Beautifully Used (The Beaumont Brothers Book 2)

by Griscom, Susan

  He glanced up at me on his way to the stage. “I hoped you’d still be here because I didn’t have time to call you. I have some news. The rest of the band is supposed to be here in a few minutes. I just brought my guitar in case anybody wanted to jam.”

  “What sort of news?” My mind raced with all kinds of things from new songs to, God forbid, not babies. I wasn’t prepared to be an uncle quite yet.

  “Good news. You’ll just have to wait for the rest of the guys and Lena.”

  I threw the damp bar rag into the bucket with the rest of the dirty ones and headed toward the stage. The front door swung open again as Lena and Kipper strolled in laughing at God knows what. Denny entered a few minutes later. We all sat on the stage staring at Jackson, waiting for this news he had to share. I think everyone held his or her breath in anticipation because it was so quiet you could even hear the hum of the refrigerator all the way from the back room.

  Jackson smiled. “It seems that we’ve been hired by a Hollywood celebrity to play at a bash down in Malibu. That is if you are all interested.” Everyone nodded profusely.

  “Who,” Kipper, our drummer, asked.

  Followed by, “Yeah, who,” a grinning Denny, who played a mean keyboard added. Lena simply sat with her hands in her lap. I bet she already knew.

  “Gerard Butler.”

  “The 300 guy?” I said.

  “Yep,” Jackson confirmed. “That’s the one.”

  Lena smiled and added, “Don’t forget P.S. I Love You.”

  “This is awesome! I can’t believe King Leonidas invited us to play at one of his parties.” Kipper said and I smirked.

  “Actually, we aren’t being hired by him, but for him. His event planner called me today and offered us the gig. She was apparently up here a few nights ago, came into the bar and heard us play. It was one of the nights Lena and Gabby did some of their great harmonizing.”

  “I guess we’d better have Gabby come with us then,” Lena suggested as her eyes fell upon mine. She quickly added, “If we take it, that is.”

  “Of course, we’re going to take it. Right?” Kipper looked around hopefully at everyone as if to say, ‘you’re crazy if we pass this up’.

  “When is it?” I asked.

  “Next week. I know, I know,” he said with his hands up and palms out when everyone just gaped at him like he had green skin. “But we can get it together by then. We just need to spend some time getting songs together.”

  “We’ll have to practice every night until then,” Kipper suggested. “But I’m still in.”

  “Well, what say the rest of you?” Jackson demanded.

  “Hell yeah. I’m in,” Denny piped up as Kipper clapped him on the back.

  “Okay. What about you?” Jackson gestured toward me.

  I shrugged. “Sounds fun.”

  Jackson turned to Lena. “Lena?”

  “Of course! Yes!” She jumped up and flung her arms around Jackson. “This is going to be so great! Gerard Butler. He’s so … so … wait! He can sing! He is the phantom. He can sing circles around all of us. I don’t think I can sing in front of him.”

  “You’ll be fine, and Gabby will be singing with you. Do you think Gabby will want to come?”

  “She’d better.”

  Lena had that right. If Gabrielle didn’t go with us, I didn’t think I’d feel real comfortable leaving her home alone. Not with psycho Jeff out of jail.

  The house was quiet when I came home. Gabrielle must have set the three-tiered floor lamp in the corner of the living room on the lowest setting, which gave the room a soft romantic ambiance. I almost wished I had someone to enjoy it with. It was still early, not quite past eight o’clock. I wondered if Gabrielle was still up. This was the first night in about two weeks that I’d stayed at the bar past six. I’d been covering most of the day shifts so I could be home at night, and had hired another guy to help fill in some of the shifts that Derrick and I juggled. Jackson even came and worked for a few hours on the nights Lena waited tables and the nights before the band started playing. I didn’t like the idea of Gabrielle being in the house alone at night. The evenings that the band played, Gabrielle came in to listen and was invited up to sing with us several times by Jackson. Gabrielle and Lena had a great harmony going on that the crowd went ape-shit over every time they sang together. I had to admit, their sound was unique, and I enjoyed playing with the band those nights more than the usual.

