Black Girls and Bad Boys: Changing his Tune (14 page)

Something was wrong. He put his hand on the door handle, then
stopped. Angie had asked him to wait. Rushing in there could set her back weeks
with Wesley.

But what if he was hurting her?

Pulling out his phone, he tapped out a text message. He waited with
the phone in his hand. A minute passed, then another, and another. Maybe she
hadn’t heard her mobile. Or maybe she wasn’t in a position to answer.

“How much to wait here?”

The driver told him and he handed over the cash. He wanted to be
worrying over nothing, but he couldn’t take the risk that something had
happened with Wesley.

He jumped out of the car and hurried across the street. After a
moment’s hesitation, he raised the knocker and gave three short raps on the
door.

Nothing happened for a good long while, then he heard footsteps
walking towards him. But no one opened up.

He banged on the door with the edge of his fist. “Let me talk to
Angie.”

The door opened a crack and Wesley’s face appeared above the
security chain. “I should have known you’d turn up. We’re busy.” He started to
close the door, but Noah lifted his foot and kicked it wide open.

“Angie!”

Wesley tried to block his path, but he shoved him out of the way and
rushed inside.

“Angie!” He tried the first room off the hall, then the second.

“Angie. Are you okay?”

She hurried over to him, almost in tears. “He wouldn’t let me
leave.”

Molten fury took him over. He grabbed Lewis by the shirt and pulled
him right up close to his face. “Don’t you ever do anything like this again.”

“Noah, don’t.”

Wesley got his hands up between them and broke his hold, but Noah
snatched up two more handfuls of his shirt. “You fucking bully.”

“Noah.” Angie tugged at his arm. “Let go of him.”

He was only distantly aware of her trying to stop him. His brain was
occupied with thoughts of head-butting the bastard into next week.

“Noah. Stop.”

“What were you going to do to her?”

Wesley just sneered.

“Did he hurt you? Did he... Did he touch you?” The idea made him
murderous. Someone had to make this guy stop. The blood pulsed through his
veins, urging him to finish the job, but then he looked at Wesley’s expression.
He wasn’t scared. He wasn’t even angry.

“He didn’t do anything.” Angie was the one who looked afraid.

Noah pushed Wesley away from him. This was what he wanted. How would
it play out in court if he hit him now? “Angie, get your bag.”

She fetched her things and made for the door.

“Go and wait in the taxi.”

She looked at them each in turn.

Noah held her hand and squeezed it. “Go.”

When she was safely out of the way, Noah took a calming breath and
reminded himself that he needed to hold on to his temper. “This stops, now.” He
waited for Wesley to spit out a response, but the guy just glared at him so he
carried on. “We both know you’ve got no grounds to keep Lewis away from her.
And I’m not going to let you fuck her over any more.” He stared him down,
growing steadily angrier.

Wesley shook his head. “Get out.”

“Gladly.” He turned to leave. Once he was out in the street, it was
even harder to hold it together. But he thought of Angie watching him from the
car and stopped himself punching a wall. He’d known her ex was a piece of shit,
but now he’d seen it for himself he wanted to unsee it. He wanted to drink
himself into a blackout that would wipe everything away.

It’s not worth it. Take a drink and he wins.

Noah walked over to the taxi and climbed in the back.

“Are you okay?” He asked her.

“What did he say? What’s he going to do?” All her control, all her
strength was buried way underneath a mountain of worry.

Seeing her like that made him hate Wesley all the more. “He’s not
going to do anything.” He put his arms around her. “There’s nothing he
can
do.” He kissed the top of her head and told the driver where to go. She rested
against his chest and he stroked her cheek. “You’re not going to see him alone
again, okay?”

“Okay.”

“Tomorrow, we come back together and I’ll take you to see Lewis.”
Wesley would never get the chance to pull another stunt like that. All the
legal stuff needed to move faster. They needed everything agreed in writing so
Wesley couldn’t go back on his word and she wouldn’t have to deal with him any
more. He’d talk to the lawyers. Make sure no last minute conditions got slipped
into play – like Angie having to visit Lewis at Wesley’s house. It seemed the
guy would stoop to anything where she was concerned.

