The ride was short, or maybe I was just lost in thought, but soon we pulled up outside. With a singular focus, I weaved my way through the crowd to the bar. Turning my head, I looked up and down the length of the glossy wooden structure until I found an empty stool. I sidled up to it and waited for the handsome older man to notice me.
When he finally did, I didn’t order my usual piña colada. I needed something stronger. “Kamikaze and a shot of vodka, please.”
“Put it on my tab,” a familiar voice said from the stool beside me. The man next to me spun in my direction, and a familiar face peered at me over a frosted mug of beer.
I shook my head. It would be my luck. I should’ve just stayed home. But there weren’t a lot of options at Dawson and Izzy’s place for a heart searching for oblivion. And wine just wasn’t going to do what I needed.
“Why are you out by yourself tonight, Britt?” Wilder asked as the bartender set my drinks in front of me.
I tossed back the shot first, welcoming the burn. Feeling a little fortified against the tears that were still gathered in my throat and my heart threatening to crumble, I spilled the details about what I’d watched earlier.
♪ Here’s to Us by Halestorm
Chapter 30
Brooks
♪ Girls Like You by Maroon 5
It took me a couple more days to arrange the remaining details to get my family set to move to LA. Exhaustion made my shoulders hunch and my steps heavy. But my heart was light. I finally felt like I was doing right by my mom and sister. I was finally doing something to help. They’d be in LA soon. I had a lot to do before they arrived, but I’d explain everything to the guys and get them to help me. It was time to finally tell them what had been going on with me. And it was time to tell Britt too.
After my calls and messages had gone unanswered, I gave up trying to fix things from afar. I hadn’t powered on my phone in over forty-eight hours. Checking out for a couple of days had helped me focus on Mom.
As I waited in the private lounge at the airport, I withdrew my phone from my pocket and waited as it came to life. It vibrated and pinged and chimed the moment it detected service.
What the hell?
I didn’t normally get that many alerts in a week. Silently, I prayed nothing was wrong and that no emergency had happened with the guys while I was out of touch. I waded through the list to get to the oldest one. It was an alert letting me know my name had appeared in a news article. I breathed a sigh of relief. Some new write-up must have been done on the band.
I clicked the link. It was footage from Giselle’s reality show. The material was over a year old, but Giselle’s people had spun the story, making it seem like it was recent. I shook my head. I hadn’t thought much about that night when her crew had followed us around in forever. That was the last night I’d even seen her until recently. We hadn’t been long back from being on tour. Giselle was familiar and convenient.
But I knew the way Hollywood worked. A hookup from over a year ago wouldn’t garner ratings for Glamour Queen. However, a rekindled love affair that was happening now, now that was fodder for viewers and gossip lovers alike.
Before I could consider it further, they announced my flight was boarding. As the plane took off a bit later, the weight on my shoulders began to fall away. The miles separating me and Britt fell away, making my heart feel lighter and happier. The closer I got to LA, the more my heart soared.
♪ Start of Something Good by Daughtry
Moving Mom to California meant I wouldn’t have to disappear on Britt anymore. I’d be able to be there for everyone I cared about—all the women who held pieces of my heart. I rehearsed all the things I’d say to Britt when I saw her next. Which, if I had anything to say about it, would be very soon.
Déjà vu hit me as I found myself racing down the highway on my motorcycle toward Dawson and Izzy’s house as soon as I left the airport. Like the last time, I paid little attention to traffic. The cars and trucks were merely obstacles standing between me and Britt. Thankfully, rush hour was over, so I could get away with being reckless.
When I turned into Dawson’s driveway, I slammed on brakes, no doubt leaving a mark on the pavement. Excitement made my heart thunder in my chest. It took me two tries to get the code entered correctly on the keypad with my trembling fingers. Finally, the decorative iron swung open, and I drove through.
