Author: Jaci Burton

He shook his head. “You never fail to amaze me, Jenna.”

She gave him a quirked smile in response. “I hope not.”

He withdrew and they went into the bedroom. He washed up, then joined her.

Jenna was on the bed, a thick silicone penis in her hands. She handed him the lube.

He smiled down at her. “I’m going to fuck you in the ass and make you come. I’m going to make us both come. Hard.”

She got on her hands and knees, lubricated the dildo, and slid it into her pussy. “I’m going to enjoy this.”

Hell, he could just watch her fuck herself with that dildo and jack off. The sight of her on her knees getting herself off was such a turn-on he could come right now.

“Damn, Jenna,” he said.

“You like to watch me.”

“Yeah.”

“Remind me to get myself off for you sometime.”

He took his cock in his hand, stroked it. “Anytime you want, babe, I’ll be a happy voyeur.”

“Put your cock in my ass. I’m ready to come.”

He put on the condom and coated it with lube, then poured more on her anus. He spread her ass cheeks, his balls tightening with anticipation of having her here, of feeling her getting herself off with that dildo while he fucked her ass.

He pushed his cock head past the barrier of tight muscle. She hissed.

“Tell me if you hurt.”

“Just get your cock inside me,” she said, pulling the dildo out of her pussy when he pushed his cock deeper into her ass.

He did it slow and easy, inch by inch, gritting his teeth as her body clenched around him, squeezing his dick in a stranglehold that made his balls tighten up and threaten to erupt.

Not yet. Not even close. He held back, then slid in all the way home.

“Oh, yes,” Jenna said, then slid the dildo back in. He felt it sliding past the thin barrier between her pussy and her ass.

When she pulled it out and plunged it back inside her pussy, he started to move inside her ass.

“Oh, fuck,” she said. “Yes. Yes.”

That was exactly how he felt. It was tight, hot, and perfect. He pulled partway out, then thrust into her again, getting into rhythm with the dildo she used, taking her cues on when to pull out, and when to shove back inside her again.

She squeezed him perfectly, and he had to hold on until she got off. Truth was, he could come any moment. His balls quivered and he was ready to shoot. With every plunge of the dildo, she tortured him, made him ready to go off. And when she went faster, so did he, giving her exactly what she asked for.

Sweat poured down his body, into his eyes, as he held on, thrusting into her, watching her pleasure herself. The intimacy and trust she gave him undid him. He wanted this to be good for her.

“Oh, God, oh, God, Tyler, I’m going to come. Fuck me harder.”

She had his cock in the iron grip of her ass, and he was going to explode. He reared back and powered into her, again and again, and when she screamed, her body convulsing around him, he let go, shouting out as his climax was wrenched from him. He wrapped an arm around her waist and held on as he shuddered and emptied until he had nothing left.

He withdrew, pulling Jenna with him into the shower.

She lay against the wall like a limp rag doll. He washed her, taking tender care with her, then turned off the shower and handed her a towel.

“I’m done for,” she said, giving him a sleepy, half-lidded look as she towel-dried her hair.

“Me, too.”

He looked out the window. Snow had fallen steadily, had covered the grass and sidewalks and was still coming down. He wondered if his flight would take off as scheduled tomorrow.

He set the alarm on his phone. They climbed into bed and he pulled Jenna against him, realizing how much he was going to miss her when he left town for his road trip tomorrow.

He didn’t like being separated from her.

Is that what love was like? Feeling empty when you weren’t with that person, as if something essential was missing from your life?

Was he falling in love with Jenna? He hadn’t intended to. He never intended to love anyone. Ever. Fun times, yeah, but love? He’d seen what love could to do people who’d once claimed to care about each other.

He was sure he never wanted to do that to Jenna. Tearing apart someone you cared about? Yeah, that wasn’t what love was supposed to be about.

TWENTY-THREE

JENNA DIDN’T KNOW WHAT HAD POSSESSED HER TO call Elizabeth and Tara and invite them to the music club.

Maybe she was tired of being afraid. Or maybe she needed a second opinion.

Ty, after all, was sleeping with her. Having sex with someone could skew your opinions, make you like something that other people thought was terrible. The only way she was going to be able to figure that out would be to get the opinion of two people she trusted most.

Tara and Liz would tell her if she had no talent. Okay, Tara would be polite and sweet. Liz would be blunt and tell her she sucked. Then she’d have sweet Tara to hold her hand when she cried.

She’d brought along her guitar, though she’d left it in the trunk of the car, since there was still a ninety-eight percent chance she’d chicken out and never muscle up the nerve to get up there and sing.

“Oh, I’ve heard about this place,” Liz said as they got through the line and found a table. “It’s a new hot spot. Great live music.”

“I read about it in the paper’s entertainment section,” Tara said, looking around for a waitress. She slid out of her coat and hung it over her chair. “It’s getting great reviews.”

“Ty brought me here a few weeks ago.”

“Did he? Was it good?” Tara asked.

“It was amazing.” One of the best nights of her life. Now if only she could drum up the courage to sing again.

