Hawk and Dove (Rock Star Romance Novel) (27 page)

“You make it sound so easy,” I whisper, my body responding
to his gentlest touch, “Making that leap, I mean. Jumping without knowing where
you’re going to land.”

“It’s not easy,” he says, his voice husky, “But eventually
you just realize there was never a question. You know what you need, and you
just go for it. You take what you want.”

I rest my hands on the hard panes of his chest, leaning into
him. Warmth spreads through me as he slides his hands around my waist, pulling
me closer.

We’re kneeling together in his little tent, like two kids
off at sleep away camp who don’t want to go back their real lives at home.

Suddenly, I don’t want or need to worry about what’s going
to happen tomorrow. What’s important is being here with him right now, on this
amazing night. All I need is to be right here in the moment with him, soaking
up every single breath before the night is through.

I press my body against his, bringing my hands to the small
of his back. He brings his lips to my neck, kissing me hungrily, firmly. I let
my head roll back, accepting his every fervent kiss. My hands bury themselves
in his back pockets, memorizing the feel of his firm ass.

His arms close around my waist, and the nearness of him is
making me wetter by the second. I rub against him, thrilling at the feel of his
hard, bulging member swelling against my body. We hold each other as tight as
we can, our bodies knowing exactly what they need.

His lips brush against the tender skin of my throat as they
find their way back up to my own. Our mouths meet, closing the space between
us. His stubble has grown in even thicker—I can feel it against my palms as I
rest my hands on his sharp jaw. Trent’s mouth forces mine open, his tongue
gliding against my own, filling me with the taste of him. I can feel him
against me, growing stiffer with each moment that passes.

We kiss as if it’s the last time we’ll ever get the chance.

Trent’s hands glide down over my shoulders, skirt down my stomach,
and seize the hem of my shirt. He rips the garment up over my head and lowers
his lips to the tops of my breasts.

I offer myself up to him, closing my eyes with joy as he
deftly unclasps my bra, letting it fall away from my body. I hold onto his shoulders
as he takes my hard nipple into his mouth. A gasp escapes my throat as he sucks
just hard enough for a little ripple of pain to be sent dancing through me.

I feel the ground fall away as he lifts me up and sprawls me
out across the mattress. Rolling onto my back, I let my knees fall open,
beckoning him to me.

His eyes shining, he lowers himself back onto me, the hard
length of him pressed up against the wetness blooming between my legs. I reach
down and yank the tee shirt off his body. His fine, muscled torso is almost too
perfect, too defined and unbelievable to look at as he lays on top of me.

The feeling of our hot, bare skin pressed against one
another will never, ever leave me.

Trent's lips stray down my neck once more, glancing over my
collarbones and down my ribs. In a heartbeat, he’s popped open the button of my
shorts. He slides the denim down my thighs, tossing the garment over his
shoulder. He kisses my belly, the little peaks of my hip bones.

Then his fingers grasp onto my panties, and I understand. I
look down at him, slowly rolling the thin cotton bottoms off my body. My heart
begins to hammer against my chest, and a sudden wave of shyness hits me.

“What are you...” I breathe, as he pulls my panties down off
my feet.

“I just want to make you feel good,” he tells me.

I’m utterly naked before him, sitting up on my elbows and my
chest heaves with excitement. I’ve slept with men before, but no one has ever
done anything like this to me.

Trent can see that we’ve reached the edge of my experience,
and I don’t know whether to be embarrassed or relieved. A look of pure
reverence is glowing in his eyes as they wander down the full length of my
body. I can’t help but let my legs part just a little more. I open myself to
him, spreading myself wide. He groans at the sight of me, surrendering to
whatever he has in mind.

Trent brings his hands to my tender inner thighs, and I lay
back on the mattress with a low moan of anticipation.

I feel his lips brush against my stomach, lingering there as
his hands work further and further up my legs. I dig my fingers into my hair,
bracing myself. Trent pushes my legs apart, opening me up completely.

