Greer seemed to be taking what she said to heart. He kept his arm over her shoulder as she settled in beside him on the bench seat. “Well, we have a show tonight and then traveling tonight and tomorrow. Then another show but we stay for two nights, which means a hotel and a real bed. We are all looking forward to that,” he said with a smile. “Monday we can explore the area a bit before you have to fly home.”
At the mention of a hotel and bed, her mind wandered off into dangerous territories. Greer stiffened a bit. She glanced up at him and found his mind looked to have wandered too.
He caught her looking and blushed.
Greer freaking blushed.
“That was a dirty thought,” she said and laughed.
Here was the thing about Aveline, she may have a non-existent social and sexual life but that didn’t mean she wasn’t either of those things. Before her mom’s accident, she was very active…across the board. Being with Greer made her feel her age again. For the last three years, she had to be an adult. A full blooded, making medical decisions, paying bills, juggling creditors and multiple jobs kind of adult. It felt good just to be her again. Even if it was only for a weekend.
“Uh…” Greer stammered. Then cursed. Looked away. Looked back and cursed again. She gave him a minute to piece out whatever conflict he was having. “Look, it’s like this. I have no shortage of partners. All I have to do it walk out of the tour bus and I’d have my pick of a dozen women and a few men. Not that I swing that way, but the option is there. So I’m experienced, very experienced. I’ve been safe but that doesn’t negate the fact that my dick has been in dozens of women across the states. But I like you. They were all just about sex. I’d do them, kick them out and then log online and talk to you.”
Aveline grinned. He was getting worked up over nothing. What did he think? That she was going to mad about all the women he had sex with before they met? Some women might be that kind of crazy, she was not. He was smart about it, was safe. Aveline couldn’t ask for much more.
“I’m not going to rip you a new one for sleeping with other people. Greer, we just met. I know we’ve known each other for a few years now but physically this is all new.” Aveline lined their palms up so that they were flat against each other. Her fingertips just reached the top most knuckle. He smiled, bending his fingers over the tops of hers. She felt the calluses from hours upon hours of playing touch the back of her fingers.
“I’m not denying that I’m attracted to you or that just touching you makes me all fluttery but let’s not rush into this all willy-nilly.” Aveline’s jaw dropped in horror. “Oh god, did I just say willy-nilly? Uh, gag. I am not a ninety-year-old woman, bee-tee-dubs. Just channeling my grandma apparently and why am I still talking about this?” Oh god, she needed to stop. Right. Fucking. Now.
While she was becoming the most unattractive person ever, Greer was laughing his adorable ass off. “I understand what you meant. You’re fine. Geez. Ava stop. Just, no, stop.”
If it was fine, then why was he still laughing? Could she die? Just, like, right now, a lightning bolt from the sky into her mouth that wouldn’t stop talking would be fabulous.
“Aveline,” he said still laughing at her as he pulled her closer. He smiled down at her, his eyes gleaming, thoroughly entertained, and kissed her.
Now that shut her up.
Her hand reflexively lifted to his nape. She pushed the hat off, it was stupid anyway, and let her fingers cup the back of his head holding him in place. Now that they weren’t in public, Aveline let go of her inhibitions and let Greer carry her away. It was submission. Total and complete submission. Greer delved deeper. The limo became hotter. The windows fogged up.
She wanted to devour him but savor every bite. Kiss by kiss they got closer, pulled harder, needed more. Her body needed this. She needed this. There was a very good chance this weekend would lead to sex.
And her body cheered at the thought.
When he pulled back she made low, soft groan of longing in the back of her throat. She was on top of him, her knees on either side of his hips. Greer’s hand was squeezing her thigh to the point of pain, but she was sure she was doing the same to his shoulders. Her hands were anchored there so they didn’t rip off his shirt. There was a pressure on her throat as his thumb slid down the column of her neck right where the sound had come from.
Aveline couldn’t take her eyes from his lips. He couldn’t take his eyes from the rise and fall of her chest.
