Rocking Standby

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Yes,” we all replied before laughing.

  Delaney shrugged and said, “You should have been here for the strippers.”

  “They were great,” Harley agreed. “You are a brilliant business woman, Mercy.”

  “Thank you,” Mercy replied happily. My sister was proud of her club. “How’s work going, Bennie?”

  I shrugged. “Things are finally slowing down. I was offered a promotion.”

  “That’s great news,” Harley stated.

  My response was a shrug.

  “I thought you’d be more excited about this,” Cami remarked. “Has something changed at work?”

  “This last year has been incredibly stressful,” I admitted. “Until recently, I hadn’t realized how much of a toll it’s taking on me.”

  “Your bosses have definitely taken advantage of you recently,” Mercy muttered. “Mom is forever complaining about how they don’t appreciate you.”

  “I wouldn’t go that far,” I began. “While I may not have a fancy title, I’m making good money. I’m just not sure I should take the promotion. When I started working for James, I expected it to be temporary.”

  Cami nodded. “It was just supposed to be a college job.”

  “Have you decided to put your degree to use?” Delaney asked.

  “Maybe,” I replied. “I definitely don’t want to council children anymore.” That had been my original plan, but I’d come to realize I couldn’t handle the stress.

  “Does this mean you’re going to quit?” Mercy asked.

  “I still have bills to pay,” I reminded her. “While I have a good nest egg, I’d rather not go through it while I try to find myself.”

  “I could use help around here,” Mercy remarked.

  “Bennie wouldn’t like being a stripper,” Delaney insisted.

  “I’ve seen her dance,” Harley began. “She can definitely shake her ass like a stripper. It would be fun seeing Gage’s reaction.”

  “Actually, I was offering something in the office,” Mercy clarified. “I could also train you to work the bar.”

  “I’m not sure I’m bartender material,” I insisted.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t think you have what it takes to be a Frisky Beaver girl,” Delaney teased.

  “A Frisky Beaver girl?” Cami asked around a giggle. “Is that really what you call your employees, Mercy?”

  “No,” Mercy replied. “I know this isn’t your dream job, Bennie. This would just give you something until you find out what you want to do.”

  “I know,” I told her, reaching out to squeeze her hand. “You are a great sister.”

  “Yes, I am,” Mercy agreed. “Since you all dragged me away from my paperwork, we may as well dance. I haven’t seen Bennie shake her ass in years.”

  Chapter 55

  Gage

  “The Frisky Beaver?” Xander asked as we approached the club. “Why haven’t we visited this place before?”

  “We don’t usually frequent strip clubs,” I reminded him.

  “Speak for yourself,” Austin told me.

  “Ginger Ann is okay with you getting a lap dance?” Xander asked.

  “This is where Bentley is,” I explained.

  “Wait!” Austin exclaimed, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. “Are you telling me Ginger Ann is stripping?”

  “And you’re going to let us watch?” Xander added.

  “You’re both idiots,” I accused with a laugh. “There won’t be any strippers. Bentley’s sister owns this club. I can’t believe I didn’t tell you that.”

  “Now, that sounds like my kind of girl,” Xander said with a grin.

  “Don’t even think about asking if she can make waffles,” I warned. “You need an intervention.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Austin agreed. “I knew leaving his favorite diner behind was going to be the hardest part of the move, but I figured he’d find a new place.”

  “We may have to move closer to my waffles,” Xander stated. “There are plenty of places to get good coffee up here, but it’s nothing without waffles.”

  “I wonder if they have rehab centers for waffle addictions,” Austin mused on the way into the club.

  It didn’t take me long to find Bentley. Several of the tables had been cleared out to make room for a dance area. Bentley had gone home to change for the night, so I hadn’t seen what she was wearing. She’d made the right call by changing at her place. Had I seen her in the short red dress that hugged every curve, I’d have ripped it off her body. Fuck me, she looked fantastic. My dick was already at half-mast. Her hips were swaying to the music as she danced with her sister. I’d love to wrap her legs around my hips and take her standing up.

