Purgatory: Heaven Sent Extended Remix: Book Two

by Jet Mykles

  The kiss Luc dropped on Reese’s lips promised to start Reese’s cock again if he let it linger. It wasn’t particularly hot or demanding, but it was achingly sweet. It made Reese want to curl up with Luc and just kiss like that for hours.

  Which he couldn’t do. He pushed back. “I’ve got to go to work.”

  “Yeah, so you say.”

  “Luc.”

  The rockstar sighed and released him. Again he looked like he had something on his mind, but he said nothing as he followed Reese down the stairs. Luc watched him gather up his things without comment, but pulled him into another embrace before he could open the front door.

  Luc pulled back and trailed the fingers of one hand over Reese’s jaw. “I’ll see you at the club tonight.”

  Reese smiled and pushed up into another, quick kiss. “Yep. See you there. Lock up when you leave.”

  Reese drove to work, confused. Confused about how Luc was treating him. Confused by his reactions. Confused by what seemed to be happening that just couldn’t be happening.

  Chapter Ten

  “Shouldn’t you be on your honeymoon?”

  Reegan grinned across the painted black table at Tyler. “We got back this morning. I’m exhausted!” She had to almost shout to be heard over the dance music that filled the club. Conversation was possible where they were, but voices need to be raised a level.

  Tyler leaned further over the table, resting his chin on his fist. The lemon silk of his shirt fairly gleamed in the light of the single candle before him and the multicolored flashing lights from the dance floor behind him. “How was it?”

  Reegan shimmied her bare shoulders, making her sequined red dress shine in the lights. “It was awesome!” She batted her eyes at him. “Probably couldn’t hold a candle to the one you and Johnnie took to the Riviera, but Cancun did it for me!”

  Reese couldn’t quite see it in the dim light, but he was pretty sure Tyler flushed at the mention of his honeymoon. It’d been all over the tabloids, although Reese was glad there hadn’t been many pictures. He wanted to think they got to enjoy some private time. Judging from the flush, they had. The man was adorable. It was easy to see why Johnnie was so smitten.

  “Ha!” Reese came to Tyler’s rescue. “A trip to the Riviera is small compensation for having to put up with Johnnie.”

  Tyler turned those big blue eyes on Reese, clearly ready to defend his spouse. His concern melted when Reese smiled big and winked at him. He smiled. “Yeah. It’s a hardship.”

  Reegan laughed, sitting back in the booth seat. “Oh, don’t we know it!” She shared an arch look with Reese. “Johnnie teased us for years. I had so many girlfriends who were just gone for him. But who could blame them, right?”

  Tyler didn’t rise to the bait. “But not you. You dated Luc, right?”

  Reese didn’t miss the little glances they each darted his way. He chose to sip his Jack and Coke and ignore them.

  “I did. Because, hello? Who could blame me?” Then she shrugged one shoulder. “But it wasn’t meant to be. He’s such an arrogant asshole.”

  Nope, Reese didn’t take the bait to defend Luc. Besides, he could be an arrogant asshole.

  “He’s not that bad once you get to know him,” Tyler said and Reese had a feeling that comment was for him too.

  “Sure he is. It’s just not as obvious when you’re not dating him.”

  “Reegan was the one who broke it off with him,” Reese piped in, leaning on the table toward Tyler.

  Blond brows rose.

  “I know. Crazy, huh? All that and she just threw it away.” He exaggerated his eye roll for effect.

  She swatted his arm, laughing. “It was just as well,” she told Tyler. “Because they left for fame and glory not long after that.”

  With perfect timing, Dave returned with a fresh round of drinks, passing through the ropes that separated the VIP area. The place was packed, more than usual. Heaven Sent’s performance had only been publicized locally, but word had certainly gotten out. The bouncers and guards were earning their money. Heaven Sent had personally invited all of their original fan club who were still in the area and granted each VIP passes. Turned out, there were only about twenty who came so there was a little elbow room. As VIPs, they alone were allowed in the second bar area, which was roped off and elevated above the dance floor across from the stage. There were a few small booths and a half-dozen rickety tables within the area. The tables had been pushed to the back wall to allow for more standing room.

