by JL Paul
When I met her at the dorm later, I asked her what her text had been about.
“Because,” she said, grabbing my arm and forcing me to the sofa. “Amber Gordon was talking shit in class about how she had a date with Lucas tonight after the show.”
My face fell to my shoes as my heart ached in my chest. “She does?”
“I don’t know,” Bailey said. “The girl talks so much shit I never know what’s true and what’s not.” She pursed her lips, her eyes narrowed. I watched her carefully, waiting for her to give me some grand idea as Morgan came in and dropped her books.
“What’s the matter?” she asked, her wide eyes worried.
“Amber Gordon told me she had a date with Lucas Newton tonight after his show,” Bailey said. The words didn’t hurt any less when she said them for the second time.
“Oh,” Morgan said as she sat on the coffee table. “Well, he should be allowed to date, huh? I mean, Irelyn has a boyfriend.”
That hurt more. “Of course you’re right,” I muttered, my eyes itching with tears.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake, just call him,” Bailey said. “Damn. Just call and ask him.”
My heart thumped. Yes, I would call him. “How do I ask him?”
“Just open your mouth and let the question come out,” Bailey said impatiently.
Digging my phone out of my bag, I turned away from them as I hit Lucas’s number and waited for him to answer. I hung up when I got his voice mail.
“Voice mail,” I mumbled. I dropped my phone on the table and plopped on the sofa. “Well, you know what? I’m just going to go down there and see for myself.”
Grinning, Bailey slapped me a hi-five. “That a girl. Fight for your man. Well, for one of them.”
I rolled my eyes at her as I contemplated my wardrobe. I fingered the black dress hanging in the closet but decided to save it for another occasion. I didn’t even chide myself for thinking that because I knew it would do no good. There would be other occasions. At least for now.
I decided on jeans and a button up shirt with a cami underneath. Not the sexiest thing but it would have to do. I didn’t want to look desperate.
We arrived early and took our usual table. I ordered a vodka and cranberry juice right away. Laughing, Bailey hugged me.
As soon as Lucas arrived, my body awoke. Every nerve jumped, every cell flipped, every internal organ bounced. A sexy smirk toyed on his lips as he helped his band mates set up for the show. I took it as a sign that he knew I was there.
Once they’d set up, all three of them approached our table and drew up chairs. Scooting his chair between mine and Morgan’s, Lucas draped a casual arm behind me.
“Ladies,” Collin said, his eyes so like Lucas’s my heart jittered. “I’m beginning to think that you’re groupies.”
Leaning back in her chair, Bailey gave a derisive snort. “Nah, this is the only bar around that will serve us alcohol.”
Spencer laughed, holding his belly as his eyes remained on Bailey. “Oh, you’re a pistol, aren’t you darling?”
She lowered her lids as her lips slipped into a smile. “Want to shoot me and find out?”
I rolled my eyes and turned my head in time to catch Lucas gazing at me, desire evident on his face. My bottom lips quivered as I longed for him to just take me in his arms, carry me to the mop water-smelling, filthy-floored storage room, and have his way with me.
I wanted to ask him about Amber but I just couldn’t open my mouth. Bailey kicked the leg of my chair but I ignored it as I continued to gaze at Lucas.
“So, speaking of groupies,” Bailey said, kicking my chair once more. I reluctantly turned my head away from Lucas to look at her. “You guys have quite the following at our school.”
“Is that so?” Collin asked, eyes amused.
“Yep,” Bailey said nonchalantly. “As a matter of fact, one of the girls in my class was bragging about having a date with one of you tonight.”
Collin choked out a laugh. “It ain’t me. I’m grabbing a pizza and a case of beer after the show.”
Grinning wolfishly at Bailey, Spencer scooted his chair closer to her. “I could have one tonight – if you just say the word.”
“Please,” Bailey said as she turned her shoulder on him. She raised a brow at Lucas but before he could answer, the bartender shouted at them.
Lucas kissed my temple as my heart slowly crumbled. He followed his brother and his cousin to the stage as I motioned for the waitress to bring us another round.
