Rocking Standby

by Cassandra Lawson

  “Mom told me,” I explained.

  “I don’t have brain cancer,” he assured me. “A character in a book Mom was reading when we spoke had brain cancer. We need to talk about Mom’s confusion, but first, I need to clear up this mess with Marie and my engagement.”

  “Okay,” I agreed and waited.

  “I’m gay,” he began. “There is nothing between me and Marie. She helps me out when I have issues with anxiety in public. It’s been a problem since my accident. She’s great, but she’s definitely not my type. I’m marrying James.”

  “Is this what you were worried about telling me over the phone?” I asked.

  “It seemed better to tell you in person,” he explained.

  I laughed as relief washed over me. “I thought you didn’t want to tell me you’re dying over the phone,” I said with a shake of my head.

  “Is that why you were in such a bad mood when you walked in here?” he asked.

  “That’s part of it,” I hedged. “There was also the thing with you buying Mooncast and you seeing Bentley.”

  “As far as the record label goes,” he began, “it goes to you if anything happens to me. I take it there was more to your meeting with Marie than she told me about. You clearly don’t like the idea of her being involved with me, and don’t tell me it was all about concerns for me or the label.”

  I sighed and covered my face with my arm as I leaned back on the sofa. “I seriously screwed up. Sorry for getting so worked up over this.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” he told me. “We haven’t talked much in the last decade. I can see why you’d worry about the label. I’d also be in a bad mood if I thought you were dying.”

  “It’s worse than that,” I confessed. “I said horrible things to Bentley.”

  “She didn’t mention anything about horrible things when I talked to her,” Collin told me. “Actually, she didn’t tell me much about your conversation.”

  “It’s not what happened on the flight that’s the problem,” I began. “I saw her again before I came here.”

  “Don’t tell me you said something bad enough to make her quit,” he practically pleaded. “James will never forgive me if Marie quits.”

  “I doubt she’ll quit, but she might punch me in the balls the next time she sees me,” I muttered.

  Colin cringed. “I’ll make sure she’s not here when you are. That should be easy since you don’t usually visit during normal business hours.”

  “I need to talk to her,” I stated. “I have to apologize.”

  Colin grinned. “I see.”

  “Why do you look so amused?” I asked.

  “I was thinking that this will give you an opportunity to practice your groveling skills,” he replied with a laugh.

  He was right. After seeing how pissed Bentley was at the cafe, I was going to have to work hard to get her to give me another chance.

  Chapter 14

  Bentley

  Lunch with Lex was nice, and it helped alleviate some of my worries about my brother. It was good to see him get out of the house. I’d even convinced him to go for a walk with me. Now, I was alone and focused on the asshole of the year, Gage Addison.

  What a jerk! How could I have believed he was a nice guy? I usually wasn’t this bad at judging character. I’d actually missed him and wondered if I should ask Colin for Gage’s number on more than one occasion over the last couple of weeks. Thankfully, I hadn’t done that. While it might have been better to have him call me a whore over the phone instead of in a public place, I knew it would have hurt more if I’d put myself out there like that.

  When I got home, I turned on my laptop to check my work email. Yes, I’m a workaholic. It’s one of the biggest reasons I’ve moved up in my job so quickly. Unlike what dickhead Gage Addison assumed, I didn’t need to sleep my way to the top.

  My phone rang, but I hesitated to answer it since I didn’t recognize the number. It was likely someone selling something, and I normally sent those calls to voicemail. It said a lot about my mood that I answered the call because I wanted to snap at a telemarketer. How many times did I need to tell people I live in a condo and can’t have solar panels?

  “Hello,” I answered.

  “Bentley?”

  Curse my stupid body! I actually shuddered with desire when I heard Gage’s slightly raspy voice coming from my phone. This was how Batman got all the women. They weren’t all over him because he had money; it was all about the voice. Everyone knows Batman can’t commit, but women still throw panties at him. Not literally. Though, I’m sure women throw their panties at Gage.

