by Cari Quinn
“I’ll find Deak for you, don’t worry. If it’s after you leave, I’ll make sure he sends you a dirty picture or two to tide you over.”
“Even better, send him back to me and you can have the truck again tonight. I only need him for maybe half an hour.”
“Half an hour? Girl, you slipping? Gray ate me out for longer than that. Multiple times.”
“Shut up.”
“Okay,” Jazz said cheerfully, taking the exit that led to the spa.
“You better not. Your transportation to your secret lover hangs in the balance. By the way, you sound ridiculously smug.”
“I am. I’ve never experienced anything even one-tenth as good as last night. And this morning.”
“Ah ha! That’s why you ignored my calls, you shameless hussy.”
“I really am sorry. But I was unavoidably occupied when you called.”
“Don’t tell me. I don’t want to know.”
“He had his head between my legs,” Jazz began. “His fingers are amazing—guitarist thing, you know—”
“Uh yeah,” Harper replied drily. “Deak’s a bassist, remember?”
“But his tongue is even more wow,” she continued dreamily. “He has incredible reach. And skill. Did I ever tell you they called him Muffy Duffy in school? He had a rep for loving to go down on girls.” She didn’t mention that she’d seen the evidence herself that one time in his bedroom. She’d simultaneously been repelled and fascinated.
“That is both disturbing and oddly hot.”
“Uh-huh. Let me tell you, his technique is legendary. I swear, my toes haven’t uncurled yet.”
“Damn you. You better hope Deak can take an emergency dinner break to bring me a hot salami sandwich minus the bun.”
Jazz cackled and turned at the light. “I’ll deliver that message. So, um, about tonight? Pretty please? I promise I won’t be late again tomorrow.”
Harper let out a long-suffering sigh. “Never let it be said that I’m not a hopeless romantic. Or whatever the equivalent word is for assisting my friend in getting lots of head.”
“Thanks. I appreciate it. I mean, we appreciate it. You aren’t too behind for your ladies’ lunch, are you?”
“No. I don’t have to be there to set-up until eleven-thirty. I have an idea how this secret sex thang works, you know. I built in a window for…well, climbing out the window.”
Jazz had to laugh. “Good thinking. I’ll see you in a few. Thanks so much for everything. Especially for giving me a push.”
“And the boots,” Harper reminded her. “I must’ve psychically known that you would need them.”
“Oh yeah, definitely the boots.”
“You’re welcome. I’m happy for you guys. Though gotta say, I’m a little shocked about Gray being so good at…well, everything. He’s super hot, but boy, he hides a lot under that semi-sullen exterior.” Harper whistled. “Always the quiet ones.”
“He didn’t used to be quiet. You wouldn’t believe it now, but back in high school he was outgoing and had tons of friends.”
“I’m sure he had tons of girlfriends too. With that Muffy Duffy thing, he must’ve had to beat them off with your drumsticks.”
“Pretty much,” Jazz agreed. “God knows I couldn’t get anywhere near him.”
“You’re near him now, so make the most of it.”
“I am. And I will. Oh, and I don’t suppose you have any of those chocolate coconut popovers hanging around, do you?” Jazz grinned. “We might want a midnight snack later after we get done…collaborating.”
“Thin ice, Edwards. Thin. Ice.”
“Sorry. I’m almost to—”
A loud crashing noise sounded before Harper let out a long breath. “I just found Simon. He’s facedown in his bed with his earbuds in his ears. The room looks trashed.” She sighed. “Deacon, however, is nowhere in sight. The door to his room is locked.”
“Is mine intact? Check my door. I didn’t lock it.”
“Yes, yours looks fine. Guess this was party central. No wonder Deak probably holed up in the gym.”
“Yep, can’t say I’m surprised. Simon hooked up with our esthetician last night. And maybe one of the manicurists. The party sounded like it was raging pretty well when I left.” Jazz signaled and turned into the parking lot of the spa. “I’ll meet you upstairs in five.”
