Chapter 14
14
MALACHI
Banging on my hotel door woke me from a deep sleep. I rolled over, grabbed my pillow, and covered my head with it. The thumping continued.
“Housekeeping!”
I didn’t answer, and there was another knock.
“Housekeeping. You want towels?” a fake female voice called out, and I knew exactly who it was.
Getting out of the king-sized bed, I sauntered to the door. Just as I was about to open it, Jesse said again in a phony voice, “Housekeeping. You?—”
I swung the door open quickly. “If you want to jerk me off, no need to pretend to be housekeeping,” I teased, referring to the scene in the movie Tommy Boy that we used to watch all the time when we were younger. It was my dad’s favorite and instantly became one of mine too.
“You’d like that, wouldn’t you?” Jesse joked back.
“Hell no.” He wasn’t the Bennett I wanted to touch my dick, anyway. “But why the fuck are you waking me up this early?”
“It’s almost noon.” He moved past me and into my room.
“And? We don’t have sound check for another couple of hours.” I closed the door and followed him.
He turned and grinned. “Yeah, well, I need your help.”
“Okay?”
“I’m going to propose to Liv tonight during the show.”
My eyes widened, and I sucked in a small breath. “No shit?”
“Been wanting to do it for a while and figured what’s better than kicking off our tour with a proposal?”
“And if she says no?” I deadpanned.
“We both know that won’t happen.”
“So, what do you need me to do?”
“This is what I’m thinking …”
As I left the bus after changing into a black sleeveless shirt and jeans after sound check, I sniffed the air and instantly smelled the mouthwatering aroma of Jasper’s cooking. I made my way to where my bandmates and the Midnight Thunder guys were gathered around two long tables set up under a canopy and piling their plates high with everything Jasper and Garrett had made for us.
Elliott was the first to dig in as we sat at the table, his face lighting up as he took a bite of the grilled chicken. “Jasper, you’ve outdone yourself, man. This is incredible.”
Jasper grinned, putting a basket of rolls on the table. “Glad you like it. Figured you’d need a good meal before the show.”
I took a bite of the chicken and held back a moan. It was fucking grilled perfectly and almost melted in my mouth.
Silas took a bite of his roasted vegetables. “Good? This is the best meal I’ve had in weeks!”
Jesse clapped Jasper on the shoulder before taking a seat next to me. “Seriously, Jasper. I’m so glad you became a chef.”
As the guys continued to praise Jasper and devour his food, I saw an opportunity as he walked away and went to the barbecue where more chicken was grilling. I quickly finished my food and hurried over to him, but as I neared, I saw he was almost frozen in place and I was instantly on high alert.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“A bee,” he breathed.
I scanned the air and spotted the bee as it buzzed near the tray of grilled chicken beside the barbecue.
“Don’t move and it will fly away.”
“What if I get stung?”
“You won’t.” I picked up the tray of chicken and moved it to the other side of the plastic table. I grabbed aluminum foil and covered it. The bee flew off. “See?”
Jasper blew out a breath. “Thank you.”
“Always.” He flipped a few pieces of chicken and then I asked playfully, “So, do you have any more secret recipes you’re hiding from us because that chicken is bomb?”
He looked up, a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Maybe a few. Why? You looking for some cooking lessons?”
“Depends,” I said, lowering my voice. “Do those lessons come with a naked chef?”
He chuckled, shaking his head. “Maybe.”
“Then I want all the private lessons.”
Just as Jasper was about to respond, the sound of heels clicking against the pavement drew our attention. Savannah walked over, her eyes flicking between Jasper and me.
“Hey, Malachi,” she greeted. “The fans are getting antsy, and we need to give them a little show, remember?”
The night before, her agent had called and told her the game plan for before the concert. She was supposed to go out and do autographs and asked me to go too to play up the boyfriend act for pictures.
I sighed, the moment with Jasper slipping away. “Right. The whole ‘happy couple’ act.”
Savannah looped her arm through mine, something I was quickly learning she did a lot of. “We’ve got to give the people what they want.”
What about what I wanted?
