Outlaw Country (10 page)

She hit a button on her phone and turned it back to him again. He stared at the picture, all the good memories from Muscle Shoals came back to him. He wanted to laugh when he saw the picture, but he knew that would do no good. No good at all.

The photographer must’ve gotten a great shot right at the moment when Colton grabbed Gracie’s ass. The angle was just right; there was no mistaking where his hand was in that photo.

The hurt in Gracie’s eyes slowly changed to anger. “This picture is all over the Internet. All over Facebook, all over Instagram, all over everywhere! You dumb, cocky son-of-a-bitch.” Gracie moved forward as she chewed him out. Colton took several steps back. At least
 
she was coming into the hotel room. It was better than nothing.

“I was just having a goof.” Colton put up his hands as if he was surrendering. “You gotta know how to play the PR game. That’s all I was doing. One good shot like that, and the media eats it up, and we’re on the front page of every website.”

“I have an image to uphold, Colton.”

Knowing he was making a mistake, Colton laughed anyway. “So do I.”

Gracie slammed the door, Colton’s arrogance taking her from anger to outright fury. “There is nothing funny about this. It’s like you don’t care at all. Your actions have an affect other people. One picture and then they think were dating. A second picture of you with another woman, and they think you’re cheating on me. You look like a player, but I come out of it looking like a weak little girl. I come out looking like a fool. You don’t know how hard it is to be a woman in this industry. I am constantly under scrutiny and constantly under attack. Things like this give them all the ammunition they need. This could be devastating, Colton. But you don’t care about that. You care about getting a little PR and getting handsy with some skank in a bar.”

It wasn’t often that Colton was left speechless. He always had a snappy comeback, and it always got him in shit. Gracie had managed to shut him up, though. Even Colton knew that it was a rare feat.

Instead of doing what he usually did, which was some snappy retort, Colton actually thought about what she said. He knew she was right about it all. Colton knew he had to apologize, but he had to find the right words, first.

With a sigh, he said, “Come on in.” He headed down the hallway that led into the large room. Sitting down on the most expensive couch of his life, Colton gestured for Gracie to sit across from him. He felt regret wash over him, hoping she’d pity him enough to stay.

Gracie stopped at the end of the hallway. She watched him for a time, deciding if she wanted to bother with him any longer. She didn’t want to be a diva, but she knew she had the power to getting thrown off the tour in a heartbeat. She had the power to make a lot of things happen, and maybe Colton needed to learn that. Colton had his strengths. She saw him as a manly, sexy beast, but that didn’t mean he was in control. Gracie had all kinds of control that he didn’t know about.

Thinking about control sent Gracie’s mind to the night before. She forgot about her power and remembered his. In the ways that Colton was strong, he was very strong. He was a magnet, and she couldn’t get away. Besides, he looked so pained like a sad little puppy.

Gracie walked into the room and sat down in a love seat across from Colton. She was mad about the TMZ article, but she was more upset at what her mother’s reaction would be. Kathleen was barely tolerating Colton, his band, and his manager. Gracie was afraid her mother would pull the plug at any second.

“I know your mother don’t like me. Hell, a blind man could see that.” Colton hung his head down. Gracie could hear the difference in his voice. She’d never heard him sound humble before. She imagined it would be like seeing him in a three-piece suit, different but good.

He went on, saying “You’re right, too. Only ever think about myself. Never really had anybody else to think about, to be honest. Until Kitt got out of rehab, that is. I know that’s no excuse. I guess I have a band to think about, but honestly? They take better care of me than I take of them. Gracie, I’ll be honest with you. I drink too much. I party too much. I don’t take life seriously.”

Gracie let a little of her own wit out. “This is quite possibly the worst apology I’ve ever heard, Colton Wade.”

“Well, shit, little miss.” A tension-breaking smile grew on Colton’s face. “If you let me fuckin’ get there.”

He stared at her for a few seconds, but Gracie wasn’t going to interrupt. He gave a slight nod, and went on, “Even when you and me was in the studio. I wasn’t takin’ it seriously. I was so hung over I could barely see straight. And then there’s you. Gracie Hart. Professional, on time, classy. Colton Wade’s antithesis. Betcha didn’t know Colton’s got a few ten dollar words in his back pocket.”

Giving Gracie and over-the-top wink, Colton smiled again. Gracie rolled her eyes at his wink, but he knew when he was winning somebody over.

“I want to be like you.”

She gave a confused look, her head moving side to side. “What do you mean?”

“I want to be those things. I want to be professional, on time, somewhat classy.”

“Well, having a shirt on when you answer the door is a good start.” Gracie had tried to ignore his ripped chest as they spoke. She had noticed it when she’d been furious, but the fury was quickly melting away. Her eyes were on the swirling lines inked into his skin, and she was finding it harder and harder to be mad.

Colton laughed and looked behind him toward the bedroom. “Sure thing. Sure thing.” He was about to stand up when Gracie stopped him.

