by Meghan Quinn
Cruz was right, but hell if Rook would let him know that. Instead, Rook let his macho pride take over as he stood up and got in Cruz’s face.
“Leave her the fuck alone, Cruz, or I will pull your cocky ass faux hawk out of your scrotum.”
Cruz waved his hands in the air. “Ooo, I’m scared. You can fuck off for all I care. She’s fair game in my book. Let the best dickhead win,” Cruz said while patting Rook on the cheek. “And unless you start taking your Midol religiously, I’m pretty sure my cock is as good as buried in her pussy, as far as I’m concerned.”
Cruz walked off before Rook could bury his fist in his face. Of course Cruz would go after Maisy and not Willow. It was always a competition with Cruz, when it came to women. Rook won most of the time, so Rook was damn sure once Cruz saw Rook’s reaction to Maisy at The Tavern, Cruz was out for blood.
***
“She’s awfully touchy,” Quinn whispered into Grey’s ear as they headed back to the studio.
Grey had to agree, Willow was touchy, but the good thing was, she was touchy with everyone. So at least she wasn’t focusing all her attention on Grey; he didn’t think he could handle that.
Willow was different. He had never met a girl like her before. She was cool and knew her music. Playing the bass came so easy to her, it was almost magical to watch her fingers glide across the thick strings. Plus, her damn body was so God damn luscious it was hard for Grey to keep his eyes off of her. Every time she leaned over, she gave him a great view of the ample cleavage she had to offer the lucky bastard she had in her life. Then there was her ass, she really was the rock star version of Jessica Rabbit, as Maisy so rightfully adorned her.
Grey had to hide his hard on the other day when they were working on the instrumentals to Twisted Perfection’s song. He had been around a lot of women in his life, especially ever since he became famous with Shattered Souls, but never had he ever reacted to a woman like he did to Willow, not even Quinn.
He loved Quinn and considered her his soul mate, but there was something about Willow that was eating away at him and, if he wasn’t careful, he would completely fuck his life up by trying to see what was so different about her.
Plus, Quinn was extremely self-conscious when it came to other women and comparing herself to them, so Grey didn’t want Quinn to worry, but Grey also didn’t know how much more he could take, being in such close quarters with Willow. He knew once they had their tour bus back to themselves, everything would go back to normal because he wouldn’t have Willow two chairs down from him, flipping her hair, showing off her tits and bending over to pick things up, giving Grey an amazing view of that to-die-for ass.
He knew he was wrong for thinking of another woman, but he couldn’t help himself. The worst thing was, she was starting to control his life to the point that every time he heard her voice, he started to get hard and had to excuse himself.
Willow was just a temptation, one of many that he was sure would cross his path at one time or another. He just needed to learn to control his urges because he didn’t want to give up Quinn. She was one of the best things that ever happened to him and he wouldn’t give her up for a quick fuck with a gorgeous blonde bombshell.
“She’s touchy with everyone, doll.”
“But she looks at you differently.”
Grey cupped Quinn’s face in his hands and looked her dead in the eyes. “You have nothing to worry about. I love you and you alone.”
“But she’s so…gorgeous.” Grey couldn’t disagree with that statement.
“But she’s not you, doll. My soul picked you, simple as that. You’re stuck with me.”
“Yeah, lucky me,” Quinn said sarcastically with a smile.
Grey wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into his side as they walked into the studio. He really was a lucky guy to have found such an understanding and caring woman to be by his side. He talked to Landon about possibly proposing a couple of months ago, but Landon told him to hold off. They were still young and had plenty of time to be an old married couple. Even though Landon was incredibly awkward through the whole conversation, he was right. Grey and Quinn had their whole lives to be married, might as well have some fun while they could.
They walked into the studio to find Maisy killing it on the guitar and lead vocals, Kaid drumming his life away like a madman, and Willow expertly sliding her hand up and down the neck of her bass, providing the dull thrum to their melody. Damn they were good. Grey was extremely happy they were able to find Twisted Perfection and convince the label to put them on tour with them. It was happening very fast, but it felt so right.
They had their first show tomorrow night, so tonight they were all going to go out to a private dinner at a steakhouse the label was so graciously paying for. It was going to be a good night, Grey could feel it.
“They look good,” the producer said while adjusting some knobs on the giant switchboard that was in front of them. “Where did you find them?”
“LA,” Grey responded. “In a bar we used to play at all the time. I’m surprised no one snatched them up before us.”
“Me too. If I saw them play, I would have signed them myself. You don’t really see many bands with their kind of style and sound. I think they’re going to be something big.”
Grey stared at Willow and the cool composure she displayed while in the studio. She was something alright.
“I agree. They sure as hell are going to be something big.”
***
“Alright girls, now it’s my turn to have some fun with you. The boys have monopolized your time so now I get to have you all to myself,” Quinn said, while leading Willow and Maisy into a separate room that was down the hall from the studio.
Willow was so happy Maisy was able to shake her nerves and perform like she always had. When they were listening to the recorded tracks earlier, Willow was almost shocked at how good they sounded. Their sound gave her chills while excitement poured through her. Willow always knew there was something else out there for them, but she never knew it would happen in such a whirlwind.
