Note to self: Closets are a pretty great place to hangout.
I’ve smiled and grinned my way through dozens of interviews and hundreds of photos. Through the whole thing, one person has remained by my side or just off to the side, never out of view. Even after he sent my mom and Eli back to the hotel to get some sleep, Beau’s presence hasn’t wavered. He’s my constant, my calm, in a moment of pure chaos.
When the madness starts to ebb, I finally find myself alone in the interview room with Beau. We both stare at each other through tired, glassy eyes. Before either of us speaks, Beau gives me a knowing smirk. That look, combined with that sexy lift of the corner of his lips, does crazy things to my lady parts. I find myself crossing and uncrossing my legs several times to try to alleviate the ache. When his eyebrow arches and disappears beneath the brim of his Stetson, I almost orgasm right there in the chair.
Beau is laughing at my evident discomfort when Gabby, who has been stationed outside the door running interference and organizing the plethora of interviews, pokes her head inside the room. “Hey, guys, you’re all done for the night.”
“Thank God,” I mumble as I take a drink from the bottle of water she brought me earlier in the evening.
“You’ve been awesome as always, Gabby,” Beau says as he stands up and stretches. The muscles in his arms flex while his shirt pulls from the waist of those sexy Wranglers. A sliver of tan skin is exposed and it takes every ounce of restraint I possess to not lean over and run my tongue along the bare flesh.
“You guys are free to go. There’s a car out front for you, Layne, when you’re ready to head back to the hotel,” Gabby says through a yawn, offering a wave as she turns and exits. Without either of us replying, Beau and I watch her leave the room, the exhaustion of the day clearly weighing on the young production assistant.
When Beau’s steel gray eyes return to me, it’s with longing front and center. He casually strolls over to where I stand just a few feet away, and gently grips my shoulders, running his hands down the outsides of my bare arms. It’s meant as a soothing motion, but does little to soothe the want and ache between my legs.
“Some of those reporters wouldn’t let go of the secret relationship angle,” I mumble, concentrating on the fluid, upward motion of his hands as they stroke my arms and upper back.
Everyone asked what the status of our relationship was, and each one received the same answer: there wasn’t a relationship.
Until now.
Now, the show is technically over. With the exception of a few contractual obligations in the coming weeks for appearances, all of the reasons for us to not be together are behind us. I’m not even looking for them in the rearview mirror because as far as I’m concerned, there’s no reason to look back. Not when the man I want is standing directly before me. Why look back when my eyes are firmly focused forward.
“And do you know what I kept thinking the entire time I was sitting in that chair beside you?”
“What?” I ask in a breathless voice I barely recognize as my own.
“You. What it would be like to finally be with you. Inside you. Mine.”
His lips claim me, possessively and with little question as to the level of desire he’s feeling. Beau swipes his tongue across the seam of my lips causing a shudder to race through my body. That tongue. That magical tongue that could surely do wonders on a woman with little to no recent sexual activity. In fact, when Beau kisses me, I can’t remember at all the last time I ever felt this loved, worshipped. Lord knows my body has never responded like this with anyone before. Was there anyone else even close to Beau Tanner? Hell no.
This is so much better than in the dreams. This is real.
Moaning allows Beau to plunge his tongue into my mouth. He tastes like heaven as our mouths slide and caress, our hands gripping and grasping, until we’re both driven so stark raving mad that I fear there’s no end in sight. Nothing but eternal longing and all-consuming lust. That’s how Beau makes me feel. Unwavering to the love I have for this man.
“Come with me?” he asks, running his lips down the column of my neck.
“Okay,” I mumble moments before I’m practically dragged from the room. And by dragged, I mean wrapped up in Beau’s strong arms and carried from the room. Of course, I go willingly, wrapping my legs around his waist and threading my arms around his neck. The position also gives me a perfect angle on those swollen, lush lips of his, which I happily devour until we bump into a wall. Fortunately, the hallway is empty as Beau walks us towards a door at the end of the corridor.
STORAGE
I smirk at the man holding me up greedily by my ass, rubbing the hard length of his impressive bulge against the apex of my legs. “I told you that as soon as this show was over, I was throwing you over my shoulder and finding a storage closet somewhere.” Without even testing the knob, Beau throws it open and walks inside the dimly lit room. Something tells me the availability of this room wasn’t a coincidence.
