REGRET - The Price of Truth: Everhide Rockstar Romance Series Book 4

by Tania Joyce

  She downed her champagne like she was in a beer-guzzling competition. Placing her flute on the table, she licked her lips. The ‘mmm’ sound humming in her throat sent a jolt of heat straight to his dick. Damn. He stretched his neck from side to side and loosened his tie. Coming out to dinner with her had been a bad idea. He’d thought he could handle it, but his body had a mind of its own.

  He needed more alcohol.

  He grabbed the bottle and refilled their glasses. Fuck waiting for the waiter.

  Drinking was either going to turn the night to shit, or . . . it would loosen them up and they’d have a great time. He prayed for the latter.

  It only took one more glass for Lexi’s cheeks to turn rosy and her smile to return. By the time they’d gotten halfway through the third glass, the alcohol had eased the knots between his shoulder blades and Lexi no longer sat ramrod straight. Thank fuck.

  He leaned back into his chair. With the flute nestled between his fingers, he wiped the condensation off the side of it with his fingertip. “We haven’t had a chance to catch up this afternoon. How was your morning with the girls?”

  Resting the point of her elbow on the table, she cupped her chin in her hand. “I don’t know how Gem does it. She tried on, hmm . . . twenty dresses. Kara fussed over every outfit. Bec took notes, placed orders and was constantly on the phone scheduling travel and appointments. I was exhausted watching them.”

  Hayden grinned. Yep, alcohol had loosened her tongue. He loved it when she chattered. It took his mind off his problems—his band, the move . . . being in love with her.

  She dug into her clutch and pulled out her cell phone. “I got some great photos. I uploaded them to OneDrive. Here . . . check them out.”

  He flicked through the images. What he saw snagged his ribs. “Lex, these are so good.” The photos she’d taken of Gemma joking around, dressing up, laughing and pulling faces were stunning. Gemma shone in front of the camera, but it wasn’t Gemma that he admired—it was Lexi’s talent. She’d captured Gemma’s vibrant personality, just like she’d done in Kyle and Gemma’s wedding photos. “Has Gem seen these?”

  “Nah.” She put her cell phone back in her clutch. “I was just goofing around.”

  “Lex, you need to show her. And Kate. They’re brilliant.” Everhide’s publicist would love those shots. So would their fans.

  She tucked a flyaway hair behind her ear. “You really think I should?”

  “Yes.” Her photos were better than some of the professional shots he’d seen of his friends.

  “I don’t know.” She shrank into her chair. “Maybe. If I get the chance. They’re so busy. I don’t want to interfere with their crazy schedule.”

  “Do it.”

  “Nah.” She swatted her hand as if there was a bug flying around. “Forget it.”

  Nope. There was no way he was going to let it go. Not this time.

  Together, they polished off the entire bottle of Moët and were into a glass each of Sauvignon Blanc before their appetizers arrived. Lexi took a quick couple of photos of the dishes before they tucked in.

  She spooned the prosecco mignonette onto an oyster, held the shell up to her mouth and devoured the slippery mollusk. “Oh my God, these are sensational.”

  He dragged his eyes away from her blissed-out face and slid an oyster into his mouth. The second the acidic sauce hit his tongue, he winced, struggling to swallow the little rubbery fucker. “Hmm. Not for me. You can have the last two. I’ll pass.”

  “You’re crazy.” She covered her mouth as she spoke. “They’re delicious.” She swallowed another, then dabbed the sauce from her lips.

  The pleasure rippling across her face made his dick twitch. God, he’d love to see that look on her face when they were naked, in bed, going at it.

  Stop thinking with your cock. Idiot!

  But it was hard not to when she licked her lips and moaned with every mouthful. It did all kinds of strange things in the depths of his belly and sent his blood rushing south. She grabbed her cell and typed notes, her fingers flying across the screen. She winked at him over the top of her phone. Yep . . . more alcohol required. He sucked in a deep breath and loaded their plates with the other appetizers. Gotta keep my wits about me. She’s just doing her job. He grabbed his glass and gulped down two more large mouthfuls of Sauv Blanc before they polished off the oniony flammekueche and herby, creamy stuffed quail.

