by Jayne Frost
Closing my eyes, I played the final refrain, drawing out the last chord until it died on my strings.
“Fuck yeah!” Logan slapped me on the back. “That was it! It sounds awesome in here. Let’s wrap it. Whoa—check out the Jumbotron.”
My mouth fell open when I looked to midfield. On the biggest screen I’d ever seen, my image was frozen, staring down at the girls with a “fuck me now” look, hot enough to melt butter.
My gaze fell to Lily, seated at the front of the stage. Lindsey was beside her, the smile on her face so malicious I wanted to strangle her.
Pulling the strap off my shoulder, I handed it to the roadie and walked toward the ramp. Lily’s eyes followed me, her face impassive and unreadable. Chewing up the space that separated us, I walked straight to her, avoiding Lindsey when I stopped.
“You ready?” I said, shoving my hand out for her to take.
Lily blinked, her gaze dropping from my face to my outstretched hand.
Take my hand, baby.
She reached out hesitantly, and I pulled her up, breathing a sigh of relief.
“Cameron,” Lindsey said, teetering to her feet when I didn’t acknowledge her. “If you don’t return my calls, I can’t schedule any interviews or rehearsals,” she scolded. “Haven’t you gotten any of my messages?”
Lily’s hand went limp as I stalked across the field with her behind me.
“Cameron!”
Stopping at Lindsey’s bellow, I turned and walked toward her.
“We just rehearsed; we’re tight,” I snapped. “We’re done until the show. Christian needs his rest.”
Lindsey chuckled. “Christian looks fine to me.”
“I’ll see you Saturday. Contact Logan if you need anything.”
Lindsey grabbed my arm, her nails digging in just enough to let me know she was serious.
“You have responsibilities, Cameron. We have a meet and greet tonight.” Her heated gaze shifted to Lily. “Time to stop dicking around and get back to work.”
Shaking loose of her grasp, I turned on my heel, nearly bowling over the two girls that had been watching the rehearsal from the side of the stage. The dark-haired girl, obviously the bolder of the two, looked up at me, putting a hand on my chest.
“Hey, Cameron.” She ran her tongue along her bottom lip seductively. “That was fucking brilliant. You guys are phenomenal.”
“Thanks. That’s good to hear.” Smiling tightly, I stepped around them. “You girls have a good day.”
Her hand fell to my arm. “We could make sure you have a really good day.” She slipped her other arm around her friend’s waist, pulling her flush to her side. “Let’s go find someplace to party.”
“I don’t think so. I have plans.”
She licked her lips again. “No problem. We don’t mind sharing.”
“No thanks.” Tightening my grip on Lily’s hand, I brushed past them, power-walking the length of the field. She struggled behind me, trying to keep my pace.
“Cameron.”
I kept moving, trying to put some distance between us and the fucked up mess at our back.
“Cameron!” She ground to a halt midfield, grabbing the back of my shirt.
I turned a heated gaze on her, full of irritation mixed with something else. Embarrassment. For her. For me.
Lily’s gaze was just as heated, her normally pink cheeks stained deep crimson.
“What?” I bit out.
“What?” she barked. “Look, if you want to go with those girls, feel free. You asked me to come. Don’t drag me out of here like I’m a dog that pissed on your carpet.”
“I—I don’t want to go anywhere with them. I…It’s just…” Shaking my head, I looked down. “I don’t know what to say. I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
My head snapped up when she laughed.
“You didn’t.” She snickered. “Until you dragged me away like you couldn’t wait to find the nearest bus stop.”
I blinked at her, certain I didn’t hear her right. How could she think I was mad at anyone but myself? Rubbing the back of my neck, I looked up, hoping the right words would fall from the sky.
Lily stepped forward, the tips of her Converse meeting my boots.
“You can tell me, Cameron. Whatever it is.”
Tell her what? Tell her I want to take her to Austin and introduce her to my brother. Tell her I want to go rafting with her down the Guadeloupe and sleep with her under the stars. Tell her I want to see if this can last longer than two days, but I can’t promise that it will.
