The Band

Chapter 9

Katie pulled up to Tom's place around eleven the next morning. Thank God she wasn't a moment earlier—I'd been very naked and coming on Tom's tongue. Though honestly, Katie had seen me in messier situations before.

"Hi beautiful,"

Katie wrapped me into a hug before turning to Tom.

"Thomas, it's lovely to meet you,"

Katie held out her hand, very business-like.

"So nice to meet you, Katie,"

Tom smiled widely at her, his warmth making me lose all sense and want to just fuck him constantly.

"Please come in."

We all got settled in Tom's living room to discuss all the things that needed to be discussed.

"Before we start, I'm here as your manager today,"

Katie was queen of setting the tone.

"We can do the friend-meets-new-boyfriend thing another time."

"Of course,"

I replied.

"I want to be clear—I'm Aria's manager first. I'm thrilled you two are together, but my loyalty is always with her,"

she said in her pointed Scorpio way, staring right at Tom as she said it.

"That's good,"

Tom responded calmly.

"The entertainment industry is brutal, and I feel better knowing Aria has someone else looking after her."

"We also have to consider this her debut into real stardom,"

he added.

"We need to be strategic about everything."

"Agreed,"

Katie responded.

I was perfectly happy to just sit here and listen. Honestly, the idea of celebrity kind of made me want to throw up. I knew it wasn't optional with a successful music career, but nonetheless I hated it even in concept. The footage of Taylor Swift trying to leave a restaurant and needing a secret service-level security detail felt too surreal to be real, let alone anywhere in the ballpark of my life.

"So here's my proposal, assuming your team supports it, Tom,"

Katie started, handing us small packets of paper.

"I think we need to set up a planned paparazzi walk with you two before the tour starts. Ideally two weeks or so before your first tour date, so you're fresh in the press but not distracting from the actual music and performance. Thoughts?"

"Ugh, I just hate that business has to be involved at all,"

Tom admitted.

"I just want us to be us, and if people notice, that's fine. But I'm not going to hide you."

"I hate that business is involved too,"

I agreed.

"I mean, you're more experienced with this stuff than I am. And I know how you feel—I don't want to hide you either."

He kissed me feverishly.

"Okay, you two,"

Katie interrupted our makeout session. Honestly, I'd kind of forgotten she was there for a second. Every word out of Tom's mouth just made me want to tackle him and fuck him senseless.

"What I really want to get sorted is the press,"

Katie said.

"Tom, I'm going to figure all of this out with The Band's publicist and your personal publicist. But what do you two want to do about press? We have time until the tour starts, and when it does, you can expect a lot more eyes on you."

"Get prepared for a hundred meeting invites,"

I rolled my eyes at Tom, making a snide comment like I was a pissy teen.

"Make it two hundred,"

Katie joked and laid down the law with her big sister style.

"So you're both feeling prepared to take things public about two weeks before the tour?"

"Yes,"

we said in unison.

"Okay, then the main thing you need to do is not be caught before then. That means no restaurants, no making out in a car, no clubbing even at Radia,"

Katie said.

"It's only two months, so I know you can do this. Similarly, don't tell anyone about your relationship except people from the tour since they're under NDAs. But no telling random friends, ideally not even your families."

"So you mean we're essentially stuck at home together for two months?"

I asked, sounding angrier than I meant to.

"Yes,"

Katie responded. God, her business side often pissed me off—I didn't take guidance well. Yet at the same time, I felt so out of my depth, I was grateful for her infuriating instructions.

"It's not going to be a problem, love,"

Tom said, facing me.

"You should just move in here until then. We can go riding every morning and order in a bunch. And we can have our friends from the tour over to feel like real people."

"You want me to move in here?"

I asked, somewhat surprised.

"How many nights have you spent here in a row?"

Tom asked me pointedly.

"But yes, I very much do. Besides, we'll be living together in far closer quarters on the tour—why not enjoy the horses and beautiful house?"

He then leaned close to whisper in my ear, "Besides, I need enough time to make you come on every surface in this house."

I blushed, my eyes going wide as I nodded.

"First off, I did hear that—let's keep it PG-13 during business meetings, you two,"

Katie said with a twinkle of amusement in her eyes.

