by Jane Jamison
He fumbled with his belt and then his slacks. A sliver of drool wet the corner of his mouth.
She kept her eyes on his. No way would she look down until she had no other choice. Choking back the urge to hurl, she dropped her hand lower and wrapped it around his hard length. He groaned and squeezed her breasts.
“I’m going to run my tongue all over your big cock.”
“Damn it. Suck on me. Now, bitch.”
Figures. He wouldn’t bother calling her sweet names any longer. But she kept the seductive expression on her face. “Just lean back and enjoy, Big Daddy.”
Ruben wrestled his huge body onto the desk, shoving away papers and plates. He leaned back. “There you go. Suck it good. Be sure to swallow it when I come.”
She tossed her hair back knowing he’d love the move, then tightened her grip on his cock. “You know what, Big Daddy?”
He licked his lips again. “What’s that, pretty lady?”
Her smile faded as she tightened her hold on him even more. “You can go straight to hell.”
His howl of pain as she jerked her hand to the side, twisting his cock as she did, almost had her staying for more. Instead, once he was yelling and reaching for his privates, she spun around and headed for the door.
She was smiling again, this time for real, when she flung the door wide and started out. The one thing she hadn’t expected, however, was to run straight into Wyatt and Stone.
Chapter Three
Wyatt was left gaping at Rae as she dashed down the hallway. He turned back to find Stone laughing his head off. Ruben scrambled behind his desk, bent over like someone had kicked him in his junk, and tried frantically to yank up his slacks.
“Get the fuck out of here.”
Yep. She must’ve nailed him in his balls, all right.
The pained grunt that followed his command had said it all. “What have you been up to, Ruben?”
He should’ve gotten angry, but he couldn’t muster it up. If he believed the rumors he’d heard about Ruben—and he did—Rae wasn’t the first woman that had gotten called to Ruben’s office for a little backroom action. She was, however, the first who’d come out of the room no worse for the wear. Not to mention grinning like she was the mouse who’d gotten the jump on the big old alley cat. His already high respect for her skyrocketed.
“None of your damn business. What do you want?” Ruben plopped into his chair, the redness in his face beginning to lessen.
“Nothing much. Just wondering if Stone and I could pick up another set next week.” That was a lie. He and Stone had seen Rae go into the office and had wanted to be around should they hear any screams. They’d come running when they’d heard Ruben’s bellow, but hadn’t expected the outcome they’d found.
Stone still struggled to keep from laughing. “Yeah. We thought we killed out there tonight, and with the contest coming up, we can use all the support we can get.”
“Fuck off. I’m busy.” Ruben made a halfhearted attempt to rifle through a few papers, but he couldn’t stop the moans and groans that accented his every move. “I’ll tell you what you can do to get another set.”
“What’s that, boss?”
“Throw that bitch Rae out and you can have two sets next week.”
“What for?” Wyatt’s humor was gone. It was one thing to see Ruben in pain and know that he deserved it. It was altogether another thing to do his dirty work. “She was great tonight.”
“Bullshit. She’s just another two-dollar whore using her body to get ahead. I want her gone.”
“Come on, boss,” Wyatt adopted his good-old-boy attitude. “If what happened is what I think happened, then you don’t want to do that. She could press charges or take you to court for sexual harassment.”
“That bitch wouldn’t dare.” Yet the unsure look in Ruben’s eyes belied his bravado.
“I’m thinking she’d dare to do almost anything.” Wyatt took his time getting to Ruben’s side. He leaned against the desk, just one country boy talking to the other one. “She’s got what it takes, boss, and she knows how to handle herself. I wouldn’t want her on my bad side.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you’d want. I want her gone.”
He didn’t know why he was fighting her fight. From what he’d heard, she was real competition that could get in between him and winning the contest. Still, he didn’t like it when a jerk like Ruben used what little power he had to lord it over others.
“Stone, can you give us a minute?”
