’t say a word as Derreck pulled me back and closed the door.  He engaged the deadbolt and then took the bag of food from me.  I watched him walk to the dining room table and start to take the food out.

“Damn,” he said.  “You know, I was thinking about calling.  I wish I did.  There’s only one plate here I guess.”  He looked over his shoulder and smiled.  His blue eyes were piercing.  “I guess we can share.  Just like old times, right?”

“Derreck,” I finally mumbled.  “Derreck... what...”

“Hey, look at this,” he said, “two fortune cookies.  Sweet.  You still remember to add
in bed
after the fortune, right?”