Halfway through their first set, Bailey nudged me and nodded at a curvy redhead who sashayed her way toward the dance floor. She stood off to the side, near the stage, flirtatious smile on her lips.
“That’s Amber,” Bailey shouted in my ear. Like I hadn’t guessed.
I watched her more than I watched Lucas and I hated that little slut more with every passing minute. She was dressed in a short skirt, high-heeled leather boots, and a tight tank pulled over a cami. Sometimes she just stood, bopping along with the music but other times she danced provocatively with her friends.
I fumed but remained silent. I didn’t need to speak, anyway, because Morgan and Bailey knew how I was feeling. Morgan patted my leg several times while Bailey glared murderously at Amber.
When the show ended, I remained in my seat. Bailey fetched us all another drink while I watched Lucas and the others take down the drums and pack up their equipment. When they finished, Amber approached the stage and attracted Lucas’s attention. Jumping off the stage, he just stood with his arms crossed as he listened to what she had to say. My heart alternated – one second it burned in fury and the next it shattered in pain. I couldn’t decide what I should do or even what I wanted to do.
Lucas disappeared, leaving Amber standing near the stage, making me wonder if he was packing up his truck and she was waiting for him. I took a long drink just as my cell rang. Locating my phone at the bottom of my bag, my heart lifted when Lucas’s name appeared.
“What?” I snapped.
He chuckled. “I ditched your friend, Amber. Meet me out front. I’ll pick you up.”
He hung up as I gaped, my eyes darting from Amber to the front door and back again. Clutching my phone, I looked at my friends. “He’s, um, going to pick me up out front.”
Bailey snorted, her eyes full of glee. “Well, what are you waiting for?”
I smiled and shot out of my seat. “See you in the morning.”
He opened the truck door and I slipped inside, my hands all over him. He returned my eager kisses momentarily before easing me back. “Buckle the lap belt and let’s get out of here.”
I did as he asked, resting my hand on his thigh. My heart was singing a sweet victory song as my eyes drank in every inch of him.
As soon as we entered the house, I dropped my bag and jumped on him. He laughed in my mouth as he set me on my feet. “Hold on, can you? I’d like to take a quick shower.”
“Fine,” I pouted. He kissed my jutted bottom lip before disappearing into his room. Bored, I followed. He grinned at me as he pushed open the bathroom door.
He raised a brow and nodded at the bed. “You can wait there for me if you’d like.” He entered the bathroom and shut the door.
A blazing lust burned in my groin as I stood frozen. I heard the water start and then the shower. Breaking out of my trance, I began to strip – I wasn’t waiting.
Steam poured into the bedroom as I opened the bathroom door. His voice echoed off the walls as he sang an old Eagles song I recognized. I smiled, my face softening. It was sweet – almost boyish – and it made my heart warm.
Peeking behind the curtain, I grinned as I watched him duck his head under the stream of water, rivulets flowing down the muscles in his back. I jumped at the opportunity and climbed in behind him. Once I snaked my arms around his waist, he started and twirled, eyes wide.
A crinkly-eyed smile lit up his face as I ran my hands up his soapy chest and connected them behind his head.
; “Were you feeling a little dirty, love?” he asked. I only smiled.
He pecked my lips as he gripped my hips and hoisted me off my feet. I wrapped my legs around his waist and our position spurred my desire and jolted my heart. His lips captured mine causing me to moan in his mouth. Ripping my lips away from his, I begged him to take me. He obliged as he pushed me against the shower wall. The water soaked his head and trickled down his face, the misty spray cooling my overheated body.
As we each approached our peak, he withdrew and set me carefully on my feet before reaching behind him to shut off the water. My groggy mind whirled, trying to figure out why he’d stop now.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
He yanked a towel off the rack, wrapped it around my body, and then lifted me once more. Carrying me to his bedroom, he dropped me on the bed. He crawled over me, grinning. “Condom, baby.” He kissed me then reached for the box on his nightstand. His hands trembled as he tore at the wrapper. I ripped it out of his hands impatiently and removed the condom.
“Let me,” I ordered.
