Play, p.9
PLAY, page 9
“It is if you wind up falling off the wagon.”
“I’m not a drunk or a drug addict,” I hissed, tears filling my eyes even though I tried to stop them. “I have a disease, but it’s under control with medication, and I’m tired of you making me feel like I’m less of a human being because of it. Now I have to go. Goodbye.” I disconnected and squeezed my eyes shut even as two stray tears leaked out the sides anyway.
“Oh, baby, I’m sorry.” Tyler wrapped his arms around me from behind and pulled me against him. “What happened?”
“Someone is spying on me for him,” I whispered. “He knew I didn’t go home last night.”
“You mean, like, one of the guys?” he asked.
“Yes!”
“No way.”
“Then how did he know? Did he hire a private detective to follow us?”
“Most likely he has that finder option activated on your phone.”
“The what?” I turned to stare at him.
“There’s an option where you can track where people are if you share an account. Casey uses it for her kids, so she just opens an app and it tells her exactly where the kids’ phones are. I’m sure that’s what he did.”
“Oh my god.” I stared at the phone in my hand like it was on fire. “Jesus fucking Christ.”
“What if we went to the store and got you a new phone?” Tyler asked slowly. “We can add it to my account, and he won’t even know you have it. You’ll have to be careful to hide it and turn it off when you’re near him so it doesn’t buzz and stuff, but I don’t mind buying you a phone.”
“Tyler.” I turned and fell against his chest.
He gave me hope I could get away. Hope that I’d never dared to have before. And it felt so good.
“We’re going to take tomorrow off,” he whispered against my hair. “And we’ll go get you a phone so he can’t track you.”
“I can pay you back,” I said, “it’ll just take a little while because I can only get out so much cash at a time without him getting suspicious.”
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Thank you, Tyler. I mean it.”
“You’re welcome.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “Now, let’s eat and have a productive day, okay? We’ll handle all that other stuff tomorrow.”
15
Tyler
* * *
Ariel drove back to Casey’s guest house that night and dropped off both her car and her phone. Then we headed back to my place in my SUV. With Casey gone and her oldest daughter the only one at the house now, security was minimal, but I figured they’d spot anyone suspicious. Casey had warned them not to let Douglas on the property, whether Ariel was there or not, and I had a feeling her security team would handle it if he showed up. I didn’t understand Ariel’s father, though. How could he treat his only child like some kind of commodity? Probably because that’s all she was to him, and it pissed me off all over again. I didn’t know how I was going to help her, but every instinct I possessed was screaming that I had to.
Her father had only given her two more days to finish up what we were working on, and that was ridiculous. We probably needed most of one day to rehearse and record one song, and though we were ready, I didn’t want to rush it just because Douglas fucking Fox thought four or five days was enough time for his twenty-five-year-old daughter to be on her own. The closer we got, the more concerned I was about her safety. Douglas wasn’t a good man, and Darren was exacerbating the situation by using Ariel to manipulate my band.
Everyone wanted something from her—even us in a way—and I hated it. Though it hadn’t been our idea, we were essentially using her to get in Darren’s good graces. Now that I knew her situation better, I didn’t like it at all. I kept meaning to talk to her about it but not tonight. She’d been quiet and a little withdrawn after she hung up with her father, and once we’d gotten back to my place, she’d excused herself to the bathroom. She’d been in there nearly twenty minutes, and I was starting to worry when she finally came out.
She was wearing lightweight pajama bottoms and a T-shirt. She’d taken off her makeup and put her hair up in a ponytail, but she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. She was also the saddest woman in the world, and when she sank down on the bed next to me, she rested her head on my shoulder.
“I might have to leave the day after tomorrow,” she whispered. “Maybe we shouldn’t take tomorrow off.”
“Do you want to leave, Ariel?” I asked, gently tipping up her chin so I could look into those silver eyes of hers.
“I have to be careful of—”
“That’s not what I asked,” I interrupted impatiently. “Do you want to finish the demo and get back to your old life, or do you want to spend more time here with us? With me.”
“I want to spend time with you more than anything, but I don’t know if I can.”
“In the morning, we’ll go get you your own phone,” I said softly. “We can drop your old phone off at the studio and he’ll think you’re there.”
“What if he shows up unannounced?” she whispered.
“We went to lunch and you forgot your phone.”
“Lying never ends well for me,” she said. “And honestly, Tyler, I don’t want to drag you into my mess. My life is a disaster, and you’ve been so good to me, so good for me, the last thing I want to do is put you in my father’s crosshairs.”
“He doesn’t scare me.”
“He should. He terrifies me.”
“What’s he going to do to me?” I asked impatiently.
“Maybe not you, specifically, but what if he went after the band? Or used Darren to do something that would impact the deal that’s in the works?”
“I’m not afraid of him.”
“I know, but just thinking about him going after you or anyone in the band makes me sick. That’s why I’ve stayed away from people all these years. I don’t want him to have any more power than he already does. He can threaten me by telling me all the ways he’ll try to hurt you, and while he might not win, how much aggravation am I worth?”
