Tragic Soul Read online

  “I don’t know,” I admitted. “Got a weird feeling.”

  He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “I love you. It’s all good. Nothin’s gonna happen.” He pushed his thumbs into the back of my neck and straightened his body. His guitar bumped my back again. “Tonight, I’m giving you a real massage. You’re too tense.” He lightly tapped my ass. “Try and relax. Please.”

  “OK.” I felt him step back.

  Once the music started, I let it all go. The rhythm flowed through me, and I played as if there was nothing on my mind. We had gotten through our first set before I knew it. I smiled at Chad, who put a hand on my shoulder. He nodded and jumped off the two-foot stage. Then he grabbed me by the waist and set me on the floor next to him.

  “You did good, baby.” He put an arm over my shoulders.

  Amy came toward us and squealed. “Amazing!” She clapped her hands and hugged Chad. “He’s gonna love you guys.” She pulled me into their hug.

  I instinctively pulled away at first. Then Chad eased me closer to them. I lay my head on his chest, and my eyes closed. He knew how to make things better most of the time.

  “Excuse me.” All our heads spun at the same to see Charles Dillinger next to us. “Sorry to interrupt, but I have a tight schedule.” He put a hand out in Chad’s general direction. “Charles Dillinger from Diamondback Records.”

  Chad shook his hand. Amy and I also did in turn. Paulie, Daniel, and Andy quickly surrounded us and offered their hands as well. Then Paulie put his arms around me from behind.

  “I’m impressed, and that’s not easy,” Charles said. “Who’s the main songwriter?”

  Andy smiled and stepped forward. “Paulie and I wrote most of the newest songs. The ones you’ve heard so far, all of us had a hand in.”

  “ ‘Her Desire’ is my favorite.” Charles nodded. “Good to know you all contribute. I’m touring the East Coast looking for a few bands to sign. You guys would be the first I’ve seen that I’m interested in.”

  I leaned back on Paulie, feeling faint. “Wow,” I whispered.

  “Glad you like what you hear.” Paulie squeezed me.

  Charles smiled and glanced at each one of us. “I’d like to bring a demo back with me if you have one available.”

  Chad, Paulie, and Andy looked around then at each other. We had recently produced a new one. Chad’s eyes opened wide, then he waved at Phil.

  “What’s up?” Phil nodded at everyone.

  “You got one of the new CDs?” Chad asked, sounding a bit nervous.

  Phil smiled. “Sure do. Lemme go grab one.” He was gone and back in a flash. “Here you go.” He placed it in Charles’ hand.

  “Thanks,” Charles said. “I’ll let you know what we decide in a few weeks or so. How can I get ahold of you?”

  Chad, Paulie, and Andy all thrust out business cards. They always kept them handy. It was hard to believe we might be getting a record deal. I forced myself not to be excited. We were just an option for them. Most likely, Charles would see hundreds of bands before they decided.

  “I’ll call when I have an answer either way.” Charles put the cards and CD in a briefcase. “It was nice meeting you all. I’ll check out your website, as well.” I hadn’t seen him read the cards. “Time for me to get to the next stop.”

  When he had gone, Daniel jumped up. “Holy fucking shit!”

  “This is so cool.” Andy grinned widely. “We should celebrate.”

  Chad put a hand on his arm. “Ain’t that a bit premature? We didn’t land a record deal. Just a chance at one. Let’s hold off until they decide.”

  “Nah.” Andy waved a hand. “A chance is worth celebrating about.” He quickly walked away.

  Growling under his breath, Chad shook his head. He muttered, “Jumping the gun…” The rest of his words were muffled by Amy’s lips.

  I turned away. There were times I could handle them being affectionate and other times, I couldn’t. That moment, I wanted to be anywhere but there.

  “Let’s take a walk,” Paulie suggested.

  Relief washed over me. “Good idea.”

  I grabbed his hand and followed him out the front door. We walked down the block slowly. A few heads turned as we passed people. It took me a while to realize they weren’t staring at my outfit. They recognized us.

  “Hey, you guys sounded great,” someone said as we headed back to the venue.

