“It means I need to take things slowly. We work together. I like working for you and the rest of the band. I don’t want to fuck that up.”
“But you want to continue with this? With us?” Adam asked, trying not to panic. He respected Nate for being upfront and actually verbalizing his concerns.
“This being a relationship?”
“Yeah.”
“We’re friends. I like you, but I still think we should take this slowly. One day at a time. You might change your mind.”
Adam thought about that for a moment. “I don’t think so.”
“Yeah?”
Adam grinned and planted a kiss on Nate’s forehead. “Yeah, I know what I want.”
Nate turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness. Adam lay still for a few seconds before edging closer to Nate. When Nate’s arms came around him, he smiled. One day at a time. He could deal with the delay for full sexual contact as long as he could fall asleep next to Nate every night.
At half past eleven, they met the rest of the band at the motel.
“Good night?” Cade asked, studying Adam closely.
“Yeah.”
“Thought so. You have a hickey on your neck.”
“Shit,” Adam cursed, pulling his collar up. “That better?”
“Why are you worried?” Cade asked with a lazy grin.
At least he managed to avoid a furtive glance at Nate. “I don’t like gossip.” And he didn’t want to create a situation that might scare Nate into running.
“Then you shouldn’t be in the business,” J.T. said, clapping him on the back. “You shouldn’t be telling the audience about the special someone in your life.”
“Who is the lucky lady?” Morgan demanded.
Nate shrugged. “That’s what I’d like to know. He won’t spill the beans.” When the others weren’t looking, Nate winked. Warmth spread through Adam, and he had to fight the smile struggling to sneak across his lips. Nate’s expression held suitable teasing. No one would suspect them of sharing a bed the previous night and a shower this morning.
“I thought you guys roomed together,” Cade said. “Why don’t you know?”
One of Nate’s brows rose. “You want to play Nancy Drew, you room with him. I was tired and went to sleep.”
“We’d better get going,” Adam inserted into the conversation before the interrogation grew more heated. “I want to stop at that music shop near the Winston Hotel to check out their guitars. We didn’t have a chance to visit there yesterday.”
“Do you need us to go with you?” Keith asked.
Adam hesitated, wanting Nate with him, close enough to touch, wanting Nate to spend the day with the band so they could chat about their time together later on tonight. But he was trapped because he couldn’t show the rest of his friends how he felt about Nate. “Nah, you guys can do your own thing until around four this afternoon.”
“Let’s go,” J.T. said. “I’m driving.”
Adam hesitated, glanced at Nate and couldn’t guess the other man’s thoughts. He didn’t want to leave, but he didn’t have an alternative. Adam allowed the others to hustle him into the van. They drove off, the others excited by the upcoming meeting at the Winston. The excitement and anticipation found an outlet in ribald jokes. They were hooting with laughter by the time they parked and piled out of the van.
“We have an hour before our meeting,” Cade said. “Let’s hustle.”
After a successful shopping trip, they arrived at the hotel in high spirits. Susan met them in the foyer and escorted them into a private dining room, issuing instructions.
“Let me do all the talking,” she said. “They want to meet you today. We’ll discuss the recording schedule later. Act polite and answer their questions.”
J.T. saluted. “Yes, ma’am.”
“Don’t worry,” Adam said. “We want this. We’ll be on our best behavior.”
God, this was really happening. They were moving up the ladder, and all he could think was that Nate should be here to share the moment.
Justin covered Lara’s hand with his and smiled. He clasped her fingers, savoring her silky skin and basking in her smile. She cocked a brow when he slid from his chair and knelt in front of her.
“Justin?” Her voice held gently inquiry, and she looked like a picture of femininity in a red dress that flowed across her full curves without being tacky. More than ever, Justin knew this was the right decision. He thought she’d say yes, but, as always with Lara, he couldn’t predict how she would react. She had a core of steel and didn’t approve of some of his lifestyle. In the past, he’d found himself changing his schedule so she’d spend time with him.
