by Zoey Derrick
Liam was injured a few years ago. His injury put him at a desk job for the Bureau, or rather, they gave him the choice. He took the out. That’s how he ended up with me. “So why is she so angry with you?” I ask.
“Because the last time I saw her, she thought I was working for someone else. Someone who, to this very day, may still want to get his hands on her.”
“So why is she unprotected?”
“I didn’t say that was the case.”
“Ha! You keep telling yourself that, but you know as well as I do she wouldn’t have been dancing in that club if she was protected. That much I know to be true.”
Liam looks at me with a look of pleading, almost as if his concern is too much for him to handle. “What’s your deal with her?” he asks me point blank.
I shrug my shoulders and take a long drink of my neglected beer. “She’s gorgeous.”
“She’s a stripper.”
I glare at him. “So you keep reminding me.”
BECCA
“Congratulations,” I say to Dyson and Ireland as Ireland wraps her arms around me after the big gender reveal.
“Thank you.” She’s beaming with pride as she looks up at Dyson. “You look amazing,” she tells me as she reaches up and touches a strand of my hair. “I like this much better.” She smiles.
“Much more fitting.” Dyson winks. “Can I get you a drink?”
I nod. “The usual.”
He leaves me and Ireland alone and heads to the bar. “How are you?” she asks as soon as Dyson is out of earshot.
I nod and give her a small smile. “I’m good, been busy working. Being on my own is kind of the pits,” I chortle.
She gives me a sad smile. “We still have the apartment, if…”
“No, it’s fine, you can’t afford to pay for it.”
“I wouldn’t say that.” She winks and leads me toward a table and we sit. “A lot has happened over the last few months.
I smirk and look at her small belly. “That’s obvious.”
She smiles wide as her hand slides over her slightly distended stomach. “Well, this is just one thing in a list of many that have changed, but enough about me.” She leans in closer then jerks her head toward the door. The gesture is meant to be subtle and to anyone else, it was. But to me, she’s obviously pointing at the man who hasn’t pulled his eyes off me since I walked in the door. “Have you met Bryan yet?”
For the first time in my life, I genuinely blush. “Yeah, we met a couple months ago.” I don’t launch into details about how I met him, but I’d seen him in the bar, then Leo or Liam, whatever his name is now, accosting me in my hotel room. “He was here during the Lee Brice concert.”
“You haven’t slept with him, have you?” Her eyes grow wide.
“Jesus, Vy, no,” I say quickly. When Ireland first introduced herself to me, she said her name was Vyolet. I later learned that it was actually her middle name, but the name she preferred. Ireland isn’t exactly suited for nicknames.
“I’m sorry, I…shit, Becca, I didn’t mean anything.”
“It’s alright. I can understand why you would ask me something like that. I don’t exactly have the best reputation, especially when coming here.”
She shakes her head. “No, you don’t. But you do know who he is, right?”
I nod, trying not to be over-excited since he’s one of my favorite country singers and his music provided the soundtrack for the majority of my dances when I worked at the club. “I didn’t know that when I’d seen him though. It took me a while to put two and two together.” This isn’t a lie, in fact it wasn’t until his leech told me just a little while ago in the parking lot.
“Listen, I need to go talk to someone, but…can we get together? Soon? I miss you.” Her voice turns solemn and for the first time in almost ten years, I feel tears prickling the backs of my eyes at the idea that someone misses me.
“I miss you too,” I tell her, and it’s the truth. “We really need to talk.”
“About what?” She cocks her head at me.
“Well, I’d like to apologize for the way things went down back in February, and…” I take a deep breath before I can finish. “I think it’s time I finally answered all your questions.”
She gives me a sad smile. “Then expect to have dinner sooner rather than later. You can’t lay that on me and then…”
“I know, listen, give me a week or so, let me…” I pause when I see Bryan pull away from the wall as he’s talking to someone and they’re making their way toward us.
