Dimitri and Ashlynn had been gone long enough. After hearing his brother and Ashlynn engaged in more laughter a few times too many, Damian decided he’d had enough. What worried him now more than ever was that the laughter was genuine, the kind he and Bethany got caught up in so often, and realizing now how easily and quickly he’d been awed into needing to make her his, the sirens went off. “I gotta get going, Jer. I have to pick up Bethany in a few. But I need to talk to Dimitri before I go.”
He’d already filled Jerry in somewhat about Bethany, leaving out the part about his locking it down on what was only their very first unplanned date. He just told him he’d gotten together with her again during the week and that he was doing so again tonight. As smoothly and as naturally as things were moving along with him and Bethany, it still sounded too crazy to say it out loud to anyone else. He’d give it some time before telling anyone just how serious he was about her.
Jerry walked over to get a better look at one of his dad and Dimitri’s latest projects, and Damian walked away in the direction where Dimitri was leaning into a convertible Ashlynn was now sitting in.
“Mitri,” Damian said as he got closer. “I gotta get out of here, but can I see you for a minute in the office? I need to tell you something before I go.”
His brother turned to him, then turned back to say something to Ashlynn that made her laugh again before walking toward Damian. Trying not to roll his eyes, he walked into the office and waited for Dimitri to walk in after him. He’d just leaned against Mace’s big desk when Dimitri walked in. “What’s up?”
“Close the door, will you?” With a pinch of his brows Dimitri did, but waited. “Listen,” Damian began, not even sure where to start. “Don’t get any ideas about his girl, okay? I know you’re used to flirting and all that shit, and she’s a big fan so I’m certain she’d be willing to go along with anything you suggest, but you don’t know about this girl, and most important, she’s Jerry’s kid, so that makes her completely off-limits.”
As expected, his brother’s response was an unconcerned smirk. “Damian, I know she’s seventeen, dude. I’m not trying to get arrested or anything.”
“She’s sixteen,” Damian reminded him. “And besides,” he glanced out the window to make sure Jerry wasn’t anywhere around. “She could be trouble, too. That’s why she moved in with Jerry. Her mom couldn’t handle her anymore, and just look at the way she’s dressed.”
That wiped the smile off Dimitri’s face faster than Damian had ever seen it wiped. “For your information, Gramps, that’s the style. And she seems nice enough to me.” He reached for the doorknob as if he was done listening to Damian. “What’s wrong with you, man? She’s your friend’s daughter, and you’re gonna bad-mouth her because of the way she’s dressed?”
Damian shook his head, motioning for Dimitri to keep the door shut. “Trust me on this one. He’s had a lot of problems with her, and you don’t know the history. I’d fill you in on it, but I don’t have time right now. Just promise me no matter how much she flutters those pretty little lashes at you, you won’t fall for any of her crap.”
It almost amused Damian that his little brother was looking at him with that disgusted expression. Of course he had no way of knowing why Damian was so adamant about this. Maybe if he were on the other end, he might be thinking the very thing he knew his brother was thinking, that he was being a total asshole about this, but there was no way he was letting his brother get caught up with her. Normally Dimitri would’ve laughed, agreed, and not thought twice about it. His arguing and quick defense of Ashlynn’s honor only made Damian more nervous, so he offered him a little more. “She whispered in my ear that I smelled good.”
Dimitri scoffed, “Listen to you. You’re so full of yourself!”
“And she checked me out twice. Very obviously, dude.” When his brother still shook his head again in apparent disbelief, Damian added, “You know I wouldn’t make this up, brother. But there’s still more. Call me tomorrow, and I’ll tell you if you want.” Damian tapped his own chest. “Trust me.”
