by Eden Summers
She didn’t respond. Her wince remained in place. There was no choice. He was going to tell her everything and hope she understood where his infatuation had come from.
“I was going through a pretty fucked-up time. I wasn’t happy with my position in the band. I’m still not. And then Sidney came back into our lives.” His throat tightened at the memory. At his stupidity. “A lifetime ago we did something idiotic, and the sex tape has haunted us ever since—”
She turned and walked toward the stereo system. “I don’t need to hear this.”
“Yeah, you do.” He raised his voice over the music. “Because I plan to take this thing between us further.”
Her footsteps faltered. Stopped. And that arrogant chin of hers rose.
“I hadn’t seen Sidney in a long time. I hadn’t even thought much of her until I found out she was at Mason’s property, working on our next album.” He remembered the phone call from Leah and the immediate increase of his heart rate, both in concern for her, and in hope. He’d had nothing—a career he didn’t get credit for, no love life, a sterile sex life, and friends who were becoming the fucking Brady Bunch of marriage. It was like a switch had been flicked. He wanted what they had, and Sidney was the perfect candidate to help him achieve it.
“I fell for her for the wrong reasons. I didn’t want to be the weak link in the band. I didn’t like being looked down on. I guess I hoped Sidney would keep my mind away from my failures, and I became obsessed with trying to obtain the respite I needed from her.”
“Sounds a lot like a distraction to me,” she drawled. “Wasn’t I the same thing?”
He deserved that. “Honestly? At the start, you were. But things quickly changed.”
She turned, her eyes now filled with a hope that made his chest restrict in the best fucking way. “How?”
“There’s no obsession with you—”
“Oh, you flatterer.” She rolled her eyes.
“Because when I was with Sidney, I was constantly trying to forget my failures. When I was around her, I still struggled to hide the thoughts that taunted me. And with you, they don’t even exist. When we’re together, the world doesn’t mean shit. I don’t care about my career, or what I want in life. All I can think about is you.”
The self-castration wasn’t so bad when he received a dumbfounded look in return. Melody was in shock, her lips slightly parted, her eyes blinking in a daze.
“You made me realize my infatuation was for what Sidney stood for, not what she actually meant to me. Yes, she’s beautiful and will always be a close friend—”
“I’m not entirely sure where you’re going with this. Maybe you should quit while you’re ahead.”
He chuckled and bridged the distance between them, hovering over her. “And maybe you should give me time to explain before I place you in a position where you’ll have no choice but to listen.”
“Fine.” She shrugged a shoulder. “Apparently, watching you dig yourself from one hole to the next is my new pastime.” Her chest rose and fell in rapid succession. Even more tempting, her tongue slipped out to moisten her bottom lip.
“No, Melody,” he drawled her name with slow deliberation. “Your new pastime is me. End of story.”
The corners of her eyes crinkled with the smile spreading her lips. She was gorgeous. So damn gorgeous it hurt deep down in his chest. “Do you forgive me for flying off the handle?”
“Sweetheart, you didn’t do anything wrong.”
“It doesn’t feel that way.” She rested her hand on his sternum and played with the V-neck of his black cotton shirt. “I’ve never been jealous before.”
He frowned. “Never?”
She scrunched her face, shook her head. “I guess I’ve always been…”
“What?” He was dying to know what set him apart from all the other men she’d been with. Despite her fondness for hiding behind sexual excuses, he knew she was a confident woman. Or once had been.
“I’ve never relied on anyone else for my happiness.” She raised her gaze, pinning him through the heart with the sadness in her eyes. “I know you said you want more, and believe me, I want that, too. I’m just not sure if I’m ready.” She swallowed and went back to focusing on the neckline of his shirt. “I’m still dealing with a lot of changes in my life.”
“I know.” He cupped her cheek and brushed the pad of his thumb over the smooth, light pink skin.
