He wondered briefly if Callie had heard the story yet and winced. He’d know soon because she’d probably yell at him for mauling her friend.
“Had you texted me ahead of time like you had said you would, I wouldn’t have even been there when you got home. Or felt like I had to jump out the window.” Now that she’d finally stopped laughing, he noted the stain of pink stretching from her neck to her cheeks and the fact that she wouldn’t look him in the eyes. She was embarrassed.
“Look,” he touched her chin, nudging until she reluctantly met his gaze, “I apologize. It’s been a long time since the guys from the band have gotten together like that. I’m not sure if Callie told you, but it’s been strained, and I’d hoped last night would get us all back on the right track.” And luckily, it had.
For a while, anyway.
Rocky still seemed off, but after a few beers, they’d all let loose and had a great time, and a little of the tension hanging over them had lifted. “But that shouldn’t have been a license to let myself get out of control, and I’m sorry.”
“I would think that was pretty much standard for a bunch of guys in a band. Partying, strippers, and all that.” She stepped back, leaving a few feet of space between them, and sucked in a breath. “I just didn’t want to spoil your fun.”
“It’s not as wild or glamorous as people might think.” Partly true. There had been a time, after his relationship with Bridget had ended, that he’d allowed himself to get sucked in, but he’d toned it down a lot in the past year and spent a lot more time after gigs sitting alone in the trailer reading than he did partying. “And there were no strippers last night. Don’t get me wrong, I offered, but the guys passed.”
She gave him a half smile, seemingly appeased by that bit of information.
“But if you ever decide to switch professions, let me tell you, the glasses and that dark hair in a little bun…” He couldn’t help himself. He kind of liked that pink in her cheeks when she got embarrassed or riled up.
She rolled her eyes at him. “Yeah. Sure. Only then I’d eventually have to take my clothes off and everyone would see that the librarian never actually gets sexy.” Her chuckle seemed forced, and it hit him like a freight train.
She had no clue how pretty she was, or how sexy he found her.
After last night, that hardly seemed possible, but there it was. She must have written off his advances as just the alcohol talking. Little did she know, Lazlo Stone possessed the most discerning beer goggles in the free world.
In fact, his buddies joked that he had better taste in women when he was drinking than he did when he was sober. Part of him wondered if, when he was drunk, he let his guard down a little and allowed himself to actually look at a woman as more than just a potential sex partner. He bypassed the super-flashy girls for the ones with the delicate bone structure or the soulful eyes.
And Syd was exactly that.
So had she rebuffed him because she wasn’t into him, or because she didn’t take him seriously? The thought was beyond intriguing because it meant that he still had a chance in hell of spending some time with Sydney Metcalf naked.
“If you’re looking for someone to be the judge of that, I’m free for the next two hours.”
She laughed. He didn’t. And her smile faded as quickly as it came.
“Lazlo—”
“Laz,” he corrected softly, taking a step closer to her and adjusting the glasses that had slipped down her pert nose.
“Laz, then,” she cleared her throat and shifted from foot to foot, “I’m not sure what’s going on here, but—”
“There you are!” Lori Hanover came flying out of the kitchen, panic in her green eyes. “The liquor store delivered two cases of Belvedere instead of Grey Goose. The signature picnic drink for the welcome party is listed on the printed menu as a Grey Goose Cosmopolitan. We need to get this taken care of ASAP.” She turned with a flip of wavy blond hair and gave Laz a curt nod. “Hey. Sorry, but we’ve got to go.” She took Syd by the arm and pulled her into the kitchen, chattering all the way.
Apparently, Miss Metcalf had been saved by the bell. Shame. He’d been very interested to hear what was coming after that “but.” Nothing good, probably. “Buts” were almost exclusively bad. And still, something about the look in her blue eyes when he’d touched her had told him more than words ever could.
She wanted him.
And today at the lake, bell or no bell, he was going to find out how bad.