But he was prepared for whatever Wesley wanted to try. It was time
he learned where the boundaries were. As long as Noah was around, Angie was
off-limits.

––––––––

T
he noise from the helicopter would have made any attempt at
conversation impossible, but Angelique was pretty sure Noah felt as much like
talking as she did. She didn’t blame him. The further away from Wesley she got,
the more stupid she felt. How could she have put herself in that situation? She
couldn’t let the fear of losing Lewis stop her from standing up to him. If he
wanted to make things difficult, the worst outcome would have been supervised
visits. Even that would be better than letting him push her around.

As they flew over green fields criss-crossed by roads and hedges,
she snatched glimpses of Noah, looking away before he caught her. What must he
think of her? She’d been employed to look after him but he’d had to come and
rescue her. And then there was her sordid history. She kept expecting him to
tell her he’d made a mistake and ask the pilot to bring them in to land.
Eventually, she decided he was trying to let her down easy.

She wanted to believe what he’d said back at the house, but that had
been in the heat of the moment. Once he’d had time to think about things, he’d
see how useless she was. He was getting well again and she’d be nothing but a
burden.

It would have been awkward for him to take back his invitation to
the gig after everything that had gone on. But once the tour was over... He’d
probably end it then.

Noah tapped her on the arm. “Say goodbye to England.”

She looked down at the countryside. There was no obvious sign of
what was Wales and what was England. Her stomach churned. There was a good
chance he would have dumped her by the time she crossed the border again.

***

A
lmost as soon as their feet were on the ground, Noah was whisked
away to get ready for the final show. He tried to tell Angie he’d see her
later, but he could tell she was preoccupied – still thinking about Wesley.
He’d have to work on getting her to come away for a couple of days. That woman
needed a chance to relax.

He’d always enjoyed riding in a helicopter before, but Angie had
been so distant the journey had just put his nerves on edge. Every time he
thought about Wesley’s smug face, he wanted to smash something. All this was
his fault. They should have been looking forward to his big night, but instead
they were both wrung out. He’d gone back to see her so that they could
reconnect, but because of Wesley they were further apart than ever.

He’d talk to her. Explain how he felt. He wished he could do it
right then, but John was hanging around, fretting over every last detail of the
concert. Whenever he stuck his head round the dressing room door, his manager
would shoo him back in. It would have to wait until later.

But in the meantime, he had an ace up his sleeve that should help
matters along.

***

W
ith ten minutes left before Noah and the band hit the stage,
Angelique would have left but she didn’t know where else to go. Pacing in the
wings, she watched them take up their positions. The crowd roared at the sight
of the man they’d come to see. He deserved the adulation – she’d seen how hard
he worked, how much it took out of him.

The set rolled on as it had all those other nights she’d listened.
They always started with the old favourites and carried on in chronological
order. Right up to the album she’d heard him write. It seemed so long ago now,
but it was only a few weeks. And tomorrow it would be over. She’d go back home.
Back to The Cloister and back to negotiations with Wesley.

Noah sang with everything he had. He said so little in between the
songs that the fans went wild whenever he did drop in a bit of banter. He
looked good up there. It was plain that he was through the worst of his problems.
Of course, there were never any guarantees, but she wouldn’t need to worry
about him when she left.

The song trailed off, signalling more deafening applause and he
transitioned into the next one. The hairs on Angelique’s arms rose as she
recognised the tune. It was the first one she’d heard him pick his way through
on the guitar.

All the other instruments faded into the background and his voice
and guitar came to the fore. The chorus rang out across the stadium, clear and
pure.

Too many nights

Too many fights

I never wanted it to end

Then I did

It took her straight back to her first day on the job. She’d been so
sure she’d be able to handle things, but it hadn’t been long before the first
cracks started to show in her protective shell. They’d ended up looking after
each other. And now he didn’t need looking after at all.

