Sad_Girl
Blue Crack Supplier
**Disclaimer: Though inspired in part by real people, nothing within the story is intended to represent reality; it’s all a work of the authors imagination.
The Promises we make Chapter 19
“So, where would you like to go?” Bono asked as they stepped outside into the slightly cooler night air. He stayed close to her, making it clear to anyone who was looking that they were ‘together’, should they wonder. She tried hard to keep the silly grin on her face under control, not wanting to look like some bloody idiot in a set of snapshots some fan posted all over the internet. She was pretty sure Bono himself was getting used to her smiling that way. She wondered if he’d even seen her frown once that day, and tried to recall when, if at all, that might’ve been.
“Laney?” He asked, drawing her out from her thoughts. She loved the sound of his voice speaking her name. When she was younger, he’d always called her ‘ledge’, short for little Edge. He’d always thought it was her cousin she was infatuated with following around.
“Oh, um… you know Dublin better than I do. Why don’t you just lead and I will follow.”
“I will follow?” He repeated with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes at him. Her cheeks were actually aching from the effort to keep her smile in check. “Ok, C’mon.” he told her, holding out his hand for her to take. She accepted quietly, the feeling of his thick fingers sliding between her own sending a thrill of excitement throughout her body.
There was a series of flashes as a handful of people took pictures of the pair, nothing she hadn’t been prepared for. She’d been along for the beginning of their career, and already they had been getting this sort of attention. In fact, Bono had pretty much always been the center of attention, wherever he went. It was just who he was. He led her down the block and waved anxiously to one of the horse drawn carriages which waited nearby to take people on tours of the city.
Soon he had talked the driver into taxiing them to the nightclub he had in mind, and leaving behind the crowd which contained two professional photographers with whom he had grown annoyed. They simply didn’t show any respect to them, or any other celebrity, it seemed.
Laney climbed up into the carriage and had barely taken her seat before there was a jolt as the horse began to move forward. Bono lost his balance as he was sitting down, falling against her with a soft noise of surprise. Laney’s heart jumped in her chest and began racing as he chuckled, still pressed up against her and pinning her to the seat. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously, the corner of his sexy mouth turning up in a smirk.
“I think maybe you don’t need another drink.” Laney teased him gently, earning a soft laugh from him, his full smile emerging.
“I think the horse has been trained to do that. Y’know, to help make the ride romantic.” He told her, still disarmingly close to her. She smiled a broad honest smile at him, and for a moment, she was almost certain he was about to kiss her. Then his eyes grew distant and he leaned back and settled himself into his own side of the carriage. Laney’s stomach twisted painfully in disappointment, and for the first time since he had burst back into her life, she didn’t feel like smiling.
The city at night was enchanting, but Laney only noticed it as a blur passing by as her thoughts were focused internally. What was she thinking? She was being a complete idiot, ever dreaming she had a chance. She was letting her imagination run wild, and all she would get in the end would be a broken heart. She glanced over at him, out of the corner of her eye, and came to the decision that even if it would never happen, she would at least try. Nothing was worse than never knowing because you were too frightened to even give it a go.
After all, they *were* here, together, alone. She had certainly never believed this would be happening.
“What’re you thinking of, all serious over there?” Bono asked, cocking his head to the side and studying her, as if by doing so he could see her thoughts written clearly across her face.
“Just… wondering where the past fifteen years have gone.” She told him, her eyes taking in everything about him and recording it to memory. She wasn’t ever going to forget a moment like this. He smiled softly in response, his eyes growing distant.
“Every once in awhile I stop and wonder that, too.” He told her. “It’s like… I stop and look around and everything has changed but me. I’m still eighteen years old inside, but everything else is different.” Laney nodded. Yesterday if someone had said that to her, she might well have disagreed. Today, she agreed completely.
