Love Damaged: Rock-N-Roll Heiress Book 2

by McCracken, Kelli

George covered his glass and shook his head. “I appreciate the offer, but I’m still working. I can’t hang with you young guys anymore. Besides, I need to get going. I have another client staying here, and I want to check in on her.”

  I reached my hand forward and shook his. “Thank you for tonight.”

  As we shook hands, he chuckled. “Don’t thank me. Thank the beautiful creature who was here just moments ago. She’s the one who deserves your gratitude.”

  I mulled over his words as he said his goodbyes to Bentley, Jason, and Ryan. I wanted to thank Mia for everything she’d done for me. It went beyond bringing my favorite band here. She’d changed my life for the better since the day she entered it. I repaid her by breaking her heart.

  Max set a glass in front of me as I pushed the thoughts from my mind and took a drink. It helped settle my anticipation until Bentley leaned closer.

  “Smoke is coming out of your ears, man. What the hell is on your mind?”

  “Did you know about any of this?”

  Bentley glanced at the bar. “I plead the fifth.”

  “Why would she do this, Ben?” I pointed toward the stage. “The last time I tried talking to her, she told me it was over.”

  “I told you to give her time.” He downed half of his drink then lowered his hand. “Maybe you should ask her to talk again. It’s obvious her feelings have changed, but I don’t know what caused it.”

  “I’d like to know.”

  Bentley snorted as he shook his head. “Does it really matter? This is what you’ve been wanting. Don’t waste time questioning it.”

  He was right. Whatever happened to cause Mia to change her mind didn’t matter. If this was her way of showing me she still cared, I had to do the same.

  All I needed was the courage to do it.

  Chapter 9

  ~Mia~

  Being inside the arena while Breaking Silence rehearsed was harder than it should be. I’d never struggled to focus on my work as much as I was tonight. Andi and I only had a half hour to go before we wrapped up for the evening. At the rate I was going, I’d be here for much longer.

  Tapping the screen on my tablet, I kept my back to the stage and glanced at Andi, who was passing out staff shirts to a few new employees. If I didn’t get their personal information entered into the system, their paychecks wouldn’t go to their banks. To my knowledge, I couldn’t remember a time when my grandfather or I was ever late paying one of our staff. I didn’t want today to be the first. If it meant working later, so be it. It’s not like I had someone waiting for me anymore.

  I wouldn’t ask Andi to stay over when I was the one who couldn’t concentrate. It’s not like I didn’t know Ayden and the guys would be in here. Doug texted me the news that an opportunity arose for them to open for another band he managed. They would be in Phoenix for the weekend.

  It was a bit of good news the guys needed. Ever since Doug told them that their bigger tour had been pushed back, they seemed to get discouraged. Andi mentioned Bentley was, and I knew by looking at Ayden that he wasn’t taking the news well. Add on the tension between us, and I understood why he’d kept me at a distance, even after his birthday.

  Doing my best to ignore the sound of his voice, I stared at my tablet, swiping my fingers across it. Andi approached me a second later. I assumed she was waiting for me to look up. When I finally did, she was glancing at the stage.

  “Has he talked to you yet?”

  “You’ve been here with me the whole time. You know the answer to that.”

  “I thought maybe he would send you a text. I saw him on his phone earlier.”

  “Well, he wasn’t texting me.”

  I didn’t like the irritable sound in my voice. I wasn’t frustrated with her, or even Ayden for that matter. I was upset that things had grown this strained between us. I wanted what I’d lost.

  “I thought for sure he’d talk to me after his birthday.”

  “I’m sure he would have, but after Distortion invited him to hang out, he didn’t go to bed until two in the morning. Trust me, I was there. You could have been too if you hadn’t gone to bed.”

  “I didn’t know if my presence would bring him down. He deserved to hang out with his friends and his idols. I wanted him to have fun.”

  “He did. I promise.”

  “It still wasn’t enough. I think I’ve finally chased him away.”

  She expressed her disagreement with a few grunts and half a laugh. “Why would you say something so untrue?”

