Assure Her (Assured Distraction Book 1) (24 page)

“How do you know this stuff, Keeton?”

“Babe, I read. I know what women like. I make it a point to know.” He gave her his signature smirk he always seemed have at the ready. “So, next city - Neiman’s - do we have a date?”

“I’ve never had a date to buy lingerie before.” All he could think about was how great for him to be her first in so many things.

Sliding his tongue up her neck to her ear, he sucked in her earlobe, biting and tugging softly, breathing her in. He loved the scent of her perfume that always lingered on her neck. He picked her up and lifted her over the edge of the hot tub and she quickly slid down below the water’s surface as he climbed in himself. Before he could sit down, she wrapped her hands around his thickness barely able to grip it all the way around. The skin was smooth in her hand as she slid down to the base and squeezed. His head rolled back and he sucked a breath in through clenched teeth.

“Chan, that feels so good. I love your hands on me.”

After reaching up with one hand and tweaking his nipple rings, she moved down so her tongue could lap at the drop that seeped from the slit offering a little taste of him. As badly as he wanted her to suck his cock past those lips, he hadn’t pushed her to do something she wasn’t ready to do. This was all on her now. She remembered what she had seen the groupies doing the first night and decided she wanted to give him this. Pleasing him with something she knew he loved and was important to her. Her tongue circled around the smooth head and then glided down the vein running the length of the underside. When she started back up the vein with her tongue flattened, she looked up and his eyes were almost closed, he was overwhelmed with the sweet torture she was inflicting. Reaching the head once again, she slid her lips over it and sucked in his length as far as she could go while wrapping the remaining inches in her palms.

This caused a string of dirty words to pour from Keeton’s mouth. Pulling back slowly to the head, she looked up at him. The look he gave her enticed her to begin sliding him in and out leaving a fine coating of her saliva, going deeper with each descent. Wrapping her tongue around him as much as she could, she was able to swallow opening her throat taking him further than before.

“SON-OF-A-BITCH, Chandler. You are so full of surprises. I never know what to expect.” He wrapped his hand in her silky black hair and tried hard not to help with the movement but found it difficult the closer he came to what he knew would be an epic release. She softly began caressing his balls that were beginning to tighten and she knew he was close.

“Chandler, if you don’t want me to come in your mouth, you’ve gotta stop soon.” He could barely utter his words of warning, his voice tremulous with need.

She knew now was the time she needed make the final move she’d seen the groupie do, so she reached down and massaged the area just behind his balls feeling with a slightly firmer pressure until she felt him respond to her touch. As she ran her finger down to his rear opening and then back to his sac, he cried out unintelligible words and began to tremble almost violently as he shot pump after pump over her tongue. She almost choked as she took it in her throat but she managed to swallow him down, knowing the pleasure she had given him was worth it.

Before he recovered from the best head he’d ever been given, he pulled her up to stand in front of him in the swirling water and kissed her like never before, then wrapped her in his arms and held her tight to him until he could think again. Sitting her down on the seat, he kneeled in front of her so they were looking straight at each other. “I don’t know where you learned to do all that but I want you to know, I believe it’s the most loving gift I have ever received. Your unselfishness to do something like that, it shakes me to the core, Chan. I love you so much, babe.” He kissed her again pulling her body tightly to him. She was surprised at his admission. They had not been together long enough to call it love, had they? She knew in her heart she had stronger feelings for him than she had had for anyone ever before, but was this love?

They stayed that way for a long time, with him rocking her in his arms. When he let her go and she sat back on the seat, he wrapped her legs around him. Flipping them around until she was sitting on him, he guided her down on the new erection he already had growing. Wrapping her arms around his neck to pull him in tightly to her warmed flesh as he guided her hips, slipping her up and down his length, he made slow, sweet love to her without letting go of the hold he had on her or her on him. This time when her orgasm took her breath away, he came with her.

“I love you, Chandler.” The look on his face was so sincere it brought tears to her eyes. These stolen, private moments they shared were so rare and she savored each one.

Without trying to overthink it, she said, “I love you, too, Keeton,” and laid her head over the heartbeat in his chest and closed her eyes breathing in the comfort and love he was offering.