The severity of Dimitri’s disgusted expression had lessened with his comment about knowing Damian wouldn’t be making something like that up. Dimitri knew Damian better than that. And even though he wasn’t smiling or even smirking anymore, he still nodded. “All right” was his only comment about Ashlynn now. He turned the knob, looking back to him. Damian was glad to see the smirk back on his face. “You all dolled up to see Bethany, your friend, again?” Damian nodded but made no comment. “You know Delfi’s been asking all week about her. You’re lucky she’s not here today, or she’d be grilling you.”
“She already has,” Damian informed him, following him out of the office. “You kidding me? She called me first thing the next day. I guess one of you busybodies made sure she found out ASAP.”
Dimitri laughed heartily. Normally, Damian would’ve frowned at that, but he’d been right about Dimitri’s possibly already falling for Ashlynn’s obviously very skillful charm, so he was glad to hear him snap out of it so fast. “That was Mace. But, yeah, he beat me to it.” He laughed again. “Hey, anything to get her off us for a while. She’s always on Mace about his high blood pressure and all that bad shit he eats and on me about partying too much. Your turn for once.”
Damian shook his head as he walked away. Although he felt grateful to have been able to snuff a spark before it turned into a flame, he still felt for Jerry. The guy was in for it with this girl. He’d have to consider warning him, but for now he’d hold off. This could be very touchy. She hadn’t actually done anything but flirt—with both him and Dimitri—and while this wasn’t the first time he and one of his brothers had the same girl flirt with them, this was his friend’s teen daughter! He’d definitely have to think of a delicate way to let Jerry know he was going to have to keep a real close eye on his sweet little Ashlynn.
After saying his good-byes to Jerry, he was off, thoughts of Ashlynn and her fluttering lashes long behind him. The only thing he could think of now was that he’d be with Bethany again soon.
* * *
Pulling up at the sidewalk just outside Bethany’s apartment, Damian had to smile at the puttering of his heart. The anticipation of being with her had mounted the entire way there.
They’d talked about her and her friend Trinity taking the precaution of having a signal when they came to each other’s door. While he’d commended her for being so careful, he also suggested a simple text might be safer. It was just a matter of time before someone picked up on their signal and tried to trick them. She’d laughed, saying no one could imitate Trinity’s whistle, then she cracked herself up for the next five minutes trying to do just that.
He chuckled as he walked up the stairs, texting her that he was on his way up. She hadn’t responded by the time he got to her door, and he hesitated to knock, afraid to startle her. Aside from her landlord, coming up to collect the rent, and Trinity, she said no one else ever came over. Even the times Simon had given her a ride to some of their gigs, she said she always told him to just honk or text her that he was there, and she’d run down. It’d been a relief to know she’d never invited the guy up. But now he faced a conundrum. Deciding to spare her any alarm, he texted her again.
I’m right outside your door. Should I knock?
He gave it a couple of minutes and still nothing. Walking over to the rail that looked onto the sidewalk downstairs, he leaned on it. Maybe she was running late and wasn’t out of the shower. They still had plenty of time to make the show he was taking her to, and he couldn’t forget her admitting she’d knocked over the fan that first day he came to see her because his knock had spooked her. If she were still in the shower, it’d be just a matter of minutes before she’d see his text and come to the door.
Damian couldn’t even imagine living in a place like this. He could hear snippets of conversations coming from each of the apartment’s pathetically thin walls. That’s when he picked up on Bethany’s voice. She was talk
ing to someone, but no one was responding, which meant one thing: She was on the phone. It made sense now why she hadn’t responded to his texts. He’d wait until she was done and read the texts instead of knocking.
Trying not to eavesdrop, he focused on the homeless guy across the street. He was making a big show of rearranging his junk-filled shopping cart.
“I can’t. No, not tonight. Tomorrow for sure.”
As hard as he tried not to listen to Bethany’s conversation, it was hard not to. She’d apparently moved closer to the window that faced the very street he was looking out onto, and her conversation was much clearer. She must’ve walked away from the window suddenly, because the conversation was no longer audible except for the last phrase he caught just before she moved out of his hearing range.
“I just can’t tonight, okay?”