I didn’t have an answer for that, because it was subjective as hell, and I kissed her instead. Her mouth was soft against mine, and I did my best to distract her. I’d known she would be special, but I hadn’t anticipated all the drama, despite her warnings. Now, after just a couple of days, I was already tired of it. The strange thing was, I wasn’t tired of her. I wanted to punch out her father, tell Darren Randall to go fuck himself, and then go somewhere off the grid where no one could take advantage of her. Except maybe me. But in all the best ways.
“Tyler?”
“Hmm?” I looked into her flushed face.
“I don’t know how much time we have left together… Will you make love to me?”
“Yes.” I got up with her in my arms and carried her into the bedroom.
I set her on the bed, and we undressed at the same time, our eyes never leaving the other. She wasn’t wearing a bra or panties, and I drank in the sight of her naked body. I was already hard as stone, from the moment she’d asked me to make love to her, and it wasn’t until now that I realized I didn’t have any more condoms since I’d never had sex at my house before. I’d meant to stop at the drug store to get more but had forgotten all about it.
“Shit. We’re out of condoms,” I told her with a sigh.
She looked up at me, something inscrutable in her eyes. “I’m okay with it if you are. I’m protected from pregnancy.”
“I get tested regularly so I’m okay because I always use condoms, but are you sure you want to do this?” I crawled onto the bed but waited for her to answer me.
“Positive. I trust you.”
Fuuuuck. That might have been the hottest thing anyone had ever said to me.
“Ariel, I don’t know what this thing is that’s happening between us, but I’m into it.”
“Me too.”
I dove into her mouth with renewed passion, sweeping her tongue against mine as I pulled her closer. Her beauty and sweetness turned me on, and knowing she hadn’t had sex in years made me want to make it as good as physically possible. Especially since she seemed to like it as rough and edgy as I wanted to do it.
She looked up at me, her icy-gray eyes burning with lust, and she was as incredible as everything I’d ever dreamed of in a woman and then some. Her breasts were large and round, sitting high on her chest, with pale pink nipples that were taut with need. I lowered my head to nibble one, and we moaned at the same time. She dug her fingers into my hair, pulling me closer to her chest, and I opened my mouth, sucking her nipple as deep as I could. Her fingernails dug into my scalp, holding me against her as I sucked, licked, and kissed. Her nipple was a hard little peak now, and her breath caught every time I flicked my tongue against it. She moved closer to me, her silky skin rubbing against me every time she adjusted her position, and I spread her out in front of me, ready to explore every inch of her.
I hadn’t ever had unprotected sex before, but it felt natural with Ariel. Neither of us had any reservations, and while there were probably a dozen more things I wanted to do to her before I was actually inside of her again, I couldn’t seem to stop myself. I loved being on top but had a feeling she did, too.
“You want to be on top this time?” I asked.
“Oh.” Her eyes sparkled, and she didn’t hesitate to wriggle out from under me. “Yes.”
Before I knew it, she was straddling my thighs, and it was so much better than porn or wet dreams or anything I’d ever experienced with anyone else. Creamy skin, an hourglass figure, and those perfect breasts. As far as I was concerned, I was the luckiest guy on the planet.
Her eyes met mine and she paused.
“I’d forgotten until we got together,” she whispered. “And now I can’t get enough.”
“Forgotten what?” I rasped, finding it hard to concentrate on words when the softest, sexiest woman in the world was about to ride me.
“How it feels… So thick and full… So good.” Her eyes fluttered closed again, and she sank down even more, taking me deeper.
She leaned over and pressed her lips to mine, keeping them closed as she nibbled my face, my jaw, my neck. I ran my hands up and down her back, content to let her explore me even though I desperately wanted to do the same to her. There was something innocent about her, the way she was touching and kissing me, and I didn’t dare interrupt or do much of anything except enjoy. Because this was bliss.
“Tyler…” She lifted herself, resting her hands on my chest, and then ever so slowly began raising and lowering herself onto me, her hips gyrating as she moved.
“Jesus, baby…” Watching my cock disappear inside of her was so damn hot I had to close my eyes and breathe so I wouldn’t shoot off like a thirteen-year-old getting his first hand-job. She sank down a little more, and I reached around to cup her ass. For a moment, neither of us moved, and her eyes drifted to mine.
I wanted to slow down and speed up all at once. Slower so I could enjoy it, but faster because it felt so damn good. She was rocking back and forth with almost surgical precision, as if testing out every single angle, and it was killing me. But the most gorgeous woman in the world was riding me, and I’d last long enough to get her off or die trying.
“Oh, Tyler, god…” She was moving faster now, chest heaving and boobs bouncing, and I couldn’t take much more.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Yes, yes, yes!”
I reached out and slid my finger between us, searching out her clit. It was stiff and hard against my finger, so I teased it a little. Just as I was considering whether or not to flip us over again, her knees tightened against my sides, and she convulsed around me.
“Tyler, Tyler, oh fuck, yes!” She jerked, sending me into a spiral of my own.
I held her in place as I shot off, loving the feel of her milking my cock until we were both spent.
