Lost in the Beat

by Gracen Miller

  A few minutes later, Sam approached the table with three large desserts in her hand. Fallon blinked at the sizes. Those sizes were ten dollars apiece, and she struggled with imagining having that type of cash to toss around.

  She dipped her spoon into the mound of ice cream covered in caramel, chocolate syrup, and peanuts. Her eyes widened when it hit her tongue. To-die-for!

  “Good, huh?” Sam grinned and licked whip cream off the edge of her glass.

  “Tongue-gasms for sure,” she agreed around the mouthful of treat.

  Sam giggled. “So…what’s going on with you and my brother?”

  Fallon almost choked on her mouthful.

  “Nothing,” she rasped out.

  “Not buying that one.” Sam sucked on her straw while ogling her. “I’ve never seen him haul his ass out of bed before lunch for anyone but the band or me. He’s never even cooked me a meal. I grew up on TV dinners and fast food until I started cooking.”

  Fallon wasn’t sure what to make of that information. In an attempt to wrangle her thoughts together, she glanced around the room and caught sight of Rain purchasing a bottle of water before taking a seat near the door. He might be trying to look incognito, but he stood out like a red flag against a white snowcapped landscape.

  “I know what you’re getting at, Sam, but nothing is going on between us.” Not because he doesn’t want it, the little voice inside wheedled. The devil on her shoulder wanted her to accept his offer, while the angel insisted she remain steadfast and refuse his proposition. Nothing good would come from it.

  “Listen, I ain’t trying to get into your business, Fallon. Really, I’m not. Nothing might be going on for you, but there’s a lot of something going on for Jase.” Sam licked whip cream off her finger. “I’m not gonna try to sell you on Jase. He’s a good guy, but he’s soooo complicated, and as much as I love him, he’s damned difficult. He drives me insane on a good day. I don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  Well, that was informative. And she was surprised Sam wasn’t singing his accolades. Wasn’t that what a devoted sister was supposed to do? Fallon gave a mental shrug. What’d she know? Only kid and all that.

  “You’re not worried about me hurting him?” Throwing out his words from last night wouldn’t damage the conversation. Anything Sam said might help Fallon make an informed decision. “Me breaking his heart instead of the other way around?”

  “I think that’s gonna happen either way. He’s had his heart set on you since he woke from his coma.”

  Fallon didn’t want to break anyone’s heart. A year ago she’d had solid plans for her future. Faith was her biggest concern now, and Jase had taken over her financial care. Figuring out her future plans should be her biggest concern at the moment, not an iffy relationship with Jase Collins.

  “I’m not sure what he really wants. He says he wants a relationship with me, but I think he just wants sex.” Fallon decided a little bit of honesty wouldn’t hurt. Maybe Sam could give her some well-needed advice.

  “If all he wanted was sex, he could get it from anywhere. That’s never been an issue.” When Fallon gave her a hard look, Sam shrugged and said, “Just sayin’. It’s the truth.”

  She’d wanted counsel, but Sam’s guidance wasn’t what Fallon had expected to come from his sister.

  “What do you want, Fallon?” Sam sounded like Jase.

  Fallon licked her spoon and stabbed it into the uneaten ice cream. “A year ago I could’ve answered that with ease. The past four months, everything I’ve wanted has centered around Faith.”

  “What’d you want a year ago?”

  “A medical degree.” A dry laugh burst from her lungs. “Ironic that the one thing I avoided was the very thing that brought me low.” She swiped her spoon through the dessert and met Sam’s eyes. “Sex and bad boys. I was a virgin until that night with Jase.”

  Why am I telling all? To his sister, no less?

  Sam’s eyes widened, and she released the straw. “You’re shitting me?”

  Fallon shook her head. “No joke.”

  “That shocks the hell outta me. I didn’t even know virgins still existed beyond the age of sixteen.” Sam licked her lips. “And Jase is wild as fuck. Virgins don’t fit into that category. No offense.”

  “None taken. He said even if I’d told him before we had sex it wouldn’t have mattered. He would’ve still had sex with me.”

  “That I believe.”

  “I had everything planned out. A free ride to UCLA, and I was three years into my pre-med degree when I blew it all for a night with Jase.”