The carriage came to a stop at a corner near the nightclub and the driver hurried to help them step down from inside. Bono handed the man a large bill and waved him off dismissively when he told him he couldn’t make change. Laney smiled proudly at this, knowing Bono wasn’t showing off how much money he had, rather he was simply generous with it.
Inside the club, they were escorted quickly to a private table. The table, of course, did not stay private for long. Bono was the sort of man who had always attracted a crowd, he loved to talk and tell stories, and he lived to entertain. Laney could hardly believe it when she looked at her watch and realized it was just past two o’clock. The entire night had flown by in a rush of stories and laughter.
“Laney?” she heard Bono’s voice calling her attention back to him, as if unwilling to lose it to her watch for even that moment. She looked back up at him, into his sleepy blue eyes, her heart flooding with love and need, just like every other time. “Have a dance with me?” he asked, and Laney’s attention was turned to the slow, sultry music surrounding them. She smiled shyly and nodded, her heart once again beginning to race as she stood and moved to the dance floor with him.
He wrapped a big arm around her waist, pulling her up against him, much of their bodies touching. He sang softly along with the song, his voice in her ear as she rested her head on his shoulder. She was as comfortable with him as if they had been best friends for decades, even with the angst filled history, on her part, at least. He turned to her and she lifted her head, his lips less than an inch away, his cool eyes searching hers intently.
“You’re a beautiful woman. Do you realize that?” he asked, his words sending a shock of electricity through her veins. She swallowed hard over the nervous lump in her throat and smiled shyly.
“I think you’re just being nice.” She told him honestly. He shook his head gently at her, smiling that roguish smile of his. “I love you, you know. Always have.” She blurted out, the moment combined with the alcohol overwhelming her better sense. The words were out before she even realized she had spoken them. Once she heard them with her own two ears, her heart seemed to stop completely and a complete dread landed deep in her gut.
She was trying to figure out some way out of what she had just said when the most amazing thing happened, driving out all thoughts of embarrassment. He kissed her. No words, no warning, he simply leaned in and closed the distance between them, and his lips met her own.
His lips were soft, so soft! At first, he barely moved; just the slightest whisper of his lips against her own. Then, tilting his head to the side, their mouths met again, more firmly this time. She felt her body begin to melt inside, her muscles growing weak, and she clung tightly to him. His hand slid up her back and into her hair and her own hand did the same to him, rubbing the back of his neck tenderly. His other arm tightened its grip on her, pressing her more tightly against his broad chest.
The very tip of his tongue traced her lower lip tentatively before sliding over it, begging entrance into the heat of her mouth. She yielded to him eagerly, her lips parting, tongue moving against his own as he kissed her with a passion she’d only dreamed of. The brush of his stubbled skin against her smooth cheek was a delicious contrast to the smooth softness of his mouth.
By the time he broke the kiss, she was so breathless it was nearly painful. She gasped, her breath coming in pants, her chest heaving against his as she held fast to him. They still moved in time to the music, out on the dance floor. Otherwise, she might well have forgotten completely where they were and that there were other people around.
“You ready to go home?” he asked her, his voice a rough whisper. She nodded simply, her whole body trembling. “I’ll call for a car.” He told her, withdrawing his mobile phone from his pocket as he led the way out of the club and into the calm of the late night city. They had barely stepped out the door when he saw a familiar face.
“Henry?” He asked, as if he didn’t believe his eyes. The tall, slender man looked up from his newspaper and smiled. He was leaning against the frame of a black town car, as if patiently waiting for someone.
“You ready to go home, then?” Henry greeted them, moving to open the door to the backseat.
“How…?” Bono asked, obviously baffled by the man’s presence.
“Mr. Evans sent me, told me to wait for you.” Henry explained.
“How did he even know where we would be?” Bono wondered aloud.
“I guess he knows you pretty well, after all these years.” Laney joked, something about the fact that Edge had sent a driver after them not settling well in her heart and head. What had he been thinking about when he did that? Was he simply trying to help them? Or was there some sort of message he was trying to send, like a protective father?
