Lucas Blade was probably every woman’s dream. He was young, good looking, smart, talented beyond belief. And he knew it. But it was the way he constantly flooded her head with his structured music lessons that irritated her the most. “He drives me crazy sometimes with his damn lesson plans.”
Tessa let out a deep breath. “I know Lucas gets carried away. He’s even more passionate about music than I am. I know it can be overwhelming. Try not to get upset. I know he can be a pain, but he’s also sweet. And generous. And protective. And that’s not just a younger sister idolizing her big brother. He’s a great person. He loves to help people. Just give him a chance.”
Sindy nodded. Above all, she valued Tessa’s opinion and her integrity. Tessa wasn’t an entitled rich kid. She was sweet and honest, humble and appreciative. Tessa never had to work a day in her life, yet she was educated and worked hard. Now that she thought about it, Lucas was the same way. Maybe she was wrong about him. Guilt for not being more cooperative made Sindy’s heart sink. She shouldn’t be giving Lucas a hard time by fighting the process in which he taught. But she wasn’t as smart as him, and his theology was over her head. It seemed unimportant and a waste of time, and learning to read music was like learning another language. Still, Lucas didn’t have to go to the lengths he did. He was trying to help her, even if he was annoying. Feeling ungrateful, she let out a deep breath and vowed to be more cooperative.
Lucas couldn’t take another day of Sindy deviating from the basic rhythm of the song. He liked that she improvised and was an independent thinker, but she battled him. And every time they disagreed, Tessa insisted they take a five-minute break.
“She’s so frustrating!” Lucas paced in front of Mason’s drum kit. “She never sticks to the lesson plan. I tell her to study, and all she wants to do is play the music.” He stopped and faced Mason. “And did you hear that solo she added after the second chorus?”
“Yeah.” Mason flashed a wide smile. “It was killer.”
“Exactly. She plays rhythm. She’s not supposed to overtake my lead.” He began to pace again, his heart rate buzzing in his ears. “I gotta constantly outplay her. This is fucking insane! She such a rebel. She constantly goes against everything I say.” Out of his peripheral vision, he spotted Mason’s dimpled smile. “What the fuck is so funny?”
Mason twirled his drumstick and then pointed it at Lucas. “You, man. Next thing you know, you’re gonna be pulling her hair.”
Lucas waved his hand at Mason, dismissing the implication. “You’re crazy. I don’t like her. Actually, I can’t fucking stand her.”
“That’s what you say now, bro. In a few days or a few weeks, you won’t be able to keep your hands off her.”
Stunned into silence, Lucas couldn’t do anything except blink. Mason had it all wrong, and it irked the hell out of him. He huffed, crossed his arms in front of his chest and turned his head to the side. Sindy was staring at him, but it was her hand on the neck of her guitar that caught his attention. He squinted and looked closer. She was giving him the finger. It looked like she was pressing a chord into the fret board, but she was giving him the finger. His eyes darted up to meet hers, and she smirked at him and raised her brows. He grunted with frustration and jutted his chin up toward the ceiling. He was so ticked off that he didn’t want to finish rehearsal. He was done.
Lucas stomped through the studio. “I’ve had it. Rehearsal is over.” He went back to his suite of rooms and paced back and forth. What the hell gave Mason the idea that he liked Sindy? She did nothing but give him a hard time. She had a fire inside of her that matched her flaming auburn hair. She thought she was so fucking smart. Just because she played like a fucking superstar, and looked like one, too, didn’t mean she knew everything about music. She acted as if he was wasting her time by passing along knowledge that cost him four years of his life and his parents over $100,000. He pulled at the roots of his hair and kicked at the small wastebasket. She made him so fucking mad!
Without thinking, he pushed his jeans and briefs down in one move and started jerking off.
Thoughts of Sindy, with her snide little jokes while he was trying to be serious, made his blood pump harder. Her spunky attitude made him breathe heavier. The vision of the girl on the beach, kicking at the sand and yelling into the wind, made him tingle all over. As he thought about her soaring rendition of November Rain on the day she auditioned, his hand moved faster. Picturing their verbal sparring matches ignited a spark that traveled through his body and made him shudder. He threw his head back, a groan leaving his lips. Dizzy, he fell to his knees. The image of Sindy’s mocking smile made him so fucking mad!
