“Oh yeah?” Lucinda leaned forward a little, her eyes brightening like she always did when she heard a particularly juicy piece of gossip. Callie took a deep breath; even though she knew Lucinda wouldn’t spread this around the office, it was still hard to tell her.
“He’s my ex-boyfriend.”
“Shut up.” Lucinda practically leapt out of her chair. “Andy Smith wrote that book? The guy you dated for like, six weeks back in January? I didn’t think that bastard had it in him!”
“God, no. Not Andy,” Callie said, laughing. “His name is Brendan Armstrong.”
“Oh. I didn’t know you’d dated a Brendan.”
“He was before your time.”
“Right.” Lucinda’s brown furrowed, and then her eyes widened. “Oh my god. You don’t mean… that Brendan Armstrong? The one from that band who broke up after their drummer died?”
“What?” Callie’s jaw dropped. Lucas was dead? “I had no idea,” she whispered.
“Yeah.” Lucinda watched her closely. “He died a couple of months ago. Drug overdose. I’m guessing you knew him?”
“Yes. Yes, I knew them all,” Callie mumbled numbly. She’d hung out with the Strong Arm Giants many times, back when they were just a garage band and she and Brendan still had the possibility of a future together. Lucas had been a sweetheart, a skinny guy with a mop of long, unruly hair he loved to swing around as he head banged while playing on the drums. “That’s so terrible.”
“It really is.” Lucinda reached over and squeezed Callie’s hand. “I’m so sorry honey. I thought you would have known.”
Callie shook her head. “I always made it a point not to follow them in the media. It hurt too much.”
Lucinda nodded sympathetically. “Yeah, I get that. Breakups are rough.” She waited a moment, but Callie didn’t say anything more. “I guess it must have been years since you last saw Brendan.”
“At least five.”
“Wow.” Lucinda frowned. “You know, it’s kind of a crappy thing to do, luring you into the restaurant like that on the pretense of work when you didn’t even know who he really was. What’d he try to do, get you two to kiss and make up?”
Callie’s lips twisted. “Not exactly. He offered me a revised contract to sign.”
“What?” Lucinda’s pretty blue eyes widened. “What the hell is that all about? What did he want, for you to agree to suck him off for every thousand dollars he makes in royalties?”
Callie snorted. “Nothing quite so vulgar. Just for me to accompany him on a book tour.”
“Oh.” Lucinda deflated a little. “Well, I guess that’s not so bad.”
“Excuse me?” Callie didn’t quite believe what she’d heard. Was her assistant actually defending her ex?
“Okay, I mean I get why you’d be upset and everything.” Lucinda held up her hands. “But in a way, it’s kind of sweet that Brendan’s inventing ways to spend time with you.”
“Yeah, it’s really sweet that he’s coercing me into putting myself in a position where I can be seduced by him,” Callie said sarcastically. She picked up her plate and tossed the contents in the trash, thoroughly disgusted at this point. “Acting like he’s offering me this deal like I’m in dire need of something juicy.”
“You are in dire need of something juicy,” Lucinda pointed out, somewhat dryly. “Or at least that’s how you’ve been acting this past month.”
Callie threw her hands up in the air. “Maybe, but that doesn’t mean I have to stoop so low as to accept his charity, just so he’ll have a chance to get in my pants again. I’m done with him, Lucy. He left me behind because music was more important to him than I was, and he can suffer with his decision for the rest of his life as far as I’m concerned.” She stalked over to her couch and plopped down into it. “I don’t need to feel sorry for him.”
Looking concerned, Lucinda abandoned what was left of her meal and joined Callie on the couch. “Honey, I totally understand your position, and if you truly feel this is the best thing for you, I’ll back you up all the way.”
“Good.”
“But before I drop the subject completely, I have to ask, did you love him?”
Callie’s mouth opened, then closed. Her jaw worked as she tried to come up with an answer, with something that would convince Lucinda that she didn’t love Brendan, that she despised him, that she wished he was nothing more than a speck of dust on the face of the earth. But she couldn’t.