The music started with a scruffy-looking bearded guy who came up and sang some bluesy number that rocked her right down to her black-and-white painted toes.

“Wow,” Liz said. “You definitely couldn’t judge that book by its cover. That dude looks homeless. But oh, his voice.”

“I know, right?” Jenna said. “He was fantastic.”

A band set up after that and laid down some serious rock tunes. They played two sets. A little loud, but she loved their beat. They didn’t play any covers, all original music, and they had people up on the dance floor hopping to the music.

There was a lot of talent coming forth tonight. No duds like there had been the first night Tyler had brought her. Jenna felt inadequate. Maybe tonight wasn’t the best night for her to get up and try this again.

“I wish I could sing,” Tara said as another band went up and started to set up. “It’s a talent I’m in awe of.”

“I can’t sing a damn note.” Liz lifted the glass of wine to her lips and took a sip. “Not that it ever stops me from belting out Beyoncé tunes in the shower.”

Tara laughed. “Oh, me either. I mean, I don’t suck at it, but I don’t think any talent agents are going to be knocking down my door anytime soon.”

“What about you, Jenna?” Tara asked. “Do you like to sing?”

Liz looked at her, too, and Jenna realized it was now or never. “Well, here’s the thing, you guys. I do sing.”

“Honey, we all sing,” Liz said. “Are you any good at it?”

Her heart slammed against her ribs, her skin cold and clammy while her face flamed with heat. “My guitar’s in the trunk of the car.”

Tara’s eyes widened. “What? You have a guitar? I didn’t know this.”

“Shut the front door.” Liz pushed away from the table. “You’re going to sing tonight, aren’t you?”

“I’ve thought about it.”

“Well, stop thinking about it and go get your guitar.”

“I don’t know.”

Tara shoved her. “Don’t give us that. Go get your guitar. I want to hear you.”

“Okay.” Trepidation was replaced by nervous excitement. She got her hand stamped so she could get back in, then rushed out to the parking lot and grabbed her guitar. She saw Tara and Liz talking nonstop to each other as she made her way back to the table.

Liz looked down at the guitar in its case, then back up at her. “I’ve known you for how many years, and I didn’t know you sang.”

Jenna shrugged. “I’ve never told anyone before.”

“Why?”

“Because I might not be any good.”

Liz sat back in the chair and crossed her arms. “We’ll be the judges of that. Get your pretty ass up there and sing for us.”

Jenna laughed. “I have to wait my turn. Which reminds me, I have to put my card in with the deejay.”

She wrote down what she wanted to sing and ran it up to the stage, then came back, her throat suddenly so dry she had to flag down the waitress and ask for a bottled water.

“That’s why you brought us here tonight, isn’t it?” Liz asked.

“Maybe. I wanted you two to hear me. If I could get up enough nerve to do this. I figured you would be honest and tell me if I sucked.”

“You’re not going to suck,” Tara said.

“Did you sing when you and Ty came here?” Liz asked.

She looked down at her hands. “Yeah. Once or twice.”

“Oh. My. God. Our girl has been keeping secrets from us, Tara.”

Tara shook her head. “I’m shocked and appalled.”

“Stop it, you two. Mom and Dad don’t even know I sing.”

“Shut the front door again,” Liz said. “Are you serious?”

“I am. I’ve never sung in front of anyone. Well, that’s not true. I sang in Europe. But I hadn’t sung again. Until Ty.”

Liz slanted a glance at Tara before turning it back on Jenna. “Reallllly.”

“Yes, and don’t read anything into that. He found the guitar and songs I wrote—”

“Oh, my God, you write songs, too?” Tara asked.

“What else don’t we know about you, Miss Riley?” Liz asked. “Do you put on a superhero costume and fight crime at night in the metropolis?”

“Yes, but only between three and five a.m.”

“Oooh, aren’t you the smart-ass.” Liz cocked her head to the side and studied her. “There are new sides to you I’m just beginning to discover.”

“I think you’re going to be really disappointed when you realize I’m just an average singer who doesn’t wear a cape and tights.”

“Too bad. That would have been a great angle to promote you.” Liz spread her hand in front of her, mimicking an arcing rainbow. “The Superhero Singer. Has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?”

Jenna rolled her eyes. “And you’re in the business to promote your players? The poor guys.”

Tara snickered. “Mick will be jealous he didn’t get a superhero name.”

Jenna laid her hand on Tara’s. “I don’t want Mick or Gavin to know anything about this. I just want the two of you to give me a listen and tell me what you think.”

Tara frowned. “But—”

“Please.”

“Okay.”

A couple singers came up after the band, then the deejay called her name.

Jenna looked at Tara and Liz. “This is it.”

“Kick some ass up there, sweetie,” Liz said.

Nausea swelled in her stomach, but she grabbed her guitar and stepped up on the stage.

“Hey, Jenna,” the deejay said. “Nice to see you again.”

Surprised that he remembered her from so long ago, she nodded and smiled back at him. “Thanks.”

“Gonna sing your own song tonight, I see.”

“Yeah. Going to give it a try.”