  Oh. My. God. Gage Addison’s voice was turning my mind to mush.

  “Are you still there?” Gage asked.

  “Why are you calling?” I demanded. Work brain! I need you to focus on one thing—Gage is a jerk. Do not lose sight of that no matter how good he sounds.

  “I wanted to apologize for the way I acted earlier,” he began. “I was a jerk.”

  “Yes, you were,” I agreed. “How did you get my number?”

  “It was in the file I got from the private investigator,” he admitted.

  I said nothing at the reminder that he’d had me investigated. If he was standing in front of me, I’d slap him.

  “Bentley?” he said cautiously. “Are you still there?”

  “I’m still here,” I replied.

  “Can we start over?” he asked. “I’m in town for the next three days. My hotel isn’t that far from your place. I can pick you up and take you somewhere nice. We can talk, and I can prove I’m not a complete jackass.”

  I’m not sure why Gage having my address came as a surprise. If he’d gotten my phone number from the private investigator, it only made sense that he’d also gotten my address. Finding my address wasn’t even that hard since I was a property owner. It was a good thing he’d decided to call rather than show up at my door. I’d hate to see the headlines if I got arrested for assaulting the lead guitarist for Reckless Release.

  “No.” I didn’t need more than that one word.

  “You’re mad,” he began. “I get that, but I know I can make this up to you. There is a reason I acted like such a dick. Give me a chance to explain.”

  Once more, I cursed my stupid body for reacting to his voice. It was completely unfair that he had a voice that made me want to beg him to talk dirty to me. If I was being completely honest with myself, I wanted a lot more than that. I wanted him to talk dirty to me while he did wicked things to my body. No! I was not going to think about sex with Gage, or even about talking about sex with Gage. Sex and Gage were two words I needed to avoid placing in the same thought.

  “I’m not interested in spending any more time with you,” I told him, trying to keep my voice cold.

  His sigh drifted through the phone line, and I imagined he was trying to decide if it was worth arguing. “I’m calling you from my cell phone, so you have my number,” he began. “If you change your mind, call me.”

  “Goodbye, Gage.” I ended the call without giving him time to say more. There was nothing left to say.

  After muttering about what an asshole Gage was, and cursing myself for reacting so strongly to him, I decided my work email could wait. Snatching up my phone, I called Cami.

  “I was just thinking about you,” Cami said by way of greeting. “How did your lunch with Lex go? Please, don’t tell me he stood you up. If he did, we need to stage an intervention to get him out of the house.”

  “Lex showed up,” I told her. “He even promised to meet me for lunch again next week. This time, he seemed serious.” In general, my brother promised to do stuff with me to get me to stop asking him. I usually got vague responses about him needing to check his schedule. This time, he’d pulled out his phone and told me the days that would work best for him.

  “That’s great news,” she said happily. “Maybe next time we can all hang out. Lex hardly ever returns my text messages, and you already know he sends my calls to vo
icemail.”

  Cami had been close to Lex at one time. Since she was a lover of all things music, they’d hit it off—not in a romantic way, but they’d been friends. Cami had even visited my brother in prison several times. Lex’s rejection since his release hurt her.

  “Gage found me,” I told her.

  “Really?” she asked. “How? This is so romantic.”

  “This is definitely not romantic,” I grumbled. “I ran into the jerk when I was waiting for Lex.”

  “Was he angry that you hadn’t called?” she asked, continuing before I could answer. “He can’t blame you for that. You didn’t ask to have your phone stolen.”

  “He seemed angrier about me being a gold-digging whore,” I explained.

  “What the actual fuck?” she asked slowly. “Did he seriously accuse you of going after him for his money?”

  “No,” I replied. “He accused me of going after Colin for his money. The asshole even had me investigated. That’s how he got my number.”

  “Why is he calling you?” she asked incredulously. “Is he threatening or harassing you?”