Lucinda smiled as she read Callie’s thoughts in her expression. “That’s what I thought.”
Callie let out a huff. “What does it matter how I felt about him? He’s still the one who left me, who didn’t care enough about our relationship to really try to make it work. He said that he worried that the stress of being on tour, of being away all the time, would put a strain on our relationship, and that he didn’t want to put either of us through that. He said it would be better if we just ended it, to save ourselves from heartbreak later.”
“Hmm.” Lucinda gave Callie a thoughtful look. “Sounds like he’s suffered some heartbreak himself.”
“What?”
“Or at the very least, commitment issues. Why else would he be so worried about that, if the two of you truly loved each other?”
“Maybe he didn’t really love me?” Callie suggested sarcastically. “Maybe he just wanted to cut the thread of our relationship so he wouldn’t feel guilty about banging groupies while he was on tour? And now that he’s done with the band, he looked me up because he wants a piece of ass and thinks I’m available?”
Lucinda rolled her eyes. “Come on, Callie. If this is really Brendan Armstrong we’re talking about, he could get any piece of ass he wanted. That man is sex on a stick.” She paused, allowing herself a dreamy sigh, then continued. “He wouldn’t go through all these lengths to write a damned book, then seek you out to try to get you to help him publish it, if all he wanted was to fuck you. If your ass was all he’d wanted, he’d probably just find a way to show up in your office naked or something.”
An image of Brendan waiting for her in her leather office chair, completely naked except for a red rose covering his cock, sprang into her mind, and she blushed. “That would be something else.”
“Damn right. And if he’s anything like the sex scenes in that book, you’d be in for one wild ride.” Lucinda grinned at Callie’s shocked look. “I started reading it last night, honey. That book is seriously hot.”
It’s the story of us. Brendan’s words echoed in Callie’s head. The sex scenes between the millionaire bad boy and the headstrong business woman had borne little resemblance to the sweet lovemaking she’d enjoyed with Brendan. They’d been downright kinky, full of role-playing and dominance games, but she had to admit that she’d been excited by them.
If she slept with Brendan again, would it be anything like that? Would he tie her up and spank her, or torture her with pleasure until she couldn’t stand it anymore. And even better, would he treasure her like she was unspeakably precious, the way Mr. Millionaire Bad Boy did?
“You really think that Brendan wants to do more than just get into my pants?” Callie asked, although that wasn’t sounding like a half-bad idea right now.
“I think that if he knows you even half as well as I do, he understands that you’re stubborn, and that he’s trying to get to you through the only way he knows how – through your work.” Lucinda patted Callie’s leg. “And he made sure he had something so tantalizing to offer you that you would have a tough time resisting. You might call that manipulative… but I call that dedication. No man would go through that much trouble just for a couple of nights of hot sex, not when it’s a woman he’s already had before.”
“I guess you do have a point there.” Callie sighed. “I just don’t know, Lucinda. Brendan accused me of letting my emotions cloud my judgment, and I guess he’s right because regardless of how I feel about him, I’d be a fool to pass up this deal. With his celebrity status we’ll both make a killin
g.” She raked a hand through her chestnut waves. “I just need more time to think about it.”
“You can have all the time in the world,” Lucinda said, then reached over and grabbed the remote sitting on the walnut coffee table. She switched on the flat screen TV with a grin. “In the meantime, let’s kick back and watch something so you can take your mind off it.”
Callie smiled. Lucinda wasn’t just a great assistant; she was also one of the best friends she’d ever had, and always knew what to do to make her feel better. “Sounds good.”
Chapter Six
Brendan was sprawled out on the black leather couch in his penthouse apartment, looking through photo albums when he got the call.
Sitting up, he set aside the black vinyl album he was holding, placing it on top of the stack of albums that teetered atop his glass and chrome coffee table. Gracing the cover of that particular album was a photo of him and Callie smiling into the camera, with a backdrop of palm trees and blue sky and sand. He was cradling her against his chest, and she leaned against him trustingly, completely secure in the knowledge that he held her safe and would never let her fall.