Five minutes later, Jazz stood next to Harper at Simon’s bedside and shook her head. He wore only a pair of black silk sleep pants and had what appeared to be a trail of lipstick kisses down his back. An empty—at least she hoped it was empty—champagne bottle had rolled against his side and two more were tipped over on the nightstand. The sheets were all over the floor and one of the pillows sat on top of the TV.
And the perfume. Good lord.
“That isn’t you, is it?” Jazz leaned closer to Harper and took a healthy sniff. Harper smelled like a combination of yeast, butter and lemons, her usual scent when she’d spent time in the kitchen. “Oh, thank God. I didn’t want to diss that perfume if you were the one who smelled so rank.”
“I appreciate that. I think.”
“It smells like something they’d bathe a poodle in before putting it in Paris Hilton’s purse. Ick.” Jazz kicked at the sheets. “This is what happens when I take off for a night. He needs a keeper.”
“The door to his room was unlocked. Someone could’ve robbed him blind.” Harper looked around the expensive French-influenced suite. The heavy gold drapes were closed tight against the morning sunshine. “Granted, it’s not likely in a place this swank, but it’s possible.”
Jazz pounded on Simon’s back and he jumped like a live wire. Still didn’t open his eyes, though. “Wake up, asshat.” She yanked out his earbud and shouted “good morning,” in his ear, which finally managed to make him open one sleepy eye.
“It’s the middle of the night. Why you botherin’ me?”
“It’s past nine in the morning. Get your ass up.”
“Closer to ten now,” Harper put in.
“A man’s entitled to sleep. Especially since we wrote a new song last night while you were off playing Candyland, pixilicious, and it fucking rocks my socks off.” He produced a battered notebook from under his stomach and thrust it in their general direction.
Jazz cocked a brow at Harper and turned the notebook right side up. “‘Nailed’? That’s your contribution to the album?”
“Read it,” he said before disappearing under his pillow.
Jazz scanned the lyrics. The last stanza was particularly good.
All these voices hammering at my head
Wanting too many slices of me
Bit by bit I give them away
Until nothing but nails in the frame remain
“Wow,” she said softly, passing the notebook to Harper. “That’s pretty awesome. The chorus needs work.”
“Well, duh,” came the muffled reply. “You weren’t here to give it your womanly touch and shit.”
Jazz couldn’t help laughing as she climbed on his legs and picked up another pillow to whale on the back of his head. “Get up, you jerk. We gotta go find Deak.”
“Did someone say ‘find Deak’? Because I—” Deacon broke off, stopping mid-rub on his damp chest. “Lawless.” His gruff tone belied the wide smile that broke across his face as his wife headed straight into his arms.
“About time you showed up.” Harper ran a fingertip over his wet pecs and cast a glance back at Jazz. “Cover your eyes. I’m about to lick this and claim it as mine.”
“You did that already. About a thousand times or so.” Deak lifted her off her feet and kissed her with enough gusto to have Jazz glancing away.
Simon, on the other hand, had emerged from under his pillow and watched avidly. “Hot,” he proclaimed once they were through.
Jazz smacked him on the back of the head again, this time with the back of her hand. “Pervert.”
“So says the one who snuck off for a booty call and didn’t come home all
night. All night,” Simon repeated in a singsong voice, kicking his legs until Jazz tumbled onto her butt on the mattress. She quickly tugged down her dress, remembering she wasn’t exactly dressed for horseplay. Or any kind of public play, period.
Deacon frowned. “Booty call? I thought you were visiting Gray’s sick grandma.”
Jazz flushed. God, she hated lying to anyone, especially her bandmates. She was about to apologize for her fib and come clean when Harper booted the door shut and linked her arm around her husband’s waist. “She was visiting Gray’s penis, and it’s a secret from Lila the Romance Killer so shh.”
Deacon unhooked Harper’s arm and stepped closer to the bed. His jaw tightened, but that wasn’t what caused the kick in Jazz’s belly. For an instant, hurt flashed in his eyes. Deacon was a good man, the kind who believed in dealing off the top of the deck at all times. Of all of them, he was the closest to her other than Gray, and they’d bonded more after the contract brouhaha that had nearly ripped the band apart. She knew he felt protective toward her, and after Lila’s decree, her starting something up with Gray now seemed ill-advised at best.
