by Ella Frank
Viper let out a shameless chuckle. “Smart move.” Then he zipped his pants, leaving the button undone. “So what now?”
I bit down on my lip and forced my gaze away. The sun had set, the room fading into darkness but still illuminated by the glow of the lights from Central Park and the buildings surrounding it. It was beautiful, maybe the best view of the city I’d ever seen, and Viper got to look at it every day as he penned lyrics for TBD. Lyrics like the ones I’d been singing tonight. The ones he’d written about me.
No, don’t think about that. Think about anything but that.
“You’ve got a great place,” I said, and then cringed, because how lame was I?
Viper cocked his head, a hint of amusement on his lips. “You tryin’ to tell me you want that tour now?”
“No.”
“Liar.”
I shrugged, not even caring he could see right through me then, and ran my hand along the back of one of the recliners. “So…you wrote the song here last night?”
“No. I wrote it in my bedroom.”
“Oh.” Jesus, Halo, find your brain, would you? “And, um, it’s about…?”
Viper’s eyes followed me as I stopped behind the recliner, using it like a shield. “You askin’ me if I wrote it about you, Angel?”
Was I? I mean, I already knew the answer, but for some reason, I really wanted to hear him admit it. “Yes.”
Viper’s lips tugged up at the side as he walked to the bar, no doubt taking great pleasure in making me sweat this out as he pulled a bottle of vodka from the freezer. As he twisted the cap off the bottle, Viper ran those dark, suggestive eyes over me and said, “Yes.”
Fuck. Okay. That was sexy as hell, and when my fingers dug into the back of the recliner, Viper’s eyes fell to them, not missing a thing.
“You like that? That you make my cock hard.”
“Jesus.” I cleared my throat. “You don’t beat around the bush.”
“Correct,” Viper said as he poured two glasses. “I don’t beat any part of myself around a bush. But you? I definitely beat off to you last night.”
Wow. Okay. Was this conversation really happening? I couldn’t believe that I was standing in Viper’s living room talking about him getting off to—
“It’s your own fault.” Viper cut off my thoughts as he picked up the tumblers and stepped around the bar, his destination clear—me. “From the second you showed up for your audition, I wanted to fuck you.”
Over the past couple of weeks, I’d come to learn that Viper wasn’t the kind of guy who hid behind fancy words, or hid in general. If he felt something, or wanted someone, he had no problem expressing it. So while I knew he was trying to shock me, I wouldn’t have expected him to act any other way.
“You did?”
Viper stopped on the other side of the recliner and held a glass out to me, and when I reached for it and he didn’t immediately release it, our eyes met in a kind of standoff. “I still do.”
I swallowed around the lump somewhere in the back of my throat as I tried not to squirm under that direct gaze. Then something else occurred to me. “That’s not why you hired me, is it?”
Viper snorted and released the glass. “That’s why we almost didn’t hire you, Angel. Trust me, you’re in the band because you’re fucking talented. The fact that I want to suck your dick is—was—a frustration I was just gonna have to deal with. But now…” Viper’s gaze lowered to the button of my jeans, where, yeah, I was still hard. “Now it seems I might get to satisfy that particular problem.”
“I don’t know. That seems kind of messy.”
Viper looked up at me, and it wasn’t until right then that I realized why his eyes always looked so dark. It was his lashes. They were so thick and full it almost looked as though he had permanent liner rimming them.
“Oh, it would be messy, Angel. A sweaty, hot mess. And by the end of it, you’d want to do it all over again.”
Keeping my eyes trained on his, I raised the glass to my lips and took a sip of the vodka. It was a strange sensation to feel so aware of your body and yet be so unsure of it at the same time. It felt as though every nerve ending I had was on high alert, and all because Viper was looking at me like he wanted to…what? Consume me?
As that thought slammed into me with startling clarity, the same kind of heat that had raced through me during my late-night escapades with YouTube licked along my veins, and I was reminded of why I’d sought him out in the first place. Viper had been consuming another just last night.
“What about tie guy?” I blurted out before I could think better of it, and when a frown pulled between Viper’s brows, I immediately wanted to take it back.
“Who?”
My eyes widened a fraction, and when it appeared Viper wasn’t going to clue in anytime soon that I was referring to the man he’d all but fucked in front of me last night, I knew there was no way to get out of this other than to jog his memory.
“The guy from last night.”
Viper shrugged. “What about him?”
My mouth fell open, and before I could think of anything to say to that, Viper chuckled.
“You almost sound jealous, Angel. Is that what’s going on here? You jealous?”
“No.”
Viper tossed back the last of his vodka. “You sure?”
Yes. No. “Yes.”
Viper nodded, but his lips twitched at my obvious irritation. “Because if it was jealousy, there’s no reason for it. I left about five minutes after you, came home, and wrote a song about fucking you until I couldn’t walk anymore.”
I ran a hand over my face as I shook my head. Was this guy serious?
“Does that make you feel better?”
It did, actually, but I wasn’t about to admit that. Unlike Viper, I didn’t like to show my hand too early.
Viper smirked, like I didn’t even have to say the words out loud—he already knew.
