Rockers After Dark: 6 Book Bundle of Sexy Musicians

by Chase, Deanna

  He gestures to the bottle on the table. “That’s fine.”

  I smile as I join him, and he doctors his drink before eyeing mine. “Half and half?” he asks.

  “Yes.” I don’t even blink. “It’s been a rough night.”

  “No doubt.”

  I sit with my hands wrapped around the cup and try to look at anything except him. Not that it matters. His image is burned into my brain after spending the last hour or so staring at him from the stage. He’s tall. Six feet, maybe. Broad shoulders. Narrow waist. Angular jaw. Slightly wavy, multi-streaked, bronze-colored hair. Those vibrant tattoos climbing up both arms. And eyes so vibrant green they almost glow. Yeah. No need to look at him. I do anyway.

  “You’re thinking about something,” he says. He’s contemplative, trying to figure me out, but he doesn’t ask me to share.

  I eye the gray socks now lying next to his cup. They’re about twice as big as mine would be. “Are you going to put those on?”

  He laughs. “They’re for you.”

  “Really? Do they belong to your sister’s boyfriend or something?” No girl I know wears socks that big. My toes curl in longing, but I can’t wear the socks of some dude I don’t even know. Drinking his sister’s booze is one thing. Stealing her boyfriend’s clothes is entirely another.

  Seth shakes his head. “They’re mine. I’ve been known to keep a few things here just in case.”

  “Ahh.” So they are smelly man socks. Except they look really warm and cozy. And my feet are starting to ache.

  “They’re new.”

  “Really?”

  “No. But I thought that would make them sound more appealing.” He gets up, grabs the coffeepot, and refills our mugs. “They are clean, though.”

  My lips twitch and I reach for the socks but don’t move to put them on. I’m too busy watching Seth’s back muscles ripple through his black T-shirt as he returns the coffeepot to the counter.

  “This is a great place,” I say. “I’d kill to see the view from the top floor.”

  Seth stiffens. He turns slowly, his face set in a stormy expression.

  I jerk, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor. “Sorry. I just love cool spaces. I didn’t mean to imply you should traipse me around your sister’s house. Forget I said anything.”

  He closes his eyes and sucks in a breath. “No. I’m sorry. It’s… that space is private. No one goes up there.”

  “Yeah, sure. No need to explain.” I glance at the clock. “When is Marty coming again?”

  He moves to the bar and pulls out a full bottle of Crown Royal. “We have about forty minutes. Want something a little stronger?”

  I shouldn’t, but I nod anyway. Anything to numb the barrage of emotions I’m keeping buried so deep it physically hurts to breathe. I don’t want to see Cadan. Or talk to him. But I can’t deny the connection we have. It will never go away. He has a piece of me, even though I desperately wish he didn’t. Then there’s this strong attraction I have for Seth. I’ve just barely met him, and yet I don’t want to leave this place. Don’t want to leave without finding out what’s under that T-shirt.

  Oh my God. What am I thinking? I nod to the Crown Royal. “Got anything to mix with that?”

  Seth scans the contents of the fridge. “Whiskey Sour?”

  “Works for me.” I slip out of my chair, meaning to move to Seth’s side, but the pocket of my coat starts to buzz, making me jump. I fumble for the phone, drop it, and scramble to scoop it up. It’s Jax. “Hello?” I say, breathless.

  “Where are you?” she demands. Beyoncé is singing in the background.

  “Seth’s. Didn’t you send him after me?”

  She’s quiet, and I listen to Beyoncé singing about putting a ring on it.

  “Jax? Did I lose you?”

  She clears her throat. “How did you get there? Derek is his DD and he’s still here.” Her tone is serious. Accusing.

  “Oh sorry. We’re at his sister’s house. We walked.”

  More silence. This time I wait her out.

  “Lucy?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Do you mean the white house a few blocks away? The one with the incredible views of the ocean?”

  I glance at Seth, who’s casting me a quizzical look. “How many sisters do you have?”

  “Two. Why?”