She would leave him if she ever found out about the hit on Adam. She’d never find out if he had his way.
He smiled at her, watched her brown eyes widen as if she felt the importance of the moment. “Lara, will you marry me? I love you, and I can’t think of anyone I’d rather spend the rest of my life with.”
“Marry?” A small pucker marred the smoothness of her brow. “I didn’t realize you were looking for a serious relationship. You never have before.”
“I hadn’t met you before.”
“I noticed that you’re not sleeping with as many women.” She paused, nibbled her bottom lip. “If we were to marry, I couldn’t sanction the idea of other women. I would want you to be faithful to me.”
Justin didn’t even hesitate. For so long, he’d felt as if he were alone. When he spent time with Lara, the solitary feeling disappeared. “That would be acceptable. I can do my job without bedding other women. Sweetheart, I don’t want anyone else except you.” He pulled a black velvet ring box from his pocket and opened it to display the ruby and diamond ring. Justin had gone with large and tasteful rather than ostentatious. The sparkle in Lara’s brown eyes told him he’d made the right decision. “So you’ll marry me?”
“Yes,” she whispered. “I can’t think of anything better.”
Triumphant, Justin extracted the ring from the box and slid it onto Lara’s ring finger. “Our marriage will be a time of great celebration.” And hopefully it would appease his father and the other elders who held such sway with the rest of the villagers. “I love you, Lara.”
He rose to his feet and swept her into his arms to claim a kiss, his hands holding her in a possessive manner that six months ago would have made him laugh. How time changed one’s perspective. His mind wandered, a sliver of unease escaping to play havoc with his happiness. Once again his future depended on Adam.
He pulled away from Lara and grinned at her. Turning, he seized a chilled bottle of champagne from an ice bucket. The rush of the sparkling liquid into the glass replaced the tinkle of displaced ice in the bucket. He handed a stemmed glass to Lara with a smile. Picking up his own glass, he lifted it in a toast. “To our love and happiness.”
“To our love and happiness.” A flush of pleasure colored Lara’s cheeks, contrasting with the raven-black hair and the lustrous diamond earrings. His. She was beautiful, and he couldn’t wait to make love with her. They would make beautiful babies together, and he intended to start on the business of children straightaway. A child would cement his position with both his father and Lara. They wouldn’t want Adam to return then.
Chapter Seven
Five Weeks Later
The run-through of the song went well, the music pouring from their fingers in a magical wave that seemed to feed on itself. They nailed the song in the Denver studio on the first take. Man, what an adrenaline rush. They started work on the next song, for once everything going just right. The replacement guitars and the saxophone hadn’t caused the problems they envisioned. Adam and the others left the studio on a real high.
“Let’s celebrate,” J.T. said.
“Not too hard,” Susan ordered.
“Sure thing, boss,” Cade drawled, slinging an arm around her shoulders and giving her a sweaty hug.
“Yuck! Adam, can we have a word before yo
u leave?”
“Adam’s in trouble. Whatcha done, Adam?” Morgan taunted.
Adam shrugged. He had a clear conscience. “Sure thing. I’ll meet you guys outside in a few.”
“Today went really well,” Susan said. “I’m proud of you boys.”
“Yes, Mom,” Adam said.
Susan made a growling sound deep in her throat.
“Aw, you like us teasing you.”
Susan chuckled. “But you’re not sure. If you or any of the boys start stepping out of line, you’ll hear about it. This is a tough business, and you’re only as good as your last recording or concert.”
The humor and feel-good mood slipped away from Adam. His mouth firmed to a frown. “Is there a problem?”
“I just wanted to reiterate that you all need to remain single at present. It’s important because of the way we intend to market the band. You mentioned someone special in your life.”
Fuck. Adam sucked in a quick breath, struggling to hide his sudden panic. The others had warned him, but Nate made him happy. He’d had to say something or risk bursting. But the last thing he wanted to do was shove Nate into the spotlight. “There might be,” he admitted cautiously.