Holding me there, he moves down along my body, positioning
himself between my legs.

He kisses the little indent between my hip and my thigh,
dwelling there, his warm breath against my skin causes me to writhe in
anticipation.

I can feel myself growing even wetter for him as he lays
kiss after sweet kiss against these most private inches of my body. Closer and
closer his lips travel, his hands firm against my skin. I can feel his tongue
tracing a long, slow line just beyond where I want to feel him most.

But then, he’s there. I breathe in sharply as he licks along
the full, wet length of my slit. The feel of his tongue against me there is
pure bliss, unlike anything I could have ever imagined. It feels so illicit,
and so undeniably right at the same time.

Trent’s tongue roves everywhere, exploring my every dip and
fold. With each pass, I can feel him a little deeper, a little firmer. I cry
out as the tip of his tongue brushes against that throbbing nub.

He closes his lips around it, rolling it with his firm,
dexterous tongue. I dig my fingers into his curls as he flicks and kneads me
relentlessly. I try to speak, to tell him how wonderful it feels, but words
fail me. I’m beyond language and beyond thought.

I can feel that hot pressure growing up inside of me,
begging to be let loose. Trent can feel it in me, too. As he traces little
circles around my swollen flesh, I feel two strong fingers slip up into my
body. All at once, he’s everywhere.

As he strokes the silky flesh within me, running his strong
tongue against me, I know that I’m done for. My legs begin to tremble, my
fingers tighten in his hair, and my mouth falls open in a wordless, blissful
cry.

I come for him, my body quivering with the rush of
sensation. For that moment, the only thing in the world is Trent’s beautiful
body, his insatiable mouth. It’s just the two of us alone in the universe—and
what a universe we make.

I don’t want this feeling to end. I want to stay here with
him for as long as I can. Blinded by the intensity of my own pleasure, I fumble
for Trent, grabbing at the waist of his jeans.

Drawing himself up towards me, he tears free of his clothing
at last. I press myself against him, feel the hardness of him pulsating against
my thigh. He brings his lips to mine, and I shiver with delight as I taste
myself on him. I’ve never experienced anything so intimate, so boundlessly
sexy.

There’s nothing in the world that I don’t want to experience
with him—and I want him to know it. Breaking away from his kiss, I roll onto my
stomach, planting my knees firmly into the mattress. His eyes widen as they
meet mine and he catches my meaning.

Slowly, reverently, he swings himself around and comes to
rest behind me. His hands fall on my hips as I push myself up onto my hands and
knees. Looking back over my shoulder, I grin at Trent in the darkness of our
little tent. He smiles back, a look of blissful wonder spreading across his
face.

He grabs a Trojan out of his pants and expertly applies the
condom over his throbbing member.

I feel the bulging tip of him against my slit. With a deep
breath, I lean into him as he glides inside of me. A low, raspy moan flies from
my mouth as he opens me up, deeper than he ever has before.

I fall down onto my forearms as he draws back and thrusts
again. The little space seems to spin around us as we buck against each other,
working ourselves into a shared frenzy. I can already feel myself once again
teetering on the edge of bliss as he comes barreling to meet me.

With each stroke, I can feel him getting bigger, harder,
until finally he reaches his peak. His fingers dig into my hips as he pulses
and comes inside of me, sending a deep shudder of sensation racing through me.

Spent, we topple forward together, collapsing into a
heaving, tangled pile of limbs.

I stare up into the canopy of the tent, burrowing into his
strong arms. We lay in perfect silence, the quiet interrupted only by our
slowing breath. I listen as his breathing becomes slower and slower, dropping
off finally into sleep. I’m almost sad to feel him slumbering against me—the
last thing I want is for this night to end. But morning will come, as it always
does, and we’ll face it then.

I close my eyes, resting my head against Trent’s chest. On
his heels, I drop off into a deep, well-earned sleep. My dreams that night are
full of him, and the amazing life we can have together if I prove brave enough
to risk it all.