Now they were headed off to be styled by Quinn, who was well-known for picking out the perfect clothes to make every female fan drool and every male fan…well…drool. Quinn knew how to dress people and Willow couldn’t wait to see what Quinn had in mind for her. Willow only hoped Quinn didn’t expect to cover up her natural curves.
They walked into the room where all the clothes had just arrived from the label and Willow was blown away. She had never seen so many gorgeous clothes in her life. There were dresses, skirts, shirts, skinny jeans, and more accessories than Willow could ever imagine. But just beyond all the hipster-style clothing, Willow saw a brief glimpse of lace and knew exactly what it was; lingerie.
Excited, Willow went straight for the lacy objects and fingered them delicately. She had been poor her whole life, so any kind of sexy lingerie she got was from the discount rack at the local Wal-Mart. She never had the chance to actually wear such intricate garments.
“These are gorgeous,” Willow said breathlessly, while holding up a black demi-bra in her size. “Do we get to wear these?”
Quinn smiled at her. “Of course. I can’t have my girls being sexy just on the outside. I need you girls feeling sexy all the way down to your panties.” She clapped her hands together and said, “Now let’s start with the lingerie and work our way up to the big stuff. I got your sizes from the label so I’m hoping all of this fits.”
“All of this?” Maisy asked in disbelief.
“Yes, all of it. Don’t get me wrong girls, you look cute, but I need you looking hot. That is what the label pays me for. We will be getting rid of ninety-nine percent of your current clothing and replacing it with what’s in this room. We have a lot of work to do before dinner and I also have to style Kinkaid, so let’s get to it.”
Willow and Maisy nodded their heads and grabbed the lingerie Quinn threw at them. They both ducked behind partitions and tore their clothes o
ff. It was easy to decipher which bras were Maisy’s and which ones were Willow’s because there was a noticeable size difference.
The first set Willow tried on was a hot pink bra that matched the streaks in her hair and a corresponding bottom. She looked in the mirror that was provided in the partitioned area and almost fell to the floor from shock. The bra made her boobs look beyond perfect and the thong she was wearing was extremely flattering to her sizable backside.
“Let me see girls.”
Maisy peeked out from the side of her partition and cautiously showed off her set to Quinn. Quinn got right in there and started shifting Maisy’s boobs around, sticking her hand in her bra and adjusting until she was satisfied. The girl knew how to do her job because Willow was two seconds away from jumping Maisy’s bones. Damn she looked good.
Willow stepped out and Quinn let out a long whistle.
“Wow, you girls are giving me a run for my money.” Quinn, shifted a few things that Willow had no clue existed on her body and then stepped back. “Perfect. What do you girls think?”
“I think I’m in heaven,” said Willow. “I can’t believe we actually get to keep these.”
“The price you pay for being famous,” Quinn said with a wink. “Alright, let’s stick with these sets for now and get some clothes on those dynamite bodies of yours. Willow, I’m guessing you like to show off a little more skin, and rightfully so. I’m going to start you off with this rack and Maisy, take this one back with you.”
Quinn rolled two long racks of clothing toward their respective partitions. Maisy’s was full of pastel colors, ranging from mint green to pinks to browns, all skirts and dresses. Willow’s wardrobe was complimentary, but a little more daring. She had some tight fitting jeans on her rack, vests and lots of necklaces. Willow felt like she was in heaven.
They spent a good two hours trying on clothes, putting together looks and sorting out what worked for them and what turned out to be outright hideous. They took Polaroids of the different outfits together and even picked out outfits to coincide with one another so they looked cohesive up on stage.
“Ok, this is amazing. You girls are great to work with. So, for tonight, I want you girls to both wear dresses…”
“Tonight?” Maisy asked, confused.
“We’re all going out to dinner and, now that you are attached to Shattered Souls, you girls need to be looking good at all times. We will pick out outfits and then hair and makeup will be by in a little bit to clean things up a bit. We’re going to keep your hair the way it is because we agreed we love it, but we are going to add a few more layers, maybe brighten Maisy up with a few more highlights. But nothing too drastic. Don’t worry. But we need hot as hell outfits tonight. There will be paparazzi scouring the steakhouse tonight to create a buzz about you, so we need you guys ready.”
“OK…” Maisy said, looking nervously at Willow.
“It will be fun,” replied Willow, trying to ease her friend’s mind a little. “What do you have in mind for us?”
Quinn held up two dresses and both Willow and Maisy’s jaws hit the floor. The label wanted to grab people’s attention, that was for sure. Willow was up for the challenge though.
She grabbed the dress and went behind her partition. “We’re going to rock the crap out of these dresses tonight, Maisy girl.”
Chapter 5
The last thing Rook wanted to do was go out to dinner with Twisted Perfection, but since it was a media opportunity that the label set up for them, he really didn’t have a choice. He spent the rest of the day once again brooding in the back of the bus, but he got a lot of work done, which was good. He knew his ability to produce number one hits while sitting in the back of the bus was one of the main reasons why his bandmates didn’t push him to be more social.