Ireland touches my arm. “Call me when you’re ready, okay?” She gives me a reassuring smile and I smile back at her.
I nod. “Okay, soon, I promise.”
“Good.” We get up from the table and she wraps her arms around me. “I’m here for you. Always have been, always will be, no matter what.”
We’ll see about that. I keep my cynicism to myself as I release her and she smiles at me. “You’re not leaving, are you?”
I smile at her. “Not tonight.”
She gives me a sad smile and a nod as she moves off to talk to someone. When she passes Dyson, they have a quiet exchange and she swipes a tear from her cheek before Dyson kisses her gently on the temple and comes to deliver my drink.
At the same time, Bryan, along with someone else I know, but I’m not sure who he is, approaches the table where Dyson and I are enjoying our drinks.
“It’s not watered down.” Dyson winks at me.
I chuckle. The tension leaves my body. “I’ll behave tonight, promise.”
“Good,” Dyson says. “Are you alright?”
I give him my best fake smile. “I’m good. I didn’t mean to make her cry.”
“I know, she just misses you and her hormones are all over the place,” he tells me.
“I promised her we’d talk. I owe her answers and she deserves all of them, but not tonight,” I tell him.
“Good, she needs them. She does miss you and she wants her friend back in her life.” His response doesn’t surprise me. Ireland and I have always been like two peas in a pod and I’ve broken our happy little shell and I need to find a way to mend what damage I’ve done and the only way I know how to do that is to tell her the truth. All of it.
The two of us talk for another minute before Dyson is called away by Ireland, who gives me a reassuring smile. I am left face to face with Bryan Hayes, country superstar and a man I’ve given a lap dance to for money, along with a vaguely familiar man.
“Have you met Calvin or Mouse?”
Recognition rattles around in my brain and my eyes scan the room. Suddenly it all clicks into place. The band, 69 Bottles. Mouse, lead guitarist. I extend my hand to him. “I’m Becca.”
Calvin takes my hand. “Pleasure to meet you, Becca.” And the nickname rings true. I was always curious why his nickname was Mouse. Now I know. His voice is soft and mouse-like, yet there is a strange confidence that comes with it. “How do you know Cami?”
I look over to the petite, multi-color haired, nearly as pregnant as Ireland, owner of Blu Phoenix. “Indirectly really. Though this is my favorite bar and I’ve met her a few times. She and Tristan see fit to take care of me while I’m here.”
“They’re good people,” Bryan adds, but his eyes haven’t left my face the entire time he’s been here and I can feel his presence despite the comfortable distance between us.
“I’m assuming Cami is a friend of yours?” I ask Mouse.
He smiles, “she is, though she owns the company that handles all matters for the band.”
I give him a wink, “my favorite band. I saw you guys play here in Phoenix last year. Ireland too, we went together.”
“Small world,” Mouse chuckles, “I was there too.”
The three of us break into a comfortable laughter before Peacock joins us. Through our conversation I learn Calvin and Peacock, also known as Eric, are together, and despite no one actually saying the words, their love for each other is evide
nt in their eyes. We stay chatting about the band, their upcoming tour and life on the road until Talon, the band’s lead singer, pulls them away to set up.
“A private show?” I ask Bryan as the guys disappear out the back door and onto the patio.
“More like a jam session.” He smiles at me and for the first time, I really look at the man who’s been flirting with me for the last ten minutes.
His hair is a cut short on the sides, a little longer on the top and darker dirty blonde, almost brown in color. His eyes are greener than most I’ve seen before and while I’m considered tall at five foot eight inches, he’s still significantly taller than I am. At least six three, if not six four. He has wide shoulders and while he could be intimidating if he wanted to be, he doesn’t scare me. In fact, it’s the opposite. He’s a man I could see as a protector. And that scares me.
“Sounds like fun.” I smile back at him and my cheeks heat with a blush as the desire to kiss him grows hot in my veins. His eyes never leave my lips.
“Bryan?” someone calls from the other side of the room and he breaks out of our trance by looking toward the sound of the voice. “We’re ready.”
