Adam smiles. “Been called worse, mate.” His gaze wanders over Bria. “Ah, yes, it’s coming back to me now. You’re the twit who thought she was too good for me.”
Crew pulls Bria tightly against him.
Jeremy finally joins us in back, and Tom sits up front with the driver.
“The luggage that didn’t fit in the trunk will be delivered to your apartments,” Jeremy says. He notices Adam and does a double take. “Giving rides to strays, are we?”
“Hey, mate,” Adam says. “Join the fun. I was just getting to know, uh, what’s your name again?” Adam glances at the rest of us. “Reckless who?”
Jeremy laughs. “You know good and well who they are.” He pulls a magazine out of his back pocket and opens to the top 100 hits page. He points. “Oh, look at this. Reckless Alibi’s ‘Sins on Sunday’ just knocked your song out of the top ten.”
“What?” Bria squeals.
Liam rips the magazine out of Jeremy’s hands. “Holy shit, guys. We hit the top ten!”
Jubilation fills the inside of the limo. When we finally quiet down, Adam says, “I suppose a thank you would be in good form, considering it’s my doing you’re getting any of this.”
Crew shakes his head. “Your doing? Hell, no. If anything, we should thank you for being a douchebag who didn’t realize what was right in front of him.” He takes Bria’s hand. “She’s the one who put us on the map.”
“Is that so?” His attention switches back to Bria like he’s ready to eat her for lunch. “Maybe I should give it another go.”
Crew opens the door. “Maybe you should get the hell out, mate.”
He glances at his phone. “My ride’s been sorted, and it’s a lot nicer than this bloody dump you call a limo.” He puts his baseball cap on and climbs out, turning back to leave us with one more dig. “I’ll see you at the Grammys. Have fun accepting your award for second place. Oh, wait—they don’t give awards to losers.” He shuts the door.
We look at each other and cheer loudly.
“Top fucking ten!” Liam shouts.
Reece throws her arms around me. “This is incredible.”
I kiss her again. I don’t care who’s watching. We hit the top ten. Adam Stuart was in our limo. But all of that takes second place to being with her again. Feeling her lips on mine. Seeing her look at me like I’m the only man in the goddamn world.
“Thanks for coming,” I say, when she scoots off my lap and settles next to me.
“I wouldn’t have missed it, especially when I found out about ‘Sins on Sunday.’ Jonah texted me when the list came out earlier today. I had to be here when you saw it.”
“Jonah texted you?” An unwelcome feeling slithers through my gut. “So you’re best buds now?”
“We’re bandmates, Garrett. He can’t wait to catch up with you. After we drop you off, I’m heading over to a production studio to do retakes on my first music video. Want to come with?”
I try not to appear disappointed. “I had other plans in mind.”
She squeezes my thigh. “I promise we’ll get to them later. The director said it’ll take an hour tops.”
“One hour, but after—I’ll be the one directing you.”
She squirms in her seat. Oh, how I wish we were alone.
Twenty minutes later, I get my wish. Jeremy and the others are dropped at their respective places, and Reece and I are being driven to the production studio. I glance at the driver, then raise the divider. “Haven’t seen my girl in weeks,” I say as it slides up. “You understand.”
The driver flashes me an amused look before disappearing behind the black wall.
I get on my knees in front of Reece and pull her to the edge of the seat. “Here?” she says, wide-eyed.
“I’m sure it happens all the time.”
She turns up her nose and appraises the seats. “I’m not sure I needed to know that.”
I undo the buttons on her blouse and let it fall open. Her bra is my favorite color—red. I slip a finger under and run it along the cups. “Miss me?”
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“A lot.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“How can I possibly quantify how much I missed you, Garrett?”
I grin wryly. “How many times did you touch yourself when you thought of me?”
She turns crimson. “I don’t know.”
“So you did?” She throws an arm across her face, clearly embarrassed. I move it out of the way. “Would it help if I told you I got off at least a dozen times thinking about having you back in my bed?”
“A dozen? Really?”
“Ms. Mancini?” the driver says over the microphone. “I’m sorry to bother you, but Ms. Collins called and asked me to turn on the radio.”
Sound comes through the speakers. More than sound: Reece’s voice.
She gawks at me in surprise. “Oh my God!”
“Shh, or we’ll never hear it.”
I turn it up. Reece bounces in her seat, stunned to hear one of her songs on the radio. I remember how it wasn’t so long ago that this was happening to me and Reckless Alibi. I pull out my phone and snap a photo of her, wanting to remember this moment. It’s only once that you get to hear your very first song on the radio. Her unbuttoned shirt makes the picture even better.
The song ends, and she jumps in my lap. “I can’t believe it only took her two weeks to get it on the radio. She’s a miracle worker.”
“Who, Ronni? She probably slept with some radio exec to get it on.”
“I don’t care who she slept with. My song is on the radio! Can you believe it?”
I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. “It was only a matter of time.”
“It’s all because of you.”
“You’d have done this with or without me.”
Her lips come closer to mine. “I’m so glad it’s with you.”
