Rory pulled out his wallet. "Sorry, man. Let me kick in some."
"Yeah," said Mac taking out his. Quinn and Connor followed suit.
Dev held out his hand, instantly sorry for being such a dick. "I won't take your money, so forget it."
But the cash flew on the table.
"Listen," said Rory. "Keep the room 'til after the show. We'll come back here and do some decent partying while the roadies break the equipment down."
"Yeah," chorused the others.
Dev's phone rang and the screen flashed Bill’s name. He put the phone on speaker.
"Where the hell are you?" yelled a panicked Bill.
"Resting," said Dev.
"Relaxing," replied Rory.
"Congregating," added Connor.
"Oh, thank god,” Bill muttered, blowing out a sigh. "You're all together. I thought I was going to have to send out a search party."
"What do you want, Bill?"
"Sound check at five. You got a while, but don’t be late."
"Yeah, yeah," said Dev and he clicked off the call, then turned his phone off. With wicked smiles, the rest of the band followed suit.
"So you don't like him either," said Mac.
Dev shrugged. He didn't want to get into a discussion about Bill right now. Connor flipped through a laminated hotel pamphlet and grinned.
"Gentlemen, this fine establishment has masseuses on call."
"Hell, yes," said Quinn enthusiastically. "Bring on the masseuses."
By the time they got to the venue, they were all clean and loose from their massages. Mac had even called the barber and they all got shaves and haircuts.
They made it back ten minutes late for sound check. The venue was an opera style theater in the heart of Alexandria that sat maybe fifteen hundred people. Still, this gig was as important as the others. They had to keep the good momentum going if they wanted to outrun that rough first night. Before he could think too much about it, Bill ran at them frantically.
"You’re late,” he snapped. He was clearly frustrated and even less diplomatic than usual. "You should have taken at least one guy from security with you. Don't you know there are a dozen crazies that would do anything to get a piece of you?"
"Relax, Bill," said Dev dismissively. "We’re here now, in one piece and ready to work."
"Where did you go?"
"None of your fucking business," said Rory pushing past him.
It was Bill's business to some extent, but Dev wasn't going to get into the middle of it with Rory and the manager. Besides, a flash of dark hair caught Dev's attention as they walked onto the theater stage.
Below him in the orchestra pit was Cheri, leaning over the soundboards with Cobb behind her. A little too close behind her, in fact, and Dev’s gut clenched. The soundman said something and Cheri laughed. Under the glare of the stage lights that spilled into the orchestra pit, he noticed the red streaks in her hair, and the way her firm ass pushed out as she leaned in.
Cheri was dead wrong in her assessment that she didn't know how to attract a man. And it seemed like Cobb was zeroing in on her.
Cheri swatted Cobb's hand away playfully and jogged away. Dev couldn't help but to watch her as she bounded up the stairs at the far end of the stage on her way to her next task. Her energy was electric. Her body was totally sick. Now that he’d seen her, truly seen her, it was like he couldn’t stuff that genie back into the bottle.
How had he been so blind?
"Lachlan!" called Connor. "Sound check!"
"Yeah, yeah," grumbled Dev. He pushed back to the microphone thinking about Cobb's hand on Cheri and liking it less and less. Not because he was jealous. He wasn’t. The soundman just wasn’t good enough for Cheri, and they sure as shit didn’t need any drama on this tour.
He made a mental note to find her after the show and have a talk with her.
The curtain went up as usual, but because Dev was still distracted thinking about Cobb and Cheri, he missed the first cue. Connor gave him a warning glare and he did his best to focus. He got all the way through the first hour without mishap, but his heart wasn’t in it. At the drum solo, Connor followed him off the stage while Dev grabbed a bottle of water. He looked for Cheri but didn't see her.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" asked Connor.
"What are you talking about?"
"You're bringing your "B" game to the field, when we need your "A" game. You act like you’re sleepwalking. Get your head out of your ass."
