He removed his hand, and she instantly felt cold, realizing he’d only touched her hand to get her attention. Had she imagined him tracing her fingers?
Suddenly irritated, she decided to mention her next demand, since she didn’t intend to ask permission. “There’s a club I want to go to…” His eyes darted to her again. At least his gaze was on her, even if his hand wasn’t. “It’s local…right here in Boston,” she continued. “I need to get out. I’m bored out of my mind.”
He laughed, but it was more like a condescending chuckle. “Because you had such an exciting life in South Carolina?”
“I did. Charlotte was only forty-five minutes away. I don’t need a date to go out, you know. I do quite well on my own—always have.” She crossed her arms, hating that she wanted him to take her hand again. She’d said her piece about her age, which made perfect sense; the rest was up to him. If he found her beautiful, he’d have to work for her or continue to mope over a woman he could never have. Meghan may not be happy with her father, but she wasn’t blind; she knew he was a catch. And if Reece had the hots for Victoria and she returned his sentiments, it was doubtful that Jonas would be able to sway her attention.
Jonas rubbed the back of his neck. “Woman, I’m trying to take over the world here. Or haven’t you noticed?”
She laughed. It was hard to stay angry with him. “Is that all? Don’t all supervillains have a woman in their lair, their only weakness?”
Jonas pursed his lips, seemingly trying not to smile. “Some are smart enough to stick with cats.”
“Meow.”
He sighed and turned the SUV, then pushed the stereo back on, turning it up.
Meghan said nothing the rest of the ride. She’d gotten to him. She may not be experienced, but all women knew when a man liked them. Jonas liked her—and he was attracted to her.
Meghan picked out as many jeans as they’d allow her to try on at one time, and was lucky to find one pair that was long enough. Maybe she did need to shop where supermodels shopped; at least the jeans would be for tall women. She found a few thermal tops she liked, and then stopped at the dresses.
She never wore dresses, but at least this one was an all-black number with a studded elastic neckline that crisscrossed in the front and back. It was her style, and yet, some might consider it classy, especially when she coupled it with the boots she’d found last time.
The dress had capped sleeves, which she wasn’t accustomed to, though; she preferred long ones. But maybe since Jonas seemed to like tall women, he’d like to see her long arms too. On a whim, she snatched it off the rack and walked back to the dressing room. It was also a mini-dress, so she needed to make sure it covered her backside.
She took the four items she’d found, including the dress, and the total was still only forty-two dollars. Victoria probably paid that for one t-shirt, if she wore t-shirts, that is. She handed the salesclerk her card and waited while she stamped it four times. When she filled it up, she’d do a real spree and save twenty percent.
“What did you find?” Jonas asked as she stepped up into the SUV.
She pulled out the skinny jeans, and he rolled his eyes. She showed him the two shirts, and he just sighed again. He sure sighed a lot.
“What’s that one?”
“Just another outfit that will make you roll your eyes and sigh.”
“Let me see.”
“Nope!” she popped her answer. “I don’t like your attitude.”
“I just don’t understand why such a beautiful woman wears nothing but plain black clothes. Not that I don’t like black, but they’re all the same.”
It was the second time he’d called her beautiful, but he had no right to question how she dressed. He had no interest in being her boyfriend, and he certainly wasn’t her guardian. “This is how I dress.”
He shrugged and shifted the vehicle into drive.
“Tonight, by the way,” she reiterated her earlier reference about going out.
“Meg…”
“No one we know will be there. The last place my father would be—or Victoria from how you described her—would be at an alternative rock concert. There’s a band from Los Angeles playing tonight. They haven’t toured in over ten years, so I can’t believe they’re gonna be here.”
“I’m supposed to—”
“Jonas, I don’t want a babysitter. I want to go alone.”
He started to shake his head.
“Shake your head or roll your eyes at me again, and I’m outta here.”
“Meghan…”
“Am I a prisoner? You assured me I could come and go, and I told you I wanted to stay. As long as you’re not hurting innocent people. But I won’t be held against my will.”
