My kind, gentle brute, concerned about taking advantage of me even when I all but attacked him. “Why do we have to stop?”
His eyes widen a fraction, the brown just a sliver behind his lust-blown pupils. “I-I…” Dax grinds his jaw, jealousy flashing across his face. “I thought you never…I didn’t want your first… I guess I thought…fuck.” He squeezes his eyes shut. “The thought of someone else touching you…”
“You thought this was my first time,” I whisper, dragging a finger down his cheek. He’s jealous. Holy crap, Dax is jealous at the thought of me being with someone else. The Iceman let his feelings be known! I nearly laugh out loud at his pointless jealousy, but hold back when I realize he’s not using it as an excuse to behave like an unreasonable caveman. For a man like Dax, jealousy means he cares.
“Dax.” He shakes his head and keeps his eyes shut tight, refusing to meet my stare or listen to my words. “Dax.” I grab his head with both hands, pulling it down until our lips almost touch. “This is my first time.”
That did it. His eyelids pop open, those damn dark irises of his showing me more than he’d ever want me to know—lust, protectiveness, concern, caring, power—all of his emotions exposed and available for me to read as if they were written out on his forehead.
“I want my first time with you, Dax. It’s always been you.”
Now we’re even. My emotions are out there too, open and vulnerable for him to abuse should he desire. I don’t mind. Against my better judgment, I trust Dax with my heart. I have no choice but to trust him.
I love him.
Dax gives me a slight nod of his head, a silent understanding passing between us, and his face relaxes from its hard set. We both understand the importance of this moment isn’t to be taken lightly, me giving this to him.
Without looking away, he shuffles back, kneeling on the bed between my legs. Dax snags the hem of his shirt, whipping it off and tossing it somewhere on the floor. The sight in front of me—god, there are no words. I’m rendered immobile as my eyes greedily take in every single inch of Dax’s torso. Each muscle is cut and defined, rippling under smooth, light skin, broken only by the occasional small scar. The long, perfect ‘v’ on his waist that leads down into his low-slung jeans makes my mouth water.
Hesitantly, I raise a hand between us, wanting to touch him more than anything. I get to touch this? Touch him? Wherever I want? Don’t pinch me. I don’t ever want to wake up.
“Wait.” Dax grabs my hand before I get a single finger on him, drawing out a pathetic whimper. He grins, “If I have to be shirtless...” Releasing my hand, he unbuttons my short-sleeved blouse faster than I would have thought his large fingers could manage. Dax pushes the silky material off my shoulders, exposing my blush-colored lace bra. He groans and squeezes his crotch, seemingly in pain.
“Jesus, Kate. California has been good to you. Your skin is so tan.” Dax drags his huge, coarse hand down the center of my body from my collarbones to the edge of my shorts. It’s so large he could probably span my waist with his hands and have room to spare. I shiver even though his touch leaves behind the heated ghost of a burn.
My body is becoming impatient. The need to touch him is overwhelming. “Get back down here.”
Did I say that? When did I become so demanding? Probably when Dax got me all wound up then stopped.
The shocked look on his face is almost worth the near-crippling embarrassment I feel at being so bold. The corner of his mouth quirks up, his eyes devouring me without shame. “Oh baby, we’re going to have so much fun, but you need to understand that the only one who gives orders around here is me.”
Holy shit.
Dax
This is what I’ve been waiting for. Kate Campbell, spread out beneath me, half-naked and waiting for me to tell her what to do. My baser needs, the selfish, demanding animal inside me is urging—no screaming—for me to tear off her clothes and sink into her wet pussy or stuff my cock in her hot little mouth. It’s the only way I know. To use. To take. To demand.
But with Kate, I want it to be different—for this to be more than just a quick one-off with a nameless, faceless girl. I don’t know if I’ll be able to control myself to do make that happen. Hell, I’ll probably still be a demanding bastard, maybe a tad less insensitive.
“Dax.” Her husky, sex-laced voice whispering my name nearly undoes me right then. I look down to find her green eyes glazed over with desire, her body flushed and writhing beneath me, and I am awestruck by the trust she’s giving me in this moment. Trusting me to take care of her, to make this good for her—for us. She’s handing over the control I desperately need, even when I’ve given her no reason to do so.
