Rocked Under (10 page)

"Hey," I said as I nudged his shoulder with mine, "you're still my man."
 

He smiled and pulled me into him, "Yeah, babe. I am."
 

He kissed me softly just the way I liked it. I slipped my hands under his jacket and grabbed his shirt in my fists to deepen the kiss.
 

Scott came on stage and started with one of the bands ballads. Ad stood and pulled me up with him and onto the floor. He pulled me into his arms and we started to move to the slow song. He was stroking my back in a soft up and down motion with the back of his fingers and I closed my eyes as I relaxed into him.

Scott's sad voice was filling the bar with a heartbreaking song that I hadn't heard before, about wanting something that was out of reach — something that was too good to ruin. I opened my eyes and found Scott watching me while he was singing with such bleak eyes that I unintentionally squeezed Ad as the force of his gaze almost hurt me. Ads arms tightened around me then and he looked down at me. I was still frowning and looking at Ad but I was thinking about Scott. That look, was he still upset about his mum? I felt guilty at once.
 

Too late, I caught myself staring up at Ad with my lips parted slightly.

His head descended to mine in a deep kiss. His arms came around me, held me in place while he kissed me. Then his lips travelled down my neck. I closed my eyes as I tried to enjoy it but it wasn't doing anything. I opened my eyes again and Scott was still eyeing me. He looked away almost straight away but not before I caught that same look clouding his brilliant green eyes.
 

I watched him sing the rest of the ballad with him gazing, unseeing, out above the audience, his expression strained. I wanted to reach out to him and erase whatever pain he was feeling. I wanted to fold him in my arms and hold him, be there for him. I blinked.
What the…? Why the hell am I thinking like this?

I yanked Ads arm, "I need a drink," I shouted near his ear.

He nodded and pulled me off the floor.

Later, when Scott came off stage, groupies pounced on him, slinking their bodies around him and touching him like snakes. He extracted himself, obviously not in the mood tonight, and went backstage. Twenty minutes later, he joined us for drinks and his choice of liquor for the evening was JD. He sat quietly for an hour, talking only when spoken to and smiling in all the right places. He downed shot after shot. Something was up with him but I chose to keep quiet. If the others hadn’t noticed anything, it would look odd if I was the only one that noticed his off mood.

He caught me staring at him and I forced a smile. He didn’t return it but held my gaze with his half-lidded one. A frown pulled at my face and I looked away only to peek back seconds later to find his stare still pinned on me. I turned my attention to the couples on the floor making the most of love hour. Was he mad at me? He couldn’t be mad at me. Maybe he’s just in a mood? He was fine earlier.

A strong hand came in front of my face, startling me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see Scott standing over me.
 

“Dance with me.” His lids were hooded as he watched me for an answer.
 

I k="#.” Hlooked towards Ad for help but he was deep in conversation with Newton. Should I? I looked around the table but only Ash had her attention on me and she was frowning. I looked back up to Scott. Excitement buzzed through me as anticipation took over. If I refused, he would think that I wasn’t comfortable with him.
 

The best I could do is dance with him and maybe find out what was up with him, make him smile again. I felt as though his mood was balancing on a fine line and I didn’t want to tip him either way because I knew that when he had been drinking he was a loose canon.

I nodded and put my hand in his. Scott led me to the other side of the floor by the side of the stage so we were shielded from our table. My heart was hammering in my chest and I knew Scott had had a lot to drink.
 

Scott pulled me close just as another power ballad started to flow through the speakers. I tried to keep our bodies apart but Scott was having none of it. He pulled me closer into him and wrapped his arms around me. There was no choice but to snake my arms around him also.
 

I leaned back to look at him, “Are you okay? You’ve been quiet tonight.”

The corner of his mouth lifted, “I am now.”
 

He pulled me closer again and I laid my head on his chest.

I am now?
What did that mean?
 

His hands slid around to my back and slipped under my top. His thumbs were stroking slow circles over the bare skin of my lower back. Tingles shot through me.
 

“Scott, what are you doing?” I looked at him with questioning eyes.
 

His head came down to my ear, “Shh.” He nuzzled my neck at the same time that his hand pushed into the small of my back, forcing me into him. My arms flew around his neck so I wouldn’t fall backwards.
 

We moved together, swaying, clinging. His hands tightened on me as his lips touched my shoulder gently. I shuddered violently and gasped. My mind went blank, the last thought being that I should stop him but it was near impossible and my willpower withered with my mind.
 

He had so much power over my body — it was his. It was like he knew exactly what it wanted, how to make it his. His hands slid slowly up my bare back and gripped my shoulders, the tips of his fingers dug into my skin above my collarbone. My head fell back as his lips tracked across my collarbone to the other side, then went to the dip at the bottom of my neck and kissed up to my ear. I was trembling with want. The intensity of him, together with the music spelt danger.
 

I never wanted this moment to end. Our bodies were melting together.

“Scott,” I heard myself moan as he played me with expertise and precision, the same way he handled his guitar. I went into oblivion where there was just me and Scott with the music cocooning us in our own heaven.
 

Suddenly, he moved his hands and brought them up to cup my face quickly, desperately. His eyes searched mine and the naked need in them jolted me. I couldn’t do this, I couldn’t. He was too much. He would destroy me, swallow me whole and spit me out in the morning. My eyes widened as the noise from around us came crashing back to my ears.
Shit!
I looked around for any sign that someone had seen us but, thankfully, no one had.

I stepped back away from him. A look of pain crossed his expression before he masked it.

