Deacon could hear her voice getting nearer. He could hear muffled conversation and he assumed she was talking with Markus. Deacon pushed off the wall, preparing to meet Markus. He was pleasantly surprised when she turned the corner alone. Their eyes locked and their smiles registered the joy they both felt upon seeing each other. They slowly began moving towards each other, each step becoming faster and faster until they were suddenly wrapped in each other's arms. They both breathed deeply, embracing the feel of familiar arms helping carry the weight of reality. Their lips found each other. Rayna almost cried at the exquisite tenderness of their kiss. Deacon lips were wordlessly expressing what she was feeling.
Slowly they pulled back, reluctant to allow reality back into their world. Rayna traced her fingers softly over his face, scratching at his stubble before caressing his bottom lip. Deacon tucked a stray piece of hair back behind her ear, enjoying the feeling of having her close again. He bought her hand to his lips, kissing the middle of her palm.
"God, I've missed you Ray" his voice thick with emotion. Cupping his face with both hands, Rayna punctuates her words with kisses.
"So much Deacon, I've missed you so much."
Rayna threaded her arms around Deacon, pulling him flush against her. Her fingers threaded through the short hair at the base of his neck. A soft moan escaped her as Deacon deepened the kiss. His weight moved her slowly backwards until she felt the solid weight of the wall behind her. Her hands roamed over his back clawing at his shirt, itching to touch his skin. Her fingers bunched the material as she groaned in frustration. She felt giddy from the heady mix of being surrounded by Deacon's familiar arms as well as his intoxicating taste. She was like an addict. He was her drug and she never wanted to quit.
Deacon pressed her against the wall, pining her firmly under his weight. His mouth claimed ownership of hers. He wanted to sink into her and never surface. He growled against her lips as his tongue duelled with hers. His fingers twisted in her hair, holding her head still as he kissed her deeply. His lips traced a path down her neck, as his teeth nipped gently at the soft skin there.
Rayna gasped at the feel of his teeth on her skin. Pulling on his hair, she bought their faces level. They were both breathing rapidly, their skin flushed with desire. Deacon watched as Rayna licked her lips, causing his breath to catch in his throat. His eyes darkened with passion, locking with hers as he slowly inched his lips closer to hers.
"Deacon", Rayna pleaded against his lips. "The girls…" the rest of her sentence was lost as Deacon once again thoroughly kissed her. Breathlessly breaking their kiss, Deacon lent his forehead against hers as he panted trying to regain his breath.
"Ray, you better go now. Otherwise I will be dragging you into the nearest utility room."
Rayna snorted at his statement. They had certainly seen the inside of a few utility rooms over the years. Pushing up against him with her hands, she forced him to take a few steps backwards. Smiling shyly at the smug look on his face, she didn't need a mirror to know that she had the appearance of someone who had been thoroughly kissed.
She playfully slapped at him, "Shut up."
"What? I didn't say anything!" Deacon innocently asked her.
Rayna twerked a sideways smirk at him. He could be such a smug bastard sometimes. He knew the effect he had on her. He had confessed early on when they were dating that he loved how her skin flushed with desire, letting everyone know not only what they had been doing but that he was the cause of it. If he knew he could get away with it, he would also leave more permanent marks on her skin, branding her as his. He knew it was primitive caveman behaviour, but the thought that by doing so he saying this is mine often overtook his logical thought. Rayna would often scream in horror the next day as she was force to come up with elaborate ways to cover the marks up, but he secretly suspected she also loved the marks he left.
Rayna threaded her fingers with his, as she swung their hands together,
"So I will see you at home?"
Raising their combined hands, Deacon kissed her knuckles before answering.
"Ye, I need to go run some chores but I will be home for dinner."
His eyes traced over her face, his face showing a hint of sadness.
"God, I missed you so much." He kissed her lips gently once more, before tugging her towards the door. Side by side they walked out of Soundstage, his arm hugging her to his side where she fitted seamlessly.
Markus slunk back into the empty rehearsal space. He had heard from various people how strong the connection was between Rayna and Deacon, but he had never witnessed it. He was all set to walk out with her, but cursing himself, he had to run back to grab his keys before running to catch up with Rayna. Turning the corner, he slowed his pace as he watched their reunion. There was no denying that they had a connection but he and Rayna also had something going on. He had also heard that Deacon and Rayna had a volatile relationship. In fact, they had only been together for the last six months.
Flopping down on the rehearsal couch, Markus ran through what he knew about Deacon. People in the industry talked about his ability as a songwriter in the hushed tone normally reserved for the country legends. He knew that they had both started out together, but he also knew that Rayna had been married for 13 years to the ex-mayor, before being engaged to Luke Wheeler. Rumour had it that she had called it off because of Deacon, but a quick internet search had told him that she didn't start seeing Deacon until three months later. Chewing on his lip, there was no denying they had passion but he wasn't convinced about the strength of the relationship. Rayna hadn't rebuffed his attention, in fact she appeared to enjoy his company. His mind made up, Markus grabbed his keys and headed out to his car. He could see no reason why he shouldn't pursue something other than a musical relationship with Rayna.