Alys

Two Weeks Later

My first real date with X loomed ahead of me, and I was freaking the fuck out. I hadn’t been on a real date in…shit, I didn’t even know. I’d gone out to dinner with Connor when he came to visit me in Lafayette, but we’d never gotten fancy about it. We’d gone to TGI Fridays, like we would have with Kenna and Lili.

But X had made reservations at some upscale restaurant. He’d asked me to wear a skirt, which I had planned to do anyway. I wasn’t like Kenna in that respect—allergic to feminine clothing.

I dialed up Lili several times and got no answer. Without her help, I was spiraling into full-on panic mode, and I did the only thing I had left.

I called Kenna.

The woman couldn’t care less about what she looked like and would probably just agree to anything I put on so that she could escape having to wrap her head around fashion. I put on a black short-sleeved button-down blouse, a knee-length denim skirt, and red patent leather Mary Janes.

Kenna showed up a few minutes later with a bloody nose, raving about her lunatic boyfriend. “That man is insane!” she raged.

“We all kinda get that,” I drawled. “But what happened this time? And why are you bleeding?”

She went into a tirade—seriously, I was enjoying this new Kenna; she was far more entertaining—about Phil demanding she marry him and have his babies.

Phil might feel his Baby Girl on a level none of us ever had, but he had so much to learn about who she was. I was happy to see Kenna having such a passionate response to life. For so long, she’d been…absent. She was even livelier than she had been before her life turned dark and gray all those years ago.

“Do you want to marry him and have his children one day, Kenna?”

She got a real grump face on as her shoulders drooped in defeat. “Maybe one day.”

“Would it kill you to tell him that and make him feel better?”

“It might,” she snapped.

Half an hour later, X showed up, looking fine in his fitted dark denim jeans with the cuffs rolled up, white T-shirt with a black vest over it, and shiny black shoes. He had his hair gelled into an Elvis-style hairdo, which was just perfect.

“How cute are you!” I exclaimed, walking out of the house, my arm looping through his.

“Not as cute as you,” he replied.

He walked me to the passenger side of the Jeep, opened the door, and helped me inside. Before shutting the door, he leaned in and gave me a very sweet, tender kiss.

Tonight’s the night, I thought.

I’d been holding off for several reasons. I wasn’t over Connor—and I’d come to accept the fact that I probably never would be, not completely. I’d only had sex with one man, and I hadn’t been ready to do it with someone new. On some level, I’d still needed convincing that this bass-playing rock star really wanted me at all, and I’d wanted to be sure he was sincere.

I was pretty fucking sure he was sincere now, and he’d successfully gotten me hot and bothered many times—in the best ways imaginable.

I’d grown to like X more than I’d ever thought possible. He was romantic and considerate, and he kissed like no one’s damn business. He was hilarious, always had me laughing about anything and everything. He was easygoing, up for anything—a lot like Connor in that respect.

I felt lighter in my soul than I had in a long time. When I was with X, I didn’t hurt for the past. I didn’t constantly yearn for Connor. In fact, I hadn’t thought much about Connor at all recently.

X was helping me heal.

For the first time, I knew what it was like to have a real boyfriend. While I was sure Connor would lose his shit if he knew that was how I’d thought of our relationship, it was my fault. Connor had wanted to have a normal relationship with me. He’d wanted the world to know we loved each other.

I still wished I’d been brave enough, but there was no going back.

Instead, I got to have a chance for a normal relationship with X. I wasn’t going to waste this opportunity even though I didn’t deserve it. Not after the way I had hurt Connor over and over.

“I don’t think I’ve taken a woman on a date since I was, like, eighteen,” said X as he hopped behind the wheel.

“Who was the last woman you took on a date?”

“Crissy Lasserman. My dream woman all throughout high school. Brown hair, big brown eyes, massive tits. I heard she married not long after graduation. Got knocked up and has, like, six kids now.”

“Yeah? Any of them yours?”

His blue eyes popped open wide. “Shit. I hadn’t thought of that.”

“Really?”

He gave me a wicked grin. “I’ve never had unprotected sex, and if any of them were mine, she was definitely the type of woman to let me know. Especially after I started making money.”

“Ah. Gotcha.”

The drive into NOLA was pleasant. I wasn’t nervous at this point. X had this way about him that just put me at ease. Not only that, but we’d gotten pretty close recently. We’d spent the night with each other a few times already. He knew what a hot mess I looked like when I woke up—and vice versa.

This was just us, dressed up.