  A high-pitch screech interrupted my fantasy of fucking Bentley in the middle of the club. “Reckless Release is here!”

  And just like that, we were surrounded by women—aggressive women. When planning to surprise Bentley by meeting up with her, I hadn’t considered being recognized. So far, we’d had very few people recognize us when we were out.

  “Hi there, ladies,” Xander greeted them with a grin, clearly enjoying the attention.

  Austin didn’t seem to mind either. As for me, I wanted to get to my girl.

  When I looked across the room, I saw Bentley heading my way with Mercy by her side.

  “Dance with me, Gage,” the brunette beside me purred. Her hand squeezed my junk, probably assuming my hard-on had been caused by the ladies in the room climbing all over me. She had to notice my dick going limp.

  “Hands off,” Bentley practically snarled at the women around me.

  I grinned. “I’m glad you’re here to save me.”

  “She should leave you to fend for yourself,” Mercy told me. “The only men who come here on ladies night are looking for horny women.”

  “Fantastic club!” Xander praised as he moved past Mercy with three of the ladies. Austin followed him with his group, giving Mercy a thumbs up on the way by.

  “You have a girlfriend?” the brunette asked with a pout.

  “Sure do,” I told her.

  “Move it along, ladies,” Mercy told the others. “I’m sure there’s enough Xander and Austin to go around. They are both single and looking for attention.”

  The women dispersed, heading off to the dance floor to flirt with Xander and Austin.

  “What are you doing here?” Bentley demanded with her hands on her hips.

  I couldn’t tell if she was mad at me for crashing her girls’ night, or if she was pissed about the women.

  Mercy laughed at my confused expression before heading back toward Harley and a redhead who had to be Bentley’s cousin.

  Rather than waiting for an invitation, I stalked forward and slipped an arm around Bentley’s waist. She opened her mouth to protest when I fisted the back of her hair. My mouth claimed hers, and my tongue swept past her lips. I tasted some fruity drink on her as I savored her perfect mouth. Her fists clutched my shirt, and she moaned. Since it seemed she was no longer mad at me, I pulled her closer so her soft curves molded against my body.

  It wasn’t easy, but I somehow managed to tear my mouth from hers. My dick was now pounding against my zipper, trying to break free.

  “That dress is hot as fuck,” I rasped out. “Do you have any idea how much I want you?”

  “I have a fairly good idea,” she replied. “Why are you here?”

  “I missed you,” I admitted. “I’m leaving for Los Angeles on Monday, and I want to spend as much time with you as possible.

  “Poor baby,” she crooned.

  “Are you honestly mocking my pain?” I asked.

  “Yes, but I’m going to miss you, too,” she admitted, reaching up to caress my cheek. “Come on.” She caught my hand and tugged me along.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “You haven’t met my cousin yet,” she explained.

  “The erotica writer?” I asked.

  “That’s ri
ght,” she confirmed before guiding me to the table where Harley, Cami, and her cousin were waiting.

  “I can’t believe you couldn’t be away from her for one night,” Harley said with a shake of her head.

  “Neither can I,” I admitted.

  “This is so exciting,” Delaney exclaimed before getting to her feet and hurrying over to us. She had a rounded belly, red hair, and bright green eyes. “You’re Gage Addison.”

  “Yes, I am,” I replied with a grin. “You must be Delaney.”

  She nodded.

  “Thank you for the advice you gave Bentley,” I told her.

  Delaney grinned. “Ah, so you liked the trench coat. Sebastian was also fond of that game.” She pointed to her belly. “Sebastian is the father of my baby boy.”

  “It’s a boy?” Bentley squealed.

  “Ugh! I was supposed to wait to tell you,” Delaney complained. “I wanted to have one of those gender reveal parties.”

  “I can pretend to be surprised,” Bentley offered.

  “No, you can’t,” Delaney accused.

