The Essential Jagged Ivory (Jagged Ivory Boxed Set)

by Lashell Collins

  It was an intriguing idea, and she wanted to be free to explore it. She was worried about what Mike would think though. She was sure he wouldn't be happy. He had already told her point blank that he wanted her nowhere near the whole rock and roll scene, so she knew that he probably wouldn't like the direction she was thinking of going. Noah, on the other hand, had been extremely supportive when she told him what she was thinking. He even said he would do whatever he could to help her when it came to making contacts with other rockers.

  Mercy smiled remembering their conversation a few nights ago in Madrid. He had been so sweet about it as they lay in each other's arms, telling her how talented she was, and what a great idea it would be to try and pursue her photography as a career. He was so good for her ego; he made her feel like she could do anything. And he had stuck to his word about allowing her a few more days to enjoy the new level their relationship had reached. It was still their little secret, and Mercy had taken to sneaking to his hotel suite each night, since she had promised Mike that she wouldn't allow any JI members into her room.

  Whether it was after a concert or on an off night for the band, they would wait until all was quiet on their rented floor of the hotel – no easy feat since the guys sometimes didn't settle down until 3:00 in the morning. Then she would quietly creep from her room over to his. They would spend several hot and steamy hours in each other's arms, and then she would leave very early in the morning and slink back to her own room. The only witnesses to their nightly trysts were the security guards who patrolled the hallways, guarding the elevators and the stairwells against rabid fans.

  As she entered Mike's open door and stepped into his suite, she could see that several of the guys were already there, Noah included. And she gave him a secret smile when she saw his eyes light up as she entered the room. It was difficult not to go over and touch him. Especially when all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and kiss him good morning. Again. She blushed slightly at that thought because it made her remember their parting kiss at dawn. He had stood naked at the window of his hotel room, looking out at the coming sunrise, and Mercy had wrapped her arms around him from behind.

  “I wish you'd get undressed and get back in my bed,” he'd said quietly, still looking out at the pink sky.

  Mercy had kissed his shoulder, and then replied, “I will be back in your bed tonight. But I have to go now before the others start moving around.”

  “I don't want to keep doing this, Mercy,” he sighed, turning to hold her in his arms. “We have to talk to Mike soon.”

  “You promised a few more days,” she pouted.

  “I know what I promised. But it's been almost a week ago now. How much longer are we going to play this game?” Then he studied her eyes for a moment and softly asked, “Do you want to be with me, Mercy? Or is it the sneaking around that turns you on?”

  “Noah! You know that I want to be with you. I want that more than anything!”

  “Then we have got to stop doing this. I don't like sneaking around behind Mike's back, baby. I respect him too much for that. It doesn't feel right to me.” His voice was so earnest and his eyes so serious. And Mercy knew that she had to suck it up, for his sake. Being upfront with Mike was obviously important to him.

  “Okay. We'll talk to him today,” she had said softly, feeling a wave of anxiety as she looked up at him. He had smiled at her then. And when he kissed her, it was so passionate and so full of longing, and Mercy had felt her knees literally go weak. She had left his room this morning floating on cloud nine, living off the memories of that one kiss.

  Mercy could feel Noah's eyes on her now as she walked toward the table and bent down to kiss Mike's cheek. “Hi, Daddy,” she said brightly.

  “Hi, sweetheart. Sit down and have some lunch.”

  “Well that's a nice little dress, sweet thing. Why don't you bring those pretty legs over here by me,” Otis smiled, looking her over appreciatively. And if he had been paying attention, he would have noticed the looks of death he was getting from both Noah and Mike. Mercy noticed that Cory watched the scene with interest, trying hard to hide his amused grin.

  She took a seat at the table between Noah and Otis just as Buzzy wandered in. He was followed closely by Joe, who wore a slight expression of bemusement on his face, as if he still couldn't believe he was actually there. When he stepped into Benji's spot a week ago, he had also taken a step up in the accommodations department. It just made good logistical sense for him to be in the same hotel as the rest of the band. And since he was technically an acting member of Jagged Ivory until Benji could reclaim his seat, he was included in these little group pow wows.