Chapter Five
“I got this, seriously.” Paula wrestled the spoon from Syd’s hand and glared at her. “You’ve been at it for two hours now. We only have the parfaits left to serve, and I can handle that.” She gestured to the lake, sparkling in the late-day sunshine not twenty yards in front of them. “Go take a swim, would you? I’m hot just looking at you in that getup.”
Syd swiped a hand over her sweaty brow and peered down. That “getup” consisted of her chef’s jacket and pants, which was perfectly appropriate given her position, but as she took stock of Paula for the first time, she realized she’d long since eighty-sixed the jacket and was working in her Lil’ Taste of Heaven polo shirt. Syd had been so busy and focused on making sure the food kept coming and Callie and the crew were happy, she hadn’t had time to worry about the heat.
And just maybe, you’ve been doing your level best to avoid Lazlo Stone, a mocking little voice added.
She unbuttoned her jacket, resisting the urge to scan the beach to see what he was up to now. He’d played three games of beach volleyball and won two of them and then had taken a spin out on one of the kayaks with Rocky. He’d also eaten a hearty portion of Scotch salmon, three ears of grilled corn, and a bowl of grilled watermelon-and-watercress salad. Not that she’d been paying attention.
She finally gave in and took a furtive peek around. Bright midday sunshine was softening to late afternoon, and it was possible he’d decided to call it a day. That should’ve been a relief. In fact, that was exactly why she’d immersed herself in work, insisting on doing all the prep and most of the grilling herself despite Callie, Jake, and even Laz once, trying to persuade her to join in the fun. But now as she contemplated heading back to the estate without seeing him again, she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of disappointment.
Stupid.
“You finally packing in the tongs and ready to have some fun?”
The low, husky voice in her ear startled her, and she reeled forward, nearly tripping over a bin of bottles meant for recycling. “Jesus, Laz, you scared the crap out of me.” She turned, holding a hand to her pounding heart. “I didn’t realize you were behind me.”
“Sorry, my bad. I was restocking the beer cooler.” He tipped his head toward the large red cooler a few yards behind her and shrugged. “I figured while I was over here, I’d give it one last try and see if you wanted to go swimming or something. I’m pretty sure if most of us eat another bite, we’re going to start exploding.”
His dark hair was a mess, his nose was sunburned, and he had sand stuck to his broad shoulders.
So why did he still look insanely gorgeous? Like he’d just stepped off a sexy-fireman calendar. His skin had darkened to a rich bronze, and his chest and shoulders were gleaming with sweat after the last volleyball battle.
It took all her strength not to trace each furrowed line of his six-pack with her finger. What would he have done then? If little library-looking Sydney Metcalf just went at him, touching him the way she sooo wanted to. If she could’ve caught a breath, she would have laughed at the thought.
“I can’t.”
“Come on. One quick swim, maybe a game of badminton? You know, Callie is going to start getting on your case if you work too hard.”
Behind Laz, Paula had rolled up and was staring at her like she was nuts, her eyes nearly bulging out of her head. She could almost feel the weight of her will and hear the unspoken words in her mind. Are you nuts? Go with the man, already.
And Laz was right.
When Callie had asked her to do the food, she’d made sure to extract one promise. She’d only feel good about asking if Syd agreed to make sure she was part of the festivities as well. If she was going to work the whole time and miss out on everything, Callie would find someone else.
Her friend had been eying her for the past half an hour, and she knew she was pushing it. If she didn’t do something that at least looked like she was letting loose a little, there would be hell to pay.
Besides, it wasn’t like he was going to kiss her again or something. Especially not in front of all their friends and his bandmates. She tugged off her jacket, trying desperately not to remember the feel of his mouth on hers.
There was no point.
It was a one-time deal, born of misunderstanding and fueled by alcohol. Today there was no question of her identity and they were surrounded by his people. The odds of him making another move on her were none and none.
She tossed her jacket behind her onto a lounge chair and nodded, already feeling less stifled as the light summer breeze tickled her bare arms. “Sure. A swim would be nice. But then I’ll be back to help with the cleanup.”
