The Tour (22 page)

I go check out with Jenisha, and make my way out of the studio toward the back. Devon opens the door for me, and I slide in next to a stiff and perturbed Kolton Royce.

“What’s wrong now?” I ask with an exaggerated exhale of breath. “I’m sorry about what I said.”

“That’s not it, Mia,” he says. But clearly, he doesn’t want to share what
it
is. I put the seat belt on and sink into the armrest of the car for the duration of the ride home.

We park down in the garage and ride the elevator to the top floor. I’m still not used to the place. It’s really nice, so I can’t complain, but it’s been a lot of change. Inside, Riley is working on a puzzle at the table with Deloris. I give her a quick hug, grab a glass, and fill it with water from the fridge.

When I turn around, Kolton is leaning against the kitchen island, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “What is it, Kolton?” I ask, my voice soft and coaxing. I set the weeping glass down on the granite countertop and wait.

“Let’s go,” he says in answer, taking me by the hand and walking me up the stairs toward the master bedroom. Once inside, he closes the door and sets me down on the chair near the window. Then he starts pacing… three times.

Four.

“What’s going on?” I ask. My heart’s beating so fast, my hands are shaking. This can’t be good.

“Manny,” he starts, stopping his pacing and turning toward me. “He’s at the police station.”

“Why?”

“They’re questioning him again.” I raise my eyebrows.

“Does he have a lawyer?” Kolton nods.

“He can’t go with you on tour.”

“Okay, but what’s this about? What did he do?”

“He saved my fucking life.”
When he killed Katharina
, I think, finishing what was too hard for him to say, as he’s standing in front of me wounded and vulnerable. I reach for him, and he moves away from my touch. “I don’t want you to go, not without Manny. I have to find someone else. Fast. I won’t let you go without security.”

“What about Maggie? She was so nice—and she got me out of the mall safely.”

“You wouldn’t have been in that mall if it wasn’t for Maggie,” he fumes.

“Stop for a second,” I say, moving toward him. “I’ve never looked up what happened online. I’ve never read a single line of press about it.”

“I know.” He moves toward me, taking my hand. “Because if you knew, you’d never look at me the same way you do now.”

“No. That’s not true. I haven’t because it happened to you, and I want you to be in control of telling me,” I clarify, confused about what he just said.

“I can’t. Not yet.” His face is pain personified. I want to ease the ache.

“I know, Kole,” I whisper, bringing my hand to his cheek. “We’ll figure it out. We’ll do it together.”

He pulls me into his chest. He’s warm, but his whole body is shaking with anxiety and held in secrets. He turns us, pressing my back into the wall. My head lightly thumps against it as his lips come down on mine. He presses his palm between my hair and the wall, protecting me, sheltering me from any pain, but especially from his pain.

Our Heart

I
t’s all about perspective. I guess, because I know I can get on the bus and no one is going to kill me or stalk me, I’m not panicking. There’s security with the tour. But Kolton wouldn’t let it go.

He found me a new security guard instead of Maggie.

Her name is Mayra. She’s a big lady who never smiles. But in exchange for having to deal with
that
for the next few months, I got to hire my best friend, Kaya, as my assistant. He made her sign an NDA when she got here yesterday, and he met with her privately for, like, an hour—probably to warn her about all the shit he’ll sue her for, or whatever, if she reveals our secrets.

She and I are giggling in the room she’s been sleeping in with Riley while Kolton bosses everyone around, making sure my bags contain all the essentials he knows I’ll need. I tried to do it myself, but he dismissed me. There’s no way he could entrust me with my own future.

“This is going to be so much fun!” she squeals. “And good for you to get out a little. You’ve been m.i.a. Hey, that spells your name,” she laughs and pokes me in the rib.

“So it does,” I say, and turn over on my back. “I’m going to miss him, and Riley and Deloris. But not seeing Kolton for so long—I don’t know how to do that.”

“It’s going to be good for you, Mia. A little freedom.”