“So what about you?” He moved to the couch, set his empty glass on the side table, and then sat back, spreading his legs wide. “You left in an awful hurry last night and didn’t even take your lady friends with you.” He tsked, like it was such a shame, though I knew better.
“I’m sure they found someone else.”
“You didn’t answer my question.” Viper rubbed his hand over his thigh and came to rest it by his pelvis, drawing my attention to his still-hard erection.
“I went home. End of story.”
“Ah, see, I don’t think so. Wanna know why?”
With one hand still gripping the top of the recliner, I brought the vodka to my lips, but before I took a sip, I said, “I’d love to hear your theory.”
“Because I pay attention. You couldn’t wait to get away from me last night, even though you couldn’t stop staring at me. But something changed between the time you left and rehearsal today. What was it?”
“Eight hours of sleep.”
Viper’s mouth turned up. “I don’t think so. Try again.”
“How about you drop it?”
“Oh, defensive. Interesting.” He patted the seat beside him. “Why don’t you come tell me all about it?”
“There’s nothing to tell. I went home. End of story.”
“You know, you blushed quite a bit during rehearsal today, and right now your cheeks are red. It’s a dead giveaway, Angel. Fess up.”
Fucking Viper. He was way too perceptive for his own good, and though there was no way he could possibly know what I did when I went home last night, I had a feeling he knew he was on the right track.
I drained the rest of my vodka and then spread my hands along the back of the recliner. Screw it.
“I watched you last night,” I said. “Online.”
Twenty-Six
Viper
WELL, WELL, WELL. I’d known Halo was hiding something, but hearing him confirm he’d gone home to watch me? It stroked something else besides my ego.
“What did you see?” I said.
“One of your shows from the last tour. Whoever filmed it kept the focus on you.”
“Do you like watching me, Angel?”
His blush deepened, and God, that was so fucking sexy. I loved that he couldn’t hide his true feelings from me.
“Yes.”
Christ. My dick strained against its confines, and I had to shift my position. But when that didn’t help, I jerked the zipper down and palmed my erection. “Do you want to watch me now?”
Halo blinked at me, and for a second I thought he’d say yes. Then he shook his head, rubbing his face. “This is crazy. I can’t… We can’t… You’re my bandmate.”
“So?”
“So we can’t do this.”
“We’re not doing anything with you standing all the way over there.”
Halo sighed. “You know what I mean.”
“Don’t make it so complicated. I want to fuck you. You’re definitely curious about what it’d be like to fuck me.”
“So that’s all you want? Just sex?”
“Not just sex. Hot, melt-your-fucking-insides sex.”
“And then what?”
“Are you asking if I cuddle or some shit?”
Halo reared back. “No, that’s not…” He threaded his fingers through his hair, clenching the curls.
“What else do you want?”
He sighed again, and when he dropped his hands, he said, “Dinner. That’s what I want. I’m starving.”
I supposed it was too much to ask if my cock would suffice, so I zipped my jeans and went to the drawer where I kept a stack of menus. I tossed them onto the counter as Halo followed me, still keeping his distance, as if he didn’t trust himself to come closer. Smart angel.
He chose steak and potatoes from the restaurant downstairs, and twenty minutes later, I’d refilled our glasses and had the spread laid out between us. We sat across from each other at the dining table I rarely used. I could practically see the questions milling around in his brain.
A few minutes later, Halo stopped cutting into his rib-eye and looked me in the eye. “You do this a lot.”
“Dinner dates? No, Angel. Not my thing.”
“Not your thing,” he repeated.
“Right. I’m more in the business of catch and release.”
“Catch and release?”
“Mhmm. I catch someone’s eye, bring him home for the night, and then, you know, release him back into the wild.”
Halo scoffed, as I reached over and stabbed the piece of meat he’d just cut into. “In other words, you fuck and run.”
Sitting back in my seat, I chewed my mouthful, swallowed it down, and reached for my drink. “I don’t run anywhere, Angel. And the men who leave here aren’t running either. In fact, most of them are lucky if they can walk.”
Halo rolled his eyes. “You are so arrogant.”
I leaned forward in my chair and scraped my teeth along my lip. “Just telling it like it is.”
“And that’s supposed to make me want to, what? Fall at your feet?”
I flashed a wolfish grin his way. “I’m nothing if not hopeful.”
“You’re insane.”
“And yet you can’t stop thinking about what it would be like to spend one night in my bed. Can you?”
Halo’s jaw clenched, and he lowered his eyes back to his plate without answering.
“I’m going to take that as a yes.”
“Of course you are.”
“Of course I am. You practically came on my leg thirty minutes ago. I’m not about to let you forget that.” I watched him closely as he diligently cut and piled the next mouthful of food on his fork as though it were a matter of life and death, and then I asked him something I could tell was bothering him, judging by this last line of questioning. “What’s worrying you the most: the fact that you’ve never done this before or that I do it all the time?”
This time when Halo’s eyes found mine, there was shock mixed in with disbelief. That’s right, Angel. Told you I pay attention.
“Honest answer?” Halo said.
“Always.”
