CRASH & BURN (Rule Breaker) (18 page)

“Here?”

“Fuck. Yes! I need you.”

Her pupils dilated, rimmed by aqua fire. He reached for her again, slamming his mouth down upon her soft lips, and taking what was his. Her ability to command him had him crossing boundaries he’d believed were impossible to traverse. A soft groan escaped from her mouth. She worked her hands up his back, pressing her hips into his groin.

His dick throbbed painfully against his zipper. He pinned her legs to the edge of the chaise lounge and rapidly turned her around, goaded by pure lust and anger. Without stopping to consider the consequences, he began pulling her dress up her incredible thighs. “Bend over,” he whispered against the curve of her neck.

He helped position her on the sofa, exactly how he envisioned her the moment he’d entered the space.

Bent over the velvet-covered furniture, the golden skin over her hips bared, and wearing another pair of sexy panties, he knew this image of her was eternally seared into his brain. Fuck. Him.

“What were you doing up here with him? Did you think about doing this?”

“No. Jesus! We were only talking!”

“With what? Your bodies?”

“You’re mistaken. He’s Christy’s boyfriend.”

“Strange. Didn’t look that way.” He could back away from her. Pull down her dress. Take her downstairs and talk business. All those things he should do. For a moment his hand froze in the act of reaching for her, and then he realized he was impervious to sane thought.

“What about the door?”

Jon swiped his fingers across the wet material between her thighs, and his dick twitched. No turning back. “Hush. No one will bother us.”

He couldn’t stop if he wanted to as he gripped silky material and roughly snapped her panties off her hips. A shudder ran through her body. This they knew.

She glanced over her shoulders, sucking her bottom lip. The sight of her open to him nearly deranged him, and had him about to jet his load.

He quickly lowered his trousers, and finally reached between her pussy, pushing his finger into her, and swore. “Fuck. You’re wet and ready. And I’m harder than the last time.”

She closed her eyes as he pumped in and out of her. Dark lashes lay against her cheeks, veiling her shimmering eyes. “Please,” she whispered, her chin trembling.

“Open your eyes.” His chest clenched tight in desperate need to connect with her. This had become a journey where he needed her and something more. Something he wasn’t prepared to contemplate. He fought against being trapped, and plunged inside her. One hard, long thrust and she cried out. The sound of her voice calmed his acute need to make her his. Inside her, with her pussy wrapped around him, his body shuddered. He started to pump into her again, seeking to take them where none of it mattered.

Her aqua eyes were glazed, half-lidded, and he knew she was close. He brought her to this point again. Lust boiled deep inside him, and he tangled his hand in her hair, tugging her head back. “Baby, is this enough? Tell me what you need!”

“All of you!” The words hit him hard. He had no answer except to roughly clasp her hips, pulling her to him so he could slam into her deeper, farther and harder. He flexed his hips, moving faster, putting aside the burning in his calf muscles. He watched his glistening cock, wet with her juices, plunge into her again. And again. His balls tightened, electrical jolts bursting up the length of his spine.

“Got to get you there,” Jon murmured. He began stroking her clit, pressing his finger against her erect bud. He pinched her, swirling tight circles until she bucked under him. Her teeth worried her bottom lip. “You feel so tight.”

“I’m there!” Her head dipped down, but then she cast a demolished glance over her shoulder and cried out, “Jon. I…”

He pressed his mouth to her shoulder, drowning his groan in her skin, riding out the singeing blast of his release into her body. “Alana…Mine.”

Currents of hot pleasure swept over him, and the rapid pumping of blood through his veins delivered him into rolling waves of ecstasy. His lust splintered apart, and yet he found he wanted Alana more than before. The edgy craving sharpened into a mandate to possess. Her soft body curled against him gave him immense satisfaction. Greedily, he wanted more. He wanted all of her. When had his need grown ravenous?

She sighed, snuggling her hips against his. If only this had been his bedroom. Shite. He forced himself to his elbow, running a hand along the top of her thigh. He strained to untangle his rapid-fire thoughts. Bollocks. None of it made sense. His brain fogged. He dragged his mouth over her shoulder, inhaling her scent. For seconds he held onto her.

“Thirsty still?” he finally asked, unable to say more.

