Falling Down

Chapter Twenty
Lucy
"Oh my God. I'm a total masochist," I whine to Jace who rolls his eyes.
"Stop being such a p-ssy," Ethan scolds.
"F*ck off. Look at this," I say lifting my shirt, showing them my now-complete tattoo. "This shit would hurt you too. Don't even deny it."
"It would but I wouldn't be pissing and moaning about it," Jace says.
"Jeez. What the hell is wrong with you guys? So harsh."
"Nothing," Jace says but I know that look. He's lying.
"Spill it."
"Don't worry about it."
"I'm always going to worry about things when it comes to you--all of you. What can I do? Can I help?"
Jace sighs and Kennedy eyes me skeptically.
"Just tell her for f*ck's sake," Sera says.
"Do you know what's going on?"
"No, which is why I want them to tell already."
"Where's Jesse?" Ethan asks.
"He went to shower. Tell me."
"It might be better if I show you."
"Oh God," Meggie groans as Ethan picks up his laptop. "That's never good."
I sigh. "Nope, sure isn't. Not a shock though, is it?"
"Nope," Sera replies.
"How bad is it?" I look to Jace. He says nothing but his tight-lipped expression speaks volumes.
"Here's one of them," Ethan says.
"One of them?" I look at the screen and see a title that makes me gasp, want to cry, and want to apologize to the band members of Blush for my mere existence.
"Award-Winning Actress Attempts Rock Career," I read aloud. "Award-winning actress Luciana Russo announced her bid to go forth seeking a career in music, putting acting on the back burner. For curiosity's sake we did a little digging and found that Miss Russo does indeed have a past rocking and rolling with two other band members of the group to be titled Blush. A high school acquaintance shared some early recordings of the younger version of Blush and instead of describing the tracks, we've put them up here for you to listen to. Be sure to share your feedback in the comments section below."
"Dear Lord," Sera says as she presses the PLAY button.
"That's not us."
Jace shakes his head.
"Wait. Isn't that… what's her name again?"
"Whitney."
"Yes! That lying bitch," I curse. "Is there anything we can do? Sue her? Has anyone talked to Cage?"
"No, no, and no," Jace tells me.
"F*cking whore!" Sera shouts.
"Yeah!" I agree.
"Who's a whore?" Jesse asks coming into the room.
I sigh and point to the laptop. He presses the PLAY button and cringes and laughs.
"That's not you."
"No shit," Sera says.
"Hmm. How far has this spread?" Jesse asks Ethan.
"Web-wide."
"Lovely," I say. "Now everyone thinks we totally suck. You might want to get someone else to open for your tour, guys, and you all," I say to Jace, Meggie, and Sera, "Might want to get a new lead singer."
"F*ck that," Jesse says. "I'm gonna place a quick call to Cage. I'll be back in a few." He leaves the room and Trace walks in.
"I'm not worried about it," Trace says with a shrug. "They'll see what we're about when we get our shit out there and in a few days we start recording. Knowing Cage, he's going to prioritize that shit to get it out there and prove the doubters wrong."
"Maybe," I tell him, "but there are ways to 'fix' voices and they'll still doubt. I mean look at that one girl's file that leaked where it was her real voice."
"Dude, that was epic," Xander says with a laugh.
"Yeah, but if they can fix her to sound as good as she does, they're going to think that they can do that to me as well."
"Concerts will solve that problem."
"Yeah, but Xander that's months away."
"True. But before we panic, let's see what Jesse and Cage work out. You need some lovin' from the Xan Man to make you feel better, beautiful girl? I'll even be gentle and let you on top so your tat won't hurt," he teases, throwing an arm around my shoulders.
I laugh. "You're so generous."
"I know, what can I say? Anything to please the ladies."
"Uh-huh," Meggie says with a raised eyebrow. "You're a perv, you know that, right?"
"Yep. Proud of it. When did you lose the funky colors?"
She touches her now-red hair and shrugs. "Every now and again I do normal."
"Is that your normal color?" He narrows his eyes.
"Mhmm. Red head, carrot top, whatever you want to call me, go for it."
"Why would I do that? I'm partial to red heads."
She snorts. "You're partial to anything with a vagina."
"Valid. But red heads top the list."
I roll my eyes. "Get your arm off of me when you're hitting on another woman. You have no manners, Xander."
He shrugs. "I don't need any. I get all the p-ssy I want."
I roll my eyes and press my lips together to stop myself from commenting on groupie whores with no morals.
"That's got to be tough for you," Kennedy states.
"You have no idea," I tell him and he chuckles.
"Well, alright. Got that all worked out with Cage," Jesse tells us as he comes back in the room.
"What'd he say?"
"We came up with a partial plan. He'll fill us in on the rest tomorrow. Here's what we've got so far…"
***~~~***
Jesse unlocks the bedroom door and I breathe a sigh of relief as I slip off my flip-flops.
"I'd love to flop back on the bed but I'd end up screaming in agony," I tell him with a laugh.
"Why don't I wash your tattoos for you, then you can get ready for bed, and when you're done I'll put the goopy shit and a new bandage on for you."