  “Are you satisfied?” she asked with a saucy glint in her eye.

  Kill me now. “Not even close.” He chuckled, placing his cutlery on his empty plate. “I’m still starving.” For more food and you. “But if you are, that’s all that matters.”

  “Food always satisfies me.”

  Alcohol had definitely got to her. At least she’d slipped back into their normal teasing. Some progress was better than none.

  He was saved by their meals arriving. Hayden’s mouth watered as Dion placed steaming dishes in front of them. After Lexi took her shots, he dug into his chicken, and Lexi, her beef bourguignon . . . whatever the hell that was. It looked like fucking stew.

  “Hmm.” She furrowed her brow, tilted her head and pushed the meat around the dish.

  He’d seen that stern, analytical seriousness on her face many times before—her reviewer mode. She’d be contemplating presentation, texture and balance of flavor.

  She took a mouthful and swallowed it. Wrinkled her cute nose. “The beef is chewy and dry. And the sauce is too salty.”

  He reached over, spiked a cube of meat from her dish and popped it into his mouth. “Tastes good to me, but I’m no critique.” He chewed the mouthful; her beef was definitely more flavorsome than his chicken.

  She waved her fork at his plate. “Can I have a bite?”

  “Sure.” He cut a piece of chicken for her and waved it in front of her mouth. “But it will cost you.”

  Her eyes chiseled into him. She raised one fine eyebrow and glowed with sleek sexiness. “How much?”

  Yep . . . more alcohol required. “A bottle of wine. Something heavy, not too sweet.”

  She stole the meat off his fork. After her mouthful she nodded. “Done.” She waved down the waiter and ordered a bottle of pinot noir.

  Hayden ignored the stuffy diners sitting at the table next to them. They glared down their noses. He didn’t care if it was rude eating food off each other’s plates; they’d always done it. He wasn’t going to stop doing that for anyone.

  The dessert of flaming Grand Marnier crepes with fresh berries and sorbet topped off the meals. It was the best thing he’d eaten all night. Light and fluffy crepes, decadent rich sauce and tangy sorbet were a sublime combination. His belly was full to the brim.

  Lexi arched her back and rubbed her tummy. “Delicious. Let’s finish the bottle and head home.”

  He’d be happy sitting here all night talking to her now she’d lightened up, but she emptied her glass in record time. He tossed back his last mouthful. “Let’s go.”

  He held out his hand and helped her to her feet. He caught her tiny smile—one of the many things he was going to miss about her. After she finalized their bill, including a generous tip, and collected her coat, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and they staggered out of the restaurant to meet their car.

  But as they zoomed up the highway toward the hills, the city lights flashing by, a low thrum hovered between them. Every touch, every glance, every smile ignited the air. The vibe was electric enough to power downtown. He felt her gaze slide over him. When he turned, she’d look away. The moment he glanced out the window, she did it again.

  “You okay?” He gripped onto the door handle and closed his eyes to steady his overactive woozy mind. Didn’t help much.

  “Yeah. I think so,” she whispered.

  They’d had a great night out, just like old times. They’d drunk way too much. He didn’t want either of them to do or say something they’d regret. Now wasn’t the time to be stupid and question her feelings for him.

&nb
sp; He wanted to, but tonight was not the night.

  After fucking things up between them by kissing her when he was drunk, he didn’t want to do that again. He wanted to end the evening on a good note. He needed to sober up. Go to bed. By himself.

  He dug his fingers into his thigh, stared out the window.

  Yep. I got this.

  I’m. In. Control.

  Go home. Go to bed. End of story.

  Chapter 7

  Hayden ripped off his tie and threw his dinner jacket onto the table. The rich, French dinner had been delicious; the wine and champagne, sensational. He needed to chug a ton of water before hitting bed. Bed. Go straight to bed. But as he turned to head into the kitchen, Lexi stood in front of the wine fridge holding up her favorite bottle.

  Shit. Too much wicked temptation.

  He wiped his hand down his face, took a long, slow breath. She sure knew how to torture him.

  “Have one more drink with me?” She pouted and pleaded. “Now I’m not working, I want to chill for a while.”

