Chapter 41
Two Years Later
Hayden
Vibrant music wafted through the air, mingling with the constant hum of chatter that was occasionally broken by giddy squeals from kids running around. Colorful tents and stalls lined the ad hoc lanes, selling everything from band merch to warm pretzels.
“It feels like yesterday when she was playing at our wedding.” Cameron nudged Elliot playfully and her wife’s face broke into a huge grin and she blushed visibly.
We strolled through the sprawling grounds of the music festival.
Cam, Elliot, and I took up the back with Taylor and Wyatt.
Reid, Mia, Alex, and Devon kept just a couple of steps ahead.
Gracie had taken charge of Mr. Michael Keaton and his little brother, Alfred, skipping around the group as we moved.
“From playing small bars and birthday parties to being one of the acts headlining Echo Groove’s annual festival,” Alex quipped, mouth full of cotton candy that Gracie had abandoned. “Who do you think will play me in Frankie’s Lifetime movie of how she shot to fame?”
Feigned groans of pain floated around the group before laughter broke out. Alex simply shook her head with a shrug, brushing off everyone’s amusement at her expense.
Then Devon turned to walk backward as she spoke to me. “I’m just happy I got an early autograph. That’s Gracie’s college tuition in the bank.”
“As if her mother being a high-paying alumni wouldn’t count for anything.” I rolled my eyes, chuckling softly.
“Hayden, look!” Taylor hooked her arm into mine and dragged me off course to the right. “It’s one of your trucks.”
“Your instincts were right, as usual,” Mia said with an impressed nod. “Just look at the line of people.”
“I guess Frankie isn’t the only one winning out here.” Wyatt smiled. “This is really something, Hayden.”
“Thanks,” I replied. “I’m just happy that people are into it.”
“Goes to show how under-served the market’s been,” Taylor added. “We didn’t have anything like this in our day.”
“Our day?” Reid jumped on Taylor’s statement without missing a beat. “I forbid that kind of talk in this circle. I’ll have you know that this is our day. Here, now, the present. Don’t make us sound like a bunch of grandmas, please.”
I nodded in agreement, ready to back her up when Alex cut me off with a glib, “Three guesses who, out of this circle, is gearing up to rage the hardest against the dying of the light.”
Our raucous laughter floated up into the electric air of the festival as we continued walking. The energy of the festival became heightened the closer we got to the stage area, and I picked out Frankie standing close to the steps leading up to the main stage.
“I see her,” I announced to the group, and started breaking away. “I’ll catch you guys out front, okay?”
“Careful.” Frankie smirked when I drew up to her. “My groupies might get scared off if they see me hanging around with the hottest woman here. Great for my ego, bad for my rep.”
I pulled her into a passionate kiss, my tongue delving into her without holding back. We were both out of breath when I finally pulled back.
“What do you think that’ll do for your rep?”
Frankie chuckled, swinging her guitar to the back so she could press up against me. “I don’t know and I don’t care, because I like what it’s doing for my…” Her gaze flickered down to the area between her legs and when she met my eyes again, her meaning was clear.
“Okay, now you’re the one who has to be careful,” I said, dropping my voice. “Keep looking at me like that and you’re going to have to withdraw from the festival due to urgent duties of a more… intimate nature.”
She clasped my hand and dragged me away from the noise.
“I don’t have to be on for another five minutes.” Her breath was warm on my lips. “What do you say we jump in the back of that sound van over there and you help me warm up?”
“Five minutes, huh? Looks like fame and fortune have skewed your perception of what it takes to satisfy your woman.”
“Not at all.” She shook her head vehemently. “Just something to shake the nerves. I’ll make it up to you once I call it a night.”
“Nerves?” I asked, my smile faltering just a little. “Babe, you were born to do this. There’s nothing to be nervous about.”
But Frankie didn’t seem convinced. I knew it was meant to be a joke, but many a truth, and all that.
“Hey.” I touched a finger to her chin so she’d look at me. “I mean it. You’re crazy talented, and the world needs to hear what you can do.”
“You really think so?” She suddenly seemed so young and vulnerable.
I nodded, wrapping my arms around her. “If I didn’t, then I wouldn’t have set up a meeting with Geoff Steyn.”
Frankie’s eyes grew large and her mouth dropped open. “Steyn? As in, head of Global Break Records? Hayden, shut up. No, don’t. You’re kidding, right?”
I gave her a quick peck on the lips to stop the flummoxed spiral spilling out of her. I loved that I could still catch her off guard like this.
“Why wouldn’t he?” I countered with a wry smile. “I sent through some of your tracks and he’s dying to hear more. Mentioned something about putting out an album.”
The elated squeal that tore out of her rang in my ears as she pulled me into a strangling hug.
“Oh, my God, Hayden, that’s incredible!”
“You’re incredible,” I said, and kissed her again.
Frankie
The city sparkled like a sea of colorful diamonds twinkling up at us where we stood on the rooftop.