Stone didn’t want to, that much was easy to see. But he trusted Wyatt, giving him yet another twist of a guilty gut.
“Sure. I’ll head on back to the holding area.”
Wyatt waited until Stone had closed the door behind him, then leaned over the overweight asshole. “I’ll give you another reason why you should keep her around.”
Suspicion glared from Ruben’s eyes. “What’s that?”
“Jac’s going to make it happen for me. If you get my drift.”
The reaction he got from Ruben was every bit the reaction he’d wanted. Like many people in Nashville, Ruben was afraid of Jac and his men. The funny thing was that, if they knew what Jac really was, they’d be even more afraid.
“Are you saying he’s going to fix it for you to win?”
Wyatt glanced around the room as though checking to make sure they were alone. He put his finger to his lips and shook his head. “Mums the word.”
“But what’s she got to do with that?”
“You don’t know?”
“Know what?”
Wyatt reconsidered his lie. He hated linking her to anyone that bad, but doing so would guarantee that Ruben would keep his hands off her. “She and Jac?” He held up his hand and crossed his fingers.
“She’s Jac’s girl?”
Wyatt lowered his voice. “Keep it quiet, man. I shouldn’t have said anything, but I don’t want to see you get messed up. If Jac knew what you tried, your balls wouldn’t just hurt”—he dropped his gaze down then up—“they’d be gone.”
Where Ruben had been angry red before, he was ghostly white now. “She didn’t say anything. Shit. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it. Stone and I won’t say anything, and I’ll make sure she doesn’t, either.” He stood and sauntered to the door. “Of course, you’ll have to let her keep singing here.”
“Sure, sure. Tell her she can do a set a week. Nothing more, though. And not a set every day. I don’t want Jac to get suspicious.”
Every day? Damn.
Ruben ran a hand over his sweating forehead. “Tell her I’m sorry, too, will ya? And if she wants to talk to me, I’ll come out there. I don’t want to get caught alone with her in my office again. You understand, Montgomery?”
“No problem. I’ll relay the message. I’m sure she’ll let it pass. This time.” He let a small part of his wolf come to the surface, sharpening his fingernails and hardening his face.
“I won’t be able to help you if you do it again.” He wouldn’t be able to stop himself from letting his beast have a field day on him, either.
“Don’t worry. No one needs to tell me a second time.”
“Good to know.” He’d pivoted on his heel and had his hand on the doorknob when Ruben spoke.
“Is it true, Wyatt? About Jac I mean?”
Ruben calling him Wyatt was unusual and meant he needed him. He knew what his boss wanted him to say. And he knew the truth.
Twisting around, he allowed his wolf a little more freedom. He could feel the beginning of his fangs coming out brush the inside of his lips. The change over him was subtle, but enough to put off a very dangerous vibe. Ruben stared at him, confusion and fear mixing together in the scrunching of his face.
“You mean about his being a werewolf?”
Ruben swallowed hard then gave an almost imperceptible nod.
Wyatt knew he shouldn’t, but he couldn’t resist. He smiled, just enough to show the tips of his fangs
. “Don’t be stupid, Ruben. You know werewolves don’t exist.”
* * * *
Here they come.
Rae finished putting her guitar in its case just as Wyatt and Stone walked up. “Hi, guys.”
Stone’s dark looks were enough to put her pussy on high alert. “Hi, guys? You’re playing it pretty cool after what you just did.”
“Am I?” She should grab her guitar and get out while her brain was still functioning. Problem was, that was a hard thing to do when her body wanted to function in a whole different way.
“I’d say so.”
Wyatt sat on the edge of the stage. He gave the impression of being all laid back and cool, but she sensed an underlying power that was itching to break free. And that wasn’t just with him. Something was happening between them, something she’d never felt before and didn’t have any way of understanding. An electric sizzle buzzed, alive and burning, although she couldn’t see or touch it. But it was there, nonetheless, and she couldn’t ignore it.
Who are these guys?