“A couple of reporters have contacted me to ask about your girl.”
“Damn. Can’t I have a private life? Why does everyone need to have the details?” Nate would kill him. He was still as jumpy as a man with ants in his pants, and this might send him running. Adam didn’t want that. Having Nate around helped keep him sane.
“Of course you’re entitled to a private life.” Susan grasped his upper arm and squeezed, a gentle smile on her lips. “But if you want to keep it private, you shouldn’t announce teasers during a show.”
“Point taken.”
“So who is she?”
Adam snorted, trying for the toughest bluff of his life. “Everyone assumed I was talking about a lover, but the fact is the person I had in mind was my grandmother. It was her birthday and she was on my mind.”
“You don’t talk about your family.”
“No.” Adam wasn’t about to tell Susan of his family history. As far as his family was concerned, he didn’t exist, which suited him fine. The last thing he wanted was to land in the middle of Kokopelli business, not when music was his life.
“As I’ve said, it really is best for the band if you all remain single.” Susan paused, waiting for him to say more, but he didn’t bite. Silence had never bothered him and, after a while, she continued. “It keeps the girls coming to the concerts.”
Adam didn’t agree. He’d never agreed, though he didn’t want to put Nate in the middle of a media frenzy. “Sure. Whatever.”
“Good.” Susan scanned his face and what she saw seemed to reassure her. She nodded. “Good. See you tomorrow.”
Adam lifted a hand in farewell and strode from the studio building. Nate had parked out front, and the rest of his friends leaned out the window, hollering at him to hurry.
“What did Susan want?” Cade asked when he climbed inside the van.
“Reminding me about our agreement not to have a private life.” Adam met Nate’s gaze in the rearview mirror and caught the concern, the tightening of his jaw. Damn. He shouldn’t have said anything. He should have lied and told them it was a technical issue.
“It was a suggestion,” Cade said, his tone defiant, “made at the start of our careers. We have a right to a private life.”
“That’s what I told her.”
The roar of a motorbike and the toot of a vehicle behind filled the bloom of silence in the van. Nate glanced at him again, this time with a faint smile on his full lips. All Adam could think about was getting Nate alone, touching his lips to Nate’s until passion replaced his smile and need raced through both of them.
“Cade is serious about his girl,” Morgan crowed.
“I’m not.”
But Cade was serious. The creep of heat to his cheeks and the need to defend his privacy told Adam the story. “Stop giving him a hard time.”
“Yeah,” Cade muttered, his gaze switching to shifty. “Besides, we were talking about Adam.”
“Where are we celebrating tonight?” Adam asked in a firm voice that had them all hooting with laugher. He caught Nate’s smirk, the way he laughed with the others, and immediately decided on sensual payback the next time they were alone.
Keith met them back at the motel, and Adam knew there was something wrong after seeing the taut expression on his face.
“What’s up?” Adam asked.
“My father is sick. He’s been rushed to hospital in California.”
“Man, why didn’t you ring us at the studio?” Morgan demanded.
J.T. squeezed his shoulder in sympathy. “Do you have a flight booked?”
“Yeah, I fly out in an hour. I’ve packed all the gear. It’s ready for you to leave for the next gig.”
“You should have called,” Nate said, his husky voice stirring renewed desire in Adam, despite the circumstances.
“I needed something to do to keep busy,” Keith said.
Nate gestured at the van. “Do you want a ride to the airport?”
“That would be great.”
“I’ll come too,” Adam said. “See you guys later.”
They dropped Keith at the airport, Adam telling him to take his time coming back, that they’d manage without him.
A camera flashed in their faces as they walked out of the airport to the car park, the photographer hurrying after them to ask questions about their recent signing. Adam paused to answer the man’s questions, hiding his impatience when all he wanted was to spend time with Nate.
“Last question,” Adam stated finally, grinning to take any sting from his words. “We have a gig to rehearse for.”
“I know. I have a ticket for your next concert. Last question—who is the special someone in your life?”
