“I don’t know if she’s back yet. She went for a run. I only came down for a snack but I was just about to go back upstairs.”
“Cool. I’ll walk up with you.”
She took the laptop off the counter and her bottle of water and headed to Tessa’s suite. When they passed Lucas’ door, she heard the familiar music that he always played, and she smiled at what transpired behind that door a short time ago. It made her feel dirty and naughty and so fucking alive.
For a moment, she thought Mason was going to ask Lucas to join them in Tessa’s room, but he kept walking, and she was grateful because she really didn’t know if she could stand being so close to him right now. His scent was all over her. Why the hell did she sleep with him again? She swore there wasn’t going to be a threepeat, but, she fell into his bed as if she had no willpower at all. Damn him for always getting under her skin!
She paused when they got to Tessa’s suite of rooms. Feeling awkward at barging into the room, she knocked. “Tessa? Are you back? Is it OK if we come in?”
“Sure. I was wondering what happened to you.” Tessa was at the computer and swiveled around in her chair. Her smile faded and her brows creased together when she saw Mason walk in behind Sindy. “Where were you two?”
“I was downstairs in the studio,” Mason replied. “Working on some tracks.”
Sindy had no answer. No alibi. “I . . . uh . . . took a walk on the beach.” She hated liars, and she hated herself right now for lying to her best friend.
Tessa saw right through it. “A walk on the beach? I was running on the beach.” The crease in Tessa’s brow deepened. “I didn’t see you.” Her eyes shifted from Sindy to Mason and back again. “Are you sure you two weren’t together?”
“No,” Sindy answered, truthfully.
“I was recording tracks.” Mason held up his phone. “I came up to play you a sample and found Sindy in the kitchen.”
“Yes,” Sindy agreed, thankful that Mason took the lead in answering Tessa’s questions. “I was hungry. From my walk. And thirsty.” Grateful she still had the bottle in her hand as evidence, she took a sip.
“Oh.” Tessa looked more at ease and visibly relaxed.
“Check it out,” Mason tossed his phone to Tessa. “I came up with a sick beat. What do ya think?”
As Tessa watched the video Mason recorded on his phone, Sindy sat on the couch and pretended to rummage through her purse. She was being too risky. Taking too many chances. But, no matter how much she told herself to stay away from Lucas, she knew she’d end up in his bed again.
Two days of double shifts at the diner, followed by two hours of practice each night, left Sindy exhausted, and all she wanted to do was sleep late on her day off. An early morning session with Lucas, followed by rehearsal for the promo tour, was on today’s agenda and preempted her plan. She forced herself to get dressed and lazily made her way to the studio downstairs.
She eyed Lucas sitting on the sofa, Les Paul across his knee. Since she’d already visited his bed twice, the couch didn’t hold guilty memories any longer, and she could finally look at the thing without heat rushing to her face.
Lucas smiled up at her as soon as she entered. She knew that look, and she swore that today she wouldn’t let his charm and good looks get to her. They ran through a few songs. Sindy played the rhythm, adding her own spin and improvising where she saw fit. He loved her suggestions, and they had a pretty cool session with no arguing and no suggestive remarks. For once.
She watched him as he tightened a string on his guitar, then freestyled, letting notes and chords fly. His hands ran up and down the fingerboard so fast they were a blur. The paint on his Les Paul caught the overhead light, and it sparkled at her like a shining star.
“Do you like it?” he asked. “I see the way you always eye my Les Paul.”
“I love it. It’s beautiful.”
“Have you ever played one? It’s a heavy instrument.”
“I can handle a heavy instrument.” She bit her lip because it sounded provocative. Unintentionally. At least that’s what she told herself.
“Honey, you can handle anything.”
She smiled, undisturbed by the pet name this time.
“Follow me. I want to show you something.”
She eyed him suspiciously as he headed to the back of the studio, never noticing the door nestled in the back wall. “Where are you taking me? Tessa and Mason will be here any minute.”
He stopped with his hand on the doorknob. “Holy shit. You want me. Bad. Don’t you?” He opened the door and flicked the light on. “I was just showing you my collection of guitars.”