Fuck. If that’s not enough incentive to hold back the beast inside, then I don’t know what is.
Quickly, I undo her shorts and whisk them away before doing the same with my jeans. When our bodies finally come together, skin on skin, with only our thin undergarments between us, I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be. The rage inside is calm, the hatred I’ve harbored for years is gone, and all I can feel is Kate.
“I want you, Dax. I’ve waited for so long. Please…”
“Jesus, Kate.” She twines her body around mine, arching up off the bed. Groaning, I take her mouth, forgetting to be gentle and attacking it roughly. I swallow her moans as my stiff cock grinds against her soft curves.
She bites at my lips, just enough to make it sting. Jerking back, I see a woman on the edge of losing her own control.
“Hmmmm, like it a little rough, do you?”
Kate lifts her hips, dragging them up and down on my rigid length. “I don’t know. I suppose I’ll like it any way as long as it’s you,” she rasps.
“I told you,” I growl as I press her back down on the bed, “I promise it’ll be good. But I’m in charge.” I lick my way down the graceful slope of her neck, inhaling deeply as I go. “God you smell so bloody amazing.” Her only response is to moan and tremble. I continue down her body, stopping when I reach her lace-covered breasts. Hooking a finger in each side, I pull the material down, tucking it underneath each perfect curve of flesh.
Kate jerks beneath me when I take a perfect pink nipple into my mouth, sucking it between my teeth.
“More, Dax…”
Holy fuck. She’s going to kill me with her moaning and writhing. “Shhhhh, I’ll give you more when you’re ready.” I move to the other breast, working it with my mouth and tongue until Kate is begging me for more.
“Dax, I can’t wait any longer. Please!”
When I don’t respond immediately, she thrashes her head back and forth on the bed, struggling to keep from screaming in frustration. Hell, if Kate can’t control herself then I have absolutely no chance. My body is always on a hair-trigger—primed to fight or fuck at any given moment.
Rising up from my thorough worshiping of Kate’s breasts, I can see that her eyes are wild—dark black pools of lust—her neck and face flushed a glorious pink color. Kate’s breathing is erratic and quick, as if she can’t quite get enough air.
Mesmerized by her raw display of desire, my need to dominate roars back like an out of control freight train. I hurriedly strip out of my briefs, stopping only to grab a condom out of the bedside drawer. Once I’m sheathed, I turn back to the bed to find Kate has shed her own lacy knickers and is spread out and ready for me. Her hand is dipping between her legs, her head thrown back as she shamelessly touches herself. My eyes nearly bulge out of their sockets when I see that she’s waxed almost completely bare.
Gone is the hesitant, unsure girl I know. “Christ, Kate. You’re fucking amazing.”
And she is amazing. Most girls are either fake, playing it up like porn stars or they’re like limp rags during sex, thinking all they have to do is lay there. Sometimes, the second is true. I just want to bust a nut and do it quick with whoever is handy. But a partner that takes her sexuality and embraces it, whether it’s to take what she wants or to turn her pleasure over to
me—the result is the same. The scene in front of me is nothing short of a wet dream come true.
Kate’s loud groan, combined with a full body tremor, breaks me from my gawking. I climb up on the bed, using my knees to push her legs apart until I’m situated between them. She reaches up to hold onto my shoulders, smoothing her hands all over my skin.
Feeling my restraint spiraling out of reach, I grip her hands and hold them over her head to get it back. If I don’t calm down and take over, I’ll go too far, too fast, and hurt her. Lowering my body down, I let my weight settle on top of Kate, using care to keep my heavy bulk from crushing her beneath me.
Moving both of her wrists into one of my hands, I reach down between us with the other, lining up my cock with her entrance. Her wet heat against me feels beyond incredible. Kate shifts, tearing a deep, rumbling growl from my throat as she drags herself across the sensitive head.
“Dax. I’m ready,” she whispers.
