Come Alive Read online

  ‘You have such a gorgeous cunt.’

  ‘Xane!’

  ‘What? It’s true. I love the way your cunt tastes too, and how it’s so tight and grips my fingers.’

  ‘Don’t call it that.’

  ‘Cunt? Why not? It is what it is, and it’s such a deliciously evocative word, don’t you think?’

  ‘It’s so harsh. Coarse. I don’t like it.’

  ‘I suppose you’d prefer if I called it your sex or your pussy?’ He shook his head at the notion. ‘I’m more of a dirty-fucking sort of guy. And that’s how you like it too.’

  ‘I don’t,’ she mouthed, barely sounding the words, but she knew he heard her and didn’t believe her. Hey, she didn’t even believe herself, not when she was so blatantly aware of what his dirty loving did to her. It made her overheat, exactly as he was doing now.

  Xane grinned up at her. ‘That’s funny, because every time I say it, your juices run thicker onto my tongue and it makes you shiver like you’re about to come.’

  That couldn’t be true.

  It was totally true.

  ‘Hello, cunt,’ he teased, tickling all her folds with his tongue, and then lavishing flicks and kisses on her clit. ‘You’re so fucking pretty I can’t even begin to describe how much I want to stick my cock into you.’

  Dani tried not to wriggle, as it would only prove him right, but goddammit, she wanted his touch, his words – craved all of it.

  ‘Need to rub up against my thigh?’

  ‘No, you’re good right there.’

  ‘Am I? Am I really?’

  Damn him, he could be such an incorrigible tease. Her irritation melted away the moment his tongue-piercing made contact with her clit, as did her worries about his friends arriving. Instead, her synapses burned with pleasure, as he took her from zero to a hundred in about three-point-six seconds.

  ‘Xane.’ She danced on the spot, unable to keep her body still, it was fizzing with so much trapped energy.

  ‘Yeah,’ he drawled. ‘Let it flow, Dani. I know you want to come for me.’

  She inhaled sharply through her teeth as warning tremors shook her body. Her spine arched, head tipping backwards so that it bumped against the side of the tour bus, but she barely registered the thud. Because yes, she did want it, and he was making it happen.

  Dani came hard against his mouth. Her limbs turned to jelly, but Xane held her steady, refusing to allow her to melt into a puddle on the tarmac. He wasn’t through with her yet. Almost the second she came down from her flight, he had her shooting back into the clouds again, his tongue on her clit and this time two fingers pushing inside her.

  If the paparazzi turned up now she’d look every inch the slut her mother had always accused her of being. But then, her mother was a mad woman whose opinion she no longer needed to worry about. In any case, she could have settled down with the most vanilla man on the planet to a life of technicoloured tranquillity with a white picket fence and two-point-four children and she’d still have been a whore in her mother’s eyes. Why was she even thinking about the stupid woman?

  ‘Fuck me, Xane,’ she whispered. ‘Lift me up and slide into me.’

  He was on his feet immediately. ‘Babe, I thought you’d never ask.’

  Another man might have ripped open his fly and shoved inside her right away, but not Xane, not the man who continuously lived up to her every fantasy. He teased open his fly millimetre by millimetre, giving her exactly the sort of show she’d described. The man had a body to die for, ripped muscle and inked skin that made her lick her lips in appreciation. ‘Hello, handsome.’

  He laughed. ‘Which of us are you talking about?’ Her gaze was fastened on the tip of his cock.

  ‘Both of you.’ She peeped up at him. His lips and chin were shiny with her juices.

  ‘Any preferences as to how madam would like me?’

  Dani licked her lips. Her nervousness about being caught hadn’t entirely disappeared. It never did, but there was always a point of no return with Xane, a moment when excitement dwarfed any fears. ‘Inside me, now.’

  Xane leaned into her, obliterating the gap between them. His mouth met hers in a hungry kiss as he lifted her into his arms. Dani wrapped her legs around his hips, trusting him to support her. She wasted no time in reaching down and letting his hot length fill her palm.

  ‘Fuck,’ he hissed as she stroked him. He bucked when she traced a ring around the tip of him.

  ‘Guide me in, sweetheart.’