Beau throws the lock on the knob and walks over to an abandoned wooden desk that’s clearly seen better days. “Our first time should be in a bed with room service and champagne on a tray beside the bed. But, I can’t wait for that, darlin’. I need you more than I need air. I need to touch you and feel your body against mine. I need to be inside you so fuckin’ bad, I could care less where it actually happens. But if you want the whole bed and wine and roses thing, I’ll gladly carry you out of here right now. As bad as I want you right now, I’ll wait. For you.”
I don’t even have to give it another thought. There’s no way I want to wait. I don’t need a bed or flowers or even fancy wine. I just need this man. “I’m not leaving this room until I’ve had my fill of you,” I tell him. “And that might be a very, very long time.”
“Oh, don’t go a thinkin’ I’m goin’ to let you go anytime soon.” And then his mouth makes a declaration once more. His kiss is bruising, as if everything leading up to this moment has completely pushed him over the edge of control. Gone is my measured Beau. In its place is a hungry, feral man who is hell-bent on claiming his woman. His need as pure and driven as freshly fallen Chicago snow.
With steady hands, Beau begins to unzip the side of my black top. The thick material pulls away easily, and with the help of his hands, it’s pushed up and over my head quickly. The black strapless bra isn’t anything sexy, but if the way he’s devouring my girls with his eyes was any indication, I’d say he’s happy with the simple black satin undergarment.
“You are so fuckin' beautiful,” he whispers, his breath coming out a little choppy.
Gripping his shirt at the sides, I give him a knowing look. Beau extends his hands to the ceiling as I remove the shirt completely. Even in the faint light of the room, I can see his glorious chest on full display. “You’re not so bad yourself, cowboy,” I say, running my hands up the hard plains of his chest. I could seriously gape at this man’s chest for hours on end it’s so perfectly sculpted. The tattoos he has adorning his chest and upper arms do nothing to hinder the level of this man’s hotness. He is sex appeal, plain and simple.
With hands that hold a slight tremble, Beau reaches to the back of my leather skirt and gives the zipper a tug. His eyes follow the descent of the skirt, devouring every inch of my legs, as he slowly drags the material downward. Cool air greets my feverish skin, leaving me completely exposed and vulnerable in a little black thong. When the skirt is pooled at my feet, Beau’s eyes finally slam back into mine with the force of a hammer. They’re ravenous and almost angry with desire.
As much as we both want to savor this moment, our desire is getting the best of us. Beau picks me up under the armpits and sets me down in the middle of the old wooden desk. He works feverishly at removing first one black ankle boot, and then the next. Throwing the thin little socks somewhere over his shoulder, I’m left wearing nothing but my black lace thong and strapless pushup bra.
Beau’s groan fills the small storage space. His eyes rake over my body once, then again, as if he can’t seem to look his fill. No part of my body is left untouched by his gray eyes, and with each passing moment, I’m left wanting him more and more.
Finally, I can’t take anymore. “Touch me, Beau. Please.” Even to my own ears, my voice sounds raw and pained.
“If I touch you right now, I won’t be able to slow down. I don’t want to rush this, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from slammin’ into you hard and fast. I don’t want that for our first time,” he says, his voice hoarse and wounded.
“I don’t want you to go slow, Beau. I want you to take me, claim me as yours. I want to feel everything with you because you’re everything to me. I want all of you,” I tell him honestly. His eyes, filled with liquid fire from my words, bore into me. “We can go slow the next time.”
As my words sink in, it’s like flipping a switch. Beau reaches around and removes my bra. His tongue is warm against my overly sensitive nipples as he licks and nips at each puckered peak. I groan as he gently cups my breasts, licking and tasting each one equally before sliding his hands down to the remaining material covering my body.
Hooking his thumbs beneath the panties, Beau pulls. But he doesn’t pull down the way I expect him to. Instead, he pulls out and rips the thin threads from my body. I gape down at him, surprised by his boldness, yet turned on more than I thought humanly possible.