  Reegan and Dave were enjoying the hell out of being guests at the nightclub instead of working. Reegan looked great. She had on a flashy little—emphasis on “little”—red dress that showed off that she kept her body in top shape. Her black hair was somewhat piled on top of her head, but a lot of curls fell down around her neck and shoulders. Reese didn’t miss the possessive hand Dave tended to keep on her lower back or across the back of her chair. Nor did he miss her flaunting it to some of the other girls. He chose not to comment.

  Reese had dug into the back of his closet for clothes that he hadn’t had the heart to discard but hadn’t worn in years. The leather pants were long gone so he wore jeans, but he’d found one of his favorite crazy tops that was a mass of zippers and small patches of red canvas. Dozens of plastic bands, mostly black, circled his wrists, and he’d managed to reopen a few of the holes in his ears without too much pain and insert various silver hoops. He’d even put some temporary blue dye in his black hair, fully intending to wash it all out before Monday. As far as makeup went, he only had the balls to apply mascara and the black liner around his eyes. He’d stopped short of the lipstick. He didn’t need the grief when he saw his co-workers.

  Reegan squealed when one of the girls she’d known from a few years ago came up behind her. She stood to talk to her old friend, whose name escaped Reese, and pulled Dave up to introduce him.

  For the hundredth time, Tyler glanced at his watch and then toward the stage. All the equipment was set up, but the band had yet to show. It was only five minutes after they were due to go on. “I wish they’d get on with it.”

  Reese smiled. He’d arrived at the club at seven, before the club opened for business, and met the band backstage. At that time, Tyler was doing fine. But then, he was in a group of people he was fully comfortable with. When Reese and Tyler had left to allow the band time to get ready, that’s when Reese had seen why Johnnie had asked the favor. Although you probably had to look to see it, Tyler was not exactly happy being in the crowded nightclub. Reese had roped Reegan and Dave into sitting at their table to keep him distracted.

  “What’s wrong, Tyler?” Reese gestured at their surroundings with a hand. “Not used to all this yet?”

  Tyler rolled his eyes. “No.” He downed some more of his drink. “Does anyone ever get used to this?”

  “Sure! Johnnie, Luc, Brent, Darien…”

  Tyler nodded. “They most decidedly don’t count. They’re insane. Every one of them.”

  “Well—” Reese nodded toward the slim gold band on Tyler’s left ring finger. “—you tied yourself to one of them.”

  Tyler stared at the ring. He got a really cute grin on his face. “Yeah. I did.”

  Man, he really loves him. Reese kept seeing it, each time he was around Johnnie and Tyler. It wasn’t just attraction between them. It was love. It had to be. That was the only explanation for the connection that was so obvious.

  Tyler turned to him, those blue eyes fastening on his face. It was nearly impossible to remember that Tyler was seven years older than him. “So, what’s going on with you and Luc?”

  Reese’s eyes went wide. “Uh.” So, yeah, Tyler knew but Reese didn’t think he’d come out and talk about it.

  Tyler cocked his head to the side, studying Reese.

  He shifted uncomfortably, glancing around to make sure no one was listening. No one was. “We’re, uh, kinda being quiet about that.”

  “I know.” Tyler did his own glance to show he was pa
ying attention. “But you guys have been at it all week, right?”

  He couldn’t help but laugh a little. “At it?”

  “Whatever you want to call it. Things are good?”

  Reese downed a good half of his drink in one swallow. “I’d rather not talk about it.”

  Tyler patted his arm and gave him a sympathetic smile. “It’s okay. I know the feeling.” Then he changed the subject.

  It wasn’t too long until the band took the stage, Darien behind his drums, Brent to the right, Luc to the left, and Johnnie dominating center. The crowd went wild and Reese was so glad for the VIP section since they could see over the shoulder-to-shoulder people. Heaven Sent looked somehow too big for the space where once they’d fit just right. Reese knew it was fancy on his part, but he couldn’t shake the feeling. And Luc! His attention had always been drawn to Luc when they were onstage, but tonight, knowing what he now knew intimately about the man, it was nearly impossible for him to watch anyone else. They were, of course, amazing. Johnnie was his natural flamboyant self, managing to flirt with the entire audience at once. Luc tended to play the foil for Johnnie’s antics, so there was a lot of Johnnie with his arm slung over Luc’s shoulders, a lot of them singing into the same mic, and even—if you were looking for it—a bit of grinding. True to form, Heaven Sent gave their fans a show to remember and even performed some really old songs that they’d never produced on an album but had played at Purgatory years ago.

