Front & Center (Book 2 of the Back-Up Series)

by A. m Madden

  “Jack, I want you to go out with the guys and have fun tonight. Besides, you won’t have time to worry about me. You are going to have your hands full warding off the ladies.”

  “Ha ha.”

  I cup his face, turning his head until he stares back at me. “I love you. You need a night out and so do I. Please promise me you’ll enjoy yourself and not worry about me.”

  His eyes soften and he skims my bottom lip with his thumb. “Ok…I promise.”

  He kisses me like he’s trying to sear an imprint of his lips on mine. His tongue probes and strokes, he buries one hand in my hair while the other travels up my side to cup my breast. His demanding erection beneath my ass announces its arrival.

  The effect of his kiss immobilizes me for a few seconds until oxygen slowly creeps into my major organs.

  “I’ll see you later.” He whispers against my lips.

  “You don’t play fair.”

  “There will be more waiting for you when you get home.” He gives me one more quick kiss and pats my ass. “Ok, I got to go. Be good and have fun. I love you.”

  I stand to allow him to leave. When he reaches the door, he turns and says, “I’ll be texting you sporadically. Please respond in a timely manner so I don’t lose my mind with worry.”

  “I will. Go.”

  “Hey, Jackson.” Lori croons as Jack walks through the door. She has taken to calling him Jackson to bust his chops.

  He responds with, “Behave yourself tonight. If she ends up in jail, I’ll hold you responsible.”

  “Well, that’s not fair.” Lori pouts.

  Jack shakes his head and squeezes past the five females taking up most of the hallway. They all enter and start yapping instantly. Lori, Alisa, Patti, Mandi and Lizzy are dressed to the nines and look stunning.

  I am so excited to have everyone here with us. My old band melds perfectly with my new band. When the shuttle deposited the lot of them earlier today, we caused such a commotion in the lobby that the concierge politely escorted us to an empty ballroom to contain the noise level. The only ones missing are Dad, Barb, the Lairs, Nina and her boyfriend…they are all arriving tomorrow.

  It was Lori’s idea to have a girl’s night and in a reversal of roles, the guys all bitched and moaned about it. Lori accused them of growing ovaries and told them to shut it.

  I personally am thrilled with the plans. They work perfectly with my surprise for Jack.

  “Ok, let’s blow this joint.” Lori announces as she inspects her face in the mirror.

  “We need to make one quick pit stop.”

  “Where?”

  “The tattoo parlor.”

  They all look at me like I just grew a dick. “I want to surprise Jack. Please?”

  “I want one, too,” Alisa announces.

  Lori shrugs and says, “Ok, I’m game. Tattoos first, then dancing.”

  We parade through the lobby to the portico where our limo is waiting. Juan stands at its side, waiting patiently.

  “Who the fuck is that?” Lori asks as we walk towards the Latin god who is our protector for the night.

  “That’s Juan. Jack is not a fan.”

  “I am.” She sidles up to him and says, “Hi, Juan.”

  “Evening,” he responds, returning her smile.

  He nods at each of us as we pile in. A group of men entering the hotel start whistling.

  “You girls need dates?”

  Lori leans out of the limo door and offers, “Sure. Meet us at the Clevelander.”

  She shuts the door and smiles wickedly.

  “Lori. Really?”

  “What? We aren’t going to the Clevelander. We are going to Mynt,” she smirks.

  We take full advantage of the mini bar in the limo. By the time we arrive at the tattoo parlor, we are giddy with excitement. All six of us are getting tattoos. The girls scan the books anxiously looking for the perfect image. I know exactly what I want, so I’m the first one up.

  There are three tattoo artists in the shop, two male and one female. Based on the location of my tattoo, I decide on Tamara to ink my body. I want to avoid a fight with Jack. Having another man’s hands on my body will be hard enough for him to get over. Having another man’s hands well below my bikini line would give him an aneurysm.

  “So where do you want it.”

  I’m unable to stop the immediate flush of my cheeks. I point to my chosen location.

  Tamara smirks and says, “Great spot.”

  As she preps me on the table, I nervously ask, “How bad will this hurt?”