“Oh, no. If you touch me there, it will all be over,” he said and I delighted to see a slight tint on his cheeks.
I fell back to the bed while he put on the condom and waited for him to continue. When he returned to me, he kissed me, reigniting my passion. It didn’t take long until we were side by side, gasping and wheezing.
“You never fail to amaze me,” he mumbled.
My heart thrilled. I snuggled into his side as he wrapped an arm around me. I let my heart match rhythm with his as they both slowed to normal.
Reaching up, he turned out the light next to the bed. He kissed the top of my head. “Damn, you wore me out tonight.”
I lifted my head, straining to see his face in the dark. “Wussing out on me already?”
He chuckled. “Yep.”
With courage I never had before, I slid on top of him, kissing him briefly before dragging my mouth down his throat and his chest to his stomach. Nipping at his skin, I moved lower, drawing a gasp from him. I smiled in satisfaction and moved on, doing something I’d never in my life done before. As I fumbled my way through, I spotted his fists clutching the sheets as his body tensed.
“Irelyn,” he croaked in a tight voice. I took that as my cue. I quickly grabbed another condom before I slipped on top of him. He grabbed my hips as though clinging for his life. It was quick and wonderful and oh so satisfying and when I fell to his chest, he held me tighter than before.
After a couple minutes, he eased us both to our sides and kissed me tenderly. “Wow.”
I smiled, grateful for the dark so he couldn’t see my blush. “Really?”
He chuckled. “Yeah.”
“I’ve…um…never done that before.”
He froze and I frowned, wondering what I said wrong. As he thawed, he stroked my cheek. “Well, you are a truly amazing woman.”
And you bring out the animal in me,” I laughed. His laughter intermingled with mine as he pulled me closer and kissed me.
“Sleep, love.”
And I did.
Chapter 6
A thump followed by low voices jerked me out of sleep. My eyes popped open with a blink, trying to gather my wits and figure out where the hell I was. A soft snore on my left reminded me Lucas was sleeping next to me. I sat up to glance at his clock. The red numbers blared 3:34 AM and I lowered my body to the bed. Just as I snuggled into Lucas, I heard the voices again. I bolted upright, pressing the blankets to my naked chest as my heart thumped in fear.
I shook Lucas with one hand. “Luke, wake up, please,” I whispered in the dark. He snorted and tossed an arm over my lap. “Lucas. Please,” I said desperately.
“Huh?” he mumbled sleepily.
“Luke,” I said as I bent closer to his face. “I think someone is in your apartment.”
“What?”
“Someone is here,” I told him.
Sitting up, he pressed a finger to my lips. The laughing voices sent a chill up my spine but Lucas just chuckled. “It’s my brother, love. He lives here, too, you know.”
My heart didn’t slow but it did heave a sigh of relief. “Your brother?” I repeated.
“Yeah,” he said as he kissed me clumsily. He slid his legs off the bed and rifled around on the floor. “Shit. I left my clothes in the bathroom.”
The bed gave as he got up to pad across the floor. I could hear him open drawers. “What are you doing?”
“Going to see if they have food. I’m starved.”
My jaw fell in amazement. “Luke, it’s like three in the morning.”
He returned to sit on the edge of the bed. “Yeah, and I’m starved. You gave me quite the workout, you animal. Come on, I’ll get you something to wear.”
He turned on the light and I flinched, shading my eyes. He tossed a t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants at me. I narrowed my eyes at him, not yet able to open them fully.
“Put those on.” He kissed me. “It will turn me on to know you’re wearing my clothes with nothing on under them.”
That really motivated me. Anything that turned him on seemed to have the same effect on me. I hurriedly pulled his t-shirt over my head and slipped his sweats on – rolling the waist band so I didn’t trip over the legs.
Taking my hand once I was dressed, he led me into the kitchen. Collin and Spencer sat at the table cramming pizza in their mouths and washing it down with beer.
“Did you save some for us?” Lucas asked as he eased me into a chair. He sat beside me, keeping hold of my hand.
“Not for you but maybe a slice for the lady,” Collin said as he shot me a wink. I rewarded him with a smile. I was a little hungry myself.
