Tears formed in Corie’s eyes and Alek hated himself for the pain he caused her. “Luv, don’t cry. He was nothing but a complete jackass, just like I am. You are perfect to me…for me. I hate myself for the pain I caused you. I just didn’t know what to do. I was afraid that if I told you who I was, you’d hate me for not telling you in the first place, and you did. It was my nightmare come true.”
“You really think I am perfection?” she asked, wiping away her tears.
“Absolutely. You are so beautiful that you take my breath away. Not to mention that you are extremely successful and smart. I know now that you would have treated me the same way you did even if you knew I part of Midnight Steel. I just didn’t know that in the beginning. Shit, I barely knew what was going on after the accident. I’m so sorry, Corie. I don’t trust easily, but I know I can trust you.”
Alek couldn’t believe she was actually here. He honestly never thought he’d see her again. Touch her again. He squeezed her hand gently. He needed her back in his arms again, but he knew they had to work everything out first. They would. They had to.
“What caused you to be so wary of me in the beginning? And who is Caroline?” Corie asked.
It was time for Alek to share his story.
“Okay, now don’t take this wrong, but you need to know about the life I led for the longest time. We had women throwing themselves at us pretty well from the start, even before we were famous. Something about being in a band must make a bloke look better to women.”
“Well,” Corie started to say with a smirk. “The guys of Midnight Steel are all exceptionally handsome men. So either way, you four had it made with the women.”
Alek was happy that Corie was starting to get it. “Now make the band pretty damn famous, and we could literally have whatever we wanted. And I’m not ashamed to say I did. The first bird that caught my attention was in my bed that night.”
“I know you have a past Alek. I do too. Guaranteed, yours has much more to it than mine, but I can’t fault you for that.”
“Many would, Luv. Thank you for understanding.” He gave her hand another squeeze before continuing. “These women served their purpose, but they were never good for more than a night or two. Traveling to a new city meant there was going to be a new blonde or new brunette or new redhead that night. None of us wanted anything permanent. But one night, I walked into the hospitality room and saw this woman that stopped me dead in my tracks. I became obsessed with Caroline for almost two years. I know now that I never loved her, it was more of a crazy, wild lust. She used her body to get me to do anything for her. She traveled when I traveled and lived with me when we didn’t tour. I bought her most anything that she wanted. The guys didn’t like her, but I didn’t care. She was mine, not theirs. We were in Cincinnati for a show, and Caroline hadn’t been feeling well, so I left soundcheck early to check on her.”
Alek stopped for a second as the awful memory of that day came flooding back. Corie must have felt the tension in him as she placed her other hand on top of the one of hers that he was holding. “I opened the door to our bedroom on the tour bus, and she was fucking the lead singer of our opening act. I threw him off the bus first, then her. Later, I found that he was just one in a long list of musicians and roadies that she had been working through. Everyone knew but me. I was so fucking blind to it all. That’s when I swore never to get that involved with a woman ever again. I was back to one night stands and not giving a shit anymore. She messed me up for a long time, and I didn’t want to go through that again.”
“Ahh, so that’s who she is,” Corie said. It was the name he had muttered during that long night he was so feverish. She had always wondered who Caroline was.
“What do you mean?” he asked. How did she know about Caroline?
“It was that night you were so sick, and the fever had you mumbling words that I could barely make out. But I remember hearing ‘Caroline, go away’ and I always wondered what she had done to you. Now it makes sense.”
“Wow, I don’t remember any of that. But I think I have punished myself long enough. It’s been years, and now I’m tired of being alone. Tired of the cheap one-night stands. And tired of being Laz. That’s why when I met you, and you had no idea who I was, it was my chance to be the old me…to be Alek again.”
“I like Alek,” Corie told him with a smile.
