Oh dear.

“Awesome,” Pong breathed from beside me, his eyes moving over the chanting crowd.

Mace’s hand tagged mine. I looked up at him and knew in an instant he was done.

“We’re outta here,” he declared, proving me right and started shoving his way through the crowd, pul ing me along with him.

As we went, people pressed in. Wound up by the show, its bizarre ending and Tex, they were in a tizzy. So much so, I felt hands on me. People were grabbing at my t-shirt, trying to tag my belt loops, I felt fingers slide through my hair and I watched the same thing happening to Mace.

They were closing in, caught in the moment, making it hard for even Mace to shove his way through.

I felt fear begin to seize me, scared sil y at a new threat.

My fans, rocked by the show, reading the papers, knowing the danger, wound up by Tex, al of that pushing them to the brink. I feared they’d tear us to shreds.

Mace stopped, turned, bent, put his shoulder in my bel y and then I was going up. I ended bent double over his shoulder, his arm wrapped around the backs of my thighs.

Using his other arm and shoulder to push his way through the crowd, people went flying as I saw the flash of cameras coming one right after the other.

Beautiful.

I wondered if those pictures would make front page too.

Luke, Lee, Vance, Hector, Eddie and Duke al moved in to flank us and Mace didn’t stop until we hit the backstage door. With my head lifted, I watched the Hot Bunch close ranks behind us, stopping the crowd, right before the door closed behind Mace and me.

That was how we made our dramatic exit.

Mace put me down in front of the backdoor to the club and shoved it open. Darius materialized from the shadows, did a chin lift, a scan of the area and vaporized into the shadows again.

Mace pushed me in the passenger seat of one of the four black Explorers parked in the al ey. He got in the driver’s side and we took off.

I held myself stiff, wondering at his mood which, figuring this was Mace, was probably not happy.

I glanced to the side and saw he was smiling ful on, white teeth and al .

“Why are you smiling?” I asked.

He looked at me then back at the road, his smile not wavering.

Then he answered, “I’ve decided I like your set list, Kitten.”

“You do?”

“Yeah,” he said then expanded on his answer. “Not one f**kin’ song you played tonight had anything to do with the word ‘black’.”

Shitsofuckit!

I total y forgot!

Chapter Thirteen

You Want In Here?

Stella

The minute we got back to my place, Mace took Juno out for a bathroom break.

I took the fastest shower in history.

I did not need to be na**d with Mace in the house.

Further, Mace and I needed to talk.

It was time. No more effing around.

It was three o’clock in the morning and I was exhausted, coasting on fumes from the high of the gig not to mention my ridiculous, gig-ending stage dive, a memory which I knew would be cringe-worthy for the rest of my effing life.

But Mace and I stil needed to talk and we were going to do it.

I jumped out of the shower, toweled down, wrapped the towel around my hair, put on my robe and hightailed it out of the bathroom just as I heard Juno and Mace return.

Mace was activating the alarm when I left the bathroom. I ignored him and moved quickly toward my dresser, seeing to priorities (as in, getting dressed). I had a pair of sky-blue lace hipsters in my hand when I heard him approach. I was about to bend over and put them on when I saw his hand come around me, he snatched the panties from my fingers and tossed them on my chair.

I whirled around. “What are you doing?”

I didn’t need to ask. I knew what he was doing.

He grinned, his hand coming up to yank the towel from my hair.

I planted my hands on my h*ps and tossed my head to get my hair out of my face as he threw the towel in the direction of my panties.

“Mace, what are you doing?” I repeated.

“Gonna f**k you, babe.”

Oh dear.

He had that look about him, that look I liked, that look that turned me on.

That look that said he was, indeed, gonna f**k me.

Nope.

Unh-unh.

No way.

I stood my ground, hands on hips.

“No, you’re not. We have to talk. We have a lot of talking to do and we’re going to do it. Now.”

Mace moved around me and I had to pivot to stay facing him.

Suddenly, he stopped and then started walking forward.

As I was in front of him, I had no choice but to walk back.

I put a hand to his chest. “Stop. Listen to me –” He didn’t stop and he was clearly not listening to me.

His hands came to my waist right before I would have fal en down the stairs. He lifted me and I was forced to throw my arms around his shoulders.

“Seriously, Mace. This isn’t gonna happen. I’m too tired and we have a lot to talk about. We need to talk about it.”

“Seriously, Kitten, this is gonna happen. We can talk later,” he returned and put me on my feet beside the bed.

I did the hands on h*ps thing again.

“You’re beginning to piss me off,” I informed him.

He put a hand in my bel y and gave me a shove, gentle enough not to be rough, rough enough to send me flying.

I bounced on the bed and tried to whirl but he got hold of my ankles and twisted me back. Then he pul ed my legs wide and came down on top of me, his h*ps sliding between my legs, his jeans rubbing against the insides of my thighs.

I had to admit, I liked that.

Like, a lot.

“Mace!” I shouted.

His mouth came to my neck as his hands started moving on my body. They felt nice, warm and strong.

Effing hel !

“You gonna yel through this or what?” he asked my neck.

“Yes,” I snapped.

“That’l be new,” he muttered and then I felt his tongue behind my ear.

That felt nice too.

Hello? Inner Mace Slut? Take a hike! We have talking to do, we have to get our head together, we have to get our life back into our control, my brain reminded me.

I turned my head to disengage Mace’s mouth from my neck.

“Honestly, Mace –” I started to say but he lifted his head and looked in my eyes as his fingers slid into the wet hair on either side of my face.

I saw his eyes were alert, energized, aroused.

It was then I knew he was gonna f**k me.

I knew this because I wanted him to f**k me.

Like, a lot.

Oh screw it.

* * * * *

Just for your information, I wil mention that I could swear he looked like he was about ready to laugh right before I lifted my head to kiss him.