"Oh," Lea said taking one of the lists of songs. "Conner, let's do You're the One That I Want!"
Conner laughed and smacked her bottom, "No way, do they have Paradise by the Dashboard Light?" They huddled together and scanned the songs with Ethan standing over them.
As I looked through the songs on the laminated pamphlet, I noticed a beautiful, busty, brunette approach Shane next to me. She gave me a small glance and rolled her eyes, and then laughed, setting her sights on Shane. "Hey, Shane. Long time no...see. Why don't we find somewhere a little more private? You know...to catch up."
I felt my face frown. Did she seriously not see me standing here with him?
The girl sashayed past me and stood right in front of me like I didn't exist. She focused her eyes solely on Shane giving him a sultry smile and a wink. "I have a girlfriend who would love to join us."
I sucked in a small, soft breath and dozens of thoughts raced frantically through my mind. Shane wasn't going anywhere with her and what did I have to offer him? What if Gabriel had his way and I did only have a week left with Shane? I felt like I could cry because I wanted so much more. My heart was so tired of being broken. I was tired of being broken. Balling up my fist I was about to hit the leech trying to latch onto Shane, but instead, I pushed the numbers to the song I wanted to sing.
Shane looked the girl up and down and shook his head turning his lips downward. "Sweetheart," he said. "You're about two six packs of beer too soon for me. Come back in about thirty minutes after I get myself totally trashed, then maybe you'd be half as beautiful as the woman standing next to me." His eyes locked on mine and something pure and beautiful flickered inside them, making me utterly breathless. "Better yet, don't bother coming back in thirty. I have everything I've ever needed right here."
That, that right there. That's it, that feeling, that moment of breathlessness, that little surge in your chest, the prickle of heat along your skin and the low hot roll of your belly; that's what being alive is all about.
I handed Shane the other microphone and switched it on, desperate for him to sing with me. I needed to tell him how I felt that very minute with my voice, my melody. And I needed to hear his voice sing back to me. I needed it more than I needed him to touch me. I needed him to love me.
The girl stormed away and the intro guitar rhythm to Broken by Seether featuring Amy Lee filled the room and slowly quieted the voices of the crowd.
The beautiful corners of his lips pulled up into a smile when the music reached his ears and his raspy voice sung to me about taking away my pain, and I sung back I'd hold him up high. We were both broken and somehow, somewhere along the way, we found each other.
He silenced the room with the first word he sung, and our voices together pulled the crowd closer. Our voices were raw and savage, filled with an ache that dripped off every note. We were fixed in each other's eyes, all I saw was blue and I knew all he saw was gray. Our smooth powerful voices blanketed the crowd as we slowly danced around in a tight circle focusing just on each other.
Clenching and unclenching his fist around the microphone, his voice melted harmoniously with mine as we exploded in chorus.
Reaching toward me, he hooked his index finger around one of the loops of my skirt, which caused a cool breeze to skim against my bare belly. He slowly, sensuously, pulled me against him. With my body against his, I could feel his pulse race and his heart hammered against his chest as fast as mine did.
When the song ended, screams and hoots erupted and thundered throughout the apartment pulling us from our own little world. Shane held his arms up high and the crowd roared louder. Whooping loudly, he brought the microphone to his lips, "The stunning Grace Taylor of Mad World!" His face flushed with color and he leaned forward and kissed the top of my head.
I tilted my head back laughing, jumped on his coffee table, and raised one arm to point to Shane, "The sexy Shane Maxton of Mad World!"
Everyone in the apartment chanted for more, but I shook my head and tossed the microphone to Lea. Shane held out a hand to help me down off the table and I took it, jumping into his arms, smiling up into his eyes.
Bringing his lips to my ear and sending electric bolts of heat down my neck he whispered, "She poured out the liquid music of her voice to quench the thirst of his spirit."
"Nathaniel Hawthorne, Shane? You kind of amaze me," I sighed.
"Yeah, well you kind of amaze me too."
