Aftershock (27 page)

“I’ve got some other interviews to do in Tampa. I can schedule them earlier in the afternoon.” She shoved her phone back in her pocket. “But really, Butch, your precious little boy is safe with me.”

Butch’s laugh cut through the din of the crowd. “Macey, face it. None of my clients is safe with you. But we bow to your power and acknowledge your contribution to their success.” He held out his hand. “Tomorrow at four?”

“At four.” She watched Butch move away, the smile disappearing from her face. “Did you send him smoke signals, or what?”

Sydney frowned. “Sorry?”

“He didn’t just happen to walk over here at that exact moment, missy. Oh, well.” She waved a hand at Sydney. “We’ll all play nice tomorrow. But understand this. I’m not finished yet. With him or with you.”

She stalked away on her stiletto heels.

Sydney took a moment to pull herself together before she plunged back into the crowd. She owed Butch a debt of gratitude both for sensing her distress and for his outright support of her. But the anxiety twisting in her stomach like the start of a tornado at Macey’s flip remark that this was far from over.

Tonight, Butch allowed the after-party to go on longer than usual since there was no early call for anyone in the morning. After another half hour, though, he signaled Sydney it was time to clear the decks. Both bands were exhausted from the energy they expended during the concert and coming down from the performance high would leave them exhausted.

Sydney thought her face would crack from smiling by the time the last person left the stage and the building. The road crews were still packing up the equipment for the trip the next day and the drivers Butch had on standby had carted the bands back to the hotel. He had two cardinal rules for his bands. One: no late-night partying. There would be time for that when they were off the road and in the privacy of their own homes. Two: none of Butch Meredith’s bands was ever tarnished with the drugs and booze reputation other groups picked up.

“Sorry about our meeting tomorrow,” Butch told Sydney when they were clear of people.

“I think it’s more important for the band to get coverage from Macey,” she assured him. “My ideas will keep.”

“I’d like to hear them, though.” He pulled up his iCal again. “Can you do breakfast the day after? At nine?”

Of course she could. Even if she’d had something scheduled, which she didn’t.

“Absolutely.”

“Good. Good.” He paused, as if choosing his words. “I know you’ve been with Full Moon long enough to know what goes on behind the scenes in this industry. And I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about Macey Schreiner.”

She gave a short laugh. “Who hasn’t? I don’t understand how a woman who has such a reputation can wield the power she does.”

Butch scratched the back of his neck. “This is a funny business, you know. Macey clawed her way up to where she is now, doing what it took to establish herself. She hit it lucky with a couple of entry-level bands who turned out to be winners. People thought their success came because of what she wrote and suddenly everyone wanted a spot in Macey Schreiner’s columns and blog.”

“That’s just so stupid,” Sydney protested.

“Maybe so, but it is what it is. Anyway, she can be hugely supportive or a vicious enemy. When she sets her sights on a new objective, she makes it her business to get him. Woos him with her publicity. Plays on the insecurities practically inbred in a competitive industry like this. Usually, whoever it is she targets is seduced by her power and her blatant sexuality and not experienced enough to realize what’s on her agenda.”

“I don’t think Rick will fall for that, Butch. He’s not like your usual breed of musician. Neither is Marc.”

“I’m well aware of that. And, of course, Marc is off her radar because of Emma.” He cleared his throat. “But she sees you as a stumbling block in her path to Rick. She can be vicious when she attacks.”

The baby tornado whirling in Sydney’s stomach began to build strength. “I understand.”

“Tread softly with her,” he said, “and don’t give her any ammunition. And if you need help, or need to run something by me, I’m as close as your cell phone.”

“Thank you, Butch. I appreciate it. But I think I can handle Macey myself.”

“Maybe so. Just…if there’s something I need to know, don’t wait to tell me, okay?”

“Okay.” She grinned. “Right now I want to enjoy tonight.”

“As well you should. Get a good night’s sleep. Renee will be e-mailing you the overnight download and request figures and your phone will probably go crazy tomorrow.”

“Okay. No problem. And…thanks for tonight.”