  “Aw…honey.” Sam clasped her hand and squeezed.

  It was a comforting gesture, but Fallon thought she needed more of a swift kick in the ass rather than a hand-hug. “I can’t even pinpoint why I did it. I wasn’t drunk. Even though I had a fake I.D. I hadn’t even tasted a drop of alcohol.”

  “I’ve seen him in action, and I know how aggressive he is. How charming he can be.”

  Oh, God, she hoped she wasn’t sending the wrong message. “He gave me plenty of chances to tell him to stop, but I didn’t.”

  An amused grin hit Jase’s sister’s lips. “His bad-boy charm is lethal.”

  Fallon groaned and rubbed her temples with her fingertips. “You’re his sister, and I know you don’t want to hear any of this about him. I’m just so confused. He’s not like what the tabloids paint and—”

  “Oh, he can be the biggest asshole alive. The tabloids get that right, but that’s how he treats them. How he treats the people he loves, that’s a whole’nother Jase they don’t get to see.” She glanced up when the bell above the door tinkled. “I don’t mind you talking about Jase. Even the personal stuff. I’ve seen him do stuff eye-bleach couldn’t get rid of. Go to ViewTube and type in ‘Jase Collins stage fucks hot blonde fan’ and you’ll have some idea of what I’m talking about. But when it comes to our personal lives, he’s not rock-star-Jase, but Jason Collins best big brother ever.”

  Now that was the sibling stuff she’d expected to hear from Sam.

  “Hi, sunshine.” A tall, dark-haired guy bent down and kissed Sam on the lips.

  Surprised by his forwardness, Fallon gaped while waiting for Sam to give him a shiner. But Sam surprised her further, by saying, “Hey, you. You’re late,” and knuckle punched his arm.

  “You’re early. Always were the first to come.” He winked at her, and even Fallon caught the double meaning.

  “Play nice,” Sam shot back with a giggle.

  Feeling the blush hit her cheeks at their sexual innuendos, Fallon stuffed ice cream in her mouth hoping it’d cool her down. She wondered how this guy fit into Sam’s intimate life since she was in a very public relationship with Fang.

  “You must be Jase’s spicy vixen.” Mr. McHottie extended his hand. “Omega Starr. I’m Sam’s beastie.”

  “Don’t you mean bestie?” She shook his hand. “Fallon Morgan, and I’m not Jase’s.”

  “I didn’t misspeak. She’s my beastie.” He grinned, which only made him even more gorgeous.

  “It’s an inside joke,” Sam explained without details.

  Omega took the chair between them. She held his stare. He looked vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t place him. “Not Jase’s, huh? That’s a new development.”

  “Not really. I’ve never belonged to any man.”

  He gave Sam a look that Fallon couldn’t assess.

  “Jase wants her,” Sam piped in, which seemed to clear up whatever silent question he’d asked her.

  Fallon hoped she didn’t regret her heart-to-heart with Sam.

  “Who the fuck wouldn’t want her? She’s smoking hot like you.” Omega tapped a finger against the extra milkshake on the table. “Mine?”

  At Sam’s ‘yep’ he swiped it up and sucked on the straw, as he made no pretense of peering Fallon over. If squirming wouldn’t give away her discomfort, she’d have committed the action. Instead of backing down, she checked him out in return. “Is the
hair real or a dye-job?”

  Startled by the out-there question, she took a moment to answer. “Real.”

  “Lucky you. It’s a knockout color.”

  “Thanks.” I think. Fallon glanced around the diner, catching Rain’s eye. She smiled at him, and he tipped his head to the side acknowledging her.

  “You ever consider acting?”

  Fallon wrenched her attention back to Omega. “Uh…no.”

  “You should. Legitimate gorgeous redheads are hard to find in the industry.” He sucked on his straw and she considered him, wondering where the hell this was going. “I know a casting call you’d be perfect for if you’re interested. Auditions like this don’t come along that often.”

  She glanced at Sam who shrugged at Fallon’s silent inquiry.

  “I’m not doing porn.”

  “Fuck.” Omega groaned and did a little shimmy in his seat like he came in his pants. “Immediate woody just from the idea.”