  Chill mode was not what his body temperature was set to. He shouldn’t drink any more. Each drop made it harder and harder not to do something stupid, like kiss her. But these were the nights he loved spending with her, where they sat up to the wee hours talking about anything and everything. These were the nights he’d miss. Rubbing his forehead, he checked his willpower was intact and ignored the buzz lurking through his veins.

  One glass. That’s it. Then bed.

  “Sure. I’ll grab the glasses.”

  They headed over to the living room, turned on the gas fireplace and sank into the modular sofa. Side by side, they stared out the huge windows, down the hills, toward the ocean. The view was incredible. Not as incredible as Lexi, but still good. As she cracked open the red wine, he rubbed his palms against his eyes. Keep your hands to yourself, moron. You can do this.

  She handed him a glass and curled in beside him, her knees resting against his thighs, her shoulder touching his. Did she have to make it super hard for him?

  He barely had time to draw a breath before she sank back into the sofa and talked about work. As he listened to her, his tension slowly dissipated. Spending time with her was as easy as a four-on-the-floor drumbeat.

  But one glass led to finishing the entire bottle. They reminisced about some of her reviews gone wrong, places where the food had been terrible, to the extreme opposites where they’d been treated like royalty and spoiled with fine delicacies. They laughed so hard Hayden’s stomach muscles ached.

  It was near one a.m. and their friends still weren’t home. His head spun, pickled with too much alcohol. Time to call it a night. Holding out his hand, he dragged Lexi to her feet. Giggling and wobbling, they stumbled their way upstairs.

  “Night.” Lexi waved to him from halfway down the hall. At the main family bathroom, she missed the handle and crashed headfirst into the door. “Ow! Motherfucker!”

  “Are you okay?” Hayden rocked on his feet. Genuine concern for her wellbeing sloshed in his brain.

  “I hit the door.” She rubbed her forehead, a surprised look on her face.

  “Yes, you did.” He rushed toward her, opened it. “You need some help?”

  “No. I’m fine.” She stepped onto the bathroom tiles in her high heels and slipped, crashing to the floor. “Oh, shit.” She burst out laughing, despite being close to doing the splits. “Did you see that?”

  “Jesus, Lex.” He caught her on the elbow and helped her up. As he swayed and staggered, his leather soles slipped and slid. He wasn’t much use.

  “I’m all right.” She clambered to her feet. “I need to get my shoes off.” She bent over and fumbled with her strap. “Buckles. I can do buckles.”

  He shook his head. “Let me do that.” He waved toward the closed toilet, but she slid her ass onto the bathroom counter.

  Leaning back against the mirror, she held up her ankle. “You’re so sweet. You know that?”

  “Yep. Sweet as.” He hooked his hand underneath her foot. Damn, she had sexy ankles. And calves. And cute little toes. Was it wrong he wanted to suck them? Weird. But hot. He knew that it would set off tingles between her legs.

  Nope. Not going to happen. He unclipped the tiny buckle, put her ankle down and repeated the process.

  She rolled her ankles, pointed and stretched her toes. “Thank you.”

  He placed his hands either side of her hips. “You good?”

  She pulled one hairpin out of her updo then another. Then another. “Yep. I’m toootally fine.”

  Her curls fell around her shoulders. His fingers twitched wanted to touch her golden skin. He raked his gaze from her shoulder, along her collarbone, up the length of her throat to her mouth. Her lips . . . her deep, pink lips . . . damn it . . . Don’t look at her lips.

  “Crap.” She leaned forward. “I. Can’t. Get. These. Damn. Pins. Out . . . ow!”

  He let out a slow breath and stepped closer. “Here. Let me help.” He hooked his hands behind her head and dug through her mass of hair for the pin. She tried to assist but he slapped her fingers away. “I got it. Don’t move.”

  Her hands fell to his hips. She spread her knees and pulled him toward her. No . . . focus. But his body temperature turned feverish beneath her touch. Massaging his fingers through her hair, he concentrated on searching for more pins, not her dress riding up her thighs or her head resting on his shoulder. Slowly, he pulled one pin out and slid it down the length of a curl until it popped off the end. Then another . . . then another and another. Her hair was so beautiful and soft and . . . he inhaled deeply . . . it smelled like gardenias, smelled of her. Finding no more pins, he smoothed his hand over the silky strands and rubbed the base of her neck. “All done.”

