‘Oh, fuck!’
Worse than what had happened to her mum.
‘It wasn’t anything to do with my sexual preferences,’ he said, squinting at her from behind the camera lens. ‘I know that’s what you’re thinking. Everyone does, and it’s incorrect.’
Dani stared at him, unable to apologise without admitting his assumptions were correct. Instead, she gnawed at her lips, while wishing the beanbags would swallow her up. In the end she had to say something, just to break the horrible silence. ‘Is that why you quit the band?’ she asked.
Ric shook his head. ‘I stopped playing with them long before that, when I realised I preferred taking photographs to wiggling my butt. That, and, while I’m only a mediocre guitarist, I’m a fantastic photographer.’
‘And so modest.’
‘Exactly.’ He stuck his tongue out at her.
They fell silent again.
‘But don’t you ever wish for the fame and fortune they’ve amassed?’
Ric squatted in front of her so they were on a level. ‘I own an island, Dani. Money’s not an issue, and I’m not very materialistic anyway. Ask Kara – she despairs of me. Now, are you ready to tell me what you and Xane have fallen out over yet?’
‘We haven’t.’
Ric peered over the top of the camera at her. His eyes were bluer than Xane’s, but a similar shape. ‘Shall I guess? You got confused at the fire after what you’d seen Zach and me doing in the Bunker. Then, when you talked to Xane about it, he told you we were a threesome and that he’d had a similar relationship.’ He raised his hand to stop her butting in. ‘Now you’re freaking out, because you think he’s into guys even though you’ve been making him come like a rocket for the last three days. That about the gist of it?’
Dani nodded, her mouth hanging open. ‘I had no idea he was that way inclined. I thought his anger was mostly over Elspeth and the crappy way the rest of the band were behaving about her and Steve’s marriage. Turns out he’s actually heartbroken over being rejected by Steve. You have to admit that’s a bit of a shift.’
Ric finally put aside the camera. He slouched beside her on the beanbags with his head cocked to one side, so he was almost leaning on her. ‘Not really. Pain is still pain regardless of whether it’s a relationship split or hammering a nail into your thumb. The same applies to love. Is his hurt any less valid because he got rejected by Steve rather than Elspeth? And, technically, I think he was dumped by them both.’
‘I – I dunno.’
‘Let me ask you something. Does being gay or bisexual automatically make you a cheat?’
‘No.’
‘Then I assume there’s a reason why you think he’s going to run off with another man, besides narrow-mindedness.’
Dani curled herself up more tightly. ‘Family history,’ she mumbled into her knees. When Ric remained quiet, she peeped up at him. ‘My dad –’
He pressed a finger to her lips to silence her. ‘I’m not the one you need to tell. Explain it to Xane. If you’re honest about it, and it sounds as if you’ve had it a bit rough, then I’m sure he’ll understand.’
Ric flipped onto his feet.
‘Can I ask you something else?’ Dani enquired. ‘I know his childhood wasn’t good, but was it really as bad as he makes out? You were there, weren’t you? You saw it.’
Ric gave his head a good scratch, leaving his flowing blond locks extremely ruffled. ‘It wasn’t good. People go through worse. He was fed and watered, there just wasn’t a whole lot of affection. He used to do some wild stuff to try and get himself noticed.’ He shrugged, then gave a gentle chuckle. ‘Still does. What do you think the whole stage persona is about?’
‘Yes, I realise that.’
‘You know he’s besotted with you,’ Ric said, patting her knee. ‘He’d never have brought you here otherwise. This is his refuge.’
‘Oh.’ There wasn’t much else she could say to that, other than, perhaps, ‘I didn’t realise.’
Ric crossed to the only window in the front of the building. ‘Can you hear that?’ he asked.
A loud choppy noised seemed to be coming from outside.
‘Helicopter?’ she suggested.
‘Could be.’ Ric nodded. ‘Yes, I think you might be right. I’m going to go up on the roof and take a look. It wouldn’t surprise me if Maude’s let slip the location of a certain rock star to the press.’
‘Would she do that?’
‘And worse. They were only invited because Art writes big cheques, and we were trying to raise some cash for charity tonight as well as doing a trial run for the restaurant. If it wasn’t for that, there’s no way I’d have invited him and Maude here. They’re leeches, both of them. Are you coming?’
