He didn’t say anything else. Andi was a few feet away. Their eyes were locked on each, and both began smiling. It wouldn’t be long before she was standing in front of him.
Over the past week, I’d gotten used to not seeing Mia and Andi together. Now that she was back, I thought they would be joined at the hip again. Nope. Mia was still standing close to the stage. A man had entered, one I recognized as Tyler Jones, a famous pop music singer. They were in a deep conversation, oblivious to anything else around them.
Part of me wished Mia were with Andi. Now that she was back, I needed to make up for my behavior. I wanted to work with her, get to know her, and see what she could teach us. Maybe I could convince her I was a nice guy who wasn’t the asshole she’d seen. Who knew? She could grow to like me. Then again, I could discover my infatuation with her could be misguided. She may not be anything like the type of woman I wanted.
Did I even know what I wanted?
My arm warmed as something struck it. Bentley was frowning when I looked his way. Both he and Andi were observing me.
“You deaf, man? Andi was speaking to you.”
“Sorry,” I glanced her way. “I was in deep thought.”
“Mm-hmm,” Bentley grumbled beside me.
Andi wasn’t paying attention to him. She waved at me again. “Morning.”
“Morning, Andi.”
Music blared from the speakers surrounding the arena. It gained my attention as well as Andi’s. She glanced over her shoulder toward the spot where Mia was standing. Only, she wasn’t there anymore. She was dancing with Tyler.
Their steps mirrored each other, both in perfect sync. Every so often, Mia would wait for him to complete a series of steps before she did the same. Then they moved together as if they were the same person.
The longer I watched them, the more restless I grew.
My fidgeting caught Andi’s attention when she turned around. There was humor on her face. “Remember how I mentioned that some guests ask for choreography help. This is one of those instances.”
“I thought you had staff just for that purpose.”
She nodded. “We do, but some people ask for Mia specifically. Her mother was a professional dancer and had Mia dancing by the time she was three.”
I didn’t miss the way Andi referred to Mia’s mother in past tense. Had she given up dancing? Was she still in her daughter’s life, or had she abandoned her? Mia mentioned her father worked on the road for the business. Perhaps her mother did the same.
She didn’t give out information about her mom, even when I asked about it the day we arrived. It was as if she hadn’t heard my question, or she’d chosen to avoid it. Was it because her mom left her, or worse, had her mother died?
“So Mia runs Music Haven, mentors new bands, and dances? What else can she do?” Bentley teased. I knew he was asking for my benefit as much as he was taunting me.
“Mia has a lot of hidden talents. Music Haven is her main focus, but if you stick around long enough, you’ll see the rest.”
I shouldn’t care. Even if I was kosher on the idea of working with Mia, the less I knew about her, the better. Every detail that I discovered only increased the way she pulled at me. My curiosity grew rampant.
So did my desire . . .
Andi’s cell phone rang, sending my thoughts scurrying. She lifted it from her pocket and glanced at the screen. Then she sighed. “Give me a second. I have something to tell you, but I need to take this call. I’ll be right back. Excuse me.”
As she sauntered to the other side of the bar, Bentley watched every step of her departure. He could try to deny it, but I knew the truth. If Andi wanted something serious from him, he’d give it to her. My friend was ate up with her.
Facing me again, he waggled his brows. “Max was right. The view is amazing.” He laughed when I shook my head. “So, are you going to take my advice?”
“Which part?”
“The part where you forget the crazy bitch who screwed you over and move on to better things.”
It was a classic Bentley suggestion. Don’t get attached. Find something better. Rinse and repeat.
“I’ll get back to you on that as soon as I have options.”
“Options? Shit, dude, the fucking CEO of this place wants you. That isn’t enough of an option?”
I choked at his response. Was he kidding? “Mia Brooks doesn’t want me.”
Bentley smacked his forehead. “Sweet Jesus. Are you blind? Mia can’t keep her eyes off you.”
