“You finished rambling?” he teased, running his hand along my spine towards the base of my neck. “That sounds perfect. I can’t think of anything I want more than to wake up with you every morning.” I smiled, sighing with relief. “I kinda love how nervous I make you,” he added, massaging the back of my neck as he encouraged my head forward until our noses were touching.
“I never knew you were such a sadist.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, baby. We need to change that.”
I continued staring at him, studying his face, when a random thought popped into my mind.
“You know, you kinda look a bit like Justin Bieber.”
“What the fuck?” Jake yanked his head back, screwing his face up in what could’ve been either confusion or disgust. I guessed probably both. “Justin Bieber is what? Twelve?”
“Ok, his dad then.”
“Have you been smoking weed?”
“I’m serious! Obviously you’re older and have darker hair, but if you squint your eyes a little, there’s just something there that reminds me of him.”
“So you think Justin Bieber’s attractive?”
“Fuck no! You’re hardly his fucking double. I just meant, some of the expressions you do kinda remind me of him. You’re like his much sexier, much smarter, much older uncle.”
“Jesus, I’m twenty-eight. You make me sound ancient.”
“Sorry, Beebs. Didn’t mean to make you feel old,” I joked, playfully punching his arm.
“Beebs? Seriously? How the hell did we go from a deep and meaningful conversation to this?” He rolled his eyes at me, but then met me with a dazzling smile. “It feels like a dream, being here with you,” he continued, his face smoothing into a serious expression.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry about how I treated you that day. I’ve never forgotten it, and I’ve always regretted it.”
“We were just kids, Sawyer. I was leaving anyway, no point in going over old ground.”
“I’m still sorry.”
“You can make it up to me,” he whispered suggestively, raising an eyebrow.
“Oh yeah? And how could I do that?”
“Let me show you.”
Pressing his lips to mine, he slipped his tongue into my mouth while gently tugging at my hair. My body automatically arched, pushing my cock against his. He was hard, like me, and I ground myself against him before slipping my hand between us and gripping both of our erections in one hand.
Then, I made it up to him.
“Yo Sawyer! You in there, buddy?” Kip’s voice bellowed through the door, accompanied by knocking.
I was back in my own suite after leaving Jake’s around 5:30AM. I snuck back into my room, showered and changed for the day. I thought about going back to sleep, but every time I closed my eyes all I could see was the image of Jake writhing beneath me on his bed. Needless to say, that sparked an instant hard-on, but if my dick had any more friction in one night I probably would’ve gotten freakin’ blisters. So I distracted myself by packing up my small case, then, draping a damp towel over my head I hovered my face over a bowl of hot water, breathing in the steam and loosening my vocal cords ready for tonight’s show.
“One sec!” I hollered, making my way to the door.
“Claire rang you yet?”
“Um, no. Why?” Kip walked straight past me and plopped himself down on one of the couches.
“She wants us all downstairs in twenty. She had her serious voice on. My money’s on Matt getting some chick up the duff.”
“Fuck,” I mumbled. “That doesn’t sound good. It’s bound to be something to do with him. Always is. Stupid fucker.”
“Hey, grab us a bottle of water from the fridge will you?”
“Fuckin’ warned you, dude. We’ve been in this game ten years and you’ve not learned not to get shitfaced the night before a show.”
“Yeah, yeah. Just get us the damn water huh, Dad?”
After grabbing two bottles of water, I joined Kip on the couch. I relaxed into the soft leather and popped my feet up on the coffee table.
“Hey, mate… is everything okay with you lately?” In a nanosecond, the atmosphere turned so thick and serious I almost choked on it. “You’ve been kind of… off.”
“Sure. I’m fine,” I shrugged, aiming for indifference.
“Come on, mate, we’ve been friends forever. I know when something’s going on with you. I’ve been thinking it’s a chick, but then I reckon I’d know. We live in each other’s pockets. I’d have seen her.”
“Kip, there’s nothing wrong with me. Jesus!” I snapped, and then I became even more frustrated with myself. I should’ve just laughed it off, that’s what I’d have done if there was in fact nothing wrong with me.
“Hey, chill the fuck out. I’m just worried about you, that’s all. It’s a woman isn’t it? Just tell me. You know it won’t go any further.”
“Fine! It’s a woman, okay? Now just fucking drop it.”
I knew the second I’d said it I’d fucked up. But surely I could just spin the lie out for a couple of weeks and then ‘break up’ with ‘her’.
“Who is it?”
“No one you know.”
“Bullshit! We’ve been on the road for months. You couldn’t have kept her hidden from us.” Yeah, I’d definitely fucked up. “Holy shit, it’s Laurelin isn’t it?”
“What? Hell no!”
“Oh fuck me, please don’t tell me it’s Claire?” he pressed, wrinkling his nose in disgust. “Mate, she’s practically our fucking mother!”
“Of course it’s not Claire. Stop being such a dick.”
“Then who the hell is it?”
“Elle!” Shit. “Happy now?”
It was the first name that came into my head, and now I had officially, wholeheartedly and irrevocably… fucked the hell up beyond repair. Or had I? Elle would go along with it. She’s my best friend. If I just explained to her what’d been going on, she’d have my back. Actually, this might turn out to be a pretty good plan.
“Hey, where you going?” Kip jumped up suddenly, making his way to the door.
“We’re wanted downstairs, remember?” And with that, he opened the door and left, slamming it behind him.
“Guess I’ll see you down there,” I said to the empty room. What the hell did I do to piss him off?