Love Desired

by Kelli McCracken

  “Bentley Price.”

  I could tell he didn’t want to shake Wesley’s hand but did so anyway. I did the same just as reluctantly. “Ayden McAllister.”

  Wesley’s gaze drifted to Andi. “You’re slacking on your duties as Mia’s assistant aren’t you?”

  “How so?”

  “I had to find these guys myself for an introduction. Why didn’t you let me know we had new guests?”

  “You didn’t get the memo?” Andi asked but shook her head before he could answer. “Oh, that’s right. You’re not on the list. I’ve never introduced you to new guests, nor do I plan to start. You’re nobody special.”

  Wesley’s chest puffed. “I have a seat on the board, and I’m head of stage production. Being a board member alone is enough to earn me the right to know who enters and exits this place.”

  Andi didn’t cower to his comments. If anything, they empowered her. She stood toe to toe with Wesley and pressed her fists to her hips. “Your sad little seat on the board earns you nothing but a small say in meetings and votes. You have no power otherwise. Be grateful you were able to weasel that seat out of Brandon before he passed.”

  The more they talked, the more I learned about Mia and Wesley’s history. There was still a lot of information that I didn’t have, but at this point, I didn’t care. From the moment I spotted Wesley, I didn’t like him. Now I wanted nothing to do with him.

  When Andi’s phone beeped, she grabbed it out of her pocket while glaring at Wesley. She stopped long enough to scan over what I assumed was a text. She mumbled something under her breath before tucking the phone away. Then she turned to Bentley.

  “I have to go. My to-do list is a mile long today. I’ll talk to you later, okay?”

  “Sounds good,” Bentley answered.

  Before she left, Andi sneered in Wesley’s direction once more, and then she waved at me. “Remember everything I said. Everything.”

  Bentley stared at her as she walked away while Wesley and I exchanged curious glances. I had no doubt he was wondering why Andi said what she had to me before she left. If he thought he could ask or trick me into telling him, it proved how little he knew me.

  “So,” Wesley began as he clapped his hands together. “Are you guys passing through or are you sticking around Music Haven for a while?”

  I hoped Bentley would answer him, but he turned around and grabbed his juice. I noticed him roll his eyes before he faced Wesley again. Still, he didn’t answer.

  “We’re not sure how long we’re staying.” I tried to hide the irritation in my voice. In less than five minutes of knowing him, I wanted to wipe the smug smile off of his face. “We haven’t received our schedule yet, but from what I understand, it will be a few months. We’re working with Mia.”

  Something I’d said caused Wesley’s face to tighten. His nostrils flared when he snorted, then he focused on me. “Mia is quite helpful when it benefits her.”

  “Beg your pardon?” Was he really going to shit talk his ex in front of us?

  “Let me give you guys some advice that will keep you out of trouble while you’re here. This place is crawling with beautiful women. Some are willing to satisfy your every desire. Some require a price.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” Deep down, I knew that answer, but I wanted him to confirm it. He was insinuating that working with Mia would come with a price.

  “It’s just a little friendly advice. I’ve been where you are. There are certain women who are worth your time. The others will do nothing but ruin your life, or at least try.”

  I’d barely given him any information on what project we were working on with Mia. Still, it was easy to see he was trying to dissuade us from working with her. Or maybe it was more. Was he afraid one of us was interested in Mia? The arrogance I noticed said he thought he was the shit, yet I got the impression he was jealous.

  “Guess if we were here to get laid, we’d appreciate your advice,” Bentley chimed in as he set his glass back on the bar. “We’re here to make an album, not find our latest fling.”

  “If you say so,” Wesley smirked. He didn’t acknowledge Bentley. Instead, he stared at me.

  Was he singling me out? I hadn’t given him any reason to think I was pursuing Mia unless he saw her dance session with Jenna Justice. Had he caught her looking in my direction? I still couldn’t believe it myself.

  “Sorry, guys. Would love to stay and chat, but I have other things to do.” He took one step away then peered over his shoulder. “Good luck with your, uh . . . choices.”

  As he proceeded to the entrance of the arena, my tension lessened. Regardless of Andi warning us about who Wesley was, I wouldn’t have liked him. In his mind, everyone else was beneath him. I was sure he treated Mia the same.

  “What a douche.” Bentley faced the bar again as he shook his head. “Why in the hell would Mia date someone like that? Talk about out of her class.”

  “It’s actually a really fucked up story,” Max stated as he approached the corner of the bar. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but whenever Wesley’s around, I keep my ears open.”

  “Is that part of your job?” There was nothing derogatory in Bentley’s question. He was just as curious as I was about Max’s comment.

  “No, it’s not part of my job. I do it out of respect for a friend. Plus, I know what a tool that guy is.”

  “How so?”

  Max regarded me as he leaned his elbows on the bar. “I’ll give you the short version. He caused a rift between Mia and the first guy she dated because he wanted her for himself. Brandon thought he helped Mia get over the breakup, so he gave Wesley a job in stage production.”

  “What kind of rift did he cause?” I anticipated Max’s answer. Once I had it, I would know how Mia had been hurt.

