Chapter 21: Chapter 21

LEXI

The backstage meeting area was smaller than Lexi expected. There was a table with snacks and drinks, a sectional couch, a door that led back to the main stage, and another door that led outside. Ten fans waited, as well as staff members.

When Hellfire walked in, Fiona exclaimed, “Oh my god, I love you so much, Landon!”

“Thank you, baby. I love my fans too.” He hugged her briefly, and she snapped a few selfies with her iPhone.

Landon then shook hands with Daniel and complimented his watch, which Lexi could tell was similar to the one on his own wrist. He greeted a few other fans before reaching to her.

“Wow!” Landon said. “I saw this dress when I was performing and sent someone to check if you were wearing a backstage pass because I planned to give you one.”

Lexi smiled and fiddled with her purse. ~How embarrassing would it be if I asked him to sign the thong? Everyone will think it’s mine.~ She decided against the original plan.

“My best friend loves you. May I please have a short video with you saying ‘hi’ to her? Her name is Reece.” Lexi was proud of how confident she sounded in the celebrity’s presence; her voice didn’t shake once.

~That’s because he doesn’t affect me.~

Landon made a short video for Reece, saying he hoped she’d be at his next concert. He ended the video and handed the phone back to Lexi.

“So, what about you?” he asked.

She raised an eyebrow.

“You said your best friend loves me. What about you?” He folded his arms and stared in an accusatory way.

“I love…your songs,” she said safely.

“My songs, huh? Name three that you know the words to.”

Lexi grinned and told him the three songs she loved most.

“What do you like about ‘On It’?” he asked, seeming like he was genuinely curious.

“I like the beat and the words. It’s basically saying a guy who used to be a player chooses not to be that way anymore for this one girl. She decides to trust him. He’s hers, and she’s his now too.”

Lexi was grateful she didn’t cry as she said that.

Landon placed a hand on her shoulder. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard anyone break it down like that for me before. Thank you. I appreciate it. I like hearing other people’s insights about my music.”

Lexi waited for the static electricity to hit, for the attraction to build. She waited for any reaction whatsoever, but nothing happened.

“You’re welcome,” she said casually. “The entire album stood out to me.”

An assistant appeared and whispered in Landon’s ear, no doubt saying that it was time to wrap things up. The singer nodded and turned back to Lexi, pulling out a business card from his pocket. “What’s your name?” he asked.

For the first time, Lexi glanced at Daniel, wanting to check if he was listening. He was. His eyes were wide as he stared at Landon.

“My name is Lexi.” With a mischievous grin, she added, “Landon and Lexi sounds hot, right?” She didn’t know what came over her, but she enjoyed messing with the man who spent the better half of the concert accepting kisses and making drinks for someone else.

“I like it. It’s like fate.” Landon pushed his business card into the palm of her small hand. “I’ll be here in town until tomorrow. Don’t be shy to call me and have breakfast or something. Invite your friend too.” He sent her a smile before turning to wave goodbye to the rest of his fans.

When Lexi turned around, Fiona’s mouth was on the floor. She rushed over to get a closer look at the card, but Lexi shoved it into her purse. ~This is a gift for Reece.~

“Don’t even think about it,” she said. “He gave it to me, not you. Besides, you’ve got your own rich, handsome guy tonight. Don’t be greedy.”

Lexi didn’t know where all this confidence was coming from, but she felt proud of herself for holding it together the entire night.

She was chatting with Fiona when a cold hand gripped her wrist. The grip was so tight she felt as if the blood circulation in that part of her body became an instant problem.

“Ouch!” she whined. The eyes that met hers were full of obvious rage. “Daniel, let go. You’re hurting me.” She tried to move his hand away from hers but couldn’t.

Next thing Lexi knew, she was being dragged through the door that led outside to the roof. She couldn’t even enjoy the view of skyscrapers because she was being shoved up against another cold concrete wall.

“What’s with all the violence, Daniel?” Lexi yelled at the top of her lungs, so loud she heard an echo in her head. “You’re here with someone else!”

“So, you want Landon now, right?”