“Sure. How are you getting back to the hotel?”

“One of the guards called a cab for me as soon as we began to clear people out. Again, thank you. For being who you are.”

He pantomimed tipping his hat to her. “All part of the job.”

But she knew it was more than that with Butch Meredith. Much more. And one of the main reasons bands wanted him above almost any other manager in the business. He saw them as more than dollar signs. Cash cows. He treated them with respect unless they proved him wrong. And his clients seldom did.

With one last look around, she headed for the stage door. The guard pushed it open for her.

“Night, Miss Alexander.”

“Good night. And thanks for getting the cab.”

“No problem. Just part of the job.”

Once more she realized it was only part of the job because of Butch Meredith.

On the ride back to the hotel, she leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes, allowing herself to relax for the first time since that morning. The tension slowly seeped from her body, replaced by pure exhilaration at the band’s incredible overnight success. The day Linc assigned her to Lightnin’, she’d hoped for some excitement, a mild breakout, some measurable crowd reaction. But not this. Never this.

Wow!
  That was all she could think.

In the next moment, Rick’s face swam in her mind. Every erogenous zone in her body snapped to attention and the need for him she tried so hard to suppress swarmed through her.

The sudden stop of the cab jolted into awareness. She paid the cabbie, stopped at the front desk to leave a wake-up call, and rode the elevator up to her floor. As she walked down the hotel corridor, she scanned the closed doors and wondered which room was Rick’s. As she was about to slip her key card in the lock to her room, the door next to her opened quietly and there he was, as if her mind had conjured him up.

His hair was still wet from a shower, curling at his neck. His T-shirt outlined the muscles she so familiar to her now and his old jeans clung to strong legs that had imprinted themselves upon her body. At the sight of him, her pussy throbbed, her nipples ached, and liquid soaked the crotch of her thong.

He held a finger to his lips and closed his door as he moved out into the hall. Two steps and he was so close to her, she couldn’t make her brain work.

“We need to celebrate again,” he told her, his lips lightly touching hers. “We did this together. All of us. The band never could have done this without you. Open your door, Sydney. I want to be with you tonight. Need to be with you.”

Her heart beat so loud she was sure he could hear it. She tried to tell him she needed to be with him, too, but his touch and those few words froze her brain. She fumbled with her key card, nerves strung so taut she couldn’t make her fingers work. Lips curved in a slow, seductive smile, Rick plucked the card from her fingers as he’d done the night before, swiped it in the slot, and pushed open her door. With her hand in his, he tugged her into the darkness.

“This is real, Syd. Us. You and me. Very real. Believe it.”

“I do,” she whispered, unable to deny it.

He cupped her face with his strong hands, eyes probing hers. When his mouth touched hers in just the softest kiss, her entire body ignited and she was lost in him. All the way.

Just the one touch and something reached inside her and grabbed every single emotion. In one last brief flash of sanity, she realized the danger and difficulty of the situation for both of them. But then she didn’t care anymore. She only wanted to be in his arms, feel his mouth on hers, his hands on her body. His cock buried so deep inside her she couldn’t say where one left off and the other began.

“I wish I could find the right words to tell you how I feel, Syd.” He tipped her chin up and studied her face in the semidarkness. “Hell, the first time I laid eyes on you, I knew we had something special.” He grinned. “Smartass that you were.”

A tiny little laugh escaped. “I was, wasn’t I? It’s worked to your advantage, though.”

“No doubt about it. But this—this thing with us—is more than that. More than just two people coming together. This is real, Syd. You know that. Right?”

“Yes.” For the first time she really, really believed it.

Just the one word, but it made him tighten his hold on her.

“It’s not the high from what’s going on, either. I want you to know that. This is special.”

“For me, too,” she whispered.

By unspoken agreement they left the lights off because, like the night before, bright moonlight streamed in through the open drapes. Sydney saw it reflected in his eyes and outlining his broad shoulders. His dark hair fell forward across his forehead, and she brushed away the still-damp strands.

