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A single blissful night and suddenly, everything changes.

Over the course of two days our relationship had begun to take a more intimate turn. It happened before I could realize it, but I couldn't automatically claim Prince when I wasn't sure where his head was at. After the night at the forest, he took me to his home in Chanhassen and showed me that there were other styles to sex than missionary.

After we collapsed on the sheets stained with our sweat and signs of obvious love making, his head peaked out of his vulnerable shield and told short stories from his earlier life. It was sad, but in someway I could relate to his tough upbringing. Saying that seemed to make him more comfortable and willing to share details.

I was relieved.

Events from a couple nights before of us marking the peaceful forest near the lark permanently as our own numerous times, scared into my brain as a satisfying memory. But I couldn't help but to be anxious that it would all come tumbling end. Tomorrow was the beginning of the Triple Threat Tour or more specific the 1999 tour. Prince had decided to involve both Vanity 6 and The Time in the performance as openers. It seemed like a good idea at first, until rehearsals came.

One thing about Prince was that he didn't settle.

Seeing him continuously boss around the entire band of The Time made me have sympathetic feelings towards their situation. Even though Prince was small in size, it appeared that he made them feel like they were inches smaller than him instead of the other way around.

"..and if you can't get it together than you can leave, now." Prince raised a brow, awaiting for someone to make a move. It was slightly nerve racking.

Silence licked upon the open space causing Prince so sigh and mutter a good underneath his breath before calling for a brake.

    Brenda glanced at both Susan and I with widened eyes, "Someone's mad." She dragged out causing Susan to giggle to herself while I with concern, furrow my brows while watching him leave the area.

    I excused his uptight attitude towards the rest of the bands that he just wanted everything to be perfect. But Morris' upset expression and eyes that looked like they were watering persuaded my feet to take action towards him.

   "Where you goin' Vanity?" Susan called, confused.

   I turned my head briefly over my shoulder, "I'll be back."

   I picked up my speed once Prince turned a sharp corner, which was difficult because high-kneed booted heels were strapped to me. I felt naked, even with lingerie accompanying the fishnet stockings covering me. I didn't like wearing these clothes as much, but the last thing I wanted to do was complain.

Following the turn of direction that Prince took, I sighed once I caught sight of him with a base guitar strapped around his chest, strumming quickly. His back was facing me and headphones were strapped over his ears causing me to be completely blocked out.

Opening the door to the recording booth, I waved a hand in front of his face but he only ignored me. Offended, I place my hands on my hips.

"Prince!" I called, moving his shoulder with my hand. Bothered, Prince removed the headphones from his ears until they were settled around his neck.

He looked irritated, "What?"

I pause and cock my head back with both eyebrows raised. Prince seems to sense that I want him to quickly change his tone because he sighs.

"I'm busy Denise." He goes to put back on his head phones but I stop him by placing my hand on them. Prince briefly closes his eyes.

     I stare at him openly. "What's the matter with you?"

    "What?" Prince looks confused.

   "You know what," I say, not in the mood for him to act coy. "You're being a dick to them."

     Prince rolls his eyes. "They sounded like shit. Could you blame me?"

     "They sounded fine. You need to ease up on them—"

      "If I ease up, they'll start goofing off and then we'll be waisting rehearsal time. You do know the tour is tomorrow, right?"

     I raise my hands up in surrender before taking a step away from him. "If you're going to talk to me like I'm stupid then I'm not going to be here—"

    "Shut up," Prince sighs grasping my arm and pulling me closer to his chest. "I don't think you're stupid. I just don't think you understand the severity of this. I'm like this with every tour and the last thing I want to do is fuck this up."

I know those are his intentions but it doesn't mean he has to be rude to the people that are doing there best. Maybe, I was just being too nice and didn't understand.

    "Fine." I settle with saying, pointedly.

    Prince obviously knows things aren't fine.

     "I don't get why you're so upset about this, I wasn't even yelling at you girls." Prince excuses, letting go of my hand.

      I bite my lip, "You're just so controlling, is it so bad that I don't like to see you that way."

     Prince laughs, "I'm sorry baby but that's who I am. If someone messes up who are they gonna' blame?" I answer with silence. "I'm not going to look like a fool, for nobody."

    Controlling is not an attractive trait, and it's the only unattractive thing on Prince that I can find. My father was controlling and I vowed to myself that I would never be with a man with such a trait, but flash forward ten years later and here I was. Harboring feelings for a controlling man who can read me like an open book even when my pages are folded.

     Wanting to make an exit and get away from his presence, I go to make my leave but he quickly stops me. "Uh uh." Prince voices in disapproval and enters back into my personal space.

