CHAPTER TEN
AVERY
I’ve never spent much time snuggling with anyone.
The few times I’ve hooked up with a guy, I sent him packing before the sweat even cooled on our skin.
Bryce is a cuddler and strangely, I don’t mind having his arms wrapped around me as the scent of him blankets me.
It’s oddly familiar and very comforting.
We both got up to use the bathroom and clean up and I expected him to want to leave or maybe poke around in my fridge for something else to eat. He surprised me by sliding back in bed and holding the blankets up, clearly expecting me to join him.
“So I just slept with a famous guy?” I figure best to get that out of the way so then we can move on to just what we have between us.
His laugh rumbles through him, vibrating me where I lay with my head propped on his broad shoulder. “I wouldn’t say famous. Not anymore. Seventeen years ago, maybe.”
Doing the math, I was around seven then and definitely unaware of popular music outside of maybe the CDs my mom played for us kids.
“What was the name of the band? A song I might know?” I persist.
His shoulder tenses up and I glance over in time to see his lips curving up into a grimace. “Our group was Men on a Mission and In the Zone was the most popular song.”
That sounds vaguely familiar. “Sing a little of it.”
Bryce pulls away from me and he definitely looks embarrassed now. “I was more a dancer than a singer and I just showed you some of my moves.”
I stare at him and arch an eyebrow refusing to let my lips twitch as I fight not to laugh.
He sighs. “You’re not going to be happy until I sing, are you?”
I bump my shoulder into his. “Nope.”
“Fine.” He scoots up against my headboard and begins singing, his eyes taking on a faraway look as his deep voice fills my bedroom. His voice is beautiful and as he sings, I recognize the song.
Goosebumps break out along my arms. I push up next to him, my eyes unable to leave his face, as they move over his features and try to peel away the years and envision him as a man in his twenties. A man my age.
I bet back then women were tossing their panties at him, screaming and crying his name as he sang on stage. No wonder he’s been with a lot of women.
My stomach clenches as I acknowledge the truth of who he is. Part of me had hoped that he was merely teasing me or making the whole thing up. He couldn’t be someone famous. He was just too good, too down-to-earth, and approachable.
He finishes and turns dark, expectant eyes on me. For a long time, I’m too stunned to utter a word. How did I end up with this man in my bed? Why is he even here? A bubble of panic wells up in me. “How can you like me? When you’re you?”
I didn’t realize I said the last part out loud until his hand is skimming along my jaw, the callouses on his fingers oddly sensual.
“Because you’re sweet, funny, and because you’re you.
” His lips part in a dazzling smile. “And because you took a chance on chatting with a guy playing bingo online and didn’t think that was weird. ”
My panic subsides as his words soothe me. Once more, he’s just Bryce, the sweet guy I met playing Bingo. The one that worked his way into my very limited circle. Returning his smile, I say, “I can’t really judge because I’m twenty-four and playing bingo, too.”
“You’re not judgy at all.”
Guilt worms its way in, and I can’t quite meet his eyes any longer. “I am.” Before he can comment on that, I just blurt it out. “When we first met, and I saw how short…” I trail off, the words drying up on my tongue as I wince at how rude that sounded. Slowly, I chance a peek at Bryce.
His smile is gentle. “It’s okay. I’m not bothered by my height. Besides, it’s generally the norm for the man to be taller in a relationship.”
“You could date shorter women,” I put in, and want to bite down on my tongue the minute I say it. I don’t want him dating other women! Why would I even suggest such a stupid thing?
He laughs and wiggles a muscular arm behind me, pulling me even closer to him. “Yes, I could, and I have in the past. That’s not now though, and they’re not you.”
Heat fills my face and I duck my head, using the curtain of my hair to hide my blush.
“Now, back to what you were saying. When you first saw how short I was.”
I flinch and only the steady feel of his arm around me gives me the courage to continue. “I wanted to leave,” I whisper, lifting my gaze to his. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s how you felt,” he says. “Is it still how you feel?”
“No! I like you, Bryce.” My teeth press down on my lower lip. “But I’m kinda freaked out that you’re a celebrity.”
“I’m not. At least not anymore. I left that life-”
“Why?” I interrupt him and it’s rude, but I’m so curious. I mean, I didn’t recognize the name of his band, but that song was big enough that it was instantly recognizable.
“The short story and the reason why my band mates thought I was leaving is because my girlfriend slept with a bandmate.”
“Ouch. I’m sorry.”
He waves my concern aside. “It’s fine. It sounds horrible, but it wasn’t a big deal. The term girlfriend was used very loosely back then and no real feelings were involved on any of our parts. That whole situation was merely the catalyst that made me realize just how unhappy I was.”
I scrunch closer, kissing his ear and rubbing a hand across the hard plane of his chest. “It’s hard for me to imagine getting up on a stage in front of thousands of people. That’s the stuff of nightmares for me. But you must have loved it to do it. Why were you unhappy?
“At first it was thrilling, absolutely. I love music. And the money didn’t hurt either.
” He gives me a squeeze. “Months away from home and my family got to me. I didn’t have any real friends or relationships.
I was a guy from Men on a Mission, I ceased to be me.
That’s the real reason I walked out of contract negotiations.
Though I did it in true diva style, so nobody begged for me to stay. ”
Giggling, I nip at his nipple. “You’re bad.”
“That’s not what you were saying just a little bit ago.” His dark brows waggle at me and he drops a fast wink. And I think that’s the moment it truly hits me how much the word like doesn’t cover what I feel for him.
I’m so stunned it takes me a few beats before I tune back in to the rest of what he’s saying.
“So, you see, you have nothing to worry about with me being a celebrity. I barely get recognized anymore. Now I’m simply Mr. Jeffries, the band teacher. If anyone calls out my name, it’s because I had them in class or it’s one of my students’ parents.”
That eases my mind enough that I tease, “So you don’t have leagues of women chasing you?”
His face looms closer, his breath warm on my lips. “I’m only interested in one woman, but you don’t have to chase me.”
My lips tingle as he rubs his mouth against them. His tongue snakes out to lick at the corner and that tingle shoots down directly to my clit and I grip the sheets.
“Unless you want to,” he whispers.
I can only gasp, which is answer enough, and then Bryce’s lips are crushing down on mine in a passionate kiss. When he rolls on top of me, I find his recovery time is remarkably short as the heavy weight of his cock rubs against my pussy. And so, begins round two.