Eleven o’clock and the club was booming with life. It was like a hive of intoxicated bees. Strippers did their routine on stage, grinding and shaking their bodies for money. The air shimmered with glitter and the floor was covered in sparkles. Sweat formed a puddle between my breasts, a small pool thanks to my tight bra. I wore a shirt that hung low, showing off my laced bra. The shirt’s hem was long, like a dress. Underneath was a pair of black denim shorts. I could see over the crowd thanks to my sky-high heels. I felt confident and ready to mingle.
In the corner was a herd of people passing joints. By the back wall was a booth packed with people bumping cocaine using a vial and a spoon. I could see their mirrored table’s reflection of the neon lights above.
I stood taking in the scene. With my third martini in hand, I went down to the dance floor. The tempo was loud, pounding into my skull. It was like having my head slammed into a brick wall and wanting to release all my agony. I downed what was left of my drink and abandoned it on a table.
As I danced alone, I watched people. A girl with long blonde hair had a shiny body. Looking closer, she had on a dress that was silver and reflective, like fish scales. It was tight, appearing like a second skin. Her heels were pencil thin and at least seven inches high. Her face was thick with makeup, a combination of a hooker and a clown.
After watching how she danced on the table with her thin brunette friend, I recognized her. She was a famous rock star. I think her name was something like Trinity. I wasn’t a fan, but I’ve seen her enough on infamous media shows. TNZ seemed to be obsessed with her.
You knew you were at a hot club when rock stars got messed up and danced like common strippers. It meant they were comfortable. I never understood that. The media could come in, and believe me, they do. Plus, everyone has a camera phone these days. If I cared, I’d tape her and post the video online. I had more important things to do than be starstruck by stuck up musicians.
I got another drink from the bar and went over to stand by the aquarium. Two women swam around with their legs transformed into magnificent mermaid tails. One had raven black hair and rather small breasts. Her tail was light blue and her top matched. The other was a red head. She had a green tail and a purple seashell bikini. I think she was mirroring a certain Disney princess. They circled the seaweed, coral, and the stone castle in the tank for a few minutes before going up for air. The real fish inside were all different shades of colors and sizes.
As I stood there, one small clown fish decided to befriend me. It chased my finger as I slid it along the glass. A laugh bubbled out of me. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was amused by the fish or because I was drunk. Probably both. I was content with playing with Nemo and ignoring the mob dancing. That was until someone thought I needed company.
“How you doin’?” a husky voice asked.
I turned away from Nemo and frowned at the voice. My face went blank when I saw who it belonged to. He was tall, had piercing gray eyes, and a lot of tattoos. It was none other than Brad Penn, rock god from the band Death Wish. He was always on-again-off-again with his drop dead sexy, rock goddess girlfriend, Lacey Moore. But tonight he only had eyes for me.
“I’m fine, how about yourself?” I asked lamely. He was going to turn me down now.
His gaze slid down my body. “I’ll be good once I get a hit. You wanna come?”
“Sure?” I made it a question.
He nodded me to follow him. We passed the VIP ropes and went into a suite decked out in red velvet and black leather furniture. A group of people cluttered together were doing coke. They waved us over and shared. This summer was about risk and what was more thrilling than a rock legend handing you a mirror with a line of coke and a hundred dollar bill rolled up?
Brad leaned back on the couch and chatted with a fellow band member. Another musician walked by and sat next to me.
“Hey,” he said.
I passed on the mirror and rubbed my nose. “Hey.”
The guy next to me was none other than Nikki Keys, bass player for the up-and-coming rock band Dark Temptress. He was wearing ripped jeans and a leather jacket. His chest was exposed and I imagined myself licking a line up his abs.
“I gotta get goin’ soon, gig in Seattle day after tomorrow. But I’ll be back in town soon. I’d like to meet up with you when I return.” His blue eyes fell from my gaze and settled on my breasts.
“Sure. Wanna exchange numbers?” I asked, smiling like a girl who got a wish granted by a genie.