“I didn’t mean for that to happen and I am not apologizing for it. But we have to stop, Ava.”
She combed her fingers through his short hair. “Why?”
Greer closed his eyes and dropped his head back on the seat in bliss. “Because the limo stopped and there is a good chance that the guys are waiting right outside.”
She hadn’t even noticed but he was right. They weren’t moving anymore. Aveline got off of him and fanned her face. She was flushed. Anyone who looked at her would know dirty things had been interrupted.
Greer had to adjust himself. Aveline had no issues in watching him do so. He looked up at her, catching her in the act and groaned loudly.
“Ah hell, baby,” he said touching her again. He pulled their heads together and took her lips once more. “You can’t look at me like that. Not now. I have half a mind to make the assholes wait outside but I know them and they would have no problems opening the door or stealing the limo and driving us off somewhere.”
He had a point. Aveline slid herself to the far end of the bench seat they were on and took a deep breath. Greer seemed to be doing the same thing on his end of the seat.
There was a tap at her window. She jumped, startled at the intrusion into the Zen state of mind she was trying to achieve.
“You two done in there?”
“Yeah, we want to see University Girl.”
“Her name is Aveline, you fucks.”
She smiled and looked over to Greer, who was grimacing. “I really hate them sometimes,” he muttered.
“They’re cute.” Without checking to see if he had gotten little Greer under control in his pants, Aveline opened the door and was greeted with wolf whistles and clapping.
With a little bow she decided that coming on this trip was the best idea ever.
Chapter Five
“Sorry about this,” Greer whispered to Aveline after getting her settled in the back bedroom on the bus. The guys had done a quick clean while he picked her up and damn if the place didn’t look livable. But their manager, Terry, had gotten there just after they had and needed to speak with them.
“It’s ok. Do you want me to just stay in there?”
“No,” he said with an arm over her shoulders guiding her away from the room and over to the small curved dinette in the main cabin of the bus. He probably should have said yes, this was band business after all, but they had a limited amount of time together and he didn’t want to waste a moment.
Jason patted the seat beside him and smiled to Aveline. She took the invitation and sat down. Greer looked to Sawyer silently asking if it was ok she stayed. The guitarist and stand in singer shrugged his shoulders. He didn’t care if she stayed and that was good enough for Greer.
“Alright, you’ve known this was coming,” Terry said taking a seat on the small couch across from them. His assistant, Darcy, stood by the door with her notepad out at the ready. That woman didn’t go anywhere without her trusty notepad and could look up absolutely anything by flipping back a few pages. Greer secretly wondered if she had Google hidden away in those pages.
Aveline was sandwiched in between Greer and Jason. Up until Terry had started talking, she had been having fun. Now, she looked uncomfortable being there. Greer found her hand wedged between her legs and the cushion. He tugged it free so he could hold it. Aveline sent him a small smile.
“I can’t put it off any longer. The label…I-I’m sorry, but who is she?” Terry had been politely ignoring Aveline but since Greer’s attention was now on h
er and not him, he spoke up.
“Uh…she’s,” they hadn’t had a chance to talk labels yet. Hell, they just shared their first kiss and limousine make out session less than thirty minutes ago. He didn’t know what they were at this point.
“She’s staying is what she is,” Sawyer said diverting Terry’s attention. “Now tell us what you have to so we can get to the part we ignore what you have to say.”
Darcy snorted but didn’t look up from where she was scribbling away. Terry shot him an annoyed look. “Ok, fine. No sugar coating. The label wants you to replace Nix. Unless one of you can prove he is…” He paused to find the right word.
“Alive,” Rory supplied.
“I was going to say in rehab.”
The band shared a look. They all knew that was bullshit.
“We need to know he is getting clean or you need to start finding a permanent replacement. They’ve given you three months to figure this out. It’s worked out so far but won’t for much longer. They have a list of people for you to audition.”