“I need the bathroom.” I slipped away from him before he could say anything.

I slammed into a stall and leaned my back against the door. What was I thinking? Ad was out there somewhere. What if he had seen us?
Fuck it!
Scott was dangerous. I realised in that moment that I cared about him. I cared that he was sad, I wanted to take it away and make him smile, but at what cost? I brought my hands up and covered my heated face as I shook my head, I should have said no to him.
 

He was drunk and we were meant to be friends, nothing more. I let my hands drop. I would go back out there and stay away from him for the rest of the night. Hopefully, he would be distracted with another girl by now. A pang of jealousy
 
streaked through me. Why did he have to be so, so…
him?

Before going back out I ran my hands under the cold water until I had cooled down. I opened the door and walked straight out but my arm was seized and I was hauled sideways. Before I knew it Scott was stood in front of me.

“Why’d you run off like that?” Anger radiated from him.
 

“I didn’t run anywhere, I walked. I needed the bathroom.” I held his gaze.

“Don't—“ he started.

"Scott!" a girl shouted.

"Fuck," he muttered under his breath.

I looked at the redhead stomping toward us with determination in her stride, her beady eyes on Scott. I wanted to punch her in the face. Whatever was up with him, he sure as hell didn't need someone who didn't give a crap about him.

I was about to tell her to back off when Scott hauled me to him.

"Come here," he put his arm over my shoulder and hugged me to him. My heart kicked at his closeness. He put his hands either side of my waist and turned me toward him.

He was pulling me close to him, “Scott, no–”

"Just help me out here, okay? I can’t deal with her shit right now.” He whispered close to my ear and then slowly dropped his mouth down to my neck. He didn't move his mouth, he kept very still but I could feel his breath on my skin, coming in and out in shorts puffs. His hands were gripping me tightly but our bodies weren't touching. He was rigid. Like stone.
 

"Scott! I'm ready to go!” I heard her whiny voi kher"#0ce again.

His grip altered. He was about to move. He moved closer to me and put a leg between mine. I knew that he wanted to get rid of her so I played along. I snaked my arms around his waist slowly so she could see them. I felt him jump ever so slightly, I barely felt it.

"Fine, Scott, don't think you'll have another chance with me!" the bratty girl said in anger.

I didn't know if she was still there watching us so I stayed still until he decided to move. After a moment, I felt his forehead hit the part of me where his lips had been and I heard him sigh.

I turned my face to him then at the same time as he turned his to mine. Our noses touched together.
 
Our eyes met and my heart skipped a beat. A shiver of pure desire ran through me.

He turned around, grabbed my hand at the same time and led me through a door near the stage. We emerged into a dimly lit hallway which was empty.

Scott pulled me close, cupped my face and looked at me for a minute. A frown tainted his handsome face as he looked as though he was at war with himself.
 

Another shiver ran through me and I literally froze. I was lost in his expression and I wanted him. I needed him to kiss me.

He must have seen the want in my eyes. He then lowered his head with intent in his hooded eyes.

I bit my lip,
I shouldn't be doing this.
 

He was watching my mouth. His thumb moved from my cheek to rub along my bottom lip, pulling my lip free from my teeth. I felt heat start to lick along my skin again and I trembled slightly, I was sure he felt it.
 

He inhaled quickly and held his breath as he moved his hand to the back of my head and held me there.
 

My heart was hammering inside my chest and my lips parted on a gasp as I tried to get more oxygen into my starved lungs.
 

His head came closer and he rested his forehead against mine. His eyes slipped closed and he inhaled deeply. “Emma,” my name was a whisper of need from his lips, which were so close to mine. "Your beauty goes so much deeper than your skin." He shook his head, "I don't want to taint that goodness in you but I…" he swallowed.

Goodness?
If only he knew. I wasn't good, I could be very bad when I was pushed far enough. "Scott, you're seeing something that isn't really there. You barely know me. What makes you think I'm so good?"

"What makes you think you're not?" he growled.

I closed my eyes. I was trembling. I wanted him to kiss me so much and I knew that I needed my head checking for thinking it. My lips felt dry and I had an urge to poke my tongue out to moisten them. As my tongue came out it came into contact with his lips.
 

He groaned, his grip on me tightened and he slid his tongu klids lipe along my upper lip before his lips met mine.
 

His kiss was gentle, barely there, testing. Our breaths mingled in short bursts as our kiss went deeper so did my need for him. His tongue slipped into my mouth and slowly, firmly, stroked me. I moaned low in my throat. Scott increased his pressure and his hands went down to my butt. Heat licked through me as an ache began, the dull throb of desire telling me to surrender all, right here and now.

Scott ripped himself away from my lips and buried his head in my neck again. His chest was moving up and down rapidly.
 

He groaned and squeezed my butt harder, pushing me into him more. “Shit!" He groaned into my neck, sending little vibrations through me. "I want you so bad.”

He was all over me; his hands on my ass was undoing me in ways that would stay with me forever. I knew why girls went crazy for him, why they couldn't resist him. He was sex on legs. I felt as though he needed me now, that his life depended on him having me.
 

Our kiss was exquisite, the best I had ever had and I wanted it again and again.
Oh, god! What the hell am I doing?
I had to stop this now and I needed to get away from him otherwise I would be in his bed within the hour. I had taken too much of him today and — I hardened up — he was so good at getting girls into his bed that he'd tell them anything that they wanted to hear. I bet he'd used that line loads of times before. He doesn't think much about our friendship if he was willing to ruin it over one night in the sack with me and it pissed me off.