She scowled at him as her cheeks grew hot.
“Are you coming or not?”
She followed him into the room and her jaw fell open. Rows of guitars hung on the wall, some protected by glass cases, others sat in racks at both ends of the room waiting to be played. They were a beautiful mix of vintage classics and modern masterpieces. She recognized a rare Stratocaster Sunburst from the 1960s and immediately gravitated toward it. “My God, Lucas.” Her eyes traveled up the neck of the guitar and then down to its curvaceous body. She scanned the room again, imagining what it must feel like to have this array of magnificent instruments available to play at any given moment. “Are these all yours?”
“Some. Most are my dad’s.”
Tommy Blade’s guitars. Sindy took in a deep breath, inhaling the greatness that surrounded her. This was incredible.
“Some are show pieces. Look at this one.” Lucas pointed to a signed vintage white Gibson Explorer behind a glass case and grinned. “Recognize that signature?”
Sindy looked closer, shocked at the name she read. “James Hetfield?”
“Yep.”
“That’s amazing.”
“It sure is. I used to beg my dad to let me play it when I was a kid. Now I wouldn’t dare touch it. It’s too precious. You can play any one that’s not in a case. Pick one.”
“No way. I’m not playing one of Tommy Blade’s guitars.”
He grinned. “Then play one of Lucas Blade’s guitars.”
“Which ones are yours?”
“The two racks on the left are mine. Take your pick.”
The acoustic Taylor stood apart with simplistic beauty in the midst of Flying V’s, Strats and Gibsons. She would be honored to play any one of them, but she had her eyes on the one in Lucas’ hands. “Can I play that one?”
He clutched the Les Paul closer to his chest. “My baby?”
She laughed. “That’s OK. I don’t have to.”
“I was just kidding.” He pulled the strap over his head and placed it over hers.
She knew it was a heavy guitar, but she didn’t expect the weight that pulled on her shoulder. As she cradled the instrument against her, she admired the gorgeous mahogany body and the grain of the wood, clearly visible through the rich red paint. The maple top was thick in her hand as she tightened her fingers around it and pressed a few chords into the neck, still not brazen enough to run her pick over the strings.
Lucas closed the space between them and ran his hands under the body of the guitar. He gazed at it as if it was his first born child. “Every musician has that one instrument that sings to them. This lady serenaded me from the moment I saw her.”
His eyes shifted upwards and locked on Sindy’s. She could hear her heart beating in her ears, and she swallowed at the dryness in her throat. Holding the Les Paul while staring into Lucas’ beautiful face made her dizzy.
“Are you all right?” Lucas wore an overconfident smile. “You look a little flushed.”
Ruffled by a mixture of arousal and agitation, she let out a deep breath. “It’s . . . it’s . . . I’m not used to being around all of these expensive guitars.”
He mocked her with a short laugh. “If you say so. Let’s go in the other room. I wouldn’t want you to lose control or anything.”
He made her so God damn mad sometimes with his smart remarks. Sh
e pressed her lips together with frustration and followed him into the studio. As she walked behind him, the way his jeans hugged the curve of his ass caught her attention. She lifted her gaze to his flowing blond hair and the way it bounced off the curved muscles of his shoulders as he walked. This man was just as gorgeous from the back as he was from the front. She wiped her hand across her forehead and exhaled a deep breath. What the hell was wrong with her?
She rushed past him so she’d stop staring at the different parts of his body, and went to the music sheets on her stand and concentrated on reading the chords. One by one, she played them and the melody to Driven filled her head with excitement. She was reading music! Playing a song from paper! On Lucas’ Les Paul!