“Cool. Give me yours and I’ll shoot you a text.”
I told him my number and he sent me a generic “hello” text so I’d have his number. Nikki got up and winked at me. “See you soon.”
To ease the burning between my thighs, I crossed my legs and snorted another white line. Brad put an arm around me and pulled me close. He had broad shoulders and my stomach did a flip knowing someone who’s won a Grammy had his sights on me. I couldn’t believe I might be able to add him to my list of summer boys.
“I talk to Jared for five minutes and you got another guy tryin’ to steal ya. You’re mine tonight.”
A wicked smile curled my lips. I ran my fingers along his jawbone and held his chin with my fingertips. “What if I was in control of you?”
For a second, I felt guilty flirting with the man who was with a singer I liked, but Lacey and Brad were always fighting. The tabloids claimed they were cheating on each other every other week. I shook off the feeling and welcomed the warmth of lust.
He gave me a heated look. People broke away in pairs. Brad squeezed my thigh and licked his lips. “You wanna go somewhere private?” he whispered into my ear.
“Yes. Where?”
He grinned, taking my hand. I was led up a spiral staircase that was hidden by a wall with tiger fur pinned to it. I prayed the fur wasn’t real. Up the stairs was an ill-lit bedroom. The carpet was thick, causing my heels to sink in. Brad flicked on the light. I had to squint at the sudden brightness. He turned the dial, dimming the lights.
All that was in the room was a four-poster king sized bed. “You like?” he asked, purring.
“Umm…yeah.”
Shock hit me. I’d never screwed someone famous before and didn’t know it was possible until that moment.
I looked up and saw myself. A ceiling made of mirrors. Lovely. All the place was missing was a film crew and chains and it would be a cheap porno set. Fear ran down my spine, like ice melting. What if he had a secret video camera pointing at the bed?
I let the thought go. After all, I was no one. What would he gain if he leaked a sex tape with me in it? It would only embarrass me. It could ruin him. I felt safe and decided I was buzzed enough to sleep with him.
“Good,” he said, walking toward the bed. I followed him, feeling fortunate to be invited into a rock star’s bed.
He was fast at undressing. Within a heartbeat, all he had on was a condom. His rough hands pulled and tugged off my clothes. My fingers got lost in his long dark hair. I was experiencing the ride of a lifetime. A rock god wanted to have sex with me. How was I worthy?
The answer was easy and not glamorous. He was drunk and seemed heartbroken. Perhaps he’d had a fight with Lacey and wanted to forget about it. Then there was me—a girl who was cradling her drink and playing with a fish. But I wouldn’t think about that now, not when someone who was always on TV, on top of music charts, and on the tip of people’s tongues was inside me, making me come. Not when his lips were at my neck.
I forced myself on top of him and we used each other to feel closer to heaven, a place neither of us would probably see, being the delicious sinners that we were.
***
Brad fell asleep, snoring and mumbling something about Lacey. I gathered my clothes and got dressed as fast as I could. My body felt sore and numb, but Brad Penn was now a summer boy of mine.
Downstairs, the party was still in full swing, as if I never left. A girl in a barely-there dress waved me over. I did another line of coke and
felt like I was on top of the world. My heart sped up and the colors around me seemed to come alive. My head was tingling. The coke was laced with something else, making it stronger. I knew I should’ve been worried, but the buzz was taking over, and I let it.
With my new high came some lows, like a horrible congested nose. I stumbled to the restroom. A few girls cursed at me as I passed them up in line. Their shouts rolled off my shoulders. I used paper towels instead of toilet paper, mainly because all the stalls were occupied.
The paper towel was brown and rough, making my nose feel raw. I caught my reflection in the mirror. I was a mess. My dirty blonde hair in knots, nose beat red, and my eyes bloodshot. Grabbing an extra piece of paper towel, I stormed out of the bathroom. I had one person to blame—Jason.
I searched for my cell in my purse, finding it under everything else. Once I took it out, I found a new text. It was from Jason. Was he becoming a stalker?
