You Shook Me All Night Long

by Simone Harlow

“You can’t.”

  He stared into her shocked eyes. “Are you ashamed of me because I’m not some society dude?”

  “God no. I’m ashamed of the people who will be at that wedding. I’m only going because I’m not lucky enough to be kidnapped by terrorists or catch Typhus before next Saturday.”

  She seemed sincere, but he wasn’t sure. This conversation was really strange and he didn’t understand why he was so fucking pissed off. “Wow.”

  “If I take you to the wedding, you won’t want to have anything to do with me ever again.”

  How bad could they be? “I’m not afraid of a bunch of rich chicks. I’m the rock star.”

  “You should be. Gloria and her friends are a pack of hyenas in Zac Posen and Prada.”

  He could handle that. “I’m taking you.”

  Her lips pursed and then she huffed. “I will let you under one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “When you meet my family –– with the exception of Henry and Everett –– you won’t hold it against me.”

  He raised his hand. “I swear.”

  “I really should get that in writing.”

  “How about BBQ sauce?”

  She smiled and hugged him. “Where do you want to put it?”

  Her smile lit his world. “I might have an idea or two.” Now, everything was right with the world.

  Travis watched Charlotte sleep. What the fuck did he know about going to some society wedding? He didn’t know how to tango or do any ballroom dances. He was okay as long as there were only two forks. He didn’t want to humiliate her, but he didn’t want her going to that wedding with some other rich guy who would spend the entire evening trying to get under her dress. She was his. She might think it was only an escort situation, but when they were out, he noticed how other men looked at her. They wanted Charlotte. She might be unaware of what was going on, but he knew. What he couldn’t figure out was why it bothered him so much. He dated his share of beautiful women and liked it when other men wanted what he possessed, but with Charlotte he wanted to rip them apart. She curled tighter against him. He had to figure out how not to be an embarrassment to her. Damn. Then it occurred to him who he was going to have to go for help again. And they were going to laugh at him.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Travis checked his watch. He had another two hours of ‘rehearsal’ time before he had to start getting ready for the wedding.

  “One more time, Travis,” Drill Sergeant Declan demanded.

  Travis looked at his ‘dance partner,’ Gavin, and took his hand in his. He pulled him close until their chests touched.

  Gavin tried to pull his hand free. “Stop gripping my hand like you want to rip my arm out. The tango is a dance of passion and desire, not mortal combat.”

  Travis loosened his hold on Gavin’s sweaty hand. “I’m sorry, Gavin. I’m so overcome by desire for you I can’t restrain myself.”

  Gavin winked. “I’m kinda turned on too.”

  Travis stifled a chuckle.

  Shane burst out laughing.

  Travis looked at Malcolm as he dipped Shane. After Declan spilled the beans about his dance and etiquette lessons they insisted on participating.

  “Shane, your boogers are entrancing in this light.” Malcolm fake whispered.

  There was more laughter.

  “They are so uncouth, you can’t take them anywhere.” Gavin rolled his eyes.

  Travis lead Gavin through the first steps of the tango. “Said by the man who licked ranchero sauce off a plate last night at dinner.”

  “I didn’t want Charlotte to think I didn’t like her cooking.”

  Travis lead Gavin through a figure eight combo. “It was good. She called Senor Pedros and got the recipe. They told her since you’ve left L.A. business is down twenty percent.”

  Gavin sighed. “I was missing Mexican food.”

  Declan planted his hand in the middle of Travis’s back. “Stop counting off the steps.”

  Travis scowled and led Gavin back two steps twirled him then pulled him to his chest and dipped him.

  Gavin smiled looking up at him. “Sweet, you got the tango.”

  He pulled Gavin up. “How did you learn the tango?”

  Gavin curtsied. “Cherry was hoping we’d be gentlemen.”

  Why wasn’t he surprised? The only thing shocking was that it didn’t take. At least not for Gavin. Malcolm was damn near perfect. He’d have to send her some flowers. “Thanks for not laughing at me.”

