by Jennifer Ann
Beckett saunters back my way, hooking me around the waist. The stench of beer makes me nauseous as he holds me a bit too tightly. “Who’d you have your hands on today? Or should I ask who had their hands on you?”
I shuffle back a little, my heart skipping. Beckett and alcohol don’t ever mix well. “Jewels and Kelly came in to surprise their men with new ink. They were smart though, neither of them got their guy’s actual name. Then I did a few touch ups for some of my regulars.”
His brows draw down. “Who were the regulars?”
“A few girls from Jersey. No one you know.” I finally squirm free and break away to the kitchen. Jealous Beckett never fails to piss me off.
“I’m starving!” Gavin barks. “What are you making us to eat, woman?”
Kicking off my boots, I lean over the kitchen sink. I just want a fucking shower and my bed, not to play maid to these two clowns who spent their day jerking around. “Spaghetti okay?” I grumble.
“We had that two nights ago,” he answers.
“Okay. Then I guess I’ll find something else.” I stand straight and turn, finding Beckett right behind me.
“Let’s go up to your room,” he whispers, dragging his bottom lip across my cheek. “I need to feel your soft skin again.”
“You heard Gav. He’s starving. If the two of you were doing something other than getting blitzed all day, he’d be able to make his own damn dinner.”
“Give him five minutes. He’ll pass out.” Beckett leans down, running his lips along my exposed collarbone. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all day, baby. It’s been a long time since I slept with someone I care about the way I care about you. It’s like everything is working out the way we always planned. We’re back together and by this time next year, that producer will have our names on the lips of everyone in the industry.”
“Beck, there’s something I have to tell you.” When he doesn’t stop nibbling on my skin, I forcefully shove him away. “Just stop for a minute, would ya?”
“Okay!” He lets out a deep chuckle and pulls me back to him. “What’s going on?” One of the brightest smiles I’ve seen in years lights his face, making him look so much younger and reminding me of our earlier times together. As much as he’s been drinking, I know anything I say will go right over his head and he won’t remember it the next day anyway.
Resting my head against his chest, I sigh. There’s never a good time to give Beckett bad news. “Nothing. I just have to run to the store for a few groceries. Can you still here and keep an eye on Gav for me? Make sure…I don’t know. Just keep him out of trouble. Okay?” It’s a dumb thing to say, because Gavin is beyond anyone’s help today or any other day. My chest aches painfully.
I’m one foot out the door when I call Kelly. “I haven’t had a smoke in over three years and I’m on my way to the store to buy a pack. Say something brilliant to stop me. I swear I can’t take this any longer.”
“Uh…” Kelly answers, spacing out for a minute. “Oh! There are dozens of chemicals in cigarettes that can cause cancer and your hair is far too gorgeous to lose! Plus you smell a million times better without that shit. Are you going to tell me what’s going on that you’re so eager to subject your body to poison again?”
“It’s Beckett. He’s at my house and horny as hell. I don’t know how to get him to leave without making him mad. Last night I did that thing where I fell for his charm when loaded and slept with him, so now he thinks we’re back together. Plus that producer showed up and I don’t know how to tell Beck the guy isn’t interested in the band as a whole and only wants to work with me.”
“Chloe, that’s awesome! Not the part where you slept with him, although I understand a girl needs what a girl needs, but the thing about the producer! I knew they’d love your sound and see you for the kick-ass performer you are!”
“No, it’s definitely not awesome. How am I going to break the news to the guys without deflating their egos? Anyway, I can’t even consider such an offer. I started this band. I can’t just ditch them ‘cause some random guy thinks I’m the only one with talent. It wouldn’t be right. Or fair.”
“So you’re looking for an easy out for tonight? Tell him I got in a fight with Theo and I need you to come over.”
“Shit,” I stop walking in the middle of the sidewalk. “Did you really?”
“Seriously? What could Theo and I possibly fight about? The only time I’ve ever seen him mad was when shit went down between me and Erik. I’m just trying to help you out here, girl. Do you want to get together for drinks or what?”