If only he’d treasured that trust, had held onto it, and her. But he’d let his bitterness get the best of him, and now she was lost, possibly forever.
Hmm, maybe not forever, he thought, smiling as he recognized the caller ID.
“Hello.”
“Hi.” Callie’s voice, always so light and melodic, brought another smile to his face, even if her tone did sound a little more reserved than he’d like. “It’s me…Callie.”
“Hey, you.” He was careful to keep his voice light, as if his pulse hadn’t jumped up “I’m glad you called.”
“Yeah.” Callie paused. “I thought about what you said yesterday, and I’ve changed my mind. I’d like to offer you representation, and I’m willing to sign your contract.”
“Wow.” Brendan let out a short laugh. “Just like that, huh? I was expecting you to chew me out, or at least to give me some kind of counter offer.” Actually, part of him had been worried she wouldn’t call him back at all, but he’d refused to give into that gnawing insecurity. He knew Callie better than he knew himself, and had been mostly secure in the knowledge that she wouldn’t be able to pass up the opportunity he was offering.
“Yeah, well I’m not exactly offering this with no strings attached,” Callie said, her tone caustic. “First, I want to get some questions answered.”
“Oh yeah?” Brendan asked warily. “Like what?”
“Like why you didn’t tell me that Lucas had died.”
Aww, hell. “It wasn’t exactly something I wanted to bring up while trying to convince you to represent me over dinner,” he said a little stiffly.
“Yeah, and thanks for that, by the way,” Callie said, sarcasm dripping from every word. “My assistant loved the food.”
Ouch. “Okay, okay, I get it. You’ve made your point. Sorry I took you out to lunch,” he said, throwing a little of his own sarcasm back at her.
“I’m not angry that you tried to take me out to lunch,” Callie said, her voice softening a little. “Just that you tried to sweep me up off my feet and blindside me to what’s really going on with you. I want to know the truth about why you left the band, about what you’re really doing here, and what you want with me now after you tossed me aside all those years ago.” Her voice thickened, and Brendan was instantly swamped with guilt as he realized she was holding back tears.
“I’ll tell you whatever you want to know,” he said quietly. “Lucas –”
“Not now,” Callie interrupted. “Not over the phone. I want to talk to you face to face, after I leave the office today. And none of that fancy crap either,” she added. “I want to talk to the real Brendan, the one I thought I knew before you left.”
“What do you say we meet at Gino’s, then?” Brendan asked, referring to one of their favorite pizza parlors. Their third date had been at Gino’s, and they’d kissed for the first time after he’d brought her home, so he knew they both had mutually fond memories of the place.
“Gino’s it is. See you at 6.”
* * *
When Brendan walked into Gino’s at 5:59pm, Callie was already seated at one of the tables near the back, nursing a glass of wine. He glanced around at the honey colored walls that were covered with framed paintings and photos, at the wait staff who were bustling between the handful of tables that were filling up, and smiled. The place felt like home, or maybe a long-lost friend he hadn’t realized he’d been missing.
“Did you already order?” He asked, taking a seat in the padded wooden chair across from Callie.
“Yep.” Smiling a little, she poured a glass of cabernet for him. “Lasagna pizza for you, Focaccia for me.”
“I’m surprised you remember.” Brendan took a sip of the wine, watching her over the rim of his glass. She was dressed in jeans and a white turtleneck that was lacy and sheer from the bottom of her throat to the tops of her breasts, teasing him with hints of skin and the barest suggestion of cleavage. She’d scooped her hair up into a bun, with only a few tendrils framing her soft face, leaving the silky column of her neck completely bare. He wondered if she would still make those little mewling sounds if he kissed a path down her neck to nibble near her collarbone, just the way he used to do…
“Yeah, well, I haven’t forgotten much about you.” The spots of color in her cheeks told him she had a good idea about where his mind had been, and he gave her an unabashed grin in response. “I’ll wait until the pizza arrives before making you get into the good stuff with me.”
