“Oh, bollocks!” I exclaim in mock Brit. “I would applaud you gents, but I can’t seem to find me way out of these!” A whiff of Easton’s scent hits me along with the smooth rumble of his chuckle just before I’m swallowed by the sight of him, the curtains billowing around him as he stalks toward me. In the next second, he’s plastered to me. Our chests collide before he grips the back of my neck and crushes my mouth with his.
His eager kiss elicits a moan from somewhere deep within, representing two excruciating months of longing. Easton uses it, pressing his tongue past my lips before invading me. I’m climbing him in seconds as he molds us together while playing me effortlessly. Ripping at his hair, I feel the vibration on his tongue and suck it feverishly as his hat thuds somewhere below us. Wet and aching, I moan into his mouth as he continues to draw me deeper into the kiss, utterly destroying my every defense until I’m clinging to him, unable to support my own weight. Our tongues furiously duel until he eventually pulls away, staring down at me intently before letting out a low, “Fuck, Beauty.”
Panting, I gape at him, my clit demanding attention between my legs. “Damnit to hell, Crowne,” I mutter in an attempt to catch myself, “you’re already playing dirty.”
“No,” he licks along my lower lip and pulls it briefly between his teeth. “Not yet.” His nose brushes mine, “Not even close, but don’t put it past me.”
“This isn’t a game,” I whisper hoarsely.
He sobers, pulling back slightly so I can clearly see the look in his eyes. “No, it’s not. You punched a hole in my goddamned chest in Seattle, only to leave me in the dark to try and figure out how to fill it.”
His admission has me gravitating toward him just as he releases me and retrieves his hat.
“You keep interrupting my praises,” I tell him in an attempt to sidestep the paralyzing effect of his words. His grin doesn’t reach his eyes as he opts to place his retrieved hat on my head, pulling it down over my hot mess of curls. “It’s like you don’t even care about my opinion.”
Something sparks in his eye as he dips in a whisper. “That’s the thing, Beauty. With me, you rarely have to say a word.”
“You keep calling me that.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a large part of the reason I drove to Austin to collect the girl I met. Because that’s all I see when she reveals herself to me.” He runs a gentle thumb across my lower lip. “Raw. Fucking. Beauty.”
“Ohhhh,” I draw out in my best Texas twang and another useless attempt at self-preservation, “you’re really good at that. You should be a songwriter or somethin’。 Women will fawn all over you for pretty words like those—”
“—while other parts of her remain purposely oblivious,” he retorts dryly, rolling his eyes before knocking the brim of his hat down, temporarily blinding me. Gripping my hand, he starts to navigate us from within the confines of the curtains. Once we’re free, I notice that LL and Syd are closing their cases, and Tack’s made good progress dismantling his drum kit. The noise from the audience on the other side of the curtains is now noticeably absent.
How long were we kissing?
“That was amazing!” I belt out in an attempt to draw their attention, extending my clapping hands toward them. “Bet you fellas good money you make all the OK headlines tomorrow.” Syd and LL flash me grins. LL’s cerulean gaze flicks between Easton and me, letting me know he’s onto us. Dodging his prodding assessment, I turn to Easton, his expression drawn up in amusement. Gripping his arm, I lift on my toes, commanding his attention and pulling him closer for his ear. He snakes his arm around me, his warm skin sending a shiver up my spine. “What I was going to say before you interrupted me with your tongue is that performance was every imaginable adjective for incredible, Easton. Thank you for sharing this with me,” I pull back as he wets his lips and shakes his head.
“What?” I draw out, frowning. “Not enough praise for your highness? Still think I’m a shitty writer?”
“You really have no idea, do you?” He asks as I look helplessly over to Joel, standing guard just a few feet away.
“What am I missing?”
“The whole point,” Easton taunts, running his knuckles down my cheek.
“Enlighten me, then,” I say in a stupor, as all nearby hands-on-deck blur while I get distracted by the intimacy still bouncing between us.