Lea and Conner's off-key rendition of Meatloaf's song was almost the highlight of the party when they actually acted out all the parts with dramatic facial expressions. I say almost because when they were done, Alex and Ethan sang You're the one that I Want together, which caused me to laugh so hard I had to, um, throw away my panties in the kitchen garbage. And if you've never laughed so hard you had to do that at least once in your life, well, that's a damn shame. Besides, it wasn't a big thing, there seemed to be a pile of panties in there before mine were tossed on top of them. Oh, and yes, I borrowed a pair of Shane's boxer briefs to wear under my skirt. I'm not daring enough to just go commando, because then all I would be thinking about would be sitting on Shane's lap the whole time.
After changing into his shorts, we all stayed in his room and finished the rest of the bottle we were drinking.
When we all walked out of Shane's room, Bliss and Cream were standing there waiting for us hidden amongst all the sweaty bodies in the hallway. Bliss jumped on Shane. "There you are!" she screamed, pulled his face into hers, and kissed him full on the lips.
I dragged my eyes away from them, an uneasy animalistic feeling pulled somewhere deep inside me.
Shane pushed Bliss's shoulder away and scowled, "What the hell is wrong with you?" The rest of Vixen4 appeared and slithered up to us like cockroaches.
Bliss smiled sweetly at him, "You sounded great singing. We should do some work in the studio together, just you and me."
"No thanks, Mad World is absolutely perfect the way it is right now," he snapped.
Cream giggled, " Shan e, you guys aren't much fun anymore."
"Yeah. You guys haven't partied with us too much while we were here, what gives?" Essex cooed.
"Maybe it's their new guitarist," Scratch said. She stared at me and sneered, "What was your name again?"
"I'm sorry, what did you say? I'm not fluent in stupid drunk slut." I looked to Lea innocently, "I don't remember. Lea, did they offer that class in our high school?" The enormous smile on Shane's face after I said that, made me want to climb over all of my friends that stood between us and lick his lips clean of her.
Lea giggled next to me, "Skank 101. No we definitely didn't take that nasty class."
"Bitch," Bliss hissed crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Lea laughed louder, "Oh, one syllable word war. You don't even need a brain to play that game! Okay, m y turn! CUNT!"
I shook my head and held up my hands waving them, "No, no no. You can't call her a cunt, she lacks the warmth and depth of one. Slut is much better; it really fits her, well, all of them better."
Shane's eyes danced with laughter. Ethan, Alex and Conner joined him.
"Fuck off, you stupid bitch!"
Lea huffed next to me, "That's not one syllable. Skank."
"Ass," I added.
"Whore," Lea called.
"Ho!" I yelled.
"Cow," Lea continued.
Bliss's face flamed all different hues of red. Scary Crypt Keeper.
Lea gave me a small glance and tilted her head, "Should we move to two syllables or phrases now? It doesn't look like they understand the game."
"Should we talk slower?" I asked.
That's when Bliss lunged at me red-faced, spitting and screaming.
Before anyone could move to stop her, I stepped into her attack and smashed my fist right into her mouth. She flew back a few feet and crumpled to the floor moaning. A shock wave of pure adrenaline surged up my arms and I instantly threw my arms up to block myself from the other members of Vixen4.
But none of them made a move for me. They just looked down at Bliss. Shane grabbed me back by the waist and Ethan's giant frame jumped in front of me.
Lea laughed.
Tucker picked that moment to stumble through the sea of people and hip bump me. " He y, Grace, wanna dance with me?" he slurred.
I ignored him as I watched Vixen4 haul Bliss up off the floor and drag her into the kitchen for ice, or tissues, or another drink; I had no clue.
"What the fuck, Grace?" Tucker ranted as he stumbled over his own feet. "What am I fucking invisible to you now? Whatever. That's cool. I always wanted a fucking superhero power."
Then he passed out, right at my feet.
Chapter 28
Alex and Brayden carried Tucker back to my apartment while the police, who were called by the neighbors from the building next door, ended the party. It was only midnight, but to be honest, I was glad it was over because the only thing I wanted to do was go home with Shane.
Unfortunatel y, when we got there, Tucker and Alex were sound asleep on the floor in sleeping bags in my bedroom. Apparently , no amount of banging on pots and pans would wake them up.