  The house seemed unusually quiet. I wanted to call out to her, then considered that she might be sleeping and that it would be rude of me to wake her. I peeked in the kitchen, but she wasn’t there. Hunger pangs tugged at my stomach, but I needed a shower first, so I walked quietly down the hall toward my room. Passing hers on the way, I glanced in since her door was open. There she was, sitting, head bent over her laptop as her fingers flew over the keys, her long brown hair pulled back into a long ponytail that draped over her right shoulder and kissed the top of her bare thigh. She wore a t-shirt covering a small portion of that thigh, but it looked to me like the t-shirt was the only thing she had on. “Hey,” I said.

  She looked up at me and smiled, oblivious to the fact that she was sitting there looking so sexy and tantalizing. I had a hard time keeping myself planted in the door jamb instead of pouncing onto the bed and pulling her into a long seductive kiss. Any red-blooded male would have. God, this woman drove me nuts. How would I ever survive this arrangement?

  “Hi. You worked late. Did you have a chance to eat dinner?” Her melodious words jarred me from my intemperate, seductive thoughts.

  “Uh … no. You?”

  “No. I waited. I’ve been craving sushi and hoped I could convince you to do take out.”

  I fished my phone out of my pocket and looked at the white neon 8:12 on the display. It’s kind of late. We could call and see if they’ll still deliver this late. I searched through my contacts and located the local sushi restaurant, well, the only sushi restaurant. Lucky for us, they delivered. Even luckier, they were still open for business. “Hold on just a sec,” I said into the phone and handed it to her. “Here, order whatever you want.” I pulled out my wallet, snatching out my credit card and handing it to her. “I like everything, but make sure to add in some spicy stuff. I’m gonna hop in the shower. See if they’ll deliver a bottle of saké too. Something dry and bold. We have some celebrating to do.” I turned quickly before she could ask me anything, leaving her with the phone, and headed to my room. I wanted to yell back and tell her to put some clothes on, but thought better of it. She probably had short shorts on that I couldn’t see. Gabrielle wasn’t the type to sit around in her underwear with her door open.

  Hot water flowed over my head and I closed my eyes, but all I saw was flesh; the silky flesh of Gabrielle’s thighs. As I spread the soap over my chest and stomach, I grabbed my already stiff cock in my hand, realizing I should have made it a cold shower. When was the last time I’d gotten laid? And why had it been so long? Women usually didn’t affect me the way Gabrielle did. The desire to be with her grew stronger every day, and I didn’t think she hated me anymore. God she was beautiful. Sexy too, sitting there over her laptop. I wondered what she was typing. A scene from her book, no doubt. Was it a sex scene? Did she even write those? What kind of sex scene would Gabrielle write? I thought of Gabrielle typing a scene about a fourteenth-century warrior from the Scottish Highlands taking pleasure in the damsel he’s just rescued. I closed my eyes, becoming that warrior as Gabrielle’s lips grazed over my stomach, tantalizing me with the tip of her tongue going lower and lower until she licked the tip of my cock. The smooth texture of her tongue gliding over me was almost too much to bear. She shifted her position and climbed on top of me, urgently guiding me. I held on tightly as she sat on top of me gyrating her hips, taking me in as deep as I would go until I could feel the wall of her cervix against my tip, in and out, until she called out my name. I must have been pumping unconsciously as my release had me falling back against the cold showe
r wall. I opened my eyes to find cum all over the shower door. “Shit.”

