Page 12

Piper

I peeked out at the crowd from behind the curtain. They were loud. Restless. The butterflies in my stomach swirled faster. I smoothed down the top of the silk outfit Jasmine had insisted I buy.

What if they hated me? What if I froze? What if I forgot the words to the songs ?

“You ready to go?” The drummer, a young Mexican named Jose with an incredible amount of talent peeked over my head. “Nice crowd for opening night.”

I sighed. “I’m nervous, Jose. What if they don’t like me?”

“That’s just stage fright talking.” He smiled encouragingly. “They’ll love you. The minute the curtains open, you’ll be fine. Trust me, I’ve seen this lots of times.”

“Thanks.” I tried to smile back at him. I wasn’t so sure. I looked over at Beast, standing off to the left of the stage. He was out of the way of the bustling stage crew but could still keep me in sight.

He’d become my rock. Solid. Dependable. He winked at me, and I suddenly had to squelch the urge to burst out in nervous laughter.

What could go wrong if I had big bad Biker Beast watching over me?

“You’re on in five.” The stage manager held up his hand as he strode by, motioning to the lighting guys above before disappearing into the sound booth. I could see him fiddling with things on the control board, lights flashing on and off randomly as he tweaked it.

The band lined up, just like they’d done every time we practiced, and one of the roadies adjusted my microphone so it wasn’t pointing over my head. He gave me a quick thumbs up before rushing off to move one of the guitar amps to a better position.

I heard the emcee giving us an enthusiastic introduction and then we were on.

The curtains swished open, the drummer counted us in, and the band started the intro music. Soon I was too busy singing to worry about stage fright.

The energy of the audience was contagious. They jumped up from their seats, singing along and swaying in time to the music. Servers had to duck and carefully work their way around the dancers as they brought food and drink to the people still seated at the tables around the perimeter of the room.

I began to relax. I could do this. The people in the crowd were enjoying the show, they loved us!

I plucked the microphone off the stand so I could move around the stage as I sang. This was what I’d always dreamed of doing. The connection with the audience was exhilarating.

I focused on one teenager in the audience as I sang about first love, and she blushed a deep red. Out of the corner of my eye I could see Beast keeping a watchful eye on the crowd. Every so often his gaze would drift back to me, and I’d feel his quiet strength bolster my confidence.

Time flew by in a mixture of songs, banter, and an occasional drum or guitar solo that let me catch my breath.

Before I knew it, the emcee came back on stage and announced the intermission. As soon as the curtains closed, I ran to Beast, throwing myself in his arms. “They loved me!”

He caught me against him and laughed. “Of course they did. You’re amazing, and you connect with them. You make them feel like they’re part of the show.”

“They are! Did you see that kid blush? And that one couple dance a solo to that jazz number?”

“Yeah. Just don’t expect me to ever try that.” He handed me a bottle of water. “Here. You need to hydrate. You probably should have a bottle on stage with you.”

I twisted the lid off and downed half the contents in one big, long drink. He wasn’t wrong. I felt parched.

The guys in the band watched in amusement. They were all old hands at this, and I felt like a kid at her first rodeo, but I couldn’t help it.

The drummer set his sticks down and sauntered over. “Congrats, Piper. I told you it was just stage fright. Everyone gets it at some point. I know performers who have been on the stage for decades and they still tense up when it’s a new gig or a new venue.”

“Thanks, Jose.” I gave him a grateful smile. “You guys were amazing. You made me sound great.”

Jose wandered back to the band area. The stage manager hurried on, checking wires and plugs to make sure everything was still secure. Glancing up at me, he nodded. “Good first set. You’ve got twenty minutes if you need to go do anything.”

“Thanks.” Beast grabbed my hand and led me off the stage area.

“Where are we going?” I frowned. “We only have twenty minutes.”

“Then we’d better make this fast.” His eyes danced with mischief and something else that sent a sizzling heat dancing through my veins.

He led me down the back corridor and into a room marked SUPPLIES.

Flipping the light on, he locked the door and turned to drag me up against him.

His mouth closed over mine as I let out a squeak of alarm.

“Watching you out there, singing your heart out to that crowd gave me a monster hard-on.” He took my hand and guided it down to the huge bulge at his crotch.

I should have said no. I should have pushed him away. I should have been outraged.

Did he really think he could just drag me offstage for a quickie in between sets?