“Yeah, okay. Just let me make dinner for Gavin and I’ll come back over.”
Kelly sighs loudly. “Chloe, it’s time you kicked your deadbeat brother to the curb. I mean, I feel bad for the guy and what happened to him was really shitty. But eventually he has to return to reality and get a job. You can’t keep working to support the both of you.”
“It’s fine, I swear. He just needs to accept the fact that he probably won’t ever be a lawyer again. He worked hard for it. That kind of thing takes time.”
“Yeah, well maybe you should bring him over with you tonight. He looks hot, maybe he and Glo would hit it off. They probably both need a little action.”
I stop outside the convince store. “Gavin’s loaded. I can’t bring him. He’s an ass when he’s drunk. I don’t know that I could convince him to leave the house anyway. I couldn’t tell you the last time he dressed up to go out.”
“Tell him it’s two for one at Flanagan’s tonight. You have tomorrow off, right? Pack a bag and you can stay here. Gavin could take the couch.”
“I’m in, but I think you can forget Gav. I’m not sure I would wish that kind of misery on your sister anyway. He needs to get a handle on things before any girl will want to date him.” Truth is I can’t see Glori, who is practically groomed for royalty, falling for my brother as much as he has let himself go. The girls have yet to actually meet Gavin, so they have no idea how bad the situation has become.
“Fine, whatever. I’ll meet you at Flanagan’s in two hours. Wear something fabulous because I’m taking you out to celebrate the producer thing. Whether or not you accept his offer, it’s exciting news! You’re destined for big things, girl!”
At the convenience store, I grab a few slices of pizza. By the time I return home, Gavin has passed out anyway. It takes a while to convince Beckett to take a taxi home after he accepts the lie about Kelly and Theo’s spat and how I need to be alone with my friend. Still, I’m dressed up and on the ferry in time to enter Flanagan’s twenty minutes before any of the girls arrive.
Butterflies bore through my gut with the sight of Mick standing at his sister’s side behind the bar, throwing a customer one of his tenacious smiles. In the weeks since we last saw each other, I was able to push him into a far corner of my mind and move on with my life, but evidently not far enough away. Just the sight of him sets my insides on fire, reminding me how much I want to be with him. I stand frozen in place, wondering how I’ll ever shake the image of him cozying up to Big Tits. And how can I even look him in the eye again after I slept with Beckett?
As I turn to leave, I hear Mick call my name. Do I keep running out and pretend I didn’t hear him, or face the inevitable? I race out the door, deciding it would be best to wait for the gals outside and ignore Mick. I’ve developed far too many feelings for the guy. It would probably be best to make a clean break and continue on with my life. Continue playing games with Beckett. Sometimes it doesn’t seem worth fighting the inevitable.
I’m on the sidewalk when fingers wrap around my arm. “Where ya goin’, sweetheart?”
I turn, wincing when the warmth of his genuine eyes connect with mine. “Mickey, hey. I’m—”
“I’ve missed ya somethin’ awful.” He pulls me away from the door when a couple brushes past us. We stand on the deserted sidewalk beneath dim lights, our bodies mere feet apart. Thought it’s dark and fairly cool, the temperature see
ms to have spiked to unusual levels. “I’ve been meanin’ to ask ya out again, it’s just…m’ life can be complicated.”
For a moment we just stare at each other, our unspoken thoughts heavy in the air. Then his expression fills with anguish and he cups my face before leaning down to press his warm lips to mine. I sigh against his mouth and twist my fingers through his hair, savoring the sweet flavor of his mouth as the kiss becomes deeper, our lips and tongues working in tandem with our racing breaths. His strong, beautiful arms wrap around my waist, tightening with each moment.
Thoughts of Beckett and the producer and my brother fade away, the stress of it all flaking off my shoulders like the shedding of old skin. Mick’s kiss, though sweet and tender, has the power to make me incredibly lightheaded. I cling to him not only because I need him to keep me on my feet, but I want him to carry me away and take me somewhere we can be alone to explore each other in every way.
A woman beside us gasps. “Mick?”
We jump apart, turning to find the gorgeous, busty brunette gawking at us.