When X pulled up to the valet parking in front of Two Fat Chefs, I nearly passed out from excitement. Kenna and I had talked about going here for a while, but the wait list was ridiculous, and so were the prices. But reviews had raved about the food.

“Oh, wow, X! I’ve been dying to check this place out.”

He grinned. “I know.”

Taking my hand, he led me through the front door. We were met by a hostess and brought to a table on the second-floor balcony, overlooking an enchanting backyard with willow trees and a small pond with a tiny bridge. Twinkling fairy lights wound around the tree trunks and lit the walkway that wove around the yard. A few patrons sat at small tables lining the path.

“This place is adorable,” I said, just soaking it all in.

Our server came up, and I ordered a dirty martini while X got a passion-fruit iced tea.

“No alcohol for you?” I asked.

“You’re intoxicating enough,” he teased with a wink. “Plus, we’re heading to the House of Blues after this.”

“Oh, yeah? Who’s playing?”

He grinned. “That’s a surprise.”

“Pfft. I could call Kenna right now, and she’d tell me.”

He rolled his eyes. “Just a couple of local bands.”

“Well-known or…”

“The musicians are well-known, yeah.”

“Who?” I nagged.

“Nope. It’s a surprise, and if you call Kenna, I won’t take you at all.”

“Damn it,” I grumbled.

Our server came up and dropped off our drinks, and we ordered our entrées. I ended up getting the pork medallions while X got a rib eye.

“I’m so not dressed for a show,” I grumped, wishing I had opted for jeans now.

“Yeah, but we’ll be in the VIP section, not on the floor.”

“What’s the fun in that?”

That cracked him up. “I thought you might actually want to meet some of the guys. Maybe enjoy the evening a little.”

“And I wouldn’t on the floor?”

“Not in a skirt.”

“You know, Kenna would be over the moon to see a good show at the House of Blues. I feel guilty for not bringing her along. Doesn’t Phil know who’s playing?”

“Sure he does.”

“And he didn’t want to bring her?”

“I think Phil just wants to have some him and Kenna time…sort of how I want to have some time with you.”

That shut down my argument. “Yeah. Sorry about that. I’m not used to all of this.”

“I find that hard to believe. How come you haven’t dated much?”

I shrugged, not willing to admit to him that I had been in a relationship. I knew that, one day, I would probably have to, but it didn’t need to be now, not on our first fancy date.

“I don’t know,” I replied. “I’ve just been working and hanging out with my best friends. Neither of them was with anyone. It just wasn’t important.”

I inwardly cringed at the lie, but whatever.

We ended up talking about music, and X told me what it was like, touring the world. I was a little envious that he’d been to all of these places, and I’d been to Pensacola. My people were homebodies. My parents had gone on a few cruises over the last few years but only after I had left the nest.

When the food came, we dug in and shared our entrées. Everything was freaking amazing, and I kinda wished I’d gotten the rib eye for myself. It was that good.

Afterward, we walked around for a little while, hand in hand, just enjoying the warm evening air. Then, we headed back to the Two Fat Chefs and picked up the Jeep before heading to the House of Blues.

From a fantastic view on the second floor, X and I watched the shows, and to my delirious happiness, I was introduced—as his girlfriend—to some serious legendary heroes of my teenage years. We had a few drinks with them, schmoozing and just having a blast.

Kenna would absolutely freak the fuck out to be here! I can’t believe this is happening! Lili would blow up in a riot of fangirling and would have to be escorted out by either security or an ambulance.

As I looked over at the man who held my hand, my adoration for him increased a million times. This was nothing to him. He knew these guys, was friends with them. But he had known what it would mean to me, and he’d wanted to give me something special. Something my girls would be happy for me about and pea green with envy over.

With my ears ringing from the awesome show and adrenaline coursing through me, I shoved my house key into the lock.

I’m terrified. I’m so fucking stoked! I’m going to pass out. Xavier Johnson is my goddamn boyfriend! I’m gonna have sex with X!

Every insecurity I’d ever experienced came rushing up to the surface. X had just spent the last six years touring and living the life of a rock star. Never mind the mind-boggling amount of drugs and booze. The sheer volume of sex he must have participated in made my experience seem null and void.

And Connor and I had had some wild sex.

X wrapped his arms around me from behind. “Are you nervous?”

I nodded. “Yeah.”

“Me, too.”

Surprised, I spun around in his arms. “Why?”

His bright blue eyes sparkled with his sweet smile. “I’ve never had sex with a woman I loved before.”