I nod. "That sounds good." I walk into the bathroom with Jesse behind me. He helps me remove my shirt and sports bra. He washes his hands, then wets a washcloth and works some antibacterial soap into the cloth. He gently wipes and I hiss out a breath.
"I'm sorry, Luce. I'm trying to be as gentle as I can."
"I know. It's not your fault. It's just really tender."
He nods. "It will be for a couple days. Let me rinse it real quick."
"Okay."
He holds a towel below my tattoo and pours a small cup of warm water over the wound.
"Ahhh, that feels good."
"Mhmm. I brought you one of my shirts. I figured the bulkier the less it'll cling."
"Good idea. I knew I liked you for a reason."
"Funny girl with the amazing rack, you're looking for a spanking."
I can't hide the thrill that rushes through me or the wetness that pools between my thighs.
Jesse chuckles as he puts the aftercare product Harley gave me over my tattoos. It stings a little but not too bad. I'm not sure what I was thinking wanting the entire thing finished in one sitting. Well, yeah, I do. I was thinking I'd chicken out if I didn't get it all done at the first session. Harley decided to do a lot of the coloring but saved some of it for when I go back so he can shade and 3D it. I still haven't seen the Blush tattoo that Jesse just covered back up. Even if I'd tried to get a glimpse, there'd be no way without a mirror. Right now there'll be no twisting of my body to see my back. Likely I'd whine like a baby.
"There we go. I'll let you get set," he says and presses a kiss to my lips.
"Thank goodness Harley sent extra bandage thingies."
"He spoiled you like everyone else does."
"It's because I'm so adorable."
"That's exactly why."
"Thanks for cleaning that for me, babe."
He grins, still loving the endearments and I think it's amazing that simple names can make him feel a hundred feet tall. Even more amazing is the fact that he loves those nicknames coming from me.
I pull off my yoga pants and do my business, wash my face, and slowly pull Jesse's wife beater over my head. Yeah, this doesn't cover my boobs for shit but I'm guessing that was his plan. Sneaky shit.
Ugh, I'm so crabby. I can't get past the bullshit I've had to put up with for the last few months--starting with Aiden Jensen and still going with Whitney the whore. It wasn't my fault the guys thought she couldn't sing for shit and rejected her from the band. If she'd played an instrument she might have stood a chance--nah, she wouldn't have. No one liked or trusted her. She would stab you in the back first chance she got… today was proof of that.
Jesse knocks on the door.
"Mhmm," I say as I brush my teeth.
"That's what I need to do," he says nodding to my toothbrush.
I wink then rinse my mouth.
"What plan did you and Cage come up with?"
He shakes his head, his mouth full of toothpaste. He spits. "Nothing's one-hundred percent at this point. We'll talk about it tomorrow when we get to the studio."
I nod, frustration continuing to make me pissy.
Jesse rinses his mouth, then kisses my lips. "I don't like you all crabby, Luce."
I sigh. "I can't help it. Things were going well, you know? Finally it was quiet."
"You know what happens when it's quiet."
"Yeah, I know. The calm before the storm. I definitely want to bring a shit storm to Whitney."
"Don't worry. She'll get hers. Cage knows how to handle this kind of bullshit."
I just nod.
"Let's go to bed," he says reaching for my hand. He opens the door and I step through first and gasp in surprise. Candles are everywhere. Small tea lights to humongous five wick candles are burning throughout the bedroom creating a shadowed romantic ambiance.
"Jesse," I whisper.
He walks to the bed and pulls my hand so I follow. He sits, his knees spread and pulls me in between. He grabs my other hand and pulls them both to his mouth, kissing them.
"Déjà vu--sort of," I say.
He's got that sexy half-grin going on that exaggerate those amazing dimples. He tilts his head to the side in question.
"It reminds me of when you kissed my hands in Chicago," I say with a shrug, a little embarrassed to mention it. He probably doesn't even remember doing that.
He nods. "You had this look on your face, kind of surprised and dreamy at the same time. Mine was more surprise. I wasn't expecting the electricity and heat that was between us. I'd never experienced anything like it before or after--until I saw you again. I should have known it was you the minute your voice punched me in the gut."
I smile. "Good to know my voice has that affect on you."
"Luce, I don't like when you're upset. Let's forget all the shit going on out there," he says pointing to the window, "and let's just… be, at least for tonight."
"That sounds like a very, very good plan."
"Of course it does. I came up with it."
This gets him an eye roll and he chuckles. "Let's get this off of you. You should really just sleep naked since you're bandaged up for the night anyway."
"True, I just don't want to get this all over the bed when I'm uncovered."
"Good thing Harley was all for keeping them covered tonight. This way I can stare at your amazing tits all night long if I want to."
I laugh. "You're so weird. They're just boobs."
"Oh, babe, these are not just boobs," he says, tossing the wife beater to the side and cupping my breasts. "These are works of art. I'm telling you, purely amazing."
"Whatever you say."