I threw on a pair of comfortable flannel pajamas and sat in the living room with Ethan, Brayden, Shane and Conner while Lea made hot cocoa for everyone; her idea.
Within five minutes, I was called in to help clean up a hot cocoa emergency and aid in the creation of a whole new batch of hot cocoa. She really was horrible in the kitchen. I mean, who messes up hot cocoa? Lea, that's who. Why she thought you could make cocoa from a box of instant pudding is beyond me.
Finally, when everyone had a cup of hot cocoa in their hands, we hung around the living room and watched more horror movies. I sat on the floor with my back against the couch, my shoulder touching Shane's leg. When I leaned my head on his knee I felt his fingers start playing with my hair and goose bumps broke out all along my skin. Staring up at him sitting there in just a pair of pajama bottoms made a strong heat churn deep in my stomach. His strong shoulders, massive lean muscles tensed, just underneath, his flawless skin begged me to touch him.
I shivered and Shane looked down at me catching my eyes with one of his heart stopping gazes that left me dizzy. The way his eyes hungrily devoured every inch of me sitting there, he didn't need to lay a finger on me for me to feel like I was been touched by him.
He leaned his face down next to mine and held out his hand to me with a crooked sexy smile, "Come to bed with me."
Those were the five sexiest words I had ever heard, in any of my lifetimes. I wish I could have recorded them and just played them back repeatedly. Seriously.
Holding my hand he lead me through the hallway and through the door to my bedroom. I gave my head a small nod toward our two sleeping friends, Shane just shrugged, and pulled me close to him, "I'm just dying to put on arms around you," he whispered pulling my covers back.
Climbing into my be d, we snuggled our bodies facing each other close together.
He brushed my hair from off my face and his fingertips lingered over my neck. "Tell me more about Gabriel," he murmured.
I shook my head against the pillow. I didn't want to ruin my time lying in bed with Shane by talking about him. "I really don't want to talk about him, Shane. I don't want you anywhere near him either. He's a monster."
He leaned his head on his arm and stared deep into my eyes like he was searching for the answers I wouldn't give him there. "I promise Grace, I won't let him hurt you. I'll stay here with you every night if I have too."
"I believe you," I whispered giggling. "And I think you staying here every night might make me feel a little itsy bitty bit better," I teased showing him how little by bringing my index finger to my thumb.
He laughed and I snuggled closer. Shane and I, can you FREAKING BELIEVE THIS?
"The way you sang tonight, the way you sang to me, was...you just completely took my breath awa y, Grace," he whispered. Um, I love you Shane Maxton. NO. NO, don't say it, Grace.
"We've sung like that since my audition, haven't we?"
"Yeah, we have." LOVE. YOU.
My pulse kicked up a notch just from talking like that with him.
He touched his thumb lightly to my bottom lip and slowly dipped his finger in, "All I thought about was what it was like to be buried between the lips of a woman who could sing like that."
Heart. Racing. I couldn't even string a coherent thought together.
He ran his index finger along my jaw and down my neck, "Why did you choose that song for us to sing?"
Raw heat spiked across my cheeks and tingled the tops of my ears. "I wanted to tell you how I felt. Why I was always so mean to you, Shane."
"Because you feel broken?"
"Completely shattered," I whispered softly.
The pain in his eyes broke my heart. The absolute torn look of his face crushed something deep inside me. He took his hand and brushed away a tear that I hadn't realized escaped and fallen from my welling eyes.
Gently he took hold of my waist, and rolling me over, slid himself on top of me, his knee slipping between my thighs, opening them. My body tumbled easily with his and my legs shifted open and wrapped themselves around his body.
Bringing his hands to my face, he leaned over me, lightly stroking my cheeks with his fingertips. "Then let me i n, because I promise you, I will pick up every little broken piece of you, every single fucking piec e, Grace, and for the rest of my fucking life I will put you back together...I'll make you whole again."
I stopped breathing.