Chapter Twenty Two

The hard, baking sun turns our tent into an oven by
daybreak. I can feel the heat descending on Ellie and I, driving us out of our
deep, spent slumber.

Today’s the final day of the festival, the last day of this
crazy, improbable fairy tale that Ellie and I have fallen into. The likelihood
of us finding each other like this was as slim as a whisper—nothing short of a
miracle. But now, the wild, unlikely dream that has encompassed the last week
is drawing to a close. It’s time to rub the sand out of our eyes and see what
reality has in store for us.

I can feel Ellie begin to stir against me, and I know that
waking can’t be put off any longer. What I wouldn’t give to stretch this moment
into an eternity in and of itself. Right now, it feels like we’re standing
right at the edge of a cliff, with our entire lives leading up to the next
move. Will we jump together, or lose our nerve? Will we be able to throw
caution to the wind and be together, or is that just the stuff of dreams?

It’s time to find out.

“Trent?” Ellie mumbles sleepily, rolling over.

“Good morning, sunshine,” I say, smiling sadly.

She curls her body tightly against mine, as if trying to
hide from the impending day. I tug her tightly against me, despite the rising
heat of the tent. We wrap our arms around each other, collecting every last
touch and sensation to sustain us. I wish I could come right out and ask Ellie
what’s on her mind, but I refuse to pressure her like that. Whatever she
chooses to do next has to be on her own terms. That’s the only way.

“It’s a freakin’ sauna in here,” she says finally.

“It is,” I agree, “Should we...?”

“Yeah,” she says, pulling away from me.

Feeling her move away twists my heart like a wrung towel. I
don’t know what the hell I’m going to do if she decides to end it today. I’ll
force myself to respect her decision if she wants to steer clear of all this
rock star business, but I’ll feel in my heart that she’s made a mistake.

There’s a lot to lose, being a musician; but nothing
ventured, nothing gained. And the gains always outweigh the losses, in the end.

Ellie straightens up, not a stitch of clothing on her body.
I stare up at her, memorizing every inch. I want to remember the way her hips
sway as she walks, the round, full swells of her ass and breasts, her soft and
womanly belly. I want to learn every single thing about her by heart—the way
she tucks her short blonde hair behind her ears again and again whenever she’s
anxious, the way she wrinkles her nose when she’s concentrating. I want all the
time in the world to know these little things, but time is something we no
longer have much of.

I follow her lead, poking around the tent for my jeans and
tee shirt. We dress ourselves in silence, though I can feel her eyes lingering
heavily on my body, too. There are so many unspoken words hanging in the air
between us, it’s a miracle we don’t choke on them. I buckle my belt and turn to
face her, offering up my best attempt at a smile. Ellie mirrors my half-assed
cheer and slowly unzips the tent flap. Hand in hand, we step out into the
brightening day.

All around us, the festival is collapsing in on itself. Down
the hill, tents large and small are being stripped and taken down, stalls and
booths are torn down and hauled away. People are trekking away from the center
of the festivities in droves—the entire population of the weeklong community is
evacuating. Even up in the talent campsite, tour busses are pulling away, fancy
amenities are disappearing and the craft service tent is serving up its last
batch of rations. We stand still in a world of rapid motion, and I know that
there’s only so long we can linger here together.

“There you are!” says a voice behind us. I turn to see
Rodney climbing out of the tour bus. “We’re just about packed up in there. The
driver’s all set to go. You just about ready to ship off?”

“Oh. Yeah,” I say, “I’ve just got to break down the tent
first.”

“You and your freakin’ tent...” Rodney scoffs, crossing his
arms. “You guys just didn’t want to have a slumber party with us, huh?”

“Sorry Rod,” Ellie says, “We just felt like roughing it for
the night.”