His vision cleared and the room came into focus. His heart pounded in his ears, and he was out of breath. Wetness on his fingers and T-shirt made his eyes drop. His engorged shaft still twitched under his hand and wept at the tip. He quickly pulled his hand away and looked at it, as if it had acted without his knowledge. Eyes and mouth open wide, astonished at the crazy mix of lust and frustration, he couldn’t do anything except stare at his hand as if it betrayed him. He had no idea why the heated conversations with Sindy aroused him to the point of delirium. He’d never felt anything like it before. He had no idea what it meant, but, he couldn’t wait to see her again to find out.
“Oh my God.” Mason stood from behind his drums. “Do you two do anything except argue?”
“Don’t blame me.” Sindy pointed at Lucas. “It’s him.” Today’s disagreement was on whether or not Sindy’s twist on the spur-of-the-moment riff she added worked or not. If Lucas wasn’t so God damn talented, she’d swear he was jealous that he didn’t think of her additions to the song himself. She didn’t know why he just couldn’t admit that her contributions made the songs better.
“It’s not me!” Lucas exclaimed. “You constantly play over me. Do you want to play lead guitar and I’ll play the rhythm?”
She was so fucking tempted to say yes, just to see him explode. His eyes would open so wide, the bright blue irises would look like pools of turbulent water. His cheeks would redden, accentuating his pale blond hair, and his chest would rise and broaden.
“Forget it!” Lucas fumed. “Because that’s not happening.”
“I know it’s not happening.” She smirked. No one ever made Sindy as angry as Lucas did. He riled up all of her senses and made the hair on the back of her neck stand on end. She felt like a fox with its hackles raised, ready to take on an animal three times its size. Lucas’ constant lack of ability to bend and give in drove her mad. The man was as stubborn as they came. Just because he was a gifted guitarist, with more know-how and charisma than anyone she’d ever met, he thought he could call the shots.
On her own since she was a kid, Sindy always fought to get her voice heard, and she would not be intimidated by Lucas Blade. He was so damn self-righteous all the time. Just because he had a degree in music and an IQ higher than hers didn’t mean her point of view was wrong. So what if she didn’t have a fancy education or her parents weren’t world-famous rock stars? She knew what sounded better to the ear. She knew music. It was the only thing she knew frontwards and backwards. She was an independent woman and not about to back down, even to the great Lucas Blade.
“That’s it. We’re taking a break,” Tessa announced, sticking her mic back in its stand. “You know what?” She unplugged her bass from the amp and threw the wire down to the floor. “We’re done for today. Actually, me and Mason are done. You two stay down here for as long as it takes for you to work out your shit. Playing music together shouldn’t be this hard.” She looked at Lucas and Mason. “We agree that we want Sindy in the band, right?”
The question made Sindy hold her breath for several seconds. Her inclusion in Prodigy was offered on a handshake. The final contract still needed to be signed. And she wanted this opportunity. She needed it.
Mason nodded. “Of course.”
“Yes.” Lucas answered adamantly. “This is just a professional disagreement. All art
ists clash when it comes to their music. It’s just passion for our craft.”
“Well, work it out because you two are giving me a headache. Let’s go, Mase.”
Mason dropped his sticks in his stick bag and left his kit. He slapped Lucas on the back as he passed. “Pull her hair, bro.”
It must have been some kind of inside joke, because Mason laughed, and Lucas socked the drummer in his arm.
“Why don’t you ever listen to me?” Sindy demanded as soon as Tessa and Mason were out of sight.
“Because I don’t think that little riff you threw in fits with the esthetic of the song, and that’s my number one concern. It changes the tempo halfway through the song. I’m not saying it wasn’t good. It was original, but not right for this particular song. It’s too hard.”
