Chapter 34

CHAPTER34

TATE

I forgot to close the curtains last night—I was a little distracted—and the sun’s early-morning rays shine through the bedroom window.

Right into my eyes.

Groaning, I roll over, my back to the window, a soft little bundle cuddled up right next to me.

A soft, naked little bundle.

Scarlett.

I tug her into my arms and press my face into her hair, breathing deep. Inhaling her scent. She always smells so damn good, and her skin is so soft. Everything about her is perfect.

Memories hit me, one after another of last night. She had at least three orgasms and I had two, and there was nothing fake about it.

I am 100 percent in this relationship. Like I told her last night, she’s all I think about. All I write songs about. Every single song on that album is about her, and I have no problem telling that to the world.

My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I crack open one eye, wishing I could tell exactly what sort of notification I’m getting. Sounds like a text type of buzz. This early in the morning?

Scarlett stirs next to me, her ass brushing my cock, and just like that, it rises to the occasion, ready to do more of what we were doing all night.

“Who’s texting you?” she murmurs, her voice sleepy.

“I don’t know.” I brush her hair away from the back of her neck and kiss her there. “Probably no one.”

“Mm.” Her ass brushes my dick again, and I rest my hands on her hips, keeping her in place. “You don’t like that?”

“I like it too much.” I slide my hand to her front, cupping her pussy. “If you aren’t too sore, I’m going to show you exactly how much I like it.”

“Promises, promises.” She stretches, her body brushing mine, electrifying my skin everywhere she touches. “And I’m sore, but it’s a good sore.”

This girl is giving me full permission to go for it. I’m tilting my head, my mouth on her neck, just below her ear, when my fucking phone rings.

“Damn it,” I mutter, rolling away from her so I can see who it is.

Roger. The fucker. At eight o’clock in the morning too.

The ringing stops, and I set my phone back on the nightstand. I’m about to reach for Scarlett when it starts ringing again.

“Just answer it,” Scarlett encourages. “He won’t stop calling until you do.”

Knowing she’s right, I answer the call. I’m about to ask him what the hell is going on when he speaks right over me.

“Number one.”

Everything inside of me goes still. “What?”

“You’re number one on the Billboard Hot One Hundred. Number. One.” Roger’s voice vibrates with excitement. “Can you believe it? Number one, Tate. Number fucking one!”

“‘Red’ is number one?” I sit up, the sheets falling into my lap, and Scarlett does the same, pressing her head against my shoulder. I glance over at her, the inspiration behind the song, the album, everything, and I smile.

She smiles back, mouthing, Number one?!

“It’s been riding up that top ten the last couple of weeks, getting higher and higher, and the chart updated today. You’re number one.” I don’t think I’ve ever heard Roger sound so damn satisfied. “Enjoy your day, son. You’re on top of the charts.”

“Enjoy my day? What do you mean?”

“Take a break. A day off. It’s well deserved. There’s so much buzz surrounding you right now. You and Scarlett and this album. Just enjoy yourself. Take Scarlett out. Have fun. Congratulations.”

He ends the call before I can say anything else.

I sit there stunned, absorbing what he just said. What it means. How I’ll never forget this moment, when I found out that I hit number one on the top one hundred.

Holy. Shit.

“Tate.” Scarlett’s voice breaks through the fog, and I turn to her, blinking. “Your song is really number one?”

Nodding, I reach for her, gathering her in my arms, clutching her tight. She clings to me, her arms winding around my neck, her hands cradling the back of my head as we just sit there and hold each other.

“I just need to hug you for a second,” I whisper into her hair, and she squeezes me closer. “You’re the reason this happened.”

“No, I’m not. Not really.” She pulls out of my embrace, her gaze meeting mine. “You did this all on your own. You wrote that song. Sang it. Into your freaking phone. And look at you now.” She throws her arms up in the air, her breasts jiggling with the movement, distracting me. “Look where you are! On top of the world!”

I tackle her, tickling her sides, making her squeal. I pin her to the mattress, continuously tickling her and not letting up until she’s practically begging me to stop.

The next thing I know, we’re kissing. Rocking against each other. My cock is hard. Aching. When I slip my fingers between her legs, she’s wet.

Needy.

Rolling over and taking her with me, I devour her mouth, her ass wiggling against my dick, driving me out of my mind. Eventually I grab a condom, and she tries to help me roll it on but makes a mess of it and lets me take over.

“Ride me,” I demand, and she does as I ask, straddling me, her breasts swaying as she lowers herself onto my cock. Until I’m completely embedded inside her.

She sits up, her dark hair a snarled mess, her hard little pink nipples teasing me. Her movements are awkward at first, slow and methodical, as she tries to find her rhythm.

I grip her hips, helping her. Guiding her. The morning light shines brighter, gilding her skin, making her golden, and I can’t stop staring.

She’s beautiful. Sexy.

All mine.

“You’re so deep like this,” she murmurs, her eyelids at half mast.

“Too much?” I tighten my hold on her hips, halting her from moving.

“No.” She shakes her head, her teeth sinking into her lower lip. “It’s perfect.”

