Stricken Unveiled (Stricken Rock #2) (20 page)

“I can smell you.” He whispers quietly. I can
feel his smile on my belly and he licks his sensual tongue just a
little on my skin. I inhale sharply. This is intense. I haven’t had
him in what feels like forever. My clit is pounding hard to the
beat of my heart. Damnit!

He licks my belly one more time and takes his
head from out of between my robe, tucking it back together with his
hand so I don’t show the world my lady parts. He sits up pressing
his back to the headboard and sees Ashley across the room. He
doesn’t say a word to her. I can’t look at her face. I climb back
to get off the bed he grabs my hand, hard.

“You stay right here.” He says sternly
staring into my eyes.

“If you want me to stay you will ask me
nicely.” I sass in my full voice.

“Short stack please sit and stay. Pretty
please with sugar on top.” He says nicer with an attitude
underneath. I’ve lost the sweet man already. We’re going into
argument territory.

“Say it again.” I demand being a big
smartass, shooting him a sly smile. We’ve done this before.

“Which part the asking politely or your
name?” he smiles too.

“Say my name bitch.” I giggle and cover my
mouth, blushing. I can’t believe I just said that.

He barks out a laugh and a megawatt smile
flashes across his face. “Do you want it done dirty or nicely?”

“Both.” I giggle again.

“Ok… You asked for it. Short stack…Short
stack… short stack… that’s nicely. Now this is what you want.”

He stands up on the bed presses his stomach
to the wall, his hands gripping the top of the headboard. He looks
at me and gives me that naughty grin of his. And starts humping the
wall like he’s fucking it while he moans. “Short stack… oh yeah….
Short shack… fuck…. Yes… oh… yes.”

I roll my eyes and my face is beet red. I
throw my face into my hands and laugh hysterically shaking my head
back and forth embarrassed as hell.

He stops and drops onto the bed and my butt
bounces up from the force. My stomach does one of those rolls like
when you ride a roller coaster.

“Now are you going to stay?”

I nod into my hands. Ashley still hasn’t said
a word.

“Ok well let’s this over with shall we?” he
cracks his knuckles.

I get up to go pee in Johnathan’s bathroom,
come back out and Ashley is now sitting on a chair that’s at the
table and Johnathan hasn’t moved. Her face looks grim and she
follows me with her eyes. I go to take a seat on the couch.

“No. You sit on the bed.” He pats his hand
next to him.

“I think it’s better I sit here Johnathan.
It’s neutral ground.” I plop my big butt on the couch.

“I have a better idea short stack. I will
take the couch and you take the bed. You are pregnant and need the
blankets to keep warm, plus it’s way more comfortable.” He pats the
bed again, harder this time.

“I have more clothes on than you do. Thank
you for the offer it’s fine, I promise.” I reassure sweetly. Close
to breaking into bitch mode if needed.

“I need to put a shirt on, and I’m not
telling you as a request. You will take the bed.” He demands in a
firm but less assholish tone.

“No. I won’t. If you speak to me that way.
You know better than to demand a damn thing from me Johnathan
Striker. I don’t have to stay here either. Even though you’re cute
little display earlier was quite amusing.”

“Ok…Fine… I’ll play it your way.” He huffs
frustrated and clears his throat. “Baby please take the bed. I
would appreciate it if my babies had a nice comfy bed to lie in
while we have this conversation. I know it’s going to be
uncomfortable and they deserve to be warm in a soft bed and I will
order us some breakfast to be brought up so they are fed properly
too.” He says nicely. I can tell by the look on his face this is
killing him not to get his way by demanding me to do it. But he
knows the only place anyone is going to get away with barking
orders at me is in the bedroom. Claire gets away with it all the
damn time, and I love it from her.

I stand and so does he, getting off the bed
and man he’s fine as hell. He looks so much taller than me when I’m
barefoot. Heels do wonders for my height. Now he looks like the
shark and I’m the minnow. Those thick wide shoulders are so fine.
And I eye him from his face down. Even his feet are sexy. Damn!

I walk around him and he goes to the closet
as I take his side of the bed and throw the covers over myself to
get warm. He was right this bed is nice. Feels and looks just like
the one in my room that I slept on.

