Chapter Five
Brent didn’t sleep too well, but he was dressed and ready in front of the hotel bright and early the following morning. Riley came out in gray leggings and a light jacket zipped up over something thin. Her hair was clipped behind her ears, and she offered him a shy smile. They set off down the road towards a field as she cleared her throat and glanced his way. “There was already stuff online last night about dinner. Declan said that it was more than what happened in the hotel. I guess it’s working.”
“Good. That’s good.” The sky was still dark with just a hint of color as they jogged steadily beside each other. “I hope you enjoyed yourself a little bit.”
“Yeah, of course. We’ve known each other for years, and it’s very…easy.” Riley looked at him and then forward again.
They jogged mostly in silence but kept an even pace for just over five miles. Riley led the way into the lobby for some coffee and Brent joined her, pouring a cup and walking towards his room. “Should we go in together?” Riley asked softly, and he shrugged and glanced at her.
“Yeah. Let’s relax before we take off later.” They walked into the room, and she took a seat on the bed as she sipped her coffee. Brent pulled out a couple of protein bars and offered her one. She nodded and took it from him. He’d also grabbed some water from the lobby, and they opened the bottles and took long sips as he dropped to the floor and wondered why the hell he was feeling so awkward.
“So, last night…” Brent swiveled his head and looked at her as she sat up against the wall. “I know that isn’t part of our plan, Brent. I doubt that you even want me that way at all, but I need to tell you something.”
Brent moved to the bed and towards her as she stared at him. “How can you say that? Did you feel the same thing that I did last night?” She was quiet, and he sucked in his breath. “This stopped being fake to me somewhere during last night, Riley. You’re here all grown up and beautiful as hell, and I’d want you without a plan.”
“I thought the same thing,” Riley admitted, as she looked down at the orange and green comforter. “I saw the room, though, and I’ve heard about you, Brent. You’re a womanizer.”
She had a point. “I have been, Riley, I admit that, but I’m sick of it. I am this close to losing my band and my career because I’ve been a fucked up idiot.” He looked at her. “You’re so good. Smart, beautiful, kinder than you should be to me…but we agreed that this was fake to your siblings and my friends. They told me not to lay a hand on you, but I don’t want to keep my promise.”
“I don’t either but Brent…I haven’t had sex before. You have. I couldn’t keep up with you.” Her voice was so soft and so hesitant, and Brent moved forward to cup her face and stare into her eyes.
“Jesus, Ri. I couldn’t do enough to make it the best time of your life. Fuck who I’ve been, who you see on TV and everywhere else. You know me, Riley.”
“You’re the most passionate man when you want something. I remember watching you play for almost my entire life. You used to stay up for hours writing songs and playing your guitar. After everyone was asleep, I’d sneak down to the basement stairs and just listen. That’s how I know that you’ll change. You want this.”
“I could do this with anyone, but I need my band. They’re my boys,” Brent said, and she nodded.
“I know.”
They moved together on the bed and she rested her body against him. “What do we do?”
“We pretend like hell out there for everyone, but we are ourselves behind closed doors.” He slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer. They stayed this way for as long as they could before they each had to pack to leave, but they planned on Brent riding with her and Declan in their bus.
Brent took a few moments to check the fan sites after she left, where he found pictures and speculation. The only part that bothered him was that they were wondering if Riley was one of the girls from the hotel room. He clicked his phone off and threw in onto the bed before he cleaned up the room and headed down to where the buses were, using the back door to the hotel to avoid some of the fans. Declan and Riley were standing next to their bus, and he nodded at his band and walked over to them. “You’re stuck with me, D.”
“I can kick your ass at COD,” his best friend said. Brent looked at Riley for a long moment. She was wearing leggings and a tank top for the ride, with sandals on her feet. She looked bare-faced and beautiful, and he forced his gaze to her brother.
“You wish,” Brent told him, as they let Riley on first and followed. Fans called his name. She sat on the small chair by herself while Brent and Declan took the couch, and at least one of them got deeply involved in a marathon of gaming videos. Brent tried, but he kept wanting to glance over at Riley where she was curled up reading in her chair.
They all piled out when the bus stopped for food and ambled over to the diner that was just to the right of the doors. Brent had enough time to sit and eat like a human, and he felt his hand reach back to take Riley’s as the three went to a booth and sat down. Declan didn’t seem to think twice about it, and just picked up a menu and read through it. Brent glanced at him as he draped a hand over Riley’s thigh. She shivered under his touch, and they each ordered burgers and fries while Declan chose the pastrami sandwich. They ate in a pleasant silence broken up with chatter, and Brent found himself falling for Riley with every moment.
They went back to the bus and Brent curled up on one of the bunks for a nap. The others stayed in the main part of the bus. He slept fitfully before he felt someone beside him, and opened one eye to see Riley beside him. “They’re all sleeping,” she whispered, as she snuggled close to him and pressed her lips to his.
“You’re here?” he asked, and she nodded. He pulled her closer for another kiss and lost himself in it as he memorized her taste and her scent.
They parted after a few hours of dozing and kissing. Brent watched her disappear. Riley went to her bunk and Brent stared at the one above his for a long time as he tried to sort out his head. Damn it to his friends for suggesting this plan and giving Brent the green light to pursue this.