"Second, I support this idea. The less you two can be in public, the better. Also known as: don't go in public together."

Katie looked at us dead serious.

"Got it,"

I agreed as Tom nodded, a light flush to his cheeks.

"Okay, you're giving me your 'starting to feel overwhelmed' eyes, Aria, so let's pause there,"

Katie knew me so well—I was feeling very overwhelmed.

"If you two run out of topics to discuss or new ways to fuck each other, feel free to start discussing whether you'd be open to interviews or what type of paparazzi walks you would feel best about."

"Interviews,"

I squealed, while Tom looked entirely unfazed and unsurprised.

"Okay,"

Katie got up to leave.

"You're welcome to stay for some lunch or wine,"

Tom said in his warm way.

"We would love to have friend Katie over sometime,"

he joked about our business meeting rather than the obvious affection between me and Katie.

"I would love to do that sometime soon,"

Katie smiled.

"For now, I have to go figure out how to hard launch your relationship."

She kissed me on the cheek as she left, Tom walking her to the door while I sat, still somewhat dumbfounded.

"How are you doing, beautiful?"

Tom asked as he pulled me into his embrace and we started to lounge on the couch.

"Okay,"

I said shakily and quietly.

"Really?"

He looked at me incredulously.

"This is all just a lot,"

I admitted.

"Not you or us—I am so happy about this. I just can't imagine being famous enough that I need to coordinate press around my personal life."

I cringed internally.

Tom's warm hand moved in soothing circles on my back, nodding and listening so intently.

"It's quite an adjustment,"

Tom agreed. It did feel very soothing that this wasn't his first rodeo with fame. The Band having blown up five years ago meant he had a lot more experience with the mess of public attention.

"How about we forget about that for now?"

Tom said kindly.

"How about instead we go for a horse ride?"

My expression perked up at that. It was one of the best parts of horses—it was impossible for me to think or even feel anything but the horse while I was with them.

We spent the rest of the day riding out into the hills and coming home to fuck in the nice air conditioning as the late afternoon heat set in.

"What do you want for dinner?"

Tom eventually asked in the haze of sex and summer sun.

"Hmm, what do you want?"

I asked back.

"Well, we could do summer salads with lots of ice cream after?" he asked.

"That sounds amazing,"

I smiled.

"What do you put on a summer salad?"

I inquired further, us now facing each other in bed.

"Arugula,"

he explained.

"No meat—I hope that's okay. I'm vegetarian."

"No way,"

I smiled broadly.

"Me too, that's why I asked. That sounds delicious."

The end of the week finally arrived, time doing that weird bending thing it did when huge life stuff was happening and everything was shifting.

Constant sex tends to do that to time too.

I parked in Tom's driveway, ready to get my orgasms and dinner and tuck myself into his not-posh-yet-posh organic linen sheets that smelled like the cinnamon and citrus scent that always followed Tom.

Tom greeted me, jogging to open my car door and kiss me hello.

"Hey, love,"

his warm Australian accent hitting whatever part of my psyche that turned me into a puddle at his feet.

"Hi,"

I smiled, somehow so comfortable despite all the changes of the week.

Tom led me into the house, his warm arm wrapped around my shorter shoulders, his body heat driving me mad with need and putting me to sleep from comfort all at once.

"I have a little surprise for you,"

Tom murmured into my hair before we turned to enter the kitchen.

"What?"

I smiled up at him, his eyes twinkling down at mine, little creases framing their intoxicating warmth. Like sitting next to a crackling fireplace, half drunk on wine.

My eyes quickly flashed to the large vase of pink tulips on the island in the kitchen—my favorites—with a card and what appeared to be a jewelry box in front.

"Tom,"

I smiled up in giddy surprise, rushing to grab and open the card, having to temper my impatience to get to his words in order to not tear anything. Lord knew I planned to keep this for many years.

The card:

*Dear Aria,*

*The necklace is "because I really know you"—I hope you'll accept it as my promise to honor you as my partner in life, always, should you accept.*

I opened the velvet box, met with the sparkling gold of a circular pendant with an engraved T on it, in Tom's beautiful script. A tear escaped my eye as I smiled up at him, watery and raw.

"Yes, of course I accept,"

I near-whispered.