“No, don’t worry about it.” Gracie’s reply had been too quick, too eager. She knew it, and he knew it, too. Her voice had been too high. And blood rushed to Gracie’s cheeks. Better than between my legs, she thought.

The badboy country singer leaned back into the soft couch, any bit of humility gone. “Your wish is my command. Look, here’s the deal. I’ve got a past. I’ve got a recent past, as TMZ was so quick to point out. That’s just what it is, though. It’s the past.”

Colton’s words were powerful. Gracie could hear the sincerity in his voice, and she knew he regretted his mistakes. Like any good songwriter, he was good with words, and he was good at swaying people. Gracie decided he was almost charming.

“I’m done fucking around, Gracie. If you’re the last woman on earth who I fuck, I’ll die happy.”

 
Almost
charming.

Colton’s words came out of nowhere and set Gracie on fire. Even when she was angry with him, her passion was real. If it hadn’t been for her mother, they might’ve gone all the way by the lake. Even while afraid, Gracie wanted him. As she sat across from the sexy singer, she chose to play along with his little game.

“Is that a fact? Are you sure you want to make that claim? After all, we haven’t actually fucked yet.” Gracie had never said such bold things. In her mind, she always made love. It was always sweet and passionate. At least, until she’d met Colton. He wasn’t the type to make love, and he was anything but sweet.

One side of Colton’s mouth curled up into a smile. “Yet?”

Gracie’s heart raced as she tore her eyes away from Colton’s chest. She wasn’t looking at him anymore, she was looking at the bedroom just beyond him. She was as ready as she was ever going to be.

Standing up, Gracie decided there were no more words. There were only two people, a hotel room, and years of sexual frustration.

Colton knew that look. He’d seen it before in many women’s eyes, but somehow, it never looked so real and honest before.

Gracie walked right past him, a real sway in her hips. Colton’s rod sprung to attention. When he stood up, his cock was throbbing and pressing against his jeans. It was not at all how he had planned the morning to go, but he was sure as fuck going to roll with it. As he followed Gracie through the French doors into the bedroom, his eyes rolled back in his head.

She lifted her sweet, flower print sundress up and over her head. Tossing it to the side, Gracie kept walking toward the large, soft bed. Colton took in the view from behind like he had stumbled upon an oasis. Her underwear was simple, matching her bra, and hot as fuck. Her purple panties were just see-through enough to show off her well-toned ass. Colton got ahold of himself and step through the doors.

His eyes were glued to her. Gracie crawled onto the bed and slowly made her way to the tall headboard. There was no sense in Colton trying to keep his pulse under control. As he watched her, her could see that Gracie wasn’t going to let him keep any part of his body under control. When she turned around in the bed, he could see just how badly she wanted him. Nothing was going to stop him. He was dying for that sweet girl.

As Gracie leaned against the back of the bed, Colton stood at the foot. He watched her body twist into a beautiful pose, her legs crossed over each other like a demure model. His dick throbbed, and he saw gaze focused on his jeans. His thumbs were curled through his belt loops, but not for long.

Colton brought the zipper down and dropped his jeans to the floor. His eyes were on Gracie. He knew it would be her first time, and he was going to do his best to be gentle. He wasn’t wearing any underwear, and when her eyes went wide, Colton had to laugh. Breaking Gracie in was going to be one hell of a good time.

 
As he climbed into bed, Colton watched Gracie. He knew she’d be nervous, and she was too scared her first time would be shit. He wanted her first fuck to be one she’d remember for life.

He was surprised to discover that as he got closer to her, Gracie spread her legs. It was tentative, but Colton liked seeing how eager she was. He ran a finger up her skin from her thighs all the way up to her neck. He wrapped a hand around back and beneath her hair, and pulled her to him. They picked up right where they had left off the night before.

Gracie moaned as Colton’s tongue invaded her mouth. She wasn’t going to let anything interrupt her. Kathleen was out for a run, and Gracie wasn’t going to answer her phone even if God, himself, called. Gracie was aching, and feeling Colton’s rock hard and naked body against hers turn that ache into something more like a burning inferno. She reached between his legs and wrapped her fingers around his hardness.

Her first thought was that he was bigger than Shepard. The thought excited her, and then it scared her, but excitement won out. Gracie stroked her fingers up and down his shaft with a lightly feminine touch. He responded with groans that only made her even surer that she was making the right decision.

She was done with the idea of passionate lovemaking. Gracie wanted it hard, and she wanted it from Colton.

Colton forced Gracie forward and away from the headboard. His other hand slid down her back, effortlessly unsnapping her bra with a twist of his fingers. His hand kept traveling down until it slid beneath her underwear. When Colton gave her a squeeze, she couldn’t stop her hips from bucking towards him. Gracie’s gasp turned into a giggle.

Colton kept leading Gracie towards the edge of the bed. Her tiny little fingers felt great, but he knew her juicy, pink lips would be out of this world. Colton liked how easily Gracie let him control her. She didn’t just lay there, like most of the groupies; she was eager and willing.
Good God, this girl is going to drive me fuckin’ crazy