They all met for a meal of sandwiches for dinner and some more gaming. Riley sat and read while she watched them from time to time. Brent loved this part of the tour, be it with the band or just the guys, and he smiled as he felt the feeling in the room.
His skin was hot from Riley being there, and Brent knew that it was so different than just a girl for the night. It was so much more than a quick fuck with no past and no foundation. Riley had so much connection to his past, and that was unheard of with a woman. He shook his head as he took Declan down in the game with a smirk, and laughed as the other guys cheered.
They reached Texas and Brent was off to rehearsals and meetings with the band. He missed Riley. He heard that she was out and about seeing the sights and probably taking a lot of pictures from her brother, and they saw each other on the bus at night once he was showered and exhausted. They still acted like the couple out in public, but he felt like he didn’t see her too much otherwise.
The last night in Texas, Brent was coming out of the shower to get ready for drinks with everyone before they hit the road to head to Colorado before going to the West Coast. Everyone had already headed to the bar, but he’d pulled his shoulder onstage and wanted to get some hot water on it and clean up. Brent left the shower with a towel around his waist and walked to his suitcase to find some jeans and a shirt before he realized someone was on the bus. Brent turned to see Riley sitting on a bunk, and he frowned as he looked at her. “Why aren’t you at the bar already?”
“I haven’t seen you. I mean, I’ve seen you onstage and sleeping, but I haven’t seen…you.” She stared at him, and he watched as she pulled her knees to her chest. “I look at you up there, and you’re such a presence. You’re so amazing to see, but I just want to touch you.” Brent watched as she stood up and walked over to him. Riley was in a green skirt and a gray t-shirt, and she looked amazing. She pushed herself up onto her toes and kissed him.
“Riley,” Brent said, as he slid his arms around her waist and cupped her ass to pull her closer. No sex since that disastrous night in the hotel and no intimacy apart from Riley, and Brent had never felt better. He’d turned down countless groupies every night and didn’t even think twice about his choices. His body suffered as Brent kissed her and moved her towards a bunk to push her down. Brent covered her body with his, and he felt his need rising from his stomach as he kissed her harder. “Riley.”
She pulled the towel off, and he groaned as her hands scraped at his skin and her tongue met his with eager thrusts. “I need you to touch me, Brent. I watch you up there, and I can’t believe what I’m feeling inside, and I want to give everything to you.”
Brent pressed his hands to her shirt and lifted it up to find her hard nipples before he bent his head to suck one into his mouth. She whimpered, and he drew it between his teeth as he memorized the way that her body arched to offer him more.
His hand slipped between her legs. He stroked her over the lace of her underwear and she cried out. “We’re alone?”
“Yes, they’re all there,” Riley told him, as he moved the material aside and stroked her gently through her soft hair. “Oh, God. Please, Brent.”
His fingers stroked and parted her to find her clit and make her come for him. He sucked her nipples and moved his mouth up her neck to her lips. He kissed her as he knew that she was getting closer, and Brent felt her getting wet for him as she jerked against him hard and fast, starting to let go. It was gorgeous, and he sucked her tongue into his mouth as she mewed softly against his lips.
His fingers traced her clit and slipped just a little inside of her as he hardened painfully. He wanted to take her so badly right now, but not like this, not on a bus in a bunk like she was any other girl. “Baby, you feel so good.”
They realized how much time had passed and got ready to go. Brent slipped into the bathroom to jerk himself off before he dressed, desperate to be inside of her but willing to wait. They caught a cab to the rowdy bar, and it wasn’t hard at all to pretend that they were together as they drank and ate with the guys.
Chad had given Brent a lot of shit when he had claimed Riley that night, telling Brent that he was too much of a player for a girl like her. Brent had challenged that Chad was no different and that he at least had a history with Riley. Brent didn’t even pretend that it wasn’t real to him as he told Chad to leave her alone.
Tonight, Chad was with a groupie and not even paying attention to Riley as he kissed the goth girl who was sitting in his lap. The group was adjusting to what had started as a lie and become real, just like Brent and Riley were. Brent drank only his second beer in between dancing with Riley and interacting with the fans as the night went on.
Brent called a cab and pulled Riley in with him. They had until morning before they left and he wanted them to be in a room together, alone. He asked the driver to take them to the finest hotel that was close by and Riley stared at him. “I just want some time with you.”
“I don’t know if I can…though earlier was great,” Riley whispered, and he kissed her.
“I don’t care. I just want you in my arms,” Brent told her. She laughed and kissed him back.
They got a suite under his assumed name for the night, and Riley pulled her phone out of her small purse and stared at it. “I need to tell Dec.”
“He’s going to murder me tomorrow, but he has to know something is real between us,” Brent said, and she stared at him.
“There is, isn’t there? It’s only been a week maybe, and this has become everything to me,” Riley murmured, and Brent shook his head.
“I’ve always known you. The timing just needed to be right.”
Riley sent a message to her brother and winced as her phone chimed. “He wants to know where we are.”
Brent heard his phone as well and slipped it out of his jeans to look at it. His best friend was pissed off and rightfully so. He sent a message assuring Dec that Riley was safe with him in every possible way. He knew that there would be hell to pay in the morning, but he threw his phone on the table and took Riley’s away from her.