  “Look at what’s happened since I returned. It was bad enough that my sister claimed they slept together. I reacted to the news by kissing D. How could he forgive me for that?”

  “Because he knows you were hurt by what Izzy said. It was a reaction.” She waited to see if I would respond, but when I didn’t, she crossed her arms over her chest. “He still loves you. If you don’t believe me, look behind you.”

  When I did as she suggested, I found Ayden standing at the center of the stage. Our eyes locked as he belted out the lyrics to the song. His voice made me shiver. I loved the gritty sound. It spoke to me in a way nothing else had.

  Forcing myself to turn around, I studied Andi a moment, trying not to allow my emotions to overwhelm me. Nothing helped. “I’m driving myself crazy with all of this. You say he still loves me, yet he hasn’t approached me since the night Rebel Stone performed. I crushed him that night. I just know it.”

  “Mia,” she placed her hand on my shoulder. “Stop doing this to yourself.”

  “Andi, we both know that George Thompson told Ayden I’m the one who invited his favorite band here. It’s been several days since then, and he still hasn’t attempted to talk to me again.”

  Rubbing the back of her neck, Andi lowered her gaze to the ground. “Quit reading into this, Mia. Yes, Ayden knows you’re the one who brought them here. Bentley told me that much. He also said Ayden was floored when he found out.”

  “Floored? That could be a sign of excitement or one of disgust. If you’re trying to settle my mind, it’s not working. If Ayden knows I’m the one who did it and has still kept his distance, it looks bad. I’ve ruined things.”

  Placing both her hands on my shoulders, she squared me up to hers and stared me in the eye. “Mia, listen to me. You are causing yourself undue stress. If Ayden didn’t care, he wouldn’t be attuned to your every move.”

  My face grew hot. “What do you mean?”

  Andi rolled her eyes. “You know exactly what I mean. Ayden’s eyes never leave you for long. He watches everything you do. If he didn’t care about you, he wouldn’t.”

  As Ryan led into another song with his guitar, I heard Ayden’s voice again. Butterflies danced in my stomach. I did my best to concentrate on Andi and what she was saying. I saw her mouth moving, but I couldn’t resist the song or the man singing.

  I listened to the lyrics, not recognizing the song as one they’d played in the past. It definitely wasn’t one they’d included on their album. I loved the groove, but the lyrics . . . They were too familiar.

  “Oh my God,” I whispered. “Those words . . . They’re from an actual conversation Ayden and I had.” In the recent weeks since we’d split up, I hadn’t known him to work on any new music. He hadn’t been in the recording studio. Of course, he could write a song anytime it pleased him. He kept a guitar in his room.

  “Was it a good conversation?” Andi teased as she wiggled her brows. “Because this song is hot.”

  Come to think of it, she was right. The song was hot, but then, so was the conversation we’d had that night. Ayden had a way of getting to me. It wasn’t just with his sexy smile or tender touches. It was the things he said, the promises he made me, the way he made me feel like I was alive.

  Bentley rolled over his drums as the song switched to the chorus. Ayden’s voice tugged at my soul. I thought back to the last time we made love, how I’d leaned against him, arching my back as he filled me. The heat of his breath had warmed my neck when he
planted his lips at the nape. His scorching hands had held my hips, guiding them back and forth while he slid deep.

  I missed him so much it hurt to breathe.

  My shaky breath wasn’t much help. I wrapped my arms around my torso, holding myself together. This was killing me. At least when D and I broke up, I didn’t have to see him every day. It was the opposite with Wesley. I saw him every day, but I despised him.

  Now there was Ayden. I wasn’t over him. Not even close. We’d gone back and forth over our feelings since Wesley and Izzy interfered with our happiness. It took me a while to wade through my feelings. Perhaps I had taken too long, refused Ayden one too many times, or gave him too many reasons to give up. Whatever the cause, I couldn’t help but feel like I would never be happy again.

  “I should probably go.”

  “Go?” Andi’s head jerked back. “Wait, where? Don’t we still have work to do?”