"Exactly," he murmurs then pulls me in for a kiss. It's soft and slow. He turns me and pulls me onto the bed, never breaking the kiss but making sure I don't bump my tattoos either. He's so gentle and sweet. I can't understand why he never wanted a relationship before. I guess I should be thanking my lucky stars because I was in the right place at the right time and it's me who he wants--as hard as that is to believe. It just doesn't seem real.
I lay back carefully, my head on the pillows and Jesse pulls off my panties, leaving me bare. His eyes roam over my body, starting at my waist and working their way down. His perusal moving upwards is much slower. Finally his gaze meets mine and he smirks.
"Definitely not 'just boobs'."
"It's not fair that you're clothed and I'm naked."
"Oh, I don't know," he says grinning, "I'm kind of liking this arrangement."
"Jesse. I want to see you and touch you."
He considers this for a few seconds then reaches for the hem of his shirt. He tosses it aside as he stands and removes his jeans. No boxers.
"Are you serious?"
He laughs. "What?"
"If I had known that while we were at Harley's…"
"You'd have tried but there's no way. You were already too sore and I definitely didn't need you exerting yourself and bleeding all over so Harley could kick my ass."
"True. Do you go commando often?" I ask.
"Nah. I was just in a rush earlier. You should sit up, Luce, and not lay down until you have to later."
"Ah yes, I get to be on top," I say with a grin, pushing myself up onto my knees.
"You do. It's hot watching you ride me. The way your hips move, your back arches, your tits bounce. That sexy look you get on your face, and when I look down to watch you taking my cock inside you--there's nothing hotter."
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. When he says things like that, I instantly go wet and if I'm already wet like I was a few minutes ago, I get drenched. It's not just what he says, it's how he says it. Soft and seductive in that deep growl.
He lays back, his head on the pillows and I lean down, running my hands up his feet to his calves, to his knees, to the inside of his thighs which draws out a twitch from his already hard cock.
"You know," I tell him, "If you'd been anyone else the first time I saw you naked, I'd have scrambled to put my clothes back on and ran the hell out of here."
He chuckles.
"You have to know you're huge, right? I mean, I don't have a whole lot of guys to compare it to, but damn Jesse."
"Let's not bring your previous f*cks into our bedroom."
"This from the rockstar manwhore."
"They never made it to my bedroom, darlin'. Just you."
"Hmm. True. I never took a man home either."
He raises a brow at that. "Not exactly safe going back to a strange guy's place."
I shrug. "I was never really alone."
"Oh that had to suck."
I nod. "Having Max or Frank or one of the other guys around puts a damper on things."
"I just bet," he says, his breath hitching a bit as I lean forward and run my tongue along the length of his erection.
I wrap my hand around his cock, stroking from base to tip once, twice, three times, then lean forward to swirl my tongue around the head. He groans and reaches out to thread his fingers through my hair, getting frustrated at the messy bun, carefully removing the hair bands from my hair. He runs his fingers through my hair, massaging my scalp a few seconds and I moan around his cock as I take him deeper into my mouth. Finally he's able to thread his fingers into my hair, giving a gentle tug, controlling my movements when I go too fast for his liking.
I reach down to cup his balls, gently rolling them in my hand, pulling a groan from him. His fingers tighten in my hair and I suck him harder. He pulls my hair until I lift my head and his dick slides free with a pop.
"What's wrong?" I ask, hoping I didn't do anything wrong. I'm no pro at blow jobs but I thought I did pretty good last time I gave him one.
He shakes his head and smirks. "Nothing." He reaches down and with both hands under my armpits, pulls me up so I'm straddling his lap. "I just don't want to come that way. Not now anyway."
"Well, the way I see it, you could come in my mouth now and then come inside me later. I mean, I know for a fact you don't require much recovery time." Bless the man. He's got amazing stamina, an enormous cock, and the ability to be ready for the next round within fifteen minutes. He is, as he told me once, a sex god, but I will never ever admit this to him. His head is big enough as it is--both of them.
"I'll wait," he says, his hand trailing down my abdomen, his fingers between my legs, and then he touches me. Using just a fingertip, he lightly traces my slit, then back, back to my opening where he circles softly.
"You're always so wet for me."
"Unh," is the best I can do when he slides a finger inside.
"You doing alright? Not too much pain?"
I shake my head. "Ibuprofen, oh my God, Jesse," I gasp when he slides a second finger in, immediately hitting my sweet spot.
He smirks bigger, his dimple winking at me again. I have to. I lean forward and lick his dimple.
"There's my girl," he says.
"Mmm," I love your dimples. "They're so sexy."
"Yeah?"
"Mhmm," I moan when his thumb begins circling my *. I dip my tongue into the other dimple then press my lips to it in a soft kiss. What he's doing to me, oh my… I can't hold still. My hips lift and lower, riding his hand, pushing his fingers deeper into me, his thumb pressing harder against my *.
"Your p-ssy's so hot. I can feel you tightening around my fingers but, baby," he says pulling his fingers out from inside me. I gasp. "I don't want you to come yet."
I groan in frustration. "That's so mean."