It didn’t matter, she realized, because as soon as the door was shut behind them, Bono turned to her with that devilish grin and pulled her close again. His hand caressed her cheek gently before taking a strand of her coppery hair and running it over and through his fingers. Her heart was beating so hard, she was afraid it might pound it’s way right out of her chest.
He leaned in once more, his cheek brushing against hers as he nudged her face into the right position for their mouths to meet again, and she yielded once more, allowing him to sink into her, meld against her completely. He slid both hands down her back to hold her firmly, lifting her off the seat and pulling her onto his lap, one hand still resting against the small of her back as the other traced the slight gap which had appeared between her shirt and skirt. She jumped in surprise at the shock of sensation which shot through her when she felt his touch on her bare skin.
He pulled back to look at her, look into her eyes for a moment, worried that he’d hurt her or offended her. She smiled shyly at him and leaned in to continue kissing him, her hand resting against his, guiding it back up to her waist to let him know she liked his touch. He let a low moan escape his throat and the sound vibrated through her tantalizingly. Bono’s mouth slid down her chin and over her throat, teeth nipping sensitive skin occasionally, then soothing the bite with his velvet tongue.
Laney let her head fall back against her shoulder, whimpering slightly as his warm hand breached the barrier of her shirt to glide over the bare skin of her side. She suddenly felt the strange and entirely inappropriate urge to laugh. More like giggle, actually. She bit her lip to repress the sound but it escaped her, anyway, her happiness bubbling up out of her chest and demanding it’s release.
Bono leaned back to look at her, arching an eyebrow and smirking in bemusement.
“Did I do something funny?” He asked, laughter evident in his own voice.
“No!” She replied, her laughter building now to a full on fit. She rested her forehead against his and fought it down as best she could. “I’m sorry. I just…” she shrugged here and let her words trail off, not knowing how to explain the giddy feeling which had overcome her.
“I’m glad I make you happy.” He whispered to her, his teeth nipping her earlobe, his tongue sliding across it to soothe the assault on her tender flesh. Laney drew in a sharp breath at the rush of desire this sent through her. “You make me happy, too.” He whispered, his hand continuing its ascent slowly, teasingly, beneath her shirt.
“How happy?” She whispered playfully, leaning in close to his ear, the fingers of one hand running through his hair. She kissed the spot just beneath his ear, traced his jawline with her kisses as he gently explored beneath her shirt, his big fingers surprisingly gentle and nimble. He chuckled in response to her question, and smiled.
“I don’t think you’re old enough to know that.” He told her playfully.
“I’m 33. How old do I have to be?” She told him, still speaking in moans and whispers as she tasted the salty skin of his neck and nibbled on one bejeweled earlobe. She slipped one hand under the thick material of his button down shirt. No need to undo any buttons, he already wore it halfway undone, teasing her all night with enough of a glance at his strong chest to make her thoughts go wild. Now she thrilled at the feeling of coarse hair beneath her fingers, the heat of his skin beneath.
The car slowed as it pulled in the drive to Bono’s house and he made a noise of disappointment, deep in his throat. She sighed and slid off his lap, letting him kiss her one last time before the door opened. He stepped out and turned back to look in at her.
“Coming in?” He asked, and there was that idiot grin, fighting it’s way out onto her face once more. She blushed furiously as she hurried to slide across the seat and climb out of the car. He took her hand in his and bid Henry goodnight as he led Laney to the door. They could both tell by the look of concern on Henry’s face that he had been instructed to deliver Laney to Edge’s door, not Bono’s. But how, exactly, was he supposed to argue?
Laney almost felt sorry for him, for a moment. Then the door closed behind them and Bono’s arm snaked around her waist from behind, and all thought of Henry was forgotten. All thought of anything except for Bono, in fact, was forgotten. The way he kissed her neck, the way his scent wrapped around her and filled her with his essence, she could hardly be expected to think at all.