  Chapter 26

  Gabrielle

  I arranged all the food on some pretty, black and white rose plates that I had found in the cupboard. I thought it weird that Brodie had such delicate, feminine china and then remembered that he’d inherited almost everything in this place along with the house. I set the plates out on the coffee table in the living room. I was in the mood for a movie, and hoped Brodie would be on board with that, but when he came walking in without a shirt, all thoughts of a movie left my mind. Why did he have that effect on me now? I guess he’d always had the ability to turn my knees to jelly and make my heart go pitter-patter, but up until recently, I never wanted to give in to them. Relief came when he yanked a black t-shirt over his head before joining me on the sofa in front of the table. The skin-tight shirt clung to all his curvy muscles though, and I had to suck in a breath while keeping my mind busy with the placement of food on the table before I found myself stroking the palms of my hands down the front of his chest.

  “So, what are we celebrating?”

  “It seems that we’ve got a huge gig down in Southern California.”

  “Really? That’s great. Where exactly and when?”

  “Next week in Malibu, and it’s with a celebrity.” Her eyes lit up with excitement as her lips formed into the prettiest smile.

  “Who?”

  “Gerard Butler.”

  “Oh my God! You’re joking.”

  “Nope. It’s for real.”

  “Gerard Butler? That’s amazing.”

  Brodie filled me in about the offer and told me that the band wanted me to join them, to my relief. Of course, I agreed. It didn’t take much convincing with Jeff being out of jail. No way did I want to be left here alone. That idea scared the crap out of me.

  “God, I’m starving,” he said with a piece of a Godzilla roll between his fingers before plopping it in his mouth. “Awesome idea you had.” He grinned. “I’m glad you waited.”

  “It’s not much fun eating sushi alone. Besides, I just got home a little while ago too.”

  He gave me a questioning look before picking up the bottle of saké.

  I shrugged. “I spent most of the evening with Lena until Jackson called her to the bar. At least now I know why.” I supposed the only reason Jackson hadn’t asked me to come to the bar with her was so that he could make sure the rest of the band would want me along. Or maybe it had been Brodie that suggested I join them. I voted for the latter as my stomach did a jittery flip at the thought. “Anyway, I didn’t really want to …” I paused, not sure how much I wanted to tell him about my fears of staying home alone.

  “Didn’t want to what?” he asked since I didn’t continue on with the sentence.

  “Nothing.” I shook my head and forced a smile. He opened the bottle of saké and filled the two tiny cups I had found in the cupboard. They looked just like the little cups you got at a Japanese restaurant when you ordered hot saké.

  “We’re roommates now, Gabrielle. You can trust me.”

  He was right. We should be honest with each other … “I didn’t want to be here alone.”

  He nodded and picked up another roll and ate it. After sipping the saké, he said, “How are you? I mean, how are you coping with things?”

  “Oh, I’m settling in okay. I really like it here. Your house is cozy.” I smiled and snatched up one of the rolls.

  He gave me a sideways glance and frowned. “Gabby. You know what I mean.”

  I stopped, roll halfway to my lips and stared at him. He’d called me Gabby. He had never called me Gabby before. Not that I remembered, anyway. I bit my lower lip and nodded. “Yeah. Okay. Truth?

  “Truth.”

  I inhaled a deep breath before exhaling slowly. “I don’t like being here alone. And I haven’t been sleeping much.”

  “I had a feeling. I uh… thought I heard you the other night.”

  “Sorry if I woke you. I had a bad dream.”

  “About the uh …”

  I nodded and sipped at the cool rice wine. It soothed my throat as well as my nerves while it made its way down my throat.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “No. Besides, what’s there to talk about? We both already know what happened. But I swear, Brodie, I did not lead him on the way he and that girl said.”

  “I know.”

  “Do you?” I questioned. “Because, well, you know, you and I haven’t exactly had the best experience in that area either. And I know you thought I wanted …”

  “You’re wrong,” he interrupted and I swallowed a lump of air as if I’d been holding my breath. He shook his head and looked me in the eye. “You never led me on. I’d just assumed you were like all the other women I’d met. That’s usually all they ever want from me.”

  “You don’t really believe that do you?”

  He shrugged. “Doesn’t matter anyway. That’s all I’d wanted from them.”

  Wanted. He’d said wanted, past tense as if he suddenly didn’t think that way anymore. I wondered if I should ask the question burning inside my mind. I decided it was time. Roommates needed to be upfront with each other, right?