They stepped out of the tub, and he wrapped a towel around them both and made his way to the bed. He never wanted them to be apart from that moment. Knowing she returned the feelings he had for her was something he never expected to happen between them when this first started but now he could not imagine a time without her. This bond was something he had never known could exist between a man and a woman. He had never felt it before. He knew now it was different with Chandler.

She was so much more than he ever expected in a woman who could love him. Maybe he wasn’t the Tin Man, after all. He kissed her on the top of the head, cuddled her tightly in the middle of the bed and they drifted off to sleep.

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W
aking up early gave them time to shower together, something they were growing fond of first thing in the morning but couldn’t do on the tour bus. This was a big day for everyone. Playing at the Red Rocks Festival with some of the greats in modern rock music was hopefully just the beginning. Today, they were feeling the pressure. Possibly meeting Steel, the band and Chandler’s father, was putting everyone on edge before they even left the hotel.

They all met in Cash’s room for breakfast, even Carter and Gunner managed to show up dressed and nearly fully functioning. Except for their time at the ski resort, it was the first time anyone had seen them since the band arrived in Denver two days before. And the guys looked like they had been doing their share of enjoying their downtime, too. No one even wanted to ask what and where these two had been, so no one brought it up.

“Listen up, guys. The sound check is set at ten, Steel’s sound check is at ten-thirty. As soon as we’re done, hand off your equipment to the crew and head backstage. Steel won’t do theirs on the actual stage to keep them out of the public eye ‘til show time. The band will be behind the stage in the protected area. That might be the only opportunity we’ll get to get close to them without causing a problem. I don’t have to tell you all of the reasons this is important for the band and for Chandler, so be on time and be ready.”

Outside, in a secured area, limos were waiting at the back doors. Chandler was grateful they were able to load up quickly and take off. Any more waiting around and her nerves were going to get the better of her. It was not far to the festival grounds so they weren’t worried about making it on time. AD’s sound check went off with no problems. They walked around backstage to find some of Steel’s members already playing a few riffs and tuning on the kit. Since roadies usually did most of the tuning, the band members only made the last minute adjustments themselves. Ryder was nowhere to be seen yet, so AD hung out and watched the action as it took place in the area behind the stage.

Paul, their manager, the bass guitarist, and Ryder drove up in their own limo a few minutes before Steel’s scheduled sound check time and got out giving Chandler her first look at the man she believed was her father. They were a short distance away but she was sure that it was him from the pictures she had seen online. She could hardly stand still but KeeMac held her hand trying to calm her and keep her from bolting.

Ryder walked up and greeted his bandmates, then picked up his guitar, and the band got busy running through some scales and choruses, checking over the range of their equipment when Paul spotted Cash.

“Cash, I told you not to do this. Ryder will not want contact with this girl.” Since Peri and Krissy were also there, he couldn’t be sure which one was staking the paternity claim, but he briefly glanced at each of them.

“Hey, we just wanted to hear some of their sound check since we’ll be busy when they are on stage later.”

“That’s fine but don’t push it. She will not talk to him today. He’s hung over and in a bad mood having to be out here so early.”

“Yeah, aren’t we all?” Cash assured him, as he casually turned and looked at Chandler but she didn’t notice his look; she was mesmerized, watching her father playing so close to her, knowing who he was. Steel played parts of several of their songs, then handed off their instruments. AD had moved between them and their limo so they could hear and Chandler could see him better. As Ryder walked within a few feet of the entire band to exit the backstage area, he barely made eye contact nor did he acknowledge them. Obviously, he was in no mood to socialize. But just as he passed, he looked up in time to meet Chandler’s gaze, and she sucked in a breath. His gaze locked on hers and never broke contact until he stepped in the limo, but he never gave any actual sign of recognition or greeting.

