by Regina Frame
“Wow. I guess I thought everyone lived in L.A.” I lifted my hand toward him. “Well, at least now I know you don’t.” I felt a little embarrassed for assuming. I thought L.A. was music central for musicians and recording studios.
“Ayden, Cade, and I have known each other for years. We grew up here. Blake and Elliott are from Temecula. We all decided to settle here once we got the band off the ground. There are not a lot of paparazzi that hang out in Temecula or Hermosa Beach. That was one of the deciding factors. Right now, we’re lucky we can still walk down the street and not be mobbed by a crowd most of the time. I’m not complaining. That will come soon enough,” he said, taking the seat across from me and digging into his plate of pancakes.
“Is there any way that I could charge my phone? I need to call my cousin again to see if I can crash there for a little while. At least until I find a place of my own.”
“Sure, I think I have a charger that will work. Let me check.” He took my phone from me and walked over to where his phone was on its charging station across the room. “Perfect fit,” he said, placing my phone on the counter. “Shouldn’t take too long.”
“That’s wonderful. Thank you for breakfast, as I swiped my pancake in a river of syrup. It was so nice of you to let me stay here last night. I walked over and placed my plate in the sink. “I think I’m going to go shower again and wash my hair. I’m still feeling a little grimy after being on the road yesterday.” I thumbed toward the hallway leading to the bedrooms.
“Sure. There should be clean towels in the closet and toiletries in the shower. Let me know if you need anything, like someone to wash your back.” He smirked. “It takes less time with two.” He tossed me a cocky grin.
“Not if you do it right.” I popped back. “You just don’t give up, do you?” I asked. He stood in the hallway with his mouth hanging open, watching me. “I’ll leave you to think about that for a bit.” I winked.
“I’ll wear you down, my sweet cupcake,” he said to my back. I tossed a wave over my shoulder before walking down the hall to my room. “You’ll see!” he called out. “I’ll taste that frosting soon!”
“Why don’t we take a walk down the beach? There’s a cute little coffee shop on the strip that I think you’d really like, besides it’ll be nice to get some fresh air,” he said.
“That sounds like a good idea.” It would keep my mind off of things.
We walked along the beach, checking out the small shops. They had everything from trinkets to beach towels. When we came upon the coffee shop, a man with copper-brown hair and an Australian accent called Tucker’s name. He walked over to us with a beautiful woman on his arm and a goat on a leash. I can say that I’ve ever seen a goat on a leash, especially not on a beach. Tucker and the guy leaned in and slapped each other on the back in that guy half hug way before introducing me.
“Trinity, this is Chance and Aubrey Bateman. I’ve known Chance ever since he moved here a few years ago.”
“Hello, it’s so nice to meet you.” Aubrey gave me a big hug. “Welcome to Hermosa Beach.” She beamed. She really was a beautiful woman. “Are you here for long?”
“I’m actually opening an event planning business here. I just need to find a place to live.”
“That’s wonderful! We should get together some time.” She offered.
“And who is this little guy?” I asked.
“This is Pixy. Chance and I found him on the side of the road one day. He’s really sweet,” she said. “Don’t be surprised if he tips over. He’s a fainting goat. He faints when he gets excited or frightened,” she explained.
“Aubrey nearly ran him over while trying to find her dildo.” Chance snickered. Aubrey’s face flamed a bright red.
“Chance!” she scolded. “Please ignore him. I think he was dropped on his head as a child,” Aubrey joked.
“All joking aside, we couldn’t just leave the little guy on the side of the road. He’s been with us ever since,” Chance explained.
My phone vibrated in my back pocket. I pulled it out and stared down at the screen. It was my mother again. I didn’t know why she couldn’t just leave me alone. Nothing good ever came from her meddling ways. I quickly shoved the phone back into my pocket. Out of sight, out of mind I told myself. I’d deal with her another day.
“Was that your mom again? You should probably talk to her. She’s called several times. It could be something urgent,” Tucker said to me.
