Wild Nashville Ways Page 8

  “What do you want to eat?” he asked.

  “Is your chef available?”

  “No. It’s just us.”

  “Then I’ll have some cereal.” Something simple and quick. Anything to get him to release me. His body was heavy against mine. But it felt good, so painfully, dangerously good.

  “Hot or cold?” he asked.

  I blinked. “What?”

  “The cereal.”

  “Cold.” I couldn’t handle anything hot right now. He was hot enough. My former fiancé, in his big expensive mansion, holding me hostage.

  “I’ll go get breakfast,” he said.

  I just wanted him to hurry up. I was trembling beneath him, my limbs practically turning to mush.

  He finally lifted his body from mine, giving me a chance to breathe a little easier.

  He climbed out of bed and put on a pair of plaid boxers. Then he turned and said, “I want you to stay naked.”

  After he’d just gotten dressed? How was that fair? “You can’t tell me what to do.”

  “Oops, sorry.” He smiled his crooked smile. “Will you stay naked for me? Pretty please with sugary cereal on top?”

  “Smart-ass.” I considered throwing my pillow at him. But I was charmed by his playfulness, too. He always seemed to have conflicting effects on me. “I don’t like the sugary stuff.”

  “Oh, that’s right. You eat the grown-up cereal.”

  “Just go get it, and I’ll decide what I’m going to wear. Or not wear,” I added, impishly.

  “All right.” He hesitated for a second. “If you want coffee, there’s one of those single-serve machines on the bar.”

  He left, and I decided to skip the coffee. Instead, I poured myself a glass of orange juice from the mini fridge. I debated if I should cover up or remain naked. I split the difference and rummaged through Dash’s dresser, borrowing a pair of his boxers, the same plaid style he was wearing. I topped them off with the body chain. It took me several tries to reach back and hook it, but I finally got it done.

  Dash returned with breakfast. He saw me and broke into a grin. “Damn. Could you be any hotter?”

  “I thought it made an interesting fashion statement.”

  “For sure.” He set down the tray. It contained the cereal, two plastic bowls, two spoons, a pitcher of milk and several cloth napkins.

  We ate in bed, as cozy as could be. I sat crossed-legged with my napkin on my lap, and he sat upright against the headboard.

  “Do you want to shower with me?” I asked. “Just as soon as we’re done?”

  He glanced at my scantily clad body. “Is that a trick question?”

  “No. But my one condition is that you can’t do anything to me while we’re in there. Only I can do things to you.” After the way he’d made me feel kidnapped earlier, I needed to get my groove back and be the one in charge.

  He swallowed the cereal in his mouth. “You have an awful lot of rules.”

  “Don’t worry. You’re going to enjoy this one.” I wet my lips, letting him know just how good it was going to be.

  For both of us.

  Seven

  Dash

  Tracy was immediately intrigued by the ceiling-mounted, rainfall-style showerhead equipped with LED lights that changed colors. As she made adjustments, I took a moment to gauge my mood. I wasn’t sure how I felt about how things were unfolding between us. I wasn’t used to having a lover call the shots, but Tracy seemed determined to have her way. If I didn’t behave, I figured she would ditch me and go home, and I wasn’t prepared to lose her so soon. I wanted our affair to last as long as possible.

  “This is pretty,” she said, as the water turned blue.

  I was more interested in her, the curvy brunette driving me mad. She ducked under the spray and crooked her finger for me to join her.

  I obeyed, anxious for her to touch me. But she soaped down instead, lathering her luscious body and washing her hair. I stood under the rainfall and watched her. She’d turned into quite the seductress, teasing me, making me wait.

  I washed myself under the blue water, too. When it glowed green, Tracy was rinsing her hair. By the time it was purple, I wanted to do wicked things to her. Only I wasn’t allowed.

  She finally came toward me, and I thought I might die on the damned spot. She pumped liquid soap into her hands and reached out to lather me. I was already clean, but I wasn’t going to complain about being extra sudsy.

