Chapter Seven
It was pretty obvious Charlotte was uncomfortable sitting in the living room of the rental house. She insisted that she apologize before she would feel comfortable staying. She sat there with her ankles crossed and her hands folded primly in her lap. Shane was texting on his phone, Vaughn was nursing a beer, Gavin was on his phone playing a game, and Malcolm was reading in a chair. They were just waiting for Declan who was entertaining at the moment. He hoped Declan would hurry up and get his rocks off, so Travis could take Charlotte upstairs and get his rocks off. Travis put his hand on Charlotte’s shoulder and leaned over. “Nobody cares, trust me.”
“I care. I was raised better than that.”
So was he, but at this moment he couldn’t give a shit about good manners. Getting between those long legs again was a way more important priority. Travis let out a long breath. He just wanted to get her into bed and forget about everything else but them doing things to each other.
There was a commotion behind him and a long wail. Declan was done and kicking his latest fuck buddy to the curb.
“You need to go, darling. I’m done.”
“But Declan, I love you.”
“I’m sure you do, but you still have to go.” He walked into the living room buttoning his shirt.
“Declan, please.”
Travis was done. He walked over to the pretty blonde girl. “Listen …”
A tear was rolling down her cheek. “Amber.”
He put his hand on her arm. “Declan needs to be with his band right now. We have to heal. Andy’s death …” he couldn’t believe he was using Andy’s death to get rid of a groupie.
Amber’s lip trembled. “I want to help him, Travis.”
Jesus fucking Christ, he was going to kill Declan one day. He started leading her to the front door. “You have, but now we need to be alone.”
She nodded. “If he needs me, I’m here for him.”
“Thank you.” He gently pushed her out the door, shut it softly, and walked back to the living room to find Declan sitting on the sofa next to Charlotte. She had scooted over to the corner of the sofa and he was just leering at her. Travis wanted to plant his fist right in his face.
Shane looked up from his phone. “Why are we here, Travis?”
Travis pointed to Charlotte. “The lady has something to say.”
Charlotte took one last look at him and smiled. She turned back to them. “Gentlemen, I owe you an apology for my behavior the other day.”
Gavin tilted his head and looked at her as if she had sprouted another head. “For what?”
“For causing an uproar in the house. I’m truly sorry. I was raised better than that and don’t usually leave a disaster in my wake. If possible, I would like to begin again. Let me introduce myself. I’m Charlotte Lambert and it’s such a pleasure to finally meet all of you properly.”
Declan took her hand and kissed the back of it. “Declan Shaw. It’s such a pleasure to finally meet you in the flesh.”
Charlotte smiled and extracted her hand. “My, you are a friendly one.”
Declan leaned forward. “You have no idea.”
Travis wasn’t sure if he wanted to smack Declan upside the head or toss his cookies. He was going to have to think about it.
Malcolm stood up and extended his hand. “I’m Malcolm Elliot and this is my brother Gavin Nash.”
Charlotte took his hand. “My pleasure.”
Gavin lifted up his hand. “Nicetomeetcha.”
Malcolm slapped Gavin on the back of his head. “Stand up, she’s a lady.”
Gavin blushed, stood, and stuck out his hand. “Hello, Charlotte.”
Charlotte giggled as she shook his hand.
Travis leaned over. “Can we go to bed now?”
“Travis, don’t be rude.” But she did wink at him.
He liked being scolded by her. He’d have to misbehave more often.
Vaughn rolled his eyes, slammed his beer on a table. “Whatever,” he said and walked out of the room.
“Somebody’s jealous,” Declan snickered.
Travis smirked. Vaughn was such an ass.
Charlotte held up her hands. “Did I offend him?”
Travis wanted to preen. “You chose me.”
Charlotte bit her bottom lip. “Should I apologize?”
“Don’t be sorry. I’m not.”
Shane walked over and stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you, Charlotte. I’m Shane Yorke.”
She took his hand. “How do you do?”
“Pretty good, usually.” He pointed to the pile of luggage by the stairs. “Do you always bring your cat and suitcases to apologize?”
“I do when I’m going to be spending time here.” She turned to look at Travis. “You didn’t call first?”
“You’re staying?” Malcolm asked before Travis could answer.
Hell no, he’d been way too busy doing her to call and ask for permission. Who the fuck has time for a phone call when he’s with a woman like her? “I told you it was no big deal.”
“I thought we agreed you would call first.”
Travis shook his head. “I forgot to call, we were kinda busy.” He jiggled his eyebrows.
Charlotte blushed. “Travis!”
This was so great. He looked up at the guys. “Anybody mind?”
Declan smiled. “We’d love to have you.”
Travis thought his quick agreement was kind of weird. Of all of them, Declan disliked strangers the most. Unless he was banging them.
Gavin shrugged. “It’s cool, Charlotte-slash-Vivienne, you class up the joint.”
She smiled at Gavin who looked like he’d just won a prize at the fair. “Well thank you, but this house has plenty of class without me. It’s one of the most famous houses in the city.”
“Do tell.” Declan scooted a bit closer to Charlotte.