“I do too, but Laz has his uses,” he told her with a wink. “Now, Alek never expected to be at your house longer than a day or two. But the roads didn’t get plowed out, and the more time I spent with you, the more I wanted to stay. I just couldn’t leave without getting to know you better. I was so relaxed and happy at the farm with you that I was falling in love without realizing it. At that point, I didn’t know how to tell you who I was and you know the rest. Can you understand why I did it and find it in your heart to forgive me?”
Corie moved closer to him still clutching his hand in hers. “I forgave you before I came to New York. Everyone was telling me I overreacted and I didn’t want to listen. Do you know who it was that finally convinced me?”
“Who?”
“Ethan.”
“Wait…what? Ethan?” Alek knew his best friend always had his back, but he was completely unaware that he had contacted Corie.
“He showed up at the farm a few days ago.”
“Ethan drove up to Maine again? That wanker lied to me. Said he had some personal business to attend to and I thought it was about him trying to get custody of Isabelle. I can’t believe he went to visit you.” Alek wasn’t sure if he should be pissed off at his friend for butting in or thankful, but since he was the one to convince Corie to come to the show, any hint of anger quickly vanished.
“Who’s Isabelle?” asked a confused Corie?
“Ethan’s daughter.”
“I never knew he had a daughter.”
“It’s not widely known. He doesn’t see her much, not with our schedule and him living in London and she and her mother in Florida. There’s a lot of animosity between Ethan and Sharon. She’s not a good mother to the Isabelle, so Ethan’s going to try to gain custody of her.”
“Wow, I certainly wish him luck. He was able to get me to better understand why you did what you did. I wasn’t going to come to New York. I had definitely decided not to, but he changed my mind. That’s when I knew I had to forgive you. You mislead me, but you had your reasons. It wasn’t to hurt me but safeguard yourself. I get it.”
Alek couldn’t wait any longer. He needed to kiss her and feel the softness of her lips and her sweet taste again. It had been way too long. He leaned in toward her and Corie met him part way. He felt the same magic with this kiss as he did the first time all those months ago. His heart started to beat faster as their bodies remembered each other. The heat between them soared as the flame from their passion ignited. His hand tangled in her silky hair as he pushed her back against the sofa. Corie let out a little moan and wrapped her arms around his neck. Alektasted her, deepened the kiss, demanding more and she gave it. She had never held back with him and now was no different.
After a few minutes, Alek broke the kiss, resting his forehead on hers. They were practically panting as they both trying to catch their breath. “I want you so bad,” he said hoarsely. “But not here, not the first time together, we don’t.”
“Oh wow, I almost forgot where we were. Thank you, Alek,” she said shyly to him.
“I’m not going to have sex with you here like any of those throw-away women that backstage is full of. It’s going to be you and me…alone tonight after the show. Where are you staying? I’m at the St. Regis.”
“Me too. That’s where Ethan booked my room.”
“I owe that man more than you could ever know.”
Corie placed a hand on his chest. “He’s a very good friend to us both. So, when do you go on? How does all this work?”
Alek explained everything to Corie that was going to happen. It was still a while yet before they went onstage, bu
t he wanted to introduce her around. Plus, monopolizing this room wasn’t fair to the rest of the crew. It wasn’t his style to abuse his VIP status, but today was an exception.
He stood up and offered her his hand. “I want to show you around and have you meet the rest of the guys.”
“Okay, but can I ask you a question first?”
“Of course. What is it?”
Corie looked Alek directly in his blue eyes and smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Who was she?”
“Who?” Alek looked at her confused.
She rolled her eyes at him. “The bitch in the red dress who wanted me to go away.”
Alek burst out laughing. This was a new side to Corie he was seeing. “I like seeing the claws come out. That’s sexy as hell, Luv.” He kissed her before answering. “That bitch was Crystal. And yes, I did sleep with her a few times, but that was a long time ago. Every time I see her, she tries again, but I’ve turned her down many times. She’s nothing to me. Absolutely nothing.”
He saw the relief in her eyes. There was no way he’d ever cheat on her. Corie meant way too much to him to ever do that. He would never again touch another woman again. There was only one woman he wanted in his life and in his bed, and she was sitting right next to him. But, he saw that she was still unsure of something. “What else is bothering you?”