She shook her head, denying his opinion. Her solemn expression changed, the sadness blinking from her eyes as she tilted her head toward his hand and placed a kiss on his palm.
“We better get started,” she murmured. “Tonight, I need to record the routine to send to Sasha. She already knows her side of the performance, and watching us together will better prepare her for working with you.”
He didn’t want to cut their conversation short. In New York and last night, all he could think about was clearing the air. Not only of his Sidney issues, but the ones surrounding her scar, too. He was dying for her to let him in, and every time she held back was a blow to his ego. And now that he’d won her over, the thought of dancing with someone else to finalize this project sat like a lead balloon in his stomach.
One step forward, two steps back.
“Want me to record it on my phone?” He turned, heading to the bench seat to hide his disappointment.
“That’d be great. It’ll save me getting my cell from the kitchen.”
When he turned back around, sterile emotion hit him. There was no joy in Melody’s features. In fact, she was staring at the floor in silent contemplation, her lips downcast in sorrow.
“Are we good, Red?” He wanted to quit the endearment. Saying her name right now would break him. Tonight had turned out better than he anticipated, and yet he was still defeated. He wanted her to lower her guard and trust him. He wanted the giddy, obsession-filled love his best friends seemed to have, not the continuous struggle to tip-toe around issues that didn’t matter to him in the least. Not that he loved her… Fuck. Maybe he did.
She snapped from her daze and raised a brow. “Yeah, why?”
“I don’t want you to worry about us. I’m not going to push, OK?” No matter how bad the nagging pain in his chest became. “If you want me to spend the night, I’ll spend the night. If you don’t—” He shrugged. “—I’ll be fine with that too. For however long it takes. I’ll even help you take those photos down from your wall if you want. I just want us to be together.”
She flashed him a smile. “Thank you.”
Yep, he was falling. Too hard. Too fast. Either that, or someone had slipped some hash into his last meal because his heart was beating a mile a minute. And with the increased sense of vulnerability, he wasn’t sure which cause he’d prefer.
“You’ve nailed it.” Melody smiled up at Sean, enjoying the warmth taking residence in her chest, overpowering the constant ache in her leg. Her tightly compacted insecurities started to unfurl during the last week of rehearsals. He barely left her side. He slept at her house, showered in her bathroom, and even bought groceries to fill her kitchen cupboards. They shared every meal together—breakfast, lunch, dinner, and those midnight after-sex feasts she enjoyed so much. He only disappeared when she had dance classes, and once they were over, he was back at her side, driving her to distraction with his insatiable desire.
He’d been honest in his promise to give her time. He hadn’t pushed for more information on her body issues. And with the sex they’d shared, there hadn’t been one accidental brush of his hand over her scar. It was as if his soul knew hers—the pain, the heartache, all without being told.
She loved that about him. She loved a lot about him.
With every new day, she grew more attached, needing to wake up to his possessive kisses to keep her vulnerabilities in check. The old Melody was no longer a charade she had to maintain. She was rapidly regaining the woman she once was. At least while they were alone.
“I hope so.” He brushed his lips over hers. “Being our last
rehearsal and all, I’m kinda glad you finally have confidence in me.”
She rolled her eyes and pushed from his chest. “Stop groping for compliments—”
“I’d grope for much more, but being in a public place, I didn’t think you’d approve.”
“And you’d be right.” She smirked, walking backward to start the routine all over again.
Although Melody was already sensing the heartbreak at handing over the reins to Sasha tomorrow, she’d agreed with Sean that tonight was special. Their last night dancing side by side, body to body, skin to skin. She’d miss their time together, where she could dance again and feel beautiful.
“And I was right about taking you to the park tonight too, wasn’t I?”
“Yes,” she murmured, turning away to break the connection of his delicious stare. “It was a great idea.”
At first, his suggestion to hold their last rehearsal in William Byrd Park had daunted her. Yes, she’d become stronger around Sean, but prying eyes weren’t something she wanted to deal with. The only factor to change her mind was the craving for fresh air after being stuck inside the studio walls for three weeks.
