Rock Hard

Chapter 10

The PA took his hand and squeezed it. “Don’t panic, Trey. Give yourself time to recover. You just woke up.”

He pulled his hand away from her and rolled onto his side, presenting his back to everyone. “I don’t want to see anyone right now.”

“Trey.” Brian touched his friend’s shoulder.

“Go away,” he said. “I f*****g mean it!”

“Why don’t you all give him some time to himself?” the PA said, herding the group toward the door.

“I really don’t think we should leave him alone right now,” Jessica said. Her heart was breaking for him. What must he be feeling? And Brian? And Sed? She was just an unwanted band accessory. They had a huge stake in him getting better. Watching a friend struggle was bad enough, but if this physical problem turned out to be something permanent, it could affect their entire livelihood as musicians.

The PA had somehow corralled them into the hall.

Jessica glanced up at Sed, who hadn’t said a word since Trey opened his eyes. He looked like a mule had kicked him in the gut. “Are you okay?”

He shook his head slightly.

Dare lowered his phone and grabbed Sed’s arm as they were ushered past him. “You’re not smiling. Why have we stopped smiling?”

Sed shook his head again.

“Trey’s having some mobility problems,” Jessica informed Dare. “Nothing serious.”

What would happen to Sinners if Trey couldn’t play guitar? They wouldn’t abandon him, would they? As she watched the emotions play across Sed’s face, she had to admit she wasn’t sure.

Sed stared out a window in the waiting room, not really seeing the cars in the parking lot far below. His mind was full, his heart empty. Jessica placed a hand in the centre of his back and leaned her head against his upper arm.

He glanced down at her, unable to express his gratitude. She’d sat with him for hours and had even made a trip to the gift shop to buy him a hospital logo T-shirt and a cup of coffee. He wasn’t sure why she hadn’t left him there on his own to stew. Brian, Myrna, Trey’s parents, and even Dare had eventually left when Trey continued to refuse any company. But Sed couldn’t desert his duty. He’d just wait Trey out. How long could it take?

“Go talk to him,” Jessica said.

“He doesn’t want to see anyone.”

“Since when do you do what people want?”

“Since never.”

“Exactly.” She squeezed his arm. “Go talk to him. It will make you feel better.”

“I don’t know what to say to him.”

“You’ll think of something.”

She was right. As usual. He turned away from the windows, kissed her brow, and then headed down the hall toward Trey’s room. Sed entered the open door and peeked around the corner. Trey’s bed was fixed in an upright position. The tube that had been up his nose was now gone. Progress. Trey repeatedly tried to pick up a spoon from the tray in front of him, his tongue worrying his lip. Despite his extreme concentration, he ultimately failed to grasp the utensil.

Sed took several steps back and knocked on the wall. “Are you decent, man? I’m coming in.” When Sed entered the room again, Trey was staring fixedly at the far wall, his hands buried beneath the covers.

“I said I want to be left alone.”

“You know I never do what people tell me to do.” With a loud screeching sound, Sed dragged a chair across the tile floor to the side of the bed and sat.

“Sed, I honestly don’t—”

“Those staples in your head look badass. You should keep them permanently.”

Trey ran his hand over the shaved side of his head, his slightly curved index finger brushing over the arc of black staples. “I don’t know. I don’t think this haircut is me.”

Sed chuckled. “Looks more like Eric’s style.” Sed dropped his gaze to meet Trey’s eyes. “I’ve been thinking.”

“Always a bad thing.”

Trey lowered his arm to rest on the bed beside him. Sed forced himself not to fixate on Trey’s fingers, which he continually bent and straightened in sequence. He was trying his best, God love him, but Sed didn’t see any thirty-second notes in his immediate future. And the band was on tour. They needed him. Now. Not in a month. Not in six months. Now.

Trey tucked his hand under the covers again and Sed forced his attention to his scowling face.

“I want you to concentrate on getting better. Don’t worry about the band,” Sed said. “We’ll wait for you to recover. Cancel tour dates. Put the new album on hold. Whatever is necessary. I haven’t talked to the guys, but I know they feel the same way.”

“Jesus, Sed, I’ve been awake three hours and you’re already deciding if you’re going to kick me out of the band?”

“That’s not what I meant. I just…” God, he was bad at this serious discussion bullshit. “I don’t want you to feel any pressure. Well, yes, some pressure. You’d better work your ass off to get better because we need you, but otherwise, don’t worry. We’ll wait.”

“You really suck at pep talks.”