  He seemed to be holding his own on stage each night, but Mercy knew that the guys were really missing Benji. And from the comments and questions she was getting on the tour journal, she knew that the fans were really missing him too. She had taken Noah's advice and been honest with them about Benji's overdose and his voluntary trip to rehab. And they had responded by sending in well-wishes and personal messages of encouragement for him. It was actually pretty cool, and Mercy knew that Noah was pleased with the fans show of compassion.

  Once everyone was present and accounted for, Mike called the meeting to order, and as they ate lunch he gave them all an update on Benji's progress, telling them the bassist was in good spirits and giving the program his full attention. Then they spent some time talking about the added dates for the second American leg of the tour, as well as the proposed Asian leg. And it sounded to Mercy as though Jagged Ivory would be touring for the remainder of the year. America the rest of the summer, then on to Australia in the fall. The added Asian dates would carry them into the start of winter and run right up until Christmas. It was a crazy life, to be sure, but Mercy really didn't seem to mind it. In fact, she honestly enjoyed all the travel. Seeing the world while getting paid to do something you loved. It seemed like the ideal lifestyle to her, and she suddenly couldn't imagine going back to LA and sitting in stuffy classrooms for another three years in order to obtain a law degree.

  The realization hit her like a ton of bricks and Mercy sat motionless, staring down at her plate of paella and fresh bread. Her epiphany lingered throughout the rest of lunch as she played with her food, and she knew that she had no choice but to fess up to Mike. Which conversation was she dreading more? The one about not going to law school, or the one about falling in love with Noah? Mercy wasn't sure.

  “So, what are you doing with the rest of your day, sweet thing,” Otis asked as he lightly ran a finger from the hem of her sundress down her thigh to her knee. She knew he didn't mean anything by the harmless flirtation, but the inappropriate contact took her by surprise, and Mercy jumped slightly. She didn't know whose ire worried her more, Noah's or Mike's, but she could clearly sense the displeasure emanating from both of them.

  “I thought I'd go down to the pool later,” she answered him, subtly moving her leg out of his reach. It wasn't that Otis made her feel uncomfortable or anything. She just didn't want to upset Noah any more than he already was. The last thing she wanted was to be the cause of more friction between those two.

  “Oh, yeah? Well, maybe I'll join you. We can go right after lunch,” he smiled.

  Noah shifted in his seat beside her, and Mercy could feel his agitation as easily as if it were her own. “Um, actually I have a few things I need to take care of first. I have a whole bunch of pictures that need to be posted to the tour journal, and I want to talk to my dad about something so … it might be a little while before I can get down there.”

  “Hey, I wanted to talk to you about the tour journal if you have some time,” Noah said, looking at her pointedly. And Mercy knew this was code for either 'We need to talk, now!' or 'I really need to fuck you!'

  “Sure,” she nodded eagerly. “We can talk while I upload the photos.” She pushed her chair back and stood up as Noah followed suit.

  “Mercy, you barely touched your lunch,” Mike said, stopping her from retre
ating. “And you said you wanted to talk to me about something. What is it?”

  “Oh, it can wait a little while. I'll find you once we're finished with the blog, okay?”

  “Alright,” Mike shrugged.

  They headed for the door then, and Otis watched them go with narrowed eyes. Mercy stopped for a moment to retrieve her bag from the chair she had abandoned it to when she came in, and as she did, Noah's hand ventured up to her lower back. He leaned in and whispered something in her ear, and Mercy smiled at him. Their body language and the look in their eyes were unmistakable, and Otis suddenly needed a drink in the middle of the afternoon.

