Chapter Twelve
The Las Vegas night club looked like someone had poured all of the lights and glitter found on The Strip into a single room. Streamers and balloons, appetizers and alcohol, friends and colleagues and well-wishers, all shiny and sparkly and over the top, and all in support of The Fury and their newest venture. A floor to ceiling image of the Furious Records logo lit up one wall. Every time Luke saw it, pride and excitement shot through him.
He'd worked his ass off getting the evening to come together. Every band member had played a part. And Audrey had helped tie it all together. In her gold dress, threaded with a hint of shimmer, she sparkled even more than usual—and he wasn't the only one who noticed. Heads turned, people stared, and more than one man found an excuse to talk to her.
She smiled up at him. The past two days with her had been magic. Ever since the afternoon with the warm, welcoming sisters, she'd been happier. Staying offline had helped, too. When he hadn't been with the band, he'd kept her as occupied as possible, on the beach and in the bedroom, exhausting them both so much the idea of turning on a computer or checking email seemed too taxing. He'd been pleasantly surprised when she brought up the idea of working with an anti-bullying program. His girl was fighter in her own way and he'd support her in anything.
Zander tapped his shoulder. "It's time."
Luke released Audrey's hand and followed his best friend to the small stage. He couldn't wait to announce the contest winners. The decision had been tough. He'd gone back and forth between Hugh and Nicole. The other guys hadn't had easy times deciding either. In the end, he'd gone with his gut.
People gathered around them. The contestants stood close by while Zander gave a speech about being grateful for opportunities and how the band had enjoyed every audition. Luke raised his brow at that. Not every audition. Every contestant except Mikala was in attendance.
"We'd like everyone to meet the members of Wild Intention. Lead singer, Hugh Tremont. Drummer, Chelsea Jankowski. Bass guitar, Autumn Grainger. And lead guitar, Spike Peters. Congratulations, guys. We're excited to work with you."
As applause and cheers rang out, Luke made his way over to Hugh. "Congrats, bud."
Blond hair flopping over his forehead, Hugh hugged him hard. "Thank you. I promise I won't let you down."
Nicole was next in line, congratulating Hugh. Then she smiled at Luke and held out her hand. "Thank you for the opportunity."
He leaned in until others were out of earshot. "I have something else in mind for you. I like the dynamic you share with your sisters. Give me a few weeks to get things going with this band and then give me a call. I'd like to see if we can do something with all five of you."
Her eyes widened. "They're going to flip out. So cool. Thank you." After hugging him, she almost tackled Audrey with another hug, and then left to call her sisters.
Shaking his head at the amount of confetti falling from the ceiling, and ridiculously pleased and relieved that the party had gone off without a hitch, Luke turned to Audrey. "Want to dance?"
She placed her hand in his. "Love to."
He led her onto the crowded floor. Zander and Jayne danced close by. He waved and then pulled Audrey into his arms. They fit together well, her head on his shoulder, his hands on her back. She fit so much of his life. He could already imagine her sharing his space.
Her fingers brushed the back of his neck and she sighed. "This is nice."
"This is perfect. All the work's done now. We can relax for the rest of the night." His hand spanned her low back. He nudged her closer to him. He figured another hour would be enough for putting in an appearance. Then he could get Audrey back to their hotel suite and have her all to himself.
The song ended and they headed in search of champagne. Brendan, Landry, and Irisa stood near a large twisted metal sculpture. Holding Audrey's hand, he detoured in that direction. Zander and Jayne joined a moment later. Luke chatted, one eye and one ear on the conversation and the other on how Audrey was fitting into the group. Irisa and Jayne and Audrey were already a tight trio. No problems there. Brendan liked everyone and teased her like a kid sister, and she'd even gotten Landry, the least talkative and most stoic, to smile. Zander's opinion mattered, and his oldest friend kept grinning at him and gave him a thumbs up.
"Excuse me, guys." Donnie Snell, a reporter for one of the music industry's widest-read rag magazines, approached the group with phone in hand. "I'm doing a story on the party. Can I get a few words?"