Jason: Why won’t you answer me?
Desperate much? I thought of texting him, but I was seeing two of my screen. A better idea hit me. Call him.
I found his number and hit call. The phone rang in my ear. I had to plug my finger into my right ear to hear anything at all. Finally, he answered. “Sydney?”
My tongue felt thick in my mouth. “Ja-son, w—why are y—ou texting m—e?” I dragged out my words. Whatever spiked the coke was fucking me up.
“I wanted to know why you left…Where are you?”
“Somewhere,” I said, giggling like a little girl.
“You don’t sound right. What’s wrong?” His voice grew urgent, like an angry father.
“No—thing.”
“There’s something. You’re drunk, aren’t you?”
“Or high, can’t tell,” I replied, laughing. The music grew louder. A man skinnier than a rail bumped into me. I cursed at him before going back to Jason. “What we—re talking ab—out again?”
“Where are you? I’m coming to get you,” he said crisply.
“No, I’m fi—ne.”
“I’ve heard that before, remember?”
My mind was hazy. The fog lifted a bit as I thought about the last time I was at a party and brushed off Jason. An asshole took me home and assaulted me on my front porch. I was forced to fight for my life to get away. What was wrong with me?
“I’m watching…for me be—tter.”
“Did you hear what you just said? You’re not making any sense. How can you think ahead and make good choices? Please, tell me where you fucking are,” he said, sounding firm and worried.
Voices were loud in my head, all pounding like feet at a football game when their team made a touchdown. It was hard to breathe through my nose and my stomach ached. Somewhere in my subconscious, I knew Jason made sense. I wasn’t capable of protecting myself. Hell, I couldn’t even drive myself home in my condition.
My stomach twisted in anguish. I didn’t drive here. I took a cab, knowing I was going to get shitfaced. I probably couldn’t walk out of here by myself to the taxi either.
I drew in a sharp breath and let it go. “New club on Sun—set.”
“The Heart of the Ocean?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said dryly.
“I’ll be there soon. Make your way to the exit, but don’t leave the building.”
“Okay...” I hung up and dropped the phone into my purse.
I stumbled and leaned against the cool glass of the aquarium. My fish found me again, but he wasn’t fun anymore. I used the glass to help me through the crowd. I foggily saw a sign in the distance that had red letters spelling out ‘EXIT’. I needed to reach it, but the sign seemed far away.
With my purse hugged to my chest, I made my way there. Bodies pressed together, trying to be joined. I parted them slowly, like cutting into leather. A stranger hit me and I fell onto a man. He smiled and cupped my breasts. I fell back and somehow found an escape from the creep. I collapsed into a booth near the exit and laid my head on the table. My thoughts were spinning. The music danced on my skin, piercing my nerves. I was on edge.
A hand touched my shoulder, causing me to jump. “Shh, it’s okay. I’m going to take you home.”
I looked up to see who was speaking. Jason was smiling down at me. My hero, yet I fled from him like the plague twenty-four hours ago.
He took me in his arms, helping me walk. I wanted to fight and argue, but my body gave up. It was no use. I had worn myself down. At that point, I could’ve belonged to anyone and done anything. I wasn’t myself.
Jason put me in his Jeep and clicked my seatbelt on. He got in and automatically turned the radio off, as if knowing the music would’ve made my ears want to bleed. Part of me was waiting for his lecture, to tell me what a fool I was and how much trouble I could’ve been in if he didn’t come to save me. But he remained silent, staring ahead at the never-ending road.
I licked my dry lips, staring out the window. Houses, a handful of cars, the black surface of the ocean, and fields of grass passed by. Maybe I was seeing things. People seemed to change shape and colors were blurred. A unicorn was in a field of blue.
I closed my eyes. They couldn’t be trusted. My life was in Jason’s hands. If it wasn’t for him, I didn’t know where I’d be.
Chapter Ten
“You don’t need…to help me inside,” I said firmly. My voice sounded better, a little less slurry.