Shit. He hadn’t realized it was so bad that it showed on stage.
"Sorry, man," he said. "Head’s out of my ass now."
Connor smiled. It wasn't like him to get angry, and he never could stay mad long.
"No problem, buddy."
"And if my head is up my ass again, I expect you'll tell me about it."
"Damn straight I will."
He slapped Connor's shoulder good-naturedly.
"Good. Now let's go play some music and finish strong.”
By the time Dev bid the audience good night, after two encores, the crowd was still screaming. As he made his way backstage, he spotted Cheri and strode over to the corner where she was checking off items on a tablet.
"Hey," he said.
"I’m busy," she replied icily.
"Sorry about that. But I wanted to talk to you."
"About what, Lachlan? Make it quick.” She leveled him with a glare. “We've a lot to get done in a short amount of time."
He hadn’t planned it, but the words came tumbling out.
"I’ve been thinking about last night."
Chapter Five
Cheri wished the floor would swallow her whole.
She gnawed on her bottom lip as Dev, who towered over her by a head, looked down at her. She was so aware of the closeness of his body that she ached for his arms around her, even after his rejection.
And she hated herself for it.
"Look, I was hoping we could just forget it ever happened. I'm sorry I was such an ass."
As hard as it was to swallow that he would rather jerk off in his bunk than sleep with her, she was ten times more embarrassed about her behavior last night. She’d thrown herself at him as shamelessly as the groupies that hung around to get a few minutes with any of the guys. She even bullied that poor fan, who was just looking to get her fifteen minutes with a rock star and have some fun.
That type of thing went with the territory and she’d acted like an entitled bitch when, really, her friendship with Dev entitled her to nothing. Certainly not control over who he took to bed…or didn’t.
Her cheeks flamed as he stepped closer.
"Actually, I wanted to apologize to you," said Dev smoothly. "If anything, I didn't take your request seriously enough.”
She froze and stared at him, her brain skidding to a stop. “Y-you didn’t?”
“I was thinking, if you still want, we could talk about it some more.”
"Seriously?”
Dev nodded. "Yeah."
She'd do almost anything to spend time with Dev, but this was such a total about-face, it caught her completely off guard. Maybe she’d come off as so pathetic, he felt sorry for her. That, she couldn’t abide. "I'm a lightweight. It probably was a bad idea, in truth,” she said, wetting her suddenly dry lips.
"So, you’re telling me that it was the whiskey talking?" Dev’s lips quirked but the smile didn’t reach his eyes.
What did it all mean? What did any of this mean?
She was still trying to figure it out when he stepped back.
"You know what? It’s probably for the best anyway," he murmured.
He brushed a lock of hair from her forehead and walked away. Cheri watched with longing as he moved confidently through the throng of people back stage. A woman she didn't know wearing a backstage pass threw herself at him as he passed. Her excitement was evident from how she bounced on her gold high heels, and the way her tits bounced in Dev's face.
The same fire that shot th
rough Cheri the night before rose from her belly and she could no more stop herself from reacting than she could halt a moving train.
She wanted Dev and she finally had her chance. She wasn’t about to let it slip away.
"Hey, Dev!" she called across the backstage.
He turned immediately and his gaze held hers.
"I changed my mind. If you want to talk about…that thing I said."
Dev smiled broadly and walked back toward her, leaving the disappointed fan in his wake.
"You sure now?" His gaze was intense and the melty feeling in her stomach only intensified.
"Yeah. I’m sure."
"Okay then." He towered over her, his blue eyes glittering in the harsh stage lights turned up bright for the breakdown of equipment. “These are the terms.”
This was happening.
This was actually happening.
Immediately her nerves assaulted her, gaining the upper hand on her excitement.
“It’s best,” he said, his husky tone making her stomach do flip-flops, “if we keep this from the guys. The band doesn’t need to know.”
“Of course, totally,” said Cheri. “I wouldn’t want them to know.”
Especially not Rory. He’d never understand.