  “No reason.” I turn my attention back to Jax. “Sounds right.” I want to mention the third floor, but don’t because of Seth’s earlier reaction. “We’re hanging out in the kitchen, waiting for Marty.”

  “He’s not coming.” She’s super pissed. I can tell by the way she’s clipping her words.

  I refrain from rolling my eyes. Her brother is such an ass sometimes. “How does he expect us to get home?”

  “That’s what I asked. But no. He’s going out with some skank from his job instead.”

  “Asshole.”

  “Marty?” Seth asks.

  “Who else?” I roll my eyes. The guy’s reputation precedes him.

  “And there’s no one coming to give you a ride home?” Seth asks me.

  “Right.”

  He holds his hand out for the phone. When I don’t respond right away, he waves his fingers in a give-it-here motion. “Lucy… please.”

  I reluctantly hand over my phone.

  “Put Derek on,” Seth says as he walks into the other room.

  “Hey!” I stride after him and grimace. My limbs are stiff from bouncing around onstage in my boots.

  “Is he gone?” I hear Seth ask. “Just hang out until he leaves. Then you two can come by to pick up Lucy.” Another pause. “No. I’m fine here. … Yes, I’m sure.”

  He turns around and doesn’t seem surprised to see me eavesdropping. He hands the phone back to me.

  “Jax?”

  “I’m here.”

  “I’m sorry about your birthday.” My voice quavers and I wonder if I’m more drunk than I think I am.

  “Are you kidding? It’s the best birthday. I got to see you back up on that stage. And you rocked it, girl. But we’ll talk about that later.”

  “Okay.” I tug at the hem of my skirt nervously. When I’m onstage, something happens to me. A confidence I don’t normally possess overtakes me. But the minute I step off, I transform into Lucy, the bundle of nerves.

  “I’ll see you soon. Right after Cadan leaves, we’ll come get you.”

  A pit forms in my stomach. “He’s still there?”

  “Yeah. Soaking up all the attention. Plus, I think he’s hoping you’ll come back.”

  I snort. “I think you were right with the first guess.”

  She laughs. “Probably. See you soon.”

  The line goes dead and I’m saved from listening to the Madonna song that replaced Beyoncé. She’s probably right. Cadan does expect me to come back. I always have before. It’s that soul-mate connection. The pull of the two souls born for each other. But he’s battered my heart one too many times. He can stay there all damn night for all I care.

  Something cold is pressed into my hand. I grab the whiskey sour and down half of it before I meet Seth’s eyes. There’s something painful and moving in his expression.

  He raises his glass to mine. “To right now.”

  The heavy weight on my heart doesn’t lessen, but it shifts enough that I smile and clink my glass against his. “To right now.”

  We both sip, eyes still locked, then drain our glasses together. I slowly lower my glass to the table, mesmerized by his intense understanding. He knows what it’s like to live without a mate. And right now, I need someone who gets that.

  Before my brain tells me otherwise, I step forward and grab him by that deliciously tight T-shirt. His gaze shifts to my lips as he waits for me to finish what I started.

  My breathing turns shall
ow with undeniable lust.

  “Lucy.” His tone is low, almost a growl.

  In answer, I wrap one hand around his neck, reach up, and press my lips to his.

  Chapter Five

  Lucy

  Oh God, oh God, oh God. I’m kissing Seth. The guy who is not Cadan. Seth’s arms come around me and he pulls me close, molding me against his body. He’s warm and solid, and all I want to do is wrap myself around him. Tingling with pleasure, I let out a contented sigh.

  Seth sucks in a breath and moans as I slip my tongue against his. He ducks down a bit, buries his fingers in my short hair, and deepens the kiss as our tongues tangle in frenzy. He tastes faintly of coffee and cream. I can’t get enough. And neither can he. His hands shift to my waist, and he lifts me up, spinning me until my back is against the closed kitchen door. My legs instinctively curl around his hips.

  He pulls back just a bit and smiles against my lips.

  “What?” I ask through the fuzzy haze of alcohol, running my hands over the slope of his shoulders.