She had driven here from her last dance lesson of the day, Sean following behind her in his pickup as she found a secluded spot of grass. And here they’d stayed, until the sun was almost setting, making Sean’s darkening features all the more masculine as the light faded.
As it was, there was barely anyone around. A small group here, a lone woman or two over there. They weren’t close enough to daunt her, although now that she paid attention, they were more focused with intent on where Sean stood than she originally thought.
The crunch of grass sounded behind her, then his arms, strong and firm, encircled her waist. “I’m proud of you.”
He always praised her, like she was the one learning the routine instead of him. He knew too much—about her body, about her issues, yet she wasn’t entirely sure what he knew at all. She hadn’t been able to lower her defenses and paint the vivid picture of her insecurities. Strength would come with time…she hoped.
Someone cleared their throat nearby, and she spun in his arms, glancing over Sean’s shoulder as he did the same.
“Cameron?” Sean dropped his arms from her waist and turned to face the newcomer, greeting him with a handshake. “What are you doing here?”
The broad man, dressed in black polo shirt and pants, jerked his head toward the man beside him. “Leah called and told Jed and me to turn up tonight.” He glanced at his watch. “We’re a little late. It took longer than I thought to find you.”
“Leah called?”
“Yeah. She said there was some sort of promo gig tonight. She wasn’t sure if you’d score a crowd.”
“Nope.” Sean frowned, and spread his arms to indicate their surroundings. “We’ve been here for over an hour. There’s nobody here. We’re fine.”
Cameron shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me. I still get paid. We’ll split up and get out of your way.”
“Right…” Sean turned to her as the men strode in different directions, making their presence known to the few people hovering in the distance.
“What’s going on?” She stepped into his line of sight, reading the tight expression on his face.
“I don’t know.” He pulled his cell from his back pocket. “I’ll give Leah a call.” He unlocked his screen and frowned.
“Sean? What’s wrong?”
He shot her a glance before focusing back on his screen. “I have a shitload of Twitter notifications.”
“And…”
“And that’s unusual for me.” He tapped his screen, flicking over and over before stopping dead. “Shit.”
“What’s going on?” Her heel tapped against the ground of its own accord. She was too nervous to stop it.
“It looks like Leah shared part of our rehearsal video on the band website.” He ran his hand through his hair. “Fuck. She also announced on the Reckless Twitter account that we’d be here tonight for our final practice.”
“Right…” She had no more words. Her chest pounded in rapid beats while her throat restricted. And like usual, the ache in her leg made itself known. The likelihood that parts of the rehearsal video would be shared had always been a possibility. Sean had done right by her in asking her permission to forward it to Leah in the first place. This project was about promoting him, after all. She just wished she’d had time to prepare herself.
“What are we going to do?” He pinned her with his disconcerted stare.
“I’m sorry you didn’t gain the attention you would’ve liked. We can still rehearse if you want.” She was torn between disappointment because Sean hadn’t drawn a crowd and relief that their last night hadn’t been ruined. There was no way she could dance in front of a live group of Reckless fans. No way at all.
His face fell, the hardness in his eyes morphing into concern. “Red, she shared the video fifteen minutes ago, and the Twitter status has already been shared nine hundred and eighty seven times. I’m freaking out that we’re going to get mobbed.”
Oh, shit. Her stomach sailed out from underneath her. She did another scan of their surroundings, noting the cars pulling up to the curb in the distance to her right, and the groups of women approaching along the path to her left, in both directions. It was like the zombie apocalypse, only the threat approaching them were women, and their hunger was concentrated on a different part of Sean’s anatomy other than his brain.
“Fucking Leah,” he growled.