“Why is that any of your business?” The question sounded more like a weak statement because she was confused by his hand now traveling up her thigh.

“~Get off me.~” The command was so low she would need a PA system for anyone to hear it.

~How dare you touch me when you came here with someone else? You have no right to question anything I do or don’t do. Let’s just finish this dreadful night and get the hell out of here.~

Lexi wished she could say all that out loud, but no words came as she stood against the wall with his hand massaging her thigh. Finally finding her voice, she said, “Daniel, don’t.”

“Don’t what?”

He lowered his lips to kiss her ear, and every cell in her body responded to him. She hated how much her body loved getting his attention~.~

Daniel was too good at this game. Lexi knew she was losing. Losing badly. She had to find a way to keep him talking—and keep her clothes on.

“Where’s Fiona?” she asked.

He only shrugged and kissed a lethal path from her earlobe to her neck. She had to bite her lip to keep from moaning.

“Why did you invite me here?” Lexi asked, though it sounded like the start of a bedroom poem.

“It’s the only way I could see you,” Daniel replied, his lips softly toying with her neck.

Her eyes rolled back. She had to ~focus~ on taking control of the situation.

“You refused to take my calls, and you turned down opening the café that morning that I requested you only. I tried everything to reach out to you, but you completely shut me out. What else was I supposed to do?”

Daniel finally lifted his head to meet her eyes.

“So, you led on my coworker and invite me here to—what? Make me jealous? That’s a little childish, don’t you think?”

He shook his head. “I didn’t lead her on; she knows I like you, and she wanted to help. This is the only way I could see you.”

No matter how hard Lexi pushed at Daniel’s chest, he didn’t release her. He kept her pinned, apparently determined to keep her in his arms, in his sights…~in his life.~

She was beyond confused. Her thoughts became loud and busy.

~He likes me?~ ~Why?~

~Is this another game?~

~Is he pretending again?~

~If he is, I can’t take it…I just can’t.~

Daniel gently pinched her chin with two fingers. “Listen to me very carefully, Draya.”

Lexi stared up at him with glossy eyes.

“I want you. I don’t know what that means because I don’t do girlfriends or commitments…but pretending with you felt like something real. It was the most real evening I’ve ever had in my entire life.

“I don’t know how else to convince you, I don’t even know how I was able to convince myself, but I don’t want to play games like this with you forever. I want to be straight with you. Just give me a chance to see where this could go. I’m not asking you to have sex with me; I’m asking you to get to know me and to allow me to get to know you. Give me a chance, please.”

Lexi stared at him as if she’d never seen him before. Those had to be the most un-Daniel-like words he’d ever spoken.

“Okay, let me get this straight… You talked Fiona into coming here so you could see me. Then why were you flirting with her and touching her and all that crap? You want to get to know me? Is this your way of getting to know someone?”

Lexi made another shove at Daniel’s chest, but he still didn’t release her. He only leaned back a little so he could look into her eyes. His big, possessive hand remained on her thigh.

“Let go of me,” Lexi said, annoyed. “Who talks while being held like this?”

Daniel smiled sadly. It was such an adorable look on him. Those puppy dog eyes made her heart tremble.

“If I let you go now, you won’t let me get this close to you again.”

He had a pretty good point. She rolled her eyes and looked away to hide her smile.

After a moment, Lexi collected herself and turned back to him. “Look, Daniel, I’m aware of your wit and your charm. I know the effect you have on women, and I know what you are capable of. I’m not interested in being your experiment or just another thing for you to do.

“Are you bored or something? Is that it? What do you want from me? Why are you telling me all this? You weren’t interested in me before, so why now? Why—”

He kissed her. Again.

It would have been fine if he simply pressed his lips against hers to silence her. It would’ve also been okay if he held her cheek as he pecked her lips.

But no.

He moved his hand from her thigh and gripped her throat instead. He didn’t peck her lips; he devoured them. He swallowed every moan that left her. He kissed her until all she could do was grip his shirt and sag against him.

She gave up as soon as his tongue entered her mouth. Something about being held and kissed in this way just melted the fight right out of her body.