“Is that the type you of woman you go for?”
“Not any longer.” Alek was done with the easy hookups he always found while on tour. He could understand her needing his assurance that he wanted no one but her. “You know I have a crazy past, right? Any rocker does. I went for easy, hot, and big tits. Standard hookup for a guy like me. Didn’t care if she was blonde, brunette, redhead or whatever. Unfortunately, I tapped that one too many times and Crystal started to get possessive and clingy. That’s when I had enough. She has trouble understanding the word ‘No,’ but she’s gone now and won’t be allowed backstage again. She’s nothing to worry about,” Alek explained. He went to stand up, but Corie tugged his hand, so he stayed seated. “What?”
“You know I don’t wear clothes like this usually, right? I don’t look anything like Crystal. She’s much more well-endowed than I am.”
“Thank fucking God, that you aren’t anything like her. I want you, just as you are. Don’t think that’s what I want. I want you and nothing else. Got that?” He hoped that Corie could see that he loved her and no one else. There was nothing for her to worry about. She had his heart, and he had hers, and that was all that mattered.
“Thank you.” Corie gave him a heartfelt smile.
He never imagined he could feel this happy again. As much as he didn’t want to leave the room they were in, it was time for her to find out who Laz was. “C’mon, let go.”
She stood up and smoothed the skirt of her dress with her hands. “Let’s go,” she said with a nervous smile.
Only now did Alek see how she was dressed. Gone were the jeans and casual shirts she had worn in Maine. This was a totally new Corie standing before him. As beautiful as she was, she was hot as hell dressed the way she was. “Hold on, let me look at you.”
A blush flooded Corie’s cheeks as Alek stood up and looked her up and down. “Damn, girl. You look fucking amazing. Wow, I am so damn lucky.” He pulled her into a hug that had them just holding onto each other for the longest time. “I love you,” he whispered to her.
“And I love you, too,” Corie replied. “Forever.”
“Forever,” Alek said agreeing with her. “Abso-fucking-lutely! Now it’s time to show you off. C’mon, let’s get out of this room.”
Together they headed to the door. Corie put a hand on the handle before turning back to Alek for a quick kiss. He could feel her nervousness but knew she didn’t have anything to worry about. The door opened and hand in hand, they headed down the busy hallway. He couldn’t believe how happy he was. Right now he had everything he had ever wanted – his music, the money, and the woman he loved more than he ever thought possible. He had experienced her world and loved it. Now it was time to see if she could handle his.
Chapter 19
The music industry was an entirely new world for Corie. She had only gone to a handful of concerts in her life and never even thought about what went on backstage. This was a whole new experience for her. Corie held tightly onto Alek’s hand as they strolled through the backstage madness. Together, they zig-zagged around large containers and big black cases. Dozens of men were hurrying through the hallways pushing equipment towards the stage. Cables and cords hung off of necks as roadies worked to get everything set up for tonight. Instructions were constantly being called out, and questions asked via the radios that hung on their belts. Alek seemed oblivious to it, but she was in awe. It was controlled chaos at its best.
Besides the men working, there were businessmen off to the side on cell phones that Alek explained were from the record label. They typically didn’t attend their concerts, unless it was for a special occasion. Tonight’s sold-out show was a high-end gig at a thousand dollars a ticket. It was good publicity for both Make-a-Wish and the band. Corie also noticed some of the same women from earlier checking her out. Every single one of them had wanted to be in the position that she was in right now and she could feel the jealousy radiating off them in waves. It was rare for a Midnight Steel band member to have a steady girlfriend, and they all wondered who she was.
Alek returned greetings from several people along the way but didn’t introduce her. Finally, Corie saw a familiar face as Ethan came strutting towards them with another man at his side. The lead singer looked devastatingly handsome in his tight black t-shirt and black jeans. She secretly wondered if he ever wore anything else.
