5. Silver
Chapter five
Silver
"You'll be safe here," Dane says, unlocking the front door to the little one-room cabin and gesturing for me to go in first.
He flicks on a lamp by the armchair—the only light in the place, as far as I can tell—and the room fills with a soft glow. The cabin consists of a tiny kitchenette, a cushy armchair, and one bed.
"It's cozy," I say, glancing at Dane.
He’s staring at the bed. His gaze shifts to me, then immediately bounces away as we walk inside.
"Are you sure we can't go back to the hotel?" I ask.
Dane shakes his head. He won't tell me anything about the threat at the concert, only saying he'll give me more details when he gets the all-clear. Whatever it is, it has him rattled.
I nod, licking my lips as I try not to think about having to share this itty-bitty space with him tonight.
I'm not worried. The threat he's freaked out about wasn't aimed at me.
And I've never felt safer than I do with Dane.
He can “ma'am” me all he wants, but I know without a shadow of a doubt that this man cares about my safety.
"How did the paparazzi know we'd be in the alley?" Dane asks. He's been muttering about it since we got out of there.
I grimace, having put two and two together on our drive to the middle of nowhere. "I'm pretty sure that was Alice's doing. She wouldn't come with us, so I think she probably tipped them off, wanting to capitalize on whatever drama is about to come out of the event."
Dane curses and rolls his eyes. "We’re going to talk to her about that little stunt. If I say it's an emergency, she is not calling a press conference."
I know I should be listening to him, but all I can focus on is that one little word.
We.
Over these past few days, my entire being—body, heart, and soul—has been screaming at me not to let him go this time. Every single glance my way makes me want to rip off my clothes and hand myself over on a silver platter.
What the hell is going on with me? I sing about love lost and strong women who survive heartbreak, but the longer we spend together, the more I want to ride him like my favorite horse.
And it's not just physical. I want to bake him a pie and have his babies too—and I've never made a pie or thought about kids before.
My heart races and my body heats with desire as I think about what tonight could mean for me. For us.
Dane sets my bag on the bed and turns to me. "I'll take the chair. Let's get some sleep."
The bubble bursts.
I've done as much as I can to entice him, stopping short of full-on sexual harassment, though I'm skirting that line too. I'm terrified to tell him how I feel because whatever we shared back in Fox Falls is over—at least on his end.
Dane Hunter is done with me.
I stomp to the bed, grab my bag, and head into the tiny bathroom.
Once inside, I realize I don't have many toiletries.
I splash cold water on my face and sit on the toilet lid, allowing myself a minute to clear my head.
After eight deep breaths, I dig through my bag to figure out what I'm working with.
Aha! I have the T-shirt I wore between my set and the song with Gia.
Gia. Holy shit. I was on stage performing with one of the biggest superstars in the world tonight.
I shake my head, willing my heart to calm down.
I have no idea if the adrenaline pumping through my body is from the rush of performing on stage or because the man of my dreams is right behind this door.
I'm never going to sleep tonight, and the only other non-sleeping activity I'm interested in is completely off the table.
I slide my bra straps down my arms, freeing the girls for the evening, then slip the soft white cotton shirt over my head.
I was wearing a dress, so my lucky black lace panties with the pink hearts will have to do for pajama bottoms. They make my ass look amazing, and I've also had some of the best concerts of my life wearing them.
A quick glance in the mirror, and I realize going braless in this fabric leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination.
Screw it. Eat your heart out, Dane.
I fling the bathroom door open wide to find him sitting in the chair facing me. He’s removed his jacket, and his shirt is partially unbuttoned. His hair is a little tousled, making me want to run my hands through it. Is he planning to sleep sitting up rather than lie next to me?
I drop my bag next to the bathroom door. "We can share the bed."
Dane's eyes travel the full length of my body, pausing for a long moment on my chest before flicking to my face. My nipples harden in response, and my heart squeezes. Butterflies erupt in my belly from the heat in his eyes.
"Get some sleep," Dane growls, flicking the switch on the lamp and pulling out his phone.
I clench my jaw. I refuse to make a fool of myself by begging him to touch me.
The duvet looks like it’s seen better days, so I fold it and place it at the foot of the bed. The small cabin is warm, so I climb on top of the sheets and turn my back to the brooding bodyguard I can't stop thinking about.
"I'm sorry I ruined your moment." Dane's voice cuts through the silence.
I turn to face him. "You didn't."
Our eyes lock, his face illuminated by the glow of his phone. This time, he doesn't look away. Neither do I.
Dane slowly stands and walks toward the bed.
I roll onto my back and pat the mattress. "Worried I'm going to bite?" I tease when he doesn't move.
A smile ghosts his lips, but it might just be the shadows playing tricks on me. He kicks off his shoes and climbs onto the bed, lying beside me. We both stare at the ceiling.
"You know, I never wanted this," I say softly, wanting to tell him something important, to explain why I ran all those weeks ago.
"You never wanted what?" He doesn't look at me, but his arm brushes mine, and his fingers flutter against my hand as we lie side by side.
I slide my hand into his, fully expecting him to pull away, but he cups his massive paw around my fingers, and my entire body calms.
"You never wanted what?" he asks again softly.
"To need you." I cringe, realizing how that sounds.
Dane removes any chance for clarification as he releases my hand. Damn it.
