A Summer to Remember

chapter Twenty-Four

Although I considered myself a lover of all kinds of music, rock and roll wasn’t necessarily my favorite, especially hard rock. There were only a few groups I’d fallen in love with and they happened to be Deftones, Scarlet Fever and yes, Winter’s Regret. They had a great sound and with Talia on keyboards and singing back up, she added depth to their music that had not existed before.

Paul and I had great seats along with Jude, Savannah, Autumn and Brandon. They truly did bring the house down with their rock anthems and distinctively beautiful love songs. I loved the group even more because Seth wasn’t a “screamer” like Chester Bennington. He usually built up with his low baritone voice that made all the groupies swoon and when he did bellow out a lyric at full capacity, it was hauntingly beautiful.

I could truly understand why Talia was in love with him and why she was loathe to let him go though she and Kris, the guitarist, had great on stage chemistry too. I truly hoped their friendship wouldn’t cause problems but from some of the troubling looks he tossed Talia’s way when he was midway into a slow song of any kind, the worst was in front of them, not behind them.

Before I had the chance to contemplate my best friend’s complicated love life, Scarlet Fever came on stage after a hasty exit from Winter’s Regret and when that slow, passionate growl emulated from Kasper “Kaz” Gillian’s vocal chords, I was immediately in heaven.

They opened their set with a new song from their recently released fifth album, Love & Hate, titled “Love to Hate You” and it was one of my favorites. The lyrics were so hauntingly beautiful and between Jaden’s electric guitar work, Grant’s bass playing and Will on the drums, I was in concert heaven. There was nothing better than seeing a band who not only released great albums but were awesome in concert as well.

Though this was technically not a concert but considered a warm-up gig, it was still amazing. Technically, the tour didn’t kick off until they played the MGM Grand Garden Arena the following month but both bands were amazing. There were only about five hundred people in attendance but both bands played like they were in front of an audience of twenty thousand or more.

Paul wrapped an arm around my waist and I clung to him because I wanted him to desperately know all was forgiven. I had been such a bitch but I loved him and innately knew he was the man for me. We should spend the rest of our lives together and no one ever promised smooth sailing from a relationship but I knew what ever was thrown at us, it was up to me to handle it with maturity, respect and care. I kissed his lips softly and he responded though he left out any tongue due to our current location.

The magic of the show could not be described, especially since we were in such a small venue. Both bands gave it their all and I would have definitely considered this gig a success. I adored the show and after it was over, I personally thanked Talia for inviting us.

I had to look for her which left Paul chatting with Brandon and Jude while Autumn and Savannah gossiped in the corner with the Press Manager for the band, a young woman named Sasha who had graduated the same year we did although she attended one of the Ivy League schools. She was gorgeous beyond belief and if the rumors were true, she was also involved with Grant who happened to be the drummer for Scarlet Fever.

Eventually, I found my friend outside on the balcony with Kris. They talked quietly as he smoked a cigarette and his eyes never managed to leave her face. I felt bad about eavesdropping so I cleared my throat rather loudly and both Talia and Kris looked in my direction.

He put his cigarette out in a crystal ashtray and said, “We’ll finish this up later.”

I waited until he walked back in the party before I approached my best friend. “What was that about?”

Talia looked away and shook her shoulders apathetically. “Nothing really, just band gossip if you need to know. Seth and Kris almost came to blows this morning at rehearsal and it can get a bit overwhelming sometimes because I don’t know what to think.”

I grabbed her arm and she faced me full on with gorgeous pale green eyes. “What do you mean? About what? I thought this is what you wanted and Seth was the man of your dreams?”

“He is but…I think he’s on something. The mood swings, the outbursts…he doesn’t eat much and I seriously believe he could be a coke head. No one will tell me anything—both Niko and Linx blew me off but I want to get to the bottom of this. He can survive a six month tour with Scarlet Fever but if Kaz finds out then it won’t end well,” she explained in a calm voice.

“Who do you think is supplying him?”

“Who else? It would have to be Jaden. He’s the only one I know who had a major drug problem before he ‘cleaned up’ but I don’t buy that for a second. He shows his girlfriend what she wants to see because she told him she would leave if he didn’t clean up.”

I folded my arms against my breasts because I could see the situation Talia was in and why she confided so much in Kris. However, their precarious situation and easy going friendship was a disaster waiting to happen. Kris wasn’t just unavailable, he was engaged to Damira Horvat-Gillian, the ex-wife of Kaz Gillian, and the mother of his only child, Xander. Kris seemed to parade around as if he were a single guy and it was perfectly okay to have a good female friend who was as gorgeous as Talia.

