Destined, A Lair Novel (Lair Series Book 4) Read online

  During the photo shoot, a shy smile lifted the rose-tinted lips that I loved biting on. That led to thoughts of what would be happening after the prom. But a swift glance at her father had my cock shrinking back in self-preservation mode.

  Now wasn’t the time to imagine what would be later. I first had to get through a few torturous hours of dancing and smiling. Only once we were in the limo, heading down the Shore, would I allow myself to become excited at what would happen.

  Every detail had been perfectly planned. My parents had lent us our beach house for the weekend. My best friend, Chase, and his girlfriend, Kim, who was also Alivia’s best friend, would be joining us. On Trey’s insistence, Dad had arranged for our housekeeper to serve as chaperone. Like that would stop me. I had asked her to fill my room with pink rose petals, candles, and chocolate-covered strawberries. Okay, it wasn’t all my idea. Dad helped, enabled… whatever.

  The man was as romantic as they came. He had me swear not to tell my mother, even though I knew she’d think the entire situation was sweet. As my dad had said, we were in love.

  It was time to take our relationship toward a new juncture. Fuck, I was probably the last eighteen-year-old male virgin on earth. But for Alivia, I’d wait as long as it took.

  And tonight… the wait would be over.

  To say that was the longest night of my life would be an understatement. We had both waited an eternity for this moment to come. From the constant flush on her cheeks to the way she bit her lip whenever our eyes met, I knew she felt the same.

  Until now, all our sexual encounters had included sneaking around on the beach as our parents partied a few hundred yards away. Or exploring each other’s bodies in my bedroom because it was safer for me than being caught in hers. I’d kissed and tasted every part of her, and all that was mere prep work, a whole load of foreplay for the main event that was finally upon us.

  It was close to midnight when the limo pulled up the cobblestone drive and parked in front of my house. Alivia shimmied in her seat excitedly.

  “This weekend is going to be epic,” Chase said, and I couldn’t agree more. He and I helped our girls out of the car while Alec retrieved our bags. Because of my father and his paranoia stemming from an ex–band member trying to kill my mother, Alec worked for Dad’s close friend Oscar’s security agency. In Dad’s defense, that dude Danny something was a psychopath. After he’d been killed in prison, Mom had convinced Dad to loosen the protective tentacles he kept around his band and their families. Still, for certain events or occasions, one of Oscar’s guys tagged along, most of the time posing as a driver.

  “I’ll bring these in for you, Shane.”

  “Thanks, Alec.” Alivia held my hand tightly as we entered the house and were immediately greeted by the sweet, jolly woman I adored. “Hey, Edna.”

  “Mr. Shane, look how handsome you are. And Miss Alivia, simply breathtaking.”

  “Thank you, Edna,” Alivia said, matching her expression. Edna had worked for my parents for years, and every summer she’d had a front-row seat to the two of us growing up.

  I waved a hand behind me, where my best friend and his date hovered near the door. “I don’t know if you remember Chase and Kim.”

  “Of course. Congratulations to you all. Prom weekend, what an exciting time. Come.” We all followed her through the foyer into the kitchen. “I’ve prepared some snacks for you guys. Those school dances always serve such awful food.”

  “Thank you.” I glanced at my friends before nodding. “We’re starving.” Edna had a nice spread of cheese and crackers, fruit, and mini sandwiches, along with a dessert tray and a bottle of what appeared to be champagne chilling on ice.

  “Good. Enjoy, and if you need me, I’ll be in the den.” She leaned closer conspiratorially. “The bubbly is from your mom and dad. Don’t get too excited; it’s sparkling grape juice.”

  “Of course it is.” With the way they kept us on a tight leash, an outsider would never know we were the spawn of rock stars. But I loved that Edna knew to give us privacy. And although there to act as a chaperone, the woman wasn’t unaware as to what went on during prom weekend.

  “She’s so sweet,” Kim said before snatching a strawberry off the platter. “Look, the cookies are tropical themed, like the dance.”