  “Nothing like that,” I assured her. “He called to apologize for being a jerk earlier today and to ask if he could take me out to make it up to me.”

  “Huh,” was her response.

  “What do you mean by huh?” I asked. I’d known Cami long enough to recognize my friend had an idea she wasn’t sure she should share with me.

  “You should go see him,” she stated.

  “Are you out of your mind?” I demanded. “More out of your mind than usual, I should say. The man insulted me and had me investigated. He’s not just a jerk. He’s a creepy jerk.” With a super sexy voice, I added silently. No! I was not going to think about that.

  “Gage Addison—super hot rocker—is in town for a short time. After that, he’ll be heading back to Los Angeles to get ready for a tour with his band. Why not take advantage of this?” she asked.

  “He’s a creepy jerk,” I reminded her.

  “I’m not suggesting you date him,” she pointed out. “Use his body a little. Use it a lot. You need to have an adventure, Bennie. You used to be my wild and crazy friend. I used to be the sane one. Lately, you’re stuck in a rut. Since Lex got arrested, you act like you have to be mature and responsible at all times.”

  I resisted the temptation to point out that Cami had never been the sane one.

  “Being responsible is part of being an adult,” I argued. “Lex is one of the reasons I don’t want to get involved with Gage. I know firsthand what that lifestyle does to people.”

  The me of eight years ago would have jumped at this opportunity. I’d still been a workaholic back then, but I’d also been able to let go of my inhibitions. I’d gone to some wild college parties with Cami, and she was right about me having been much more carefree before Lex’s arrest.

  Cami made her final argument. “Do you want to spend the next several months fantasizing about Gage Addison? Don’t try pretending you aren’t still attracted to him. Just get him out of your system, girl.”

  She was right. I wanted to do this, and if I didn’t, I’d regret it. I’d spend months fantasizing about Gage. Hell, I’d spent the last two weeks fantasizing about him. Jerk or not, I still wanted him.

  “Fine,” I relented. “I’ll sleep with Gage Addison.”

  “Really?” she asked with obvious surprise.

  “You’re the one who talked me into it,” I reminded her.

  “I didn’t think you’d actually do it,” she admitted. “Good for you! Now, go get that rocker!”

  Chapter 15

  Gage

  I’d screwed up with Bentley, something I’d realized even before my brother had set me straight. This wasn’t like me. I didn’t usually jump to conclusions, and I sure as hell didn’t get this worked up over my brother’s business. Worries that he was dying had definitely influenced my actions, but I’d be lying if I said concern for my brother had been the biggest motivator behind my dick attitude. Jealousy was an ugly emotion and one I wasn’t used to dealing with, but fuck me if I hadn’t been insanely jealous at the thought of Bentley with another man. I wanted her for myself; something that would never happen now.

  I didn’t blame her for refusing to give me a second chance. It was probably for the best considering I’d be going on tour soon.

  When my phone buzzed, I expected it to be one of my friends calling about the tour. My eyes widened when I saw Bentley’s name on the screen, and I wondered if she’d thought of more insults to hurl my way. I definitely deserved them.

  “Hello,” I answered, trying to sound casual and relaxed. What was it about this woman? I was nervous. That hadn’t happened in a very long time.

  “Hi, Gage. It’s Bentley,” she said, sounding a little nervous herself.

  “Did you call to tell me what a dick I am?” I asked.

  “No,” she replied with a soft laugh. “I changed my mind about getting together.”

  I had to be dreaming. There was no other explanation for her sudden change of heart. Bentley had been far from forgiving when we’d talked less than an hour ago.

  “Are you still there?” she asked hesitantly.

  “Yeah, sorry,” I replied. “You surprised me. I didn’t expect to hear from you again after the way I acted.”

  “I didn’t expect to call you,” she admitted.

  “What changed your mind?” I had to know.

  “My friend, Cami,” she began. “She convinced me I’d regret it if I didn’t see you again.”