“You know I can’t advise you what to do because it is your life, Tal. I just don’t think you should continue anything with Seth until he is able to get clean if he really is on drugs. You can still be in the band and not be in a relationship with him, can’t you?”

She rolled her eyes dramatically. “Technically, yes, but it won’t make for a very comfortable tour and to be honest, I don’t think I want to know. It sounds stupid but…if we could just hold out until the tour is over…if he has a substance abuse problem, he can be sent to Promises and everything will be very hush-hush.”

“So, are you willing to risk his life for this tour?”

“If he’s a goddamn cokehead, it’s kind of hard to OD, Jerrica. It’s not like he’s into heroin or anything.”

I leaned closer to her until our faces were inches apart. “How do you know? You just told me all this would be better handled after the tour ends but you are an expert on what kind of drugs he’s using. He could get busted, or the tour buses could be raided by the police. Believe me, the record company is going to despise that outcome a lot more than if they knew he had an issue now.”

“Let’s just drop it for now because you don’t have a f*cking clue how the entertainment business works. No one cares as long as he’s able to do his f*cking job and six more months of getting high isn’t going to kill him,” she murmured in anger and walked away as a strong pair of arms wrapped around my waist and held me close.

“What’s going on, babe? That conversation between you and Talia looked pretty heated.”

I turned in his direction though he only saw my profile. “Relationship issues she doesn’t want to face right now because they will be so much rosier in six months.”

“Oh, you mean Seth’s little coke problem he and Jaden share together behind their girlfriends’ backs. It’s part of the lifestyle, babe. Coke to get them revving and usually something mellow to bring them down.”

“Heroin?” I inquired as we began to leave the party with waves to our friends all the while making a bee-line straight to the elevator.

“No, it’s too volatile and you never know what’s in it. Plus it’s much too addictive. Nope, rock stars have gotten smarter—usually they fake an injury with their on-the-job physician and are prescribed Oxycontin. If they have a legitimate prescription then they can’t be busted for using,” Paul explained.

“And how do you know so much about all of this? You’re in investment and work for one of the most prestigious companies in New York, remember?”

We boarded the elevator and Paul’s silence didn’t sit well with me. In fact, it annoyed the hell out of me to be honest. What did he have up his sleeve now? What ever personal decisions he made automatically affected me because we went out with one another and one of these days, he was bound to ask me to marry him.

“Sasha Munsen is their Press Manager and they are looking for new representation. They don’t trust their accountant and with good reason because he also does their taxes. I know some of the people who are close to them, specifically their agent and a couple of high ranking record execs at Introspect. Kaz has already discussed the situation with his band members and Seth is on board along with the rest of Winter’s Regret. I would take over as their accountant and handle both bands’ taxes, investments and finances.”

The wheels were turning in my head and although this sounded like the opportunity of a lifetime, there was only one problem with the scenario. All the band members were based on the West Coast meanwhile both Paul and our families resided on the East Coast. Would we have to move to L.A. and what would I do about my gallery in New York?

“I know it seems like quite a shock but this has been a long time coming. Just think: I could do something exciting and be my own boss. I don’t want to be an investment banker any longer for CDG and to be honest, I really think we could use the fresh start,” Paul continued when I didn’t answer.

“Okay but what about my gallery in New York? What will I do for work? Open another gallery in L.A.?”

“Well, you could do that if it is what you want. Autumn keeps complaining because she no longer wants to be a shopper so put her on the payroll running your New York Gallery. She’s gorgeous, blonde, and people always seem to like her charming personality.”

He grabbed me by the shoulders and gently held me to him. “If L.A. isn’t your bag then we can always base ourselves out of Las Vegas. After this tour is over, Vogue Hotel, Spa & Casino are offering Scarlet Fever a two-year contract to play exclusively in Vegas and they are seriously thinking about it.”

I buried my face in his neck before I said, “I don’t know…I really should think about this because I have had too much to drink to make a coherent decision right now.”

Of course he’d talked me into it all ready but I wasn’t about to let on how exciting an opportunity this was for me. We could break free from all the shit that tied us down in New York. Although I was not a huge fan of Los Angeles, I’d always loved Vegas and had a blast every time I’d visited with friends and family. I knew living somewhere and visiting a vacation spot were different but I would be more than willing to take the plunge.