“You’re insane.” I snorted at his answer, taking the last sip of my lukewarm coffee. “Why would someone as smart and sexy as her, who has all of this to offer, want someone like me?”
Blinking at my question, Bentley finally leaned on his elbow and drew closer. “That’s just it, Ayden. Mia does have a lot to offer, and she’s offered it to you. You heard what Randy said when we arrived. She sent her personal chauffeur to get us at the airport. We’re staying in the same condo where she lives. She’s managing our band. Trust me. She wants you.”
I rubbed my temples, fighting back a headache. This conversation was stressing me. I didn’t believe anything Bentley was saying. At the same time, part of me wanted him to be right.
The conversation ended on that note. Andi rejoined us just as she hung up from the call she received. Once her phone was secure in her pocket, she stopped in front of Bentley and me.
“Sorry about the interruption . . . Damn, I say that phrase a lot. I think it will be engraved on my tombstone.”
Bentley chuckled. “Hope you don’t plan on having one of those anytime soon.”
Andi’s cheeks flushed as she laughed. “No plans on this end.” When she winked at my friend, he drew in a long breath. “So, back to the reason I came over earlier. Mia wanted me to let you know that she arranged for you guys to get in the studio this week. We’d like to hear your songs and choose some for a demo.”
It was better news than what I expected. It meant things were moving along as planned. It also meant Mia didn’t completely hate me. Then again, maybe she was just sticking to her word. For all I knew, she was speeding up the process. After the way I treated her, she probably wanted to send us on our way as quick as possible.
“Damn, this is great to hear,” Bentley piped up. He glanced at me long enough to see me nod.
“Mia wanted to get started right away, but when she was called out of town, we had to postpone things. She’s ready now. Would you mind passing the news to Jason and Ryan?”
“Of course,” I spoke the words at the same time Bentley did. His voice was full of eagerness. He was excited for what was in store. Me? I was even more convinced that Mia was doing this out of necessity. She wanted to keep her word, but she wanted me gone.
As the song hit its final chorus, I found Mia again. Tyler was spinning, dipping, and moving every part of his body with the song. It seemed as if he was challenging Mia, who’d stopped to watch him. When he finished his last step, Mia mimicked everything he did.
Both laughed a second later. I couldn’t hear her, but Tyler’s voice echoed through the speakers.
Andi’s movements caught my attention. When I glanced at her, she was smiling. She tilted her head toward the area where her boss was dancing. “You would think they were a couple, wouldn’t you?”
“Are they?” I hadn’t meant to ask the question aloud, but now that I had, I waited for an answer.
Shaking her head, Andi focused on Mia again. “Nope. Mia and I have known Tyler for years. We went to high school together. They both enjoyed dancing and bonded over it. His career started here at Music Haven.”
I spotted another performer walking toward Mia and Tyler. I recognized her too. Jenna Justice. Her lips curved upward as she adjusted the headset she was wearing. It matched the one Tyler wore.
Mia motioned to Jenna, who started dancing on the other side of Tyler. “Girl,” Jenna laughed as they closed in on Tyler. “We’re gonna hurt this boy. It’s too much sexi
ness for him to handle.”
Anyone who was in the vicinity broke into laughter, especially when Tyler acted as if he were about to explode from the seductive moves they were making.
When the song ended, they all hugged.
Seeing another man’s arms around Mia sparked a jealous streak inside me. Andi explained that Tyler was a friend, but the part of me that had been burned in the past grew discontent. I had no right. Mia wasn’t mine. As far as I knew, she wasn’t involved with anyone. Randy said she was single, and I hadn’t noticed her spending time with anyone other than Andi.
Unless she was seeing someone that lived out of town.
As the thought rolled through my mind, everything around me seemed to disappear. One question shook me back to reality. Was that the real reason Mia left for a week?
Chapter 5
~Ayden~
Music resonated through the arena once Tyler stepped back and gave the floor to Jenna and Mia. I couldn’t look away. My curiosity had gotten the best of me. I recognized the song Jenna was about to sing, and I knew it was one of the hottest tracks she’d ever performed. Seductive was more like it. Seeing her with Mia, I couldn’t help but wonder if they were about to dance to the same song.