Cruz’s attempt to push Rook’s buttons about Maisy was still bugging him. Rook didn’t want to have anything to do with Maisy, but with Cruz in the works now, it wasn’t like he had much of a choice. Rook gritted his teeth and decided to let Cruz work his magic. If Maisy wanted Cruz, well then that was her own bad choice; Rook couldn’t do anything about it. Just a couple more days and he would be out of the hell of sharing a bus with her. He could make it a couple more days, right?
The guys and Quinn all waited outside the studio as Willow and Maisy were finishing up with hair and make-up.
“What’s taking so damn long?” Rook said impatiently
“Hair and make-up got stuck in traffic. Cool your jets, Rook,” Quinn replied.
Like they needed hair and make-up, they were gorgeous enough as it was, they didn’t need any more primping.
Rook was uncomfortable as hell and it wasn’t just because he had to eat dinner with Maisy while Cruz hit on her all night. Quinn had Rook in a pair of stiff, tight jeans and a tailored button-up shirt that hugged him in all the right places, with the sleeves rolled up and some thin suspenders. His hair was freshly cut, but it was the perfect length, thankfully. He hated when it got too short. The guys were all wearing outfits like him and had their hair styled perfectly to Quinn’s liking. They looked good, but you could tell they were all uncomfortable in the new threads.
Rook was just about to complain again when the girls walked out. Rook had to hit himself over the head because he thought he was dreaming for sure. Willow came out first in a light pink, lace dress that was cut dangerously low in the front, hugged her entire body, and stopped at just above her knees. Her hair had more layers and her bangs were thicker and swept to the side.
Willow was not the reason that Rook was practically panting like a dog though. No, it was Maisy. She came forward wearing a mint green dress that was long in the back but short in the front. The hem touched her mid-thigh, showing off an expanse of toned legs sporting nude colored heals. A brown belt with a bow cinched her waist and the bra she was wearing was doing wonders for her cleavage. Her hair cascaded down her shoulders in smooth waves and she wore a brown braided headband that cut across her side-swept bangs, giving her a bit of a hippie vibe.
She was drop dead gorgeous and all Rook could do was stare.
“Damn you girls look good,” Kaid said, as he walked up to his bandmates and held out both arms for them to hook their arms around. “I’m one lucky man. Where we headed?”
They all got in the limo that was waiting for them and headed to the restaurant. Rook stayed as far away from Maisy as possible in the limo and kept his head down. If he looked up, he knew she would catch him staring and that was the last thing he wanted.
They pulled up to the steakhouse that actually turned out to be quite nice, almost ritzy. Rook knew the label wouldn’t make them eat at a place where the house challenge was eating a ten pound steak, baked potato and buttered biscuit, but he was surprised they sprung for a ritzier place than usual.
The restaurant overlooked the Willamette River and the ambiance was candlelight with a rustic feel. It was romantic and all Rook wanted to do was jump back in the limo and head back to the bus. The last thing he needed was to be in a romantic setting with Maisy looking like she was.
Media stood outside of the steakhouse and took pictures of all of them walking into the restaurant. Shattered Souls stopped and took a picture together, then had Twisted Perfection join them, just like the label asked. Grey answered questions about the band and introduced Kaid to the media. Willow and Maisy stood behind Kaid and smiled, just like they were so dutifully taught.
“Can we get a picture of all of you one more time?” A cameraman asked politely, surprisingly.
They all linked arms and took one last picture. Rook was on the end, next to Kaid who was next to Maisy. He could smell her from where he stood and she smelled intoxicating. Whatever she was wearing was doing the trick because he felt himself drift over to her.
She looked up at him and smiled, he returned the smile. A camera flashed in their eyes and they turned to see the rest of the gang headed inside. They turned to retreat after them when a cameraman made one more request.
“One picture of the two lead singers together.”
Being the ever-so-accommodating rock star, Rook wrapped his arm around Maisy’s waist and pulled her in close. She fit perfectly in his grasp and he felt his heart starting to meld with hers. It was bad news, but he couldn’t pull away for the life of him. While the cameras flashed, he leaned down and whispered into her ear.
“You look beyond stunning tonight.”
The shocked look on her face hurt him. She thought he was a monster and the fact that he would give her the time of day to lend her a compliment shocked her to the core. It was upsetting to see the impression he gave her. He wanted to distance himself from her, not make her feel like crap around him. If he thought about it, that’s what being an asshole was, making people feel like the crap you just shit out. Fantastic!
He grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the restaurant. When they got out of camera shot, she tore her hand away from his, leaving him cold and confused.
“What the hell was that?” she said, while pointing toward the doors.
“It’s called the media. I thought they briefed you on that earlier today?”
“Don’t be a smart ass. What was all that affection about?”
“Affection? I was just taking a picture with you. Don’t read too much into it, boo.”
“I’m not your boo!” she practically shouted.
Rook just shook his head and walked away. Why did he always have to end up being an ass? Was it actually ingrained in his blood? That would be a sorry life to live, if it was. He knew he could be a good guy when he wanted to be, but apparently, whenever he was around Maisy, she brought the asshole out in him. He knew he was being an ass, that wasn’t a surprise to him because it was the only way he knew how to guard his heart.