“You’re doing great.” Lucas came up behind her, pretending to read the music over her shoulder, but Sindy knew he had other things on his mind. He nodded along as she continued to play, flipping the page when she got to the end. Determined not to let him distract her, she concentrated on the song and for a few moments forgot about his aura of sexual magnetism. Until his breath landed on her neck. She froze, mid chorus. Neither said a word, and the dead quietness in the room accentuated their lack of conversation. She willed her fingers to move, but all she could do was swallow and try to steady her breathing. She felt the warmth of his breath grow hotter and closer to her shoulder, making her heart race even faster. When his lips placed a long succulent kiss on the spot where her neck met her shoulder, she thought her heart stopped altogether. A row of goosebumps rose on her flesh as she exhaled a loud breath. She didn’t mean to tilt her head to the side and invite his lips to move up her neck, but that’s exactly what she did. A soft whimper left her throat when his lips touched her again. She turned to face him and their mouths collided. With hot gusts of breath, they pressed their lips together and rotated their mouths in all directions, as if they couldn’t get enough of one another.
Noise on the stairs alerted Sindy that Tessa and Mason were coming, and she jumped back breaking the intense kiss. The look of disappointment on Lucas’ face, and the way his eyes pleaded with her, practically begging her not to pull away, made her heart sink. She slowly shook her head. “You know we shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispered quietly.
He didn’t answer, only continued to gaze at her with those sad, pathetic eyes, as if she just tore his heart out.
Tessa and Mason entered the studio discussing the songs they planned to go through today, while Sindy and Lucas continued to stare at one another with a look of longing and remorse.
“Are you guys done?” Tessa asked. “Because we’re ready to get to work.”
“Yeah,” Lucas replied, never taking his eyes off Sindy as he took his Les Paul from her shoulder and slowly walked across the floor to his spot.
Sindy took a few deep breaths in order to regain her composure and picked up her Strat. She needed to concentrate on learning the songs and forget about the tingle Lucas sent through her body.
“Here.” Lucas offered her a bottle of water and a crooked smile. “You look a little overheated.”
She snatched the bottle from his hand and took a few big gulps.
“Stop trying to fight it,” he whispered in her ear.
As he walked away, he turned and glanced at her with that smug smile still on his lips. He could be so infuriating sometimes. Other times, he could melt her heart with one look.
They jumped into rehearsal and once Sindy started playing, the music that she created was all that mattered. Until Lucas sauntered over to her side of the floor and jutted his Les Paul at her with his hips. She challenged him with her Strat, and the sexual tension that they shared fueled a dueling guitar solo that was totally off the hook.
Three hours later, Sindy was mentally and physically exhausted. She went upstairs, climbed into her makeshift bed on the couch in Tessa’s suite, pulled the blanket over her head and didn’t move until Tessa shook her by the shoulder.
“Wake up. Everyone’s here. It’s almost dinner time.”
Sindy stretched and rubbed her eyes to clear the fog from her head. “Dinner? How long did I sleep?”
“A few hours. It’s almost six.”
Sindy was tempted to skip dinner, stay on the couch for the rest of the night and sleep until morning. But she knew her friend wouldn’t hear of it. She washed up, changed her clothes and followed Tessa downstairs. The sound of happy laughter and multiple voices, all talking at once, grew louder as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Apparently, the house was full of people, a welcomed buffer, which made her feel a little more at ease about seeing Lucas after this morning’s passionate kiss.
Tessa brought Sindy to the kitchen, where Angel stood at his rightful place at the oven, white apron slung over his neck and tied at the waist. The front of it said “Real Men Like Their Pork Pulled”, making Sindy chuckle, and then blush profusely.
“Sindy!” Angel’s warm greeting filled the room. “Here. Taste my fricasé de pollo.” He walked toward her with a serving spoon, his free hand cupped underneath it.
She was expecting traditional chicken francese, but this was a stew, with pimento stuffed olives and capers, and the flavor assaulted Sindy’s palate. “This is delicious!”
Tessa stuck her hand on her hip and pursed her lips playfully at her father. “Look what I made, Sindy.” Tessa went to the counter and picked up a tray. “Pineapple-Coconut Mojitos!”
They smelled fresh and minty. Sindy didn’t know if she ever drank anything that tasted so good. “Mmm. Tessa, this is incredible. I have no idea how you make everything taste so amazing.” She had become accustomed to the magnificent aromas that filled the Blade-Garcia household and the delectable meals, as well as the father/daughter competitions in the kitchen which was really sweet and endearing.
