Forbidden Billionaire Rockstar (Raising Havoc Bandmates #4)

5. Mallory

5

Mallory

My body twitches with restless energy, each glance at the clock a taunt. Another hour passes, sleep still eluding me. Jace's presence in the hotel, only floors away, feels like an electric current running through the building, charging the air with unspoken possibilities.

With a frustrated groan, I kick off the blankets. If sleep won't come, I might as well caffeinate and face this sleepless night head-on.

I don’t know what I was thinking when I stopped by his dressing room a few nights ago. Since that moment, Jace has hardly looked in my direction. Even when I’ve stopped to say hi to Brent and Julia, I half-expected Jace to take one look at me and make some kind of comment that would have me forced to roll my eyes — he didn’t do that.

I snatch the robe from the back of the bathroom door, tighten it around my frame, and pull my door open with a deep breath. The rest of the hall is quiet, which only adds to the reason I should be asleep, but my body has other ideas.

The elevator doors open almost immediately when I press the arrow to go down, and I calmly step out before leaning against the wall in front of the buttons. Since no one else is awake at this time of night, it only takes a minute for the elevator to stop on the lobby floor, and I head right for the small kitchen space located in one corner of the large room.

The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee envelopes me, a comforting contrast to the cool air of the hotel lobby. There’s already a pot of coffee ready, a relief for me, and I reach out to pluck a cup from the stack resting next to the coffeemaker. I’m mixing all my creamer inside of the cup when a throat clears behind me, and my heart stutters.

“Sorry, rough night,” I say softly before stepping to the side. “All yours.”

"You know," Jace says as he comes to a stop next to me, reaching for the coffeepot. "If you wanted my attention, all you had to do was ask, sweetheart."

I force myself to meet his gaze, lifting an eyebrow. "Bold of you to assume I want your attention at all, Jace."

He chuckles, the sound rich and warm. "And yet, here we are, both awake at this ungodly hour. Coincidence?"

"Pure chance," I retort, but even to my own ears, the words lack conviction.

When I turn my attention to him, my breath catches in my throat.

Bare chest. Plaid pajama bottoms. Tousled hair.

It takes everything inside of me not to ogle him openly. My fingers twitch, aching to run through his hair, to trace the lines of his abs.

I wrap my arms around myself, a futile barrier against the pull of his presence.

My body betrays me, as always. My pulse quickens, heat pooling low in my belly. I squeeze my thighs together, praying the thickness of my robe hides my reaction.

But the knowing glint in Jace's eyes tells me I'm not as subtle as I hope.

For a moment, I imagine him reaching out and tugging me against his chest, spinning me around so that my ass is pressed against the front of his pants. He would probably lean forward, lips grazing my ear enough that it sends a shiver down my spine before roaming a hand over my hips to the tie I have knotted in front of me.

I’m not wearing anything wicked under the robe, but it’s enough that if Jace were to undo the tie, he would get an eyeful of my body. The closer his hand gets to the string, the faster my heart rate increases, and I hold my breath for his next move.

He slowly eases it apart, letting the robe fall to the side and expose my frame. After that, he steps back to spin me around to face him once again. His gaze trails over me, heat in his gaze that I can’t ignore, and a smirk appears on his face as he reaches out to brush a finger over my exposed skin.

“Tell me, sweetheart, did you wear this just for me?” Jace leans forward, lips leaving a ghost of touch on mine, and adds, “You were hoping I’d see you down here, and you wanted to drive me crazy.”

He toys with the thin string over my shoulder but eyes the way my nipples poke the silk tank I’m wearing and runs the pad of his thumb over it. I suck in a breath but do nothing else — only stare into his lust-filled gaze.

I want to tell him so badly that I’ve imagined his reaction to seeing me in the outfit, but that would sound desperate, and that’s not the kind of girl I am.

I’m confident — which is why I run my manicured nail down his chest, smirking playfully, and shake my head. “You wish.”

“So,” he says while running his hand down the length of my stomach, his touch grazing my pussy over the shorts like it's nothing and coming to a stop at my thigh. “You wouldn’t want me to touch you?”

My pussy aches and drips with the need for him, but I don’t want to give him the satisfaction of a response he’s looking for. He wants me to admit that I’m dripping, arousal coating my panties enough that I know I’m going to need new ones when I get back to my room, and that’s not going to happen.

I shrug the desire off and cock a brow. “You think very highly of yourself.”

His brows shoot up, and he stares into my eyes, studying them so he can seek out the lies I’m trying to hide from him. “I’ll bet if I put my hand down your panties right now, you’ll be soaked, your pussy practically crying for me.”

Just as he’s about to make that statement true, Jace chuckles loudly in front of me, pulling me back to the present, and cocks his head to the side with a knowing grin. “Find somethin’ you like?”