Maybe a few minutes of relaxation would reboot her enthusiasm. It wasn’t that she didn’t still grasp and appreciate the opportunity that Callie’s wedding had offered. It was just that, seeing her friends, drinking and carrying on…being young and carefree for a while, gave her a twinge of longing she hadn’t felt in years.
Work had been her everything for so long, Her ticket out of poverty, her glimmering sliver of hope that she could shuffle the cards and deal herself a better hand than the one she’d been dealt.
One swim with Laz. A short jaunt in the sun, and it would be back to the grindstone.
…
“Get the fuck out of here.”
Laz had been so preoccupied for the past ten minutes sipping on lemonade and thinking of how cute Syd had looked in her oversize chef’s coat, he hadn’t seen Rocky stroll up beside him.
“What’s up, man?” Laz asked.
“Nothing, I’m just…surprised.”
“At what?”
His friend jerked his head toward the changing gazebos that had been set up at the far side of the beach.
“That. Who would’ve thought she was packing all that heat under those baggy clothes?”
Laz turned, gut tightening. Why did he get the distinct impression he knew exactly who he’d find on the other end of his buddy’s surprised stare?
And there she was. Sydney Metcalf in all her glory…well, some of her glory. The bathing suit she wore was nothing special. A simple blue one-piece, no frills, no strategic cutouts. She’d even pulled on a gauzy beach skirt-style cover-up.
Nothing there should’ve taken away from the ten plus bikini-clad women on the beach. But, damn, she wore the hell out of that suit. She’d kept her hair in a knot on top of her head and her glasses were still firmly in place, but from the neck down, she was clearly a fox in sheep’s clothing.
As she walked toward them, eyes cast down like she was either feeling self-conscious or looking for shells, her full breasts jiggled lightly with each step, making his hands itch with the need to cup them. Her hips swayed in time as she moved, and he found himself mesmerized by the motion.
Rocky elbowed him in the gut, and he snapped back to attention. “Bro. You’re staring.”
Right. Staring at her like she was the lone T-bone at a vegetarian convention wasn’t going to make her want to get in the water with him. She’d already made it pretty clear that she didn’t have time for fun and really, that was all he did have the time or inclination for.
So why did every cell in his body feel the need to throw her off balance? To move in and convince her of all the reasons she was wrong. That a life with no fun wasn’t a life at all.
“Watch yourself, buddy. Callie won’t be happy if you break her friend’s heart, you know, and if Callie’s not happy, Jake is going to give you a raft of shit over it.”
He heard Rocky’s warning, but it went in one ear and out the other. What he couldn’t ignore was Rocky turning back for a second look.
“Don’t you have someplace to be?” he growled, a sudden surge of possessiveness coming over him.
Rocky met his gaze and held up both hands. “Damn, she’s not even my type. Take it easy. I was just surprised, is all.” He narrowed his all too perceptive eyes on his buddy and frowned. He opened his mouth to say something else, but Laz shot him a stony glare and Rocky gave him a curt nod. “Mind my business. Roger that. I’m going to go play another game of volleyball. You do what you do, bro,” he said and then jogged lightly toward the makeshift court.
Laz moved closer to Syd and jerked his head toward the crystal-clear lake. “Ready?”
She nodded and tugged at her gauzy top. “As I’ll ever be.”
He snagged a pair of towels from one of the several baskets that had been set up, and they padded toward the water’s edge before facing her.
“Last one out to the dock is a rotten egg.”
He didn’t wait to see if she took the bait. Instead, he dropped the towels and lunged forward, chilly water splashing up to hit his sun-heated chest as he ran. “Shit, that’s cold!”
With another muttered curse, he took the plunge, diving in until he was fully immersed. He popped his head up and turned around just in time to see Syd wading in after him.
She was up to her knees already, so he didn’t get a full body shot, but damn, what he saw looked good. Pert, high breasts, curvy hips, golden skin. He wondered what it would take to get her in a bikini.