AD walked solemnly back to their car and rode back to the city feeling depleted, no one uttered a word. Chandler couldn’t find words, and anyway there was a lump deep in her throat that she feared would makes its way to up and choke her if she tried to speak. At least she had been able to see him up-close, to know that he was real and alive. She chose to focus on that for now and just get through the next few days. KeeMac, though, wanted badly to say something but kept his mouth shut knowing she was hurting and nothing could fix it at that moment. He sat beside her and held her in silent strength as she warred with the feelings inside her. Everyone in the car could sense her pain and disappointment, as they were hurting for her, too.

Both the hotel workers and AD were relieved that the crowd that had been swarming the hotel for the past few days had dissipated now that the festival had officially begun. The group was again able to get out and walk to the door without having the clothes torn from their bodies and losing strands of hair to a crazed mob of groping fans.

“Be back in the lobby, dressed and ready to leave by six. You guys go on at eight. You are opening for Frission tonight only. You do realize this will be your last night opening for them on this leg of the tour, right?”

“Have they mentioned us going on the second half of the tour? You haven’t said anything about what’s going to happen after we get back home.” While Carter was worried for the next leg, KeeMac had his mind on what would happen with Chandler.

“We are negotiating with them now. I’m thinking you should be seeing more of the profits of the ticket and merch sales. Their lawyer is holding out hoping we’ll come around on it. I’m not backing off though. Your numbers are looking too good at this point to not get more money.” Cash was looking at his phone for the data. “Anyway, they have a show in Boulder tomorrow night so if you want to see their show tonight, you can watch it from the wings. If you want to stay after and hear some of the others, it will be at your own risk, or you can come back in the limos waiting and do something on your own. The cars will be available to take you wherever you want to go.” Cash walked away just as his phone started ringing.

They had most of the day to waste so they decided to go shopping. They figured what better way to cheer up Chandler than with some retail therapy.

But Chandler’s mind wasn’t on shopping. She agreed to go along to appease KeeMac and her friends but she just felt numb, stunned, like she had lost part of herself and she didn’t know if she would ever get it back. Keeton wrapped his strong arm around her shoulder and announced to the group, “I do believe Chandler and I have an appointment at the nearest Neiman-fucking-Marcus.” He waggled his eyebrows at her and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Dude, a department store, really? I was thinking we could go look at some new games for the bus. I’m tired of kicking everyone’s ass on Call of Duty.” Carter said, obviously wanting nothing to do with Neiman’s finery. Carter and Gunner agreed to go separate ways and meet up later for lunch.

Despite her previous mood, Chandler never had so much fun trying things on, although the sales lady wasn’t too thrilled about Chandler and Krissy’s private modeling for their men. Between their and Peri’s purchases she stood to make a huge commission, so she bit her tongue and went along with the men being in the inner sanctum of the women’s intimates dressing room. When a few other men started lingering around the fringes of that department trying to catch a glimpse of the fashion show, KeeMac and Ryan picked their favorites and declared show over. Peri complained when KeeMac paid for hers as well but happily took the shopping bag and trotted off with the other girls toward the shoes.

Chandler told her, “Just don’t let them get ripped off,” then she blushed when she realized what she had divulged to the other two girls, and they all three broke into a fit of giggles.

“Bitch, please, that is smokin’ hot when a guy who looks like yours wants you so badly he rips the panties right off you! Stop complaining already,” Krissy said, which lead all three to laugh a little more loudly. KeeMac was happy to hear the sweet sound coming from Chandler after the morning she’d had.

They arrived back at the hotel in plenty of time to change, and Camille showed up to help Peri get Chandler ready for the stage. “Don’t forget, this is a smaller tonight and it’s outdoors. We’ll go all-out for tomorrow night’s show,” Peri reminded them.

The blue extensions in her hair matched the blue top Peri picked for her to wear with a form-fitting black skirt that she felt barely covered her lady parts. She finished the look with those sparkly blue Louboutin peep toes with ankle straps that Chandler had been dying to wear. Her mother would have never approved of those shoes, even as formal wear because they were too “flashy”. The top hooked at the neck and at the waist but was otherwise backless with long split sleeves that fastened at the wrist. It all looked gorgeous in contrast with Chandler’s black hair and sultry look Camille did on her eyes and finished her look off with lipstick in high-gloss fire-engine red.