“Can we buy you a drink?”
They were a lot alike. Tall, handsome, and sensual without being overt about it, both with chiseled features and a manly stubble running around their jaws. That was the first thing anyone would see. And yet, once she stopped and studied them closer, she picked up on differences, too. Stone’s eyes reminded her of the Caribbean Ocean, clear and crystal sharp without any hint of deception behind them. Wyatt’s eye color, on the other hand, appeared to change, one minute as green as the moss on the north side of a tree deep in the forest, then in the next, becoming a light brown that held sparkles of gold.
They were almost the same height, somewhere just above six feet, but Stone was stockier like a man who pumped a lot of iron, forming muscle over muscle. Wyatt’s body was just as hard, but his strength gave her the impression of coils stacked one of top of the other, ready to pop open, then contract.
Stone had a way of looking at her that made her think he could see straight through her. Wyatt’s frank stare made her feel naked, like she’d forgotten to get dressed.
“Rae? Did you hear me?”
She broke out her train of thought. “A drink? Oh. I don’t think so.” She checked the entrance of the hallway, but, as yet, she hadn’t seen hide nor hair—neither of which she wanted to think about—of Ruben.
“If you’re wondering about Ruben, he said you could keep singing here.”
She blinked at Wyatt. “He did? Are you sure? After what I did, I assumed—” She clammed up, not wanting them to think she was a real live ballbuster.
“He had a change of heart.”
“Really? How’d that happen?”
“I convinced him it’d be better to keep you on. Although he did say he couldn’t let you sing every night like he promised.” Wyatt studied her harder. “Did he really promise you that?”
Stone wasn’t adding anything. In fact, he was keeping his cards very close to his chest.
“Yeah, he did, but I don’t care if he’s taking that back. Why would you do that for me, Wyatt?”
He shrugged as though she’d asked him why he liked chocolate ice cream. “I figured you deserved it. Everyone, especially any female that has to deal with Ruben, needs a little help every so often.”
Female? That was an odd way of referring to her. “So you figured you’d play my knight in shining armor? Is that it? So I’d be eternally grateful to you?” She was attracted to them, but that didn’t mean she’d feel indebted to them in the way Ruben had wanted her indebted to him.
Yet despite her suspicion, Stone’s laugh brought a smile to her face. It was full and throaty, a man’s hearty chuckle. “Rae, trust me. If anyone can be a hero, it’s Wyatt.”
“Thanks, bro.”
“Are you two brothers?”
Stone took her arm, gently, but firmly. “Have one drink with us and we’ll tell you everything you want to know.”
She arched an eyebrow at him. “Everything?”
His laugh filled her with a warm glow. “Or as much as we think you can handle. Don’t worry about the guitars. We can see them from our table.”
“Your table? So you have a private one reserved for your own use?” She let him lead her to a nearby table then appreciated the fact that Wyatt pulled out her chair for her. White knights with manners, too. What more could a girl ask for?
Wyatt slid into the chair to her left while Stone took the one on her right. Stone waved at Bitsy, signaling her to bring them a pitcher of beer. “Draft beer okay with you?”
“Sure.” They thought they were being slick, getting her to change her mind and have a drink. The truth was that she did owe Wyatt. Having a drink with them wouldn’t hurt. “But just one.”
“Just one then.”
“So, Rae Barnes, what’s your story?”
She liked Wyatt’s way of approaching her. He was full speed ahead and yet it didn’t feel pushy. “I’m sure my story is like a lot of other people’s. Small-town girl wants to become a big-time country music star, so she leaves her hometown behind, lands in L.A. long enough to find out it’s not the right place, then heads for Nashville.”
Stone thanked Bitsy, who had nothing but dagger eyes for Rae. Not that she cared. Let the girl eat her heart out.
“Yeah, that’s one version of the usual story.” Stone took a swig. “But I know there’s more to you than that.”
“Yeah? Why would you think so?”