“Laney…” He mumbled against her skin. “Mmmm-God…” he sighed, his hands sliding up her belly more aggressively, this time, to cup her breasts, his thumbs rubbing her nipples into hard nubs through the soft silky fabric of her bra. Laney instinctively arched her back, pressing herself up against him, immediately feeling the way his body was reacting to hers. She let a nearly silent ‘Oh!’ escape, her eyes drifting shut, her head back to rest against his shoulder.
“I’ve wanted you for so long.” She told him, kissing his neck and chin, then turning in his embrace to wrap her arms around him and kiss him ferociously. There was a need in her kiss he had never felt, a need which satisfied a long buried desire in him. He returned her kiss eagerly, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her toward the bedroom, losing his balance and slamming them into the walls twice before finally reaching their destination.
They were gasping for air between the laughter and passionate kisses. It was a level of intimacy neither of them had ever known. As soon as they breached the door, they tumbled onto the massive bed that lay in the center of the room with a loud clatter. Laney’s laughter filled the moment, and it was, in Bono’s opinion, the sweetest music he’d ever heard.
He lifted her shirt and kissed the ticklish skin of her belly, trailing his kisses up to the cleft between her breasts. By that time she was no longer squirming because it tickled. She wrapped her legs around his waist and reached out to urge him up where he could kiss her on the mouth again. As he lay there, pressed against her, her mouth moving over his with such passion, he lost himself completely. There was no room around them, no bed underneath them. There was no past behind them nor was there a future to consider before them.
And that moment, in and of itself was utterly perfect.
“Oh, Angel…” he moaned, his own eyes snapping open at the sound of it. He hadn’t meant it. He couldn’t explain where it came from. It had just happened. For a split second, he thought perhaps she wouldn’t have heard it, or not taken notice. Angel was a common thing to call a sweetheart. But by the way her body had gone rigid beneath him, he already knew neither of those things were true. He pushed himself up at arms length and peered down at her, saw the hurt in her eyes, and wished desperately he could take it back.
“Aw, Fuck, Laney, I…” He started trying to apologize as he rolled away from her, but she sprung from the bed so quickly he couldn’t catch her. He tried to run after her, but she sprinted out the front door and off toward Edge’s house like an olympic athlete. Bono jammed his hands into his shaggy hair and felt the strongest urge to hit something. *What a bloody idiot!* he cursed himself.
She couldn’t let him see the tears. She had to get out of there before she had a total meltdown in front of him. What the hell had she been thinking? That she would possibly be as special to him as he was to her? That was absolute shite and she was certain she should have known it all along. She was just one of the hundreds of thousands of women who told him they loved him every day. So what if they had seemed to be so good together? Maybe that was all in her head, too.
She huried across the yard and through the gate which led directly onto Edge’s property next door. She was glad that it was after three o’clock in the morning and he would be asleep. She’d never live it down if he saw her like this, stumbling across the lawn in tears, her clothes and hair a mess. She wondered if she would ever grow up, or if she would always be a broken hearted kid with a crush.
****************************************************************
“Edge?” Tessa asked, blinking her sleepy eyes and searching the room when she reached out in the bed to discover he was not there. She found him standing at the large picture window overlooking the side yard in the direction of Bono’s house.
“I’m right here. Sorry, I couldn’t sleep.” He told her softly. His face was so serious, his voice laced with something she had never heard in his tone before. She rose silently and padded across the floor to look out the window, following his eyes.
“Oh, Laney.” She sighed as she saw the woman crossing the yard, shoes in hand, hair a mess. She was weeping, pausing occasionally as she walked to catch a breath. Tessa had honestly hoped the spark she’d seen between Bono and Laney would be a good thing. She wrapped her arms around Edges waist and kissed the bare skin of his back tenderly. She didn’t know what to say. Edge didn’t say whatever he was thinking, and Tessa was afraid to ask what that was.