  She started at my chest and worked her way down, rolling her fingers over my abs. I sucked in my breath, and my muscles went taut. My erection was growing, and she hadn’t even gotten there yet. She took her sweet time, making me suffer.

  Finally, finally...she touched me there, stroking me to full arousal.

  Tracy rinsed the soap from my body and dropped to her knees. Now I really was going to die.

  She teased me with her tongue, and I put my hands in her shower-soaked hair. Water dripped down my face, but I didn’t care. I lowered my head to watch.

  She took me in her mouth and rocked back and forth, creating a slow and sleek rhythm. Yeah, I was dying for sure. My fingers were practically tangled in her hair.

  She increased the tempo, using her hands and her mouth. I couldn’t help it; I thrust my hips forward. She didn’t seem to mind. If anything, she welcomed my participation. She even pulled me closer.

  I groaned out loud. She looked beautiful as the light shifted from purple back to blue, creating an ocean-like shimmer and making her seem like a mermaid.

  She glanced up at me, and our gazes locked. She was sultry. Sinful. The sexiest creature on earth.

  She took me deeper, all the way to the back of her throat. Damn, it felt good, with all the ripples of heat coursing through me. I definitely wanted this affair to last. I even got the crazy urge that I’d gotten before, to buy her a diamond and marry her.

  But I wasn’t thinking straight, not with Tracy down on her knees. Still, I imagined her as my wife, living here with me, sleeping in my bed and sharing my love of music. Sharing my world.

  She dug her nails into my ass, and my thoughts scattered. Was the water still blue? Or was it green?

  All I knew was that my skin was hot, my blood sizzling through my veins. Tracy was taking me to the edge, as an orgasm continued building in my body.

  Engulfed in pleasure, I started to shake and shiver, but she didn’t finish me off with her hands. She let me spill into her mouth. I tried to watch it happen, but my vision blurred, leaving me in a fog.

  Afterward, when Tracy came to her feet, she turned off the shower and rung out her wet hair. I merely stood there, staring at her.

  “You okay?” she asked.

  “Yeah.” I was more than okay.

  She got us some towels, and we dried off in the bathroom. I backed her against the sink, and she looked up at me.

  “What are you doing?” she asked.

  “I just want to thank you.” I lowered my mouth to hers, kissing her, holding her gently in my arms.

  She sighed, sweet and dreamy, but it didn’t last. She wriggled away and darted off to my bedroom. When had she become so elusive? I didn’t answer my own question. I didn’t want to rehash all the reasons in my mind.

  I followed her, and we both went into our closets to grab our clothes. Neither of us used the dressing rooms. We got dressed in front of each other, like we used to do.

  “Will you stay for the rest of the day?” I asked.

  “I can’t.” She buttoned her blouse. “I have work to do, a VA project I need to finish.”

  I zipped my jeans. “Maybe just for a few more hours? We could take a walk in the woods. Or go fishing or just sit on the dock.”

  “We can do those things next time I come over.”

  “And when will that be?” I was anxious to see her again, but why wo
uldn’t I be, with how challenging it was to keep her in my grasp?

  She sat down to put on her boots. “I don’t know. We’ll have to figure it out.”

  I persisted, trying to pin her down. “When do you work next at the feedstore?”

  “Tuesday. But you better not come there, Dash.” She shot me a warning look. “You can visit Maddie on a different day.”

  Screw that, I thought. I was going to do as I pleased and pop over on Tuesday. Only I pretended otherwise. “Whatever you say.” I shot her a half-assed grin. “You’re the boss.”

  “You’re darned right I am.”

  She smiled, too, obviously thinking that I was being compliant. But I couldn’t give in to everything she said. I wasn’t built that way.

  I got curious and asked, “Do people ever recognize you at the feedstore?” It had been a while since she’d had a hit record, but she’d still made a bit of a name for herself.

  “Sometimes an old fan will come in and wonder why I’m working there.” She finished tugging her boots into place. “People think I should be rich. They don’t understand that my success wasn’t as big as it seemed. Not like yours,” she added.