Chapter 4
“Viv!” Mick runs a hand through his hair to tame the mess I made. When he steps back from me, putting a cold wall between us, I see a scarlet blush to his cheeks from our make out session. “What are ya doin’ here?”
The woman’s gaze turns dark. Dressed in a designer dress and heels, her flowing hair perfectly styled in loose curls that highlight her mountainous cleavage, she looks like she took a wrong step off the runway. “I came to keep ya company since I knew you were workin’ the late shift.” There’s a soft hint of an Irish accent to her words, not nearly as thick as Mick’s. She glances at me, her full lips turned out in a scowl. “Clearly you won’t be needin’ me.”
“Don’t be startin’ with me,” Mick tells her in a warning tone. “We’ve talked about this.”
With a deep sigh, I close my eyes. I was right all this time to be jealous of the big-chested woman. Wrapping my hands around my now queasy stomach, I feel the unrelenting guilt of a little kid who just got caught stealing a candy bar. “I’m gonna go.”
Mick reaches for my arm. “Chloe, wait.”
“Because you can explain, right?” I snap, avoiding his touch. I glance at the now seething brunette. “I’m sorry. I made a mistake. He’s all yours.”
As my boots pound the pavement, taking me away from the nightmare, I hear Mick pleading for me to come back. I don’t turn around. I don’t have it in my heart to see him with that woman ever again. Mick isn’t the sweet man I thought he was.
Our night out is moved to Death & Co., a favorite trendy bar where I can always count on the drinks to be out of this world. Kelly never asks why I wanted to go somewhere else, and I don’t offer the information. I’m far more interested in having an uncomplicated girls’ night out, letting my woes drown in my aged whiskey.
Later, just before I fall asleep in Kelly and Theo’s guest room, I find three missed calls from Mick and a voicemail. Never in a million years did I think Mick would be capable of something so deceitful as kissing me when he clearly still has a girlfriend. I delete the voicemail without bothering to listen to his pathetic excuses.
Four nights later at one of the larger bars in SoHo, though the band draws in a great following, I make the decision not to call Ricky Campbell. Half the college-aged kids dancing are either drunk or high on something and would be just as excited to hear us play some shitty Mariah Carey song. Still, the way they jump around to the sound of my voice, screaming and hollering at the top of their lungs, it gets my heart pumping overtime. As we’re finishing our last set, I drink in the crowd as I always do at the end of a gig, savoring the unbeatable buzz I get from being mildly famous. This may be the best it’ll ever get.
Then I notice where Kelly and Jewels were bouncing around a minute ago, he’s standing all by himself.
I almost drop my guitar.
There’s an uneasy grin on Mick’s lips by the time our eyes meet. I’m taken by surprise to see his scruffy beard gone. He raises a hand for a drawn-out moment, mouthing the word, “hi.” For the love of the rock gods, I don’t understand why I react to that man the way I do, even though I’ve learned he’s capable of pulling the same shit as every other guy I’ve ever dated.
I stumble over the last verse of the song, forgetting a couple of words and slipping my fingers across the last chords. The crowd doesn’t seem to notice, however, and applauds wildly when I thank them for coming and tell them to like our page on Facebook. They begin chanting “one more song.”
Mick claps along with the rest of them, his grin deepening. There’s no sign of Viv the busty brunette anywhere. It doesn’t seem Mick’s really “with” anyone at the moment.
“Let’s play ‘D’Yer Mak’er’ to shut them up, then we’ll pack it up,” I tell the boys.
Remembering Mick said he likes Zeppelin, I hope to impress him with our take on the classic. After Landon drums out the first few notes, I rip into Blue Beauty with all I’ve got, delighted when I see Mick perk up in interest. After a moment he lifts a fist into the air, closing his eyes and moving his head to the jacked up tune.
I’m drenched with sweat by the time we’re done. A few people in the crowd chant “one more song” again, this time with less enthusiasm. We pack things up and the bar blasts its filler music in our place. If we always gave into the demands of the crowd, we’d never be done and sometimes it pisses the bar owners off if we don’t quit at the times for which we were paid.