But that didn’t mean she intended to do anything any different. She couldn’t. As much as she loved Oblivion, she loved Gray more.
Hopefully her loves weren’t mutually exclusive. Because she wanted—needed—both.
“That true, pix?” Deak asked softly, slipping his hands in his pockets as he waited for her answer. Even Simon had gone still and propped his head on his hand to listen.
“Yes.” She made herself meet first Deak’s gaze then Simon’s. “I made a decision that could potentially harm the band if Lila finds out and flips her shit, as she seems likely to do. I knew that, and I did it anyway. If you want to know if I feel guilty, the answer is no.”
“Jazz,” Deak began.
“Let me finish. Please.” She didn’t speak until he nodded. “I’ve been in love with Gray since I was fourteen. It just took me this long to do something about it.” She wrapped her arms around her midsection. “I won’t give him up for anyone. I hope you can understand, and I’m sorry for lying to you about where I went. But I’m not sorry for loving him.”
Harper sniffled from the doorway and waved her hands when everyone glanced her way. “What? I’m pregnant. I can cry at Lifetime movies happening right in front of me.”
Jazz snorted. “Honey, what went on last night belonged on another channel other than Lifetime. Promise.”
“Oooh? Do tell.” Simon grinned and sat up, extending his fist to hers. “I say rock on with your bad self. It’s none of Lila’s damn business, and I, for one, am a card-carrying member of the fuck-who-the-hell-you-want club.”
Jazz gave him a watery smile and bumped her fist to his. “Thanks.”
“Ah, to hell with it. Come here. I need a good Jazz hug.” He hauled her into his lap and made her squeal as he squeezed his arms around her ribs. “Much better,” he said, laughing as she squirmed away.
She pulled her dress down her thighs and shot a sidelong look at a suspiciously silent Deacon. He’d moved back beside Harper and she was talking quietly to him, stroking his arm in a manner that reaffirmed how solid a unit they were.
Jazz stared down at the necklace she’d started working through her fingers without noticing. She wanted that kind of unity for herself. And dammit, she would have it. She wasn’t going to give up on her dream of a life with Gray, not after she’d tasted what it could be like to wake up beside him. When push came to shove, nothing else mattered as much.
Not even the band she adored.
“Deacon has a response.” Harper turned to face the room and not-so-lightly pushed on his back to nudge him forward. “Don’t you?”
“Yeah.” He gripped the ends of the towel around his neck. “You have my support, pix. Always. You and Gray both do.”
She didn’t dare breathe. Her sternum felt too tight, as if it couldn’t possibly hold the bubble of relief and joy expanding inside her. “Really? You mean it?”
He nodded. “I mean it.”
“Thank you. Oh God, thanks.” Jazz scrambled off the bed and launched herself at him, hanging on as he raised her off the ground and made her giggle.
“I see London, I see France, I see someone isn’t wearing any underpants,” Simon sang from the bed.
With a yelp, Jazz extricated herself and ran out the door to her own room. Laughing the whole way.
Once inside her suite, she slumped against the closed door and let the happy tears come. She couldn’t help herself.
Now everyone in the band had given them their blessing but Nick. That would be a little trickier for more reason than one, but she hoped that he would eventually be on her side if not hers and Gray’s. Maybe they could actually make this work.
She pulled her cell out of her boot and fired off a quick text to Gray.
Deak & Simon know about us. They’re cool.
His reply didn’t take long. For real?
Yes. I wouldn’t care if they weren’t. I’m all in with you. She bit her lip and started typing again. Okay, I would care, but not enough to stop.
Me either. No one could make me stop.
She typed a smiley and grinned when he sent back a kissy face.
Aww. She replied once she’d stopped making gooey eyes at her phone. I miss you.
That statement couldn’t have been truer. They’d been apart, what, an hour? Maybe a little longer? Surely not long enough to miss him. But already an ache was growing in the pit of her belly. She needed to see his smile. Hear his husky voice in her ear while he ranged his long, muscled body over hers and made her whole. She hoped she did the same for him.