“It’s OK.” She bridged the short distance to her handbag nestled in the grass and yanked it onto her shoulder. She was talking to herself, hoping to calm her nerves, but Christ, more cars were pulling up, and the new arrivals were running, trying to get in front of the people already drawing closer. Chatter filled her ears, cat calls, snide comments, too, which were clearly directed at her. “And here you were thinking you weren’t popular.”
Sean shot her a sheepish grin. “You must be my good luck charm.” He reached for her hand, entwining their fingers. “You’re not going to dance with me again tonight, are you?”
She shook her head, diverting her gaze from his hopeful blue eyes. “I’m sorry. I can’t.” Not here, in front of all these people. All she wanted to do was hide, to shield her leg from the strangers vying for a piece of Sean, even though her scars were completely covered. The closer the group swarmed, now calling out questions to Sean, and numerous females confessing their love, the more she noticed the scorn directed her way.
If they weren’t completely focused on the famous Reckless Beat drummer at her side, they were looking down their nose at her, judging, making their displeasure known. She’d dealt with bad critiques before. There were always poisonous comments about your form when dancing in the public eye, but this was her first taste of undiluted contempt. These women hated her on sight.
“I need to leave.” Her voice barely registered over the excitement of the crowd.
Sean stepped into her, brushing his lips over her ear. “Are you OK?”
She shrugged, unsure what to say that wouldn’t ruin his monumental moment in the limelight. “I’m…” Humiliated. Annoyed. Maybe a little heartbroken.
“Back off,” Cameron yelled as he spread his arms to create more distance between Sean and the rest of the crowd.
“I’m sorry.” He leaned in, kissed her cheek.
“It’s OK. This was what you wanted.” Melody smiled up at him, ignoring the attention of way too many eyes on their private moment. “I’m going to bail and let you deal with your admirers.”
Something twinkled in his eyes—pride? Hope? The realization he’d achieved what he’d been looking for, even though it sent her running in the opposite direction? The look in his ocean-blue depths stung. She wanted to be happy for him, to congratulate him on achieving one of the milestones he considered a mark of success. Only she couldn’t. Not when reaching his goal made her more insecure.
“This was meant to be our
special moment.” He stroked the loose hair at her cheek, completely focused on her, as if they weren’t being scrutinized by over sixty women and a lot less men.
She swallowed over the discomfort in her throat and grinned. “I know.” He was still a thug. A soft thug with a romantic heart. “We can’t really do anything about it.”
The mob began to shove, encroaching, getting closer and closer until their proximity turned suffocating. “You better speak to them.”
He glanced over his shoulder, the gleam in his eye revealing he wasn’t entirely disappointed to have a group of women salivating at the sight of him.
“Go on. Enjoy the moment.”
His eyes narrowed. “Are we still going to have dinner?”
She shook her head. The night was meant to include take out from Stanterio’s and a relaxed movie with Ryan back at Sean’s penthouse. But she no longer felt like sticking around. “No. I think I’ll go to my sister’s instead and pick up something on the way. This will be one of my first nights off in a while. I don’t want to waste it.”
“Then I’ll meet you there.”
Panic unfurled in her chest. “At my sister’s?”
He grinned. “Yeah. It’ll be nice to see you out of your comfort zone again.”
Already there, bucko.
“Text me her address. This will only take ten minutes. Twenty tops.”
She nibbled her bottom lip. Introducing Sean to her sister was the next step. A shove closer to a full-blown relationship, and she had to admit it almost scared the crap right out of her.
“Go on, pixie.” He brushed his lips against hers, provoking a few squeals and scoffs from the crowd. “I won’t be long.”
She nodded, still uncertain as she stepped back, entering a washing machine on spin cycle as women nudged and blatantly shoved her to the back of the gathering.
***
Sean glared at the women who elbowed Red out of the way. He waited, making sure his pixie made it safely away from the crowd before he turned his back to the crazy folk and paid his attention to the people behind him. This was insane. This type of gathering had never shown up for him before. Not him solely, anyway. There was always Mitch or Mason to draw the fans.