Alana smiled up at him. “I suppose I’ve an entire row of drinks waiting.”

“Explain.”

“Christy and I were bought a gazillion drinks.”

His fingers tightened on her skin. “I wish you wouldn’t accept every drink offered. Moderation, remember?”

“The bartender delivered them without asking. I didn’t have a chance to sip the first one.”

He rolled away from her, unwilling to admit he was perturbed by the waves of jealousy washing over him. “Still, you do have the ability to decline.”

“Where’s this coming from?” she asked softly.

Her luminous eyes stared back at him. All he had to do was speak his mind.
Tell her the truth.

A shrill chirp filled the space. His cellphone, and he groaned, opting to retrieve it rather than risk his heart.

Clarissa texted him that Dani had shown up. “Did you call Dani?” he asked absentmindedly, still thinking about his precarious emotional predicament.

“No,” she said harshly. “Why? Is she here?”

He stood and pulled up his trousers, working his zipper, and gathering his thoughts. He buckled his belt, half-watching Alana run fingers through her hair. He retrieved her ripped panties, pushing them into his pocket as she arranged her dress. A strap had come undone at her shoulder, and she struggled with tying the bow.

“I tie a mean square knot. Let me,” he said, brushing her fingers away. This felt natural. Him next to her—the two of them connected.

He couldn’t imagine having her live apart from him. But the thought also had him considering how he’d manage to function as her producer. An impossible situation. Or was it? He and Alana working together might work out if he stepped outside the box where their relationship was firmly seated.

Maybe having Dani here was a good thing. He’d needed to ask her what provisions could be included that would protect Alana and permit a relaxing of the usual professional boundaries. He could ask as though it were for any of the Orion band members, considering Christy and Billy would need similar provisions.

“Good thing she’s here,” he said.

Alana whipped her head around. “And why is that? Are you going to bring her up here as well?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play dumb. Or is it not an act? Sometimes I wonder Jon, if your brain cells are all situated in your dick.”

He laughed. Seeing her unsettled in a similar fashion somewhat eased his over-arching desire to possess her caveman-style. “Get a leash on that green monster. There’s nothing between Dani and me.”

“Presently. That could all change in a heartbeat. Don’t I know?”

“For fuck’s sake, Alana, just stop. I don’t shag everything in a skirt.”

“Aw, is that supposed to reassure me? What about the people under you? Seems like you make it a point to get to know them all on a
personal
level. Or am I special? I should have asked about your track record with staff and associates.”

“Are you asking?” He tunneled his fingers through his hair. Inhaling, he knew his answer would stoke her already-raging fire. “I’ve dated some people in the industry. Not clients. But sure, there have been a few.”

“I’m a dumbass. I should have known.”

“And you? Any industry flyboys get lucky?” He knew about her last boyfriend…had heard the stories of him bad-mouthing Orion on the air. Tyler had given them that much when he accepted the first check. At least their ousted manager had had enough sense to advise that Lansing Records keep an eye on the wanker. On day one Jon had made sure to shut the radio jockey’s mouth. Chuck delivered a complaint that would be filed for damages should the fucker so much as whisper another negative word.

“That was different. A one-time mistake. Correction. Obviously, I didn’t learn the first time around.”

“You can’t have it both ways. I’m not a slut, as you are so wont to consider me. Dating people isn’t a crime, or evidence of a pattern of behavior proving that I’ll screw you over. I can’t control everyone around me. What they think or feel. Can you?”

“Of course not. It’s just like you say. You can put off their advances. Set them straight from the start in lieu of leading them on.”

“I’ve not done that with Dani. Not once, and I’m unaware that she has any special feelings, as you say.”

“You’re blind. And a fool.”

“She’s not the only attorney in Nashville.”

“I’m not going to be the reason another attorney has to be brought in for contract discussions. What would that do? More time wasted, and the band is about to blow already. Either you play fair and square or not. This isn’t up to me.”

“I’ve heard. Can’t we agree to table this issue and get through tonight?”

“Fine. Consider it done.”

“Why do I believe that is the last thing that will occur?”

“Because you’ve got an over-active imagination.” She smoothed her hair. “And because I’m not going to let you control me.”