  *****

  A little while later, Mike wandered into the hotel bar and looked around anxiously until he spotted two very large men sitting near a table at the back. The muscle easily alerted him that he had found the person he was seeking. He marched with a determined air toward the men, and as he got closer, he could see that his target was clearly well on his way to being shit-faced drunk.

  “What the hell are you doing here in the middle of the day?” he asked disgustedly as he pulled out a chair and sat down. “I've been looking everywhere for you.”

  “I'm testing a theory,” Otis said as he held a shot glass in his hand and examined the liquid. “You know the saying 'one tequila, two tequila, three tequila, floor'? Well, I've just shot it all to hell because this is my seventh, and I'm still standing. Sitting,” he frowned. Then he looked up at Mike and laughed.

  “It's barely two in the afternoon, Otis. Why are you sitting here alone getting drunk?”

  Otis smiled as he tossed back the shot. He sat the glass down on the table and pointed to his manager. “Now, there's another useful phrase: it's five o'clock somewhere, man!”

  “You know, I would expect this destructive behavior from Noah, but not you. You don't usually lean on alcohol like this.”

  “Oh, you don't give Noah enough credit, Mike,” Otis said, almost bitterly. “If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's never to underestimate my little brother. Noah can do anything, man! He's the golden boy. He's … he's the chosen one.” He poured himself another shot from the bottle of tequila sitting on the table and stared at the glass. “Noah's cleaned up his act, you know? He doesn't drink like he used to; he doesn't smoke anymore. He doesn't like to party all the time anymore. Hell, he's damn near perfect, man. You can't find a single fault with the chosen boy; he can probably walk on water and sing you a song while he does it. Everybody loves him.”

  Mike smirked at him. “Oh yeah? Everybody loves him? What about you, Otis? Do you love him?”

  “Oh, hell yeah, man! That dude's my brother. He's my blood, you know? We're like this,” he mumbled, trying to twist his fingers to indicate their closeness. But he gave up when he couldn't get his fingers to cooperate. Then he looked up at Mike with a pitiful expression. “We're not like that. But we should be. We should be closer. We would be closer if I didn't hate the fact that he's always so damn perfect, you know what I mean?”

  Mike stared at him and shook his head. He was completely drunk off his butt and the alcohol was telling tales better left unsaid. Mike took a deep breath, almost feeling sorry for him. But then he thought about why he had sought him out and his momentary empathy passed.

  “Look, Otis … I'm not here to police your drinking, or to hold your hand and talk about your sibling rivalry issues. That shit's between you and Noah, and none of my business. But what is my business is Mercy. I know that my daughter is a very beautiful young woman, okay? And I know that's like dangling candy in front of a kid to you. But I'm only going to say this one more time before things get ugly between you and me. I want you to stop your pursuit of my daughter! Just back off! Do you understand me?” he asked, glaring at him.

  Otis just stared at him for a long moment, saying nothing. Through the haze of tequila, he could feel anger battling with amusement, and he wasn't sure which emotion would win out. Finally, he began to laugh. But it wasn't a genuine, delighted tickle of the funny bone. It was laughter born from resentment and acrimony. And the angrier he got, the harder he laughed.

  “You think this is funny?” Mike practically shouted.

  “Hell yes, it's funny,” Otis yelled. And his voice drew a few curious glances from the other patrons in the hotel bar. “It's fucking hilarious! You've got no fucking clue what's been going on right under your nose, man.” He laughed once more, shaking his head at the irony. Then he lowered his voice and leaned in conspiratorially. “All this time, you have been so worried about protecting your precious little princess from me. Well, guess what? I am not the Ivory brother you should have been worrying about, Mike. 'Cause the golden boy is upstairs screwing your little girl as we speak! Who knows what position he's got her in right now,” he added with a cruel grin. And he smiled as he watched Mike's face grow red with anger.

  “You're lying. Mercy and Noah barely tolerate each other,” he said, recalling all the times he had witnessed what appeared to be indifference between them. It had given him some comfort knowing that the only member of JI he had to worry about where Mercy was concerned was Otis.