Man, that Ashley sure is quiet. If I was her
I’d be killing him right about now for lying to me. I got my peace
out yesterday on the plane. And I am sure he’ll get a little more
soon. But I couldn’t very well let him have it when I was waking
him from a nightmare, and he did all that sweet loving stuff for
our children.

He comes back out and he’s got his boxers on
and a red T-shirt that says Macy’s in big black rock and roll
letters on it. Oh please don’t tell me he bought it or had it made
because of that time in the dressing room.

“You like?” he pulls on it and shows us both,
a smirk twisting up out of the corners of that naughty mouth.

“Why do have a shirt that says Macy’s?”
Ashley finally says something! Wow she isn’t a mute anymore. Thank
the lord.

“Would you like to answer that love?” he
winks at me and then wiggles his brows.

“I’m not your love and no I would not.” I
blurt.

“You are too and fine leave the poor girl
waiting.”

Jesus, I’m going to kick his ass.

“It’s in inside joke one that leaves me
wanting to crawl out of my skin. Apparently jackass thinks it’s
funny.” I point to him with my thumb and roll my eyes.

She looks at me. “I can’t believe you talk to
him like that. You’re so forward and don’t let him boss you around.
Typically when J says jump people ask how high and you don’t.”

I shrug. “I don’t put up with his shit
because he’s a rock star. That doesn’t give him a pass to talk to
me however he chooses. He’s not god. Some people may bow down to
him but I refuse. What’s he going to do to me? That he hasn’t
already done. Except maybe kill me.”

He frowns. But hey it’s true. “I’ve never hit
you or raped you.”

“You hit me tonight on accident and you have
grabbed me before.” I add.

“I hit you tonight when I was having a
nightmare?” his eyes are wide with horror.

“Yes, but it was only in the arm and it
wasn’t a closed fist and you didn’t mean it. So it’s not a big
deal.” I talk softly. I shouldn’t have told him. He’s going to feel
guilt for this and it will probably feel it for a while. I don’t
mind if he feels guilt over shit he does intentionally. But it
wasn’t his fault.

“Next time I have a nightmare don’t get into
bed with me. I don’t know what I’d do if I ever hurt you.” He
nearly begs. He’s breaking my heart.

“I’m fine, now order us some food and get the
damn show on the road. I don’t have all day. James is driving me
back to LA this afternoon.”

“You’re leaving? Why?” his voice is low, his
eyes droopy. He looks like a cute puppy dog.

“I quit, remember? And I’m moving out of
Stacy’s and in with James. When I said I’m done Johnathan I didn’t
just mean dealing with your bullshit. I mean with Stacy and it all.
He’s lied to me a hundred times over and he’s supposed to be my
best friend. Just like you have. I need my life to be normal I
can’t raise the babies in a fucked up lifestyle with lie after lie.
It’s too much and it’s not healthy for me or the babies.”

“Don’t leave yet. Just let me order you and
the babies some breakfast and then we will all talk this out. Then
you make up your mind. Please.”

Well since he asks so nicely. And he sounds
so desperate I guess I’ll let this slide. James doesn’t care as
long as I’m okay. I’m sure he’ll be find to leave whenever.

“Okay. But order for Ashley too and then hand
me the phone so I can call James and let him know where I’m at just
in case he needs me.”

He nods, picks up the hotel phone and tosses
me his. I call James and let him know what’s going on and he thanks
me for giving him a heads up. He even wishes me good luck. I have
the best bodyguard ever! Then I hang up and Johnathan is done and
is waiting for me. I toss him back his iPhone but before I do I see
his background is of me sleeping and he’s got a baby app on his
front page. Weird.

“Out with it.” I push, moving this shit storm
right along. “No wait.” I hold up a finger. “I’d like to hear from
your fiancé first.” I look to her.

“She’s not…”

I cut him off. “I said Ashley. I didn’t say
Johnathan. And until your cock falls off and you grow a vagina I
want to hear from her. You will have your turn. Now quiet.” Man,
I’m on a damn roll today! Kicking Johnathan’s ass and taking names.
Hell yes!

“What do you want to know?” she asks almost
in a whisper. She’s so damn meek this one. I don’t get how she was
sassy last night and all meek today. Maybe it was just a surge of
bitchiness last night. Who knows?

“Everything.” I answer and get comfortable in
the bed. My tummy is growling. I am really hungry.