  “I told you Charlotte’s a honey. She’s worth the effort.”

  “Speaking of laughing at me, where is Vaughn?”

  Malcolm spun Shane. “Jocelyn hustled him out of the house to a strip club.”

  Travis shook his head. “How can there be a titty bar open at nine a.m.?”

  “This place is better than Vegas.” Gavin smiled.

  Declan turned off the music. “We're going to go through the table setting one more time. The barber and the manicurist will be here anytime now. Your suit will be here in about an hour. Your girlfriend Ruby is delivering it personally just in case there are any last minute alterations.”

  He looked good in the navy blue double breasted number. Shit, now he owned three suits. “I’ll make sure not to wear any underwear. That ought to give her a thrill,” Travis snickered.

  Gavin made a sour puss face. “Jesus Christ, dude, she’s like Grandma Elsa’s age.”

  “Don’t let those wrinkles and gray hair fool you. I think back in the day, Ruby raised some hell.”

  Gavin cringed. “When she came the other day, she pinched my ass and asked if she could measure me for long pants.”

  Shane shivered. “Shit, she tried to grab my junk. I felt violated.”

  Malcolm rolled his eyes. “You did not.”

  “Yeah, well, I should have.”

  “Who is the slut now?” Travis fist bumped Shane.

  He shrugged. “Somebody’s got to be.”

  They all started laughing and it felt like the old days. The only thing missing was Andy adding his wacky two cents. He missed these guys. Even before Andy died they had gone their own ways, had their own lives –– except when they were in the studio or on tour. He could feel the bond rebuilding between them. Maybe it was because that’s what he wanted to happen. Or it was happening organically because they’d been forced to be together again. He’d forgotten how much he’d liked these guys, and how much fun they had together. Maybe there was a future for the band –– and him –– in this business after all.

  He walked over to the table and looked at the place setting. Sneaky Declan had set it wrong and he started rearranging spoons, forks, and glasses in their proper place. It took him less than a minute. “Who’s your daddy?

  “Smart ass.”

  Travis spread his hands. “Smart ass, who knows where the fish fork belongs?”

  Declan nodded. “You could eat at the White House.”

  This was news to Travis. “You ate at the White House? How did that happen?”

  “The First Lady was a big fan of Baily Jenning’s Boy Detective.”

  He just said that so matter-of-factly. “I didn’t know that.”

  “Since my dad got busted snorting a line of coke in the Presidential john, they kicked us out and no one heard about it.”

  Travis had a moment of thanks that his sperm donor didn’t want to be a part of his life. “Never heard that either.”

  “Cherry kept it pretty hush-hush, since we were in the middle of some nasty contract negotiations.”

  Cherry always had their back. He loved that woman. “Your dad’s sleaze never ceases to amaze me.”

  “I live for the day when it surprises me.”

  Travis leaned back in the high back chair. “I was better off without a father.”

  “By the way, congrats on your mom graduating from law school.”

  Gavin sat next to him. “Yeah man, when is Grace going to visit? We get her and Charlotte
and in the kitchen together and …”

  Gavin was thinking about his stomach again.

  Declan picked up a fork and polished it with his napkin. “Have you told your mom about Charlotte?”

  “Ah, yeah.”

  “Interesting.”

  What the hell did that mean? “Why?”

  He put the fork back down on the table. “Because you’re serious.”

  How did everyone figure that out before him? “I don’t know what we are.”

  “Do you want to know?” Declan put his elbow on the table and leaned on his fist in a big giant breach of etiquette.

  Okay this was getting majorly uncomfortable. “I like what we have.”

  Declan shot him a questing look. “Which is what?”

  Travis forced himself not to squirm. He hadn’t talked about this with Charlotte and he wasn’t going to talk about with Declan. “Are we chicks talking about our feelings?”

  Malcolm sat down across the table from him. “Dude, are you getting testy?”

  “No I …”

  Malcolm made a face like he smelled something bad. “It’s cool. This conversation is making all of us uncomfortable.”