I let her do her thing. Silently marveling at her beauty, taking in the moment.

The morning I found out I have a number one song on my own. Not with the band but by myself. With a song I wrote.

About a beautiful girl who’s smiling at me, my dick buried inside of her.

Life can’t get much better than this.

* * *

It’s lunchtime, and we’ve been lazy all day by choice. We’re out by the pool, sunning ourselves. The security guards are on front door duty currently after I told them firmly that they’re not allowed into the backyard for the next two hours at least. Maybe longer.

Glancing over at the lounger next to mine, I drink in the sight before me. Scarlett in the tiniest pair of white bikini bottoms I’ve ever seen.

And nothing else.

“You’re a dirty girl, Scar,” I drawl, smiling. “How’d I get so lucky?”

She’s got a giant black straw hat on, which hides most of her face. “I would never do this for anyone else but you.”

It took some convincing. She wasn’t comfortable going topless, but I told her no one would see. The security guards wouldn’t dare come to the backyard, not after I made my request. They’re both cool dudes. Intimidating but quiet enough that they sort of blend into the background after a while, which I’m sure is the plan.

“I know.” Reaching out, I streak my fingers across her stomach, making her jump. “You look hot.”

“I am hot,” she says. “It’s stifling out here.”

“Ha ha.” It is August, and the sun is broiling. “You need more sunscreen?”

“No, I’m good.”

Damn. I was hoping for an excuse to run my hands all over her skin.

“Want to swim?”

“Not yet.” She wiggles her hips, like she’s trying to get more comfortable. I wish I could see her face. “In a few minutes, though, yes.”

“I’m going in.” I climb off the lounger and don’t even hesitate.

I’m in the pool in seconds, making a big enough splash that I hear Scarlett squeal just before I slip underwater. The moment I pop my head out of the water, I see she’s sitting up, the hat on my lounger, a cute scowl on her face.

She’s drenched.

“You should join me.” I grin, cupping my hand and splashing her. The water lands on her calves and feet. “It feels good.”

“Are you getting me back for that first day we were here?” she calls.

That day feels like a lifetime ago. When I didn’t really trust her and we were circling each other like sharks. When I thought she was an uptight, spoiled little princess and didn’t have any clue how I’d convinced her to do this with me.

Still not quite sure how I was able to finagle that. Not like it was about money. But I do know one thing.

Whenever anyone talks about Scarlett Lancaster now, her father’s name is no longer attached.

“Maybe,” I finally say, splashing her again. “Get in here.”

She stands and slips her feet into a pair of black Gucci slides, then walks around the perimeter of the pool with her hips swaying and her breasts on display, seemingly comfortable in her skin, before she ends up at the shallow end.

I watch her, surprised my tongue isn’t hanging out like a dog’s. She’s so fucking sexy, and she doesn’t even realize it. The transformation of Scarlett has been interesting to watch.

Can’t help but think I have a lot to do with it.

When she kicks off her slides and dips her toes into the water, she gives a little mock shiver. “It’s cold.”

“It is not.” I shake my head. “You can’t just wade in, Scar. You gotta jump.”

Pausing, she watches me as she swirls her foot in the water. “Sounds like a life analogy, Tate.”

“Maybe I should make a T-shirt with that saying on it. Sell it on my merch store.” I laugh when she rolls her eyes.

“Even on a day off you can’t help but talk business.” She’s teasing me.

“Take my advice, baby. Just jump.”

With a sigh she walks/hops over to the middle of the pool, the pavement no doubt hot on her feet. She sends me a look, holds her nose with her fingers, and jumps into the water.

I swim over to her so I’m directly in front of her when she pops out of the water, her dark hair slicked back from her face, water droplets clinging to her long eyelashes. She blinks at me, treading water, her shoulders dotted with goose bumps.

“You are cold,” I murmur before I slip my arms around her waist. “Want me to warm you up?”

She kisses me before she ducks underwater for a second, swimming away from me. “Catch me if you can!”

I launch myself after her and catch her easily. Though she doesn’t put up much of a fight, willingly letting me press her up against the tiled wall in the shallow end, her arms going around my neck the moment my mouth finds her.

“I wanna fuck you in this pool,” I murmur against her lips long kiss-filled minutes later, my hand in the front of her panties.

“We need a condom,” she murmurs back, her hand brushing against my cock.

“I’ll pull out.” I flick her clit, satisfaction humming in my veins when she wraps her legs around my hips, anchoring herself to me.

“Don’t start that talk. That’s how accidental pregnancies happen,” she chastises.

Damn it, she’s right.

“Then let’s just feel each other up for a little bit.” I tug at the waistband of her bottoms, trying to take them off.

She gently shoves me, freeing herself so she can swim away from me. “I’d rather swim.”

Feeling dejected, I watch as she swims around the pool, laughing when she sees the disappointment on my face. I’m over it fast, though. We’ve got all the time in the world.

And I’ll get my turn. I’ll fuck her hard tonight. To the point that she’ll be begging for more of my dick.

Wouldn’t be the first time.