As he approached with the other man, she could see that his dancing green eyes were full of mischief. “So…is everything good between you two? Or do I still have to deal with his moping around?” Ethan teased.
“You’re lucky I’m still talking to you, you fucking busybody. You didn’t tell me you went up to see her,” Alek said, trying to act mad, but utterly failing.
“Someone had to fix you two since neither of you was bloody well doing it and you both were fucking miserable. Just be happy that she listened to me, mate. It’s good to see that smile back on your face.” Ethan then turned his attention to Corie. “He’s been the biggest dick to work with. I was about to start looking for a new guitarist soon,” he said with a wink.
“Fuck you, Ethan! You know there no one better than me.” Alek dropped Corie’s hand and put his arm around her shoulders. He looked down at her and said in a loud whisper, “I am the best.”
“So, are you two girls going to bicker all day, or is someone going to introduce me to this stunning woman?” Corie smiled up at the man that was with Ethan. Alek was tall for her, but this man was several inches taller than even Alek. He had bright red curly hair and twinkling blue eyes.
“Bugger off, Stephen. I owe Ethan here a thank you first.” Alek let go of Corie, and the two long-time friends hugged. Neither of the men were ashamed to show affection to the other in public.
When they pulled apart, Corie caught Ethan’s eyes and moved in for a hug of her own. “Thank you,” she whispered to him. “We both owe you.”
“That you do!” he laughed, planting a kiss on her cheek.
“Alright, hands off my girl, Madden.” Alek pulled Corie back to him, so his hands were on her waist. “Corie, this ugly bloke here is Stephen Trowley. He’s our tour manager.”
Stephen held out his hand to Corie. “Tour manager, babysitter, and problem solver amongst a dozen other things…that’s me. It’s good to see the reason Laz is smiling again is such a beautiful woman. He really was a pain in the arse for a long time.”
“Thank you. I think I’m a big part of that blame,” Corie admitted.
“No, you aren’t, Luv. The blame falls all on me, but that’s behind us now.” Alek wrapped his arms around her. When Corie turned her head look up at him, he gave her a kiss.<
br />
“Okay, enough with all this romantic shit. A guy can only take so much,” Ethan said, rolling his eyes. When Laz held up a middle finger, everyone laughed. “So, what are you both up to now?”
“Well, I want to introduce Corie around, especially to Davey and Tony. Have you seen those two dickheads around?”
“Alek!” Corie quietly reprimanded him.
“Well, they are,” he laughed.
“Are we the dickheads you’re looking for, mate?” said a new voice. Corie turned to her right and saw two men that were as different as day and night. They were the other two band members of Midnight Steel. She recognized them from the photos of the band that she had found online when she was devouring information on Alek.
Tony, the drummer, was a big muscular guy, with long, straight dark brown hair to his waist. As in every photo she saw of him, he was smiling. Next to him was Davey, the band’s problem child. He had an angelic face, with white blond hair that hung past his shoulders. Where Tony was big and muscular, Davey was quite thin. There was sadness in his eyes that he couldn’t hide behind the forced smile. Corie knew that he had been in and out of rehab numerous times for drugs and alcohol. They were also as close as Alek and Ethan were.
“Yes, you are. I want to introduce you to Corie,” Alek smiled ignoring the elbow that Corie had jabbed into his stomach. “Babe, these two blokes are Tony and Davey. And this is Corie. Expect to see her around a lot.”
“Ah, the beautiful reason Laz is not such a bloody arse anymore,” Tony said taking her hand. “Welcome to the crazy world of rock and roll.”
“Thank you, Tony. It’s wonderful to meet Alek’s friends. I’m really looking forward to the show tonight,” Corie said. While Tony asked her a few questions, Davey stayed quiet, but Corie noticed he couldn’t stand still.
“Alright, now that she’s met everyone, we’re going to find something to eat before the show.” Alek took Corie by the hand and started pulling her away.
Pieces of Me (Midnight Steel Trilogy Book 1) Page 23