“Mia.” I look up, and Kolton’s standing in the doorway. “I need to go over a few things with you. Excuse us, Kaya.” I walk toward him, feeling like I’m in trouble and follow him into our room. Once inside, he closes the door. “Everything’s been taken care of,” he tells me, “for your chance at freedom.”

“Don’t be like that, Kolton. She doesn’t understand why you’re so secretive and bossy. That’s all.”

“But you do,” he says, bothered as he walks toward the bathroom and grabs his toothbrush. I refuse to fight with him. He’s anxious and handling it by controlling everything he can. That’s his way.

I turn on the TV in the part of the room with all the bags stacked up near the wall. It’s the news, and they’re talking about Kolton’s newest single. I forgot he’d released in on New Year’s Day.

“Your single is number one on Billboard!”

“I know,” he answers, leaning against the sink, watching me.

“When are you going to release your whole album?” He looks at me in the mirror.

“Soon.” After he’s done brushing, he yanks his shirt off and stands against the corner of the entrance to the bathroom, leaning on his arm. I refuse to look, even though my mouth waters at the sight of him in my peripheral vision.

“Freedom,” he says, talking about that comment Kaya made. “Maybe I should tie you to the bed, so you can’t leave.” I ignore the comment, but my heartbeat speeds up, despite my brain telling it to knock it off.

I stand and walk past him, grab my toothbrush, and start brushing my teeth, too. As I bend over to rinse my mouth, he comes up behind me. I can feel his warmth against the back of my legs. I wipe my mouth on the towel just as his finger runs lightly along the outside of my arm.

It’s amazing how sometimes the lightest touch from him feels the strongest on my end. I lift myself and look at him in the mirror. I can’t read his expression. It’s naughty meets vulnerable. His eyes are twinkling with some thought, but larger than normal, like he’s worried I won’t let him do what he wants.

“I want to try something, Mia. Something that will bond us. And if we do it right, if you trust me enough to fully experience it with me, it will take us to a whole new level.”

“What is it?” I ask, my voice cracking a little. I feel dizzy. Breathless.

“We’ve actually experimented with it before. I didn’t tell you, because I didn’t want to scare you, or for you to shut down.” My stomach drops, and tingles make their way all the way up and down my spine. My face goes blank. I have to swallow.

“What did we do?”

“It’s called a cervical orgasm for you, and a cervical kiss for me,” he says, running his finger along my jawline. I must have a completely confused look on my face because he nods and pushes my hair behind my ear before explaining. “Deep inside you, there’s another heart,” he says, running the tip of his finger down my center toward the top of my leggings. “It’s the opening to your womb.” His finger is circling around my lower tummy and as he does it, I feel the beat begin between my legs.

His voice, and memories of when his fingers do magic things inside me, causes me to close my eyes. “And if you relax enough, trust me and let me inside, your whole body will come. With my head pressed inside you so deep, you’ll actually pull me inside. It’s supposed to feel like it’s sucking on the head of my cock. And for you, the sensation lasts for days. You’ll be reminded of me, of this night, every time you move.”

I make an
oh
sound. That’s all I can accomplish.

“Do you notice sometimes that feeling when I press inside you, all the way, and then I wait?” I think about it. He’s done that before, when he’s going slow with me, when we’re making love. I nod. “And then I rock my hips a little more to take it deeper?”

“Yes.” I’ve felt him do that to me before.

“Do you like it?” he asks, his eyebrows raising, asking for honesty. I bite the inside of my lip and nod a little.

“It hurts, but feels good at the same time,” I explain. He smiles, slow and sure.

“You’re blushing,” he says, making me conscious of my reaction. “I’m fucking hard already.”

“Does it hurt?” I ask. He shakes his head and moves his hand down to my lower back. I have to close my eyes to steady myself. Oh, what he can do with one small touch.

