Sweeter Than Chocolate: Valentine's Day Anthology

by Gina Kincade

  Mac wiggled her eyebrows as she looked at him. Cade laughed and leaned down to kiss her, then he grabbed her hand.

  I shook my head and called out at them. “Enjoy it before the tour starts again, and you can’t get it any way you want it.” Hendrix laughed.

  We all said goodbye, then I flung myself into the safety of Hendrix’s arms.

  “I’ve got you.” He stroked my hair and kissed me on the cheek. “I have to admit, I was shocked when Franklin told me there were pictures of you online.”

  I stepped back and peered up at him. “It was supposed to be something special for you.”

  “Let’s get you in bed, and we can talk there.” Hendrix took my hand and guided us up the stairs. “Come here.” He straightened the blankets out, and I slipped beneath them. Hendrix kissed the tip of my nose and tucked the covers under my chin.

  “I loved the gift, babe.” He slid in with me and rolled over on his side toward me. “My favorite was the one of you in the orange dress on the swing by the moon. You’re breathtaking.”

  “Yeah? I loved that one, too. But I liked the one with the red blanket the most. I had pasties and a bikini bottom on, but you’d never know from the angle she took it. She … she was so kind and fun. I felt… I felt pretty, and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.” Tears welled in my eyes, and I blinked rapidly, refusing to cry about it anymore.

  “You are beautiful, and I know how hard it was for you to do something like that. It means even more to me.”

  I snuggled against Hendrix, the events of the morning draining any energy I had left. Inhaling deeply, I listened to the beat of his heart as I drifted off to sleep in the warmth of his arms.

  Chapter Seven

  The next morning, Hendrix and I picked up Mac and Cade, then drove everyone to Franklin’s house. Franklin had insisted he fly with us to Seattle on his jet. There wasn’t a bone in my body that didn’t love Franklin for everything he’d done for Ada Lynn and me over the last year.

  The snow had begun to fall as Hendrix pulled into his dad’s driveway and parked next to a black Mercedes, and my apprehension finally kicked in. Typically, I was happy to perform and sign autographs, but not today. We were still in the midst of the picture scandal, and I just couldn’t shake the mental fog that clouded my mind

  “Pierce!” Mac flew out of the back seat of the car before Hendrix even parked.

  I laughed as Mac bolted to the front door, flung it open, and disappeared inside.

  “Go,” Hendrix said, waving me off. I leaned over and kissed him before I followed Mac. It had been months since we’d seen Pierce, and I’d really missed him. Although Hendrix had suspected Pierce had feelings for me early on, they were able to become fast friends. When you’re in the music business, trustworthy people are hard to find. Plus, Pierce was with Sutton now, so there were no longer any worries on Hendrix’s part.

  I hurried into Franklin’s and followed Mac’s squeal. My pace slowed as I entered the foyer. I never got used to the grandeur of this house with the white and black swirled marble that graced the entrance and hallway. One of my favorite features were the massive decorative pillars that marked the opening of the formal dining area. An ache spread through my chest as I recalled the last time Ada Lynn ate dinner with us in that room.

  I spotted Pierce in the living room. He’d grabbed Mac in a bear hug, picking her up off the floor. Her infectious giggle filled the house. Pierce’s gaze fell on me, his features full of unease. He gently placed Mac down, his powerful muscles flexing with each step he took toward me. His soulful brown eyes met mine, then he wrapped his arms around me, and I clung to him like it’d been years since I’d seen him instead of months.

  Originally, Pierce had been Franklin’s bodyguard due to the high-profile cases he tried as an attorney. But when my past caught up with me, Franklin assigned Pierce to protect Hendrix and me. Even so, I wanted to be more capable of defending myself, just in case. Pierce had been living in the guesthouse located on Franklin’s estate, not far from the main house. One night, I knocked on his door and asked him to teach me self-defense. I barely knew him at the time, and even though we had hardly spoken to each other, something inside nudged me to ask him for help. I was terrified, but I knew deep inside myself that it was safe to work with him.

  “Hey,” he whispered in my ear. “I’ll be right there with you today. Don’t you worry about anything.” He pulled away, his hands resting on my shoulders. “I know this is tough for you, but this isn’t shit compared to what you’ve already overcome. Sutton said to tell you she’s only a phone call away if you want to hire a hit.” The corner of his mouth twitched with a small grin. He was in full business mode.

  I barked out a laugh. “Tell her thank you, and we need to do lunch together soon. And Pierce, thank you, too. I always feel better when you’re with me. I’d still want you on tour with us if you hadn’t stepped into running your father’s security company.”

  “Me too, but I’m still around. You guys are my first priority. Family always comes first.” Pierce offered me a soft smile, then his expression grew guarded. There was no doubt in my mind that he had seen the pictures, but not once had his attention drifted down to my chest. It didn’t stop my embarrassment from showing on my cheeks, though. I mustered up a smile as Cade and Hendrix joined us. The guy’s hugged and smacked each other on the back.

  “I’m actually looking forward to being in the field for a change. It keeps my senses sharp. Most of my time is spent with clients or in meetings these days.” Pierce smoothed his dark hair back and glanced at his military-grade watch.