Landon brushes past as he takes the last of his drum set out to the van, mumbling a goodbye. Beckett stands beside me with his guitar in its case, slung over his shoulder. He touches my hip. “I’m taking the van. You coming back to my place?” His tone is impossibly husky, signaling he’s hoping for another round of kinky sex. By some miracle, I’ve been able to keep him at bay since the night Mick kissed me. Just because Mick is unavailable doesn’t mean I want to continue on with this fucked-up relationship. Even thought in my mind it’s over between us, the boy will never give up.
I set Blue Beauty inside her case, shaking my head. “I’m staying in the city at Kel’s tonight since I gotta be at the shop real early. I’ll see you tomorrow at practice.”
“You know where to find me if you change your mind, baby,” he whispers, snaking his hand around my middle and nuzzling up to my ear. His breath is shallow and warm, stirring a fraction of the old feelings that I wish would go away once and for all. Just as I relax against his hold, he breaks away, disappearing toward the back door.
Collecting Blue Beauty, I move to the side of the stage, finding Mick at the bottom of the three steps. Though his dark brown hair is styled in a slanting faux-hawk as when I saw him last, the clean-shaven look makes him look years younger than what I first guessed him to be. The same soft lips that worked their magic on me look darker and full without anything covering them. My eyes travel from his denim shirt down to where his sleeves are rolled, showing the extensive tattoo work on his muscular arm. Suddenly, I’m dizzy.
“Hi,” I greet him coolly, pushing Blue Beauty over my shoulder.
“Hiya.” He offers his hand to help me down the steps. “You haven’t answered any of m’ calls. Will ya please give me a moment to explain?”
“Sure. Sorry, I’d take your hand if I weren’t so nasty from playing.”
“I don’t mind,” he says with a wide smile. “A li’l bit of sweat’s just a sign of hard work.”
When I slip my hand into his, it’s like I’m propelled into another universe where pink unicorns and rainbows over fluffy clouds and shit exist. His hands are strong, the kind that know how to find their way across guitar strings with meaning and purpose. When I picture his fingers going to work across my body, I almost miss a step.
Mick reaches up to steady me with his other hand, pressing his fingers against my waist. “Ah, careful there, sweetheart!”
“Thanks,” I say once I’m safely on his level. I slip my hand away from his to set Blue Bea
uty back on stage, only for something to do. The feel of his talented fingers against mine is too much to handle. Even though we’ve kissed, I’m as nervous as a fifteen year old on her first date. It’s rare that words escape me, but I seem to forget them every time I’m in the sexy Irishman’s presence. “I’m glad you made it to the show. It’s been too long.”
“Ya, I’ve been busy. If I hadn’t come, I would’a missed that killer rendition of Zeppelin ya played just now. Is it somethin’ you wrote?”
“Yeah. I’m not so good at creating original songs, but I love to mix them up.”
Mick pushes both of his fists into the pocket of his dark jeans. “Do you have plans now, or do you fancy a drink?”
I struggle to find a verbal answer. Jewels and Kelly left an hour ago since they have plans early in the morning, so I told them I’d take a cab back to Theo’s brownstone when I was done. As much as I want to hear whatever it is Mick has to say, I’m terrified to hear the truth, that we can’t be together.
“Sure,” I squeak in a very un-Chloe-like noise.
The smile he gives me could melt an iceberg in seconds, I swear. As he leads me over to the bar, pressing the palm of his hand to the tender spot above my ass, I become electrified from head to toe. As much as I’ve resolved to let him go, my body doesn’t seem to have gotten the memo.
After waiting nearly fifteen minutes by myself at one of the few open high-top tables, I’m relieved to see Mick fighting his way through the crowd with our drinks in hand. He’s such a breath of fresh air from the guys surrounding him. I can’t decide if it’s the Irish thing, or the way he always appears upbeat, but there’s definitely something about him that I can’t shake.
“Sorry it took s’ long,” he tells me, setting my beer next to me with a wide grin. “Your band drew in a large crowd.”
