“Journalist, honey.”
I barked out a laugh of actual humour. “Sure. Whose knob did you have to suck to upgrade your job title?”
I gasped when the crowd surged and I fell against the man currently trying to hold in his amusement with me. My hands slapped his chest to steady myself – his very firm chest I might add – as I was pressed into him. I blinked when his hands slid round me and he spun me round, pressing his own back towards the mass of people that had gathered to catch a glance of the famous bride and groom.
I shivered when his warm breath brushed the skin on my neck, his hands sliding further up my back to pull me closer to his body as his mouth hovered over my ear. “Now, now. We mustn’t forget that you still owe me,
Zoe.”
I looked up at him, the edge of my jaw grazing the cotton of his white t-shirt. “You don’t have to prove your capability of earning your upgrade by trying to impress me. It’s quite easy to find out someone’s name. Even us
poor people
with disappearing trolleys can do it.”
His slow smile turned into a grin, his eyes lighting as he looked down at me from his great height. I ignored the extra beat of my heart at the sight of his beauty. “You really shouldn’t be out here, it’s not safe.”
My brows shot up, then furrowed. He rolled his eyes and sighed before he started to manoeuvre me through the crowd, his back to the crowd as mine pressed against his, his feet guiding mine up the several steps until he passed me safely over to a couple of 103’s security men who recognised me immediately.
“Miss Linkin,” Greg, if I had remembered rightly, greeted me with a wide smile. “E’s been hunting for you.”
I smiled my thanks as he held open the doors for me, a couple of other bulky men pushing back the crowd as I slid through. I turned back to reluctantly thank my escort but he had disappeared back into the throng.
“Christ, Zoe! Where have you been?” E gushed as soon as I stepped into the huge foyer of the hotel. “Jen’s going bloody crazy.”
Grabbing my hand, she yanked me towards the elevator, babbling nervously. “Top floor,” she told the doorman as the doors slid closed behind us. He nodded politely then turned his back on us, bringing his gloved hands in front of him professionally.
“Bloody Romeo’s missing, Spirit’s feet have swollen up and she can’t get her shoes on. Jen’s cursing you. Jax is growling random shit at the staff here. It’s all going fucking tits up.”
I stared at her, trying to hide the small quirk at the corner of each of my lips. “Who’s getting married, E?”
She stared at me like I had gone crazy, then blew out a long breath. “I know!” she chuckled at the sound of herself. “I just want it to be nice for Spirit and Bulk, ya’ know, after everything they’ve been through to get here. They deserve a perfect day.”
I slipped my arm around her shoulder, pulling her petite body against mine. “And it will be, but only if you take a breath. It might ruin it if you flake out and croak it in the elevator.”
She nodded, giggling. “Bulk’s doing his nut. Fucking Romeo. Out of all of them, I had expected him to be here first. He’s the best man for Christ’s sake.”
My stomach clenched at the thought of seeing him again. He was my weakness, the only man who had the ability to make my soul weep. His blazing blue eyes, his soft shock of white hair, the mass of paintwork on his body. I ground my teeth together, forcing my heart beat to slow as I turned back to E. “Where is he?”
“God only knows,” she growled. “But I’m gonna kill him when he does get here.”
“Kind of defeating the object,” I laughed as we stepped out into a long hallway. The elevator supervisor bowed his head respectfully before the doors closed.
E took off down the corridor. I should have known 103 would hire out a whole floor. Numerous doors passed us in E’s haste to get us to where we needed to be. She palmed both handles of some double doors and pushed them open, quickly stepping into the room and closing them behind me.
“It’s about time, treacle,” Jen snarled at me, flapping her sweaty hands.
Shaking my head, I ignored her and walked over to Spirit, smiling softly, “You look absolutely stunning.” And she did. Her long black hair had been piled high on her head in an elegant twist, various twinkling pins holding it in place as a few tendrils softly fell down the edge of her pretty face. Her dress was so her, the long body hugging, white silk intricately embroided with black thread in an exquisite flowing pattern. Simple but absolutely perfect.
She kissed me back then lifted the hem of her dress. I burst into laughter at the sight of her black Dockers. “Perfect!” I expressed as she winked at me.
“Where have you been?” Jen asked again.
Sighing, I turned to her and pouted. “Bloody idiots outside. Look,” I turned showing her the gape in the waistline of my dress, my bare skin peeking through.