The Promises we make Chapter 19
“So, where would you like to go?” Bono asked as they stepped outside into the slightly cooler night air. He stayed close to her, making it clear to anyone who was looking that they were ‘together’, should they wonder. She tried hard to keep the silly grin on her face under control, not wanting to look like some bloody idiot in a set of snapshots some fan posted all over the internet. She was pretty sure Bono himself was getting used to her smiling that way. She wondered if he’d even seen her frown once that day, and tried to recall when, if at all, that might’ve been.
“Laney?” He asked, drawing her out from her thoughts. She loved the sound of his voice speaking her name. When she was younger, he’d always called her ‘ledge’, short for little Edge. He’d always thought it was her cousin she was infatuated with following around.
“Oh, um… you know Dublin better than I do. Why don’t you just lead and I will follow.”
“I will follow?” He repeated with a smirk, and she rolled her eyes at him. Her cheeks were actually aching from the effort to keep her smile in check. “Ok, C’mon.” he told her, holding out his hand for her to take. She accepted quietly, the feeling of his thick fingers sliding between her own sending a thrill of excitement throughout her body.
There was a series of flashes as a handful of people took pictures of the pair, nothing she hadn’t been prepared for. She’d been along for the beginning of their career, and already they had been getting this sort of attention. In fact, Bono had pretty much always been the center of attention, wherever he went. It was just who he was. He led her down the block and waved anxiously to one of the horse drawn carriages which waited nearby to take people on tours of the city.
Soon he had talked the driver into taxiing them to the nightclub he had in mind, and leaving behind the crowd which contained two professional photographers with whom he had grown annoyed. They simply didn’t show any respect to them, or any other celebrity, it seemed.
Laney climbed up into the carriage and had barely taken her seat before there was a jolt as the horse began to move forward. Bono lost his balance as he was sitting down, falling against her with a soft noise of surprise. Laney’s heart jumped in her chest and began racing as he chuckled, still pressed up against her and pinning her to the seat. His blue eyes twinkled mischievously, the corner of his sexy mouth turning up in a smirk.
“I think maybe you don’t need another drink.” Laney teased him gently, earning a soft laugh from him, his full smile emerging.
“I think the horse has been trained to do that. Y’know, to help make the ride romantic.” He told her, still disarmingly close to her. She smiled a broad honest smile at him, and for a moment, she was almost certain he was about to kiss her. Then his eyes grew distant and he leaned back and settled himself into his own side of the carriage. Laney’s stomach twisted painfully in disappointment, and for the first time since he had burst back into her life, she didn’t feel like smiling.
The city at night was enchanting, but Laney only noticed it as a blur passing by as her thoughts were focused internally. What was she thinking? She was being a complete idiot, ever dreaming she had a chance. She was letting her imagination run wild, and all she would get in the end would be a broken heart. She glanced over at him, out of the corner of her eye, and came to the decision that even if it would never happen, she would at least try. Nothing was worse than never knowing because you were too frightened to even give it a go.
After all, they *were* here, together, alone. She had certainly never believed this would be happening.
“What’re you thinking of, all serious over there?” Bono asked, cocking his head to the side and studying her, as if by doing so he could see her thoughts written clearly across her face.
“Just… wondering where the past fifteen years have gone.” She told him, her eyes taking in everything about him and recording it to memory. She wasn’t ever going to forget a moment like this. He smiled softly in response, his eyes growing distant.
“Every once in awhile I stop and wonder that, too.” He told her. “It’s like… I stop and look around and everything has changed but me. I’m still eighteen years old inside, but everything else is different.” Laney nodded. Yesterday if someone had said that to her, she might well have disagreed. Today, she agreed completely.
The carriage came to a stop at a corner near the nightclub and the driver hurried to help them step down from inside. Bono handed the man a large bill and waved him off dismissively when he told him he couldn’t make change. Laney smiled proudly at this, knowing Bono wasn’t showing off how much money he had, rather he was simply generous with it.