Really, Travis thought. A history lesson now? But then he looked at her face and she became so excited, who was he to stop her?
Malcolm looked at him and shook his head.
“The house was built in 1798, by Andre Boucher and at the time it was considered one of the grandest houses in the city. Andre and his family were forced to escape the Terror in Paris. It was always rumored that he was the bastard son of a high ranking church member. After he died his daughter took over the house and turned it into a convent and then an orphanage. After the orphanage was rebuilt in another part of the city, the house was bought by Julian Adair in the 1850’s and played an important part in the North winning the Civil War. Adair was a very proficient spy for the North. In 1894, the house was purchased by a woman named Molly Lane and for nearly seventy years it was one of the most famous … bawdy houses in the city.”
“A what?” Shane asked.
“Whorehouse.” Malcolm said.
“Sweet,” Gavin said.
“I knew I liked the vibe here.” Declan agreed.
Okay, Travis thought that was kind interesting. Not as great as fucking Charlotte, but he could wait a few more minutes.
“It was quite the playground for gangsters, royalty, and the entertainment people who visited the city, until it was forced to close down. After that it changed hands so many times and fell into disrepair. Four years ago, my family's foundation bought and restored it. It has been in several movies, a TV mini-series, and several prominent people have stayed here including Nelson Mandela, Johnny Depp, and Prince Charles. And now your band. I’m just so thrilled.”
Declan sat there looking so pleased with himself. “Happy to have you here, Land Lady.”
Travis trailed a finger down the back of Charlotte’s neck. “I’m tired, Charlotte, I need to go to bed.”
Charlotte blushed. “Well, of course. Again, thank you so much for letting me stay. And I enjoyed meeting all of you.”
Travis saw Malcolm duck his head, but not before he smiled. They were laughing at her. He didn’t care, because he knew they were all impressed with her. He liked that. He was im
pressed with her too. He watched her walk around the couch, bend at the knee, and gracefully pick up the cat carrier and her purse. “Second room on the right?”
“Yeah, I’ll be right up.”
“Take your time, Travis.” She smiled and began the trek up the stairs, her high heels clicking on the hardwood floor.
Malcolm rocked back on his heels and watched Charlotte move up the stairs. “She’s not your usual playmate.”
“I know.”
Gavin watched her go up the stairs. “How long is she staying?”
“As long as I can get her to.”
Declan smirked and eyed Malcolm as if they had a secret.
What the hell was that all about?
Declan put his hands in the pocket of his jeans. “You should start getting her herd of luggage upstairs. I wouldn’t leave her alone too long in this house.”
Travis didn’t think Declan was making a play for her, but who didn’t want a woman like Charlotte? He grabbed a couple of bags and headed upstairs, but not before he heard Malcolm say, “Well played, Declan.”
What the hell did that mean? In the room he found her unpacking her clothes and hanging them in the closet. Magnolia was walking around poking her nose into everything.
“That was very nice, Charlotte.”
She turned and smiled at him. “I’m very good at apologizing.”
“Not that. The “don’t wreck the house” speech.”
A horrified expression came over her face. “I didn’t mean to tell them how to behave--”
Travis held up a hand to stop her. “No problem. Sometimes we need to be told there are things more important than us.”
“But--” She covered her mouth with her fingertips.
Travis couldn’t help but smile. She put them on their best behavior and they wanted to say thank you. It was really hot. “All you said was it’s an important house, use a coaster for your beer, and be respectful.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “I am.”
“Well good.” She let out a long breath. “You certainly don’t use a lot of closet space.”
The bottom dropped out of his world. How did he get a woman like her? “That’s a good thing since I have two more bags to bring up.”
“I never could pack light.” She almost looked ashamed.
“I don’t mind.” The more she brought, the longer she was staying.
“An exceptional lover and a willing pack mule. I’m very lucky.”
Not as lucky as I am, he thought. He walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her waist. “You know I might have to keep you.”
She leaned back against him. “You are a very sweet man, but you don’t have nearly enough closet space.”
Her hair tickled his nose and he could spring flowers. “Vaughn’s next door. I will be happy to kick his ass out.”
She turned in his arms, curiosity written all over her face. “How do you manage to work so closely together if you don’t like him?”
He really didn’t want to talk about this right now, but he couldn’t figure out how to distract her. “He’s just the replacement.”
“For who?”
Travis leaned his forehead against hers. “For Andy,” he said, amazed that raw feeling in his gut didn’t double him over in pain.
She placed her hand on his arm. “What happened to Andy?”
A knot twisted in his stomach. “He died.”
She touched his cheek. “I’m so sorry. When did he die?”
Her soft touch soothed him. “Just over a year ago.”
“Do you want to talk about him?”
“I can’t.” He took a shuddering breath feeling the pain ease a bit. “Not right now.” Her mouth was so close he could almost taste her.
“I understand, but if you ever want to, I’m here to listen. Trust me, talking helps.”
For the first time, he believed he might start to get over Andy’s death. It was just a hunch, but it was there. Not that he was ready, but it was nice to know he could talk about it with someone. “Sweet Baby, what you do to me.”
“What do I do to you?” Her tone was throaty.