No one said anything. They had this same talk a month ago and they would have in a month from now. Until they found him, alive or dead, drugged or sober, Nix would not be replaced. Sure, the fucker was a user and was probably dead. He walked out one night after screwing up so badly on stage that Sawyer had tossed around giving him an ultimatum of getting clean or leaving, but in the end none of them felt right about it. They were family. Maybe it was enabling Nix but they wanted to help.
None of them ever got the chance, though. After Sawyer calmed down, he went to find Nix but his brother had left. They canceled two shows in order to stay in Seattle to look for him but he was gone. They moved on to the next city but never stopped calling hospitals, rehabs and police stations with Nix’s description. None of them had gotten a positive ID yet.
“Darcy, get them the list,” Terry said waving his finger in the air like it would hurry her up. Her eyes raised from the notepad only long enough to give him a side eye before launching back down to her notes. She wasn’t stupid and didn’t waste time on shit that they wouldn’t accept.
“Terry, we like you. We know you aren’t trying to lead us astray with this and that you are trying to do what is in the best interest for the band.” Sawyer didn’t look at their manager, but kept his palms flat on the table and stared at the gold flecks on the hard surface. His voice was calm, Sawyer wasn’t ever one to raise it. But they had all lived together long enough to hear the underlying anger.
“But the next time you ask us to replace my brother will be your last day as our manager.”
To give Terry some credit, he did not stutter, back pedal and change course or get mad. Instead, he nodded once and stood. “Alright. I hear you. I’ll try to make the label hear you, too.”
“Thank you,” Sawyer said, raising from his seat. “Now, we have a guest, who we would all very much like to entertain. So you can leave now.”
Greer looked to Aveline. Their hands were still entwined under the table. She had this look in her eye like she was trying to disappear. That’s when he realized everyone had turned their attention to her.
Well, this was a shit way to start the weekend.
From the looks of everyone else, they were feeling the same. Greer didn’t know where to go from here. Ava just got a hard look inside what they’ve been trying to keep a tight lid on. The truth of it was, they didn’t know what to do. Nix up and left them. Maybe if he would have left word that he was leaving the band, they could move forward but until they knew where he was, no one wanted to do anything.
Especially Sawyer.
Those brothers were tight. Nix’s absence rocked Sawyer harder than any of them. Greer had always been jealous of their bond. It was one he didn’t share with his twin. Jamie and Greer were identical twins but had never had that “twin thing” so many people talk about. They were polar opposites. Jamie had been in and out of prison half a dozen times. He sold, bought and used pretty much every drug out there. Greer hadn’t heard from him since he was sentenced back to prison six months ago. The only updates he got were from his parents.
“So, uh…” Aveline’s voice cut through his inner rumblings of his brother. “What’s a girl gotta do to get something to eat around here?”
Sawyer recovered from his daze before the rest of them. He laughed a bit to shake off the weight. “We are some poor hosts, darlin’. Rory, order us some pizzas. Jason, I’ve got a case of beer in the closet. Get that shit in the fridge.” They both nodded and grinned. Rory let out a little whoop of excitement at the mention of beer. “And Greer,” Sawyer stood so the others could get up and onto their tasks. “Kiss the lady before she gets bored and goes home.”
Greer grinned. “I think I can handle that.” Aveline laughed as he pulled her across his lap and dipped her. When he pulled her back up it was right into his chest and into his kiss.
“Oh!” she said pushing back as a thought came to her. “I have something we can do.” Her whole face lit up with excitement. Personally, he thought his kiss should have elicited that response not whatever she brought with her. He wouldn’t take it too personally, though. She wiggled off his lap. And damn, that was one fine as fuck wiggle. That ass of hers was pure torture. As she disappeared into the back bedroom, Rory informed them that the pizzas would be there in thirty minutes.
“This is probably stupid but there was that 'two dicks at the same time' comment earlier and it made me glad I brought this along,” Aveline said from the other room.
