Sinners On Tour 04 Wicked Beat (21 page)

Rebekah’s fingers found the tiny hoop in his left nipple. She rubbed her thumb over it, tugging it gently with the beat he set.

His cock began to rise, hardening in pulsations that matched the rhythm. When Rebekah drew away, he gasped in protest.

Her T-shirt landed on one cymbal, her bra on his cowbell. Then she was against his back again, the hardened tips of her naked breasts pressing into his flesh. She rocked against him, rubbing her nipples into his back. “I love the tattoo on your back,” she said.

She probably wouldn’t if she knew what the fiery crack in the earth and the demon hand emerging from it symbolized.

Her lips returned to his neck. Her left thumb to his piercing. Her right hand slid south. She released the top button of his fly on one beat, the next button on the next beat. When his fly was open, she slid her hand into his underwear and freed his cock.

He’d already lost himself to the beat, didn’t think it was possible to feel it more than he already did, but her hand circled him and began to move along his length. Up on one beat, down on the next. There wasn’t a solitary cell in his body that wasn’t consumed by the rhythm.

“Rebekah,” he gasped.

“Shhhhh. Just feel it. What your rhythm does to me. What I want to do to you every time you play.”

Man, he would never play without a boner again.

He increased his tempo slightly, so she’d stroke his cock faster. She followed his lead without hesitation.

Faster.

Faster.

Oh. She moved away abruptly, and his entire body shuddered with unfulfilled desire. He heard her release the zipper of her jeans behind him and the rustle of fabric as she removed the rest of her clothes. He turned his head when she appeared beside him and stumbled over a beat. She ducked under his arm and climbed over one leg to stand before him, beautiful and naked.

He slowed his tempo again and stared into her eyes, wondering what she’d do next. Knowing no matter what it was, he would like it. Her fingers slid into his hair, and she tugged him to her breast. He latched on with his mouth and sucked in time with the beat.

“That’s it,” she whispered. She released his hair and lowered her hands, her fingertips resting against the head of his cock. When she tapped her fingers against his sensitive flesh, his belly tightened with excitement.

“Mmm.” He sucked harder on her nipple.

He released her nipple and looked at her, his eyelids heavy, his breathing ragged. She bent and grabbed his shaft in both hands. Her thumbs bumped over the rim repeatedly, still keeping time with his beat.

“I want you inside me, Eric Sticks.”

“What are you waiting for?” he murmured.

“Can you keep your balance?”

He grinned. “Only one way to find out.”

He paused in his drumming while she climbed onto his lap, facing him. She wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him hungrily. He shifted his, drumsticks to one hand and then grabbed his cock to seek her slick heat. When he found her, she sank down, taking him deep. He wobbled on the little stool, then tightened the muscles of his thighs, back, and stomach to maintain balance. Good thing he was in great shape from all that drumming, or he wouldn’t have been able to hold his position. He shifted forward on his stool a few inches, and she sank deeper.

They gasped into each other’s mouths.

His jeans cut into his flesh, but somehow, that discomfort made him crave the pleasure offered by her body all the more.

Rebekah deepened her kiss, her fingers digging into his scalp. Feet on the floor, she began to rise and fall over him.

His toe found his bass drum pedal, and he matched her rhythm with a low, steady beat. Instead of hammering out a beat with his arms, he wrapped them around her, drumsticks caught in his fist against her back.

She drew away, staring into his eyes while she made love to him. He couldn’t look away. Even as he increased their tempo by speeding up the bass drum beat and his release approached, he couldn’t tear his gaze from the love shining from her baby blue eyes.

How had he lived a single day without her? What would he do if he ever lost her? Overcome by emotions, he squeezed his eyes shut and concentrated on the pleasure building inside.

“Oh,” she gasped and arched backward as her body shuddered with release.

He held onto her for dear life, partly because he didn’t want to fall off the stool, and partly because he let himself follow her in bliss. As his fluids pumped into her, he rubbed his open mouth against her collarbone, lost in ecstasy. She went limp against him, and he stiffened his leg just in time to stop them from tumbling to the floor. A cymbal crashed as the drum kit slid forward and hit a boom.

“Wow,” she breathed. “That was hot.”

He made some incoherent sound of agreement.

“One fantasy down. Five million to go.”

He chuckled. “Only five million?”

“For now.” She kissed his jaw. “Ready to work on the car?”

“Can’t I take a nap first?” he whispered drowsily.

“If you need to. I can work on it myself for a while.”

He shook his head. “I want to help. Just give me an hour or two to catch my breath, woman.”

She tried to climb off his lap, but he held her in place. She relented and snuggled against him again. It was much easier to maintain his balance when she held still, and he wasn’t ready to let her go just yet.

