Chapter 44
forty-four
HARLOW
I don’t bother hiding in the shadows this time. I’m right where Cal can see me while he’s on stage. He glances over during every song and smiles at me. His eyes stayed locked with mine for the entirety of Firecracker. I swear my heart is about to burst from all the attention he’s giving me by the end of the show. That or my panties are going to go up in flames.
The fans with backstage passes are on the other side of the stage and are slowly making their way over to an area that Nate has designated for them if they want to meet the band. I decide to join them and eavesdrop on what they talk about. Nate notices me but says nothing. I don’t think he ever says anything unless it’s barking out directions.
“Do you think they told him the wrong side of the stage? He kept looking in the opposite direction from us,” a girl with neatly curled green hair says. I’m standing behind the group, hoping no one will notice me. I don’t think I’m overly recognizable normally, but Cal has posted a few pictures of us, and these people are super fans. It would ruin my fun if they noticed me.
“He’s married,” her friend with bright blue curls tells her.
“It could just be a publicity stunt. You know, to clean up his image or something,” the green-haired one says with a hint of desperation.
I get it, girl. Callahan Griffin is a catch. A fucking hot one at that. I would be sad too.
Her friend shakes her head, making her blue curls bounce, and sighs in a way that tells me this isn’t the first time they’ve had this discussion. “Maverick is still single,” she offers.
Maverick is the most unsingle single person there is. Not that I can tell them that. It would be hard to explain. Actually, it would be impossible to explain since Mav is still waiting to find Ezra before announcing there was or is something between them.
The girls start bouncing on the balls of their feet and squealing through clenched teeth as the band makes their way over. I only have eyes for the tall one with floppy dark hair and deep brown eyes.
“Callahan is so hot!” I yell.
“He is so hot,” the green-haired girl says without turning to look at me.
“His ass is perfect!” I add, trying not to laugh.
“I want to touch it so bad!” she says. I snort and try to cover it up with a cough. Normally, women fawning over Cal make me irrationally jealous. But this is actually kind of curing me of it.
“Hi everyone. Thanks for coming out to the show,” Cal says politely. The crowd starts shouting over each other about how much they love Shattered Halo and the band members. Willa catches me in the crowd, and I quickly put a finger to my lips, begging her not to say anything. She smirks and continues signing a man’s forehead.
By the time Cal gets over to the side I’m standing on, I’m pretty convinced the green-haired girl is going to faint. I think she held her breath the entire time. Her friend was definitely here for Belle, if the nervous rambling she did when Belle signed her album was any indication.
“What’s your name?” Cal asks her, holding the headshot she handed him and waiting so he can personalize it for her.
“Her name is Ginny,” her friend answers for her, nudging her with her elbow.
“Thanks for coming to the show, Ginny,” Cal says, giving her a polite smile.
Poor Ginny squeaks, and she looks like she might be physically shaking.
“Callahan Griffin has a giant dick!” I yell, trying to distract her so she doesn’t faint. But also so Cal sees me, and I can see the look on his face. His eyes snap right to mine, and he sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Firecracker,” he mutters. “What the hell are you doing over here?”
“Nate said this is where the fans go,” I say innocently, making my way over to him. I stand in front of him and let him pull me in for a heated kiss. He’s always worked up after shows, and I reap the benefits.
“This isn’t where you go,” he says, pulling away and giving me one more kiss on the forehead.
“Hi, I’m Harlow.” I introduce myself to Ginny. “I’m Cal’s wife. Sorry.”
“Why are you sorry that you’re my wife?” Cal says, deeply offended.
“I took you off the market,” I explain.
Cal sighs again and looks to the ceiling for answers.
“Oh, uh. Thank you?” Ginny says, completely confused. She’s breathing and stopped shaking. So at least it worked.
Cal finishes signing her things and pulls me along with him while he finishes with the rest of the crowd.
“I don’t think that’s for publicity, Gin.” I hear as we walk away.
Cal nips my ear as he leads me out of the stadium they just played and into the car Nate called for him. We don’t have to leave tonight, which means the buses are staying parked, and we’re all staying in a hotel. Cora is staying overnight in Jason’s room to give us time alone.
“I’ve been so fucking hard for you since I saw you watching me on stage tonight,” Cal says, kissing the side of my neck.
“Cal,” I say, trying to push him away. “Wait until we don’t have an audience.” The driver is staring straight ahead and pretending he can’t hear anything. He definitely can though.
“Baby, I had to strap my dick down with my belt and hope my shirt covered it for the whole damn show. I can’t wait.”
“If you keep it in your pants until we get to our room, I’ll do that thing you like,” I tell him. He freezes for a minute and then sighs, leaning back into his own seat.
“Fine,” he grumbles and squeezes his eyes shut. I’m pretty sure he’s naming presidents under his breath.