Bryan nods to the man who called for him; it’s not a voice I recognize so I know it’s not Liam interrupting us. Thank god. I sigh.
“Come on,” he breathes as he reaches for my hand. The moment his fingers brush mine there is an electric shock between us and my heart skips a beat. The tingling sensation doesn’t subside as he pulls me through the back doors and onto the patio.
Chapter Five
Finding perfection isn’t easy.
BRYAN
I don’t know whether it’s the desire to learn her secrets or the fact that I’m genuinely attracted to her that’s driving everything I’ve been doing tonight.
Hanging out on the back patio of Blu in June comes with its own brand of heat, but couple it with the sparks flying between me and Becca and I’m overheating. She’s beautiful in every sense of the word. I knew the night I saw her at the strip club there was something about her. Her body language said something to me about her true desires and they did not include the stripping job she was working. She was great at putting on the front required, but there was something deeper in the depths of her blue-green eyes that spoke volumes about who she is underneath it all.
The reminder of where we first met brings me back to the present and reality. Is this a path I want to go down? Dating a stripper? No, it most certainly is not.
She slides between my legs while I sit on the bar stool and my cock stretches a little further inside my jeans and the painful ache reminds me he may have other ideas about the woman who’s captured my attention as we watch 69 Bottles jam on the makeshift stage. The same one Lee Brice played that night back in February.
It took all of five minutes after coming out here to realize this is the girl Tristan was telling me about, the one who likes Piña coladas and they all take care of. Tonight seems to be different and that’s a good thing. Neither me nor Liam will let her get too far out of hand. I think it helps that were surrounded by friends and not strangers. I hold back a chuckle when I realize that aside from the security staff, Becca and I are the only single ones here.
Oh, the irony.
69 Bottles finishes their latest song and Talon says something to everyone, no microphone needed tonight. There is only about thirty people here, most of which I know, but few Becca knows.
“Bryan?” Addison says as she approaches Becca and me sitting in front of the bar.
“Yeah, doll?”
Addison smiles, “They want to know if you want to, well, rather, if you want to join me?”
I smile wider and Becca squirms as she turns around. “You’re gonna sing?”
I look at her wide eyes filled with excitement and joy, “I’d love to,” I say, never pulling my eyes away from Becca as I answer.
She squeals and pulls back from me as she starts bouncing up and down.
“Well, then,” Addison laughs as she makes her way back to Kyle. That’s a relationship I’m not sure I understand, but the three of them are very much in love with each other, it’s almost inspiring.
When I met Addison the first time, it was at First Avenue in Minneapolis. 69 Bottles was playing a show there and I was in town for my own tour. I stayed an extra day just to see the band, but it wasn’t the band I was after. I’d seen the videos of Addison performing with 69 Bottles and I was enamored with her voice. She’s anything but a country singer, but I knew I needed to duet with her. And I was right. The song we did turned out amazing and has been one of my biggest hits since its release.
When I met her, I was attracted to her. How could anyone not be? She’s tall, has gorgeous eyes and a body that screams to every man, and I’m sure some women, too. I made no secret of my attraction to her, but she gracefully turned me down. It was about a month or so later I learned the reason, or rather, reasons why. Not only had she and Talon, 69 Bottles’ lead singer hooked up, but she was the center of a triad. Addison, Talon and Kyle, all three together and it’s amazing to see.
“Any special requests?” I ask Becca as I wrap my arm around her waist.
“Anything.” Her voice comes out breathy and wanton. My cock throbs.
“You got it,” I tell her before planting a gentle kiss at her temple and leaving her to fend for herself. I find Addison and the guys near the stage and turn back to see Becca standing near the redhead, Ireland, and her boyfriend Dyson. The glow hasn’t left Becca’s cheeks as she looks at me through the group of people. I smile at her.
“How do you know her?” Addison asks me.