I glanced back at Jasper, who was now focusing intently on the grill. The playful spark in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by a shadow of disappointment. It felt as though a knife had pierced my heart because he was who I wanted and it felt as though no matter what, that would never happen. Not only because of Savannah, but also Jesse. While we’d once had a secret relationship, I wasn’t sure I wanted that again.
But I wanted him.
“Let’s get this over with,” I muttered, letting Savannah lead me to where fans had gathered.
We stepped into view of the crowd, the noise level rising as they spotted us. Savannah turned to me, a smile plastered on her face. She wrapped her arms around my neck, pulling me down for a kiss. It was rehearsed and familiar, but it lacked any genuine emotion.
Savannah and I pulled apart, and she kept her smile in place as she whispered, “Thanks for playing along.”
“Yeah,” I replied, my voice flat. “Anything for the fans.”
We signed a few autographs and then walked back to where the rest of the band was waiting. Savannah’s hand was still resting on my arm, which was unnecessary since we were now out of public view. The first thing I noticed was that Jasper was gone. I wanted to ask, but couldn’t. Instead, I forced a smile and rejoined the group.
“Let’s make this a night to remember,” Jesse said, raising his energy drink in a toast.
We all cheered and clinked our cans together, but as I raised mine, I couldn’t help but glance toward the buses, wondering where Jasper had gone and if I’d get another chance to see him before or after the show.
The roar of the crowd echoed through the theater; the fans were going nuts. We had just finished “Silver Lining,” and while our setlist stated it was time for the duet with Savannah, we had a different plan for our first show.
Sweat dripped from every part of my body as I glanced over at Jesse. He gave me a subtle nod. “All right, everyone,” I said into my mic. The crowd quieted down slightly. “We’ve got something special for you tonight.”
The audience went wild, probably assuming this was the moment Savannah was going to come out, but of course, it wasn’t.
Taking a deep breath, Jesse removed his guitar from his shoulder and handed the instrument to me. His eyes darted briefly to the front row, where Liv stood watching with a bright smile, completely unaware of what was coming next.
Nodding to the guys, I started to strum the chords of the song we’d written together a few years back, a song that had never made it to an album but was perfect for the moment. The lights dimmed, and a single spotlight focused on Jesse as he pulled his mic off the stand and sang, each word full of the love he felt for Olivia.
When he reached the chorus, the music swelled, and I could see Liv’s eyes widen in realization. Jesse walked to the edge of the stage with his gaze locked on her. She covered her mouth with her hands.
The crowd, sensing something monumental was about to happen, hushed almost entirely. He stopped singing, and the music faded out. The theater was silent. Jesse knelt at the edge of the stage and pulled out a small black box from his pocket. He opened it, revealing a stunning diamond ring that sparkled under the stage lights.
“Liv,” he started. “You are my rock, my best friend, and the love of my life. I can’t imagine spending another day without you as my wife. Will you marry me?”
For a split second, everything was still, and then she nodded vigorously, her words lost in the cheers that erupted from the crowd, but I knew she’d said yes.
With a little help from security, she was lifted onto the stage. Jesse stood, slipped the ring onto her finger, then enveloped her in his arms for a deep, passionate kiss. The fans’ roar grew louder, and I couldn’t help but grin. It was about damn time.
Jesse and Liv pulled apart, both of them beaming. He took her hand and turned back to the audience. “Toronto, she said yes!”
The crowd went wild, and we launched into the next song with Savannah coming out to join me so we could give the fans another love show.
Except ours wasn’t real.
It was late by the time we got back to the hotel. Normally we would be on the buses, heading to the next city, but our next show was less than six hours away, so we chose to spend another night in a bed bigger than the twin we had to endure on the bus.
Everyone went their separate ways, but instead of going to my room, I headed for Jasper’s. More than anything, I wanted to know why he missed the concert. I’d expected him to be in the front row next to Olivia, but he wasn’t there.
I knocked on the door, and it swung open a few seconds later. I was greeted by a bare-chested Jasper Bennett. My mouth watered as I zeroed in on his six-pack and light dusting of chest hair he didn’t have when we were younger.
