Page 53 of Everything After (Everything Trilogy)

LILY

Although our party mostly went well, I was a little disappointed by the disharmony between Alfie, my bandmates and I for various reasons.

Even though everyone remained cordial after our initial discussions, I still felt an air of tension between us.

However, there were a few highlights that everyone really enjoyed, one of which was Delilah’s performance of Bowie’s “Life on Mars?” and “Every Breath You Take” by The Police which, until I’d heard Delilah play her cover of it, I’d thought it a number that was hard to make your own.

However, Delilah not only managed that, but owned her version of the song.

Alfie was right, the girl was mesmerizing, beautiful and insanely talented.

There was no comparison to make between us as Alfie had suggested because at her age I had little confidence in my ability, unlike Delilah.

Her self-assurance oozed from every pore, and I could envisage record companies fighting over her like hungry wolves to have her on their books.

“You were that good back in the day,” Alfie kindly remarked when Delilah was accepting praise from Gibson, Rick and Jude Collymore. Seeing how impressed they were with a novice performer, told me that Alfie was right—Delilah was a rare find.

“You know, I might just manage her myself,” Alfie mumbled, eyeing how the rock stars were lining up for their few moments with her.

“And the baby?” I asked, concerned that he was changing his tune about parenthood already.

“Nah, don’t sweat it. I’m joking. But I might talk to the guys at Sly Records and make sure they snap her up before some other label does.”

“That’s so kind of you,” I remarked as I sat on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I’m a kind guy,” he shot back playfully. “So kind I promise to make you wet later,” he teased.

“Who says I’m not already,” I whispered back, chuckling.

Alfie held me tight, stood up with me in his arms, bride-style, and carried me out of the room. As we headed upstairs to cheers from our guests, Jack chuckled. “That guy should have been called ‘Anytime’ instead of Alfie.”

“Well, now, with the parents out of the way, that leaves the coast clear to take this party up a notch. Who wants to play naked charades?” I heard Rick ask, then our bedroom door closed, and I didn’t hear anything else.

When I hit the remote that lifted the sunscreens, the room was instantly bathed in bright sunshine.

“Fuck, me,” Alfie blurted, grunted and ducked his head under the comforter. “That’s just cruel,” he whined.

“No, what was cruel was leaving our guests to fend for themselves last night,” I muttered, knowing I already felt embarrassed about facing them again.

Shifting from his back to face me, he slid a hand over my breast and squeezed it. “Well, I wasn’t having fun down there since your asshole bandmates were pissing us off.”

My heart instantly sank at the mention of the issues with Lennie and Cody again.

“You know you’re making things worse for me.

I’ve spoken to Cody, you’ve spoken to Cody, hell, the rest of the band came down hard on him after you left that day,” I said, shifting onto my side to face him.

“You need to let the subject go now. Once I’d spoken to Lennie last night, I drew a line under everything. I need you to do the same.”

Shoving me on my back, Alfie spread my legs with his knees and settled between them. “Got it,” he agreed. He dipped his head, licked my neck, then gave the wet patch he’d made a sharp suck.

“Argh.” I squirmed, instantly wet when a jolt of electricity zapped down my spine and spiked a rash of goosebumps everywhere on my skin. “So responsive, even after all these years,” he muttered gruffly, lifting his amused gaze to mine.

“You’re a tease,” I warned.

“A tease?” he asked playfully. “I’ll show you what a tease is,” he warned, sounding amused. Before I’d had time to think, he’d flipped me onto my stomach and slid his cock between my butt cheeks. Adjusting himself, so his tip slipped between my thighs and nudged at my entrance.

“Fuck, you’re already deliciously slick. Is all this for me?” he asked his voice thick with lust.

“Who else would it be f—” I gasped, my sentence cut short when Alfie stretched me and drove himself deep, then stilled. He pinned me to the bedsheet beneath me with his heavy weight.

“Fuck, woman, what you do to me. Even after all this time I still can’t get enough of you,” he muttered, his breath hot and wet on the side of my neck.

“I feel I belong here, and I could lie inside you like this all day,” he admitted.

After a few seconds he adjusted himself onto his elbows to take some weight off me.

I shifted my head to the side and took a playful bite at his hand.

“It sure would make getting around a tad difficult,” I joked, but basked in how amazing the intimacy between us was. Even though I was belly down, he positioned his face next to mine and caught my gaze again.

“I hate that we fought,” he admitted. His lips barely moved when he spoke but pouted afterward.

“Let’s not do that again,” I suggested. “Promise you’ll never leave me like that again.”