His ocean-blue eyes met hers, and she felt another swift jolt of energy pass between them. “Because anyone who can write songs like you do has to have a good story.”
She’d never get used to people praising her songs. They were full of emotion and she put everything she could into them, but for others to get their meaning was incredible and rewarding. “Thanks. I appreciate that coming from someone who writes like you do.”
Wyatt cleared his throat. “Hey, I know I’m just a lowly singer and that the songs I write suck, but how about letting me in on this mutual admiration thing?”
“Don’t let him fool you, Rae. His ego doesn’t know what a bruise looks like.”
She liked the way they were with one another. It was obvious that they were close friends. “So you two aren’t brothers?”
“Not a chance. My mamma would fall over in a dead faint if people thought she’d whelped him.” Wyatt had already downed his glass and poured himself another. “Naw, I’m just razzing him. We’re not brothers by blood, but we consider ourselves brothers by any other way you can think of.”
“Back at ya, bro.”
“Did you grow up together? BFFs on the same block?” She would’ve loved to see photos of them as young boys. She would’ve bet that even then she could’ve seen the men they’d grow into.
“Wrong again. We didn’t meet until a few years ago when Wyatt joined the pack.”
“The pack?” Had he meant gang?
Stone sputtered in his drink, grabbed a napkin, and wiped off his mouth. “Don’t worry. We’re not part of a mob or a gang or anything like that. The pack is just what we call our group of friends.”
“Like the Rat Pack that Frank Sinatra and his friends had?”
“Sort of. Wyatt and I share a rental home here in town, but most of our group lives on a ranch called Two Forks not too far from Nashville. It’s near the town of Shady Creek.”
“Wow. That’d be cool. I’d love to see it sometime. The ranch, I mean.” She’d taken it too far, too personal too fast, but she couldn’t help it. The pull she felt toward them made her want to know more. She rubbed the locket, thrown a little by her abrupt statement.
“We’d like that, too.” Wyatt’s leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs at the ankles, making his legs run on for miles. “That’s a pretty locket. It looks old.”
“What he means is that it looks like an antique.” Stone shook his head at his friend. “He has his own way of saying things. It’s not always the most polite or correct way, but it’s his way. Y
ou get used to it the more you get to know him.”
“Yeah, I’m starting to gather that.” She glanced down at the locket. “This was my grandmother’s and her mother’s before that. She meant the world to me. I owe her everything since she raised me. It’s the most treasured thing I own.”
“Even more than your guitar?”
She chuckled at Wyatt’s amazement. Most musicians would give away everything they owned before they’d give up their instrument. Her gaze dropped lower.
I wonder how well he plays his other instrument.
“I’m sure it is.” Stone lifted the pitcher to offer to fill her mug. “Have a little tact, man.”
“No thanks. One’s my limit.” Her hand still caressed the locket.
“Where are your parents?”
Stone groaned. “What’d I tell you about him?”
“It’s okay. I like people who come straight out with it.” Although Wyatt was more direct than most.
“My father died when I was still in diapers. And my mother?” She shrugged as though the easy gesture could throw off the pain that always came whenever she talked about her mother. Which, of course, was why she didn’t like to say much. “She was around. At least whenever she felt like coming home and sleeping it off. Most of the time she’d stay out all night. I was lucky—or unlucky by most people’s way of thinking—if I saw her at all.”
“I’m sorry.” Stone shook his head. “No kid deserves a childhood like that.”
She shrugged again, once more thinking what a useless gesture it was. “It’s okay. I’m who I am because of it. Plus, it made it possible for me to be even closer to my grandmother. She was the sweetest person I’ve ever known. She always had a kind word about everyone and always went out of her way to help. By my way of thinking, she was the best person who ever lived.”
“Then you were lucky after all.”
Stone had it right. She wouldn’t trade growing up with her grandmother for anything.
“What about you? Where’d you grow up?” She’d turned toward Stone then, but she’d meant the questions for the both of them.