I straighten my spine and scoff, then snatch my coffee from the counter. “Not particularly,” I mutter.

“Keep tellin’ yourself that, sweetheart,” he says.

Even feet away from me, he still manages to make my spine tingle and heart race.

The air between us feels charged, alive with possibilities. Every breath I take is filled with his scent - a intoxicating mix of coffee, soap, and something uniquely Jace.

One step, one moment of weakness, and I could close that gap, could press myself against the solid warmth of his chest. The thought alone sends a jolt of electricity through my body, leaving me dizzy and aching for more.

But I can't. I won't.

With a herculean effort, I tear my gaze away from him, clutching my coffee cup like a lifeline.

As I turn to leave, I can feel his eyes on me, burning a path along my skin. It takes every ounce of willpower not to look back, not to give in to the magnetic pull between us.

This game we're playing is dangerous, teetering on the edge of something I'm not sure I'm ready to face.

But as I step into the elevator, my heart pounding a frantic rhythm, I can't help but wonder: how long can we keep this up before one of us breaks?

When I finally get to my room, the coffee burning in my mouth as I take a sip, all I can think about is the fantasy I conjured up and how desperately I need to finish it.

Before I can chicken out, I rush over to my suitcase and get into the pocket for my toys—the ones I never leave home without if I’m going on a trip.

I climb onto the queen-sized bed and lie flat on my back, taking a moment to stare at the ceiling until the image of Jace standing in that kitchenette comes back into focus.

He still got a hand resting on my thigh but slowly inches it closer to my pussy, even though I just told him he was out of his mind to think I’d want him. As soon as he presses a finger against my center, he’s going to see the evidence, and I don’t know what he’ll do from there.

I’m holding my breath, only sucking it in when he pushes a hand down the front of my panties and drags his fingers through my slick center with a chuckle. “Looks like I was right, sweetheart.”

Jace brushes his fingers over my clit one more time, slow and torturous, causing my legs to shake. “How do you know I didn’t just get myself off before coming down here, huh?” I ask breathlessly.

His gaze darkens, and he cocks his head to the side. “Is that what you did?”

“Maybe,” I whisper.

In the blink of an eye, he’s slamming his lips hard against mine, then pressing against me so that my ass comes into contact with the counter behind us.

His one hand stays in my pants, his fingers circling over my clit, while the other disappears beneath my shirt, and he rolls a nipple between his fingers.

My body is on fire from the sensations, even though I know it’s the wrong thing to do. Any one of the guys could come down here, struggling to get to sleep just as much as we are, yet I don’t move away from his searing touch.

The image continues in my head with him tugging the neckline of my tank down, exposing my breasts, and leaning down to wrap his mouth over my nipples. He swirls his tongue over them, sinking his teeth lightly against the buds, and it’s enough to have me rocking my hips into the vibrator I’m using.

My mouth pops open, eyes closing as the image takes over, and I run my vibrator along my center frantically to catch the release I need. Jace continues running his fingers over my clit, but pushes a thick digit into my entrance that makes my toes curl in response. It’s like he’s actually in the room with me, doing everything I’m fantasizing about, and I can feel the desire pulling in my belly.

I’m a shaking mess, sweat beading on my forehead, and I spread my thighs apart further while the image slowly plays through in my head. My release is right there, teetering on the edge of the cliff, and right now, it feels as though Jace is the only one who can coax it from inside of me.

“ God,” I whisper into the empty room. “I need more.”

As if hearing my reality and fantasy, Jace curls his fingers inside of me and brushes against the most sensitive part of me while pressing his lips against my throat. “Let me hear you, sweetheart. I’ve been dreaming of your screams for months now.”

Just like that, a moan slips from my throat, and I rock my hips into the vibrator that I’ve pictured as Jace’s hand, my release coming out in wave after wave.

I’m breathless as I come down from the high, my fantasy fading until I’m looking at the white ceiling above me, and I swipe at the sweat running down my face.

This is bad.

What if someone saw us downstairs earlier and comes to a conclusion that’s not true?

Oh God, how loud was I just now?

Trevor’s room is on the other side of mine, and it would be embarrassing if he heard me through the thin walls. My cheeks heat, but I feel like I could sleep through an earthquake. Instead of worrying about everyone else, I simply lift the blanket, place my vibrator on the stand next to me, and curl onto my side while staring out the window.

I’ve got to ignore Jace. That’s the only hope I have of not ruining the job I’ve worked my ass off to get. I’m not that old, Mallory, anymore. That’s who Jace knows, and I’m sure that’s who he’s looking for.

That’s not me.

Unfortunately, when I close my eyes, all I see staring back at me is a pair of sapphires.

Even in my dreams, he can’t seem to stay away — what does that say about me?