  Thank God Malcolm didn’t want to talk about it anymore. He wasn’t sure what to say. Declan looked like he was ready to put the thumbscrews to him.

  And he sure as shit didn’t want to know what he was feeling.

  Charlotte took a deep breath. She hoped she didn’t start perspiring in her dress. It was bad form to sweat in Donna Karan. Especially in a dress this sexy and form-fitting. The soft bias cut material clung to her body showing off her figure without being vulgar.

  Travis laced his fingers through hers. “Are you okay?”

  His strong fingers comforted her. “I’m a bit nervous.”

  “Why?”

  She looked out the tinted limo window realizing they were about five minutes from the cathedral where her cousin was getting married. It wasn’t lost on her that St. Monica was where she and Preston were to be married. “Because you’re going to meet the rest of my family and my mother does not approve of you.”

  He shrugged. “I don’t care.”

  “She’s going to be nasty about it.”

  “Do you think she can kick my ass?”

  She turned to see the smirk on his face and refused to laugh. “Really, Travis?”

  “Hey I’m from Detroit. She can talk all the shit she wants. It only counts if she can take me down.”

  Charlotte really wanted to smack him with her purse, but it was a Judith Leiber and she didn’t want to hurt the bag. He was lucky. “You know now people will think we are a couple.”

  “Does that bother you?”

  It didn’t because until people saw her with her rock god, no one would believe she could land a man so gorgeous. A shiver of something she thought might be pride ran through her. Frumpy Charlotte Lambert with a man this smoking hot would make the society page. “No. Does it bother you?”

  He shook his head. “I like being seen with you. It boosts my ego.”

  Maybe he did understand, but she wasn’t sure she believed him about the ego boost. He could have any woman he wanted. “I know we haven’t really talked about our relationship, and I’m a bit naïve in this department because I’ve only dated one man my entire life, but exactly what are we? Am I your girlfriend?”

  “Do we have to be something?”

  She shrugged. Play it cool, Charlotte, if you even can. “I don’t know, but I’m sure it’s going to come up in conversation and I don’t want to look like an idiot.”

  He slipped a finger under her chin and forced her look at him. “Do you want to be my girlfriend?”

  God yes, she wanted to say, but didn’t. “I am unsure how to answer that because I don’t want to put any pressure on you, but I’d like to be something special to you.”

  He smiled at her. “You are special to me. I don’t want to see anyone else. I don’t want to sleep with anyone else.”

  She could have just melted in a puddle of goo, but she didn’t want to ruin her dress. “You as well, but what am I to you?”

  His finger trailed down her neck slowly. “You’re my lover, my friend, and your cat likes me. So I think girlfriend is as close a term as we’re going to get, but I think of you as much more.”

  She shuddered. “You are good. Now I definitely feel special to you.”

  “You have no idea.”

  Her eyelashes fluttered. “Oh, Travis.”

  He began to rub the hollow of her neck with his knuckle. “Now that we’ve settled that, I am a little nervous about meeting your older brother.”

  “Don’t worry about him. He’s just so excited to meet you he’s probably going to break down and cry. Henry said he’s a –– what was the word she used? –– oh fanboy.”

  “So he’s not going to kick my ass because I’m doing the nasty with his baby sister?”

  Everett was so excited about getting to meet him, Travis could be a knuckle-dragging monster and he wouldn’t care. “I think this is the first thing I’ve ever done that really impressed him.”

  Travis looked concerned. “You two aren’t close?”

  “Everett is a great brother, but I’m not the go-getter that he is. He’s very driven.”

  “Maybe I should have a talk with him? I don’t if care he wants to beat my ass.”

  She thought it was so sweet he wanted to defend her. “I think you’re safe from him. And he does love me. He’s just surrounded by dynamic women.”

  “I was worried. I’m not sure how to navigate siblings.”

  She never thought how sad that sounded. She’d always wanted more siblings. “Do you ever feel like you missed out not having any siblings?”