Inside the club, they were escorted quickly to a private table. The table, of course, did not stay private for long. Bono was the sort of man who had always attracted a crowd, he loved to talk and tell stories, and he lived to entertain. Laney could hardly believe it when she looked at her watch and realized it was just past two o’clock. The entire night had flown by in a rush of stories and laughter.
“Laney?” she heard Bono’s voice calling her attention back to him, as if unwilling to lose it to her watch for even that moment. She looked back up at him, into his sleepy blue eyes, her heart flooding with love and need, just like every other time. “Have a dance with me?” he asked, and Laney’s attention was turned to the slow, sultry music surrounding them. She smiled shyly and nodded, her heart once again beginning to race as she stood and moved to the dance floor with him.
He wrapped a big arm around her waist, pulling her up against him, much of their bodies touching. He sang softly along with the song, his voice in her ear as she rested her head on his shoulder. She was as comfortable with him as if they had been best friends for decades, even with the angst filled history, on her part, at least. He turned to her and she lifted her head, his lips less than an inch away, his cool eyes searching hers intently.
“You’re a beautiful woman. Do you realize that?” he asked, his words sending a shock of electricity through her veins. She swallowed hard over the nervous lump in her throat and smiled shyly.
“I think you’re just being nice.” She told him honestly. He shook his head gently at her, smiling that roguish smile of his. “I love you, you know. Always have.” She blurted out, the moment combined with the alcohol overwhelming her better sense. The words were out before she even realized she had spoken them. Once she heard them with her own two ears, her heart seemed to stop completely and a complete dread landed deep in her gut.
She was trying to figure out some way out of what she had just said when the most amazing thing happened, driving out all thoughts of embarrassment. He kissed her. No words, no warning, he simply leaned in and closed the distance between them, and his lips met her own.
His lips were soft, so soft! At first, he barely moved; just the slightest whisper of his lips against her own. Then, tilting his head to the side, their mouths met again, more firmly this time. She felt her body begin to melt inside, her muscles growing weak, and she clung tightly to him. His hand slid up her back and into her hair and her own hand did the same to him, rubbing the back of his neck tenderly. His other arm tightened its grip on her, pressing her more tightly against his broad chest.
The very tip of his tongue traced her lower lip tentatively before sliding over it, begging entrance into the heat of her mouth. She yielded to him eagerly, her lips parting, tongue moving against his own as he kissed her with a passion she’d only dreamed of. The brush of his stubbled skin against her smooth cheek was a delicious contrast to the smooth softness of his mouth.
By the time he broke the kiss, she was so breathless it was nearly painful. She gasped, her breath coming in pants, her chest heaving against his as she held fast to him. They still moved in time to the music, out on the dance floor. Otherwise, she might well have forgotten completely where they were and that there were other people around.
“You ready to go home?” he asked her, his voice a rough whisper. She nodded simply, her whole body trembling. “I’ll call for a car.” He told her, withdrawing his mobile phone from his pocket as he led the way out of the club and into the calm of the late night city. They had barely stepped out the door when he saw a familiar face.
“Henry?” He asked, as if he didn’t believe his eyes. The tall, slender man looked up from his newspaper and smiled. He was leaning against the frame of a black town car, as if patiently waiting for someone.
“You ready to go home, then?” Henry greeted them, moving to open the door to the backseat.
“How…?” Bono asked, obviously baffled by the man’s presence.
“Mr. Evans sent me, told me to wait for you.” Henry explained.
“How did he even know where we would be?” Bono wondered aloud.
“I guess he knows you pretty well, after all these years.” Laney joked, something about the fact that Edge had sent a driver after them not settling well in her heart and head. What had he been thinking about when he did that? Was he simply trying to help them? Or was there some sort of message he was trying to send, like a protective father?