He pulled me into his arms, warm scent overtaking me, the heat of his tan skin warming my whole body.

He quickly connected our lips, his mouth pressing into mine feverishly.

Tingles shook my body, every cell lit up.

A heady haze felt like it overtook everything, as though I was on some type of high yet completely sober.

Our bodies felt as though they were already fused together into mush though we were still fully clothed, kissing in the middle of his kitchen.

His skin always felt particularly warm to me, radiating like the sun in the middle of July, heating my skin, almost leaving a burn from the temperature of it all.

His attention felt like the sun's rays, simultaneously coaxing me under the waves of sleepy rest with the warmth—summer afternoon naps in the dry grass—while also sparking me alive, filling me with life and an itch to move, ready to jump into a pool.

His kisses began to trail down my neck, his huge hand moving to my ass and his other arm bound around my waist like a vise, but his grip still gentle in his trademark style.

This could be it.

The thought entered me quietly, a whisper from beyond me, carrying good news. I sucked in a sharp breath and melted into Tom further, suddenly desperate to get both of us naked. I tugged at his shirt and he pulled away only long enough to completely strip in front of me as I did the same.

There we stood, completely naked in the middle of his kitchen, a new piece of my heart now cast in gold hung around my neck.

"You're beautiful,"

he murmured, taking in the sight of me. He already knew my body so well, yet his gaze still felt so intimate, so raw and open. He could truly see me.

He was suddenly on me again, his fingers wrapped up in the locks of my hair, tilting my head to completely open my mouth to his access. His tongue tasted me fully, tracing each lip before dancing with my tongue. He tasted perfect, just like him, and it made me desperate.

"God, I love you,"

he moaned against my lips. His hard cock was pressed against my stomach, his hips lightly thrusting as if searching for my pussy of their own accord.

He suddenly bent down and lifted me in his arms, bridal style, ringing out a squeal and snort I would feel embarrassed about later, but I was far too focused on other things in that moment.

"I want to lock you away for months and just fuck you and fuck you and fuck you,"

he confessed feverishly, his eyes burning bright.

I was suddenly bouncing on the bed, my back hitting his soft comforter.

He would normally spend hours between my legs before fucking me, insistent I was dripping down my thighs and multiple orgasms in before feeding me his massive length. But tonight we both needed it too badly. I needed the stretch of him filling me completely, totally.

He guided the tip of his cock to my entrance, already wet and waiting for him, pushing the first inches in slowly.

"Aria,"

he moaned, collapsing on me gently so we were completely flush. My legs wrapped around him, urging him as deep as possible, feeling split open and owned by him. And I wanted it all—he was my boyfriend, he was all mine.

The thought had me nearly coming undone by the time he was fully seated inside me. His lips urgently took mine again, moaning and grinding me against his cock. His hips were working against my clit, pushing and adding pressure without his cock thrusting hardly at all.

This man was a God.

"One thing we haven't done yet is talk about Mickey,"

Tom said, his eternal calm contrasting with my immediate fidgeting at the mention of Mick's name.

"Right,"

I said reservedly. I hated thinking about the fact that Tom and Mickey even knew each other, let alone were in a band together. He just sat waiting, looking at me as if he expected me to talk first.

"Um, I don't know what to say,"

I said honestly.

"Well, I guess I'm curious what you're feeling about all of it."

"All of what?"

My defenses were up, and Tom could sense it.

"About Mickey being my friend and bandmate who we're touring with in two months. About Mick and you not getting along despite having a history I don't fully know. About you and Mickey kissing in college."

I gasped at the last sentence.

"He told you about that?"

I couldn't believe that son of a bitch had told Tom about that.

"He did, before I had even met you. When we learned who our opener would be, he told all of us a bare-bones version of y'all's history."

I wanted to throw up, and I was sure my expression displayed that as Tom quickly pulled me into his arms for a comforting hug and kissed the top of my head lovingly.

"You have nothing to worry about, love. He did nothing but sing your praises."

"What?"

That had me sitting up to look at Tom.

"He still thinks of you very highly."

"Yeah, right,"

I said spitefully.

"Okay, you need to start talking because I have no idea what's going on with you right now,"

Tom said firmly yet kindly.