"Yeah, you've made that clear." His voice is strained, and I can hear the hurt in it.
"Not you personally." I swallow, worried that if I say this next part out loud, the career I've been building for the last decade will go up in smoke.
But screw superstition. I want him to know.
"I didn't want the fame."
Dane shifts his body toward me, and I glance at him, meeting his eyes. "I wanted to share my music with the world. I didn't realize it would be like this."
I turn toward him in bed, stopping myself from touching him. Dane's gaze bounces between my eyes and mouth. I lick my lips, needing to continue but desperately wanting to kiss this man.
"Sometimes I think I should have become a first-grade teacher like I planned before everything took off. Maybe I'd have a few babies by now and a husband who thinks the world revolves around me. I don't know."
Dane pauses so long that I decide he isn't going to respond, but then his deep voice fills the short space between us. "There's nothing that says you can't have that, Silver."
I shake my head, turning onto my back. I'm terrified to reveal what I'm thinking, but it's like the floodgates have opened, and it all comes spilling out in a rush.
"I'm terrified to drag anybody else into the spotlight with me.
I don't like having to worry about what the internet is going to think about everything I do—to hear how I'm selling out, or rising too fast, or my music isn't what it used to be when they've barely heard it yet. "
I bite my lip, trying to hold back tears. "I want to keep the people I love out of the mess, because I know this isn't a real life for anybody."
I hear a growl, but I don't expect Dane to move so fast, which explains why I freeze in place as he slides on top of me. He pins me to the bed with his massive body, a move that should make me panic or want to flee. Instead, I wrap my legs around him like we've done this a thousand times.
"What gives you the right to make that decision for the people who love you?" Dane's face is a hair's breadth away from mine, his massive bulge pressed against my core in the perfect spot. "Some people are going to love you so much, they would follow you to the ends of the Earth if you asked them."
My heart soars, realizing what he's saying faster than my brain can process the information.
My senses are in information overload. I couldn't move my hips if I wanted to, and the fact that he's large enough to manhandle my curvy ass has my panties soaked.
Can he feel that? Oh my god. My chest heaves, and my heart races.
I love the delicious weight of him on top of me.
I open my mouth to respond, and he slams his mouth onto mine.
It's exactly like the first time—lightning and fireworks—the whole shebang.
His tongue presses against the seam of my lips, demanding I let him inside, and I open willingly, desperate to taste him.
His tongue slides over mine, slow and sensual, like he's mimicking what he'd like to do to the rest of my body.
I whimper as a rush of desire reveals exactly how I feel about this turn of events.
"Tell me to stop." Dane pulls back suddenly, gazing deeply into my eyes. I stare at him in desperate confusion. "Once I have you, I’ll never let you go again, Silver. If you don't want more than sex, tell me to stop."
"Don't you dare," I pant, hearing everything he's saying.
"Silver—"
"I hear you, Dane. I do not want to stop." I lift my head to capture his mouth with mine.
We kiss like we need each other to live. His tongue glides along mine, and it's like he's using it a hell of a lot lower. My core throbs with need for this man, and I moan into his mouth as I squeeze my thighs tighter around his waist to relieve the building tension.
Dane's hand kneads my breast through my shirt, plucking my nipple as it hardens to a stiff peak.
He breaks our kiss, dipping his head to suck my nipple into his mouth straight through the material of my t-shirt.
I moan loudly as he laves at it, rolling my hips to get friction where I need it most. He comes off my nipple and turns his attention to the other one.
I slide my hands over his strong back, pulling at his shirt to feel his skin. He reaches behind his neck, tugging it off in a one-handed move I've only read about in books. Then my hands are on the waistband of his slacks as I try to pull them open by sheer force.
"Silver," Dane breathes out, one large hand on mine as he stills my progress. "If you run out on me again..." He shakes his head, and the pain in his voice is enough to break my heart.
"I'm sorry," I whisper. "I’ll never do that again. I promise."
He stares at me for a long time, searching my eyes for the truth of my words. He obviously finds what he needs because he slides down the bed and between my legs. His fingers hook into my panties, pulling them down and sliding them over each ankle before shoving them into his pocket.
"Are you saving those for later?" I ask, watching him between my thighs.
He glances up at me. "In case you run again. I need to be able to pick up your scent."
Did Dane make a joke? I thought he was sexy before, but he just took it up a notch.
Before I can reply, his tongue spears through my folds, robbing me of words. I moan loudly as he licks me from front to back. He doesn't just taste me; he devours me, licking and biting and sucking like he’ll never get enough.
"Pure fucking honey," Dane growls as he dips his tongue into my entrance.
I grab his hair. "Right there... oh God, yes... fuuuuck..." I pant and moan, rolling my hips to ride his face as he hits multiple sweet spots that bring me right to the edge. Every nerve in my body is singing with need for the man between my thighs, and he seems only too happy to oblige.
Dane mumbles sweet, intimate promises against my core. I grip the sheets as my release barrels toward me. He inserts a thick finger inside me, teasing some perfect spot that has me seeing stars.
"Come for me, baby."
His command is exactly what I need. I fall apart, my legs shaking, my entire body throbbing with release as I scream his name along with a string of gibberish.
My core continues to flutter through the aftershocks as I stare at the love of my life, who is still swiping me with his tongue like a lazy cat.
"I need to make you mine, Silver."