  Dancing followed the show. Reese stayed by Tyler as the mob spread out on the polished wooden floor. Tyler tried very hard to shrink into the wall behind their table, eyeing the dancers with apprehension. Reese didn’t mind. He stood at the low wall that overlooked the dance floor and watched the crowd of individuals gyrate and sway.

  Johnnie found them in no time, sauntering up to the table. Tyler’s eyes went wide when the singer pulled his chair out and sat on his lap, straddling him. Johnnie’s loose white shirt fluttered about him like wings as he cupped Tyler’s jaw in both hands and planted a kiss on his lips. The two of them, one in fluttering white and the other in lemon silk, looked like a piece of the heaven in Johnnie’s name. Reese unashamedly drank in the sight until some of Johnnie’s loose hair fell forward, a curtain on the scene of their love.

  A hand grabbed Reese’s, distracting him from the beautiful sight. He spun and nearly toppled into Luc, who stood a step below him. The redhead grinned a devious grin before yanking Reese onto the dance floor.

  Even though it had been years since Reese had gone dancing, he gave in to the familiar pull on his heart and followed Luc into the throng. Once they were in the middle of the crowd, underneath a pulsing red-and-blue strobe, Luc stepped back from him, swaying to the music. He ran a long-fingered hand up the thigh of his snug black jeans until he could hook his thumb into the low waistband. He wore only a flashy green vest, which was all unbuttoned, the better to reveal the smoothly muscled landscape of his chest and belly. Reese’s mouth watered at the sight, and his eyes naturally gravitated to the bulge that Luc’s fingertips just brushed. He actually knew what that felt like now! Knew how delicious Luc tasted. Before he got too much harder, Reese tore his gaze back up to Luc’s face. The evil man was smiling underneath the rim of the dark green fedora he’d worn during the show, those dark eyes shining with mirth. He’d seen the focus of Reese’s attention.

  They danced beside each other, not quite with each other but not quite with anyone else either. They just moved. It was something so electric, so alive. When the mood was right, he stopped being just himself and became part of the music and the crowd around him. Worries fled and pain disintegrated as long as he could keep moving. It had been too long. Reese gladly drowned himself in the crowd, following the beat, welcoming the sweat that started to pour down his back. Luc didn’t touch him, but the presence of the man was palpable, a burning heat to Reese’s skin on whichever side of him Luc danced.

  Reese decided not to notice the flock of women that surrounded them, not to mind the hands they slid over Luc’s body, nor the groins or asses they blatantly offered him. This was Luc Sloane, after all. Reese couldn’t possibly blame them for wanting to be near him. For wanting to be with him. The experience was—pardon the expression—heavenly.

  At some point, Luc switched the hat from his head to Reese’s. They laughed and Luc used the moment to trail a hand down Reese’s arm, his heated gaze assuring Reese that he wanted to touch somewhere else. Reese was transported back four years into his past, except with an alternate reality. This time when he danced near Luc, he didn’t have to pretend they were lovers. They were. This time when he looked at Luc and got caught, he didn’t have to look away in embarrassment. They could share a knowing grin. This time he could bump up against the rockstar and be rewarded when one of those long-fingered hands slid sensuously across his back or down his hip.

  If only life could always be this vivid! This good!

  When Luc motioned with two fingers to his lips, miming a smoke, Reese nodded and followed him toward the front of the club. He was ready for a break, too. He mimed a drink and looked a question at Luc, who nodded just before he sauntered off. There were three outdoor patios to the nightclub. Luc headed up a narrow flight of stairs toward the small one that had been cordoned off for the band.