My cock twitched at the thought.
This was more than I could handle. As if her presence didn’t already tug at me, seeing Mia dance with Tyler had been entrancing. Whatever moves she was about to make with Jenna would be hypnotic.
When the music changed from a slow beat to a fast tempo, a group of other dancers moved in behind Mia and Jenna. Both were facing the bar, but they focused on their steps, nothing more.
Mia’s body rolled as she slid her hands higher. She gripped her hips a moment later and thrust them to the beat. Jenna copied her moves, not that I paid much attention to her. Mia was my only focus.
It was as if she felt my eyes on her. She glanced my way after she spun around and repeated the same movements. When her body shook and shimmied, I gripped the stool beneath me.
Was she taunting me?
The smile slowly curling on her lips said yes. I couldn’t tell if she was just into the music and the instructions she was giving Jenna or if she was flirting. It seemed like the latter. I hoped as much.
Drinking in every inch of her with my eyes, I lingered on her tits, the perfect round mounds that peeked out of the top of her shirt. Everything was adequately covered, but the fabric clung to her curves enough to see her skin.
I groaned when her hands went lower, past her hips, to the center of her body, the center I wanted to explore. The longer I gawked at her, the more I questioned what was happening. Was Mia interested in me? Bentley seemed so confident that she was. Now that she knew I was watching her, she hadn’t looked away.
Bentley’s words haunted me again. He wanted me to take his advice—to forget my ex, move on, enjoy the company of a woman. With the way Mia’s body moved, she’d become the star of my latest fantasy. I couldn’t deny how much I’d like to see that fantasy play out.
Maybe I was going about this wrong. I’d spent too much energy resisting her. What I needed was one night with Mia. Then I’d have it out of my system. I could concentrate on the band and our music.
My mind raced with so many questions, I wasn’t sure what was real and what was my imagination. All I knew is how much more I wanted her with every passing second.
Forcing myself to turn away, I played with my coffee cup as Andi and Bentley talked. I didn’t listen to what they were saying. I didn’t care. My senses were going haywire.
I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t noticed the song end. I peeked toward Mia again, but her attention had shifted to Jenna. Regardless that she wasn’t looking at me, she engrossed my every thought. At least, she had. I heard Bentley’s voice a second later.
“That was some performance.”
Andi laughed as she nodded. “That’s Jenna’s music for you. She has a way of sneaking suggestive lyrics into her songs. She and Mia have worked on that dance for the last month.” She glanced my way and chuckled. “I think they achieved their goal to create a seductive routine.”
When Bentley looked at me, I did my best to appear unaffected—by Andi’s comment, by Mia’s moves, by the images racing through my mind.
“It’s definitely a hot track.” Bentley continued to look at me even though he was speaking to Andi. A devious grin crept over his face just before he faced her. “So, you mentioned that Mia and Tyler weren’t a couple. Does that mean she’s involved with someone else?”
“Are you asking for yourself or your friend?”
I glared at Bentley, silently daring him to keep his mouth shut. Whether he did depended on one thing. Was he afraid Andi would think he was interested in her boss?
“Oh, it’s not for me,” he finally answered.
My stomach sank. Bentley just sold me out. I had a feeling he would, so it shouldn’t have bothered me as much as it did. What frustrated me most was that Mia would get this information.
I needed to cover my ass.
“If I wanted to know about her availability, I can articulate the right questions.”
“Ooh, someone is using big words. Impressive.” Bentley was stirring the proverbial pot. I wanted to punch him in the mouth.
Andi studied my face before she answered, “Mia’s been burned in the past, so she’s been single for a few years.”
It was a bitter truth I knew all along. Despite being single, Mia wasn’t available. Why I’d let myself believe anything else was foolish on my part. Guess I wanted what I couldn’t have.
