Siren's Song

by Alexi Raymond

  “Gabe.” Victoria breathed out, remembering how comfortable she felt flirting with him, even if only a few words had been traded. Even in their silence, she felt like they had communicated beyond words. Silently, she thanked her good friend cosmo for its help. “Gabe, the lead singer of Banshee Exodus. Gabe, the guy from the restaurant.” Victoria picked up her glass, licked some salt off the rim, and muttered into it, “Gabe, the guy I want to do bad things to.”

  Sarah laughed beside her. “Whoa, you never said things like that about Todd! Thank you, Mr. Cosmo.”

  Victoria put her glass down and looked at her friend. It wasn’t just the drink. She hadn’t been drinking at all the other night when she came on her own only thinking about Gabe. “Todd was different.” She smiled a sad smile and returned her gaze to the stage where Gabe was messing around with drumsticks, much to the dismay of their owner. Every time he threw one in the air, Ti reached desperately for it. His face was hard and not amused. Gabe, on the other hand, wore a wide smile, his sapphire eyes sparkling.

  “I’m sorry, tonight’s not about…that…” Sarah looked around nervously.

  “Nah, it’s okay. I swear, I’m good. Like, it’s been over for so long, I don’t even have to move on, really.” She never took her eyes off Gabe.

  “Oh, you’ve moved on.” Sarah smirked next to her, elbowing her lightly.

  Chapter 10

  Gabe caught the drumstick at its very tail end. He sucked in air as he did so, making an exaggerated noise of fake fear that he might drop the wooden stick. Ti’s narrowed eyes had moved quickly from Gabe to the area that occupied his drumstick, jutting his hand out to try and steal it back. But Gabe was on top of the world, happier in this moment than he’d felt in a long time, laughing as he handed Ti the drumstick.

  “Yeah, yeah, Romeo, live it up!” Ti teased, turning back to his drum set. Gabe didn’t try to argue. She’d touched him freely and happily, and he was hope incarnate. With the mics set up and the guitars in place, the guys left the stage to grab bottles of water before their performance. He kept his back to the bar, purposefully avoiding Victoria’s stormy eyes; wanting her to long for him, to anticipate seeing him. Excitement grew, and he pictured Victoria’s eyes watching him onstage and singing along to their songs. His nerves twitched. He was going to debut the song he’d written for her tonight, with her there, unknowing that it was all for her. He really should tell her everything. When she heard the song, she would hear her name in it and know how much she was on his mind. Or she wouldn’t hear the song at all. What if he told her, and she was infuriated and left? She would avoid the chat rooms and kick him out of the restaurant. She’d never know he thought about her every waking moment. And he was awake a lot dealing with his insomnia issue.

  The band members took their places, the slow rapping of a drum starting them off, Ti keeping perfect time. The lights dimmed, and the crowd showed their anticipation with rapid clapping. Gabe jumped onto the platform and ran to the microphone. The crowd cheered wildly while he searched the bar for Victoria. She wasn’t in the front row or directly in the back. Somewhere, lost in the small sea of people, was his Victoria.

  Troy started picking notes on his keyboard, warming up to their opening number. Ti beat the drum a bit faster, Burke hummed deeply into the microphone. Before he knew it, they had launched into their second song. Gabe sang along, feeling the crowd and the music. Everything felt right, and in what seemed only seconds, it was time for the debut. Performing had never felt so good. In the moment, with a gyrating crowd as amped as he was, his nerves for the new song actually felt like a bonus. Like he could keep doing this. If only he could find her! Glancing back in worry at Ti, he accepted it was time.

  “We’ve got a special surprise for you all tonight.” Gabe went through the crowd one by one, still unable to find her. What if she’d left? “Uh, well, we’ve got a new song, and you guys are going to be the very first to hear it. It’s a little different from our normal songs, but that’s because it’s inspired by a not-so-normal girl.” Gabe took a step back from the microphone. He couldn’t believe he’d said it. He’d never dedicated a song to anyone, let alone a girl. And especially never a girl who didn’t even know how he felt about her. Too late now.