“You’re not.” He stopped at a light and turned his full attention to her. “I just…what if someone sees you? What if they—”
“I would never tell anyone about you, Jonas, or where you are. No one will follow me either. I’ll be super careful, I swear.”
He pulled forward as the light turned green again, casting a glance in her direction. “I know we’ve only known each other for a few weeks, but I feel close to you. I’ve lost everyone I’ve ever cared about, though.” As though he were revealing a great weakness, he shook his head, shifting his focus back on the road. His gaze fixed straight forward, he rubbed his hand over his mouth and released a long breath. “I don’t want you to leave, Meg…” he trailed off, her name dangling in the air, as if he’d wanted to say more, but was afraid.
Leave him? she wondered. Was he afraid she’d leave him? No, he’d made it clear that she was too young for him. “I won’t leave. I promise.” She wasn’t completely sure what she was promising, but she knew she didn’t want to leave him.
CHAPTER EIGHT
The club was literally steps away from the Green Line, so Meghan didn’t need one of Jonas’ goons protecting her, and she didn’t need to borrow his car.
She poked her head inside Jonas’ office at the same time she tapped on the door. “Bye…”
Jonas looked up from his conversation with Tag, his hand lifting as if he would wave her off, but then he dropped his hand and stood. “Come here.”
Meghan’s first impulse was to say, you come here if you want to talk to me. But suddenly apprehensive of his tone, she walked toward him with small steps, wondering what she’d done to upset him.
Jonas scrutinized her outfit from her tied up boots that came just above her knees, to her dress that sat just inches below her rear, to the crisscross studded straps that laced across her chest. Even Tag’s jaw dropped open a few inches. So, these men did enjoy something other than discussing how to take over the world.
“Yes?” she asked.
“You’re wearing…that? When did you get that?” He flipped his hand up and down, indicating her outfit from head to toe.
“Uh…yeah… I got it from that secondhand shop you hate. Is there a problem?”
He shook his head. “Where did you say you were going?”
“I didn’t. Just a club off Commonwealth. It’s right off the Green Line.”
Jonas scratched the back of his neck, then looked down at Tag, who hadn’t said a word. An unusual occurrence. Most of the time he never shut up. “When are we supposed to meet them?” Jonas asked.
“In an hour,” Tag answered, his eyes still glued to her. She wanted to tell him to pull his tongue back in.
Meghan couldn’t believe the reactions from the two of them. She’d been here several weeks and had barely warranted a head nod. It seemed that all the creatus men were used to tall women. Only her blond hair made her stand out among the group.
Jonas released a long breath. “I can’t postpone. We’ve been trying to get them to talk with us for months. The only reason they finally called was Ry’s death. Ry had graduated with Tag and a few of his family and friends. The two of them had been trying to recruit the entire family, so now they wanna talk.”
“Jonas, I told you…I
don’t want a babysitter. I’m looking forward to an evening on my own.”
He nodded, then stepped toward her, directing her out of the office by nudging her on the elbow. Not the sweet way he’d always rested his hand on her lower back. He didn’t say a word as he led her to what she’d heard was their safe room, a room insulated so that no one could hear private conversations. Creatus could hear from several blocks away, he’d told her. She’d always had excellent hearing, but since she was the only one of her kind that she knew about in South Carolina, she’d never had a way to test her abilities.
Jonas directed her inside the room and then closed the door behind him.
She gulped, suddenly nervous. His brother had been a killer. What if she’d read him wrong? What had she said? “Jonas, I—”
He stepped forward and rested his fingers on her lips. “Shh…” He walked over to a table and turned on a machine. A loud hum emanated. Then he flipped on a stereo system. Country music filled the room.
Jonas walked back to her, his face inches from her. His warm breath tickled her face, causing her heartbeat to shift into overdrive.
He smiled. “Do I make you nervous?”
“I’m…I’m not nervous,” she stuttered.
