“Like fun you aren’t,” Carly interjects. “Trust me, you are having one whether you are in attendance or not.”
“Carly, we’ve decided to just have a get together here...” I add, taking Brayden from Alexis. “...set up the band...that sort of thing—“
“Not gonna happen, Mate,” Derek implies as he raises his beer. “Consider yourself havin’ a Buck’s night.”
Alexis turns to face me, drops her head on her my shoulder, and closes her eyes.
“Ake up, Mum,” Brayden shouts—Wiggles style.
Alexis grumbles with a laugh. “Mummy isn’t sleeping like Jeff.”
“Ake up, Mum,” he hollers, again.
I can’t help but laugh.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Five months down the track, and it is decided that yes, we are having a Hen’s night and Buck’s party. It is also decided—not by us, mind you—that Carly and Derek are in charge of the entire event.
The plans are to start off together at Opals as one big group, where Live Trepidation will dedicate their entire set to Alexis and play all of her favourite songs. Then, we are to head off our separate ways, and what’s to follow unknown to the both of us. That minor detail I did not like; I didn’t like it at all.
“I can’t believe we agreed to this,” Alexis mumbles from our walk-in wardrobe.
I’m standing in the ensuite, latching the buckle on my denim jeans and fastening the last button on my short sleeved, light grey, shirt. “We didn’t really have a choice, Hunny. Did you want to argue with Carly and Derek?”
“No,” she groans. “Hey! Maybe we could just stay at Opals together? Refuse to leave?” she suggests, a spark of renewed hope sounding in her voice.
“Yeah, don’t think that is gonna work.”
I finish off with a little gel in my hair and step out into our bedroom to put on my shoes. Sitting on the edge of the bed and bending over, I slide my foot into the black loafer. Before I can reach for the other shoe, I notice two black high-heels only centimetres from my feet.
“Can you zip me up, please?” Alexis asks.
I travel the length of her legs until I’m looking up at her with my mouth and eyes wide open. She is wearing an extremely short black, lace dress, which reveals quite a lot of her silky smooth skin, more skin than I’m willing to share the sight of with any other man. And even though she looks sexy as hell, I’ll be damned if she is going to look that good so that some loser can discreetly blow a load in his pants.
“What is that?” I ask on a choke.
“What’s what?” she asks, quickly glancing toward the roof where she thinks I am looking, her expression indicating she expects to see some type of critter.
“What you’re wearing.”
Alexis looks back down and smooths out her dress. “Um... I think it’s Dolce and Gabbana. I can check if you wan—”
“I don’t fucking care who designed it.”
Her face contorts. “You don’t like it?”
Placing my hands on her legs, I pull her toward me. “Hunny, you look sensational, too fucking sensational. It’s just...” I lean back on the bed and run my hand through my hair. Fuck, she looks irresistible. “...I’m not going to be with you all night. You can’t wear that without me.”
Climbing over my lap and straddling me on the bed, a sly grin creeps across her face. “Are you telling me what I can and can’t wear?”
“Yes, you seriously can’t wear that. Remember that time you called me Jackie Chan?”
She screws up her face then smiles. “Yeah.”
“Well, I’ll be performing Jackie-Chan’s all night if you wear that.”
Alexis laughs and leans forward, her golden blonde locks cascading around her face as she looks down at me. Even her lips are turning me on—red as a friggin’ fire truck.
“Bryce, I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself. And anyhow, we have the apartment to ourselves tonight. Don’t you want to wait till we get home so that you can take this dress off and see just exactly what I’m wearing underneath?”
I glance down at her breasts, spying the tiniest hint of red lace covering her chest. Bloody Hell!
“Fuck the night out. Let’s stay here and you can show me now.”
I reach for her tits, but she jumps off and puts her hand up. “No. We are going. Now, can you please zip me up?”
Alexis turns around, baring her back to me and giving me another sneak peek of her lingerie. The sight of her red corset prompts my dick to stand at attention, poised and motionless, saluting her—military style. Having no choice but to close my eyes in order to try and gather my not so turned-on composure, I lower my eyelids and click my neck from side to side.