Before the sound of the engine’s purr even faded from the air, I was already up the backsteps to the door. I rang the bell and knocked. There was no answer. I turned and ran to the pool house. It was dark and closed up tight. She had to be in the house, probably with her music too loud to hear me at the door. I jumped back onto the deck and used my key to let myself in.
“Britt,” I shouted as I entered. There was no answer. I rushed through the kitchen then skidded to a halt when I found Lyric in her crate. Instantly, I deflated. If Britt was here, Lyric would be out. The dog barked and wagged her whole body at me.
I crouched down and stroked her head through the wire grate. “I’m sorry, cutie. I’ve got to go.”
As I ambled back to my bike, I tried to call Britt. It went straight to voicemail.
With no idea as to where she might be, I headed to my apartment. I needed to speak with the manager we’d hired to run our building for us anyway. He’d need to arrange for the empty unit to be cleaned and furnished for Brielle.
Thankfully, Mr. James was in his office when I entered the lobby downstairs. It didn’t take long for me to square everything away with him.
I’d been pacing my apartment for the past hour, stopping every few minutes to call Brittany. I stopped leaving messages after the fourth one. When the door opened behind me, I turned, half-expecting my thoughts and need for Britt to have conjured her. But Wilder strode in. He gave me a scathing look then headed down the hallway.
I’d thought he and I were on our way to being OK the last time I’d talked to him. But if looks could kill, I’d be a pile of ash marring our carpet.
Resuming my pacing, I decided to ignore Wilder and whatever issue he currently had with me.
My resolve to ignore him lasted all of two minutes. I stalked down the hallway. With my palm, I banged on Wilder’s closed door but twisted the knob without waiting for him to grant me permission.
Wilder lifted a brow at me from where he lay stretched out on his bed. “You’re back from wherever you disappeared to for days?”
“Yeah. And I need to find Britt. Do you happen to know where she is?” I bit the bullet, asking him.
Scoffing, he shook his head. “You have some nerve. You have this great girl who wants to be with you, and instead of giving her the attention she deserves, you ghost her. You just disappear without a word, leaving her hurt and confused.” He sat up, swinging his feet over the edge of the mattress. “And then she had to watch you on TV kissing Elle and then hear the way you ended your night with her.” Wilder stood and closed the space between us in three angry strides. He got in my face, fury making his cheeks red. “I wouldn’t have broken her heart that way. She and I could’ve had something special. But you sabotaged that.” A nerve ticked in his jaw as he gritted his teeth.
My head dropped in resignation because he was right. Britt did deserve better than me. But that didn’t stop me from wanting her. “Dude, I know it looks bad. But you know as well as I do that footage with Giselle was old. I told you about it myself after it happened over a year ago. That was the last time I was with her. She hasn’t even been a hint of a thought in my head since then. Ever since meeting Britt, no woman has occupied my head or my heart. I need to see her. I have to explain. She may tell me to go to hell, but I at least owe her an explanation. I owe you one too, and I’ll give it to you. But I can’t let her think the absolute worst of me right now. If you know where she is, please tell me,” I pleaded.
Wilder thought about it for several long minutes, probably enjoying my misery. With a sigh, he finally relented and said, “She’s shooting a music vi
deo today at some club. I think Dub checked in from the location on Instagram.”
“Thanks, man. I’ll see you later.” I didn’t wait for a response. I just whirled around and darted to the front door.
My palm slapped impatiently against the button to summon the elevator. With a ding, the doors slid open. As soon as the opening was wide enough, I squeezed inside. I checked Dub’s Instagram account on the way down. He’d checked into the Tease and Please. A growl rumbled in my chest as I imagined why the hell Britt would be there. Maybe she wasn’t where Dub was.
I clung to that hope as I mounted my bike. With no other ideas, I headed to the high-end strip club, praying she wasn’t there. Many of the streets were empty on this side of town, so I had no trouble reaching the club in less than thirty minutes.