  “I’ve been imagining this since you first walked away from me at the bar.”

  “This?” I wrap a hand around his neck and press my lips to his once more, kissing him as if our joining is as important to my survival as breathing. He matches the kiss with a fervor of his own, nipping and biting at my lower lip.

  This scene had been flashing in my mind while I’d been singing to him, but I hadn’t thought I’d actually go through with it. I’m not the type of girl to randomly make out with a perfect stranger. But I can’t help myself. Hunger and longing consume me from the inside out. Rational thought flees and all I want is to touch and to be touched in every possible way. I lose myself in the physical act of our connection. My mind shuts down and all I do is feel. Feel his hand slipping lower on my hip. Feel his hot lips trail kisses down my neck, his teeth scraping over my pulse, and the heat pooling between my thighs.

  Seth is holding me up with one arm while running his fingers over my bare leg. I close my eyes and press closer, my limbs quivering with anticipation.

  “Jesus, Lucy,” Seth says in a rough voice as his hand cups my ass. “You’re killing me here.”

  I pull back and gaze into his hooded eyes, so full of desire I wonder how he’s holding himself back. “Killing you?”

  He nods and steps back, slowly extracting me from his body. My feet land lightly on the tiled floor. A chill washes over me, and I wrap my arms around myself, trying to keep his heat from fading away.

  “Something wrong?” I ask.

  He glances to the wall and nods at the clock. “Derek will be here before we know it. We probably don’t want to be… uh… in a compromising position when he gets here.”

  Heat burns my cheeks and I bite down on my lower lip. He’s still staring at me, his gaze traveling from my mouth to the hem of my skirt. Good God, I’ve never been so hot in my entire life. The way the muscles in his forearms flex with tension as his hands ball into tight fists and the fact that he appears to be straining to keep from touching me gives me all the courage I need.

  I smile and pull out my phone. I tap in a message and then raise an eyebrow at him. “If I hit Send, I’ll have to stay over. What do you say?” I can’t believe I’m actually standing here, propositioning Seth for a sleepover.

  He frowns and takes another step away from me. The heavy weight of rejection settles over my chest. Shit! Had I totally misread the situation? Maybe he’s not that into me. More likely, he’s used to a few hours of pleasure and then a quick send-off. No muss, no fuss. Ugh. What had I been thinking? Of course he doesn’t want a random person inviting herself to stay over. Idiot.

  I set my phone on the counter, disappointment eating away at the delicious ache he’d ignited in me. “I see,” I say. “Okay then.” Sidestepping, I move to grab my empty coffee cup and the whiskey. The Kahlúa isn’t going to cut it if I’m going to make it through the rest of the night.

  The clatter of my boots against the tile fills the silence as I move, trying to get as far away from Seth as possible. I’m halfway to the coffeepot when Seth’s hand wraps around my wrist. I spin, ready to give him a piece of my mind, but he’s got my phone in the other hand, holding it up. My message to Jax is highlighted in green, marking it as sent.

  “What…?” I don’t even know what I’m asking him. Why did he send the message? Does this mean he’s expecting me to sleep with him? Because after that awkward exchange, I’m no longer interested in falling into bed with him. The moment has passed.

  My phone buzzes with a response from Jax. L, whaat teh hell? R U being stoopid?

  I laugh at her drunk typing. Clearly her autocorrect is turned off. Before I can type in a message, another comes through.

  Jusst ass weel. Tooo drunk to remmemeber anthying. C U timmorow.

  I stare at the phone. She’s way too far gone to be coherent if I call. Now I don’t know what to do. If she manages to tell Derek I’m staying, he won’t be coming for me. She probably will. She’s chatty when she’s drunk. Chances are slim to none that I’ll have a ride to anywhere before morning.

  “So that’s settled?” Seth, still holding my wrist, gently pulls me toward him until our lips are inches apart.

  I lick mine and immediately regret it when he grips my hips possessively and yanks me the rest of the way to him.

  “Whoa.” I put a hand against his chest and gently push him away.