  “He told a shit-ton of lies, set some crude acts in motion, and played Mia to get what he wanted. The list is longer, but you get my point. By the time Mia grew suspicious, her grandfather had passed. She was a mess.”

  “Why didn’t she just fire Wesley after she gained control of Music Haven?”

  It would have been the first thing I would have done. I wanted to understand why Mia would keep him around if he caused her so much pain. Max was definitely filling us in on a lot of missing details.

  “Trust me. If Mia could fire him, she would. This is the kicker. Before Brandon died, Wesley weaseled his way into the old man’s good graces. He convinced Brandon to make him head of stage production and give him a seat on the board. Mia didn’t find out until Brandon’s will was read.”

  I did my best to wrap my mind around the news I’d been given. It helped me to understand why Mia stopped dating. She’d been screwed over, and worse, she had to interact with that person on a daily basis. I couldn’t imagine having to keep my ex around.

  While I still didn’t have all the details on what went down between Mia and Wesley, it was enough to convince me of one thing. I didn’t need to resist what I was feeling for Mia.

  It was time to explore it.

  Chapter 6

  ~Ayden~

  I couldn’t perform from the minute I saw Mia enter the sound booth inside the studio. For the last two weeks, we’d been laying tracks and hitting our groove. Yet the moment she walks in, everything shuts down.

  It’s not like it was the first time she was hearing us play. She’d saw us in Tucson, and considering we were here, I assumed she liked what she heard. The difference was, I had no idea she was at that performance.

  I’d lost my confidence.

  Part of me wished I could go back in time, to the version of me before I met my ex. I was never as bold or crude as Bentley, but I wasn’t as reserved. I had fun. The old me would have seen Mia walk in and added a few extra riffs to the intro.

  As the music died away, Andi spotted Mia. She waved at her boss and motioned her to sit in the chair beside the sound producer. Andi had attended a couple sessions earlier this week, but this was the first time Mia was joining us
.

  Once she was seated, Mia glanced inside the room. Her eyes found me first, causing my face to heat. This was my chance to start earning her trust. I’d been waiting for this opportunity all week. With other people around the grounds, I barely saw her.

  I flashed her a genuine smile before Andi motioned for us to take a break. A sense of relief fell over me. I lifted the guitar strap from my neck and set it against the stand.

  Bentley advanced in my direction, playing air drums with his sticks. “What’s up, Ayden? Did you have a brain fart with the lyrics, or did something distract you?”

  His body shook as he did his best to laugh silently. I turned my back to the sound booth and waited until he finished. The recording sign was off. Good. I didn’t want Andi or Mia to hear our conversation.

  “You’re one to give me shit. Every time Andi pops in, you either play so fast we can’t keep up or so slow you lose track of where you are. We’ve only been successful recording during the times she’s not here. And you say I’m distracted?”

  “Unlike you, I’ve used my time to get to know Andi. We talk several times throughout the day. The other night, I walked her back to the condo. We stood outside and talked for a couple of hours. I’m invested, so yeah, I’m gonna get distracted.” He eyed me from head to toe. “What’s your excuse?”

  “What can I say? I’m easily distracted.”

  “Yeah, you’re easily distracted when a certain CEO comes around.”

  I flipped him off, but Bentley laughed. He enjoyed razzing me. Hell, it was one of the reasons we were friends. We knew how to push each other’s buttons, but we never got pissed about it.

  Sure, there were times I wish he didn’t speak so freely, like the morning he was asking Andi questions about Mia. And even as much as I wanted to punch him that day, looking back, I’m glad he did it.

  “So,” Bentley began while drumming his fingers. “What would you say if I told you that Andi and I were meeting up for drinks tonight?”

  I shrugged. “Congratulations?”

  “What if I told you that Mia would be with Andi and that you’re supposed to be there too?”

  “I would probably threaten you with all kinds of bodily harm.”

  As Bentley snickered, I studied him a moment, debating on whether he was fucking with me or being serious. He was laughing, but he hadn’t assured me this was a joke, which meant it wasn’t.

  “Damn it, Bentley. Can you let me handle this on my own?”

  “If I did that, you’d never get anywhere in life. I have to push you to do things. When that doesn’t help, I have to do things myself.”

  “Listen, I appreciate you looking out for me, but when you do shit like this, I look like a chump. I was degraded enough in my last relationship. I don’t need a friend doing the same.”

  Raising his hands defensively, Bentley leaned back. “Man, it’s not even like that. You’re the one that’s gotta’ get the girl. I’m just setting the scene.”

  “Setting the scene?” I grumbled. “More like setting me up for failure.”

  “I’m sorry.” Bentley patted his chest. “I get ahead of myself sometimes, but this was never meant to belittle you.”

  Waving away his comment, I faced the guitar stand and played with the tuners on my guitar. “We’re good. Just let me handle this from here on out.”

  “Does that mean you’re coming tonight?”

  I sighed. “Yeah. I’ll be there.”

  Before he could say anything else, movement drew my eyes back to the sound booth. I searched for Mia’s face, but she was no longer in the chair beside the sound producer. She was opening the door to the studio and walking inside.