  She rubbed him against the split of her sex, enjoying the anticipation of knowing he was so close, but they weren’t quite joined.

  Xane dug his teeth into his lower lip. His eyelids fluttered as she continued to tease him. She was so wet for him that their bodies were making sticky sounds.

  ‘You’re determined to make me wait for this, eh?’

  ‘Just reassuring myself that it’s really what you want.’

  ‘How can you even doubt it?’

  ‘I doubt everything.’

  He was holding on tight to her, maintaining their balance, but somehow managed to slide a hand into her hair and bring her head forwards so that their brows touched. ‘You don’t need to doubt this. I’m yours, Dani. I’m so very definitely yours.’

  ‘And Luthor’s.’

  ‘That’s irrelevant. What I feel for him doesn’t change how I feel for you.’

  She teased his earlobe with her teeth. ‘How do you feel about me?’

  ‘Crazy.’

  ‘Do I turn you on?’

  ‘What do you think?’

  Dani flexed her inner muscles around him, tugging him deeper, and causing his breath to catch.

  ‘Do that again.’

  She did.

  ‘And again.’

  Xane slowed his movement, and let her do the work. ‘Fuck, that feels nice.’

  ‘No stalling,’ she chastised. ‘Show me some jackhammer loving.’

  ‘Speed demon.’

  ‘Fast and furious, that’s me.’

  He cocked a brow. ‘Somebody watching?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Because, you know, if they are, I’m going to have to take things extra slow. I wouldn’t want to ruin my reputation as a stud by hammering you like a randy college boy.’

  She laughed. ‘There’s nobody watching.’

  ‘Glad to see we finally agree on that point.’ He grinned, showing her a hint of teeth. ‘Therefore, I guess it’s OK for me to do this.’ He quickened his thrusts again, pushing her away a little to lean against the bus, and then pulling her hips forward so that she completely engulfed his cock. A couple of thrusts like that and his lips peeled back as he gritted his teeth, trying to hold it all together and simultaneously maintain the pace.

  Dani clawed at his back, wishing she could tear through his T-shirt to reach the skin beneath. She hated being naked, but she loved seeing Xane in the buff, because he was ripped and inked, and had rings through his nipples that she liked to suck on.

  His movements became a little ragged, and his hold on her slipped. Dani locked her legs more tightly around his waist. She didn’t want this to stop, or for them to fall apart, although the idea of him turning her around, shoving her dress right up so that he could fondle her nipples while he jammed her against the warm metal of the bus and did her from behind, certainly fired her imagination.

  But it was only ever happening in her head.

  Xane’s big hands found a purchase on her arse as their bodies continued to slap together in a steady rhythm. She could feel the tension building inside him. His pulse throbbed against the side of his temple, and a line of perspiration formed above his lip.

  ‘God, I fucking love you.’ He slid his hand into her hair and pulled her forward so that their mouths met in a hard, biting kiss. Then he was thrusting deep and crying out, while his grip tightened almost to the point of being painful. ‘Dani … Fuck, Dani …’ His loins glued themselves to hers and she felt the spurt of his come inside her. It was enough t
o tip her over the edge again. And enough, at least for a moment, for her to forget about their surroundings.

  At the sound of a quiet round of applause, Dani opened her eyes and gave a screech.

  Cave Troll was standing a few feet away, watching them.

  ‘Damn … damn …’ She tried to straighten her clothes, but Xane was still inside her and wouldn’t let go. ‘Put me down, Xane. Right now.’

  ‘Take a breath. It’s OK.’ He kissed the tip of her nose. Then he turned his head to address their observer. ‘Fuck off, mate. You’re making the lady jittery.’

  ‘You can’t crucify a guy for watching when you’re shagging out in the open.’

  ‘I’m just saying, give us a moment.’

  ‘That’s all you’ve got. Spook’s on his way across, and I’ve just seen Rock Giant too.’ Black Halo’s favourite roadie then ambled back up the tour-bus steps as if it was commonplace to have a chat with people who were making out.

  ‘You OK?’ Xane asked.

  Dani nodded. ‘Put me down, though, before they get here.’