  “I got lucky.” But I’d also struck while the iron was hot, landing a number of lucrative endorsement deals. By the end of the year, I would be appearing in vitamin water ads that we’d filmed while I was on tour, racking up millions of extra dollars. “What do you tell your old fans?” I asked.

  “About why I’m working at the feedstore?” She stood and smoothed her pants legs over her boots. “I just say that the owner is a friend, and mostly I’m doing it to help her out. Maddie vouches for me and tells people that, too. It’s easier than admitting how tough things are for me now.”

  “It shouldn’t be that way.” She was just as talented as I was. She should’ve been a bigger star than she was, especially with her incredible vocal range, and I had the power to put her back in the spotlight if she would let me. But she was too stubborn to consider it.

  She finished getting ready, but she didn’t do her full makeup and hair routine. She kept it minimal: a long sleek ponytail, a light coat of mascara, beeswax lip balm.

  “I need to text Zeke to come get you,” I said.

  “That’s fine. I can wait on the porch for him.” She went over to the nightstand, where the body chain was delicately coiled. “I’m not going to take this with me.”

  I frowned. “Why not?”

  “Because this is the only place that I’m ever going to wear it. You can keep it here for me.”

  “It doesn’t really seem like a gift if you don’t take it with you.” But that was her point, I supposed. Her way of reminding me that she’d restricted me from buying her anything to begin with. “You and your rules.” She’d never told me what to do in the past. I cocked an eyebrow at her. “When did you become such a dominatrix?”

  Her jaw dropped, her lovely little mouth falling open. “That’s not what I am.”

  I shrugged. I even bit back a laugh. She was properly offended. Next time I should buy her a leather corset and a braided whip and really make her squirm.

  I texted Zeke and walked Tracy onto the porch. While we waited for her ride, I reached for her hand and held it, wishing that she had agreed to stay with me for the rest of the day.

  * * *

  It was Tuesday, and Zeke was supposed to drive me to the feedstore. But we needed to deal with my mother first. Another letter had arrived this morning, and he was bringing it to me now.

  I was anxious, of course. But I was glad, too, that the wait was over. According to what Zeke had said over the phone, my mom had revealed who she was. She’d even provided a phone number.

  After Zeke arrived, we went into the den and stood near a wood-burning stove, reserved for cooler days. He reached into his pocket and handed me the letter.

  The envelope had another lipstick mark on it, another kiss, just like the first one. I removed the note and read it:

  My dearest Dash,

  Did you get my last letter? Did you know that Lola was me, your mama? I hope so. I really want to see you. Will you call me? I’m staying with a friend in LA, but I didn’t tell her that you’re my son, so you don’t need to worry about her contacting the press or invading your privacy. We can keep this between us. I hope that you can forgive me for hurting you and your daddy. I love and miss you. Looking forward to hearing from you.

  Sweet dreams,

  Lola/Mom

  Her number was below her signature. I refolded the note and returned it to the envelope, then glanced up and scowled. Zeke watched me with an unobtrusive expression, giving me time to voice my thoughts.

  Battling the tension in my gut, I said, “I can’t believe she told me that she loves me. That’s such bullshit.” The “sweet dreams” line bothered me, too. She used to say that whenever she got the maternal urge to tuck me in at night. But this wasn’t a dream; it was a nightmare.

  “How do you want to proceed?” Zeke asked.

  I debated my options. I didn’t want to call. I wasn’t ready to talk to her. But I couldn’t ignore her summons, either, not without the anxiety and guilt eating me alive. “I want you to verify that it’s her.”

  He cocked his head. “You still have doubts?”

  “No, but I don’t want to give her the satisfaction of giving in so easily. You can call and arrange a meeting with her in LA. Then you can ask her for a DNA sample. After it’s confirmed that’s she my mother, you can tell her that I’ll be willing to see her.” I could’ve suggested that he take a picture of her and send it to me, but I wanted Mom to know that I meant business, insisting on DNA proof.