“You haven’t stopped smiling,” I said, sidling up to Hayden with my arm around her waist.
She clinked her glass of champagne to mine, motioning to the Bluetooth speaker on the picnic blanket behind us. The soft melody of my newly announced number one single blended seamlessly with the night-time drone of the city.
“Surely that’s worth smiling about?” She kissed my cheek, then my jaw, to finally press her lips to mine. “I’m so proud of you.”
A self-conscious chuckle fluttered out of me. “I still can’t really believe it.”
“I can,” she replied without hesitation. “I always knew people would go crazy for your stuff.”
“I wouldn’t have any of this if it wasn’t for you.” I took her hand and led us to sit down on the blanket with the decadent spread she’d prepared for our private celebration.
“You’re the one with the guitar in your hands.” She sighed, reclining on the scatter of cushions all around. “All I did was pimp you out to the highest bidder.”
“Pimp me out?” I laughed, pouncing on her with my legs on either side of her hips. A small gasp of surprise fell from her lips, but she didn’t fight it when I gripped her wrists and pinned them above her head.
“What are you going to do about it?” Her voice was salaciously low, challenging. A challenge I wasn’t about to shy away from.
I smiled against her mouth and pushed my hand under her shirt, fingers ghosting over the bare skin of her belly.
“Let me show you,” I murmured.
Hayden moaned into my mouth, her tongue searching for mine, slow and deliberate.
She sucked in another breath the moment my fingers made contact with the stiff bud of her nipple.
I grazed over it with the lightest of touches, and Hayden writhed deliciously under me, her hips straining up to press against my core.
I gently squeezed her breast, eliciting a faint whimper from deep in her throat. I swallowed it, and deepened the kiss with a surge of desire. No amount of chart-topping singles could ever come close to the high I felt being with her this way.
I rocked my hips, rubbing myself harder against her while tugging the flimsy cup of her bra down at the same time.
Hayden’s breast broke free and I covered it with my hand, pinching her nipple between two fingers.
She arched her back, offering more of her chest to me in a silent plea that I was only too happy to answer.
“Off.” I straightened, leading by example as I ripped my t-shirt over my head.
Hayden shifted under me to do the same with hers.
The bra followed soon after, and my fumbling fingers joined the fray to make quick work of her pants and underwear, too.
Champagne and sweet treats were forgotten the instant her musk hit my nostrils.
It started an agonizing, mouthwatering ache in my jaw.
Every part of me resonated with an intense need to taste her, to have her juices spill into my mouth.
She sat up, reaching for me with her lips parted. But I pushed her back with a smile, one hand on her shoulder as I made her lie back down.
“Not yet,” I said, then placed soft kisses to her jaw and along her throat.
Hayden whined, her hands groping at me. “Frankie, I want you.”
I looked up from where I was kissing her breast, my mouth hovering just over her nipple. “What a coincidence… Because, same.”
With that, I lowered my mouth and sucked her in, closing my whole mouth around her.
Hayden moaned out loud, her fingers tangling in my hair.
I flicked my tongue over her nipple a few times, circled it, then gave it one last suck before releasing her to the cool night air.
Then I moved lower, continuing my kisses down her quivering abdomen.
I grazed my teeth along the area just above her mound, nipping and teasing before soothing the sensitive area with my warm tongue.
The sensation made Hayden shiver, and a tumble of incoherent words fluttered into the air around us.
I smiled against her skin, trailing a flurry of wet kisses from her hip all the way to her mound and back up again.
“I want your clit in my mouth,” I said, inhaling the unmistakable scent of Hayden’s arousal. I didn’t have to touch her to know that she was already dripping for me.
“Oh, God, Frankie.” Hayden shuddered, her head tossing from side to side.
I leaned down, positioning myself comfortably between her legs.
With my grip firmly on her calves to hold her in place, I peppered soft kisses on the inside of her right knee, then the left.
Then, with as much restraint as I could bear in my state of arousal, I ghosted kisses up the inside of her thigh.
Hayden moaned deliciously, tilting her hips to beckon my mouth where she wanted it most of all.
There was a shallow gasp the moment my tongue made contact, and a deep groan was torn from me as I relished the taste of her.
Lapping at her wetness that had pooled there I dragged my flat tongue from her entrance all the way up through her center.
Her clit was swollen hard and I paused long enough to flick my tongue over the pulsing nub before repeating the motion. Over and over again.
Hayden’s breathing grew heavy, and her muscles tensed under my hold. She was close. A rush of wetness coated my tongue as if confirming the fact.
I sank my face between her folds and sucked in her clit, flicking the tip of my tongue over the stiff bundle of nerves. Clutching my head with trembling desperation, Hayden cried out, her climax raking through her body with a violent shudder.
I gently released her clit, lathering her heated core with tender strokes to bring her back down. But I didn’t move from my spot between her legs. Not just yet.