“So that's what the kids are calling it these days,” Rodney
says, a wicked glint in his eye. I punch him on the shoulder, just a bit harder
than may be necessary. I can’t help it—my nerves are coiled up like springs.

“Just give us a second with this,” I grumble.

“Whatever, man,” Rodney says, rubbing his arm and retreating
to the bus.

I move past Ellie and start to disassemble our tent. Out of
the corner of my eye, I watch her sink down onto the grass, absentmindedly
pulling blades up out of the ground. I work as slowly as I can, stretching out
these final moments. As I let the air out of the mattress, I hear her speak up.

“You know, Trent...I’m going to need a ride out of here.”

My heart thunders in my chest as I turn toward her. “Oh,
right...I guess you left your car back in Barton, huh?”

“That’s right,” she says, “We took your fancy pants jet back
here.”

She doesn’t need to remind me of that. I’ll remember
hoisting her up onto the bar in that jet for the rest of my life. I have to
fight to keep from getting rock hard at the mere thought of it.

It’s no easy feat.

“Well...I could call you a car if you want,” I offer, “We’ve
got a freakin’ fleet on call for the band. I’m sure I could get someone here to
take you...wherever you want to go.”

Her features fall, and it’s abundantly clear that I’ve said
the wrong thing. I have no idea how to navigate this. How am I supposed to be
impartial when what I want is so sharply defined in my mind? I want her to come
with me, to stay with me. That’s all I know for sure.

“I guess that would be OK,” she says softly, her eyes
imploring.

“Is that what you want?” I ask, my fingers clenched.

“It’s what I know I should want...” she says, blinking away
tears, “I should just go home, and forget all about this, and live my life like
a normal person, and find some peace.”

“If that’s really what you want...” I say, the words like
sand in my mouth.

“It’s what I should want,” she insists, “An average, comfortable,
safe life. A life that anyone would be happy with.”

“This isn’t about anyone but you,” I tell her, dropping to
my knees before her in the grass, “This isn’t about ‘should’. This about your
life. Your happiness. Please, Ellie...Tell me what you want. Tell me what will
make you happy, and I’ll make it happen, I swear. Just tell me the truth,
because I’m about ready to burst at the seams, here.”

“Trent...”

“Tell me what you want,” I press.

Her gaze swings up to mine, and I know for certain that I’ve
never seen anything as beautiful as her eyes welling up hopeful, terrified,
utterly trusting tears.

“I want you, Trent,” she whispers, laying her hands on my
chest, “I want all of this. I’ve never wanted anything more in my entire life.
Let me come with you, whatever that leads to. Just don’t let this be goodbye.
Please—”

But her words are silenced as I pull her to me and lay my
ecstatic lips on hers. She throws her arms around my neck, kissing me deeply
and earnestly. I feel her hot tears against my own scruffy skin, falling
between us like warm rain. Her entire body is trembling, and I hold her flush
against me, willing every ounce of comfort and strength I can muster to rush
into her and allay her fears.

“Thank god,” I whisper, as she lays her head on my shoulder,
“Ellie...I love you.”

“I love you too,” she says, sniffling, “But I’m scared
shitless, you know.”

“I know,” I tell her, stroking her ash blonde hair, “It’s a
scary thing, following your dreams. But you know what? I’ll be right here with
you every step of the way. It’s hard as hell, starting an entirely new life,
but you’re one of the toughest, brightest, bravest people I’ve ever met. You’re
going to be just fine. And when it feels like too much, when you need help,
I’ll be right next to you to carry the load.”

“Do you promise?” she asks, looking up into my eyes.

“I promise that there’s nothing in the world that will keep
me away from you,” I tell her, holding her perfect face in my hands. “I promise
that I’ll do everything in my power to make sure that you’re happy, and cared
for, and loved. I promise to love you, Ellie, with all my heart. I can’t
promise that you won’t get hurt, or feel betrayed or lost. This life is full of
heartache. But you can be damn sure that I won’t ever the one to hurt you.”