  Xane lowered her gently. He’d only bared his arse, for his jeans were slim-fitting and clung to his thighs. He tucked his rapidly fading hard-on back inside them and zipped up.

  Dani kicked her knickers out of sight underneath the bus, then instantly regretted it. Her skirt was too short to be going commando. ‘I need to nip back onto the bus.’ She hastily kissed Xane on the cheek, then slipped out of his grasp and followed Cave Troll up the steps. All her possessions were packed in her suitcase ready to leave, but Xane had left a stash of things in the closet. She quickly rifled through the items in the upper bunk room and found a pair of clingy shorts. They were a little on the large side, but at least she wasn’t going to unintentionally flash anyone. Now all she had to do was brace herself for seeing Luthor.

  Chapter 2

  Xane watched Dani hurry up the steps onto the tour bus, disappointed that she felt she needed to hide. He understood her reasons. He just didn’t necessarily get them, but then he hadn’t had his skin sliced open by a group of religious nuts every time a dirty thought had crossed his mind. If he had, they’d have run out of skin a long time ago.

  If he had his way, the evil witches responsible for making Dani’s life such hell would be doing jail time right now. He wished Dani would report them, but her expression turned cold and the light in her eyes died if he so much as mentioned it. At least it seemed her father wasn’t quite the prick she’d been led to believe. Dani had contacted him a few times now via Skype, and there was even talk of them meeting up at some point.

  ‘Did I scare her off?’ Spook asked, joining Xane by the side of the tour bus.

  ‘She wanted to freshen up.’ He noticed her panties poking out from under the bus, and hunched down to retrieve them.

  ‘Corrupting her again?’ Spook asked, watching Xane stuff the scrap of silk and lace into his pocket.

  ‘She initiated everything.’

  Spook clapped him across the back. ‘Only in your dreams.’ They stood back and looked one another over for a moment. Three weeks wasn’t a long time, considering the length of their friendship, but there had still been a few changes. Spook’s blond hair was a good few inches shorter, and the skin on his upper arm was still slightly pink around the design of a new tattoo.

  ‘Let’s have a look.’ Xane turned his friend’s arm so he could see the design. It was clearly another variant on the Norse theme of Spook’s other tattoos.

  ‘Mjolnir,’ Spook elaborated. ‘Thor’s Hammer.’

  ‘Looks good. That the only new addition?’

  ‘For the moment.’

  They began walking towards the lake edge, where rows upon rows of speedboats and sailboats were moored. Xane looked back, but there was still no sign of Dani. Xane prayed she wasn’t cowering in a closet.

  ‘Are you sure you know what you’re doing?’ Spook asked. ‘I like her, Xane, and she’s good for you, anyone can see that, but it’s obvious she’s way out of her depth. You’re a dirty fucker, you don’t need me to point that out, and she’s like spun sugar. I’m not sure she’s really cut out to be part of your threesome fantasies.’

  ‘We’re not a threesome. Dani and Luthor aren’t fucking. Nor have I embroiled her in anything. She was the one who insisted on Luthor and me making out.’

  ‘You’re fucking them both, Xane, or you will be as soon as our new drummer puts in an appearance, and don’t pretend you haven’t been fantasising about taking them both to bed. I know you. I know how your mind works, especially when it’s your cock doing the thinking. But you need to get your head in the game, because you can’t screw this up. We need Luthor to stick around or this band is going to dissolve around our ears. Black Halo can’t take another drama. We’re barely holding together as it is.’

  The last few months had been rough, starting with Elspeth and Steve’s shock marriage, followed by Steve’s untimely death and then all the unpleasantness with Iain. Yet somehow they’d weathered all that, and things had to get better from this point on … had to.

  There wouldn’t be any more drama. Especially not where they were heading.

  ‘Do you think the others are going to show?’ Spook asked.

  ‘Why wouldn’t they?’

  His friend shot him a side-eye.

  ‘They’ll be here,’ Xane said decisively. The bastards had better be, or he was going to chop them into itty little bits.

  Spook rubbed the non-existent fuzz upon his jaw. ‘Well, Ash will be. He and Ginny are flying in by helicopter later today.’

  ‘Troels said he’d seen Rock Giant.’