  “That is definitely my mom and Aunt Leila’s doing,” Alivia countered as I poured us all a glass. That was true. Our moms were all about the details, while my dad was concerned only with proper protection the first time we had sex. It was a huge pet peeve of his. The why had to do with his ex-girlfriend wanting to forever be connected to my father through a pregnancy. She wanted the spoils that would come from his fame, and when he’d shared details only a few weeks ago, it had scared the living shit out of me. Real cooking-your-rabbit psychological thriller shit.

  After passing the girls and Chase a fancy glass, I raised mine. “Tonight marks the first step toward graduation, and the beginning of a kick-ass summer.”

  And damn if I wasn’t looking forward to it. Weeks of doing nothing but being with my girl and playing with my band. I used the term band loosely. No Rulz were good enough for local bars and parties, but otherwise it was just an opportunity for me to play.

  In their defense, my buddies weren’t looking for a lifelong career in music. They each had plans for their futures. Even Chase played drums for us as a hobby, hoping to become an actor someday.

  As for me, I was just buying time. Training from one of the most talented bassists on earth had created an appetite for stardom. I’d already performed with Devil’s Lair—at a charity benefit once to fill in for Mom’s brother Evan, and sometimes even for Trey if he had another obligation. How many other teenagers could say the same?

  Being a musician was my goal, and many would think, with who my parents were, that it was a done deal. But that didn’t matter to them. Dad had dropped out of NYU to pursue his dream of becoming a rock star. Mom hadn’t gone to college for the same reasons. It’d been a bone of contention between my grandparents and them. Because of that, my mom and dad had pushed me to go to college. I guessed I became a catalyst for their regrets.

  There was one reason I agreed. Come fall, I’d be starting NYU along with Alivia. Together we applied to a few schools. Alivia had wanted to stay local and got into each one. By the skin of my teeth, I had gotten into NYU, and our decision was made. The plan was to eventually get an apartment together in the city. Knowing her father, that would create an argument. For our first year we’d live on campus in separate dorms. Living with some random dude over her held no appeal.

  So, again, Alivia was the only reason I was going at all… and getting that stupid degree to make my parents happy.

  “Buh-bye, high school,” Chase announced with his glass in the air. My buddy was heading to UCLA come August. Kim had accepted a scholarship at UMass and was heartbroken over it. Alivia hoped their relationship survived the distance. “High school won’t be missed.”

  “Nope… because soon we’ll be taking the world by the balls,” I went on to say. “In the meantime, here’s to the summer of our lives. You three are my best friends, and I love you guys.” They echoed my words, and I tapped my glass on Alivia’s before taking a sip. Leaning closer, I kissed her softly. “I love you the most.”

  Her crystal-blue eyes shimmered with emotion as she said, “Ditto.”

  We were two kids who’d gone from playmates to soul mates. Some would say that was an extreme thing to claim at the ripe old age of eighteen, but it was true. Alivia Felice Taylor was my soul mate.

  Chapter Two

  Alivia

  Shane stared down at me with a smile. “Ready?”

  “I’m ready.” He opened the door and led me into his bedroom, where I gasped in surprise. “Oh, Shane…” More words failed me as I stared in awe at the pale-pink rose petals scattered over the floor and on the bed, the flickering candles strategically placed around the room.

  “You like it?”

  �
��I love it.” I wrapped my arms around him and buried my face in his neck. “It’s so beautiful.”

  “No… this is a romantic gesture. You’re beautiful,” he countered, skimming his hand up and down my back.

  I could say the same of him. As a boy, Shane was adorable, and I’d crushed hard… as much as a six-year-old could. When we met, being the oldest of all the other kids in the Devil’s Lair family naturally bonded us. Even though there were only a few or so years between us and them, his little twin siblings Madden and Siarra looked up to us, and Drexel, who was a baby at the time, adored Shane.

  Once my brother, Trestan, was born, the nine-year age difference with Shane had automatically put my boyfriend into an idol-worshipping situation. Funny, their relationship wasn’t much different than the one Shane had with my dad when he was younger.