  “For me personally, it would feel too stagnant.” I imagined him with his feet propped up on the desk, barking out orders.

  “Are Vaughn and Zayne with you?” Mac asked as everyone settled down.

  “Just Vaughn. He’ll be here any minute.”

  Mac clapped her hands together and bounced on her tiptoes. “Those eyes. Ugh, I’m such a…” Mac turned toward Cade, and her shoulders slouched. “Ya know, they’re…interesting.” She gave a half shrug and attempted to play it off like she wasn’t about to completely gush about another guy in front of her boyfriend.

  Cade chuckled and wrapped his arm around Mac’s waist, pulling her to him. The doorbell rang, then Vaughn and Asa joined the rest of us in the living room.

  “Hey,” I said, pushing up on my tiptoes and giving Asa a quick hug. He was the tallest and newest member of the band, and I knew it had to be tough stepping into such a tightly knit group, but he fit in better than we’d anticipated. “Are you excited about today?”

  “Yeah. I think I’m ready to tour again, too. I miss seeing you crazy fools all the time.” He ran his hand over his short blonde hair while the other held onto his drumsticks. He never went anywhere without them. “How are you holding up with all the uproar about the pictures?”

  “I’m okay. I wish it hadn’t happened, but we’ll get through it. It means a lot to me that you asked.”

  “The limo is here. Let’s get everyone loaded,” Franklin said.

  My attention landed on Vaughn, one of Pierce’s best friends and employees. Vaughn had short, messy blonde hair, a muscular build, and an angled jawline, but I suspected he got the most attention for his eyes. He was born with Heterochromia Iridum: one brown eye and one blue.

  He gave us all a quick hug, his smile lighting up the room. How in the hell I’d gone from a shut-in for years back in Louisiana to being surrounded by the hottest guys I’d ever seen in my entire life was beyond me. Hendrix, Cade, Asa, Pierce, and Vaughn could easily grace the cover of GQ or any other magazine.

  We filed out of the house, and I braced myself for the unexpected.

  ***

  The rain had stopped shortly before we arrived in downtown Seattle, and the sun sparkled through the droplets of water hanging off the naked tree branches. I cleared my throat and squared my shoulders. Even though the temperatures were chilly, I enjoyed performing outside. The fans didn’t
seem to mind either, and there was a long line waiting to hear us perform.

  We waited backstage to be announced while Mac and Franklin were in the crowd. My nerves always hummed before a performance, and today there was an extra layer of anxiety piled on as we waited for the online fiasco to calm down.

  “Gemma, I’ll be next to you and Cade while Vaughn guards Asa and Hendrix. Since Hendrix is trained in self-defense and a boxer, he can handle any assholes that try to hop over the rail as well,” Pierce said.

  “Thanks.” I glanced up at him, then took Hendrix’s hand. The plan was for August Clover to start out on stage. We’d perform a few songs, then we’d walk out on a green carpet and greet fans that were held at bay by a flimsy railing and some policeman.

  “You’re going to do great.” Hendrix gave me a gentle kiss and squeezed my hand as the band was announced.

  “I love you.” I beamed up at him, then we all walked out to a roaring crowd.

  Hendrix grabbed the microphone as we all waved to the fans. Asa sat down at the drum set, and Cade strummed his guitar.

  “Hello, Seattle!” Hendrix’s voice boomed through the air, causing girls to scream in response.

  I couldn’t help but smile because I knew he was mine.

  Asa tapped out the beat of the first song on the rim of his snare, then we launched into a three-song set. The energy was amazing, and the more we sang, the more I relaxed and let everything else around us slip away.

  Pierce remained on the side of the stage. His sunglasses hid any hint of what he was thinking or the direction he was looking. When the guys were in the company standard black suits and shades, they looked intimidating as hell. Thank goodness.

  Half an hour later, we finished the last tune and were escorted down the steps by security. Hendrix wrapped his arm around my waist as we waved at people. He pulled me to him and planted a passionate kiss on my mouth before letting me go. “You and Cade will take that side while Asa and I take this one. We’ll switch on the way back toward the stage. If the photos come up, ignore it and let Pierce do his job.” He tipped my chin up with his finger, making sure I understood.

  “That goes for you, too.” I narrowed my eyes at him. “I mean it, we don’t need an assault charge because some guy smarts off to you, and you punch him in the face.”

  Hendrix chuckled. “I’ll behave. Asa and Vaughn will make sure of it.”

  “Ready?” Cade asked, slinging his arm around my shoulders like a protective big brother.

  “Yup.” I smiled up at him. “Let’s do it.”

  Pierce stayed on my left side, removing any fans who had grabby hands. Most of them just wanted to touch your hand or shirt, nothing with ill intent, but some people had no boundaries.

  Cade and I signed autographs and posed for picture after picture. Never in my lifetime would I have imagined that I’d be here in the middle of hundreds of people that enjoyed our music.

  “Loved the online photos, Gemma!” A guy thrust his pelvis forward in a rude gesture, but I managed to ignore him. “Let me see those titties,” a guy yelled next to him.