A flash of regret flitted through his eyes, and he swallowed hard.

“Never,” he confirmed. Lifting his hips, he withdrew his length and drove into me again.

“Ever,” he added, like he was punctuating that promise.

Pulling out, he sat back on his haunches, then turned me over to face him and lifted my legs by my knees.

Spreading them wide, he scored his crown the length of my sex and sank inside me again. This time he cradled my head in his hands, locked my gaze in his loving stare and made love to me so slowly, the connection we shared brought tears to my eyes.

It had felt like an age before we both came, but I believed what we did wasn’t about a race to release and more of a much-needed re-bonding of our souls.

“Oh, thank God, you can still walk. We were beginning to worry,” Jack muttered when I entered my kitchen, freshly showered and dressed. I glanced over at the kitchen table and noticed all eyes on us, and that most people had gotten up.

He was being dramatic with his splayed hand over his heart, so I played him at his own game and made my voice warble. “Barely,” I said, braving my embarrassment out.

“You missed Gibson and Chloe. They headed out about two hours ago. Woke us all up with that noisy bird he’d had land to pick them up,” he added.

“Wow, I never heard a thing. You?” I asked Alfie.

My husband shook his head. “Fuck, really? Gibson said he wanted to talk to me, but I didn’t realize he’d leave so early today.”

“Chloe had something going on with that sanctuary she runs,” Jack informed us.

“Never mind,” Alfie said as he took out his cell phone. “Just shooting a text off to him,” he muttered.

Jack poured me a coffee and I sat down beside Poppy who had her head buried in her phone. “Can we have a picture?” she asked, gesturing at me with her phone once she’d stopped scrolling.

“Sure, but can I at least drink this first, then we could maybe go outside?”

Poppy nodded. “Oh, I’d love to get one down by the jetty,” she agreed, sounding enthused.

“Morning, assholes,” Rick muttered, plodding into the kitchen bare chested and bare footed.

“Rawr,” Jack said. He shot me a smug grin then focused his attention back to Rick. “How does Lennie and Coral deal with all that hotness you’ve got going on,” he asked playfully.

Rick hacked out a smoker’s cough, winced then forced a smile. “It’s tough for them I’ll admit, but you know those guys, they handle me like champs.” Jack and Alfie roared with laughter as Rick nonchalantly poured himself a coffee and grunted as he sat down.

“Should I set out the buffet breakfast?” Hazel asked, wiping flour from her hands on her apron.

“I think that question should be directed to Jack. He’s the buffet expert around here,” Rick suggested.

Alfie and I laughed, this time at Jack’s expense.

Mya placed a hand on Jack’s arm and dipped her head in front of his face to gain his attention. “What’s this secret about you and buffets?”

Jack blinked at Mya like she had asked him some horrendously difficult mathematical equation then sighed.

“So, I was barely more than a kid and had my head turned by a couple of groupies one night. But, in my defense, it was my first proper rock star after-party and they thought I was… a… rock star,” he finished quickly.

“Is this the story where you…” she glanced toward Poppy and Ava who were sitting beside me at the table.

Once she was satisfied they were engrossed on their cell phones, and not on us, she made a gesture with two fingers penetrating a hole she had made with her thumb and forefinger of her other hand.

Jack’s eyes widened and a smirk crossed his face. “You heard about that?” His eyes shifted to Rick then Alfie. “Alright, which one of you two tried to end my marriage?” he joked.

“Alfie,” she stated flatly. “But in his defense, he was paralytic drunk at the time.”

Rick pointed at Alfie. “You owe me a grand.”

Alfie laughed. “Fair play.”

Jack shot a puzzled look between the two men and Rick chuckled. “All these years we’ve had a bet who would be the one to let slip and tell Mya about that night. Guess Alfie’s tongue is looser than mine.”

“What’s the story?” Ava asked, suddenly interested in our conversation.

“Oh, that’s not my story to tell, sweetheart,” Rick muttered, flashing us all a sheepish grin.

Jack glanced over at his daughter and gave her a warm smile. “It was just something silly that happened at one of Rick’s after-parties, long before I met your mum,” he explained, trying to sound wholesome.

“My guess is it had to do with another woman then, since you’ve mentioned the disconnect from Mum. Plus, you look guilty.”

Jack cocked his head from side to side in consideration. “You know, one day you’re going to be an incredible investigative journalist, just like me,” he stated, shifting the emphasis off the topic of conversation, and onto the one thing teenagers usually obsess with—themselves.

Ava smiled at the compliment as a text chimed on her cell phone, which caused her to quickly lose interest in our conversation in favor of the one on her screen.