Rory stared down at her, pulse hammering as he finally said what he needed to say.

“And if there are consequences for my decision, then I’m good with that.”

“Rory…” She frowned and dropped her head, bracing her hand against her forehead as curls fell over her face. “You need to understand that none of this is easy for me either.”

“Then why can’t we just forget everyone else and make it less complicated? Me and you.”

“I don’t know.” She shrugged, and then swallowed hard. “I love my job. I need my job. And the band needs you and maybe that means—”

“What it means,” he said as he moved toward her, “is that we shouldn’t be playing by someone else’s rules. Let’s make the rules ourselves and just say fuck the world.”

“Would you do that?” she said, crossing her arms. Though Rory saw that as a defense mechanism. It was easier for her to keep him at arm’s length right now, he figured. “Even if it meant leaving your band in the lurch?”

“Why is that my responsibility?”

“Because we all agreed it was,” she insisted.

Rory shook his head. “Well, I’m done. I want out.”

She narrowed her eyes. “What has gotten into you?”

He scratched at the back of his head. “Wendy, actually.”

He glanced over to see Gina’s mouth thin into a tight line.

“Not like that, Gina. She was there for the same reason as me, all the while she’s been in a relationship with her manager for three years. We talked about a lot of things, talked about how fame can destroy you, especially if you go along with the game. There’s got to be another way to keep the band in the limelight without all this bullshit. We just have to find it.”

“I don’t know, Rory…”

“Do you know this, Gina?” He yanked her close and stared deep into her eyes. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before, and I can’t let it go so easily. It’s always been me and Dev and this band. It was the thing that held me together. The thing that made my whole world make sense when it was spinning out of control. Now you’re here and it’s like I have a chance to have it all. Not just the band, but a life with someone I care about.”

“I’m already thinking about you more than I should, Rory. Breaking all my own rules, changing the playbook…”

“Fine. We don’t have to decide anything right now. But either way, one more night isn’t going to make a difference, is it? Don’t send me away, Gina.”

* * *

She wanted to argue. Knew this could only end badly.

But when he swooped down to kiss her, she didn’t fight him.

And when he lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom, she let him.

And when he stripped away her clothes along with the last of her defenses, she helped him.

He set her down gently and turned on the water, hot steam rising to fill the room. She shivered, watching with hungry eyes as he undressed. She stepped under the stream, hot water raining down on her back. Her head was tilted against the glass tiles as she tried to prepare herself for the onslaught of emotion she knew was to come.

She heard his footsteps splash against the shallow pool of water in the basin of the shower. And then another footstep. And then the warmth of his hot body pressed against her, his thick erection caressing the cheeks of her ass.

A palm dropped to hold her tight around the waist. He planted a long trail of kisses down her slick back, his breath like fire against her skin. Even hotter than the scorching hot water falling on her head.

His other hand caressed her throat softly as he pulled her head back toward him so that he could nibble her ear. She shuddered against his touch, her toes fought to curl into the solid basin beneath them, but it was a fruitless attempt.

She fell backward into his arms, into his touch. He was holding the both of them upward, in total control. He pushed her forward slightly so that her head rested against the shower wall.

“Please,” she pleaded with him.

Whatever he was going to give her was whatever she was going to need.

His teeth mashed against her lower earlobe, and she swayed her head against his, forcing herself closer to him and he stole her breath with a wet, passionate kiss.

His hand slid down to her wet folds, where he began to pet her with his strong, rough palm. It wasn’t enough. She needed to be filled completely, needed to feel his width stretching her…filling her.

When he finally pressed his hard cock against her opening, she let out a gasp as he sank into her in one long, slick motion. By the time he was buried to the hilt, she let out a groan.

He pulled out of her in equally long strokes, to the point where the head of his cock almost slipped free before plunging back in. He played her like a melody she had never heard before, but one that was going to break her faster than ever.

She could already feel it building up inside her. The urge to flutter her hips faster, to take him deeper.

He pushed her tighter against the wall so that her breasts were smashed against the tile and her head was tilted sideways while shower water continued to rain on her back.

She was able to get a quick glance at Rory, his hair falling over his eyes as he slid in and out. There was something about the look on his face, the dark, stormy hunger in his eyes that brought her to the very edge of release.

The strong muscles in his chest and biceps contracted with every stroke of his cock inside her. Each thrust felt more rushed than the last and as his fingers gripped the flesh of her sides, she was getting closer to the edge now, losing herself in him.

Their moans echoed in unison, her pussy tightening around his thick cock. She broke around him, while he held back just long enough for the final waves of her pleasure to subside before tensing behind her and letting out a low growl as his cock spurted deep inside her.

She relished the sound of it. The feel of his hands on her body, the flex of him inside her. But the tremors hadn’t even slowed when her mind started racing again. There was no way she was going to be able to sleep tonight. That was fine, she didn’t want to. She wanted to remember every last second of it.

Because tonight would be their last night together.

It had to be.