Bringing his lips to my mouth, he traced the outline of them with his. Skimming so softly over them, touching and dragging his so lightly over mine that I could barely feel them, just the warmth of his breath as it mingled with mine. His body shuttered as he parted my lips with his. He laced his hands through my hair and dipped his tongue in against mine. Tiny bursts of tingly pleasure shot across my skin and I moaned into his mouth. Digging my fingers into his back, I tilted my head up to deepen our kiss. We devoured each other's lips, drowning completely, intensely in each other's kisses.
Our lips became desperate, starving, ravenous and wanton. I gripped my sheets, grasped at his skin, because my world was spinning, kissing him like it was the very last kiss of my life.
Without taking his lips from mine, he leaned up on one arm and with the other tugged at the bottom of my shirt yanking it up. Our lips parted long enough to drag it over my head. Grasping the back of my nec k, he pulled me up to his lips again, a low growl rumbled through his throat. My bare skin against his sent a rush of heat to all my nerve endings. A hot rush of fast pumping blood shot through my veins as his hands skimmed over my skin, exploring and playing.
"I can get lost in your lips forever Grace," he murmured against my mouth. "So beautiful. Perfect."
Breathless, I whimpered. Lowering my hands to the waistband of his pajama bottoms, I slid my hands just under the material. I tugged, managing to drag them lower on his hips. There was too much material between us and the ache in between my thighs was maddening.
"Hey!"
We froze.
"Hey, Alex! Get up! Get up! Shane's about to bag Grace!" Tucker's voice tore through the room causing Shane to jump off me. He fumbled for my shirt in the dark, grabbed it and yanked it back over my head.
"Wait! Hold on! I need to get my camera phone!" Alex drunkenly screamed from the floor. "You're not thinking about OUR BLO G, Grace!"
Oh my GOD! I completely forgot they were there.
I fought with my shirt until I found my armholes , while the idiots on the floor struggled to get out of their sleeping bags. It would have been hysterically comical if all my damn girl parts WEREN'T ON FIRE!
By the time Tucker reached the light switch and flicked it on, Shane was laying under the covers, arms behind his head relaxing against a pillow. I was sitting up on the other side of the bed sitting cross-legged with my hands folded in my lap. There was, like, a thousand feet between us. And the distance was physi
cally painful.
Tucker's face was bright red and his nostrils were flaring. "Alex. I'mnotfuckingkidding I heard them kissingandshit!" he slurred. He jabbed his index finger at Shane and I, "What the fuck were you guys just doing? I know those sounds," he yelled.
Shane and I looked at each other innocently and shrugged. I yawned, "We were sleeping until some drunk asshole sleeping on my floor woke us up with his screaming."
Alex looked from me to Shane and back to me again.
"Fine!" Tucker screamed. "I'm going to take a fucking piss." He stumbled over himself trying to open the door and turned back to face Shane, "Remember you robbing-fucking-backstabber, she was with me first! The fucking minute you toss her for something new, I'm all over that ass."
I watched the skin around Shane's eyes tighten and his jaw clench down. His features turned sharp and ridged and all I wanted to do was lay my hand on his face and take away his anger.
Tucker flicked the light off and we could hear him mumbling and falling down the hallway into the bathroom.
I skated my hand under my covers and along the sheets until I found Shane's and entwined my fingers in his, but his tense muscles did not relax. Did he really think I would go from him to Tucker? Can we all say, HELL NO!
"Whoa, Tucker has serious issues. Everybody knows Shane wouldn't sleep with someone in his band, that's against the rules, right bro?" Alex chuckled. "Oh, and hey Grace? You might want to turn your shirt right side out again."
Shane's shoulders relaxed and he laughed back, "Dude, why don't you find another room to sleep in?"
I could hear Alex move and get comfortable in his sleeping bag, "Nuh, uh. But, if you're changing the rules of the band, I'm all for watching."
"You're disgusting," I laughed.
Shane's hands reached for me in the dark and drew me into his arms. "Don't worry, Grace. I'm sure you've heard all those rumors about me and Alex having a torrid affair that we don't want our fans to know about. Well it's true, and he really just wants to watch me, not you."
I laughed loudly and he pulled me closer and nuzzled his face into my neck. "Hey, Alex?"