It was the perfect response to cause Wesley to snap. He lunged toward me. I was ready for him. If it weren’t for Bentley between us, I would give him the worst beatdown he’d ever received. My friend was struggling to keep distance between us. Luckily for Wesley, Max rushed up and joined Bentley in keeping us apart. The bartender placed his hand on my shoulder and urged me to step back.
“He isn’t worth this. Trust me. He loves every second.”
Max spoke the words soft enough that Wesley couldn’t hear them. As hard as it was for me to abide by his request, I did so. The last thing I wanted was to give Wesley any satisfaction.
Once I retreated, the heat of a body warmed my back. I caught a glimpse of Mia as she joined my side. She didn’t acknowledge me. Instead, she concentrated on her ex.
“Your best bet is to take your sorry ass to your suite and pack your shit before I call Gary. He’s been dying to haul you to jail for a while now. I can and will press assault charges against you.”
“Call him. Have me arrested. It won’t get me out of your life. I have a seat on the board and a right to be here.”
“We’ll see how long you keep your seat once I press charges against you. Leave now and you’ll get severance pay.”
Wesley pushed Bentley away from him and then took a few steps back. He adjusted his collar and smoothed over his shirt. Then he smirked at Mia. “Even if you have me arrested, I’ll be right back here when I get out. The board doesn’t meet for another month. Good luck getting rid of me until then.”
Just as a couple of Mia’s security guards approached, Wesley walked away. They met him midway, but he didn’t stop to talk. He kept walking toward the main entrance, ignoring the fact that they were following him out.
Most of the people who’d witnessed the confrontation watched Wesley leave before resuming whatever they were doing. A few nosier people peeked our way, but they refocused on their drinks and conversations right after.
My heart was pounding in my chest. All the adrenaline rushing through my veins left me shaky. Yet the moment I met Mia’s eyes, everything settled. She was concerned, ashamed, even worried. An apology clung to her lips as she parted them, but I stopped her from saying anything with one wave of my hand.
“No apologies. That guy is a douche.” I gritted my teeth at the thought of Wesley until I noticed her wince. “Are you okay?”
She nodded but focused on the floor. “I’m fine.”
I didn’t believe her. There was no way anyone would be okay after what just happened. She didn’t have to be tough for me. I wanted to be tough for her, to be the one she leaned on. Hopefully, this was my chance to change things between us.
Tucking my finger under her chin, I raised it until she looked at me. There were no tears in her eyes. A fire blazed inside them, one full of hate for Wesley. I didn’t want her worrying about him anymore tonight. He was gone. I refused to let him ruin what was left of the night, not after waiting for this opportunity.
I cupped her cheek as I ran my finger just below the spot where Wesley struck her. When she winced again, it hurt me. I should have reacted to my instincts sooner. I wanted to check on her long before Andi stood from the table. Maybe if I had, this wouldn’t have happened.
“Thank you, Ayden.”
Her words confused me. “For what?”
“For standing up for me. Of all the miserable things Wesley’s done to me over the years, that was the first time he ever hit me.” She lowered her gaze back to the floor. “I’m sure you’ve heard by now that he’s my ex.”
“Yeah, I’ve heard.” I waited for her to look at me again before I continued. After a few seconds with no luck, I released the breath I’d been holding. “That man is irrelevant to me. I know what kind of man he is. No. Let me rephrase that. I know what kind of coward he is. A real man would never hit a woman.”
When I caressed her cheek this time, I felt my resolve slipping away. Everything about this woman spoke to me. I’d been an idiot to resist her. She wanted what was best for me. I could see that now.
Still, I’d made things harder for her too. I had insinuated to her ex that we were sleeping together. That infuriated Wesley more. I thought for sure she would deny it, but she didn’t. The thought had me wondering if maybe she’d entertained the idea. It had crossed my mind several times, though the fantasy never got far. I wouldn’t let it.
As the music switched over to a slower song, I spotted several people on the dance floor. Maybe if I convinced her to join me there, I wouldn’t have to release her. I wanted to be closer, wanted to smell the sweet scent of her hair as she danced with me.
I took the chance before I talked myself out of it.
Offering her my hand, I motioned my head toward the dance floor. “Will you?”
She stared at my hand a moment, not really saying anything. I worried I was rushing her. After the scene with Wesley, the last thing she’d want is for people to see the two of us—
Her hand clasped mine as she inched closer. I led her toward the dance floor, disbelieving this was happening. Part of me was screaming to stop, to not fall into this trap of caring about another woman. The part of me that was anxious to hold her drowned out the doubt.
As soon as she wrapped her arms around my neck, I rested my hands on her hips. They were perfect. Just the right amount of curve. There wasn’t a part of her that wasn’t perfect, at least not externally. The damage had occurred inside, deep in her heart.
I understood that imperfection better than anyone. Maybe that’s why I couldn’t resist Mia. We were two damaged souls drawn to each other. Two people who trusted someone they shouldn’t have. Two people afraid of facing that pain again.
