by Tess Keeler
Copyright © 2019 Tess and Saundra Keeler
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 9781794691155
ISBN-13:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places,
events, locales, and incidents are either products of the
author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any
resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is
purely coincidental.
Make You Mine
CHAPTER ONE
Nixon
The club was thick with smoke, and the amount of regret I had in that moment was almost crippling. Mason Thomas, my personal photographer turned friend, begged me to accompany him to find a distraction for the night. Man, the things I did for friendship. He could’ve asked anyone else in the band— Mitch (guitar), Joseph (keyboards), Jason (bass), or Foster (drums)— but he never did click with any of them as well as he did with me. Even if this would’ve been the opportune moment to connect with them, he insisted I go.
Mason used my name to get us in. I was only nineteen and shouldn’t have been allowed access. But, Nixon Brooks, singer-songwriter of three number one albums, he always could. Maybe that’s why Mason chose me?
The vast bar covered the entire back wall, and the middle of the club was a dance floor and even a small stage. There were some booths and seats to the left of the bar. They would just have to take a few steps, and they were there. Good thing, too, because people were having a hard time trying to take a seat already. I smoothed my hands over my short sleeved black button up nervously, observing people as they wandered by.
Don’t get me wrong. I drank. But, it’s one or two. That’s it. Just to take the edge off the long work days. This tour was the first time I picked up a drink. With a world tour that went on for a good chunk of the year, in addition to my third album’s recent release, my schedule was insane with shows and promotional obligations.
“Nix, aye.” He had nudged me after a few moments of us standing at the bar. “Wut about them?”
His saggy, puppy dog brown eyes stared through the thick curls falling over his eyes to his right, which was behind me. I turned in an attempt to not be super obvious.
There were two girls standing there, but one had her back to me. The one that I could see had a broad jaw, but very small features that sat in the center of her face. The best way to describe her would be mousy, but not in a bad way. She was pretty enough. I picked up the beer that was slid to me before I turned to follow him.
“‘Ello, ladies.” Mason was much shorter than I was, standing at five foot seven. Me, on the other hand — I was six foot two inches. I could see them both over his shoulder with ease, but I tried to be cool. Mason needed a great wingman, and being standoffish wasn’t really part of the deal. “May we buy you both drinks?”
Damn, he was good at this. My eyebrows lifted up at the thought. I was glad that I wasn’t good at it. No one needed the power that Mason had.
The petite, fragile girl offered a big smile, showing off her gums and teeth in the process. Her hair was darker at the roots, with a light blonde at the end. Her blue eyes were heavily decorated in smoky eyeliner, and she was already showing a lot of interest in Mason. Her friend standing next to her was shaking her head, bringing attention to the length of her golden brown hair and the loose curls cascading through it. She turned just enough for me to see her profile, unamused by our presence entirely. The black and pink floral sundress fit her curves flawlessly. My breath caught in my throat; this girl was beautiful. I mean, she was the kind of beautiful that set you on fire. She was classic and effortless, and she had me.
I moved to stand next to Mason, closer to both of the girls, silently wanting to get her attention. Mason and her friend were flirting relentlessly, even after some cautious exchange. The girl I was drawn to finally saw me, her blue eyes lifting over my entirety with a quick glance. My eyes grabbed hers, connecting quickly. Her eyelashes fluttered as she blinked, turning to her friend once before looking back at me.
“Where are our manners?” I started— hopefully, I could rectify the crass way we approached them. Surely, girls didn’t like that, right? “My name is Nixon, and this is Mason.” Both of their eyes were on me, and I couldn’t help but look right back at the quieter one.
Her eyes never left mine, even when her friend grabbed her leg when they realized who I was. Mason was wearing a smug and thankful smile. I swallowed hard.
The angelic voice finally spoke, not looking away from me in the process. “This is Grace, and I’m Harper.”
A squeak came from Grace, and I smiled at both of them. Harper. “It’s nice to meet both of you.” The smile pulling my lips made me feel obvious. Was I being obvious? “May we join you?”
Grace let both hands rest on her friend’s chest to interrupt my line of vision. “Yes, yes. Of course.” Her enthusiasm made Mason smile, and I didn’t want to know what was trudging through that filthy mind of his.
“Please,” Harper added, her full lips spreading out into her own smile. All of her features were gorgeous in their own right, from her full set of lips to her sharp, small nose. The definition of her cheeks and jaw were smooth, and the piercing light blue eyes finished it all off in a perfect bow. God, she was gorgeous. By the time we had relocated to a booth so we could all be comfortable, I had admired her face for so long already; I swear I could pick the girl out of a crowd.
Harper sat across from me, both of us sliding in first. It worked out well, and Mason seemed pleased with the direction the night was going in. And now, I was too. I had to figure this girl out.
“So, where are you two from?” Mason’s British accent was charming, and I could see it visibly working on Grace. Harper, however, kept trying to not look at me. It was adorable.
“Here!” Grace didn’t seem like the type to hold back, and Harper looked at her with lowered eyebrows.
“Kansas City is pretty.” I decided to try to involve myself in the conversation. Maybe I could get Harper to talk to me if I tried hard enough. “I’m from Tulsa, so KC is somewhere I frequent.”