  Gabe moved his fingers with fluidity over the guitar, picking out the chords he needed to bring his siren’s song to life. “Your siren’s song, it sang to me.” A flash of light sparked a fire on gray eyes. She was there. Three rows back, watching him with a smile on her face, her hips swaying with the beat of the drum. Gabe stared, singing the lyrics directly to her. “You called my name, now watch me bleed.” He watched her breath catch, and he pushed out more lyrics. “I’m crashed on your rocks, there’s only you to blame.” Her hand rose to her heart as if she knew he was singing about her, but she quickly moved it away. She raised it to her hair and ran it down the length of her ponytail. Gabe looked away and took a breath, returning it to her spot only to find her gone. As he searched the crowd, he continued singing. “You have the eyes of a summer sky threatening to break.” And then he noticed her, dancing in the front row, moving to the music as if she’d practiced dancing to it for hours. “Drown me in your rains.”

  What he wouldn’t give to stand in her rain. She closed her eyes and moved around, completely distracting him from her song. It was a miracle he got the lyrics out. When it ended, the crowd went wild. Girls screamed, guys clapped, and Gabe sought frantically for his siren. Finally, he caught sight of Victoria’s back as she walked hand in hand with her friend. His siren’s ponytail swung with the pacing of her hips, ribbons dancing around her as she went. Her posture was picture perfect; from squared shoulders to slender back and small ass, all the way down to skinny legs and sexy heels. Gabe lusted after her until Ti slapped him on the shoulder.

  “We’ve got tear-down. If that siren really can sing to you, you’d better go get her. She’s not going to be on the market long.”

  Gabe widened his view and noticed guys all around, some looking at her and some not, but they were all predators now. They couldn’t have her, and he couldn’t let them have the chance. Gabe jumped off the stage and fought through the crowd. Girls tried to stop him every few feet. He would sign what they had or shake their hands and keep moving. He had to get to her. Victoria was turned and talking to some guy who had her cornered, standing closely in front of her and bracing a hand on the bar across her. Her friend locked eyes with Gabe and waved him over.

  “S.O.S.,” she mouthed to him, nodding and pointing her thumb behind her. Gabe wanted to make sure he was the one Victoria would want to see. What a blow to his ego if he interrupted her just to be blown off. He pointed to himself, and her friend shook like a bobble head, a wide smile on her face. Gabe drew a blank. What would he say to her? He didn’t know her more than a lunch visit as far as she knew, and he didn’t want to scare her away by being too persistent. Victoria’s girlfriend raised her eyebrows at him. “Go.” Taking a measured step, Gabe tapped Victoria politely on the shoulder.

  “Excuse me, miss, but we’re doing a poll.” Victoria pushed through the guy talking to her and turned to face him. She smiled brightly, drifting the weight from his shoulders. “For the songs to be sung at the Street Fest. Would you be willing to answer some questions?”

  “I would.”

  Gabe stuck his hand out like they were meeting for the first time. Their fingers lingered against each other’s as her dainty hand disappeared inside of his.

  “Question one.” Gabe suddenly felt an inch tall. “Did you like it?” Involuntarily, his shoulders hunched. Her answer meant the world to him.

  “The new one?” she questioned over the loud chatter of the guy who had been talking to her and who was now shamelessly hitting on her friend.

  Gabe stuck his hands in his front pockets. “Yeah.” He was afraid to elaborate, afraid she’d hate something he put so much of himself into.

  Victoria cocked her head to the side. “Are you nervous?” She seemed bew
ildered, as if she didn’t expect him to feel like normal humans did. Maybe she thought he was a robot or something. Their proximity mixed with his nerves waiting for her answer, and his adrenaline from the performance messed with his brain. He was muddied and stuck. He wanted to grab her and use her lips for so much more than talking. Victoria smiled, teased him with slight swings left and right on her barstool, and opened her mouth to reply.

  Gabe put an arm under hers, moving within a breath from her. “Why don’t we go somewhere quieter?”

  She nodded, allowing his other arm to slip under her other elbow. With his careful guidance, she slipped off the stool, and their eyes locked.

  “Sarah!” Victoria called over to her chatty friend.

