Chapter 16 Keeley
Keeley
I wake up from what feels like the most incredible dream.
But Jane Mercer, sprawled out on white sheets like an angel, gorgeously writhing beneath my touch? That was all real, and I can’t believe I got this lucky. Literally. My skin tingles just thinking about it as I pull her closer, inhaling that delicious vanilla scent that has plagued me for years.
After I got her off, fucking stunningly I might add, we both fell asleep, twined together in this perfectly soft hotel bed. Still dozing, she nestles herself deeper into my side, and I press my face into her curls, breathing her in.
For so long, Jane has been my biggest what-if, and here she is, folded against me, all warm skin and lovely freckles and soft, perfect curves. If this is a dream, I never want to wake up.
I never want to lose this.
You love her, I think, and I know it’s too much, too soon.
No one falls in love in an hour. Then again, it’s not like we slept together as strangers.
I’ve known Jane for years, since she was the pretty dance team captain shaking pom-poms at every home game, and I was the gawky kid with her first (bad) queer haircut playing my snare drum on the bleachers.
I didn’t fall in love with Jane over a matter of hours.
I’ve been falling in love with her for more than a decade, and I swore I’d never do anything about it because it could threaten the band—which was really just an excuse, because I was petrified that she wouldn’t feel the same.
It never occurred to me that my feelings could be reciprocated.
I hoped, but…this feels like everything I’ve ever wanted, and I’m almost scared to believe it’s real.
She shifts on top of me, turning to look at me with sleepy, soft eyes. “Hi,” she murmurs.
“Hello yourself,” I say, my chest warming as it hits me again how lucky I am to be here with her. “How are you?”
She lets out a little sigh, snuggling in closer. “Amazing.”
“That’s good,” I say.
Her stomach rumbles, and we both laugh. Our dinner plans were long forgotten, but the chocolate-covered strawberries might still be edible.
Jane rolls off me and slips out of the sheets, pulling a shirt on before grabbing the plate from the fridge and setting it carefully on top of the covers.
I cross my legs and lean against the headboard, reaching for a berry.
She takes a bite, considering as she chews and swallows.
And then she blurts it all out. “Look, I wanted you so badly that I basically threw myself at you, but I’m not messing around.
” She stares down at the comforter, toying with a thread as she takes a bite of her strawberry.
After she’s done eating it, she continues.
“Actually I’m pretty sure I’ve been falling for you since I was a teenager, which I know is completely pathetic and I probably shouldn’t be admitting it out loud, but I just really needed you to know, because I can’t pretend anymore… ”
I almost launch myself at her, narrowly avoiding sending the plate of fruit cascading across the room. But I place a hand on her cheek, and she leans into my touch, her expression so tender and fucking beautiful I don’t even know how to handle it.
“Jane,” I say, unable to hide the grin on my face. “This isn’t casual for me, and I can’t imagine a world where it could be.”
Her eyes brighten. “Yeah?”
I shove the fruit aside and pull her closer. “You’d better believe it. Like if you want me, I am so fucking in this, it’s not even funny.”
She beams up at me, then pulls me in for a kiss that tastes like berries. “Me too.” But then she pulls back, letting out a long breath. “It’s just…”
My heart stops, but I wait for her to continue.
She bites her lip, and I resist the urge to soothe it.
“My parents don’t know I’m bi. You know they wouldn’t be cool with it—they’re hardly cool with me even being in the music industry, much less doing anything…
like this. And it’s not like I care about their approval, but I just…
all eyes are on the band with that press release, and my sister is getting married, and I don’t want to disturb the peace, and… ”
I thread her fingers in mine, and her babbling trails off. “Jane, it’s okay. We don’t have to tell anyone anything is happening. We can just figure out what this is between the two of us first, and then decide the next step when it comes.”
Her brow furrows. “Are you sure? I know you’re out and proud and I love that about you. I want to be that brave, but—”
“Jane, I’m sure,” I say, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. She has no idea how brave she already is. “I’ll follow your lead.” And I mean it. I’ll take Jane however I can have her, even if that means keeping things quiet.
Besides, we’ve both seen how vicious the media was to Valerie about her sexuality. I’m sure they’d have a field day if Jane were to come out. She deserves to do that on her own terms, not anyone else’s, if she wants to at all.
She deserves to do this for her, not me.
“Thank you,” she says, wrapping her arms around my shoulders. I pull her closer, and her gorgeous, generous tits press up against me in the most distracting of ways.
I clear my throat, pulling back. “We should…probably talk about some stuff.” Normally I would have said something sooner, but in the heat of the moment, neither of us were thinking clearly. But it’s important. “I get checked for STIs regularly, and my most recent tests came back clear.”
“I’m all clear too,” she says. “Thank you for bringing that up. I meant to, but…”
“Of course,” I say.
Then, she grins wickedly. “Is that your way of asking me to go down on you?”
My throat goes dry. “No! I mean…” I trail off as she leans over me, looking like a cat that’s just got the cream.
“Because I’d love to, if you’re up for it.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Are you kidding me? Of course I’d be up for it.”
Her eyes light with mischief. “Good. Because I’ve gotten off so many times fantasizing about burying my face between your legs.”
“Holy fucking hell, Jane,” I murmur, leaning my head back into the pillows. That dirty mouth of hers is going to make me swoon like a Victorian heroine.