I kiss her gently and slowly press forward, straining from the effort it takes to hold back when all I want to do is bury myself balls deep and claim her as mine. Our hands are intertwined above Kate’s head again, her fingers gripping me hard enough to cause my knuckles to ache.
She feels so good I have to break the kiss, dropping my head into the hollow between her neck and shoulder. “Holy… my god, you’re so fucking tight. You feel even better than I imagined.” I push in further, meeting firm resistance. Kate lets out a small cry. Alarmed, my head pops up to see her face. “Are you okay?”
Kate nods, so I drop my head back down to her shoulder. Her rapid breaths caress my neck. “I-I’m okay. Just get it over with. Please.”
Fuck. Hurting her goes against everything I believe, but god, the need to take her, to sink all the way into her gripping heat and be the first—the only—to have her, is overtaking every other instinct.
Gritting my teeth, I snap my hips hard, breaking through the taut barrier. Kate flinches beneath me, her body going stiff, her hands jerking in mine. I know it’s normal for it to hurt the first time, but damn if I don’t feel like the world’s biggest bastard and fucking invincible at the same time.
I’m not the kindest bloke. In fact, I’m a miserable, selfish asshole who wants nothing more than to pound her into the mattress. But surprisingly, if it were possible in this moment, I’d take every bit of Kate’s pain on as my own.
Kate
Dax fully dressed is gorgeous, stunningly so. Naked, I want to drop to my knees and worship at his feet. I’ve seen him shirtless before, so I know how cut and muscular he is, I just didn’t know how big he’d be in other places.
When Dax enters my body, tearing away the final shred of my virginity, I can’t help but cry out at the pain. It hurts. A lot. Then, before he can say anything to mollify me, the sharp agony turns to pleasure—a deep, burning, twisting pleasure that begins to build upon itself, growing more intense with each thrust of Dax’s narrow hips.
“More.”
Dax responds to my whispered plea immediately, roaring up and releasing my bound wrists so he has room to move. And holy hell does he move. Balanced on his hands above me, Dax pounds away at an impossible pace. I have to brace my hands on his shoulders so we don’t slide across the sheets with each powerful thrust. With the rapid pistoning of his hips and the intense pleasure vibrating through me, it’s nearly impossible to keep my eyes focused on his. Somehow I manage to stay locked on those dark, shimmering pools.
“Kate, I…” His face contorts with ecstasy, and I realize that I’m doing that to him. Me. Boring Kate Campbell is sending the cold and unapproachable Dax Davies flying into unrestrained bliss.
My entire body starts to shudder, waves of pleasure rippling out from the place where our bodies join together. I can’t breathe as it crashes over me, drawing my muscles tight in ecstasy then leaving me boneless as the incredible feeling recedes. I’m floating, and Dax is right there with me.
He lets out a string of unintelligible curses (Gaelic maybe?) and thrusts one final time before collapsing in a heavy, comforting heap on my chest.
Somehow, I manage to move my hands, running them up and down Dax’s sweaty back, feeling every dip and ridge beneath my fingers, trying to get my fill of touching everything he denied me earlier. After a few minutes, Dax shifts, causing me to wince when he pulls free of my body. It doesn’t detract from the moment though. Everything is perfect. My eyelids grow heavy and I’m vaguely aware of Dax moving around the room. Then I’m wrapped up in his arms, my back pressed against his large, warm chest.
I’m drifting off to sleep, on the edge of reality and dreams when I hear a soft whisper. “M’aingeal.”
50
Kate
“This is the last one.” Dax drops a box on the floor of the bedroom in my new flat.
“We’re taking off, Kate!” Gavin calls out from the lounge.
“You guys are so great to help me move. Honestly, I couldn’t have done it without you.” I tell them as I walk down the tiny hall to say goodbye.
“No worries, love. Happy to do it,” Adam says. I wrap him up in a big hug.
I buss his cheek before I pull back to give Adam a quick once over. He looks much better than he did a few months ago when Ellie was in town. Not great, but better. He was completely devastated when I told him what he said to Ellie at that stupid party. He was so plastered he didn’t even remember seeing her. Having to tell him what happened with her was one of the worst moments of my life.