Plus the appeal of suddenly being so far away from the prying eyes of Ashley had me floating on cloud nine. The sheer thought I would rarely ever run into her again certainly had its appeal but I didn’t know whether I was willing to give up everything I knew and all my friends to move across the country.

Yes, I knew it wouldn’t be impossible to see them but they wouldn’t be within a distance I felt comfortable with and that bothered me.

No matter how I looked at the situation, the plusses outweighed the minuses and I knew I would make other friends though these women would always be my best friends.

The moment Paul and I got back to the hotel, I said, “I almost had a heart attack today.”

“Why? You didn’t want to fall in love with me?” he joked as we strolled through the empty lobby.

I pressed the button at the bank of elevators.

“Um, no. It’s because shortly after I found out you were a reluctant sperm donor. I left and a Palmetto bug hit me in the face before it landed on my shoulders. I swear I have never encountered flying cockroaches until I visited this city.”

My significant other laughed out loud as the doors to the elevator closed and I could feel my face heat up as he invaded my personal space.

“Anyone tell you that you smell and look mighty good tonight?” he murmured into my ear.

“Yes, you just did.” I looked into his crystal blue eyes and felt myself melt before his mouth covered mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck. His seductive tongue darted in my open mouth and I responded with my own.

How long had I loved this man and now he belonged to me with all his baggage, sexy good looks and divine charm. He wasn’t perfect but then again, neither was I or anyone else I knew. We all had our hidden sides and secrets.

If this was going to work then I would have to make Paul my best friend and my girlfriends all very good close friends I would never want to lose touch with regardless how long I lived.

We were just getting to the good part as he grabbed my right breast and teased the nipple through the material until it hardened when the elevator stopped and we’d arrived to the floor we were staying on. I moaned into his mouth, slightly disappointed it was over already yet he ended our kiss and we walked hand in hand to our suite.

There was nothing I could do to stop the pressure of built up lust I felt for Paul at this moment and if there was a reason why I was angry with him, he’d made that up with gusto when he told me about his new job opportunity.

He slid the card key into the slot and I walked in before him and heard the door close behind us. I hadn’t gotten further than the sitting room before he knelt me over the sofa and pulled up my dress until my little flirty black La Perla thong was on display. He knelt between my thighs and pulled the thong to the side before he plunged two fingers into my aching wet hole as he began to tease my perineum with an insistent tongue.

I almost fainted from the pleasure alone because his fingers worked in and out of my wetness as his tongue found my * and began to lick at it insistently. His mouth was incredibly hot and insistent as he slipped the sensitive nub between his teeth and I could feel my body spasm as he applied more pressure on my G-spot.

Not for the first time did I think this man was so talented when it came to sex, I was one of the luckiest women in the world. My orgasm started slow and then overwhelmed my senses as I began to see stars and my eyes remained closed but it did nothing to stop the intensity of what he could do to my body.

I collapsed against the sofa, my legs giving out from underneath me but Paul held my body against his and I sighed softly before he picked me up as if I weighed nothing and walked us to the bedroom.

Slowly and with very deliberate motions, he laid me on the bed and undid my shoes before he placed them on the side of the bed.

“What’s this about, baby?” I inquired though I couldn’t hide my breathlessness.

“Oh, after everything you have been through today, I just thought you needed a little sexual healing but we aren’t finished yet. That was just a little sample but the real goodies are yet to come.”

The thought of that had me slipping my dress over my head with anticipation but it also meant he would see the bandage on my hip.

Paul stripped out of his clothes as he continued to stand until his gorgeous body was nude. He stood in front of me, a commanding presence though his cock—hard and swollen—demanded to be the center of my attention. His crystal blue eyes looked down at the bandage as his eyes wandered over my sensitive flesh. Every time he made me come, my whole body tingled with anticipation of what would happen next.

As he slipped my thong off and tossed it on the floor, he inquired, “What’s that? Don’t tell me Talia talked you into getting a tattoo.”

I looked down at the bandage. “No, she didn’t talk me into anything. I wanted it and I think you will like it when I can finally show it to you. It’s in a discreet place so you have no worries about anyone seeing it with the exception of you and me. That’s a good thing, right? Surely you didn’t think I was purely a nice woman with the kind of past I have?”

He laughed and shook his head as he slid into bed beside me and his fingers traced the bandage. “Course not. That is why I love you so much. You have never tried to be anything other than what you are and that is incredibly refreshing for me.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

I turned my body towards his and moved down until I was face to face with his cock which pulsated in its state of hardness. My right hand teased the length and moved up and down his shaft as he took in slow, deliberate breaths. The movement alone produced more pre-cum that gathered at the head of his cock and seemed to glisten in the dim light.