  “She’s right,” Cami told her. “You aren’t good at being deceitful.”

  “Fine,” Bentley agreed. “Still, I’m only one person.”

  “Actually, I’ve told everyone I’ve seen since I found out,” Delaney confessed.

  Harley nodded. “She told me before I knew her name.”

  “I hadn’t heard yet,” Cami chimed in.

  “Congratulations on your son,” I added.

  “Thank you!” Delaney replied with a bright smile. “Now, if I can just come up with a name for him, we’ll be good to go. I can’t believe I told so many people what we’re having. I’m usually good at keeping secrets.”

  Bentley burst into laughter.

  “I am,” Delaney insisted. “I never tell people about the kinky bondage box my friend, Chelsea, has under her bed.”

  “You’ve told me about that several times,” Bentley reminded her.

  “Well, I haven’t told Gage that the fan groups say Xander has the biggest dick in the band,” Delaney added with a satisfied grin.

  “They do?” I asked. “Wait! Do they say I have a small dick?” I realized I sounded like an idiot as soon as I asked the question.

  Bentley snorted. “Surely, you know your dick is fine.”

  “She means it’s adequate but nothing to write home about,” Harley teased.

  “That is not what I meant,” Bentley insisted.

  “Bennie told me you have a big dick,” Delaney assured me. “I still need to figure out if yours is bigger than Sebastian’s so I have a better idea of how big it is.”

  Bentley laughed. “I think I’ll dance with Gage before he decides my family is too much for him.”

  She tugged my hand and led me out to the dance floor as a slow song started to play.

  “They’re playing our song,” I murmured, pulling her close.

  “I wasn’t aware we had a song,” she remarked.

  “Any song that allows me to hold you close is our song,” I explained, leaning in to kiss her cheek. “Are you mad at me for crashing your night out?”

  “Not really,” she admitted. “I wore this dress in the hopes you’d crash my night out.”

  “Really?” I asked with a grin.

  “Yes,” she admitted. “I underestimated the women here. I thought I was going to need a whip and chair to get them away from you.”

  “You looked pretty fierce when you were coming to my rescue,” I remarked.

  “Your rescue?” she asked with a laugh. “You didn’t look like you needed rescuing.”

  “Those were some aggressive women,” I pointed out. “My plan to come here on ladies’ night wasn’t well thought out. Damn, I can’t wait to get you home and strip you naked. How long do we need to stay here?”

  “The evening is still young,” she purred. “You wouldn’t want to abandon our friends, would you?”

  Rather than responding, I kissed her. As my lips moved against hers, I continued to sway to the music. By the time the song ended, my dick was aching, and Bentley’s lips were swollen. She appeared to be just as dazed by our kiss as I was. What I wanted was to drag her out of the club and take her home, but a voice in the back of my head—one that sounded a lot like Harley’s—reminded me that I was already interfering with her night out.

  “I’m going to grab a drink before I head over to the table,” I told her in a rough voice. “Can I get you something?”

  Bentley licked her lips and nodded before looking over at the bar where Mercy was now working. “Just tell Mercy to pick something for me. I’m a little too distracted after that kiss.”

  “Then I’m doing something right,” I said with a satisfied grin.

  Chapter 56

  Bentley

  I awoke to the sound of a guitar. When I looked over, I found Gage sitting in the chair at the far end of my bedroom, his fingers moving along the strings of his acoustic guitar.

  “What are you doing up at this hour?” I asked sleepily.

  “Bad dream,” he replied, his fingers pausing on the strings. “Sorry I woke you.”

  “It’s all right,” I assured him, standing and walking toward him.

  Gage set the guitar to the side and opened his arms for me to curl up on his lap. “I don’t want to leave you tomorrow,” he uttered.

  “You’ll only be gone a week,” I reminded him.

  “I know,” he replied as he stroked my hair. “It’s just the dream that has me acting so strange.”

  “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked.