I couldn’t imagine hurting her. I still didn’t know what caused her previous relationships to end, but if I was lucky enough to be in one with her, there’s no way in hell I could break her heart.
Our bodies swayed slowly to the music. We blended with the rest of the couples who were spread about the dance floor. Some spoke to each other. Some stared. Some made out. Some just held on to each other.
Mia observed our surroundings before she glanced at me. For the first time since the chaos ensued, she smiled. It made me chuckle.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing. I just . . . I’m glad I’m the one dancing with you. After dealing with my poor behavior when we arrived, I’m surprised you didn’t toss me out on my ass.”
She chuckled this time. “Remember how I told you that I know musicians better than they know themselves? That’s just one example of what I meant. I knew you were tired and that you were dealing with something personal. It didn’t change my opinion of you.”
“I don’t see how. I didn’t act much better than Wesley.” When she didn’t respond to my comment, I debated continuing. I didn’t want to upset her, but I needed answers. “If you don’t mind my asking, what is Wesley’s deal anyway?”
“I met him when I was seeing someone else, another musician. He was a roadie, but he was always nice to me. We became friends.” She gazed into the distance and laughed softly as she shook her head. “Guess I wasn’t so good at reading people back then, or maybe I was and I had blinders on. Either way, I had no clue what kind of master manipulator I’d allowed into my life until he sabotaged my relationship.”
“How did he do that?”
Her lips pressed tighter when she peered at me again. She seemed reluctant to answer. I wasn’t sure if it was the pain the answer would cause or because she feared I would judge her.
“I don’t want to bore you with all the details right now. What I can tell you is that when my other relationship ended, Wesley was there for me. He seemed genuine at a time when I was devastated. I brought him to Music Haven to repay him for his kindness.”
My mind was in overdrive. I’d heard some of this story already from Max and Andi. Hearing the words from Mia meant more. It said she trusted me enough to share something personal. Now more questions were forming.
“No. The guy I was seeing was on tour when we met. We came to Music Haven during a break, but when he went back out, I went with him. It’s a long, complicated story. In short, the guy and I broke up. It was the first devastating loss I’d experienced since losing my mother, and I didn’t handle it well.”
Her last omission had me gaping. I’d questioned her mother’s absence in her life. Hell, I’d even pondered the idea of her mother being deceased. Turns out I was right.
“Mia, I didn’t know. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“It happened years ago. My mom died in a car accident when I was eight. She and my father were having some problems, but I didn’t realize how much at the time. That’s another long story.”
She grew quiet again. It wasn’t hard to see how much she struggled with this. Guilt burned within me for even asking the question. I was the reason she was feeling this discomfort.
“You don’t have to talk about this. I can see how much it’s upsetting you.”
“It’s okay. I think it’s good to get some of this off my chest.” She sighed deeply. “Since Wesley helped me through my breakup, I brought him here and introduced him to my grandfather. He liked Wesley so much that he offered him a job and eventually a board seat.”
Something in her mood shifted. The pain I noticed on her face when she spoke of her mother had switched to disgust.
“You have no clue how many lies he told me or the things I learned about him. It was the final push I needed to end things. I’ve devoted myself to this job ever since.”
“This all happened four years ago?” I waited until she nodded before I asked the next question. “You haven’t gotten involved with anyone since him?”
“No. I don’t want to be hurt again.”
The more details I heard about Mia’s past relationships, the more I understood her. We were alike in many ways. At the same time, it worried me too. If we got together, would either of us be able to trust the other? Would she even give me an opportunity to show her that I wasn’t like her ex—either of them?
There was no time like the present.
“I’ve known guys like Wesley all of my life. I’ve known women like him too. The way you describe him . . . It reminds me of my ex. She was manipulative.”
Mia’s hands lowered from my neck to my shoulders. She gazed at my chest, somewhat dazed, or so it seemed. Maybe she was just at a loss for words. I hated bringing up an ex even while we discussed hers.
This wasn’t about me. It was about Mia. But I wanted to show her that I cared, that I was here if she needed or wanted me, and I empathized with what she’d been through.
Finding the balance felt impossible. It’s why I’d avoided any type of relationship since splitting with my ex. Still, here I was, wanting to know Mia, taking up her battles, and opening myself to her a little more each time. It was dangerous, and still, I did so willingly.
“What did your ex-girlfriend do to you?”
Her voice was steady and sweet as it usually was. I noticed a hint of curiosity too. Her undivided attention stroked my ego. It made me feel like she cared about me.
Even so, I couldn’t talk about this subject while facing her. Thinking of my ex-girlfriend made me angry. I didn’t want Mia to see that emotion on my face. It was a side of me I hated.
Pulling her closer, I spoke softly in her ear. “I’ll be perfectly honest. Our relationship was based on sex. Within a few months, she started playing with my head, making me think she loved me. I believed it for a while. Then I found out she cheated on me. I’ve been single since then.”
Mia’s body stilled. When I pulled back, she was staring at me. Every second I spent under her gaze made my body heat, especially when she replied, “I can relate to that more than you know.”