The click-clack of high heels echoed behind Sindy, and she turned to see Jessi Blade walking toward them, a sketch pad held against her chest.
“I’m glad you girls are here,” Jessi said. “I’ve been working on the new logo for Prodigy. Come look and let me know what you think.”
An excited gasp escaped through Tessa’s lips. “Let me see!” She raced to her mother’s side and inspected the sketch pad. “It’s perfect, Mom. Sindy, c’mere and take a look.”
Sindy stood on the opposite side of Jessi so they could all inspect the design together. It was a guitar pick, with Prodigy written across the center. Behind the guitar pick were crossed drumsticks. “That’s pretty cool. Did Prodigy have an old logo?”
“Just the name of the band in that same font,” Tessa replied. “So it’ll still be recognizable to our neighborhood fans, but this is much more eye catching.”
“Since the name of the band is Prodigy, I wanted to incorporate a little history.” Jessi traced her finger over the design. The drumsticks obviously represent Mason, and the guitar pick represents Lucas. But it can also relate to you too, Tess. You use a pick sometimes on the bass, right?”
“Not really. But it’s OK.”
“I started with this design if you like it better.” Jessi turned the page. “But I thought it looked too congested.”
The design on the previous page was identical, except a mic and stand stood behind the guitar pick, vertically, between the crossed drumsticks.
“That’s sweet Mom, but, you’re right. It’s too much. It distracts from the band name.”
“That’s exactly what I said!” Jessi placed her arm around Tessa’s shoulder and gave her a quick hug. “My girl has such a great eye for design.” Then Jessi Blade turned her gaze on Sindy. “The guitar pick also represents you, Sindy.”
She was surprised that Jessi thought of her, and it left her a little flabbergasted. She hadn’t shared much one-on-one conversation with Jessi Blade, and her nerves were still a little jittery at being in the presence of a world-famous designer. “Thank you. I really appreciate that. I think it looks great.”
“What’s going on in here?” Tommy Blade entered the kitchen with a bounce. “Luc
as and Mason sent me in to tell you they want grub.”
“Grub?” Angel raised his brows high on his forehead. “I’ve spent my life cooking elegant meals and our son calls my cuisine grub? Where have I failed him?”
Tessa let out a dramatic sigh and looked up to the ceiling. “He’s such a heathen.”
Sindy had to stifle a laugh. The two of them, with their overdramatic mannerisms, were exactly alike. Yet, Tessa also had Jessi’s spunk and take-no-shit attitude. Sindy’s gaze drifted to Tommy, still so devastatingly handsome, and she imagined Lucas at his father’s age. And Tommy at Lucas’ age.
Tommy came up behind Jessi, put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. “Whatcha got, hon?”
Sindy noted that Tommy used the same endearment on his wife that Lucas had tried to use on her. Obviously, he picked it up from his father. Another trait passed down from father to son.
“Prodigy’s new logo,” Jessi answered. As she described the meaning of the guitar pick and drumsticks and turned the pages to show him her previous drafts, Tommy became more interested in nuzzling his wife’s cheek and neck than in the band’s logo.
Jessi let out a giddy laugh. “Would you stop? You’re not even paying attention to me.”
“I’m paying lots of attention to you.” He kissed his wife’s neck before returning his gaze to the sketch pad, his chin once again resting on her shoulder. “What was that on the other page? The outfit you sketched.”
She flipped the page. “This?”
“Yeah. It’s sexy. Is it for you?”
“No. It’s for Tessa.”
He straightened up. “That’s too short. My daughter is not wearing that. Draw six more inches on that skirt.”
Jessi smiled. “It’s a plaid mini skirt for her to wear on stage. Don’t be such a prude.”
“Let me see.” Tessa reached for the sketch pad and Jessi handed it to her.
“Cute!” Tessa tried to show the sketch to Sindy, but Tommy pulled it out of her hand.
“My little girl is not wearing something that short,” he told her.
LUCAS BLADE: Radical Rock Stars: Next Generation Duet Book 1 Page 17