  Paulie lifted a hand. “Thanks. We’ll start playing again in a few.” He tugged me closer and put an arm around my shoulders. “If they sign us, we’ll be recognized all over.”

  He sounded so excited. I didn’t say anything. I wasn’t sure if I was ready for people to know me like that. Although I did want to be a rock star, sometimes I didn’t think about what that entailed.

  Just as we reached the building, Chad walked out. “Hey, baby. I wanna talk to you about something.”

  “That OK?” I looked at Paulie.

  He shrugged and let me go. “I don’t have a problem with it.”

  Chad and I started out on the same path but then veered off to the left onto a side street. He didn’t say anything until we were completely alone. After leaning on a car, he took my hands and pulled me to stand between his legs.

  “You as nervous as I am about what this could mean?” He met my eyes for a few seconds.

  I nodded. “Yeah, wondering how this is gonna play out.”

  He sighed. “I’m thinking about school.” He laid his forearms on my shoulders, forcing me closer. “What if we have to miss classes, and I lose my scholarship? There’s no guarantee we’ll make it big even if they do sign us. No one’s thinking about the downside of this. I don’t mean to be a pessimist, but you and me have a few years left before we’re done. Andy and Daniel still have a year left, too.”

  I could see where he was coming from. Chad had more to lose than any of us. If we failed, he couldn’t just start off where he left off. He wouldn’t be able to go back to school. The degree he was working on was important to him.

  “Guess I didn’t think about it that way,” I admitted. “I was worried about people poking into our private lives.”

  He smiled and began to play with my hair. “You have nothing to worry about there. They want things to throw in your face. None of us are into stuff that could be exploited.” Then he paused and set his jaw. “You’re not, right?”

  I shook my head. “As vanilla as they come.”

  His body relaxed. “See. Nothing to worry about.” He exhaled loudly. “I can’t ask my parents to pay for school just because I wanna chase my dream. If it comes down to it, I’m gonna insist I finish school.”

  I hoped they would agree. It was not something I knew anything about. “Good idea. I should, too. Maybe if Andy and Daniel do too, it’ll work.”

  “Yeah.” He wrapped his arms around me. “Glad we’re in this together. I couldn’t do it without you.” His lips brushed my ear and hair. “Me and you against the world.”

  Chapter 15

  On the trip back to Paulie’s place, I watched the world go by. My mind raced. Paulie drove in silence, which allowed random thoughts to form in my mind. I toyed with my phone as I wondered about Diamondback Records. They signed a lot of heavy metal and hard rock bands, mostly from the West Coast, as far as I knew.

  Then I recalled my brother Cameron talking about them. They were based in Los Angeles, not far from him. I hoped they used studios around the country. A move to California would not work out well. I knew Chad would refuse to leave. Can I walk away from him?

  “Hey.” Paulie put a hand on my thigh. “You a’right?” He squeezed lightly.

  I nodded. “Just wondering what’s gonna happen if we get signed. They’re in LA.”

  “Who?” He caressed my skin slowly.

  I sighed. “Diamondback Records. They might want us to go there to record.”

  “Worry about that if it happens.” The car stopped at a red light, and he turned to me. “Until then, we all gotta stic
k together.” His hand moved to my face, and his fingers brushed my bottom lip. “It’s gonna be all good.” He leaned over and kissed my lips before turning his attention back to the road.

  By the time we walked into the apartment, I still had a feeling of semi-dread. At least Paulie had eased my mind a bit. I dropped my bag and kicked off my shoes in the living room. The uncertainty I felt was draining my energy.

  Paulie suddenly grasped my shoulders. “Damn. You’re even more tense.” He exhaled over my neck. “Get your ass naked and in that bed.” He pointed to the bedroom door.

  “I’m not in the mood,” I admitted.

  He laughed, loudly. “You will be.” He snickered again. “I want you naked so I can massage you like I promised. It’s not good for you to be so stressed.”

  I shrugged, glad he cared so much. With a smile, I did as I was told. Soon, I was lying on the bed, over the comforter, on my belly.

  “Is this good?” I called to Paulie. He had still not come in the room.

  “Yeah. One sec.”

  I took a few deep breaths and tried to relax. A hand on my back made me jump.

