Chapter Thirty. Luna
Chapter Thirty
Luna
The last night of the European tour, Ashley helps me throw an epic wrap night party for my crew.
We hire out the Box in Soho from midnight on, I rent limousines to take everyone there from the hotel, and as soon as the show wraps, everyone goes back to the hotel to shower and change for the night.
I invited Riley to get ready with me, and as a surprise for her, I had my stylist send over some outfits for her to choose from.
When I hear her knock, I run to the door, still in my bathrobe.
I open it and can’t stop my smile from spreading across my face, until I’m sure it’s so wide that it looks ridiculous.
Riley is in a white sundress and Birkenstocks, and I love that she’s completely prepared to wear that to the most exclusive nightclub in London.
I think about how I present myself constantly, and whenever I see how effortless it is for Riley to be herself, it makes me want to strive to be just a bit more like that.
Riley holds up a bottle of Veuve. “Congratulations,” she says as she follows me back into the room.
I take the bottle and put it in an ice bucket, then turn back to her and pull her to me for a kiss.
Without my heels we’re closer in height, but she still stands on her tiptoes to reach me better, and when she gets off-balance, I hold her tight.
Her lips are soft and faintly sticky with lip gloss, and she smells fresh from the shower, her hair still slightly wet to the touch on the bottom layers as I run my fingers through it.
“Thank you. I missed you the past few days,” I say when we break apart. “I’m looking forward to having time together to just be us.”
“I—Me too,” Riley agrees. She squeezes my hand. “But I understand you have a lot going on. I want to be here for you.”
“Thank you,” I say, and kiss her. “You’re amazing. And I love looking out and seeing you in the tent.”
“Well, the shows were amazing. I feel like somehow they get better every night.”
“They probably do,” I laugh. “Practice makes perfect, right?” I’ve enjoyed performing the past few nights without Hudson joining me.
I thought at first the fans might be disappointed, but it’s been validating to realize that they really are here for me.
Everything has happened so fast that sometimes it can feel like a fluke.
Riley pops the champagne and pours us two glasses to cheers with, and as soon as we’ve taken the first sip I lead her over to the extra rack of clothes in my room.
“I have a surprise for you!” I say excitedly.
“These clothes are for you for tonight, just in case you want to change things up. I had my stylist pick a few different options. And if you don’t want to wear them, it’s totally okay.
I think you already look amazing. But I knew you probably hadn’t packed for this and I wanted to surprise you.
I made sure she pulled things that reminded me of your style too.
” I didn’t want to just offer her my clothes, because I know Riley has her own style, all her denim shorts and T-shirts, loose linen sets, and more shorts and pants and structured pieces than I wear. I want her to know that I see her.
“Oh my god, this is amazing,” Riley says as she takes in the clothes. She grabs my hand and squeezes it. “Thank you.”
“If you like them all, they’re yours,” I add. Typically clothes from a stylist are just loaners, like most of mine this tour are, unless I choose to buy a piece. But I didn’t want Riley to have to give these back if she liked them. “Fashion show?”
I sit on the bed and sip champagne as Riley tries on the first outfit.
It’s similar to her linen shorts sets but is made of black silk, and the top is dangerously open, threatening to let her breasts spill out.
It’s paired with black heels, and she looks amazing in it.
“Wow,” I say as she walks over and kisses me.
I run my hands over the smooth silk, fingering the opening where I can see the curve of her breasts peeking out.
“This is dangerous. We may never leave this hotel room.”
“I love it,” Riley admits. “It’s so … me. Maybe I should just wear this.”
“What? No, try them all! If they’re all this hot, I need to see you in them.”
Usually trying on clothes is a dull affair that I’m trying to just get through.
No one is exclaiming over how I look, and it doesn’t feel like a fun fashion show like it did when I came back from the mall as a child or when I worked with a stylist for the first time and my mom oohed and ahhed over everything.
But now I wonder if I’ve just been doing it wrong, because as I watch Riley unbutton the shirt and let her bare breasts spill out of it as she changes into the next superhot outfit, I think this is possibly the best thing we could be doing right now.
The next outfit is a take on a little black dress, but with a cut-out panel with corset bone detailing over her entire midsection. The black fabric only barely covers her chest, and being able to see the soft curve of the bottom of her breasts has my heart pounding.
“This one may be too much,” Riley says skeptically. “I’ve never worn anything this … revealing. I think it’s somehow even more revealing than my bikini.”
“Can I at least see it up close before you take it off?” I beg.
She walks over to me and stands between my legs as I trace my fingers over her so, so gently, like she may disappear if I press too hard.
“I personally think this dress looks amazing,” I say firmly.
“In fact, I say show more skin. Show all the skin.” I tug on the top a bit, but true to the expensive price tag, the dress is nicely made and doesn’t budge. “Can I take it off?”
“I still have three more outfits to try,” Riley whispers.
“And I’ll help you undress for the next one,” I murmur.
She nods, and I can’t believe I’m just allowed to touch her like this.
That I get to pull her to me and kiss her, on her mouth, then travel all the way down to the neckline of the dress and pull down the zipper and watch her spill out and suck on her nipples until she gasps.
It’s the first time I’ve actually wanted to touch someone like this, like I’m desperate for even the tiniest bit of their skin on mine.
Riley kicks off her shoes, and I gently push her back onto the bed and guide her dress the rest of the way off.
I’m still in my robe, but I let it drop to the floor and I stand in front of her, totally exposed, and she reaches out for me.
I lower myself over her and kiss her and kiss her, running my hands all over her, until eventually I’m so close to running a finger over her clit that she’s straining toward me.