“Those girls—they didn’t mean anything. The song. When I play, the audience, they’re like props. I didn’t even realize…”
Reaching down, she took my hands. They relaxed immediately, sliding between her fingers and locking in place.
“You didn’t realize what?” She arched a brow, a smile playing across her lips. “That you’re sexy as hell, and every chick out here wants you to play them like you play that guitar? Hell, even I was ready to jump you.”
I laughed. “You wanted to jump me, huh?”
“Don’t judge.”
Pulling her to me with our joined hands behind her back, I placed a soft kiss on her mouth. Her fingers wiggled.
“I’m beginning to think this is a thing with you, Cameron.”
“What’s a thing?”
“This.” She wiggled her fingers again. “First you tangle me up in my t-shirt while you’re having your way with me, and now you’ve got my hands twisted behind my back. If you want to tie me up, just ask.”
Dropping her hands, I cupped the back of her neck, pulling her forward until she was on her tip toes, her mouth so close to mine, her breath heated my lips.
“You better be careful, baby. I might take you up on that.”
She wrapped her arms around my neck, sliding a hand in my hair. A twinge of pain shot through me when she coiled her fingers in the strands, pulling me to her neck.
“Promise,” she breathed.
Chapter 13
Lily’s back was against my chest, her legs spread out on the seat as she devoured the last of her What-a-Burger. Half of my burger sat untouched on the seat next to me. My appetite was basically non-existent. On the other hand, Lily was poking around inside the bag, foraging for leftover fries and onion rings.
I chuckled.
My mama always told me never to trust any woman that didn’t appreciate good barbecue or a greasy cheeseburger. I didn’t rely much on her dating advice since she was leery of anyone that resided west of El Paso. She was thoroughly convinced that Texas was a country unto itself, with everything you could ever want available inside its borders.
“It’s the largest state for a reason, sugar plum,” she always said.
When I found out in the third grade that Alaska was actually larger, I couldn’t wait to share the information.
“That’s rubbish,” she’d scolded, the normally serene pools of her eyes turning fierce. “I don’t know what they’re teaching you, but if I ever hear you say that again, I’ve got a bar of soap with your name on it.”
Of course, Callie, my sainted mother, was the same woman who believed the sun rose and set on Tyler Noble’s ass. Her judgment was questionable at best.
“Did you get enough to eat, darlin’?” I gave Lily a wary look.
She had the bag upturned, gathering the crumbs from the onion rings in her palm.
Looking over her shoulder at me sheepishly, she brushed the crumbs off her hands.
“I’m fine. I just love burgers and fries.” She sighed. “I wasn’t allowed to eat them when I was a kid. I guess they’re like forbidden fruit.”
Brushing the crumbs off her lap, she downed the last of her water and threw the bottle in the bag. She scooted off the seat, crawling toward the mini fridge. Damned if I wasn’t right on the money when I told her that having her wear my boxers was about the sexiest thing I’d ever seen. The black elastic waistband peeking out of her jeans brought my cock to li
fe faster than the porn that Logan played on a loop on the tour bus.
“Want something?”
You…now.
“Nope. I’m good.” I smiled, trying to figure out how to keep her in that position long enough to get her pants off.
“Are you sure?” Her brow creased in the most adorable way.
“Positive.”
My phone lit up on the seat. I’d set it to vibrate after Logan’s third call. Lily crawled toward me, settling on the floorboard between my knees. Twisting a hand in her hair, I tugged it gently until she stared up at me, a wide smile on her face.
“There’s enough seats in this thing for twelve people,” I joked. “You don’t have to sit on the floor.”
She turned sideways, resting her head on my knee.
“My dad…he had a limo just like this.” Her smile lost a little shine at the memory. “We never had a car when I was growing up. My mother used to get so mad at me because I loved to crawl around on the floor.” Shrugging, she looked down. “I don’t get to ride around in limos anymore. I guess it just reminds me of my childhood.”