“Why is your heart racing, then?”
He could hear a heartbeat? “Umm…I didn’t know it was. Why are we in here?”
Jonas leaned closer and whispered in her ear, and she was sure her heart would take flight out of her chest. “Just be careful.”
He brought her here to tell her to be careful? “Careful of what?”
“Tag thinks you’re gonna run.”
Snapping to her senses, Meghan shook her head, stepping back from his closeness, which was strangely unnerving. “Who the hell is Tag to care about what I do? I thought you were in charge?”
He reached for her hand and pulled her in front of him again. “I’m just the man who everyone knows about, who was willing to speak out and demand more, but don’t think for a second that I control as big as this has gotten.” He pulled her closer. “Creatus can be dangerous, Meghan. Yeah, we’ve played nice-nice for a long time, but your dad and Derrick…they don’t know what’s coming. If you leave—”
She shook her head. “I don’t plan to leave, Jonas. I want to stay…with you.”
He smiled again, a softer smile. He reached up and brushed her hair off her shoulder. “Meghan, I—”
She blew out a breath to cut off his words. “I know. I’m too young.”
“That’s not what I was going to say.” He stood so close that his breath washed over her face. She wanted so much for him to kiss her, even though his words had scared her. He threaded his fingers with hers and pulled her hand to his lips. “Just be careful. Okay? Make sure no one sees you—or follows you.” He dropped her hand, leaving her standing there with her hand tingling as if she’d slept on it wrong, but it was a good feeling, one she didn’t want it to wake up from.
She reached for the door handle, and he grabbed her hand, pulling her back to him again. “By the way, you look incredible. I like the dress, and I love the boots. Don’t take any crap from any human men, and please don’t bring anyone home.”
“I—”
He stopped her words with his lips, but pulled back without actually kissing her. He’d just pressed his lips to hers long enough to cut off her words. “Give me some time, okay? I just lost my brother and mother. I’m not ready to dissect what I’m feeling, but I do care about you, and you’re right, we’re probably the perfect age for each other. I haven’t looked at another woman in so long, though… I’m just… I’m…”
She touched his face, shushing him this time. “It’s okay.” She wasn’t sure exactly where she stood with Jonas Cutter, and he obviously didn’t want to talk about it, so she wouldn’t. As she’d said before, she was good at keeping secrets, and apparently, he didn’t want to discuss their relationship further. That was okay, though, because it was clear she’d gotten his attention.
CHAPTER NINE
Meghan arrived early enough so she could find a good spot to view the band. She took in the building as she approached, nodding at its nondescript exterior. Just the way she liked them. Simple and unpretentious décor typically meant more money in the budget for sound and lighting. From the outside, the nightspot appeared to be little more than a hole in the wall.
Sandwiched between a Goodwill store and a pub, the redbrick front of the nightclub looked too small to host a concert, but she didn’t care. As soon as she’d heard the band was touring, she’d hoped she could see them again. The alternative band had broken up more than ten years ago, so this was a dream come true.
She held open her tiny black purse for the linebacker posing as a doorman. The little more than a wallet was just large enough for her phone, the fake ID Jonas had given her, and cash. Still, the man used a wooden stick to sift through its contents as if she could have fit a weapon in the miniature clutch. Oh, well, based on some of the comments she’d read on TripAdvisor, security was a necessity. She had no concern about getting raped, of course, but getting hit by a stray bullet wasn’t a perk she wanted to experience.
It was still early, so she had her choice of viewing stations. The first order of business was a bathroom break, though. The last thing she wanted was to wait in line for an hour once the show started, and she really had no desire to step inside the bathroom after hundreds of women had visited it. She’d learned that bathrooms in these places were disgusting, and she’d rather not get stuck by some infected needle left on the toilet paper dispenser.
Upstairs was nice. Many fans had already taken up residence on the padded benches. Since there were no seats on the first floor, the balcony probably filled up quickly. She had no interest in the upstairs. She liked to be stage side, in the middle of the action.
