Songbird (14 page)

“In there.” Mikayla pointed to a small boutique clothing store. We ducked inside and closed the door behind us. I turned the
open
sign over to read
closed
. Hopefully the owner wouldn’t mind.

We headed for the back of the store and made sure
we had a few racks of clothing between us and the outside world. The attendant, a woman in her early fifties and remarkably well dressed, joined us. She opened her mouth to chastise us before stopping as realization sunk in about who we were. There were definitely some perks to being famous.

“The paparazzi are stalking us,” I explained. “I’m sorry, we’ll be gone in a minute.”

Her head rotated between us and the photographers pressed up against her storefront window. Their flashes were still lighting up in unison. “It’s okay, you can stay as long as you need to. Maybe have a look around at our beautiful clothes while you’re here?”

Like she wasn’t going to get enough publ
icity just from the tabloids? “Thanks, but do you have a backdoor? We could really use an alternative way out of here.”

“Sure, follow me.” We did as told and followed her through the storeroom. Daylight greeted us on the other side as we stepped through her security door.

It was wonderfully quiet out in the back alleyway. No photographers, no fans, no screaming teenagers. Peace and quiet, exactly what I needed.

“We should get moving, it won’t take them long to put two and two together,” Mikayla warned. We thanked the woman and hurried toward our respective hotels.

C
hapter Fifteen

I
n the warm Miami weather, I needed to cool off and the hotel pool seemed like it was going to be my best choice. The moment I arrived back at the hotel, I slipped up to my room and changed into my favorite blue bikini. With any luck, the pool would be quiet and everyone would be at lunch somewhere else.

I threw on a light cotton wrap and headed down, my sandals flopping on my feet the entire way. I grabbed my phone at the last minute, hoping I had time to catch up on some of the books I had downloaded in the boring times.

There were a few people in the pool, but not so many to annoy me. I found a lounge in the sun and covered it with a towel before lying down. It was exactly what I needed, some rest and relaxation away from the world. Perhaps when the whole tour was over, I could book a secret getaway to a remote tropical island? That would be nice.

I settled my sunglasses on my nose and closed my eyes. Having some time to stop was a luxury in itself, some time alone was something I rarely had anymore. Before my little breakdown, I had some more freedom. Since then, nobody was game enough to leave me alone for too long. Convincing myself I was okay and convincing everyone else were two completely different things.

The sun disappeared, a cool shadow fell over me. I considered pretending to be oblivious but I knew someone was standing over me. If they were a crazy stalker fan about to kill me, I would probably like to see their face first.

I opened my eyes, Forest was standing there. That was a relief. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey, what’s up?” I asked. Some time with Forest was probably the only thing better than time alone.

He waited until I moved my legs so he could perch on the side of the lounge, careful not to tip it over. “I was going to go for a swim, want to join me?”

The pool was empty, most people either leaving or reclining. “Sure.”

I dived right in, letting the cool water wash over me in one shockwave. I was never one to get in slowly, I always figured why delay the inevitable? I guess that was also how I tended to live my life. Dive in without thinking and get it over and done with. At least that’s how my relationships usually went anyway.

A hand gripped my foot as I started a lap in the clear water. I spun around, Forest was holding me, pulling me closer until I was completely entrenched in his embrace.

“I thought you said you wanted to go swimming,” I pointed out. Something about the way he was looking at me made a shiver run down my spine with anticipation. It was the cheeky glint to his eye, the smi
le that made his cheeks dimple.

I never had a chance to test the waters with him, it was dive in or go home. And I wasn’t the type to go home.

“You in that bikini makes me forget all about swimming. Hell, it makes me forget my name.”

He leant over and smashed his lips on mine. For once, I didn’t care who might be watching. It was just Forest and I, nobody else was even on my radar.

We kissed hungrily, like we had been denied that kiss for centuries. Our lips continually collided, over and over again until we were both breathless.