“It doesn’t hurt, if it’s done right, and if you trust me and open fully to me.” I nod my head, look down nervously, and then wait for him to explain more. “First, you’ll need to have several orgasms,” he says and my eyes shoot up to his.
That sounds fine with me,
I think. “So I’m going to take my time with you. It can’t be frantic, but slow, building toward it.” I can’t speak as his voice mesmerizes me. He takes me by the hand and walks me toward the bed.

“First, I’m going to strip for you, and I’m going to watch you strip for me. Then I’m going to watch you touch yourself. Do you want me to watch you?” I’m already shaking while he speaks, his voice is touching me, seeping into my skin, and consuming me.

“Okay.”

“And then I’m going to crawl between your legs and lick and suck on your beautiful pussy until you come against my mouth. Take off your clothes,” he demands, his voice strained as he’s unfastening the button on his faded jeans. I pull my T-shirt over my head just as he’s sitting down in the chair across from me and pulling his erection out of his boxers.

He’s not taking them off and seeing him like that makes it seem all the more forbidden. Like I’m catching him in a private act. “Now the leggings,” he orders, rocking his hips and moves himself up and down his clenched fist.

“Can we turn off the lights?” I ask, suddenly shy of the curves I’ve added to my ass. The room is dimly lit, already…but…

“No, Mia. Turn around for me and slide them down.” I have to look up for a second to build my courage. “What is it, love?” he asks, letting go of himself and leaning forward to hide his erection from me so I can concentrate on what he’s saying. “Tell me. This whole experience requires trust and honesty.”

“I’ve gained weight,” I admit. His eyes come to a half-closed position.

“In all the right places,” he says, his voice deep and honest. “You’re growing more and more into a woman. Your curves are softer, perfect. What did you hear me say just now?”

“That you like my body?”

“That’s not what I said,” he scolds. “I said your body is
perfect
.” He strains his jaw, looks me in the eye. “I want to see you touch yourself. Will you do that now?” My head says no but my heart says yes. I nod. This feels surreal. I blink once, with him. “Peel yourself out of those pants so I can watch you.” His eyes pierce through me; the energy between us crackling.

I smile. He wants me. He loves my body the way it is. My feet come down onto the rug and I turn around, looking at him as I turn, face forward, and push the clinging fabric over my hips. I shudder a little as he makes an appreciative sucking sound when the fabric is halfway down my ass. I roll them down and bend over, stepping out of one leg at a time.

“Stay,” he says, his voice raspy with need. “You have the most perfect ass, Mia. Touch it. Touch it like I do.” I run my palm over my curves and just when I get to the base he says, “Turn around and take off your bra.”

I reach around and unhook the back, turning slowly while pulling first one side down and then the other. When I’m facing him, clutching the fabric with my arms, he flicks his finger and I drop it. His mouth opens, and he grasps himself through his dark boxers. The sight of him has me glowing.

“Put your finger in your mouth. Now run that finger down your neck and touch your nipple with it.” I feel so vulnerable, but I keep my eyes open as I draw the lines down my body he’s asked me to. “Pinch it,” he says, and I have to open my mouth, for when I do it, it feels like he’s the one touching me. He’s done nothing—just his voice is enough to take me over the edge.

“Lie down,” he says, walking toward me and I sit immediately. It’s like I’m in a trance. I lie down on the bed and he lifts my legs so my calves are pressing against the back of my thighs. “You’re doing so good, Mia. I’m so fucking proud of you right now. Will you touch yourself now? Show me what you do to yourself.”

I feel like a flower blooming as my hand comes down and I show him everything, my hips circling along with my fingers. His eyes light up and he bites his lip. He runs his hand through his hair as he comes to stand above me, but doesn’t move. I’m panting, our breaths matching one another. His gaze moves between my hand and my eyes.

“Move to the middle,” he says, his voice not nearly controlled. “What comes next?” he asks. “Tell me what I said I was going to do to you.”

“You’re going to make me come with your mouth,” I say fast, not fearful, but because I’m breathing the way I am. He kneels between my legs and I feel his breath. I’m so wet, it’s like ice and fire mixing.