  “It’s not terrible,” she shrugs, “but this is a very sensitive part of your body.”

  “He better appreciate this.”

  “He? Hmm…too bad,” she mumbles. “What are you going with for Mr. Lucky?”

  I tell her my tattoo choice and she shakes her head. “I hope this works out for you two.”

  Maybe I should keep the fact Tamara likes women from Jack as well. She is covered in tattoos. She smiles as I shamelessly inspect her exposed skin. It doesn’t stop me from looking. Some are hard to decipher. A jumble of color and swirls take up a huge patch of her arm. It must have taken years to get all those tattoos.

  “Ready?” She asks, catching my attention.

  I pull in a breath and close my eyes. “Yep, let’s do this.”

  

  Almost two hours later, we arrive at Mynt and the place is jammed. The techno music’s pounding vibrations can be felt on the pavement outside the club.

  “I have us on the VIP list,” Lori announces.

  “Of course you do.”

  “Don’t doubt the powers of Lori Banzini.”

  As we move through the club, I’m not oblivious to the many pairs of eyes that follow our path from both males and females alike. I’m not sure if it’s us, or the god who is protecting us tonight that solicits the stares. Lori squeezes us past writhing bodies on the dance floor to a corner table marked as “Reserved”.

  “How?” I ask in awe.

  “Just enjoy it.”

  Lizzy leans over and says, “She’s impressive.”

  “Ok, what are we drinking?” Patti asks.

  “Tequila shots first.” Lori looks directly at me when responding. She points a finger and adds, “Don’t give me a hard time.”

  I roll my eyes and concede, “Fine.”

  As we wait for our drinks, I pull out my cell phone. “There is no service in here.” I mumble.

  “And?”

  I look up to see Lori glaring at me. “We have Juan and he can spend a few hours away from you. Shut it.”

  I give her a dirty look before stashing my phone back in my purse. “Jeez,” I grumble like a child who just got scolded by her mother.

  Three tequila shots and a round of cosmos later, we work our bodies out on the dance floor. I haven’t been dancing in ages. It feels so freeing and liberating to let loose. I don’t know anyone here, thus helping with my normal inhibitions when attempting to move my body in a somewhat seductive manner. I’ve been told I am a good dancer, but I never quite believed it. I’ve always held back, sure that I looked like a fool. Tonight I dance the way I always desire to, letting the music control my movements.

  Males who attempt to make contact with their physicality quickly encircle us. Lori is the only one who responds. She hones in on the best looking one in the bunch and aligns her body with his as if they have known each other for years.

  “She’s such a tramp,” Alisa says through her smile.

  “A loveable one, though,” I shout above the music.

  After a dozen or so songs, thirst, my throbbing feet and a hot flash hamper my desire to continue dancing.

  “I need a drink.” I half mime, half shout to the girls. Lizzy, Mandi and Patti nod in agreement, following me over to our booth. We order another round of drinks, my body sinking into the soft leather sofa already exhausted from the non-stop dancing. A few minutes later, Lori and Alisa join us.

  “F
ive minute break to refuel,” Lori says to no one in particular.

  “Lor, this isn’t a dance competition. It’s ok if we skip a few.” My toes agree with my declaration. They have been sending silent protests to my brain for the past hour.

  “We haven’t been out together in forever. Our asses will be out on that dance floor in five minutes.”

  It’s never worth the argument when it comes to Lori and her demands. Alisa and I exchange exasperated looks and quickly finish our drinks afraid to be yelled at.

  Lizzy and Mandi decide to stay behind when Lori drags Alisa and me back to the center of the floor.

  “Glad you came back,” her dance partner shouts. He immediately picks up exactly where he left off.

  I dance with Alisa out of default. A few men try to make a move on us, but quickly move on when ignored.

  I close my eyes and allow the music to control me. The alcohol has dulled my senses. The music isn’t as punishing, my feet are now numb, and my movements are more exaggerated. I’m in a Jack induced daze. I imagine Jack and how he looks after we make love. How his eyes darken, right before he comes inside of me. The image sends pulses over my sensitive skin as if his hands were actually skimming over me. The alcohol in my system plays mind tricks on me, until a seductive breath in my ear jolts me out of my reverie.