  As far as myself, the older we got the more my crush intensified. Shane’s cute boyish looks slowly morphed into those of a hot, tall, fit man in the making, with just the right amount of cockiness. His brunette locks always had that perfectly tousled thing going. Thanks to working out religiously, his lanky frame filled out into a male model’s physique. Just imagining those sculpted pecs, that ridge along his hips, and the sexiest thin trail of hair that stretched from his belly button southward never failed to make me delirious with desire.

  He dressed like a rock star: leather jackets, basic T-shirts, and jeans. He acted like one too… although he was destined to become famous. At eighteen, Shane was really good, already labeled by people in the business as a prodigy. Watching him perform had to be the hottest thing I’d ever seen short of seeing him naked. He commanded his instrument as though it were an extension of his body. Shane was already a musical marvel. Fate had given me no choice but to fall hard for him.

  But our relationship wasn’t always a sappy love tale. No one could piss me off as easily and as thoroughly as Shane could. My mom said it was because I loved him so much. Maybe so, but still, we’ve had our share of fights over the years. As kids it may have been a board game, competitive soccer match, him teasing me over my love for Hello Kitty, or how he despised my cat, Miss Kitty, that caused them.

  Now our arguments usually stemmed from his aversion to making plans or being serious when I needed him to be.

  Shane had a “we’ll see” attitude over everything, a laxness that annoyed me to no end. Of course, there were the times his desire to wing it had created an exciting adventure. Like the day he got his driver’s license, picked me up, and drove right for the beach… school be damned. And we would’ve gotten away with it had it not been for the tracker my dad had loaded up on my phone because he had predicted that very situation. Shocker. Still, being punished for a weekend had been worth it.

  Shane was quick to say that I wasn’t an angel either. That was true. I tended to push his buttons a bit. In my defense, the angrier he got, the more turned on I became. Both Infuriating Shane and Sweet Shane could equally have my heart pounding by just pinning me with those gorgeous hazel eyes. Sometimes green, sometimes gray, with golden flecks that speckled around his pupils when catching the light—they would always entrance me.

  Like now.

  There was no place I felt safer than in his arms. His intoxicating clean scent warmed me from the inside out and never failed to comfort me. In fact, I loved the smell of his soap so much that I switched to his brand.

  He pried me off his body to search my face expectantly, probably thinking I’d freak out at any moment. “Are you nervous?”

  “Not really.” And I should’ve been freaking out, but excitement dominated over nervousness. I’d been looking forward to this night since Shane and I first decided it would be the night. “I am in awe. I know you wanted it to be special, but I can’t believe all this. How did you get this done? You haven’t left my side all night.”

  The way his lips quirked into a smirk meant I wasn’t going to be happy. “I had help,” he admitted.

  “Please don’t tell me Edna did this for you.” I received a shrug as a response. “Shane! I’m so embarrassed. How am I going to face her tomorrow?”

  Two strong arms pulled me back into his embrace. “Would it matter if she didn’t play a role? She’s not dumb, Liv.” He pulled me even closer and bent to kiss my lips. “Four teenagers spending prom weekend in a big-ass beach house screams of sex. It’s a rite of passage. We aren’t the only two who ever had this idea, you know.”

  No, but we were probably the only two in our graduation class who would be losing their virginity tonight. Chase and Kim had taken the leap off Virgin Mountain months ago in his twin bed when his parents were out for dinner. After my best friend squealed that she’d lost her V-card, I’d forced her to tell me everything.

  In a nutshell, for her it hurt and then it didn’t… for Chase, it was “fucktastic.”

  She’d actually used air quotes for that part.

  Who knew if Chase had made it only about the result? I trusted that Shane would be sensitive to both our needs. We may not have gone all the way yet, but there wasn’t much else we hadn’t done. So many times, while we made out or fooled around, we came dangerously close to having sex. Naturally, I learned a lot along the way. Like how kissing below his ear as I touched him there would cause him to moan as if in pain. Except that, he wasn’t in pain… not in the negative sense.