“Damn, baby.” She’d collapsed on my chest, and I wrapped my arms around her tightly. “That was incredible.”
“You’re incredible.”
“Ditto.”
* * *
We didn’t talk for a while, and eventually, I stirred, gently setting her on my right side and reluctantly pulling out. I stood and padded into the bathroom as she seemed to be dozing off. I took care of business and then grabbed a washcloth, wetting it in the sink. I’d never been a romantic, especially not during or after sex, but with Ariel I wanted to try. I wasn’t sure that cleaning up a woman you’d just made love to was romantic, yet the urge to do it was overwhelming. It seemed to me no one ever went out of their way to be thoughtful with her, and she didn’t have anyone who might be considered a caregiver. Where I fit in was still a mystery, but maybe we were going to find out.
She was still right where I’d left her, and I smiled. Her naked body never failed to impact me. Her skin was smooth and without so much as a freckle. She was truly perfection in my eyes, and a flicker of confusion drifted across her sleepy features as I knelt between her legs.
“What are you…” Her voice trailed off as I ran the cloth against her most sensitive parts, wiping away the remnants of our lovemaking.
“You don’t like it?” I asked softly, glancing up.
“I…never thought about anyone doing it. Certainly no one I slept with as a teenager.”
“Well, we’re not teenagers anymore.” I finished up and tossed the cloth onto the floor before sliding under the sheets and tugging her against me.
“You really are the sweetest man I’ve ever known.”
“I try.”
“You’re also the first man I’ve ever met who treats me like I’m more than Ariel Fox the superstar.”
“So many firsts,” I murmured as she nestled into my chest.
“What do you mean?” she asked.
“What you just mentioned, plus I’m the first man you’ve made love with as an adult. You’re the first woman I ever had sex with on my virgin bed. I’ve never cleaned a woman I just made love to, and no one’s ever done it for you, either. And this was the first time either of us ever did it bare.”
“When you put it that way, this all feels incredibly special.”
“Indescribable?” That was exactly what she was.
16
Ariel
* * *
Our day off together was amazing. I went to an ATM and got out some cash, but Tyler paid for everything, including a brand-new phone that he added to his account. I felt like a giddy teenager as I set it up with a handful of contacts and, for the first time as an adult, had something my father didn’t know about. It was ridiculous to be so excited about something like this, considering I was worth millions and cell phones were so common these days, but I couldn’t help it.
“What’s your first selfie going to be?” Tyler asked as we left the mall.
“A picture of us, of course.” I lifted the phone and leaned against him, snapping the picture even though we were somewhat incognito. His long hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and he had a baseball cap on. I wasn’t wearing makeup and also had a baseball cap on—one of his since I didn’t usually wear them—so between the caps and our sunglasses, we hadn’t been recognized yet.
Tyler’s credit cards were under his legal name, of course, so the guy at the Apple store hadn’t recognized him, either, and it was nice to be out and about like a regular person. Especially when the person you were with was Tyler. I was already addicted to him—his touch, his smile, his kindness. How had no one snatched him up by now? Rich, gorgeous, and relentlessly caring—what were women waiting for?
We went to a couple of stores in the mall and stopped at Bloomingdale’s to pick up a few things and run up my credit card before heading to the studio so I could drop off my regular phone there. Lexi was with the guys working on some Nobody’s Fool music, and they’d all promised to cover for me should my father make an unexpected visit. No one had questioned Tyler’s request for a day off, as if they did that kind of thing every day, and I felt a little guilty about it, but Tyler told me it was no big deal. The band was happy to keep working on a few songs without him, and they didn’t need me at all, so it was stolen time for both of us.
“Where to?” he asked as we got back in his Corvette.
I met his gaze. “Home to bed?”
“Babe, if we go back to the house, we’re not spending much time in the bed.”
“No?” She looked confused.
“I was thinking I’d like to bend you over my couch, eat you out on the kitchen island, and maybe have you suck me off in my studio… And none of those happen in a bed.”
I was probably blushing again, dammit, but it had been so long since I’d been sexually active, I hadn’t thought about all the variations with positions and locations.
“Are you blushing?” he demanded, reaching over the center console for my hand.
“All my sexual experience was with younger guys who didn’t know what they were doing and just wanted to say they screwed Ariel Fox. There was no fun or finesse; it was all on tour buses or in a bedroom at parties, quickies just to say I did it. No one ever went down on me or gave a second thought to whether or not I enjoyed myself. I lost my virginity when I was fifteen, but it feels like what we’re doing is the first time all over again—maybe not physically, but certainly emotionally.”
He squeezed my hand. “I had a couple of steady girlfriends in high school and when I first started touring, so I’ve had doses of meaningful sex, but not in more than a decade. I’ve got the technical aspect down to a science, but the emotional stuff is all pretty new. Looks like we’ll be exploring it together.”
“Seems like it.” I didn’t know how much longer we’d have to explore anything, but I would have done almost anything to stay longer. Hell, I’d have sold my soul to the devil to be able to stay here forever.
We got back to the house and walked in through the garage. There was noise in the kitchen, and a smiling woman of about forty looked up as we came in.
