Unrequited

Everything about him is physical. Raw.

You want that body back against you, pinning you down, covering every inch of you again until you’re gasping.

Dex looks over and catches me watching him. I look away, feeling my cheeks burn.

“What?” he asks.

I shrug, embarrassed. “I didn’t think you’d be like this.”

“And how’s that?” Dex tilts his head, watching me, his voice a low, whiskey-sweet drawl.

“So... chivalrous,” I find the right word. “The way people talk, I was expecting some big, bad rock-star, but you’re nothing like that.”

“I’m plenty big.” Dex winks.

I flush, my cheeks burning. From what I felt of him, grinding against me, I know that it’s true.

“You know what I mean. You’ve been so sweet to me.”

“Have I now?” In an instant, Dex’s expression changes. His eyes darken, hot and hungry. “Don’t mistake me for a gentleman, darlin’. Just because I stopped when you asked me to, it doesn’t mean I won’t f**k your sweet brains out.”

My heart stops.

Dex closes the distance between us, suddenly pushing me back against the counter. I gasp as he thrusts his hips against me. Oh God, I can feel him, hard and thick through his jeans, driving with a delicious friction against my aching core.

A rush of molten heat pools between my thighs.

“You feel that?” he growls, under his breath. “That’s all for you, baby. But you’re not ready yet, are you? And I want you ready.”

He leans in closer, his body radiating heat against me. I’m caught in his gaze, trembling beneath his fingertip; arching against his hips.

He trails one finger down my neck. A whimper slips from my lips.

Dex’s mouth curls in a devastating smile. “When I take you, you’ll be wet, and naked, and begging for me.”

Oh.

His dirty words crash through me in a torrent of pure desire. My legs give way, and I sink back against the counter.

“When you say ‘yes’ to me, you’ll be screaming. Begging me to f**k you,” Dex growls, his eyes never leaving mine. “And I promise you, sweetheart. When the day comes, I won’t hold back. I won’t be sweet, or gentle, or chivalrous. I’ll f**k you senseless every which way and I won’t stop until you come out of your damn mind.”

My head is still spinning when he leans in and captures my mouth in a blazing kiss. His words were rough and shocking, but this kiss is the opposite: hot and slow and deep. He takes his time, leisurely, his tongue probing deep between my lips, claiming everything, tasting all of me.

It’s a promise. An ultimatum.

And oh, how I surrender to it.

I fall against him, mewling into his mouth as his hands slide over my body and his hips grind against mine. The friction spirals through me, the fire in my bloodstream burns, raging out of control. My whole body is alive, rising to him, desperate for more.

And then he releases me, stepping back, and there’s nothing but a shock of cold air where the heat of his body used to be.

I gasp for air. He walks back to the stove, casual as can be, and dips a spoon in the sauce.

“Here.” He holds it out to me, his eyes still glittering dark with lust. “Taste.”

I stumble forwards, my legs still unsteady. Dex catches me with his free hand, then guides the spoon between my lips.

It’s sharp and sweet and intense. Just like him.

“Too spicy?” Dex asks me with a smirk.

My heart is pounding in my chest, but I manage to pull myself together long enough to reply.

“Just spicy enough.”

8.

DEX

Alicia sets the table with silverware and plates, and we sit down to eat. Not that I give a damn about the food. The only thing I want to eat is sitting right across from me, her hair glowing in the candlelight, her cheeks still flushed with desire.

Damn, she’d taste sweet. I can picture her now, thighs open, baring it all to me.

I shift my napkin in my lap. I’m hard enough to burst down here, and my huge erection shows no sign of fading any time soon. I wasn’t lying when I told her I would f**k her brains out. I’m going to do things to that gorgeous body she’s only ever dreamed about.

“Did you always want to be a musician?”

Alicia’s voice breaks through my X-rated fantasies. I look up. She’s watching me across the table, a thoughtful expression on her face.

“Pretty much. My dad said I was banging out a melody on tin cans before I even said my first word.”

Alicia laughs. “It’s an amazing gift. I can barely sing in tune.”

“You sounded pretty good moaning my name.”

She flushes, looking down.

“I taught myself to play guitar, started writing songs when I was still in school,” I continue, reaching to pour her more wine. “Then me and my buddy, Austin, found the other guys, and put the band together. Things took off like crazy after that.”

“You were an overnight success?” she asks.

I chuckle. “The press likes to say that, but the truth is behind every flash sensation is years of rehearsal. We played every shitty dive bar up and down the California coast before we caught the attention of a manager. He had us play a showcase. Every label in town was fighting to sign us. Then...” I sigh. “Yeah, things got crazy fast.”

Too fast. From sleeping five to a run-down studio apartment, to luxury suites at the hottest hotels in town. From playing to five people in the back of an empty bar, to selling out the Wiltern, the Roxy, the House of Blues. Maybe if it had been a slower climb, we would have dealt with the pressure better. Learned how to keep our heads screwed on. But the way we blew up, the guys didn’t stand a chance. Money. Pussy. Fame. Throw anyone into that chaos and they’re just a ticking time-bomb, waiting to explode.