My tongue snaked over the head of his cock and tasted the salty-sweetness before I ventured further down and played with his ball sack and began to tease him with my tongue there.

“F*ck!” he exclaimed. “How did you know that would turn me on more than I already am?”

I stared at him with wide-eyed innocence. “Actually I am just experimenting but if I knew it was going to bring out such a strong reaction, I would have tried it ages ago.”

I continued to tease his balls with my tongue before I slipped them in my open mouth and enjoyed the different texture that usually came with sucking his cock. My talented fingers teased his perineum slowly and deliberately before they slipped and hit his anus.

“Right there, yes, God that feels so good.”

I smiled and continued to pleasure him until he pulled me in his arms and rolled us over until I was on my back. Paul spread my legs and entered me with a deep, hard thrust that drove his cock all the way inside me and I sighed with pleasure.

His thrusts pounded me with vicious intensity but all I felt was blissful pleasure every time he hit a part of me that wanted to be filled deeply by his cock. The slapping of damp skin took over and I delighted as the room began to smell of our desire for one another.

I wanted us to come together but he had other ideas as he withdrew and began to devour my aching sex with his mouth. His tongue darted in and out of my slick hole before he lapped up the excessive juices. I was in heaven and felt nothing but his soothing touch and the way his warm hands felt on my ass, my skin.

My orgasm was just skimming the surface, so close yet so far away as he turned me over onto my stomach. Paul delayed it as much as he could by playing with me, teasing me with his fingers and tongue when all I wanted was his hard dick inside me, thrusting away at me while he hit all the right spots.

He kissed his way up my back and tickled my neck with his lips before he murmured, “Are you ready to come again, beautiful?”

I hung my head, silky brown tresses covered my face. “Yes, please. You are prolonging the inevitable on purpose and I want you to know that I will pay you back for this one day.”

He flipped me on my back and spread my legs before he crawled between them and entered me roughly. The pain was exquisite and welcoming at the same time as he began to f*ck me again hard and rough before he slowed his thrusts so he could change positions. He knelt down on the bed and brought me with him. I still laid in the bed but at an angle and as he started to slowly move his cock inside me again, he grabbed my left hand and slipped a gorgeous platinum band on my ring finger with a two-carat, princess-cut pink diamond surrounded by white diamond baguettes.

Before I could say anything, he pulled me into his lap and I wrapped my arms around his neck as he continued his slow thrusts. Our lips were inches away from one another’s and he closed the distance with a deep, passionate kiss that I accepted readily.

In our current position, several thrusts later, my orgasm rippled through my body and as I clenched my kegel muscles around his cock, he came too and moaned out loud as he held me tightly against him until we were both spent and our heartbeats returned to normal.

We both laid down again and I snuggled up to him before I looked at the ring again. “Was this your way of asking me to marry you?”

“Yes, but I also knew what you would say. Both sides of the family are going to want an elaborate wedding but that doesn’t stop us from leaving. It’s perfect because your parents know I am serious about you and my parents will no longer think I am a secret homosexual,” he explained in a flippant voice.

I laughed out loud. “Well, you are a bit kinky so are you a secret homosexual?”

Paul stroked my hair. “You have no f*cking idea how kinky I am. I wanted to ease you into it because I like anal sex and sex toys. I am not into S&M or anything but I am about as close as I can get without venturing into that territory. I know most of your lovers have been very strait laced and I didn’t want to scare you but you haven’t seen nothing yet in terms of our sex life.”

“Have you ever had a homosexual experience?”

“Most men have though they would be loath to admit it but it’s true. I have had my fair share…I went to an all-boys boarding school until I graduated and went to university so I am not as prim and proper as I look. It’s no big deal. I could probably have found a nice guy to fall for and be very happy but I fell in love with you so long ago, no one could ever take your place—male or female.”

I don’t know why his words brought tears to my eyes but I clung to him and tried to stop the waterworks before they overwhelmed me. “I love you too, baby. Longer than I care to remember. I looked forward to summer vacations because I knew you would spend at least a few weeks with Jude. It was pure bliss for me.”

We were both silent for a long time and I was on the edge of some much needed rest when Paul inquired, “So, that is a yes then? To marriage I mean?”

“You bet your ass it’s a yes!”

September

Las Vegas