“Yeah, I know. Fuck.” Sed took a deep breath. “Did I make you feel worse? I’m sorry, man.”

Trey shook his head slightly. “Nah. How long do you think they’ll keep me in this place?”

“Are you bored?”

“f**k yeah, I’m bored. And I’m dying for a cherry sucker.”

Sed grinned. Something he could do to help. Even if it was minor. “One cherry sucker coming up. Then you have to get some rest because tomorrow everyone is going to be all over you.”

He smiled slightly. “You’re probably right.”

“You know I am.” Sed stood to leave.

“Sed?”

“Yeah, buddy?”

“What am I going to do if I don’t get better?” Trey asked in a small voice.

Sed paused, his heart rising to his throat. “Don’t talk like that, man. You are going to get better.”

“Guitar. The band. That’s all I have. All I know. I don’t know how to do anything else.”

“You don’t have to know how to do anything else. We aren’t going anywhere, okay?”

Trey lowered his gaze and nodded. “Is Brian still here?”

“No, he left a while ago. Do you want me to call him?”

Trey shook his head. “No. He has Myrna now.”

Sed didn’t know how to deal with someone this depressed. It just wasn’t in his skill set. “I’m going to go get you that sucker now.” Maybe that would help.

He wasn’t sure if Trey even heard him. His eyes had drifted out of focus.

Sed headed for the elevator in search of someplace that would sell him a cherry sucker. The gift shop was closed. The cafeteria didn’t sell candy. He found a vending machine that sold Life Savers and used all his change to buy as many rolls as possible. On his way back to Trey’s floor, he called Eric. “Hey, are you coming into the hospital soon?”

“I thought Trey didn’t want to see anyone.”

“Do we care? He’s majorly bummed. Bring some cherry suckers with you. He’s going through withdrawal.”

“Will do. How’s he doing? I talked to him, but it’s hard to tell on the phone.”

“Better, I think. He looks good. The staples in his head look hardcore. The fans will love that. You know about his hands, don’t you?”

“Yeah, Brian told me. I’ll be there in a few with his lollipops. Jace is fuckin’ missing again. I swear I’m going to kick his ass when I see him. Doesn’t he know I need a ride?”

“You could call a cab.”

“I guess. Dave wants to come to visit too. Do you think Trey would be okay with that?”

“I don’t know. He needs someone to cheer him up.” Their soundboard operator wasn’t known for his amazing sense of humour, but he was a good guy.

“I’m on it. Later.”

Sed ended the call and headed to Trey’s room with his meagre offering of Life Savers. Five flavours? There was no guarantee any of them were cherry.

Sed walked in without knocking. “I couldn’t find any cherry suckers, but…”

Trey had his pretty brunette physician’s assistant in his arms, kissing her as if there was no tomorrow.

“Whoa! Pardon me.” Sed spun on his heel to leave, but the PA brushed passed him and ran from the room, fleeing for her life apparently. Sed glanced over his shoulder at Trey, who looked rather pleased with himself.

“Even crippled, I still got it.” He smoothed his eyebrow with the side of his finger.

Sed didn’t like his use of the word crippled but didn’t know what to say. “Uh. I hope these Life Savers will tide you over until Eric gets here with your suckers.”

“Eric’s coming?”

“Yeah. He’s bringing Dave.”

“Cool. Why don’t you call Jake and have him round up some groupies for me?”

Sed’s brow crinkled with confusion. “Huh?”

Trey unwrapped a roll of Life Savers, flicking candies off one at a time with his thumb until he came to a red one. He popped the red one in his mouth. It took some concentration for him to use his hands, but he was already doing better than he had been even a half-hour ago. What had changed? Sed decided he was pissed instead of feeling sorry for himself.

“I told you I was bored,” Trey said. “Some group s*x should take care of that.”

“Where is this coming from?”

“Well, you’ve got Jessica back now and Brian is fuckin’ married, so that leaves more p***y for me and Eric, right?”

“Trey—”

“Where is Jessica, anyway? Gonna take her out and play along the Vegas strip like you did last night? Did she give you some? I bet she did. I’d take that over a subdural hema-fuckin-toma any day.”

Trey started flinging all of his non-cherry Life Savers across the room. Some of them hit the wall and shattered, spreading candy confetti across the floor.

“Can I come in?” Jessica asked from the doorway.

“Speaking of your good piece of ass. I guess she got lonely. Probably wants to give you some right now.”