  He shrugged. “Can’t miss what you didn’t have. I feel the same way about not knowing my dad.”

  “I only had my dad for a few years but I still miss him.”

  “If the guy couldn’t hang around to see how I at least turned out, who needs him? My granddad and Andy’s dad taught me to be a man, so I didn’t need him.”

  A pain stabbed her in the heart. She was so sad for him. “Have you ever tried to find him?”

  “I met him once. He didn’t care to know me, so screw him. I got all the love and support from my mom.”

  “She sounds like a remarkable woman.”

  “She is and you’ll get to meet her in a couple of weeks.”

  That didn’t make her as nervous as it should. She wanted to meet her and thank her for the wonderful man she raised. “Really, you want me to meet your mother? I’m honored.”

  “You are special to me.”

  “Will she like me?”

  “What’s not to like about you?”

  She had a list of things. Some of them weren’t even her fault. “Say that after you meet my mother again.” The limo pulled up to the curb and the door opened. The first thing she spotted was Henry waiting at the bottom of the marble stairs of the church.

  You couldn’t miss her sister-in-law. She was wearing a curve hugging fire engine red dress and a red fascinator with a foot-high red feather. Only Henry could carry off such a hat. She smiled and waved a red-gloved hand. She sauntered over. “Ducks, you look delicious. I told you plum would be perfect on you.”

  “Henry, you look incredible. Why are you waiting on the curb for us?”

  “I could say your mother banished me hoping my hat would fly off and it would be the truth, but really, I just wanted to gush over your date away from her scandalized eyes.”

  Charlotte leaned over and kissed Henry’s cheek. “You are so bad.”

  “I know.”

  Travis slipped his hand on her back, and Charlotte turned to him as he was reaching out his hand to Henry.

  “Henrietta Smythe-Lambert, this is Travis Rexford.” Charlotte made a quick introduction.

  “Hello, Henry.”

  Henry giggled like a schoolgirl and took Travis’s hand. “Do I curtsy or just faint?”r />
  “I’ll catch you and that hat.”

  Oh, bless him for being a good sport.

  Henry actually blushed. “Charlotte, he’s perfect. He understands the hat.”

  Charlotte sighed. “You’re torturing my mother again, aren’t you?”

  Henry bit her bottom lip and almost looked ashamed. “Are you mad?”

  Charlotte noticed she hadn’t let go of Travis’s hand. “With you? Never. It gives her a reason to live.”

  Henry sighed. “My goodness you are better in the flesh.”

  Travis smiled. “Thank you.”

  “Henry is a flirt. She has no boundaries, so please excuse her.” She yanked on Henry’s hand.

  “Ducks, I’m the only child of a titled Englishman who birthed the heir and the spare to two great family fortunes, and I can carry off ridiculous hats. I can say whatever I like.”

  “Of course you can.” It was just easier to agree with Henry and her outrageous statements.

  Travis leaned toward Charlotte. “I’m going to like her aren’t I?”

  “It’s hard not to.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Charlotte was right. The dynamic between Henry, Everett (who was really cool by the way), and the mother was interesting. Mom was jockeying for position with her son, but Henry was deftly playing the alpha wolf in that relationship. Or, as Cherry would say, she had the power of the pussy. Another thing she was right about was the mother watched him like a hawk. She was waiting for him to slip up and use the wrong fork or see if he slurped his soup. He met the old girl’s eyes over the rim of his wine glass, smiled, and raised a toast to her. She smiled at him, but her brown eyes narrowed. If he wanted to be a real ass, he’d lean over and kiss Charlotte on the cheek or lift her hand to his lips. He wanted to do those things, but not just to piss off her mother. Because he felt at ease being affectionate with her.

  Charlotte stood. “I have to powder my nose.”

  Travis stood and pulled back her chair and helped her up. “I’ll be waiting for you.” He watched her walk away.

  The strains of a waltz began to play. It was time to face the music. As he rounded the table he caught the old girl’s eye. “Would you care to dance, Mrs. Lambert?”