  Sarah glanced but didn’t seem surprised by the view. She waved Victoria off. “Call me if you need me.”

  “Oh…okay.” Victoria seemed a little surprised at her friend’s lack of concern, but Gabe heard her giggle as they both looked in time to see Sarah say to her, “Have fun! See you tomorrow.”

  He wanted to take her somewhere private, a backroom somewhere with a couch where they could sit. Somewhere she could answer his questions in peace, somewhere she might not mind if he had to give in to the urge to touch her, to kiss her.

  She must have been nervous. He felt the slight wobble of her balance even though she’d walked and danced in those shoes so surely without him by her side. And still she didn’t hesitate when Gabe opened a back door and ushered her in right alongside of him. Their hips touched entering the small room. The mere contact electrified him. Rock Bottom wasn’t set up for bands, so there wasn’t really a backstage area. They walked into a storage room and pulled up large plastic crates to sit on.

  “Sooo, did you like it?” Gabe’s gaze weighed a hundred pounds as he watched her intensely. He removed his cell phone from his back pocket and settled in.

  “Hmm…” Victoria put a finger to her lips as if in contemplation, grabbing his cell from him with her free hand. “Maybe I should get back to you on that one.” Gabe panicked that she might actually hate it, but he doubted she would be programming her number into his phone if that was the case. Victoria rolled her eyes and handed the phone back to him. “Of course I liked it! Those lyrics were so different from everything else out there. And really, what girl wouldn’t want to think they inspired such a strong reaction from a guy?”

  *

  Victoria prayed he would want her; that for once she wouldn’t have to beg. How could she tell him it killed her inside that he would sing about someone else and then spend time in a stock room alone with her? But she was willing to take the alone time. Maybe she could make him see her as more. She made Todd do it, what was the difference? The difference is you buy this guy’s merchandise. You’re nothing but a bigger paycheck. When would his voice ever leave her alone?

  Gabe’s lips turned up on the ends, dimples appearing on his cheeks. “Yeah, it’s a strong reaction all right.” He turned toward Victoria, matching his shoulder to hers. She leaned her weight on her right arm, leaning closer to him. “Are you okay? To be in here, I mean.”

  His voice was coated in sincerity, and for once she didn’t feel like he was someone pitying her or being superficial about the breakup. His sweetness pushed Todd’s voice from her head, and she did what came naturally. She angled her face up to his and nodded. “I’m more than okay to be here.” The words came out on a heavy breath.

  Gabe’s face came closer to hers, and she breathed in deeply, waiting for him to make contact. His strong jaw angled, his lips inches from hers. His chest rose, bringing them closer together even as he asked, “Can I?”

  Victoria’s heart leaped, but it was a feeling decisively south of her heart that caught her attention. She could feel herself moisten at his positioning; his breathy inquiry stirred in her sex. Victoria was incapacitated with him; she was drunk on his closeness and the way he asked for permission. Her breath came out at the same time her eyes closed. What she felt weren’t the hungry lips of a band member finding a lonely groupie, but instead, a tentative brushing that lingered against her lips just as she’d imagined. She connected them more fully. His hand raised until the back of his fingers brushed down her temple to her jaw where they held onto her, pulling her closer. His tongue pressured her, and she opened herself to him. She was lost in his new territory and loving the adventure. Their lips came together harder, tongues rubbing with more fever, and soon she found herself in his arms completely. He held her to him as if she would float away if he let go. His hands pulled on her hips, rocking her into him. The hard pressure she felt against her sex made her want to scream. She wanted to pant and beg for him to take her right there, but the past still haunted her. No more begging.

  “Tori?” He breathed heavily into her ear.

  She shivered. “Yes?”

  “God, I want you. I want you bad.”

  Chapter 11

  Victoria’s body went numb. It was too perfect, too much like her daydream. Because he’s used this line a thousand times, Vicky. I told you, and you didn’t listen. God, she wanted Todd out of her head. Gabe pulled her to him again, and when she came across his hard length this time, there was no preparation she could have used to fight the moan that escaped her lips. But Todd’s imagined warning left the door open for doubt. Did Gabe really want her? He was the lead singer of a band. The opportunities for him to use these same lines were limitless. She was glad he was asking for her, but she didn’t want a meaningless screw, either. And the song. He’d felt strongly about a girl, strong enough to write a song about her, so why wasn’t he with her?