“Oh no,” Julie, 103’s PA declared as she prodded the material, inspecting the tear closely. Julie, in her late fifties, had joined the group about eighteen months ago as their PA but she had soon evolved into their substitute mother, from cleaning up after them, to cooking for them on the tour bus. She practically did everything for them but they each loved her immensely. “Take it off, quickly,” she insisted with a mad flap of her hands. “I’ll put a couple of stitches in it.”
She pulled at the hem before I had chance to respond. I lifted my arms obediently as she slid it over my head, rolling my eyes when I stood in just a strapless bra and slim knickers. She bustled into the corner, pulling a sewing kit from her bag of tricks. She kept everything in there, but no one was ever allowed in to sneak a peek at her goodies. It was the only thing she refused to share with the group and their WAG’s.
I shivered in response to the cool air that touched my naked skin when Spirit opened the balcony doors, a flood of screams filtering into the room from the fans when they witnessed a quick flash of the bride. “Bloody hell it’s hot in here,” she groaned as a trickle of sweat slid down the back of her neck.
Brandon murmured from a crib in the corner of the room. Spirit turned to go to him before Julie lifted a hand, placing my dress over the arm of the chair to go to him. Turned out she was nanny too. “Don’t you dare, this little rum one has a habit of vomiting like something out of the exorcist.” She narrowed her eyes on Spirit, daring her to move, before turning back to Brandon, her expression softening immediately. “Don’t you little man? Hmm?”
I chuckled at Spirit’s quick tongue action, although I knew she loved Julie like a mother too.
“I dunno,” Janey said, stepping out of the bathroom, the noise of the toilet flush behind her as she pulled the mass of material from her bridesmaid dress back down around her legs. “A splash of toxic green might be quite fetching.” Her gaze found mine and she smiled suggestively, her eyes lighting as they took in my bare state. “Fuck, Zo. Love your outfit, babe.”
Janey had finally been open about her sexual preference for girls around ten months ago. She was a pretty girl, and had immediately set out trying to get me into bed now that she had nothing to hide. Of course I had submitted and we’d had a few crazy nights together, but it was just fun, and we were both happy with that. I knew she was in love with Spirit, although Spirit was never to know. I’d felt for her the night we’d had too much to drink and she’d told me, her tears as fierce as a turbulent tsunami. I’d held her as tight as I could trying to alleviate her ache, and since then we had developed a close friendship. In fact, all the girls associated with the 103 boys were close, most of us getting together at least once a week. I loved them all and I would miss each of them immensely when I left for Miami.
“Although,” she continued, “you’re still wearing too much for my liking.”
Spirit slapped her on the arm but laughed. “Leave my friends alone.” Her eyes swung to mine before she winked. “Well at least until after the wedding then you can have your fun under the mass of material they’re passing as tablecloths in this bloody palace.”
Janey narrowed her eyes on Spirit, knowing it was a dig at her wedding organisation. “Spirit, you deserve the most beautiful place on this planet to grace your wedding day. If you wouldn’t go abroad like I’d suggested then this place was the next best thing.”
Spirit smiled warmly and brushed a light kiss over Janey’s cheek. “I know, and you have no idea how grateful I am for what you’ve done for me, Janey. I know…” She gulped and I tensed, my eyes widening on what should have been a private moment between them. “I’m just sorry I can’t love you like you love me, romantically, although you own so much of my heart, love.” Janey’s eyes widened as her jaw dropped. Spirit grabbed her hands, pulling them up to her ribs and pressing them into her. “My heart still beats for you Janey. You own my soul. And if… if I had been born differently, I would be marrying you today, not Bulk. You are the most important person on this earth to me, after Brandon of course.” She winked as Janey gave out a choked laugh. They stared at each other, Spirit trying to convey her feelings for her best friend through her eyes as Janey tried to express hers through her tears. They pulled into a hug, their arms holding onto each other, their fingers clawing desperately at the other.
I swiped at the tears that dripped from my eyes, my huge smile a contradiction to my weeping. I wasn’t sure if I was gutted for Janey, or happy that her secret was finally out in the open. Spirit couldn’t have honoured her any more than she did, and I was grateful for her sensitivity and affection.