Yes, apparently, he did.

And my traitorous body seemed to be onboard with it. My thong was already damp as he pushed up the skirt of my outfit to my waist.

“We don’t have time for this! Twenty minutes, remember?” I hissed.

“Down to fifteen, so quit talking and help me out here. I’m not stopping, and the show isn’t going on without you.”

The thought of all those people out in the audience, cheerfully unaware of what we were doing, turned me on. Who knew I’d get a kick out of making out in a supply closet halfway through my debut musical show?

I reached down and undid Beast’s pants.

“That’s my girl.” He took his cock in his hand and gave it a couple of quick strokes.

My eyes fixated on a single drop of moisture glistening on the tip. I flicked my tongue out to wet my lips. “I want to taste that.”

He shook his head. “Later. Right now, I need to be inside you.” He produced a condom from his back pocket and quickly sheathed himself. Grasping me by the hips, he pushed my thong aside and positioned himself at my entrance.

I sucked in a deep breath as the tip of his cock slipped through my moist folds. Reaching up, I wrapped my arms around his neck to steady myself.

Beast surged forward, burying himself balls deep in my pussy with one massive thrust of his hips. His hands on my waist, he pinned me against the wall.

“Oh God, please.” I let out my breath in one explosive gasp as pleasure skated across the surface of my skin.

“Please, what?”

“Fuck me. Hard. Make me come.”

He slowly withdrew, then plunged back in, circling his hips to make sure he hit every raw nerve inside me. “You know what gets me all fucking hot and bothered?” he growled.

“What?” I gasped as flames of erotic heat flickered up my spine.

“Standing there, watching you up on that stage, singing your heart out to all those people? It just fucking made me crazy horny knowing that at the end of the night, I’m the one who gets to take you home and do this.

” He reached down between us and used one finger to toy with my clit.

“I’m the one who gets to strip you naked and fuck you till you can’t stand up. ”

“You’re doing that now.” I whimpered as I felt my orgasm starting to build.

“Nah.” He shifted position and managed to ram his cock in even deeper. “This is a just a teaser. When we get back to the motel, I’m going to take my time and make you beg me for it.”

“Not gonna happen. I don’t beg.” I shuddered as my climax gained momentum.

“We’ll see.” He rammed into me again, and my climax roared over me like a wildfire in the bone-dry California foothills. One more thrust and he joined me, letting out a deep groan as his seed spilled into the condom. I sagged against him, and he held me tight as we both gasped for air.

“Five minutes to curtain. Take your seats, people.” The muffled sound of the announcer’s voice reached us as it blared over the loudspeaker. Meant as a warning to the audience, it spurred me into action.

“We need to get back!”

Beast grinned at me, every inch the conquering hero. “Yeah, we do.” He removed the condom and tied it off, dropping it into the wastebasket in the corner of the room. Pulling his pants back up, he fastened them and looked over at me.

I straightened up my clothing and ran my fingers through my hair. “Do I look okay?”

“You look gorgeous.”

I rolled my eyes. “Do I look like I just stepped out for a quickie?”

“No.” He opened the door and checked the hallway before holding out his hand for me to follow him. “You look like you’re enjoying the night, which is what you’re supposed to look like. No one’s going to guess what we were up to.”

I had my doubts about that, but I kept them to myself.

* * *

Beast

Piper was on an adrenaline high after the show. Her eyes sparkled as she accepted the congratulations from the stage manager, Mark. It made me feel good to see her so happy, especially since I knew that little quickie in the supply closet had helped.

“You must remember to include us in your next tour!” Mark beamed with joy. “The audience loved you, and I can guarantee a sold-out house if we can convince you to return.”

“I’d love to come back.” Piper grinned. “You need to talk to my agent, though. That’s who sets these things up. I just sing, and the band does a terrific job backing me up. Without them, I wouldn’t stand a chance.”

“You’re being modest.”

Piper shook her head. “No, the band has been together a long time. They play so well they just make me look good. I was lucky they asked me to replace the lead singer when she bowed out.”

“I’ll call your agent.” He rubbed his hands together and threw me a nervous glance. “I’d give you a hug but your watchdog over there is glaring at me.”

Piper, the little wench, threw me a look that said she dared me to do anything. “Don’t mind him. He always looks like that, but he’s harmless.”

The manager looked doubtful.