Adam forced a smile, wishing again that he hadn’t opened his big mouth. “People keep asking me that. It’s my grandmother.”
“Your grandmother?” The photographer looked disappointed as he glanced at Nate for confirmation.
“It’s true,” Nate said. “Everyone thinks it’s Adam’s girl.”
“Gran is my girl,” Adam said firmly. Hopefully, they wouldn’t delve into his past too hard. Most of his official past bore little resemblance to the truth. “Thanks for the chat.” Adam lifted his hand in a farewell wave and headed toward the van. Nate fell into step.
“Did you really tell Susan it was your grandmother?”
“I did. Should I have told her the truth?”
“Susan is your manager. You trust her.”
“With business stuff. Yeah. She’s not our keeper and she has no power to control our personal lives, despite what we agreed to at the start when she took us on or what she’s telling us now.” Adam heard the sharp note in his voice and grinned, trying to take some of the acid away. He didn’t want to talk about this. All he wanted was to go back to their room and get naked with Nate. He hoped like hell that was what Nate wanted too.
“Whatever. Do you feel as if someone is watching us?”
Adam glanced over his shoulder. “The reporter is staring at us still.”
“No, it’s not the reporter. The back of my neck is itching.” Nate unlocked the van and climbed behind the wheel. “Never mind. Chalk it down to a good imagination.”
“Does that imagination extend to the bedroom?”
Nate’s lips twisted as he backed out of the parking space and drove toward the exit. “That’s for me to know and you to find out.”
“Fighting words.”
“Don’t forget it,” Nate said lightly.
It made Adam conjure all sorts of scenarios. His lips curled, while other parts of his body tightened with anticipation. “You know I’m gonna call you on it later.”
Nate shot him a look and winked. “I’m countin’ on it.”
“If we can find some private time,” Adam added.
/> “With Keith gone, we probably need one less motel room. Cade spends most of his time with his lady since she’s based in Denver, which leaves us in a room together without sneaking around.”
“You’ve given this some thought.”
“You’ve unleashed a monster.”
Adam smirked and blew him a kiss. For the rest of the drive, they talked about their move to another town for a new gig and the songs Adam was working on to add to their repertoire.
“You inspire me.”
“Me?” Nate said.
“Yeah, I haven’t written so many songs for ages. Cade and Morgan asked me what was wrong with me this morning. Why do you keep looking in the mirror?”
“There’s a car behind us. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear they’re following. The driver has taken every turn I’ve made.”
Adam twisted to study the vehicles behind them. “Are you sure? It’s probably a coincidence.”
“Maybe. You have to admit, some weird things have happened in the last two months. The attack and the break-in at the motel.” Nate pulled up outside the motel and parked the van in their usual spot. “You’re probably right and it’s nothing.”
“We’ll mention it to the others. If we all keep an eye on our surroundings, we’ll soon notice if there’s something weird. Maybe it’s an overzealous fan.”
Nate shook his head as he brushed past a leafy shrub that seemed to have gone mad in the last week with a frantic growth spurt. “Nah, if it was a fan, they’d make a point of saying hello. Don’t worry. It’s probably my imagination.”
Another town, another pub. Another Colorado motel. After helping the band set up for the coming evening, Nate took a seat and watched them do a sound check and run through a couple of the new numbers. Unbidden, his gaze went to Adam. Since Keith had left, they’d barely managed more than a quick kiss. He hadn’t realized he’d miss the closer contact with Adam, actively crave it the way he had. Not being able to touch Adam was slowly driving him crazy.
The notes of the song drifted to a close, the smoky tones of Adam’s voice curling through him in a manner that made his jeans feel tight and uncomfortable. Nate stood and moved so a strategic chair hid his groin from the band members. Then he caught Adam’s smirk. His mouth tightened, opened to say something before snapping shut again. The words on the tip of his tongue weren’t ones for public consumption.
Seeking Kokopelli Page 9