She was furious that he was so God damn adamant and just overruled her so quickly, unwilling to take a chance on something knew. “Why are you so stubborn? Why can’t you do the song my way?”
“We are doing songs your way. Just not this one. Stop arguing with me. That’s it. We’re not changing it.”
She hated nothing more than being treated as if her opinion didn’t matter, and she saw red. “God damn you, Lucas Blade! Who the hell do you think you are? You think you can order me around, and I’m just going to cower to you because you’re the great Lucas Blade and your fathers are famous rock stars and because you grew up in the industry?”
His mouth hung open. As long as he wasn’t talking, she couldn’t stop herself.
“Or because you have a BA in music?” She spread her hands through the air while she spoke, as if she was making a grand announcement, mocking the way he loved to brag about his degree.
“No! All I’m—”
“You’re so self-righteous. You think you know everything about everything.”
“That’s not true! Why the fuck would you think that? You’re so . . . so . . . so . . .” He let out a noise that sounded like a growl and lunged at her.
She recoiled and held up her hands, ready to defend herself, but his intentions weren’t to hurt her. His mouth came down on hers with heat and passion. Hard and fleshy, his tongue circled hers with ferocious pent up passion that she never expected from this man. Again, who the fuck did he think he was? Just because he had a charismatic smile and the face of a god and played guitar like a superstar, he thought he could have any woman he wanted. Did he think that just because he had the body of an Adonis that she would cave to his sexuality? Did he think his rock hard muscles against her body would make her succumb to his masculinity? Did he think that the way he held her in his arms, with strength and dominance, would make her submit? Did he think that the way he ran his hands, with possession and confidence, up and down her back would render her helpless? Just because he made her entire body tingle under his touch didn’t mean she couldn’t control herself around him. Even though her legs wobbled like jelly and her panties were so . . . fucking . . . wet. “Mmm,” she moaned into his mouth as her body fell into his, and she pressed her breasts against the round muscles of his chest.
He grinded his erection into her crotch, and she melted into him. Deep gusts of breath filled the room when only moments ago shouts of anger and frustration had echoed within their walls. Every aggravated nerve inside of her quaked and turned into want for this stubborn, beautiful man.
He pulled back, breaking their heated kiss and held her gaze for a moment which turned her insides to liquid. She watched as he reached behind his neck, causing his bicep to bulge in all the right places, and tugged his T-shirt over his head. Her eyes immediately dropped to his chest. Smooth, clean flesh covered his upper body, unblemished, without a freckle or tattoo. Unable to look away, she gaped at the round curve of his pecs and the shadows that outlined his abs, which reinforced her earlier statement that this man was, indeed, perfect.
She reached out to place her hand on the mound of his chest, but he startled her before her palm made contact with his body by grabbing the neckline of her top and ripping it down the center.
“Lucas!” She looked down at the remnants of her top, annoyed and a little turned on. “What the fuck?”
He scooped her in his arms and carried her over to the couch where he gently placed her down, removed her bra and then tugged the jeans off her body. He shed his clothes and was on top of her before she had a chance to take in the exquisite naked body in front of her.
She shifted sideways so she could gaze at his magnificent form. His body was flawless and unsullied – pristine – which she found refreshing in the current trend of overly-inked flesh. She’d seen him in swim trunks, briefly, but seeing him up close was breathtaking, and her eyes settled on his chest. Fine blond hair, barely visible, covered his tanned pecs. She reached out and stroked them lightly. He responded by letting out a deep breath. When she looked up and met his eyes, his gaze made her hold her breath. So much passion exuded from this man. Everything he did was filled with extreme intensity, from his mind-numbing talent on the guitar to the way he looked at her. He made her feel like she was the only girl in the world with one gaze.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered.
And she believed him, because this man spoke only truths. He never said what people wanted to hear or what was expected. He spoke his mind. His confidence, which sometimes bordered on arrogance, is what turned her on the most.