The roof sounded cold, especially now she’d properly warmed up again, and given that she was only wearing a borrowed shirt. One of Ric’s, now she came to think of it. ‘I’m going to creep back into bed,’ she said.
Ric helped her to her feet. ‘He’s a big softie once you get past all the showbiz bollocks. Don’t hurt him, Dani.’
‘I won’t. Leastways, I’ll try not to.’
He nodded, apparently content with that.
Xane had rolled himself up in the duvet, which meant Dani had to attempt to unwind him before she could slither back into bed. Trying to coax six feet of rock star to relax his grip on the duvet proved to be no easy feat. In the end, all she succeeded in doing was loosening the wrappings enough for her to crawl in at the foot of the bed and inside the tube he’d made of the bedclothes. It turned out that sliding her naked body against him woke him pretty rapidly. Next time, she’d forgo shaking him and go straight for the sexy wiggle.
‘Dani? Mm.’
Somehow he managed to manipulate them into a spoons position, with his brand-new hard on spearing her in the butt. Ric had certainly been correct on that score. Her man had the sexual appetite of a nymphomaniac.
‘Where’d you go? I missed you.’
He snuggled against the back of her neck, where he drowsily placed kisses. ‘You’re so soft and lovely.’ He feathered his hand over her waist and hip, brushing lightly against her rows of scars, before targeting her breasts and helping himself to a handful. ‘I love how your nipples go all stiff and pointy when I play with them.’
They had indeed done exactly that.
‘Are you actually awake?’ Dani asked.
‘Hm, getting there.’ He snuggled even closer. ‘You’re not going to tell me you have a headache, are you?’
‘No, but I am kind of sleepy.’ She allowed a yawn to shape her mouth.
Xane raised himself on one elbow. ‘You needn’t do anything. Just lie still.’ He sneaked his head underneath her arm and took possession of the nipple he’d been abusing. Dani cooed when he sucked it hungrily into his mouth, an action that freed his hand to explore other parts. Within a few moments, after he’d danced his fingertips through her curls and teased a finger along her slit, Dani didn’t feel quite so tired any more.
‘Where did you say you went?’ he asked.
‘I was talking to your cousin.’
‘Ah,’ he grimaced. ‘That’s a bit risky at this time of night. You know he likes to bed every pretty girl that sets foot on the island?’
‘It’s OK, he didn’t offer to show me his lithographs or anything.’
Xane gave a low chuckle. ‘I should hope not. They made even me blush.’ He sat up further. ‘Let’s see what we’ve got down here to play with.’
Every cell in her body tensed as he bent himself almost double in order to wedge his head upside down between her thighs.
Dani quivered down to her toes as he worked his tongue stud against her clit. That pressure … it got her every time. And, better yet, she could feel a similar tremor of excitement running through him, giving her the added satisfaction of knowing that he got off on getting her off.
‘Want to come like this, or are you up to something a little more vigorous?’
Her thoughts briefly turned to Ric, up on the roof, and whether he’d come back down again, and to Zach asleep down the hallway. Did she want either of them listening in? Xane made her moan. She found it impossible to keep quiet when he was inside her.
Actually, maybe she didn’t care if they did hear. Maybe she just needed him to tilt his hips a fraction, nudge up, slide right into her and prove exactly how much he still desired her.
‘Condoms?’ she hissed.
‘Babe, I totally came prepared.’ He pulled a hidden strip of the things from under his pillow.
Suitably attired, Xane bent to the task of making her come so hard that she felt in danger of having a heart attack. The aftershocks of her climax were still pulsing inside her when he lifted up her leg and started making a concerted effort to slide himself inside. The angle wasn’t exactly an easy one, and he kept missing and slipping around in her wetness so that he prodded up against her clit, which sent another shockwave trembling through her insides.
‘Are you doing that on purpose?’
‘Why? Don’t you like it?’
‘It’s nice, but why don’t you come inside?’
He made another attempt, but this time hit the wrong door.
‘Oops! Sorry.’ He let go of her leg so he could work things out with his fingers.
Dani nibbled her lower lip. Maybe they could … She knew he wanted to. Had seen his disappointment when she’d warned him off doing it before. ‘It’s all right. You can stay there if you want.’
Xane leaned over her so he could see her face. ‘Seriously? What inspired this change of heart?
‘I just thought I could try it.’
‘Really? This is nothing to do with finding out I also like guys? You’re not handing me an all-access pass to convince me I don’t need to stray?’