"Look, I really don't want to talk about Mickey. I feel super weird that you know him at all. It's like a blast from the past in the worst way."

"Do I need to beat him up over something?"

Tom inquired, a dead serious look on his face.

I laughed out loud.

"What?"

I was half convinced he was joking, but his face only got sterner.

"No, no, of course not."

"So then what?"

Tom kept pushing.

"What do you mean, 'then what'?"

Both of our faces were getting a tad more adversarial.

"I want you to talk to me, Aria. Tell me your feelings, tell me what you want."

I shifted uncomfortably. This was the part of relationships that always made me a little queasy: the whole sharing your embarrassing feelings part.

I didn't even think as I closed the distance between us, somewhere deep in my brain the uncomfortable vulnerability shifting me into desperate need. An effective distraction for us both.

Sometime later, Tom finally brought it up again as we lounged on his linen sheets.

"You know we need to talk about it. With our words, not our genitals."

I laughed at his use of the word "genitals"

before sighing and nodding.

"I know,"

I relented, nuzzling to hide my face in Tom's bare chest.

He laughed his warm, deep laugh.

"You know hiding won't work."

"How about this, let's take the horses on a ride and discuss it while we do that."

My attempt to avoid the topic was embarrassingly obvious and reeking of immaturity in a way I did not love, but I was once again choosing to avoid it.

"Sounds great, A."

We got dressed, saddled up, and headed out on the trail. The horses did calm my nerves and my mind as I decided to put on my big girl panties and rip off the bandage.

"So, Mick,"

I said shyly.

"Yes,"

Tom replied kindly.

"How much has he told you?"

No accusation in my voice.

"Not a lot, as I said. Just that you were friends in college but had a falling out."

He quickly added, "He had nothing but great things to say about you."

I smiled softly. God, I had hoped the wound of Mickey had closed by now, but my heartstrings pounded hard.

"I mean, that's basically all there is to tell."

God, I did not want to be talking about this.

"Look, Aria, I can't force you to talk to me."

His tone quickly shifted from open to disappointed authority figure. Still warm and inviting, but distinctly authoritative. I wanted to bristle against it and melt into it at the same time.

"Okay."

I finally took a deep breath and continued.

"When Mickey and I met freshman year, I was still with my high school boyfriend, Jack. We had been together since we were fifteen, and I had always imagined we would get married."

I gulped before continuing, feeling Tom's eyes watching me closely.

"But you know Mick, always Mr. Charisma."

I tried to joke with no signs of success; Tom's face remained stern.

"I totally fell head over heels for him, all while Jack started really pressuring me to drop the music stuff. So senior year, just a month before graduation, I dumped Jack, thinking Mickey would want me the way I wanted him. But he didn't."

I kept the lump in my throat at bay.

"He didn't?"

Tom sounded almost shocked.

I shook my head.

"I went to meet him at a party right after dumping Jack, but he was already wrapped around some sorority girl."

I saw Tom cringe at my words, followed by some contemplative nods.

"Well, what did he say about it?"

He inquired further. God, he was pushy.

"What do you mean?"

I started to get snippy.

"Like, what did he say about it? Did he really not want you, or was he just hooking up with someone else?"

My frown was pronounced.

"All right, that's enough Mick talk for now,"

I insisted, trying to weasel out of the questioning.

"I don't want to push,"

Tom said, his gaze softening, "but I also want us to all get along this summer. And hanging onto years-old grudges is no way to do that."

I hated that he was right.

"Fine, then let's leave the past in the past and look forward."

I was still diverting his inquisition, but he let me get away with it.

"Great!"

Tom's smile was wide and made me wish we weren't on horses so we could kiss right then.

"How about we invite Luke over for the WNBA game tomorrow night? He's our bassist and a dear friend, you'll like him."

"Okay,"

I smiled back, halfway convincingly. I was still a little nauseous about the fact that these were all members of Mickey's band, but I guess if I wanted to be with Tom, I would have to get over it.

"But only if I can bring Lacy, my bestie and backup dancer,"

I quickly added, feeling like I needed backup for this introduction.

I did need to get comfortable with Luke though—all of the guys, really.

We were all sharing a bus this summer, after all.