She didn’t want to listen any more. As she turned to leave, John
stepped out in front of her. “I think you’ll want to hear the next part.”

She searched his face for some clue as to what he meant, but he only
smiled. What had they cooked up between them?

Noah slowed down in preparation for the end of the song. When he
strummed the final chord, the crowd erupted in cheers and clapping.

“Thank you.” Noah didn’t launch into the next track. He stood in the
middle of the stage, waiting for the audience to quieten down. “I’m sure you
all know I was in rehab not too long ago.”

A couple of shouts went up and he waited for them to die away.

“Just for the record, I don’t recommend alcoholism to anyone. It
takes all the fun out of partying.”

There was a muted round of applause and a few whistles.

“But there is one good thing that came out of it. Well, two if you
count getting clean.” He turned to the side of the stage and looked Angelique
right in the eye.

She felt his gaze all the way down to the soles of her feet. Her
heart pounded, her throat went dry.

“Angie.” He lifted his hand, calling her out to him.

She shook her head. She couldn’t go out there in front of all those
people. What was he doing?

“Go on,” John said.

“I can’t.”

“Of course you can.”

“I think she’s shy.” Noah told the crowd. Then he beamed at her and
she started to wonder if she’d got him all wrong.

The first step was the hardest. After she managed that, walking out
to stand beside him got less daunting. As soon as she came out of the wings,
another round of whistles and cheering went up.

“Everyone,” he said, putting an arm around her waist. “This is
Angie. This is the woman who saved me from myself.” He let go of her to start
off more applause.

She looked out into the crowd. The lights stopped her seeing much
more than indistinct movement and a lot of glinting camera-phones. There were
so many faces. She’d heard the numbers at the start of the tour, but fifteen
thousand people was an abstract concept until you were faced with a wall of
music fans. The weight of attention froze her to the spot.

Then Noah swept her up in a kiss and the reaction was louder than
anything the audience had come out with that night so far. She couldn’t believe
it. He’d kissed her in front of the whole arena. Everybody knew about them now.
It would be all over tomorrow’s papers.

He’d just made a declaration to the world.

And then he moved to whisper in her ear. “I love you.”

The stage lurched under her feet. She was too shocked to say
anything back. The words wouldn’t form on her lips.

He kissed her temple and walked her back over to John. She was glad
he was there to catch her. She’d been so wrong. Noah wasn’t going to dump her.
Not after doing that.

The rest of the set and the encores passed in a blur. Angelique
watched from her spot in the wings, but she didn’t take it in. He’d told her he
loved her. And she hadn’t said it back. Oh god. Did he think she didn’t feel
the same way? Sick panic churned in her stomach.

And then it was over. The last encore was done. The band came off
the stage and Noah headed off into the wings on the opposite side to Angelique.
Was he avoiding her? She rushed around the back, desperate to tell him how she
felt.

“Where’s Noah?” she asked the drummer as he walked past, peeling off
his t-shirt.

“Don’t know.” He shrugged.

No one else seemed to know either.

She ran round to the dressing room and knocked on the door. “Noah.
Noah, it’s me.”

When the door swung inwards she almost fell into the room. She
didn’t wait to close it behind her or even step over the threshold. “I love you
too,” she said, and threw her arms around his neck as she pressed her lips to
his.

To her relief, he returned her kiss and pulled her inside. “Thank
god for that,” he said, kicking the door shut.

He kissed her again, tugging up her t-shirt and dragging it off over
her head. Spinning her around, he pushed her down onto the couch and unfastened
her jeans. “God, I want you.”

His words went straight to her core, triggering a great well of
moisture between her legs.

“I want you more.” She’d tried to convince herself she’d be fine
without him, but now she knew it was a lie. She scuffed off her shoes and he
slid off her jeans. Next went her panties. She took off the bra herself.

Then he paused, standing back to look at her in all her glory.

She didn’t waste time thinking about how she looked. The naked
desire on his face told her all she needed to know.

“Do you know how beautiful you are yet?”