It didn’t matter, she realized, because as soon as the door was shut behind them, Bono turned to her with that devilish grin and pulled her close again. His hand caressed her cheek gently before taking a strand of her coppery hair and running it over and through his fingers. Her heart was beating so hard, she was afraid it might pound it’s way right out of her chest.
He leaned in once more, his cheek brushing against hers as he nudged her face into the right position for their mouths to meet again, and she yielded once more, allowing him to sink into her, meld against her completely. He slid both hands down her back to hold her firmly, lifting her off the seat and pulling her onto his lap, one hand still resting against the small of her back as the other traced the slight gap which had appeared between her shirt and skirt. She jumped in surprise at the shock of sensation which shot through her when she felt his touch on her bare skin.
He pulled back to look at her, look into her eyes for a moment, worried that he’d hurt her or offended her. She smiled shyly at him and leaned in to continue kissing him, her hand resting against his, guiding it back up to her waist to let him know she liked his touch. He let a low moan escape his throat and the sound vibrated through her tantalizingly. Bono’s mouth slid down her chin and over her throat, teeth nipping sensitive skin occasionally, then soothing the bite with his velvet tongue.
Laney let her head fall back against her shoulder, whimpering slightly as his warm hand breached the barrier of her shirt to glide over the bare skin of her side. She suddenly felt the strange and entirely inappropriate urge to laugh. More like giggle, actually. She bit her lip to repress the sound but it escaped her, anyway, her happiness bubbling up out of her chest and demanding it’s release.
Bono leaned back to look at her, arching an eyebrow and smirking in bemusement.
“Did I do something funny?” He asked, laughter evident in his own voice.
“No!” She replied, her laughter building now to a full on fit. She rested her forehead against his and fought it down as best she could. “I’m sorry. I just…” she shrugged here and let her words trail off, not knowing how to explain the giddy feeling which had overcome her.
“I’m glad I make you happy.” He whispered to her, his teeth nipping her earlobe, his tongue sliding across it to soothe the assault on her tender flesh. Laney drew in a sharp breath at the rush of desire this sent through her. “You make me happy, too.” He whispered, his hand continuing its ascent slowly, teasingly, beneath her shirt.
“How happy?” She whispered playfully, leaning in close to his ear, the fingers of one hand running through his hair. She kissed the spot just beneath his ear, traced his jawline with her kisses as he gently explored beneath her shirt, his big fingers surprisingly gentle and nimble. He chuckled in response to her question, and smiled.
“I don’t think you’re old enough to know that.” He told her playfully.
“I’m 33. How old do I have to be?” She told him, still speaking in moans and whispers as she tasted the salty skin of his neck and nibbled on one bejeweled earlobe. She slipped one hand under the thick material of his button down shirt. No need to undo any buttons, he already wore it halfway undone, teasing her all night with enough of a glance at his strong chest to make her thoughts go wild. Now she thrilled at the feeling of coarse hair beneath her fingers, the heat of his skin beneath.
The car slowed as it pulled in the drive to Bono’s house and he made a noise of disappointment, deep in his throat. She sighed and slid off his lap, letting him kiss her one last time before the door opened. He stepped out and turned back to look in at her.
“Coming in?” He asked, and there was that idiot grin, fighting it’s way out onto her face once more. She blushed furiously as she hurried to slide across the seat and climb out of the car. He took her hand in his and bid Henry goodnight as he led Laney to the door. They could both tell by the look of concern on Henry’s face that he had been instructed to deliver Laney to Edge’s door, not Bono’s. But how, exactly, was he supposed to argue?
Laney almost felt sorry for him, for a moment. Then the door closed behind them and Bono’s arm snaked around her waist from behind, and all thought of Henry was forgotten. All thought of anything except for Bono, in fact, was forgotten. The way he kissed her neck, the way his scent wrapped around her and filled her with his essence, she could hardly be expected to think at all.