I lean in and press my mouth to hers. I kiss her passionately. She has no idea how incredibly honored I am to have shared this moment with her. She has no idea how much I admire her, coming from where she was to where she is now. She has no idea that I love her. That I’ve always loved her, even when I hated her.
But before I can tell her any of that, the car stops, and the driver tells us we’re here.
I reluctantly button her blouse. “I guess this will have to wait.”
She giggles. “Yeah, but think of the fun we have to look forward to.” She pulls away. “We’ll have to go to your place though. I have a roommate who probably doesn’t want to hear you make me scream.”
My cock dances in my pants. “Maybe you should stay at my place.”
“Are you asking me to move in with you?” she jokes.
“You could, you know, sleep there a lot or whatever.”
The driver opens the door and helps her out. She’s met by five enthusiastic men, gushing about the song. One of them looks familiar.
Jonah comes over and shakes my hand. “Nice to see you again.”
“It’s been a long time.”
He glances at Reece. “She’s fantastic, isn’t she?”
“Yeah.” I move closer. “To be clear, she’s mine.”
He pulls back. “Whoa, cowboy. I never said I was staking a claim.”
“Good. Because it’s been staked.”
“Last I checked, Reece was a big girl capable of making her own decisions.” I try to keep myself from lunging at him. He notices and snickers. “Have you always been this insecure, or did Reece dumping you back then turn you into a jealous pussy?”
My hands ball into fists. “You better back off before I break your face.”
“Garrett,” Reece says, waving me over. “I want to introduce you to everyone.”
I meet her manager and the rest of the band, but I couldn’t tell you any of their names. I’m too busy staring at the asshole who just threw down the fucking gauntlet. The asshole who will be on the same bus with my girl for five goddamn weeks.
Chapter Thirty-six
Reece
Garrett rolls over in bed. I love watching him before he wakes. His hands jerk and flutter; he’s playing drums in his sleep again. I try not to laugh. This isn’t something he did six years ago. When I first noticed it, I thought it was a bad dream. Now I find it amusing.
He opens his eyes and catches me smiling. “Was I doing it again?”
I nod. “It’s so cute.”
“It’s not cute. What if I were to hit you in the face or something?”
“You’re not whacking a hammer, Garrett. It’s more like a little kid waving around a sparkler on the Fourth of July.”
He pulls me close. “Morning.”
I snuggle into him. “I’m going to miss this. I can’t believe I ship out on Monday.”
“We’ve got two days. I wonder how many orgasms I can give you in forty-eight hours?”
“I’m not going on tour with a UTI.”
“You think I’m going to give you syphilis or something?”
“I said UTI, not STD. Sometimes when women have sex too much, they end up with a urinary tract infection. That’s the last thing I need—having to pee every two minutes when I’m onstage.”
He climbs on top of me, his erection pressing into me. “Let’s get started then. Maybe you’ll have to cancel.”
I push him off me. “You really don’t want me to go, do you?”
“Did you want me to go to Australia?”
“That was six months. This is five weeks, and you’re going to fly out to see me.”
He lies on his back and laces his hands behind his head. “Have you thought about what it’s going to be like? What if we always have tours at different times? We’ll never get to hang out and be normal together.”
“I think you passed normal status a year ago. You’re forgetting who owns the record label we both work for. I’m sure you can convince Ronni to arrange for us to have some long stretches together.”
He chuckles. “If you really think that, you don’t know Ronni very well. Not only does she not want the two of us together, but she also doesn’t give a shit about making our schedules convenient.”
I lay my head on his chest. “You’re different now.”
“How do you mean?”
“The way you talk about us being apart. How you treat Jonah.”
“You think I’m jealous?”
“Not jealous. Possessive maybe.” He starts to protest and move out from under me, but I don’t let him. “You have every right to act the way you do. You don’t trust me with Jonah or any other man, for that matter. I hope eventually I’ll be able to earn your trust back.” I prop my head on my hand and gaze into his eyes. “You once said my heart lives in my vagina. Maybe that used to be the case, but it’s not anymore. It lives somewhere else now.”
“Where?”
“In your hands.”
His features soften, and he pulls me up until our lips meet. “You have no idea how much I want that to be true,” he says after our kiss.
“You know I love you, right? In some ways I never stopped. It was always supposed to be you, Garrett.”
He traces my jaw. “I love you, too.”
“Are you just saying that because I’m leaving in two days?”
“I should have said it sooner. I’ve known for a long time.”
“How long? Texas?”
He flips us so he’s lying on top. “Stamford.”
My heart soars, knowing his feelings for me never stopped, even when I married his brother.
“My songs are about you,” I confess. “I’ve never written a single one about another man.”
He kisses my neck. “I’ve wondered. I assume the one about the bitchy landlord isn’t about me. But I wasn’t sure about ‘Stolen.’ That one didn’t make much sense to me.”
I laugh. “It’s about a dog.”
“No shit?”
“Rob bought me a dog. I named him Dingo. He got him in the divorce. I think I missed the dog more than I missed him.”
“You wrote a song about Dingo but not Rob?”
“I told you, we never should have been together. Speaking of songs, I feel another one coming on.” I pull him toward me. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Mancini.”
His lips crash into mine as he proceeds to convince me how much he means it.