Heat flashed over the skin at her throat. How was she supposed to
answer that?

He fell to his knees in front of her and kissed a line across her
belly. His touch made her sex draw in on itself. She wanted him to touch her
there.

He moved higher, kissing a trail to her breast. Taking her nipple in
his mouth, he sucked briefly and she held him to her. He moved to her other
breast, giving it the same treatment. Her eyes fluttered closed. Her clit
pulsed along with her heartbeat. She needed him to touch her.

He moved further up her body, his hands moving to cup her breasts as
he took hungry kisses from her. Still he didn’t touch her where she wanted it
most. She shifted beneath him, kissing him back and pressing her crotch against
his hip.

He nuzzled at her ear and whispered, “You’re so wet, I can feel it
through my t-shirt.”

That sent another wave of lust through her body. “Oh, Noah.” She
tried to tell him what she wanted, but couldn’t make it happen.

He twisted between her legs, rubbing his hip bone against her aching
clit until she cried out. “Do you like that?”

She nodded.

“Tell me.”

“Yeah.” But it wasn’t enough. She reached for his hand and slid it
away from her breast towards her juice-smeared centre. He soon got the message
and smoothed his fingers over her pubic hair. But he stopped right above her
clit. Varying the pressure he applied, he teased her into breathlessness.

Pausing for a moment, he removed his shirt and she took hold of his
bare shoulder. She pulled him closer, desperate for him to bring her to climax.
His fingers danced across her mound, tickling her and twisting in her pubic
hair. Just when she thought the frustration would drive her crazy, he slid his
thumb down over her clit and she almost screamed.

Biting down on her bottom lip, she dug her nails into his skin. He
moved slowly in the slick of moisture that coated her sex. Her breathing slowed
right down. It was as if she could feel each molecule of air entering her lungs
while the pad of his thumb played over her sensitive nub. She felt hugely
swollen and completely at his mercy.

Twisting his hand, he probed the entrance to her pussy with the tips
of two fingers. He barely began to slip inside, but the sensation spread across
her skin like a warm flood. Slowly, he pushed his fingers into her, circling
his thumb at the same time. She wailed as he slid in deeper, gripping him so
hard it hurt his shoulders.

Her sex twitched around him, welcoming him in. But she needed more.
She needed to feel him fill her up and thrust until they both fell over the
edge. Words failed her again. Opening her eyes, she reached for his waistband
and found the button. She undid his jeans and stroked her hand over the bulge
in his underwear.

He stopped what he was doing, distracted by her fingers. Then he
leaned back and stripped off the rest of his clothes. He was impressively hard.
Searching in his jeans pockets, he found a condom and quickly rolled it down
over his shaft. And then he was back on his knees, positioning himself between
her thighs and pulling her down the couch. He took one more kiss and plunged
inside her.

She gasped as his manhood slid tightly home. He filled her up
exactly the way she wanted and she gripped him with her legs, not ready to let
him pull out quite yet.

He smoothed her hair away from her face and kissed the bridge of her
nose before he began to thrust. Each stroke drove further into her very centre,
touching her the way only he could. She held him to her, urging him on. Her
moans filled the air – she couldn’t hold them back. He grunted as he pounded
into her, holding on to the sofa to steady himself.

The cords of muscle in his back bunched beneath her fingers as he
moved inside her over and over again. She wanted to look into his eyes, but it
was too much. She focused on the sensations, the tension building deep within,
the smell of fresh sweat mingled with his earthy cologne, the sound of his
breaths – of his pleasure. She was close and getting closer all the time.

And then her orgasm took over, spreading out in waves of
uncontrollable warmth and release. Her fingers drummed against his skin just as
her sex quivered around his length. In the midst of her peak, his cries grew
more urgent and he made a final strained groan. He slumped on top of her and
she held him there. She didn’t want to move and break the spell.

But they couldn’t stay like that forever. Noah pulled out and
grabbed a box of tissues to clean himself up. She picked up her clothes and
pulled them on, remembering where she was for the first time. What if someone
had walked in?