  “When do you want me to make the call?”

  “Later today, after we get back from the feedstore.” I still intended to go there this afternoon. I was probably in for a fight with Tracy since she’d warned me to stay away. But I was even more determined to do whatever the hell I wanted, with Tracy and my mom. I wasn’t going to let either of them control me. Or define me. Or tie me up in knots.

  My life was still my own.

  * * *

  D & M Feed was located on the outskirts of town. The D was for Maddie’s husband, Dave, only he’d passed on a long time ago, before Tracy and I ever worked there.

  Zeke parked the SUV, and we both exited the car. I’d dressed for the part, donning nice Western duds and a straw Stetson. I expected to get recognized.

  Sure enough, I did. As soon as we entered the store, a twenty-something redhead glanced in my direction and said, “Oh, my God.” She nudged her husband or boyfriend or whoever he was, and he did a double take. They put their heads together, as if they were deciding if it was okay to approach me.

  I shot them a smile, and they came over, telling me how much they loved my music and asking to take selfies with me. I posed with them and gazed across the entryway.

  I spotted Tracy at the checkout counter with an annoyed look on her face. Clearly, she’d caught the commotion and realized that I’d disobeyed her.

  More customers approached me. A couple asked if I would take a picture with their kid, a little cowgirl around five with soulful brown eyes. Her parents said that she liked to dance to my songs. My heart jumped for a moment, and I thought about the baby Tracy and I had lost.

  The girl’s name was Jilly, and she smiled shyly at me. I knelt to pose with her, and her mom said, “She’s going to remember this forever.”

  I would, too, I thought, since Tracy was nearby. Jilly got brave and reached for me, so I went ahead and scooped her up for another set of pictures.

  So yeah, there I was, holding a child in my arms. I’d done that before with other fans’ kids, but this felt different. I was still looking across the store at Tracy.

  Soon Maddie rushed out from her office. Skinny as a rail, with her teased-and-bleached hair and dusty old boots, she
headed toward me. I finished the photos with Jilly and returned her to her mom.

  Boom!

  Then there was Maddie, throwing her bony arms around my neck. “As I live and breathe,” she said in her raspy voice.

  I hugged her, catching an overwhelming whiff of perfume, hairspray and cigarette smoke. She always smelled that way, sometimes with a nip of whisky thrown in.

  “Who’s that hunk of beef?” she asked.

  I chuckled to myself. She must’ve caught sight of Zeke, standing like a sentry behind me. “He’s my bodyguard.”

  “I wouldn’t mind getting a piece of that.”

  “I’ll just bet.” I knew she was kidding. She’d always had a goofy sense of humor, as well as a decent heart. She stepped back, and we exchanged a smile.

  The store wasn’t overly crowded, but I still spent the next ten minutes taking more selfies with customers. Maddie got in the act and took some of her own, excited about posting them on her social media accounts.

  As soon as there was a chance to escape, I asked Maddie if I could retreat to the break room for a while. She agreed, taking my arm and offering to escort me while Zeke stayed on the sales floor. I nodded to Tracy as we passed, but she barely acknowledged me. By now, she looked more sad than mad, making me emotional again, too.

  I settled into the break room with its dingy interior and folding tables and chairs, and said to Maddie, “The place looks exactly the same.”

  “Yeah. But you don’t. You’re shiny and new.” She put her hand on my cheek. “Our boy made good.”

  If only I’d had a mom like her. Maddie had never had kids, but she should’ve. “Do you think you could give Tracy a break so she can come back here and say hello?”

  “Sure. I’ll fill in for her. I can drool over that bodyguard of yours while I’m out there.” She paused. “Are you and Tracy friends again?”

  “More or less.” I couldn’t admit that we were having an affair. “I helped her when her dad was sick.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.” She stepped back. “I’ll go get her.” She gestured to an ancient white fridge. “You can have a soda if you want. I still keep them handy for you kids.”