She whimpered, tilting her hips back toward me.
“Fill me up with your cum.”
I groaned, doubling over until my forehead pressed between her shoulder blades as the orgasm tackled me hard.
As always, the pleasure of the moment drained out of me faster than the cum shot out of my balls, leaving me feeling empty in an existential way I fucking hated. My knees buckled, and I caught my weight on the counter as I pulled out, but it was purely muscular fatigue. I couldn’t even find it in me to enjoy the way my cum dripped from her hole.
The air in the small bathroom felt suddenly suffocating. The need to escape, to run, maybe find someone else to fuck in hopes of outrunning the thoughts that were starting to crowd back in was overwhelming.
I pulled her panties back into place, then tucked myself away and tapped her on the ass.
“Thanks for the fun time, baby.”
Without a backward glance, I breezed out of the room, ignoring the looks of disapproval from my band as I beelined for the snack table and treated myself to a can of cola.
Chapter
Ten
Tatum
“I’msure she hasn’t gone far.” I glanced around the room, dread filling my gut as I realized that Abbie’s sister wasn’t the only person missing.
Abbie was a sweet kid. She’d talked Calix’s ear off about guitars until I’d taken pity on him and distracted her with a cookie. Not the horrible raisin ones. When she’d finished eating, we’d discovered her sister’s absence.
The door to the bathroom I’d dragged Toby out of earlier was closed, and I cast a concerned look at Otis, who frowned, doing the same math in his head.
Crossing the room, he tried the handle before hammering on the wood. The door stayed resolutely closed, but the grimace Otis wore on his face warned me things weren’t quiet on the other side.
“Who would like to go out on the stage?” I asked loudly, herding Abbie toward the exit while waving to the rest of the group to follow.
As everyone filed out, I sent a glare at the twins, who had made no move to follow. Toby stared off into space, completely spaced out on whatever he’d taken earlier, and Calix sat back with his arms crossed tight against his chest. The flat look he gave me said there was no way in hell he was going to help me with the tour.
Well, fuck him. His bandmate had screwed with the schedule, so he could help me clean up the mess.
“Guess what, everyone,” I chirped, sending Calix the most saccharine smile I could muster. “Calix has agreed to give you guys an exclusive acoustic performance of‘Lies We Live’. Everyone, move through to the stage, and we’ll meet you there in just a minute.”
Amidst the cheers and fangirling of the group, I lowered my voice so only Calix would hear. “Your public awaits.”
“I’m done performing for these people.”
“Well, they’re not done with you. It’s far too early in the tour to start pissing people off, so get your ass up and go make sweet musical love to the nice paying customers.”
Calix growled but pushed to his feet, a look of weariness passing over his face that almost made me feel sorry for him. I knew he didn’t like people, but he still had a job to do. Striding across the room, he stopped inches from me, backing me into the doorframe. The smell of fresh sweat couldn’t cover the woodsy scent of his cologne. I didn’t want to admit it, but the first chance I had, I’d snuck through Calix’s toiletries to find out the nameof the scent. Tom Ford’sOud Wood. If the company had any business sense, they’d sign him up as the poster boy because millions would buy it just to feel closer to the surly man in front of me.
The muscle in his jaw ticked, as though he were trying not to smirk as he cocked his head. “Why does it sound like you’re whoring me out?”
Shit. Rule number one of dealing with Calix was don’t tune out. It was just so damn hard not to when he was this close. He made me want to do bad things. Even though I hated him. Because I did.
I grinned unrepentantly, sliding out from under him to follow the VIPs toward backstage. “Because I am.”
I swore to myself I wouldn’t look back at him. This was a power play I had to win. Putting more sway into my hips as I walked away, I imagined him staring at my ass as I went. Wishful thinking, but it was part of the game.
After a few seconds, I heard the satisfying thump of his boots following me.
Point for Tatum.
Out on the stage, the VIPs had been seated in a semi-circle around a stool. As Calix appeared behind me, the conversation dropped off. The excitement among the group was palpable as they watched him, mesmerized. Without acknowledging anyone, he retrieved his guitar from its stand and perched on the stool center stage like a king reclining on his throne. I had intended to return to the green room and rip Harvey a new asshole for his antics, but as his fingers ran over the strings, the urge drifted away.