“Oklahoma? Really?” Grace’s voice reminded me of chirping. “I wouldn’t have guessed that.”
Harper tilted her head at her friend, spinning her drink in her hand as she spoke. “Oh, shut up. We both know that.” It was playful, and her laugh was the most gorgeous thing I had ever heard. All I wanted was for her to do it again.
“Ah, fans of my boy Nix here, are ya?” Mason nudged me. I’m not sure why. I chewed on my lip as I looked back at Harper. She was flustered, and the pink that coated her cheeks made something stir in my stomach I hadn’t felt in a very long time.
“Duh, who isn’t?” Grace finally chimed in, putting her arm around Harper. “We’re going to your show tomorrow, too.”
Harper’s blue eyes returned to mine, her full lips parting with hesitation. “We never miss them.”
The satisfaction of those four words burned in my chest, and I offered her a smile. “Well, thank you. I appreciate the support.” It was burnt into my repertoire. Had I always been this awkward? “How did you like the new album?”
Okay, seriously, why did I ask that?
I ran my fingers through my hair. It was something I did subconsciously, and I did it a lot. Especially now that my hair was getting longer.
She looked at me, her expression full of curiosity. Did she think it was weird of me to ask, too? “Best one so far. But that’s not saying much, because they’re all good.”
“Thanks.” I felt silly because I knew I was in, what Mason called my, “interview mode”.
&nbs
p; I was relieved when Mason jumped in, somehow fluidly changing the subject and talking about pretty much anything else. Outside of my job, I didn’t do the casually meeting new people thing. It wasn’t part of my genetic makeup. Still, I couldn’t take my eyes off of the beautiful brunette sitting across from me.
It had to be nearly an hour later before Mason and Grace both asked for permission to step away together. I watched Harper smile before shooing them off.
“It’s okay, shoo. Go have fun. Nixon is in good hands.”
The smile she gave me made my heart do a jig in my chest.
Wow.
Mason agreed to text me later just so I knew he was okay. I hated when people disappeared and I wasn’t able to make sure they were safe. But, what could I do? I knew the purpose of Mason’s outing.
Then, it was just us. Me and Harper.
“So, what do you do?” I blurted it out. In my defense, I didn’t want her to get bored and leave. Did that make me pathetic?
Harper didn’t seem to miss a beat. “I’m a travel blogger.”
I leaned forward on the table, feeling the need to be closer to her. “Really? How do you like that?”
The number of questions in my mental Rolodex was astounding, even for me. Typically, it was me answering all of the questions.
“Traveling is my passion. KC is boring compared to the cities out there. By documenting it, I let other people live through me or inspire them to go on their own adventures.” She had no problem explaining her vibe to me. Normally, people couldn’t switch out of the initial shock of who I was. She did. It was like it didn’t faze her at all.
I took a drink of my beer, keeping the neck of the bottle between my pointer finger and thumb. “That sounds awesome. I get what you mean about amazing places. Being from Tulsa is a lot of that same feeling. It’s fine for being a home station, but man, not experiencing the rest of the world’s beauty… That would be a tragedy.”
“Yes, exactly.” She leaned forward, both of us getting more comfortable now. It was nice. The smile she flashed me showed off her perfect teeth. “What’s your favorite city?”
“Seattle is one. I really enjoy New York City. Austin. Boulder. Toronto. Vancouver.” How could I pick just one? I loved them all for different reasons. “What about you?”
Harper tucked some of her long hair behind her ear, and I couldn’t help but smile at how cute she was. “Vancouver and Toronto are on my list, and I think they will become my favorites. As of right now, I’d say it’s a tie between Portland and Chicago.”
“Oh, shit! I love Chicago. And I need to spend more time in Portland. I haven’t given it enough love, I think.” Am I too enthusiastic? “Do you drive everywhere or do you fly sometimes?”
“I always drive. I have a hollowed out van of sorts that takes me everywhere. You do both, yeah?”
“Yeah. Either by bus or by plane. Sometimes both in one day.” I laugh, feeling a little nervous about mentioning my lifestyle too much. I push on regardless. “So, is it like a makeshift RV or something?”
“Something like that. It has a bed and a small kitchen hidden behind the front two seats. There’s some storage built in for my books and computer. It’s enough space for me and sometimes Grace.”
“Wow. Definitely sounds like a cool setup.” I was in awe of her. “Did you remodel the van yourself?”
“With help from my dad, yeah. I love it.”
My mouth fell open. “That is incredible. Harper. How cool is that?”
“Thanks, Nixon. I enjoy what I do. Do you love what you do?” Her eyes were sparkling now. She was attentive and curious. It was cute as hell.
“It’s going to sound cliché, but I do love it. So much,” I replied, feeling ridiculous saying the word cliché. “Actually, I don’t care if I’m cliché or not. All I want to be is me.”
“I can honestly tell. I admire you.”
Her answer made another smile tug at my lips. “Yeah? Thanks. It makes it all worthwhile when people get it.”
“How do you know the other guy? Mason was it?” She pointed in the direction our friends went, squinting as if trying to honestly remember.