Not bothering to actually pull between a pair of parallel lines to park, I wasted no time or care with my parking job. It would be hours before the club had patrons who’d need the spot. I yanked the door open and entered the dimly lit space. People were clustered about with spotlights and cameras. A couple of girls spun around the poles onstage. They weren’t Britt. I breathed a sigh of relief.
A scantily clad woman approached me. “We’re not officially open yet, sugar. But I’ll make an exception for you.” She dragged a finger down my torso.
I stepped back subtly. “I was actually looking for Dub or Will.”
“Oh, you’re here about the video shoot. Dub left. But Will’s in that room over there.” She pointed a long finger in the direction of a door.
“Thanks.” Casually, trying not to draw attention to myself, I moved to the partially camouflaged entryway. There were no windows, so I wasn’t sure what I’d see when I turned the knob. But I couldn’t stop myself from going in.
Only Will and a couple other guys stood in front of a huge window. No one else was in the room. I sagged against the wall in relief. The click of the door shutting caused the men to turn in my direction.
“Brooks, hey, man. What are doing here?” Will asked, sauntering over to me with his hand outstretched.
I took it and gave his a firm shake. I was embarrassed to admit why I was there, but I didn’t have any other potential excuse to offer, so I shrugged and said, “I was looking for Brittany. I know she’s been doing some choreography for you guys while she’s in town. But I guess she must be somewhere else today.”
“She’s here,” Will said, stepping back and throwing his arm wide. “We needed to be able to control the sound better for her parts of the video shoot, so she’s in there.”
I glanced over to the glass wall I’d ignored when I walked in. Beyond the pane was Britt. So many emotions rioted inside me as my gaze raked over the glittery halter top, barely concealing her breasts. The tiniest pair of shorts covered her plump ass. She wore matching heels.
Her movements were sensual, meant to seduce and enchant. One hand gripped the pole she waltzed around. After she’d made a couple of slow circles, keeping her gaze trained on the man perched in a chair in front of her, she wrapped the fingers of her other hand around the gleaming pole and heaved her body up off the floor. Effortlessly, she contorted her form around the rod which stretched from floor to ceiling. My jaw dropped when she flipped her body upside down, letting her chocolate locks nearly drag on the floor.
“She’s magnificent, isn’t she?” Will asked from beside me, undisguised awe colored his words.
My fists clenched tightly as I was reminded that her little dance wasn’t a private performance meant for my eyes.
♪ I Saw Red by Warrant
My jaw ached from clenching it so tight. “Who’s the artist the video is for?” I asked through gritted teeth. The man in the chair wore a hat and sunglasses, so I couldn’t tell who he was. And I couldn’t place the voice rapping the words coming through the speakers.
“Juice Chainz,” Will answered without looking my way.
Once the rhythm changed, signaling the next verse, Britt sashayed over to the seated man. He was on the edge of his seat, leaning forward with his hands on his knees.
Britt’s back was to me. When she got close enough to the man, he tipped his head back to look up at her. Teasingly, Britt plucked his hat and glasses off him, revealing the handsome, young hip-hop artist. Jealousy roared through me when she splayed her fingers along his short beard.
When he reached for her, she scooted back, wagging her finger at him in a scolding manner. Britt whirled gracefully. Now she was facing me.
Her eyes were heavily made up, making the blue sparkle and pop. Without permission, my palm lifted and rested against the glass. Her hips swayed as she moved toward me. My heart stuttered. She saw me.
But before she reached the wall where I waited, she stopped.
“This is mirrored glass. She can’t see us in here. I mean, she knows we’re in here, remotely controlling the cameras, lights and music. But she can’t actually see us,” Will said as I stepped even closer to the pane separating me from her, my breath fogging up the glass in front of me.
She hadn’t seen me. The look on her face, the sparkle in her eyes, neither was for me.
Her fingers slipped into the waistband of those tiny shorts. Slowly, she lowered them down her long, toned legs, bending at the waist to ease them over her high heels. Juice leaned forward in his chair. The look on his face said he clearly enjoyed his view from behind Britt.