“You give me wicked thoughts, Brierly Wilcox,” Forest whispered in my ear, so quiet that no-one else could hear.

“Like what?”

He pursed his lips together while pretending to think it over. Those dimples, I could kiss them forever and it wouldn’t be enough. “Like how I’ve never had sex in a pool before.” He raised one eyebrow in challenge.

I couldn’t stop the laugh escaping my mouth. “Keep dreaming, it’s not going to happen today.” He dipped me down in the water without warning. I gasped, ready to hold my breath but he brought me back up again before I could go under. “Still a no.”

“You didn’t say it would never happen.”

“Just not today.”

“I’m going to hold you to that.”

Now it was my turn to be cheeky. “You better.” I let one hand fall from around his neck to sneak under the water. I reached down and found the bulge in his swimming trunks. Giving it a little squeeze, his eyes flew open wide.

Forest laughed. “You’re going to be the death of me. How am I supposed to not rip off your bikini now?”

I leaned over, whispering in his ear. “Take me back to my room and you can rip off whatever you want.”

He looked at me seriously, making sure I wasn’t just joking this time. I was dead serious and we couldn’t move quick enough for my liking.

Forest let me go and we headed for the side of the pool. I grabbed my things and we ran through the hotel. The bemused looks of anyone watching us were ignored, they could gossip as much as they wanted. I only wanted Forest, I
needed
Forest.

We burst into my room after I fumbled with the keycard like an idiot. I headed straight for the bathroom and ran the bath. We couldn’t have sex in the pool, but there was nobody to watch us in the oversized bath.

I sat on the edge, dumping in the complimentary bubble bath and making sure the water wasn’t too hot. I felt rather than saw Forest approach. He always made every nerve in my body stand at attention.

His warm hands rubbed the cold skin of my back. He could have done that all night and I wouldn’t have complained. With a flick of his fingers, my bikini top fell away. So that was his plan all along,
I should have known.

His exploring hands went further, I knew exactly
what his plan was this time. He untied the right ride of my bikini bottoms before moving onto the other side. I was completely naked in under two seconds. While he was still wearing his shorts, that wasn’t fair. I turned off the faucet and grabbed his pants, sliding them down his legs before he had a chance to move.

“Now we’re even,” I said with a smirk. He went to grab me but I slid into the bath befo
re he could. The warmth washed over me, the suds making it a little slippery. It was so much better than the pool.

Forest climbed in at
the other end. We fit together nicely in the large tub. It wasn’t as big as the one I had in my mansion back home, but it was sufficient.

Forest found my feet and started rubbing them under the water. I lay my head back on the edge, enjoying the moment. That man could make anything sexy, including a foot rub. Every touch sent waves of pleasure up to my core, like he was touching me there instead.

“Hmm, that’s good,” I moaned.

“Your feet are so small.” I opened my eyes to look at him, trying to work out if he was teasing me or not. He seemed genuine. “They’re cute.”

“I didn’t know you had a foot fetish.”

“There’s so much you don’t know about me, Brier.” I raised a questioning eyebrow, challenging him to tell me everything. “It’s not that easy. You’re going to have to ask the right questions.”

“Okay then. Besides feet, what else turns you on?”

The mischievous glint to his eye made the butterflies go crazy in my stomach. I could only imagine what was going on inside his head – which was probably a good thing. I’m sure I didn’t want to
know even half of all those naughty thoughts running through his mind.

“You turn me on,” he finally answered carefully. I was a little disappointed, surely he had some more desires than purely me serving myself up on a dish for him.

“So you don’t have any fantasies then? Nothing? At all?”

He switched feet and started rubbing the other one. The gentle kneading almost made me forget all about the conversation as I enjoyed the massage.

“Okay then, but remember I did warn that you might not want to hear them.” He paused, expecting me to change the subject. I wasn’t going to let him off the hook that easily. “I’m a boobs man. I’ll take them big, small, perky, any way they come.”