It takes less than five minutes to get to the hotel, but with the way Cal hops out of the car and pulls me with him, you’d think it had been hours. He’s practically running to our room, dragging me along with him. I’m laughing so hard I’m having trouble keeping up, so he lifts me into his arms and continues to run.
“You’re ridiculous,” I tell him.
“I need you so bad, Harlow. I’m about to burst in my pants.” There isn’t a hint of humor in his voice. But there is desperation.
“Why are you so worked up?” I ask him, kissing his neck.
“I had a moment, after seeing you mixed in with the fans, where it felt like all this was a fever dream, and you weren’t really mine,” he says, smacking the key card against the reader and kicking the door open.
“I’m right here, and I’m yours,” I tell him, kissing along his jaw.
“I need to be as close to you as I can. Inside you. I need to claim you,” he says, putting me on my feet and tearing both our clothes off. He pounces on me the moment I’m naked.
He kisses me so deeply our teeth clash and our tongues fight for dominance. Cal is feral with his desire and his urgent need for me, and it’s making me feel the same way. Our hands are everywhere, grabbing and clawing.
“Please, Cal. Take me. Prove to yourself I’m yours,” I say against his hot skin as I kiss his chest right where his heart beats.
Cal groans and brings me to the bed, our chests pressed together, and my back already sticking to the sheets. He reaches down to check how wet I am and lets out a more animalistic groan.
“Always so fucking wet for me, Firecracker,” he says right before he slams himself into me. We both moan so loudly; I’m sure the rest of the hotel can hear us. “You feel so good.”
Cal’s pace is brutal, but I’m right there with him, meeting his thrusts with my hips.
“You are everything to me. Everything. Do you understand?” he says, his voice coming out in pants as he continues to work us to the edge. I meet his eyes and see a madness there that is only for me. I’m his love, his obsession.
I put my hands on his cheeks and nod. “You’re mine, Callahan,” I tell him, breaths coming just as heavy. “Mine.”
Cal claims my mouth. “Yours,” he says against my lips. He reaches down and circles my clit with his thumb. My orgasm hits me so hard and so fast; I’m screaming. “You’re fucking perfect,” Cal says in my ear as he thrusts into me one more time and yells out his release.
He kisses me slowly after that, lovingly. Pouring every ounce of his affection into each touch of his lips against mine.
“I love you so much, baby,” he says, nuzzling into my neck and hugging me against him.
“I love you too.”
“Are you okay? Was I too rough?” he asks once he catches his breath. His eyes are filled with concern as he looks up at me.
“I’m a little sore, but I loved every minute,” I tell him honestly. “I might hide with your superfans more often.”
“Harlow,” he says, frowning. “Don’t do that to me.”
I laugh. “I won’t, but you have to admit the sex was really hot.”
“Every moment with you is perfect, but this was on another level,” he concedes.
Cal kisses his way up my side to my neck and then over to my mouth. “Already?” I ask, feeling his erection where it’s pressing into my hip.
“I’m always hard around you, Firecracker,” he says, kissing me again. “But I remember you promising to do that thing I like.”
I laugh again and push him off me. “A promise is a promise,” I say, laying on my back and pushing myself until my head hangs over the edge of the bed. I open my mouth and wait. Cal groans and quickly makes his way to stand in front of me.
He slowly pushes himself into my mouth. This is the only way I can take him to the back of my throat, which makes it his favorite. I love the sounds he makes, but the position causes all the blood to go to my head, so he doesn’t get it often.
“Fuck. I love your mouth almost as much as your pussy,” Cal gasps as he hits the back of my throat. He grabs my hands and places them on his legs so I can tap out if I need to. “Ready, baby?”
I nod and mumble around his length. He pulls out enough to let me take a deep breath and then fucks my mouth. I swipe my tongue back and forth over the underside of his cock as he drives in and out.
“Fuck yes, baby. You’re so fucking good at that,” he moans. “I’m not going to last. I never last like this.”
I moan around him, getting just as turned on by this as he is. I reach across my body and rub my clit.
“Fuck, Firecracker. That’s it, baby. Does sucking my dick make you wet?”
I moan again because that’s all I can do and rub faster. I can feel Cal swelling in my mouth, so I know he’s close, and I’m right there with him.
“Come with me, baby,” Cal moans, leaning forward and pinching both my nipples. I shoot off like a grenade, practically screaming around his cock. He holds off long enough for me to stop screaming before he empties himself down my throat. He pulls out slowly and then helps me into a sitting position.
“You have utterly and completely ruined me,” I tell him, using his body to keep myself sitting.
Cal barks out a laugh and scoops me up. He places me gently on the bed and tucks me in before getting in on the other side and pulling me into his chest. I sigh in contentment, my head resting over his heart so I can hear it beating.