“It was no one,” I said.
“It didn’t look like no one.” It was beginning to irritate me at how nosy he was being. I wasn’t looking over his shoulder every time his phone rang.
“Why can’t you just leave it alone?” I snapped and immediately regretted it. Aubrey and Chance pretended to be wrapped up in their own conversation, while I apologized profusely to Tucker. “I’m sorry. My mother brings out the worst in me.” Tucker held up both hands in surrender.
“I shouldn’t have asked. It was just the panicked look on your face that caused me to worry. I’m sorry, but if you want to talk about it, I’m here. No pressure. No judgment,” he promised.
“Thank you. Now let me pet this cute little guy.” I reached down and scratched the little goat between the ears.
“Baa.” He leaned into my hand, clearly enjoying the attention.
“Want to walk along the beach on the way back?” he asked.
“I would love to,” I said. We said goodbye to Chance and Aubrey with the promise of getting together for dinner soon, and walked down the beach toward his home. His cell vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and stared at the screen with a frown on his face.
“Something wrong?” I asked.
“Nothing that can’t wait.” I can’t help but feel that there was more to the story than he was willing to tell.
“Do you bring a lot of strange women to your house?” I asked. He gave me the side eye. “I mean, being famous must give you a long line of women to choose from.”
“No. You’re the first strange one,” he joked with a wink.
“Not funny. You know what I mean.”
“If you’re asking if I bring a lot of groupies home the answer would be no.”
“What makes you think I’m not a groupie?” I asked.
“You’re not a groupie,” he shot back.
“How can you be so sure? Maybe you’re wrong,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest. Tucker’s eyes dropped to my breasts.
“Sweetheart, if you were a groupie you’d be naked by now and begging for a lick of the Tucker sucker.” He snickered. I can feel my cheeks turn pink and my whole body heat.
“Women actually strip down and throw themselves at you?”
“You would be surprised what some of them will do just to get close to one of us. And just for the record, you’re the first woman I’ve ever brought to my home. No one outside the guys has ever seen my home. I choose who I show the personal side to,” he admitted.
“Oh.” I was a little surprised by this. Did this gorgeous man not date? Did that mean he had a place in town that he takes these women to? Maybe a hotel suite reserved for him on the other side of town. I can understand not wanting to let groupies into his private sanctuary, but he lets me in.
“Regardless of what the gossip rags say, I’m a good guy. I’m not saying I haven’t had my share of problems. Debauchery comes with the job description, but I’m desperately trying to change. At the end of a show, I just want to go home, preferably to someone I love and not the cheap women who crowd around us after the show.” I made a mental note to Google Tucker James and Sutured Souls later that night. Before I knew it, we’d walked the beach line and arrived back at the house.
“Why don’t you get in to one of those swimsuits you bought for me while we were out, and I’ll grab us a couple of drinks,” Tucker offers.
“That sounds good, but I bought the swimsuit for me.”
“Trust me, I’ll get as much enjoyment out of it as you, probably more,” he joke
d.
The sun reflecting off the sand on the walk back was extremely hot. I was not only burning up, but also dying of thirst. I stared in the mirror at my reflection and shook my head. What was I thinking when I bought this swimsuit? There’s barely any material to it. I stood there, staring at my reflection in the full-length mirror. I had a nice body, or at least that’s what I’d been told. My breasts were kind of small, but I was happy with them. I wondered if Tucker liked big breasts. Did he like them fake or real? What am I worried about? He doesn’t even belong to me. I’ve seen the way he looks at me, though, when he thinks I’m not looking. I have to remind myself I’m not looking for a relationship. I still hadn’t gotten over Keith cheating on me.
I pulled my blonde hair in to a high ponytail and squared my shoulders. You are good enough. I gave myself a mental pep talk and shoved my feet into my flip-flops. I found Tucker sitting in one of the lounge chairs under the big umbrella. There were two beers sitting on the glass top table. He let out a long whistle as I made my way over to the chair beside him. I felt my face heat, but it had nothing to do with the sun and everything to do with this man.