A few minutes passed as he stood there staring at the homeless guy but lost in a completely other thought. Why wouldn’t she just tell whomever she’d been speaking to why she couldn’t make it tonight?
A door opening behind him made him turn, and Bethany stood at her open door, looking amazing. He’d given her a clue earlier and told her they were going to a show but not whom they were seeing. The only clue he’d given her was to dress as if she were going to a bar for drinks, because it was a laid-back kind of show. Nothing too fancy. He’d even texted after he’d given her the clue to tell her she should wear comfortable shoes, remembering how much standing they’d be doing. He was glad that as her boyfriend now his eyes had the go-ahead to roam, because roam they did. The tight jeans she wore with her very high wedge shoes accentuated those curves he had once thought might be Photoshopped. Like Ashlynn, she was also showing a little skin, but instead of her entire midriff being exposed, the loose-fitting, shimmery top she wore tied around her neck and was V-shaped, hanging low in the front so her sides were the only part of her midsection showing.
“You haven’t been out here long, have you?” she asked, looking very sorry. “I just now noticed your texts.”
Gulping but not even trying to hide the smile already on his face, he shook his head, walking toward her. “Just a few minutes.”
“I was just—” she began, but Damian’s lips were on hers before she could finish, and he wrapped his arms around her waist, only then noticing there was a lot more skin showing. Her entire back. The top she wore tied around her neck and her waist; everything in between was exposed. Running both his hands up and down her bare back had him moaning in her mouth, as he kissed her even more frenziedly.
“Damn,” he whispered against her lips, before plunging his tongue back deep into her mouth.
Up until now he’d only touched her over her clothes. Even then he’d been careful not to be pushy in any way. The last thing he wanted was for her to think his urgency in locking things down was to get her into bed, because it had nothing to do with that. Sure, the anticipation of getting her under him was something that was mounting rapidly, but he had every intention of giving her all the time she wanted—needed. Because he needed her to know that while he sped the process of making her his exclusively, they’d take their time with everything else. Still, he was only a man, and touching her warm, bare skin nearly pushed him over the edge. Hearing her soft moans wasn’t helping either.
“Maybe y’all should take that inside,” he heard Trinity drawl as Damian forced himself to pull away from Bethany’s body and glanced back at her friend, who was on her way toward the stairs.
“Have fun,” Bethany said, covering her smile with her hand.
“Thanks, I will,” her tall, all-done-up, blonde friend glanced back at them, with an extra-large smile. “I’d tell y’all to do the same, but I see you’ve already started.”
Bethany giggled, pulling him into her apartment. “I’m almost done; I just need to throw a couple of things in a clutch, and I’ll be ready to go.”
Damian pulled her to him again before she could walk away and smiled, looking deep in her eyes. “You probably already know this, but I have to say it anyway. You look amazing.”
She tilted her head with a smirk. “Thank you.” She walked two fingers up the buttons of his shirt. “You don’t look too shabby yourself. I love your shirt.”
Damian glanced down at the shirt. It wasn’t until she ran her hand over his chest slowly, then squeezed his upper arm with a smoldering gaze, that he remembered the saleswoman, who’d flirted with him when she sold it to him, said it accentuated his muscles very nicely. He was glad he had worn it now, because she looked sizzling hot, and he’d be standing next to her all night.
Kissing him softly before she walked away, she checked him out from top to bottom one last time. “I like the whole outfit,” she said as she walked toward her bedroom door.
Damian glanced down again at his jeans and shoes. “Men don’t have outfits,” he said with a smirk. “We just throw on whatever isn’t dirty.”
He heard her laugh. “Well, you did good throwing it together, because you look fabulous.”
“Men don’t look fabulous either,” he mumbled, this time under his breath so she didn’t hear him. “Hot maybe, but fabulous, no.”
He glanced around, frowning when he saw her cell phone on the kitchen counter. She’d begun to tell him about why she’d missed his texts, but he hadn’t let her finish. Now how was he supposed to bring up the conversation he’d overheard?