We each stood, looking at one another, dragging in a breath as Julie picked up a silver tray, passing it round until we all had a flute of champagne, holding hers high. “A toast,” she began with a smile, her gaze finding Spirit. “I know I have only been with you lovely ladies for a short while, but in that time, each of you have welcomed me into your family. I love each of you, as I do the boys. But today marks something special. Love. As simple and corny as it sounds, it just goes to show that that emotion is as complex as the most intricate matrix, involving so many elements that we never truly find its beginning or end.”
Her eyes moved to us all, her warm smile reaching each one of us. “And our friendship is as beautiful as our bride today, our connection as strong as Spirit and Bulk’s love for each other. Our souls as bound to each other as Spirit will be to the headboard tonight.”
We all laughed, Spirit nodding eagerly, “Hopefully!” she declared.
E lifted her own glass and we all joined her, each rim of our glasses touching in a circle above our heads. “To freedom, friends and fucking!” she toasted.
“Freedom, friends and fucking!” we each echoed, bringing our drinks to our lips and sealing our toast with a sip of the smooth bubbly, chilled nectar.
One double door flung open. We all turned to gawp as Daniel fell through, landing on his knees on the plush carpet in front of us. His face slowly lifted as we stood staring at him. His blurry eyes roamed the room, his forehead creasing when he squinted to focus. He swayed, dropping his palms to the floor to steady himself. “Ladies,” he slurred.
“Romeo?” Spirit gasped as we stood stock still staring at him. “You’re pissed!”
He nodded firmly, his head bobbing up and down in a jerky movement. “That I am. But I must say, you look fucking beautiful, Spirit.”
His eyes moved around the room until they stopped on me. “Zo,” he whispered. His tone was almost painful as though it agonised him to look at me. A blush lit my face when his gaze fell to roam over my body. It was only then I remembered my lack of clothing. Stupidly I brought my hands up to my chest, trying to cover my half covered breasts from his hooded observation.
“Bloody hell, now that’s fucking beauty,” he breathed before a sob left him. I frowned, my heart clenching at his obvious distress. His face crumbled as tears slid down his cheeks. I moved across the carpet, crouching in front of him when I reached him.
“Hey,” I spoke quietly, my hand automatically coming up to cup his face. My soul cheered in delight to his touch, a touch I had missed for over two years, a delight that intensified when he pushed his face further into my embrace.
He mirrored my caress, bringing his hand to my face, pressing his soft hand into the heat of my face, his thumb gently stroking back and forth over my cheekbone. “She’s gone, Ink.” His head was shaking as more tears escaped from him.
“Shh.” I stood, hooking his arm to pull him up. I needed to sober him up quickly. Bulk would go ballistic at his state. Spirit was already hyperventilating behind me. I turned to Jen, “Go fetch his suit from Bulk.”
She nodded instantaneously, disappearing through the doors as I directed Daniel into the huge bathroom.
He started to unzip his jeans, lifting the toilet seat and relieving himself as I turned on the shower. He studied me, the deep furrow of his brow puckering deeper as he shook himself and reached out to flush, missing the handle and falling against the wall.
“Christ, Daniel.”
He didn’t respond apart from a deep chuckle, the sound doing something forbidden to my womb. I’d always loved the sound of his laugh, it was deep, masculine and infectious. An instinctive smile covered my face. He grinned at me, his eyes twinkling behind the mass of blood vessels. “You always had a pretty smile, Ink. One that always made me smile with you.”
My heart lurched as he did, his body falling towards me. I managed to catch him, my arms sliding under his armpits. I jostled him round, trying to manipulate his body into the cool stream of water.
He waggled his eyebrows at me as I leaned him against the glass shower screen and lifted his t-shirt over his head, grimacing at the streak of dried vomit down the front of it. He watched me, the glint of amusement in his expression soon turning into something darker when I started to unbuckle his belt.
I crouched, pulling the denim down his legs, willing my eyes not to look at his impressive cock. I squeezed them closed when his hard erection sprung free as I lowered them. Fuck!
“It’s been a while since we’ve partied, Ink.”
I willed my resolve to strengthen when I felt his hand slide into my hair, his fingers pulling at a pin that held it up. Bringing my hand up to his, I looked up at him, my other hand undoing the laces of his boots. “No.” I shook my head, fortifying my word with a shake of my head. “Took me ages to fix my hair.”