"Sure." Zander waved him in, grimacing over Donnie's head, and shifted Jayne to his other side. Luke didn't blame him. Something about Donnie made him want to wash his hands after they spoke. He didn't want the guy near Audrey either. Donnie's column always stank of sensationalized stories. Not inviting him to the party hadn't stopped him. He'd arrived as another reporter's guest.
"First, congratulations on your new label." He started recording using his phone. "Do you have anything to say to Excite Records for releasing you?"
Brendan leaned over and spoke into the phone. "We're excited about the opportunities we have coming up with Furious Records, and especially working with Wild Intention."
Luke patted him on the back and echoed what he said.
Donnie turned to him. "You seem to be recovered from your fashion show brawl with Owen Riess. Can you give our readers a sense of what you were thinking that night?"
To his right, Audrey stiffened. Luke linked hands with her and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles. "That night, I was thinking about how talented the designer is. Everyone should check out Audrey Pierce's collection."
"That's what you were thinking?" Donnie shook his head and then thrust his phone in Audrey's direction. "How about you? How did it feel to have a fight break out at your show?"
Audrey offered him a calm expression and an apologetic smile. "We're here to celebrate Furious Records and Wild Intention. I'd rather keep the attention on them."
"All right, little lady, we can do that. Much like The Fury is launching the careers of Wild Intention's members, Excite's president, Vance Dubrow was responsible for launching the careers of Rob Hawke and Luke Thompson, both of whom you're intimately acquainted with. How does it feel to be accused by Luke's fans of using him to promote your brand?"
What the fuck? Luke pushed forward and growled, "Now hold up there..."
Donnie side-stepped him and shoved the phone closer to Audrey. "And a follow-up: What about their accusations of your recently-ended relationship with Rob, whom they believe you used to break into the music world? Tell me, are the fans correct in their assumptions or are they operating from a basis of jealousy?"
Pulse pounding, heat spreading through stiffened muscles, Luke grabbed hold of the phone and glowered at Donnie. He turned off the recording and paged through the app, looking to delete the conversation. "You're part of the problem, trying to stir up shit for readers and fans to latch onto, and spew out even more crap. People like you are encouraging hate with loaded questions like that, which can snowball into bullying, all for the sake of a few clicks on your website so you can sell more ads."
Donnie's lips set in a thin line. He pulled the phone away. "That's an interesting way to avoid answering the question, Luke. Perhaps Ms. Pierce would like to answer the question on her own? Maybe you're worried about what she'll say?"
He shifted to block Audrey from Donnie's view. "She doesn't have to talk to you."
But Audrey's hand met his forearm and she squeezed and then stepped forward. "The comments are hurtful because they aren't true. I can stand here and say I'm not a user or opportunistic, or any of the other terms they've called me, but my doing so isn't going to change peoples' opinions. Everyone has a right to believe what they want to believe but the sad part is they're forming their opinion based on misinformation, speculation, or fabrication."
Luke wrapped his arm around her and stared Donnie down, daring him to ask another question. Audrey was smart, a fast-thinker, and eloquent.
Donnie s
pun from one end of their half-circle to the other as the band closed ranks around their newest addition.
Zander cleared his throat, drawing the reporter's attention. "Thanks for chatting with us. We'll overlook that you crashed our party and let you move on to other guests now."
Donnie looked over Audrey's shoulder and his eyes lit up. "There's the next guy I was looking for. Owen Riess, how are you?"
Fuck. Temper flashed from annoyance to seething in the space of a heartbeat. Luke turned and came face-to-face with Owen. He definitely hadn't been on the guest list. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Couldn't resist stopping by to see this little party. The guy at the door let us in." The singer had his band mates from Swindle Ox and his girlfriend with him. They closed in around Owen, mirroring the way The Fury surrounded Luke.
Tension charged the air as the groups stared at each other.
"This is ridiculous," Landry mumbled on Luke's left. "We look like two musically-inclined rival gangs getting ready to rumble."
