Love Desired

by Kelli McCracken

  Many of the bar stools were filled with people, but a larger group was on a dance floor at the end of the bar. Velvet ropes separated it from another section of floor that stretched to the stage.

  I didn’t watch Cold Fire perform for long. Doing so made me feel empty. It wasn’t that I envied the success they’d earned. I wanted that same success. Knowing I didn’t have it ate away at my soul.

  “Ayden McAllister?”

  A male voice sounded behind me. As I turned around, my curiosity spiraled. Who would be here that would know me?

  The familiar face I found made me chuckle. Sitting at the bar was Randy Payne, the lead singer for Payne Addiction. The guys and I had a chance to meet him and his band a few months back when we were on tour with Rebel Stone. In the forty-eight hours we hung out, we got along great. It was like reconnecting with an old friend.

  I was glad to see him.

  Before I could respond, the chauffeur motioned to me. “Gentlemen, if you’ll please wait in this area, Miss Williams will be with you shortly. She will have further instructions for you. Enjoy your stay at Music Haven.”

  I heard my bandmates thank him at the same time I did. Then my attention shifted back to the bar. “Randy? How the hell are ya?”

  He left his bar stool and advanced my way, beer in one hand, the other extended toward me. “Dude, I’m great.” He shook my hand. “I’ve been here since that last time I saw you. Did you guys just get in?”

  “Yeah. We stepped out of the limo not even five minutes ago.”

  Randy gazed at each of us, glanced toward the entrance, then back at me. “The guy that brought you in here is the CEO’s personal chauffeur.”

  “Okay . . . Is there a reason you’re mentioning this?”

  “Since arriving here, I’ve witnessed several performers and executives coming and going.” Randy laughed halfheartedly. “Mia Brooks arranges transportation for every guest, but I’ve never seen her send her personal chauffeur. There is a different one she employees.”

  I waited for him to finish explaining as Bentley and I exchanged glances. Much like me, he was tired from the trip, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Why had Randy said what he had?

  Before I could ask him, he took a swig of his beer and refocused on me. “So, what brings you to Music Haven?”

  “We received a certified letter from Andrea Williams on behalf of Amelia Brooks, who is the CEO. Right?” I waited until Randy confirmed my question with a nod. “She invited us to stay here after seeing us perform in Tucson. Miss Williams made the arrangements.”

  “That’s cool.”

  His nonchalant response drove me crazy. I wanted him to give me a straight answer. “So why is it a big deal that the CEO sent her chauffeur?”

  “Like I said, I’ve never seen her send him for anyone else. He’s her personal chauffeur.”

  “Was the other one sick or did he have the day off?”

  Randy waved at a couple busty blondes as they walked by, then he eyed me. “No. I saw him shuttling people to the airport earlier.”

  I still didn’t get why this was a big deal. Was Randy insinuating we were getting special treatment? Impossible. Amelia Brooks knew nothing about us other than what she saw at the concert. Why would she give us preferential treatment?

  “How did your band get here, Randy?”

  “Our tour bus. Most performers get here the same way.”

  “Well, we don’t have one of those yet,” I admitted, doing my best to hide the way it made me feel. Worthless.

  It looked as though Randy wanted to say more. He even pursed his lips to speak. A second later, he grinned at me. “So, I’m assuming you’ve never met Mia, have you? By the way, everyone around here calls her Mia, not Amelia.”

  “Nope.” I took note of the correction and shook my head. “We weren’t aware she was at the concert until we received the letter. Why?”

  The longer he took to answer, the more concerned I grew. Why was Randy making such a big deal about how we got there, why we were there, and what we knew about the CEO of Music Haven? Short of being the granddaughter of the late Brandon Brooks, I knew little about her.

  “What’s up, man? What aren’t you telling us?”

  “Nothing,” Randy chuckled and held his hands defensively, waist-high. “I just think it’s cool you caught her attention.”

  Great. I didn’t like the way this was sounding. It seemed more and more like he thought we’d been invited here because one of us was fucking around with the CEO. Not. Short of a few one-night stands, I had no interest in a relationship.