* * *
~Mia~
Ayden’s past relationship stories and mine were different in some aspects, yet still much the same. We’d both had our hearts broken. Now I understood why he’d been so distant in the beginning.
At least we’d reached this point. I wasn’t sure if I could open up to him again. Knowing I had tonight both frightened and excited me. It felt good to let him see a side of me he knew little about. It scared me because I feared it would be too much. Now I knew he’d been through the same.
It didn’t lessen my attraction to him. It deepened it.
As the music switched to another slow song, I kept my hands on his shoulders, unable to look away. Having his attention this way . . . I didn’t want it to end. Ever.
Another stroke of his hand on my cheek caused me to sigh. I let go of my fears and closed my eyes. When I leaned my cheek into his palm, he drew me to his chest.
“I’m sorry for giving Wesley the wrong impression about us. His condescending attitude got the best of me. But I swear on my life, if he ever touches you again, I will beat him to a pulp.”
My heart had wings. It fluttered at Ayden’s words, making me tremble at the same time. I wanted to cry. I didn’t realize how much I wanted someone to care about me until this moment. Ayden’s protective side made me feel safe. Neither of us was perfect, but we didn’t need to be. We understood each other. He was what I wanted in a partner. The more I got to know him, the more confident I became.
“I’d like to assure you that he won’t bother me anymore, but I can’t. He’s grown worse over the years with this obsession he has. I will never go back to him. I want to move ahead, not backwards.”
“You should press charges and get him out of here. It will be on record if he tries anything else.”
“You’re right. It would be on record, but Wesley’s not stupid enough to get caught. Unless he slips up and tries something else, I can’t fire him until I notify the board. That can’t happen until the end of the month which means I can’t keep him out of here.”
“Why not?”
His forehead creased as I noted the irritation in his voice. It wasn’t that he was upset with me. It was the situation, and he wasn’t the only one. I’d been dealing with this for the last few years. I was over it, and still, I had to deal with it.
On a positive note, Wesley had finally snapped. He did the one thing he promised my grandfather he would never do. That same promise was woven into his contract with Music Haven. If I wanted to get rid of him, I had to do it the right way.
“As I mentioned before, my grandfather was under the impression that Wesley helped me get over a bad breakup. He was grateful enough to give Wesley a job. After a few months, he was convinced that Wesley was a good guy. This wasn’t long before he found out that his cancer had spread.”
I choked on the dreaded c-word. Thinking about losing my grandfather was hard enough. Remembering the way he died . . . It would forever torment me.
“Wesley wanted to secure his job, so he asked my grandfather to write him in his will. My grandfather agreed to it, and as a further initiative to keep me happy, my grandfather gave him a seat on the board.”
“This happened before you found out that Wesley was lying?”
“Yes, but just a few weeks before his secrets began unraveling. By then it was too late. My grandfather was gone, and Wesley’s job was secure, plus some.”
Ayden’s jaw flinched. “Son of a bitch. So you’re telling me you can’t get rid of him?”
“Oh no, I can, but he has to break the promise he made to my grandfather.”
Confusion covered Ayden’s face as much as curiosity. He raised his brow as he asked, “What promise?”
“That he would never be abusive or endanger my life. I have him on abuse now, but knowing that asshole, he’ll weasel his way out of it. Either way, my lawyer will be on top of it by morning.”
This wasn’t the way I wanted all of this to come out, but there was no going back. Now that Ayden knew, I felt a weight lift from me. He understood or at least empathized with what I’d been through. Still, there was something I wanted
to be clear.
“My battle with Wesley is just that. Mine. No matter what happens Ayden, I will make sure you’re successful.”
He stared at me for the longest time without saying a word. And when he finally spoke, they were words I’d never forget.
“And I’ll make sure that asshole never touches you again.”
Chapter 8
~Ayden~
The arena was active tonight, which was to be expected when a public concert was happening. At least that’s what Mia had told us a few days before this concert. It was also the first time I’d seen the hydraulic system in use. It was every bit as spectacular as Mia had described it.
Taking a seat at the corner of the right bar, I searched both sides for any sign of Bentley. He swore he’d meet me here by eight, which left him less than five minutes to show his face. It wasn’t like him to be late, especially when we were supposed to be meeting Andi and Mia for drinks.
I gave in to the smile forming on my face when Mia came to mind. The last two months had been unlike anything I expected. It wasn’t just the fact that we’d finished our demo or that Mia was in the process of lining up a public concert for us to perform. It wasn’t the fact that there would be agents and label executives at our show either.
It was the time I’d spent with her. She’d worked closely with us to make sure our demo was the best it could be. The suggestions she made for tweaks to the songs made perfect sense. It was the missing ingredient in our music. To know she’d discovered it blew me away. It was like we were in sync.
Not only had she helped us, but she also spent a lot of her evenings with me, talking about the business, about me being a good role model for the group. But there was more to it than business. She did her best to open up to me and get me to do the same.
I had no doubt that she liked getting to know the people she worked with, but I couldn’t help but think it was more. It was the brief glances and the subtle way she touched me that had me believing something was happening between us. I knew we were becoming friends, but this feeling . . .
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