“Home will be redefined throughout life. Only your heart knows its true place.” ~ Johnny Outlaw
I love a good surprise and Dalton has absolutely no clue we’re coming. I’ve been beyond giddy the whole flight. The two coffees this morning are not helping to calm me down. When we arrive at the hotel, I dump my stuff in Rochelle’s room and we start getting ready. A bottle of wine is ordered before we even leave the front desk, and arrives shortly after we do. With our glasses in hand, I toast, “To spur of the moment trips, great friendships, and wanderlust.”
After we take a drink, she asks, “We’re supposed to meet Tracy and Adam in an hour. Will you be ready?”
I sit on the edge of the bed. “I’ll be ready.”
“You excited?”
“Beside myself. I can’t wait to see him.”
She smiles. “I bet. In the meantime, we have a concert to get ready for.”
On the drive over, I hold out hope that Dalton doesn’t know we’re coming. The press caught us at LAX, so I’m sure people were tweeting already, but it would be awesome if we actually pulled off this surprise.
Tracy says, “I’m glad we did this.”
Her happiness makes me happy. “So am I.” I rub Rochelle’s hand, then whisper, “It’s gonna be great.”
She continues staring out the window, deep in thought, but nods. After going through security, Tommy meets us to take us backstage. “Johnny and Dex have their own dressing rooms. Kaz and Derrick are testing the strings on their guitars. We have thirty minutes until show time. That gives you twenty,” he says, eyeing me as we walk steadily. “Third door on the right is Johnny. Dex is the second door.”
“Thanks,” I reply as I walk to the door he pointed out. Excitement has officially bubbled up in my stomach and is running over as I knock.
“Come in,” I hear him shout from the other side of the door.
Slowly, I open it. His back is to me, but he glances over his shoulder. I see the second it registers, that he recognizes me in his double take. The right side of his mouth works up and he turns around. “I need better security to keep the groupies out,” he says, struggling to keep a straight face.
I tilt my head, my hair falling to the side. “This groupie is here to stay,” I say, putting my hand on my hip.
He sets his guitar down on a chair and comes to me as I shut the door. His hands are on my waist, pressing my back to the black wood door. “What are you doing here, Pretty Girl?”
“I was feeling reckless.”
“It’s contagious,” he says, then kisses me. His hands are on my breasts, his erection pressed to my middle as his lips kiss down my neck.
Closing my eyes, I moan from the pleasure, but it’s cut short when I’m picked up. As he carries me across the room, he whispers in my ear, “I want you.”
Matching his volume, I ask, “You sure, before the show?”
“Posi-fucking-tively.” Our mouths crash with enough pressure to let me know this is gonna be quick and probably hard. I squirm with my legs wrapped around his middle just from the anticipation. I’m set down on a table against a wall. “Take your pants off.”
I slip off the table. Bending over, I slide the zippers down on my boots and quickly remove my jeans.
After unzipping his jeans, he watches me and asks, “Fuuuuck. No panties?”
“I wanted to save time.”
“It’s gonna be fast.”
“Then make it count.”
“Turn around, Holliday.” I turn and press my hands against the wall like I’m about to be frisked—hoping actually. He chuckles behind me, but the lightness leaves the moment his fingertips side down my back and over my ass. “You are perfection,” Dalton adds as his fingers slide between my legs. “And so wet for me.”
Teeth sink into the skin over my shoulder, not enough to break the skin, but enough to leave a print long after the concert starts. His fingers rub as his tongue soothes the mark. I struggle to keep my eyes open and my head up. “I can’t take the teasing, Babe.”
“I just got started—”
“We don’t have much time.”
“I want you to come on my hand. I want you all over me. I want to play your pussy, then I want to play my guitar.” His words are sultry and naughty, a secret that will be ours in spite of the thousands surrounding us.
“Faster,” I say, my breath coming out harsher as he brings me closer to making his wish come true. “Oh God, Dalton. Harder!” The pressure mounts and my body tremors as I lose focus and my hold loosens against the wall.
His hand is swiftly replaced with his cock. I drop my hands to the table in front of me as he thrusts in deep, causing my head to drop back and my mouth to open. He holds me tight as his pace picks up. “Fucking hell, you feel amazing, Baby.”
I drop my head forward, keeping my eyes closed and enjoying the feel of him filling me. His hands glide up my body and under my shirt and bra. He grabs my breasts again, squeezing them while fucking me from behind. Angling back, I tilt my neck for a kiss, but my body goes stiff and I gasp loudly.
“What?” Dalton asks, stopping.
“Sorry,” Ashley says, standing at the door, not sounding sorry at all. “The door was open.”
His head whips around. “Get the fuck out!”
“I was sent to tell you—”
“Get out!” he shouts louder than I’ve ever heard him before, making me jump.
She hurries out, slamming the door as she leaves. His hands move down and his arms tighten around me, covering me from behind. “You okay?”
I can’t say anything, all words escaping me as the shock of what just happened solidifies in my veins. My vision blurs as I reach for the stability of the hard surface in front of me. My heart picks up, beating faster, and the world spins around.
Dalton’s voice is bogged down underwater as his words fade off, “Holliday? Holliday? Are you okay? Baby?” The distance grows… until the room goes black.