  “I think you’re full of shit,” I replied. “There’s something you’re not telling us. Let me guess. This Mia is some married chick whose husband won’t give her the time of day, so she takes an interest in bands. If you think one of us is screwing her, you’re wrong.”

  Shocked didn’t describe the look on my bandmates’ faces, or Randy’s for that matter. They were floored. Had I surprised them with my honest response? If so, it would be the first of many.

  “Oh, man,” Randy finally howled with laughter. “You have no clue what’s in store for you. Just wait for it.”

  I asked him what he meant, but my question was lost in the noise of the crowd. Cold Fire had finished their song, and everyone began clapping and cheering their performance.

  As another song kicked in, movement near the main entrance caught my attention. A woman stood at the end of the hall, scanning the bar as if she were searching for something. Perhaps it was someone, because when she spotted the guys and me, her lips curved upward. She had a remarkable smile. If this was Mia Brooks, I had nothing to worry about. She was a beautiful woman, but my heart wasn’t ready.

  It was a good thing too because the longer I stared at her, the more I realized that Bentley held every ounce of her attention.

  Chapter 2

  ~Ayden~

  I didn’t want a relationship. I’d convinced myself as much, yet I’d let Randy mess with my head. All the questions he’d asked about our being there, and the weird responses he gave us, made my brain turn down a road it hadn’t traveled in four years. The thought of a woman desiring me or making special arrangements for the band had me anxious to meet her. It had me reconsidering my position on dating.

  What an idiot I’d become.

  Lucky for me, this woman was interested in Bentley, or at least appeared to be. Good. Now maybe my brain would get back on board with my heart.

  She had a lot going for her, from beauty and grace to a sexiness that was undeniably evident. That much I could confirm. I understood why Bentley was dazed by her attention. It still didn’t give him the right to ignore me when I said his name. Twice.

  As she left the spot near the opening and walked our way, Bentley shifted from one foot to the other. His mouth parted slightly, and when he turned to me, I thought it was to speak.

  Nope. He mouthed two words to me. Holy shit.

  I snorted. We had plenty of lengthy discussions about women after I broke things off with my ex. I’d caught my share of shit too.

  Bentley encouraged me to be more like him, a man who appreciated women but didn’t want anything serious. He swore he had never let a woman get under his skin, nor would one have the opportunity. Did he believe his own bullshit? That’s precisely what it was because this woman had mesmerized every part of my friend. Not one time had I witnessed him look at a woman the way he was looking at her.

  “Hello, gentlemen.” She approached us with quick steps. I waited for her to walk to Bentley, but to my surprise, she came to me first. “My name is Andrea Williams, but everyone here knows me by Andi. I’m Mia Brooks’ assistant. You’re Ayden, correct?”

  I nodded when she shook my hand. Instead of saying anything else directly to me, she took her time welcoming each of us. All I could think about was the fact that she wasn’t who I thought she would be. That meant we still had to meet the mysterious Mia Brooks, CEO of Music Haven.

  Once An
di finished, she made her way back to Bentley and me. “I hope your trip from the airport was pleasant. I know it’s a little bit of a drive from Vegas, but it beats the layovers you would face if you flew into a smaller airport.”

  “Don’t apologize,” Bentley told her. “We have no complaints about the ride here.”

  He and Andi stared at each other for the longest time. It grew awkward. I cleared my throat in hopes that it would break their concentration.

  It worked. A second later, Andi glanced my way. “Mia wanted you guys to have a comfortable trip. Speaking of which, she wanted to know the minute you arrived. If you’ll excuse me for a moment, I’ll see if I can locate her.”

  As she walked away, a grin formed on Bentley’s face, and his eyes were glassy, like they were when he was drunk. Was he that enthralled by Andi?

  I wanted to razz him, but Randy’s voice penetrated my thoughts. “She’s something, isn’t she?”