“Holy shit, you’re so wet. I can see it from here,” he groans before running his finger along the seam of my legs. “God, I want to taste you,” he whispers as he slides a finger inside of my body. The invasion causes me to buck up off the desk, seeking out more of his contact.
Sliding a second finger inside my body, Beau’s mouth drops to my breasts. The sensation of his tongue licking my nipples, along with his fingers inside of my body, pushes me closer to the orgasm I crave. When his teeth latch down on one bud and his thumb slides across my clit, while his fingers slam into me, I fall headfirst into a brightly lit sea of euphoria. Blood swooshes in my ears as Beau continues to tease and prolong my release as much as he can. When I finally finish, I’m left spent and boneless, just the way he wanted me.
I barely even hear the sound of the condom being ripped open. The fact that I didn’t get to see Beau strip the rest of the way saddens me, but I can’t seem to force my heavy eyes open.
“Look at me, Layne,” he says, his voice rough with need.
His words break through my post-orgasmic bliss, and I open my eyes to see a very naked Beau standing between my legs. His erection is long and hard and poised at my entrance as if silently begging for the cue.
Suddenly, I need to touch him. Sitting up, I reach forward, wrapping my arms around his neck and my legs around his waist. The movement pushes the tip of his cock inside me. I hear him suck in a deep breath as he closes his eyes to savor this moment.
“Look at me,” I tell him. Beau’s eyes open quickly and slam into mine. I see desire plainly in those smoky eyes, and I see the moment they soften into something more.
Beau gently starts to push forward, my body gripping his large erection. When he’s completely seated within me, the tightness starts to subside, but the fullness remains. I’ve never felt anything like this before. As if there’s no room for even air within my body. I’m consumed completely by Beau. Body, mind, and soul.
With my arms still wrapped around his neck, I pull him in for a kiss. It’s slow and tantalizing as I convey my feelings for him through this one simple act. Still seated completely inside of me, Beau grabs my face with both of his hands and tenderly runs his fingers down my cheeks. “I love you, Layne. I’m so fuckin’ in love with you,” he whispers.
My heart stops beating as I absorb those sweet words. Only Beau could take a profanity laced declaration of love and turn it erotic, as if it were foreplay. “I love you, too,” I confess, freeing the words and the feelings I’ve carried locked inside of me for weeks now.
Beau momentarily closes his eyes as if to savor those words. A smile plays on his lips as he brushes them across mine. “Fuck, you feel so good,” he says as he slowly starts to pull out.
I quiver against his touch and revel in his words as Beau starts to move. His pace quickly turns from slow and seductive to fast and hard. Lying back on the desk, Beau takes me to places I’ve never imagined with each thrust of his hips.
My core starts to tighten once more as Beau’s body drives it right back to the edge of oblivion. Keeping my eyes glued to his, I watch as Beau pushes me over, quickly followed by his own release. “Mine,” he groans, deep and loud. My body convulses with each powerful thrust of his body into mine, fueled by the potency of that one word. Eventually, we still, both gasping for air and blinded by the bright lights of our releases.
Taking me in his arms, Beau nuzzles against my neck. Our sweaty bodies stick together in a tangled mess of trembling limbs. “That was better than I dreamed of. I knew our first time would be amazin’ but that was out of this world.”
“It was unbelievable,” I confirm. After several minutes of lying there, catching our breath, I finally speak again. “I can’t feel my legs,” I tell him with a giggle.
Beau chuckles a southern drawl before rising up to his elbows. His eyes are much softer, but still shine with adoration. “I love you, Layne Carter,” he confirms once more.
“I love you, Beau Tanner.” The words have never felt so right. Saying them to Beau is as natural as breathing.
I may not know what comes next, but I’m not afraid to find out. I’m taking another chance on love–a chance I swore I wouldn’t take again–and I’m a better person for doing it. I won’t let the fear of the unknown keep me from living the life I want for myself and for my son. Beau is that life. No, I may not know what’s around the corner, but with Beau by my side, I’m ready to find out.
Him and I.
The cowboy and the rocker making beautiful music, note by note, line by line.
It may not be like the average fairy tales written, but this one’s ours.
This is only the beginning…