My smile fades a little at the question. “I don’t, actually. I met her a couple months ago when I was in town, but this is the first time I’ve seen or talked to her since then. Why?”
Addison smirks, “Oh nothing.”
I roll my eyes at her. “Do you know her?” I ask.
She shakes her head. “No, haven’t even really met her tonight. I just know she’s a good friend of Ireland’s and Dyson is a good friend of Cami and Tristan.”
So I’ve heard. “Are they industry tied?” I ask.
Addison shakes her head. “No, Dyson owns a company here in Phoenix, but I’m pretty sure they have little to do with the industry at all. Though I think there might be some type of relationship between Ireland and Cami that goes beyond friendship.”
“What do you say that?” I ask.
Addison smiles, “take a real good look at Cami, then take a real good look at Ireland. If I didn’t know better, they could very easily be sisters.” I don’t want to get into the fact that Cami only has a brother, but looking at both of them now, I see what Addison is talking about. There are some very subtle similarities. Not to mention the fact that I’ve seen Cami with super curly hair, like Ireland’s, before. I have no clue what Cami’s natural hair color is because it’s always colored, but Ireland’s tight curls remind me of Cami’s.
“Huh,” I say with a nod as Talon approaches us.
“You guys wanna do your duet?” he asks me and Addison.
Addison lights up as she looks to me. I give her a small nod and she bounces much the same way Becca did a little while ago. “You know it?” I ask Talon.
He smiles and nods. “I do. Acoustic?”
I nod and we go to the stage.
BECCA
“Bryan?” Ireland raises a questioning eyebrow at me.
I shrug. I’m not sure I want to go into details about how he makes me feel. Feelings are not something I’m used to and to be completely honest, that urge to run is getting stronger by the minute. I feel so out of control with him and I don’t like it.
“I think he likes you,” she adds when I don’t reply or offer up any commentary on her question. “Do you like him?” she asks, prompting me to pull my eyes away from the stage where they’re moving some things around for whatever they’re about to do next.
“Yes,” I breathe.
Irel
and’s face lights up with excitement at my answer. “As in, like him like him?” I can’t stop the blush of my cheeks and the smile that plays at my lips. “You do!” she exclaims quietly.
I shush her. “Do you want everyone to hear you?”
She giggles, “Yes. I think this has to be a first for you, Becca.”
For some unknown reason the name irritates me tonight. Since Leo/Liam accosted me, it’s brought back a lot of old memories and a lot of irritation with the fact that I’m hiding so many secrets from the people closest to me. Ireland’s line of questions doesn’t help matters any. Becca can like Bryan Hayes all she wants, but Livia? No, she can’t. I can’t let myself get caught up in the limelight that is a musician’s life.
“Maybe,” I answer her, trying to pull my attention away from her and back to the stage without giving away the fact that yes, liking Bryan is a first for me. But there’s a cure for that and I intend to do just that.
She leans into me. “Good,” she whispers as Talon, 69 Bottles’ lead singer strums his guitar. I look at the stage and it’s just Addison, Talon and Bryan sitting on stools, looking comfortable and casual. I know exactly what’s coming and my heart skips a beat as Bryan starts the song he recorded with Addison earlier this year.
Bryan’s eyes never leave mine as he sings the love ballad to the crowd.
I take in my surroundings and realize I don’t belong amongst these people and my insecurities start to take over. You have celebrities in Tristan and Travis, then you have Cami, while not a movie star herself, she’s the owner of the company that controls their lives. Follow them up with the entire 69 Bottles band and their wives or girlfriends, and then lastly, Bryan Hayes. Where Dyson and Ireland fit into this mix is beyond me, but what doesn’t surprise me is Ireland looks right at home. There are a couple of other couples whom I have no idea who they are, but they are either friends with the band, because I’ve seen them all talking, or they are friends of Tristan or Cami. The atmosphere is more family than it is friends and the reality makes me a little uncomfortable as Bryan and Addison finish their song and the group starts whooping and hollering at them.