I nod. “He’s my personal photographer. We’ve become friends over the past few months. He’s a good guy.”
“That’s cool.” A pause came before her lovely voice filled the distance again. “Is Blake Perkins still your manager?”
It took me by surprise when she mentioned my tour manager’s name. “Yes. How do you know Blake?”
Her laugh indicated that my expression showed some concern. But her touch that appeared on my arm made me forget all about it. She smiled at me. “Blake’s my brother.”
I didn’t know what to say at first. Why was this chance meeting my first time seeing this beautiful girl? “Seriously?” I asked, feeling my stomach flip at the question. “Why have I never seen you before?”
With a shrug, she stated simply, “We both stay very busy.”
My iPhone started buzzing in my tight, black skinny jean pocket. It was Blake. It was always Blake.
“Speak of the devil,” I huffed, then realized how that may have sounded. “I just mean usually if someone mentions him, he texts. It’s eerie as fuck.”
“I know what you mean.” The expression that she revealed next was playful, her voice almost low as she teased me, “Is it past your curfew?”
I lift my eyebrows at her, feeling a smirk pulling at my broad lips. “Maybe a little.”
“We should send him a selfie. He’ll freak.” She pulled her phone out, working to unlock it without waiting for my answer.
“Let’s do it.” Without hesitation, I moved to her side of the booth and slid in next to her. I could smell her perfume, a subtle hint of vanilla lingering in her close proximity. I took in a deep breath as I moved to be closer to her. I smelled more of the vanilla now, and I tried not to be obvious as I took in another hefty inhale. “I’m ready,” I managed. I couldn’t help but look at her soft skin, so close to me. She was gorgeous from every angle.
“What’s your signature selfie face? Smile? Tongue?” She wasn’t even looking at me now. She was still fighting with her iPhone as she asked me her question.
I wanted to be smooth, to try to get her to kiss my cheek or something. Instead, I answered her honestly. “Peace sign, if I do anything. Otherwise, just this smile.” I pointed to my full smile. It was the safest one. “But I can do whatever.”
That seemed to satisfy Harper, so she held her phone out and moved even closer to me. Her arm pulled me close to her, our cheeks molded together as our reflection stared back at us. The area of our contact was tingling, making my cells come alive.
The shutter closed a few times before she resituated to give me space. I didn’t want space. All I could think about was the way it felt to be pressed into her, breathing in her scent. I needed to slow myself down.
Her voice pulled me from my thoughts. “Sent.”
She was so proud of that text, and her smile was so big.
“So,” I began, wanting her eyes to find mine. I got them, but it was only for a second. Her phone began to buzz, Blake’s name covering the screen. My eyes widened, but she answered the phone cheerfully.
“Hey, big brother!” Her eyes lifted upward, so amused with herself. I couldn’t help but watch her intently.
“Tell Nixon to get his ass to the hotel right now.”
Damn. He was mad. I could almost hear him clearly.
Harper didn’t seem phased though. “He’s safe with me. Do you really want him walking alone?”
“Then walk him back to the hotel for all I care. I just need him back here, now.”
For the record, I hated when anyone was mad at me. Especially Blake. He’s pretty scary when he’s pissed. I touched Harper’s arm to get her attention. “He sounds really mad. I should get back. I don’t want to push him.”
She directed her words at her brother first. “Okay, okay.” Hanging up her phone, she looked at me before putti
ng it away. “Do you want me to call Grace so Mason can go with you?”
I thought about it. It wouldn’t feel right leaving Mason out and about, not making sure he got back all right. “Would you, please? More so to let him know I’m being told to go back.”
“Of course,” she replied, offering me a smile and a quick caress of my bare forearm. Goosebumps followed in her wake.
As Harper put her phone back to her ear, Mason and Grace walked in the door. Once Mason saw me, he beelined.
“Bloody hell. Blake’s been tryin' to get a hold of you, yeah?” He laughed, always amused when Blake lost his shit on me. “C’mon. I’ll get you back.”
“One sec,” I respond quickly. I turned to look at Harper. “I had a great night talking with you. Maybe I’ll see you at the show tomorrow?”
Her eyes were sparkling, and she gave me the sexiest little smile. “Maybe.”
1
Make You Mine
CHAPTER TWO
Harper
I came to the realization that I hated the way Grace’s concealer smelled as I stared into her large, light blue eyes. She was grinning from ear to ear as she applied it around the work she had done to my eyes and lips. She was magical with makeup. I, on the other hand, never wore it. Tonight was a special occasion: Nixon Brooks knew who I was, and I would be front row. She insisted that I tried to impress him.
I heard my phone vibrating on her nightstand, and I looked over in an attempt to see who it was. The only person that texted me consistently was in front of me.
“Will you stop moving, Harper? I’m almost done.”
I blew hot air out through my lips as I faced her again, wearing my annoyed expression. We had been best friends since sophomore year, so she really didn’t care what face I made at her. She still loved me.
Her adventurous personality instantly connected with mine. She was just a little more outgoing in the sense of men and parties. I liked to explore the world—well, the United States for now. She came along sometimes, posing for pictures and climbing mountains with me—literally.