If I had been surprised before, it was nothing to what I felt now. “You love me?”

He chuckled. “You can’t tell? Damn, woman, is your self-confidence that low?”

“No, it’s just…I don’t know.”

He took my hand in his and led me toward the stairs. “Well, I do. So, come on. I’ve had a fuckin’ hard-on for weeks now, and I’d like to stick it in you before it blows up.”

That was another thing I adored about him. X didn’t take shit too seriously. His humor had me at ease and laughing, even losing some of my trepidation. It came galloping to the front once more though as he pulled me across the threshold into my bedroom.

How do we do this? I wondered, suddenly terrified.

But X knew. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, touching my face with callous fingertips. It took only seconds before it turned scorching hot.

There was nothing to be nervous about. This was X, my wonderful man, who wanted nothing more than to make me happy.

From my face, his hands smoothed their way down my body, briefly molding to my breasts and squeezing, thumbing my nipples through my blouse and bra. He knew how sensitive my breasts were, how much I loved to have them played with. Swirling heavy tingles spread in a heat wave from my chest to my groin, making me throb between my legs.

He’s going to make me come before I can get out of my clothes.

But he moved his hands to the buttons on my blouse, his fingers quick and nimble as he flicked each one open.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmured against my lips. “You hardly seem real.”

No one had ever said that to me.

“I’m real,” I panted.

X pushed the blouse down my arms. “I know, babe. And you’re so soft”—his fingers trailed over the tops of my breasts—“and warm. I love how you smell”—two fingers paused right in the center of my cleavage—“right here.”

Sinking to his knees, he pushed his face in between my breasts and placed a kiss there, inhaling deeply. Then, his hands slipped around to my back, unclasping my bra with a snap of his fingers—he’s totally done that more than once—and pulling the straps over my shoulders before tossing it away somewhere.

He was setting me on fire. When his hot, wet mouth sucked in a nipple, my knees damn near buckled. He tongued and licked and nibbled until I had to grab his shoulders or risk melting into a puddle between his knees.

Then, he switched to the other one.

“X,” I breathed. “Oh, fuck…”

One of his arms went up to my back, helping to brace me, while the other hand snuck up my skirt, pushing my thong to the side and thrusting two fingers into me. His thumb pressed and circled my clit.

That was all I needed. My first orgasm shuddered its way through me.

He left me on shaking legs as he withdrew his fingers and undid the fly on my skirt, tugging it along with my panties over my hips. The next thing I knew, I was on my back, spread-eagle, with X’s flaming head between my legs.

Still wearing my shoes.

“Ohh…” I moaned, spearing my fingers through his hair.

X’s tongue was so gentle over my sensitive clit, gradually increasing the pressure, sucking the whole of it into his mouth until I came again.

And he kept on going.

“Fuck!” I screamed. “I can’t, X!”

He lightly kissed me there over and over till I could take his tongue again. He just wouldn’t quit. It wasn’t until I was a molten-hot mess, soaking wet and so over-stimulated that I was desperate for either a hard pounding or a frigid shower aimed at my core, that he stopped.

He took off my shoes first. Then, he stripped bare. Before tossing his pants onto the pile on the floor, he took out a few condoms from the pocket.

He’s beautiful, I thought with a pang of longing.

Kneeling between my thighs, he opened a condom and rolled it down the length of him. I felt guilty for noticing he wasn’t as big as Connor. He was still an impressive size though.

I felt guilty for thinking about Connor at all.

And, for a brief second, I felt like I was betraying Connor.

He’s the one who ended it, I told myself. He’s the one who turned his back on me.

I’d had no choice but to move on, and I was damn lucky to be able to do so with this man.

“Alys?”

I met his gaze. “Yeah?”

He smiled, warming my heart, introducing me to a sense of love I’d never felt before.

“You want this, right?” he asked.

“Yes,” I replied, slightly breathless.

Without breaking eye contact, he sank into me, stretching and filling me. His eyes closed, and he breathed in deep.

“Oh, wow,” he said, his hands clutching my thighs.

I swallowed. “What is it?”

“You feel like…I don’t know. Perfection comes to mind.”

Tears burned behind my eyes.

He lowered himself onto me, holding his weight with his elbows. Subtly, he moved, flexing his hips.

He felt so good.

“Do that again,” I whispered.

He did, and I gasped.

His mouth touched mine, his tongue moving past my lips to play with my own. It was sublime, sweet magic, further healing my wounded heart.