  His brow creases as he frowns. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing,” I say automatically. Liar. Everything’s wrong. Ten minutes ago, I was ready to give myself to this guy. And yet the expression on his face when I suggested sleeping over was one of pure panic. He didn’t want me to stay. That was obvious, but clearly his desire for easy sex had won out. Now I have to deal with the mess I just made.

  He laughs and stuffs his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “If you say so.”

  “I say so.” My voice is low, unsure.

  Seth studies me. After a moment, he holds out his hand. “I’d like to show you something.”

  I stare at his outstretched hand, then look up, finding desire still lurking in his eyes, but it’s shadowed by something calmer, something closer to curiosity. “Can I take my coffee with me?”

  His lips twitch with humor. “It’s almost a requirement.”

  “Good.” I sweep back to the coffeepot, refill both our mugs, and before I can ask, Seth has the Kahlúa in one hand and the whiskey in the other.

  He shifts his gaze between the two. “Got a preference?”

  My gaze lingers on the hand holding the Kahlúa, the hand that had been sneaking its way under my skirt, then moves to the whiskey. I could definitely use a shot, but if I’m going to be shut up in this house with Seth and all the sexual tension still sparking between us, I need to keep the hard stuff to a minimum. “Kahlúa, please.”

  The whiskey slips to the counter with a soft thump. “Ready?”

  “For what?”

  He grins. “You’ll see.” His free hand lands lightly on the small of my back as he guides me through the kitchen and toward the adjoining room. We walk through the door into a poppy-colored room, rich in red accents. It’s a color explosion and totally unexpected. Bright yellow pillows line the red couch. Silk fuchsia scarves hang from rods over the picture window in a messy, casual style, and everything about the room screams vibrant and full of life. I could happily stay here for the rest of the night. But Seth continues, and we enter another door into a room lined with natural wood. A large, widescreen TV fills one wall. Directly across from it sits a black leather couch. If it weren’t for the kitchen and the living room, I’d swear the house was inhabited by a bachelor. Because this is a man cave if I’ve ever seen one.

  “Have a seat,” Seth says and sets the Kahlúa on the table.

  I tuck my feet under me, curling into the cor
ner while Seth opens one of the doors on a large cherrywood entertainment cabinet. Blu-ray movies stacked tightly together fill all three rows. He turns and eyes the cabinet. “What are you in the mood for?”

  You. But I don’t say that. Not two minutes ago, I decided nothing would happen between us. I push it aside. If I can just get through the next eight or so hours until Jax is sober enough to rescue me, I’ll be fine. The alcohol will have left my system, along with all the inappropriate thoughts I’m having right now. Like what it would feel like to have his weight pressing down on me as my hands explore the planes of his back muscles flexing under my fingertips.

  “Lucy?” Seth asks. His eyes crinkle with worry. Or is that suspicion?

  “Sorry. Um, anything really. Except slasher flicks. I’m not really in the right frame of mind for cheesy B-movie gore.”

  His lips turn up in a half smile. “Do you normally watch slasher films?”

  I shrug. “Sometimes. They’re funny when I’m in the mood.”

  “Good to know.” He scans the movies for a few seconds. Then he pulls one from each shelf. “Pick one.”

  I’m not all that caught up on current movies. While on tour with Cadan, we’d spent most of our spare time writing lyrics and rewatching long-running TV series. Stuff that didn’t take too much brainpower or require a lot of attention, so I don’t recognize any of the choices he offers. One of them stars my favorite actor, Wes Chadwick, so I just point to that one. “Once Again.”

  Seth puts the other two down, glances at the back of the movie case, and frowns. “Really?”

  I laugh. “Dude, you’re the one who gave me the choice. Suck it up and put the movie on.” At this point, I’d rather do anything other than stare at him. My body is growing warm again and it has nothing to do with the temperature in the room.

  He glances down at me. “Have you seen this before?”

  “No. I’m painfully out of date on current movies, but I like Wes Chadwick. He was absolute perfection in the remake of Casablanca. So I figure even if I don’t like the movie, at least the acting will be good.”