  Spinning around, I come face to face with Jack.

  He gives me a sexy smile. “Hi.”

  “What are you doing here?”

  “I needed to see you.”

  “You couldn’t have come at a better time.”

  He pulls me into his hard body, his arousal evident against my belly. “Why is that? Is my girl horny?”

  The way I focus on his lips is my dead giveaway. He pokes his tongue out and runs it slowly over his bottom lip. A smile lifts one corner of his mouth.

  “Oh, God.”

  He starts to move us to the music. I wrap my fingers in his hair to pull his head lower. He stops right before our lips touch.

  “Jack, don’t tease me.”

  “I’m not, baby. I’m trying to figure out where I can fuck you in this place.”

  He crashes his lips to mine. I completely open my mouth, giving him full access, not caring one iota if anyone is watching. Plenty of other bodies have been entangled in seductive kisses all night. I could give a crap if we are now supplying the entertainment.

  A tap on my shoulder and then another and a third irritates me. I shrug the invader away, never breaking our kiss.

  “Why is he here?” Lori shouts in my ear.

  I swat her away and Jack smiles against my open mouth. I’ve had my tongue practically shoved down his throat for the past few seconds. It’s now his turn to visit my mouth.

  “Your dad is going to see this on You Tube tomorrow.”

  I pull away wide-eyed and level my gaze with Lori.

  “Go. Away.”

  “Just sayin’,” she nods towards a small crowd of people all pointing their phones at us.

  Jack clenches his jaw in frustration. “Come,” he drags me by the hand off the dance floor and towards our table.

  A few scantily clad girls brazenly follow us. “Are you Jack Lair?”

  “No,” he responds, not turning to look at them.

  “Yes you are…and she’s Leila.”

  The louder this chick gets, the more gather around our table.

  “Get out of the way,” Lori nudges her way towards our corner. A leggy blonde elbows Lori as she nears and Lori barks, “Bring it. I’m from fucking Jersey.”

  The girl startles and backs up, looking at Lori as if she escaped a mental institution.

  “Let’s blow this joint,” Lori shouts as Juan stands guard in front of our tiny table. I feel like a circus animal. Girls are blatantly taking our picture, calling out to Jack so he would turn in time to get his gorgeous face in the shot. He pulls out his phone and calls Oscar.

  “Hey, we have a situation in here…Ok, text me when you pull up.” He hangs up and says, “Oscar said the limo had to circle around the block. He’s on his way back.”

  Lori decides Juan needs her help and stands in front of our table, shoulder to shoulder with him.

  “What is she doing?” Alisa asks me while looking at Lori’s back.

  I shake my head not bothering with a response. My head is now pounding as if someone hit me over the head. And then there is the unfortunate condition of my libido, which has shriveled as if a bucket of ice water was thrown in my crotch.

  Jack possessively has me on his lap on the tiny couch, his arms wrapped around my waist in a death grip. “Jeez, this is ridiculous.”

  Lizzy looks at her brother incredulously. “I’ve told you…while you all have been living in your metal bubble, things are happening out there for you. You guys are wanted men.”

  He shakes his head as if in denial.

  “Where are the rest of the guys?” I ask directly into his ear.

  He responds into mine, “I left them at the bar. I told them I was coming to get you guys.”

  Jack’s phone buzzes and he announces to our group that our limo is out front.

  An intimidating bouncer makes his way to our corner. “Ok, move it people,” he barks. Making his way through, he gently pushes female bodies aside and shoves the male ones.

  “I’m with them,” Juan announces when they come toe to toe. The bouncer looks past Juan at Jack and me. Recognition changes his scowl to a smile. “Devil’s Lair?”

  Jack nods hesitantly. “Our limo just pulled up. Can you get us out of here?”

  “Sure, come with me.” He and Juan create a people plow, pushing and moving bodies as we move towards the entrance.