Sed didn’t know how to react. This wasn’t like Trey at all. When he was a teenager, yeah, Trey had been like this. Chip on his shoulder. The world out to get him. But he’d been content for the past decade.

“Come on in, sweetheart,” Sed called to Jessica. “Help me keep Trey company.”

“Are you sure?” Jessica asked, stepping through the doorway but not venturing any deeper into the room.

He was more than sure. Maybe she could calm Trey down where he had so utterly failed.

“By all means,” Trey said, “join the party. I’m currently waiting for a surprise enema as a punishment for sucking contraband Life Savers. Pull up a chair. Should be fun to watch my continued misery.”

“Trey, what the f**k is wrong with you?” Sed asked.

“I don’t know, Sed. Maybe I have brain damage or something.” He poked himself in the head much harder than necessary.

Sed winced. Where was Brian? Brian would know how to handle him.

Jessica came further into the room and perched on the edge of Trey’s bed. “What’s the matter, sweetie?” She traced his eyebrow with her thumb, leaning close so only inches separated their noses. Jade green eyes stared into emerald green. Had it been any other guy on the planet, Sed might have been jealous, but this was Trey. He had no interest in another guy’s woman. He could get what he wanted from an infinite variety of available ass.

“Don’t baby me,” Trey grumbled at Jessica.

“I’m not babying you. I’m concerned about you. You don’t really think you’re going to be stuck in the hospital forever, do you?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, bunching his hospital gown across his shoulders. “Maybe.”

“Youse wants me and Sed ta bust ya outta dis joint?”

Trey grinned, watching her from the corner of his eye. “Maybe.”

“Sed,” Jessica whispered.

“What?”

“Start tying bedsheets together.” She stood and crossed the room to press on the window with both hands. “I’ll work on getting this open.”

“We’re on the fifteenth floor,” he reminded her.

“So it will take a lot of sheets. Raid the supply closet.” She glanced at Trey. “You aren’t afraid of heights, are you?”

Trey grinned and shook his head at her.

“Good.” She looked down at the ground far below. “I’m not sure we can get enough sheets. That’s a loooooong way down. Maybe we should make a parachute instead. How do you feel about base jumping?”

“Uh, no.” Trey chuckled, his scowl completely gone. “I think I prefer being stuck in this hellhole over attempting your brilliant escape plans.”

“If you want to survive,” Sed murmured in all seriousness.

Trey and Jessica exchanged glances and burst out laughing.

“Oh jeez,” Trey said, wiping tears of mirth from the corners of both eyes. “He thought you were serious.”

Sed chewed his lip, feeling like an ass. He had been taking it all too seriously. No wonder Trey had been so uptight. “Nah, I was just playing along with her.”

“Suuuuure,” Trey said, laughing even harder.

Jessica’s eyes met Sed’s. She smiled and winked at him. And just like that, all the tension left the room. This woman, his woman, was amazing.

Jessica seemed to enjoy caring for Trey. Fluffing his pillow. Adjusting his bed to a more reclined position. Rubbing his wrists, which he claimed were cramping upon him. Sed was convinced Trey was making stuff up just to get her attention. Sed considered making up a few aches of his own. She was practically ignoring him and he didn’t like it. At all.

A while later, Eric entered the room with a garbage bag. “It’s about time you woke up, lazy ass,” he said to Trey. “You think you’re on vacation or something?” He crossed the room in several long-legged strides and upended the sack over Trey’s lap, burying him in an avalanche of cherry suckers. “I hope they don’t keep you in here longer than a day. I can’t keep up with this addiction of yours.”

Dave, their soundboard operator, entered with a laptop and set it on Trey’s lap. “Dude, I’m tired of answering your fuckin’ fan mail. Do it yourself.”

“What?” Trey scrolled down a screen of messages, his fingers curled awkwardly over the touchpad.

“A thousand get-well-soon messages and counting,” Dave told him. “Your fans have always been loyal.”

“Not to mention crazy as hell,” Eric said. “There’s a whole crowd of them camped outside the hospital. Getting through security was insane.”

“Awesome. I could use a little fan lovin’ right now.”

“Oh, there’s plenty of love in there,” Dave said. “Trust me.”

“Any interesting pictures?”

“Slutty, you mean?” Eric said, fingering the cleft in the centre of his chin.

Trey grinned his orneriest. “Obviously.”

Dave, the most normal-looking roadie on the planet, sat in the chair beside the bed. “I put those in your save folder.”

“I think I love you, Dave,” Trey said, poking keys with one finger.