"I know," Brendan, on his right, added. "I feel the urge to start snapping my fingers and breaking into song."
At the image, Luke huffed out a laugh. And Owen's gaze narrowed further.
Donnie pushed his way into the middle of the pack, phone in hand. "This is the first time you've seen each other since the fashion show?"
"You mean, since Luke attacked me." Owen crossed his arms over his chest, the light of battle in his eyes.
Rehashing the events of that night was getting old. "I didn't throw the first punch. But I don't back down from a fight." He wouldn't get into one now. Audrey's hands, resting on his back, were a gentle reminder to keep a level head.
Owen cracked his knuckles and lumbered too close into Luke's space. "Is that an invitation to go again?"
Luke drew himself up to full height and tensed his muscles out of habit, but he didn't back down. He outweighed Owen by a solid thirty pounds and had him beat a good four inches in height. Brendan and Landry closed ranks, moving just a bit in front of him. He didn't need his friends to fight his battles, but none of them wanted to end up in the headlines again for the wrong reason. Two bar fights on their last tour were good reasons to hold back. "I'm not fighting you here. First of all, you weren't invited. So unless you want security to escort you out, I suggest you leave."
Owen's gaze tracked to Audrey, and then her hold on Luke's jacket. "You're letting your girlfriend call the shots? Is that it? You really are a pussy."
Audrey's hands tightened. Luke reached one arm behind him and held her hip, silently communicating he'd keep his cool. "I'd rather make my girlfriend happy than waste the night fighting with you. As someone wise once reminded me, we're not two kids fighting on a playground. So yeah, if she asks me not to fight, I'm not going to fight."
Vanessa moved next to Owen. She didn't look happy about Owen's behavior at all. "Baby, he's right. Come on. You're causing a scene."
Glaring at him, Owen growled, "This isn't over." He allowed Vanessa to draw him away. Swindle Ox followed. And Donnie disappeared.
Luke let out a breath. He wrapped his arm around Audrey's waist and faced his band. "Thanks for standing with me. You all helped me keep my cool."
"We would've had your back either way." Landry rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "Bar?"
"Sure."
The group moved as a unit. Audrey paused by an empty, narrow alcove and pulled Luke inside.
"What's up?"
She slid her arms up his chest and around his neck. "Thank you for not fighting."
He clamped his hands on her hips. The soft material of her dress bunched under his flexing fingers. "Anything for you, Sunshine."
"Kiss me?" Five-inch heels brought the top of her head level with his chin. She tilted her face up and her fingers glided into his hair to pull his mouth down to meet hers.
With a groan, he angled his head and deepened the kiss. Her tongue played and stroked against his and he couldn't get enough. Laughter and conversations interrupted the moment and reminded him they weren't in their room, they were in a temporarily empty spot in a very crowded party.
He lifted his head. "How about that champagne?"
"Please."
"You wait here. I'll grab it, and then we can sneak off to our room."
"I like your thinking."
He kissed Audrey's temple and adjusted his clothes and then headed out.
***
Audrey stood tucked away in the private alcove, waiting for Luke. Footsteps drew closer, too soon for Luke to have reached the bar and returned.
"Audrey." Rob Hawke walked toward her with a warm smile. Although their relationship had been trying, their breakup had been amicable. He leaned in to brush a kiss on her cheek. "Good to see you."
"How are you?" She hadn't seen him since a few months earlier when he'd stopped in the studio to pick up the clothes he'd ordered. The faint lines around his eyes had deepened some and more flecks of gray dotted his brown hair.
"Good, good. Where's Luke?"
"Getting drinks at the bar. Are you here alone?"
"My date's on a smoke break. I saw the alcove and thought I could hide from the craziness until she comes back." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Are you holding up okay?"
"Sure. The party's fun."
"Not what I meant. I heard Luke going off at Donnie and the questions he asked you. I didn't realize you were having bullying issues."
She sighed and twisted the chain strap of her clutch purse around her fingers. "It started a few weeks ago. They're pretty vicious."