“And you’ll have to follow the lesson plans exactly,” said Dev. “I don’t want to be wasting either of our time.”
“Lesson plans?” repeated Cheri lamely.
Dev Lachlan was seriously talking about giving her lessons in seduction. She was about to spontaneously combust.
“Oh yeah,” said Dev in a seductively low voice, “no good teacher works without a lesson plan.”
She was pretty sure her panties just melted. Her eyes darted around backstage looking for something, anything to give her some anchor, other than Dev Lachlan’s wide, muscular shoulders and sinful mouth.
“When do we start?" she croaked.
"I've got some thinking to do," he said, his expression solemn. "So I'll let you know tomorrow."
"Okay.”
Dev strode away to meet up with the other band members who were surrounded by a group of women. They all moved off, presumably out of the theater, with a cordon of people wearing red t-shirts with the word "Security" emblazoned on the front and back.
Mischief will ensue.
A small twinge pinged her heart. At one time she, by virtue of Rory, would have been invited to the after-hours hijinks of The Gang of Five. That's what she used to call them, but that was before the band grew a big following, and the women grew more insistent. At a certain point, she knew her presence was spoiling her brother’s fun to some degree, although he’d never say it, so she’d begged off.
Rory.
Crap, she hated keeping secrets from him. But this was the one secret she was used to keeping. She’d been forced to keep it since she was a little girl. Some day, he would step back and realize she was a grown woman who had to live her own life. Until he did, there was no point in trying to explain her feelings for Dev. Especially now that lines were going to be crossed that couldn’t be uncrossed. Rory would only try to stop them, and now that she was finally just a touch away from what she’d always wanted?
Nothing was going to get in her way.
She couldn't worry about all that right now, though. First and foremost, she had to make sure she didn’t let this thing with Dev get in the way of them both doing their jobs. The long checklist she had to go through before her night was over was only growing smaller by tiny increments, and they had a deadline to keep.
She bustled through her tasks with efficiency and--if she did say so for herself—admirable focus, only broken by a random thought of what tomorrow would bring and a sizzle of anticipation mixed with panic.
She was finally going to know what it felt like to kiss Dev.
Gina rolled up next to her while the crew finished packing up the last of the equipment, and elbowed her.
“I’m going to make it an early night. Want to walk me back to the bus, open a bottle of wine and tell me what guy has your cheeks so pink you’re practically glowing, friend?”
“Where did you get wine?” Cheri asked, trying not to let the other woman’s words heat her cheeks even more. She promised not to tell anyone, and already the news was threatening to burst out of her.
But Gina wasn’t part of the band. And if she didn’t tell anyone, she would likely explode.
Decisions, decisions.
“I keep a bottle or two on hand for medicinal purposes,” Gina replied with a grin.
“I’m not sure medicinal wine would cure me.”
“Of what?”
“I think I just made a deal with the devil,” admitted Cheri, stick shaken to the core.
“Really,” Gina said cocking an eyebrow. “What did it cost you?”
“Nothing much,” said Cheri, “just my soul.”
“Did you have to sign a contract in blood? Because I know some lawyers that could get you out of that deal.”
“No way. This is one deal I don’t want out, no matter what the price,” said Cheri softy.
“And what’s this devil’s name,” Gina said. “Or, in this case, it’s more like ‘what’s this Devlin’s name, am I right?’”
Cheri shot her friend a stunned look. Was it that obvious?
“Don’t look so surprised. Your eyes follow him around the room, and you always get tense when he’s near you. It’s pretty obvious.”
“Wow, I had no idea,” Cheri said, wincing. What if Gina wasn’t the only one onto her?
As if she’d read Cheri’s mind, Gina continued, “Don’t worry, though, the guys don’t know. They’re too wrapped up in their own shit to notice stuff like that.” Gina sighed and shook her head slowly. “And I’m not going to try to get you to change your mind, because I can see that it’s set. I’m just going to give you one word of warning before I take off my world-weary, well-traveled, wise-woman hat and put on my fun friend, lets-gossip-about-boys-hat.” She took Cheri’s shoulder and met her gaze. “Be careful, okay? That man might be a shooting star, but you’re the one in danger of falling.”