“You look smokin’ hot in that suit. Your body is bangin’.” I giggle nervously. Way to go. I sound like a schoolgirl with her first crush.
“Thank you. You don’t look so bad yourself.” I grin. He’s wearing a pair of navy and red swim trunks and no shirt. It shows off his suntan. His full six-pack abs were on display. I wanted to caress all that tan skin of his. His feet were bare and even they were sexy. “Thanks for the beer. I’m dying of thirst.” I reached over and took the bottle closest to me and took a swallow. The cold liquid helped to relieve some of the parched feeling. And felt good going down.
“I wasn’t sure what you’d want, so I thought beer would be the safest choice,” he said with a grin. His pale blue eyes looked almost crystal like.
“Beer is fine. Thank you.”
“Do you have family close by?” I asked, taking a drink of my beer.
“My dad died when I was seven in a car accident. My mom lives in Nevada. She moved there afterwards. She said everywhere she went in the house only reminded her of him. She never married again. She said pop was her one and only and they'd be together again someday,” Tucker told me.
“I'm so sorry about your dad.” There was such sadness in his blue eyes. He bit his lip and looked away. I could’ve sworn I saw tears in his eyes.
“Thank you. It was a long time ago.” He cleared his throat and reached into the bucket beside his chair and pulled out another beer. “My mom worked two jobs for years so I could take music lessons and play sports. She made sure that I never went without. The first big check I got I bought her a big house and a new car. It's my turn to take care of her. I kept up with the sports because my dad loved it so much and it was my way of keeping his memory alive, but my heart was in the music. I loved to sing. I was in every school musical. I even got beat up for it a few times by the jocks in school.”
“How awful! I'm sorry that happened to you.” My hand flew to my mouth.
“It's okay. I laugh about it every time I deposit a big check or one of our songs hits the top of the charts.” He grinned and took a long pull off his beer.
“What about you? I know you have your mom, but do you have brothers or sisters?”
“I still have my mom and dad. My dad is mayor in our little town, Henderson, and my mother holds up the country club life. She's been trying to fix me up with anyone she feels has appropriate social status because heaven forbid, I find some average Joe. She seems to forget what I went through with Keith. He thought since my dad was the mayor that it would open doors for him, but it didn’t. People saw him for what he was. Mom swears I held him back, and that’s why Keith and I split. I never told her it was because I walked in on him balls deep in his secretary.” Tucker’s brows shot up to his hairline in surprise. “She wants me to marry a doctor. The last time I had dinner at their place, she surprised me by inviting Dr. Hoover, the town podiatrist. The man is twenty years older than me. Do you know there are twenty-six bones and thirty joints in your foot and a single corn can throw off the alignment of your back?” I smirked and waved my hands in the air as if I’d just revealed the world’s greatest secret. “She's mad because I left to follow my dream, but I knew if I stayed there it wouldn't turn out well for any of us.” I peeled the label off my beer bottle and tossed it on the table. “I'm just ready to stand on my own two feet and feel good about my decisions. I want to be in charge of my own destiny. I want to make my own money. I guess I want to show them that I don’t need a man to succeed,” I explained.
“I think that's great. I know we throw a lot of label parties or band parties. I'm sure we could use you to plan some events for us,” he offered. My face broke out in a big smile.
“Really? That would be great! Thank you!”
“If you'd like, I can show you around town. You might get some ideas for rental spaces for events.”
“I would like that if you're sure you have time. I don’t want to impose.”
I stood from my chair and walked to the other side of the pool, and tried to call my cousin Carla again. There was no answer, but when I checked my voicemail, I found one from her. She says she’s sorry that she missed me and that she’s out of town for a couple of weeks on vacation. She said something about a hot cowboy she met at the bar. I have to laugh at that because my cousin Carla is flying by the seat of her pants. Balls to the wall. It’s all or nothing with her.