“I know,” she says, smiling through her tears, “I don’t know
how, and I know that it’s probably insane to hope for some kind of happy
ending, but I trust you. I believe in you.”

“Don’t worry about happy endings just yet,” I tell her,
brushing away her tears with my thumbs, “We’re still in the beginning!”

“I guess you’re right,” she says, laughing. The world seems
to grow brighter every time this girl laughs. Her happiness is the light of my
world, now. And I’ll do everything I can to keep it burning.

“Look,” I say, resting my hands on her waist, “We’re heading
out of here and getting right back on the road for our summer concert series. I
don’t want to force anything on you, but you’re more than welcome to come
along. In fact...it would be amazing if you would come. I’d understand if you
wanted to take it slow—”

“No,” she says, “I want to come. I want to see the country
with you. I’ve never even seen the Pacific Ocean in my life! I can’t go back to
Barton, as easy as it would be. There’s nothing for me there except diner food
and lonely nights. It would be comfortable, sure, but I don’t want comfort. I
want to see how long this ride can last. I’ll regret it for the rest of my life
if I don’t.”

“As long as you’re sure,” I say, my heart swelling.

“I’m sure,” she tells me adamantly, “I have no idea what I’m
doing, or how I’m supposed to go about all of this...but maybe you could teach
me?”

“Teach you how to be a rock star?” I laugh.

“Exactly,” she says, kissing me happily on the cheek. “What
do you say?”

“I say...welcome to lesson 101,” I smile, pulling her to her
feet.

“What’s lesson 101?” she asks excitedly.

“Getting on the tour bus before it accidentally leaves you
behind,” I tell her.

We gather up all our camping supplies, giggling like the
smitten young lovers we are. If only my fans could see me now, swooning over my
dream girl like a goddamn Backstreet Boy. But you know what? I couldn’t care
less.

The world will have to come to terms with the fact that
Trent Parker has fallen head over heels for the most amazing woman on the
planet. Once they get to know Ellie, I’m sure no one will have any trouble
understanding how she’s managed to lock my heart up with about fifteen
deadbolts.

She’s not the only one leaping into a whole new way of
life—I’ve never had one woman stick around for longer than one tabloid news
cycle. This is quite a departure for both of us, but it’s better that way.
We’ll learn from each other, teach each other, as we go along. It seems like a
pretty good way to do things.

The tour bus starts up just as we leap inside. Ellie and I
stumble into the main cabin where the guys are lounging in various states of
disarray. They look up, happily surprised by our new traveling companion.

“You’re coming with us?” Kenny asks excitedly.

“That I am,” Ellie replies, dumping her half of the tent
onto the floor, “Wherever it is we’re going. Where are we going?”

“We’ve got about a day’s worth of down time before we head
to New York to kick off the summer tour,” Rodney says, “I actually have no idea
where we’re going...Now that we’re down a manager, we’re sort of free agents.”

“Yeah,” Rodger says, “Where exactly are we staying tonight,
Trent?”

“Beats me,” I say, “Does anyone have any ideas?”

A moment of silence passes in the cabin as the bus wheels
itself around to the dirt road. Finally, I hear Ellie clear her throat beside
me.

“Well...Actually, I do have an idea. It’s a little nutty,
but I think it would be fun.”

“By all means,” I tell her, “Why don’t you go give our
driver a destination?”

She spins around and speaks in hushed tones with the bus
driver. I can’t help but grin like an idiot at the sight of her on the road
with us. Whatever unfolds in the coming months, no matter how bat shit crazy
things get, I know it will be the best time of my life. Ellie comes back toward
us, looping her arm around my waist.

“So?” I ask, “Where are we headed, Miss Jackson?”

“You’ll see,” she says impishly, “But I promise, you’ll be
happy once we get there.”

“Whatever you say,” I tell her, throwing my arm over her
shoulders, “I trust you.”

“You’d better,” she grins.