My phone vibrates on his nightstand. We ignore it. A minute later, it happens again, but his mouth is on my breast, and at this point, I don’t care who’s calling.
When it happens a third time, Garrett reaches over and answers it hastily. “What is it? Reece is busy.” He listens and then hands the phone to me. “It’s Ronni.”
“What’s up?”
“Get ready. I’m sending a car for you.”
I look at the clock. “It’s still early, and it’s Saturday. We don’t have anything scheduled.”
“We do now. Avril Lavigne had some kind of family emergency and had to postpone her appearance on SNL. I know one of the producers. You’re going on in her place. They need you there ASAP to tape a few promos and get in some practice before dress rehearsal at eight.”
My head is spinning. “What?”
“Reece, you’re going to be tonight’s musical guest on Saturday Night Live.”
My stomach turns over, and I think I might pee a little. “You’re joking, right?”
“Judd will collect you in thirty minutes.”
“I’m at Garrett’s.”
She exhales noisily. “Of course you are. Fine, he’ll collect you there. I’ll have something from wardrobe sent to Thirty Rockefeller. The band will meet you there to practice on set. This is all very last minute, and I’m taking a huge chance. I could have given this to Reckless Alibi. SNL will never speak to me again if you screw this up, Reece. Understand?”
My mouth goes completely dry.
“Reece?”
“I understand.”
I disconnect. “I think I’m going to puke.”
“Jesus, Reece. Your hands are shaking. What is it?”
“I’m going on Saturday Night Live tonight. Someone canceled last minute, and she knows a producer.” I close my eyes. “Don’t hate me, Garrett. She said she could have put RA on but chose me instead.”
He’s silent. I open my eyes and wait for the jealousy and hatred. For a second, I think I see disappointment, but it immediately disappears and then he’s pulling me into his arms. “Of course it should be you. Shit, Reece. This is huge. SNL? Damn, girl.”
“But I’m a nobody.”
“Your songs have been all over the radio for almost a month. Everyone is wondering who you are. It’s the perfect time for this to happen. Ronni’s absolutely right that you should do this. Am I jealous? Hell yeah, I am, but I’m excited for you.” He gets up and pulls me out of bed. “Get your ass in the shower. At eleven thirty tonight, you’re going to be a star.”
He pushes me into the bathroom and turns on the water for me before he leaves. I turn and throw up in the toilet.
~ ~ ~
I’m quickly introduced to the cast members. I’ve watched SNL, but I still can’t remember all their names. Kate, Pete, Beck? There are a dozen others, but I have no idea who anyone is. I’m surprised I can remember my own name.
Fresh from makeup and wardrobe, a production assistant walks me to the stage, where I’ll be doing a few promos with Kate and the host. I stop in my tracks when I see Kate talking to Chris Pratt. Why didn’t I think to ask who was hosting? That way I could have prepared myself instead of looking like a giddy schoolgirl.
I am a pillar of grace and elegance. “I, uh, you’re …”
He smiles and shakes my hand. “I listened to some of your stuff on the way over. It’s fantastic. Tonight should be fun.”
“I, uh, yeah … ” I mentally smack myself and take a calming breath. “I’m sorry. I don’t usually act like a bumbling idiot. Then again, you’re the first movie star I’ve met, so maybe I really
am a bumbling idiot.”
He makes small talk, and I feel more at ease. The director tells us what we’re going to say and we do about twenty takes before we’re dismissed.
Chris says, “See you back here for dress rehearsal. Don’t worry. You’ll be great.”
I want to pick up the phone and call Garrett to tell him about Chris and the promos, but they’re already rushing me to the set to practice. They want us completely ready by eight for the live dress rehearsal. Thank God we get one of those.
Jonah, Cade, Keith, and Darren are ready at their instruments. Ronni and Anderson are sitting in chairs out front. I asked Garrett not to come until later tonight. I need to do this alone, if only to prove I can. But now I wish he was here. It calms me to look at him.
“I don’t have to lip sync, do I?” I ask the director. “I’ve heard that can go horribly bad.”
He doesn’t seem amused. “You won’t be lip syncing. This will be all you.”
“So don’t make me look bad,” Ronni says from the front row.
“She’s a professional,” the director says. “No heckling from the audience.”
I smile my thanks at him even though I want to puke again. Being a musical guest on SNL can make or break a musician’s career. If I do it right, this could catapult me to places I never imagined. If I mess up, it will be game over, and IRL will probably dump me. I’m grateful for the opportunity, but at the same time, I’m pissed at Ronni for throwing me in the deep end before I know how to swim.
Performing in front of ten thousand people will seem like nothing compared to this. How large is the SNL viewing audience—five million? Ten? And it’s live. If I mess up, there will be no second chance.
Even though we’re only playing two songs, we practice for hours. When they want to stop, I ask to rehearse them one more time. They have to be perfect. When we finally break for dinner at five, I see Garrett standing in the back. “How long have you been here?”
He pulls me into his arms. “Long enough to know you’re going to kill it out there.”
“You’re really not mad?”
Reckless Reunion (The Reckless Rockstar Series) Page 23