“Good thing we’re not back at my house,” he whispered. “I’d spank that thought right out of your head.”

Chapter Seventeen

God,
Alana exhaled lividly staring up a Jon. She wrestled to remain silent when all she wanted was to scream. The contract, the record deal, her future—he could keep it all. But with the band close to breaking apart on her account, she didn’t have the luxury of telling Jon to kiss her posterior end just because Dani had appeared.

If she didn’t help mend the fences already busted, there would be no band left to walk away from Lansing Records with. She’d finally asked Christy about the photographs of her kissing a man and Christy admitted, without shame or excuse, it was true. On the positive side, the photographs were taken way before she’d hooked up with Billy, and that one fact might allow some wiggle room. Not good, nor a lot. She’d put out one fire with Billy, but others were going to surface. And soon.

Then there were Carl and Hank. Equally divided over going pop or rock. Carl put his foot down—said he’d thought it over and no way could he stick around if changing genres meant shouldering with the pop crowd.

She sighed, “Guess we’d better get going.”

“I get the feeling you’re ready to bolt.” A shiver ran through her body at the warm feel of Jon’s hands on her hips. “Don’t run away. That’s what this is, you know.”

“What I know is, we need to seal this deal before Orion comes apart.”

“I think that’s doable, if you trust me enough to take the reins.”

Did she trust him enough? Each time they came together, letting him get closer made it harder to know what direction to take.

“I’m not running. I want the band to stay together. No matter what. That’s the goal for tonight.”

“I understand your need to keep the peace, Alana. At times, though, bands go through turmoil. It’s unavoidable in this business.”

“Change, yes. The band breaking up? No.” She stared at him. “This means the world to me.”

The skin over his jaw tightened. “Alana, I’ll see what I can do. I can’t make any promises. Everyone involved must be willing to bend a little.” He kissed her square on the mouth and their eyes connected, releasing an intense longing in her. The act was seductively intimate. “I’ve got your back. That I promise.”

A brief whiff of his scent and a pang of regret snapped her to attention. “That sounds more than fair,” she whispered with a shaky voice.

* * *

Sitting around two tables pushed together on the patio, the band at first maintained a level of jovial ambiguity—no one really saying anything memorable. Polite chit-chat. Dani sat between Carl and Hank and continually cast covert glances at Jon across the table. Damn, he had to be blind to miss the look in the attorney’s eyes.

Alana pushed her food around her plate, taking only a few bites of the grilled salmon she’d ordered. She refused to be one more woman vying for Jon’s attention. She sat on the opposite side of the table. Alongside her, Billy and Christy sat together, holding hands, clearly a lovers’ truce in full force.

The plates were cleared; coffee, brandy, and cigars were passed around. Then the after-dinner conversation veered onto the path of truth, and there was no stopping the discussion.

“Look, Alana, I honestly wish you well. I signed on for a rock tour. I consider Orion as my group. Something we’ve all built together. But if the consensus is to do something else, like pop rock, I can’t stick it out. It’s not my thing. No hard feelings.” Carl leaned back in his seat, puffing one of the several cigars that had been lit. Smoke swirling around Alana’s head was nothing compared to the revolutions that had hijacked her thoughts.

“Is there any room for compromise?” Jon asked. “Say, you give the band a month to find a bassist?”

Carl looked up. “I hadn’t planned on ditching them tonight.”

“What else is plaguing the band?” Jon asked, looking at a stack of paper in his hands. “I’ve formulated what I think is a fair offer for each of you. You can see the provisions laid out: timelines for renegotiating the contract; specifics for songwriting are contained on the third page; and there’s a clause that will be added about interpersonal relationships. Dani,” he said, looking down the table. “Can you send that to the listserve for the band?”

“It’s done.” Perking up, she exchanged a wide smile with Jon and stood. She walked over to where he was seated, leaning over his shoulder. “Mmm. Take a look here.”

Dani pointed down at the sheet in Jon’s hands. He nodded without removing her hand lingering on his shoulder. “We’ve added the clause in the event a relationship is formed, preserving the rights of a partner for such things as healthcare benefits, disability insurance, and the preservation of an individual’s ability to negotiate in private. There are also certain rights and responsibilities included relative to partners.”