Daniel’s other hand found her thigh, but this time his fingers moved higher…higher…until her underwear brushed against his fingertips. He teased her until she was weak and soft.

Lexi kissed him back, tightening her grip on his shirt. Her kisses became fiercer; it was the only way she could respond when words failed to make sense.

His left thumb found its way under the thin material of her underwear and onto the most sensitive area of her body. As she moaned into his mouth, she was afraid he could hear her thoughts.

~Oh God, please help me!~

Lexi felt her knees wobble as her body tried to process the orgasm that overtook her. She shook violently against the wall, and Daniel had to hold her firmly to prevent her from falling.

She was barely over the last wave of ecstasy before the fucker withdrew his finger and pushed it into his mouth.

Lexi stared in shock. “Did you just…?” She didn’t know how to finish her own sentence.

When Daniel removed his finger from his mouth, he had a satisfied grin on his handsome face. “Sweet,” he complimented with a smirk.

She wanted to slap him.

“You look proud of yourself,” Lexi said as she reached down to adjust her underwear.

“Don’t tell me you’re mad at me again?”

She shifted until she was off the wall and free to move about. Avoiding eye contact, she asked, “What just happened?”

Daniel grinned brightly. “Which part?”

“All of it. What just happened?”

Her seriousness made him lose his smile. He suddenly looked as if someone ran over his pet in the driveway. “Are you seriously mad at me right now?”

“You touched me without my permission!” Lexi yelled. “Kissed me without my permission. And that last thing you did was also without my permission. What do you take me for?”

Her insides were in a puddle from making out and being touched, but her brain was the epitome of confusion.

~Why did I let him touch me?~

~I pushed him, but he didn’t move. Maybe I didn’t really want him to move.~

~What does that say about me? Being felt up on a roof at a concert by a man who’s never cared for anyone in his life. A man who flat-out told me he wanted to fuck me and forget me.~

~I was supposed to ignore him tonight. Reece will be so disappointed in me.~ ~I said I wouldn’t fall for his charms, but instead, I tripped and drowned in his puddle of fuckery.~

“Draya.” Daniel stepped forward cautiously, choosing the words she least wanted to hear. “I didn’t force you. I understand your body more than you do.”

“You don’t know a damn thing!” she yelled again.

“I know you just came all over my hand. I know your weak spot is your neck and your clit. I also know that when you held my shirt and squeezed for dear life, that was your body telling me not to stop.”

Lexi was horrified. Her face got so hot that she could fry an egg on her cheekbones.

“So, you think that just because you made me cum I’m going to submit to you?” She didn’t understand the root of her rage, but she knew she had some reason to be angry.

“I didn’t say that.”

“You said enough. Don’t think I forgot the disgusting things you said to me already. Let me remind you in case you’ve forgotten.” Lexi glared at Daniel and started counting his offenses on her fingers. “‘I’m not attracted to a girl like you.’ ‘I just want to fuck you and forget you.’ Should I go on?”

“What do I have to do to get you to stop bringing that up?”

He actually sounded regretful, but she didn’t want to hear it. “Even if by some miracle I forget what you said, I won’t forget your reputation. I won’t forget that when we met you only wanted to use me as an example for your friends.” Her voice broke. “I won’t forget any of it.”

Daniel stared at her, seemingly unsure of what to do next.

“Maybe tonight was another plan for you. Maybe you succeeded with what you just did to me. And I hate myself for letting you continue when I know your intentions. But this is the last time I’ll ever put myself in this position.”

Lexi began pacing the roof. “You invited me to make me jealous. Well, mission accomplished, Daniel. I was jealous. I hate that I can’t even lie to you about that.”

All he could do was stare at her.

Eventually, she stopped pacing and walked back toward the door. “Thanks for the ticket. Despite your efforts to ruin my night, I had a good time. My best friend will love the video Landon made, and I’m sure Fiona enjoyed herself as well.”

Lexi opened the door, but before she walked back into the building, she turned to look at Daniel. Her eyes were full of stubborn determination. “Let’s not see each other again.”

And on that note, she left.