    I briefly let my eyes flutter closed when he places a hand on my stocking covered hip. It doesn't help because it feels  like he's touching my bare skin.

   "You ain't leaving until I get a kiss." Prince relents, looking me directly in the eye as I try to hide my frustration by clenching my jaw. His lips are calling me but I block it out.

   I shake my head. "No, I don't want to."

   "Are you mad?" He asks, seriously.

   I lick my lips. "No."

   "Then kiss me."

    With a pause, I look away from him. "I don't want to kiss you." It's a false excuse and I feel more stupid about it than I already do when Prince smirks knowingly.

    "You're mad." He states as if it's a fact before releasing his hold on me to adjust the guitar strap back around his neck.

I inhale sharply through my nose, "I'm not." I say through my teeth causing Prince to smirk while looking down at the strings on his guitar.

   It's difficult to keep up an angered facade. Especially when the sweat glistening on his chest from previous rehearsals and the golden cross hanging from his neck is taunting me to do unholy things to him.

   "Why the hell do you have that mask on?" I ask suddenly, yanking it down from his eyes so I can see them clearly. Prince smiles and intertwines the hand that I used with his own.

    He chuckles, "What? You don't like it." With a free hand he pulls the lace back up to his eyes. "I'm thinking of it as a new look." The way he sneaks his bottom lip snug in between his teeth and his attire instantly makes me moist. But I don't give him full recognition.

"It's..nice." I settle on saying.

Prince sucks his teeth and mumbles a, "Whatever." before beginning to strum the chords on his guitar again.

   In that moment, he appears as sex on legs and I have a hard time controlling my hormones while watching his tones arms flex as his fingers flick against the strings.

    What makes it more difficult is that Prince senses that I'm watching and his lips inch up higher when he gets into the song and moves his lower torso against the guitar. Moving the neck of it up and down to the beat in his headphones.

    It's the only time in my life that I wouldn't have problem with being an instrument.

    The final straw for me however, is when he glances at me through the dark laced mask with his lips slightly parted and a sultry curl to his mouth.

I turn my back, flustered.

"You don't gotta' turn away, baby." I hear him taunt in his usual low tone that makes my knees weak in itself. I can hear the grin in his voice and it only makes me shake my head before heading out of the door.

     "Hey," He calls once I am out of the recording booth and inching closer towards the door.

    "Quit being mad." I hear his guitar get put down before his quick steps rush up towards me and have me cornered. Prince shrinks the space in between our faces until I can see nothing but his eyes.

They flicker to my mouth briefly, "Now, you sure you don't want to kiss me?" He questions, increasing the humidity I feel in the air.

   Prince licks his lips at my silence, "Will you stop me if I wanted to kiss you?" His voice is so low and calming that I almost forget we're we are when he leans in closer.

"Someone could walk in." I know it's a stupid thing to say after we basically had sex in his kitchen with guest around and in a public forest but it was the only thing I could fix to say.

Prince ignores me, and hooks my single leg around his small waist, "Great, let them watch." He whispers, already beginning to work his way up to my lips by peppering soft kisses along my neck. My breath quickens when Prince goes to remove the thick jacket on my shoulders.

    "No." I say, pulling back on my jacket. "You have no shame. About to fuck me when your ex is in the other room."

Prince sucks his teeth and releases my thigh from his hold, "She doesn't care, everyone knows that her and I aren't together anymore."

"That doesn't excuse the fact that you have to be rude by rubbing this," I motion between the two of us. "in her face. If that's you're only motive than whatever this has turned into, I don't want it."

At first, a look of confusion and hurt crosses his features but I convince myself that it can't be it.

   "Okay, hey." He calls once I try to get out of his grasp, "If you don't feel comfortable showing PDA than we won't." He negotiates, hands resting on both of my arms. I'm appreciative in his understanding that I might be uncomfortable with hanging off of him, especially in front of Susan.

The least I could do was not flaunt my attractions for Prince in front of her face.

   I bite my lip to stifle my smile before letting my arms rest around his shoulder and mesh my lips softly against his.

   "Oh, now you wanna kiss me." He taunts smiling with his hands locked around my lower back as he begins to walk backwards.

     I roll my eyes with giggle before silencing us both with another passionate kiss and my hands inching near his black pants.

But he successfully stops my hand by grasping my wrist.

    "Someone could walk in." Prince throws my words back in my face and smirks once I assume my aroused expression fades.

Directing a small wink in my direction, Prince turns his back and stalks off towards the recording booth. Only to leave me to deal with an arousal that he caused, alone.