Lucas cursed them both as he got up to retrieve plates, a beer for him, and a bottle of water for me. He dropped a slice on each plate and slid one to me before attacking his.
“So, Irelyn,” Spencer said with a wolfish grin. “Is your friend, Bailey, dating anyone?”
“Not seriously,” I said as I took a bite.
“Perfect,” he said with a toothy smile.
I snorted. “She’d eat you up and spit you out.”
Lucas grinned at me and kissed my cheek. But Spencer just sighed. “That’s what I’m hoping.”
Rolling my eyes, I finished my pizza as Lucas grabbed two more slices. I shook my head but he just shrugged, shoving half a slice in his mouth. I smiled fondly at him, his actions not disgusting me but only endearing him more.
“So, Irelyn, I know you’re banging my brother, but do you actually like our music?” Collin asked.
My eyes grew as Lucas threw his crust at his brother’s head. “That’s real nice, bro. Real nice.”
I patted Lucas’s thigh to let him know I wasn’t offended. After all, Collin was being honest. “Yes, I do like your music. It’s a refreshing change.”
“What do you mean?” Spencer asked, a deep furrow in his forehead.
“She’s not much of a music fan,” Lucas muttered. The others gaped at me.
“No,” I struggled to explain. “I wouldn’t say that. I mean, I don’t really listen to the modern stuff much. My mom constantly plays classic rock – and eighties rock. That’s what I grew up on. That’s what I know.”
“Oh,” Collin said, relief in his voice. “Well, that’s cool.”
“So, you know all the old stuff,” Lucas said with admiration in his eyes. “The real stuff.”
I lifted a shoulder. “I guess.” They continued to stare so I felt obligated to add something to my statement. “I do like music. I like the Eagles,” I said, shooting Lucas a secretive look. He got my drift and returned my look. “And I like Aerosmith, Def Leppard, stuff like that.”
“What’s your favorite old song,” Lucas asked, genuinely interested.
I thought for a second and remembered the song my mom always sang while doing the dishes – a dreamy look in her eyes. It was a great song that always stirred a weird longing inside of me – a
song about how the love of a woman changed a man’s tortured life. “Well, it’s a really old song – you probably don’t know it.”
“Lay it on us,” Collin challenged.
I smiled sheepishly as I told them the song.
“Great tune,” Spencer agreed. “Good choice.”
“Do you guys play it?” I asked, imagining Lucas on stage crooning the song.
“No,” Collin said. “We do cover songs but we’ve never done that one.”
I didn’t mind the topic of discussion but the more they talked, the more I was delighted by their accents. “Um, where are you guys from? I mean, I love your accents.”
“Yeah, most girls do,” Spencer bragged.
Collin punched him playfully. “Australia, darling. Near Sydney.”
“Oh?” I asked, interest peaked. “You’re from Australia?”
Lucas squeezed my hand under the table. “Our mother is Aussie but our dad is American. We were born here but when we were three, Dad took a job in Australia. We lived there until we were like fourteen then we returned to the U.S.”
“And you Spencer?” I asked.
“I was born in Australia and when these idiots moved back here, my mother decided to follow. My father died when I was young and my mother wanted to be near her sister.” He smiled. “My mother and their mother are sisters.”
“Oh, cool,” I said. And it was. “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia,” I sighed.
“You should go,” Lucas said. “It’s beautiful.”
I wanted to say that if a woman from their country could produce someone as beautiful as him, then the country must be fantastic. But I bit my tongue. No need to embarrass myself.
“How about you?” Collin asked. His eyes were so warm and so like his brother’s. And to think I’d once feared his eyes – terrified that I’d see judgment in them. There was none. “Where are you from?”
Snorting, I took Lucas’s beer bottle and drained it. “Born and raised in Dalefield.”
“You live with your parents?” Collin prodded.
My heart stilled. I didn’t want to get into it because I didn’t want to see pity in their eyes. But as I glanced around the table, I didn’t think they would pity me. They weren’t like Dustin’s friends – my parentage wouldn’t be a scandal. So, I just let loose.