After a second of thinking about Dame Edna Everage—because let’s face it, she looks like a clown—I reopen them to find Alexis still standing in front of me, her head now turned back in my direction and smiling from ear to fucking ear.
Completely depleted of all will power and restraint, I grab a hold of her and drag her to the bed, pinning her down underneath me. “Hunny, if you are going to wear that then first, I need to fuck you. I need you wearing me along with it.”
***
Alexis and I walk into Opals nearly three quarters of an hour late, spotting our friends and family scattered around the dance floor. Will, Matt, Derek and Luce are up on stage, preparing for our gig.
“Sorry we are late,” Alexis apologises, blushing profusely.
Carly’s eyes widen as they journey up and down Alexis’ body. “No need to explain why. That...” she points to her outfit, “...speaks for itself.”
“What? There’s nothing wrong with my dress,” Alexis whines while Tash hands her a drink and a condom decorated veil. “Oh for the love of God...I am not wearing that! I’m not in my twenties and getting married for the first time.FOR.GET.IT.”
“Told you she wouldn’t wear it,” Tash says to Carly, handing her the veil.
“She’ll wear it...give it time...and alcohol.”
I shake my head, kiss Alexis’, and hoist myself up on the stage.
“Nice of you to show, Arsehole,” Derek throws my way as I pick up my guitar and begin to tune it.
“I was busy,” I answer, pulling a pick out of my jean pocket.
“Hmmm, yeah...I can see why,” Matt murmurs, glancing toward Alexis.
“Shut up, Dick. I already have to worry about every other sleaze in this joint eye-fucking my fiancé, I don’t want to have to worry about you, too.”
“She looks hot!” Lucy says with her back to me.
I turn to my sister. “Not you, too,” I grimace.
“No. I didn’t mean it like that...although, she does look hot!”
Will laughs as he taps out a light beat.
“Let’s just get started, yeah?” I grumble as I glance toward Alexis, taking in the smouldering beauty that she is. I can’t say that I really blame them all for fucking around with me, she does look exceptionally incredible tonight. And as I watch her greet her family and friends, it painfully dawns on me that my night is not going to be as laid back as hers. Not in the bloody slightest!
***
We open the show with “Birth” by 30STM, just like we had at our previous gig. The song is a crowd winner and, quite frankly, a great intro to get everyone—including us— primed for the rest of our gig.
Three songs into our set, and we decide to play one of our own—“Chaos”. This particular song seems to sum up my current situation, being that during the second bridge I have no choice but to bear witness to a group of guys eyeing Alexis, Carly, and Jen.
Highly fucking irritated, I watch as the group of douche bags spend a minute planning their approach, the shady thoughts in their minds quite obviously radiating from their overzealous faces.
Cringing like fuck when they slowly make their way toward the girls, I notice Tash and Steve intercept the group’s attempted pick-up, Steve spinning Jen into a dance and Tash wrapping herself around Alexis in a bear
hug, pretending to give her a friendly cuddle. I inwardly sigh with relief at the fact I no longer have to jump off the stage and threaten to jam my guitar down any of the guy’s throats. Being that Opals is my nightclub, I really don’t want to cause a scene.
Tash gives the four guys a vicious snarl then looks toward me and winks, and I can’t help but smirk with the knowledge of our agreement for her to be Alexis’ bodyguard. Now, it’s not as if I formulated this understanding behind Alexis’ back. In fact— if I remember rightly—Tash and I discussed our intentions directly in front of her years back when we watched the kids swim at school. So technically, it is not my, nor Tash’s fault that she did not take us seriously.
After finishing the song and realising I’m going to need more protective enforcements, I give Dale—my head of security—a quick call.
“Everything alright, Mate?” he answers.
“Yeah. Listen, Dale, before you finish and make your way down here, can you send Joey. I need him on Alexis-duty tonight.”