But instead I pull my hands away and start kissing my way toward it.
I’m nervous. I’ve never done this before, and she was so perfect at it. What if I’m horrible at it? “Are you sure?” Riley whispers. “I don’t want to rush us.” I can hear the want in her voice and I love this. I love how desperate I make her.
“I want to,” I say into her thigh, looking up at her with clear eyes. “Just … tell me if I should do something differently. Guide me.”
And then I start sucking on her, gently licking and sucking and swirling around her with my tongue. After a few minutes of this she’s gasping. “Put your fingers inside me,” she says breathlessly.
I tease one finger in, then a second, pushing in and out and twisting a bit toward where I know that bundle of nerves is inside me as I continue working my tongue over her.
I can tell she’s enjoying it, so I don’t change anything.
I just keep going and going until suddenly I feel her tensing and then she comes around me, and feeling her give herself over into pleasure I brought her is so incredible.
It’s so hot. It’s like nothing else I’ve ever felt while being intimate with someone before.
Riley pulls me up to her and kisses me. “Are you sure you haven’t done that before?” she murmurs between kisses. “Because you’re really fucking good at it.”
“I’m sure,” I say into her. I could kiss her like this forever, but after a moment she starts working her way down my body.
She goes down on me gently, probably feeling how turned on I am already from making her come.
With her hands she fingers my nipples, while she keeps working me with her mouth, pulling my nipples tighter and tighter as my breathing comes faster.
It’s so much that it almost feels like too much but is somehow perfect.
She pinches my nipples harder and suddenly I’m coming, and it’s happened so quickly that I’m shocked, because usually it takes me so long.
Usually it’s something I can only do alone, while the guy is in the shower or after he leaves.
But I love sharing this moment with Riley.
She pulls me up to her after and I rest my head on her soft chest. “Remind me to shop for you more often,” I mumble.
“Remind me to get ready with you more often,” she teases. “This is way better than doing my makeup alone in my room.”
I glance at the clock behind Riley on the nightstand. “I wish we could just stay here. But I really should go to my own party.”
Riley pulls me tighter to her. “I don’t ever want to leave this spot. You’re so comfy.”
I hold her tightly for one last moment, then slowly extricate myself. “I haven’t even curled my hair yet. I’m going to speed through my makeup routine while you pick your outfit.”
I put my robe back on and head into the bathroom, where I rush to do my hair and makeup.
I’m wearing an intricately beaded dress that Annie’s Ibiza sent over and I fell in love with.
It’s a minidress, which is perfect for going out, and it pairs well with all of Riley’s outfit options.
When I finally am dressed, in my heels and full makeup, Riley has settled on what may just be my favorite outfit she’s ever worn.
She’s wearing forest-green tuxedo pants and a crop top composed of tons of small round clear disks that have different herbs pressed inside them, and they form a very loose mesh of a shirt, under which I can see the swell of her chest.
“Wow,” I say, stopping in my tracks. “Just … wow.”
“It’s too much,” Riley says immediately. Her hair has dried now and is loose around her shoulders, and she looks stunningly beautiful. I don’t think I could pull off this outfit like she does; it’s so unique, but also so her.
“It’s not. I love it.” I love you, I think, but I don’t say it aloud. “Can I do your mascara?”
She hands me the wand that was already out, and I guide her to the desk chair.
She sits in it, and instead of standing above her and leaning down, I sit in her lap as I do it, straddling her.
“Please wear this outfit,” I say as I give her the finishing touches.
“You look like some sort of herbal goddess.”
She blushes. “I guess I have to wear it, then.”
We’re so late, we’ve missed all of the group limos by now, so when we go downstairs, we get into my private car.
When we arrive at the Box, there are paparazzi waiting for us.
This time I’m on the side closest to the street, so I get out first and hold the door open and offer Riley a hand.
She takes it and steps out of the car, and I lead her inside as the cameras snap photos of us.
We walk up the winding staircase, which is illuminated with a red glow, and into the club.
The room is ornate, with balconies and velvet-covered couches and a stage.
Usually this is one of the toughest spots to get a table, and then the table costs thousands of dollars, and I’m gratified to see that my team is enjoying being able to come here for free.
The regular performers are here too, so there’s a drag queen swinging from a balcony, a burlesque dancer on a pole, and performers on the stage doing truly mind-boggling acrobatic stunts.
As Riley takes it all in, I start thanking people for coming and for making the tour so brilliant.
My dancers, musicians, stagehands, and even the truck drivers do so much for me every day.
It’s nice to see them letting loose. I make my way to the bar and grab us drinks, just in time for a live band to take the stage.
They start playing while the Box dancers who are around the room head to the stage and continue performing there.
I take our drinks back to Riley, who’s in the center of the room dancing, and kiss her and wrap an arm around her. Riley looks up at me, surprised. “It’s a private club,” I say into her ear. “And I rented it out. No one on my team will take pictures of us.”
She nods, not even trying to yell over the music, and nestles into me.
As we dance there with everyone, it feels so good to not be hiding, even if basically none of this happened on our terms. And it’s a relief not to be standing alone at the bar while a guy who’s only pretending to like me networks.
I set my drink down on a table so I can have my hands free, and pull Riley to me while we dance to the music.
I can’t keep my hands off her, and this feels like the type of moment I’ve spent my whole life searching for.
My career is at a high, I’m writing again, I’m Grammy nominated, the tour is crushing it.
And more than that, I finally, finally have found someone who I genuinely care for, who actually likes me back. I hold Riley close and don’t let go.