  “I’ll finish before I go to bed. I just need some fresh air.”

  Before I could walk away, she cut off my path. “Are you kidding me?”

  “Andi, I can’t work out here. I can’t concentrate on anything but him.” I tilted my head just enough for her to know I was referring to Ayden. “If you want to join me in the office, we’ll finish now. If not, I’ll do it myself. Either way, I have to go.”

  “Mia, wait.”

  I shook my head, sidestepping her again. I didn’t get but a few steps away when I felt a hand warming my shoulder. Andi wouldn’t give up.

  “Please stop. I told you I can’t stay here when he—” The words caught in my throat as my body spun around. When I stopped, I stared into a set of dark eyes, the same ones that had haunted me from the stage. It wasn’t Andi standing less than an inch from me.

  It was Ayden.

  * * *

  ~Ayden~

  When Mia suggested we go back to her place to talk, a wave of relief filled me. It meant she was serious about discussing our relationship and everything that went wrong. I hoped we would also discuss her forgiving me and giving me another chance. I may get the former, but the latter was a long shot.

  Still, I had to seize the chance.

  Instead of walking, she’d driven us back to the condo in the golf cart her and Andi always used. She hadn’t said much to me on the ride. Between some of her staff and guests, there were plenty of people moving about the grounds, saying hello to us as we went past.

  It all seemed like a blur now. The door to Mia’s suite clicked as the automatic lock engaged. She set her tablet along with a few files on the counter between the kitchen and living room. Then she stepped out of her heels. I waited for her to speak, but she said nothing, not even when she turned to me.

  Her eyes trailed over my face, hesitating at my lips then my chest. She parted her mouth as if she were on the verge of saying something. Yet nothing came out. I understood why. When it came to us, there were a lot of emotions, many unresolved.

  Instead of waiting for her, I took the initiative and advanced in her direction. She hadn’t left the spot near the counter, where her back pressed against it. When she realized I was getting closer, her shoulders slumped. The resistance I’d felt since she’d returned dissipated.

  “I know this is difficult,” I admitted. “As much as I want to talk to you, I don’t want you uncomfortable. If you’ve changed your mind—”

  “I haven’t.” She held my gaze as I stood less than a foot from her. “It took me some time to get to this point, but I’m here. At the same time, I don’t know where to begin.”

  “Then let me.” Waiting until she acknowledged me with a nod, I released the breath I was holding and relaxed my shoulders. “If you walk away from this conversation knowing one thing for sure, I hope it’s how incredibly sorry I am for the pain I’ve caused you. I never meant to hurt you, Mia, but I did, repeatedly.”

  “I know how convincing Wesley’s lies are. I spent months believing his bullshit. He knew I’d warn you about him, so instead of making you think I was sleeping with him, he made it look like it was with someone else.”

  “And I was the fool that bought into it.” I hung my head as the hate I felt for myself grew. How could I have been so stupid? “I thought you broke my trust, but I broke yours instead.”

  “Do you still believe I cheated on you?”

  I gazed into her eyes. “No.”

  “Are you saying that because you know about the results of my tests? Andi said she told you I had them performed.”

  Glancing away, I focused on the front door. “When I found out about the test, I was ashamed of myself, but I was already regretting the way I treated you. You didn’t deserve it. To know I’d been horrible to you then find out you may have been raped . . . ”

  My eyes burned as they began to moisten. I fought to contain the remorse eating me alive. For as long as I lived, I would never forget any of this. I couldn’t. Mia didn’t deserve the way I made her feel. I needed to remember so I’d never put her through this again.

  If I got her forgiveness. I didn’t deserve it or her.

  The warmth of her hand met my arm. “You know the rape kit was negative, don’t you?”

  All I did was nod. Her touch soothed me. I focused on nothing but her hand until she moved it away. Then the ache in my chest I’d battled for weeks returned.

  “I went out of my mind when you disappeared. It started the night I chased you away. That’s how I know I didn’t sleep with Izzy. I didn’t want to be around anyone. Your sister and I didn’t have sex that night.”