She wound her arms around his neck and stood on tiptoe. As he had the night before he opened the clasp holding her hair back and tossed it to the side, fingers sifting through the loose strands. His tongue danced with a light touch across the seam of her lips in an invitation her to open for him. When she did, he slipped inside, licking and tasting every inner surface. Coaxing her own tongue to play with his, lighting a fire that surged through her body. With one arm locked, he pressed their bodies together so tightly she could feel the thick outline of his heavy erection burn against her despite the barrier of his jeans.

The kiss went on and on as they ate at each other in hunger. Only the lack of breath made them stop. When he lifted his head, she saw in his eyes everything he felt and was awed by it.

She tugged up his T-shirt and he moved his arms long enough for her to yank it over his head. His fingers fumbled with the buttons on her blouse until he managed to get it open and practically rip it from her body. With one hand, he flicked open the front clasp of her bra while the other cupped a breast in his warm palm. His thumb rasped a nipple, abrading it.

The tension of trying to restrain himself vibrated through his body but the kisses he trailed across her cheek were light as a feather. He moved unerringly to that spot behind her ear and the touch of his tongue set every nerve in her body on vibrate. He gave a gentle nip then soothed the place with a lick of his tongue. Then he was back, claiming her mouth again. He tasted her teeth, the inside of her cheeks, everywhere he could reach. Who knew gums could be such an erotic area?

Somehow he untangled their arms to pull her bra free and tossed it somewhere in the vicinity of her blouse. Her heart thumped so hard she was sure he could hear the sound of it as he nibbled his way down to her breasts. His warm mouth closed over one taut nipple, pulling it and teasing it with his tongue. A moan rippled from her throat as hot sensations danced over her skin. Her legs trembled so much she wasn’t sure they could hold her upright and she dug her fingers into the hard muscles of his upper arms for support.

When he nudged her backward she sank gratefully onto the bed and gripped the edge for balance. Fingers undid the button on her slacks and tugged down the zipper. When Rick pulled the material down her legs, he followed its trail with his mouth, down one side then the other. She shivered at the delicious, hot sensations that skated through her and her pussy convulsed with need.

As soon as her slacks and her shoes were disposed of, he kissed his way from one ankle to the other. His mouth followed a path along the inside of one leg, skimmed over the sheer fabric covering the curls on her mound, and ended at her other ankle. He paid special attention to the area at the side of her knees and the crease where thigh and hip joined. The friction of his tongue across the thin silk of her thong made her even wetter and spiked her need for him. She reached out to touch him, to pull his head closer to her body, but he moved back far enough so he could stand up.

She stared down the length of her body at him and watched as he toed off his shoes and yanked down his jeans. No boxer briefs tonight. He was commando, for ease and efficiency. His cock sprang free, heavy and thick and engorged. Her hands itched to hold it and stroke it. When she tried to sit up and reach for it, he shook his head.

“Not yet.”

Somehow he managed to yank back the bedcovers and move them both so she lay flat on her back. He hovered over her, his eyes so filled with passion and desire her heart clenched. Then he proceeded to torment her with his mouth and his fingers in a slow, sensuous pattern. Her breasts, her nipples, the line down to her navel, every part of her he touched received intimate attention. With incredible slowness he tasted her, nibbled, sucked then nibbled again. The touch of his mouth on her inner thighs heated her skin like the flame of a candle. Not an inch of her body was left untouched. If she’d been on fire from the moment he kissed her, every cell now had become victim to an out-of-control conflagration. On and on it went, until she wanted to scream with need.

And with every touch, every kiss, every lick he sent her a message.

You are part of me. Mine. You belong to me
.

She arched her body up to his mouth.

Message received.

He covered the triangle of silk over her cunt with his mouth and the pressure of such an intimate kiss to her body made her cry out. He closed his teeth over her clit, fabric and all, and a climax roared through her, shocking her. He kept his lips closed over that hot little bud until the tremors in her body eased and slowed. Then, with his teeth, he dragged the material down her trembling legs until it was gone. He opened the lips of her pussy, blew a soft breath on his tender skin and proceeded to lick every bit of her cream from her orgasm, so slowly and thoroughly she felt a climax build inside her again.