“I never rode in a limo until we signed with a record label.” Stroking her hair, I fanned it out over my jeans. “I didn’t even ride in a limo to the prom.”
She propped her elbow on my knee, her eyes going wide. “Tell me about your prom.”
“Not much to tell.” Tracing my index finger down her cheek, I brushed it along her bottom lip. “I’m sure it was just like yours. Except, maybe you didn’t have to ride there in your best friend’s twenty year old pickup truck.”
Actually, I couldn’t really complain about that. Logan’s tiny Ford had a single bench seat, assuring that my date for the evening was on my lap for the entire ride. Who knows if I would have had the nerve to go all the way if Crystal hadn’t taken the initiative after having my cock pressed against her all the way home?
“I didn’t have a prom. I came out when I was sixteen,” Lily said, resting her cheek on her hand. “I went to Hockaday.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, darlin’, but if you’re telling me you were a lesbian until you were sixteen, I’d be happy to explore that with you.” I waggled my brows.
“You perv.” Lily bit the inside of my jean-clad thigh.
“Ouch!” Grabbing her under the arms, I pulled her onto my lap. “No biting—unless we’re naked.” I kissed the tip of her nose. “What’s Hockaday? And tell me all about coming out. Don’t spare any details.”
“It’s not that sexy. Hockaday’s an all-girls school. I had my ‘coming out’ party when I was sixteen.” Puzzled at my confused expression, she stared at me. “You know, a debutante ball? Big-ass hoop skirts? Boring guys with crew cuts?”
I’d heard about debutante balls. But I didn’t know they actually still had them. And again, my only experience with all-girls schools was courtesy of Logan’s vast porn stash.
“Sounds fancy.” Pulling her legs up so she was completely on my lap, I settled back in the seat. “Who took you to this big ‘coming out’ party?”
She shifted uncomfortably, staring down at her fingernails. I closed my hands over hers. “You can tell me,” I cajoled. “Did he have a hump? Three nipples? Or a—“
“No,” she snapped, cutting me off. “He was just a regular asshole. No deformities. Unless you count arrogance and an underdeveloped personality.”
“I was just kidding, darlin’.” Resting my chin on her shoulder, I gave her a squeeze. “Just make me a list of any of your old boyfriends. I’ll take care of them for you.”
“I told you before, Cameron, there was only one guy. Ever. One fucking asshole.”
She finally looked up, noting my shocked expression.
“What? Big surprise!” Scooting off my lap to the far end of the seat, she folded her arms across her chest. “I’m nothing like you. My parents didn’t let me go to parties or dances. And my only boyfriend—no, my fiancé—broke up with me because he didn’t want to be married to an ‘artist.’” Dropping her head to the back of the seat, she stared out the sunroof.
Chuckling to myself, I shook my head. Lily turned to me, fury igniting in her eyes.
“It’s not funny, Cameron.”
The band tightened in my chest at the sight of her trembling chin.
“Lily…” I scooted to her side, but she refused to look at me.
Dropping to my knees on the floorboard, I pried open her legs and positioned myself between her knees. I grabbed her calves when she tried to pull her legs away.
“Let me go.”
Wrapping her legs around my waist, I held them there until she looked at me.
“Darlin’, I wasn’t laughing at you.” Kneading the outside of her legs, I took a calming breath before I continued. “I was laughing because when I was growing up, I thought people like you, like your family, didn’t have any problems. My old man would go on a bender and leave for days at a time. Sometimes my mom had to go to the neighbors to ‘borrow’ a loaf of bread to make us toast with sugar. For dinner.”
Her legs fell away when I let them go, turning until my back was against the seat. It felt good to share a bit of my past with someone without fear it would make its way into some D-list gossip column. Too good.
Reaching for a distraction, I grabbed my phone and listened to the voicemail from Logan. He ticked off the name of the club in Deep Ellum where the band was having the meet and greet. I opened the text and typed in a response.
I was complicating the situation. Muddying the water. And I couldn’t help myself.
