RockMeTonight (19 page)

“What’s up?” she asked as we walked to a quiet spot.

“I’m leaving now with Nico. Do you want a ride home?”

“Hell no. I’m going home with Chee.”

“You sure? I heard he’s kind of an ass, a womanizer.”

“I’m not stupid, Lily. It’s only for one night. He’s in a
rock band, duh. I wouldn’t dream of getting into a relationship with a guy in a
band unless I was begging to get my heart broken.”

Noticing me flinch, she said, “I don’t mean Nico. I’m sure
he’s different. No, wait. I know he’s different. I see how he’s so into you.”

“I just wanted to check on you, make sure you’ll be okay.”

“Yes. I plan on having a night of hot monkey sex with a rock
’n‘ roll guitarist and then go home. That will be the end of it. It’s been
awhile since I’ve had a boyfriend and I’m looking forward to a night of simple
lust. No strings attached.”

“You’re a big girl.” I hugged her. “Call me if you need
anything.”

“Um, how about a condom? Just in case he doesn’t have one.
That would suck.”

I reached into my purse and discreetly handed it to her. She
on the other hand held it upright without any qualms and cheerfully said,
“Thanks!” before she shoved it into her purse.

Back at my place, I snapped photos of Nico goofing around in
my bedroom. He grabbed scarves and tied them around his waist before he jumped
behind my bed, pretending to fight off an imaginary enemy with a sword.

“En garde, you rogue!”

“Stop! You’re killing me!” I dropped the camera to my side
as I wiped tears of laughter away.

He then wrapped a scarf around his head and tied it on the
side of his head before giving me his best Captain Jack Sparrow imitation from
Pirates
of the Caribbean
.

“I can’t get a steady shot because I’m laughing too much.”

He turned away from me and snapped his head back, giving me
a model duck-face pose. “All good fun.”

Then Nico put on a serious and smoldering game face. He
removed all the scarves and took off his shirt so all he had on were his
camouflage shorts and combat boots. With the short buzz cut, he looked like he
was in the military; if that was the way men looked in the service, sign me up
and ship me away. He approached the camera, staring steadily into the lens, as
if daring the viewer to come forth.

I watched him move closer through the camera view.
Momentarily breathless, I snapped away. This was too good a moment not to
capture. He unfastened the top button on his shorts, staring at me the whole
time.

No, it is the camera. He is staring at the camera. Not
you.

He slid the shorts lower on his hips. My gaze followed as he
exposed the V cut leading downward. I snapped some more photos.

He broke the gaze to sit down and untie his boots. Even the
slow gesture of unraveling the laces was heightened with sensuality. Once he
pulled the boots and socks off, he finished sliding the shorts off his legs. He
stood before me in black boxers with that smoldering, intense look back in his
eyes. The one that made me forget common instincts like breathing.

I snapped another photo.

He approached me, eyes locked on mine through the lens.

I snapped another one.

He stood inches away and reached for the camera, putting it
down by his side. The device no longer separated us and I froze, just as I had
when he sang to me from the stage earlier. He grabbed the back of my neck with
his free hand and planted his lips on mine. I heard a sigh escape my lips
involuntarily. His tongue caressed my lips and then ventured into my mouth,
exploring further. My lips reacted before my brain did and I bravely explored
his lips, his mouth, with my tongue until he pulled back.

No. Why is he stopping?

“Photo shoot isn’t done, my love.” He lifted the camera.
“Now it’s my turn to take some photos of you.”

“Oh,” I said, unprepared. “I wasn’t expecting that.”

“Which makes it even more exciting, don’t you think?”

“Um.” Yes, a part of me was excited. Another part of me was
anxious as hell. “I’m not used to being on the other side of the camera.”

“It’s just for fun.” He aimed the camera at me.

I stared at him like a deer caught in headlights.

“I don’t know about this, Nico. Maybe I’m not cut out for
this.”

“Just trust me.”

When I gave him a searching look, he asked, “Do you trust
me?”

“I, uh, I don’t know, Nico. That’s a big question. I’m not
used to trusting people.”