She walked back out of her bedroom fidgeting with her earring. “I’m ready.”
“You sure you’re going to be okay in those shoes?” he asked, looking down at her high wedge shoes. They were sexy as hell, but they didn’t look very comfortable.
“Oh, yeah.” She nodded. “Wedges I’m good in. I was going to wear my spikier heels until you texted me. Those I wouldn’t have made it through an entire night of standing.”
He let her know they wouldn’t be standing all night, then reminded her not to forget her phone. “That’s right,” she said, doubling back to get it. “And I’ll turn my ringer on while I’m at it. It’s why I missed your texts.”
Damian stared at her for a moment. “You weren’t on your phone?”
“Huh?” she turned to him, her eyes widening for just a second, then she glanced away.
“I thought I heard you talking while I was waiting out there. I figured you were on the phone, and that’s why you hadn’t responded.”
“Oh, yeah.” She nodded quickly as if she’d just remembered. “You’re right, my sister called earlier.” That was it. She offered nothing more about it, and held out her hand as she reached him by the door. “I can hardly wait to see what this second surprise is going to be.”
Feeling just a tiny bit uneasy about their little exchange, Damian decided to let it go. Again he had to be mindful that this relationship had come together. Maybe Bethany didn’t want to tell her sister about her relationship with Damian yet. Hell, he’d even put off telling his family and Jerry that little but very significant detail of his life—that he was now in a committed relationship. The girl he’d “hit it off” with just two weeks ago when he hadn’t even gone to her show with the intention of doing so, was now his girlfriend—one he was already falling for fast and hard. Yeah, that might be a little hard to explain.
He smiled, kissing her forehead and feeling that now familiar swarming excitement. This was just the beginning of the first weekend he planned on spending most of with his new girlfriend. “Not sure if this surprise is better than the first.” He smiled, looking into those big, beautiful eyes that looked back at him with the very same intense excitement. “But it’s up there.”
Chapter 12
The surprise stayed under wraps until they pulled up to the Zodiac Casino Resort, because it was right there on the big flashing billboards:
Desert Ratz live this weekend only!
Bethany had to admit she had had a feeling she’d be treated to one of Diego’s gigs sooner rather than later. The sparkle in Damian’s eyes when he spoke of his brother’s band wa
s so proud that she knew that, like the surprise visit to the shop, it was something he’d enjoy thrilling her with, especially after she had told him she enjoyed their music.
Smiling, she brought her hands to her mouth and turned to Damian, who was smiling back and looking very pleased with himself. “It’s standing room only, so no seats; that’s why I told you to wear comfortable shoes. But we can go backstage at any time, so if you get tired during the show, we’ll go to the back and relax. They have a bar back there and everything.”
Now Bethany’s mouth fell open again. “We get to go backstage during the show?”
“Not just during,” he said smugly, then squeezed her thigh. “We’re going straight there before the show starts, so you can meet my brother and the rest of the band.”
“Get out!” She straightened up in her seat, eyes wide, making him laugh.
Okay, maybe he had totally surprised her again. She shouldn’t be this surprised that they could get in backstage to meet the band—this was his brother, after all—but that thought for some reason hadn’t dawned on her.
After leaving Damian’s car with the valet, they made their way through the fancy casino. Just like when she first laid eyes on Mace in person and then later when Dimitri had driven up and jumped out of the car, she could feel her starstruck heart thudding as they neared the back entrance to the theater where the Desert Ratz would be playing
Breathing in deeply, she readied herself for this, because one thing had already been established. The gene tree this family had pulled theirs from was planted firmly in the Land of Good Looks on the planet Just Not Fair. Even for a man his age, Mace had it going on. So if Diego was anywhere as good-looking as he was on television, on top of his incredible musical talent, she’d have to make sure not to go too gaga for her boyfriend’s brother. Bracing herself for this, she could only imagine now what their sister and Dominic looked like.
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