She relieved herself, then ventured back downstairs to stake a spot far away from the gigantic pillars in the center of the room. The room was massive, with no supporting walls, so she understood the need for the soaring columns, but she wouldn’t want to be stuck behind one.
The DJ had just fired up the sounds and was going on about some of the superstars who had performed here, including U2. The acoustics were superb. No reverb or echo. Sound quality was just one of the reasons she enjoyed watching Indie bands at smaller clubs. The show was intimate, and the band appreciated you. They understood that one viral YouTube clip could rocket them from Indie to Mainstream overnight.
Meghan glanced around at the swarming bodies, now filling every inch of floor room. Mostly, other than her height and platinum-blond hair, she blended in with the crowd. She rarely wore heels, but around Jonas and the other creatus, she’d started to feel as though her height and strength were normal.
Tonight, however, with her four-inch heel boots, she stood nearly a head taller than every other woman in the room. And more than half of the men. But unlike South Carolina, that didn’t seem to dissuade the looks. Just about every man in the room, even the ones who noticeably had dates, had undressed her with their eyes. She couldn’t help but smile; she always knew she wasn’t a southern girl. She’d belonged in Boston all along.
Please don’t bring anyone home. Jonas’ words pricked at her brain. As if. She’d never even gotten to second base, let alone brought home a complete stranger. Maybe he wasn’t talking about a date, though. Maybe he’d meant for her to make sure that no one followed her home. He was so hard to read. He’d also said he cared, but he just needed time to dissect—
“Hey!” A man’s voice along with a foreign hand latching onto her arm broke her out of her thoughts.
Without thinking, she grabbed the foreign hand and whirled on the person who’d dared to touch her.
“Oh, crap. I’m sorry,” the man shouted. “I thought you were someone else.”
She dropped his hand and forced a smile, realizing she needed to relax. Jonas had put her on edge. “Sorry. It’s okay. You just surprised me.”
The man rubbe
d his hand as he scurried away. Too bad. He was cute, someone she could have definitely used to make Jonas jealous if she’d brought him home. She giggled to herself and then turned back to the stage, hoping she hadn’t broken one of his fingers.
“Remind me not to piss you off,” another voice shouted from her other side.
This time she turned without attacking her neighbor. She knew to expect a few goodhearted feeling-ups and grabs at these venues where gyrating bodies were pressed together like sardines.
She took in the man who’d spoken. He couldn’t be more than a few years older than she was—and tall…and well built. Nice! He had to play sports. B-ball or football probably. His eyes gobbled her up as though he liked what he saw too. She smiled. “He just took me by surprise.”
“So I gathered. You’re quick.” He looked down at her hands. “Thirsty? If you save my spot, I’ll get you a drink.”
She lifted her hand with the bold, black ‘under 21’ stamped across it. “Thanks, but I’m not old enough to drink.”
He waved off her comment. “The management couldn’t care less. What do you like?”
Now she had to tell him the truth…the words that had always made her friends stare at her. “Water’s fine. I don’t drink.”
Surprisingly, he didn’t look at her as though she was a prude. “Water, it is.” The man strolled off, and instantly, swaying bodies moved to fill his spot, as though his leaving had caused an empty vacuum that had to be filled.
Not that she needed to, she was pretty sure most people would move for him, but she rested her hands on her hips with her elbows jutting out, to keep a few inches of space around her. A few eyes narrowed, but no one questioned her. Maybe more people had seen her remove that man’s hand from her shoulder than she thought.
The band appeared on the darkened stage through a cloud of mist and a few perfectly timed chords from their most popular song. The crowd roared and bodies pressed forward.
Lights swirled overhead and around the stage, breaking through the mist. The hum from the speakers caused the room to buzz as if it were a living and breathing entity as the soundman increased the volume to full power. Meghan slipped in her earplugs. She loved the music, but her hearing was just too good.
Creatus Series Boxed Set Page 53