“You’re kidding, right? You’ve written songs with Montana Chambers.”
“Not kidding, hun,” Missy stated. “You’ve got something special. We’ll see you Monday.”
“I’m so honored,” I gushed. “I’ll be there.”
The rest of the night passed in a haze of people congratulating me. Colt, who’d recorded my entire set, uploaded my performance of Break Me to YouTube and onto The Strangled Cat’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. It’d only been an hour or so since I’d sung, but the video was already getting hundreds of likes and views.
Only one thing would make tonight complete, and that would be Colt making love to me.
Chapter Five
Colt
All night I’d watched her bask in the glow of her performance.
Everyone loved her, and so they should. I knew she’d be good, but I hadn’t been expecting a show like the one she’d given. Everything about her reminded me of Montana, but she wasn’t Montana, and I had to remember that.
The woman I’d shared three years of my life with was cold and calculating. She could lie like a politician and could drink every man under the table.
Nat was sweet and pure. She poured her heart into her songs and into her music. She wouldn’t use me until she got her big break then dump me like a piece of trash.
Once the bar was cleared out and cleaned up, Nat and I made our way to my private garden, which could only be accessed via my apartment.
She lay her head on my lap, and I lazily stroked her hair.
“Penny for them,” she asked, looking up at me.
“You impressed a lot of people tonight. Heck, you impressed the shit out of me.”
“I couldn’t have done it without your help or your guidance. You were right to push me to sing Break Me. The video is going viral, and that’s all down to you.”
“No, baby, that’s all down to you. When that asshole heckled you, I wanted to break his fucking neck, but you showed him—showed everyone—that you can fight your own battles.”
“I can take care of myself, but it feels nice to have someone look out for me. I know I’ve said it before, but you make me feel safe. It’s like I’m home when I’m with you. Like I belong here.”
“No matter where the road takes you, you’ll always have a home here with me or at the ranch with my family. Shoot”—I snapped my fingers—”we’ve been so busy I forgot to tell you. They’ll be here tomorrow.”
She shot up like I’d given her the worst news ever. “Your family? Do you want me to vanish while they’re here?”
“I’d like it if you stuck around. Once a month, they come up so my dad can ask me to go back to the ranch. My mom will snoop around the kitchen and tell my chefs they’re doing things wrong. My brothers will give me shit about taking the easy way out by running a honky-tonk bar. All in jest, of course.”
“What do I say when they ask where I’m staying?”
“You tell them you’re sleeping in my spare room and that you’re a friend. Exactly the same thing I told them.”
She took my hand in hers. “Is that what we are, Colt? Just friends?”
“Nattie, you know...”
“I know what you said, but the way you look at me tells me something else. The way you kiss me takes my breath away. I know you feel it too. Make this day the best day of my life. Take me to bed.”
I cupped her chin between my fingers. “I want nothing more than to fuck you until you cry and scream my name, but you need to understand something. I’m not your boyfriend. This”—I gestured between the two of us—”is fun and that’s all it can be. If you can agree to that, I’ll screw you every single night and every spare minute we have.”
“I’ll take whatever you’re offering. I might only be nineteen, and I might not have as much experience as you do, but I know enough to know you want to love me. You won’t allow yourself to admit how you feel about me because of the bitch who broke your heart. And, yes, I’m going to use that in a song.”
I chuckled at the defiance in her voice. “It’s that or nothing, darlin’.”
“Fine, but I see you, Colt Flynn. I see beneath your tattoos and your watchful eyes. I see the heart you’ve shut off to the rest of the world. I see how much you want to love me.”
I placed a hand on the back of her head and pulled her toward me.
“You don’t see shit, little girl.”
Before she could reply, I smashed my lips on hers and kissed the fight right out of her. A small moan came from her, and blood surged into my dick, begging to feel the warmth of her pussy, and for tonight, I would give in. Tonight, I would welcome what she offered.
Taking her hand, I practically dragged her up to my bedroom.
I didn’t want an angry fuck, she didn’t deserve that, but I was mad as hell at myself for allowing her to weasel her way so deep inside me.
If she left me, I’d never heal.
I sat on the mattress and Nat stood between my legs. “Get undressed. Take everything off.”
“Only if you do the same.”
I reached around and smacked her ass, hard. “The games are over, darlin’. You’re going to get what you’ve been asking for and what I’ve denied myself. You’re going to do everything I say without questioning me and without giving me sass. Understand?”
The surprise in her eyes and her fluttering eyelashes showed her shock at my words.
“Do you understand?” I repeated.
She gave