“You ready to go eat?” Sed asked Jessica. “Eric and Dave will keep an eye on Trey. And you must be starving. I know I am.”

She nodded. He moved his arm to circle her shoulders and directed her toward the door. “See you later, Trey. We’ll stop by again this evening.”

“Later,” Trey said absently, pointing at something on the computer screen and laughing with Eric. “She’s right. That does make me feel better. But I don’t think that bikini is legal. Not even on a nude beach.”

“Dude, dude, email her back. Wait. Let me get a picture of your head staples.” Eric snapped a picture of the side of Trey’s head with his camera phone. “Fuckin’ brutal. You are gonna get so much sympathy pussy.”

Sed grinned. Yeah, Eric’s antics and some fan lovin’ were exactly what Trey needed. Sed was glad he’d called him.

“So, where would you like to eat?” Sed asked Jessica as they walked toward the elevator at the end of the hall.

She shrugged and snuggled closer to his side. Her hand slid discretely over his crotch on its journey to clutch the waistband of his pants. “Someplace dark. With a booth.”

Hell, yeah. He was all about dark booths.

Jessica dunked a jumbo shrimp in cocktail sauce and then lifted it to Sed’s open mouth. He bit into it and she dropped the tail on a small plate.

“How’s that?” she murmured.

He chewed and swallowed before he said, “Spicy. What is that? Horseradish?”

She kissed him, touching her tongue to his. She drew away and stared into his sky blue eyes. “I think you’re right. Horseradish.”

They were way underdressed for this restaurant at the Venetian hotel, but the hostess had recognized Sed and, at his request, seated them in a semi-circular booth in the far corner. As it was mid-afternoon, the place was mostly deserted and the olive-green leather backs of the booths were high to offer plenty of privacy. Both facts would serve Jessica’s purposes perfectly. She hoped to take Sed’s mind off things for a while.

Jessica slid her left hand beneath the white table cloth and then the cloth napkin on Sed’s lap. He stiffened when her fingers brushed against his crotch. His c**k stirred beneath her fingertips.

“Jess…”

She reached for another shrimp, bit off the tip and offered the second half to him. He separated the succulent meat from the inedible tail with his teeth. Her hand slid over the smooth leather covering his thigh.

He squirmed. “Do you want to go back to the room?”

She unbuttoned his pants and slowly released his zipper. “Not at all. Do you?”

She carefully tugged his c**k from his open fly, making sure to keep the large cloth napkin in place.

Sed sucked a breath between his teeth. “Kinda,” he said, two octaves higher than his usual baritone pitch.

She rubbed her thumb over the head of his c**k, loving how the shaft responded by twitching and thickening in her hand.

“You sure? We can have a little fun right here.”

“It drives me crazy when you’re naughty,” he growled in her ear.

Jessica was all about driving him crazy.

Their waitress appeared, smiling brightly. “How’s the shrimp?”

Sed jumped as if she’d shot him. “Good. Really good. Excellent. Yeah, excellent. I like it. It’s delicious.”

The waitress grinned at his over-enthusiasm and lifted a bottle of house wine in their direction. “Would you like more wine?”

Jessica stroked the silky skin of Sed’s c**k with her fingertips and lifted her glass with her free hand. “I’d like some more.”

“Yes, more please,” Sed murmured.

Their waitress refilled their glasses. “Your entrees should be ready soon.”

Jessica took a sip of her wine and squeezed Sed’s c**k beneath the table.

“Take your time,” Sed squeaked at the waitress. “We aren’t in any hurry.”

The young woman smiled and left them to their own devices.

Sed reached for his wine, almost knocking it over in his haste to grab it. He chugged it in three swallows.

Jessica glanced around to make sure no one was watching and then knocked the napkin off Sed’s lap.

“Whoops. Let me get that for you.”

She ducked under the table, hiding beneath the white table cloth. She picked up the napkin with her right hand and, at the same time, directed Sed’s thick c**k into her mouth with her left. She slurped him deep into the back of her throat. The china rattled as Sed grabbed the edge of the table. She pulled back, sucking hard, and bumped her head on the underside of the table. Her tongue danced over the head of his c**k, stroking and teasing until Sed groaned in torment. She drew him into her throat, knowing he liked hard suction up and down his length, and she gave it to him. Repeatedly. The china rattled above her again. His feet slid across the floor as his excitement intensified and his body motions became involuntary. She sucked him faster, harder, the head of his c**k bumping against the back of her throat. His hand burrowed into her hair and he held her down on his shaft. He gasped brokenly as he let go. His fluids pulsed into the back of her throat. She swallowed, sucked more of his salty offering into her mouth, and swallowed again. When she released his c**k from her mouth, she blew a cool breath over his wet flesh and then covered his crotch with his napkin again. Jessica reappeared above the table and looked up at him for his reaction.