“Eric?” she said after a long moment.

“Yeah.”

“I have to get an MRI the first week of December to… see if I’m still healthy. Will you come with me? Isaa—um, that
other
guy used to go with me. I don’t like to go by myself. Waiting for the results is really…” she sniffed, “…hard.”

Eric held his breath and nodded. He bit his bottom lip to stop its trembling, his heart clogging his throat. His hand moved to the back of her head to press her closer, so she wouldn’t see the tears blurring his vision. He wanted to be there for her, but all he could think when confronted by her mortality was no.
No!
Rebekah didn’t really need an MRI. Her body wouldn’t betray her again. It couldn’t. He wouldn’t let it. Wouldn’t even accept the possibility that she could get sick again. She could not leave him. He would not lose her before she turned a hundred and twenty-three. Or ever. He needed her.
Needed
her. Not just now. Always. She couldn’t go. She just couldn’t.

“Thank you,” she whispered. “I’m not strong enough to face this alone.”

And he wasn’t strong enough to face it at all. “Let’s go work on the car.”

Rebekah squeezed Eric’s hand and opened the front door of her parents’ house. The guy looked like he was about to ralph all over his shoes, and Rebekah couldn’t really blame him. Her father was laid-back and easygoing, but her mother? She wouldn’t wish that woman on anyone. Rebekah smiled at Eric reassuringly and squeezed his hand again.

“Anybody home?” she called into the foyer.

Her mouth fell open when Dave wheeled himself through the dining room door. “Hey, little sis!”

“Dave!” she released Eric’s hand and squeezed Dave’s neck excitedly as she hugged him. “You look great!” She planted a big wet kiss on his temple. “How’s your recovery going?”

“I’ve got about seventy-five percent usage in my left arm. Ninety percent in the right.” He wriggled his fingers and made a fist. “They still say I’m not going to walk again.”

“I say they’re full of shit,” Eric said with a grin.

Dave grinned back. “Sticks? When Rebekah said she was bringing a guy home, I was sure it would be Mills.”

“I managed to snag the best one,” Rebekah said. She sauntered over to Eric and grabbed him around the neck to draw him to her waiting lips.

Someone cleared her throat in the dining room. “Not only do you bring riffraff into my home,” Mom said, “but you engage in inappropriate behavior with it right before my eyes.”

Rebekah rolled her eyes for Eric’s benefit and then turned to face her mother. “And he gave me a little tongue too,” she said.

She glanced at Eric, expecting him to participate in her teasing, but he looked entirely shell-shocked.

“Mom, this is Eric Sticks, the drummer of Sinners,” Dave said.

“Sinners. The band who practically kidnapped my daughter and exposed her to only God knows what? The band who paralyzed my only son?”

“The man who saved Dave’s life with CPR,” Rebekah said.

Mom snorted. “I guess he can stay since he’s already here.” She turned her back and returned to the kitchen.

“She’s a little prickly tonight,” Dave whispered.

“A
little
?” Rebekah squeezed Eric’s elbow. “Don’t let her get to you.”

Eric shook his head slightly.

“So how are things going with the tour, Reb?” Dave asked nonchalantly.

“As good as can be expected, considering you’re not there,” Rebekah said.

“She’s being modest,” Eric said. “She’s absolutely amazing.”

Dave grinned with pride.

“Not as good as Dave is though,” Rebekah said, ruffling her brother’s hair and bending to smother him with another hug.

“It’s okay that you’re great, Reb,” Dave said. “You don’t have to feel guilty. I’m proud of you.”

She didn’t know why her eyes were suddenly leaky. Maybe because she did feel guilty. She was off having the time of her life, making a career for herself, finding love, while Dave was stuck here in a wheelchair with their oppressive mother.

“Is that my little girl I hear?” her dad called from the living room.

She released Dave and grabbed Eric’s hand. “Come on,” she said. “I want you to meet my dad.”

“The minister?” Eric said.

“No, the poodle trainer.” She shook her head. “Yes, the minister. I only have one dad, you know.”

Eric followed her with heavy feet.

“I thought I heard your voice,” her dad said, a huge smile on his jovial face. His smile faltered when he caught sight of Eric.

Eric’s palm grew damp against Rebekah’s hand, but she held it tightly.

“Who’s this?”

“This is Eric,” she said. “My new boyfriend.”

Her father pressed his recliner’s footrest down and climbed to his feet. He craned his neck to appraise Eric carefully. “Don’t you think he’s a bit…
tall
for you, sweetheart?”

“Nope. He’s perfect for me.” She hugged Eric’s arm and smiled happily.

Her dad’s eyes roamed her face, and then he smiled. “I trust he takes good care of you and treats you well?”

“Like a princess.”