  “That she is,” Bentley mumbled. Jason and Ryan snickered as I fought back the urge to laugh, especially when he looked at me and said, “What?”

  “Nothing, man. Nothing at all.” I managed to say the words without telling him what I really thought. He was a pussy. Sure, he talked a good game when he was around the guys and me, but after seeing the way he looked at Andi, I was calling him on his bluff. If my gut was right, Bentley’s infamous playboy role was about to end.

  Switching my focus back to Randy, I waited until he finished the last drink of his beer before I prodded him for more information. “What’s the deal, man? Is there something you’re not telling me about this Brooks chick?”

  “Dude, I swear, it’s nothing bad.”

  “Okay. Then tell me this. What’s she like?”

  Every ounce of Randy’s attention shifted. He stared in the distance, not saying much at all. His mouth moved, but no words came out.

  “Wow,” Jason snickered. “It must be bad if Randy is speechless.”

  The comment brought Randy’s focus back to us. “I’m not speechless. I’m at a loss for words. Mia is indescribable. You will see for yourself. By the way, Ayden, Mia isn’t some married rich chick with an inattentive husband. She’s not married at all.”

  As much as I wanted to tell him I didn’t care if she was single, I couldn’t help but grow curious. He felt the need to point it out while sporting an impish grin. The message he was attempting to send me was mixed.

  Before I could decipher it much further, I glanced toward the left side of the bar where Andi had disappeared. She came into view a second later, and from what I could see, someone was behind her.

  When Andi slowed her steps, the other person joined her side. The music switched tempos as the base drum formed a rhythm that matched the one in my heart. It didn’t take long to realize who this person was.

  Mia Brooks.

  I hadn’t expected her to be close in age to us, but from what I could see, she wasn’t much younger. Both she and Andi were the same height, about five-foot-five. Dark wavy hair fell to her shoulders. Her slim waist made her appear delicate, but the confidence in her step said she was strong.

  There wasn’t a part of her that I didn’t notice. From the beaded, short-sleeve shirt she wore that drew my eyes to her cleavage, to the long legs that stretched below her skirt, she was sheer perfection.

  Look away . . .

  I told myself those words until they became a mantra. Still, I didn’t heed my own warning. Instead, I concentrated on the woman approaching the guys and me. By the time I got my shit together, she was standing in front of us.

  She was nothing like I expected. That posed a problem because the woman standing in front of me was causing my body to react. Only, it was more than that. She was stirring something I’d buried years ago.

  My desire.

  * * *

  ~Mia~

  Each second I stood in front of Ayden had my heart slamming against my chest. From the moment Andi announced their arrival, I hadn’t wasted any time getting to the spot where they were standing. Now that I was here, every coherent thought left my mind.

  Ayden was just as sexy as I remembered. His jeans hugged him in all the right places, leading my mind further into territory I knew it shouldn’t be in. I couldn’t help it. Something about him pulled at me.

  “Guys, I’d like to introduce you to Mia Brooks. Mia, meet the guys from Breaking Silence.”

  Andi’s voice penetrated my thoughts. So did the way she guided me toward each member. She introduced Jason O’Neal and Ryan Conner first. I vaguely remember shaking their hands or exchanging polite sentiments with them.

  “This is Bentley Price.” I heard Andi say as he extended his hand. “He’s the kick-ass drummer for the band.”

  I didn’t miss the way Andi winked at him. She was flirting. I knew she was. Whether he knew it too remained a mystery. I assumed he did by the way his cheeks flushed. He gazed at her a moment then shifted his eyes towards me.

  “It’s an honor, Mia.”

  “Likewise.”

  I couldn’t think of anything witty to say, not when I turned to the last member for introduction. Except, I didn’t wait for Andi this time. I reached my hand forward, waiting for him to clasp it.

  “Ayden McAllister.” Saying his name brought me a sense of satisfaction. I hoped he didn’t notice it in the tone of my voice. I couldn’t be transparent about my feelings, especially when I didn’t trust them.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Ayden’s voice was soft and steady. The sound soothed the anxiety increasing in my soul. I didn’t want to release his hand but knew I must.