  “It’s me,” Paulie whispered. Then he climbed onto the bed. “I had to find something.” He kissed my cheek. “Keep your eyes closed and think about something calming.”

  While I tried to lose myself in the mental image of playing on a beach, I heard him shifting and felt the bed move. Then his hands rubbed together loudly. When he slid his warm hands over my lower back, I sighed. Slowly, he worked my back muscles. His hands coated with what felt like massage oil.

  “That’s it. Let it all go.”

  Paulie’s voice was soothing and deep. The sound went straight to my pussy. I squirmed a bit, wishing I could control my body’s reaction. He continued to rub, going higher, eventually to my shoulders. I moaned softly when he did my neck. The tension was melting away, and the scent of coconut filled the room.

  “Stay still.” He lightly slapped my ass. “You’re distracting me.”

  I let out a giggle. “Stop playing my body so well, then.”

  “Tease.” He leaned down and whispered in my ear, “Guess when I do your legs, I’ll get you back.”

  I groaned, knowing exactly what he planned to do. “Fine.” I tried to stay still as he moved on to my arms. Even his breathing was turning me on. “Paulie,” I whined.

  “So. Now you’re in the mood?” He chuckled and slid his hands down my arms. “Maybe I’m not.”

  Unsure what he was up to, I tried not to think at all. The last thing I wanted to do was waste the massage and stress myself out again. Paulie’s fingers trailed over my sides and thighs to my calves. I had to bite my lip to keep from reacting. He was most likely laughing to himself.

  When he squeezed my lower legs, I smiled. Then his hands shifted again. He bent my knees and ran his palm over the bottoms of my feet. I gasped when he started to rub. Tingles radiated as far as my hips, then beyond. He worked them carefully, with strong hands, finding every tight spot.

  “Stop flexing,” Paulie commanded.

  I sighed as his knuckle dug into my arch. “Sorr-y.” I was breathing harder as pleasure flowed throughout my body.

  “Those boots do a number on you.” He carried on until my feet felt like putty, and my body no longer moved. “Now it’s really working. Not done, though.”

  When he began on my calves, I was already a puddle of relaxation. He kneaded my muscles so well, I was almost in shock. We had done massages on each other before, but this was so much more.

  “Hang on,” Paulie said as the bed moved. “Don’t open your eyes.” He was back quickly. “Had to take my pants off.”

  I felt the hair on his leg against the skin of my inner thigh as he bent over me. “OK.”

  “It’s fine if you fall asleep.”

  Groggily, I nodded. Then he grabbed both of my thighs. I got over the shock quickly. He did my upper legs with the same precision and gusto. I moaned as he edged higher. My skin became more and more sensitive. His thumbs inched closer to my core as he worked his way up. He teased me with subtle swipes.

  “Now who’s the tease?” I complained.

  He barely stifled a laugh. “I won’t tease for long.”

  My eyes rolled back when his fingers worked together on the outside of my thighs, toward my hips. Then he splayed my legs a bit more. His fingertips moved up and down my legs, grazing my mound and coming close to where I wanted them. By then I was wet, but too relaxed to do anything about it.

  All of a sudden, he lifted my hips, and his cock pushed into my pussy. I cried out as an orgasm shook me from head to toe. I had no idea he had taken his underwear off. His next thrust was deeper. I reached out and gripped the pillow nearby.

  He held my hips in the air as he drove in and out. I could sense he was holding back, though. He wasn’t rough, and he kept to a quick, amazing rhythm. I was in heaven. Every stroke sent pleasure through my body. He didn’t say anything, which surprised me. I could only moan and sigh.

  I clawed at the pillow when he shifted his legs a bit. The head of his cock constantly grazed my sweet spot within. “Oh God! Oh God! Oh God!” I screamed as he pressed into it hard, enhancing the feeling even more. “Paulie!” I cried out as my pussy and womb repeatedly clenched.

  “Nice. That’s what I wanted.” Just as I came down from the high, he pulled out. “Don’t worry. Not done.” He laid me down and carefully turned me over. “Looks like my plan is working.” He smirked. “I’ll be done soon.”

  I gave him a half-smile as aftershocks rocked me, making my hips lift and body twist. “Love… you…”

  “Love you, too.”