I miss you more, sugar.
Her grin spread as her thumbs blurred over the buttons. No, me.
Doubt that. I’m writing your song. It’s super-hot. It’s making me hard.
Tell me more.
About your song or about being hard?
Laughing, she strolled to the bathroom. Both. Definitely both.
* § *
I have to go get beautified now. Time for pedis. I’ll be thinking about you.
A few hours later, Gray smiled at Jazz’s final text. God, he couldn’t wait to see her again. It felt like too fucking long already.
He looked up as the front door banged open and shut. Nick stalked inside and kicked off his boots.
“Good morning to you too,” Gray said, returning to the page of scribbling in front of him. He’d gotten into a groove since Jazz had left, no doubt because of last night. Now that Nick had arrived, he fully expected that to end.
The guy was like a thundercloud, pissing acid rain wherever he went.
“Good morning? It’s past noon. As you would know if you’d dragged your ass out hours ago.” Nick dropped into a wingback chair beside the fireplace and threw his feet up on the carved wood coffee table. He pulled out a crumpled pack of cigarettes and shook one out, lifting a brow at Gray’s stare. “Got something to say? Words are free.”
“Nah.” Gray set aside his guitar and went back to his notebook. “Not worth the breath.”
“Let me guess. You want to bitch about me smoking in here.”
“As if you’d listen to me. Besides, maybe I’m worried about your health.”
“Right. I’m sure you’re concerned that I’m eating my Wheaties and upping my cardio to maintain my heart.” Nick flicked his lighter and sucked in a breath of smoke, puffing it at the ceiling. “Since you’re so worried about healthy living, let’s talk about the smell coming out of your room this morning.”
Gray froze. Had he smelled Jazz’s perfume or something? Not that he particularly cared about hurting the guy’s feelings, but Nick wouldn’t hesitate to deliver the info to Lila just to be spiteful. Though he claimed to care about Jazz, Gray had his doubts.
Nick cared about one person and one person only—himself.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Gray crossed out a line of lyrics. He was already clo
se to done with his song for Jazz, but that didn’t mean Nick would want the band to touch it with a ten-foot pole.
The song was private, but it had come out pretty damn good. Since he hadn’t written anything worth shit in months, he wasn’t about to tuck it away in a notebook to rot. He’d see what Nick had to say then explain to Jazz later. She probably wouldn’t be too mad. It’s not like he named her in it or anything. She’d seemed pleased at the idea that he was writing a song for her. And from the increasingly dirty texts they’d been sending each other all day, she wouldn’t exactly be surprised at the direction of his thoughts.
Damn, he couldn’t wait to get his mouth on her again. To sing her the song he’d come up with and watch that flush creep up her cheeks. So frigging beautiful, that was his Jazz.
“Oh really. Did someone break in to smoke pot last night?”
Gray broke the tip of his pencil. “Don’t start with me.”
“Should I also start with you about the sexy little screamer you snuck into your room?”
Jesus. The Oblivion playlist he’d had playing had only lasted a couple of hours and he’d been too distracted to start it again. So much for thinking they’d mostly been quiet enough not to attract Nick’s suspicion. He could only hope Nick hadn’t yet figured out that the woman was Jazz.
“I told you to lay off,” Gray said in an undertone.
Nick lazily blew out smoke. “Look, I know we’re supposed to play nicey-nice and use this time to bond for the sake of the band. I think a smarter move would be to cut the crap.”
“I didn’t realize we’d ever done anything but sling crap at each other.”
“Yeah, well, consider this my first step toward forging world peace.” Nick braced his arms on his thighs and leaned forward, tension lacing his expression. “If you think I’m not well aware of the kind of shit you’re into, you’re dead wrong. You give off the vibe of a song we’ve all heard too many times before.”
Gray’s skin iced over. He could guess quite well where Nick was going with this. Deliberately, he pushed his notebook aside and grabbed his guitar again. He’d suddenly lost his mojo to write sexy times. “Spell it out, man. I don’t have time to guess what you mean.”