  “Ignore them,” Cade said, signing an autograph for a girl that didn’t look over twelve. Her screams pierced my ears as Cade gave her a hug and took a selfie.

  I laughed. That girl would never forget this moment. It was really sweet and a great distraction from the assholes still slinging rude insults my way.

  Pierce touched my elbow and guided me farther down the line. “This will be over in no time.”

  I knew behind those sunglasses his eyes were constantly scanning the crowd for any threats.

  “I’m super happy you’re here.” I stepped forward, taking a quick picture with a few ladies my age.

  “We love you!” They all said at the same time.

  Cade caught up next to me and the girls went nuts over him. I wondered if it bothered Mac. Most of the time it didn’t because Cade kept her close to him during the after parties when we were on tour, but this was a little different.

  Before I knew what was happening, the flimsy railing collapsed, and a guy darted straight for me. “Slut! Your father would be ashamed of you if he knew you took pornographic photos.”

  My arms instinctively covered my head as he tossed me on the ground, his body pinning me down on the unforgiving asphalt. The air whooshed from my lungs as this guy attempted to paw at me. Thank God Pierce had taught me how to block most of his advances.

  “Wrong move, motherfucker,” Pierce growled and picked him up by the back of his shirt like he was a weightless rag doll.

  “Babe.” Hendrix pulled me off the ground and into his arms.

  My mouth gaped open in shock. It happened so fast I’d not really processed it yet.

  I didn’t miss the pain Pierce had discreetly inflicted on the asshole. The guy howled, but Pierce hauled him toward a couple of policemen who had quickly joined us.

  “Do you want to cancel the rest?” Hendrix asked, uncertainty clouding his beautiful eyes.

  “No. The fans don’t deserve that.” I brushed off my jeans and August Clover T-shirt and threw my shoulders back. “I don’t think anyone else will mess with us.”

  Pierce joined us again. “Are you okay? The police are booking him for assault. I gave them an account of the attack, so that should suffice.”

  “Thank you.” I gave Pierce a grateful smile.

  “I’ll stick closer to you if you want to continue. I’m sorry, Gemma. I didn’t see that bastard coming,” Cade said, rubbing his chin.

  “Yeah, let’s keep going. I’m fine. I promise. I’m not going to let some ass wipe ruin the day for all the people who showed up to see us and hear our music. Besides, he obviously didn’t know who my father was. Dumbass,” I muttered.

  “That’s my girl.” Hendrix kissed my forehead then joined Asa on his side of the carpet.

  “I’ll follow up with the police when we’re on the way back home,” Pierce assured me.

  “I know you will. Thank you for handling that so quickly.” I gave his arm a squeeze.

  Cade stuck to me like glue, only stepping forward for selfies with excited fans. Thank goodness there weren’t any other incidents, but I suspected Pierce’s quick actions deterred any other outbursts. I’d taken harder hits from Pierce than I had with this guy. Hell, I couldn’t even tell you what he looked like, I’d immediately moved into protecting my head and chest with my arms.

  A few hours later, we gathered Mac and Franklin from the sidelines, piled back into the limo, and headed toward the Seattle airport. I laid my head on Hendrix’s shoulder and sighed. Exhaustion settled over me.

  “You handled everything really well today, Gemma. I’m glad Pierce and Vaughn were with you. It saved me from going to jail for assault.” Franklin rubbed his chin, anger flickering across his features.

  “It wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. I don’t know how long it will take to blow over, but hopefully, it will be fast.” I chewed on a hangnail, hoping it would all be over soon.

  “While you guys were performing, I made a call to Kami. She’s offered not only a huge apology but a free photo shoot for the band. She assured me that new security precautions are now in place, and she wanted to do her best to make it up to us.” Franklin’s shoulders relaxed, and he leaned back into his seat.

  “That’s so sweet,” Mac chimed in. “See, Gemma, I knew she was a good person.”

  “I’m glad. I’d be happy to work with her again.” I squeezed Hendrix’s hand, implying more pictures would be coming his way.

  Hendrix gently nudged me, then arched an eyebrow. A sexy grin eased across his face.

  “When are you two leaving on Friday?” Franklin asked. “I’ll need to have the jet ready.”

  “What?” I asked, facing Hendrix. “What’s he talking about?”

  “I uh…hadn’t told her yet, Dad.”

  “Sorry, son. I didn’t mean to get ahead of you,” Franklin replied, a sheepish apology on his face.

  “
Well, what’s going on?” I pulled on Hendrix’s arm. I knew what Saturday was. Valentine’s Day.

  “We will need to leave around ten Friday morning if that works, Dad. And, thank you for loaning us the plane.”

  “I’ll have everything ready, then. Anytime you need it, I’m happy to help.” Franklin and Hendrix exchanged a knowing look.

  “A hint?” I asked, batting my eyelashes at my fiancé.

  “Not even one.” His lips curved up into a smile that stole my breath.

  “Fine.” I gave a small huff.

  Mac giggled. “You’re going to love it. I promise.”

  “Wait, she knows, too?” My brows arched in surprise.