‘No,’ she swore, only for her brow to rumple and give her away. ‘OK, maybe a little. Though I guess it doesn’t work if you’re into them penetrating you rather than the other way around. Which way round do you prefer it?’
Xane crooked his eyebrows at her. ‘Is that a serious question?’
She guessed it was.
‘I like it both ways, Dani.’
She digested that fact slowly, trying to accept it for what it was: an admission, nothing more, not a statement of intent or a reason to feel jealous or horrified.
‘Be gentle with me?’ she pleaded. ‘It’s not just about my insecurities. I want to please you too, and I know you want this as an option for us.’
‘Dani …’ He sought her lips and kissed her. ‘I’ll take care of you. On which note, if you’re serious about this, then we’ll need more of a warm-up.’ He wet his fingers between her legs, and then stroked the whorl of muscle with his middle digit. ‘Sweetheart, you’re gonna love this.’
Dani wasn’t actually so sure, but she was going to trust him and find out.
On a mission, Xane intended to prove that ass play could be as much fun for girls as it was for guys. If he also happened to convince Dani that his interest in it didn’t come from a preference for guys as sexual partners, all the better. He knew, despite her apology on the beach and all the unconscious ways in which she’d been trying to make it up to him since, that the issue of his bisexuality wasn’t fully resolved yet.
Although why it needed to be an issue, he didn’t know. He was perfectly happy to be exclusive with her.
Xane pushed the thought to the back of his mind and focused on tracing his tongue down Dani’s spine. He didn’t stop when he reached the end of her tailbone, but carried on until he was tickling the knot of muscle she’d agreed to let him breach.
‘Mm.’ He rubbed his face against her. She was smooth as a baby back here and sensitive too. He only had to blow on her skin and she moaned and wriggled as if that was enough to drive her insane.
‘How about a finger?’ he asked after a minute or two.
‘Maybe.’
Xane slicked his fingers with her juices before introducing the tip of the smallest one. He used his tongue some more to lubricate the way. ‘How’s that?’
Dani immediately began to pant. She squeezed her muscles so tightly around him she nearly crushed his finger.
‘Oh, God! I don’t think I can do this.’ She reached for him, blindly seeking reassurance.
Xane rose up in order to cuddle her, letting his cock nuzzle against the silk of her pussy. She was already a good deal wetter than she’d been minutes before, and he interpreted that as a sign that, despite her words, a bit of ass play did indeed turn her on.
‘Easy there.’ He pushed into her sex, and Dani melted against him.
He fucked her gently until she was nice and relaxed, then slipped the tip of his finger into her body again.
The rhythm of her gasps stuttered, but she accepted the intrusion. Indeed, she was soon sucking up most of his digit. ‘How does that feel? Think you can take another one?’
Her muscles immediately tightened around him.
‘I don’t know. Maybe. All right.’
Xane still had to work at loosening her up, although, once he was in, her body sucked greedily at his digits.
Dani’s hot breaths buffeted his cheeks. ‘Do it, Xane.’
‘Soon,’ he assured her, knowing she wasn’t quite ready yet.
He reached across to the bedside table. A quick one-handed forage through Zach’s top drawer yielded the necessary equipment. He worked the lube over his cock and plenty into her hole. Only when she was properly slippery and relaxed did he press his cock against her. ‘OK. Now relax.’
‘Yeah,’ she said, gritting her teeth. Yet he slid in with a single steady push, only the tip at first, until she was used to it, then the rest, inch by inch.
‘Oh-my-God-oh-my-God!’
‘Sh,’ he soothed her, trying to keep still. ‘Relax, it’s OK. You’re OK.’ He wasn’t so sure he could say the same about himself. ‘Fuck, Dani. You’re so tight.’ Inferno-hot, too. Almost immediately he lapsed into groans, which she echoed.
‘I’m not hurting you, am I?’ he asked, realising he might be taking it too fast.
‘It feels weird,’ she replied, lifting her hips so her bottom met the forward thrust of his loins. ‘Not painful, just odd.’
‘Good weird?’
She grasped his hand and moved it to her clit. ‘Interesting weird.’
‘Does that mean I can move a bit more?’
‘Try it.’
Xane matched his strokes to the tempo of his finger movements, coaxing her, coaxing himself, until the ache in his balls turned into an urgent tingling stream that ran along the length of his shaft, and that he couldn’t stop.