  Her jaw dropped.

  “He’s teasing.” Sam sat forward in her chair, a move so quick the table rocked from her slight push, and she smacked his arm. “Behave yourself!”

  Omega winked at Fallon. “I’m not teasing about getting you an audition call though. Despite the fact I’d get off on seeing you in porn it’s not that type of movie. My dad doesn’t engage in the seedier side of life.”

  Still unsure what to make of his offer, she chose her words carefully. “I’m not sure that’s my cup of tea. Thanks for the offer though.”

  “Don’t give me an answer yet. Think on it. I’m having a party in a couple of weeks. Sam and Fang are coming. Why don’t you join them? I’ll introduce you around to some of those in the biz. You can give me your answer then.”

  That got her attention. Her newly acquired clothes wouldn’t suffice for every occasion, and no way would she attend underdressed. Besides that….“This really isn’t my crowd, Mr. Starr.”

  “Omega. I sound old and frumpy when you call me that. Do I look old and frumpy?” He leaned back in his chair and held his arms out to either side. He must not’ve expected an answer because he kept talking. “The celebrity crowd isn’t really anyone’s crowd. This is a quaint party—”

  “By quaint he means everyone he knows in the movie industry.” Sam pulled her straw out and licked it.

  “Please bring her Sam, and dress her up really nice and sexy.” A glint hit his eyes. “I want Jase to suffer wondering what she’s doing while she’s with me.”

  “Whoa. Hold up there, Sam’s beastie.” Fallon sat straight in her seat. “I’m not going to be your Jase-voodoo doll. Whatever issues you have with him don’t involve me, so leave me out of them.”

  “I like her,” she thought he mouthed to Sam. To Fallon he said, “Jase is the biggest a-hole I know.”

  “Told ya’.” Sam grinned at Fallon.

  “He wants you, so I want him to suffer for it.” Omega shrugged. “Jealousy never hurt anyone.”

  Sam poked her straw in her milkshake, removed it, and flicked driblets at Omega. “My brother and best friend hate one another. It’s a mess.”

  “He started it.” Omega sounded like a sulky kid. “Is it fair to hate me for taking Sam’s virginity and it getting publicized by the tabloids? I didn’t invite them into the room with us. That’s all on Jase and his bitch of a girlfriend.”

  Fallon blinked at them. “Was he mad because you were her first or because it was news?”

  “Both.” Sam waggled her eyebrows at her. “He’s a little protective.”

  “Oh.” Fallon couldn’t think of anything else to say. Jase had admitted he’d have taken her virginity if he’d known ahead of time, but he’d gotten upset when Sam lost hers to her best friend. The man confused her.

  “Yup,” Sam agreed. “That’s partly why your confession surprised me so much.”

  “What confession?” Omega peered between them, alert in a way he hadn’t been before now.

  “Sorry, we don’t kiss and tell,” Sam said around her straw.

  “I missed the two hottest chicks I know kissing? Fuck my luck.”

  Sam laughed and whacked him on the arm again.

  “Jase Collins—drummer for the mega hit band Hot Wired—is in the news again.” The TV anchor in the corner of the room caught Fallon’s attention with that headline.

  Fallon covered her gasp of surprise with the palm of her hand. She heard Sam curse, as Omega twisted in his seat to get a view of the television.

  “After paparazzi mobbed the mother of his child and forced her to seek refuge in a restaurant restroom, he was caught on tape punching a reporter and vandalizing a camera. The reporter seen here”—the video clip showed Jase punching one man and smashing the camera he wrenched from the hands of another—“received medical treatment and reportedly sustained no severe injuries. Collins’ attorney declined to comment. Jase Collins issued this written statement via his attorney: I take the welfare of my family seriously. Fallon Morgan is the mother of my child and is a very important aspect in my life. *Expletive* with her at your own risk, because I will utilize all legal avenues afforded to me against those who don’t respect her boundaries.” A clip of her and Jase exiting the restaurant popped up. His arm was laced around her shoulders, done to make a statement, he’d said. “He was later seen exiting the restaurant with the mother and Eva Radcliff. An interview between Jase, Fallon Morgan, and their daughter is scheduled for later this week with Celebrity Beef.”