Maybe just a week with a guy who was clearly turned on by her body would do the trick.
The closer she got, the more he couldn’t shake the feeling that he and this woman were supposed to spend some time together. She was a taste of something sweet. Something unsullied by the grime of the traveling musician. Something real.
Which was something he hadn’t had in a very long time.
Not a relationship, but maybe they could feed each other’s soul some. One thing was for sure—his had been running on fumes for a while now. As long as he was honest up front, no harm, no foul.
Lost in thought, he’d stopped paddling and didn’t realize she’d almost caught up with him until he heard her musical laughter ring right over his shoulder.
“Out of the way, slowpoke.”
He didn’t even have a chance to respond when she sliced through the water right past him with the elegance and speed of a seal. Well, shit. He’d had so much confidence in his California roots and comfort in the water to carry him to victory, he’d totally forgotten that she’d grown up with this lake pretty much in her backyard.
It wasn’t until she was an arm’s length from the ladder that he finally got close enough to touch her, and he took hold of one swiftly fluttering foot and tugged just hard enough to halt her forward motion.
“You son of a—”
His nose and ears filled with water as she shoved his head under, and he missed the rest, but he could guess what she’d called him. He broke to the surface right as she swung herself up onto the first wooden rung and crowed with glee.
“Cheaters never win.” She laughed breathlessly as she climbed. A second later, she sprawled onto the dock, chest heaving. “You’re fast, though, I’ll give you that.”
He followed suit, reveling in the feel of the sun-warmed planks against his cool skin as he sat next to her, reclining on his elbows so he could look down at her. So strange that, with one simple distraction, all the nerves and self-consciousness had disappeared. She looked happy and free. And…
“Did you lose your glasses in the water?” He tried not to look too hard, but without the shield between them it was difficult to look away from her blue, almost purplish eyes framed by spiky, dark lashes.
She shook her head and gestured back to shore with a jerk of her chin. “They’re in my cover-up pocket on the beach. I don’t think anyone will bother it.”<
br />
He followed her gaze and saw Callie and Jake snuggled close on a blanket, and Dash and Lori in the midst in what appeared to be a heated game of badminton while Rocky seemed engrossed in a cell-phone conversation.
“Probably not.”
She let out a long sigh, and her eyes drifted shut. “This was a really good idea. I don’t think I realized how tense I’ve been, worrying about making sure everything goes perfectly for Callie. Now that I’ve got a couple little things under my belt and she seems to like what I’m doing, I feel a little better about things to come.”
“You did a great job. Both last night and today.”
When her lids snapped open and the tension returned to her body, he immediately regretted bringing up the night before. Clearly, she was still uncomfortable about what had happened, and he really did want her to be able to relax and enjoy herself.
And what better way…
“Do you want to go out with me tomorrow night? There’s a country band playing at one of the bars we went to last night.” The words were out before he could stop them, but once they were said, he found himself hesitant to backtrack. He thought back to the little radio she’d tuned to a country-western station and perched near the grill. “You like country, don’t you?”
The place he had in mind would be perfect. It was dead, and no one had paid him or the rest of the band any mind, so it would be perfect. Dating wasn’t really his thing, but the thought of dancing with her and seeing how they moved together, listening to her laugh and talk with that sexy voice in his ear sure didn’t sound like a bad night to him.
In fact, he was hard-pressed to think of anything he’d rather do.
His gaze was inexorably drawn to her breasts straining against the top of her suit in her prone position and he mentally corrected himself. Okay, so there were a couple things he’d rather do. But who knew what could happen if he played his cards right?
She sat up then and met his gaze straight on. “I’m not sure what’s going on here.” She shook her head, a bewildered expression on her face. “There are a lot of gorgeous women who are much more in your league that you could be flirting with. Is it the librarian thing?” she asked, her voice going an octave higher on a semihysterical laugh. “Because I can promise you, what you see is what you get. The librarian thing, with no sex kitten hiding underneath.”
Reforming the Rock Star Page 5