Sed had gone entirely still. She didn’t think he was even breathing. Jessica nonchalantly tucked her hair behind her ears with both hands and selected another shrimp. Before Sed managed to draw a deep breath, she’d already eaten two of the tender crustaceans.

Sed released his breath in a huff. “I can’t believe you did that.”

She winked at him. “Yes, you can.”

He tugged her closer to him in the booth, his arm around her shoulders. He nibbled on her ear. Goosebumps rose on her neck.

“You fuckin’ rock, baby,” he murmured.

“You rock at fuckin’, baby.”

He chuckled and his hand slid up her thigh beneath her skirt. She stiffened.

“Your n*****s are hard,” he murmured in her ear. And he would know. His gaze was trained down at her chest. “Does it excite you to be naughty in public?”

Hell yeah, it did, but she said, “The air conditioning is a little chilly.”

“I could warm you up. Suck on them,” he said, his eyes still trained on her beaded n*****s. His hand slid further under her skirt. “And lick you.” His fingers brushed over her mound. “Here.” Well, that would definitely warm her up, but she doubted it would turn down her high beams.

Her flesh swelled against his fingertips, craving more than a cursory caress. His breathless words turned her on as much as his touch did. “Later,” she promised. “It’s still your turn.”

Her hand snuck beneath his napkin again. When she touched his bare skin, his breath caught, his body convulsed. She began to stroke him, rubbing his softening c**k from base to tip with a slow, gentle touch, wanting him hard again so she could give him more pleasure. Sed’s fingers teased the curls between her legs, seeking bare skin. Before he could find any, their waitress appeared carrying their meal and a little stand, which she popped open to hold the tray while she served them. Sed pulled his hand from beneath Jessica’s skirt and clung to the edge of the table, blushing with guilt. Jessica continued to stroke him beneath his napkin, careful to move only her wrist so the waitress didn’t figure out what she was doing beneath the table. Something about the woman being there obviously excited Sed. His c**k swelled rapidly in Jessica’s hand.

The clueless waitress set Jessica’s plate of porcini mushroom tortelloni before her. Sed held his hands out while the young woman served his plate of lasagna.

“Looks delicious,” he said breathlessly.

The waitress offered him a timid smile. “Do you need anything else?”

“I’m good.” Sed glanced at Jessica.

She smiled and nodded, still stroking his c**k with the same slow, gentle touch.

“Yell if you need anything.”

“Will do.”

Jessica picked up her fork and took a bite of pasta. The exotic, earthy flavours bathed her taste buds and her eyes drifted closed in bliss. “Oh God, this is delicious.” She took another bite and another.

Sed hadn’t moved since their waitress had left. Jessica glanced at him and found him lost in ecstasy, but it had nothing to do with the magnificent-smelling yet untouched lasagna on his plate. His eyes were closed, lips parted, breath hitching in time with her continued slow strokes beneath the table. She shifted her hand to massage the head of his c**k, rubbing and gently twisting his most sensitive flesh. Sed shuddered and emitted a low growl of torment. He used to be a lot harder to seduce. He wasn’t even trying to resist her attention. He’d submitted to her power, given her complete control, and she had to admit, she liked having him at her mercy.

“Did you change your mind about the lasagna?” she asked, rubbing the slick bead of pre-c*m over the skin of his cockhead with her thumb. She speared a mushroom with her fork and held it in his direction. “Want some of mine, instead? It’s magnificent.”

“That feels so good,” he whispered breathlessly.

She leaned close to whisper in his ear. “Do you wanna come again? I’ll take you there. Would you like that? To spurt your c*m in my hand and watch me lick it off in front of everyone.” Just talking about it had her juices dripping from her swollen, achy, hopelessly empty p***y.

He shook his head slightly. “Inside you. I wanna come inside you this time.”

That was her preference too, but there was no way they could do that here discreetly. She should let him calm down for now and they could pick this up somewhere more private after they finished eating.

But playing with him was so much fun. She stroked him faster and kept a sharp lookout for any spectators. If anyone saw the look on his face, there’d be no question of what was going on under the table. She could only imagine his expression when he’d let go in her mouth just ten minutes ago. Sed tugged her closer, plastering her body against the length of his side.