“Gotta split, Kate. Give me some love.” Hawke leans in to give me one of his bone-crushing hugs. He’s so open with me and the other guys, but around everyone else, he’s quiet and withdrawn.
“You know I live to be smashed to pieces in your arms, Hawke,” I laugh when he lets me go.
“I count on it.” He winks at me and disappears out the front door.
“Ugh! This is the last of my stuff too.” Abby staggers in, throwing a pile of clothes onto the second-hand sofa her parents gave us. “I’m beat!” She flops on top of the clothing, sweaty and exhausted.
“Coming with?” Adam turns to Dax.
“Nah. I’ll find my way back later.” He throws an arm around my neck, pulling me back against his chest. “I’ll stay here with my woman for a little bit.”
I roll my eyes, which makes Adam laugh, something he doesn’t do enough of these days. “Right. Cheers mate.”
The door shuts, leaving the flat blessedly quiet.
“Oh shit! Is that the time?” Abby jumps up from the sofa. “I have to be at work in thirty minutes,” she calls out from her room. Less than five minutes later, she’s saying goodbye and is out the door for her summer job working at a camp for low-income city kids.
I giggle, leaning back against Dax so I can rub my ass across the front of his athletic shorts.
“Naughty,” he laughs, gently spanking me. Dax whispers in my ear, his hot breath giving me goose bumps. “No more Lila.”
“No more Lila,” I agree. “And, I have my own bedroom now.”
Dax spins me around to face him, grinding his erection into my hip. “That’s my favorite part about this place.”
“So,” I say coyly, “want to go workout?”
He kisses me long and deep, and then slings me over his shoulder, giving my butt a playful slap as he strides toward the bedroom.
“I’ll show you a workout,” Dax grumbles under his breath.
Yeah, this is my favorite part. This summer is going to be brilliant.
Dax
“Really? Are you having a laugh?” Adam asks Ross Evans, our manager.
I scan the room, checking the face of each one of my band mates. They all have the same shocked look that I’m sure I have on mine.
Ross smiles. “No Adam, I’m quite serious.”
I turn to Ross. “So, you’re saying that Underground Records wants us to sign us and have us go on tour with U2? The real U2, not some basement band cover rendition?” My expression must be comical because Ross start
s laughing.
“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying,” he answers once he’s finally stopped making fun. “Just the U.S. part of the tour, not the European or other countries… yet. If they like what they see, who knows?”
None of us say a word. Gavin and Hawke are eyeing Ross dubiously, as if waiting for him to shout out “just kidding!” and claim the entire thing is a joke. Adam is staring intently at his shoes, his fingers scratching back and forth across his unshaven jaw.
I guess it’s up to me to break the silence. Standing, I hold my hand out to Hawke’s uncle, a man who has done everything in his power to get us noticed and apparently, it’s just paid off.
He shakes my hand, pulling me into a hug. “Thanks mate.” I slap his back a few times. “We couldn’t have done this without you.”
Ross releases me, the excitement on his face evident. “You guys are great. I’ve told you that before. It was only a matter of time until someone important noticed. Now they have and the only direction you can go is up. They want you in the studio right away to get an album released in time for the tour.”
The others finally get to their feet, excited and congratulating Ross and each other. I accept my handshakes and pats on the back with a smile. A bottle of champagne is produced, doled out to each of us in real crystal flutes. God, Kate’s going to freak out when she hears we’ll be touring with bloody Bono.
This is it. What we’ve been working for. Over a year slogging in tiny clubs up and down the California coast has turned into our dream.
I want to call Kate, but it’s better to do this face to face. I want to see the excitement on her face when I tell her. Adam and Hawke are chatting with Ross about the studio space we’ll be recording in while Gavin is on his own mobile speaking to someone.
“So, tomorrow, I’ll send out the recording schedule and give you guys all the information you’ll need. The phone number at the studio, your new producer’s phone and email, your contact at the studio, you’ll need that email as well…” Ross goes on and on about minute details when really I could care less. We’ll be making an album, going on tour, and living our dream—that’s what I care about.