  He equally knew my triggers as well. Like the first time he’d kissed parts of my body that until then he’d only touched had me coming harder than I ever had. Who knew the difference between a fingertip and a tongue could create a life-altering experience?

  It went without saying that I liked it… a lot.

  When I’d given him a blow job on his last birthday, I’d worried that I wasn’t good enough. Like me, he had never experienced that act before. But based on his reaction, during and after, I must have done something right. I loved how he’d responded. When he’d tried to pull out and spare me from him coming in my mouth, I held him tighter, determined to finish what I’d started.

  That had happened in the basement of this very house, in the middle of the night, when everyone else was asleep. Afterward, he’d sent me back to one of the guest rooms, hating that he couldn’t hold me until we both fell asleep.

  Such was the nature of our intimacy. Sneaking around like the teenagers we were didn’t make for an ideal romantic setup, and that was the main reason we’d refrained from having sex until now. Knowing I wanted it to be special, Shane would stop us before it got to that point. Kim and Chase had the luxury of privacy.… Shane and I did not.

  When you were the kids of one of the most famous rock bands in the world, inconspicuousness was hard to achieve. You couldn’t just walk into a hotel, underage, and request a room. The back seat of his BMW held no appeal. Besides, where would we park? At Shane’s grandfather’s house in the burbs?

  Throw in all the get-togethers we’d have with the rest of the band and their families, all of which you called aunt or uncle, their kids, staff, and the many friends each band member had, and it made intimate moments nearly impossible. Still, Shane and I surprisingly made do. Our favorite spot was on the beach, away from his parents’ house and tucked behind a dune. God, we made great use of that spot. Winters were harder, but the storage closet in the unused party room in his building served that purpose.

  “I love you, Liv.” His eyes seared into mine before he cupped my face in his hands.

  “I love you too. Thank you for making it special for me.”

  “I’d do anything for you.” He bent to kiss me, first tracing my lips with his tongue before sliding it into my mouth. The effect was instant. The dress I wore and the sexy underwear beneath it felt too tight and constricting. My skin felt hot and oversensitive. Between his kissing skills and the build that we’d created for this evening, my desire had become unbearable.

  Needing to move things along, I broke away to tug on his bow tie until it went slack. My fingers trembled a bit when I removed his boutonniere and placed it
on his dresser before shoving off his jacket until it fell on the floor. And then I unbuttoned his shirt until it gaped open to reveal his firm, muscular chest.

  “Unzip me?” I asked, gathering my hair in one hand while turning my back to him. He mimicked my move, slipping the corsage off my wrist to place it beside his rose before doing as I asked and not stopping until the pale-pink fabric pooled at my feet.

  “Shit, Liv,” he groaned. Two firm hands slipped around my stomach as he kissed the side of my neck before saying into my ear, “You’re killing me.” I’d bought my new lace strapless bra and thong knowing it would drive him wild. Hiding it from my mom had been fun.

  Shane stepped away and tenderly palmed my ass with another groan before brusquely turning my body to face him so his eyes could devour the rest of me.

  “And as hot as you look in these…” A devious smirk lifted the corners of his lips while he slipped his hands around my back to unfasten my bra. “I need you naked.”

  “I could say the same.” Not comfortable being the only one bare, I tried to remove his shirt, but he shook his head.

  “Hold on,” he whispered before attaching his mouth to my neck. Having his lips on my bare skin caused familiar goose bumps to cover my flesh. He gently dragged his mouth over to my ear, kissing and licking in a way that had my knees going weak. Sensing my condition, his grip tightened around my back, yet he never stopped his seductive foreplay.

  With me in only a thong and heels, Shane lifted me with ease and placed me on the center of his bed. Next to go were my shoes, and then he lovingly resumed kissing my exposed breasts. By the time he slipped away to stand beside the bed, I was a mess of want.

  His eyes drilled into mine as he undressed, one article at a time. Seconds away from demanding he hurry the hell up, my restless huff gave me away, and he called me out on my impatience. “We have all night. I don’t want to rush this. Well, I do, but I’m doing my damnedest to go slow.”