Chapter 18
CONOR
Jaysus, Mary, and Joseph. I nearly dropped to my knees. Of all the people who had to sneak onto this bus while Noelle and I were upstairs nackerball naked, it had to be Ashley Fucking Bennett.
Noelle had dug her fingernails in my back, and while that got me horny while we were fucking, it hurt like hell right now. Then she made matters worse by pinching my arm.
Was that supposed to be her way of verifying if I heard everything Ashley said? I cranked my head over my shoulder and nodded.
Noelle breathed into my ear, “How did she get the key to release the hydraulic button?”
We were trapped in the top deck starkers while Ashley and Tomo had a leisurely conversation downstairs and that’s what concerned her?
I ran my finger across my neck to get her to stop whispering. Noises carried in these buses.
She pressed a hand over her mouth as if she didn’t trust herself.
My nose started tingling with a sneeze, and I pinched my nostrils. The sneeze came anyway, sounding more like a honk, but luckily someone shut the doors to the bus at the same time, drowning out my snort. Noelle punched me in the back anyway.
Tomo said, “Those pictures aren’t gonna do much damage now that the narrative has changed. Who could blame you for getting a little something on the side while your popstar boyfriend is cheating on you?”
“Well, I don’t want it to look like I moved on that fast. I want to revel in it a little longer. Soak in the sympathy.”
Someone smacked something. Both Noelle and I jerked, and she almost slid off my back. I reached around and grabbed her—right between the legs.
She squeaked, and we froze, my hand still clutching her wet...
Ashley didn’t seem to hear because she continued. “But who took that picture, and why’d they send it to me?”
We both relaxed, and I slid my hand down Noelle’s thigh.
“Don’t sweat it, bruh.”
“I’m not your bruh, your bro, or you dude.”
Sloppy kissing noises had me rolling my eyes at Noelle, who had to stifle a giggle with her hand over her mouth.
Tomo growled. “That’s right. You’re my hot mama, and I love the way you grind on me.”
Tomo sang that last part, but Ashley didn’t seem to appreciate his efforts.
“Don’t call me that either. I’m only five years older than you.
“Umm. I think it’s seven.”
Noelle pressed her nose into my shaking shoulders, baring her teeth against my skin.
“Shut up, Tomo. You should be thinking about catching this snitch. Hey, let’s search Jade’s shit upstairs.”
At the heavy footfall on the step below, Noelle grabbed my arm like a vise.
Tomo said, “That’s not cool, Ashley. Any pics she took are on her phone, anyway. We’re not going to find any evidence. Wouldn’t mind fucking in one of those little bunks though.”
A rush of adrenaline coursed through me, although I had nowhere to run, and I wasn’t about to take on Tomo in my current state of undress.
“Eww, I’m not doing that.” The bus doors hissed and clattered as they opened. “I just wanted to take you some place private to catch you up since you missed Jermaine’s announcement about the buzz around this tour. It all actually works in my favor. People are on my side for a change.”
“Because they think Conor Flynn is a cheating bastard.”
"Public sympathy has a short shelf life. You have to grab it while you can. And if those pictures do go public, I have a built-in excuse.”
Tomo must’ve gotten at least a little of what he came for, as heavy breathing and sighing followed Ashley’s words. If they did start fucking down there, I’d have to out myself.
Ashley broke first. “I have a show to perform.”
Their sandals slapped against the steps of the bus as they descended, and the doors cranked closed.
I held my breath for a few seconds as I heard their voices retreating, while Noelle clung to me.
After several more seconds, she slid off and crouched beside me. She whispered, even though there was no longer a need to, “What was all that about? What picture is she talking about?”
“I don’t know.” Without Noelle’s body pressed against mine, I shivered and pulled on my boxers and shorts, still uncomfortably damp.
“But she was acting strange last night on the bus, asking about spies and specifically mentioning Jade. I told her Jade was helping you out with documenting the tour.”
“She seemed more upset about the picture than the online buzz about the two of you.”
“You heard her.” I hooked an arm around Noelle’s waist, helping her to her feet as I stood. “She’s happy about the cheating rumors. Makes her look good—for once.”
I hugged her tight against my body. “Get your wet clothes on. You can’t walk back to the hotel naked. That’s for my eyes only.”
She wriggled from my arms and walked backwards to pick up the pieces of her clothing sprinkled along the floor. “I don’t know. She went through a cheating scandal with her husband, Nico, and she didn’t come out on top of that one.”