“Where do you live, darlin’?” I looked over my shoulder at Lily. “I thought we could swing by your place and pick up a few things. There’s a thing tonight in Deep Ellum.”
“I can’t tonight.” Her face fell, a forced smile appearing on her lips.
“Lily, I have two more days here.” Taking her hand, I brushed my thumb against hers. “I’d like to spend them with you. Every minute.”
“I’m sorry.” She looked out the window, not meeting my gaze. “I have plans.”
My stomach tumbled onto the floor at her feet, along with my pride.
“Can’t you break them?”
For me.
“I can’t.”
“Suit yourself, darlin’.”
Pulling my hand away, I checked the emails on my phone. Then I played Angry Birds. Then I just stared at the screen.
The limo finally, mercifully, pulled to a halt in front of The Mansion.
“Cameron?”
Her eyes were finally on me, but I was too pissed to look up. The driver swung the door open.
“I’m sorry. I have to—”
“No worries, Lily.” Cutting her off, I looked up from my phone. “We were just killing time.”
My smirk faded when her face went blank. She was out of the limo, running for her car before I could think.
Fuck.
Cursing, I hit the seat and jumped out.
“Lily!” I scanned the sea of cars.
My head swung in the direction of the engine that could only be hers. I moved toward it, but it was too late. She was out of the space, heading for the exit before I was halfway there.
Chapter 14
Sitting at the end of the couch in the VIP area, I nursed my second beer. This wasn’t even my kind of club. My kind of crowd. The music was a loud and obnoxious blend of techno and pop. The only purpose it served, as far as I could tell, was to provide a beat so the girls that flocked around inside the velvet ropes could grind against each other.
Logan sipped his beer, his gaze trained on a couple of girls who had caught his attention. They weren’t inside the VIP area, but just beyond the ropes. Logan motioned for Seth, the wall of muscle that doubled as security when he wasn’t tearing down our equipment, to invite them inside.
Seth sauntered over to the pair, his hands drifting low on their hips when he drew them into a huddle. The willowy brunette looked over Seth’s shoulder, licking her lips w
hen she locked her gaze on Logan’s. I didn’t know exactly what kind of proposition was involved, but the slow smile that passed over Logan’s lips was a pretty good indication.
“You want Betty or Veronica?”
Logan loved to throw in the reference to the blond and the brunette in the old Archie comics every chance he got. I think the dude must have used those comic books like porn when he was a kid. When I turned away, he swatted my leg.
“If you’ve got a thing for Lily, own it, son.” He snorted. “You’re the one that said she was a one and done.”
“She is,” I barked. “She just bailed a little earlier than I expected.”
“Well then.” Logan leaned back in his seat, watching the girls walk toward us, hand in hand. “Her replacement is coming off the line right now.”
I looked up at the blond, who parked herself in front of me. She wasn’t much of a replacement. It wasn’t even a good dye job. Her dark roots gave her away.
“Take a seat, darlin’.” Grabbing the brunette’s hand, Logan pulled her down next to him. “I’m Logan. But you already know that, don’t you?”
The brunette giggled, still holding on to her friend’s hand.
“This broody fucker is Cameron.” He locked his eyes on the blond, while the brunette wound her arm around his. “Why don’t you see if you can lighten his mood?”
“I’m Candy,” the blond said, wiggling between Logan and me on the couch.
Of course you are.
“Nice to meet you, Candy.” Pushing to my feet, I drained my beer, looking anywhere but at her. “What’s everybody drinking?”
Candy crossed her legs. “I’ll take a shot.” Licking her lips, she rubbed her foot up and down my calf. “I lose my mind when I do shots.”
“Shots all around then!” Logan hooted.
I chewed the inside of my lip to keep from rolling my eyes. “Be right back.” Putting my head down, I walked toward the bar.
“Four shots of Jack.” Pressing my palms on the bar, I leaned forward, shouting loud enough to get the bartender’s attention. He nodded.
“That didn’t take long.”
I turned to find Lindsey standing with her back against the bar, surveying the room.