Dad extended his hand toward Eric, who for once was speechless. He took Dad’s hand and shook it firmly. “Nice to meet you, Father Blake.”

“Likewise, Eric. Have a seat.” He waved at the empty recliner situated next to his. “Tell me about yourself.”

Eric glanced at Rebekah uncertainly. Her heart melted into a puddle. She released his hand and patted him on the back reassuringly. “You can talk to my dad about anything. He doesn’t judge.”

“I leave the judging to God,” her dad said and returned to his recliner.

Eric looked like he was about to bolt.

“Sit,” Rebekah insisted. She knew her dad would love Eric once they got to talking. Her father would appreciate Eric’s open honesty and quirky sense of humor.

Dave wheeled himself into the room and arranged his wheelchair next to the unoccupied recliner. “Rebekah, Mom’s got a surprise for you in the kitchen.”

“What kind of surprise?”

“Go see. Dad and I will keep Eric company.”

Rebekah nodded. She’d never once in her life liked any surprise her mother had for her. She was fairly certain she wasn’t going to like this one either. She gave Eric’s hand a squeeze of encouragement and then turned to head for the kitchen. Before she was even back in the foyer, Eric already had Dave and her father laughing.

She smiled as she walked to the kitchen. She knew it would take awhile for her mother to get used to the idea of her dating Eric. Her mother had been completely enamored with the idea of Isaac becoming her son-in-law. Rebekah doubted her mother would give any man an easy time, but one in a rock band who had tattoos, his nipple pierced, and a strange haircut? Rebekah didn’t have her heart set on her mom ever accepting Eric. She didn’t care though. She loved Eric with all her heart. If her mother couldn’t see what a wonderful man he was, that was her loss, not Rebekah’s. Not Eric’s.

Rebekah bumped open the swinging door to the kitchen with her hip. “Mom, Dave said you had a surprise for me.”

Isaac turned from the counter where he was helping her mother prepare dinner. Rebekah’s heart skipped several beats and began to race. “You’re back?” she gasped.

Isaac dashed across the kitchen and wrapped both arms around her. He planted a tender kiss on her temple and squeezed her until she was breathless. “Oh Rebekah,” he murmured. “I missed you so much.”

She caught her mother’s expression of glee just before she went into the pantry.

“Isaac,” Rebekah said. She tugged away from him to look into his gentle gray eyes. “What are you doing here?”

He was still the handsomest man she’d ever encountered. Wide eyes, straight nose, perfectly sculpted lips, even features, and thick, brown wavy hair framed his face. And his recently acquired tan contrasted nicely with his white dress shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to reveal strong forearms. As attractive as he was, he didn’t make her heart race when she looked at him. She didn’t experience even a twinge of lust.

“Your mother invited me. You know I can’t turn down her homemade biscuits.” Isaac searched Rebekah’s face and then cupped it with both hands. “You look fantastic, angel.”

“I feel great.”

“Have you been getting all your medical screenings?” he asked, looking at her with concern.

Touched, she brushed a wavy lock of hair from his forehead. “I have. So far, no signs of it. I have another appointment in December.”

She didn’t have to say what
it
was. They’d lived through
it
together and come out stronger people on the other side. That bond between them would always exist.

He hugged her again. “I missed you. Did I tell you that yet?”

“Yeah. I missed you too.” It wasn’t a lie. She had missed him. But as he held her, she realized she’d never really loved him. At least not romantically. Her feelings were the same as they’d always been. That of a really close friend. A friend she could count on to be there for her no matter what. Isaac was her best friend, but they weren’t meant to be lovers. She knew that now. Now that she had Eric, she could tell the difference.

Rebekah pulled away from Isaac’s embrace and smiled, knowing everything was as it should be. They weren’t meant to be together as a couple, but they meant too much to each other to be kept apart. She was really glad to see him, and that was okay. It wasn’t a betrayal of her feelings for Eric, because they weren’t the same feelings she had for Isaac. Realizing that was such a huge relief, she couldn’t help but beam at Isaac. “Tell me all about Africa,” she said and took a seat at the counter to listen to him talk about his adventures while he chopped vegetables for their salad. Her admiration grew as he told her about all the people he’d helped while living under abysmal conditions in the bush.

“So the baby survived?” she asked, her eyes wide with wonder.

Isaac nodded. “There was another woman in the village who had lost her baby to cholera, so she took the newborn as her own. I wish I could have saved the mother too, but the crocodile had done too much damage to her spine, and I lost her on the table.”

Rebekah’s vision blurred with tears. “That’s so horrible,” she said. “And you. You are absolutely wonderful, Isaac.”

A sudden intake of breath alerted her to Eric’s presence. He looked like someone had punched him in the stomach. “Eric,” she said. “Come here. There’s someone I want you to meet.”