  Andi was just behind her. She tilted her head to the side as if she were motioning someone to join her in a different spot. I didn’t realize she was signaling Bentley until he followed her toward his drum set.

  What they did after that was lost to me. I was too busy staring at the beauty in front of me. Mia reached above her and moved the microphone out of our way. When she looked at me, my body heated.

  “Hey,” she spoke softly. “How are you?”

  I shrugged. “Doing okay, I guess. It’s been a slow morning, but I thought the last song turned out perfect. This new song . . . I choked. The lyrics were there, but I froze.”

  “What caused you to freeze? She glanced around the room, observing my bandmates. When her eyes made it back to me, I held my breath. I didn’t want to tell her the truth, and yet, I knew I couldn’t lie, not to her.

  “I, uh . . . Playing in front of you makes me nervous.”

  “Why?”

  I wasn’t going to admit the real reason, but I had another valid one. “You saw us play one time. After everything you did to bring us here, I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint you.”

  She held my gaze for a long time. No words were spoken. We just stared at one another, as if we were having some sort of telepathic conversation. Perhaps on some subconscious level we were because something between us seemed to change. The way she looked at me, the electric vibes that seemed to pulse between us, even her body language was different.

  “You’re not going to disappoint me, Ayden. You have a lot of fire in your soul. It shows when you perform. Tap into that part of yourself.”

  The tone of her voice lulled me. All the tension I felt began to dissipate. I still couldn’t get over the fact that she invited us here and was investing in our band. The last thing I wanted was to let her down. I had to get this right.

  “Ayden, I want you to know that everything you guys recorded this week sounds amazing. Don’t doubt yourself, okay? You’re far more talented than you think.”

  “That means a lot coming from you.” Heat rushed to my cheeks when she gazed at me. It felt weird confessing that to her, and at the same time, it relieved me, especially when she smiled.

  “I better not keep you.” She took a few steps back and pivoted toward the door. Just before she walked out, she looked at me once more. “See you around eight for drinks?”

  My mouth parted. I wanted to say yes, but the words wouldn’t come out. All I could do was nod in response.

  “Good,” she smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

  * * *

  ~Mia~

  Starting a date five minutes late wasn’t how I wanted the night to begin. Then again, maybe I was getting ahead of myself in thinking it was a date. Andi and Bentley were the ones who made the original plans. It felt as though the only reason she had invited me was because of the disappointment she saw on my face when she told me about their plans.

  I had to get better at hiding my emotions. Of course, Andi could read me better than anyone. She knew I was attracted to Ayden long before I mentioned it. Even when I denied her accusation, she stuck to what she believed and didn’t back down until I confessed.

  Smoothing my hands over my jeans, I double-checked my reflection in one of the mirrors outside the restrooms in the arena. My pants clung to my body, their snugness holding me together, or so it seemed. I didn’t have time to check anything else when I spotted Andi coming out of the ladies’ room.

  “There you are. I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show.”

  “Sorry. I had a last-minute phone call from another agent who may be interested in Breaking Silence.”

  “In that case, I’ll excuse your tardiness. I’m sure the guys will too.”

  “Have you seen them yet?”

  “No. When I first got here, a couple guys from the Sound Department were complaining about Wesley and threatening to quit. I had to reassure them that we’d address the issue when we meet with them tomorrow. After that, I went to the restroom. Now you’re here.”

  “Guess that means we’re both late. We better get in there.”

  Andi nodded before proceeding into the hall. I fell in step behind her, rubbing my hands together as we entered the bar. It didn’t take long to weave through a crowd of people, greet a few guests, then make our way to
the main floor.

  It wasn’t too often that I arranged for tables and chairs to be set up on the main floor. Usually, someone was on stage or choreographers were working below. Tonight was one of those rare occasions. Tables were spread around the floor, draped in white linen that bared Music Haven’s logo.

  I enjoyed evenings like tonight when the stage was dark and the arena had more lighting than usual. Even without someone on stage, there was always music. We kept a collection of songs on hand to play over the speakers when no one was performing.

  The song currently being played had an upbeat tempo and a killer lead intro. It made my skin pimple, especially when I locked eyes with Ayden. He and Bentley were sitting at a table closer to the bar than the stage. Bentley was staring at Andi, so I’m not sure which one spotted us first. All I knew is that both had a look of relief.

  We shouldn’t be doing this. Deep down, I kept telling myself that. This was supposed to be a professional relationship, not personal. Then again, I was rushing things. The whole point of meeting for drinks was to get to know them better.

  Andi had spent more time with Bentley. They hit it off right away, and from everything she’d told me, it was going better than she thought it would.

  My situation was different. I didn’t know much about Ayden. He’d kept his distance for so long that it surprised me when Andi said he would be here this evening.

  Still, I felt like I was allowing history to repeat itself. I worried over the same thing when I first considered inviting Breaking Silence to Music Haven. I thought I could handle the attraction. If something didn’t change my mind after this evening, I wasn’t sure what would happen next.

  “You made it,” Bentley announced once we reached the table.

  “Sorry we’re late,” Andi began as she sat in the chair beside him. “I had to deal with a human resource issue, and Mia was taking a call.”