She pulls away from me then, and I practically whine at her absence as she places the strawberry tray in the minifridge, then goes into the bathroom to wash her hands. Finally, she returns to the bed, still gloriously naked except for that thin T-shirt.
And I’m just lying there, stunned.
“Why are you still wearing clothes?” she asks breezily, as she gets back on the bed and shrugs out of her shirt. I gape at those perfect breasts, round and full, and my eyes trail down that lovely expanse of soft belly.
I hurry to yank off my sweater, and my jeans are down my hips in a matter of seconds. This time Jane’s eyes are widening as she drinks her fill of me. My breath catches as her eyes rove over my small breasts, my stomach, the apex of my thighs.
“Fuck, you’re bare,” she murmurs. “I wasn’t expecting…” she licks her lips, and I can’t help but smirk a little.
“Like what you see?” I ask. I have some sensory issues on top of my ADHD, and I can’t stand the feeling of hair against my underwear, but waxing has a few other perks. Like the way she’s looking at me like I’m dessert.
“I’d like you no matter what,” she says, stalking closer toward me.
Once she’s within reach, I pull her closer, relishing in the feel of her skin pressed up against mine.
Our lips brush, and I open to her, taking her tongue deep inside my mouth, overwhelmed by all of the contact between us.
Her body is warm and soft and it makes my mind spin, feeling her this close.
I know we were talking about oral, but fuck, she feels good like this too.
When her thigh slides between my legs, I gasp at the contact.
“Don’t stop.”
“I thought you wanted me to eat you out,” she murmurs.
I want that too, but this is already almost too much. “Later. This friction is perfect. Can you just…touch me?” I ask, closing my eyes, savoring the sensation of her skin.
“Yeah, I can do that for you.”
Her hand cups my cheek then. She trails her fingers down my neck, skating the edge of my breast and down the curve of my waist.
“Jane,” I beg, because I was already worked up and this teasing is too much.
“How bad do you want it?”
“So bad,” I breathe.
Then, one of her hands is on me, sliding between my thighs to my already wet pussy. I shudder at the efficient pleasure of her fingers, so lithe and confident.
She’s going to play me like a melody, and I’m going to love every fucking minute.
My breath catches as she grips my chin with her free hand, pulling me in for another kiss as she grazes my clit with her fingertips. I gasp. Something about being in bed with a very naked Jane, about remembering the cries of pleasure she made all for me before our little nap…
I’d be embarrassed if the whole thing weren’t so hot. “Oh god, Jane.”
“I can’t believe I finally get to touch you,” she murmurs.
Holy shit.
She leans her forehead against mine, pressing our bodies so close that our skin connects in nearly all the right places, legs tangling together. My eyes flutter closed as she holds on to me, just like she said she would.
I reach to touch her again, but she puts her hand on my wrist. “No, let me concentrate on you this time.” And then she’s sliding a finger inside my cunt and fuck, it’s good.
“So fucking good,” I say, widening my thighs, hooking a leg around her hip to give her better access. It’s wildly intimate, feeling her so close to me, kissing her as she fucks me with the hand between us, taking me right to the edge within minutes.
Every nerve in my body is on fire at all the delicious ways our bodies are connected.
Then she brings her free hand to my breast and squeezes.
Not hard, just firm. I groan, and she takes that as a cue to bring her mouth to press a wet kiss to my collarbone before dragging her lips down to my cleavage.
I’m already so keyed up that the moment she sucks a nipple into her mouth, I’m nearly there.
When she replaces her mouth with the pinch of her fingers, it sends me right over the edge.
“Fuck.” And then I’m crying out as fireworks fill my vision. The sensation is warm and buoyant and vibrating through my body, and all I can think is Jane, like meditating on her has taken me to a higher plane of existence.
“God, Keeley, you’re perfect,” she says, whispering into my ear before pressing a kiss beneath it. “You sound so pretty like this.”
“Jane,” I practically sob as I lose all coherent speech, unable to do anything but moan as I keep chasing the high. Even though the room is spinning, I manage to catch her lips in an indecent, searing kiss, and she sighs into my mouth as she draws the last bit of pleasure out of me.
And then the kiss turns impossibly sweet, soft and languid, like we’ve kissed a thousand times. Maybe we haven’t yet, but I hope we will someday. Because now that I’ve had Jane Mercer, I have no intention of letting her go.
Finally, we break apart, breathless and panting as we both fall onto our backs.
“That was fucking incredible,” I murmur.
“It really was,” Jane says. She twines her fingers through mine, and the innocent gesture feels so sweet and tender despite everything that just happened. Even holding her hand threatens to undo me. I’ve never wanted anyone more in my life.
“I can’t believe this is real,” I say, turning my head to look at her. It feels like admitting a secret. And as she smiles softly at me, I’m sure I’m not the only one keeping it.
“Me either,” she says, grinning cheekily. “I mean, I just had sex with critically acclaimed drummer Keeley Cunningham.”
I laugh. “And I just had sex with RECORD-award-nominated Jane Mercer.”
She lets out a giggle and pulls me closer, our bodies sliding together again, slick with sweat.
We don’t do anything more than kiss, but it feels so precious to be entwined like this now that we’ve been brave enough to take this leap.
I thought my feelings for Jane were nothing more than foolish hopes kept locked away where they could never hurt anyone, where my heart could never break.
But I’ve never been happier to be wrong.