"I'm sorry, sweetie." His hand rested on her shoulder for the briefest moment. "That situation isn't fun, but the comments and attention will die down eventually."
She gripped her clutch tighter. "So, if you heard the questions he asked, you know the gist of how the mean comments started."
"We know our relationship wasn't based on using each other, and I know you well enough to be sure that your relationship with Luke isn't either. Other people's opinions don't concern me. I do the best I can. I let my work speak for itself. I don't owe anyone an explanation for the way I live my life."
"But the court of public opinion can hurt your livelihood. I think it's affecting mine."
He shrugged. "You're smart and talented. Whatever happens, you adjust to it. Just live your life and be happy."
"You always did give good advice."
"The benefits of age." He winked at her.
"Rob, here you are." Donnie Snell's voice rang out. "And with Audrey too. Looks like I interrupted a cozy conversation."
Her back stiffened. She didn't like this guy one bit. "I'll let you guys chat."
"No need to leave, Ms. Pierce."
"Actually, there is."
Rob waved goodbye. "Aud, send me that jacket Luke wore in the fashion show. I want it for my Fall tour."
If Donnie hadn't been standing there, she would have hugged Rob. "I will. Thanks."
Rob's advice echoing in her head, she left the alcove in search of Luke.
He met her halfway into her trek across the crowded room. Two glasses in hand and a bottle of bubbly all to themselves. "Ready to go?"
"Yes. Donnie came into the alcove while I was talking to Rob. Something about that guy puts my back up. Donnie, I mean, not Rob."
He stopped walking. "Rob's here? I heard someone mention him but I haven't seen him."
She nodded. "He came in to wait while his date was on a smoke break."
"Huh."
"What's that mean?"
"Nothing."
Not nothing. She stepped in front of him. "What is it?"
"Did he say anything?"
"Well, we didn't communicate via mime."
"Cute."
She smiled. "He actually gave me some good advice about living my life and not worrying so much about other people's opinion. It's still going to be hard when they're calling me all those awful names, or trashing my looks, but I'll really try not t
o let it get me down."
"If I didn't have both hands full, I'd lift you up right now and spin you around to celebrate. Let's get to the room so I can show you how happy that makes me."
The room had a spectacular view of The Strip. Luke set down the glasses and poured the champagne. He gave her a glass then held his up in toast. "To you, for being my saving grace. And for not worrying about the jealous words of other girls."
Audrey grinned. "And to you, for holding your temper with Owen. I'm really proud of you." Bubbles tickled her tongue. She set the glass aside and walked toward him, pausing for a moment to switch off the light. Darkness bathed the room, except for the lights coming in from the window.
She caressed her way up his shirt, over his hard pecs then reached up and loosened his tie. One-handed, he yanked at the knot and tore the silken strip from around his neck, then his jacket followed to the floor.
His familiar strong hands stroked from her shoulders to her waist, repeating the caress up and down, and up and down. Her head fell back when he cupped her breasts, and clever fingers stroked and pinched until she moaned.
Hands unsteady, she pulled at the buttons lining the front of his shirt, popping off two in her hurry to touch his skin.
"Sunshine." He kissed her shoulder, on the edge of where the dress met bare skin, and then pulled the fabric down, trapping her arms against her sides. Lips and tongue traced along her skin. He pulled lower, grabbing both dress and bra and pulling them to her waist.
With her hands trapped, she could only feel as he layered sensation on sensation. Strong fingers kneaded into her back. He closed his mouth over the peak of one breast and gave the other attention with his hand, molding, tweaking, and tugging a direct path to her core. Her hands fisted at her sides and she swayed toward him.
Luke smiled and tugged the dress to the floor. He picked her up and laid her on the bed. She reached for him, but her hands met his hair as he licked a path down her stomach, and then lower. His mouth played and his fingers glided inside, knowledgeable in their aim.
Clutching his hair, she came apart, clamping her legs around his shoulders to keep him close.
Love Song (Rocked by Love #2) Page 11