I imagine Dale running his hands over his face in frustration at my request.
“She’s not gonna be happy when she catches on, Bryce, and you know she will.”
“Do me a favour. Turn on Opal’s lower dance floor camera, you can’t miss her. Then tell me I’m going overboard.”
I wait for him to do what I’ve just directed him to do, anticipating that he is now on my wavelength.
“Right! Yep, I get ya. Joey will be there as soon as possible.”
“Good. Now turn the camera off, you dirty perve.”
He laughs. “It’s off. I know better than to mess with you.”
“So you should. I’ll see you shortly.”
“No worries.”
I hang up the phone and turn back to face the crowd, even more pissed off to see the numbers practically doubling. What shits me further is that the male to female ratio is not in my favour. I don’t fucking need any more dick-heavy men in Alexis’ proximity.
“Bryce, you ready now?” Derek asks, looking annoyed.
I hold up my finger. “Just give me a minute.”
Before we begin our next song, I quickly call Lisa who is on door-entry this evening.
“Opals Nightclub, Lisa speaking.”
“Lisa, it’s Mr. Clark.”
“Oh, yes, Sir. How can I help you?”
“Tell whoever is manning the door that the ratio is off. Limit the men for the next hour then get them to do another summary.”
“Sorry, Sir. I will tell Tony now.”
“Good. Thank you, Lisa.”
I hang up the phone once again and find Alexis watching me, concern on her face. Wanting to ease her mind, I make my way to the edge of the stage and squat down.
“What’s wrong, Hunny?”
“You look agitated. Is everything alright?”
“Yes, everything is fine. I just had to arrange a few things.”
“Okay, but this is your Buck’s night, too. I want you to enjoy yourself.”
“I will,” I reassure her, lightly tapping her nose with my finger. “But first I want to watch your reaction to the next song.”
She smiles that earth-shattering smile I love so much. “Ooo, what is it?”
Waggling my eyebrows at her, I stand back up. She runs her tongue along the top row of her teeth while her eyes travel the length of my jeans. It has me wanting to abandon the night and take her back to our apartment.
“Alexis,” I growl in warning, her look indicating her inner salacious thoughts.
“What? I’m waiting,” she shouts in response, now smiling innocently.
I’ll give her waiting.
Before nodding toward Lucy to begin the song, I notice Joey enter the room. I acknowledge him with a swift lift of my chin as he proceeds to stand not too far from Alexis’ position. Just having him here now puts my mind at ease a little.
Taking another step back, I wink at Luce, and just like the time we played in Shepparton, she and Derek are the only ones illuminated by light as she begins to play the piano in “November Rain” by Guns N’ Roses.
Alexis—standing at the very front of the stage—blows a kiss in my direction, cementing the fact that I was right when choosing to re-enact this performance for her—I knew she’d love it.
Just like the time before, when I performed this song to Alexis with the sole message that I would wait as long as it took for her to realise that we were perfect for each other, I once again serenade her during the guitar solos, even showing off and kissing her passionately while still playing like the freak that I am.
I’m normally not one to show-off or flaunt my talents and wealth like an unappreciative flog. But playing the guitar is something I’m good at, really good at. It’s also something my father was extremely proud of and told me to always go hard at. And it was because of Dad that I had learned to play in the first place. He had given me lessons from the ripe age of four, he too being a brilliant musician. Music ran in our family, my Grandmother had been a violinist, and apparently her aunty had been an opera singer.
When I was ten years old and Lucy six, we used to sit around the lounge room and play our instruments. Mum loved the piano and could voice a fairly good tune, in fact, we all had a natural love for music; a passion for producing a melodic sound. It was those particular memories that stood out to me the most, being some of the happiest times in my life.
I, too, want those times for my family, to sit around and teach Brayden, Nate, and Charli—if they want—to play an instrument. I’d love nothing more than to sit back and listen to them harmonise with each other while Alexis sings. It’s one of my family traditions I hope to uphold.