  Reese stopped at the bar, realized he had little idea what Luc usually drank then decided to order two Jack and Cokes. His VIP wristband excused him from paying and he had fun flashing it to the bartender who he sort of knew through Reegan. He was enjoying the novelty when someone grabbed his arm.

  “Reese!”

  There were Haley and Toni from school. Just like that, his happy bubble burst and he had to struggle to keep his smile. “Hey, guys!”

  “Oh my God, was that not amazing!” Haley hugged him while Toni beamed. “Weren’t they amazing?”

  “They were amazing,” he agreed, thrown a little more by seeing these women in snug little mini-dresses that showed way more cleavage than he’d thought either had.

  Toni’s wide eyes focused just above his head. “Is that… his?”

  “What?”

  She pointed and he reached up, only remembering that he had Luc’s hat on when he touched it. Panic cleared all thought from his brain so he could do nothing but answer truthfully. “Uh, yeah.”

  Two squeals pierced the air then drifted into the crowd din.

  “Oh my God, you do know him!” Toni gushed.

  A group of girls behind her spun their way at that statement.

  “Uh…”

  “Where is he?” Haley demanded, nails gouging into his arm as she scanned nearby faces.

  “He’s not here. We were just dancing and…” He should take off the hat because he was getting a lot of attention now, but he was strangely reluctant. Plus, what would he do with it? “It’s nothing.”

  “Can I…?” Haley reached for it.

  “No.” Reese jerked his head back and batted her hand away. “It’s his. I need to get it back to him.”

  Whining happily, she melted into his arm.

  Toni bit her lip. “I don’t suppose you could get us an introduction?”

  His eyes went wide. “Uh…” He glanced around. He knew where Luc was—thankfully out of reach—but none of the others were immediately handy either. “I don’t think…”

  “Brent Rose is right over there.” Toni pointed to a corner of the bar that he hadn’t scanned. “Please?”

  Grabbing his drinks, he let the two of them fight through the crowd to where Brent was sitting on a barstool with what looked like a T-shirt spread on the bar before him, signing it with a Sharpie. A couple stood next to him, the woman practically vibrating from excitement as she drank him in from up close. Clearly he was already being inundated with requests.

  Reese stopped. “I don’t think this is a good time.”

  “Please?”

  He was still hesitating when Brent glanced up over the top edge of his sunglasses and saw him. He smiled as he
took in the two women hanging off Reese’s arms, then nodded slightly.

  Taking that as permission, Reese let the girls haul him forward. Brent capped the Sharpie, then handed the T-shirt to the woman. Reese couldn’t hear the request, but it was clear that she asked for a picture. The boyfriend took it as the woman beamed brightly. Then she thanked Brent and they faded away.

  With no one else near, Brent grinned up at him. “Heya, Reese.”

  “Hey, Brent. Uh, this is Haley and Toni. They’re teachers at my school and… they wanted to meet you.” How lame, but what else did he say?

  Brent grinned and greeted them. If he hadn’t known better, Reese would never have known that stuff like this pained Brent. He managed to mouth a “sorry” in between autographs, but Brent just shrugged it off.

  “Where’s Luc?” he asked while they waited for Haley and Toni to exchange phones for another snapshot.

  Reese held up the drinks. “Upstairs. Waiting for this.”

  The sunglasses hid the expression in Brent’s eyes, but his mouth tipped up at the side. “You better get it to him.” He slipped an arm around Toni’s shoulders. “We’re good here.”

  “You sure?”

  Brent waved him away. The women didn’t even notice when Reese escaped.

  He mounted the stairs and recognized the bouncer by the frosted glass door. Daniel nodded and let him by. Reese breathed in the fresh night air and enjoyed the freedom of movement away from the crowd.

  Luc was alone on the patio, sprawled on a sturdy iron chair with one booted foot up on the table beside him. The yellow of a bug lamp warred with the blare of street lamps to illuminate the patio. Smoke billowed up into the night from the cigarette Luc dangled from his fingers.

  He set the drinks on the table, then reached up to remove the hat. “You and your hat.” He dropped it on Luc’s lap and glared.

  Luc glanced at it, then back at him. “What happened?”

  “Two of the teachers at my school caught me wearing it.”

  Luc’s lips twitched.