He looked over his shoulder and then back at me, lowering his voice, “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to see you.”
“Garrett is sleeping.”
“Then let’s go to my room.”
“What if someone sees?”
“They’re all crashing. Well, not your brother and Olivia, I bet.” I snorted a little laugh. They were definitely fucking, and I wanted to be too.
“Yeah, I bet.” He chuckled. “But I don’t know. It’s risky.”
I dug into my pocket and handed him my key, knowing I could use the app on my phone to unlock the door. “Then wait five minutes and come.”
He closed his eyes briefly and smiled, probably thinking what I was thinking: if he joined me in my room, we were both going to come very soon.
“All right. I’ll be there in five.”
“Good.” I started to walk away but turned back. “Why didn’t you stay for the show?”
He furrowed his brow. “I did.”
“You weren’t with Olivia in the front row,” I argued.
“I was backstage with the crew.”
I nodded; that made sense. “Okay, but next show, I want you in the front row.”
“We’ll see.” He winked and shut the door.
I smirked as I walked to the elevator and hit the UP button. I was still smiling as I reached my room and went inside. Hell, I was still grinning when, not even five minutes later, my hotel door started to open.
Pulling it, I reached out and grabbed Jasper’s hand. As soon as the lock clicked behind him, we went at it like we were starved for each other. Before long, we were both naked, all our clothes scattered on the floor.
“I’ve been thinking about this for weeks,” I admitted.
“Me too,” he panted.
We fell onto the bed, kissing and caressing, both of our dicks hard as stone. I moved to straddle his leg and took one of his nipples into my mouth. His back arched as he hissed out a moan. Twirling my tongue around the peak, I looked up at him with hooded eyes. Just the sight of how much he was enjoying what I was doing to him, hit me straight in the feels. I had missed him so much and now I was going to do everything to him I had fantasized about over the years.
I kissed him once again and then trailed my lips down his hard chest, kissing a path toward his dick. At the same time, I fisted his cock, giving it a few pumps and rolling his balls in my hand.
“Fuck,” Jasper groaned.
I lifted my head and asked, “You want me to suck your big dick?”
“God, yes,” he breathed.
Without any hesitation, I engulfed his length, sucking and twirling until the tip of him hit the back of my throat. His moans spurred me on as I devoured him, tasting the first few drops of pre-cum as my tongue slid across his crown while I bobbed.
He grabbed my hand that wasn’t wrapped around his base and pulled it until my fingers grazed his lips. His mouth opened, and he sucked on my digits, matching what I was doing to his cock. My dick throbbed as I moved my hips against his leg and the tip leaked drops of my own arousal.
“You suck me better than I remember,” Jasper gasped.
I popped off his length and pumped him with my hand. “Yeah? You like this?”
“Fuck, yeah, but I want you inside of me.”
“You gonna let me fuck you bareback so I can feel all of you?”
“Yeah, I’m on PrEP. Fuck me all you want.”
I grinned, liking that idea. “I’m on it too.”
Our mouths were like magnets as we kissed again and if I wasn’t inside him soon, the hotel bed was going to be covered with my cum and not dripping from his hole like I wanted it to be.
“Roll over,” I said against his lips.
He turned, getting onto his stomach.
“You know what I’ve wanted to do but never got the chance?” I asked as I kissed down his back.
“What’s that?” He looked over his shoulder at me.
I grabbed his ass, spreading his cheeks and diving in with my tongue.
“Oh god,” he growled and planted his face into the comforter.
I hummed a response as I swirled his puckered rim, eating him like he was my last meal.
Jasper’s hips rocked against the mattress, his pants and groans making me not want to wait any longer.
I hurried off the bed, got the lube, and popped the cap in a flash. Squirting it onto my palm, I coated my dick with the thick liquid and then returned to my place between his legs. Taking the bottle, I held it above his perfect ass and poured it into his crack, watching it run down and over the rosebud that was waiting to be filled.
“I can’t wait to see my cum leaking out of you.”
“Then fuck me already, Malachi.”