  “I believe you.”

  The wall around my heart crumbled. My insides shook with such force I wasn’t sure I could stand. “Where does that leave us?”

  Waiting for her answer, I held my breath again as searing pains twisted my gut. Mia only had one of two ways to answer. Still, I worried over my odds. Lately, luck hadn’t been on my side. All I could do was hope that the fact I was in her suite was a clue to which way she would decide. It was the first positive interaction we’d had since our break-up.

  A moment later, she was whispering my name. When I peered up, she tilted her head to the side. “Where do you want us to be, Ayden? What do you want from this conversation?”

  “You.” My voice turned raspy. “I want you, Mia. I want back what we had.”

  She inched closer, not looking away from me when she said, “Are you sure?”

  My response was something between a sigh, a laugh, and a cry. I didn’t know which of my emotions would take control, but it didn’t astound me as much as her question.

  “I know without a doubt. You’re it for me, Mia.”

  As she leaned her chest against mine, I wrapped my arms around her. Had she really forgiven me? I wasn’t sure what to say or even think. I just held her close, savoring every second she stared into my eyes.

  Then she whispered the sweetest words. “You’re it for me too, Ayden. I want to be with you, no one else.”

  That was all it took for me to crush her body to mine as my lips sought hers. The sweet taste of her mouth intoxicated me as it always did. It seemed too good to be true. Part of me worried it was a dream, one I would wake from at any moment.

  That fear became a reality when the heat of Mia’s mouth left mine. At least I thought my fears were coming true. Instead of me waking, she cupped my face and eased back.

  “Will you stay with me tonight?”

  Did she seriously have to ask? I wanted to be with her every second of the day. The thought of leaving her suite now was like having a bucket of ice dumped on my head. It jarred me.

  “I don’t want to be anywhere else but with you, Mia.”

  Her eyes twinkled under the light above us. God, she was beautiful. Every part of me ached to lie next to her, to hold her close as we touched and kissed. It wouldn’t matter if we had sex or not. I just wanted to be near her.

  I couldn’t deny that I’d like it to be more, but I wasn’t pressing my luck. Still, disappointment filled me when Mia pulled aw
ay. Part of me feared she was changing her mind. Then she reached for my hand.

  Clasping hers, I said nothing as she led me toward her room. The fruity scent of her perfume penetrated my nose. I inhaled deeply as if I would never get another chance to smell the sweet scent.

  Mia turned to me once more. We stopped in the middle of her room when she pulled me close again. Her arms wrapped around my neck as the heat of her body fused with mine. Then her mouth was covering my mouth. Her tongue sought mine and rolled with it as a soft moan left me.

  Was this the part where we really made up? I sure as hell hoped so because she woke every part of me with just a kiss. The soft caresses turned to tugging as desperation wavered through me. I worked my hands over her body, pulling her closer and her clothes further away.

  She didn’t resist in the least. Her hands moved just as quickly over me, tugging at my zipper and button, lowering my jeans and boxers, pushing my shirt over my head.

  As soon as the last item hit the floor, I spun her around. She gasped when my chest pressed against her back and my hands slid over hips. She circled them a moment later and rubbed her ass against my throbbing cock.

  Damn, she was making me crazy. I couldn’t control myself. Within seconds, I had her against the wall. Her breasts pressed to it as I jerked her hips toward mine. One, quick thrust and I was inside of her.

  She arched against the wall until my cock was fully submerged. Then she tightened around me. Every part of me pulsed. I didn’t want to move, just wanted to enjoy the sweet sensation of knowing I was buried to her core.

  I swept my lips over her neck and gripped her tighter. When she wiggled her ass, I groaned against her skin. This would be over quick if she didn’t allow me control. I didn’t want it to end, especially too soon.

  Easing my hips away, I nipped the skin below her ear. Another quick thrust had her moaning this time. Her breaths came in short spurts. They mixed with the grunts leaving her mouth as I fucked her deep. I slid my hand lower, seeking the little mound of flesh that drove her wild.