“Yes, I do.” Jason stood at my side, trying to guide me to my front door.
“No!” I pulled away from him and fell on my ass. The world seemed to be moving too fast, as if I was on a cruise ship rocked by waves and not solid earth. I tried to get up, but couldn’t. It was no use. I couldn’t stand on my own.
“Would you like help or would you rather crawl?”
Jason looked down at me. At first I thought he was enraged, but his face was pained in the attempt of hiding his smile. The bastard wanted to laugh.
I sighed, looking at the distance from where I was to the door. It was at least nine yards, too far to crawl. Plus I didn’t want to drag my body up the steps to the front door. No way could I deal with any more bruises.
“Fine, you can help me,” I said bitterly.
“Thank you, your royal highness. It’s such a great honor.” He gave me his hands and helped me to my feet.
I wrapped one arm around his broad shoulders to keep from falling again. “I sense sarcasm,” I breathed as we moved closer to my house.
He made a noise that sounded like a muffled laugh. “Maybe a bit.”
His left arm was around my hips. I could feel his fingers brushing my skin. Images of Jason naked crossed my mind. They wouldn’t vamoose, no matter how hard I closed my eyes and willed them away.
We made it to the door. I reached for my keys, dropping them to the deck as soon as I touched them. Jason bent down to get them, unlocking the door for me.
To my surprise, he not only walked me inside, but carried me upstairs to my bedroom. It was strange having a guy in my room. I never had them in my personal space. Sure, I’d sleep with them, but never in my own bed.
I had rules. They were few and simple. One, only have sex with men you think are worth it. Two, have sex anywhere safe and comfortable, but never in your own bed. Three, never give up your heart, conceal it. Sex was an action, something to do with two horny beings. It was meant as nothing afterwards, just a memory that would dim over time. Those were my rules.
I wanted to cuddle with Jason and sleep, but I couldn’t. It wasn’t because he was in my room. No, it was because my stomach felt sick. My throat burned, and I knew something atrocious was about to wash over me.
Automatically I sat up on my pillows, trying to swallow the urge to throw up. It wasn’t working. My mouth watered. It was coming.
“Are you all r—?”
I flew out of bed and to my wastebasket near the desk. On my knees, I hugged the basket to my chest and hurled.
“For fuck’s sake,” Jason said. I had disgusted him. He was going to leave m
e alone with my sickness and ridicule me for it later.
Closing my eyes, I felt another wave of nausea hit me. Warm hands touched me, brushing my skin. My hair was gathered and held at my back.
“You’re going to be okay,” Jason said softly.
“Why are you still here?” I asked, taking deep breaths to calm myself.
He gingerly touched my cheek, brushing back a stray hair. “Someone needs to watch over you.”
I wanted to respond, but my last meal wanted to come out more.
After what seemed like forever, I started to dry heave. Everything in my stomach was lying in the wastebasket. My body was shaky. All that and I wasn’t even at the hangover stage. Just what I needed.
Jason grabbed the trashcan from my hands, taking it out of the room. When he returned, he gathered me in his arms and laid me in bed once more.
I laid there like a doll for a moment. My stomach was sore and my throat felt like it was on fire. I hugged the pillows close to me. Inhaling their familiar lavender scent made me sleepy. As my eyes began to close, I realized Jason was still in my room, watching me.
I forced myself awake. “Aren’t you leaving?”
“No, someone needs to take care of you. I don’t think you know how to take care of yourself.”
I wanted to yell at him, convince him I knew how to take care of myself, but my voice faded and dreamland called my name. I’d note it and tell him some other time.
Chapter Eleven
I lazily opened my eyes. When did they close? I looked around the room. Jason was gone. What kind of guy claimed he’d take care of a girl, then vanish?
Mentally, I shrugged. My body was too tired to do the actual movement. I rolled over, trying to find the perfect spot to sleep in. That was when I heard footsteps coming closer.
Shades of Sydney (Sydney West #1) Page 8