  She lifted her head, an intoxicating smile curled across her lips. “Thank you.”

  “What for?”

  “For just being you.”

  With her this close, his pulse throbbed an erratic beat. He should go, leave her to get ready for bed.

  But she didn’t seem intent on moving.

  Neither was he. He didn’t want to leave. He was afraid to lose the charge hurtling through his bloodstream.

  She caught her bottom lip between her teeth; gold shards flickered in the depths of her dark brown eyes.

  Damn, he wanted to kiss her.

  His heart pummeled his ribs, trying to escape, begging his feelings for her to take over. He clung onto his self-control by a fraying, thin thread. “You okay, Lex?”

  She shook her head slowly. Her fingers tightened on his hips.

  Shit.

  “What’s wrong?” He swallowed hard, his throat dry as dirt. “You going to be sick?”

  “No.” She tipped her head to the side, rubbed her hands down the sides of his thighs. “Wanna do something stupid?”

  He wanted to do many things to Lexi, but kissing her was at the top of the list. Moisture. His mouth needed moisture. He licked his lips. Breathe. “Mmmaybe. Like what?”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.” Hooking her fingers into his belt loops, she tugged him another inch forward.

  “What are you talking about?” His head spun faster than a DJ’s turntable. He placed his hands on the granite counter beside her hips. Being this close to her, feeling her breath on his face, was entering the danger zone.

  She glided her hands up his chest and rested them on his shoulders. “You know how you said you want us to have many first and last experiences before you leave?”

  “Yes.” Sweet Jesus. Keep it together.

  She licked her lips. A sheen shimmered in the wake. She lifted her chin, leaned forward half an inch. “I want to kiss you.”

  His knees buckled; his kneecap struck the cabinet door. Ow! His heart drummed out a double-bass beat. She what? Fuuuck! “Lex, you’re drunk.” She’d never kiss him when sober. “I’d love to kiss you, but I don’t think we should.”

  She linked her fingers behind his neck and shuffled toward the edge of the count
er. “Just once. For fun.”

  Is it hot in here?

  Why is it so hard to breathe?

  Shit. Shit. Shit.

  She spread her legs wider. Her skirt rose higher, crushed and rumpled between them. Don’t look down. Don’t look down. But he was sure the zipper on his trousers was less than half an inch from her panties. His dick twitched, desperate for some action.

  Fuck, she was killing him. “You want to kiss me?” It was impossible to steady his heartbeat. Hearing those words from her lips was like heaven, but it was wrong. Afraid to move, afraid of wanting her too much, he cemented his feet to the ground, the burn inside his leg muscles brutal. “It’s not a smart thing to do.”

  She floated her hand down his cheek, her touch light as a feather. Her gaze reached into the depths of his soul. Being with her felt like home, like a place he belonged. But he was just being stupid, because how would he know how it felt to have a loving home?

  “I know.” Her voice was low, soft and melted his bones. “I’m curious to know what it’d be like.” She brushed her thumb across the top of his mouth, tickling his shaven skin. “One kiss. Without being caught off-guard or trying to get away from some loser. But if you don’t want to, I understand. I know you have feelings for me. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea. It’s just that—”

  He placed a finger over her lips. He’d wanted to rattle her more, but now she was rattling him. “Lex, shh.” Blue flames of blazing alcohol scorched all his logical and sensible thoughts. He snaked his hand underneath her hair and cupped the back of her neck. “I can assure you, my feelings for you are totally under control.”

  Like hell.

  His hips sank between her legs. Her knees hugged his sides. Her breasts, her hardened nipples, teasing against his chest, sent shockwaves through his system.

  “Okay.” Her eyes skimmed his face. Her voice was barely audible, too breathy over their thundering heartbeats. “I don’t want to cause more problems.”

  Oh, this was causing so many problems he didn’t know where to begin. But he liked seeing the want in her eyes, seeing the heat creep up her neck.