  “Oh. My. God.” Fallon’s words were muffled against her palm. His statement stunned her. He’d supported her when he could’ve refused to leave a comment. He’d beat up a reporter, smashed the property of another, and warned them off. For her. She couldn’t remember anyone ever sticking up for her vocally and damn sure not publically. His behavior touched her heartstrings. She didn’t care what anyone said, Jase might be an asshole at times, and even he and Sam admitted he was, but at his heart where it counted most, he was an upstanding good guy.

  Omega turned around in his seat. “Well, fuck me, I’m impressed.”

  She could feel Sam’s stare, but she refused to meet her eyes.

  “FYI, Fallon, if Jase is protecting you, he already considers you his.”

  Sam’s comment sent a flutter of excitement through Fallon’s belly, which was followed by a wave of panic.

  A hairbreadth away from tossing his sticks and kicking his snare, Jase blew out a frustrated breath. They’d worked all day on lyrics and beats, and his performance compared to the rest of the band plain out sucked.

  What the fuck is wrong with me?

  Each member had ribbed him in some way. He’d taken the joking in stride because he knew it must be a short-lived situation. He hoped. God, he hoped. Crafting new beats for their songs had never been a problem before. He isolated his distraction with ease.

  Fiery redhead, Fallon Morgan.

  He wanted her beneath him, on top of him, beside him, and with him at all times. He’d woken to a dream of her giving him head. He’d been so hard and aroused, he’d wrapped five-fingers around his dick, and stroked twice before he was coming all over himself and the bed linen.

  “Hey.” The woman from his dreams poked her head into the studio. “Can I come in?”

  He cleared his thoughts with a hard headshake. “Yeah.”

  “So, this is where you work.” Fallon gawked at the studio.

  “Yeah. You just missed the guys. We’re cranking out music for the next album.” Scratch that. We’re trying to crank out music, no thanks to me.

  “Cool.”

  Jase tapped a stick against his thigh. “Come here, and I’ll show you my part in it all.”

  “You can’t show me from here?”

  She seemed hesitant to approach. The way he’d had his hands in her cunt last night, he couldn’t exactly blame her. But goddamn it’d been sweet feeling her wet pussy grip his fingers as she let out a strangled moan at the onset of her climax. And the tension that’d washed off her features had a
ltered him in a primal way.

  He sounded like a poetic son-of-a-bitch and that wasn’t his style. “Not if I’m going to give you hands-on instructions.”

  Nothing like giving her the choice to decide if she wanted to be his girlfriend, and then finger-fucking her afterward. She wanted his body, no question about that, but he suspected she fancied a relationship with him like a person coveted a cavity search. How could he get her to see deeper? There was more to him than the rock-star-sex-throb. Yeah, most couldn’t delineate between the two, and didn’t even try, not that he normally did much to engineer a deeper look into his psyche. It was important to him for Fallon to recognize the difference between the legend and the man.

  “Okay.” She twisted her fingers together, highlighting her nervousness.

  “I won’t bite. Promise.” Not this time.

  She grinned, and he could tell she thought he clowned around. Oh, the things he could teach her.

  As she approached, he snagged his new earplugs off the counter. He offered them to her. “Put these in. They were made for my ear, so they won’t fit you right, but any protection is better than none.”

  She accepted the box, identified the contents and looked at him. “You wearing some too?”

  “Yeah.” He pulled his hair back and turned his head so she could see the red plug in his ear.

  “You can still hear while wearing them?” She pulled a black earplug out of its container.

  “Yeah, they’re special made. They mute the sound, but not to the point I can’t hear what’s being played. Those are new.” He tapped the box in her hand with the tip of his drumstick. “Haven’t worn them yet.”

  As she worked the earplugs in, he swapped out his one-seat stool for a bench type seat. He straddled it, and pat the area in front of him.

  Right before she sat in the tiny area he gave her, she bit her bottom lip and peeked at him through her lashes.

  Refusing to let her chicken out now that she’d gotten this close, he nabbed her hand and guided her down onto the seat. He adjusted his location, sliding closer to her until her back was flush to his chest, and the curve of her ass was nestled tight against his groin.