“What is it?” Greer asked.
She appeared triumphant in the doorway holding a black box. “Ta da!”
“What’s that?” Sawyer asked
Aveline came back to the table and sat beside Greer. She opened the box and began to pull out cards. “It’s Cards Against Humanity. It’s fun but if you guys don’t want to play, it's totally cool.”
Having just cleared their fridge of everything to make room for the beer, Jason sat down beside Aveline making Greer scoot around the table. He had a handful of cards and was looking through them. The smile on his face just kept getting larger as he shuffled.
“Oh, this is happening. Guys, there is a card about midgets shitting into a bucket. I need this in my life.”
Aveline smiled. “I think you are all really going to like it. Actually, I can’t believe you’ve never played.”
“No time,” Greer explained. “We have a deck of cards on here for when we get really bored but it rarely comes out. I’ve got school work to do during our downtime and they’ve got…stuff.” Hell if he knew what they all did when he was immersed in homework.
They played to ten and then fifteen, stuffing their faces with greasy pizza and drinking enough that they had to play around the beer bottles. Greer hadn’t laughed that hard…possibly ever. You learn a lot about a person when you play a raunchy card game with them.
If it weren’t for Kelly, their front of house, coming in and asking why they weren’t backstage yet, they might have missed the concert.
*****
Yesterday she was at home with her mother watching Grey’s Anatomy, eating a bowl of crappy mac and cheese while lounging in her ugliest but most comfortable pair of sweats. Today she was standing backstage with the band, Rusted and Reckless, watching as they prepped to go out and play for thousands of people. After hearing that they were supposed to be onstage in fifteen minutes, Aveline put down her hand and tried to move them along. But the guys took their time to finish off the last round of the game. Fifteen minutes apparently was more than enough time for them to spruce up and get into position.
The finally tally was as such:
Rory - 27
Aveline - 23
Greer - 19
Jason - 19
Sawyer - 18
It wasn’t much in the way of a title, but the fact that her dirty mind beat out most of the band was a pretty sweet accomplishment. She might have a plaque made to commemorate the occasion.
As she put
away the game, Sawyer changed his shirt and Jason put on his kilt. As far as preparations went, that was it. They all left the bus together but separated pretty quickly. Greer ran her through the gauntlet of fans outside the stadium while everyone else stayed behind to sign autographs and take pictures.
Backstage, the energy was thrilling and a bit overwhelming. Aveline was trying to absorb everything that was happening. Sawyer had secluded himself and sat on a stack of bins with a bottle of water. Rory hopped from foot to foot, swinging his arms and loosening his body. When he linked his arms behind his back and pushed his chest out to stretch, his Capitan America shirt stretched so tightly over his body that she thought it might tear.
The Hulk would have been more fitting.
Rory caught her watching and sent her a wink.
With a blush for being caught ogling, she turned her back to The Hulk and searched for Greer. She found him standing with Jason, their heads bent together, eyes closed. Neither of them spoke. It was a moment of silence, the calm before the eruption of the concert. Jason had a hand on top of Greer’s head, Greer had his on top of Jason’s shoulder. They were connected. Aveline found the image of them, back lit by the stage, sharing a moment to be quite beautiful. It was one of those times that she wished she had some kind of knowledge of photography beyond what her phone and filters could do. The scene was one that should be captured and preserved. It needed to be shared with the fans.
A hand on her shoulder jostled her from her drifting thoughts. Rory stood beside her. His height made her feel like a dwarf. Earlier ogling aside, Rory gave her the feeling of a big brother. The same feeling she got from Rob. He may have been the ladies’ man of the group but he would never make her feel awkward or uncomfortable. His eyes may drift from butt to butt and his smile might make panties drop, but he had a good heart.
“They do that every show,” he said watching Greer and Jason. “Some weird mind meld thing. Can’t say I understand it but it works every time.”
Chance (Rusted and Reckless Book 1) Page 5