  The presence of Juan and the bouncer prompt people to move back to their own partying, making it much easier to get to the door. Once outside, we quickly scatter towards the limo and close the door to all the curious eyes watching our departure.

  Jack lets out a sigh of relief. “Fuck, that was crazy.”

  “Thanks for ruining our fun, Lair.” Lori quips with an attitude.

  “Sorry. I just wanted to see my girl.” He kisses the top of my head as I watch Lori scowl at him.

  “I was having a great time ‘til you showed up.”

  “I came to get you girls. The guys are all waiting for us in a private room at a sports bar. They miss you all.”

  Lori’s features change to a smirk. “Ok, you’re forgiven.”

  I wonder if it’s the thought of Trey or Matt that put that smirk on her face.

  When we make eye contact, she winks.

  The drive is short, and we are at our destination a few minutes later.

  Juan and Oscar escort us into the bar and back towards a closed door. The noise filters out of the sliver of space between the bottom of the door and the floor. They are almost as loud as the crowd in the sports bar behind us.

  “Well, it’s about time,” Hunter yells from across the room. He and Mandi meet half way in a sweet embrace. Patti and Scott connect. Lizzy and Evan connect. Alisa and Logan connect. Lori looks at Matt and walks over to Trey.

  Oh, fuck.

  The look on Matt’s face is priceless. Joe is also not paired off, since his girlfriend couldn’t make it. He puts his arm around Matt and says, “I don’t put out on the first date.”

  “Get off me, jackass.” Matt pushes him away, grabs his beer and leaves the room.

  “He ok?” Jack asks me.

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  The room has TVs mounted on two of the walls. Both are muted, one is on a female volleyball game in Malibu and the other is on a surfing competition in Hawaii. The music from the bar is being piped in. It’s classic rock and hard not to sing along to. The guys are running a tab, and the flowing drinks are making us all loose and relaxed. It’s not long after when my buzz returns and my horniness resurfaces.

  Jack and I are dancing to Light My Fire, by the Doors. His voice is a smooth perfect match to Morrison’s. Once the chorus starts,
some of the others start singing along. Jack’s hands are on my ass, pushing me into his body as we seductively sway to the long musical interlude in the middle of the song. He bends and pulls my bottom lip in between his own.

  “I love you.”

  “Me too.”

  We dance through every song that is played…Witchy Woman, Rhiannon, The Night Owl. Some of our friends are dancing around us, some are loudly singing along with the music, and some are just drinking while listening.

  Jack sings each song to me. His voice is doing things to my insides. As we sway to Journey’s Faithfully, I can’t take it any longer.

  “You’re driving me wild.”

  “What? My kisses, my hard-on?”

  “Well, yes, but mostly your voice.”

  He swallows and his eyes become hooded with lust. “I can’t wait to get you to our room,” he says while watching my lips. We start making out like teenagers. After several long minutes, I suck in a much-needed breath.

  “Ok, I’m ready.” I admit.

  Jack announces we are leaving. The rest of our friends enthusiastically agree that it is time to head back to the hotel. Obviously they have also worked themselves up while we weren’t paying attention.

  The short drive back is quiet. We split up into two limos. Ours include Evan and Lizzy, Logan and Alisa, Scott and Patti, Hunter and Mandi. I wish I were a fly on the wall of the other limo, though. Matt never returned. Lori and Trey are sharing the ride with Joe, Will, Juan, and Dylan. Poor guys.

  We grumble quick goodnights and all head to our rooms. It’s late. Tomorrow is a big day. The studio is hosting a luncheon for us with our friends and families. Then we have our normal concert scheduled. The following day is the music festival. Then we all separate and continue on with the tail end of our tour.

  But at the moment, sleep is the last thing on my mind.

  “Alone at last.” Jack says, wrapping his arms around my waist, pulling me into his body. He nuzzles my neck, his lips sucking on the sensitive spot below my ear.

  “Mmm. Let me freshen up. I have a surprise for you.”

  He turns me around to face him. “I hope you didn’t pay a ton for it. It’s going to be on the floor in a few minutes.”

  “I can’t take this one off.” I walk away, leaving him confused.