Finishing off the song, and standing on top of the piano as a tribute to Slash, I wink at my woman. The twinkle in her eyes is all that is needed to know that the complete over the top act I have just displayed was worth it—my sole reason for now playing the guitar on stage, purely for her. Alexis’ reaction is all that matters to me.
“Okay, ladies and gents. We have one final song to play for this evening then we are off to celebrate our leading guitarist’s final night out as a bachelor. Yes ladies, I’m sorry to inform you, but my man, Bryce, in just a few short weeks, will be marrying this beautiful lady in front of him,” Derek says boldly, gesturing toward Alexis.
She raises her hands and I nearly have a fit. The dress she is wearing is strapless and should not be worn by someone who raises their hands, especially Alexis. Not knowing what else to do, I jump down off the stage and wrap my arms around her, covering her nearly exposed chest.
She happily welcomes my embrace and drapes her hands around my neck. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I say back, before taking her mouth with my own.
“Oh, alright you two, hurry up,” Derek complains as the crowd wolf whistles.
I separate my mouth from hers and whisper into her ear. “As much as I love to see your tits, my love, please keep your hands below shoulder level, no one else needs to see them.”
Kissing her cheek quickly while she gives me a puzzled look, I pull away and climb back on stage. As I turn around, I notice an angered expression on her face, and her arms now folded across her chest. Before I can jump back down and ask her what’s wrong. Lucy and Will begin playing the intro to “You’re the Voice” by John Farnham, and I have no choice but to stand there and wonder what the fuck is wrong with her. I just saved her from flashing the crowd. Surely that’s a good thing.
By the time Derek starts singing the pre-chorus, her frown has disappeared and she is enjoying the song with her friends. In fact, now that I’m no longer focussed on her change of character, I become notably aware that the entire club is fully engrossed in our performance.
It really shouldn’t surprise me, this is, after all, a great song; an iconic song. And it dawns on me, as I take in the patrons swaying and singing along, that I should’ve bloody ignored Derek and gone with a live bagpipe player, it would’ve been perfect. Fucking Derek!
> Winding down the song, and playing the coda till the end, I smile and sigh with relief that our set is finally over. As much as I adore playing the guitar—especially for Alexis—I want nothing more than to spend some time wrapped around her gorgeous body. Not only for the sheer fucking delight and feel of her in my arms, but also for the intent to shield her from the many sets of perverted eyes I have spotted around the room.
“Thanks guys,” I say to the band. “She loved it.”
“Glad my percussion talents have assisted in you getting your dick wet tonight,” Will offers as he pats me on the back. “Now, let’s hope they do the same for me.”
He jumps off the stage and heads toward Carly’s friend.
“Has Will got a thing goin’ on with Carly’s friend?” I ask.
“Her name is Libby,” Derek answers. “And yeah, kind of...he hopes to, anyway.”
I inwardly smile to myself, enjoying the fact that Will too, seems to have taken a liking to someone who doesn’t resemble an eighteen year-old.
“So where are we headed next?” I ask with not much enthusiasm.
“You’ll see. Come on, pack up your axe. We’re goin’.”
***
After putting my guitar away, I make my way down from the stage and head toward Alexis. Her back is to me, and her arms are propped on top of a bar table. She is bent over just a little, and I can’t help but stare at her legs, especially the one which is gently rubbing up and down the back of her calf muscle.
As I begin to stalk my prey, I am approached by a couple of women.
“You were so good up there,” one of them says with a suspect smile. “How long have you been playing?”
“Yeah,” the other agrees. “You should play professionally or something.”
Never being one who enjoyed being hit on, especially by women who have absolutely no idea of what is going on outside of their own little pick-me bubble, I politely give them the brush-off, thanking them for their empty compliments and continuing on my way until I am pressed up against Alexis.
“I want you,” I whisper into her ear.
“Really?” she whispers back. “Are you sure you just don’t want anyone else to want me?” her icy response somewhat sulky.
Attainment (The Temptation Series) Page 14