I laughed. That was hardly a fetish and definitely not something unusual. I’m pretty sure every single guy I had ever known would say the same thing. “That’s the best you’ve got?”

He may have blushed, just a little, before getting defensive. “Fine then, Miss Kinky, what’s your secret indulgence? What turns
you
on?” He pinched my toes, making me squirm more than the question.

I pushed myself up and started moving toward him slowly. Forest released my foot so I could move. I didn’t stop creeping up until I could straddle his th
ighs, our faces only a few inches apart.

“You know what I really, really like?” I whispered. I had him in the palm of my hand
s, his complete and utter undivided attention – exactly where I wanted him.

He swallowed, his jaw clenched together. “No,
what?”

I moved in closer so our lips just brushed together, teasing him with
only the promise of a kiss. His breath tickled, rasping in his throat.

“I really, really like being in charge,” I finished, giving him a devilish smile. His lips curled into a grin, taking my lips as his own like
he
was the one in charge.

I happily submitted, snaking my arms around his neck and tickling the sensitive skin. His hands caressed my hips, running along my skin to settle at the small of my back. I was right, the bath was way more fun than the pool.

He used the slipperiness of the suds to pull me toward him so our hips were pressed against each other. I could feel him getting hard, turned on just by me like he promised.

I was actually relieved he didn’t have some weird sex fantasy. It wasn’t like I had a lot of experience in anything kinky. My experimentation consisted solely of an alcohol fuelled night which I can’t remember but did wake up with two guys and a new tattoo. I would never tell Forest that story. I don’t think I’ve ever told anyone that story – not even Mikayla.

He started kissing my neck, leaving a trail of blazing hot patches across my collarbone. I couldn’t stop the moan escaping my lips. Already flushed from the warm water, my skin burned with sensitivity. Every touch was amplified, every caress sending out shockwaves in all directions.

“What do you think of my boobs?” I asked, leaning back so he could assess them. Like he hadn’t already.

Forest studied my chest, using his hands to give a complete assessment. He felt the weight, traced my nipples with his thumbs, and gave them a squeeze. He was doing nothing to settle the throbbing down below.

“So?” I asked again.

“They might just be the sexiest boobs I have ever seen,” he answered, leaning down further so he could take one in his mouth. He sucked, gently nipping the hard buds. I almost screamed with the sensation. This man was a magician with his mouth, seriously.

When he let go, I guided his mouth back up to mine. He could leave his hands to make further assessments, I wanted to suck on those lips of his.

Our mouths collided hungrily, our tongues dancing together in a tuneless song. Our bodies melded together as he linked his hands around my back once again. His hard abs pressed against my boobs, not a breath of space between us. That is exactly how I liked Forest, I could stay there forever and still it wouldn’t be long enough.

He lifted me up, his strong hands on my hips as he guided himself into me. I slid on easily, feeling his entire length snuggled inside.

I moved up and down slowly, savoring every sensation and shiver that ran through me. Forest groaned, the vibrations of his throat tickling my skin. It was the sweetest sound in the world.

Every night while on tour I heard thousands of people screaming because of my performance. That single groan meant more to me than a million of those performances. Forest wanted me, I brought him pleasure. He chose to spend the night with
me
even though there were endless groupies that could warm his bed. I was overcome with adoration for him.

I felt the crest of the wave approaching, one more
movement and I was going to plunge over the edge. I panted with anticipation, needing him right now. He gripped my hips as the orgasm hit. Waves and waves of pleasure shuddered through me. I was encased in warmth and pure bliss.

Forest kissed my neck as we rocked back and forth together. My heat throbbed with happiness, feeling Forest twitch with the last of his orgasm inside. We leant against each other, exhausted and spent.

I don’t know how long we remained there, I didn’t really care. All I knew was, at some point, Forest helped me out of the bath and wrapped me in a fluffy white towel. We dried our water-wrinkled skin and climbed into bed.