“You make me feel alive again.” There was a moment when he wanted to take that back, but then he looked into her dark eyes and saw happiness. He made her happy. That was incredible.
Her cheeks were pink. “No one’s ever said anything like that to me before.”
What the hell was wrong with men in this town? “I always heard Southern men were supposed to be charming.”
“Sometimes like snakes. I always heard Northern boys didn’t know how to treat a lady properly.”
How did he end up with the classy, elegant woman? He wasn’t in her league. He never would be. But damn, if he didn’t want to be. “I don’t have class, Charlotte. I’m a rough man.”
“I like that about you.”
She sounded sincere, but he didn’t believe it as much as he wanted to. “You do?”
“Yes. You are other things that are more important than being polished or sophisticated.”
This he had to hear. “What am I?”
“Passionate, creative, kind.”
He laughed. No one ever said that to him. But then again, all he really did was hang out with dudes. “Passionate?”
She licked her bottom lip. “And you rescued me from a situation that I had no idea how to handle. And that girl, Amber. Your friend Declan was cruel. You were very kind to her. I sensed that you felt sorry for her.”
Travis sometimes got mad at the way Declan treated his groupies, but he knew why. He couldn’t blame him, but he didn’t like it. “We all have our own ways of dealing with groupies.”
“You treated her with respect.”
“Maybe I was trying to impress you.”
She shook her head. “I get the feeling you treat people that way all the time.”
“I try.”
“Aren’t we a pair?”
“A good one?”
“Very good.”
He kissed her. He was done talking. Right now he felt like he was going to burst if he didn’t get her into bed again. It had only been about two hours since they got out of her bed, but it seemed like forever. “You know I have a big bathtub in there. How about you and I get a little dirty then we can wash it all off and start all over again.”
“See what I mean? You have a very creative mind, Mr. Rexford.”
“I’m going to get the rest of your luggage and then we can get you all clean.”
She slipped her hand in the waistband of his pants. “The bags can wait. I’m positively dirty right now. And you have to do something about it.” She whispered seductively.
“Who the hell am I to argue with that kind of logic?” He turned her toward the bathroom and gave her a smack on her ass. “Dirty girls have to run the bathwater. And I like it hot.”
“Of course you do.”
Declan smiled. Those two were an odd pair, but they seemed to be totally into each other.
“Well played, Declan.”
He turned to face Malcolm. “Yes, I know.”
Shane came over to him. “What the hell is going on?”
Malcolm pointed at him. “Declan is playing matchmaker for Travis.”
Anger flared on Shane’s face. “What the fuck are you doing?”
That wasn’t a surprise. Shane didn’t have faith left in women. “Making sure my friend gets to ride in a Bentley.”
“Why?”
He hated to explain himself, but to his friends he would. It’s not like he wasn’t trying to help Travis. “Because he needs it to get back on track.”
Shane took a step toward him and put on his best ‘I’m going to kick your ass face.’ “What the fuck does that mean?”
Declan shrugged. The boy needed something to jumpstart him again. And so far, Charlotte was doing an excellent job. Travis hadn’t been excited about anything in a long time. Declan was curious where this would lead for his friend.
He really didn’t give a shit what anyone else thought. If he hadn’t talked Travis into leaving Andy that night, he might still be alive. Declan owed him something. And if Charlotte squared that, he’d be okay. No matter where it lead. “Travis needs a reason to stay in the game.”
Gavin stood up, sheer panic in his hazel eyes. “Is he quitting the band? He can’t quit, we just lost Andy.”
Malcolm always played referee in the band. He put a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “Calm down baby brother, he’s not quitting the band … just yet.” Malcolm glared at Declan.
Shane planted a finger in Declan’s chest. “So let me get this straight, you are throwing him and little miss rich girl together so you get another album out of him? That is so fucked up, you egotistical ass. Even for you.”
Declan shoved back. Shane had him in sheer bulk, but Declan learned to fight dirty at a young age. “Don’t get in my face. He’s ready to throw it all away, because he’s lost. If this girl can help him find his music again and get back to the business of living, hell yeah, I’m going to serve her up to him on a silver platter.”
Malcolm pushed them apart. “Neutral corners, you two.”
“Are you taking his side?”
“No, but I like her. I like her with him.”
Shane narrowed his eyes and glared at Malcolm. “She’s going to wreck him. She’s going to use him then talk about her wild times with a rock star at her country club with her other rich bitch friends. Nice girl, my ass. When Princess Charlotte tosses him away then walks all over him,” he jabbed Declan in the chest, “I’m going to beat the fuck out of you.” Shane turned and walked out of the room.
Gavin grabbed a handful of Declan’s shirt. “I’ll be right there to help him. Don’t fuck with my friend or my band.”
Now, Gavin getting mad was scary. Gavin was the most easygoing man on the planet. He hadn’t factored in that his band would be against this. This shit better work or he’d be out of a job and friends.
Malcolm crossed his arms and stared at him.
“What?”
“You do realize if this is bust, not only are you going to lose Travis, but Shane and Gavin are gone too.”
You Shook Me All Night Long Page 8