  Otis laughed at him once more. “Yeah, okay. I'll tell you what … why don't you head on back upstairs and find my baby brother. I will bet you any amount of money that you find them together.”

  Mike glared at him hatefully for a second. Then he abruptly stood and walked away. Otis chuckled and downed his last shot of tequila. Then he stood and followed after Mike, not wanting to miss the show.

  *****

  Noah pulled on his jeans as Mercy gathered up her discarded bikini and sundress. “Wasn't that a whole lot more fun than sitting by the pool?” he asked with a sexy grin, and she giggled at him. He leaned in and kissed her, letting his tongue play with hers for a moment as he lightly squeezed her ass. And as he did, an old memory crossed his mind. His hand still resting on her backside, he looked at her with a curious expression.

  “What is it?”

  “You know, I seem to recall you made me a promise four years ago,” he said as his hand ran rhythmically back and forth over her bottom.

  “I did?”

  “You did,” he answered, piercing her with an intense gaze. Slowly, he slipped a finger between her cheeks and pressed firmly against the rosette of her ass.

  “Oh!” Mercy couldn't help the small expression of surprise that escaped her lips as the initial fear and final exhilaration that she always relived in her dreams overtook her anew. Instantly panting at the memories, she looked up at him timidly.

  “I see you remember,” he said quietly, his voice low and sexy. She nodded anxiously. “And have you kept your promise?” he asked, lightly kissing her lips as his finger slowly pumped against that rose. “Hmm? Anyone else been back here besides me?”

  “No,” she breathed.

  “No?”

  Mercy shook her head, momentarily unable to speak. And Noah remembered her reluctance four years ago.

  “Will you let me back in here, Mercy?” he asked softly. “Or would you rather not do that?”

  She looked up at him, her timid gaze full of longing that connected with Noah's cock. “I told you days ago. Any way you want me, you can have me,” she whispered.

  Noah appreciated her response. He knew that it meant she trusted him completely. And that meant everything to him. He smiled at her and kissed her deeply as he removed his finger and squeezed her ass once more. Then he slapped it playfully and said, “Go get dressed so we can go find Mike and get this over with.”

  She rolled her eyes at him as she headed into the bathroom with her clothes, and Noah smiled as he heard the water turn on at the sink. He knew that she was nervous about telling Mike about them. He was nervous too. But he honestly believed it was the right thing to do; he didn't like the idea of disrespecting Mike at all. And once Mike knew, they'd be free to stop hiding it from everybody else. And then maybe Otis would lay off the constant flirting, and Noah wouldn't feel the urge to deck
him every time he touched her.

  He picked up the '87 Les Paul Standard that he was still lugging from hotel room to hotel room, and began picking out a melody that he'd been playing with for a few days. It was a lighthearted, sexy tune, and he had jotted down a few lyrics but, they weren't really working. It needed an overhaul. Maybe later he would play it for Cory and see what they could come up with. They always made such a good songwriting team.

  He heard the water shut off in the bathroom as he continued to tinker around with his tune. And a moment later he heard the knock on his door. He frowned at the weight of it, loud and insistent. As if the person on the other side needed to get in immediately. He stood up and carefully placed the guitar back into its case. Then he glanced around the room as he made his way to the door. The rumpled bed sheets and the lingering smell of sex in the air would easily give them away. But seeing as how it was probably just Cory doing the knocking, Noah wasn't worried. But as soon as he opened the door, he knew that things were about to get dicey.

  “Mike!” His hoped his voice didn't sound as surprised and scared as he felt.

  “Where is she?” Mike insisted.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Where's my daughter?” he repeated, gruffly pushing the door open as he shoved past Noah on his mission to get inside. His ramming the door caused Noah to take a couple of steps back as Mike forced his way in. He glanced around the room, no doubt taking in the disheveled state of the bed. Then he looked Noah over, quickly noting his unfastened jeans and shirtless torso.