“I don’t know what to say. I’ve been dating
him on and off that past year. I wanted to marry him. Told him that
a bunch of times. We got a dog together. Apparently he thought that
might make me happy instead of marriage. But I’ve wanted a family
since I was little. I know with his past he said he never wanted
kids.”

I look over at him. This is news. He never
wanted kids? And now what?

“That was before you.” He says to reassure
me.

I focus back on her. “Go on please.”

“I guess he thought the dog would help my
mothering needs too. We picked her out together and named her. But
then I lost interest and he took care of her. We fought some but it
was more him telling that he was going to sleep with whoever he
wanted and I would have to deal if I wanted to be with him. He’d be
faithful for a few weeks then go back to sleeping around. I could
never satisfy him in that way I guess.” She shrugs. “But I still
loved and do love him even through all that. I never cheated on him
except when I had sex with other women with him. So it’s been on
and off again. I do the managing thing. But Stacy does it mostly.
And I guess you do now too. My mom died a little while ago after we
broke up. I said to hell with him when I told him I needed him to
be faithful and marry me. He said no and I left him. The way you
talk to him. I’ve talked to him that a couple times when we’d get
into heated arguments. But he’d just walk away from me and tell me
to fuck off.” She explains.

“That sounds awful I’m so sorry.” I apologize
for him. He was an asshole. Why would any woman put up with a dick
like that? But that sounds like him and what Stacy described to me
that past four years. Fucking women and dumping them over and over.
Never saying he’s sorry. Being a complete asshole. I can’t believe
I fell in love with that fucker. He sounds horrible. Poor woman.
God, I feel for her. She’s so sweet and meek and I realize they
aren’t meant to be together but shit. How horrible can he be to
lead her on? Okay maybe he didn’t lead her on, he told her what he
was willing to do and she accepted it. That’s her fault but it
doesn’t make it any less harsh.

“It was, but when it was good it was good.
When he’d stop screwing around with women for a week at a time or
so he’d be sweet and loving and we’d party and get drunk and have
sex. It was great. He’s never been romantic or anything. But he’d
tell me he loves me and care for me in the sexual ways. He’s good
at that.” She smiles like this was thinking about how hot he was in
bed. She’s right on the money with that. Every woman who got to
meet his anaconda fell in love with his sex. It’s just that good.
“But after he’d try a week at a time he’d stop trying to be
faithful and stop trying to love me, like I needed to be loved. How
I asked him to love me. I guess I was trying to change him. People
have to want to change. He didn’t.”

“Okay so all this ended a few months ago
right?”

“Yeah, I broke it off. He didn’t seem to care
much. Then about six or seven weeks ago I get a call from him right
before he went into rehab asking me how I’ve been doing and stuff.
Then he gets into rehab and we’d talk two or three times a week. He
was flirting with a nurse or something to get phone time. Then he
changed overnight. Saying he was sorry and that he still loved me
and cares for me. He wants to maybe work things out but he was
confused, and was tired of being alone. A lot of the time he
complained about how much his heart hurt and how much pain he was
in. I’d do what I always do and soothe him; telling him it’s going
to be okay.

Told him I forgave him for hurting me over
and over. He said something about getting together on the tour and
I could come back to work full-time. I already had a job back home
but I wasn’t going to pass up a chance to come and work for him
again, especially if he wanted to be together. He sounded
desperate. Said that if I give him time that he might grow to love
me like I always deserved and we could move in together and get
married. He said he still didn’t want kids. But that our dog and
that us together should be enough. I agreed.

Then the day he gets out of rehab he calls me
and says that he can’t be with me anymore. That what he said was a
lie. That he was just confused and coming off coke. Apparently he
was all of a sudden all better and that he’d send all my clothes
back because he had a moving company come to collect my belongings
to move to LA again. He canceled my tickets. I argued on the phone
with him half of the day. I heard about the pregnant lady on the
news but he swore that it wasn’t true and that it shouldn’t matter
because this is over. I told him he needed to tell me to my face. I
deserved at least that much. I figured once he saw me he might stop
pushing me away. He’s pushed me away so much and backed out of so
many things. It sounded like what we used to go through. Except
that maybe he was willing to try for more. So I was going to come
to Bakersfield. But I called and switched it to here so I could
surprise him, maybe make him happy to see me and that I was trying.
Then the rest is history.”