  Before I could put a zipper on my lips, I blurted out, “Why do you do it?”

  He laughed, but it sounded more like a nervous chuckle.

  “Seriously, why do you sleep around so much?”

  He grimaced into his small cup of saké and then downed its contents. He smacked his lips and poured more of the cold clear liquid into his cup. Ignoring my question, he held up the bottle toward my cup and I nodded for him to fill it. It was good saké, and maybe if we drank some more I’d get him to talk to me.

  “Like I said, it doesn’t matter. They were just there. That’s all you really need to know.”

  “Wait, I thought we were being honest here. You know, roommates trusting each other and all that.”

  He shook his head. “How about you tell me about this book you wrote and the one you’re writing now. What made you decide to write it?”

  “You’re changing the subject,” I accused. It was obvious to me that Brodie Beaumont was not ready to give in and reveal what demons lurked inside him, or what drove him to engage in so many meaningless amorous affairs. At least not yet.

  “Nope, just adjusting it.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  “I’d wager there are some pretty deep, dark secrets hidden among all those words in that book you wrote, or possibly some pretty racy sex scenes. Otherwise, why would you even think about using a pseudonym instead of your real name? Maybe even more so in the one you’re writing now, so I figure, if you’re willing to reveal what those are, I’ll give in and tell you some of my deep dark secrets.”

  Chapter 27

  Brodie

  Gabrielle harbored an image of me in that pretty mind of hers that I hated. Like I was some philanderer out looking for the next great lay. I suppose I deserved the rep, but I didn’t like it, or want it. Not anymore.

  Especially not from her.

  I’ll admit, I’ve used women, but not any more than they’ve used me. I’d figured it was more of a service to them than anything else, and they never seemed to mind. I always made sure they knew exactly where they stood with me before I ever even kissed them. Sounds a bit shallow I know, but it’s the truth. Yes, I have issues, things I don’t like to think about, let alone talk about. Nasty, unpleasant events that drove me to do the things I’ve done, and act the way I have over the past few years. I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to have a conversation about all of that just yet, but I was willing to divulge a little, just to show good faith. Maybe sharing a bit about that time in my life would help her open up to me about hers. I needed to know why she seemed to be so frightened of men. I also wondered if maybe her past played a part in what happened in the woods with Jeff. Made worse by the fact that the bastard didn’t know how to respect the rejection.

&nb
sp; I decided to be as direct as possible. “If I answer your question, will you tell me why you can’t handle being touched?” From the shocked look on her face, maybe that was too direct. I don’t think I’d ever seen her eyes grow so large. My candor had her cheeks turning a pale shade of pink, and I instantly regretted my fucking insensitivity. “Sorry,” I quickly added. “That was rude and you didn’t deserve it.”

  She surprised me with, “No. It’s an honest question, and … you of all people probably deserve an answer, considering … everything.” By “everything,” I assumed she meant the attack as well as the slap she’d given me last year, but I wasn’t sure, so I stayed silent and let her continue.

  She scraped one of her chopsticks against the outside of one of the rolls, removing some of the little black seeds that they’d stuck on there for some unknown reason. “I don’t dislike being touched. When I slapped you, well, you took me by surprise. That’s all.”

  “That’s all?” Raising an eyebrow at that, I popped another sushi roll into my mouth, chewing while I let her continue, curious now. The thought that Gabrielle Demeres may have actually liked that kiss fleetingly floated through my mind. I didn’t want to press my luck on that one.

  “I wasn’t prepared for your roaming hands. We’d just met … like two hours earlier. I wasn’t going to jump into bed with you that quickly. You had no right to do that.”

  That quickly? My mind raced with sudden lust and I had to calm myself with a stern warning to take things slowly. I was beginning to believe that maybe she had liked the kiss after all. “You’re right. I’m sorry about that.”

  “We’ve had this conversation before, and I accepted your apology then. No need to keep saying you’re sorry.”