  ‘Then I guess things look promising.’ They strolled on a little further, finally coming to a halt beside the Valkyrie, a white and blue speedboat with a sleek wood and leather interior. ‘This is us. You may as well hop on board.’

  ‘I’ll go back and get the bags.’ He turned to find Dani already heading towards him alongside Cave Troll, who was carrying their luggage. Having ascertained his help wasn’t required, Xane climbed into the belly of the boat alongside Spook, who started checking various dials. ‘Haven’t you been home?’ Xane asked.

  ‘No, I decided to stick around in Karlstad and make sure things were fine for Ash.’

  ‘But someone has filled the fridge, right?’

  ‘I have a housekeeper. I’m sure she’s stocked up on everything you could possibly want, including what anyone else would consider a year’s supply of prophylactics.’

  Xane hooked his arm around Spook’s neck and planted a kiss upon his cheek. ‘That’s sweet of you to have added condoms to the shopping list.’

  Spook recoiled from the contact. ‘Yeah, well, you might not consider me so sweet when I ban shagging on my property. Get the fuck off me, Xane.’

  ‘Bastard. You wouldn’t.’

  Spook bent over, laughing. ‘Totally might if your inability to keep it in your pants starts impacting the group harmony. God, your face! Poor little Xane. Can’t contemplate going more than a few hours without sex or his knob might fall off.’

  Xane stuck out his tongue. ‘Shagging is good for the soul.’

  ‘Not having to deal with your relationship shit is good for mine. Have to question my own sanity agreeing to hole up on a tiny strip of land in the middle of a lake with you, your two current lovers and your ex.’

  ‘No less sensible than riding on a tour bus with me for the last God knows how many years.’

  ‘Yeah, that’s true.’

  Xane jabbed him in the ribs with his elbow. ‘Lighten up, will you? We’re going to relax, recuperate and emerge in a month or so with a score of new tracks and all our heads screwed on the right way.’

  The misgivings swimming in Spook’s pale eyes remained. ‘That’ll be novel. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you with your head on right.’

  ‘Nah, mostly it’s halfway up his arse,’ a voice boomed from several feet away.

  ‘Paul.’

  ‘Rock Giant, my ma
n.’ Xane greeted him by sticking out his hand, but the other man simply knocked it aside, locked him in a hug and thumped him across the back with enough force to leave Xane spluttering.

  ‘What happened to you? You look as if you’ve been dip-dyed,’ Spook asked the newcomer, squinting at the medley of green and purple tie-dye – and that was just his hair.

  Rock Giant ignored the question and threw his oversized duffel bag into a corner of the boat. ‘Is this it? Where is everyone?’

  ‘Ash and Ginny are coming later. They’re sneaking him out of the hospital. Dani’s right here.’ Spook nodded at her as she boarded, and Cave Troll passed her the suitcases. ‘So we’re just waiting on Elspeth and Luthor.’

  ‘Yeah.’ Rock Giant stroked a hand through the multi-coloured strands of his hair. ‘Elspeth’s not coming. That is, she’s not coming yet. I’m sure she’ll be here in time for your party. Yep, definitely, she will be.’ He nodded at Xane.

  ‘What the fuck do you mean, she’s not coming? We’re supposed to be getting together to work.’

  On a personal level, Xane didn’t actually give a shit whether Queen Elspeth turned up. The rift she’d opened when she’d run off and married his best friend had barely scabbed over. It’d be a long time before he forgave her for all the shit that one act of utter selfishness had caused, but on a professional level they needed her here. The purpose of meeting up and descending on Spook’s place wasn’t to chill out, eat birthday cake and have fun – though they would do some of that – but so they could start getting their shit together for the next album, and make decent use of the time they had on their hands because of the postponement of their Requiem for the Damned tour.

  ‘I mean she’s not coming. She sent me a text about an hour ago. See …’ He held up his mobile phone so that Xane could see the message.

  E: NOT COMING. Will try to make it for the party.

  ‘That’s it? No friggin’ explanation?’

  ‘Maybe she just needs to be away from you.’ Rock Giant slipped the phone back into a pocket. ‘So, moving on to the two big questions; how long do we wait for the new guy, and who gets to drive this beauty?’