  He got on all fours over me and leaned his face toward mine. Then his lips met mine in a soft kiss. When he kissed me again, the tip of the condom touched my thigh. I hadn’t had time to check if he wore one. It was reassuring.

  With great effort, I put my hands around his face and pulled him to me. He leaned on me a bit, and our kisses changed. My tongue grazed his, and he groaned before opening to me. He became aggressive for a minute. Then suddenly, he pulled back.

  “Trying to sidetrack me, huh?” He glared at me. “You’re gonna be the death of me, girl.”

  I couldn’t help but smile. “I try.”

  “Now back to it.”

  My eyes drifted down his body to his straining cock. I didn’t understand why he denied himself my body. My thoughts were interrupted when he started the massage again at my legs. I closed my eyes and let his motions soothe me again. I barely noticed as he moved from one muscle group to another. Every inch of me felt good.

  When he settled his body onto mine again, I was surprised. My eyes opened when he rearranged my legs around his hips. His cock nudged my opening slightly before he gradually entered me. This time it was slow going. His hips pulled back and met mine with a gentle rhythm. Our eyes met as we both gasped.

  “I love how you feel,” he breathed in my ear.

  I opened my mouth to talk, but no words came. He held me close and gave me another slow stroke. Emotion filled me and tears rimmed my eyes. His love was evident in every movement. My eyes drifted closed as I relished the feeling.

  His fingers wove in my hair, and his lips covered mine. We continued to kiss as he pumped languidly, making sweet love to me as he rarely did. I was able to manage small movements of my hips but no more than that. The massage had done its job. I had no other thoughts but Paulie.

  When his hips went somewhat faster, I opened my eyes. His eyes shut, a look of concentration on his face. I didn’t get a chance to ask why. Pleasure built quickly as he began to rub my clit. I hadn’t felt his arm move. He thrust harder and put more pressure on it. Then I exploded within, crying out his name loudly.

  “Damn. It’s so hard to make you cum going slow,” he muttered and took me in his arms gently.

  I was surprised when he let me go and got to his knees. The empty condom told me what I had already suspected. He hadn’t found his release.
>
  “But—”

  He shook his head and came down to me again. “Shh. Just relax.” A hand caressed me slowly all over as the pleasure faded. He continued to brush my skin until I was still. Then he met my eyes. “You’re gonna sleep real good tonight.” He winked.

  “You didn’t cum.” It bothered me.

  He sat back on his knees and shrugged. “That wasn’t the point of sex tonight. You were so tense.”

  I furrowed my brows. “You need to cum too, or I’ll feel guilty.”

  His eyes raked me over. “Nah, your body’s perfectly relaxed now.”

  I struggled to get up on my elbows. “It won’t be, if I know you didn’t cum. I’ll even dream about it.” It was meant to encourage him, but I was sure that was true.

  He smirked and tore off the condom. “Spread your legs.” He bit his lip when I did as told. Staring at my pussy, he ran a hand over his cock a few times. “Gonna cum on you.” It was obvious he was already close to the edge.

  His eyes glazed over as he jerked his erection faster. I stared at him in awe. Not able to resist, I sat up and ran my hands up his thighs then over his balls. He stroked even faster then groaned loudly. I accidentally squeezed his sack hard, and he pushed me back.

  I worried that I hurt him, but then he cried out. I glanced up just as his cock erupted. Streams of semen splashed all over me. My mouth dropped open. There was so much. I stared at the mess, unsure how to move without it running all over the bed.

  He finally looked up and laughed. “Damn, I came a lot.” He laughed again. “Come on. Shower.”

  With Paulie’s help, I carefully got off the bed. Droplets of cum fell to the floor as we walked to the bathroom. Once in the shower, I rinsed off, not liking the sticky feeling. From behind me, he used his hands to help me get the stubborn globs off. After he had gotten it all, his limp cock rubbed against my back while he washed me. I let him; I was tired and drained from both the massage and sex.

  He began to rub my shoulders again, and I jumped. “Promise. No shower sex. I doubt I can get it up again after that flood I let out. That was so hot. When you squeezed my balls, I saw stars.”