“Laney…” He mumbled against her skin. “Mmmm-God…” he sighed, his hands sliding up her belly more aggressively, this time, to cup her breasts, his thumbs rubbing her nipples into hard nubs through the soft silky fabric of her bra. Laney instinctively arched her back, pressing herself up against him, immediately feeling the way his body was reacting to hers. She let a nearly silent ‘Oh!’ escape, her eyes drifting shut, her head back to rest against his shoulder.
“I’ve wanted you for so long.” She told him, kissing his neck and chin, then turning in his embrace to wrap her arms around him and kiss him ferociously. There was a need in her kiss he had never felt, a need which satisfied a long buried desire in him. He returned her kiss eagerly, scooping her up into his arms and carrying her toward the bedroom, losing his balance and slamming them into the walls twice before finally reaching their destination.
They were gasping for air between the laughter and passionate kisses. It was a level of intimacy neither of them had ever known. As soon as they breached the door, they tumbled onto the massive bed that lay in the center of the room with a loud clatter. Laney’s laughter filled the moment, and it was, in Bono’s opinion, the sweetest music he’d ever heard.
He lifted her shirt and kissed the ticklish skin of her belly, trailing his kisses up to the cleft between her breasts. By that time she was no longer squirming because it tickled. She wrapped her legs around his waist and reached out to urge him up where he could kiss her on the mouth again. As he lay there, pressed against her, her mouth moving over his with such passion, he lost himself completely. There was no room around them, no bed underneath them. There was no past behind them nor was there a future to consider before them.
And that moment, in and of itself was utterly perfect.
“Oh, Angel…” he moaned, his own eyes snapping open at the sound of it. He hadn’t meant it. He couldn’t explain where it came from. It had just happened. For a split second, he thought perhaps she wouldn’t have heard it, or not taken notice. Angel was a common thing to call a sweetheart. But by the way her body had gone rigid beneath him, he already knew neither of those things were true. He pushed himself up at arms length and peered down at her, saw the hurt in her eyes, and wished desperately he could take it back.
“Aw, Fuck, Laney, I…” He started trying to apologize as he rolled away from her, but she sprung from the bed so quickly he couldn’t catch her. He tried to run after her, but she sprinted out the front door and off toward Edge’s house like an olympic athlete. Bono jammed his hands into his shaggy hair and felt the strongest urge to hit something. *What a bloody idiot!* he cursed himself.
She couldn’t let him see the tears. She had to get out of there before she had a total meltdown in front of him. What the hell had she been thinking? That she would possibly be as special to him as he was to her? That was absolute shite and she was certain she should have known it all along. She was just one of the hundreds of thousands of women who told him they loved him every day. So what if they had seemed to be so good together? Maybe that was all in her head, too.
She huried across the yard and through the gate which led directly onto Edge’s property next door. She was glad that it was after three o’clock in the morning and he would be asleep. She’d never live it down if he saw her like this, stumbling across the lawn in tears, her clothes and hair a mess. She wondered if she would ever grow up, or if she would always be a broken hearted kid with a crush.
****************************************************************
“Edge?” Tessa asked, blinking her sleepy eyes and searching the room when she reached out in the bed to discover he was not there. She found him standing at the large picture window overlooking the side yard in the direction of Bono’s house.
“I’m right here. Sorry, I couldn’t sleep.” He told her softly. His face was so serious, his voice laced with something she had never heard in his tone before. She rose silently and padded across the floor to look out the window, following his eyes.
“Oh, Laney.” She sighed as she saw the woman crossing the yard, shoes in hand, hair a mess. She was weeping, pausing occasionally as she walked to catch a breath. Tessa had honestly hoped the spark she’d seen between Bono and Laney would be a good thing. She wrapped her arms around Edges waist and kissed the bare skin of his back tenderly. She didn’t know what to say. Edge didn’t say whatever he was thinking, and Tessa was afraid to ask what that was.
Poor Laney...