Halo lowered his fork to the table and narrowed his eyes on me. “Both those things. I just got this gig. I don’t want anything to fuck it up. Even if you do make me—”
When Halo cut himself off, I laughed. “Oh, don’t stop there.”
Halo picked his glass up and threw back a good, long swallow of the vodka. “Even if you make me hard, okay? As if you don’t already know that.”
“I do, but it’s so fucking hot to hear you say it. I couldn’t resist.”
“Well, to me it’s just…strange.” Halo’s mouth pulled into a serious line. “I’ve never looked at a guy like that before, and now I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“Then don’t stop.”
“That’s your answer?” Halo put his knife down. “That’s a shit answer, Viper.”
“Hey, I’m sorry if it’s not what you want to hear, but that’s all I got.” And it was true. Why would you stop thinking about something if it felt good?
Halo pushed back from the table, and as he got to his feet, I looked up at him.
“Going somewhere?”
“Not sitting here I’m not,” Halo said, his eyes boldly moving over my face, and this time, there was no uncertainty, no hesitation in the way he checked me out. “I’m gonna head home. This is… It’s not getting us anywhere, and the guys are going to want to hear what we worked on tomorrow.”
“I thought you said you wouldn’t run.”
“I’m not running,” Halo said as he walked to the couch, picked up his jacket, and shrugged into it. When he turned back to look at me, he folded the paper with the lyrics on it and tucked it into his pocket. “But for now, since I am still able to walk out of here, I think I probably should.”
As he moved back toward the elevator, I didn’t once take my eyes off him, and when he pressed the button and the door slid open, I called out, “Angel?”
He put a hand out, holding the door for himself. “What?”
“I expect you to sing that song exactly the way you sang it tonight, and if you don’t…” I ran my eyes over him and then brought them back up. “We’ll just have to have another private rehearsal.”
Halo sucked in a breath, the idea clearly appealing to him. But as if he knew what would happen if he stayed a second longer, he stepped into the elevator and let the doors shut behind him.
Smart angel.
Twenty-Seven
Halo
I’D JUST STEPPED out of the shower the next morning, wrapping a towel around my waist, when there was a knock at my door. The alarm clock by my bed read eight thirty, far too early for Imogen to be up, so I quickly threw on a pair of sweatpants and went out to see who it was.
As I peered through the peephole, I got an eyeful of the man standing on the other side and had to do a double take. It hadn’t been enough that I’d been up all night thinking about him after leaving his place, but now Viper had shown up at my place?
He knocked again, harder this time, and I unlocked the door and held it wide, wondering what had forced him out of bed so early to land on my doorstep.
A lazy smile greeted me as Viper held up a brown paper bag in one hand and a drink holder containing four cups in the other.
He’d brought breakfast too? Who the hell was this guy?
“You gonna let me in or just stare at me, Angel?” His gaze traveled down my naked torso. Shit. I hadn’t even thrown on a pair of boxers or a shirt, and my hair was still wet and dripping down my back.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, as I moved aside to let him in.
“Rehearsal.” Viper glanced around my small apartment, probably the size of his bathroom, and then set the food and drinks on the bar top separating my nonexistent kitchen from the rest of the room.
“Rehearsal’s not until later at Killian’s.”
“Actually, it’s gonna be you and me today,” he said, leaning against the bar top and resting his
elbows behind him. With his gaze on me again, traveling from my face down the length of my body, I was all too aware of my lack of clothes—dangerous, considering we’d been fully clothed last night, and look what happened.
“What do you mean just you and me?” I said. I moved back to my room to grab the towel I’d tossed on the bed then wiped off my chest and squeezed the water out of my hair. Then I threw on the first T-shirt I saw out of the closet and headed back out to see Viper frown.
“You really didn’t need to do that,” he said.
Oh yes, I did. Having Viper in my apartment was tempting fate already; I didn’t need to add any more fuel to the fire.
Ignoring his blatant perusal, I made my way into the kitchen, the bar top between us—yes, another shield—and said, “You didn’t answer my question. Are we not rehearsing with the guys today?”
“I told Killian you and I needed some more one-on-one practice.”
“You did what?”
Viper tugged at the scarf around his neck, slowly pulling it off. “My song. Your song. Writing lyrics. Get your mind out of the gutter.”
I knew better than to think he was here simply to work on the music. If his night had been anything like mine, he’d woken up hard and frustrated and having to take care of himself in the shower. Twice.
I fought back the image invading my brain and tried to change the subject by grabbing the bag he’d brought. “What’s this?” I opened the bag to see an assortment of bagels and spread inside. “You brought…breakfast?”
Viper lifted his shoulder. “You get grumpy as fuck when you’re hungry. I’d prefer to keep the demon fed if we’re gonna work all day.”
I eyed the four large travel cups. “And that?”
“I didn’t know if you liked your coffee black or with the fancy shit in it.” He opened the lid of one filled to the brim with black coffee and took it out for himself.
“Wow. The Viper brought me breakfast and coffee. Wait until the press gets a load of this.”
Viper rolled his eyes, and I had to grin. He’d blown it off like it was no big deal, but Viper had indeed been paying attention, and this wasn’t in his character make-up at all. He never went out of his way for anyone. Everyone else went out of their way for him.