“You can trust me, Lily. With your heart, your life, your
secrets.”

My lips parted before I found the words to reply. “I don’t
know if I can.”

“Trust
me
, Lily.

I hesitated before I came up with a reason. “Trusting people
means you get hurt.”

He put the camera down and met my eyes. “It doesn’t have to.
Not with the right person. I would never hurt you. I couldn’t. Not with the way
I feel about you.”

“The way you feel about me?”

“Yes. I trust you, Lily. I feel closer to you than I ever
have with anyone else.”

“Really? Anyone?”

“Yes. I love you. Surely you know that by now?”

“Love?”

“Stop repeating me,” he said with a lopsided grin. “Yes,
love. It’s not that difficult a concept to understand, is it?”

“I, uh.” Words failed me again. How does he do this to me,
make me lose all thought, all reason when I’m around him? I closed my eyes.
You
need to let down your guard and let this guy in. You don’t want your stupid
defensive habits to ruin this.
I reopened them and took a deep breath
before I replied with conviction. “No, it’s not difficult to understand at
all.”

“So what is it, Lil? Can you trust me?”

Focus, focus, focus.
“Yes,” I drew the
s
out
in a snakelike hiss, although it wasn’t my intention. “Yes, Nico,” I clarified.
“I trust you.”

“Great.” The lopsided grin grew wider, sending a twinkle
right up to his eyes. “That’s a start.”

“No, wait,” I said more boldly. “I don’t just trust you. I’m
sorry—I’m not good with words or expressing myself,” I added. “And I’ve been
confused since I’ve never connected this way to another person. The truth is I
care about you. And think about you all the time, feeling all those mushy
things people feel.”

He threw his head back when he laughed. “I feel all those
mushy things about you too, my dear. I want to run over there and scoop you up
right now, but will restrain myself for a little longer because I really want
to finish playing with you.”

I bit my lip in anticipation of what was going to come next.

“Now that we have the trust issue understood, do you want to
play?” He held up the camera.

“Yes,” I breathed more than said.

“Okay, let’s try this.” He lifted the camera to his face.

I clammed up and felt my cheeks burn, feeling as awkward as
a preteen insecure about her changing body. What was I supposed to do with my
arms?

As if reading my uncertainty, he said, “Just be natural. Be
your sexy-ass self.”

I smiled. A stiff, awkward smile that might scare away young
children, but at least I managed a smile. And it didn’t scare him away.

“There you go, luv. Now look at me like you did at the club.
The way you do that gives me a raging hard-on.”

I bit my lip, trying to remember what look he meant.

“Oh yeah.” He snapped a few quick shots. “That wasn’t what I
was talking about, but that’s hot.”

My perplexed expression is hot? Jeez, this guy must
really be into me.

Something about seeing myself through his eyes made me feel
sexier than I had been up until this moment. Maybe there was something about me
that he found desirable. That adoration in itself was intoxicating.

“Okay,” he said. “Now look at me.”

“The camera’s separating us. I can’t see your face.”

“You know I’m here. Don’t worry about the camera. I want you
to think about the time we were out at Bearskin Neck. When we first kissed.
Remember how much I wanted you and you wanted me.”

A smile spread across my face, which I wasn’t aware of until
he took a few more shots. “I remember well,” I said.

“Now I want you to remember the drive back to my place. I
couldn’t keep my hands off you. And you—you were all over me, driving me insane
from wanting you so bad.”

“I’d never forget that. It was so hot.”

“Remember how fearless you were there in the car. You barely
knew me, but you knew what you wanted from me. Sexually. What you needed. You
weren’t afraid to ask me to be your lover. Remember that?”

My eyes half closed as I recalled that moment that seemed
like a lifetime ago since so much had happened. The memories came flooding
back. How much I wanted him, needed him. How we almost said to hell with it and
did it in the car on the side of the road. How long the drive was back to his
place as the anticipation clawed at us, knowing the moment would come, but not
just yet.