“My cousin is out of town for a couple more weeks. She says she met a guy,” I told Tucker, rolling my eyes. “I guess I better start looking for a place to live,” I said.
“You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like. I kind of like having the company,” he said with a cocky grin. The little lines around his eyes crinkling.
“I would think it would be the opposite. Wouldn’t you rather be alone for a while after being cramped on the tour bus, in addition to all of people you come in contact with every day?”
“There’s a difference.” He cocked a sexy grin. “I like being around you, Trinity.” He winked and my stomach fluttered like a thousand butterflies just took flight.
“I appreciate that, Tucker. Thank you.” He lifted his beer bottle in my direction and clinked the neck of mine. Could I really stay with him and keep things on the friend level? I couldn’t afford to get in over my head again. “I think I’ve had enough sun for the day. I’m going to go in and shower and maybe cool off a little bit.”
“I think that sounds like a good idea,” he said. My eyes snapped to his, and he snickered. “Calm down.” He laughed. “I’m going to my shower. You’re safe.” He paused. “For now. Unless you’ve changed your mind,” he said, licking his full lips. I think my ovaries just exploded.
I tossed and turned all night. Every time I closed my eyes, I thought about Tucker being in the next room. I wondered what he would think if I walked across the hall naked and knocked on his door. I sighed when the alarm on my phone sounded. My head throbbed from barely enough sleep. I showered and dressed in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that I bought while we were at the beach yesterday and went in search of Tucker.
I found him in the kitchen with a cup of coffee in hand. He was wearing a pair of faded jeans with rips in the knees and a plain white T-shirt I'm sure cost more than my whole wardrobe. He had on a red cap turned around backward with shades resting on top of his head. He looked good enough to eat, and I was starving.
“Are you ready for me to show you around so you can get some ideas for different party venues?” he asked.
“I would love that!” I smiled and flipped my long blonde hair over my shoulder.
We started by walking along the beach, looking at the different beach-front restaurants suitable for smaller gatherings. Then we made our way down to the boardwalk. It was beautiful, with white lights strung throughout the space. There was a Ferris wheel and carousel along with a few other ride
s, perfect for adults and children alike.
“Want to ride the wheel?” Tucker asked.
“Um, I'm not really sure about that. I have a fear of heights.” I stood there staring up at the rolling wheel, getting dizzy just from watching. Couples sat together, holding hands. A few younger teens kept rocking their seat which made me fear for their life.
“Come on. I won't let anything happen to you,” Tucker promised, taking my hand in his larger one, sending a wave of heat down my spine. We slid onto the seat and watched as the attendant latched the safety bar in front of us. I swallowed hard and wiped my sweaty palms on my shorts. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see him watching me. When the wheel began to move, I closed my eyes and gasped. My heart began to hammer against my ribcage. A warm hand wrapped around mine, and Tucker leaned in. His warm breath brushed across my neck. “I won't let go,” he promised. Something about his voice was soothing and set me at ease. My heart raced now for a whole other reason. His hands were soft and warm and sent little jolts of electricity throughout my body. The air around us crackled with sexual chemistry.
Once the ride was over, we headed to one of the little stands for a corn dog and some lemonade. “Where to now?” I asked. I used my napkin to wipe the mustard from the corner of my mouth.
“I thought I'd take you to some of the area hotels. We have a new one that actually has a winery on site.”
“Oooh! That would be perfect for weddings. Hermosa and Temecula have so much to offer. Thank you for taking time out of your day to show me around,” I said.
“It’s my pleasure. I can think of a million ways you can repay me.” His lip curled upward, and my stomach flipped with excitement. I squeezed my thighs together. I really needed my trusty vibrator.
Once we made it back to the house, I changed into a little red swimsuit and a T-shirt that Tucker talked me into buying while we were out so I could lay by the pool. Of course, he said suits were optional and couldn’t promise me he’d be wearing one. I dropped down onto one of the lounge chairs and pulled out my phone.