  “Gabe, I…” Her subconscious mind fought with her hormones. “I want you too, but…” Victoria moved her head away from his face, tearing away from his body completely. She needed to get out at that moment if she was going to leave at all. “I’m not a groupie, Gabe.” Victoria turned and fled through the door. She moved quickly through the dwindling crowd and headed straight for outside. Her cell was in her pocket, so she could always call Sarah and tell her where she was.

  The night air hit her with a chill. She wrapped her arms around herself to fight it. To fight the insults her own mind was heaving at her. No. She had to turn it all off, not think, only walk. It was the right decision, the responsible thing to do. It’s what Todd would have done, and he almost always did the right thing. Ugh. Todd. Get out!

  What felt like a few city blocks later, Victoria pulled her cell out to call Sarah for a ride. The buildings around her were no longer the familiar business-filled streets of downtown Indianapolis. There was no telling how far she’d run. Walking by herself at night on city streets she didn’t know wasn’t a good idea.

  “Tori!” Gabe’s voice boomed from down the sidewalk. Glancing back, his shadow was at a jog headed straight at her. She walked toward him. The amazement that he’d followed her giving her the dazed weightlessness of a dream.

  “Tori, you’re not…” He sucked in oxygen. “You’re not a groupie, I know that.”

  “You really ran all the way to tell me that?” Victoria stared after him in disbelief. Gently, he kissed her. She couldn’t fight it, only wished the dream to continue, and it did. His body pressed against hers, pushing her backward until her shoulders hit the bricks of the building behind her.

  “I haven’t been able to think of anything or anyone else since I met you.” Gabe laughed. “Sounds like a cheesy pickup line, doesn’t it?”

  In spite of herself, she found herself smiling, laughing, with him. God, she wanted to believe him.

  “I’m serious, though.” His lips were on hers again. Hands sliding under the hem of her shirt and resting against her rib cage. Calloused fingers rubbed her skin, fire striking where they ran. She pushed her hands under his shirt, ran her fingers up defined abs and back down to his jeans. Gabe leaned down and kissed the nape of her neck and then trailed up to her ear. Her body trembled beneath him. “Groupies have never been my thing. I can’t do it, it’s wrong. But I can sh
ow you, Tori. I can show you you’re different. Would I let a groupie know where I live?”

  Victoria pulled away and looked into his light blue eyes. She traced over his jaw and up to his hair, the hair she’d wanted to touch forever. The responsible part of her brain that warned her against getting too deeply into something she might not be able to handle turned off. “Is it close?”

  Gabe thrust on her again, excitement running through her wherever he touched, and pooling into places she wished he would. And like that, Todd was out of her mind.

  A city block later, he guided her up the stairs to his apartment, stopping to kiss her along the way. She giggled like a schoolgirl when he unlocked the door and ushered her into his home. His unmade bed called to her, and she answered, plopping herself down and breathing in his scent. Gabe wasted no time. He lined up with her, kissed her hard enough that if he hadn’t braced his hands on the bed, he would have smashed her when she crumbled beneath him. When she popped up on her elbows, he brought his hands into her ponytail. He wrapped her hair around his fist, tugging lightly at his demand. He wanted her, she was sure of it. Now she was going to show him how much that feeling was reciprocated.

  *

  Dainty hands warmed spots on his chest, pushing away from him. Panic sank to his gut, panic that he’d done something wrong, especially when Tori got off the bed and turned her back to him. He watched her shoulders rise with two deep breaths before she moved again. She crossed her arms in front of her and grabbed her shirt, yanking it off over her head. The relief that he hadn’t rushed or hurt her came, followed by awe of the creature before him.

  “Tori, turn around.” His voice was quiet, in shock.

  Victoria ignored him. Slowly, he watched her kick off her heels and bend at the waist. Her jeans melted off, leaving her ass uncovered save for thin, black lace underwear. She replaced her heels and turned around, wearing nothing else but a matching bra and red pumps.