  “Then I owe your friend,” I told her.

  “Where are you staying?” she asked.

  “I’m at the Claremont,” I replied. “How about if I pick you up? I can be there in twenty minutes.”

  “I’ll come to you,” she stated.

  “You don’t have to do that,” I assured her. “I drove down here, so I have my car.”

  “What room are you in?” she asked.

  Something was off, and I was tempted to push Bentley to talk about it over the phone. In the end, I decided it would be better if we talked in person.

  “Call me when you get here and I’ll meet you in the lobby,” I told her.

  “All right,” she agreed.

  Chapter 16

  Bentley

  It’s not like I hadn’t seduced a guy before. In the majority of my past relationships, I’d been the one to make the first move when it came time to take that step. The men I’d dated would never be described as alphas. James came closest to alpha male status, but we hadn’t moved past a few kisses.

  So, seductions were nothing new to me, but it had been a long time. Gage also didn’t strike me as someone who’d let me set the pace and control things. I’d questioned myself several times on the way to Gage’s hotel. A small part of me wondered what Gage would do if I changed my mind. Would he accept my decision and move on? I was tempted to find out. Despite what my past suggested, I’d always fantasized about being with a strong man who would take charge and strip away my control. The fantasy was insane considering how much I feared losing control, but not all fantasies made sense.

  I wiped my sweaty palms on my dress as I stood in the hotel lobby.

  “You’re here,” he murmured from directly behind me. “I was worried you’d change your mind.”

  So much for composure; I nearly jumped out of my skin when I spun to face him. He was dressed in dark jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged his broad chest. My fingers were already itching to slide under the fabric. His dark blond hair was messy, almost like he’d just rolled out of bed. It was long enough to grip while his head was buried between my legs. That image almost made me whimper.

  “I didn’t expect you to be in the lobby,” I admitted lamely. “I was about to call you.”

  “Sorry,” he replied. “I headed down here a few minutes ago so you wouldn’t have to wait. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

  “That’s okay,” I assured him, waving off his
apology. “You should have given me your room number, and I could have met you there.” After the words left my mouth, I realized how ridiculous they sounded. He probably didn’t want people knowing what room he was in. “I guess after our conversation earlier, you were afraid I’d tell the media where you’re staying.”

  He chuckled at my suggestion. “Maybe I should have worried about that, but it hadn’t even crossed my mind.”

  “Considering how little you thought of me, I’m surprised you didn’t assume I’d do something that underhanded,” I grumbled. We weren’t off to a good start, and I was beginning to wonder which of us would call this off first.

  “It seems I’m recovering from my bout of assholism,” he said with a sexy quirk of his lips. “I haven’t hurled any accusations at you. Do you think this means there’s hope for me?”

  “It is a good sign,” I agreed.

  “Where would you like to go?” he asked.

  “I thought we could stay here,” I suggested, hoping he’d get my meaning.

  Gage hesitated before responding. “I guess we could order room service. It would simplify things some. Do you want to rent a movie, or just hang out and talk?”

  “Can we discuss this in your room?” I asked, looking around the lobby. There wasn’t a big crowd, but this was still a conversation I’d prefer to have without an audience.

  Gage nodded and placed a hand on my lower back to guide me toward the elevator. The heat from his hand spread through my body, adding to my arousal. Even while we were making somewhat awkward conversation, this man turned me on.

  When we stepped into the empty elevator, Gage moved to stand in front of me. “I hope you don’t punch me in the junk for doing this,” he said softly as he reached behind him to press the button for his floor. Before I could ask what he meant, his hands settled on my hips and his mouth descended on mine. The moment our lips touched, I moaned and gripped his shirt. Gage’s kiss proved I was stepping out of my comfort zone. His lips were firm and commanded a full response from me. His tongue teased the crease of my lips, making me want to beg for more. When the elevator dinged, Gage pulled away, flashing me a smile filled with wicked promise.