The words hung over her for a second, like the threatening clouds of a thunderstorm, but she shrugged helplessly as she admitted the truth. “That ship has long since sailed. I’ve loved him as long as I can remember.”
Gina gave Cheri’s shoulder a squeeze.
“Gotcha. Then we are definitely gonna need that wine.”
Chapter Six
Dev’s head was pounding with a low-level headache and all he wanted to do was go to bed, but that was so not happening right now.
Connor grunted then laughed as he slid off one of the couches of the hotel room onto the floor, clutching a squealing groupie who hung onto him fiercely.
The bassist's actions tore Dev's attention from the dark-haired beauty standing beside him next to their makeshift bar. He surveyed the action to make sure there weren't going to be any casualties. The last thing he wanted was to be spending the night in the ER holding anybody’s hand.
A box of condoms sailed across the room, courtesy of Quinn, to smack Connor in the face and he laughed again.
Mac stood in the corner having a very serious conversation with a girl whose worshipful gaze told Dev that his lead guitarist had a sure thing in hand. Rory and Quinn seemed to be in competition for the attentions of a lovely blonde that sat between both of them on the couch that was little wider than a love seat.
"Rory," said Quinn. "Do me a favor and get me another beer."
"Can't," said Rory with a grin. "I seem to be wedged in here."
Quinn glared at his friend but Rory didn’t budge. And the girl? She looked like she was sizing them up for a threesome.
"I'm such a fan of your music, Dev," cooed the girl at his arm, catching his wandering attention. Boldly she placed her hand over his crotch and gazed into his eyes.
He had promised himself that if he let himself do this with Bug, it wasn’t going to change anything. It al
so made no sense to go into their ill-advised agreement without emptying both barrels. If he had his way, he’d never actually be sleeping with Cheri anyway. He’d show her what she needed to know to seduce a man and then send her off to do it. That way, he was still helping her as she’d asked, while not betraying his best friend and band-mate.
It was a win/win.
Keep telling yourself that, asshole.
Only problem was, they hadn’t even started their lessons yet and already things had changed. And the girl looking so earnestly in his eyes as she gripped his cock just didn’t do it for him.
Maybe it was exhaustion. Dark haired brunettes with soulful brown eyes always got him going. But all Dev could think about was a girl with straight caramel brown hair and bright blue eyes who unglamorously paired skinny blue jeans with an over-sized hoodie most of the time.
Suddenly, Dev was grateful for the four years Cheri had been in college where the band had really gone off the rails. But still, the sins he and the band had to confess would keep a legion of angels busy listening.
Dev felt a tug at his waist, and he looked down to see the girl working to unbuckle his belt.
"Hey--" he said, then stopped short. Embarrassment crept over him as he realized he didn't know the girl's name. "Sweetheart," he said grabbing hold of the first endearment his brain could muster, “Let me introduce you to a friend of mine.”
He looked over to Rory and Quinn and could see that Rory was striking out big time with the blonde on the couch who had, at some point, become more enamored of the golden-haired Quinn.
Excellent.
He motioned to Rory. "Come here. I want to introduce you to this beautiful gal."
Rory smiled and pushed off to couch toward them.
"You know our drummer, Rory Galveston, don't you?"
"Of course I do. It's fabulous to meet you, Rory. I’m Sandy.” She stuck out her hand, apparently game for the change in plans as she angled her body toward his buddy. “I so enjoy your drum solos."
"Thanks, gorgeous," Rory said appreciation glimmering in his eyes.
"Rory makes the best tequila sunrises. Rory, make her a drink, eh? I have a phone call I have to make."
Hard Lesson: A bad-boy, rock star romance Page 5