“She’ll be okay…”
“…no doctors.”
“…only a ten minute delay…”
Rochelle’s voice breaks through my foggy brain, “Holli?”
I slowly open my eyes and see her first, then Dalton just behind her. “Hi,” he says, stepping around her. His tone is friendly, too friendly, opposite of the expression on his face.
Rochelle smiles. “I think you’re gonna be okay. Can you sit up?”
Nodding, I move to the side and drop my feet to the ground. “What happened?”
Dalton sits next to me. “You passed out. How are you feeling? Do you need a doctor?”
I lean my head on his shoulder. He rubs my bare leg and I jump remembering I was naked from the waist down. When I look down, I see I’m in boxer shorts. Finding relief in that, I ask, “Do I even want to know?”
Dalton smiles. “Probably not.”
Tommy stands across the room near the door. “If you’re feeling well enough to skip a hospital visit, we need to start the show.”
Shocked they held the show up, I start apologizing profusely, “Go. Don’t keep the crowd waiting because of me. I’m sorry.”
Dalton says, “I wasn’t going to leave you.”
Taking his hand in mine, I kiss it and say, “I’ll be fine. Go on. I want to watch you play.”
Kissing me on the cheek, his hand tightens around mine. “Only if you’re sure.”
“I’m sure. I’ll go out after I drink some water.”
Rochelle adds, “I’ll get her something to eat too. We haven’t eaten much. I’m sure it’s just that and the travel.”
He stands and grabs his guitar from the chair where he set it down earlier. “Don’t come out unless you’re feeling better. You know how it gets out there.”
“Don’t worry about me. You go and kick ass on stage.”
He walks out and Tommy shuts the door, following him out.
Rochelle puts her hand to my forehead. “You don’t feel warm. That’s good. What happened? You scared us.”
“I got dizzy, I guess.”
“I think you’ve been working too much and been dealing with a lot of stress, but you’re gonna be okay.” She stands and hands me my jeans. “Or maybe Johnny Outlaw is just so fucking good that you passed out from the shear ecstasy of it all.”
That makes me giggle. “Yeah, that’s it for sure.”
Standing up, I go to the bathroom. A few minutes later, I’m cleaned up, have color back in my cheeks, and my jeans are in place. When I walk out, she asks, “Seriously, do you know what happened?”
Flashes of that girl come to mind and I grip the door frame. I take a deep breath, trying to act as normal as possible, and then head for the main door. “I want to support Dalton. He’s worried. I need to be out there, so he can see I’m all right.”
“Good point. Let’s get a sandwich on the way out. I think you should have a soda to get some sugar in you as well.”
Fifteen minutes later, we’re led to our seats. Everyone is standing, so we find our spot in front of our chairs. It doesn’t take long for Dalton to find me. I see a small smile quirk as he sings into the microphone while strumming hard on his guitar.
I watch him, captive to his energy and passion, drawn to the darkness in his voice as he sings about broken pieces of ourselves often lost, seldom found again. The muscles in his arms flex, his power visible. There’s an edge to his tone that speaks of desperation and desire, sexual prowess, and hunger. In the large arena, I’m not unique in my desire for him. I’m unique because he only desires me.
The next song is fast and hard, the tempo reminding me of our dressing room escapades before the interruption. I let my gaze move to where she stands. Her hair is up, messy, her shirt tight around her chest, her eyes fixed on Dalton. Leaning over, I can’t keep the distaste out of my mouth when I tell Rochelle, “The new equipment manager walked in on us.”
Her eyes go wide. “In the middle of sex?”
I nod.
“You didn’t lock the door?”
“I thought he did.”
She laughs, but stops. “That’s what caused you to pass out?”
“I don’t know what caused it.” Reminded, I take another gulp of the cold soda. “I’m feeling better though. I think it was the lack of food and drink.”
“That or you’re preg…” Her hand touches my back and she leans in. “Could you be pregnant, Holli?”
My head is shaking before I even answer. “No. No. No way. I’m on the pill.” Our eyes hold steady on each others. I know what she’s thinking because I’m now thinking the same thing. She’s just nice enough not to say it. “I’ve never had a problem with the pill. I don’t see why it would fail now.”
“You’re probably right. The pill is super safe.”
She starts laughing, so I ask, “What’s so funny?”
“Dex said he wants his boxers back after the show.”
I start wiggling. “Ewwwww. Why am I wearing his underwear?”
She’s still laughing, now holding her stomach. “Because your husband wasn’t wearing any.”
I shake my head. “I’ll be showering all night now.”
She makes a frowny face. “Aww, Dex isn’t so bad.”
I glance over surprised by her response. “Well, you’re not wearing his dirty underwear.”
Laughing, she says, “True.”
Tracy and Adam are dancing next to me and she hip bumps me. I smile and start dancing too. Rochelle rubs my back once more before her hand drops away.
I look back up at the stage, wanting to savor every minute of the show, wanting to be as present as I can for him. Dalton sings as if the flames burn too hot to keep the fire inside. Holding his finger in front of his mouth, he sucks in and slowly drags it back out. The crowd goes crazy over the blatant sexual act. My knees weaken and I whimper knowing exactly what he tastes.