“So Mia’s off the market?” Bentley continued to prod. Why wouldn’t he just give up?
“I never said that.” Andi crossed her arms as she scrutinized Bentley. “In fact, I’ve encouraged her to start dating again. It’s hard for her when she stays busy. I keep hoping the right guy will find his way to her.”
“Maybe he already has.”
I couldn’t glare at Bentley over his comment when Andi met my gaze and smiled. Heat returned to my face, burning it beyond any level of comfort. All of this was surreal.
They were acting juvenile. We were adults. If I wanted to know if Mia was interested in me, I was capable of getting the info. Just because I’d distanced myself from women didn’t mean I’d forgotten how to approach them. I didn’t need matchmakers.
Time to turn the tables.
“If you want to play matchmaker, let’s start with you two. You’re perfect for each other.”
Inside, I was laughing so hard I should have had tears. On the outside, I gave Andi and Bentley my don’t-fuck-with-me look.
“Ayden, if it makes you feel better, Mia would kill me if she knew I was saying any of this. I don’t want you to misunderstand why you’re at Music Haven. We’re here to help you succeed. That’s our focus.” She shifted her eyes to something in the distance. “Mia’s been burned in the past. If this is a game, she will know it before you play your first piece. If you’re sincere,” her eyes roamed over me once more, “you have nothing to worry about. Let the pieces fall as they should.”
It was a cryptic response, yet somehow I understood what she meant. Mia was no stranger to a broken heart. She knew the players from experience, and if I was after a short fling, she would recognize it in an instant.
Though I wasn’t sure I’d be able to do the same, I wasn’t into playing games. I’d been the loser in one of the worst—the game of lies and deceit, the game of a cheater. Had she been through the same?
Perhaps Mia and I had more in common than I thought. We definitely shared the pain of being hurt by someone we let get close to us. She may have been born into a life of luxury, but it didn’t guarantee she’d be loved. Money didn’t buy happiness, and anyone who thought it did was full of shit.
As much as I hated the thought of someone hurting her, it relieved my mind too. If she’d been burned by love and was cautious about relationships, she’d be less likely to inflict that pain on
someone else.
Depending on how long the guys and I stayed, it was possible for Mia and me to become friends. I could show her I wasn’t the asshole I pretended to be. She would see I had a past, that I’d been screwed by love, and I’d shut off my heart too. Would it be enough to convince her to give me a chance?
Was it worth me taking the risk?
“Well, fuck.” Andi’s voice held a detectable amount of disgust as she cursed.
Bentley leaned closer to her. “What’s wrong?”
“Trouble is coming our way.”
Flashing me a confused look, Bentley searched the left side of the bar as I did the same. I wasn’t sure what had her frustrated or why she was staring at something like she couldn’t stand the sight of it.
“See the guy coming this way, the one who’s been hitting the gym too hard?”
I spotted a man a few seconds later wearing a hoodie, jeans, and sneakers. He was a bit broader than me but definitely shorter. He was older too. His dark hair had gray strands blended through it. I guessed him to be in his forties.
It wasn’t until his dark eyes narrowed on Andi and a devious grin stretched across his face that I understood why Mia’s assistant had reacted the way she had. Everything about this guy seemed off.
“Who is that?” Bentley asked.
“The biggest liar you’ll ever meet. Don’t believe anything that comes out of his mouth,” Andi huffed. There was no denying how much she disliked the guy, but she still hadn’t told us why. “His name is Wesley Whitman. He is Mia’s ex and one of the biggest reasons why she hasn’t dated in years.”
Now it made sense. It also made things awkward. I hadn’t expected to meet any of her old flames. Knowing this guy was one stunned me. He was older than her. Much older.
His attention remained on Andi once he stood a few feet away. He glanced at Bentley next, then me. “Hello, gentlemen. You must be the new guys I’ve heard people mentioning. I thought I’d come to introduce myself.” He extended his hand toward Bentley first. “The name’s Wesley Whitman. And you are?”
Love Desired Page 5