Chapter 36 – Lumen #2
“Me too,” Riser says, nodding. His curls fall over his forehead, and he shoves them back.
“That was all Malcolm,” I say, gesturing at him with both hands.
“Nah.” Mal throws a sweaty arm around my shoulders. “I can’t take credit for what it became.”
My face heats. “Without what you had, I never could have tweaked it. I wouldn’t have come up with anything like that, but I do want to give it a go at creating something just for you guys. I mean, if you’re up for it. You don’t have to take it, if you don’t like it.”
A horrible thought crosses my mind.
Malcolm and I both worked on “When The Time Comes,” so it only makes sense that he could negotiate to ensure it goes to Liminal. However, anything I write on my own, I have to offer to the label.
I blurt all of that out, shaking my head. “Maybe I signed that contract prematurely?”
“Nah, don’t stress,” Kincaid says. “Hawthorne knows what he’s doing. You could negotiate a clause that says who you want the song to go to. If they don’t agree, you can always walk and sell the song directly to us.”
“Right,” I whisper, feeling like an idiot. “Sorry, I’m still really new to how all this works.”
“Don’t stress, baby doll,” Malcolm says, kissing my temple. “We’ve got your back.”
Maybe I’m naive, but it really feels like they do.
The second show in Wilmington is killer.
Liminal’s greenroom is busy, but the energy is on point.
Tennyson cuts up lines, and everyone takes a turn before the guys except Riser head to the shower.
Wren lies across one of the chairs, appearing bored. At least she no longer looks like she’s about to hurl at any moment.
I take the opportunity to text my dad. I hate talking on the phone, but I have checked in with him a few times. He didn’t say much when I told him Theo and I broke up, which is why I opted to break the news via text.
I grimace when I realize what time it is, but I assume he’ll respond in the morning. Dropping my phone on my lap, I snuggle closer to Riser.
“Are you not showering tonight?”
“I can smell myself.” He chuckles. “I don’t want to waste the water on the bus, so I’m going to hang out until the others leave for the meet and greet.”
“Oh.”
“I told you, no one misses the drummer. I figured we could skip the after-party tonight. Once everyone heads out, I’ll shower, and we can sneak off to the bus.”
My teeth dig into my lower lip.
Jesus.
Where have men like him been my entire life?
I push myself up and roll over onto his lap. I’m not the most graceful, but I end up kneeling over him.
His snake bite piercings move with his face as he smiles like he has no idea what’s happening, but he still digs it.
“Hey,” he says, sounding amused.
“Will you sleep with me in the big bed tonight?”
His curls bounce as he bobs his head, sliding his hand down to cradle my ass.
“I would love to.” He moves closer, and I stretch up even farther on my knees to meet him in the middle.
His lips are plush and warm, and his stubble pokes against my skin. It’s a delicious dichotomy. He weaves his long fingers into my hair, and I whimper against his lips, opening for him as he deepens the kiss.
Every swirl of his tongue around mine intensifies the link between us.
I’ve never had the kind of emotional connection that I have with Riser.
It sounds so cheesy, even as I think it, but it feels like our souls know each other from some other place and time.
Like they recognize each other on some deeper level.
He’s safe and comforting, but also dangerous to my self-control.
It’s bad to be turned on…
Unfortunately for me, Riser is far too good at kissing me senseless.
I grind over his lap as my nipples tighten.
Dammit.
I have the worst luck.
Mother nature hates me.
Everyone leaves for the meet and greet, and I debate how brave I am. Under normal circumstances, I’m pretty confident in my body, but this relationship is still brand new.
No.
This is not a relationship.
It’s a friends-with-benefits, casual type of situation.
Wow.
That was a lot of words to avoid admitting that I’m emotionally attached to Riser.
He’s still an alpha, and I’m still not an omega. It’s like I want to break my heart all over again, but I guess I’m a glutton for punishment.
He’s worth it.
All it takes is remembering how hard he was under me as we kissed, and I’m opening the door and letting myself into the bathroom Riser is currently showering in.
It was easy to find him, since this one is the only one with running water coming from it, but I’m lucky that he didn’t lock the door.
His dirty clothes are on the floor in a pile by the sink, while his fresh clothes are folded neatly on the countertop.
I drop the mini purse that I brought with me next to his clothes and quickly get undressed.
This is a good surprise, right?
Not creepy.
Nah, it’s sexy.
Even if my vagina is broken, I can rock his world with my mouth. I tiptoe over to the shower curtain, contemplating whether I should give him a warning or let myself in.
I don’t want to scare him and have him bust his ass in the shower. “Riser, it’s me. Can I come in?”
“What’s wrong?” he asks, pulling back the curtain. His jaw falls, and his eyes darken simultaneously.
I’m guessing he thought I was asking if I could come into the bathroom rather than the shower.
“Jesus Christ, Lumen.” He licks his lips as his eyes rake from my face down to my toes. “Come in. You’ve got to be cold.”
Though I’m not cold in the slightest, I am greedy to see more of him.
He pulls the curtain back even farther.
The water is hot, but not unbearable as I step in on the side closest to the showerhead.
Riser’s hair is wet, sticking to his forehead adorably. He’s covered in dark tattoos that follow the lines and curves of his body, and I want to lick them all.
His cock is fully hard, like maybe he was jerking off before I let myself in.
It’s time to just go for it.
My hands land on his chest, and I shove his back against the wall, stretching up to kiss him at the same time my palm wraps around his length.
“Fuck,” he growls against my lips, digging his fingers into my ass.
It’s physically so much easier to kiss him than it is Malcolm or Kincaid. Those few inches in height make all the difference in easily being able to get our mouths to meet while feeling stable.
His shaft ends up trapped between us, and the shower spray makes it easy to work him over. My breasts press against his chest, and I get a killer thrill as he jumps in my hold.
He’s not circumcised, which I guessed the night I jerked him off while Mal fingered me into oblivion. I’ve never been with a guy who was uncut, but I’m down to learn as we go.
Riser captures my lower lip and rolls his tongue around it before pulling back to breathe.
“This is a pleasant surprise.” He smirks, and I ache to climb him. His dark eyes are so intense that it makes me shiver, and I melt into him even farther.
“Good.” I grin, dragging my tits down his body. “I don’t have any experience with uncircumcised cocks, so please feel free to educate me.” My free hand lands on his hip to steady myself as I squat down. I would kneel, but the floor is rough, unforgiving tile.
I guess I’ll be putting my muscles to the test.