“Fuck, I love it when you’re demanding.”
I lined up behind him as he lifted his ass into the air and then spread the lube around his hole and slipped a finger inside. Jasper moaned, his hips jerking forward, and he was tighter than I thought he’d be. He was going to feel so fucking good.
Adding another finger, I stretched him some more before I nudged my tip against his opening.
“I’ve never fucked anyone bare before,” I admitted, feeling him squeeze the head of my cock. It was the truth. While I was on the medication to keep me healthy since I had been known to fuck a lot, I never went without a condom. Not until now. Not until him .
“I never have either,” he responded.
I leaned forward and took his lips again, my dick sliding in a little further. “I love having firsts with you.”
“Me too,” he moaned against my lips and then gasped as I filled him completely.
“Jesus Christ, Jasper. I missed watching my dick slide into you.”
I tried to go slow, rocking a little as I made sure to hit the spot that felt so good. But with each drive, my body screamed at me to go harder. To pound into him while he held on for dear life. And that was what I did.
I grabbed his hips and drove into him, making the bed squeak and hit the wall with each thrust. We were both moaning and groaning, and I didn’t care if Savannah—whose room was on the other side of the wall—could hear us. All I cared about was finally being with Jasper Bennett again. If I had my way, it wasn’t going to be the only time.
As we got closer to coming, I wanted to watch his face as he exploded with me inside of him.
As if he was thinking the same thing, he turned onto his back when I slid out of him. We stared at each other as he widened his legs and I sank into him.
I tried to fuck him slowly again, taking his mouth with mine, but instead, he grabbed my ass and urged me to go faster. I did, rocking into him over and over. I saw his hand wrap around his dick and start to pump himself.
Grabbing his leg, I draped it over my shoulder so I could go deeper. His head tilted back on a moan as he continued to fuck his fist.
“I’m close,” I said.
“I’m almost there too.”
He was closer than I thought because not even a minute later, ropes of cum squirted from his cock and onto his stomach.
“Fuck,” I groaned, moving faster and chasing him. With only a few more thrusts, my balls drew up, and I unloaded into him.
Once I was spent, I slid out of him, watching my cum run down between his cheeks like I wanted. It was a sight I was going to remember while in my bunk on the tour bus when everyone else was sleeping and all I could do was think about my best friend’s brother on the bus behind ours.
Since I hadn’t gotten to taste all of him, I licked his jizz off his abs as I kissed my way up to his mouth. He didn’t hesitate to open for me. After a few moments, I got up and grabbed a few tissues for him to clean up with. I was worried that if he got out of the bed, he would leave and I wasn’t ready for him to go back to his room.
“Remember the first time we were in a hotel together?” I asked as I slid next to him on my side facing him.
“How could I forget? It was my first time having sex.”
“Mine too, with a guy.”
“I remember.”
I lightly grazed the crescent tattoo on his wrist with my finger. “How are you liking life on the road so far?”
“A lot better than I expected.”
“What do you mean?” My brow furrowed.
“Nothing.” He turned his head to look at the wall next to us.
“Did you think you weren’t going to like the job?” I wondered.
“No, I knew I’d like that part.”
“Then what was it?”
Letting out a deep sigh, he looked back at me. “I was afraid of seeing you again.”
I balked slightly. “You were? Why?”
He shrugged but didn’t answer.
“C’mon, you can’t say that and then not explain.”
“You really want to know?”
“Of course.”
“Because seeing you had the potential to make me fall in love with you again.”
“Again?”
He nodded, and my breath caught. He had been in love with me? Back then, I thought I only had love for him, but after winning The Band Showdown and knowing he was going to Paris, I had realized I was missing him because I was in love with him. I’d tried to fight my feelings and tell myself it wasn’t true, but I found over the years that when I wrote songs, most of the lyrics were about him.
He continued. “I knew back then what we had could never be more than a secret relationship, but that didn’t stop me from falling in love with you.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to tell him I was in love with him too, but instead, I sealed my lips against his and got in another round before he had to go back to his room so no one caught him sneaking out of mine.