  “Most of it doesn’t make any sense,” he began. “You were gone in the dream. Now, I can’t shake this fear I’m going to lose you, even knowing it’s just the remnants of my dream messing with my mind.”

  “I can’t promise we’ll always be together,” I admitted. “This is all still new.”

  “It’s not that new,” he argued.

  “I just recently agreed to give us a chance,” I reminded him. “You may have decided we were going to be together months ago, but this is still new to me.”

  “Do you have any idea how much I love you?” he asked.

  My breath caught in my throat, and I looked up at him. Those weren’t words I’d expected to hear this soon. We’d been officially dating two weeks. Granted, he was right about how long we’d known each other. It wasn’t as if we’d met a couple of weeks ago. We’d spent months talking and sharing details of our lives.

  “That scares you,” he stated.

  “A little,” I admitted. “Mostly, it scares me that I love you, too. Why don’t you take me back to bed and show me how much you love me?”

  Gage stood with me in his arms and carried me back to the bed where he laid me down gently. Sitting beside me, he trailed a finger from my check, down my body until he reached my navel. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured as he laid beside me.

  I immediately rolled to my side, trailing my fingers along the scruff on his cheek, wondering how I’d ever believed I could resist this man.

  “Kiss me,” I urged.

  Gage’s mouth met mine in a slow, drugging kiss as we each explored the other’s body. This was different from our other times together. Our emotions were running high, and I still sensed Gage’s fear from his dream. I wanted to reassure him, show him how much he meant to me.

  “I love you,” he uttered against my lips as he rolled on top of me. “I need to be in you.”

  “Yes,” I breathed out. “I need you, Gage.”

  Reaching out to my bedside table, Gage quickly grabbed a condom. Pushing his shorts down just enough to free his erection, he rolled the condom down his shaft and positioned himself at my entrance. His eyes locked with mine, and he slid into my body.

  Our bodies rocked together, His gaze locked with mine. His movements were slow and intense. Leaning in, he kissed me, stopping occasionally to murmur words of praise against my mouth. Each thrust brought me closer to release. I was
overwhelmed with sensation and the emotions flooding my body.

  When I finally exploded around him, I called out his name, knowing I would never love another man the way I loved him.

  Gage soon found his own release with a guttural groan.

  We stayed like that for several moments, both too sated to move.

  “That was intense,” I said when Gage finally climbed off the bed to dispose of the condom.

  “That was me making love to you,” he murmured as he climbed back in and pulled me close to his side.

  Chapter 57

  Gage

  “Wake up, beautiful,” I whispered close to Bentley’s ear.

  She looked over her shoulder at me with a sleepy smile. “Are you leaving already?”

  “Yeah,” I replied. “I’m cutting it as close as possible.”

  “It’s too early,” she remarked. “You should have flown out last night.”

  “I needed another night with you,” I stated before laughing at myself. “That sounds ridiculous, doesn’t it? We’re only spending one week apart.”

  “I’ll miss you, too,” she assured me. “I’ve never really been in love.”

  “I thought I had, but it was nothing like this,” I told her. “Before I leave, I want to ask you something. I’d planned to ask you last night, but I lost my nerve.”

  “What is it?” she asked, her expression serious.

  “I’d like you to move in with me,” I blurted out.

  “That’s not a question,” she pointed out.

  “Don’t be a smartass,” I warned. “Will you move in with me?”

  She opened her mouth to reply and hesitated.

  “You can think about it,” I told her.

  “I probably should,” was her response. “That’s a big step, and we’d need to talk about it. I own my place, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to move into your rental. There’s also the fact that we’ve only been dating a short time. At the same time, I want to say yes. That makes me think I’m crazy. I’m sorry, Gage. I just need to think about this.”

  “You can take as much time as you need. I expected that would be your answer, and it’s part of the reason I asked you before leaving. Knowing you as well as I do, you’ll want to spend time mulling this over, and it will be easier if I’m not around.”