His kiss commanded that she submit, and she obeyed because she was powerless against his touch. She let him take control as he gyrated against her. His hand ran across her breast and clutched it with possession while his lips found the soft spot on her neck that made her quiver. Never had she known someone who stirred so many vast emotions inside of her. From annoyance and frustration to lust and desire, he consumed her.
He reached for his jeans, pulled his wallet free from his pocket, and found a condom. He quickly covered himself and pushed inside her with one take-charge thrust, then hiked her leg over his hip with authority.
A loud gasp escaped her, and she arched her back as he filled her. She felt his passion in the confident way he undulated his hips up and down. His movements were perfectly timed as if he had a built in metronome guiding every thrust. He made love with precision. Every stroke of his hand, every movement inside of her, was delivered with the sole intention of bringing her pleasure. Had she expected anything less from a man who demanded excellence? From a man who, himself, was without flaw?
Hot breath blew down on her as she gazed up at his golden tresses which fell toward her face like a curtain of blond silk. His thick pale lashes played peek-a-boo with his smoldering blue irises like the sky peeking through the clouds. This man was beautiful. An Adonis. It was no wonder he walked around with an air of confidence surrounding him. He had it all.
His mouth suddenly came down on hers and pinned her to the couch while his hips gained new momentum. He moved in and out of her with strong purposeful thrusts, sending her deeper into a realm of bliss. Her body tingled while shockwaves multiplied inside of her. He knew when to speed up and when to slow down. He knew what her body would respond to, before she knew it herself. There was no need to compete for control. He took the reins, and she gladly let him.
Her breath came in short, deep gasps as sensations soared through her. Her body shook, she threw her head back, and she climaxed while every cell inside of her hummed and vibrated. “Lucas,” she sighed.
He opened his eyes but they were covered in a lusty haze, his lids hooded. His lips parted while breath puffed in and out of his lungs. He pressed his hips forward and his irises disappeared for a few brief seconds before his body became void of strength and he fell on top of her.
Lucas took a moment to catch his breath and wiped the sweat that dripped from his brow. He had no idea what the hell just happened. One minute he was so angry he could scream, the next he wanted to feel her body next to his. And she wanted him just as much as he wanted her. She was a wild woman, as passionate as she was stubborn. Underneath all that attitu
de and defiance laid a mountain of passion. He finally realized that the anger and frustration brewing between them had only been a mask for desire. Their arguing and disagreements had been triggered by their suppressed feelings for one another. It had built and grown until it exploded. That’s why she had gotten under his skin so fiercely and why every one of her remarks drove him crazy. As he rolled into the space between Sindy and the back of the couch, he imagined what was going through her head. It could be one of two things: either it was just angry sex and a one-time thing, or it was something more. Before he could say anything, before he could look at her, he needed to figure out where he stood in this mixed-up situation. The answer came easy. He wanted her. He turned his head in her direction, ready to tell her how much he cared.
“Don’t say a word,” she blurted out. “This should never have happened. But it did. So let’s just forget about it and move on.”
Lucas’ chest deflated like a balloon suddenly empty. “You didn’t enjoy it?”
“I didn’t say that. I just said it’s not going to happen again.”
“You have feelings for me, Sindy. Don’t try to deny it. You would have never acted so vehemently toward me if you didn’t.”
“Are you a psychiatrist now? Is that another one of your many intellectual attributes? Don’t try to psychoanalyze me. This was . . . I don’t know what the hell this was. But it’s not happening again.” She dressed as she talked, never looking him in the eye, but her cheeks were red, flushed and overheated from their sexual encounter. She held up her tattered shirt. “Thanks for ripping my shirt off. I’m wearing yours.” She slipped his T-shirt over her head and knotted it at the waist. “Our relationship needs to stay professional. I need to concentrate on what’s best for the band.” She stuffed her feet into her boots and headed for the door.
“Wait. Don’t go.” Lucas jumped off the couch, still naked, and took her arm.
“I have to.” She paused, raking her eyes over his body. “My shift’s over at six tomorrow. I’ll come by, and we’ll finish working on the song. But I want Tessa and Mason here. I don’t want to be alone with you.” And then she left.
LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 8