“Now I want you to run your hands up the sides of your
body,” Nico directed. “As if you’re showing me where you want me to touch you
later. Yes, down your thighs just like that.” I ran them up higher, imagining
Nico’s hands doing the same. “Oh yes, over your hips,” he said. He continued
taking photos. “Up over your waist. You know you want me to keep touching you,
all the way up and all the way down.” My hands lightly skimmed over my skin.
“You don’t know how sexy you are.” He snapped more photos. “Now go up your
sides and feel your breasts. Oh yeah, just like that. Now I want you to slowly
take your dress off.”

I tried to catch his eye through the lens.

“Slowly,” he repeated.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself for what I was about
to do on camera. I turned around so my back was facing him. Then I unzipped the
dress slowly. Whereas I felt awkward and on display at first, now I started to
get into it. His lust for me was intoxicating and empowering and it gave me a confidence
to continue this seduction on my own. Aware that I was teasing him as I pushed
the zipper down past the curve of my ass, just enough so my black thong was
revealed.

“Oh God, stay like that for a minute.” He snapped a few
shots. “Okay, keep going.”

I pulled the first sleeve off and then the other and then
pushed the dress down past my hips, pausing for effect. This was starting to
feel sexy. Fun. With a flourish, I dropped the dress to the floor and stepped
out of it in my spiky black heels. I heard the click of the camera, but then it
stopped.

I turned to face him, standing in only my black bra, panties
and heels. He had dropped the camera and stared with his mouth open. It
reminded me of the deer in the headlights look I had on my face a few minutes
before.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“Hell yeah.” He shook his head as if snapping himself out of
it. “Don’t move. Let me get this shot.” He took a few more pictures. I walked
over to him slowly, letting my lips part. Then I slid my bra straps down,
turning my back to him again as I unfastened my bra. I circled it in the air a
few times before I tossed it in his direction and looked back to flash a
naughty smile.

The sound Nico made appeared to come from someplace deep
within.

I slid a couple of fingers into my thong, lingering there
and then stopping. I reached my right hand back and grabbed one cheek as he
said, “Yes, yes!” and then slapped it.

“I love it, you sexy little fox!”

Then I slid my fingers back into the seams and leaned
forward as I eased the tiny piece of fabric down my legs.

“Bloody hell,” I heard him whisper.

When I reached the bottom of my legs, I stepped out with one
leg, fighting to keep the shoe on. Luckily my attempt went smooth and sexy, not
with me sprawled out undignified on my ass. It was easier with the next foot.

I stood there naked except for the spiky heels. Then I
turned back and focused on Nico with a dead-on stare, not caring if the camera
was there or not.

“Blast. That’s the look.” He took a few quick shots, dropped
the camera on a chair and hurried over to grab me, covering me with kisses all
over my lips, face, neck. His hands ran over my ass, my breasts, and back
again, as if he didn’t know what he wanted to grab more.

I pulled back for a brief moment. “I’ll have to remember that.
I can use it more often.”

We tumbled onto my sofa with him on top of me. His
thunderous erection pressed against my inner thigh, foreshadowing a night of
unrestrained passion.

He paused. “In all the excitement after the set, I never
asked you if you liked your song.”

My heart raced. I hoped I wouldn’t lose words again because
with all the silent gaping I was doing tonight, I was starting to feel like an
idiot.

“I—uh—I don’t even know if I can find the right words to
express how I feel about it.”

“You didn’t like it?” He wrinkled his brows. “Too much.”

“No!” I touched his arm, trying to explain myself better.
“It means so much to me. More than I could every express. Do you really feel so
much for me?”

“Of course I do. There’s no one like you. There never has
been and there never will be.”

“I loved it, Nico.” Then I bit my lip, steeling myself to
say something I’d never said to another man before. “I love you.”

The smile that spread across his face and lit up his eyes
made those three tiny words all worth it. Any time I could be the cause for his
happiness, I’d take it.

“I love you too, Lily.” He kissed me again with such passion
I thought my lips would be left bruised. And it would be worth it. “Now where
were we?” he asked.

I looked into those soulful eyes, eyes that communicated
each mood to me without him ever having to utter any words. Eyes I wanted to
gaze into for the rest of my life. Then I kissed him again softly. “Right
here.”