My hand dropped from the glass when she straightened up. Her panties were made of a tiny triangle, covering her most intimate area—barely—and thin ribbons wrapping around her hips. She cast a glance over her shoulder at the man she was dancing for.
He jerked his chin, motioning for her to return to him. Adopting a sexy strut, she made her way back to the man staring at her as if she was a goddess. And she was. I gasped when I let my eyes drop to her bare ass cheeks. A thin slip of fabric nestled between those two tempting globes.
Damn. My cock strained against my zipper. Desire boiled up in me.
When Britt finally got within reach of Juice, he wrapped his fingers around her hips. This time she didn’t step away. She didn’t scold.
This time she allowed him to guide her to his lap.
“Is the dance scripted?” I whispered, unable to take my eyes off her.
“Yeah. Juice had an idea about what he wanted. I mapped it out with him. Then we explained everything to Brittany. She takes direction better than any dancer I’ve worked with. I only had to block it out with her once for her to know what to do,” Will said, admiration thick in his voice.
I couldn’t coordinate my mouth and brain enough to form a response. My vision narrowed to Juice’s fingers pressed into her flesh. Flesh I’d caressed and tasted.
Her body swayed over his lap as she straddled him. His large palms dragged up her sides, drawing her cropped top higher. With her help, he was able to remove the fabric. In a flash of glitter, the small bit of cloth flew in the direction of a camera.
“That was perfect,” one of the other guys in the room said.
My brain registered one thing. There was no bra strap. Britt’s bare back was covered by large, dark hands. Juice’s fingers spanned the expanse of her small back. My stomach rolled, threatening to rid itself of the food I’d eaten on the plane. Her naked chest was pressed against Juice’s clothed one.
My fingers squeezed into a fist, my short nails biting into the meat of my palm. I really needed to punch something. As the song was winding down, Juice guided Britt’s head toward him. Her hair fell in a curtain, shrouding them in secret. Did he kiss her?
“And that’s a wrap,” one of the guys said over the intercom. Juice helped Brittany up. He laughed at whatever she said.
Unable to wait another second, I stalked over to the door leading into the private room. I threw it open. It bounced when it hit the wall, making Juice look my way. He nodded in my direction as I stalked by him on my way to her.
She was leaning over to grab a swath of black silk. When she straightened back up, I
wrapped my fingers around her arm. Over her shoulder, her gaze met mine. I couldn’t read her expression.
More people were in the room now, dismantling the hot lights in the corners and removing the camera equipment.
Gently, I dragged her to an unoccupied corner. She shrugged out of my hold and slid her arms into the black, silk robe. Before she cinched the sash, I saw that she wasn’t truly topless. Her breasts were cupped by some sort of material, completely covering those tempting mounds. It made me feel marginally better.
I stood quietly, waiting for her to say something. Anything.
Finally, her sad eyes peeked up at me. The sorrow in them was a solid punch to my gut. “Brooks.” My name was a sigh on her lips. “What are you doing here?”
“I needed to see you. To talk to you. You deserve an explanation,” I blabbered, twisting my fingers together behind my back to keep from reaching for her again.
“I can’t talk to you right now. I don’t have time. There’s a meeting I can’t be late for. Besides, I think I understand everything just fine. People don’t change,” she said, regret and grief making her voice husky.
Chapter 31
Britt
With my head held high, I stormed away from Brooks. I halfway expected him to protest, to shout after me, to chase me down. Part of me really wanted him to.
But he didn’t.
It was just as well. But it still hurt like hell. I went into the changing room the club’s dancers used nightly so I could switch back into my normal clothes. I was so glad I’d only had to do the lap dance once. I wasn’t sure I could’ve stomached it any longer. Hands other than Brooks’s on me caused a revolt in my body on a cellular level.
Turn up the Tempo (Lyrical Odyssey Rock Star Series Book 4) Page 23