Chapter 4
Igroaned lightly, rolling over onto my side. Blinking the haze of sleep from my eyes, my hand slid across warm skin. Jerking it back, I paused, confused. Until the events of last night rushed back into my head.
Pulling my bottom lip between my teeth, I smiled to myself.
Oh, how dirty those thoughts were. Memories of his mouth not just on my lips but between my legs, ravishing me, flashed through my head.
He had literally drooled when I’d finally spread them apart and he’d been able to have what he wanted to eat.
The feeling of him touching every inch of my still-naked body sent shivers through me.
How strange that I’d felt fully trusting to let him do as he pleased, even when it was something I’d never done before. He hadn’t hurt me once—well, not in a way I hadn’t wanted.
Though now, my body ached. I was extremely sore down there, even though he’d spent a lot of time on my aftercare.
Since when did men treat women like that?
If he forgot me after I left this morning, fine by me.
I hadn’t once felt used, no matter how domineering he’d been.
Even if we hadn’t done much more than several rounds of mind-blowing sex.
However, the little we had talked before falling asleep, exhausted, I would cherish. The sound of his laugh would be permanently etched upon my brain.
Sighing, I brushed some of his hair from his face.
He was lying on his belly, sound asleep beside me.
He was the one and only man I’d ever found attractive with tattoos.
It wasn’t something my parents were particularly fond of, which is why I kept my own line tattoo of a flower running up my spine a secret from them.
He’d loved it, even ran his tongue across it several times last night while once again being buried inside me from behind.
My fingers gently traced across many of his designs that were all over his back.
I was surprised to have found that while his pecs had been covered by ink, only one side of his ribcage had art.
One thigh was covered, and then the opposite calf finished off his designs.
He did say he would eventually get more, but he was so focused on his music right now, it wasn’t at the forefront of his priorities.
I learned he knew how to play guitar and piano along with singing, which only made me find him more attractive. In a moment of confidence, I told him he would have to teach me how to play the guitar, and he’d actually agreed. Though I knew it was merely a courtesy.
Sighing, I leaned forward and placed a kiss against his forehead. This was goodbye.
The sun was barely breaking the horizon, casting a soft rose-colored glow throughout the room. I slipped quietly from the sheets and grabbed my pants that were carelessly tossed to the floor. Scrounging around as silently as I could, I began to panic.
I found my top, my phone, my cowgirl boots, even both of my socks, but not my thong. This was not happening. And I knew the longer I fumbled around his hotel room, the more likely he would wake up before I was gone.
Groaning internally, I pulled my jeans on, commando—giving up the fruitless search for my small lacy thong that had disappeared completely. Once I was dressed, I shoved my phone in my pocket and tiptoed out of the room in my socks.
My feelings were irrelevant now. Such a blissful night full of hot and heavy sex. At least my one and only hook-up could be something I was proud of.
I’d done it. I was actually proud of myself as I pulled my boots on in the elevator. Stepping outside of my comfort zone wasn’t even close to what I’d done. No, I’d shattered that thing!
Then my heart sank.
Sydney! My friends! What if they had tried to call me?
Ripping my phone out of my pocket, I jogged from the elevator and rushed outside in a panic.
Only to roll my eyes. The only text or call I’d received was a list of groceries I needed to pick up for Katie on Monday.
Which meant that they were probably still wherever that party had been last night.
Opening my phone, I quickly found all seven of their locations at the same place. An address that I didn’t know.
Once I had finally made it back to the car, I unlocked it and slid into the driver's seat. Man, I wished I could tell Sydney what I’d done. Leaning my head back against the gray leather headrest, I sighed. She would be proud of me, though pissed that it was with him.
Oh my gosh, what had I done? My eyes shot open as the reality of it all settled on me.
She’d claimed him. Ages ago, when she’d learned about the band, she’d called dibs on the singer—even if technically calling dibs on someone famous wasn’t actually possible.
All the same. She’d called dibs. On him.
On Asher. I hadn’t even bothered to listen to their music until last night.
And within the same night, I’d broken girl code.
She could never find out. No matter how exciting it had been, I could never tell Sydney.
Good thing he was out of my life and gone. I wouldn’t go to another Void concert with her; I had to show her that I hadn’t done this to hurt her.
Oh my goodness, idiot. I was an absolute idiot. What a horrible friend I was. I’d been absolutely selfish last night, and instead of thinking about Sydney and how hard she’d been crushing on him, I gave in. For what? One night of pleasure?
One amazing night of pleasure… Filled with the most gorgeous man…
That smile… His panting…
I sank in the seat, feeling absolutely blissful as memories swept in again.
His loud moans that had escaped his chest while he shoved—
“Stop it!” I scolded myself, shaking out of the memories. That was done. Never again.
Sitting upright, I tapped on her contact and pressed call. It rang and rang as I turned the engine over. Flipping to the Bluetooth of her Mercedes, it finally connected on the fifth ring.
“What?” she groggily said.
“Sydney. It’s seven in the morning, and you haven’t called for me to come get you.” Regardless of what I’d done last night, I was concerned for her. I should’ve been concerned for her…
“It’s what?” she gasped, finally waking up.
“Were you asleep?”
“I totally didn’t mean to be!”
“Is the party still going?”
“Yeah, Tera is still awake! She’s been keeping an eye on the rest of us and flirting with some guys.”
I chuckled. Same old Tera. “I’m on my way to get you now, okay?”
“I should’ve just had you come last night,” she muttered as I put the car into drive and began following the map to her location.
“Why’s that?”
“He never showed. Normally, the whole band comes to the afterparty, but this time, everyone except Asher showed up,” she mumbled, disappointed, and my heart sank.
Shit. What did I do?
“Who’s Asher?” I lied.
“Oh, that’s right. That’s the lead singer. His real name.” She coughed for a second as I shook my head. “He always comes. Everyone was so shocked he wasn’t with the rest of the band.”
“Always comes? Wait, I thought you did the meet and greet because you’ve never met him or any of them before?” I asked, but that’s not what I really cared about. With what she was saying, the party was probably where he usually picks up the girl of the night. Right?
“I’ve never spoken to him or any of them before the meet and greet.
Asher doesn’t really talk to others besides polite hellos and pictures at the parties.
The others are a little more chatty, but none of them really overly engage,” she replied as I signaled and turned off the main road.
I was confused. Were girls that easy for him to pick up that he didn’t really have to talk to them?
Then again, he had merely handed me a keycard, and I’d fallen like a puppy into his lap.
“How long until you’re here?” Sydney continued.
“Oh, maybe five minutes,” I replied, and she sighed. Loudly.
“You’ll come with me to the next concert, right? And the concert after that?”
“Maybe.” I pulled into the driveway of the mansion the party had been at. Maybe I would go with her, even to another Void concert. It wasn’t like he’d pick me again. A new concert meant a new girl.
No, I’d been selfish enough already.
I wouldn’t go to another Void concert. I would only maybe go with her to a different band’s concert.
A hip hop band, or pop band. Anything that wasn’t a metal band, because if music like that could lead me to decisions like the one I’d made, then that was a loss of control I couldn’t afford.
Especially when my parents were set to visit in a couple weeks.
I had to be spot on in my game. No distractions.
No extremely attractive, dark-haired, tatted man drooling over my—
Stop it, Cosi. Just knock it off.
Let him remain as that wonderful memory, untainted by the fact that you would absolutely destroy your best friend if she knew.
When I’d agreed to everything, it had been a decision I’d made entirely for myself. Normally, I wasn’t that careless. I couldn’t afford to be that careless, and the one girl who had stuck with me for over fifteen years deserved better.