***

Eric had wondered who the too-attractive-to-be-believed man was. Rebekah was hanging on his every word like she’d been struck dumb by his charm and charisma. When she’d said his name—
Isaac
—and called him absolutely wonderful, Eric was certain his soul had been sucked from his body. And now Rebekah wanted Eric to meet the guy? No, thank you.

“I was looking for the can,” Eric said. A lie, but he in no way wanted to be anywhere near Dr. Perfect over there.

“I’m sure you can hold it for a minute,” Rebekah said. She hopped off the stool and took his hand before he could flee the kitchen.

“Eric, this is Isaac. A dear, dear friend.”

Isaac looked none too happy to be called her friend. Eric extended his hand. “I’m Eric, Rebekah’s very possessive boyfriend.”

Isaac’s eyes widened.

“And lover,” Eric added. “We get it on constantly.”

Isaac’s tan face paled several shades, but he took Eric’s hand and shook it cordially.

“
Eric
,” Rebekah chastised. “There is such a thing as need-to-know information, and that definitely wasn’t it.” She giggled, but didn’t deny his claim. Eric felt marginally better.

Rebekah’s mother bustled into the kitchen. “Rebekah, help me mash those potatoes,” she said. “Isaac, would you get the roast out of the oven? I need to get the biscuits in.”

“Sure.” Isaac put on a pair of oven mitts and headed for the oven.

“Can I do anything to help?” Eric asked, his heart thudding. Rebekah’s mother scared the shit out of him.

“Don’t be silly. You’re a guest. Go sit down with Bill and Dave until dinner is ready.”

“Isaac’s a guest too,” Rebekah reminded her mother.

Mrs. B offered Isaac a one-armed hug as he struggled not to drop the roast. “Don’t be ridiculous, Rebekah. Isaac is family. Just set that on the stove, dear.”

Isaac set the roast on the stove.

Eric watched Rebekah drain the potatoes and start whipping them with a mixer. Mrs. B cut biscuits from dough and arranged them on a baking sheet. Isaac took it upon himself to carve the roast. They did look like a family. Something Eric had never had, but had always wanted. He wouldn’t be getting one now either it seemed.

Dave bumped the door open with his wheelchair. “Come on, Sticks. I need help setting the table.” Dave pulled plates and bowls from a china cabinet and set them on his immobile legs.

Eric smiled, grateful for a task.

“David Adam Blake, don’t ask Rebekah’s guest to do your work,” Mrs. B said.

“I don’t mind,” Eric insisted.

“Go sit down in the living room,” Mrs. B said.

Eric had no choice but to obey.

Father Blake, or Bill, as he insisted Eric call him, looked up from his war movie when Eric sat in the empty recliner beside him. “Did you get shooed out of the kitchen?”

Eric nodded. “Apparently I’m a guest, but Isaac is family.”

Bill chuckled. “Isaac
is
family.” He patted Eric’s forearm. “Great kid. He’s a doctor, you know.”

“Yeah, Reb mentioned that.”

“He just got back from Africa. He said taking over his father’s practice could wait a year. Wanted to go where people needed him most. You don’t come across many men as selfless as Isaac in this day and age.”

True, but Eric still hated him.

“Dinner’s ready!” Mrs. B called.

Eric rose to his feet. Mrs. B steered him to the end of the table. “Guests get the seat of honor,” she said.

Eric sat at the far end of the long table, and Bill sat at the opposite end. A chair had been removed from the side of the table to accommodate Dave’s wheelchair, and his mother sat beside him. That left Rebekah and Isaac to sit next to each other. The dinner was delicious, but though Eric ate everything on his plate, he scarcely tasted it.

Everyone was so enthusiastic for Isaac’s tales of Africa, which were amusing and heroic. Eric couldn’t deny it. He felt like an unwanted outsider. Rebekah scarcely glanced at him the entire meal. She was too busy laughing with and fawning over Isaac, who was so fucking charming, it was nauseating. When Isaac started passing around pictures of himself treating the sick and wounded in some village in the Congo, Eric said all the appropriate things, but his heart sank. How could he compete with that? He’d never done anything remotely honorable. After dinner, Mrs. B brought out a cheesecake smothered in cherries.

“I know it’s your favorite,” she said, beaming at Isaac as she served him a huge slice.

“You’re spoiling me,” he said, his knockout smile charming even Eric.

Fuck.
The guy could at least have the decency to be ugly or stupid or boring. Something!

“It’s the least I can do for our heroic, life-saving physician.”

“Seems to me Isaac isn’t the only lifesaver at this table,” Dave said. He grinned at Eric, who shook his head slightly, not wanting to bring up his little attempts at CPR.