  “The pleasure is mine.” Once his grip loosened, both of us dropped our hands to our sides. The way his eyes locked with mine, I was sure he was reading me.

  I lost all train of thought as the band performing began the chorus of their song. It wasn’t until Andi elbowed me that I realized I’d been too quiet.

  “Thank you for accepting my invitation to Music Haven. As Andi mentioned in the letter, I had a chance to see your performance in Tucson a few weeks ago. I thought it was a hell of a show.”

  I glanced at each of them as I spoke loud enough for them to hear me. They smiled at my compliment, except Ayden, who glanced at the floor. As hard as I tried to focus on all the members, I couldn’t help but keep going back to him. Each time I did, he looked away.

  Bentley did the opposite. He gave me a cocky little grin and replied, “It was the last show of the tour. We had to go out with drumsticks blazing.”

  Ryan punched him in the arm and mumbled something about guitar strings. Andi and I chuckled at their bantering, but I noticed Ayden had maintained a straight face. Perhaps he was tired.

  “How about I finish showing you around then get you guys to your rooms.”

  This time, Ayden finally spoke up. “Sounds good.”

  I made a semicircle as I spread my arms wider. “This is the arena. It’s the heart of Music Haven. All shows are performed here, along with any concerts we host for the public. Behind the stage are dressing rooms and the lighting and sound equipment.”

  Each took their time to glance around the dome until I motioned them to follow me toward the bar. Once I approached, I waved at Max, my lead bartender and longtime friend. He finished serving one of the guests before strolling my way.

  When he noticed the guys, he waved. “Hey there.”

  “This is Maximus Taylor, but around here, we call him Max. He’s head bartender, and there’s a reason. He’s the best.”

  “She’s biased,” Max teased. “I’ve just been here the longest. I’ve grown on her.”

  Rolling my eyes at him, I shook my head as I pointed to the band. “Max, these are the members of Breaking Silence. They’re my special guests, so please make sure your staff takes care of them.”

  “I’ll make sure everyone knows.”

  I didn’t miss the way Ayden’s face scrunched. It worried me to think he may not be the type of person who wanted preferential treatment.
I wasn’t doing anything different for them than I would for a lot of new bands.

  Okay, maybe it was just a little more than usual, but it wasn’t because I was attracted to Ayden. I sincerely wanted to help them. For them to reach their full potential, they needed to be comfortable. I’d spent my life around performers. I knew the best way to assist them, even if they didn’t.

  Continuing our journey around the arena, I stopped near the edge of the dance floor and gazed at the men behind me. “The arena is not just for concerts. Our guests use it for rehearsals and warm-ups. It’s also where we choreograph bands and singers that request it. We have a recording studio in one of the buildings across the road. I’ll be sure to give you guys a schedule once I have it completed.”

  “Recording studio?” Ayden asked, his voice full of uncertainty.

  I nodded but realized I was getting ahead of myself. “I have big plans for your band, but for now, just relax and enjoy your stay.”

  Each of them exchanged glances. I could see subtle signs of their surprise, relief, and excitement. Ayden was the only one who was the hardest to read. He had an infamous poker face, one that showed no emotion. I wasn’t sure how to take it.

  Instead, I focused on the floor. “When we have concerts, private and public, this area of the arena is moved.”

  Both Ayden and Bentley frowned at each other before looking my way. Confusion played in their eyes, just as I expected. This was the part of Music Haven that always gained people’s interest, and despite how quiet he’d been, Ayden was the first to ask a question I often received.

  “What do you mean, it’s moved?”

  “The dance floor and the bar are on a hydraulic system. With a switch of a lever, the entire floor is raised above the arena approximately sixty-feet, minus the VIP box seating. It drops about ten feet lower and is located on the right side, past the bar.” When their faces scrunched in confusion, I knew they were having difficulty picturing what I was saying. “Imagine being at a concert, only the upper level is a bar instead of seats.”