“Great.” His budding arousal instantly dampened at the thought.
It didn’t take long for the pizza to arrive, and soon Brendan was biting into his first slice of lasagna pizza, the combination of beef, ricotta, mozzarella and tomato sauce bursting with flavor on his tongue. “Jesus,” he moaned, swallowing down the first hot bite. “This is even better than I remembered.”
“Mmm,” Callie agreed, her eyes closing as she savored her own pizza. “Agreed. I haven’t been here in over three years.”
Probably not since the last time we went here together, Brendan realized, sobering a little. He wondered how many other places around the city Callie had avoided while he was gone, places they’d made memories at, simply so she wouldn’t have to think about him. God, I am such an ass.
They ate in silence for a few moments before Callie finally lifted her head, worry shining in her beautiful dark eyes. “Brendan, I have to know… did Lucas really die of a drug over dose?”
“He did.” Brendan sighed, his guilt and grief crashing against his mental barriers, threatening to overwhelm him. “Shot up on meth one too many times. It was fucking heartbreaking.”
“I’m so sorry,” Callie murmured, her eyes big and sad. “I didn’t… I never thought that Lucas would go down that path. He always seemed so clean and carefree.”
“He was.” Brendan put down the half-finished slice of pizza in his hand, his appetite gone. “The rock star life… after a while it can get rough. Too many temptations, and far too much money to indulge in them. Lucas wasn’t the only one who dabbled in drugs, but it hit him and Jake the hardest.” He shook his head. “I should have done something, should have gotten him some help, but he pushed back, and you know, I just said fuck it, right? As long as he keeps playing, as long as we’re still doing shows and rolling in the cash, why do I give two shits what Lucas does on his own time?”
Callie said nothing, so he went on, the words tumbling from his lips in a rush, as if a dam had burst free and he just couldn’t stop talking. “The night he died, we had a huge performance scheduled, and he didn’t show. Couldn’t find him anywhere, and we were freaking out because we were on in like, three hours or something.” He dragged a hand through his hair, causing it to stick out from the side of his head in black spikes and probably make him look like a crazy person. “So Ricky has the bright idea to try to track him using his phone,
and we find out he’s in a motel about ten miles away.”
Shaking his head again, Brendan took a long gulp from his wine glass. “I was so fucking pissed at him, because I just knew he was shacked up there with some junkie whore, so Ricky and I jumped into my car and drove off to find them. When I got there, his lay was sitting on top of him, butt-naked except a g-string, pushing down on his chest and trying to resuscitate him.” He broke off, disgust and rage and sorrow choking him. “I couldn’t decide whether to cry or to beat the shit out of him, even though he was already dead.”
Callie took his hand, squeezing it gently with both her own. “I wish you’d told me about it,” she murmured. “I would have called his family, come to the funeral, tried to do something for their pain. I would have wanted to.”
Brendan sighed. “I might’ve done that if I was thinking straight, but I was too out of my mind with grief, and besides, I didn’t think you’d want to hear from any of us again, especially me.”
“I would have wanted to hear about this. I liked Lucas.”
Brendan smiled a little, squeezing her hand in return. “I know that. You’ve got a big heart, Callie. It’s one of the things I love about you.”
They stared at each other for a long moment, hands clasped together, only a table and two leftover pies separating them. “So what happened then?” Callie asked, eventually breaking the spell. “Did you try to find another drummer?”
Brendan shook his head. “There was talk of that, but I didn’t have the heart for it. The band wasn’t the same without Lucas, and quite frankly I was just fucking done. Tired of being strung out, tired of partying hard, tired of the whole sex, drugs and rock and roll rollercoaster. Just tired.” He rubbed his left temple using his free hand. “So I packed up, and I came home. And I wrote a book.”
“You sure did.” Callie smiled crookedly, then took her wallet out to pay for the pizza. “What do you say we go take a walk in Central Park while the sun’s still above the horizon? I think it would be good for both of us to get some air.”
Change Of Plans (New Adult BBW Romance) Page 3