“That’s because Nico one-upped her by immediately fucking off to rehab for his sex and alcohol addictions. She still looked like the bad guy for dumping him in his time of need.” I shook my head. “I can’t keep up with this shite.”
She wiggled into her panties instantly making me hard again. Then she cupped her tits as she adjusted her bra, and my mouth watered. I heard of a striptease before—this was the un-striptease—and it got my juices going faster than the original.
She glanced up, her cheeks flushed, and she yanked her T-shirt—her wet T-shirt—over her head. It did nothing to tame my lust...or my massive boner.
She coughed and turned her back to me, bending over as she grabbed her shorts from the floor, mooning me with her arse. She had to be doing this on purpose.
“Maybe that’s what you should do.” She turned around fully dressed.
“What? Shag you again? Cuz that’s what I was thinking just now.”
“No.” She gave me a schoolmistress look with pursed lips and a hand on her hip, but her eyes sparkled. “Maybe you should head to rehab for your sex addiction.”
“The only addiction I have is for you.” I lunged toward her and engulfed her in a hug.
She spanked me...and I kinda liked it.
“Ashley was right about something. You have a show to do. Get your head in the game, Con.”
“I know where I want my head, and it’s not in any game. Or show. Or PR shite.” I kissed her hard. “I want my head back between your legs.”
When I let her breathe again, she held up one finger and said, “You see? Sex addiction. You could play Nico’s game and turn this back in your favor.”
“The only reason I’m not putting you over my knee and spanking you for that daft idea is because I know you’re taking the piss. I’m not admitting to any addictions I don’t have, and Nico Ferrari was a wanker for doing that. Addiction and recovery are no fucking joke.”
She rubbed a circle on my back. “I know you’re thinking about Ian, and yes, I was most definitely taking the piss. Why do you think Ashley’s so worried about those pictures?”
I stuffed my arms into my damp and wrinkled shirt. I should just change into a clean set of clothes right here. “They probably show her doing something naughty that’ll trigger her fans. The woman can’t help herself.”
“If the pictures show Ashley in a bad light, I don’t want them coming out, either.” Noelle wrinkled her nose at me, watching me peel off my clothes. “What are you doing? We do not have time for a quickie.”
“I like how you think.” I quirked my eyebrows at her. “But I’m just doing what I came here to do—changing into dry clothes, and you need to get back to your room so you can do the same.”
“Honestly, if we’d just hung our clothes out the bus windows in this Arizona heat, they’d be dry by now.”
“But we didn’t.” I grabbed a plastic bag from the snack area and stuffed my wet clothing inside. “Let’s go.”
I placed my hands on her hips, steering her down the steps to the lower level of the bus.
Noelle pushed on the doors, and they folded open. She huffed out a sharp breath. “Ashley didn’t even re-engage the pneumatic system for the doors.”
I pulled the doors closed, and she flipped up the compartment and inserted the key to engage the system.
Hanging my arm around her shoulders, I pulled her in for a kiss. “That was the best bus ride I ever took.”
“The bus didn’t even take off.” She scooted out from under my arm and put distance between us.
“The bus didn’t take off, but we did.” I gave her a broad wink and thrust my hips in a move reminiscent of our boyband moves.
“Down, boy.” She clicked her tongue. “You need to get mentally ready for the show.”
“Never been more ready. Never felt better.”
“I hope Ashley’s in the same frame of mind.”
“Arghh! You know how to kill a vibe, don’t you?”
Noelle had reverted to form. All she needed was her clipboard.
“I wish I could see those photos.” Noelle tripped to a stop. “Do you think Ashley’s behind the cheating rumors?”
I lifted a shoulder. “Would it surprise you?”
“If she is, and she’s actively promoting the notion that you’re a lying cheat, we’ve got a problem.”
I tried to take Noelle’s hand as we walked back to the hotel, but she slipped away from me.
I said, “The only mystery I care about right now is who split us up. And when I find out...there’s gonna be hell to pay.”
***
The heat of the day seeped into the trailer backstage despite the whirring fans.
As we walked backed to the hotel earlier today, Noelle insisted that we stagger our arrival, which was daft as people saw us leave the pool together for the bus.
I guess she didn’t want people to realize how long we’d been gone—not that I thought anyone cared.
The fans, the gossip sites, 92 West, Ashley and Ashley’s manager cared—okay maybe that was a lot of people—but I didn’t care. If people wanted to believe I was cheating on Ashley with Noelle, it didn’t matter to me. I couldn’t believe anyone thought that relationship was real anyway.